Pride & Prejudice

After waiting what has seemed like an eternity for this movie to come out on DVD, I have finally been able to watch it--and now I can say that it is one of my most favorite movies of all time! I just absolutely could not love it any more than I do now! I was convinced before I had seen it that it was going to be one that I would like, but I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be even better than I expected. I can't say that it's a movie that everyone will enjoy; I seem to have different tastes in movies and music than most people I know, but I did watch it a second time with my mom and she loved it, as well.

I had never read the book before, so I wasn't very familiar with the story of Pride and Prejudice, but I can say that the first time that I watched it I was able to keep up with everything that was going on. Sometimes it does get a bit hard to remember the characters' names, since there are so many to keep up with, and their British accents can be a bit difficult to understand, but other than those little things the story flows very smoothly to the very end. I know that it must have been a very hard movie to film, and I really respect the director and actors for doing their jobs so wonderfully. I think that the actors/actresses that played Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy, Jane, and her mother were especially perfect for their roles... But then, so was everyone else! 

Anyway, now I'm going to talk more about certain things in the movie that I really liked, so be prepared for spoilers. If you haven't seen the movie yet then I recommend you not read this until you have, because, knowing me, I'll probably end up going into detail a bit too much and ranting for a very long time, ah heh.

To start off, I have to say that I am completely in love with every bit of the music played during this film! I'm going to buy the soundtrack as soon as I see it. Most of it is played on piano, but that really suits the entire mood of the film best. It just fits. My very favorite is the score played near the ending when Elizabeth is standing out in the field alone, and suddenly sees Mr. Darcy walking toward her... It's just beautiful; the perfect scene for that particular music. By that time I was definitely just staring at the TV screen in tears, lol.

And speaking of, that was definitely one of my favorite moments in the movie. It wasn't sad at all, but I still ended up crying just because it was so perfect and romantic.
Other scenes that I liked were when everyone was at the balls. I've always wished that I could go to one all dressed up like that, so I think that's the reason why they caught my interest. It was fun to watch the couples dance, and also interact with each other, especially the two main characters after they first become acquainted with each other. The variety in personalities among all of the characters always makes the situations like that interesting!

I also enjoyed all of scenes following after Mr. Collins arrived. He was just such a silly character, being kind of eccentric and all. His expressions were just priceless... It was funny how no one could really take him seriously, yet he seemed to try so hard to come off as very formal. You'll just have to watch the movie to see what I mean; I was laughing during almost every scene that he was in, especially during one of the balls.

Of course, I also loved all of the moments between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy! It was amusing to watch the way that their relationship formed. The scene when they're standing outside in the rain, and he finally admits his love is really well-done. It was just interesting to watch because Lizzie (Elizabeth) certainly had something to say to every single comment that he made. I think the chemistry between them is very strong, and makes it all believable.

I was pleased that throughout the movie, nothing inappropriate went on between any of the characters... You know, things that should be reserved for married couples. None of the couples even kissed before they were married, which was a fact I really liked! I honestly think that's the way that it should be between two unmarried people who are together. They don't need to do all of that sort of stuff before, just to 'make sure they really love each other'. Love is about so much more than that, and unlike most modern romance movies, Pride & Prejudice demonstrated how two people really can fall in love without all of the physical contact. Mr. Darcy's love for Elizabeth was an example of one that showed true respect, with all of the kind things that he did for her. It was just generous and innocent... So refreshing compared to most other romantic movies these days!

My favorite character in the movie was, of course, Elizabeth! I actually think that I can see a resemblence between Keira Knightley, the actress who plays her, and myself. We're the exact same height, with brown hair, etc. It's hard to explain here, but I can tell more when I compare her to myself in real life. I think I look more like her in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie, though, because her hair is exactly the same color as mine then, and almost the same length! Mine's just a bit longer. It's funny because I often curl my hair the way she does in the movie.
Anyway, I also love Mr. Darcy, Jane, and there's one other guy named Mr. Wickham who is the SPITTING IMAGE of Orlando Bloom! You'll see what I mean when you watch the movie. Just picture the way that he looks in PotC, with the old colonial-style appearance... This guy has lighter hair, but his face looks like it was just cloned from Orlando's, especially when you study his expressions. My mom even noticed the resemblence!

That's all that I have time to say about the movie now. I could ramble on forever about it, but fortunately enough for everyone reading this, I have to go to bed. XD I just really wanted to make it clear that this is a wonderful movie, and I would recommend it to anyone, especially if they think they'll like it. (Because there's a very good chance they will, if they're interested in this sort of stuff.) It is old-fashioned, and can be hard to keep up with at times, but the movie never gets to be very slow or boring, as you might think. The pace is quick, but not so much to the point where you become disappointed thinking that it seemed incomplete once it's over. I can just say that I really, really loved it, and it's one that will definitely be added to my list of favorites, even being tied with A Walk to Remember--Which means it has to be excellent! It's a truly classic love story; one of the best of all time.  

Sigh...

I am so tired. I could just go to sleep right now. XD I had to babysit my little brother yesterday from 7:30 in the morning until around 6:00 PM last night because my mom and grandfather had to go and help one of his friends out with something. I was at my grandparent's house with my grandmother, but she had to go to the dentist that morning and I tried to divert Jake's (my little brother) attention away from her so that she could rest, because I know she was kind of tired after that. We played outside most of the day, but I actually loved that we could because it was so nice! Lately it's felt more like spring here than winter. Everyone is so thankful, because it got to be so cold not long ago. Now it's nice and sunny and flowers are finally everywhere!

Today I was also busy helping to clean the house, because we had some company... Atleast my room looks really nice now, eh heh. The work did pay off, and I plan to relax a lot this weekend by renting the movie Pride and Prejudice. I wanted to see it so badly when it first came out, because I love old-fashioned romance stories like that, but unfortunately it was never shown in any of the theaters around here so I never had the chance. I remember first seeing the trailer when I went to see a movie with my family, and as soon as it ended my mom immediately said, "Yes, Kayleigh, I'll take you to go see that," right out loud. XD She could immediately tell that it was one of my kinds of movies! So, I'm going to rent it as soon as I can so that I can see what it's like. I'll write about it when I do!

As for other things... There will be another Pokémon convention coming up in Dallas, and I'm definitely planning on going to it! It sounds like it will be a lot of fun, because it's part of the special 10th Anniversary tour for the franchise. I'd like to invite one of my friends and her brothers, since they all like Pokémon, too, but she's already planned to go with her classmates to Florida for a fun Spring Break trip, and she might be gone during that time. I'll have to ask her! It'd be fun if we could go together, but that may not happen. If not, I'll still have my awesome brother(s) and mom! I know that she's looking forward to the two-hour drive and the extremely long day dedicated to all things Pokémon. XD She said that we might even rent a hotel room with my aunt that night, since she works as a nurse in Dallas and stays about 3 nights there each week. It's kind of inconvenient for her, but she doesn't want to give up the job at the moment since it pays so much better than any around here, and she also gets the rest of the days of the week off.

Anyway, my grandparents also announced that they have another cruise booked. But, there's one difference about it this time. It's just for them. XD *sniffs and huddles in a corner to cry* I'm jealous now, but at the same time I'm really glad that they're going because this time they'll be on the ship "The Rhapsody of the Seas". Sound familiar? I mentioned before that it was the very first one that I went on, with my mom, aunt, and grandmother! It's a gorgeous ship, and since my grandfather heard us talking about it so much he said that he just wanted to check it out for himself, lol. I wish I was able to do that any time that I wanted. (But, he's worked hard all his life so he deserves every bit of his money!) Also, unfortunately, my grandmother also hasn't been feeling her best lately--she's had to go to the doctor a few times for some shots to help with her back pain--and he also wanted to suprise her with a relaxing trip. I know that they'll enjoy it, and it'll help her feel better. I bet that it'll even turn out to be one of my grandfather's favorite ships! I hope so! I just know one thing: they won't have the wonderful suite that we did when we went on it, and we're not wasting any time teasing him about that, lol. We're not too sad about not getting to go this time--We do want them to have some time to relax, and besides, we've got our own cruise to look forward to sometime this year!

I better go now, though. I'll make sure to talk about how much I enjoyed Pride and Prejudice, and maybe even a new game coming out called JAWS: Unleashed that my brother and I are jumping up and down for. I know, I don't like sharks, but JAWS is awesome! XD The very first original movie was the best (and scariest) of all shark movies--of all time! I know that the game will be fun to check out, especially if they play the famous theme. *shudders* And speaking of games...

26 MORE DAYS 'TIL KINGDOM HEARTS 2!!!!!!!

(And I have the money saved up to buy it. ^__^ Yay! I also finally got to hear what the English version of Passion sounds like!)

New layout! I was kind of in a hurry when I made it, so it didn't turn out as well as I'd have liked, but I just had to have a Kingdom Hearts layout. I found the picture of Kairi on a website, and since she's my favorite character in the series I decided to use it as my avatar.

I've been so excited about the game coming out! Now that I've beaten the first two, I'm completely ready for the next one. I think that the official release date will be March 28th... That leaves quite a while to wait, but I guess that'll give me more time to save some extra money to buy it, because TRUST ME, I will try my hardest to be the first person in Texas to buy that game! XD I'm obsessed.

Something that I've discovered I really love about the new game--and this doesn't surprise me at all--is the theme song for it. Just like the first one, it's sung by Utada Hikaru. The Japanese version has only been released so far, and it's called "Passion". It is so pretty! It sounds a lot more mature than Simple and Clean/Hikari, but I guess that fits the style of this game better considering the fact that the storyline will be taking a turn and will be more mature this time. (Which is not so bad since it will be the final installment in the series, from what I've heard. I'm just happy that the game will still be rated E like the others...)
Anyway, the English version of the song will be called "Sanctuary". I can't wait to hear what it will sound like compared to the Japanese! I'm sure they'll both be similiar to each other, just like the first two were.

I also stumbled across some images from the opening movie to the game... (Which Passion is played during!) I don't know how I did, considering they were on someone's LiveJournal, but oh well. XD They're cool screen shots that the person apparently made! http://gottabegenki.livejournal.com/257894.html Don't click the link if you don't want the opening spoiled for you, though! I just HAD to look at the pictures after I realized that was what they were... I'm horrible, lol. Ah well. I don't think caps were taken of all of the scenes shown during the movie, so it's not totally spoiled. (And, all of the scenes in it are basically of events that happened in the last two games, anyway. I guess it rounds everything out so you can be ready for this one.) Just let me warn you about one thing: Riku looks pretty creepy in the pictures! o_o

As for other things going on in my life... Well, tonight I'll probably spend the night at one of my friend's house. She had originally planned to also invite one of her friends from school, an exchange student from Brazil who she wanted me to meet, but unfortunately the girl got really sick today so the plans had to be changed. It was disappointing news since I was really looking forward to meeting her today (I love meeting people from other countries!) but maybe we can try again sometime soon. I think that she'll be staying here for quite a while longer, so there will still be other chances for us to hang out.

I better go, though! I'll try to update again soon. Aloha! 

Lots of stuff to talk about!

As for the other excursion, it was in Grand Cayman, our second stop. Now, this one I was a bit unsure of how much I would enjoy it, but my grandparents had done it before so I trusted their judgement... Swimming with stingrays! It turned out to be one of the most awesome things I've ever done! We also did a couple of other things before that, which were part of the tour--We left the port and rode on a bus to a place called the Turtle Farm, where they raise endangered sea turtles. I loved it because once we got there, they let us hold some of the babies! They were SO CUUUUUUUTTTEEE!!!! I just couldn't believe how sweet they are, too. Mine was so gentle, and even started to fall asleep in my arms while all of the other ones were squirming to get out of the other peoples' arms, lol. Nearly everyone that walked by took a picture of the one that I was holding because it was the only one being still. I had a connection with it! *_* I could have carried it around all day and been happy, but, unfortunately, we only got to spend about 30 minutes there so we were kind of in a rush. Everyone browsed through the gift shop quickly, and I picked out a postcard, then we continued on our way to the next place. It wasn't where we swam with stingrays... We actually went to Hell. O_o But not the one you might think! There's a little town in Grand Cayman with the name, and it got it because there's a certain area covered in rocky things that the founder said reminded him of how the real Hell would look like. I would believe it, because the place creeped me out quite a bit! We all still had fun looking around and taking pictures.

After that we finally headed to the place where we would board a large boat that would take us to the wild stingrays. Yes, I said wild. Hearing that was what made me kind of nervous, because I wondered whether or not they might sting! (And sharks live in the ocean...!) But, for a reason that I didn't catch, they would not sting anyone. They were really nice and used to humans because they had been feeding them for so long.

So, anyway, once everyone was on board, the boat started up and we set off toward a sand bar out in the ocean, where all of the rays hung out. When we finally got there about 20 minutes later, I just wasn't prepared for what I saw! The water there was the clearest ocean water I had EVER seen! When we swam with dolphins in Cozumel, the ocean water there was very clear, but it was nothing compared to this. It was just like the kind of water you see in commercials and pictures of the Caribbean... amazing!

But, enough about the water! Immediately after we got there a bunch of stingrays just surrounded our boat, as well as the others that were also out there. I couldn't believe how many there were, and they were so large! Everyone quickly changed into their swimsuits, grabbed some snorkel equipment, and got into the water. It was really shallow, only a few feet or so because the whole area was on a sand bar, which made it so nice! The stingrays just seemed to appear out of nowhere when you stood in the water... They'd come really close to everyone, but were sort of hard to pet! Thankfully, the guides were really skilled at catching them and seemed to be able to get any one that they even looked at! They'd get one and then hand it to someone so the person could hold it. (Not out of the water, of course! Once the stingrays were caught, as long as you kept your arms steadily underneath them and just lifted them up gently, they'd just float right there. They were so nice...) They felt a lot different than I thought they would--on top, atleast. The top part of their bodies felt almost like sandpaper, except not nearly as rough. Underneath they were really smooth and soft!

The thing that we had to watch out for was not their tails, but their mouths! XD They worked like vacuum cleaners, sucking the food out of our hands! It  felt so funny.

The guides took a bunch of pictures of everyone holding, and even kissing the stingrays' heads, which was fun! They're going to mail ours to us, so maybe I can post some once they get here. The whole experience was amazing... I was so sad to leave. I'm hoping that I'll have another chance to do all of that someday!

Anyway, I'm getting really tired now so I'm going to try to hurry with everything else. It may seem kind of rushed this time, but in my next entry I can explain more things. I'll say now what I thought about the ship, and talk a little about how my Christmas went, then I'm going to bed.

The Conquest was an amazing ship--I loved the inside of it, the decks, everything! It was a humongous ship, much bigger than the Elation, but that only made it more fun to explore! I had a blast participating in all of the activities, the dining was great, service was fantastic... There's just so much to talk about, I don't know where to start! It was a lot different from the other ships that I've been on so far, so it's difficult to compare them to each other. Each one has its own special qualities that make it enjoyable. If I had to pick a favorite right off the bat, then I would probably go with the Conquest just because there was so much to do. (When we were at the ports of call, we were always ready to get back on the ship when it was time to leave, lol.) I think that adults who want to relax might have a different opinion because the ship did seem a bit crowded and loud at times, especially during deck parties and stuff, but you could still always find a quiet place where nobody was to relax. Overall it was just a great ship with something to offer for everyone! We, of course, were so depressed when we had to get off, but we aren't so much now because we have a glimmer of hope in our futures... My lovely mom has managed to make a deal with my grandfather, and my aunt and I have definitely joined in! They've agreed that if everyone (as in my mom, aunt, brother Zack, and me) will fulfill certain New Year's resolutions that we've set for ourselves by the end of next year, he'll send us all on another cruise! Our resolutions are all pretty tough, and will take some time to actually complete, but we're all serious and determinded about each one because we have the motivation! XD We just can't pass up a cruise... So, I'm looking forward to that. I really think that we'll all surprise my grandfather by doing the things that we've agreed on. 2006 will be another fun and interesting year, I can already tell!

Anyway, before I totally zonk out I'll talk about Christmas for a while! My grandparents on my father's side came to visit, and stayed for a couple of days. We had a lot of fun with them, and cooked a big dinner on Christmas Eve, as well as opened presents together. Because they were here we didn't go to my other grandparent's house on Christmas Eve like we usually do, but we did go and visit them the morning after to open the presents that they had gotten us, as well as give them theirs. I knew that the cruise was my main present, but I was still surprised to get a few other gifts that I love!

A bike, from my mom - I've needed one for so long! I don't know how many times she's had to listen to me gripe about the time an immature boy I used to know broke my old one, lol. It was so sweet of her to get me one... I've had so much fun riding it!

A new cell phone, from my grandparents - First of all, it's PINK! What could make it any better?! But really, it is the prettiest phone I've ever seen... I'm just in love with it. It works great, looks great, everything's great!

Hello Kitty shirt with matching lounge pants, from my grandmother - Cuuute! I've needed an outfit like this to sleep in, so it's perfect for me.

A really neat photo album/scrapbook and special dolphin plush that my grandmother got for me when she was in Hawaii - They're definitely collectibles!

I also got a lot of other little things like a movie, CD (Phantom of the Opera, Special Edition... you have me hooked on that music, Mel. XD Curse yooouuu!), jewelry and other girl stuff, knick knacks for my room, money, etc. I was so pleased with all of the gifts that I got. Each one was really special... especially the cruise! I really appreciated every single one that I got, and I'm so thankful that this was another wonderful year that I was able to spend with my family.

BUT ENOUGH... My eyes are probably going bloodshot because I'm so tired... I've been really busy lately, so that's why. Must go to bed. XD Merry late Christmas, Happy early New Year, and goodnight everyone! *drags herself from computer to her bed*

Great Day!

(I love how you can add titles to your entries now!)

Today has been great, as I announced in the title. I'm currently staying at my grandparents' house while my brother is on a camping trip with his Boy Scout troop. My mom is probably enjoying the break from her two really wild teenagers now. XD I've been having a lot of fun here, that's for sure!

I found out that my aunt WILL be joining us on the vacation! I am so thrilled about that--She really needs the break! She's had a lot of stuff to do and worry about lately, so this will be good for her. We would have felt guilty, or at least bad, if she had not been able to go with us. So this will make... 7 people going on the trip! This will be interesting. XD On the last cruise Zack, my grandfather, and I all passed each other countless times. (All we had to do to find Zack was wait near the ice cream machine, and he'd come to get some every 10 minutes or so. O_o) Imagine how it'll be with 7 people! I'll be running into someone I know everywhere I go, lol. I guess it won't be able to beat the time when 12 of our family members went to Hawaii one time! They got 3 hotel rooms side-by-side that had large patios with a clear view of the beach. $24 a night... Those were the days!

Anyway, we're not planning on telling any of our other relatives who aren't going, namely the ones who live in Dallas. *cough*TYLER!*cough* Not only are we not very comfortable around them after the last incident I talked about, but my grandfather's already helped them so much with so many other things that it seems like by now they would have gotten their act together. He's already buying a car for one of them for Christmas, because she can't afford the payments on the expensive one that she has right now, and it's going to be taken away from her at the end of this month. I guess we can understand her situation more than the others there, though. Her doinky ex-husband just left her and their 2 children for no apparent reason, and still says that he's not going to help them out at all. She's really stuck in a bind since she's now trying to juggle taking care of her two little kids, without much financial help, and working at the same time. We're really hoping things will work out for her soon, because sadly, she's the nicest one in the whole bunch there. All of the others there have their noses so stuck in the air... ugh.

But, on to better things! I've mainly been doing things around the house here, and helping out. I took my grandmother's dog Penny on several walks. She's had to stay in her pen lately because apparently she picked a fight with a dog down the street and ended up with some very bad bite marks. We had to take her to the vet, which was fun, because it cost quite a bit to have them put stitches on her wounds and everything. x_x; There were also a few other things they had to do to her, which was just nice. Since then, though, she has healed, but we still can't let her run loose just yet. We're all kind of afraid to right now, anyway, just because she still has the same spirit in her and might take off and hunt down that dog again to finish the match! Ehhh, I hope not...

My grandmother and I also went to go see the movie, "Dreamer". Before that we stopped by Goody's and picked out some clothes for our trip, since they were having a great sale there. I found some cute shirts that I liked a lot! After that we then headed to the theater. It was so crowded, and we were running a bit late, (You can't rush girls when they're shopping! No way!) so we decided not to wait in line for snacks and just headed straight for the movie. It turned out to be really good--One of the best I've seen lately! The acting, especially by Dakota Fanning, was believable, and the storyline was interesting. It reminded me of Sea Biscuit a lot, but it was geared more toward a younger audience. I really think that if they had toned down some of the racing scenes, and left out a few curse words, it could have easily gotten a 'G' rating. It was so nice to see a newer movie like that! (Especially when you're with your grandmother, lol. XD) Anyway... we really loved it!

I guess that's all for today, though. I'll update again soon!

~ Kay-chan