Post-traumatic Christmas post

I started FlintLand 2 weeks ago because I like to write. And also because, since it has no specific purpose, it allows me to write about just anything I feel like. So understand my growing surprise of hearing all sorts of people comment on something they read in my blog.

Late last week, I went out with the most festive, Christmas-happy, Holiday-spirited person I know, for the much-awaited premiere of Avatar. I’d worked a trick or two to get my hands on a pair of tickets, which I got at the last minute. I felt very excited.

When I met her at the movie theatre, I was intrigued by something in her eyes. There was a vivid sparkle of excitement, of course, but also something else. A darker flipside. I frowned.

“I’m not even going to start reacting to your sorry blog post about Christmas”, she said, with the look of a disappointed mother who bails her kid out of jail for the first time (not that I would know what that look is, actually, I’m, eehhrrr just making metaphores up as I go...). Mocking my voice, she goes on. “Huuuuuh, I don’t like Christmas”. “Christmas sucks”. “I’m Mister Screeeewdge”.

None of the sorry mumbling I mustered as an answer seemed to help my cause.

With firm determination, my newly-discovered Christmas Crusader proceeded to voice out her vigorous disagreement with my anti-holiday...ness. So out of arguments and desperate to restore the peace in my feisty firecracker papillote of a date, I promised I would write... something else about the Holidays.

And Christmas - Ahem, sorry the evening, was saved.

This is not an apology, Jocelyn Saurini :)

XxXx

F

Avatar Movie Review

After a last desperate attempt yesterday morning, I managed to get my hands on a pair of tickets for the Imax 3D premiere of the movie Avatar. Although I had seen the 3D preview a couple weeks back and gotten pretty excited, I had desperately tried to have as few expectations as I could possibly manage.

I’ll break it to you right away, Avatar is all I hoped it would be. And then some.

It’s actually quite impossible to remember the first few minutes of the movie, which I spent in total awe over the realism of the special effects and the computer-generated imagery. It’s safe to say that Avatar has reached the technical threshold where actual and processed images are impossible to differentiate. And that, my friends, is downright awesome.

Because it creates a truly believable world, Avatar is an astoundingly immersive experience, right from the start. The planet, Pandora, and its inhabitants, both the Na’Vi (the magnificent blue people) and the plethora of exotic wildlife that dwells within, are consistent, credible and intriguing. James Cameron succeeded in creating a pure, compelling, fantastic world that stays soberly within the limits of what you would expect from an alien world on an Earth-like planet.

But where Avatar truly shines, in my opinion, is in the cultural creation of the Na’Vi People. They are gracious, mysterious, beautiful. They have their own structured language, traditions and a way of life you are given the proper time to discover without the ever-so-disappointing “montages” overly used in Hollywood fast-food productions. Part of the massive 3-hour experience is invested in depicting this culture with just enough details and insights to naturally create empathy with the Na’Vi, without resorting to melodramatic or overly poetic streaks.

Now don’t get me wrong, this IS Hollywood. But if you can humor it, and I’m sure you will, you’ll enjoy every last second of your experience.

Those of you with an interest in shamanic cultures will delight in the many details and references found in the Na’Vi way of life, with symbols and traditions borrowed to Native American Peoples, the great Maori, South-Eastern Asian cultures, Voodoo and many, many others.

The story is nothing too original, but apart from a few minute details, it delivers. The actors, specifically Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver offer a great performance, with some very brave scenes (no spoilers here) that add depth to the movie.

All in all, I find Avatar is an absolute success, a celebration of technical prowess wrapped in a fantastic universe that you’d never want to leave. I very enthusiastically recommend it, and pay the extra cash to see it in Imax 3D. You’ll thank me for it.

9/10

Strongest points :
- Technical masterpiece
- Credible, efficient acting
- The Na’Vi people
- The credibility of the overall world

Weaker points :
- Storyline is a bit thin
- Some characters (like the colonel) are a little rough around the edges

Can I just go wait in the car?

It's my corporate Christmas lunch today. Sigh.

Above and beyond my not liking Christmas or any other Holiday than Halloween lies a deeper, more subtle fact : I'm uncomfortable in social situations.

I know I don't come across that way, but it's the absolute truth.

Since many years now, I have made every attempt to make my personal life better, freer, exempt of all these stupid useless responsibilities I hate so much. I don't bring back my returnable containers (I give them to homeless people). Don't ask me when trash day is. I don't open letters and bills. I never go to shopping centers.

Aaaahhhhh. So much more time to enjoy the real life :)

In order to achieve that, I have removed many things - and people - from my life. I completely cut down television, I don't hang out with people I don't sincerely like, I avoid shallow people and conversations and resent small talk.

All that's really good for me, but it's had an unforeseen consequence: I've become less and less socially able. When I'm placed in a social situation out of my circle of friends, I never know what to say, what to talk about. Others discuss professional sports, television, weather, stuff that's on the news. I like to talk about underground music and movies, philosophy, adventure travel, video games.

It makes me feel out-of-place, awkward. 95% of the people who come to me don't interest me one single bit, and I have the hardest time not to demonstrate it. And as soon as they stop talking, I have no idea what to add, so I usually smile stupid and say nothing. Worst even, I fail to react to most of what they say, because they refer to soap operas, sports, gossip or reality TV. And I truly, honestly, sincerely have no idea what the fuck they're talking about.

Maybe I'm anti-social.

But if all it takes for me to have my happy, irresponsible, careless, random life is a couple hours of social awkwardness a year, well, so be it :)

Cheers,

Flint

UPDATE - Believe it or not, to add discomfort to unease, I was awarded a "creative person of the year" prize or some shit (I wasn't listening, I was busy picking sandwiches at the buffet) ...

Fala. Lala. La.

"Happy Holidays".

Are they happy, really? To me, it looks like an annual Stress Fest. I have been paying more attention, these past weeks, to the people around me (mostly in the workplace) and to what they say about the coming Holiday period. Why?

Well, I am known to not celebrate Christmas. I know, I know. "Whyyyy? It's the best time of year!" "Don't you like being around your loved ones?" "It's magic for the children". I've heard it all.

Actually, I won't start explaining here my reasons for not celebrating Christmas. I've been there and done that.

So as I said, I've paid much closer attention to the behavior of my fellow coworkers and their coffee-machine conversations. And what I hear only confirms what I think: the Holidays, for the most part, are a source of significant stress and anxiety for most people.

The worst of them get nervous - sorry, excited - right after Halloween. They have to start cooking, chasing gifts and planning who's going to go where and do what during the festivities. They stress about time, about the money it's going to cost, about this or that person who'll surely ruin the day.

And like a manufactured H1N1 paranoïa, it starts to spread. Weeks are going by, people compare their state of readiness and what remains to be done. They start pointing fingers at those who don't seem to be ready enough for their standards. "What? Your meat pies aren't done yet? All my meals have been ready for two weeks" "I'm all done with gifts for this year. Oh, you know, I start early" "My list of guests is complete and my tree is even reserved"...

What really interests me, though, is the look on their faces. The closer we get to the actual thing, the more obvious stress and anxiety become. Nothing cuter than a nervous smile over an overstressed shrivel... People skip lunch to go gift shopping in overcrowded stores. They run around the city to find THAT specific thing their Christmas would be incomplete without. They spend whole weekends slaving in their kitchen to prepare the tons of food everybody will overconsume. They plan their week so tight that their Holiday schedule looks three times worse than their office agenda. And any spare time is filled with trying to find the various outfits and accessories they will wear.

Oh! And one thing must not be forgotten : all that is only a preparation for the next marketing period of the year, the "I-ate-too-much-at-Christmas-and-need-to-lose-some-weight" season! What's best than a National Guilt Trip after a Stress Fest?

I have but one question. What's the point?

Are we so driven by television and propaganda that we fail to realize all that is nothing but one of the best-orchestrated marketing campaigns of all times? How did we get so caught up in the "perfect Christmas" conundrum that we forget to ask ourselves how we feel about the whole deal? Don't people realize they are ruining themselves financially for months, if not worse, trying to replicate images shoved down their throats as ideals? And when did Christmas become an obligation?

Maybe some day people will have enough. Maybe they will eventually realize that a satisfying Holiday break with their loved ones requires nothing more than being there. I'm thinking maybe the Christmas Craze will eventually suffer the same fate that seems to happen to the fashion industry these days. As much as people are now asking to be rid of the ghostly skinny sad-parodies-of-models they've been shown for decades in glamour magazines, maybe one day they'll also realize what an industry this Holiday has become and go back to it's real, much simpler, more enjoyable meaning?

I guess all I'm saying is just relax, people. By all means, screw the rat race. Try something new this year : wear your most comfy pair of jeans and your favourite shirt, bring a couple pizzas and a case of beer or two, and only hang out with the people you really like.

And have yourself a merry fucking Christmas :)

As for yours truly, I'll be roasting my ass in Cuba.

Love,

Flint

For all the Baghdads of this world

Yet another mindless crime against humanity, driven by the rage of injustice and blind despair, hidden behind beliefs that never condoned hatred or violence. What can we do but sit there and weep in silence?

These words came to my mind yesterday while reading the news.

Self bomber
Suicide killer
Is it despair
That pushed you there?

What hate or lie
Did justify
Oblivion
No religion

Faceless victims
Murderous whims
Who’s your target?
Why a market?

Blown to bits
Random hits
Pools of blood
In the mud

Your last act delivered
My questions unanswered
Shattered lives
Horror cries

I don’t judge
Hold no grudge
To your deeds
Rest in peace.

Snowing, snowing...

... as my NeedyExWife, like she now likes to call herself, used to sing :)

Well, here it is. First snowstorm of the winter. Funny how it's become such a big deal, ain't it? Radio stations going crazy with their weather alerts, schools closing preemptively... can't help but think it's in line with the fear tactics being used for everything nowadays. Good thing, probably, because one day people are bound to see through the manipulation and start asking for a new attitude.

Until then...

Welcome to FlintLand!

I have been thinking alot about creating a little home on the Internet, and decided to finally do it. So welcome to my place :)

I'll need a bit of time to populate it with roaming thoughts, but rest assured this won't stay a blank page for long.

I'll share all sorts of things here, travel stories, pics, movie and videogame reviews, outings in Montreal, weekend adventures and probably many, many more other random things.

I will always assume absolutely nobody's going to be reading this blog. And I find that awesome :)

Cheers,

Flint