Not Matisse!

I went last night to see that gorgeous film "Anna Karenina".  Very beautiful and very strange and clever as all get-out.  Sort of a Tolstoy-meets-Baz-Luhrmann-meets-Dali that would have been so difficult to pull off but which works and is simply sublime.

Anyway, I got a huge thrill towards the end when I thought ... well, I thought I saw Fiji's own Matisse Brown playing Princess Sorokina (a name which I thought must have given her a private laugh since it's very like Fijian for "You'll be sorry!")

However I checked it out today and no, Princess Sorokina was played by a British model called Cara  Delevingne ... but gosh those two ladies look alike.  Let me show you:

Matisse Brown!

Cara Delevingne!

OK, that's the best I could find on-line, but I'm sure you can make out just how alike the two are!

Anyway, this mix-up was a nice buzz while it lasted. I've known Matisse since she was a winsy little baby so I'm totally on her side ... but Cara seems like a real sweetie too, so I'm happy for her too.

Hey, I found a clip of Matisse in youtube:

Anyway, here's the trailer for the film "Anna Karenina" which is just gorgeous and which I highly recommend: 

We're Baaaa-aaak!

Back from NZ after a wonderful holiday and a fabulous Christmas and New Year.  Gosh, Keith's family is lovely.  Really exceptional.  Dealing with most families usually feels like taking an Express Train to Crazyland, but these lovely in-laws of mine have their roots firmly planted in Incredibly Sane Place and never go anyplace else.  Love 'em.

I wonder if it's something about being raised by a bone fide war hero that's the reason for this.  My dad used to say that about John, Keith's dad: that he carried around the mana of a man who has been tested beyond the levels of human endurance and found nothing in himself lacking.  My dad, who always had a low opinion of everyone and everything, thought John was a very special man indeed.

Oh, and I should also tell you that I've eaten more pavlova that you'd think humanly possible.  Gosh, that has to be the greatest dessert ever invented ... and no, I'm not taking sides as to which country invented it, New Zealand or Australia.  All I know is ...

... OK, several years ago I wasn't feeling quite up to par. This feeling persisted for many months,until I went to Christmas lunch at Keith's sister Helen's place where, for dessert, she served pavlova.  I had a big slice with ice cream and within minutes the feeling of unwellness left me and as the moments passed I just began to feel better and better until an hour later when I felt on top of the world.

And I've never had that unwell feeling since so I've told myself that pavlova is really a medicine and I'm allowed to eat as much of it as I want.

Mind you, it could have just been the combination of blackberries, strawberries, blueberries and kiwi fruit on top that wrought this miracle but where's the fun in that. 

Let me see if I can find a photo on-line of a pavlova just in case you don't know it:

Mmmmmm!  Yummy!

And if you want to know how to make one of these all-round tonics ... you know, for HEALTH reasons, there's a site here: http://www.joyofbaking.com/Pavlova.html

Anyway, we're back in HK now and looking forward to Chinese New Year where ... mmmm, Georgetown in Malaysia with a visit into the Cameron Highlands (although Ron and Patty are talking about taking this trip in August and suggested we join them then.) or else Chiang Mai in Thailand to check out the Sacred Caves? Hard choice, right?  I want to go to both of them so much so let's toss a coin and let The Universe decide it for us!

More stories and photos of NZ to come, but not today.