The year that was

2008 brought some interesting life changes for me as I moved back to Vancouver after living in Toronto for four years. I am glad to be back home with friends and family again but I do miss my friends back in TO.

Aside from still being astounded in watching my niece able to grow up, 2008 brought some great adventures. I traversed the Maritimes in May and realized a childhood dream of going to Prince Edward Island to see the land where Anne of Green Gables came from and seeing things like Green Gables and Dalvay-by-the-Sea (aka The White Sands Hotel) with my own eyes.

While work travel didn’t take me places like Shanghai this year, I did get to go to Los Angeles for the first time and realize another dream: seeing the taping of The Price is Right!!! You can catch my show on January 8, 2009.

This year I also volunteered for the Vancouver International Film Festival. While not quite like volunteering for the Toronto International Film Festival, it was still an awesome experience and I got to see 11 movies out of it. My personal favourites were: I've Loved You So Long, I am Good, Rachel Getting Married and Summer House (despite that last 10 minutes).

Speaking of movies. I didn't see many first run movies in theatres this year. Now that I live near a second run movie house, have seen some double headers. But I digress.

The biggest disappointment in 2008 was the fact that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie was moved from November 21 2008 to July 17, 2009. I was so looking forward to that movie last year but now I have to wait another year to see it. The trailers make the movie look awesome.

Among the highlights of movies I did see include WALL-E, Prince Caspian, Get Smart and Mamma Mia. This list actually sums up all the movies I did see in theatres this year.

I am saving the Twilight movie for last. It was a movie that I had no desire to see in 2008. It was the movie that took over my beloved Harry Potter spot. But that was before I read any of the books. As mentioned in a previous blog, I only read the book to see what the big deal was and the big deal was the epic love story between a teenage girl and an impossibly handsome vampire. After reading all four books, I really wanted to see the movie. My review is posted but the movie still lingers with me especially when I listen to Carter Burwell's Bella's Lullaby. It takes me that that scene in the movie and I remember Kristen Stewart's and Robert Pattinson's chemistry.

I would say Twilight was a surprise for my in 2008. I didn't expect to love it.
2008 was also a great year for me reading wise. I've read like about seven books in the last two months. I haven't read that many books released this year but the highlight was Tales of Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling. At least 2008 gave me something Harry Potter related.

Also let's take a moment to mourn the cancellation of shows that I loved in 2008: Pushing Daisies and Eli Stone. TV this year was a bit of a disappointment too as I am not interested in any of the new shows that were introduced for the 2008-09 TV season.

Things to look forward to 2009 movie wise. Well I am currently reading The Time Traveler's Wife and I am looking forward to seeing that movie as the book so far is very intriguing.

I am also eagerly anticipating The Lovely Bones, the movie based on the book by Alice Sebold. The book was amazing and I cried during some parts of it. The cast of the film is good too (Rachel Weisz and Mark Walberg) so I am hoping the film will be faithful to the story.

Of course I am looking forward to July 17, 2009 for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and November 20, 2009 for New Moon (the second film in the Twilight Saga –although the book sucks). They are filming New Moon in Vancouver in March so maybe I will get to see Robert Pattinson milling about Vancouver.

Happy New Year and see you in 2009.