New Obsessions

Does anyone else find it amazing at how quickly we can get obsessed with something after only one experience? I find it a little frightening personally. Of course I am referring to myself, and seeing as I'm such a dork, I may be the only one who can take on a new obsession at lightning speed.

My newest obsessions are Humphrey Bogart films, the movie Howl's Moving Castle, Shojo manga, buying books on Wales, and locating and buying Scarlet Pimpernel books.

I know that to most people, part of that list makes absolutely no sense, but don't worry, I'm not going to leave you in the dark.

Whether you believe me or not, I only just saw Casablanca for the first time this summer. Yes, I pretty much have been living under a rock. Before that, my prefered movie genre was any movie with a lot of fights using whatever weapon of choice, I'm not picky. Anyway, I had heard so much about Casablanca that I became sufficiently interested. I was lucky enough to find it at my local library and I watched with my mom and fell in love with it, enough so that I bought it before I came back to school. Since then I have been in love with Humphrey Bogart, and I am trying to get my hands on as many of his films as possible. One big problem, the Blockbuster in this town does not carry any of his movies. Fortunatly, there is a wonderful professor here who is letting me borrow the ones that he has. I just wish there were other places to find them around here because he only as three of them. Oh well, I'll find them some time.

Next obsession, Howl's Moving Castle, a cute Japanese anime movie that I found at blockbuster and am now watching any time I can. Its a wacky movie about wizards and witches and the one normal girl who gets caught up in the whole mess. Yes, its slightly cliche, and some of the lines are really corny, but I love it. And it really helps that Christian Bale and Billy Crystal supply some of the voices for the English dubbed version. I'm sorry to admit that I am not above watching a movie simply because an actor I like is in it. It really is a good movie, and if you can manage to beat me to renting it, you might want to check it out.

Shojo manga, Japanese comics for girls. A lot of drama, a lot of relationships, a lot of tears, and all that other sappy stuff. If you think that really doesn't sound like me from my description of myself through the movies I watch, then I agree with you. I never thought I'd like that sort of thing, but wrap it up in a Japanese manga, and I will read it and love it. If you don't get it, I don't suggest you try, I'm not sure those of us who like manga really get it either. And by the way, if any one knows where I can buy the latest addition of Shojo Beat magazine in this barren little town, please let me know right away, my subscription does not start until next month.

For anyone who does not know, I am planning on studying in Wales for a semester next year, so I am constantly buying books on Wales so that I can get a small idea of what I am getting myself into. Sadly, I have almost no time to actually read them, so I now have about seven books on Wales, but I'm not learning anything. Oh well, I'll get around to it at some point.

And last but certainly not least, Scarlet Pimpernel books. Honestly, this is not a new obsession, I've had this one for about four or five years now. What makes right now different and worth mentioning is that I just recently managed to find three of the series that are almost impossible to find for prices under twenty dollars on amazon. I know what you're thinking, twently dollars is a lot of money for a book. I agree with you, but when the normal price for one of these books is two hundred dollars, I'll take the twenty plus shipping. This discovery has lit a fire under me again, and it has made me quite happy as well.

Sorry for rambling again, Ill try to actually put something substantial up here soon.