Music makes the world go round...!

Music makes the world go round,
the world go round,
the world go round...

So, this week's theme is music, kindly brought to us by Anne. It is a rather broad subject, which means I will probably have difficulty finding stuff to say.

Anyways... Let's start somewhere.

Just like Anne mentioned in her post on Monday, there are people who don't necessarily notice the background music when they are watching films. I am one of those people. I very rarely notice the music playing in the backround. It might register at the time, but I can never remember anything about it afterwards. But that doesn't mean that I don't appreciate it. For me, a good movie sountrack is either very, very unique sounding or blends in with the film. There have been cases (not many, though) where I have been watching a film and the music they decided to accompany a particular scene with just distracted you too much from the scene itself, which I don't think is the point.

That being said, I do listen to many different kinds of music. I can listen to really bad Greek pop to classical music (Anne, you really must explain why it's a misnomer), all depending on the mood I am in at the time. Sometimes I need something to lift my spirits, so I listen to something silly! Other times, I feel like listening to a calmer song and I do just that. There are a few types of music that I really can't stand, though, such as heavy and death metal, but that's mainly because the singers shriek and scream. For me, that's not music. That's just noise. (I'm not saying this to offend anyone. It's just not something I enjoy.)

As for actually being able to play music, I've always been a little bit sad about the fact that I can't. I've always wanted to learn how to play the piano, but I never actually had any lessons. To be fair, though, we did have a small electric piano thing at home and I did learn how to play a few things on it by myself.... So, I guess it's not that bad! I do want to learn how to play the piano one day... Just for myself.

Back to the Future!

OK, before anyone says anything, I am invoking the "date addendum" (not in the PAKt yet, but easily added, I'm sure) that while your post must go up on the assigned day, it only has to be the assigned day FOR THE ONE POSTING - it's currently just before 8 on Monday, so I'm the only one still on Monday, but it does count! Please?

In fairness, I have a pretty good reason. My task, according to the channel 4 website, was to watch a classic that you've always told everyone you had seen but never really had. Well, my first problem with this is I don't tend to lie much. Like hardly at all. So, instead I chose to just go for a classic that nobody ever believes I haven't seen, even though I tell them so. Second problem, of course was that I'm not all that interested in seeing most of the films that people say I should - haven't seen Titanic, The Notebook, When Harry Met Sally etc. etc. etc. and I don't really care to. Don't worry, nothing you say will change my mind.

Now my third problem, which is the real reason this post is late, is I had to figure out where to get the film I chose. I finally decided to watch Back to the Future and the easiest way to get it, I thought, would be iTunes. So I rented it, and set it to download... and groaned at the EIGHT FREAKIN' HOURS it was going to take to download. Anyway, I left it to download overnight, but with one thing and another I only just finished the movie.

So, my overall thoughts? Well it was a shame that I hadn't seen it yet, since it seems to be the root of most time travel stories. On the other hand, it felt a little like watching Footloose - it was a great movie when it came out, but my modern film-going mind kept pointing out the flaws. I would LOVE to see a modern adaptation of it, and I will probably watch the rest of them. I certainly enjoyed it well enough.

I guess I just don't see how this is a life changing thing. I suppose my life was enriched for seeing it. But, I don't know, it just felt a little like a letdown. Maybe if I saw it with other people? That seems to help the film watching experience for most movies. Anyway! Enough of my rambling! Check back in for Phanee's post on Wednesday!

Friday, Friday... Gotta Get Down on Friday

I am glad that I got this day because I freakin' love that song. Thank you Rebecca Black. 

Erm... yes, okay. Hi!! I'm Katie, PAKt's resident Friday girl. Today I am answering questions asked by Phanee who lives on Wednesdays, so lets get on with this shall we?

1. Other than English, which languages can you speak (even at a basic communication level)? Which ones would you like to learn someday?

I am actually really terrible with languages, despite constantly trying to learn new ones. I did French for three years in high school and retained almost none of what I was taught, my Grandma who is Spanish has tried to impart some of her language on me but other than knowing how to say ‘hello’, ‘thank you’ and count to ten really quickly, nothing stuck – although I am very proud of my ability to roll my ‘R’s. When I went to Italy two summers ago I decided that I wanted to learn Italian and move there but after taking some online classes I got bored and forgot about it and, most impressively, I taught myself Chinese when I was fourteen. I was doing really well, but then a Chinese girl came to my school and when we became friends I decided to stop because I was embarrassed. So, what does all of the above mean? I only speak English.

2. Name three songs that are just stuck in your head right now!

Okay, now don’t judge me, but one of the songs I cannot get out of my head right now is ‘Mistletoe and Wine’ by Cliff Richard. Yes, I know, it’s terrible, but I was watching a Christmas chart show and it has not left my head since. For those of you who are aware of Alex Day, I have had ‘Forever Yours’ in my head since the 17^th December and have a tendency to randomly break into song with its chorus. And as I am answering this as my house is getting ready for a New Years party, I have been hearing ‘Sexy and I Know It’ by LMFAO for the past two hours, so that is very much stuck in my head right now.

3. Name your favourite film! Or maybe 2, or 3, if you really can’t decide!

Films! I LOVE films. It’s a good job you didn’t limit me to one because I do have three favourites: Life in a Day (a documentary about human life, all footage filmed on 24^th July, 2010 around the world), Pay it Forward (a film about a boy who comes up with a brilliant way to change the world – I will say no more, just watch it) and, being a girl, I love The Notebook and if you do not know what that is about then shame on you.  

4. How do you feel about all those British people who come over to Malia on holiday, drink far too much and end up dancing naked in the streets?

I have a feeling that I have spoken to Phanee about this before because otherwise this is a very random question. I am eighteen years old and English, meaning that I ought to be one of the summer Malia goers, but oh my God no. Just no. You could not pay me to go to Malia or any of those other European areas the British have decided to ruin. I like a drink as much as the next person but I despise most of the (serious) drinking culture. Each to their own I suppose, but please stop embarrassing our country by ruining these beautiful places.

5. Name one thing you absolutely hate about Facebook.

Recently, I have gotten back into Facebook after a long break  and for the first time, I actually use Facebook chat now that MSN has died a miserable death. This is where my big Facebook problem lies… chat. I am a fan of lurking in the darkness. I loved ‘appear offline’ on MSN and while you can do that on Facebook, it doesn’t allow you to see who is online, nor can you block individuals. I do not like this and it often leads to me missing out on conversations with people I do want to speak with and ending up stuck talking to people I have no interest in. 

The standard questions...

Tea/Coffee/Hot Chocolate - Hot Chocolate! Hands Down! Coffee if I have to have one of the boring ones but even then it is basically all milk and sugar. Also, fun fact, I am English and have never even tried tea.

Indoors or Outdoors - Has to be outdoors. I have a friend who I've known since I was nine and all we ever do is go for walks. I have aspirations of climbing mountains and trekking though jungles, so outdoors it is.

Cats or Dogs - I love dogs, I have had a dog, I have worked with dogs and I look after dogs, but I'm going to have to pick cats. I have had two cats and they're just so much easier to look after.

Team Zombie or Team Unicorn - Team Unicorn. They're so pretty and sparkly and their blood helps Voldy live forever.

Hot or Cold - Hot! Why would you pick cold? Anybody who says that they can put on a jumper clearly doesn't want to be cold either. Stupids. Hotter is better.