flatland

after work yesterday, i went to see 'hugo'. it was playing at the only theater within reasonable walking distance from my office and i'd heard good things about it. the movie didn't do much for me, but i appear to be in the minority, and this blog is not a review so i won't say much more. i was forced to see the movie in 3D because the theater gave me no other choice - it was only showing in 3D at that theater.

i don't like 3D movies (i may be in the minority about this too) and i don't understand what people get out of seeing a movie in 3D.

i've probably seen a dozen movies in 3D since the new 3D craze started, where every kids movie seems to have a 3D version. the thing is, i don't remember the 3D-ness of any of these movies.

i'm pretty sure i saw 'up' in 3D. that i have to say i'm 'pretty sure', tells me that the 3D-ness of the movie didn't stay with me. i know i saw 'avatar' in 3D, but i again don't remember the 3D-ness of the movie while i watched it, but the throbbing headache the 3D-ness gave me after, that lasted the rest of the day. in fact, for the most part, if i remember that i saw a movie in 3D, it is because i ended up getting a headache - yes, i'm one of those people who get headaches from 3D movies. i medicated myself before seeing 'hugo' because of this. if you have to take medication before you see a movie, it sucks when you walk out of it a little disappointed.

even without the headaches though, i don't think i've been blown away by anything i've seen in a 3D movie. am i missing something? the object that gets thrown at the camera gets old after the first time. the bubbles, or snow falling gets old - snow seemed to fall endlessly in 'hugo' (who knew it snows that much in paris? no one. because it doesn't). i find that kind of stuff a little annoying.

maybe i'm just a guy who doesn't like this (not-so) newfangled technology, or gets annoyed that i get headaches watching movies when people around me don't. maybe i'm behind the times, or don't want to spend that extra money to wear glasses that feel uncomfortable over my glasses, but i like my movies to look like what they are; images flashing on a flat screen.

that cold and damp feeling

a few weeks ago, while i was in baltimore, i was listening to the men in blazers podcast. a listener had written in asking why it was, that in open air football stadiums in the u.k., spectators were usually under some kind of cover where in many u.s. open air stadiums, spectators have to deal with the elements.

the humorous answer the men gave was that in the u.s., you can go home and have a heater in your house that actually keeps your house well-heated, but in the u.k., people who get stuck in a cold rain have been known to be cold and damp, for months.

i've had conversations with people, both before and since moving here, about how hard it is to get warm and dry after getting cold and wet in the u.k. i first heard it from a co-worker at de anza when i told her i was moving here; lauren mentioned the other day how she feels like her nose is always running (as is mine). there is just this cold and dampness that seems to stay with you all winter. you get chilled to the bone and can't thaw out until spring.

when i tell people from scotland that i moved here from california, one of the first questions i get is 'how are you coping with the winter weather?' the weather itself is not that bad - michigan winters are far worse, and even baltimore winters are worse than the winter weather i've experienced in edinburgh over the past 2 winters.

the difference is, both in michigan and in baltimore, i could always get warm in those places. here, getting warm means going into our flat that rarely seems to get above 18C (65F) at it's warmest, and this is after running the fireplace for several hours. even in my office (the warmest room i'm ever in) it often takes the bulk of the workday for my feet to warm up from the walk to work that morning. i then have to head home when they get cold again and stay cold til i've been under the duvet for an hour, when i go to bed.

one of the problems with our flat is the high ceilings - they are about 12 feet high. when we moved into it in august, i would look up and think 'what awesome high ceilings'; now i look up and shake my fist, envying the heat that sits up there while we shiver feet below, wishing we didn't move into a place with such high ceilings. we are currently thinking of moving into a more permanent place and we've now put high ceilings as a immediate 'no', when we look at places.

our high ceilings in warmer times (photo by lauren hall-lew)

thinking back to the men in blazers, the idea of going to an outdoor sporting event (even if it's to see hibs) at this time of year doesn't at all appeal to me. even going to a place like the 'winter wonderland' set up in the princes street gardens, for an hour, doesn't sound all that appealing, because i know i probably will not be able to warm up until some time after winter is over, after feeling cold and damp, for months.

winter wonderland in princes gardens

get me through december

i got an email today about a secret santa thing people at work want to do. my first thought? please god no - there's no way i'm doing this. it was voluntary, thank goodness, so i will not be taking part.

i've never been a big fan of holidays; it throws off my routine, and everyone around me always seems so much more excited about them than me.

i see people get excited about thanksgiving, or 4th of july, while i think to myself what am i going to do with myself on that day? i've never liked doing the traditional holiday things, like eating, or seeing fireworks, or parades.

i feel like getting excited about holidays the same way i feel about eating meat - i don't care if you want to do it, i just don't want to.

because of this anti-holiday guy that i am, december can be rough to get through - traveling (which i don't particularly enjoy), gift-buying (which i don't particularly enjoy), socializing (which i don't particularly enjoy), and general merriment.

i'm a little grinchy, to be honest.

the thing that i actually grew to like a great deal, about the month of december, was the annual mom birthday-gift-buying battle, and the mom birthday-gift-giving that happened on her birthday.

my mother's birthday is on the 25th of december and as an adult, i've seen that date far more as being my mom's birthday, than christmas.

the battle would begin by her saying she wanted nothing for her birthday. i would ignore this, then spend weeks trying to find the gift for the person who wants nothing. i never really enjoyed this, but did enjoy the back and forth we would have on the phone as i would try and get something out of her that would give me a hint about what might be the gift to get her that year.

i also always liked watching my mother open her birthday presents, somewhat embarrassed, saying 'thank you, uncle don' to my uncle, her brother-in-law. i liked the way she reacted to everyone making a fuss about her birthday, because she really wished we hadn't - really.

this will be the second year where that battle doesn't happen; where i won't hear my mother say 'thank you, uncle don'.

so, while i hope everyone has the december they wish for, and wish nothing but the best for you and your family this month, the grinchy, anti-holiday guy, just wants to get me through december, so i can start again.