Batman Begins — you gotta see this movie. That’s all I will say in terms of endorsement. Maybe you feel like that too, after you watch a movie with someone and talk about it at length afterwards. You leave the theatre totally ready to blog blog blog, but instead, all the pent-up reviewing gets exorcised during the excruciatingly long bus ride home. All the dry wit and astute observations you plan to weave into your blog review get wasted on annoyed commuters that haven’t seen the movie yet. Bah. Thus I’ll leave the job of reviews to Karl and Amber. Just go see it. It’s good.

[EDIT -- Great backgrounder to the comic side of the Batman Begins cast of villainry: http://www.moviepoopshoot.com/comics101/118.html]

On another note, Melissa is visiting this weekend. Yippee! I miss my salsa and rock-climbing buddy. Too bad we won’t be able to go to the Canada Day Salsa Party together on Thursday (won a free pass last weekend). Hopefully we can get all the bridesmaids together for a bit of an introductory shindig and figure out a few things about the wedding. Kurt and I have been procrastinating on an uber-scale due to family politicking and general disinterest in wedding formalities. Maybe some of the girls will have more interest in planning our event than we do!

Ah, Karl. My inexhaustible source of quizzery and trivia. Thanks for the introduction to these gems (most from Rum and Monkey):

My Iraqi Leadership Name is Khadr Amin al-Najim Izzat. What’s yours?

My Mormon name is Anarene Kaysional Tempest! What’s yours?

YOU KNOW YOU’RE FROM BC WHEN:

You know the provincial flower

You consider that if it has no snow, it is not a real mountain.

You can taste the difference between Starbucks, Blendz, and Tim Horton’s.

You know how to pronounce Squamish, Osoyoos & Nanaimo.

You can tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Thai food.

In winter, you go to work in the dark and come home in the dark – while only working eight-hour days.

You have no concept of humidity without precipitation.

You know that Dawson Creek is a town, not a TV show.

You can point to at least two ski mountains, even if you cannot see through the cloud cover.

You notice “the mountain is out” when it is a pretty day and you can actually see it.

You put on your shorts when the temperature gets above 5, but still wear your hiking boots and parka.

You switch to your sandals when it gets about 10, but keep the socks on.

You recognize the background shots in your favourite movies & TV shows.

You buy new sunglasses every year, because you can’t find the old ones after such a long time.

You use a down comforter in the summer.

The local hero is a pot-smoking snowboarder

The local wine doesn’t taste like malt vinegar

Your $400,000 Vancouver home is 5 hours from downtown

You can throw a rock and hit three Starbucks locations

You’ve been to a deforestation protest

If a cop pulls you over, just offer them some of your hash

It’s November, it’s raining, but you’re still wearing birkenstocks

You go broke just paying rent.

You don’t own a heavy winter coat

You can’t figure out why Manitoba is considered part of Western Canada [EDIT -- I had been Manitoban for almost 2 years so I claim no affiliation to this statement. In fact, I can attest that the vast majority of Manitoba is west of the geographic centre of Canada, which is an hour west of the Manitoba/Ontario border. So there. West side! =P ]

YOU KNOW YOU’RE FILIPINO WHEN:

Your middle name is your mother’s maiden name.

Your parents call each other “Mommy” and “Daddy.”

You have uncles and aunts named “Boy,” “Girlie,” or “Baby.”

You have relatives whose nicknames consist of repeated syllables like “Jun-Jun,” “Ling-Ling,” and “Mon-Mon.” Mine by the way was “Che-Che.”

You call the parents of your friends and your own parents’ friends “Tito” and “Tita.”

You have four or five names.

You greet your elders by touching their hands to your forehead.

You always kiss your relatives on the cheek whenever you enter or leave the room.

You follow your parents’ house rules even if you are over 18.

You live with your parents until and at times even after you’re married.

You decorate your dining room wall with a picture of the “Last Supper.”

You keep your furniture wrapped in plastic or covered with blankets.

You have a Sto. Nino shrine in your living room.

You have a piano that no one plays.

You keep a tabo in your bathroom.

You use Vicks Vapor rub as an insect repellant.

You eat with your hands.

You eat more than three times a day.

You think a meal is not a meal without rice.

You think sandwiches are snacks, not meals.

Your dining table has a merry-go-round (lazy Susan) in the middle.

You bring baon to work everyday.

Your pantry is never without Spam, Vienna sausage, corned beef, and sardines.

You love to eat daing or tuyo.

You prop up one knee while eating.

ou eat your meal with patis, toyo, suka, banana catsup, or bagoong.

Your tablecloths are stained with toyo circles.

You love sticky desserts and salty snacks.

You eat fried Spam and hot dogs with rice.

You eat mangoes with rice–with great GUSTO!

You love “dirty” ice cream.

You love to eat, yet often manage to stay slim.

You put hot dogs in your spaghetti.

Everything you eat is sauted in garlic, onion, and tomatoes.

You order a “soft drink” instead of soda.

You hang a rosary on your car’s rear view mirror.

You get together with family at a cemetery on All Saint’s Day to eat, drink, and tell stories by your loved ones’ graves.

You play cards or mahjong and drink beer at funeral wakes.

You think Christmas season begins in October and ends in January.

Your second piece of luggage is a balikbayan box.

You’ve mastered the art of packing a suitcase to double capacity.

You collect items from airlines, hotels, and restaurants as “souvenirs.”

You feel obligated to give pasalubong to all your friends and relatives each time you return from a trip.

You use paper foot outlines when buying shoes for friends and relatives.

You’re a fashion victim.

You can convey 30 messages with your facial expression.

You hold your palms together in front of you and say “excuse, excuse” when you pass in between people or in front of the TV.

You ask for the bill at a restaurant by making a rectangle in the air.

You cover your mouth when you laugh.

You respond to a “Hoy!” or a “Pssst!” in a crowd.

You’ll answer “Malapit lang!”–no matter the distance–when asked how far away a place is located.

Goldilocks is more than a fairy tale character to you.

You refer to power interruptions as “brownouts.”

You love to use the following acronyms: CR for comfort room, DI for dance instructor, DOM for dirty old man, TNT for tago nang tago, KJ for kill joy, KSP for kulang sa pansin, OA for over-acting, TL for true love, BF for boyfriend and GF for girlfriend.

You say “rubber shoes” instead of sneakers, “ball pen” instead of pen, “stockings” instead of pantyhose, “pampers” instead of diapers, “ref” or “prijider” instead of refrigerator, “Colgate” instead of toothpaste, “canteen” instead of cafeteria, and “open” or “close” instead of turn on or turn off (as in the lights).

You use an umbrella for shade on hot summer days.

You like everything imported or “state-side.”

You love ballroom dancing, bowling, pusoy, mah jong, billiards, and karaoke.

You have a relative who is a nurse.

When you’re in a restaurant, you wipe your plate and utensils before using them.

You can squeeze 15 passengers into your five seater car without a second thought.

You wave a pom-pom on a stick around the food to keep the flies away.

You always ring a doorbell twice, assuming that the first ring was not heard.

You let the phone ring twice before answering, lest you appear overly eager.

You use a rock to scrub yourself in the bath or shower.