Way back when...

As I sit here with my Christmas pudding slice and my cup of tea on this chilly night, I am reminded of the saying on my Starbucks cup today..."Stories are gifts to share..."

I am so lucky to have so many wonderful memories, including much loved friends and family, many jovial laughs, heartwarming moments and overwhelming feelings of contentment.  I have decided to make Way back when... a regular piece that documents moments I keep close to my heart.

Today is Thanksgiving.  In 2005 I was studying at Bridgewater State College, MA and I shared Thanksgiving with my good friend Jen Corey, her family and friends. 

It was a bitter cold night and we had rehearsals for our Lab Theatre Project, the "Theatre on the Edge" Festival, that was to take place the following week.  As we wrapped at 10.30pm, myself, Jen, Jamie, Mike and Alison made our way to the cinema to see Rent the movie.  It had just been released at the cinema and my friends were dying to see it.  I wasn't bothered either way, as had never seen it on stage anyway.  We were the last into the showing and had to take seats at the very front.  It was a late showing, I was exhausted and ten minutes in I fell asleep, only to wake just in time to see the final scene.  We hugged and said our farewells to Jamie and Alison in the car park.  Mike dropped Jen and myself back to her house. 

I had visited Jen's once before but only sat in the car.  We bundled into her home with her massive bag of laundry.  Both her parents were still awake, their Christmas tree was up and their home smelt of freshly baked apple pie.  The cinnamon was intoxicating. They were beyond welcoming and I truly felt as if I was part of their family.   I even remember their distinct candied apple hand soap from Bath and Body Works, perfect for such a holiday. The following morning Jen and I headed out to Mary Lou's for coffee for everyone later and then prepared for the rest of the day.  A multitude of relatives arrived to a feast of turkey, mashed potato, meatballs, amongst other delicious foods. 

As the day drew to a close, numerous friends appeared for dessert.  Some bringing their own but either way Jen's mum had prepared enough for all.  Baklava, pumpkin pie, apple pie, brownies, cookies...the list goes on.  Us college lot headed down to the basment, ate, chatted and generally laughed until late.  Friends for dessert, since 2005, has been a Corey Annual Thanksgiving Event and every year, depsite the large ocean that seperates myself from all of them, I am still invited via Facebook.  Next year, I hope to attend.

Happy Thanksgiving!

You don't get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies

My current guilty pleasure is YouTubing The Social Network trailer due for release in October for both the UK and US.  The Screenplay has been adapted from Ben Mezrich's book The Accidental Billionaires (which I am making my number 1 priority to get a hold of and read) based on the creation of Facebook by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg and all the controversy it received at the time, including accusations that the idea was stolen from fellow classmates.  The movie set for release later this year is enticing me for several reasons...

1.  I remember the hype of Facebook back in 2005 when I was on an exchange program to MA, USA.  You had to have a US college address to even sign up to the site and no one in Britain had ever heard of such a thing, nor did they understand the overwhelming capacity for it to take over your life and ultimately lead you to procrastinate from doing pretty much anything.  It was a huge part of my college experience in the US and therefore is very evocative of an amazing time for me, a memory that the current Facebook just can't manifest. 

2. Justin Timberlake is starring in it.

3.  The trailer.  There are a few knocking about on YouTube but I would be lying if I didn't say that it is this one (see below) that I watch over and over and probably one of the main reasons I am so hyped up for this movie.  The trailer is edited together in rather a dramatic form, of course but it is the music used that has really caught my attention and builds the intensity.  Scala and Kolacny Brothers have covered Radioheads Creep (not that I'm aware of what the original sounds like) and it is such a haunting track, one that I desperately need to download , if anything just to stop me from watching the trailer over and over.