I remember I borrowed the book Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia when I was in Australia 3 or 4 years ago. I couldn’t follow it for some reasons. After few pages, I dropped to sleep. I borrowed the book because it was the best-selling one and it had Indonesia in it! Perhaps, I should just watch the movie!

One thing that disturbed me when I watched the trailer of the movie was when Julia Roberts said:

I’m going to Italy, India, and I’m going to end the year in Bali

Why Bali, I wonder, instead of INDONESIA?!? Arghhh. People always think Bali is a country by itself. I’ve met some people in Australia who didn’t know where Indonesia was (Oh yeah, talk about ignorance!), but knew where Bali actually was! How ironic! Let’s learn geography, shall we?

I never knew this movie existed!!! Titled “Merantau”, it’s the first Indonesian movie about Pencak Silat, our own martial arts. Although it’s directed by a Welsh, damn I’m still proud of it!!! It seems that the director is able to blend our culture and the martial arts together and promote it to the world! (Not like some boring fighting movie!) I wanna watch it one day!

The Sound of Music was one of my favorite childhood movies. I remember I used to watch the cartoon version of it and became really interested with the story! Then a few years later as I grew older I got to know that the cartoon that I had been watching was actually adapted from a movie! I watched the movie over and over again and I loved it! I think I still have the VCD of the movie back at home in Jeddah!

One of the things I loved about the movie besides the characters, story lines, and the SONGS, was definitely the scenery! The mountains… the old cities… the palaces… the fountains… the lakes… ahhhh they were just so pretty! Most of the settings were actually in Salzburg, Austria, the city where I’m actually heading to in 2 weeks time (yay!). I can’t wait for it! I really can’t!

I promised myself I’d watch the movie again before I visit Salzburg. So that I can remember them and actually feel related and excited about those locations when I’m there! (I remember when I was in New Zealand, I visited a number of places that became the movie settings of Lord of the Rings. But since I hadn’t watch that any of those movies and I’m still not interested to watch them, I couldn’t really say anything special about those places… except the sceneries, of course!)

So now I’m gonna make it different! I’m gonna be in Salzburg, visit some places, and reminisce about the good old movie scenes… It’s going to be so memorable and exciting!

I’m trying to find some movie scenes of the Sound of Music on YouTube (especially those that show how beautiful Austria is), but most of the videos are of low quality. This is the best that I could find so far. And if you wanna watch the full version of the movie, click here (really good quality! not sure how long this link gonna stays tho!).

Enjoy!

If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes have not changed, but one word from you will silence me forever.

If, however, your feelings have changed, I will have to tell you: you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love… I love… I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on. — Mr. Darcy

This is my most favorite scenes and most romantic ones in 2005’s version of Pride & Prejudice. I love the way he says it. Sure, I prefer Colin Firth to be in this role, but in this scene, Mcfadyen’s role as Mr. Darcy makes my heart melt. I’d most probably faint if somebody ever says to me that way. Such a beautiful and romantic scene!

[I promise, this will be the last post talking about Pride & Prejudice!]