— पांच हजार सात सौ पच्चीस —
I've gotten three Christmas gifts at work already. It feels like it's because my Christmas PTO starts tomorrow, but it's pretty clear the real reason is because it's Wednesday. Merchandising is asked to work in-office on Wednesday, which makes this the last such day before Christmas, which is
next Wednesday.
Frank came in with mason jars for everybody (or, presumably, everybody he wanted to give a gift to). It's full of what he called "Mrs. Brown's Soul Mix," but it's really just a snack mix—and a very tasty one, at that. It has chex, fritos, popcorn, almonds, cashews, walnuts, and cheez-it crackers. To clarify, it has all "natural foods" versions of these things. Frank came in assuring us all that there are no GMOs in any of it, and I was like: "I truly do not care about GMOs." This was when I was relieved to learn we are very much on the same page regarding the scientific consensus that there is no evidence GMOs are inherently unsafe or dangerous, either to the planet or to our health. I even went further as to say that I regard any of the naturopathic rememdies we sell to be basically snake oil, as none of it has any double-blind, replicated studies to support any real effectiveness.
Anyway! The other presents. Gabby came by with a holiday card and a little bottle of prosecco. Justine came by with a pouch filled with dried citrus slices, apple, bay leaf, cinnamon clove, star anise and cardamom. It's labeled "Winter Spice Simmer Mix" and comes with directions. I guess it's kind of a mulling spice tea?
— पांच हजार सात सौ पच्चीस —
— पांच हजार सात सौ पच्चीस —
I had no social engagements last night. I just walked home from work, Shobhit had dinner ready, and he suggested I make chai and so I did. Then, at my suggestion, we watched a Christmas movie. I chose
The Holiday, which I had not watched since its original release,
in 2006. It's amazing to me that year was now 18 years ago. A lot of it came across as very dated, starting with this absurd premise of people so quickly just
swapping homes between Los Angeles and Cornwall, England for the Christmas holiday. Also: flip phones.
The movie is so, so stupid. It might as well have been a Hallmark Christmas movie. Shobhit assumed it flopped at the box office, and it was quite the opposite: $203 million gross worldwide, against an $85 million budget. None of the sets looked all that expensive so a lot of that budget must have gone to paying the stars playing the four leads (Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, a stunningly gorgeous and adorable Jude Law—his entrance alone made me enjoy the movie a great deal more—and, to a no doubt lesser extent especially at the time, Jack Black).
The Holiday manages a sort of bait and switch, being almost unbearably corny until it somehow wins you over. I spent a lot of time texting on a thread with Gabriel and Lea, but with only Gabriel ever responding (Lea must have been busy), about my astonishment that
he had given this movie three out of five stars on Letterboxd (just as I had), and that apparently Lea—like a surprising lot of other people—really loves this movie.
I mean, whatever. In the end it made for a blandly pleasant evening. Two hours and 15 minutes is a little long, though. There's a ton of jokey Letterboxd reviews about how it's four hours long, or the longest movie ever made. I never got bored, though. Annoyed by how stupid it was, sure, but never bored.
— पांच हजार सात सौ पच्चीस —
[posted 12:39 pm]
