Day 6 with Mother Singh

We were watching a movie last night, and we were all sitting on the couch together. So, I grabbed this big, warm blanket and proceeded to cover myself with it. Then when my boyfriend sat down, I asked him if he would like it, and he did. Then Mrs. Singh, sits down and I offer her the same. It is queen-sized blanket and can easily cover us all, but she declines. Then a little while later, she says something involving, "thanda", and my boyfriend goes to turn on the heat. She is still saying thanda, and the blanket is offered again. Then declined again.

Well, I don't know what to do! I am trying to help here-seriously! Nothing is good enough and nothing will cease the complaints. It is very tiring to say the least. Also, while we were watching the film last night, North by Northwest (1959), Mrs. Singh asked my boyfriend to fast forward while Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint were kissing! And by kissing, I mean the bare minimum. This was 1959 for goodness sake! They didn't show anything inappropriate in mainstream movies back then. They were barely doing anything and she wanted to skip it. Not to mention it was actually an integral part of the plot because we were supposed to be understanding the relationship between the two characters! I just keep thinking to myself: "What? Are you kidding?"

Day 5...What Happend to the Weekend?

So, things don't seem to be getting much easier. It has now been two weeks since Mrs. Singh arrived, and I thought by this point things would be going smoothly. Again, I am so wrong-this keeps happening! The first few days after she arrived were a little hectic and stressful, then everything seemed to be working out well and the future was bright. Now, here were are on the very cusp of week 3, and the light has faded to the slightest glimmer, barely visible to the human eye. This past weekend was supposed to be a time to enjoy together, the three of us, skipping and laughing with the sun shining down on us. Well, we did actually get a little bit of sunshine, but not so much on the skipping and laughing. This past weekend was a roller coaster, zooming up and down until we all wanted to puke. Ok, so enough with the innuendos. I didn't even get a chance to write this daily blog in the past two days...or maybe I didn't even want to, but now it seems time.

I don't remember too many new things that I have learned through the haze of the weekend, but there are a few things that come to mind that have been irking me since Mrs. Singh arrived, and they were definitely in full swing this past weekend.

So, it is November now, meaning it will only get colder, and colder as time goes on. This being said, we live in California. It's pretty warm here. After living in England, and then Virginia my whole life, I know that it is not really cold here. Even so, I understand that someone traveling from India for the first time could find it very cold here. I get this, and that is fine; it is something we can work with. But something that I can not work with, is someone who is not willing to wear the lovely Snuggie that we bought her! Yes, that is right-a Snuggie! After hearing complaints about being cold for a few days, the boyfriend and I decided to get Mrs. Singh a Snuggie. So, I thought the complaints, and shivering, and exclaiming, "thanda, thanda, thanda", five million times a day would cease. Again, wrong!

When I was growing up, if I complained about being cold, my Dad would say to me, "Put some clothes on". The heat was not getting turned up until we started seeing our breath indoors. So, I would put layers of clothes and blankets on and moved around until I was warm. Not a big deal. Well, apparently that will not be the case here. Mrs. Singh spends most of the day complaining about being cold, and it just seems as though nothing helps. I ask her to wear the Snuggie we got for her, to put a sweatshirt on, or maybe some socks. I do agree that it can get cold inside this apartment during the day, because trees block a lot of the sun, but it just do what I learned from my Father.

Again, we are in California, and do not live in a luxury apartment, so we do not have central air. We have a little heater/radiator thingy in the living room that takes years to heat the whole place. Using this everyday, all day would be ridiculously expensive on the electricity bill, and it just makes sense to use every other method possible before turning that thing on. Still, Mrs. Singh is now taking the liberty of turning it on whenever she wants to, without evening trying the Snuggie first! Then she turns it on, but seems to stay as far away as possible from it, thus not receiving any of the heat. Will this madness ever end?


to be continued to find out....

Day 4 With Mrs. Singh

There are a great many traditions and superstitions in the Indian culture, and though my boyfriend does not care nor believe in any of it, his mother definitely does. The second day after she arrived, she set up a little sort of shrine in the bedroom for her to worship with. Some way, I don't really know how, she figured out that it was that 'time of the month' for me. So, she politely asked me not to touch her prayer area, or anything in it. Then she proceeded to tell me that I should not wash my hair until my period was over, as some sort of cleansing thing. Well, for me that could be 6 days without washing my hair....that simply was not going to happen. Of course, I would respect her wishes about her worship area, but the washing the hair thing, not so much. The hard part is being accommodating without completely losing yourself in the process.

So, this morning the boyfriend is feeling very poorly, and decided to stay home from work. Yet, this is not the most relaxed place to be, and I often think that he might get more rest at the office. I wake up much later than usual-8:40am. I think to myself: Is this the end of the world? but it is no, it just means that my boyfriend is sick and that I was able to reap the benefits by sleeping in a wee bit. So, I find that he is awake, but Mrs. Singh is not. We start chatting softly, as not to wake Mum in the bedroom across the way, but after a few seconds I hear a loud voice coming from the darkness. Of course, I do not understand it. So, the silence has now disappeared for the day, and I wonder how my boyfriend will get any rest in this tiny place.

Eventually, he starts to drift back to sleep as I stroke his hair. I know, 'bleh', you are thinking, but this is important to the story. Then Mother comes from behind and touches a cold hand to his forehead. Awkward! The boyfriend exclaims something in Hindi, and she immediately backs off. Now I can feel her eyes burning into the back of head and she stands behind us. I feel as though I just stole a cub from the mother lion and an attack is looming in the near future. I understand, I really do, that she has not seen her son in years and wants to take care of him like she used to, she is a mother after all. This being said, it doesn't mean that things don't get a little awkward. So, he falls asleep and I lay there looking at him, just thinking to myself and having a little quiet time. Alas, as you know by now, the quiet time will not last. Five minutes later, I can feel her presence behind me, those eyes burning holes in my back. She whispers, "Caitlin, you now study for GRE, and he sleeps." I think to myself, 'Oh no she didn't!' I just give a quizzical look and mumble an "O.K." Sensing that I am annoyed, she quickly says, "If you want". Great, this is exactly how I want to start the morning. I know she means well, and is just trying to help, but I sort of have a schedule going and don't want to be told each second of the day. It is as if she wants to say, but can't, "Leave Mragendra alone". So, I lay there for a few minutes as he snores, then get up to start the day, as it is only 9am.

to be continued....

Day 3 With an Indian Mother

Being that I am unemployed at the moment, I have a lot of time to think and reflect on day to day life. So, with this apartment being tiny and having your future mother-in-law breathing down your neck, there is not a lot of time to stare off into space. If Mrs. Singh sees me daydreaming, no doubt she will direct me to do something. So, often times I stare at my computer, clicking and typing aimlessly when she walks by. I do have a purpose at the computer, but everybody needs a break sometimes. Anyway, having a lot of down time is great sometimes, but when you have three people living in a confined space, this down time is not so attractive. Needless to say, Mrs. Singh and I have chatted a lot. This is not the easiest task in the world for two people who don't speak the same language, but we seem to be doing fairly well and I really enjoy it. She is actually much more open that I thought she would be, and has no fear in trying to communicate. She does know a fair amount of English, and I have picked up a teensy, weensy bit of Hindi, so when you add hand gestures and body language to the mix, quite a bit of communicating can get done. Now, I am not suggesting that it is clear all the time. The stuff that we don't understand would probably almost outweigh what we do, but we manage.

Ohhh the things I have learned in just a few weeks! Whether or not these things are true or useful, I have still to decide. The majority of what I have been told has to do with health. Every spice, food, herb, etc. has some great nutritional or healing power to it, and many others are portrayed as evil. The way these things are eaten also affects their value. Apparently, I should not eat bananas in the morning time because they are a cold food and they will make me constipated. Then, garlic must be consumed raw in the morning, as if taking a pill, as well as put in all meals to get the great value from it. I have also been nagged for days that I should place 5 or 6 almonds in my boyfriends lunch everyday to increase brain functioning. Now, I know that almonds are great for memory and they are tasty, but, of course, when and where my boyfriend would like to eat these almonds with is not up for discussion.

One night, while waiting for my boyfriend to get home from work, she showed me the contents of an entire Hindi magazine about health. We flipped page after page, looking at which food, spice, herb, was good for what. Of course, I couldn't read or understand a single word in that magazine, but I sit back, look at the pretty pictures, and nod my head in agreement. Mrs. Singh explains everything to the best of her ability, and most gets understood, but I spend a lot of time nodding my head back and forth, whether I agree or not.

to be continued tomorrow...

Day 2 of Living With My Boyfriend's Indian Mother

As soon as the noises die down, my next sense becomes inundated with smells from the kitchen. First, there is the stink of cabbage soaking in water, still wafting through my tiny apartment since 10:30am. Now, as Mrs. Singh begins to cook again at noon, masala fills the air. Garlic, ginger, cumin, mustard seeds cooked in oil, ready for the resting cabbage to jump in. The cooking process is like a long journey that disappears without a trace after the last bite; beginning at 10:30am and finishing sometime close to 1:30pm; a process that us Americans take a while to get used to.
Lunch is not a cold sandwich eaten in 10 minutes, it is a whole, well-rounded meal taking hours to create. Everyday since my future mother in law arrive here in San Jose, I have had a huge, warm meal for lunch. It consists of: Daal (a kind of lentil soup), vegetable, as she calls it, which is generally a different vegetable (cabbage, potato, pea, bean etc.) everyday that is cooked in aforementioned spices, plus a few more; then there is white rice, of course, and a small amount of salad-tomato, onion, and cilantro. So, there is already a giant mouthful but, of course, I am not finished. The most important part, and most delicious I might ad, is the roti. A delicious Indian-style bread, made from wheat flour and water, that is rolled very thin and fried in a pan. The roti cooks on the pan, puffing and inflating like a balloon, then falling flat at the finish. All of this is consumed for lunch, and the very thought of it is making me full.

Now, most people tend to think that Indian food is healthy, and for the most part it is, but a lot of salt, oil, and ghee (clarified butter) is used in each meal. These Indian meals can be quite deceitful because I'm gorging away thinking I am being good and not eating meat and losing weight. Boy, am I wrong! While the whole no meat thing is helping, the amount of ghee slathered on the rotis, and the large amount of starchy, carby white rice eaten at lunch is very confusing to my body. I have to say that I do feel as though I have lost some weight, but this could all be in my head. I have also been going on a run everyday to balance out the universe. I will now keep track of my weight over the next month to see if this vegetarian, buttery, carby food is helping or hurting. All I know is that Mrs. Singh is quite thin, and it is very kind of her to serve me this delicious, warm meal everyday. I quite think that it would be difficult to go back to that cold sandwich after eating this meal everyday.

to be continued tomorrow....

A Day in the Life...with an Indian Future Mother-in-Law

I can barely hear myself think as the plumbers in my bathroom repetitiously bang away at something; it sounds like they are tearing down the entire wall as they speak furiously in Spanish to each other. Then there is Mrs. Singh in the next room doing her pooja; praying over candles and statues of gods on top of our very attractive, plastic storage cabinet. All I can hear over the clanging, her quickly and rhythmically mumbling Hindi prayers. But, of course, that is not all the music I can hear from my little desk in the corner. Then there is the excruciatingly loud hissing that is coming from the kitchen as the pressure cooker, as if it is about to take off and sail around the room expelling rice and steam, screeches and whines on the burner. Needless to say, I can barely write this right now.

I am listening to three different languages while I try to write in another. The Spanish from the plumbers, the Hindi from my boyfriend's mother, and the yelling from the rice in the kitchen. The Spanish could be understandable after my four years in High School, but is so mumbled and fast, covered by all the other sounds, that I have no idea. The Hindi, I am still working on, and as for the rice, I have no idea how to work a pressure cooker. So, I sit here, the only noise I am making is the tapping of the keyboard and an occasional click of the mouse.

Aha! The banging has stopped, the pooja is finished, and the rice has calmed down. Of course, this quiet will not stay for long. Now, I hear the Hindi songs coming from the bedroom. Mrs. Singh is now singing along to some old tunes from the mother country as begins to cook lunch. The plumber said his goodbye, but he will be back to bang some more. Now I am sitting here thinking, "How fast can I get out of here?" But then I remember that I should go for a run, take a shower, finishing some cleaning, and then eat lunch with Momma Singh.

to be continued tomorrow....

Pumpkins!

So, this year instead of just carving pumpkins as usual, the bf and I decided to make a video of our thrilling, and exciting pumpkin excursion. Some may think that we have a lot of time on our hands, but this was done after 7pm and none of our favorite T.V. shows were on. Anyway, pumpkin carving has always been a tradition in my family, as it is in many, and my boyfriend has now come to love it ever since he carved his first pumpkin two years ago. No, he is not a Jehovah's Witness, he is just from India. So, you may be thinking, "Why in the world would I want to watch you, some random stranger who probably has no background in film making, carve pumpkins? Especially when I know how to carve a pumpkin already!" Or you could be thinking, "Wow! I have no idea how to carve a pumpkin at all and I am so happy that someone has provided this short video to show me how!" Well, if you are the latter-thanks for coming, you will not be disappointed! And if you are the first, just watch-it's fun!

Yes, this video is not perfect, exact, or professional, but it is real and honest! We aren't professionals, but we are trying.

Paranoia!

Recently us public people have been inundated with fear from the swine flu! I, myself am becoming increasingly paranoid about this phenomenon. Why I wonder? I blame the media! Yes, that evil, devilish thing rears its' ugly head again! When I have problems, I can just blame the media! Well, obviously I am being sarcastic, but in all honestly I think I can actually blame the media. Since flu season is now upon us, everywhere I go I see ads for flu shots. Via television, online, word of mouth, and pharmacies everywhere I have the fear of the flu inside of me! No, I do not have any symptoms, but does that stop me from popping vitamin c drops every five minutes? Of course not!

I am not an unreasonable woman, and I do realize that my personality might have something to do with this paranoia. Maybe I am slightly more worried than the next person, but then same old argument comes up: nature vs. nurture? Well, most people would agree that it is a mixture from both columns and that is a discussion for a different blog. Anyway, yes the swine flu is a horrible thing causing an epidemic in this country, but after reading more about it I have discovered that most people can get over it just like a regular flu. So why so paranoid? Well, its the word "most" in "most people" that worries me and the actual deaths that have occurred from it. Authorities say that we should not automatically run to the emergency room the moment we feel symptoms coming on. Well, sure! Now that you have instilled deep fear in us through repetitive and relentless media coverage, you are expecting us to NOT run right to the hospital? Balderdash, I say! Also, they say that 2 million H1N1 shots have been shipped today and that distribution has begun. But, yet again that ugly media monster has told me that the vaccine will be delayed here in Northern California! Whaaaa? And then that always wanting to help people thought hits me when that local news tells me that children, elderly, and health care workers should have it before anyone else. So now I am thinking that I shouldn't even get it! Ugh, so confusing!

This being said, being paranoid clearly is not going to help. If I keep thinking that I am sick or am going to be sick, I am sure I really will get sick So, while I am popping vitamin c constantly, and drinking glass upon glass of water, I know that I need to just to calm down and get a grip. So, have I listened to my own advice? Yes...for now! Thank you mass media for making me unable to watch the local news before bedtime. Cheers.

The Weekend

So, this past Saturday morning the boyfriend and I were looking for something to do.This is generally the same occurrence every weekend because we don't often plan much in advance. I, being unemployed at the moment, did not want to spend one more second inside our apartment for fear of cabin fever consuming me, forcing me to go on a murdering rampage of some sort like in those movies. So anywho, I was looking up events and stuff online, and discovered there was to be a Pumpkins In the Park festival that very day! Oooo what luck-haha! The festival was right here in downtown San Jose at the Guadalupe River Park Gardens (right outside the Children's Museum). We didn't know if it would be lame or not, but at least it got us out of the house and walking for a bit. It is about a 20 minute walk from our apartment to the Children's Museum, but lord knows we could use the exercise.

So, feeling very healthy and enjoying the fall crisp air, we ambled to the Guadalupe River Park to partake is some lovely Fall activities. As we arrived close to the event we could see that it was bustling with children everywhere! We kind of expected this, and thus confirmed our suspicions that it might just be hyperactive, sugared up kids with sticky hands running around the place and, well, it was. Buuuut, it was actually really fun too. There were tons of activities and it would be fun if we had children to entertain, but it fun to get out and about somewhere where everyone was enjoying themselves. This is definitely a great place to bring kids, but that doesn't mean us adults can't have a good time too-especially ones who haven't quite grown up yet.

So, we were very happy to find there was no admission fee because lets be honest, otherwise we would have turned around in a flash, and they gave out all sorts of stuff for free! We were planning on going to eat after we went there, but after all the free samples, we were honestly full and completely sugared up just like the kids. They gave out free bottles of Martinelli's apple juice-as much as you want! Some people were even taking a whole box full. They were also giving out little cups of fresh squeezed apple cider, and they had an apple tasting booth. The boyfriend also decided to purchase some honey sticks from the very nice honey lady at 5 sticks for $1, and so this did not help with the sugar consumption. There was also some sort of athletic company giving out free fruit snacks and snack bars as well, which were surprisingly delicious.

Enjoying our sugar

They had tons of activities for kids (some free and some not) and live entertainment, but he best part was the giant "pumpkin patch" though. A fenced in area with pumpkins of varying sizes scattered around. Of course, this was filled with kids and their embarrassing parents trying to pose them in different cutesy positions for some tacky Fall family photos. But this did not stop us from taking similar cheesy photos of each other sitting on pumpkins.

All in all, this was seriously one of the better festivals I have been to here. This whole festival was definitely created for kids, but it was great for us too. Now that I think about it though, it was a stupid thing to do considering swine flu is a deadly epidemic or something. Those pumpkins were probably covered in germs, and I touched them. Well, anywho it was fun and next time I will remember to bring my hand sanitizer.

Camping

On a recent camping trip, my boyfriend and I traveled to Valley Springs, CA to a campground called "Acorn Camp" on the the New Logan Lake (seen below). No, this place wasn't the most goregous and lucious campground I have ever been to, but this view of the lake as we stepped out of our tent early in the morning was just fantastic. It got super, super hot during the day, but quite cold in the evening and this time at the start of the day was the perfect temp with a perfect view.

New Hogan Lake, Acorn Campground, Valley Springs, CA

A reptile on our breakfast grill

A view of New Hogan Lake from our small hike

The sunset on the lake

Writer's Block

As I look into the computer screen with the sun shining in from behind me, I can see my fingers tapping quickly across the keyboard. I am watching them as each letter is hit, but they move too fast to see them as individuals. I can't stop watching them, mesmerized by the movement which I control. I control the movements, but I still wonder how am I doing this. I don't even realize that I am doing it, and before long I have written a paragraph, not evening knowing where it came from. My gold ring glimmers in the sun shining through the window, as I continue to stare at my hands gliding across the keys. The best thing about this blog is the way my fingers flew across the sun reflected on my computer screen.

What I See

Sweet, sweet tomatoes growing in the back of the apartment complex....

Stopped by the garden on the way out of the apartment complex this afternoon-they look like mini purple tarantulas!

A Gulp of Sunshine

Don't let the title fool you--this is not as cheery as it sounds. The latest trip to the cinema was to see the film Sunshine Cleaning staring Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, and Alan Arkin. I saw a preview for this film quite a while ago and thought it looked intriguing, but hadn't gotten around to seeing it. This past Sunday, my boyfriend and I got the chance to run down to Santana Row in San Jose to see it. When first seeing the preview, it looked as though it was going to be a little reminiscent of Little Miss Sunshine (down to the bright title), which frankly made me want to see it. Of course, after seeing it I discovered it wasn't really like Little Miss Sunshine, except for the appearance of Alan Arkin and a similar sort of dark humor. The concept of cleaning up after crime scenes was really intriguing and looked horribly disgusting, but I guess one can get used to anything! So anywho, I really enjoyed the whole movie from beginning to end, and watched intently as if I was waiting for something to happen the whole time. It gave me that feeling that something big was about to happen, but in the end those "big" moments weren't all that big. Of course, they were good turning points, but parts were quite predictable. The parts that made the movie more enjoyable were the small, less "big", and bold moments. The moments of characters interacting and sharing intense, emotional moments. Though the film was a little predictable, the characters were great and the humor was quick and clever. I think that Emily Blunt really stole the show, being vulnerable, yet tough in a hilarious fashion. While, Amy Adams was good, I feel as though Emily Blunt and Alan Arkin really made this film glow. All in all, I really enjoyed this film, but not nearly as much as the other "Sunshine"!

Slice: Lemon meringue with fresh strawberries

A Bite of Blob..or Bob

Whenever I hear that Dreamworks is coming out with a new animation, I am usually fairly certain that it is going to pretty great. Dreamworks has become a stiff competition to Pixar in the past few years, but sometimes I still have my doubts about whether they will be up to snuff. This being said, the most recent installment from Dreamworks, Monsters vs. Aliens, was not exactly up to par, but was no doubt entertaining. I have to admint that I wasn't dying to see this particular film like I am to see others. I think it is just because I feel like the whole monsters, aliens, superhero thing is bit overdone these days. There are so many films about superheroes and I also feel as though the line between monsters and superheroes is getting blurry. For the most part, it seems as though monsters are supposed to feared, but now monsters are becoming more lovable than scary. I actually truly like this concept, but I feel as though this idea will soon become a little boring. Going into this movie I just couldn't get "Monsters Inc." from Pixar out of my head. Monsters Inc. was such an incredible creative, original film and it is one of my favorite Pixar movies ever. That was such a classic, and really started the whole idea of friendly monsters in this era.
Anyway, the reason I went to see this installment was because my boyfriend really wanted to go (he is a big kid), and also because we have a friend who works at Dreamworks. The main draw of the movie was the B.O.B. character, played by Seth Rogen, whom really stole the show. I also loved Dr. Cockroach, but that is mainly because I looove Hugh Laurie. The problem was that I didn't really emotionally feel that much for the "main" character, Ginormica/Susan. I think the other characters made it enjoyable, but the story of Ginormica wasn't quite interesting enough. Also we saw the 3D version, which was cool at times, but after a while I forgot that is was even in 3D. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing..
All in all, this was a good romp and I am sure the kids absolutely loved it. Actually, I could hear the laughter and comments of the little tikes because they made up the majority of the audience. If I didn't have someone pushing to me see it, I most likely wouldn't have gone to the theater. But just because I wasn't chomping at the bit to get to this one, doesn't mean I won't be for the next Dreamworks animation. I think all I need is an innovative idea and lovable characters to get me there.

Slice: wobbly blue Jell-O with fruit chunks and mini marshmallows inside

A Mouthful of Pillow

What says "I love you" better than whacking your loved one with a large, fluffy pillow? Well, I don't know about romantic, but it sure is fun.

Our Valentine's day started romantically enough with a trip to famous Ghirardelli Square to indulge in some gluttonous delight at the famous chocolate store/ice-cream shop. The line was long, but moved quickly as people slurped down their treats and moved on to walk it off in the streets of San Fran. We shared a classic sundae complete with hot, melted chocolate. Mmmm.... Anyway, afterwards we headed off on the MUNI to Justin Herman Plaza to check out the scene of the crime. The San Francisco Pillow Fight 2009, baby! The rain was coming down fairly steady as we entered the plaza, and we still had an hour to wait until the event. We played in the fountain and wandered around the shops, while people carrying pillows walked by. Soon the plaza was beginning to fill with people donned with pillows of all shapes and sizes, and I started to feel the excitement of what was to come. As time was getting closer to 6pm, more and more people were gathering, and before we knew the chaos began.

Then, the countdown started as everyone was looking at the clock tower, waiting for that second hand to arrive. 5, 4, 3, 2, .....GO! The madness had begun and pillows, limbs, and people went flying. At first I was a bit timid to delve into the center of the beatings, but as time went on I eventually jumped into the middle and waved my arms in the air like I just didn't care. Some people were very tender, while others wanted blood, and I definitely came away with fewer brain cells in the end. The variety of people was pretty interesting with some people bringing their tiny children, and others dressing up in all sorts of costumes- Zombies to Zorros! All in all, it was an amazing time and I would definitely do it again. To just see the amount of people and feel the energy of the crowds made it so spectacular. I wasn't thinking about anything, just letting go and enjoying those few hours with my love and hundreds of strangers on Valentine's Day.

Slice: A white vanilla cake with coconut frosting with strawberries in the center

A Slice of Coraline

 

First of all, I love stop-motion animation. Secondly, I love Tim Burton and will see pretty much any movie he is involved in. This time, Henry Selick took the directors role again to create another classic. Ever since I was a little 7-year-old captivated and equally frightened by The Nightmare Before Christmas, I have loved these films. These films create a style like none other made for any age group. In this latest installment, he doesn't disappoint. Coraline is the story of a young girl who is bored by her simple life and leaves her wanting something more. The story line of Coraline keeps you engaged from the first frame to the last credit. As for the animation, it was nothing short of amazing. The simplest movement of a small flower opening its petals keeps me glued to the screen. 

The story seems a sweet, simple, and innocent one until you see it's dark side creeping through in subtle ways. The shadow of a black cat, a button-eyed doll, or the eccentric neighbors make you soon realize that this is not just going to be a cheerful, cutesy film. This, of course, is the beauty of Tim Burton and Co.'s animation films and the main reason I am (and so many) so attracted to these films.  

The characters of the film are classic, odd, and just plain creepy at times, but I loved them all. Especially the Eastern European acrobatic neighbor, Mr. Bobinsky, who bounds around the house, circus style in an eccentric, but elegant manor. All the characters are special and crazy in their own right and bring a great deal to the film.

 Something else that made this viewing special was the 3-D version we happened to see. It just happened that this was the version playing closest to us, but I am glad. The 3-D effect was like icing on the slice of Coraline cake, but I have no doubt that the original version is just as good. The effects give it an added entertainment factor, especially for small children in the audience.

All in all, Coraline keeps you entertained with great animation, sound/music, and creativity. How could it be better?? I don't know, but there is always room for improvement! 8 out of 10 

Slice: Black Forest Cake with a colorful marzipan icing