As requested, I bring you another Before & After post, including my most recent picture. This time I won't be using a picture of myself in workout clothes, just regular attire. Sure, my clothes in the first picture were certainly not the most flattering, but you can still see a huge difference, I think. My weight has remained somewhat the same these last couple of months (I blame Christmas! haha), but I'm back on track and I certainly feel that I've gained a lot of muscle and am slowly (but surely) toning up and getting healthier and fitter.
As mentioned in my New Year’s Resolutions post, I want to diversify the topics that I cover in this blog. First and foremost, I believe that it’ll help me on a personal basis. I enjoy reading up on and learning about a wide variety of subjects, and I feel that writing about what I learn will help me further assimilate my newly gained knowledge. Furthermore, I think that all of the people who read this blog on a regular basis would also appreciate the fruits of my research. I’m planning on writing about things that I believe not very many people know about but that I find to be either important or interesting, such as random cultural particularities and things like that. Without further ado, let me mention today’s topic: the Chinese hukou system.
Hukou is basically a Chinese residency permit issued depending on your place of birth. For those of you who are familiar with the American system of residency, it’s very similar to that. Having an American green card will entitle you to certain rights in the United States: education at a lower cost, certain health benefits, the ability to work, etc. The difference is that in China, a hukou will only be of value to you (guaranteeing you rights) in your place of birth. For example, if you’re a Chinese citizen that was born in Shanghai, your hukou will only be valid in Shanghai. This means that you can only study, work, and receive medical treatment in Shanghai.
The hukou system was designed in the 1950s by Chairman Mao Zedong as a way to control the migration of Chinese citizens from rural to urban areas. We have to keep in mind that a lot of the Chinese institutions still in place today are simply remnants of the socialist era. Therefore, the hukou system was essentially aimed at regulating labor and ensuring that there would always be a constant supply of workers for all of the state-owned enterprises.
If you take a look at the map of China’s population density above, it will become apparent that most of the country’s citizens live on the east coast, particularly in the major industrial cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou (Canton), etc. As tends to happen in all countries, especially those that experience rapid industrialization, people will seek to move to where there are more opportunities, ie, the big cities. And here is where the problem with the hukou system comes into action. Technically, it would be illegal for those possessing rural hukous to work in the urban centers. As you might imagine, this led to tragic consequences when the hukou was first implemented, as lots of people possessing rural hukous simply starved to death.
Since then, there have been some reforms to the hukou system allowing workers from rural areas to obtain “temporary urban residency permits,” effectively allowing them to get jobs in the cities. However, migrant workers are still not given the same rights as those who possess the urban hukous. For instance, if a migrant worker wants to get treated at a hospital in Beijing, he/she would have to pay out of pocket, whereas a person originally from Beijing would have health coverage guaranteed by the government. Also, if a migrant worker wishes to send his children to a public school in Beijing, he must pay a certain amount of money, called a “voluntary contribution,” whereas someone possessing a Beijing hukou wouldn’t have to pay a thing. In case that they didn’t want to make a “contribution,” they would have to send their children to private schools, which would obviously be an extra financial burden. Furthermore, it’s very difficult for migrant workers to find decent, affordable housing in the big cities and their landlords usually take advantage of them by making them pay a significantly larger fee than they would a person with an urban hukou. Also, it is extremely hard for migrant workers to find jobs, and they usually end up at labor-intensive plants that pay them significantly less than they would a local worker. All of this leads to not only a large degree of inequality, but it also creates a large group of very frustrated individuals - individuals who claim that they don’t feel accepted and are discriminated against, who miss the families that they’ve left behind, and who, in many cases, become suicidal.
Nowadays, it is estimated that there are anywhere from 150 million to 250 million migrant workers in China. This figure is expected to increase to 400 million by 2025. In other words, we’re dealing with a huge percentage of the population. As is, there are about 30,000 protests by migrant workers a year. The Chinese government knows that it would do well to reform the hukou system in order to prevent further instability. In fact, for many of the aforementioned riots, the Chinese police simply turns a blind eye and tolerates them.
Still, there is a way for those who have a rural hukou to obtain an urban one. However, it is extremely difficult and only happens in the most extraordinary of cases. In order to apply for an urban hukou, a person must meet very specific criteria, such as: have a high level of education, possess a certificate of ownership of property in the city, be the recipient of several awards and certifications, etc. So that you can get an idea of how hard it is to be issued a new hukuo, it is estimated that out of the 7 million migrant workers in Guangzhou, only 3000 have been issued new urban residency permits.
China has built up its economy on the backs of these migrant workers who are subjected to subpar wages, deplorable working conditions, and discrimination. The hukou system must be reformed not only for the sake of these migrant workers, but also for the sake of China’s stability. Some analysts claim that China’s limits on social mobility are also placing limits on its economic development. They insist that the hukou system doesn’t allow for the most effective distribution of workers and that those who have the necessary skills for a job are often overlooked simply because of their place of origin. That said, it is understood that the Chinese government simply could not eradicate the hukou system from one day to the next. This would surely lead to a massive wave of rural-urban migration that could have devastating effects, as cities would struggle to sustain their ever-growing populations.
I believe that reforms to the hukou system are not only necessary, but inevitable. China has a whole plethora of social problems that when put together are a recipe for a very unhappy and unsatisfied population. I would suggest that the Chinese government start relaxing the hukou system little by little, before it finds a more effective way of regulating its labor. For instance, once a migrant worker has lived in a city for 6 months, proving that he is making a valuable contribution to society, he would be entitled to certain rights, which would only grow in proportion to the amount of time that he has lived there. Once a migrant worker has been living in the city for a prolonged period of time (maybe a year or two years), and as long as they’ve been a righteous citizen (paying taxes, maintaining a clean police record, etc.), he could finally be issued a new urban residency permit.
As someone who is currently in a migratory process, I completely understand the plight of the Chinese worker who wishes to move in order to seek out better opportunities. However, it is still bizarre to see that such strict migratory rules exist within a single country, especially one with such an exemplary economic performance. Clearly, the Chinese government is still working out many of the kinks in their social institutions. We can only hope that change for the hukou system comes sooner rather than later, but we also have remember that this is only one of China’s many social problems. Either way, China makes a very interesting case study and we would all do well to keep an eye on its progress.
We're just trying to find some meaning in the things that we believe in, but we've got some way to go.
Today was an emotionally charged and confusing day. In the
past, whenever I’ve felt that ideas are just floating around aimlessly in my
mind, I’ve found that writing out what I think helps me get a sense of
organization and clarity. So, let’s see how this goes.
I’ve always felt that there are two kinds of people in this
world: 1) Those who can just get up in the morning and go on about their day
(as repetitive and monotonous as it may be), without giving much thought, or who at least actively choose to avoid thinking about the
deeper things in life; and 2) Those who, on the contrary, spend most of their
days lost in thought, trying to get at least a semblance of a grasp on the
human experience – our purpose, our nature, our destiny, etc. Maybe this is a
somewhat overly simplistic view, but in general, I truly do feel that
it is relevant. As you might all imagine, I consider myself to be a part of the
second category and sometimes, I truly do envy those who lead, what I consider
to be, a much simpler (only theoretically, of course; also note that I said simpler, not easier) life.
I’ve always considered myself to be an existentialist, and
am partial to the teachings of Soren Kierkegaard, who essentially claims that
each person is responsible for figuring out the meaning of his/her own life. In
all of my experiences, I’ve found that everything is relative – every coin has
two sides, every story can be told from many different perspectives, and as the
rational individual that I pride myself in being, I truly find it difficult to just
accept things at their face value, or as are they presented to me. I’ve always
been a curious individual, sometimes even picking at things that maybe I
shouldn’t have been picking it, but it is a part of my nature. Now, the problem
with the existentialist approach is that by being so relativist, you may very
well run the risk of not believing in anything. At which point, you become a
nihilist.
To me, nihilism is a synonym of despair. Deep down,
regardless of my particular circumstances at any given point in time, I truly
do want to believe in something. The existentialist side of me would say that I’m
okay as long as I believe in myself, my experience, my reality, etc. However,
I’ve found that believing in only myself, hasn’t fulfilled me as I expected it
to. Again, using my logic, this would lead me to believe that I need to be able
to hold on to something greater than myself.
The obvious, and favored choice of most human beings, would
definitely be God. Since I was raised Roman Catholic, my value system is
definitely rooted in Christianity, but – at the risk of being labeled or judged – I simply
lack the faith required to believe in God. Which seems to be my general dilemma,
doesn’t it? I seem to be lacking in the faith department. Let it be noted that
I’m not criticizing those of you who are believers. Again, my existentialist
tendencies make me think that everyone has the right to believe in what works
for them (Christians, Hindus, Muslims, etc.)
At times I think that nature is so perfect that it had to be
created by an Ultimate being. But at the same time, there’s a part of me that
believes in evolution and natural selection. Organisms as we know them today
(including humans), came to be perfect after hundreds and thousands of years of
trial-and-error. That said, we’ve been conditioned to believe that everything
has a beginning and an end. If that is the case, then we can only conclude that
there must have been something to cause the first spark, something to initiate
it all. But we also have the laws of physics, which tell us that mass can
neither be created nor destroyed. And this, people, is my stream of thought –
EVERYDAY. I have so many contradictory ideas, all which seem to have some sense
and logic behind them, that I truly find it difficult (and even overwhelming,
at times) to just believe in one.
I’m slowly coming to the realization that this is my reality
– I’m in a constant state of flux, and there will be people who will never
understand me, much less respect me for not "sticking to just one thing." One of my best friends gave me a
great analogy today: life is like a waiting room, we’re all waiting to hear back from
the doctor, and we’re all reading different magazines while we wait. Some
people will stick to one particular magazine – Vogue, The Economist, Psychology
Today, etc., but there are others who will read every single magazine in the
room, possibly multiple times each. What works for other people doesn’t
necessarily have to work for me – and that’s okay. Even though I always take
pride in being unique, I have to embrace the whole spectrum of my particular
uniqueness. And that just happens to involve being insatiably (and sometimes painstakingly) curious.
I can only hope that one day I’ll have whole-hearted faith
in something, or perhaps it’ll be someone. However, I also have to be open to
the possibility that for me, it may not necessarily be about the end goal, but instead
about the journey – the waiting. More importantly, I need to learn how to be
okay with either scenario.
It took me forever and a day to get the motivation to finally post the last two days of challenge. But here we are. Better late than never, eh? I want to thank Jenny for including me, and thanks to all of you who kept coming back to read up on the latest posts. I hope you've all managed to learn at least one new thing about me. If you didn't, and if you think you know everything there is to know about moi, then I suggest you keep on reading!
60 Day
Picture Challenge - Day 59: A picture of a random item that you own.
I didn't want to over-think this post, so I just took a picture of the item that was closest to me. This is my Hello Kitty Wallet. People tend to make fun of me because it is a Hello Kitty product (and 25 year-olds aren't supposed to like Hello Kitty), but you know what? I stopped caring a long time ago. I like Hello Kitty, so what?
60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 60: A picture of something you’re excited about.
I'm excited to wear this dress! I bought it back in 2010 when I was supposed to go to a friend's wedding. However, as life would have it, AFTER I'd spent $500 purchasing this garment, something lamentable happened, and for several reasons, I decided that my presence was no longer required at said wedding. I couldn't return the dress because I'd already altered it, so it just stayed there in my closet - taunting me. Now, the perfect opportunity to wear it has presented itself. A cousin of mine is getting married in early February and instead of buying another dress, I decided to just wear this one. Sure, I had to get it altered because I've lost some weight, but it definitely beats spending another $500, eh?
I already posted my “Year in Review” but it’s already
January the 8th and I’d yet to mention anything about my New Year's Resolutions. So I decided that the time had finally come. Let’s see what I want to accomplish in 2012. Oh, before I start, I'd also like to mention that this list doesn't include absolutely EVERYTHING that I want to achieve. However, none of the items on this list depend on anything other than myself. For example, I obviously want to travel, but that would depend on my financial situation, etc.
1.Continue losing weight. I once
read that the best goals are those that are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable,
Relevant, and Timely.) So, keeping that in mind, I’d like to restate my goal
as: I want to lose 30 more pounds (specific, measurable, and attainable) in order to improve my health and physical
appearance (relevant) in 2012 (timely.)I had
tremendous success last year and I have no doubt that this is something that I
can (and will) do. 30 pounds in one year comes out to about half a pound a
week, and considering that the healthy rate of weight loss is 1.5 - 2 pounds
per week, it becomes even clearer to me that it is something that I can
achieve.
2.Be able to run a 5K in less than 30
minutes. I’ve already mentioned in previous posts that I would like to
run a marathon at some point this year. However, I know that I still have a
long way to go. As it is, it takes me about 42 minutes to run the 5K.
Obviously, the main reason why it takes me this long is because I don’t run the
whole time. Usually, I run for 5 minutes, walk for 2, and so on and so forth.
That said, I would really would like to build my endurance up to a point where
I can run for at least 30 minutes without stopping. Once this has been
achieved, I know that I will be ready to seriously start training for a
marathon.
3.Exercise at least 4 times a week.
This shouldn’t be something that’s difficult to accomplish. I have a membership at a gym, a treadmill at home, and countless workout DVD’s to choose from.
However, I feel that by stating it as one of my resolutions for 2012, I’m more
accountable for actually getting around to doing it. I follow several fitness
blogs and they all recommend that we (their followers) blog about our workout
plans in advanced, (again, to help with accountability), so I’m actually toying
with that idea. Maybe I'll start posting my workout schedule for the proceeding week on Sunday nights.
4.Acquire basic knowledge of Russian and
Mandarin, while at the same time making sure that my Italian and Japanese don’t
get rusty. I’ve always loved Russian and I decided that this year was
the year to finally start learning it. My friend Danny told me that I could
learn the Cyrillic alphabet in a few hours and so, I decided to just go ahead
and do it. Since then, I’ve given myself a goal of learning at least 20 Russian
words per day, and I have to say that I’m really enjoying it. I’m using a
variety of sources, primarily: Rosetta Stone, Michel Thomas, and Assimil. I
once read that 80% of learning a new language is memorizing its vocabulary, and
it is for this reason that right now I’m focusing mostly on perfecting my use
of the Cyrillic alphabet as well on the acquisition of new words. Now for
Mandarin, since China is such an important country (economically,
geopolitically, culturally, etc.) I want to start by getting a sense of the
language and by learning key phrases in case I ever find myself there. Once
I’ve mastered these, I’ll decide whether I really want to dive into it head
first or not.
Italian and Japanese are
both languages that I’ve been studying (both actively and passively) for the
last few years. Because of its similarity to Spanish, my grasp over Italian is
better than the one I have over Japanese. However, I would definitely say that
because I’ve studied Japanese formally (in a classroom setting, etc.) for such
a long time, my foundation in it is much more stable. I am currently reading a
novel in Italian, and I understand about 92% of it. Also, I am always reading
news in Italian as well as listening to radio shows, etc. For Japanese, I need
to make a better effort to learn more Kanji and consolidate the knowledge that
I already have.
5.Call (or Skype) at least one friend per
week. I’m usually very good at keeping in touch with people via email
or Facebook. However, I completely suck when it comes to calling and/or
Skyping. I have friends spread out all over the world (mostly the US and Japan)
and I honestly feel that I haven’t been very good at keeping them as an active
part of my life. Besides, sending an email is never the same as hearing
someone’s voice or being able to see them through a webcam, so that is why I
made it a resolution to just call people more often. I have an Internet-based
phone here, as well as Skype, so I really don’t have a good excuse not to call
people more often. (If I get too annoying or boring though, please tell me and
I’ll back off! Hehe)
6.Make
my blog “smarter.” My blog is like an Encyclopedia of me. If there’s
anything about me that you’d like to know, just run a search on here and I’m
sure you’ll find something. That said, I feel like I haven’t been doing a great
job at allowing my thoughts and opinions to come through. So, I decided that
this year I would try to blog more about “serious” topics, such as politics,
religion, philosophy, etc. I’m always reading articles on a wide array of
subjects so, coming up with things to blog about shouldn’t be an issue. I’d
also like to do more music, book, food reviews, etc. The sky’s the limit,
right? I have a feeling that I’ll be a lot busier this year than I was last
year, which may not allow me to blog as much, but we’ll see. The truth is,
blogging has become a very enjoyable hobby of mine, so unless something
completely life-altering happens to me, I’m not likely to stop anytime
soon.
60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 58: A picture of your favorite animal
I've always loved dolphins, although if you ask me why, I don't think I could really give you an answer. However, let me just say that I find them adorable and love how they're so smart!
All in a day's work. Today's goal of the day was to learn the Cyrillic alphabet and to get some practice transcribing it into the Roman alphabet. Since I've been addicted to this song by Vintazh (one of my favorite Russian groups ever), I decided to use it as practice. Now I can at least try to sing along to it (no one ever said Russian was an easy language to master, but hey, at least I'm getting used to the Russian sounds.) Of course, I added the English translation (compliments of Google translate) for all of you (and myself, too) to understand what's actually being said. Anyways, I think I can call it a night now... hehe. 'Twas a very productive day, indeed.
Винтаж – деревья
Vintazh – Derev'ya
Vintage - Trees
Твой кумир – полубог.
Tvoy
kumir – polubog
Your idol – a demigod
Он
придумал тебя, и ты поверил
On
pridumal tebya, i ti povyeril
He came up with you and you believe
В
пустоте, между строк
V pustotye mezhdu strok
In the void between the lines
Ты
коснулся любви, и она сгорела.
Ty
kosnulsya lyubvi, i ona sgoryela
You spoke of love, and she was burned.
Картинки, машинки, бумажки.
Kartinki,
mashinki, bumazhki
Pictures, typewriters, paper
А где настоящая жизнь?
A gdye
nastoyashchya zhizn
And where is the real life?
Ты утром проснёшься однажды.
Ty utrom
prosnish’sya odnazhdy
You wake up one day in the morning.
Скажи мне...
Skazhi
mnye
Tell me
Расскажи мне, где ты был?
Rasskazhi
mnye, gdye ty byl?
Tell me
where have you been?
Где ты был, когда на Земле любовь жила?
Gdye ty
byl, kogda na zemlye ljubov zhila
Where
were you when love is on earth live?
Где ты был, когда я одного тебя ждала?
Gdye ty
byl, kogda ya odnogo tyebya zhdala
Where were you when I’ve been waiting?
Когда деревья были большими,
Kodga
derev’ya byli bol’shimi
When the trees were large.
Когда все мальчики становятся мужчинами...
Kodga
vsye mal’chiki stanovyatsya muzhchinami
When all the boys became men…
Бей меня, мой сатир.
Byei
myenya, moi satir
Beat me, my satires
Только я прожила чуть больше жизни.
Tol’ko ya prozhila chut’ bol’shye zhizni
I lived only a little more life
И держу этот мир,
I derzhu
etot mir
And keep this world
Как ребёнка в руках, а ты отец лишь на
словах!
Kak
rebjonka v rukakh, a ty otets lish’ na slovakh
As a child in his hands, you are my father in
name only!
60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 52: A picture of your favorite sport
Many of you probably don't know this, but I actually used to play soccer when I was in high school. And not to be arrogant or anything like that, but I was pretty damn good. Hehe. I'll be honest and admit that my interest in the sport has subsided somewhat, however, it's always in full effect when the World Cup is on.
And come on girls, let's be honest, we wouldn't mind watching these fine men strutting their stuff for 90 minutes would we? (If case you're wondering, these are some of the players of Italy's national team, known as "Gli Azzurri.")
60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 53: A picture of someone you think is hot
Let me introduce you to Mr. Henry Cavill. I've been a fan of his for quite some time now and am glad that he's finally gaining some notoriety. He recently starred in "Immortals" and will be playing Clark Kent in the next installment of Superman. Oh, the things I would do to this man and the things that I would let him do to me... Haha! I know, I know. How scandalous, Ms. Bandy! What can I say? I've never said that I'm NOT a red-blooded woman...
60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 54: A picture of something you would bring with you if you were stranded on a deserted island
If I were to be stranded on a deserted island, I would like to increase my chances of survival. A knife would allow me to protect myself from predators, hunt game as food, sharpen tree branches to create even more weapons, etc. So realistically speaking, a knife would be my best bet.
60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 55: A picture of the last movie you saw in theaters
I saw New Year's Eve a few days before Christmas. It was okay, certainly not life-altering or spectacular by any means, but it was entertaining. I love going to the movie theater so any chance I get will be welcomed with open arms.
60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 56: A picture of something that makes you happy
My friends make me a very happy girl.
60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 57: A picture of your favorite holiday
I think I'd mentioned this already in a previous post, but Christmas is by far my favorite holiday. This year however, it was somewhat bittersweet. I'm sure most of you know by now that I was mugged at gunpoint a few days before the 25th. The worst part was that it happened on the day that my mother and I had finally decided to do all of our Christmas shopping. Therefore, the bastard end up stealing all of the family's gifts (we're now referring to the thief as 'the Grinch' in my household as a joke.) Anyways, he took about $1000 worth in goods, but that's not the worst part, he left my mother and I in a highly stressed and anxious mood, and I speak for myself when I say that this didn't allow me to enjoy the holidays as much. In any case, Christmas is still my favorite holiday. I love the decorations, the sparkling lights, the music, and just the cheerful disposition that everyone seems to be in.
The first day of 2012 is almost over! It’s so clichéd to say
this, but time really does fly by. I remember that it was around this time last
year that I made the decision to stay in Honduras while I waited for my US
residency. Back then I swore that I’d only be here for a couple of months. Look
at me now, an entire year has elapsed and I’m still waiting, but I know it’s
something that will work itself out sooner rather than later. As I’ve always
been saying, it’s just a matter of when, not if.
So, what did I do in 2011?
2011 was a year of incredible personal growth. I lost 30
pounds and found my long-lost self-confidence. I continued making great
progress in my pursuit of happiness, self-awareness, and knowledge. I
strengthened the bonds with the most important people in my life: my family,
and despite the distance, I grew even closer to my true soul-mates, my best
friends (don’t need to mention any names because you guys know who you are.)
What were the highlights of the year?
Well, let’s try to do this in chronological order… I got
accepted into NYU! (Still incredibly proud of this, even though I’m still
waiting to see if I’ll actually be able to go.) I saw Lady Gaga in concert! I
went to New York City!!! My family and I went on 2 trips (something which we
hadn’t done in a LOOOOONG time.) And even though it wasn’t something positive,
getting mugged at gunpoint certainly helped 2011 go out with a bang (no pun
intended, lol.)
Oh yea, and I had my share of fun, too.
What were some of the things I learned?
Even though there are a few people out there who will claim
that I’m a vile person, the truth of the matter is that I will always do what
is best for my wellbeing, even if that involves sacrificing some other things,
which may at times make me seem cold-hearted or evil. 2011 was all about
looking at my past in order to close the chapter on certain issues and
situations that were still affecting me. I’m not going to say that I succeeded
entirely, but I certainly made great strides in this respect. Even though it’s
the only way to do it sometimes, it’s very hard to try to get closure on your
own, i.e. – trying to just come to terms with the reality of things.
Also, I realized that as important as it is to carry
ourselves with dignity and integrity, we mustn’t let our pride play an overly
important role in our lives. In the past, I was afraid of letting people see
that I could be vulnerable, that I was capable of being hurt (as ridiculous as
that may sound), and I got so consumed in appearing to be strong, that I let my
pride get in the way of fixing things with individuals who meant the world to
me. It’s hard to meet people with whom you have a connection on an
intellectual, spiritual, and emotional level, and now I truly do feel that when
you’ve found people with whom you have that, you must hold on to them at any
cost (as long as it’s mutual, of course.) Lesson learned. In the future, I have
to let people know just how much they mean to me, even if it means that I make
myself seem vulnerable. Being strong is not about NOT having emotions; it’s
about having emotions, not being afraid to show them, standing by your
decisions, and knowing that even if you’re hurt, you’ll be all right.
10 important events that took place in 2011?
-The
Arab Spring: riots in Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Libya, etc., that led to the
overthrow of several authoritarian regimes in some of those countries (most
notably, Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak.)
-Earthquake
and tsunami in Japan.
-Capture/killing
of Osama bin Laden.
-Terrorist
attacks in Norway.
-The
Occupy movement.
-Problems
with the euro.
-End
of Berlusconi’s rule in Italy.
-The
discovery of the first Earth-like planet, Kepler-22b.
-End
of the war in Iraq.
-Death
of Kim Jung-Il.
Song of the year?
“The Edge of Glory” by Lady Gaga. (Highly predictable, I
know. Mais, qu’est-ce que je peux faire? Je suis comme ça.)
Movie of the year?
“Midnight in Paris,” directed by Woody Allen, and starring
Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, and Marion Cotillard.
