SEX & THE CITY 2, by TICKLEBEAR

last friday night,
it was for me the occasion to reunite
with my real friends and the fictive ones,
as i had cocktails with my friends
before we all went to see
SEX AND THE CITY 2,
the latest instalment in the adventures of
CARRIE, CHARLOTTE, MIRANDA and SAMANTHA,
these women we've come to love.
the presentation was sold out to a majority of fashionistas
who cheered often enough during the movie
to show their approval,
especially when AIDEN appeared...
as eager as i was to see this movie,
i was left a tad nonplussed.
we see MIRANDA living blissfully at home
while going through turmoils at work,
bringing her to the point of reconsidering her career choices.
CHARLOTTE's fairy tale life is more exhausting
than anticipated.
SAMANTHA deals pro-actively with menopause,
providing some good comedic moments.
and CARRIE, well... CARRIE.
now that she's finally become the missus of mister PRESTON...
she now misses her glam life
and wishes her husband hadn't become such a couch potato.
as the girls all come to a crisis point,
they decide to escape to a faraway land
to forget their problems
and leave the city behind.
while in the tv series,
when the girls ended up in hollywood,
it was a fun adventure for them and for us as well,
this escapade here is not so fortunate.
sure!
it's the opportunity for a fashion extravaganza
and some oddly funny situations,
but i feel it didn't do a thing for their respective storylines.
i might have prefered to see the girls remain in NYC,
where they belong...
and deal with their issues,
rather than having this whole "new middle-east" thing
that lasted forever...
(yes the movie is long and you feel it somewhat.)
only to see them return to NYC
and see all of their problems fixing themselves
in a precipitated fashion.
the moral of this story is:
"there's no place like home",
and much like DOROTHY,
the girls clicked their shoes to go home,
only too happy to find themselves again
on familiar grounds.
this will not be the best movie of 2010,
but certainly a success due to its fanbase,
and another chapter in their lives.
if there is a third movie,
i'll obviously go see it,
but i'd be hoping to find the girls on hometurf,
rather than abroad.
one thing that bothered me:
the make-up!!!
we are all aware the girls have aged,
but to see them,
especially CHARLOTTE and SAMANTHA,
all plastered up to the point of disfigurement,
was simply ridiculous.
aging is not a sin,
and to see them as if they'd just seen a mortician
was not the most appealing to me.
i'd rather see healthy looking middle aged women
than someone pretending to have the skin of a 16 years-old.
i'm just saying!!
lay off the heavy duty make-up.
on another note,
if i were to attend a gay wedding like the one in the movie,
i would think it was a riot,
but would never confess to being there.
i guess there is a limit to my gayness...
i now realise there is something like being "too gay".
just how much can one stomach?!?
to conclude:
not the best movie,
nor is it the worst.
it's something that'll be welcomed by the fanbase,
even if it is not the most memorable moment
we'll be sharing with the girls.
i guess we'll be seeing them again in a couple of years,
yes, but with cocktails!!!
:)~
HUGZ

CELINE DION: TAKING CHANCES (LE SPECTACLE), by TICKLEBEAR

OH CELINE, CELINE!!!
i don't kiss the ground you walk on,
i lick it!!!!
:D~
i remember:
une adolescente aux dents croches,
au show de michel jasmin,avec une assurance frisant l'arrogance...
my, my!!
you've come a long way
and you have achieve so much!!!
who knew?!?
when you started to sing in english,
i found you a new appeal,though "incognito" had a little something...
moi, la colombe, le pape, etc, non merci...
but when you aimed for the american market,
you got it right.
a survey this week declared you
the americans' favorite female singer!!
no small feat!!
CONGRATS!!
:)~
this said,"TAKING CHANCES",
your latest tour,
shot in montreal for the DVD,
is, simply put,
wonderful
!!!!!!!!!
WOW!!!
a square stage,
right smack in the middle of the BELL center,
to better embrace the audience on all sides.
it looks sober but is quite effective
as it has a few perks,
allowing CELINE and her dancers
to entertain everyone equally.
one detail that makes me smile...
the inclined walkways....
does she misses the stage in vegas?????
despite all of the aggravations it caused?...

her fashion is a dream...
those shoes in the beginning are fierce!!
what are they, prada, louboutin, what?!?
i'll have to look it up.
her voice is at her best,
CELINE looks splendid
and she goes through her french and english repertoire,
singing in front of her fans
on home turf.
it had been a while,
given her stint in las vegas...
but we don't hold a grudge,
always willing to embrace again
the prodigal child...
which she is!!
alright!so, i'm a big fan of CELINE!!
but i can still bitch...
as she was singing,
a strap of one of her shoes fell down a bit...
(because she's a tad too skinny...)
her hair needs some hair conditioner...
(those backlights don't lie, too much static!!)
and she says "may" instead of "meeh!!"
keep your eyes on ME!!,
not on MAY!!!

but when one has to bitch about such things...
doesn't it mean her show is simply...
F-L-A-W-L-E-S-S
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
but seriously,
CELINE,
next time,
i expect your hair to look like those PANTENE commercials...
frivolity aside,
her homage to HEART and QUEEN showed her potential to expand,
and was a great tribute.
all in all,

such a great show!!
she proves once again what a great artist she is,
(no lipsynch for her, no siree!!),
and the closest to my heart.
you give so much,
as an artist,
and as a woman.
don't think eveything goes unnoticed!!

we hear things...
you are a good woman!!!
and such a great artist!!
did you know she could twirl?!?
if she wishes to ever retire,
(god forbid!!),

she could work for our football team,
the ALOUETTES.
she'd be quite the sensation on the field,
wouldn't she?!?
il me semble de la voir la!!!
now..
excuse me while i watch
"CELINE AUTOUR DU MONDE",
the DVD of her tour around the planet.
a woman that can evoke such passion and compassion,
can't be bad,
can it?!?
may your son take after you...
:D~
HUGZ

it is a unique experience to see the world
through CELINE's eyes and her big extended family.
while her reality is remoted from ours,
she remains genuine, caring and loving.
if her life is considered to be privileged,
it is also extremely demanding,
and...
SHE GIVES ENORMOUSLY.
the care she has for her fans,
no matter where on the planet is admirable.
always the right words to please,
the wardrobe adjustments so not to offend people,
always respectful of their ways.
but it is absolutly fascinating
to see how the world is responding to her as well.
fans around the planet show her the same courtesy.
in the vid,
i saw fans in shanghai, china,
holding a sign in french,
"je t'aime".
and you see people of all creeds, races, nations,
tell why they love CELINE DION.
and their love is intense, unconditional,
just like CELINE herself.
music is truly universal,
and CELINE is its best ambassador.
you'll guess she gets another five stars for this.
what an artist she is!!
she embraces the world,
and the whole wide world embraces her too!!
:)~
HUGZ (again!!)

ONE NIGHT ONLY, BARBRA STREISAND at the VANGUARD (DVD), by TICKLEBEAR

when an icon sings at a NYC landmark,
BARBRA STEISAND at the VANGUARD.
a woman who could fill stadiums just with a snap of her fingers...
singing to about a hundred folks...

while i find there's too much bla-bla-bla,
rehearsed jokes and name dropping,
her performance still commands attention.
she still send shivers up through your spine.
who would say no to that?
for a woman who has been there most of my life,
her endurance is commandable.
if you're a diehard fan of BARBRA,
how come you don't have this already???
me loves BARBRA!!!
BARBRA is FOREVER!!!
[apparently!!...]
she's SO vibrant!!!
and to hear her in french...
no.
je ne quitterai jamais!!
I SWEAR!!!
:)~
HUGZ

MYLENE FARMER au STADE de FRANCE (DVD), by TICKLEBEAR

MYLENE FARMER,
the french goddess of pop,
in what i think may be her greatest show yet!!
her show has nothing to envy to any other pop stars of this world.
SHE ROCKS!!!
:)~

looking in top shape,
even perky if i dare to say so...
JEAN-PAUL GAUTHIER's costumes are amazing,
the visuals throughout the show are dazzling.
only the choregraphies left me non-plussed.
the dancers did well,
doing what was expected,
but the choregraphies lacked a little something,
some originality,
to compete with the rest of the production that was beyond superb!!

but the "coup-de-maitre" was when MYLENE proceeded
along the walkway to reach a star-shaped stage,
and transformed a stadium filled with 80 000 fans
into an intimate concert,
sobbing on cue to let her fans sing the lyrics in her stead.
we do love a drama queen,
don't we now!?!
this was filmed on her birthday,
which gave those fans present the opportunity
to convey their good wishes directly.
i like that!!
a most enchanting experience
where MYLENE proved she's at the top of her craft.
my only disappointment was when she did "DEGENERATION",
as i was expecting something more outrageous...
it's good but the video was so amazing.
but this said,
this is a MUST!!
not just for the fans,
but anyone who likes music
and can be impressed by a great performer.
her older material reamins as fresh and pertinent as her newer material.
just goes to show!!!
to give you an idea,
this is the fourth time i watch the DVD since tuesday...
and we are friday morning here right now...
is is good or
IS IT GOOD?!?
it is THAT good!!!
to enter MYLENE's univers is a unique experience,
and while she may have a dark side
and be provocative in her topics,
she remains high-class,
contrary to some other pop star
that think it's cool to swear
and throw a "motherfucker" in your face...
yes, MADONNA, i'm talking to you...
MYLENE's world is fragile like a mist,
you can see it but never quite grasp it.
pity the girl wouldn't come to montreal.
pretty sure her fanbase here in eastern canada would rush
to see her at the olympic stadium.
MYLENE,
should you ever change your mind,
"appelle mon numero!!"
and the bonus DVD is a gem,
giving you a look behind the scene
that is priceless.
the whole creative process is fascinating.
:)~
HUGZ

MECHANT BOEUF (MONTREAL's RESTAURANT), by TICKLEBEAR

i revisited the restaurant in old montreal,
"LE MECHANT BOEUF".
why do i keep going back yearly
during the NHL finals is beyond me...
it makes the place even noisier than usual,
but my friends and i were fortunately still able
to carry on the conversation
and enjoy some casual dining in an elegant setting.
we were attended by two,
a waiter and a waitress.
as usual,
the waiter was quite cute...
sure, the girl was fine,
but you know my preference.
:D~
service was efficient
and my every requests were met to my satisfaction.
as my friends opted for beer (le cheval blanc)
and some spanish cabernet sauvigon,
i chose to start with a portotini
which delighted my palate
and prepared me for the meal ahead.
i also chose a cabernet sauvignon i'm already familiar with
and which i thought would be better suited
for the dishes i was ordering:
LE BONHEUR,
an african wine.

while the others selected either the mechant burger or the vegan one...
which they shared,
and one of my friends concluded
she preferered the vegan version.

i personally had an hot entree of oysters,
the ROCK-a-FELLA,
which is well suited for those who don't like oysters
as they are smothered in a mixture of
leeks, spinach, fine herbs and a tad too much parmesan...
i should have had a cold plate instead
as i love oysters.
it wasn't terrible nor excellent.
just not the experience my tastebuds were expecting.
if they would ligthen up a bit on the mixture
and sprinkled just one dash of parmesan,
it might be better.

here i made a daring choice for me
as i'm not a fan of fish.
i love shellfish and mollusques,
but fish i just can't swallow,
for some odd reason.
so i picked the CAJUN TUNA,
served with a most delicious remoulade of crispy vegetables,
baby spinach, sesame dressing and fresh coriander.
not quite my idea of cajun cuisine,
as to me,
cajun is spicy and that's what i've tasted in the past,
in other venues.
but nonetheless,
the tuna proved to be a dream,
medium cooked and just melting in my mouth.
so,
for me to like fish,
it must have some merits.
:)~

i followed this with a NELLIGAN coffee...

...and chocolate cake.
an indulgence as i was already full,
but since i don't eat much dessert at home,
why not!?!...
:)~

all in all,
it costed me about $139,
including taxes but not tip.
i was happy to be seeing my friends again
and to share a meal with them.
we made fun of the noise
and weren't sorry to see our hometeam lose to PITTSBURG.
no cars honking their horn late at night.
good for me!!
downtown life is noisy enough as it is.
i may have made the best choice as far as dinner goes,
but that is my lot in life:
i always get the better plate!!!
funny though
that a fish plate should prove better
in a place called MECHANT BURGER...
:)~
HUGZ