Babysitting

Posted on 2007/09/23 17:34:09 (September 2007).

[Saturday 22nd September]
This week was my brother and his wife's tenth wedding anniversary - so without further ado a big "Congratulations!" is very much in order. Adrian is only three years older than me, so to have been married for a decade already is a big achievement.

Adrian and Liz decided they'd like to go out and celebrate the occasion tonight, and we'd been offered the special privilege of babysitting their three adorable kids. So, in the afternoon we headed over to Guildford.

It all went very smoothly really - the kids are pretty used to us, and so there were no tantrums or anything. They were all quite exceptionally well behaved really - even the youngest of the three (Daniel), who is not even two yet, seemed quite content at having somebody else change his nappies and so on. He did look at us with an air which accused us of being somewhat amateur in this endeavour, but at the same time he was pretty tolerant.

Once we'd put the kids to bed, we watched a DVD Chie had brought with her: a film called Beijing Bicycle. It was a story about a boy from rural China who moved to Beijing, got a job as a cycle courier, and after lots of hard work earned his own bike. Then it got stolen and he spent the rest of the film trying to get it back and being beaten up a lot. In the final scene, without him ever having done anything wrong, he was attacked by a mob and the bike was smashed up in front of him. I was left feeling angry at the director for having started the film out with an endearing and upbeat tone, and then ending it in such a depressing and thoroughly wretched manner. This seems to be a common theme in East Asian cinema - and particularly Chinese films. They are absolutely dead set against having happy endings, and I can't help but wonder if this is not so much of a cultural thing, but simply the easiest way to set their creative output apart from Hollywood. Call me shallow, but I don't actually particularly enjoy a film which makes me downright miserable. I am considering forthwith a boycott on Chinese cinema, until they bloody well get their act together, and start making the kind of idyllic, rose tinted spectacle happy endings that we are used to in the West.

A happy ending like in... Terminator ? Such a quality movie.

Posted by Sheri at 2007/09/25 21:25:55.

Say, I'd like to go out with Christelle, tomorrow. evening. Care to look after Brinsley ?

Posted by Sheri at 2007/09/25 21:27:32.

(tomorrow evening)

Posted by Sheri at 2007/09/25 21:28:16.

My sis would love for you to go to Cagliari in Sardinia to give her a hand!

Posted by Lox at 2007/09/26 07:05:48.

No... and no.

Posted by John at 2007/09/27 10:41:19.

That's a real no, then ?

Posted by Sheri at 2007/09/27 18:36:41.

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