The Optimistic lover blindly skips into a relationships and “lets the cards fall where they may”. It is all good, after all. Often expecting to “get lucky”, even if only by holding hands.

The Pessimistic lover uses a “worst case scenario” thought process in order to emotionally prepare for the devastation that will inevitably ensue once within a relationship.

The Realistic lover looks at any relationship as a learning experience, regarding it as neither good nor bad. With no expectations, the realist is ready for anything.

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Conventional wisdom, courtesy of intense commercialistation, would have you believe that this day is purely for celebrating with your significant other. You know, the person whose morning breathe, to you, smells like peaches and cream;  the individual who will literally bend over backwards to please you; ‘your own personal brand of heroine’… etcetera!

There is no doubt that Valentines is great; if you have a significant other to share it with. Although Valentines is about love and may be celebrated with a sibling or parent, we all know that the end results are just not as rewarding.

What Valentines day succeeds in doing, however, is making everyone who is not in an active relationship, aware of how ‘single’ they are.

Truth be told, it is actually the perfect day for single people to get together and mingle, without much consequence, as most of the ‘relationship’ folk would be ‘occupied’. Consequently, there is no need to spend the day alone. Instead, you can go out and meet new people, all while having fun! Hence, ‘Singles Awareness Day’ (SAD) was born":

On Singles Awareness Day, single people gather to celebrate or to commiserate in their single status. Some want to remind romantic couples that they don’t need to be in a relationship to celebrate life. On this day many people wear green, as it is considered to be the ‘opposite’ of red.                 (Wikipedia, 2009)

So the next time Valentines Day comes around and you happen to be single, embrace it. Be happy with who you are and make the most of it; and do not forget to get together with a group of single people and party the night away!

I hope you all have an amazing day, filled with love and new experiences.

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!

To mark this special year, which also happens to be divisible by 5 and you all know how much I love numbers, I have committed myself to 10 resolutions for this new year.

I actually had a grand plan of revealing each resolution on each new day of the first 10 days of the new year via Twitter. Unfortunately, this did not work out as planned. Nevertheless, this is the long awaited and eventual blog post to sum everything up. Without further ado, I present to you, my new years resolutions for 2010:

#1: Obtain the infamous "6 pack" by my 25th birthday.

#2: Sleep more. Try to get at least eight hours of sleep a night.

#3: Blog more. I would like to try and output a minimum of three quality posts a week.

#4: Procrastinate less. Whenever possible, do today what could be left for tomorrow.

#5: Maintain a good posture. Breaking my arm threw everything out of whack. Time to get it all back!

#6: Learn to play the piano. A new means of emotional expression.

#7: Go on a long road trip. Life is about creating memorable moments and experiences.

#8: Adhere to the speed limit and attempt to avoid reckless road rage driven drivers.

#9: Letting go. Stay close to those who add value to your life, discard those who only cause pain.

#10: Make the move. It is no longer if, but when.

All I have to do now, is actually stick to this list of resolutions *eek*. Far easier said than done, but it is not impossible.

I certainly am looking forward to this new year. I do believe that it has a lot to offer and I plan to make the most of it!

God speed to you all and may you all succeed within whatever it is you put your minds to!

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!

I found out that not only were the Aussies releasing the movie a full week before South Africa (18th November vs. 27th November), with midnight premiere and all, but I would also have the opportunity to share the experience with my cousin Terrence (who is currently studying in Melbourne via Monash University’s Study Abroad Program). In essence, everything worked out as planned.

As you may have guessed, I am a self confessed fan of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight Saga. I firmly believe that this ‘saga’ offers a long overdue reintroduction to the classic kind of love story made popular by Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliette. Granted it does have a supernatural element to it, but that is what gives the story such a fantastic 21st century spin. Not to mention the fact that the story has action, Vampires and Werewolves in it, thus allowing for guys, like myself, to pick up the books without too much ridicule.

I could attempt to offer an unbiased review of the film, but considering how much I enjoyed the books and the first movie, an unbiased opinion is not impossible, but it is highly unlikely. Consequently, I will merely offer a few thoughts on the film as a whole and focus this post more on my overall experience of the event.

I watched the film at the Hoyts cinema complex in Chadstone – which is apparently the biggest shopping centre in the southern hemisphere. To say that the complex was packed, is a gross understatement. There were so many people that one could be forgiven for thinking that the event took place on a blockbuster making Friday or Saturday night. Not on a Wednesday evening after 23:00 (11 pm).

Our $40 (R280) ticket included access to the movie, a free’ Girlfriend’ Magazine *yawn*, a large bucket of popcorn, a large soft drink of your choice and a plastic foil laced collectors edition drinking flask – which is actually pretty cool. If you were lucky enough to obtain an $80 (R560!) ‘La Premiere’ ticket (which, as crazy as the price was, I tried getting but they were sold out), not only were you given access to the ‘La Premiere’ seating and ‘in-cinema’ food menu, along with everything else, but you would have also scored yourself a New Moon T-shirt valued at $20 (R140).

On a quick side note, it is worth mentioning that the Aussie girls are very ‘friendly’ and know what they want. Which my cousin can more than corroborate, often jesting how the Aussie girls often “rape” guys if they are not careful. Suffice to say, while I was waiting in the queue to enter the cinema, I managed to strike up several ‘enlightening’ conversations with the girls around me. Five minutes more and I am pretty sure that we would have both been ravaged by the Vampire hungry Bella’s! Ha ha! Seriously though, Melbournians are very welcoming and open people. You could talk to anyone and feel as if you have known them for years. A great quality!

The movie is actually quite good. It is not a perfect rendition of the story, but book to movie translations seldom are. With that said, despite a few ‘what the heck’ moments, the movie is reasonably close to the original story outlined in the novel. Thus fans of the books will know what to expect from the film. Ultimately though, if you enjoyed the first movie, you will undoubtedly enjoy the second. However, it is worth noting, for those not familiar with the story,  that the second film is more of a dramatic love story than the first. With more of an emphasis on the main characters and the love triangle which begins to emerge between them. Contrary to what the trailer would have you believe.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon receives a fanglorious 8/10.

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I think that around 80 percent of the audience were female. How do I know? Easy. Courtesy of the deafening screams and ooh’s and ah’s which prevailed the first time Edward and Jacob made their on screen appearances *rolls eyes*. Not to mention the scenes in which they each take off their shirts for the first time (thought I was going to go deaf from the screaming). I have got to give it to Taylor Lautner though, that kid has an amazing body for someone so young *self-consciously sucks in boep a little more*. Usually I find audience participation within a cinema to be off putting. However, this time around it merely contributed to the overall experience and ‘buzz’ of the event. All in all a fantastic time was had.

*Spoiler: Do not continue reading if you have not read or watched past New Moon*
Before I end this post, I just want to share something that I finally realised after watching New Moon for the second time. I finally ‘clicked’, that Bella wanting to become a Vampire is essentially a metaphor for losing her virginity. However, the metaphor does not end there. It is extended through to when Edward insists that he will only ‘turn’ Bella once they are married. Thus enforcing the notion of ‘no sex before/until marriage’. An arguably good, yet partially unrealistic, message to be sending out to the youth of today:

“Save yourself, for everlasting love”!

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!

It is Music Monday and thus time for another Vivaciously Varietal Vibe!

• Flavour: Rock 

• Artist: Story of the Year

• Album: The Black Swan

• Song: The Truth Shall Set Me Free (iTunes Bonus Track)

Rationale: In truth, I do not listen to heavy rock. Any song where the lead singer sounds like he has swallowed a flea ridden cat and is attempting to cough the poor sodden creature back up, is simply not a part of my vibe. Although not impossible but highly unlikely, I dare say that I would rather listen to the constant ‘bitches and ho’ motif’s of droning Rap and R&B driven artists than the cat call enthused rhythms of hard rock.

Even with that said, I can actually see the appeal to hard rock. Primarily in that I assume hard rock to be the audio equivalent of an extreme emotion; perhaps such as a raging anger or deep wounded sadness. That does not mean that people who listen to hard rock are inherently angry or prone to masochism, for those are merely unequivocal stereotypes. Instead I believe that the music serves as an aid, a medium of sorts, where an individual is able to channel his/her feelings through an emotional relation to an artists sentiment infused lyrics and tone. It is this emotional relation which drove me to dedicate this Music Monday post to The Story of the Year’s ‘The Truth Shall Set Me Free’.

“And you shall know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH shall make you free” ~ John 8:32

Recently it has come to my grave attention that various family members, of the paternal disposition, have taken it upon themselves to directly target myself and my immediate family in a rather negative and callous light. All seemingly because it appears that they are, unfortunately, inbred with the vehement disposition to automatically assume the worst in people, rather than attempting to find out the truth and the subsequent solace it will undoubtedly bring. This is incontrovertibly brought on by their infallible inability to face problems directly, instead resorting to hurtfully shameless acts of passive aggression. Consequently, myself and my family have been thrown into a rather emotionally taxing conundrum, which does not appear to have a clear end in sight, despite our reconciliatory advances. Ultimately, it truly is a sad state of affairs, one which has resignedly forced us, myself in particular, to re-evaluate the distressing indispensability of particular familial ties. I cannot relay the kind of soul ripping anguish I have felt over this purposefully vague description of a very real and unnecessary predicament. A predicament doubtlessly bore of uninformed, refutable and capricious suppositions. All in the aid of nothing, resulting in an unfounded quandary. If only they had chosen to seek the truth, instead of purposeful damnation, for the truth would have set them free!

"…Life is too short to be unhappy! You have to take the good with the bad; smile when you’re sad; love what you’ve got; and always remember what you had. Always forgive but, never forget. Learn from your mistakes, but never regret. People change and things go wrong, but always remember… that life goes on"! ~ George Carlin

George Carlin has, unknowingly, crafted an ethos with which to live by. One which has regrettably imbued me with the necessary counsel needed to allow me to inauspiciously and fundamentally, along with a sense of deep sadness, move on and away. The last few days have, without question, been incredulously taxing. However, as the infamous adage denotes: ‘what does not kill you, only makes you stronger’. Thus, I know that my family and myself will persevere, against all.

I will take, this chance, To break from your traditions
And I will burn, your worth, I’ll burn all that you said
And I’ll finally face, this day, With my eyes open wide
And I will erase, your lies, Tear off this [your] disguise
And now I can say, The truth shall set me free

When the sun is gone, And the rain starts to fall
I will be the one, I will rise…
Rise up through it all!

An excerpt from the lyrics of ‘The Truth Shall Set Me Free’ by Story of the Year.

As always, whenever I post about Vivaciously Varietal Vibes on Music Monday’s, simply click on the name of the song to be taken to a web page that displays the songs lyrics.

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!

For the last several months I have been toying with the idea of truly making my blog, or should I say website, my own. That time has finally come.

From Hans’ Milieu’s humble beginnings with Microsoft’s Windows Live Spaces back in 2005, all the way to the eventual progression of my blog to the WordPress platform last month, I have always wanted to make my blog my own. However, I did not have the courage to do so; no matter how many times my intuition whispered ‘relax, just do it’. That is, not until late last week when, in the spur of a radical moment, I did what I have been longing to do. With absolute confirmation having only arrived early yesterday morning, my envisioned plan for my website has finally become a reality.

Nike – Just do it!

I am immensely proud to announce that now, after almost four years, I officially and finally own Hans’ Milieu (© 2009 Hans Haupt, All rights reserved) as well as the domain www.HansHaupt.com. I still cannot get over the fact that I now have my own, self-maintained island of information, that anyone on the Internet can holiday on. It truly is an amazing feeling!

Consequently, I now have absolute freedom to do whatever I want with my website. That said, I do have a myriad of ideas bouncing within the confines of my cranium, waiting to be unleashed on the unsuspecting masses. However, I do have a lot of learning to do, both in terms of programming skills and my Masters, before I will be able to actually gain a comprehensive understanding of how to nurture my website into all that it can be. With that said, the first aspect on my new agenda is creating a logo and potential slogan for Hans’ Milieu. So stay tuned!

Lastly, I would just like to give a quick shout-out to my parents and our gracious Lord God. If it was not for their continued love and support, through both the good times and the bad, Hans’ Milieu would most probably have been shelved several years ago. They have given me the strength to ‘Relax and just do it’! Thank you for everything that you do, I love you!

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!

Bruno

First things first; if you did not enjoy watching Borat then do not watch Bruno. Alternatively, if you have not seen Borat and would like to know what kind of a movie Bruno is, then please do go and rent the movie. However, those who, like myself, enjoyed the shamelessness offered by Borat, will, undoubtedly, enjoy Sasha Baron Cohen’s latest ‘candid cinematic work’.

About the movie:

Borat trickster Sacha Baron Cohen returns to the big screen to offer yet another stinging dose of sociopolitical satire in this comedy that finds him assuming the persona of gay fashionmonger Bruno, the self-proclaimed "voice of Austrian youth TV." Originally conceived as part of Cohen’s cult television series Da Ali G Show, the character of Bruno offered a cleverly costumed Cohen the opportunity to highlight the absurdities of the fashion industry by interviewing unsuspecting fashion icons and other haute couture hangers-on (D-Man2010, IMDB.com)

Let me be frank. The movie is crass. To put it into perspective, about 20 minutes into screening Bruno, there were actually several individuals who hastily exited the cinema in a bizarre flurry of popcorn, soda and mild ranting. Strangely, I found the departure of those individuals to be more disturbing than the movie itself. Let me explain.

The film is, superficially, a wholeheartedly sordid affair with copious amounts of nudity filled in with gratuitous use of sexual innuendos and stereotypes, which are often always highly amusing. Consequently, if you are easily offended by nudity, sex, violence or a lack of political correctness, then Bruno may not be the movie for you. However, that is only one aspect of this film.

Although it may not seem so at first, there is in fact a method to Sasha Baron Cohen’s madness. Underneath this films superficial exterior, of a homosexually charged fashion stereotype with an unabashed tendency to offend different races and creeds, lies a rather important and universal notion. Even though the movie is a ‘mockumentary’, the message is certainly quite clear: ignorance is a clear cause of civil unrest. Until the human race can learn acceptance without prejudice, we will never truly know a world without pain and suffering.

Bruno -Official Trailer

Bruno is unfortunately not for the ignorant, homophobic, squeamish, narrow minded, prude or conservative. For everyone else, however, it is definitely an eye opening experience. Whether the experience is good or not, is up to you!

Verdict: 7/10.

The Proposal

The Proposal is your standard romantic comedy, or ‘romcom’ in movie lingo. No more, no less.

As romantic comedies go, The Proposal is a movie filled with all of the usual cliché’s, in which we find ourselves cheering for the underdog while despising the obstacles hindering the progress of ‘true love’. Furthermore, even though we know how the story inevitably ends, we are inexplicably drawn toward finding out exactly how the story unfolds.

About the movie:

When high-powered book editor Margaret faces deportation to her native Canada, the quick-thinking exec declares that she’s actually engaged to her unsuspecting put-upon assistant Andrew, who she’s tormented for years. He agrees to participate in the charade, but with a few conditions of his own. The unlikely couple heads to Alaska to meet his quirky family and the always-in-control city girl finds herself in one comedic fish-out-of-water situation after another. With an impromptu wedding in the works and an immigration official on their tails, Margaret and Andrew reluctantly vow to stick to the plan despite the precarious consequences (D-Man2010, IMDB.com).

The Proposal – Trailer

The movie is good. So if you are looking for a fun, light hearted comedy, which offers genuine moments of laughter, and allows you to leave the cinema with that ‘warm and fuzzy’ happy feeling, then do go and watch The Proposal. You will not regret it.

Verdict: 7/10.

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!

Since Google is wishing all tech savvy moms a ‘Happy Mother’s Day’, I figured I would too!

I would just like to give a shout out to all of the mom’s out there and wish you all an absolutely fabulous day. May you all be spoilt rotten!

An extremely special thank you, with tons of love, to my very own adoring mommy, whom I love tremendously.

Hundreds of stars in the pretty sky,
Hundreds of shells on the shore together,
Hundreds of birds that go singing by,
Hundreds of lambs in the sunny weather.
Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
But only one mother the world wide over.

(Unknown author)

With broken arm and all, I still managed to covertly buy a gift for my mom for Mothers Day, consisting of: a musical card, written with my left hand (looks like a nursery school kid did it), a huge ‘Me to You’ bear and a light pink cubic encrusted Nomination charm for her bracelet. My mom loved it all!

Unfortunately my mom was not feeling too good, her gout was kicking in again, so we simply ordered in and spent the day watching ‘Private Practice’. It was actually really nice and we all had a great time together.

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!