The Big O

It's the third day of the Chinese New Year. May (Meh?) the year of the Goat bring cheer to us all.

Anyway, the bigger deal is that it's the Oscars this Monday. Here are my predictions (for my favourite categories, anyway) for the upcoming 87th Academy Awards, also affectionately known as the Oscars.

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BEST PICTURE
American Sniper
The Imitation Game
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
 Selma
Boyhood
The Theory of Everything
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Whiplash

Mona's Prediction: Either Birdman or The Imitation Game (help, I cannot decide!)

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BEST ACTOR 
Steve Carell -- Foxcatcher
Michael Keaton -- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Bradley Cooper -- American Sniper
Eddie Redmayne -- The Theory of Everything
Benedict Cumberbatch -- The Imitation Game

Mona's Prediction: Michael Keaton (Birdman)

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BEST ACTRESS
Marion Cotillard -- Two Days, One Night
 Rosamund Pike -- Gone Girl
Felicity Jones -- The Theory of Everything
Reese Witherspoon -- Wild
Julianne Moore -- Still Alice

Mona's Prediction: Julianne Moore (Still Alice)

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BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR 
 Robert Duvall -- The Judge
Mark Ruffalo -- Foxcatcher
Ethan Hawke -- Boyhood
J.K. Simmons -- Whiplash
Edward Norton -- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Mona's Prediction: J.K. Simmons (Whiplash)

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BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Patricia Arquette -- Boyhood
 Emma Stone -- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Laura Dern -- Wild
Meryl Streep -- Into the Woods
Keira Knightley -- The Imitation Game

Mona's Prediction : Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game) - I cannot believe I'm putting down her name!

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BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Big Hero 6
Song of the Sea
The Boxtrolls
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
How To Train Your Dragon 2

Mona's Prediction: How To Train Your Dragon 2

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BEST DIRECTING
Alejandro G. Iñárritu -- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Richard Linklater -- Boyhood
Bennett Miller -- Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson -- The Grand Budapest Hotel
Morten Tyldum -- The Imitation Game

Mona's Prediction: Alejandro G. Inarritu (Birdman) -- I AM SO SORRY, WES ANDERSON!

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BEST WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
American Sniper
The Imitation Game
Inherent Vice
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

Mona's Prediction: The Imitation Game

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BEST WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
 Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Nightcrawler

Mona's Prediction: OMG I cannot choose between Birdman, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Boyhood. I will (with heavy heart) go with Birdman.

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BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ida
Mr. Turner
Unbroken

Mona's Prediction: The Grand Budapest Hotel

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BEST COSTUME DESIGN
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Inherent Vice
Into the Woods
Maleficent
Mr Turner

Mona's Prediction: The Grand Budapest Hotel

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BEST FILM EDITING
American Sniper
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Whiplash

Mona's Prediction: Whiplash

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BEST MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
The Grand Budapest Hotel
 The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Mr Turner
The Theory of Everything

Mona's Prediction: Interstellar!

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BEST MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
 "Everything Is Awesome" from THE LEGO MOVIE
"Glory" from SELMA
"Grateful" from BEYOND THE LIGHTS
"I'm Not Gonna Miss You" from GLEN CAMPBELL...I'LL BE ME
"Lost Stars" from BEGIN AGAIN

Mona's Prediction: I'm Not Gonna Miss You...for sentimentality's sake, for the love of Glen Campbell

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BEST SOUND EDITING
American Sniper
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Unbroken

Mona's Prediction: Interstellar

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BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
X-Men: Days of Future Past

Mona's Prediction: Interstellar (obviously, I love this film!)

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Let's see if my predictions hit home.

I have spent hundreds of dollars at the cinemas already.


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Stomach and head

4 weeks.

4 chaotic weeks had I endured the brutality of work. 4 weeks of not being sure of what's going to happen each time I stepped into the classrooms -- new students who seem to be more interesting and challenging than the ones from the year past.

So, I have turned 35. It's a horrible number, honestly. For the first time, being "middle-aged" is real cause according to Wikipedia, the average life expectancy at birth was 71 years old (United Nations World Population Prospects 2012). So yeah, it is scary. The thoughts of growing old alone and dying in slow silence do haunt me once in a while but for my sanity sake, I have to pick meself up and get on with life the best I know how. 

Anyway, after some calculations, I think I am ready to buy that property. Yes, I have FINALLY decided to bring my parents with me. My sister is getting married next year and she is moving out (which is good cause we both need our space) and I know the mother cannot stand the idea of living just with the father. Plus, I cannot stomach the idea of them living on their own. What if they forget to switch off the TV before falling asleep? What if they dont lock the gate and leave it open for burglars? What if the gas stove is not properly turned off? What if...what if...what if they die without me being able to see them one last time? 

I CANNOT TAKE IT.

The thought of it makes me sick in the stomach.

So yeah. I am looking at resale flats cause I do not have the patience to wait for a BTO flat to be built.What if my parents cannot live that long ...say 3-4 years...for the house to be completed? Gosh. All these stomach-churning thoughts!

Anyway, the property search will start soon, probably once I am done with my Parisian trip (in March)...and then my Vietnamese adventure (in June)...and my Boracay sea-loving expedition (in September). If things go well, I may even end up in Saudi Arabia (Makkah and Madinah) this end of the year. Now, the last one is both exciting and scary at the same time. Am I ready? Will Allah welcome me to His house? Will He accept me as I am? Will He show me around...me, His humble serf? 

Ouch, my head.

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