Back In The Habit (Of Blogging)

Today was a day which will live in infamy as the Day I Got Internet Back (after 6 weeks of torturous, deprived existence which seemed to last an eternity - okay so admittedly I was able to access Twitter from my phone but it wasn't the same as being properly On The Tinterwebs). Not having regular access really made blogging difficult, so hopefully I'll be able to get back up to speed soon. Other Half made a joke earlier about how she'd love to send me back to Victorian times or at least to some era pre-internet, and my immediate and perhaps slightly aggressive overreaction was to make the rudest gesture I know (with both hands, for added emphasis) and then tell her that my other ride is her mother. Note to everyone: lack of internet is a touchy subject for an Otternator.


I wanted to start this post by returning briefly to the subject of a previous one - made up words. In addition to the ones I described before, I have a new word as well as one my friend Sarah bestowed unto me, which is easily becoming one of my favourite made up words of all time. Let us dive straight in to the pool of language.


Nerdsplode - (verb) To describe the feeling of explosive excitement only caused by much geekery and sharing of nerdy references or quotes.
Used in a sentence: "We made Final Fantasy 8 jokes on twitter. I totally nerdsploded with joy."


Automagically - (adjective) when something happens repeatedly but no matter how hard you try, you are unable to explain how this came about.
Used in a sentence: "Matthew McConaughey has an automagical acting career."


In other news, I watched Sister Act 2 a few nights ago. It is one of my favourite heartwarming musical comedies of all time, even surpassing the original Sister Act. I then spent a good portion of the next 12 hours making referential jokes about this with various Twitter friends, pointing out that in this odd 90s world, Lauryn Hill's innocent wish to join the school choir is treated by her horrified mother as if she'd requested to drop out of education entirely to follow her dream of operating a meth lab slash brothel out of the family basement. A choir? What next, Lauren? DRUGS? MY GOD.

This reminded me in a way of Step Up 2: The Streets (the premise of which is almost identical to the original Step Up film, except that in the sequel they dance outside in the street to win the fickle crowds over, hence the imaginative title) because the college dance director reacts to the proposal to Dance Outside (a dangerous idea if ever I heard one) with the same kind of rigid authoritarian terror. Imagine if Lauryn Hill had wanted to dance without protection from the elements! Not even a scarf! Her mother would have had a heart attack.

I love Sister Act 2 for many reasons; chiefly Whoopi and her innate comedic talent, of course, as well as the original nuns (including the great Maggie Smith) who were always highly entertaining, and the young up-and-coming stars like Jennifer Love Hewitt, Lauryn Hill and, er... I think that's it. But how to pick a highlight? Well, arguably the best moment in the entire film is when shy Amal hits the glass-shattering, soul-searing high note at the school assembly, which naturally causes everyone to start screaming and applauding in delight at his obvious talent, and not, as the case would have been at my school, beginning an instant rumour about his sexuality and crayon schematics drawn up for a beating after the final bell rang.

There is also the amazing medley at the start of the film which involves various increasingly well-built men with some truly awful poodle-perm hair and tight outfits parading around as Whoopi sings her way through a collection of classic songs; the moment when Lauryn Hill catches her mother's eye in the crowd at the choir competition and you can see the steely determination in her jutted chin as she lifts the microphone to her lips To Prove A Point Because If Daddy Was Alive, He'd Have Supported Me And Not Tried To Crush My Dreams Like You, You Choir-Hating Bitch; and of course, the entire ending song Joyful, Joyful which involves some rap that was undoubtedly very cool at the time.