Slumdog Millionaire

Last night, I finally went to see Slumdog Millionaire. I felt oh-so-hip as I TEXTED an invite to a friend to go with me. See, me and texting are relatively new acquaintances, and every time it says "Sending Message" on my little phone I get a shiver of excitement that I did it! Anyway, my friend called me back to say she would love to meet me - first we went to Arezzo for dinner (I highly recommend opening their website in a separate tab as you finish reading this, as they have a really jazzy-fun rendition of Jingle Bells playing over there.) and then we walked over to the theater. I had planned on arriving 45 minutes early to do a little shopping, but thanks to Mother Nature I actually arrived 15 minutes late. What should have been a 20 minute drive - TOPS - took nearly an hour and a half.

Whatever.

The dinner was phenomenal, and then the movie - well, if you haven't seen it yet, go see it. It's the story of a young man in India who gets on their version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" and is suspected of cheating, because how could he, who raised himself in the streets of the slums of Mumbai, possibly know the answers to all the questions? It gives a powerful look into the lives of the poor, and the horrors of children forced to beg for sick, greedy adults. But it's also a powerful message about the importance of hope and dreams and belief in yourself. (And if Arezzo's Christmas song is over now, click on the movie link to hear some of the soundtrack. Just want to keep you entertained as you reread.)

And when they play the ending credits they do a Bollywood-style dance which just plain makes you smile.