Ham Fried Rice

My current obsessions:

The Brits. Jane Austen books and film adaptations, Persuasion in particular. The latest BBC release seen on PBS was excellent. I absolutely loved Sally Hawkins as Anne Elliot. I could feel her pain and anguish, as she wrote in her journal about her meeting with Frederick Wentworth. And Rupert Penry-Jones is SO good-looking. Not that anyone could hold a candle to Ciaran Hinds’ acting in the Columbia version. But Penry-Jones is definitely eye candy!

I’ve finally outgrown my Toby Stephens obsession from the 2006 adaptation of Jane Eyre. Which was also excellent. I also loved him as Duke Orsino in Twelfth Night with Helena Bonham Carter. If you need a new Brit, check out Blake Ritson from the latest adaptation of Mansfield Park.

I have to say I thoroughly enjoy good British actors. They deliver difficult dialogue so much better than many American leads. Why is that? My friend MK would say it’s because many of them have had stage acting experience and actually attended an acting academy.

I recently watched The Jane Austen Book Club which was cute. I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t read it yet, but the idea was quite clever, if a little bit contrived. One of my favorite scenes was when Grigg compared Mansfield Park to Empire Strikes Back & The Return of the Jedi, “only in reverse.” That got a hearty chuckle. I’d give it a “B.”

And “ICE,” a 5-calorie carbonated beverage in fun flavors such as Pink Grapefruit, Orange Mango (my fave,) Black Raspberry and Strawberry Kiwi.