Greetings. I have been quiet for quite a few months. There has been quite a bit going on – leaving, moving, moving on, etc. More on that later (hopefully sooner than later).

But for now…tonight was a joyous night. After a day of work, I met my mom and my friend Jane to go see Julie & Julia movie. Perhaps we should’ve had a quick dinner at a quaint French bistro, but alas, our choices were somewhat limited to Mexican, Chinese, Teriyaki or IHOP. Teriyaki it was – I had a combination of spicy chicken and beef.

The movie was truly a joy. I have read the book a few years ago, and as always was nervous whether the movie was going to live up to the expectations set by the book. No worries necessary. Meryl Streep has brought Julia Child to life with such a believable performance, not an imitation. The food spoke for itself. The mountain of chopped onions in one of the scenes took me back to my days at Skills I with Chef Turgeon at the CIA.

I was told that the movie would inspire me to blog on regular basis. I can’t commit to the validity of the statement. But it did make me think, on my way back home, as I was finishing off the teriyaki leftovers, that it takes lots of determination and self faith to embark on a project like Julie Powell did. The beauty of her experience and the book is that she was one of the first early bloggers, and have been imitated/followed by many. She had a clear vision, a narrow focus, and a timeline.

A timeline I could deal with. A vision, I could perhaps find. But what about a focus? How many truly inspiring people named Anna do you know? (Please, please, do not suggest Anna Karenina). But do chime in with ideas if you wish.

And please, do go see the movie and read the book. I hope you’ll enjoy both as much as I did.