Watch and see... movies and tv shows

This is one of the easiest bucketlist goals there is!

Firstly, see The Bucket List :-D

There are dozens if not hundreds of movie lists online. Just go and check them out.
20 films of dogs, zombies, feminist movies, all the movies with "red" in the title, French movies, Spanish movies, Azerbaijani movies... and new ones are being made all the time
Also, all these lists are made by someone, and there's nothing to stop you from being one of these someones... write your own list.

Watch 10 movies that came out when I was born

Watch 2 movies at the cinema on the same day

Watch 26 movies - one for each letter of the alphabet

Watch IMDb top 100 films of all time

Watch all (episodes of a certain tv show) / (movies by a certain director/actor/writer/company...) / (certain movie)


Watch all movies of your favorite actor/actress
All movies by your favorite director
All movies by your favorite screenwriter
All movies with your favorite...

Find out 10 facts about your favorite (actor), (director), (what ever...)
Or read their biographies

Try out the art; write a small "play", act, write a song, sing - perform your creation at YouTube. That gives you quite a different appreciation of the art.

Create a "complete experience".

Make some movie snacks that are somehow connected to the story.
Try to find some candles or potpurri or something like that so that you have an "appropriate" smell in your nose as you watch the movie. 
The taste and smell are the senses that are not touched in movies, but the more senses you bring in, the more perfect experience you have.
Another sense is touch - so try to find something that appeals to that sense... might be hard to do, but one suggestion is to stage the movie watching area as if you were arranging a theme party, even when it's only you watching the movie.
Wear something "appropriate"

Try to collect 2-4 movies that "belong together". For example, same theme, same actors, same director, same setting. I feel I "get" more that way.

Find out information about the story, information about what happened during the filming etc.

Dance, dance, dance...

Learn a dance
Lean a dance from every decade in the 1900s
Learn a Line Dance
Learn a local, traditional dance in a foreign country
Learn how to salsa dance
Bust out the Gentleman dance in a club
Create an optical illusion dance
Learn the art of Burlesque
Take a Salsa Dancing Class
Take Bellydancing Classes
Go dancing at a gay bar
Go out dancing at a different place every night for a week
Have a picture of myself dancing in the rain
Learn '40s-style dancing
Make a goofy video of yourself dancing

Dance "Dancing Lasha Tumbai" somewhere outside a house

Dance --- / with --- / with a stranger in a foreign country / on a table / naked / in the rain / in the middle of --- / in a --- / as a ---

Dance a Maypole
Dance around the fire like a gypsy
Dance at a Honky-Tonk
Dance at an American Indian Pow-Wow
Dance at Grizzly Rose
Dance dare
Dance in a flash mob
Dance in a fountain
Dance in a penguin suit in a populated city center
Dance in a room with 99 balloons on my birthday
Dance in the living room with my 3 boys
Dance in the mist of victoria falls
Dance in the moonlight
Dance in the pouring rain
Dance in the rain
Dance in the dark on Dancing In The Dark
Dance like a freak without caring who is watching!
Dance like no one is watching (sober, in public)
Dance naked in the rain
Dance on a bar
Dance on a giant floor piano
Dance on a table
Dance on Black & Gold by Sam Sparro
Dance on stage with my choreography
Dance on the clear floor at Ghostbar at Palms in Las Vegas
Dance on Vandaag by Bakermat
Dance Tango in Argentina
Dance the tango
Dance with Ellen Degeneres

Dance the "Macarena" in sync with dozens of other people

Dance the "Nutbush" with hundreds of other people

Dance the Hula with a Hula dancer in Hawaii
Tango in a red dress with my husband
Tango in a sexy dress
Learn how to Tango
Stay out all night dancing and go to work the next day without having gone home
Stay up all night dancing
Take a Ballroom Dancing Course
Try Square Dancing
Try Tap Dancing
Dance to Bakermat
Dance to Jazz on Bourbon Street
Dance to zydeco
Dance under a waterfall
Dance with a complete stranger
Dance with a complete stranger at a masquerade ball
Dance with an African tribe
Dance with Ellen DeGeneres
Dance With Gypsies
Do a proper Hula dance
Do a seductive dance to Godsmack's "Voodoo"
Do a strip tease on a pole
Do a strip tease to "Sexy and I know it"
Do a strip tease to Rihanna's S&M

Do the PSY "Gentleman" dance in public

Have a Christmas dance

Learn the Napoleon Dynamite Dance

Learn the Cha-cha

Learn this dance routine from the movie Burlesque 

(Now, I don't have the slightest idea which specific dance routine she's talking about, 

but this is one of them. As good as any other.)

Learn To Dance (Hip-Hop,Salsa,Jazz)
Learn to dance Bollywood-style
Learn to Dance Hula and Perform on Stage

Learn to dance in high heels

Learn to dance like Elvis

Learn to dance like this guy (which guy?)

Like this guy?

or like this guy?

Learn the whole evolution of dance

Or perhaps this guy?

Or perhaps this guy?

Learn to dance the tango

Learn to ballroom dance properly
Learn to belly dance
Learn to Breakdance
Learn to Lindy Hop
Learn to Line dance
Learn to booty shake!
Hold a battle of the robot dance moves
Learn to Swing Dance
Master one particular style of dance
Swing dance in an authentic 1950s style diner
Slow dance in the middle of a crowded city street
Slow dance in the rain
Slow Dance with my Husband
Slow dance with someone
Take Dance Classes

Learn how to do the Hoedown Throwdown from Hannah Montana The Movie

Learn people in a foreign country the kabouterdans

Learn the Gangnam style dance! =)

Learn the handshake from "the parent trap"

Learn the rockafella skank

Learn the time warp dance from rocky horror picture show

Learn to booty shake!

Learn to do the cup song

Learn to moonwalk

Learn steps to Thriller

Celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate Day, 19th of September

1) Dress like a pirate

So... boots... I have already nice boots. I just need to take them to the cobbler and get the heels fixed.
Tights... I wonder where I can get vertically striped tights. Perhaps I need to sew myself some pirate pants of striped fabric.
Skirt. When I was young I had a perfect skirt. Now I don't know where it is.
Belt sash and sword belt
Peasant shirt and corset
I think I want a Turkish coat, and Captain Sparrow inspired hairdo and hat.
Hairdo - unwashed, uncut, I think dreads might be a good idea. Or braids.
And an eye patch :-D
And a parrot... it would be wonderful to learn ventrilogism and make the parrot speak :-D

2) Learn to talk like a pirate - or Shakespeare with more growl :-D

3) Embrace your inner pirate by watching pirate movies and listening to piratecore. Aye, there is such a thing.
Eat pirate food. Like rum. Which basically was the only thing rationally edible in the pirate food... I mean, the water in ships got slimy, the hardtack was hard and full of weevils, the meat was black, salted and tough as wood, there was no fresh food at all, unless someone managed to catch some fish. There might have been some pickled veggies. Might. Most likely not. So, rum it is. But we don't live in the 16th century ships, so I think Caribbean food is probably great. Eat bread in chunks, not in slices. But don't forget the rum. :-D
Dance sailor dances and go wild with wenches.

Learn Tai Chi

I want to learn the 24 form.
There are plenty of material to learn from on the internet.
I try to do it first on my own by written and illustrated description, then I follow a video.

And I find it extremely stressful.

I try to tell myself that it's OK that I can't copy his movements straight away, I will learn.

But it doesn't help

I feel stupid and clumsy and even when there is no-one watching me, no-one knows what I am doing,
I'm ashamed of myself and horrified by my clumsiness.

Because I am not clumsy. I am a lot of things, but clumsy is not one of them.

But when I am trying to follow his movements I feel clumsy.
I don't know how I look or how I am doing.

I suppose I am taking too large steps, because my knee aches. It shouldn't ache. There is nothing that would cause knees to ache if done correctly in taichi, so I am doing it wrong...

Bugger.

But I will not give up. I will take a pause, but I will not give up.

Meditate every night

1. Prepare for the meditation.
Choose comfortable clothes, comfortable, calm surrounding, something comfortable to sit on.
It helps if you minimize the sensory input to nothing or something calming, soft and quiet.

2. Start with 15 minutes. Do this the same time every day. Use an egg clock or use your telephone with a gentle sound that will tell you the time is up.

3. Stretch a little and then sit down in a comfortable position. If your muscles are not strong enough or used to sitting in lotus position with straight back, it's ok to lean against a tree or sit on a comfortable chair.

4. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Don't think about it. Don't breathe in a special way. Just lazily follow the movement of air through your nose.

When this is comfortable, natural and easy to you, then you can move on to other things to do... I'm a bit skeptical about chakras and other such things, but one could for example practice visualization, do a body scan or try heart chakra meditation. You'll find all kinds of things to experiment with if you search "meditation".

To be a lady

So what to choose?

* Groom yourself

- Always be clean and neat, polished. From toe nails to hair.

*Always dress nicely

Wear clothes tight enough to show you are a woman, but loose enough to show you are a lady.
Have a unique style, build a small wardrobe of quality items, and express your style by accessories.
Aim for elegance, not fashion

* Have a good posture

* Learn to walk on high heels

* Learn to apply make-up 

* Speak clearly, mind the elocution

* Mind your language 
Use correct grammar, increase your vocabulary, avoid swearing, use "please", "thank you", "excuse me" and other such courtesy words.

* See that your breathe doesn't smell bad

* Get all the education you can
Read the news and know the background

* Be curious, interested and open-minded

* Be considerate and kind

It doesn't mean being codependent or a doormat.

* Get impeccable manners and learn the etiquette

This is about consideration, not about being better-than-thou. You are not to demand everyone follows the etiquette to a tee, but knowing the etiquette makes you comfortable in any situation, and everyone comfortable to be with you.

There is a lovely little example of this. In a Star Wars novel the author described a dinner hosted by Princess Leia. One of the guests ate the rose from finger washing bowl, so Princess Leia ate hers to avoid embarrassing the guest. In our family we call things like this "eating roses". :-D

The point is, you shouldn't break the rules unless you know the rules and have a VERY GOOD REASON to do so. And NEVER EVER point out others' mistakes.

* Don't criticize, don't whine, don't complain, don't explain, don't judge, don't blame, don't nag, don't flaunt, don't brag, don't gossip

Either you change things or you accept them. Talking about things is wasting time.

Compliment people, improve your observation skills, increase your knowledge of all things, so that you can give good advice and constructive criticism in a good way when requested, accept your responsibility, and forgive others for not being able to do the same, learn to communicate constructively and functionally

* Be positive, pleasant, friendly

Now, this doesn't mean "keep smiling" or "be a fluffbunny", but trying to see the positive in every situation, while acknowledging and accepting the reality. Being a pollyanna might seem like forced positivity, but the thing is that if you have a positive, expectant attitude to the world and new situations, the people you meet, events and happenings in life, you are more likely to have a positive experience. Because you get what you expect to get. Your mind will find evidence to prove what you think. It's much easier to have patience and kindness to people if you think they are just having a bad day, than if you think the a-hole mode is normal to them, and they are basically just a-holes.

* Do what you know to be right, and ignore what other people might be thinking about you.

* Be honest, truthful and virtuous 

There is no absolute standard of what is "right" and what is a "virtue" - you have to follow your own understanding of these ideas.
In my mind it is not the "Golden rule" one should follow, but the "Silver rule" - "What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow". I believe it is easier for people to justify ill-treatment by "but I would have liked it if someone had done that to me!", like missionizing. "Yes, I understand your spiritual awakening was great for you, but I have already found my truth about God". So instead of thinking "I want everyone to know the truth about God!", think "how would I feel if someone told me my God was a false God and my religion was bad?"

* be tolerant, respectful and forgiving

Don't wait for people to earn your respect, don't mind people being disrespectful. It's their problem, not yours.

Another story that comes to mind is about the young king of France. He was having a walk with his tutor, and a gardener opened them a gate. The tutor thanked him. The king asked him why he was thanking the gardener, who was nobody. The tutor answered "I'd be ashamed if a gardener had better manners than I."

So instead of thinking how rude people are, think that you don't need to be rude just because someone else is.

* have character and integrity

To keep your character intact you cannot stoop to filthy acts.
It makes it easier to stoop the next time.
- Katharine Hepburn

* Be steadfast, loyal and trustworthy

Keep your promises, especially to yourself.
Never quit.

* Be generous
with your money, your time, your attention, your smile

* Be moderate

* Learn to speak more than 1 language

* Have an unbreakable inner peace

* Be courageous

This is not the same as fearless. Ladies do fear, but they do what they know to be right any way, and the more things they do they are afraid of, the more fears they face, the stronger, more confident and courageous they get.

* Have a hobby

Ladylike hobbies are reading, gardening, art, music, theater and sports like tennis and riding.

* Learn to cook, learn to mix drinks

* Learn to host parties - be a good hostess and a good guest

* What Would Melanie Do? What Would Audrey Do?

The secret of making dreams come true

Somehow I can’t believe 

that there are any heights that can’t be scaled 

by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. 

This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four C s. 

They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, 

and the greatest of all is confidence. 

When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable. 

– Walt Disney