a little plug for penguins

I've seen penguins in Antarctica, and I've seen surfers in Hawaii, and while penguins are known to roam parts of the South Pacific, I never thought I'd see penguins surfing in Hawaii.

I sort of feel like I have to keep up with all things Antarctic now that I've been to the frozen continent. People sort of expect that I keep on top of issues like global warming, the historical expeditions, and penguin movies. So, I do.

I have to admit, I wasn't so happy with Happy Feet (you know, the movie about the dancing penguin). So, with some hesitance, I went to the movies with my friend, Michelle, to take in Surf's Up. I also have a friend, Jonathan, who works with Sony, and insisted I take every kid I know to see it for a few more bodies in the theater (sorry, I only got two of us there).

Well, I enjoyed this penguin flick much more than the last and appreciated one value in particular that people often overlook: Putting others before oneself. Of all the strange characters in this show, I thought it was funny that most of them related to one person or another in McMurdo. They were all penguins, but each was quite different from the other. I identified with Lani (the lifeguard in the picture); sort of the peacekeeper, intermediary, stable type.

If you're looking for a good movie, for the family, or just for fun, it's worth a look.