Let The Holidays Begin! (Week One)

"Une Verre D'eau Thhh'il Vous Plaît" 

It hasn't taken me long to get sick of my new job! I was dreading going this weekend. The actual job is not so bad, it's just the hours. They kill my body clock and thus my body, and they kill my social life. Social life's not such a big issue cause I'm on holiday now for three weeks, but my sleeping patterns are all out now. Think I'm going to work just through the holidays to make some money, then get out before school starts again!

Talking About Grimaces...

I went to the Louvre today with Thomas (Austria) and André to see an exhibition of Franz Xaver Messerschmidt's work. I was blown away. I'd seen a poster of one of his 'character heads' in which a man's face is scrunched up like he's about to cry, and it nearly made me cry. Seeing that particular muscularity seems to evoke a lot of feeling in me. The exhibition had many of his works there, all really lifelike sculptures of human faces. Interesting that he was labelled as mentally/psychologically ill during his later years (this is in the late 1700's) and this is evident in his work. To me it looks like, if anything, he was dealing with some kind of depression, and he was trying to express this in the faces he made. Regardless of what it was, he got to something human, and he touched me.

This one had a strip over the lips, apparently symbolic for his self-proclaimed chastity.

'The Yawn': Messerschmidt didn't name these 'character heads'. Somebody else did 10 years after he died. And it was amazing how much the name influences what you see. e.g. What do you see of this head if instead of being called 'The Yawn' it is called 'The Scream'?

Incredible detail - note the shaven head. I'm not sure exactly how he made them either, because these heads seem so smooth. But wow.

They also didn't have any detail in the eyes. Just blank globes. Freaky, but cool. You don't really need it. And in a way, if they had details in the eyes, it might take their humanity away as getting the eyes right could be impossible. Or too limiting.

'The Beaked': He started to exaggerate and extend features towards the end of his works, which unfortunately weren't at the exhibition as I would have loved to have seen them!

Centre George Pompidou


André and I went to the Pompidou (modern art museum) and explored the top floor. There's heaps to see! And we got in for free cause we are arts students and under 25. Well, André said he is...


Our joint favourite work was Rineke Dijkstra's 'I See a Woman Crying'

It was three screens playing a video of a bunch of British children asked to comment on what they see in Picasso's 'Weeping Woman'.

A really simple fun concept. And it was interesting to hear what the kids had to say, and how they interacted together. At one point they decided that someone in the woman's life had died and that's why she looks so sad. And another boy perceptively noted that maybe she's actually crying tears of happiness - like the tears you see on X-Factor!


The Fighter

The weather in Paris has been blissful lately: Sunny, 23 degrees. So it seemed a bit crazy going to a movie, but I had a ticket I’d bought off Harvey a while ago that was about to expire. So I saw The Fighter.

I didn’t particularly like it. I think it was a good movie, just not really my thing. I think I get put off my content that depicts roughness, poverty, grit. It’s funny. I like clean and happy. I guess that reflects my upper-middle-class comfort zone. And because the film depicts a wreck of a family, with drug abuse, violence and problems, I didn’t particularly enjoy it. But I thought the performances were great. The various woman that linger in the family house were a great comedic ensemble. And Christian Bale was very good as the older brother/crack addict/fight trainer – he stole the film really. A big, larger than life (although the guy in real life is the same…) character with great rhythm and play. He won best supporting actor, but his role was the biggest in the film, it just wasn’t technically about his character. I wasn’t sure whether I loved Bale’s performance however, because I couldn’t help but feel that the process was a bit painful for him. Like he was sharing his pain, as opposed to his pleasure. This is perhaps an unfair judgment. But from what I’ve heard of how he works (serious Method actor) I can imagine the work not being enjoyable for him. But it must be or he wouldn’t do it.

Lovely Bones

I read The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. What an incredible book! 

A really beautiful way to deal with the darkness of death. Complex yet simple. At moments my heart was beating madly as I read each page!

I love this image of the author. There seems to be a real sadness in her, but she is beautiful.

Immediately after finishing the book, I watched the film directed by Peter Jackson. A bit of an experiment to see what he did with it whilst the book was still fresh in my mind.

Unfortunately (but predictably, as this is the case with most book to movie translations) I thought it was bad. It condensed or discarded or changed major details and it felt rushed. I understand that’s the reality of translating a book to a film, but if it kills the original text then why bother? We kind of lose everything that’s good about the book – the grief, time slowly passing, little minute details. And also, Peter Jackson’s/Weta Workshop’s picture of heaven feels limiting when each reader undoubtedly imagines so much more. Not a winner for me. And I can’t imagine it being a winner, even for those that haven’t read the book. It was missing a few major ingredients – maybe an extra hour would have helped?

You're fired! But not really... (but kind of really, actually)

So I got through another grueling double 6pm-6am shift weekend at Café Oz! I’ve been hating it more and more over the past month. I’ve felt uncomfortable – made to feel worthless by two different managers (their staff would know what to do if they trained them…) and generally out of place. Not my kind of job. Not my kind of people. And not my kind of hours! But my plan was to get through this weekend, and one more, then quit once school starts again.

But now I don’t have to! Because I’ve been fired! Hooray! Haha. The boss said he needs someone to work Fri/Sat every weekend. And so far I’ve been pretty unreliable on that front (changed last week, next week I’m away, and the following week I asked for a Wed/Thurs shift). He said that was the reason I couldn’t keep the job, but I imagine it’s also because the two managers hate me (because…they’re dicks LOL!).

But I’m not fussed at all. If anything I’m relieved. (I know I sound like I’m lying to hide my pain, but really, I’m not. I never have to do a horrible graveyard weekend shift again! Hooray!)

I did learn how to make a mean Mojito from the job:

Mojito

Put the following in a big glass

Small handful of lime slices

Small handful of mint

About 2 tablespoons of Cassonade (crunchy brown sugar)

A dollop of Mojito mix (sugary syrup)

Mash it all up so the juices are mixed

Pour in 6 counts of Bacardi Rum

Fill the rest of the glass with crushed ice

< < < Shake shake shake! > > >

Pour into glass, top up with more crushed ice and soda with a splash of lemonade at the end.

Yum!


Off To Jolly Old England


Tonight I'm taking the Eurostar to London and staying for nine days! My plan is to see lots of Theatre and do whatever I want! Can't wait! :)