"The Suit" at Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord

There has been plenty of things South African in Paris this week. We celebrated Freedom Day on the 27th April, took in a South African play; The Suit at Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord last night and tonight Alliance Francaise is hosting an art exhibition by Khwezi Strydom, who works and lives in France.
The Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord is reminescent of the Market Theatre, so it was almost fitting that the Suit is showing here, because the play was first staged at the Market Theatre many years along. If you are in Paris, and would like to see this South African play by Can Themba, it is only until this Saturday 5th. It is sub-titled for the French Speakers and has been sold out, for the entire time is as been running, that is, since April 3rd.

Places in France: Jardin des Plantes

I am finding that school Holidays in France require a full itinerary. The luxury of just being outside in the garden playing is just that, a luxury. Even if the itinerary entails trips to the park, there still has to be thought put to the trip. Decided to fill my childrens' days full of museum trips during the last school holidays - the weather was unfortunately not as cooperative, but we did manage a few tips out.
They loved the Jardin des Plantes, and this is truly one of the best places to visit for children in Paris. There was a little bit of everything for everyone.

Meeting the face behind the faces

Gregos. I am curious as to what his full name is. He lets me in, but  am sworn to secrecy - well at least to not putting it in print. The first time I spotted one of Gregos' faces was on a meander in the 18th almost a year ago. A month ago I spotted another face, again in the 18th, and realised there may well be an entire collection. There is. In the most random of places around the 18th arrondissement.  Admittedly they are becoming harder to spot because he now places them in higher, more obscure and harder-to-reach places because people are taking them down.
It was an afternoon of initiation into the world of street art for me. We met at his quartier general as he calls it, his headquarters, at Le Saint Jean on rue des Abbesses. After which we walked around the neighbourhood as he pointed out various other artists' works, and before long I start to notice the signatures, and spot them on my own.

Places in France : Deauville in Spring

It's not summer yet, but one can see the potential of the throngs of people that will gather once the weather warms up. As it was, on a chilly spring mid morning - the scarves, foulards and heavy jackets were all telling of the weather outside. We arrived just before lunch, after a toss up between staying in the apartment and watching the Golf Masters on TV,  or making the two hour drive to Deauville ; a beach resort in Western France. Deauville won out and it was well worth the drive.

Conversations: Anna Getaneh - MD & Creative Director of African Mosaïque

Photo courtesy of Anna Getaneh

A month ago, breezing through a Ralph Lauren store, a whimsical dress in a mud cloth-inspired fabric caught my eye. Could it be? I thought. Had another African inspiration, other than Vlisco, the Dutch-made wax fabric, ubiquitous in much of West Africa and beyond made it to the design studios of Western designers?
I literally stopped in my tracks and went over to touch the fabric. It had a supple silk feel but the design on the fabric was definitely African.
I then remembered a designer that had introduced me to this Malian cloth; Anna Getaneh. At the time, almost five years ago, she was working out of her home-based studio.  I had made  a few trips to her to have my boubou, a very fashionable and simple design, enhanced with this fabric across the midriff- making it both easy-to-wear and timeless - it still hangs in my wardrobe. Now here was Ralph Lauren, years later.

Places in France : Jardin d'Acclimatation

My neighbourhood has quite a large offering of the restaurants and parks to venture to. A trip worth making is to  Jardin d'Acclimatation at Metro: Les Sablons.
It is park with sprawling gardens and amusement park rides. Highly entertaining for kids. It is near Bois de Boulogne so draws all sorts, from the joggers, sun-worshippers and those simply strolling along. There is an entrance fee and extra charge for the amusement rides. The sprawling gardens are ideal for picnics in the warmer seasons, the numerous rides make it ideal for all ages, and there's the shuttle service of  Le Petit Train that goes from the Jardin to Porte Maillot and back again. My kids love it, and the proximity to our apartment is even more thrilling for them. My son's plea after every visit is "Mommy, can we come here every day?" Don't think so, but it's good to know that on those days when we have nothing else to do, there's an option within walking distance.

Mascarades et Carnavals at Musée Dapper

Hidden away in the 16th Arrondissement, Musée Dapper seems incongrous in its surroundings. High-end clothing boutiques, designer stores, an elegant Nespresso boutique, and just off the posh Avenue Victor Hugo is the museum.
An artistic and cultural space for Africa, the Caribbean and their diaporas is how the museum bills itself. It is an offshoot of the Dapper Foundation, which was established to raise the profile of sub-saharan Africa's artisic heritage.
I took in the Mascarades et Carnavales exhibition last week. It is on until July. A fitting exhibit seeing as it is the month of carnivals. I do believe the Paris Carnival is itself an annual treat, which I missed. Quel dommage!

And then the snow fell

After a week of reports on the big chill sweeping across Europe and my daily conversations with both our gardienne and the school bus driver about the  freezing weather, the snow finally fell in Paris. It facinates me to no end the endless conversations one can have about the weather in this country.
We've made the transition right along with the seasons from the daily Il fait beau to  Il fait froid with the added reportage on the daily temperatures, Moins 8...,9...,10 aujourd'hui.

Rodin in (un)likely places

"All my life I have drawn...in fact I started my life drawing" - Auguste Rodin (1840-1917). 

The drawings of Rodin, Capturing the Model can be seen at the Musée Rodin until 1 April, 2012. The  permanent collection is closed whilst The hôtel Biron undergoes renovation. His sculptures though can still be seen in the gardens of the museum and in some other interesting places.
In fact, since I saw the poster for this exhibit in the underground,  I am seeing his work and copies of his work in the most unlikely places.

The exhibiton goes from his earlier black drawings 'dessins noirs', inspired by Dante's Inferno to graphite sketches, his use of assemblage as a precursor to his sculptures, and the use of stumping and colour in the latter part of his life.
The man who is probably better known as a sculptor was a prolific sketch artist. Of the 10,000 drawings and sketches in existence, Musée Rodin houses 7,000.

Indulging the nerd within at Bibliothèque Mazarine

The Winter Sales started today and I was trying by all means to avoid any place that would lead to encounters with shoppers. It's crazy out there! I needed to write and was not getting any inspiration in the apartment so headed out to the library.
I must confess, libraries have always been my favourite places to spend time - I am a nerd that way. I grew up in Lesotho and some of my fondest memories are of visits to the National Library. It was not a huge library- although as a child it seemed enormous, but it was well-stocked. Precious hours would be spent here, where I'd lose myself in the worlds of Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl, C.S. Lewis and later on Judy Blume. I still get a thrill from being inside a library; the muted sounds, the scholarly seriousness, the books... this visit to the Bibliothèque Mazarine was long overdue.

From Abstract to Minimalist

I thought it being a Sunday, not to mention a cold day it would be fairly quiet; this was not the case. While some Parisians were enjoying the comforts of their cosy apartments, others were taking in the jovial atmospheres of warm and loud brasseries; I do love how,irrespective of the weather, visiting your neighbourhood brasserie is very much the thing to do. The more popular ones are always overflowing.
The rest had much the same idea as I- a visit to the museum. There were throngs of people at the Pompidou Centre and I along with them spent a great deal of time taking in Yayoi Kusama's exhibition. It was the last day of the exhibition which might explain the crowds. There were some installations and sculptures that I found really bizarre; some like the  Infinity Nets had me thinking, 'how long did that take?' and others felt like a jaunt at the amusement park- like the hall of mirrors, the suspended lights in dark room, and the pervasive Polka Dot theme in all her work.

A great website that curates all things art, including Kusama's work is Arsty. More information by Artsy on Kusama can be seen here.

Galette des Rois

Suddenly the window displays and counters of my favourite boulangeries are lined with these pastries.
I became wisened to this celebration a bit late but it  happens around January 6th of the New Year or according to some on the first Sunday of January- the flaky pastry consumed is filled with almond and pastry cream and a small trinket is placed inside. It is then shared and the lucky little boy or girl that finds the trinket in their piece is King or Queen for the day. Lovely french custom.

Books: HOW TO READ THE AIR by Dinaw Mengestu

Title: How To Read the Air
Author: Dinaw Mengestu
Published: 2010
Genre: Fiction

I am drawn to immigrant stories. There is something in them that speaks of strength and survival in countries foreign that I can relate to. How To Read The Air offers glimpses of Jonas Woldemariam's parents' transition into America from their home country, Ethiopia. The story itself does not focus entirely on the problems they encounter in America, but of how they have to forge a life as immigrants, who hardly know each other, and build a life from their little-shared past.

Books: THE MARRIAGE PLOT by Jeffrey Eugenides

Title: The Marriage Plot
Author: Jeffrey Eugenides
Published: 2011
Genre: Fiction

The Virgin Suicides, Eugenides' first book and Middlesex, his second, were both mysterious. The Virgin Suicides in its depiction of a family of three daughters growing up under the severely strict parenting of a Catholic domineering father- who all ultimately commit suicide left me with an unanswered. Why? A great review of the Virgin Suicides here. Middlesex was fairly straightforward, as the historical elements of the novel woven around the history of a Greek family leaving Greece, settling in the US and the discovery of the daughter that she is a hermaphrodite. This in itself a mysterious subject. I dare say this is my very abridged version of a book that won Jeffrey Eugenides the Pullitzer Prize for Fiction.

The Marriage Plot is different. A story of a love triangle between friends about to embark on their lives and futures after their graduation from college. A story of the unrequited love of Mitchell Grammaticus, a religious studies graduate for Madeleine, the central figure. Madeleine Hanna, an english language major and great lover of Jane Austen, is in love with and goes on to marry Leonard Bankhead, an intelligent science major and manic-depressive whose steady decline into his mania courses throughout the entire book.

Happy New Year!

With ominous warnings of a tough economic year ahead, despite what many felt was a rather hard 2011, revelers worldwide brought in the New Year with the usual amount of optimism and cheer. It was great to see. Watched it all from our TV as we ushered in the New Year with friends. Stepped out momentarily onto our balcony to see the fireworks as we mentally tweaked and edited New Year's resolutions. Bring it on I say.

Wishing you a fantastic 2012!

¡Adiós Barcelona, Bonjour Paris

I have brought back a few extra kilos and left plans to return again. Gaudi  will have to wait,  Catalan cuisine another time. I still want to play golf in Seville, enjoy the beaches in late fall and tour the monasteries, but all that will have to wait. I'm home.  Back to four degree (Celsius) weather...feels crispy- actually downright cold. But it's good to be back!

Gastronomy in Spain: Kharma, Barcelona

This came recommended by the barman at Zahara.  Newly-opened, it’s a restaurant with a lounge bar. The food was really good- I feel like I'm a paid reviewer with all these positive reviews I have been writing, but Barcelona's dining scence has not disappointed. Still have not tasted authentic Catalan cuisine though. The restaurant was virtually empty- worrying at first but from the Roquefort mousse, duck spring rolls with hoisin sauce to the lamb burger, duck in an orange sauce on a bed of juilenne vegetables and a mushroom risotto, all fears were allayed.

Touch & Feel at Cosmo Caixa, Barcelona

Always tricky striking the right balance between the ideal entertainment for adults and kids when on holiday. Took the kids to the Cosmo Caixa Science Museum for the morning. As is typical of some of the science museums we have visited, it encourages the sensory experience for children. They can touch and feel, prod, poke and twist to their hearts' content. They enjoyed it. The 45 minute long 3D Show on Darwin's Natural Selection was a definite winner. It's always good when you can combine educational and fun in one phrase.

Gastronomy in Spain: Carpe Diem, Barcelona

CDLC, Carpe Diem Lounge Restaurant and Lounge Club in Port Olimpíc combined all my favourite things- lounge music of course, chilled wine and fantastic food. We have not been disappointed in our choices of restaurants so far, but for one exception not even worth a mention. 
Buddha carvings- the decor is all circa 2000- think Buddha Bar. Lounge music. Chilled wine. Great food. Sun on my face. I could have stayed the whole afternoon but we had the kids in tow and our five year old did not quite see the appeal of lounging all afternoon. Pity.
Offerings are Mediterranean and Asian dishes with Arabian and Morrocan touches.  A sushi starter and Wagyu beef carpaccio.

Salvador Dalí in his home country

Funny how I am more than happy to be the happy tourist in another city and not in the one I live in. Completely played to my role, camera and map in hand, gazing in amazement on what may appear to be random scenes to the locals and an overuse of my basic Spanish...Ola!
Pictures here. Then there was a visit to the Dalí  museum on Carrer dels Arcs, thought to mix up all the eating with a bit of culture.  It consisted of the private collection of his sculptures, drawings and sketches as well as a collection of photographs taken of this surrealist artist. I was more fascinated by photographs of this very eccentric artist though.
Note: The Dalí Museum in Figueres, the artist's hometown, is said to be one of the best exhibits of the artist's work.