Dali at the Pompidou

I took in the Salvador Dali exhibition at the Pompidou Centre on Sunday;  the first retrospective of the artist's work to be held in Paris in thirty years. As I made my way around, taking in this surrealist painter's bizarre and at times thought-provoking work, I wondered if it was the art, or his showmanship that had made him the darling of the art world at the height of his career.
Containing over 200 paintings, drawings, collages, assemblages, photos and film clips, the Pompidou Centre is paying hommage to what it calls 'the most complex and prolific figure of 20th century art'.
Dali's theatrics are also shown in short film clips around the exhibition - his eccentricity on full display.

Books: THE BUDDHA IN THE ATTIC by Julie Otsuka

Title: The Buddha in the Attic
Author: Julie Otsuka
Genre: Novel
Published: 2011

Julie Otsuka's book is written in the first person plural -  a style I have never seen used before. It was at first distracting as I thought it was simply a foreword and the style would change. Not the case. By the time I was into the second chapter I had started imagining the women in the story as a collective.
The Buddha in the Attic traces the story of Japanese women that make their journey from Japan to San Francisco as picture brides in the early 1900s. She starts off with the first section catchingly- titled, Come, Japanese!

It has begun...

It seems like it was just yesterday that I was writing about the Christmas markets in Paris. Well here we are again. Two weeks ago the Champs Elysees market stalls opened for business.
More markets will be opening up in the various arrondissements around Paris, all spreading the Christmas cheer. It's seems a bit early - hearing Christmas carols in November, but it looks quite enchanting at night. We went with the children and they were excited to see that the ice-skating rink is larger this year. There is a menagerie of animals; reindeer, bears and lions that has found its place at the market this year.

A night of surprises with Diana Krall

Last night we went to the Diana Krall concert at the Palais des Congres de Paris. I am not a complete jazz aficionado, but the only music that plays in our house on Sundays when we have family and friends over is jazz. Why jazz? No idea, I have just always associated it with relaxed Sunday afternoons, winding down the weekend. Diana Krall is one of my favourite jazz singers so I jumped at the chance to see her. Even if it was to be held at the Palais des Congres. This is a conference centre with behemoth-sized auditoriums - not exactly the perfect venue for an intimate jazz evening. I had also not expected the masses of people that turned up last night. The French love Diana Krall! That was the first surprise.

Books: THE POISONWOOD BIBLE by Barbara Kingsolver

Title: The Poisonwood Bible
Author: Barbara Kingsolver
Genre: Novel
Published: 1998

The Poisonwood Bible is the story of the Price family, an evangelical Baptist family that moves from America to Belgian Congo in the years preceding independence. It is a tragic story of a family living under a very religious - almost fanatical husband and father, who sole mission is to save the heathen Africans from themselves.

Books: INFIDEL: MY LIFE by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Title: Infidel: My Life
Author:  Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Genre: Memoir
Published: 2007

When I read Infidel more than four years ago, Ayaan Hirsi Ali had lost her dutch citizenship and her status as a member of the Dutch parliament. The controversy about her was over the means in which she had acquired her refugee status in the Netherlands and her subsequent citizenship.
My reading of  Infidel at the time was not tarnished by any preconceived ideas. Writing about the book now, years later and after a second reading, makes me doubt the legitimacy of the harrowing tale she tells.

Books: UNACCUSTOMED EARTH by Jhumpa Lahiri

Title: Unaccustomed Earth
Author: Jhumpa Lahiri
Genre: Fiction
Published: 2008

Jhumpa Lahiri's Unaccustomed Earth is a collection of short stories told from the perspective of different characters, all of Indian origin carving out their lives in the US. The first part of the book is a collection of five different stories, all relating the varying experiences; from the parents - arriving in the US to a world wholly different to what they know;  to their children- born in the US to Indian parents, and struggling with their own identities and the juxtaposition of their origins and their citizenship.

The Buddy Bears in Paris

Lesotho's Bear

The United Buddy Bears are in Paris until November 18th. I saw them a few weeks back and enthusiastically went about photographing these colourful giant two metre bear sculptures. There are 140 of them - representing the countries recognised by the UN-  standing boldly, hand in hand as a sign of tolerance and peaceful coexistence. The exhibition is meant to celebrate twin cities, Paris and Berlin, and to mark the 50th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty and Franco-German relations. They are a creative addition to Champ de Mars. I had a great deal of fun searching for, and photographing Lesotho and South Africa's bears.

More bears can be seen here.

Books: ONE THOUSAND WHITE WOMEN - The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus

Title: One Thousand White Women : The Journals of May Dodd
Author: Jim Fergus
Genre: Fiction
Published: 2011

This book is a fictional book that is so well-researched and written that I had to keep checking whether it was in fact not based on actual records. It is about the the exchange of one thousand white women as brides for Native American men by the American government in the 1800s, in the years immediately prior to the gold rush.

In a bid by white settlers to acquire Native American land, the "Brides for Indians Program" was meant to foster relations between the two people, with the American government hoping to ultimately renege on earlier land treaties. The exchange program was not expected to be a success as the Native Americans unwittingly got a  mixed bag of women that were either former convicts or formerly institutionalised, and those that simply saw volunteering into the program as a way to escape from their lives.

The circus and an education in animal rights

Cirque d'Hiver was a hit with my children. It is a long show - almost two hours long, with intermission only after the first hour. Despite this, there was no fidgeting in seats as they sat enthralled. The agile trapeze artists, the bumbling clowns, the spooky-looking harlequin, every part of this entertaining act was amazing. My son loved the tiger act - although he had to be assured more than once that the tigers would indeed stay behind the bars.

Exploring the pirate city of St. Malo, Brittany

From the distance, the walled city of St.Malo seems imposing, but once within its walls and on its cobbled narrow streets its quaintness is charmingly modest. With its 18th century buildings, and equally historic shops and restaurants one gets a sense of having traveled back in time. Indeed St. Malo's castle dates dates from the 14th and 15th centuries so we did go back in time somewhat. As always I still had to come up with a story to sell to my children - more to my six year old that my pre-teen- as the history offered by the tourist guide books doesn't beguile enough to warrant sufficient enthusiasm. This weekend's story was about the pirates.

Post-rentreé funk

I have been caught up in a post-rentrée funk that I'm trying to shake myself out of. The vacances came and went in a bit of a blur. I am now trying to fall into a rhythm as the weather slowly changes from warm and balmy, to chilly and grey.

My new mantra for this year: Write. Everyday. (Even if it is just a blog post). In the meantime sorting through photos and in the process re-living a bit of the summer holidays. Here are some pictures of an evening of fireworks at Château de Versailles - I am looking for inspiration anywhere.

Hope your vacances were great, your rentrée fairly easy and that  you've found your groove...I sure am trying.

Books: THE No.1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY by Alexander McCall Smith

Title: The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Published: 2008
Genre: Fiction

This was a joy to read, and I wonder why it has taken me so long to read the Ladies' Detective Agency series. This debut to the immensely popular series is fast-paced and funny- and for a Southern African, the writing style and vocabulary were elements I could completely relate to. McCall Smith writes in a vernacular form which made my enjoyment of the book much richer.

Books: SIXTY MILLION FRENCHMEN CAN'T BE WRONG by Jean-Benoit Nadeau & Julie Barlow

Title: Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong
Authors: Jean-Benoit Nadeau and Julie Barlow
Published: 2003
Genre: Memoir


This is one of those books I pick up once in a while when I am astounded by how much I still do not understand about the French. Just when I think I get them, and I think - yes they are different in this way, or that - something happens and I am yet again drawn to some form of theory that will  help me understand the people of my host country.

Books: THE SENSE OF AN ENDING by Julian Barnes

Title: The Sense of an Ending
Author: Julian Barnes
Published: 2011
Genre: Novel

The Sense of an Ending is similar to the The Remains of the Day, which I read a month ago. Memory, reflection and the crafting of a story that begins with a mystery. I read and finished it in a fairly short time but the layers of interpretation to the story will probably require a second reading. It's about Tony Webster, a man well into his sixties who is now divorced and leads a quiet, if unexciting life. He is mysteriously bequeathed a journal from a school friend - and this sends him thinking back to his years at school when he met the charismatic Adrian Quinn; who was a mystery to them even back then.

Canal cruising in Paris

It was definitely not as interesting as the Seine cruises are, but it was good to learn about the Paris canals. We boarded the boat at Parc de la Villette - mistakenly thinking the boat would return there after the cruise. Note: It is a one-way trip between Parc de la Villette and  Musee d'Orsay. It ended up being a long day after that because we'd left the car at Parc de la Villette.
There were parts of the cruise that were interesting along Canal St. Martin, like seeing the urban regeneration happening along the canal in the 19th arrondissement.

Meanders in Fontainebleau

Yesterday was le 15 août - Assumption Day, and my family's one year, two day anniversary in France. I cannot believe that it has been a year already. Last year I was told, tongue-in-cheek that the day was meant as a rest day, to prepare people for the rentrée after the summer vacances. No, it's a religious holiday.  We decided to honour our anniversary with a trip to Fontainebleau. We had lunch then went to see the legendary château de Fontainebleau. I could not entice my kids to go for a tour of the castle.

The dotty collaboration of Yayoi Kusama and LV

"The much-anticipated collaboration between Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama and Marc Jacobs by Louis Vuitton..." reads the Wall Street Journal article on what's trending between art and design. Dotty? Absolutely.
I saw the window display last night, and Kusama's polka dots have taken over the windows of LV's flagship store. I enjoyed her  exhibition at the Pompidou a while back - I hadn't realised I'd be treated to a freebie so soon. Even last night, without the winding queues that are synonymous with LV, the display still drew quite the crowd. There were murmurings of "crazy", "interesting", "weird", "bizarre", "wonderful" abound as I made my way around the crowds to snap a few shots with my iPhone . If anything, the display is eliciting reactions - is that not what art is meant to do after all? Brand watching has just become more interesting.

Books: THE GLASS CASTLE by Jeannette Walls

Title: The Glass Castle
Author: Jeannette Walls
Published: 2005
Genre: Memoir

I was sitting in a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out of the window and saw Mom rooting through the Dumspter. It was just after dark. A blustery March wind whipped the steam coming out of the manholes, and people hurried along the sidewalks with their collars turned up. I was stuck in traffic two blocks away from the party where I was heading.
Mom stood fifteen feet away. She had tied rags around her shoulders to keep out the spring chill and was picking through the trash while her dog, a black-and-white terrier mix, played at her feet.

This is the opening paragraph of Jeannette Walls's book. I read the book a couple of years back  as a book club read, but decided to read it again last week. Let's be honest, some of those book club reads can be very rushed - especially when you realise that 'Oh, oh! Book Club next week and I haven't finished the book.' I felt that a repeat read was needed, and this time at my own pace.

A spot of tea at Mariage Frères

That time of the year again - bidding farewell to friends who are moving on. I had a farewell brunch with a friend at Mariage Frères yesterday. Mariage Frères is a tea house, purveyors of international teas, and a restaurant that serves delectable salads and fish dishes with flavours enhanced with their teas. The last time I was there I had a cabillaud in a beet and jasmine tea soup, delightful desserts, and as I discovered yesterday, they do a simple but perfect brunch.
There was iced tea; fresh juice; toasted brioche with a selection of tea-infused jams; and a savoury plate of scrambled eggs, salmon and prawns.