Le Film Francais

This weekend we have been celebrating la vie de francaise at the French Film Festival hosted by Alliance Francaise. My friend and I had tickets to see three movies, and I can say now, each one was very different.

Comme les autres (Baby Love) was about a gay pediatrician in his forties who wanted to adopt a baby and bring it up with his lawyer partner. The story unfolded the complications of relationships, the values and morals of society, and the hopes and dreams of men who want to be dads. I enjoyed this movie alot, never quite sure what the end was going to be like. I thought the ending left a little to be desired, but essentially, I liked the feel good story of dreams come true.

La Fille de Monaco (the girl from Monaco) was a light hearted film with no real purpose but to entertain. It's about an uptight lawyer who meets a sexy celebrity while visiting Monaco for a trial. He discovers a world he's never known, and the deeper he goes, the deeper he falls. The lawyers assigned body guard (the Obama look alike) went beyond the call of duty to aid the lawyer, but in the end, I think the bodyguard won. The end of this movie left me with a feeling of being entertained, but unable to explain why.


Les Bureaux de Dieu (God's Offices) was reported to be a comedy-drama, based on true case histories set in a Parisian family planning clinic. Perhaps my french was not fined tuned enough to find the 'comedy', however this movies was very engaging. Tackling subject matter normally excluded from public debate, this movie managed to ruffle feathers when released in France, I doubt it will be released more widely in Australia. Pictured here, the clinic Dr is explaining to the clients how a condom should be used. Other stories included the 40 yr old prostitute who seems to fall pregnant by the same guy frequently, but has many other clients, and the married woman who doesn't know if the babies her husbands or not. The side line story of the student counsellors learning the ropes was of interest to me (remembering my own student experiences) but these days, prompted me to think about something I could do in Paris..

Each year the numbers at the festival are increasing, which is exciting for our regional centre. The opening night was catered with local wines and Imported French Fromage, which I must say, was just one of the highlights of the festival for me. Another highlight, was being part of a community that celebrates what the French have to offer.

A la prochaine mes amis!

Friday Fill-ins

Chitwan River, Nepal

For more on info visit Friday Fill-ins
1. I just had a cuppa on the back veranda.
2. Heaven is.
3. The third sentence on the 7th page of the book I'm reading: Afterward, I'll spend a few days in Madrid and then return to Brazil. (The Pilgrimage, Paulo Coelho).
4. Prawns and champagne by the water with good friends tickles my fancy.
5. I was walking this morning as the sun was rising and the wind was dying down.
6. My french accent makes me laugh!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to the French Film Festival opening night, tomorrow my plans include French Films and Brunch with a friend, and Sunday, I want to garden, cook and read.

Mothers Day

Today was mothers day and I felt along way away from my mum, so I bought some her smells to my home and baked one of her favourite deserts - pumpkin pie. I was then inspired by Dolce Belleza to blog about this because she also cooked one her mothers recipes. While I was cooking I was blogging, and listening to french radio streaming from my internet. I came across some french blog sites I will keep in touch with, including Sophie at Les Lectures de Sophie.
Later in the day I had the chance to Skype with my mum, and show her the pumpkin pie I made and take her for a walk around my garden - with my new wireless internet and laptop. It was special to be able to do that today.
On the garden front - all is good - pumpkins are ready to pick, banana's are ripening, spinach is eadible and plentiful, carrots, celery, lemons, manderines, grapefruit and guava all coming in by the baskets!

Friday Fill-ins

I've been wanting to do Friday Fill-ins for a while but couldn't seem to get it done on Friday... so I've decided to do it on Saturdays. you can see more info at Friday Fill-ins

1. Salsa and Red Wine.
2. Take the seeds of sinapis alpa or Brassica luncea or Brassica Nigra and grind to a powder and you've got mustard.
3. By the time I get home from work my dogs are hungry and happy to see me.
   
4. Going home is what I look forward to most when grocery shopping.
5. and I was dreaming when I thought he'd change.
6. Exploring the world and difficult cultures - is there anything else better?
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I am looking forward to my glass of red wine, tomorrow my plans include gardening and setting up my wireless internet so I can blog from the garden, and Sunday I plan to read.
   

Sepulchre

For anyone who knows my reading history, or anyone who visits this blog, you'll know I'm a dreadfully slow reader - therefore I avoid big books. I also do most of my reading on the train to work, so big books are a real pain. Regardless, I did embark on this, what I call, big book. I get a great deal of satisfaction reading the trilogy, or the set, if there is one. So after reading Kate Mosse's Labyrinth, and Winter Ghosts, I was set to read this one some time.

I really enjoyed the Labyrinth, but didn't really find Winter Ghosts a complex read. I found Labyrinth a new experience in reading, with the author taking me on a mystery tour of sorts. I really enjoyed the sense of 3rd dimension in it, with different era's blending. For this reason I thought I would have enjoyed this one.

Sepulchre, takes the reader on guided tour through the experiences of two women, Leonie in the 1890's and Meredith in the present. Their lives are connected, but it's Meredith's search for her family history that makes that connection. Again, Mosse has a third dimension in this story. One that I was happy to entertain, however I don't think she took it as far as she could've. I read one review that suggested Sepulchre was not quite occult literature. I think that's what I felt, although I've never read any occult stuff?

Despite it not quite making it for me - I did read it (yeah) and it was a light and enjoyable read.

Where to from here?? I think I'm going to try Paulo Coelho's 'The Pilgrimage', and we're going to read Albert Camus "l'entrager" in french class.

Coming Soon

Last week I had the pure joy of spending a few nights in the Blue Mountains, in a little cottage with wood fire and comfy sofa. You would think then, that I might have finished a good book. Well Im close to finishing Kate Mosses 'Sepulchre', so the review will be here soon..

While we were in the mountains we challenged ourselves to a couple of mountain bike trails and some beautiful bushwalks. I was surprised by my own capacity and had a ball.

Eat Sleep Sit

Many thanks to Dolce Bellezza, who sent me this at the completion of the Japanese Literature Challenge 3. I was going to wait to read this for JLC4, but I couldn't.

My year at Japan's most rigorous Zen Temple, by Kaoru Nonomura, was reported in Japan Times as 'an unusually fine translation of an unusual best seller'. For me, reading connects me with my own experiences -past, present and future - and opens up new possibilities, definitions and meanings. This little book encouraged me to reflect on my life, while also opening up new understandings of the world of Zen Buddhism.

I have spent some time in spiritual retreats, in reflective spaces, and at Bible College. One of the most sacred times for me is dawn, in silence, just sitting (or walking) - no talking, no planning, no doing things. Its in the silence of dawn that I am reminded how small I am in the universe, and yet how powerful I am with intent. While reading this book I was reminded again, about the power of 'just sitting'.

"Sitting with my legs folded and my back straight when my every muscle still retained the lassitude of sleep was, I found, exhilarating. it felt as if every cell in my body were slowly recovering sensation and motion in synch with the steady reawakening of nature all around".

Yet the story was not just about these wonderful moments of peace and silence in Japans beautiful mountains. It was a story also of the rigorous training and routine that these novices went through in their time at Eijeiji Temple. The next sentence from the quote above screams......

"Then little by little, we were enveloped in an intense silence only broken by the occasional sharp whack of the monks stick on someones shoulder, my own body stiffening each time I sensed it was about to fall."

This was a powerful read, more poignant for those of us who feel called to silence for spiritual connections. What can we endure for our search for meaning? What becomes of our journeys? They level of violence and abuse is somewhat shocking for the reader, as we cant imagine this of the temple life. However it is part of the teaching regime, and not necessarily questioned by the author.

The authors journey into Japan's most respected and yet rigorous temple, was a beginning for him and many other monks who also under took such training. Where to for him? the story doesn't tell us much - it's left up to the reader the imagine what might become of this young man. As it is left to the reader to question, what has become of my journeys into spiritual spaces?