EX LIBRIS – The New York Public Library

EX LIBRIS – The New York Public Library is the latest film by legendary documentarian Frederic Wiseman. It is 197 minutes in length. And worth the watch.
When I told people that I was going to the screening, people laughed. Why would I want to watch a film that was that long? Well, I wasn't the only one. The screening was sold out (the rush line was so long that I doubt everyone in the line got in). And it's been showing at basically every film festival (e.g., Venice, TIFF, Zurich, Hamburg, Rio, Busan, Vienna...).
With a film this long, I wonder what could be cut. I wonder why the filmmaker decided not to cut more (because, obviously, there were more than 197 minutes of footage shot). I mean, 197 is a long time to be watching a film. But it's not the longest film that I've seen. At TIFF 2013, I watched At Berkeley (also by Wiseman) which was a whopping 244 minutes. I thought it was mediocre. I wanted more about academic life...less about their activism history. I also took a nap during the screening.
Full disclosure, I also took a wee nap during the current film, but I don't think it was out of boredom. It was a Sunday afternoon, it was a dark room and I was sitting in a comfy chair. The sound of the film was relaxing. On my way out of the theatre, I hear another person say that they closed their eyes at a couple points as well. So that made me feel better. I don't know how long I was actually out for, but I don't think I missed anything important. I guess that's the bonus of such a long film.
As I reflect on this film, I feel like I watched someone's PhD dissertation (which, coincidentally, can also be a product that the creator finds difficult to cut). I felt like, it was a product of a lot of research and exploration and synthesized into a nice package that gave me all the best bits and I have a well-rounded sense of the topic.
Simply put, the film lets the viewer in to the world of the New York Public Library and shares the wide variety of efforts, initiatives, events, programs that it has to offer. I think it might be a little strong to say it this way, but in some way, it does feel like a love letter to the NYPL. The film was caring, kind, warm...I felt good. There were many moments where I was smiling. That led to laughter. Filmed in 2015, we learned of book clubs, afterschool tutoring programs, afterschool robotics programs, carer and tot programs, active-for-life programs, speaker series (including conversations with Elvis Costello and Ta-Nehisi Coates), technology classes, job fairs, galas, meet the author events, art exhibitions, lecture series, internet access initiatives, musical concerts, and guided tours. We learned of specialist branches (e.g., Schomburg Centre for Research in Black Culture, Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library). Not only was the film about the NYPL, but it too let us explore New York. The diversity that exists, the different neighbourhoods. To see Harlem, Chinatown, and Midtown. We could compare and contrast the splendour of the 5th avenue location
to the warm and cozy, small neighbourhood location. We were invited to think about the different patrons, including (but not limited to): readers, tourists, students, learners, the homeless, parents, new immigrants. We not only saw what the public sees, but went behind the scenes too. From books being sorted for delivery to different branches, to Board of Trustee meetings and other admin and staff meetings to discuss the vision and direction of the NYPL. It was clear that the NYPL works closely with many organizations to provide what they believe will be the best possible product to patrons.
I was very impressed with everything that the NYPL has to offer. The efforts that it takes to be for the people. It makes me curious about what my local library system has to offer and why I am not taking advantage of their programs.
I thought it was a great film.

Picture courtesy of: www.ridm.ca

Maman Colonelle

Maman Colonelle (official website here) is a film about Colonelle Honorine, a member of the Democratic Republic of Congo's police force. Her specific role is to protect children and combat sexual violence. The film follows Colonelle Honorine for four months in 2015 on a new assignment in Kisangani, a region that is still reeling from the Six-Day War (2000) and where some community members believe in witchcraft. Colonelle Honorine, new to this community works to both support women survivors of the war who have lost their husbands and children, and care for children who endure physical and mental abuse as their parents try to rid them of their "wizardry".
Maman Colonelle has been quite successful and going around the festival circuit (e.g., Berlin, HotDocs). The screening that I attended (with English subtitles) wasn't sold out - the theatre was maybe 50% full.
The director was unable to attend the festival, but prior to the screening, we watched a video recorded message from Dieudo Hamadi to introduce his film and tell us a little bit more about the context and follow up information. He shared that he knew of Colonelle Honorine prior to coming up with the idea for the film and due to the sudden re-assignment and budget constraints, the film was shot quickly and simply. He shared that upon watching the film, Colonelle Honorine said, "c'etait bien", but that's it. It was difficult for him to tell what she really thought. Colonelle Honorine has recently been reassigned to a smaller locale, a post that the filmmaker shared seemed to be a demotion of sorts, relating to some of the struggles of his country and priorities.
The film is short and sweet. Unlike the other films that I've seen during the festival, there is a resolution at the end, which brings some hope to a challenging situation. I was able to learn about a culture and context that I otherwise would not have on my radar.
I would definitely recommend this film.

Picture courtesy of: http://www.andanafilms.com

A Modern Man

A Modern Man (official website here) is a documentary about Charlie Siem. I wasn't aware of him prior to the watching the film, but the topic seemed compelling and had just enough hint of "hits close to home" for me to be intrigued.
Some keywords that come to mind: drive, ego, emotions, giftedness, happiness, identity, independence, loneliness, perfectionism, pressure, recognition, relationships, reputation, selfishness, solitude, and success.
This film was in the documentary style of "getting to know a character" by following his life for a period of time but also with direct interactions through interviews. This is, in contrast to other documentaries (like, DPJ) where we're just privvy to the context/topic, but are silent/invisible spectators.
The Q&A with director Eva Mulvad, was great. A little bit too much of audience members giving commentary rather than asking questions (there was one gentleman who went on for awhile leading so audience members getting a little restless), but Ms. Mulvad did a great job of responding to each, describing what she found interesting in her protagonist and giving more insight into his world and character.
Although much of the Q&A centered around the issues of focus in the film, Ms. Mulvad implicitly spoke of her film making process and artistic choices that she made. While, for the most part, I'm more interested in getting more in depth into the topics of the films, I find it interesting when filmmakers talk about their craft. Typically, it's enlightening and I'm reminded of my naivety in that, of course, every choice the filmmaker makes is intentional and with purpose. Perhaps in reference or inspired by another film (e.g., Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation), to affecting the emotion of the audience in relation to the content being explored (e.g., starting with cold and seemingly frivolous opulence at the beginning of the film to closer, more intimate shots alongside violinist onstage during performances).
This film ended quite suddenly as well. It is a trend? Ms. Mulvad indicated that she had struggled with how to end the film. Ultimately, I think about some of the films that I've been watching and really there is no "better way" to end the film. Lives continue. There is no end point. There is no resolution. If the topic of the film doesn't naturally build to a specific event, moment, time...if the film is just a moment in time of something bigger...then, how else could you end the film?
Anyway, I enjoyed this film. Hard to say if the film was really that good, or that I just connected with the topic. Maybe a little of both. Ms. Mulvad expressed how she hoped that the audience would watch the film not as a spectator of someone else's life, but to be introspective and reflect on  the relevance of these issues in our current society. Based on the level of engagement of the audience during the Q&A, I think the film had an impact. Bonus - there's some great music in the film too. I'd definitely recommend the film to others.

Picture courtesy of: www://danishdocumentary.com/

DPJ

So I really don't know what was going on with the first film that I saw, but this one went rush, so people are definitely going to the festival.
This is a Quebecois film. I wonder if that has anything to do with it. My sense is that the topic of this film is also something that people are keen on. I noticed that there were some young adults in the audience who were talking notes during the film. Comments from audience during the Q&A indicated that there were quite a few folks from the DPJ and related organizations/fields/partners in attendance.
This film is about the Direction de la protection de la jeunesse, which is Quebec's child protection services. I'm undecided about whether the film is focused on cases, or workers of the DPJ. In the Q&A, the filmmaker indicated that he started the process focusing on the youth, but then turned his focus on the workers. I think he does both angles justice. The film provides a great "behind the scenes" look at what the DPJ does. From supporting the very young, to those nearing adulthood. It presents issues with compassion really not putting blame on anyone for challenging circumstances. And ultimately, I think that's what the DPJ is trying to do - support the youth and do what's best for them. Not pointing fingers, but creating solutions and finding the best plan for the youth.
The film ended abruptly. I wanted more. Or closure. But how else could the film have ended? It made the point very clear, there's no ending. The youth's journey goes on. The workers jobs continue. Cases are ongoing. There is no "the end".

So the intro to the film was in French. The Q&A was too. I mean, I have been wrestling with a lot of things recently and really reflecting hard about this and that, but the experience of going to this screening was another example of how things are different. It's hard to quantify how much I was able to comprehend. The movie have English subtitles that I read, but I also listened to the French dialogue. All of the questions asked during the Q&A happened to be asked in French. For the most part, even though dialogue was quick, I was fine during the Q&A but I was starting to feel a little fatigued and can't say for sure that I followed 100%. But was it that I wasn't following, or that I was picking and choosing what to take in. And living in this bilingual context is funny too - I find that if I have conversations in French or am in a French environment like I was for the screening, it's more challenging for me to recall it later on or even discuss it with someone else in English. In the moment, I feel like I am taking it in, but as soon as the moment passes, a part of it is lost. I suppose this might be an indication that I'm not fully fluent in French? Anyway, I think about belonging and access. I think about community. I think about a lot of things.

But ultimately, I liked this film and would recommend it to others.

Picture courtesy of: www.ridm.ca

Unarmed Verses

The RIDM fell off my radar last year. No idea why. It actually wouldn't have been on my radar again this year, but a colleague mentioned it in passing and I'm back on the bandwagon. Thank goodness.
I went through the entire list of films and narrowed down to about 20 or so that I was interested in. And as one does, I made an excel spreadsheet of the films in order to narrow down even further ruling out ones that conflict with other pre-existing commitments and then seeing how many overlap requiring me to prioritize which films I actually want to see. I'm thinking I'll end up seeing 4 or 5.
Two years ago, when I looked into seeing some films at the festival, I remember many of the ones that I was interested in already being sold out. I don't remember if I had waited until the last minute to get tickets, but I do remember being disappointed that I couldn't get tickets. I only ended up watching one film.
This year, tickets were still available for all of the films that I wanted to see, and the festival had already started. I don't know if there was something weird about the festival two years ago, or something weird about the festival this year (although, it's the 20th edition, so shouldn't there be a lot of interest in the festival this year?)...or even maybe the films that I'm interested in, but the fact that tickets were still available threw me off. Well, I guess it's more the fact that the film that I saw tonight had about 10 people in attendance. I was shocked and disappointed (for the festival and for the filmmakers - who were in attendance and expressed their slight disappointment).
Here are some facts: It was the second screening. It played at Hot Docs this past spring. There, it won the Best Canadian Doc Award. The screening was on a Sunday night. None of that helps me to understand why so few people were at the screening. I have never attended a screening of a film at a film festival with so few people.
Unarmed Verses is a film focusing generally on the Villaways community in the Sheppard and Leslie area of Toronto, but more specifically on Francine, a young member of the community. The film was subtle and I felt ended too early without getting deep enough into the issues, but keywords of: community, race, poverty, youth, and empowerment stand out. In Toronto (and I assume in other cities/towns as well), there have been many "revitalization projects" effecting (/involving?!?) Toronto Community Housing. This film focuses on one such case, but through the lens of a young member of the community. I'm unclear whether her growth is a byproduct of negotiating (for herself and her family) the changes unfolding (or about to come) to her community. Or, her participation in an arts-program that asks her to vocalize and make public her private thoughts, poems, and writing. Or, maybe it's both. And maybe it's the responsibilities that this young lady has thrust upon her, from family members, from other members of the community. It's clear that she not only has mentors to guide her, but she herself is a mentor to other younger members of the community.
It was a nice film, touching upon some important issues, and through voice and eyes of a lovely young lady.
I look forward to the next film that I get to watch as part of the festival.
 
Picture courtesy of www.nfb.ca/film/unarmed_verses/ 

Passing judgment

When an instructor at the gym doesn't mirror their actions/motions when facing the people attending class, I judge them.

Learning more about my neighbourhood

I live in a neighbourhood with a large Hasidic Jewish population. Prior to moving here, I was pretty much unfamiliar with this community. Little by little, I am learning more about Hasidism. I'm not always sure if what I'm learning about is accurate, but there are certain things that I have learned that I know to be true. And it's fascinating. Learning about different cultures, beliefs, traditions...I think it imperative to learn as much as possible about others.
In my neighbourhood, there is little interaction between Hasids and non-Hasids. At least on my part. While sometimes a hello or nod when passing by a non-Hasid on the sidewalk, I haven't had that interaction with a Hasid. But, I am curious and try to keep an open body language.
In addition to learning through observation, I have been told about some components of their culture, and more broadly, Orthodox Judaism (and even Judaism, in general). I have learned of the wigs that married women wear, men's payot. I occasionally snack on bubkas. I noticed mezuzah's in doorways. I look fondly at the beautiful skirts and dresses worn by many women. How siblings seem to take such good care of one another.
Each year, I've noticed a temporary structure erected around the doorway to a synagogue like, for construction purposes. And around the same time, something like parts of Christmas wreathes being thrown in the garbage. So different pieces of a puzzle that that I cannot decipher. But I recently learned of Sukkot and the sukkah. After which, on walks in my neighbourhood, I noticed sukkah's in various forms including structures in backyards and boarded up balconies. 
I also know of Shabbat. How a perfect day for me to go to the bakery is the day that it's closed. And word that people passing by will be asked to turn on/off an oven.
And it's true. This evening, on my way home from the bus stop, a gentleman, from his doorway asked if I could help turn off a light in his house. As perhaps my reaction reflected a well-ingrained "stranger-danger" belief, he started to explain his request. I told him that I understood why he asked this favour and he said that he was surprised, that most people did not know. I follow him into his home and turned off the light. There were other lights still on in the hallways, but he said all he needed was the one in the bedroom. He was very friendly and thanked me again for my help and wished me a good night. As he was on his way out of the house and we were walking in the same direction, I wanted to take the opportunity to engage in conversation with him. Although so curious, in the moment, I wasn't sure what to say. I didn't want to be too forward. Rude. But his body language seemed relaxed and open. I ended up asking him about the sukkah (as we were nearing the synagogue) and then about his hat. He told me about his shtreimel and I learned that only married men wore them, and on Shabbat. Hope he didn't find it silly or insulting that I asked if it was heavy. He responded that it depended on the brand/make. At this point, we reached the synagogue which was where he was heading to. I wished him a good evening and continued on my way. 
At a time when decisions (read: laws) are made because...well, for whatever reason they're made...I was happy to connect with a neighbour. A stranger. I learned about him and his culture. I value, appreciate, and accept him. Who knows if our paths will cross again. Previous to this evening I don't think our lives directly intersected. Other than some increased knowledge, a darkened bedroom, some positive emotions (hopefully, mutual), I don't think there have been any (negative) consequences.

Zumba

I took my first Zumba class today. I know I'm many years behind, but I wasn't really planning on ever taking a Zumba class. Because life happens, I got to the gym an hour earlier than I needed to. I thought about going to run some errands before the class that I usually take, or sitting in the common area and getting some work done, but I thought that maybe there was a different class on the schedule that I could try and then just head home earlier instead (never a bad thing).
The only option was Zumba.
I mean, I had always been slightly intrigued, but when people (who take Zumba) describe the class to me, I really can't imagine it being fun. When I watch youtube videos of it, I really can't imagine it being fun. But carpe diem, right? So, I took Zumba.
I'm not really sure how much of a workout it was (we'll see tomorrow if I'm sore or anything). My heart rate might have gone up a little bit? I'm not totally sure. But, it gave me a chance to observe and well, think some thoughts.
First, if someone wants to just try Zumba and decided to walk into a class like I did, I'd be very surprised if they didn't get overwhelmed. I think my background in dance (including some salsa training and rudimentary hip hop) really helped me out. My body awareness, coordination, and ability to pick up movements and patterns, I would assume gave me a leg up from the average person. I did fine throughout, but the class was essentially a series of varied repeated movements that changed from song to song. I'd be a little slower on the first pattern, but then it was pretty easy for me to follow the rest. It seemed like a lot of the people in class were regulars, so I assume they'd repeated the patterns many more times that I had and to the same songs no less (I knew this because some people were singing along). Even still, many people were turning the wrong way, forgetting when patterns ended, what patterns were, etc. I do give the instructor credit though. She was very good at giving cues. It really supported my ability to follow along, but I wonder for someone else who's just thrown into a situation like that for the first time, if they'd even be able to pick up on it.
I mean, when I've taken dance classes with different instructors that use a style of movement that I'm not as familiar with, it takes me a bit to catch on. I don't respond to their cues as easily, and quite frankly, I don't always pick up on them. It's like information overload at that point, where I just zero in on a certain part of their movement to master it, and forget about the rest. You know, like how dance teachers will tell you to forget about the arms (and/or head) and just concentrate on the feet for some more intricate exercises?
Anyway, I wonder how people who don't have the breadth of music/movement-type experiences as I do take in their first (or any) Zumba class?
Well, maybe they're not like me and don't realize that they were a half-count behind, or flexed their foot when it was supposed to be pointed? Maybe they don't get frustrated that they didn't do their rib isolation just so to get that hip hop vibe (me doing hip hop is no bueno).
Everyone in the room (not really moving as one) looked like they were having a grand 'ole time. Literally, there were people high five-ing each other between songs. There were different types of people taking the class as well and that was pretty lovely. Definitely people who, at face value, I wouldn't have expected to take a Zumba class.
I'm sure I was probably one of the more self-conscious people in the room. I was judging every movement that I was making. Critiquing each roll of the hip, shoulder, and wrist. I envy those who were able to let go, be in the moment, and just do their thing (that slightly resembled what the instructor was doing...).
That's not to say that it was a completely horrible experience for me. I enjoyed watching everyone else in the room. Their positive energy warmed my heart. I sort of got my salsa fix (I'd really been thinking about how much I missed taking classes and/or dancing). I moved my body to music, which is always good for the soul.
But will I take another Zumba class in the future? ...I'm not so sure.

Snow stories (addendum)

Awhile back, I wrote about how great Montreal was at cleaning up snow. The city is efficient and organized.

I have two more things to add:

1. "Part 1" of their grand plan (that I referenced in the aforementioned post) might not be logistically possible in other cities. It seems that they use a snowplow that drives on the sidewalk that pushes the snow out onto the road. Since the sidewalks is just beside the curb, this is possible. It would not be if they used the same system in the neighborhood where I grew up where there's a patch of land between the sidewalk and the curb often containing trees.

2. Not only do they put up signs the day prior to notifiy cars not to park on the street before they plow, but earlier in the evening before the plows come a truck drive around sounding a loud siren/honking noise to give warning that the tow truck will be coming around soon to remove vehicles still parked on the street.

Also, I guess the one unfortunate thing is that the plowing/blowing/trucking cavalcade often goes by in the middle of the night. It's sorta loud and contains a lot of flashing lights. (Small price to pay?)

Truth

Definitely.

Sporting events in Montreal

Montrealers really gets invested in their sports teams and/or come out in droves to attend sporting events. I realized that as soon as I moved here. Here's my rundown of the "scene" (at least the bits that are on my radar):

Canadiens (NHL):
Last year, I had the opportunity to attend a Canadiens game. I knew that this was the sports team that Montrealers really get fanatical about (especially when they're doing well - I mean, what city doesn't like to jump on a bandwagon - cough, T.O.). I don't know anything about the rules of hockey except that teams are supposed to get that puck into the opposing team's goal. That's it. So, I was clearly there to enjoy the atmosphere and cheer when other people cheered.
I didn't even really know anything about the players. I'd heard of P.K. Subban (who was injured at the time so wasn't playing), and people told me that some of the other key players were also injured (I think one of them was the goalie?). And, our seats were high enough up that I just had to sit back and take a global view of the game rather than watching facial expressions and feel (and smell?!?) the emotion of the players.
Anyway, it was a fun time. For what was (apparently) not a top game (Montreal vs. Minnesota), the arena was pretty full. People were rowdy, cheering, chanting, yelling, and boisterous. I did what one does at a hockey game and ate arena food. Greasy, junky, and yummy. I was lucky enough to be seated in I guess what would be like a corporate section where you could just walk up to the food vendors and ask for whatever you wanted. Let's just say the lines were looooong. I'm not sure if it's a situation where people were: a) really hungry, b) wanting to get their money's worth, or c) greedy. Maybe a combination of all of the above? For me, I wanted to make the most out of the experience and try things while I had the chance. So I got all of the things that I knew that I would never get on a daily basis. It was fun.

Impact (CSL):
So attending an impact game is on my list of things to do. I never really thought that soccer was something that Canadians were really into, but I know that even the Toronto FC team was getting a decent audience at their games. I'm not entirely sure if it's the game that is drawing these spectators, or the chance to come together and be rowdy. Eitherway, I'm down and I hope to attend a game in the future and see the spectacle for myself.

Coupe Rogers (ATP and WTA):
When I was in Toronto, I had always wanted to go to the Rogers Cup and I never did. It actually usually coincided with another annual commitment that I have and so the stars just never aligned. This past summer, the starts also didn't align and I wasn't able to go to the Coupe Rogers, but I did get to go the summer prior.
So, for those who don't know, there's a Rogers Cup in Toronto and there's a Coupe Rogers in Montreal. One city hosts the women and the other the men, and they rotate every year. So, as you can see by the picture, the 2015 Coupe Rogers hosted the men.

It was a fun experience. Upon entering the premises, I realized that there were actually a TON of courts. The big stadium with the main event for the day (with the bigger names), but then another slightly smaller court and then maybe 6-12 other courts for other games and practices. So, while my ticket gained me entry to a set of matches for a certain time at the main court, I could wander around the premises and wander into other courts some of which didn't require a ticket or other ones where I could stand along the side that there were multiple games being played (sometime at the same time), from singles to doubles. 
And there were different pavilions for food and other merchandise. Fans running around hoping to snag an autograph of a selfie with a player (I caught a glimpse of Novak Djokovic leaving the premises - ooh, famous person!). It was a spectacle. And let me tell you, the people attending tennis matches are a little bit different from those attending hockey matches. I mean, it's a different time of year, but there's also a different mood to it all.
Anyway, my ticket really focused on two matches. The first with Rafael Nadal being the headliners (it's the one in blue in the picture above), and the second, was with Kei Nishikori. Although your ticket was to both games, I was a little surprised at the number of people who only stayed for the first game. You paid for two, so why not stay for both? That was a little confusing to me. But maybe that's just a normal thing in the tennis world? I mean, for me, it was my first time at a game, and it was a lot of fun to watch, so by gosh, I was going to stay for the entire thing!

Alouettes (CFL):
I haven't had the chance to go to an Alouettes game yet, but I am impressed at a couple things that I've noticed on game days:
1. STM buses update their signage in support of their team
2. The STM set up shuttle buses to the stadium (I'm not sure where they're coming from because I tend to only pass by the stadium) and as a result some streets lanes are closed or diverted (which probably annoys the heck out people other than me - I find it impressive). Additionally, the SPVM are out and about directing traffic and pedestrians.
3. Neighbouring parks at the base of Mont Royal get transformed into an area of tailgating and other game-day events (games, entertaining, food and drink).
4. All-season/weather prepareness. On the coldest and snowiest of days, I have seen spectators bring seat cushions and blankets. They are wearing so many layers (and seemingly all Alouettes-branded) with the warmest hats, boats, snowpants, and boots.
I walk by the stadium where they play pretty much every day and have been on the field a couple times myself. It's pretty fun to run around the field and look up to the bleachers imagining what it would be like on game day. Pretty cool.

1001 Pots

Prior to moving here, a friend told me that I should add 1001 Pots to my list. Two summers ago (between my first and second year here), when I had a friend come visit, I took advantage of the fact that she had a vehicle (and was interested in ceramics) and we drove out to the village of Val-David.
The drive was lovely. It was a bright sunny day, and driving through the Laurentians was a first for me. Being without a vehicle, I spent all of my first year here on the island. And discovering the city by foot, bus, and metro. Any time that I ventured to other cities nearby, they were direct trips with no wandering and relaxation...and we never seemed to take scenic routes to get to wherever we were going. But going to Val-David took us through lovely landscape and I had my first moment of marveling in the landscape of this province.
Once we arrived to Val-David,we wondered it the exhibition would be difficult to find, but ummm, well there was basically one (small) street to Val-David, and that was it. So, we made out way to the exhibition unsure of what to expect, and basically, in what seemed like a large backyard (attached to a little forested area) were ceramics upon ceramics. It was neat to see the variety of pieces, the different colours, designs, aesthetics. I didn't leave with anything, but getting a better sense of what I like (I still working my way towards getting a piece of original artwork for my place). I did make some mental notes of ceramicists that I liked and noticed that a lot of them show at other markets/shops in Montreal so I didn't feel a need to rush into purchasing anything.
Anyway, I would recommend going up to Val-David and 1001 Pots if you have a chance. It might not completely blow you away, but it's still a nice little day trip.

Theatre of Life

It's been awhile since I've seen a film. Too bad. I need to build these outings back into my life.
I went to see the documentary, Theater of Life. It chronicles the Refettorio Ambrosiano, an initiative spearheaded by chef Massimo Bottura (Osteria Francescana) taking place during Milan's Expo 2015. The initiative brought top chefs from around the world to Milan and challenged them to turn excess food from the Expo into delicious meals. The meals were communally enjoyed by local residents typically residing in shelters, train stations, and the streets.
In the film, we learn about the initiative and marvel the dishes created by top chefs including: Ferran Adria (el Bulli foundation), Mario Batali, Alain Ducasse, Daniel Humm (Noma), and Rene Redzepi (Eleven Madison Park). We learn about some of the diners and their lives. We consider issues of food waste, social justice, and the human spirit.
I found the ending a little abrupt but perhaps it was meant to finish on a contemplative stance. As with many initiatives (including ones in my own life - personal and profession), I wonder how far reaching and continued its impact.

Picture courtesy of www.theateroflifemovie.com

Feeling festive

It's sort of evergreen tree-ish, right? It smells just as lovely and its "needles" hold decorations just as well. Even the little mouse from Norway looks right as home beside it! All that my "tree" is missing is some lights! Ha ha.

Wishing everyone a happy holiday season!

New York (Dec 11-15, 2016)

Leave it to a trip back to one of the cities that gives me life to bring this blog back to life. After a moment this summer where I was feeling particularly burnt out and feeling the benefits of "getting away", I vowed that I would take breaks more often for my mental and physical health. So, in typical form, went through the semester not really taking many breaks (although maintaining a lower level of engagement throughout) and slowly coming to a point when I realized that all signs were pointing to "you need a get-away"!

So, I booked a trip to NYC and now that I've pulled off the get-away band-aid, I hope that it will be easier for me to plan get-aways in the future!
Just walking amongst the crowds was rejuvenating. Window shopping. Visiting landmarks. Snacking. It was all pretty great.
I like to snack my way through the city. With so much awesomeness in one place (including lots of things to do in the evening), I'm often reluctant to take a couple hours out of my evening to have a full sit-down meal. And, why not have multiple smaller meals/snacks throughout the day rather than limiting yourself to just three? So mini-meals consisting of macarons (Laduree), cupcakes (Baked by Melissa), smoothies and falafels (Taim), pizza and pasta (Eataly), burgers and frozen custards (Shake Shack), and add a random sprinkling of other snacks from food trucks and such.

There wasn't anything at Lincoln Center that caught my interest for this trip, but that didn't prevent me from going for a visit. It's neat that there's a hub for the arts. Makes a lot of sense. Place des Arts in Montreal is a similar idea and the city really put a lot of resources into developing the area. Well done, Montreal!
Back to Lincoln Center. One of the reasons I enjoy visiting the building is to marvel at the massive Chagall paintings that they have hanging in the foyer of the opera house. But on this day, they were covered up. I guess you've got to take care of a protect those works of art from their natural predators.

Recently opened in March 2016, the Oculus is a new building in the World Trade Center area attached to the PATH train station to New Jersey. It's is an incredible piece of architecture. Part of the building has lots of shops and connects to office towers, the train and subway system and such. One end where the main entrance to the PATH station looks like something out of a sci-fi movie with the light concrete and the white backbone structure looming above. Robotic masses of people beeping their way through the automated gates and descending to the underground train level. It was cool to watch the "spectacle".

Only steps away is the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. It is a moving and informative space. The memorial is particularly moving. Seeing the two spaces previously occupied by the Twin Towers has a large impact.
There are moments in history that people tend to distinctly remember where they were and what they were doing at the time. I "think" the first of such events in my lifetime was the OJ Simpson verdict. I remember being in the cafeteria of my high school seated at that circular table in the corner that was typically occupied by cohort.

For September 11th, 2001, I remember being in my bed at my hole in the wall, rented apartment in Kingston while an undergraduate student at Queen's. I was waking up to my alarm clock (the radio) and hearing reports of the events. Still groggy from sleep, I remember hearing the news but not really processing it (although, how does one process such news?). I got up and started my day and received a phone call saying that my education class was cancelled that evening. I was confused why a class would be canceled for an event in the US and especially disappointed because this was to be my first education class of my degree. I had been waiting a long time for this class. I got ready for school and walked into a deserted campus. I remember walking through the student building and seeing news being shown on the TV screens. I was pretty confused about what was going on, but, like many people ended up spending a better part of the day in front of the TV watching updates on the event.

Being so close to the holiday season, the city was well decorated and festive. The big tree in Rockerfeller Center was much more impressive than the one in Place des Arts (sigh), and just facing, Saks had a nice music and light show. Fun times.
Holiday window displays are always incredible as well. Saks had a Nutcracker theme. Bergdorf Goodman always had something decadent. Barney's was humourous this year. And Bloomingdale's and Macy's displayed typical holiday scenes.

I was interested to walk by Trump Tower. Apparently, there are news outlets on site at all times as are the NYPD and the Secret Service. I walked by twice during my visit. Once, I think he was "home", and the other, he was not. This was evidenced by the number of black cars and ambulances parked outside the side door. Both times there were people standing on the sidewalk who wanted to make their presence known. Some were selling buttons. Some wanted to chat with passerbyers to discuss various issues. Others were speaking to whomever would listen about their perspectives.
It will be interesting to see how things continue to unfold. This is another case of an event that I'm not quite sure how to process and what its impact will be on the world.

One thing that has resulted is that citizens have posted messages on the walls of the Union Square subway station.
Some speak to the election specifically. Others to the state of the world. Still others, general messages or ones of a more personal nature/agenda.
I wonder how long the initiative will last.

I always try to see a show while I am in town. I try to see shows that I haven't seen before, and the two that were on my list for this time around were Hamilton and The Color Purple. I really wanted to see Hamilton and made it my priority. But, when tickets are sold out until August 2017 and wanting to pay face value for tickets, I resorted to waiting hours in the cancellations line. While I'm not always willing to give up hours of precious NYC time in a restaurant, I am willing to do so for the prospect of show tickets. Yet, I was unsuccessful, and instead of loosing more time in the city, for my last opportunity to catch a show, I decided to watch The Color Purple and call it a day. The show was fantastic. I'll have to go back and watch the movie again at some point. Or maybe I should read the book. Cynthia Erivo was awesome, but I think the whole cast was fantastic. There were very powerful moments in the show as there were moments for whooping and hollering and smiling and laughing. I'm glad that I was able to catch it before it closes in the New Year.

So, there you have it. A great trip, as usual. I made it to a couple sample sales (including an opportunity to wear a $7000 Marchesa gown - if only I had a place to wear the beautiful frock, I may have actually bought it!) and did a lot of window shopping. There were some beautiful bags and coats, but I returned back home empty handed. Oh, well.

More cheese

Ok, so I'm trying more and more cheese, and it's fine, but I'm realizing that a lot of the cheeses that I get...errr...taste the same. Is that because my palate sucks? Or because the folks at the shop keep recommending similar kinds of cheeses? Or that, after they give me a couple to try, I just end up buying similar ones because those are the flavours that I like?

I am only getting cow's milk cheeses if that means anything.

Anyway, so a couple cheeses to report on (no surprise here - I haven't been keeping up with my blogging).

Parmigiano Reggiano AOC - Emilie Romagne, Italy
So this past spring/summer, I had a grand ole time planting herbs and veggies out on two (of my three - ha!) balconies. My front balcony had lovely flowers everywhere. My side balcony turned into a forest with a variety of lettuces, cucumbers, green onions, cilantro, rosemary, a couple kinds of mint, and a BUNCH of basil. So, here we are, getting into the fall and my BUNCH of basil has done very well for itself.
The decision was obvious. Make pesto.
So, I neded to get some parmesan cheese. (Apparently, I had forgotten that I'd bought some before)
The cheese as good. Salty, crumbly but still shavable. I don't know what more to say. It made my pesto tasty, but was also good to eat on its own.

Comte Reservation 18 mois - Franche-Comte, France
Apparently, I've also had this cheese before.
What does it mean that I'm starting to buy the same cheeses? Is my memory fading, or we're starting to hone in on things that I like?

Gruyere Kaltback grotte AOC - Switzerland
20 years ago, I went to Gruyere. I ate their cheese. I wasn't particularly impressed (although I didn't dislike it either).
It tasted pretty great this time around. I'm really starting to think that a lot of hard cheese taste very similar (or at least, the ones that I like/buy taste similar). All sorta salty. All tasting like...errr...cheese. This one wasn't like, orange-cheese cheese taste (yes, I know, descriptive vocabulary is so sophisticated), but the hard white-ish-cheese cheese taste. I need to figure out what those two descriptors actually mean (to someone other than me). I think the former is a little bit more rubbery/plasticy. I think that's a comment on the taste, not the texture. But "rubbery/plasticy" as a flavour doesn't sound appealing, but I don't mean it to sound that way.
More info here.

14 Arpents - Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec
A soft cheese from Quebec, this was kind of so so. Not super flavourful in any way, but also not offensive. I think maybe I like hard cheese more than soft cheeses? Or maybe that's because the flvours are typically less intense for hard cheeses so they're more palatable for me? I mean, I started my exploration with soft cheeses specifically because (in my head), I thought they were the types of cheeses that I needed to conquer. The 'real' cheeses that 'real' cheese people like. I don't know how accurate that is, but now that I've tried a couple different types of cheeses, I'm finding that I'm more excited to try different hard cheeses, than to go back to the soft ones.
More info here.

L'Hercule de Charlevoix 24mois - Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec
A hard cheese from Quebec, I can't really recall if anything stood out about this one.
Here are some tasting notes from the shop:
Fromage a pate ferme. Croute lavee. Pressee et cuite. Lait 100% jersey. Presure animale du veau. Fin 2e. debut 3e service. Vin: Riesling. Sang ovese. (Google translation here)

Piave vieux - Venice, Italy
Another hard cheese, this time from Italy. This one was another one of those "tastes like a good white-cheese" cheeses. Nothing particularly remarkable, but nothing offensive either.
Reflecting on all of this, maybe I haven't progressed in my cheese journey. I'm still reverting back to getting 'boring' cheeses. I mean, one could see that I'm just getting the things that I like (the safe cheeses without a particularly strong flavour and are similar to the limited cheeses that I had growing up), but you could also see that my palate isn't expanding.
I think this was a good cheese, but I guess I wouldn't be clamoring to get it again.
More info here.

Grapes

You know "grape flavour"? I think it's pretty tasty. But I also thought that it was a fake flavour (because red and green grapes don't taste like it). I mean there are also other fake flavours (e.g., watermelon, blueberry). Recently though, I discovered these grapes at the market that reminded me of grapes that I used to snack on (read: steal) from my piano teacher's house a long, long time ago. So I bought them. And they tasted exactly like "grape flavour"...and they were SOOOOO good. Concord grapes (alas, not from Quebec...but from Ontario - woot woot!). Yum.

Gouda Old Amsterdam 18M

So, I've started to move down the fridge. I have almost tried all of the soft cheeses from France and Quebec, and am now moving across the fridges towards the harder and other European cheeses.
I'm not sure if I've had Gouda before. It tastes, like cheese. Seriously, it tastes like basic orange cheese. Kinda salty. Kinda like those Kraft singles slices that I would fold up into a cube and eat as a kid.
So, the Old Amsterdam 18 months is from North Holland, Huizen to be exact. As the label from the shop says, "Fromage a pate ferme pressee et cuite vieilli 18 mois." (Google translation here)
Meh, nothing too special for this cheese. I'd eat it again, but I'd try other cheeses first.

Coming home

I'm in Neuch right now. I feel like I'm home.
While I only spent three years of my life here, they were formative ones. I moved here to start my (first) career. It was my first job and I had just graduated from university (the first, wait no, actually the second, time). I was young, effervescent (I've recently worried a lot about whether or not I've lost this characteristic), and eager to take on the world.
Everything was wonderful and an adventure.
And here I am again, all these years later. The same person, but so very different.
Even taking my first steps in the Zurich airport felt so good. Getting on the train and hearing the familiar announcement over the intercom made me feel more relaxed (which I needed). Disembarking the train in Neuchatel and been surrounded by such familiar sights, sounds, and smells was so lovely.
I've spent the past two days trying to slow down. And just be. Here.
I'm searching for that inner glow that I haven't felt for awhile. It's gotta be somewhere in there. Being here is helping, I think. I feel like I've got this thick layer of something that's taking away the shine to everything. I'm hoping it's just been a build up of some things over time, and these next couple days in Neuch will help to peel off some of the layers. I feel small glimmers every so often, but I'm not quite where I want to be.

Yesterday and today were pretty great though. Actually, things have been just dandy since I arrive Sunday night. In addition to just feeling like I'm home, I made myself comfortable in the place where I will call home for the rest of this week. It's a beautiful space with a beautiful view. I shall have to take a picture of the view that I wake up to. And then I had fondue for dinner.
Yesterday was a quiet day culminating with a walk to my old neighbourhood, walking by my old apartment, walking to the bus stop as I always did and then to a dear family's house for a raclette dinner. And then back downtown for the fireworks (c'etait la fete nationale). They put on a great show. I've seen quite a lot of fireworks recently (Montreal has them regularly in the summer), and this was so much better. There were some really interesting ones, including one shaped like a teddy bear's head!
Today, I went to the market. I walked around downtown. I walked near the lake. I ate a crepe. I also ate yogurt.†I went to Migros. And Coop. And Denner.

I don't want to live here (forever), but I would like to spend more time here. It's a place that rejuvenates me and feels good. I guess that's because it's home.

Paris, France (July 18-23, 2016)

Paris is (one of) my happy place(s).
It's been five years since I've been here, and it feel like too long. I know that's such a privileged thing to say, but it's the my truth. My first and last day in the city were pretty much for recuperating or traveling, so I really only had 4 days in the city. Four days is not nearly enough.
I did lots of amazing things (might update this post in the future with pictures and more details), but here is a little recap of the highlights:

Colette - This was literally, my first stop (after checking in to my hotel). I love this shop so much. It's a lifestyle store, but for me, what I appreciate is the "curated" clothes/fashion and their presentation. Each time I go upstairs in the shop, I feel like I'm entering a gallery space. The mannequins artfully dressed, it's great. I don't really consider myself a fashion nut, but I guess I'm slightly interested in it.
I really appreciate the thoughtfulness of everything that's in the store. Whomever the buyer is does a great job. I really enjoy the fashion in the store. Touching and taking a close look at the fabric. It's art.

L'As du Fallafel - I don't tend to each much while I'm in the city. I'm too busy walking about and doing different things, that I forget to eat, or just couldn't be bothered. Or, in the summertime, when it's so hot, I usually don't feel like eating. AND, a baguette can take you a long way. I usually just pick up a couple things from a grocery store and snack on the road or back in my hotel with my feet up (my feet REALLY hurt from walking so much). But, I did go (back) to L'As du Fallafel in the Marais for some yummy falafel (hmmm, I guess there are different ways to spell it?). Their falafels (the whole she-bang, but just the falafel pieces) are massive and in my shrunken stomach state, I couldn't finish the whole thing. I ended up eating everything in the pita and then saving the pita itself for a snack a little bit later on in the day. The best part of the falafel is the roasted eggplant. So tasty.

Macarons - As I said, I don't eat a lot while in Paris, but I do always prioritize the eating of macarons. There are two companies that I get my macarons from: Laduree and Pierre Herme. They are both awesome, but different. Laduree has very classic flavours. Par example: vanille, chocolate, pistache, cafe, rose. Pierre Herme has just one or two of the classics, but really experiment with different flavour combinations. Their classic is Mogador, which is chocolate and passion fruit. They have seasonal flavours too. Their theme for the summer is Jardin Enchante, and they've got a lot of citruses and yogurts. My favourite seasonal flavour was citron vert, framboise & piment d'Espelette. It was SO good. I usually try different things each time I return to a restaurant/shop, but I actually went back to get the same flavour. I'm telling you, SO good.

Centre Pompidou - I went to the Paul Klee exhibition at the fun looking building. It really is unique. I only visited the one exhibition. I'd been to the museum before and I'm sure that I'll go again, so I didn't feel the need to visit the regular collection this time around. My brain could only handle this one exhibition.

Foundation Louis Vuitton - Opening in 2014, this was my first chance to visit this museum. It seems to show only one exhibit at a time, and I happened to be in town for "un choix d’oeuvres chinoises de la Collection". Actually, there were two exhibitions happening I suppose, as there was also the L'Observatoire de la lumiere. Both were quite fantastic. I will have to upload some pictures soon (and update this post accordingly). It is a beautiful building and says Frank Gehry all over it. If you know the new AGO building, you know what I'm talking about. Even if you're not keen on the art that's being exhibited when you're in town, I would highly recommend going to visit the building because it's pretty incredible. It really is like a sailboat plopped into a park. There is a lovely water feature beside the building which is so calming too. And with your ticket to the museum, you get admission to the Jardin d'Acclimatation.

Shopping - Of course this would be an important component of my time in Paris. Window shopping is key. When wandering Rue St. Honore and Av. Montaigne (for example), for me, it's akin to Colette. I just go into the boutiques and appreciate what's there. Paris is special for many reasons, and going to the homes of many of these designers is a treat. I was hoping to splurge on something while I was there, but while I did see many things that I liked, there wasn't one item that leap out at me or that I felt comfortable with the price. It may sounds completely ridiculous, but I wasn't in the best emotional state while I was there (due to my fatigue and such), and that negatively affected my purchasing power.

Anyway, it was pretty great to be back to Paris. And I didn't spend nearly enough time this time. I've actually been thinking a lot about vacations (I'm finishing up this post, now, two countries later - although, not completely feeling like I've had any vacation) and how I should try to make them a priority (or, at the very least, some sort of break from work/life). While in Paris, I was actually chatting with someone in a boutique, and she was telling me about all of the vacation time that the French get. That it's part of the culture. Vacations, that is. It really made me reflect on their lifestyle as compared to mine and how each culture/person values different things.

As I've said a couple times in the past little while, I'm a work in progress.