Saturday, October 22, 2005

Weekend Miscellany

A word about my new profile picture. It is of the Greek sea nymph Nerissa by John W Godward. In Italian, it means black-haired. Shakespeare introduced the name in The Merchant of Venice as the character who played Portia's law clerk.
(One of my younger cousins is called Nerissa (and she does have black hair).)

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I don't care if it is Saturday, I shall post. I missed Friday because I was too busy ranting on 20Six in order not to subject you all to my low mood.
So I am making up for it today.

The night before last, I watched the movie Unfaithful. I do not appreciate adultery being cast in a sympathetic light, but separating myself from my emotions, I was able to appreciate the film as a whole.
Diane Lane plays the bored upstate New York suburban wife who finds a spark of excitement with her accidental lover in SoHo (Olivier Martinez as French bookdealer Paul). Former hottie Richard Gere is now old enough to portray the boring and faithful husband who confronts young Paul with disastrous results.

I must say, the murder scene is one of the most intriguing I have ever watched and I replayed it a couple of times in order to grasp the extent of Paul's shock.
My favourite scene was of Lane running through a gamut of emotions in the subway as she recalls her first amazing rendezvous with Paul. Many of us may identify with her for that moment.

The soundtrack was moving and the cinematography quite beautiful at times, but do I recommend it? I leave the decision up to you this time.

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Yesterday was a bad day. I told someone that for me, this year autumn is very symbolic. October seems to be a month of many ends for many people, and yesterday it was just too much for me. For a few hours, I felt as though on top of my own, I had tapped in to the pain of the entire world and I could hardly bear it.

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So a good friend sent out a lovely song and I have transcribed the lyrics here for you. Hey, it's about tea. Never say no to tea.

Excellent Tea - James T Slater

Don't underestimate the value of your friends
Don't take for granted your family
A walk on the beach, glory of the sea
Sweet satisfaction of an excellent tea

Don't overlook romance or the joy of a spring
The glow in your children's eyes or the happiness they bring
A fine wine, a good book, dancing cheek to cheek
Warm conversation over an excellent tea

The destination is the journey, not the journey's end
So be where you are
Be well, my friend

Share your smile with someone, take time to laugh
Be curious, be bold, be strong and steadfast
Respect yourself, kindness is the key
Put a little love in your excellent tea


10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Whoaaaaaaaagh, ad comments! No fun.

Man, and I really liked the picture before.

Have you ever seen The Life Aquatic? That one I recommend.

michelle said...

hey liv, in a mo I will watch Meet the Fockers...have you seen it

and Randis...I love the Life Aquatic!

Anonymous said...

I raise a toast to your tea poem with a mug of Tazo's Lotus Green Tea. :) Mmmm...

Olivia said...

Oh the spam...online wedding planning? Do not do that to me please!
And I have very nice tooth enamel, thank you very much. I am taking issue with this because I have lost my trash can icon again.

OK Randis, I hope the Life Aquatic will make me laugh a LOT.

Jia Li - we spent so much time discussing cultural history, you forgot to tell me about the movie. I haven't seen it...

Merserene - Tazo Rocks! Ooh, you would get this: if you order tea at Patisserie Valerie, the waiter will bring a wooden presentation box of various Tazos for you to choose from.
;)

Anonymous said...

Olivia,

Good to read that bouts of depression (melancholie) never last long with you. :)

Oh yes, thanks for the fantastic link ..I enjoy looking at art from all periods. Makes me miss a friend in Berlin, he wrote his thesis about religious art of the 14th and 15th century. I know, that sounds boring, but I assure you it isn't, neither is he when we walk around the galleries in Berlin.

Cheers for now
Helmi

Anonymous said...

I forgot my tea experience at Patisserie Valerie and don't remember the wooden box! :/

Interjecting here - The Life Aquatic with Steven Zissou is fun but quirky. It is with Bill Murray, after all. I was very surprised to see Bud Cort having aged so since Harold and Maude.

michelle said...

we need super spam death!

Olivia said...

Helmi - not really. And if I am mildly so, as I am now, it doesn't usually show in my blogs. I can still be funny while feeling sad inside, unless it's serious.
Nothing wrong with religious art of the 14th or 15th C. I wrote my PGDip thesis on the 14th century Wilton Diptych in the National Gallery here. It was beautiful, a real jewel:
The Wilton Diptych

Merserene - right, time for you to come back to London young lady, before your memories totally fade away.
Yea, come to think of it, Bill Murray is always in odd movies.

Jia Li - come on, let's raise an army against the terror of spam!

Anonymous said...

That's a beautiful poem Olivia. Thank you. Looks like I have resigned to Houston until further notice.
vanessa

Olivia said...

Oh V, you sound sad. *hugs*

Somebody help! It won't let me post! There's a gremlin in the net. Haha, I watched the movie last night...