We are moving

Some of you would have realized that I was maintaining two blogs (actually, it's four blogs, but that's another story). I was struggling to update both of them, but, most importantly, I was also struggling to remember why I ever thought I needed that many. Oh, I know there was a reason that made perfect sense at the beginning. But no more. This one, and Cuttings on a blog, especially, seemed to have lost their initial reason to exist. I was beginning to feel a bit schizophrenic, and worse, dishonest, about having both. Initially, Some of those things was going to be more serious, I wanted to post about my favourite things and those included books and films. Cuttings on a blog would be more visual, lighter, and more fun! So I'd be talking about the film The Class here, and about Confessions of a Shopaholic there. Because, yes, I saw both and enjoyed both.
I'm a gemini, you see, and alhough I'm not sure I believe in horoscopes, I definitely see two sides of myself. There is one, who reads (or tries to read) the right books and watches the right films, and the other one, who reads Vogue and every other lifestyle magazine that Borders stocks, as well as being interested in fashion, and other beautiful things, and who can be quite silly.
I like this about myself, but over the years, some of my friends have struggled with it. Depending on where or how I'd meet them, they would be surprised, confused and almost annoyed, when they saw a glimpse of the other me. And so, in many ways, I got used to compartmentalize myself. Of course, my real friends know both sides of me (in fact, all sides of me!) and simply think I'm crazy. So, welcome to crazy me! If you head to Cuttings on a blog, you'd find a mix of everything that I like and inspires me, from serious books to silly films, because I'm made of all and some those things.

Learning

I've said it before. I love learning new things. Normally, if I want to learn more about a particular writer, or history period, I'll start reading about it or do an evening class, all very intellectual ways of learning, as opposed to learning to DO something.
Lately, I've found myself very interested in two things I know nothing about: textiles and book binding. As always, I headed to the library and found things on these subjects (yes, I love using the library, and yes, books are always my first port of call), and then I heard about this workshop happening in London and jumped at the chance!

Prints, Patterns and Patina - a workshop with Martin Bergström

I booked myself a place in this workshop at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London and I can't wait! With everything else I'm doing at the moment, I didn't want to commit to weekly evening classes, but doing a workshop or learning day here and there would be a perfect way to learn more about these things! I'm very excited to do this first one!

And, of course, it's the perfect excuse for a day in London (may even make it a weekend) and a browse around the museum.

If you really want to hear about it...

I have finally finished reading The Catcher in the Rye for my Reading Dangerously Challenge. As I said, I read this years ago in Spanish, but I most definitely didn't get it, and in fact, could not remember very much of it.
"To tell you the truth", I was not impressed at first this time either. I just wasn't interested in Holden's ramblings and was losing all my patience with him. But suddenly, after his conversation with a cab driver about where the ducks go in winter, I was strangely hooked. I was back on my teenage years, and I felt the pain of feeling that nobody cared, that nobody understood, and that I was alone. I found myself nodding when he said things like

"All you have to do is say something nobody understands and they'll do practically anything you want them to."

Because it's just so true. And the pain, the confusion, and the self-awareness is so real.
Towards the end, though, I started getting tired of the self-pity. I could see how Holden was spiraling out of control, and I lost my patience with him. I could not understand his resistance to grow up, and I wonder if that comes when reading this book now, because I now know that, despite the fact that adult/real life is, it's so much better than being a insecure teenager with an identity crisis.
If it's a while since you read this, read the digested version from The Guardian here. Hilarious.

Twitter and cool graphics

I love Twitter, and I know the basics of how it works (although I know there is sooooo much more you can do with it that I haven't grasped yet. I'm still learning...) This video only explains the basics, but it's so well explained and the graphics are so cool and sweet, that I've already watched it several times.

Twitter in Plain English from leelefever on Vimeo.

From Noquedanblogs

Sesame Street

Of course, I looooved Sesame Street when I was a child, except I knew it as Barrio Sesamo, which translates as Sesame Neighborhood. Funny, uh? This was huge everywhere and of course, Spain was no exception! But I didn't know until recently that this wasn't a Spanish product. I think it was an episode of Friends, where Phoebe is watching it with little Ben, that made me finally accept it. I think I didn't want to know before, really.
We had all the American characters, but with different names, either translated into Spanish (Cookie Monster was El monstruo de las galletas) or with different Spanish names (Bert and Ernie were Epi and Blas). We also had some local recurring characters! And even though now I'm all for watching the original version of films and TV programmes, and I don't mind subtitles, this is the one thing I don't like in its original English. It feels WRONG! Epi and Blas did not talk like that! I don't want to change my childhood memories of it!
So, anyway, the reason I was thinking about this was this article on CNN about the background of some of the characters. It's pretty surreal.

Made me smile...

Via Swissmiss

Sit and experience

"I fear we no longer take the time to sit and experience"

From Poetry for You, @ Blurb

She had decided to stop, to look around her, to feel, to laugh and cry. To pay attention. But, after a while, everything was a blur, life rushed back in, and she couldn't stop. She didn't have time to look around anymore. No time for flowers, or colours. Stones or tress. No time for lazy breakfasts and long walks. No time to enjoy.
And then, she remembered. She had to take the time to sit and experience.

Stuff

Like so many others in the blogesphere, I'm trying to consume less, starting with a month of not buying anything. If I'm tempted, I'll watch this video again and I know I'll change my mind straight away. To watch and know where your possessions come from, click here.

Some of those films: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I've just seen The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. A magic story about time, love, family, American history... About life and death. About old age, and young age. About someone aging backwards while all the people he loves grow older. About mortality, and the importance of making the most of life.
The fact that Brad Pitt's character ages backwards is actually not that important for most of the film, as he seemed to go through the same stages of life that a boy growing old would do. It's only when he becomes a father that he starts really thinking about the consequences of growing younger. I felt that was one of the problems with the film, the characters were rather uninteresting, bland, with nothing much to say. So much so, that not even great performances by Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett could save them.
The film is beautifully shot, and the images sometimes told the story better than words... and perhaps that was the problem. During the film, I kept thinking there was something wrong, something banal, boring about it. Of course, it was only when I read that the screenwriter was Eric Roth, who also wrote the most boring film in cinema history ever (yes, Forrest Gump) that I understood. As much I was enjoying the cinematography and the acting, there were several moments when I just wanted the movie to end. I looked at my watch (of course, never a good sign) about an hour and a half into the film and thought, OMG, and the love affair hasn't even started yet!
There were, however, charming scenes, and the sad but beautiful ending made leave the cinema thinking about life, the randomness... and the beauty of it.

Beautiful Oxford is covered in snow...

If you really want to hear about it...

Yep, I have finally started my year of reading dangerously with The Catcher in the Rye. I've actually read this book already, many years ago. I can't say that I didn't like it, but I definitely didn't get it, or at least, I didn't get as much from it, as many other people seem to have. Perhaps I was too young, perhaps it wasn't the right moment in my life, perhaps the Spanish translation I picked up wasn't very good.
I'm intrigued to see if my experience this time is similar or completely different. I'm a different person in so many ways that I wouldn't be surprised if it was. I'm much more centered now that I used to be, I'm more aware of everything around me (or at least, I like to think I'm), but, above all, I'm so much more open to other people's experiences, opinions and ideas, and so much more confident that being challenged is not longer a threat but a very welcoming experience.
So, I'm off to read and will let you know what happens.

A pretty red umbrella

It´s raining outside and I hide behind the window, not wanting to face reality. If I had a pretty red umbrella to cheer me up, I could venture in the rain. If I was feeling stronger, I would fight the black umbrellas. My red umbrella and a smile is all I need.

Photo @ Overflowing via Vespertinal

An unexpected source of inspiration

A Thousand Words from Ted Chung on Vimeo.

Video found @ Noquedanblogs

What do you think happens after this? Is she going to call? Did she leave the camera behind on purpose? Or, is it too late and she's gone? Maybe she never intended to leave the camera and she'll never know that the guy found her. She missed her chance when she didn't say anything to him.
This makes me think of all those missed opportunities that we never learn about. Not the mistakes that become clear after a while, but the decisions we didn't take, the lives we didn't live. Do they get lived in a parallel universe, or are they lost forever?

The Guardian on Saturday

This is one of my favourite things about living in England. Getting up on a Saturday, getting the paper, going to a nice place for breakfast (the park, weather permitted) and flick through the news, the book reviews, the TV guide (I tell you some of the recaps and opinions are hugely entertaining), I even like the Work and Money sections... Normally I'll read as much as I can on Saturday morning and leave the rest for the week ahead. It's the simple things in life, right?

More reading

OK, so I have changed my mind (again) and I'm going to do the Reading dangerously challenge (My Year of Reading Dangerously) properly. Here are the 6 other books I'm adding to my list:

The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger: thanks for the suggestion, Cheryl. I read this book years ago in Spanish and I've been meaning to read it in English for a while now, so this is the perfect opportunity.

Forgotten Voices, by Max Author: I wouldn't normally read a book about war, so that's the challenge. Also, I do want to learn more about WWI as I feel there is not enough information out there about it (certainly not as much as about WWII)

Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden: I got this book as a present many years ago, and I want to read it, and then watch the film to compare them.

The Secret Story, by Donna Tartt: I have never read anything by Donna Tart, so it's a new author to try!

Also, two books that have been on my shelves for a really long time: Prozac Nation, by Elizabeth Wurtzel, and White Teeth, by Zadie Smith.

Phew, I better start on one of this soon. Not today, though. This is my first week back at work after more than a year and I'm EXHAUSTED in the evenings, so I'm reading something light and funny: Remember me? by Sophie Kinsella (of Shopaholic fame!)

Reading

I'm joining a reading challenge, My Year of Reading Dangerously. I have to read 12 books I consider "dangerous" during 2009. These can be banned or challenged books, new genres, authors I'm afraid of or (my favourite) books that seem to have a permanent space on my shelves. I have 6 books in my list so far (any more suggestions?):

Rayuela (Hopscotch) by Julio Cortázar: Very scary, what I don´t get it?

100 años de soledad (100 years of solitude), by Gabriel García Márquez: Ive loved other García Márquez's books, but, for some reason, have always resisted reading this one.

The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova: As much as I loved Buffy on TV, vampire books are not my thing, but this one has been recommended by my sister so...

The Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie: I WILL finish one of his books.

My New York Diary, Julie Doucet: I have never read a graphic novel and this one (recommended on the Dangerously challenge blog) looks great.

In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote: I like "fun, light Truman", but I have always been TERRIFIED of reading this one. Thanks, Jan, for the recommendation!

Come and join us. Otherwise, you can join one of these reading challenges: Art History Reading, A to Z challenge, Childhood favourites.

Update: I'm thinking I'm going to leave my list as it is, with only 6 books. Even though the challenge says 12 (and I definitely going to read more than that number of books this year), I want to have time for other non-dangerous books.

Reading

I love reading. But I, too, wish I could still read like a girl again.

New beginnings

I've said it before, I love those times of the year when you get a chance to reinvent yourself. And of course, the beginning of the new year is the most important one. This year, however, it's a bit different. I've had such an special 2008 that I didn't want it to finish. These are some of the things I did in 2008, while traveling and volunteering in South America, from Chile to Colombia, through Argentina, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador:


And so my main New Year's resolution is not to forget what I have learnt, done and seen in 2008. The feeling of freedom, the new experiences, the challenges, the experiences shared with my boyfriend, the promises to live a simpler, better life, the inspiration to help others, to help the environment, and to enjoy the small moments.