Island of the Flowers

A short in spanish, worth watching. I should find more information about it. Maybe I am going far with it, but it actually gave me an association to movies made by Agnes Varda.

little boxes

Here is a song by Melvina Reynolds that I like very much. Her voice is a little cracking and not perfect and that's why she is great. This might not be the best way to upload the song, but at least I was able to in the end..

The lives of others

Recently we went to watch the movie The Lives of Others - I recommend it very much. The movie deals with a terrible period of time in the history of Eastern Germany, a few years before the wall fell. The film was not done in extravagance, nor is it shown as a melodrama, the dialogs are so precise and whatever happens is subtle, unfolding quietly as if we (the viewers) are entering the lives of these people instead of showing events with a starting point, middle and end. To me, the film had a poetic cloak to it that I miss in life around now. Perhaps it is because I am so caught up in the mundane at the moment, it was like a breath of fresh air to listen to a few lines from Brecht quoted in the movie. Also, I liked very much the painting which hanged in the apartment of the main characters.

And of course without a funny small incident the experience wouldn't be complete: as we were waiting for the movie to begin for some mysterious reason, one of most annoying songs that exists was played to our benefit (it makes my ears hurt) - Hotel California of The Eagles! and to top that, the couple sitting behind had to sing along and really made me want to cry..

Here is the link to the film's website, although I am not sure how well is the trailer in giving away some of the essence of the movie.

http://www.sonyclassics.com/thelivesofothers/

arrr arrangements

arrangements
what an annoying word.
I try to avoid it my whole life and yet it seems that most of the day is made of bits and pieces of time frames that were created for the holy ceremony of arranging things.

Now it is the matter of getting rid of our earthly belongings (printer, scanner, book shelves and so on and so forth), finding new homes for the 2 cats (Chula and Gogol) and deciding which books am I taking with me and which will stay hiding in boxes somewhere until the day they can meet sunlight once again.

This odyssey is a process I don't recommend.
More about the Odyssey probably next time.

event in Jerusalem

THE BOOKSHOP AT THE AMERICAN COLONY HOTEL AND IBIS EDITIONS

are pleased to invite you to

an evening of Palestinian poetry and prose

in English and Arabic

with

Samih al-Qasim

and

Peter Theroux

in celebration of the publication of two new books:

Sadder Than Water: New & Selected Poems by Samih al-Qasim, translated by Nazih Kassis, introduced by Adina Hoffman

and

Saraya, the Ogrea's Daughter by Emile Habiby, translated by Peter Theroux

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 6 PM, THE PASHA ROOM, THE AMERICAN COLONY

23 Nablus Road, Jerusalem

02-627-9731

Kurt Vonnegut

from CNN:
Kurt Vonnegut, whose novels included "Slaughterhouse Five" and "Cat's
Cradle," has died at 84, his wife tells The Associated Press.

addiction

my eyes are burning, my pulse is high.
what is this feeling running through my body.
ah yes! i cannot stop playing these ridiculous computer games!
ruining my eyesight and making me anxious, obsessed and hollow.
must-stop-playing-must-stop-playing
my new mantra.
ok just this level?..

if you live in NYC

Here is something I got from 16beaver from NYC:

what: Presentation / Discussion
When: Friday evening 4.13.07
Where: 16Beaver Street, 4th Floor
When: 7:30 pm
Who: Free and open to all

We are very pleased to have photographer
Deborah Bright and Israeli-American writer
and scholar, Linda Dittmar, at 16beaver.
Deborah and Linda will present an informal slide preview
of their collaborative project documenting remains
of the 1948 Nakba (Catastrophe)
when some 750,000 Palestinians were exiled
from their homes in what became the State of Israel.

We hope you can join us for what promises
to be a thought-provoking evening.

_____________________________________________
2. about the project

This work is predicated on the belief that until
the pain and losses (of family,community, homeland)
of the Palestinian Arabs in 1948 (not to mention 1967)
are publicly recognized and dealt with by both Israel
and its primary sponsor, the United States,
no lasting peace and stability is possible.

_____________________________________________
3. about Deborah Bright & Linda Dittmar

Deborah Bright is an internationally known photographer,
writer, and professor of photography at RISD.
She edited 'The Passionate Camera:
photography and bodies of desire' (1998).
More information about her work
can be found at http://www.deborahbright.com

Linda Dittmar grew up as a third generation
Israeli who witnessed the events of 1948 as a child
in Tel Aviv. She is professor of literature and film
at the University of Massachusetts, Boston,
and co-edited 'From Hanoi to Hollywood:The Vietnam War in Film'
and 'Multiple Voices in Feminist Film Criticism'.


__________________________________________________
16 Beaver Group
16 Beaver Street, 4th / 5th fl.
New York, NY 10004
phone: 212.480.2099

for directions/subscriptions/info visit:
http://www.16beavergroup.org

TRAINS:
4,5 Bowling Green
R,W Whitehall
2,3 Wall Street
J,M Broad Street
1,9 South Ferry



__________________________________________________
16 Beaver Group
16 Beaver Street, 4th / 5th fl.
New York, NY 10004
phone: 212.480.2099

for directions/subscriptions/info visit:
http://www.16beavergroup.org

TRAINS:
4,5 Bowling Green
R,W Whitehall
2,3 Wall Street
J,M Broad Street
1,9 South Ferry

something to see

Meanwhile I get familiar with the whole blogging thing, here is a photograph I took recently from the TV screen:




Besides being part of a new project I am working on, it just about sums what is going on in my life at the moment.

first timer

I am a virgin blogger.
Yes, no shame in admitting that (ok, maybe a little shame).

I feel the urge to put my thoughts out there in the open space of the unknown as I am about to enter some big changes in my life: My partner (who is a "Mexicanian" as our dear German friend calls him) and I (not a Mexicanian) will be moving to Mexico in a couple of months and I am hoping that putting some of the fears on writing will make them a little bit less significant..

Obviously (to me), there is also a kind of romanticism in writing my thoughts in a Blog. Probably old fashioned yet has a certain kind of appeal - this adding of my existence to the world of the wide web. Call it an experiment in discovering little bits of truths about yourself, looking at that little pool of narcissism.

I am not sure how often will I add new posts here, but this will be a trial for some time - for someone that routine is not one of her favorite things might be a tad bit difficult.