Two really astonishing stories I have come across in the last fortnight. First, Joe Hill's novel 'Heart-Shaped Box'. Neil Gaiman's blog recommended this ages ago and I finally picked it up. This is in some respects a truly nasty story - I was slightly surprised - but genuinely redemptive and one of those books that you just feel is 'true'. It's been badged as horror - the vengeful ghost is central and really terrifying - but I wouldn't even call it fantasy, just a novel of real life with a supernatural catalyst. I've never read anything more revealing about the effects of abuse and the way the abused can become the abusers. Oh and the vision of the ageing rock star as the central character also feels very convincing.
Just as good and probably somewhat easier going for the faint of stomach is beautiful film 'I've loved you so long' (french with subtitles). This has jumped straight into my top 10 films of all time. Even those who prefer more plot must surely be gripped by the underlying tension and mystery of the scenario where Juliette (Kristin Scott Thomas) comes to live with her sister Lea after 15 years in prison.
We find out relatively rapidly that Juliette murdered her own 6 year old son. Each brief event in this film conveys a world of detail and emotion about the relationship between the sisters and about Juliette's adaptation to a new world, her sisters' loved ones, her social worker, her employers and so on. I know at least two people who have seen this and shown amazement that the characters can act with their eyebrows - not in a comic way though! Every character, however small their part, is a fully fledged person with all the contraditions that tends to entail - the parole officer with his dreams of great rivers is particularly poignant, as is Juliette's evolving bond with her sisters' adopted children.
There is also plenty of observational humour - the lothario of the local swimming pool, Juliette's expression as she confesses to her sister that she has slept with a man from a bar and even the moment of tragi-comic tension as a family friend puts Juliette on the spot at a dinner party about why they have never met her before.
Long before we comprehend the details of Juliette's crime, we have understood this 'criminal' as a human being. Kristin Scott Thomas' performance is a highlight in a pretty phenomenal career. Although Juliette's make-up and wardrobe are austere - we are allowed to see her tired eyes and lines - she is nevertheless unbelievably stylish (SO not what this is about, but I defy you to come out not craving grey cashmere and a suede coat). But the true heroine is sister Lea (Elsa Zylberstein), who displays deep humanity as she takes her older sister in, embraces and trusts her without prejudice, supports her as she builds up a new life and defends her against all comers. It is Lea that I cried with at the emotional moments, and felt for as she came up time and again against Juliette's walls of independence and pain. The ending redeems not only Juliette, but most importantly Lea's faith. We are given a sympathetic reason for Juliette's crime, but she has still committed a crime of sorts against her family by never explaining herself and it is Lea who gives them both a second chance. Really beautiful - I can't recommend it highly enough.
Thursday 23 October 2008
Saturday 18 October 2008
...and a little inanity
Am I the only one who gets tired of magazine's 'must have' beauty lists which appear to be sponsored by L'oreal and almost never include anything a bit less chemical? Here, then, is the beginning of my own, thoroughly biased but rather more broadly-based list, which I can guarantee is based on extensive and thorough experimentation!
1. To begin at the feet - the only foot cream that I am passionate about is L'Occitane's shea butter foot cream. It smells refreshingly of lavender (real lavender, not synthesised lavender). It's rich and creamy but if you massage in a pea-size blob to each foot you will be able to walk on carpets again by the time you have moisturised the rest of your body - which leads me to...
2. Body lotion - best cheap and plentiful lotion for dry skin like mine is St Ives Collagen Ellastin. Rich but not sticky and an unobtrusive smell, large bottles at very reasonable prices. Weleda mallow body lotion is a runnier but even more virtuous alternative.
3. Shower gel - it is a mystery to me why anyone still buys generic shower gels unless they really really love them. A trip to Whole Foods Market or a local healthfood shop will reveal a cornucopia of really lovely organic shower gels in every price range. I am currently revelling in Figs & Rouge's Juniper gel (the only flaw is the screw cap but I switched it for a flip-top from an old shampoo bottle). Next on my list is Giovanni's sweetly named and sweet-smelling 'cucumber song'. Ren, Korres and others are also now widely available in department stores.
4. Facial wash - it is no good asking me about cream cleansers, nor about toner, I am a firm believer in cleanser that washes off, toning as it goes. Elemis Tri-enzyme facial wash is pricey but does a good job of encouraging dead skin to depart without giving that nasty tight feeling. I only like to use it once a day so my morning wake-up wash is JASON's Super-C cleansing wash, lovely long-lasting organic orange burst of freshness. Simple's cleansing washes are also a good basic.
5. Night cream - cream, schmeam. What you want is oil. I say this with zealous conviction after my own conversion. Oil is great because skin can recognise it. You need very little so it lasts ages. I will say this only once - it does not make skin oily. It does make it soft and lovely and prevent wrinkles. And because of the texture you do spend a minute or two massaging it in which is also really good for your face. My failsafe is Rosa Mosqueta oil - the only downside is that is doesn't smell as good as the name sounds. To be honest I get it from the healthfood shop and have no idea what its credentials are, but you could also try Es'pa or Darphin for more mainstream alternatives.
6. Eye cream - you know you should. I have been told (by a therapist at Champneys) that I have a very good eye area for a 30-something. I've tried dozens of creams but my favourite is Weleda's rose eye cream. It's extremely simple and pure, just what I feel happy having close to my eye. Half a pea of cream rubbed in gentle circles round the bone of the socket and tapped in under the eye morning and night is a good feeling. And the tiny tube in pretty pink is great for taking on holiday etc.
More ranting on this subject later...
1. To begin at the feet - the only foot cream that I am passionate about is L'Occitane's shea butter foot cream. It smells refreshingly of lavender (real lavender, not synthesised lavender). It's rich and creamy but if you massage in a pea-size blob to each foot you will be able to walk on carpets again by the time you have moisturised the rest of your body - which leads me to...
2. Body lotion - best cheap and plentiful lotion for dry skin like mine is St Ives Collagen Ellastin. Rich but not sticky and an unobtrusive smell, large bottles at very reasonable prices. Weleda mallow body lotion is a runnier but even more virtuous alternative.
3. Shower gel - it is a mystery to me why anyone still buys generic shower gels unless they really really love them. A trip to Whole Foods Market or a local healthfood shop will reveal a cornucopia of really lovely organic shower gels in every price range. I am currently revelling in Figs & Rouge's Juniper gel (the only flaw is the screw cap but I switched it for a flip-top from an old shampoo bottle). Next on my list is Giovanni's sweetly named and sweet-smelling 'cucumber song'. Ren, Korres and others are also now widely available in department stores.
4. Facial wash - it is no good asking me about cream cleansers, nor about toner, I am a firm believer in cleanser that washes off, toning as it goes. Elemis Tri-enzyme facial wash is pricey but does a good job of encouraging dead skin to depart without giving that nasty tight feeling. I only like to use it once a day so my morning wake-up wash is JASON's Super-C cleansing wash, lovely long-lasting organic orange burst of freshness. Simple's cleansing washes are also a good basic.
5. Night cream - cream, schmeam. What you want is oil. I say this with zealous conviction after my own conversion. Oil is great because skin can recognise it. You need very little so it lasts ages. I will say this only once - it does not make skin oily. It does make it soft and lovely and prevent wrinkles. And because of the texture you do spend a minute or two massaging it in which is also really good for your face. My failsafe is Rosa Mosqueta oil - the only downside is that is doesn't smell as good as the name sounds. To be honest I get it from the healthfood shop and have no idea what its credentials are, but you could also try Es'pa or Darphin for more mainstream alternatives.
6. Eye cream - you know you should. I have been told (by a therapist at Champneys) that I have a very good eye area for a 30-something. I've tried dozens of creams but my favourite is Weleda's rose eye cream. It's extremely simple and pure, just what I feel happy having close to my eye. Half a pea of cream rubbed in gentle circles round the bone of the socket and tapped in under the eye morning and night is a good feeling. And the tiny tube in pretty pink is great for taking on holiday etc.
More ranting on this subject later...
A victory for sanity...
Thank goodness the 42 days proposal has been defeated - for details including a great campaign by writers including Ian Rankin see Liberty - I can't really put any of it better.
Sunday 12 October 2008
Extra time - addendum
Something else I have learned about writing - to read aloud is critical. There is nothing that will expose flaws faster. Reading aloud to yourself is ok, to others is better, and having someone else read your work aloud to you gives yet another dimension of understanding.
Autumnal
Autumnal is a lovely word, I think. This year, what with the (relatively) free time, I thought it would be nice to experiment with a new hair colour for Autumn. Nothing too dark - having gone black for many years I know how bad it is with my pale roots (nobody likes to look at if they are balding) and my 30-something skin tone. And nothing too red - I have enough of that in my cheeks. I was thinking of a nice mellow brunette - ok, I admit it, I was thinking about Carrie's tranformation in the Sex & the City movie.
Lack of funds was a problem, but a kind friend pointed me in the direction of the Vidal Sassoon Academy in Davies Mews, where cut and colour can be obtained cheap or sometimes free provided you have several hours to spend.
Here are the things I knew before I went to the academy:
- They call their customers 'models'. This is because 'guinea pigs' just doesn't have the same ring to it.
- It takes ages - they say around 3 hours for a cut. I was booked for a full day for cut and colour, though in the event it was faster.
- The time taken is partly because supervisors must be consulted at every stage. This is a Good Thing.
- They will press you to have something new and exciting done to your hair. New and exciting for them, that is. Be firm. To be honest, if you just want a modest trim you may be better off elsewhere.
Here are the things I didn't know:
- If you are having a cut and colour (and, I suspect, if you are fairly young or your hair looks a bit tricky e.g. curly, very thick, very trendy) you can be sent down two streets to the Advanced Academy. This is good because they will do the cut and colour by c.1.30 pm rather than taking all day. It's not so good because those advanced students really, really, really want to put into practice their advanced skills. The modest trim is not really an option.
- The Advanced Academy is more spacious. When you arrive, you may think it looks a lot like a traditional salon. Then it fills up with people and is just as manic as the usual academy.
- At the Advanced Academy, you are likely to be looked after by people who are already fully fledged hairdressers. However, my lady was Spanish. Which is fine, but it is disconcerting and even slower than usual when all communication between the person actually dealing with your hair and the supervisor is via an interpreter. Still, it's nice to know the place has an international reputation.
- There was, on my side of the room at least, one supervisor for colour and another for cut. They don't appear to get on too well... this too is disconcerting.
- When the supervisor for colour says he is going to dye half of your hair one shade, and the other side another, do not be alarmed. The effect is more subtle than the words suggest and blends in very nicely thank you. You will not end up looking like some kind of cartoon villain.
- When the pre-colour used to even up your previous dying experiments comes out a crazy neon orange a la Dame Vivienne Westwood, do not be alarmed. This stage will pass.
- On the other hand, when the don of colour shrugs off your request for a modest brunette by saying it will turn your hair green, and suggests that a zig zag of copper will look very nice, do assume that he is completely ignoring your request not to go red. Be aware that this innocent-sounding suggestion will result in your hair emerging a deep auburn.
So I have red hair. The cut is shorter than I am used to, but quite pleasing and very manageable with the aid of a handful of mousse. Suddenly lilac make-up and jewel-colour clothes look great. It's not quite what I went in for, and it's going to be horrifically high maintenance or hard to phase out again, but it is very autumnal.
Lack of funds was a problem, but a kind friend pointed me in the direction of the Vidal Sassoon Academy in Davies Mews, where cut and colour can be obtained cheap or sometimes free provided you have several hours to spend.
Here are the things I knew before I went to the academy:
- They call their customers 'models'. This is because 'guinea pigs' just doesn't have the same ring to it.
- It takes ages - they say around 3 hours for a cut. I was booked for a full day for cut and colour, though in the event it was faster.
- The time taken is partly because supervisors must be consulted at every stage. This is a Good Thing.
- They will press you to have something new and exciting done to your hair. New and exciting for them, that is. Be firm. To be honest, if you just want a modest trim you may be better off elsewhere.
Here are the things I didn't know:
- If you are having a cut and colour (and, I suspect, if you are fairly young or your hair looks a bit tricky e.g. curly, very thick, very trendy) you can be sent down two streets to the Advanced Academy. This is good because they will do the cut and colour by c.1.30 pm rather than taking all day. It's not so good because those advanced students really, really, really want to put into practice their advanced skills. The modest trim is not really an option.
- The Advanced Academy is more spacious. When you arrive, you may think it looks a lot like a traditional salon. Then it fills up with people and is just as manic as the usual academy.
- At the Advanced Academy, you are likely to be looked after by people who are already fully fledged hairdressers. However, my lady was Spanish. Which is fine, but it is disconcerting and even slower than usual when all communication between the person actually dealing with your hair and the supervisor is via an interpreter. Still, it's nice to know the place has an international reputation.
- There was, on my side of the room at least, one supervisor for colour and another for cut. They don't appear to get on too well... this too is disconcerting.
- When the supervisor for colour says he is going to dye half of your hair one shade, and the other side another, do not be alarmed. The effect is more subtle than the words suggest and blends in very nicely thank you. You will not end up looking like some kind of cartoon villain.
- When the pre-colour used to even up your previous dying experiments comes out a crazy neon orange a la Dame Vivienne Westwood, do not be alarmed. This stage will pass.
- On the other hand, when the don of colour shrugs off your request for a modest brunette by saying it will turn your hair green, and suggests that a zig zag of copper will look very nice, do assume that he is completely ignoring your request not to go red. Be aware that this innocent-sounding suggestion will result in your hair emerging a deep auburn.
So I have red hair. The cut is shorter than I am used to, but quite pleasing and very manageable with the aid of a handful of mousse. Suddenly lilac make-up and jewel-colour clothes look great. It's not quite what I went in for, and it's going to be horrifically high maintenance or hard to phase out again, but it is very autumnal.
Wednesday 1 October 2008
Extra time
So, as of today I have officially finished my original 6-month sabbatical (April to September) and am into the 3 months extra time I have managed to scrounge from my employers and my savings account...and what have I learned?
1.This is the life. I like my career - it's really pretty great the majority of the time - but if I could afford not to go back I have to say I wouldn't hesitate. Am I bored, writing alone in the kitchen? Not likely. I am quite good at keeping my own company, but also I have way more energy to go out and see people than when I'm at work. I am also reveling - within reason - in domesticity. Cooking is so much more fun when you aren't already knackered and starving. The single biggest hint that this is the life is how well I am - not a days illness in the six months I've been off. To put that in perspective, I usually catch every bug going, at least four a year. I think my new-found health is partly due to less rush-hour exposure, but primarily to less stress.
2. Notwithstanding point 1 - writing a novel is bloody difficult. Wonderful, exciting and a great learning experience, but not to be undertaken lightly. Especially if you and everyone else has high expectations of the outcome. Needless to say, the difficultly is not unexpected, but it can be very tortuous for a well-read person to experience the manifold shortcomings of their first novel-writing attempt.
3. The nice effect of point 2 is that I am a more attentive and appreciative reader. All the lovely stuff that seems so smooth and easy in a good novel - sub-plots, character development, tension, 'eureka' moments and so on - are not easy at all to write. I now notice what authors are doing a bit more than I used to, and understand how cleverly they are doing it.
4. Writer's groups - I am now in two - are a Good Thing. They give me perspective, but most of all they are fun gatherings of like-minded people, and it's constantly exciting to see other people's work in progress. There may also be food involved, never a problem for me.
5. I am capable of writing a great many words in a day - somewhere between 1,000 and 4,000. Pac Man is the enemy of this productivity, but that won't be a problem any more when I finish the final set of levels on my downloaded game... Can't be long now...
6. If in doubt, go out. To a course, or an exhibition, or a cafe, or a book group, or a writer's group, or dinner, or even the gym. It's all inspiring stuff. I have become the weirdo with the notebook who is secretly recording your conversations, appearance, mannerisms... you have been warned.
1.This is the life. I like my career - it's really pretty great the majority of the time - but if I could afford not to go back I have to say I wouldn't hesitate. Am I bored, writing alone in the kitchen? Not likely. I am quite good at keeping my own company, but also I have way more energy to go out and see people than when I'm at work. I am also reveling - within reason - in domesticity. Cooking is so much more fun when you aren't already knackered and starving. The single biggest hint that this is the life is how well I am - not a days illness in the six months I've been off. To put that in perspective, I usually catch every bug going, at least four a year. I think my new-found health is partly due to less rush-hour exposure, but primarily to less stress.
2. Notwithstanding point 1 - writing a novel is bloody difficult. Wonderful, exciting and a great learning experience, but not to be undertaken lightly. Especially if you and everyone else has high expectations of the outcome. Needless to say, the difficultly is not unexpected, but it can be very tortuous for a well-read person to experience the manifold shortcomings of their first novel-writing attempt.
3. The nice effect of point 2 is that I am a more attentive and appreciative reader. All the lovely stuff that seems so smooth and easy in a good novel - sub-plots, character development, tension, 'eureka' moments and so on - are not easy at all to write. I now notice what authors are doing a bit more than I used to, and understand how cleverly they are doing it.
4. Writer's groups - I am now in two - are a Good Thing. They give me perspective, but most of all they are fun gatherings of like-minded people, and it's constantly exciting to see other people's work in progress. There may also be food involved, never a problem for me.
5. I am capable of writing a great many words in a day - somewhere between 1,000 and 4,000. Pac Man is the enemy of this productivity, but that won't be a problem any more when I finish the final set of levels on my downloaded game... Can't be long now...
6. If in doubt, go out. To a course, or an exhibition, or a cafe, or a book group, or a writer's group, or dinner, or even the gym. It's all inspiring stuff. I have become the weirdo with the notebook who is secretly recording your conversations, appearance, mannerisms... you have been warned.
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