Life after London

My french co-worker placed a news article on my desk this week; this part caught my eye:

"The architect Frank Lloyd Wright once said that if the world were tipped on its side 'everything loose will land in Los Angeles'."

--Matthew Garrahan, "Diverse city looks beyond challenges.", Financial Times Tuesday, October 28 2008.


I was going to say that I found this true - I'm loose (okay, not in that way) and I find myself likely drawn back to the city that raised me : )

A Parisian Weekend

It was my second time going back to the city of l'amour. The first time, to be honest, I wasn't too impressed. I decided to give the place another chance since my gal pal has now moved there for a fashion internship.

I had a GREAT time : )

The highlight was really attending the ballet at the famous Opera House. It's where the Phantom of the Opera is set. Looking down at the staircase at the main foyer, I couldn't help but hum "Masquerade" to myself.

I also ate far too much: Pastas, pain au chocolat, baguettes, creme brulee, fruit wine, cafe au lait, macaroons and drinking chocolate...

I still have little desire to live there, however. Maybe only for a short time...

Himmel der Bayern (Barvarian heaven)

I returned Saturday evening from Munich. It was alternately beautiful and thought-provoking.

The beautiful part:
It was warm the first night we arrived. I wore a light, turquoise cardigan out to dinner and was quite comfortable. It's autumn (for the places that actually have seasons) and the trees were turning shades of red and orange - I had never truly experienced the happiness of "fall."

The food was delightful. I think I ate my body weight in sausages, potatoes and apfelstrudel.

My newest goal is to learn German - I may need it someday when I live there...who knows?


Thought-provoking part:
I saw Dachau. I stood on the very grounds.
I had a long think about it on Sunday afternoon.

Brit Input on a Foreign Election

I received my ballot in the mail!

Doesn't mean I'm any closer to deciding which bubbles to fill in...

This weekend I took a short trip outside London to Richmond. It was absolutely beautiful - but that's not the point.

On the way back on the train, my British friend asked, "Who are you going to vote for?"

I said that I wasn't quite certain yet and asked his opinion.

A woman sitting in a nearby seat poked her head around and asserted herself, "Excuse me. I don't mean to intrude on your conversation, but I just have to say that if you vote for McCain, he's going to die and Sarah Palin will take over..." She continued a very forceful attack on Ms. Palin. We amusedly returned to our private conversation, but I heard words like 'Russia' and 'war' spew from the seat behind us. The woman's elderly companion touched her knee in warning, however, the British commentary continued.

Always interesting to be a bearer of controversy : )

I've made my decision. I'm going to decide this Tuesday & mail it off!

Tate Britain

I've always insisted that I don't have a natural bent for art. I admit that I just don't get it. And I'm okay with that.


Last weekend, I decided that I would go by Tate Britain for a visit for two reasons:
1. I didn't particularly like Tate Modern, so Tate Britain would have to be an improvement, right?
2. It's free : )


So when I stepped inside the first gallery, I wasn't prepared to love it as much as I did.



Here are my faves:

"April Love" (1855-6) by Arthur Hughes


The colours were absolutely, divinely rich. Shades of purples and green accents...I could eat it : )

"The Bath of Psyche" (1890) by Frederic, Lord Leighton

By just setting eyes on it, I knew this had to be the mythical Psyche from Roman rhetoric...and not from remembering world history from ninth grade. Having read CS Lewis' Til We Have Faces this past summer, I suppose Lewis just described the scene so well that it just clicked when I saw this painting.

"Broken Vows" (1856) by Philip Hermogenes Calderon

I was impressed by the way the mood was captured in the subject's posture and expression. ...Uh oh, I'm sounding like those art people whom I always secretly mock : (

Anyway, this scene looked so painful that I had sympathy pangs.

Book List

Boring, I know. But they have always been good friends to me. Here are the recent pals I've commuted to work with each day:

Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge - Its infamy reached me back home, before I ever found it here in London on the little bookshelf at church. I was strongly urged to read this, as it's the "woman version" of Wild at Heart, a Christian book about manhood. I was a bit disappointed in the writing style, as well as the content and grounding in Biblical reference.

Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? by Philip Yancey - A British friend, upon seeing me with this book, told me that the devil uses "Christian books" for mischief in the minds of Christians who read them...well, religiously. This friend asked, "Tell me, have you ever been dramatically changed by a Christian book?" Now - if it can be said about any book - I'd have to say that this one in particular gave me a lot to think about. I think something has changed in my perspective on prayer...and God himself. I don't know that it's any better or worse - but different.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - An oldie, but a goodie. Highly amusing as well as tiresome from the start due to Austen's use of humour / satire. It was interesting to see her development as an author, having read Persuasion not long ago.

PS, I Love You by Cecelia Ahern - My current companion. Was handed this book even before finishing the last pages of Northanger Abbey. One of my co-workers who concentrated on Irish studies for her MA tells me that this is the Irish literary scandal - Ahern is the daughter of the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, a big reason why she was able to be published and made into a major motion picture. Let's be real: Not well-penned in the sense of writing style, but the author is a good storyteller.
*Haven't cried yet. Of course, I do have a heart of stone : )

Ramadan

Several weeks ago, at the church service I've been attending, we had an Islamic teacher come and dialogue about beliefs and misconceptions. I had forgotten so much about what I had learned in high school about the Muslim faith and the Pillars, etc. that I was no use for intelligent discussion or even questions.

And we are now in the midst of Ramadan month, a period when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. Last night, I had planned on heading out to church like many a Sunday. At the last minute, I got word that a couple people from the church were invited to break fast in the evening with a Muslim family and would I like to come along?

Answer: With bells on!

It was a new experience for me to have the hospitality of a Muslim family during Ramadan, or at any time for that matter. An interesting part was that the lady of the house, who had prepared the entire meal, was a Frenchwoman who had been raised in the south of France in a Catholic home and school environment, but had converted to Islam only a couple years ago.

The evening did dip into deeper conversation as we asked questions and answered their queries on what we thought about subjects like prayer and interacting with people of different beliefs. Our hostess explained that she believed that we are all (as in everyone in the world) Muslim, but some people learn more slowly.

The family also said that there were 3 kinds of people: believers, non-believers and hypocrites. And this launched us into a discussion on our own ability (or lack thereof) to judge others.

I really didn't have much intelligence to contribute to the conversation - but I was content to listen and learn.