SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL

Not only I will be going to New York this week-end and my dear friend Jane is hosting us in a great area of Manhattan, but I got a very nice unexpected gift, in the shape of a blue dragon.

I saw my first play by Robert Lepage - Le Projet Andersen, three years ago, and I wrote a small reader comment in the cultural weekly Voir :

Identité et solitude (tous différents, tous égaux)

Tout d'abord je suis allée voir Robert Lepage sans préjugés, pour la simple raison que je ne le connaissais pas. J'ai vu la pièce en tant que roumaine résidente au Québec, francophone et amoureuse du théâtre et d'Andersen depuis petite. Ouverte à tout. J'ai été d'abord fascinée par la magistrale mise-en-scène, les trouvailles, la technique, la fantaisie débordante doublée par l'esprit pratique capable de trouver les solutions. Puis par la versatilité de l'acteur, qui passe d'une peau et d'un accent à l'autre, qui émerveille, amuse et attendrit, qui joue le Québécois, le Français, le "Beurre" exilé.

Mais ce qui m'a touché le plus a été le but, l'artiste a deployé tous ses charmes pour nous parler de la SOLITUDE, car c'était elle le personnage principal, ni Frédéric, ni Andersen. C'est vrai, mon cher conteur danois ne comptait pas beaucoup dans l'économie du spectacle, ce qui n'empêche pas l'oeuvre théâtrale d'être valide. On intéragit tellement plus de nos jours et communique tellement moins. On se replie sur soi-même, voilà le vrai sens de la masturbation répétitive - l'incapacité de communiquer, de s'ouvrir aux autres et se donner. Si ça effleure Andersen et sa solitude - tant mieux. J'aime le résultat final. Le titre est "Projet Andersen", pas "Andersen - 150 ans après".

A côté des brillantes parodies sur le discours québécois ou européen - car les danois ou les anglais ne sont pas épargnés, sur la necessité du psychologue dans nos petites vies qui manquent de débouchés, sur les relations toujours plus tendues et hypocrites (le thème du refus de la paternité - débattue dans Horloge biologique) - reste la question, que fait-on de notre solitude? Autant lui donner un sens créatif à la place de nous enfermer dans une cabine de peep-show.

J'ai eu l'occasion de voir sur scène Sir Ian McKellen avec la Royal Shakespeare Company, Cheek by Jowl de Londres, l'Odéon de Paris, du théâtre italien...bravo au théâtre québécois et à Robert Lepage, j'en suis ravie.

The Théâtre du Nouveau Monde is showing Le Dragon bleu throughout May, but two months ago when I called it was already sold out. Quite disappointed I was still happy that I could buy tickets for another show: Eonnagata is the ballet-theatre Robert Lepage directed with contemporary dance myths Russell Maliphant and Sylvie Guillem, a sublime interpretation of the Chevalier d'Eon story in a Japanese key, presented within the Festival Trans-Amérique (exceptional dance and theatre from around the world for very accessible prices).

Looking for video excerpts of Eonnagata, I found the official site of Robert Lepage's company and it occured to me to write to them and tell my disappointment of not being able to buy my tickets for Le Dragon Bleu. I also sent my three years old comment and I mentioned that I am going to the FTA show.

And abracadabra, hocus-pocus, bum badabum...I got an answer the same day offering me two tickets for next Tuesday. As simple as that. Because they care about their public and people that do care about being in that room. I think it's fantastic, and a reason of pure joy.

JUNE 27 - A MIDSUMMER LONG WEEK-END'S DREAM

961 days ago

About beauties of Québec - also known as La Belle Province. I discovered another charming corner this 3 days week-end. In the Eastern Townships, nature unfolds its overwhelming beauty: forests, lakes, mountains, all glorified by the bright summer sun.

Some great friends, beautiful and talented sisters Vania and Carina, invited all their comrades to celebrate the Summer Solstice at their cottage, in the middle of an untrimmed meadow, where grass and flowers grow up to the waist and fully flavored juicy wild strawberries invite you to kneel and pick them.

Sometimes I had the impression of wandering in a field Monet painted, preceded by the bright long hair of Vania and Carina floating over the grass and crowned by huge straw hats. Or talking to a portrait painted by Gainsborough.

The gang was fantastic, like a changing puzzle, people coming and going, a few musicians, who played guitar and sang, one was composing a different song every day, claiming it to be a "classic".

We swam in the lake every day (a bit chilly on Friday), took posession of a diving boat anchored close enough, turned its radio on and lied on the deck under a bright sun. The Memphrémagog lake is deep, clean, and it stretches down to the US, surrounded by thick forests. The Owl's Head mountain peak looks above it.

I had my two breakfasts on the deck overlooking the meadow, sun shining and birds chirping. Every evening there was a barbecue, and everybody was sitting around the big table, having a feast, eating from Wedgwood vintage china. Saturday night we went out to see the stars and watch the brief glimpses of the fireflies crossing in the dark.

Behind the house there's a forest, a creek runs through it, ending up in a pond. I saw footprints of deer and racoon on the bank. I sit there Sunday morning, on the moss under the trees, reading poems by Ungaretti in a loud voice, accompanied by the birds and sound of the water caressing the stones. Also had a romantic interlude there on Sunday afternoon, kissing someone I just met, the ambiance was very inviting.

Who could ask for more? You tell me.

FEBRUARY 18, 06 - SMALL GIFTS OF LIFE AND LUCK

1089 days ago

I won a ticket to a Flamenco show - Nuevo Ballet Español, can't wait to go tonight! I exchanged a few messages with the San Antonio community from Padova and their Toronto branch sent me Il Messaggero di Sant' Antonio (which happens to have a couple of interesting articles about Italians around the world) and a 2006 calendar.

I'm progressing with my volunteer work with kids.

Dark side - my unemployment aid didn't pay since January 19 - they are "studying" the file and we'll "let me know" soon. Only because I worked on January 20-22. My mistake. Now they say they don't have enough info about the circumstances and that's why they're delaying. Of course when I have to pay the bills I cannot tell them I'm studying the file.

I re-wrote my resume in a more academic form and put together a master project draft - next week I'm meeting the program director and afterwards I will submit my papers. I got some social communication books from the library. The more I read about it, the more passionate I get. I feel I'm doing the right thing.

Got some contemporary Romanian literature, also from National Library, I'm eager to know who are the new voices and the reality they create or describe.

FEB 08, 06 - SIMPLE JOYS OF LIFE

1099 days ago

Coming back from a movie - documentary about two street living québecois teen-agers in Vancouver, after coming back to Montreal, camping in British Columbia and ending up in Vancouver once more, Dany committed suicide. He was born in 1987 - 18 year old. His girlfriend is 17.

I got in a bus afterwards that was decorated with balloons and Xmas tree red girdles, all the way to the back, in front of the driver there were some peluche toys and next to him candies to be taken away. I asked him if he's celebrating anything. "Sure, Valentine's day, I do it one week in advance. I always decorate my bus for any kind of celebrations".

You know what? This guy is one of the best people I met! He's celebrating life actually, even at work, in a bus. He wants to brighten everyones day. He succeeded with me. I wish Dany met him too.

NOVEMBER 27, 2005 - CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL

1172 days ago

Made some really good one today. Another excellent remedy are fried bananas flambées with rum - dark Martinique rum.

My first "free" week was not that free at all. Kept on doing things, meeting friends, looking for a job on Internet, calling contacts and so on.

Starting tomorrow I am volunteering for the United Nations conference on climate changes. About 7 half days all together, that will keep me busy and allow me to meet more people.

Thursday I went to a conference organized by the Progressist Forces Union (Union des Forces Progressistes), a political party. Anti-globalization and anti-corporations. There was the director of Greenpeace Québec and the director of Équiterre (for a fair trade with less developed countries). Also a manager from Eau Secours, another association for water ressources. I found out so many things, told in funny, interesting way, that I thought my head would explode.

And Friday I went to another kind of talk-show, organized by an independent magazine - Le Couac. More social, economical and political issues, more humour still. The problems will always be there though. Like we say in Romanian: The dogs bark and the caravan passes...because they have the money.

One issue that touched me: the independence of the press. The biggest media group here: Quebecor, owns publishing houses (over 10 I think), several TV channels, radio stations, a cable, telephone and Internet provider, newspapers and magazines. Of course, they provide only the information they choose. And all these channels are promoting each other. Where's the fairness here? Democracy, freedom, rights to information? Most of this discussions stay among closed circles. People that go there are already "in". People outside won't know, or wouldn't be interested, in any case won't realize what's happening. And the world goes round in circles.

So, my head filled with questions, and, alas, even the answers, Saturday I went hiking. In the Eastern Townships. What a fabulous day!

Spent about 5 and a half hours walking in the woods. Lightly snowing, no wind, foggy, but not cold, forest smells. Had a quick packed lunch in a shelter, made fire with wood...got back in the dark. Then jumped in the shower, changed and went for a quiet evening with three of my great girlfriends. Made hot spicy honey sweetened wine for them, the host treated us with some nice snacks and we watched "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" - a truly delightful smart and funny movie. A perfect day!

Now I'm looking forward to work at the conference and see if I get any interviews. Good night!

July 1st, Canada day - Summer, summer, mum, summer

1321 days ago

Oh, yeah, Tadoussac and Ville de Québec (or Québec City) deserve a good look. Québec is the only fortified city in North America, with lovely restaurants and cafés, reminds me so much of Europe, my beloved decadent sophisticated courtisane.

And Tadoussac, where the estuary of the St. Laurent river hosts whales and seals...joined by the Saguenay river that carved fjords on its way, what a Northern dream land there is. Saw wild purple irises (stanjenei) for the first time, went on a cruise and saw whales (mostly their backs , even the white ones: beluga. And as a reminder of past times: sea urchins (arici de mare, oursins), the fragile beautiful sea eggshells. Salty cold water, still the sea, coming deep into the land, with its wonders.

At sunset time a mist comes upon the water of Saguenay, a silver light fills up the horizon, and time doesn't exist anymore.

Most of all, loved to be with my mother and share all this with her. It's been a long time since we haven't been together just the two of us...I'm selfish, but I want her all for myself, with her tonic, cheerful, childish presence. I want to offer her the world, just like she gave me her best for so many years, for all the joy she managed to surround me with during the rough communist ruled years.

We are so much alike, more like sisters than mother and daughter, and who's who after all? We are having so much fun together. On Wednesday night I took her to a dance show: Tango Flamenco, an amazing mixture of the two, with musicians and dancers from Spain, a contemporary sensual fusion (oh, the Spanish male dancers Then to a Spanish restaurant: El Gitano, kept by a Galician, delicious paella and gazpacho, had a romantic dinner And another long walk home. And yesterday I took her to the airport

Now one more year until we meet again, my sister graduated, got her judge robe, I wasn't there, what did I do to ourselves? At the same time I was able to offer my mother a beautiful holiday. There's a price for everything.

Well, I'm going camping now, till Sunday, the Jazz Festival started, with 5 or 6 open air stages, 20 minutes walk from here. Then the African nights festival is on. My room mate will be going to Romania July 9, five weeks to live alone and learn more about myself in Montreal, Canada. The city boils in the summer, with heat and events, I'll just go with the flow.

June 20, 05 - Summer goes on...

1332 days ago

...and off. After the sticky days followed the rainy days. And now it looks like it is finally back on track. And I'm learning to enjoy Canada, I'm finding out ways to be happy without swimming and watching the fish and turtles.

Mum is happy here, we've been walking around quite a lot, up and down Montreal: wine and cheese home meeting my friends, Brasilian restaurant and live music, Old Montreal by night, and the week-end in Ottawa with her highschool friend (and my adoptive mother here .

We went to the Museum of Civilisations, learned a lot about what's really around here: the Haida, Iroquai, Mic Maq, Algonquin, Innu (Eskimo) nations, called politically correct First Nations and not Indians. It's a great place to be, they recreated the whole environment, like theatre or film scenography, and the Haida art is so impressive, similar to the New Zealand Maori one. They lived by the Pacific, in the actual province of British Columbia, and we hear more about the East Coast nations, so it was a real discovery for me. The guys who designed the museum knew their job, they created the building around the concept.

Yesterday we went to Lake Philippe in the Gatineau area, and had a barbecue with the extended family for Father's Day. I went canoeing for the first time and had my first swim here - in a mountain lake. I love water, it lifts up my spirit right away. They say you are what you eat, I should be a shell, a fish or a shrimp then

This week-end we are heading to Quebec City and Tadoussac, where the views are told to be breathtaking and you can even see whales. Before mum leaves we're going to a Tango Flamenco show, all the way from Spain, 25 dancers and musicians on stage.

And the week-end after I'm supposed to go camping and swimming by another lake, provided the weather is good enough.

I'm still not happy with my job, and with such job there's no way I could ever be.

I will have to move again in September, then look for another job, then, probably in January go back to school.

As for romance...I think I still need time by myself to see where I'm standing here. And take it easy, which is far from being in my character, but it becomes mandatory, according to my personal statistics and history. I have plenty of other things to keep me busy or entertained. And I guess from this point of view the Canadian experience might be quite a challenge.