You can tell just how strange of a person I am by looking at
my bucket list. I don’t have any of the normal things like skydiving or
visiting the Taj Mahal, although I wouldn’t mind the last one. For instance, I
would really like to host an epic dinner party.
When I was a kid my parents
often had dinner parties where their guests included artists, writers, fellow
professors, etc. I remember the delicious dishes my mother would prepare and
the conversations that would last for hours. I learned how heated discussions
didn’t necessarily need to end in arguments or grudges. And when I got older my
parents told me I didn’t need to sit in on those dinner if I didn’t want to.
But as long as I lived with my parents I was more than happy to attend. I
served as my mother’s sous chef and learned some great tricks. And although I
wasn’t always sure enough of myself to participate in discussions, I soaked it
all up like a sponge.
The first couple of places I’ve lived in after moving out of
my parents’ home were not big enough to host the kind of dinner parties I dream
of. And still my dinner plates don’t all match. But I would like to try my hand
at inviting the right mix of people even for a buffet style dinner party. And
here are some books that have helped me come that much closer to my goal.
"Corey Mintz hosts dinner parties in his home every week. Before that he was a restaurant critic. And before that he worked for a living, as a cook. He began hosting without napkins or stemware, serving wine out of Nutella jars. But after entertaining politicians, artists, academics, monkeys, librarians, chefs, sommeliers, cops, lawyers, psychologists, a spy, a forager, a rabbi, a gambler, a drug addict, and a mayor, he's become a pro." Here he is in front of the Type Bookstore window with his book, How to Host a Dinner Party. He's truly an inspiration for us normal folk who don't have a giant dinner table that seats at least 12. His book is also very thorough and reads almost like a manual for those like me who really appreciate the step-by-step guide.
I saw this book on the Design Sponge website and I have still yet to pick it up but I can't wait! In A Curious Invitation, Suzette Field chronicles forty of the greatest fictional parties from Jane Austen's Mansfield Park to Douglas Adams' flying party above an unknown planet in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Field describes the hosts, venues, guest lists, dress code and what was served at each party. What a great idea to focus on such a minor and, yet to Field -- monumental moment in each novel.
Ru, a novel by Kim Thuy is the story of Vietnamese boat
people thrust upon the foreign shores of Malaysia and then Canada all told
through vignettes. Originally written in the French it was translated by Sheila
Fischman. Winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award and a finalist for
the Giller Prize it is no wonder this book has received so many accolades.
The reader learns the meaning of ru on the first pages of this novel:
“In French, ru means
a small stream and, figuratively, a flow, a discharge – of tears, of blood, of
money. In Vietnamese, ru means a
lullaby, to lull.”
It’s as though these vignettes are memories told by the narrator
in an attempt to purge themselves of their past and at the same time to soothe
their wounds. Each chapter stands out on its own but is connected to the others
as only memories can belong to one another. At times the story makes no sense
but that is because the story of our lives are difficult to understand. And ru
is the story of the immigrant, the refugee, the child with many histories.
“I was born in the shadow of skies adorned with fireworks,
decorated with garlands of light, shot through with rockets and missiles. The
purpose of my birth was to replace lives that had been lost. My life’s duty was
to prolong that of my mother.”
The issue of identity is such an important theme in any
immigrant tale but in Thuy’s book it takes on so many tones. The narrator’s
relationship with their mother is only one such aspect that is so difficult to
broach. Immigrant parents are often overbearing, set high standards and expect
their children to lead successful western lives. But when you throw into the
mix a longing for one’s past and an expectation that one’s children will honour
that past it becomes a different type of identity split.
This is the type of book that makes its readers work for it.
A short and simply written book it can be easily overlooked but the reader must
recognize the beauty in this simplicity in order to appreciate the bigger story
behind it. I encourage all readers to give this book a try.
You either love lists or you hate them. But when my friend @caitlinptov asked me to exchange our top 5 Movies, books, musical artist/group and TV shows I thought it was great fun. It's amazing what you learn about your friends when you break it down to the things we love. And you may even discover an artist or book that's new to you and find something new to put on your list of favourites.
So here is my Top 5 list.
Movies:
1)Casablanca (1942)
"Here's looking at you kid." This is the epitome of Hollywood drama and glamour. How could Rick give up the love of his life and save her new lover on top of it all? When there are spies and war to think about I guess you'll do anything. Also, never have I heard so many catchphrases in one place. "We'll always have Paris." *sigh*
2) Gone with the Wind (1939)
Rhett Butler is the original bad boy. Perhaps I'm a romantic at heart (I'd have to be with my movie choices) but I just thought that Rhett and Scarlett's relationship was the most complicated, destructive and most beautiful thing in movie history. There's also the civil war for you history buffs.
3) Lost in Translation (2003)
Another amazing Hollywood relationship but this time its between Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansen…er, I mean their characters. This is my favourite scene - a bed scene with no sex - because they talk about how hard life really is and how beautiful that is at the same time.
4) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
If only we could erase those who hurt us from our past. Because it's amazing how much the people we love can hurt us. What I loved about this movie, besides its premise, was the dreamlike qualities it took on and the drug induced memories Joel has about his past. I also can't get enough of funny men in serious roles as you can see from Bill Murray, Jim Carrey and Will Farrell.
5) Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
Harold Crick is an unassuming IRS agent who's life is calculated down to the last minute. Little does he know that he is the character of a novel and that his death is eminent. This doesn't work for Harold Crick because he's just found the love of his love. There are so many favourite scenes in this movie that it was difficult for me to pick just one.
Books:
1) A Far Cry From Kensington by Muriel Spark
Our heroine Mrs. Hawkins is a war-widow living in a rooming house in South Kensington working as an editor for a failing publishing house. Her fellow housemates are experiencing the negative ramifications of a stalker, someone that Mrs. Hawkins knows and detests but who can and will ruin her life. This was a book that inspired me to eventually (one day) work in the publishing industry despite its failing qualities even in the 1950s. I was also inspired by Mrs. Hawkins, a young 20-something year old who finds out that only she is in control of her life.
2) Cheese Monkeys by Chip Kidd
A coming of age about an art student who enrols in a state university where his demanding (and possibly crazy) graphic design instructor challenges his very being let alone understanding of art. This novel is loosely based on the real life experiences of the author who studied at Penn State.
The book itself is a piece of art that you can only appreciate when you hold it in your hands. So go get a copy!
3) Portnoy's Complaint by Phillip Roth
Believe it or not my parents got me this book to read when I was a teenager and it totally blew my mind that they would think of me as an adult because boy oh boy are there some adult situations in this book. Let's just say there are certain scenes I will never get out of my head. Also Phillip Roth is a genius and this was my introduction to him. Holy crap.
“Do me a favor, my people, and stick your suffering heritage up your suffering ass_ I happen also to be a human being!” ― Philip Roth, Portnoy's Complaint
4) Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind
Never have I been more frightened then when I read this book. (I probably scare easy but this was intense.) At the same time as I was terrified of Jean-Baptiste I also felt sorry for him. He was a product of his environment and although he was a 'monster' could he really help it? The movie does not do this book justice. This was another recommendation from my parents. My folks are awesome.
“Odors have a power of persuasion stronger than that of words, appearances, emotions, or will. The persuasive power of an odor cannot be fended off, it enters into us like breath into our lungs, it fills us up, imbues us totally. There is no remedy for it.”
5) Lost in Translation: A Life in a New Language by Eva Hoffman
The classic immigrant tale of a young girl who leaves behind all that she knows for the land of opportunity. This book explores many different types of relationships the most important one being that which we have with language. This was one of the first diasporic stories I have read and it really struck a chord with me. Finally, there were other people just like me.
“If all neurosis is a form of repression, then surely, the denial of suffering, and of helplessness, is also a form of neurosis. Surely, all our attempts to escape sorrow twist themselves into the specific, acrid pain of self-suppression. And if that is so, then a culture that insists on cheerfulness and staying in control is a culture that—in one of those ironies that prevails in the unruly realm of the inner life—propagates its own kind of pain. “Perhaps perversely, I sometimes wish for that older kind of suffering—the capacity and the time for a patient listening to the winds of love and hate that can blow you like a reed, for that long descent into yourself in which you touch bottom and recognize the poor, two-forked creature that we all are.”
For me, the New Year always felt more applicable to the start of each school year. New outfits, books, pens, etc. But not having been in school for a few years I suppose my New Year must commence on January 1st like the rest of the world. And like everyone else, I made some resolutions even though I am not so great at keeping them. So, rather then trying to change everything about myself (diet, exercise) I'm going to attempt to change the things around me.
That's where The January Cure comes in. The folks at Apartment Therapy have put together a plan to help their readers. They "believe that when your home is under control, fresh, clean and organized, good things happen throughout your life." And I couldn't agree more. Those who follow the rules of Feng Shui say that a cluttered home leads to a cluttered mind. The first thing to do was make a project list. I walked around the apartment and tried to be critical yet constructive about all the things I saw that needed fixing. And because I could go on forever, I could only list 3-4 things per room and only take about an hour to notice it all. Here's my list: Kitchen
wash walls/floor boards
declutter "dump areas"
clean oven
Hallway
wash walls/floor boards
declutter bags to be recycled or donated
Bedroom
sort boxes
build CD/DVD tower and store media
vacuum under bed
Living Room
Couch/TV area needs to be better organized
clean scuff marks off floor
wash curtains/window
Bathroom
fix toilet paper dispenser
under sink clean out
I realized that I could take care a lot of these bullet points by just getting dirty and employing some elbow grease. For some reason my floor boards are filthy and a quick vacuum or wipe down won't do. And since it's a problem in most rooms I can just get 'er done and feel like I've accomplished so much.
But before I get ahead of myself, the first weekend of The January Cure was to to get flowers, do the floors and get stocked up on green cleaners. Getting flowers during a cold spell in January is tougher then I thought but I understand the appeal and need to brighten things up. Tackling the floors also helps establish a starting point. And each day there is a new assignment but I like the fact that they allow you to catch up if you've missed something or give you time to reflect.
Yesterday's assignment was to Get a Fresh Perspective in Just 10 Minutes!! I sat in my living room by the couch and TV and noticed all the little odds and ends we keep displayed. Perhaps I need to add a display case to my Project List? At least it would help with the overall problem of clutter.
This video has been making the rounds and I'm sure a lot of you have already seen it but for those of you who haven't please watch.
Caine's Arcade is a wonderful story about a 9 year old boy and his imagination. Bored at his dad's work Caine created an arcade out of cardboard. He didn't get a lot of attention until Nirvan Mullick created a Facebook invite and got as many people as possible to make Caine's day. Nirvan also produced this short film about the whole experience. Donations have been flooding in for Caine's college education. Imagine what he will build.
What inspired me most about this story is the kindness that Nirvan showed towards Caine and his family. Sure, Nirvan is getting a lot of attention from his film and Caine's Dad is probably seeing an increase in business at his shop. But what counts more than anything is the support and belief that these people had in Caine. The look on that boy's face when he and his Dad pull up to their shop is priceless. And it was amazing to me that Nirvan was the only customer who showed any interest in this boy's creation.
It's amazing to think of all the people and creations we pass by in our daily routine and take for granted. It doesn't take much to slow down and appreciate the world around you. It only takes a little more to recognize greatness and give it the push it needs to become something bigger.
Caine inspires me to think bigger and let my imagination bloom. Nirvan inspires me to see the greatness in others and use the tools I have (such as Facebook) to share that greatness with others.
