(via Johnny Depp, Natalie Portman sign on for McCartney’s ‘My Valentine’ - latimes.com)
And it’s screening before The Intouchables! I’m not sure if the writer of the article watched the film, but the music creates a strong “flavor-ral” connection between the video and the film, for sure. In any case, if it’ll draw people to the cinemas to see the show, I’m all for it! Really, really enjoyable.
And I’m really interested to see what the domestic response will be to it, here in the USA, given that people here are much more sensitive to any onscreen portrayal that might have the slightest hint of a Black-person-as-entertainment, White-person-as-enlightenment model. I was privileged enough to watch it at the DGA’s COLCOA this year, and be at the filmmakers’ Q & A session, where it was very evident that they had hoped for this film to transcend racial and cultural borders, not reinforce them. In France, they certainly seemed to have succeeded: the film was talked about as “the cultural event of the year,” and Omar Sys became the first Black actor to win the Best Actor Cesar (French Oscars). He also came in third in a recent poll of the most popular persons in France! (Behind the Algerian football player Zidane, no less.)
My advice: just watch and enjoy it first, you can take it apart with me later—that’s a promise. ;) I haven’t laughed so hard for so long!
Source: Los Angeles Times
Meditation Misunderstood
A funny story, from my housemate Iris.
Tonight’s solar eclipse aligned with the new moon, so she joined a group for an extra special new moon meditation at Venice Beach. They’re sitting on the grass, meditating and singing, and a man nearby starts speaking to them, flatly:
“It’s not going to work. The world is still going to end. It’s not going work. Trust me.”
…..
Bwahahahaha!!
And they kept going, laughing and singing.
What we actually saw/heard. Emily Elbert at Harvard Square for Mayfair! Covering “Thriller.”
A rare, cherished spot of beautiful weather in the Boston area!
…and this is when I made another check off the mental bucket-list.
See Feist live. Check.
Just in case you were wondering what we were so entranced by at the Mayfair in Harvard Square. Erin and I literally stopped in our tracks, and stood enjoying the music for the rest of the show!
I should mention that Mayfair was HUGE. Street food, clothes, crafts, games, sidewalk chalk art, multiple live music stages—it was pretty awesome, not gonna lie. Way to go, Cambridge. Use that city money.
Dutch celebration—>Indonesian food! Just like home. They have curry puffs and nonya kueh! (Taken with instagram)
Happy Queen’s Day, Dutchies! (Taken with instagram)
6th is a little tricky, coming from Andrew (Foo): he’s set up a blood donation appointment for himself back in Singapore! Singaporeans can do so online here.
For college students in the USA, the Red Cross comes pretty often to Tufts—I did it once, and tried doing it multiple times after, but kept getting thwarted because either (a) my veins were too small and hard to see, and they didn’t want to take a chance on them (!), or (b) I’d travelled too much in the past year and been in risky European countries (ahem ahem, England) for more than three months. Something like that.
For the UK, there is the National Blood Service. And I think I used to get fliers in the mail whenever donation drives were happening in the neighborhood.
When do you get to give away something so vital to life that your body will make more of anyway!
The video is for emotional blackmail, as Andrew says.
A sunny Saturday spent with old friends from the East Coast, Charles and Petek.
In case you were wondering, I did follow their lead and take a dunk in the freezing March Pacific Ocean! Incredibly refreshing, once your body adjusts.
The music—Caetano Veloso singing those oh so familiar strains—is courtesy of J.Period’s “The Man or the Music 2” Michael Jackson mixtape. Sublime.
Shameless Friend-Plug: City Bird
Caught City Bird at The Satellite in Silverlake a couple of weeks ago. Sadly, Rachel and I only managed to catch their last song in its entirety, but it was stunning. Getting to catch up with Jinah after was very nice too! Take a listen, you won’t regret it.
The Satellite is definitely one of my favorite live music venues in the LA area at the moment. It might have to do with the fact that I’ve been fortunate enough to have a friend/friend-of-a-friend performing onstage for the times that I’ve been there so far. If only it weren’t so far away…
