Published on 31 January 2007
in Books.
“Dubliners” by James Joyce consists of 15 short stories depicting Irish middle classes living in and around Dublin in early 20th century. Most stories were short and brisk about death, love, family, religion and different kinds of frustration in lives etc. From those stories you could tell the politics, culture and lifestyle of the Dubliners then. The first few stories focused on children and the later ones were on middle-aged or older people, with feelings becoming more sophisticated and subtle. The highlight of the book is definitely the last story which is also the longest, called “The Dead”. The unexpected twist and the protagonist’s epiphany at the end reflected Joyce’s sharp observation of life. I felt like I was riding an emotional roller-coaster with the protagonist.
I am glad that I didn’t read this book when I was younger. The subtlety and meanings behind the stories could only be appreciated by those who are more mature and have more experience in life.
For a synopsis of the stories, please visit here.
Arthur Guinness founded his brewery at St. James Gate in Dublin in 1759 and signed a lease of 9,000 years with the government. He successfully brewed a dark beer - Guinness, in 1770s which later became an Irish national drink.
The ingredients for Guinness is the same as most other beers - water, barley malt, hops, and brewers yeast. A portion of the barley is flaked (i.e. steamed and rolled) and roasted to give Guinness its dark-ruby colour and characteristic taste. Non-beer-drinkers often have the impression that Guinness is very bitter and shy away from them, which is totally untrue. It’s very smooth and have a rich barley taste.
In the Guinness Storehouse you can find out the brewing process, the advertising efforts, and other knowledge about alcohol consumption (such as why you get a headache after drinking). The highlight is of course a free drink at the Gravity Bar which is on top of the building, where you can enjoy a panoramic view of Dublin.
To me Guinness is ok though I would still much prefer the sweeter German weissen beer.
Dublin was surprisingly luring with the width and depth of its cultural scene, various attractions and vibrancy of the city.
A city of literature and great writers:
- Jonathan Swift, author of Gullivers Travels
- Bram Stoker, author of Dracula
- Thomas Moore
- Oscar Wilde, author of The Importance of Being Ernest
- WB Yeats, Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923
- George Bernard Shaw, Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925, playwriter of Pygmalion, which was later adapted as “My Fair Lady” starring Audrey Hepburn
- James Joyce, author of The Dubliners, Ulysses
- Samuel Beckett, Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969
- Seamus Heaney, Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995
A city of music: (from pop stars to traditional Irish music playing in pubs every day and night):
- Bono from U2
- Sinead O’Connor
- Ronan Keating
- Chris de Burgh
- Bob Geldof
- Damien Rice (my recent favourite!)
A city of alcohol:
- Guinness
- Jameson Whiskey
- Baileys Irish Cream
- pubs on almost every street!
Published on 29 January 2007
in Books and Life.
The first book of Alain De Botton was surprisingly easy to read and digest (comparing to his later books which tend to have more philosophical quotations and “difficult” vocabularies). It put me to some mental gymnastics and gave me a lot of insights and inspirations. It’s been a while since I felt so satisfied after reading a book.
More recommendable than “The Consolations of Philosophy” for those who want to try De Botton.
While a lot of people like Joseph are glued to the TV watching Australian Open, I am feasting my eyes with the ice skating competition in Warsaw. Figure skating is perhaps the most “beautiful” sports to watch. A player or a pair dressed in colourful costumes performing all kinds of amazing spins and jumps with seeming ease and elegance. During the free programme each player has 4.5 minutes to showcase to the judges and the audiences their skills and talents. They take centre stage on the ice ring and thousands of eyes fix on their every movement. All their hard work are condensed to those several minutes which can result in glory or pain and disappointment. Sometimes the players fall after a difficult spin, but they all get up immediately and continue their dance as if nothing has happened. There’s not a single second to lose to brood over the mistake or to tend to the pain of scratched skin. They must concentrate on finishing the rest of the programme with greater perfection. Afterall, a fall costs only one point of deduction (players get around 100-130 points) but if they fail to finish the programme properly then they lose their qualification.
Every time a player falls my heart aches for them. At the same time I truly appreciate their ability to control themselves and continue with the competition. One mistake or failure doesn’t mean everything. It’s most important to get up right away and move on. Sometimes some of them will break into tears afterwards or limp with a bleeding leg, but they never show any signs of pain and frustration during their show. I admire their sportsmanship and professionalism, as well as the spirit behind this fall-and-rise gesture.
The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci, drawn on the wall of Milan’s Church and Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
Advance reservation, €8, 15 minutes, 1 painting.
Is it worth it? Of course. Not because of the da Vinci code effect, but because of the artistic and historical value of the drawing. Apostles in groups of threes guessing and debating who is going to betray Jesus, as he has just predicted it. Jesus looks a bit bemused with his upcoming fate. This painting shapes the whole world’s conception of what it might probably have been like at Jesus’ last supper.
The colors of the painting is fading quickly, so go see it before it disappears.
Published on 17 January 2007
in Books.
A fable about a young shepherd who travels around in search for his dreams/treasure. And through all the trials and tribulations he achieves his goal and realizes that love is the universal language of all creatures.
This book is simple and easy to read. It claims to have inspired a lot of people. I have no doubt about it.
But unfortunately not me.
Published on 12 January 2007
in Movies.
A hunting rifle left by a Japanese tourist in Morocco triggers a chain of personal and global interactions. A pair of young Moroccan siblings, while trying out the gun, accidentally shot an American tourist. The US quickly plays the terrorist card and the whole issue is escalated to international political level. The American woman (Cate Blanchett) is on a trip with her husband (Brad Pitt) in order to sort out their marriage problems but ends up having to struggle for survival in a backward village. Meanwhile their Mexican housekeeper (Adriana Barraza) is forced to take their children with her to Mexico for her son’s wedding. Her nephew (Gael García Bernal) drives her back after the party and at the border they encounter police inspection, and the nephew flees with the car and drops them in a dessert. They are saved in the end but she has to be deported from the US permanently. On the other side of the globe the Japanese tourist (Koji Yakusho), not knowing that he’s engulfed in this series of events, is having problem establishing emotional ties with his deaf-mute rebellious teenage daughter (Rinko Kikuchi), who desperately yearns for affection.
This is a very aggressive film. As the director Alejandro González Iñárritu says, this movie is basically about communication, or a breakdown of communication because of race, language, culture, age, sex… But it is also about moral values (shooting at people and peeping woman are both wrong), the sad lives of immigrants, loneliness and alienation of people living in affluent first worlds, and the still prevalent discrimination disabled people face in society. On the whole the film is brilliant. It is gripping and forceful. All the actors and actresses are awesome, even the two young Moroccan boys. Cate Blanchett and Rinko Kikuchi put up some very strong performances. The disco scene when Kikuchi tries to dance with music but in fact she can’t hear anything is most impressive.
Published on 10 January 2007
in Books.
After some highbrow Roland Barthes and unfathomable Leonard Cohen, I switched back to Nick Hornby for something more relaxing and easy to understand.
It’s a story about four despondent people who wanted to jump from a tall building on New Year’s Eve. Their plans were halted when they found out on the roof that it’s not the solitary party that they had expected. They became sort of a support group for each another, trying to help find solutions for one another’s problems. What they did most often were less constructive than they had hoped and filled with farce. In the end, each person, one way or another, found their own feeble solutions to their problems in life.
Nick Hornby overall maintains his style and the book is witty and comical. The second half of the book fell apart a bit when the characters were lost and stuck - they lost the will and courage to commit suicide but still faced the same daunting problems. Hornby then had some difficulty to “get the story going”. He managed to move forward by having his characters start meddling with each other’s lives. I guess this somewhat resembles real life - you are stuck in some situation where you see no exit. At this moment some third party “interference”, be it constructive or otherwise, may as well bring some light to darkness.
Published on 7 January 2007
in Movies.
The Illusionist
In 19th century Vienna a young craftsman boy falls in love with a noble girl. They are forced to separate from one another and the boy sets off on a long journey during which he becomes a magic master. He comes back to Vienna, fascinates the whole city with his performances. His love is engaged to the Prince and the story follows on how he and his lover escape from the Prince and the police through his amazing tricks.
The Prestige
In 19th century England, two rival magicians (played by Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale) were desperate in learning the secrets of each other’s tricks. They used every means to destroy one another until their final downfall.
Since both movies are about magicians in 19th century Europe, there’s a lot of discussion on which one is better on the internet. They are actually quite different, and to me both of them are good. The Illusionist is a love drama, while The Prestige is a thriller and is more about the darker side of human obssession. The Illusionist has beautiful cinematography. Edward Norton’s performance is convincing. He has this gentle, mysterious flair of a magician. Paul Giamatti as the police inspector is simply superb (he’s much better in this film than in Lady in the Water). Jessica Biel, however, is not so interesting. And I like the way magic is presented in this film - it seems real and supernatural but afterall they are just illusionary tricks.
In The Prestige, however, the magicians are really more like showmen, their magic tricks are based on technical support by engineers and scientists. Their obssession with magic is not because of their love for this art but because of hatred and the desire to destroy the other. The plot is a lot more complicated and there are many twists, but to me they are easy to see through. Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale both put out powerful performances, as you can see madness glints in their eyes.
“Dubliners” by James Joyce consists of 15 short stories depicting Irish middle classes living in and around Dublin in early 20th century. Most stories were short and brisk about death, love, family, religion and different kinds of frustration in lives etc. From those stories you could tell the politics, culture and lifestyle of the Dubliners then. The first few stories focused on children and the later ones were on middle-aged or older people, with feelings becoming more sophisticated and subtle. The highlight of the book is definitely the last story which is also the longest, called “The Dead”. The unexpected twist and the protagonist’s epiphany at the end reflected Joyce’s sharp observation of life. I felt like I was riding an emotional roller-coaster with the protagonist.
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