this, Idun, is the Internet!

two boys, an electric drill and a roll of optical cable at Idun's place? that can only mean one thing - I have entered the land of brand new, swooosh, hold on to your hats, I-cannot-believe-how-fast-this-is Internet. and treated myself to a new browser too, busy busy day. 

a still from IT Crowd, season 3 episode 4

   but wait! that's not all - I (the person who has never really gotten the point of all the tweet madness, and is still somewhat puzzled) have joined the evergrowing tweeting community. I don't know how often I will tweet and I certainly hope I'm not becoming a twit by doing that. there's a pun right there, hah! but without further ado, let me document - I am now on twitter. or rather the garden is on twitter. I have to confess - this happened because I read someplace that tweeting about your blog (or blogging about your tweets? retweeting your blog posts? posting your tweets? confused!) should make your blog better, whatever that entails. it brings your blog to the public, gives you a channel of interaction with your community etc etc. well, for someone who is reluctant to call her garden a blog in the first place this is a huge leap.
   I am not sure of most of the terms used in that blog improvement article. there's the paradox with blogging - although I do enjoy the process of writing, the pressure of definition, stats hunt and all that is just too much. and too little, curiously. why blog if you don't want anyone to read it? obviously, if you want to keep things secret you write in a notebook protected by a heart shaped padlock. some online writers have even called it hypocrisy when people say that they blog for themselves. logically enough, if you publish, you intend for your publications to be read.
I don't think writing for oneself and for others is incompatible, in fact I believe that even writing for others you write first of all for yourself. but where do I stand on this, with tweets and all? a proper blog-blog is like a drawing pinned on the board - see, I made this! I am more of a -this is what I draw, take a look if you want to- sort of person. therefore not a "proper blogger" in my understanding, just exploring my blog as I write. and you can join me if you like. tweet tweet!

a question that will free my mind, vol. 2

a 50 part quest to free my mind. question for this time - #40, absolutely not my favourite one, if I just might add.

so, here goes:

When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in?

firstly it would only be fair to admit that I'm not big on marching as such, let alone marching into somewhere, especially the dark. or maybe I have not been lucky enough to have strong beliefs in faint ideas that have soft glow. if I believe in an idea, for me it is more just a soft glow, it is at least a rather strong torchligt. if it is a soft glow, I don't believe enough. and I have to believe enough to walk, or march if you please, into places.

but anyhow, the last time I did it in a big way was a bit more than 3 years ago. unfortunately, belief is not always enough, even if you believe enough...I had to return because my torchlight was not a sufficiently strong companion in the dark. and it was probably all for the best, it has lead me to where I am now, and that is a good place to be. in a smaller way, I have been walking through dull darkness for 1 year, 2 months and 1 day, in a soft light of a belief that this darkness will end. and end it did. however I have to say again - this walk was not in vain, apart from being a path to the place I am now, it brought things and people in my life that I am grateful for.

that's it, no juicy details, just philosophic babble. heh, that's me, deal with it ;)

I don't know why they do it or Sunday lunch. or - sweet and sour candy

today however, I was in for a quite different cinematic experience. after a catch up lunch with a friend, we went to see a "chick flick" to rest our minds and enjoy a wee bit of harmless, cliché fun. or so I thought.



poster from imdb

I Don't Know How She Does It (2011). the cast was, of course, brilliant. a lovely surprise - Christina Hendricks outside MadMen (she is amazingly beautiful and an immensly skillful actress to my mind). so at least the story was well played, and always nice to get a glimpse of Mr. Bond Pierce Brosnan (and in a suit too, mmm). some mildly funny (in an American kind of way) jokes, S.J. Parker as bubbly as ever. but the story, ach, the story. clearly, a woman who is good at her job and doesn't want to leave it is a selfish bitch. while she's spreading herself out thinner than paper to juggle career, tofu and lice, her poor husband is the suffering hero of the piece, along with the spoilt offspring of course. all the while she is beating herself up about various things. at last, when a big work project is successful and she realizes: "oh, I CAN say no to something and try not to please everybody around me while becoming a wreck!" she rushes off to build a snowman. about the same time as the suffering husband realizes: "hey, why don't I take some responsibility for the daily chores and our marriage too?", the husband is of course the knight in shining armour, everybody is happy. the end.

and I am well aware that this text leaks bitter irony, just a teensy little bit. I know. but stories like this just wind me up. on the plus side - the "documentary" comments really voiced some worthy points.

Baltic Pearl, pt II

a mid-September Saturday evening is the right time to see some cinema at the oldest moving picture theater in town, yes? that's why I put my boots on and went in to see Bertie and Elizabeth (2002), another movie brought to us by Baltic Pearl 2011.

poster from imdb

Although presented as "The King's Speech, the beginnings" in some press material (and I loved The King's Speech), it was a different experience, not totally, but still. my intention was not comparative analysis or quest for historical accuracy, I just sat back and enjoyed. and there was plenty to enjoy - the interiors, settings, costumes, the English accent and subtle humour, but that was just the fine wrapping paper around an amazing love story that endures time, war and family conflicts. a touching tenderness and great persistance. even if I don't agree with the main characters on each and every matter, even if theirs is not my own dream relationship (but then again, what is?), even then I reserve the right to shed a tiny tear when Bertie and Elizabeth exchange glances across the room and all is clear. their glances are subtle, yet they reveal everything. this is where I reach for a kleenex and discretely dab it against the corner of my eye.

so, has the flat been cleaned/organised? have the pictures been sorted? has the laundry been done? no!

instead, I have scrolled through the usual blogs that i read, enjoyed a nice improvised mozarella salad and of course the movie one can never have too much of - Julie and Julia.

tonight I will again be at the Baltic Pearl, different screen this time, and different film. excited? yes!

so I compromised - I became a writer and a patient

since I am too lazy to sort out Vienna/Bratislava pictures yet, I will rather write about the moving pictures of tonight - Everyone Says I Love You, a creation of Woody Allen from the far away year 1996. I had never seen it, a shameful fact that was corrected tonight, thank you Baltic Pearl.

aaaand I absolutely loved it. I feel that I should confess - I have a soft spot for Allen generally, but come on - how can you not love all the flimsy, mildly awkward characters, the off key singing, undetectable time setting and the dialogues, oh the dialogues + bonus tracks: a singing Edward Norton, a flying Goldie Hawn and a Tim Roth that seduces a confused Drew Barrymore on a balcony. the whole film brims with Allen'esque sentences, the blondes are blond, the democrats are democrats and Venice is still above the water.

one of my favourite scenes. although I am not through with love just yet. warning - surreal dance moves.

video from the vaults of YouTube - here.

back.....on track?

back in Riga. the 15 degrees after constant +30 in Central Europe felt like a breath of fresh air (also literally) upon my arrival on Wednesday afternoon. a great week of intense laughter, conversations, hard core sightseeing and eating gelato like there's no tomorrow (seriously, is there such a thing as too much gelato, especially at +30?); followed by two days of doing nothing, a Friday evening cinema and high aspirations for the week to come (yeah, right!)

Brighter Planet's 350 Challenge

Brighter Planet's 350 Challenge

a word for Saturday

Your Word is Destiny

You are self confident and sure of yourself. You overlook your flaws... everyone has them. You are able to let go and just enjoy life. You feel like there's only so much you can control. When you set your mind to it, you can accomplish almost anything. You just need to believe in yourself. You are destined for greatness, but you don't let it go to your head. You just let life happen.

What's Your Word Right Now?

Blogthings: Discover the Parts of Your Personality that Have Been Hiding

 

the day of Saturn - the most structured and disciplined of the planets, yet, I feel like going with the flow. I have embarked on my project-vacation. at last! letting the time happen.