Seasonal Saturdays - Awards Season & Banksy

LA always starts to flutter in January and February with the wide range of awards ceremonies happening in town - SAG, Emmys, Oscars, Grammys and god knows what all else all demand a very high celebrity-in-town quotient, so sightings increase, and every weekend will doubtless have traffic jams caused by red carpets and limousines. Woop de doo.

This year, thanks - I'm assuming - to the Oscar nomination for "Exit Through The Gift Shop", a different kind of pre-award buzz has been going on, since a number of Banksy works have blossomed on the walls of buildings in and around LA.

I was walking around the corner from Profeta one afternoon and saw a crowd in an alley looking at a wall, and then saw a pretty funky image of a child soldier with a gun, but the magazine held crayola crayons instead of bullets - and the wall around him was covered in cute flowers. And this on the wall of an Urban Outfitters, no less! I didn't give it much thought, thinking it was a Banksy rip off or something. It even crossed my mind that it might be a hyper-cool tie-in to UCLA's production of 'Forgotten World'. Of course it wasn't - it is an actual Banksy!

Next thing to cross my mind was that maybe it was actually evidence that Jamie Oliver IS Banksy - since he too has set up shop in Westwood for some kinda healthy-eating project called 'Jamie's Kitchen'.

Turns out that several Banksy creations have sprung up around LA, and many have already been defaced, and even worse REMOVED INTACT so that they can be sold! See, that's what is wrong with this town. They put a price on everything and know the value of nothing. (Thank you Ambrose Bierce.) Before the Westwood one was defaced, a substantial number of stickers had been put up around it - tacky opportunists trying to capitalise on the attention of passersby. But then, isn't Banksy one too?

Foodie Friday - Novel Cafe

Lots of fun meals this week - two of them took place at Novel Cafe in Westwood. This has been something of a home-away-from-home for me throughout my time in UCLA. It's never particularly noisy (mainly because there isn't enough room in there for it to get too bad) - and they have good, hearty food and a really friendly staff. To cap it off, however - their main wall is covered in bookshelves full of totally random books FOR SALE!

So of course I love it.

Today's meal was a pretty great carbonara with Daniel Mahler (yes, he's related to the composer) in advance of Carmelites opening night. I think I'm going to have to try to cook a carbonara at home one of these days. Maybe with capers.

While Novel's coffees aren't exactly inspiring, their food is often just right. Particularly, their pastas, sandwiches and burgers! But in 30 months or so I've seen or tried just about everything on the menu, and really you can't go wrong.

30 Before 30 Thursdays - Palm Reading

Ever since a Greek woman called Poppy recoiled in fright and told me, several years ago, that my palm was so complicated that she couldn't possibly read it, I've been curious to get it done. Alas, the White Witch of Cobh doesn't live in Santa Monica, so she wasn't an option, but instead this week - on Valentine's Day, indeed - I splurged and got a reading from Anna, on Santa Monica Pier.

Straight out of the gate she told me I was a writer. And that I'm reaching a time in my life that things are starting to make more sense - everything from hard work to criticism to life's general purpose. (Pretty vague.) She also told me that she sees Massachusetts in my future. Go figure!!

She was right about a bunch of other stuff (that clearly I'm not going to write here) - if nothing else it was a fun few minutes on a Monday evening! Definitely worth the few dollars she charges - she's great company!

Wild Card Wednesday - Aftab

I was really moved this morning watching the Theatre du Soleil documentary "Un Soleil a Kaboul- Ou Plutot Deux". Ariane Mnouchkine's troupe, fifty of them, decamped to Afghanistan against all odds for the summer of 2005 to lead a sequence of workshops with local theatre artists, in the hope of fostering - or renewing - a sense of artistry and cultural identity. Her braveness, sensitivity and good humour are pretty amazing to watch. But then, I am a big fan, and have drunk the Kool Aid (or perhaps the Sunny D?!).

What's impressive, too, is that Soleil have maintained links with their sister (daughter) company, and indeed several members of Theatre Aftab (Soleil in Dari!) were featured in the most recent Cartoucherie creation, Les Naufrages du Fol Espoir. Nice to see that the commitment and connection has lasted longer than just a summer abroad.

Check out the movie - it's superb.

Tuesday Tunes - Reynaldo Hahn

Last Friday I had the great pleasure of attending a recital by Joyce DiDonato (who is a much, much bigger deal than I realised before the performance). She sang at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica, and did a lovely programme of songs. She opened with Haydn's Scena di Berenice - and anyone who does anything about that woman will likely win my heart immediately. This was followed by a varied and lovely programme of songs and arias, with two fantastic encores - Somewhere Over the Rainbow for her dad, and Pace Non Trovo - for peace and for Egypt - from La Donna del Lago.

For me the most beautiful piece of the evening was her rendition of five of the songs from Reynaldo Hahn's 'Venezia' suite. He wrote them for a wealthy patroness from that great city, and in particular her work on 'La Barcheta' was just ravishingly beautiful.

I hadn't ever looked Hahn up before Friday night, which is a pity, because he's really fascinating. He was a Venezuelan who lived in Paris, a child prodigy, beautiful setter of songs, and onetime lover of Marcel Proust, of all people. He's also responsible for 'L'Heure Exquise', one of my very favourite chansons. Here's a video of Philippe Jaroussky having a go at it. I hope you like it as much as I do.

Movie Monday - Valentine's Day

I didn't get a chance to see any movies today. I'm busy. But I saw this at a thoroughly inappropriate time last year and really should have seen it today.

Have you seen it? It's not bad. And has far more surprises than would have imagined it would. The Julia Roberts storyline is absolutely my favourite.

Sunday Spices - Cinnamon

Anyone who lives or has lived in the United States probably associates the smell of cinnamon almost exclusively with that time in mid-November when it starts pumping madly out of every imaginable place as the non-descript, agnostic time called 'The Holidays' approaches. It's syrupy, gloopy, warm, comforting, and ruins millions of cappuccinos year-round. But I find that it's really a brilliant spice for flavouring meat. So I did so for some comfort-food on Sunday I made youvetsi, which is a beef stew with cinnamon and tomatoes and orzo pasta. Delicious!!!

Recipe on request.

Seasonal Saturdays - Valentine's Day

It's always interesting to me how people react to Valentine's Day. Some people are virulently opposed to this Hallmark-supported, cruel, chocolate-fuelled excuse to make single people feel inadequate. Others relish the opportunity to celebrate romantic love with hearts and cherubs, regardless of their own relationship or marital status. I vascillate between the two. Sometimes I hate it, and hate the enormous amount of money and pressure associated with a cold morning in February. Other times I remember that St. Valentine's heart (and, I'm reliably informed, other bits) is enshrined in a Carmelite church in Dublin close to where my mother grew up, and that the original impulse of celebrating love in the world surely can't be a bad thing.

And who doesn't love an excuse to give and/or get chocolate?!

Foodie Friday - La Provence, Brentwood

After rehearsal earlier this week PK and I had dinner at La Provence in Brentwood, which was about the only choice available to us since we had the great and powerful poodle in tow. I got a really delicious Boeuf Bourgignon which was precisely what I needed after a long evening of killing nuns (in opera) and then treated myself and my flatmates to some of the patisserie's staggering array of jewel-coloured Macarons for dessert.

The salt-caramel offering was the most intriguing, and delicious, although there was rather too much salt and rather too much caramel. I suppose this just means that the whole thing was too intense?! Regardless, the rose, lavender, lemon and hazelnut ones were delicious also. So was the mini-baby-raspberry-custard-tart that was my actual dessert.

Try them out! La Provence is at Brentwood Gardens on San Vicente.

30 Before 30 #8 - BOSE!

I'm not really sure at what point I fixed on the idea of getting a pair of Bose Noise-Cancelling headphones. I think it was probably sometime during 2007 or 2008, aka the Airmiles Years, in which I was back and forth - lucky me - to London, Budapest, Athens, Tokyo and LA with quite substantial frequency, and seemed to see people everywhere with these wonderful headsets. And for Christmas last year I got a pair, at last! They are everything one might dream of, and more.

I think they make a rather strange status-symbol, though. Wearing them on a plane really is tantamount to being able to switch off completely, and ignore safety announcements, flight attendants, children, drunks etc. Admittedly the technology is such that the headphones are not in a position to block fully the sound of someone talking to you - probably just as well - but the reduction in low-level hum is little short of miraculous.

As for the sound quality - the first thing I played through them was Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto, and it was quite an experience. This is a piece I know pretty well, but it was like listening to it entirely anew. The colours that these babies bring to your ears are astonishing!

Wild Card Wednesday - The Beatitudes

Yesterday in rehearsal we had a quiet moment during a particularly emotional scene, and for some reason I was moved to read The Beatitudes to our assembled company. Regardless of one's faith or denomination, they are very beautiful blessings, and certainly words that anyone could take comfort from and live by.

There's a really beautiful setting of the text by Arvo Part from 1990 - video below :)

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure of heart,
for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Tuesday Tunes - Chopin Piano Concerto

I grew up listening to Chopin. Much as I hate the idea of having - or listing - a 'favourite' anything, I think he has to remain my favourite composer. There are so many memories woven into my experience of this music. Apparently when I was super sick as a baby, my parents found that only Chopin would put me to sleep. The best song we sang in our school choir has to have been an arrangement of 'So Deep Is The Night' - from the 'Tristesse' Etude. Through my few short years of learning the piano, it was always in the hope of playing Chopin that I practiced. One afternoon my brother heard me playing the Raindrop Prelude and didn't believe that it was me playing - what a great compliment! (Second only to the examiner who, after my performance of the same piece for the Leaving Cert, smiled and said "wow. You must really love Chopin.") In Japan, I spent a number of rather homesick evenings banging on the grand piano we had in the basement of the dorms, trying to get back into piano shape - again, with Chopin - turning negative into positive.

By chance my iTunes shuffled its way to the second movement of the first piano concerto this morning. I don't know it nearly as well as the first, but it was so beautiful I played it twice. Quelle surprise. I hope you have a beautiful day.

Movie Monday - Don Giovanni

OK, so this isn't strictly a 'movie', but the only thing longer than a YouTube video that I've had time to watch of late is Peter Sellars' production of Don Giovanni, featuring a pair of identical twin brothers as Giovanni and Leporello. As ever, there is much probity to the interrogation of the text - the champagne aria, for instance, becomes a paean to heroin - and P.S. does a blistering job of breathing a comtemporary life into the libretto and the score. Marvellous stuff - and the casting of the Perry twins really heightens the analysis of the connection between the two men. Go Peter!

He's also on the cover of Opera News this month, in recognition of the arrival, at last, of Nixon in China at the Met. And I am going to see it on Saturday! So it's a very Peter week.

And here's the man himself, on the importance of financing culture.

Saturn-alia

And eventually, God created Saturn. And he liked it, so he put a ring on it.

(Courtesy of Tanya Dean and Becca Frere. This made my day!)

Spiced Sundays - Marjoram

Marjoram has always sounded vaguely Biblical to me - along with those phrases referring to Mustard-seeds, Marthas and Miriams, for some reason. Apparently its country of origin is Egypt, although it now features heavily in cuisines from as far off as Mexico and Romania, France and Poland. There's something very pleasing to me about this list of countries, because we have representatives of all of them in our production of Dialogues des Carmelites - whose opera likewise features a reference to this obscure spice!

Apparently it's closely related to oregano, and must likewise be added rather late in the cooking process for best flavour bouquet. (...) It features often in the spice mixes Herbes de Provence, and indeed Za'ataar - a middle-Eastern blend of various spices, sesame and salt. Delicious.

Seasonal Saturday - Chinese New Year!

Happy Lunar New Year!

Apparently people born in the Year of the Rabbit and those born in the year of the Rooster (like me) wind up being thoroughly incompatible and unable to stand each other. Who knew?

Within the realm of Chinese astrology, the Rabbit (and I'm assuming, therefore, its year, 2011...) is "most stylish, finds interest in different cultures. Classy and sophisticated, and can be found adorning one of the latest fashion magazines... Plenty of artistic ventures, generally quite present in such worlds. Loves to express themselves - lots of flair either entertaining at home or sharing a cup of coffee with friends". If that's what this year has to offer, I'll take it!

Another one bites the dust

I heard this week that Waterstones are closing their Irish branches - well, at least, the two that are in Dublin's city centre. The short-lived Borders in Blanchardstown was disappointing enough - but this is truly dreadful! I spent so many happy hours browsing their store in Dawson Street during my life in Trinity. Despite being owned by the same company as Hodges Figgis across the street, they always seemed to have more of what I wanted. And their coffee shop - while no gourmet heaven, by any means - was always quiet and reliably empty, so great for the chats, some cake, or a cup of their curiously delicious almond tea.

Obviously I'm a huge fan of amazon and their services, but it's a sharp shock to realise that the price of such conveniences may well mean the continued and mounting future closures of such cherished physical locations. Sign o' the times, perhaps, but it's disappointing. Thank heavens James Joyce mentioned HF in Ulysses - one can only hope that such references might keep their doors open a little longer!

Foodie Friday - SUR, West Hollywood

It was one of my lovely flatmates' birthday last Saturday, so we went out for dinner in Sur, a restaurant and bar in WeHo. It has the dubious claim to fame of being the domain of one of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. (The English one, with the dogs and the ex-live-in-Cedric). The whole place is quite impossibly LA - white linen everywhere, chandeliers, FAR too many mirrors for an eatery - unless, of course the clientele are more likely to look at themselves than actually eat anything... - random ethnic art. Think Buddha-Bar, via Marrakech, via Paris...

There were rose petals and flickering candles throughout, and when a bizarre party of young Asian people with one dodgy-looking white dude stayed at 'our' table too long, they swiftly magicked up a new one for us, out on the non-patio patio area. We all squeezed in and started perusing the ENORMOUS menus. A very nice bottle of prosecco came quickly, but water was rather harder to come by. For all that, the staff were very good to us. A legion of gym-prepped, beautiful people who make up in beauty what they lack in smarts.

I ordered the lamb, which was amazingly prepared and presented. For some reason I thought I'd be virtuous so I didn't actually get fries with it - I had broccoli and mashed potatoes - but it was all really good. For dessert a display of delicious cupcakes and a flare had been prepared for the birthday boy. Very chic, obviously. Less chic - but far more LA - is the fact that during our meal that doyenne of class, sophistication and erudition, Snooki de JerseyShore, showed up for dinner. Like many of the clientele in this rather dark, low-lit emporium, she never took her sunglasses off.

Afterwards we went to a rather famous club up the street. All of our party were carded, with the exception of the birthday boy and yours truly, who were waved in with a bored nod from the bouncer. Obviously we are now over the hill.

Happy Birthday!

30 Before 30 #7 - Green Card

This is probably the most difficult item on my list - to get a Green Card for the USA. But I don't think it's impossible! I'm curious to know if anyone has one, (has a spare one!), got one, finagled one, etc. There are numerous ways to make it happen, of course, but I'm not sure which is the best or most efficient to do so just yet.

It's ironic to think that the merit system in my primary school was also a green card (well - a carta glas) and that you filled it with stickers called molanos (from the Irish phrase "mol an oige agus tiocfaidh se - praise youth and it will advance).

Would the USA like to put the sticker on my carta glas, perhaps, and mol this youth?!

Wild Card Wednesday - Europe

I've spent a lot of time in the last month thinking rather wistfully about Ireland, Dublin and Europe in general. There is so much that I miss, and so much that I pretend is better than really it is, but regardless - I wonder where this year might take me. Part of me wants to take several months off after I finish the degree, whether to write or cook or meditate or even just sleep! I might travel somewhere wildly new, like Reykjavik or Buenos Aires, but really what gnaws at me most is how much I miss "l'esprit" in Europe. Los Angeles is wonderful, and fun, and I've met some truly remarkable souls here, but I wonder how long I'm meant to stay here.

Even if she is collapsing, Europe is calling....