Sex and the City 2

Nope, no spoiler coming from me unfortunately (just speculation)! This is just a post to document my complete excitement about the release of SATC2. To say that I love SATC is an understatement. Hell, I even dragged my fiance on the SATC tour in New York! It was awesome.

I remember the excitement of seeing the movie when I went with Kate. It somehow felt like a momentous occasion - one we had been anticipating for some time (yes, I do know how sad I soumd). We couldn't wait to go in, and we enjoyed every second.

And now we are being treated to another film! I am pleased, of course, but I do think it's getting a little silly. I mean, why not just start the series again? It would be so much better. But hey, I shouldn't complain.

The release in the UK will be in late May... right before the wedding. I really hope that we can make it a part of the hen night celebrations. Nothing could be more perfect. Since I leave for Israel a week before the wedding, we may end up seeing it there! That would also be cool.

I hope Carrie doesn't have a baby: it seems at odds with her character. I hope Samantha gets back with Richard, but I don't think it will happen (it's much more likely that Smith will reappear). I think that Aidan will come back and that there will be infidelity issues between Carrie and Big.

So now I put it to you: what do you think will happen? I was spot-on with predicting it the last time but this time I just don't know. Can't wait to read your hypotheses!

KOSHERFACE exhibition

I know that I've already spoken to you about my talented friend Fred. The brilliant yet humble Fred, who is living out his dream of being a photographer. He could have done anything, but he taught himself photography whilst he was studying Japanese at Oxford, and today he is a successful photographer, having taken portraits of varied people - from models for Vogue to politicians like Bill Clinton. Extraordinary. Fred is just one of those people who makes things happen.

I know also that I have spoken to you about Chabad, the orthodox Jewish movement, but permit me to speak about it again. It is a chassidic group that is very outreach oriented. It sends emissaries to open 'Chabad Houses' all over the world - Jewish cultural centres, homes away from home for any Jewish passer by. These emissaries give up life as they knew it in Brooklyn or some other Jewish neighbourhood to take up residence in far flung places like Bangkok, where there is no kosher food, where they have no friends and no Jewish amenities. They build synagogues and mikvaot. They build a community, often from scratch. They open their homes to students and travellers 24/7, giving up on their private lives - they are as selfless as can be. They do all of this with an unwavering joie de vivre, because they have a purpose. I've honestly never seen anything like it.

Fred is not orthodox. But he is open minded enough to have decided to live with wonderful Rabbi Eli in Oxford, his wonderful wife, Freidy and their gorgeous (and expanding, b'h) brood of children. He developed such an appreciation for the orthodox movement despite holding many different personal views that he embarked on a project to capture their energy through photography and gain exposure for them.

I was fortunate enough to be invited to the opening night of his exhibition, KOSHERFACE, in London. I loved the life and energy that his photos evoke. His portraiture literally sings - he brings his subject to life so that you almost feel he or she will start talking to you. Most significantly he brought out the immense warmth and openness of the Chabad movement.

So proud of you Fred! xxxx

If you want to check out Fred's website - and you should - it is at www.fredericaranda.com

Me, Musia, Chanale, Freidy, Rabbi Eli, Fred, friend of Fred's



Sheer beauty

Look at the warmth and intelligence, the willingness to challenge his audience and nurture their thought. You look at the picture and you've almost met the man (Rabbi Lau)


Rabbi Eli in front of a photo of himself!

Andrea Bocelli

Marc and I were fortunate enough to hear the great and lovely Andrea Bocelli at the O2 this week. Marc's friend, who also works in finance, got us seats in his company's box (thank you Richard!). Many of the big companies in this country (including my former law firm) have boxes at the O2, where so many great artists perform when they are in London. Those boxes are intended for client entertainment, and Marc's firm is a client of Richard's firm, so we lucked out.

Andrea was magnificent, as one would expect. He sang with an exceptional soprano and an amazing flutist. The programs were £15 so we didn't buy one and I can't tell you their names, sadly, but they are so talented. It was such a privilege to hear such a beautiful concert. The energy was incredible. The orchestra, the choir, the momentum!

If you can imagine it, we were in a plush box, behind which was a room with sofas where we could chat, leave our things and enjoy good food and champagne. We could look onto the whole 02 arena, the beautiful symmetry of the rows and rows below and above us. Our view was, naturally, unobscured. We felt on top of the world.

And it occurred to me that it's such a shame that the people who are able to enjoy the privilege of experiencing this were those who worked in finance, an area so devoid of soul, of creativity (at least in my experience). It saddened me that money alone could afford this experience, which seems to me far away from that soul-less world. I wish everybody could have the opportunity to feel enriched by the music we heard.

Just a thought. We will certainly treasure our memories of this evening with Andrea!

PS: for those Sesame Street fans out there, check out this clip of Andrea singing with Elmo. I assure you that your heart will melt! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BDVvB7Xx1w

What I thought of Julie and Julia

What can I say? I LOVED it! Not least because I lived in the same area as Julia Child, and that it brought me back to my own life in Paris, when I was 20 and 25. I miss Paris so!

I know you don't need me to introduce the film: you've probably all seen it by now or know that it's about the legendary Julia Child and a young woman who blogs about her attempt to make all 524 recipes in 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' in a year.

Meryl Streep, who plays Julia, is sublime: so vivid, so witty, so brimming with joie de vivre. So beautiful! I loved the parallels between the women's lives. I loved the subtlety with which the delicate issue of pregnancy was handled. I loved the costumes, the food, the portrayal of honest relationships between women - not always perfect, sometimes jealous, sometimes competitive, yet often tender.

 

I loved what it said about marriage and partnership, about romance and appreciation of one another. It is so rare to see a film that celebrates the positive rather than looking for points of tension. A film in which tension in the conventional sense doesn't even exist. It wasn't a saccharine film though. Neither woman's marriage or life was perfect. But the film showed how real people can make the best of situations rather than walk away from them.

I want to see it again! Tonight wouldn't be too soon.

 

Ahhh, I _love_ that feeling - all too rare - of seeing something that you adore and that inspires you. I wish I had the guts to go to the Cordon Bleu, whose courses I always look at! I wish I had the tenacity that these women have!

If you haven't seen this film you MUST go and see it. And if you have please tell me what you thought! I'd love to know!

PS: Who didn't relate to the scenes about getting comments from readers? So so true! 

Amazing concert: Avraham Fried and Dudu Fisher

When was the last time you went to a really good concert? A concert that simply blew you away?
I go to concerts all too rarely. I am just not interested enough most of the time to go to the effort of buying tickets to see acts that I am not passionate about. But on Sunday Dad, Marc and I attended a charity concert with Dudu Fisher and Avraham Fried, two renouned Jewish performers.

Dudu Fisher has a distinguished singingbackground, having trained classically. In addition to his traditional Jewish singing, he was also asked to come from Israel to play Jean Valjean in Les Miserables on the London stage and on Broadway. He was delighted but stated that he would be unable to perform on theatre's busiest nights: Saturday and Friday nights. This is because he observes the Jewish Sabbath, during which there is a prohibition on work (amongst many other things). It is so noble to my mind to potentially jeopardise such an astounding career for one's religious conviction: that is the sort of person I would like to be. Believe it or not, he was offered the part irrespective. He has a deep beautiful voice and sings traditional religious music, sometimes in Yiddish.

Avraham Fried is a Chabad Chassid, part of a chassidic orthodox Jewish movement that was led by the great Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson. He is a singer of great repute, a cantor who sings chazzanut (synagogue music, which is very emotional and makes even secular Jews cry sometimes). In addition, he sings Jewish orthodox pop - a style of music influenced by pop, rock and jazz, with lyrics that reflect the Jewish faith. He is SUCH an energetic performer, and true love of his faith emanates from his face. He has an indescribable joie de vivre, a glowing smile. He truly believes that his mission in life, his schlichus, is to bring people closer to their faith and to bring them joy through music. He is very famous and successful yet absolutely humble - I would go so far as to say sweet.

What can I say? This performance blew me away with its energy and intensity. I left the theatre so happy. Jewish music, klezmer, the violet and clarinet, the dancing of the rabbis - it just speaks to my soul, to something deep within me that, wherever I am in the world and whoever I am with, in whatever circustance I find myself, reminds me of who I am and of my place in the world. I feel so blessed to be a Jewish woman.


-----
Not sure how to to post a clip but here's a YouTube link for anyone interested in hearing a bit of Avraham Fried. I'm not sure how much of it will 'translate' but we'll see!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPOanT3rbNE