Another one of my favourite songs from Emilie Jolie aside from La Chanson du Herisson. It is originally interpreted by Henri Salvador.
Chanson Finale ("Final Song" with my translation)
C'est un peu la fin de notre histoire Mais surtout ne sors pas ton mouchoir Dors petite fille dans ton grand lit Nom Jolie et prénom Emilie Dors, petite amie dans ton grand lit Puisqu'il faut bien vivre sa vie
It's slighty the end of our story But whatever you do, do not pull out your handkerchief Sleep little girl in your big bed Surname Jolie and Name, Emilie Sleep little friend in your big bed Since one must live one's life.
Nous on reviendra si tu le veux On est là pour rendre les gens heureux Même si on existe pas vraiment Tu peux compter sur nous tout le temps Dors petite amie dans ton grand lit Puisqu'il faut bien vivre sa vie...
As for us, we will return if you want it We are here to make people happy Even if we do not really exist You can count on us all the time Sleep little friend in your big bed Since one must live one's life...
Faites que le rêve dévore votre vie, Afin que la vie ne décore pas votre rêve...
Let your dream consume your life, Such that life may not consume your dream...
I loved Rutherfurd's Russka and London. Both Edward Rutherfurd and James Michener rank as my top historical novelists. I look up to them and their work has inspired me greatly.
I love being swept away into the dramatic story of family generations, through their passions, conflicts, loves, struggles, genius and indirect relationships with historical figures. I enjoy reading about people's lives while witnessing their city's or country's development as if I were present at that time. It is a wonderful way to time travel and an entertaining way to learn about history.
Rutherfurd, educated in Cambridge and Stanford, is a master at weaving well researched historical fact with enthralling fiction. I just can't wait to get my hands on New York: The Novel. Only two weeks to go!
One should guard against preaching to young people success in the customary form as the main aim in life. The most important motive for work in school and in life is pleasure in work, pleasure in its result, and the knowledge of the value of the result to the community. - Albert Einstein
Good old Einstein. Well, he said it.
What is this perfectly ambiguous term we call success anyway? Success in different societies means so many different things. Having many children in some African and Middle Eastern cultures is a form of success. Having a high paying job, a large house and being able to travel regularly for leisure is a symbol of success in most Western societies. Smaller circles also have their own measures. Featuring as a lead in a high grossing film is the first sign of success in Hollywood. Getting a promotion is a sign of success in most organisations.
This idea of success is a pain in the ass. So often I think, it forces us to give away our lives and spend effort on things that we believe are prized by other people, in an attempt to impress them or even just to confirm to ourselves that our life has been well spent. These things we eventually acquire or give ourselves cancers and heart attacks acquiring may have nothing to do with what we truly want. But they are worth pursuing either because advertisers tell us that they are worthwhile, or because our family tell us nothing else will do or because we feel guilt in relation to those self-imposed goals that elude us, or shame in relation to other people, if we do not pursue these aims.
I've had plenty of success. Well, that depends on what you mean by success. I've had wealth. I've owned property. I've had boundless travel experiences. I've had a degree of power and responsibility in a well paid job. I've had a stable and happy marriage. So I suppose in Western terms, I've had plenty of that thing called success.
But I'm learning. Slowly. I think success for me is moments. Moments when I feel free and my own person. Moments when I love or feel loved. Moments when I complete a gym workout and feel fucking awesome about myself. Moments when I find self-expression in an idiotic Facebook status or rave about my obscure ideas in an equally obscure blog called Les Nuits Masquées. Moments when I know I'm going to publish my novel, a creation of my very own that no one else could have written and that has been born of my own mind and no one else's. Moments when I enjoy tasting and experiencing new food. Success for me is being able to tell someone to piss off when they are obviously out of line rather than being servile to them and compromising my own integrity. Success is making my own choices.
I want to call this thing, "contentment", not success.
Contentment for me is those moments when I wake up and recognise that the commonly known concept called success is an elusive, virtual reality. It's a commodity created to wade through existence and obtain some measure of self-satisfaction for our progress in this lifespan. It's true. We fabricate our own reality about what success means because we are doomed to the anxiety of existentialism. We need to fill our lives with some meaning. We need a benchmark without which we fall apart anguished by this overwhelming meaninglessness. Without which we believe we would feel useless. Who wants to 'just live'? No, that would be too frightening. Life must have a purpose. And the only way we know we have reached that purpose is to create a measure, the measure of success.
But life is not about success. It's about enjoyment. And Einstein was right.
This post is not really about Bette Davis nor her film. I just finished an essay on Almodovar's Todo Sobre Mi Madre and there are still a few camp textual references lingering in my mind. But if you read the post carefully, you may discover why it's all about Eve...
So where was I?
It was my 34th birthday last Friday. On that night, Shane took me to Eves on the River. It was the first time I had been there for dinner and I absolutely loved it. Our table overlooked the gorgeous Teneriffe river walk, the company was delightful as always, and to top it all off, I celebrated by getting drunk on cake. Yay me! Yes, be warned, a mass intake of glucose on a previously empty stomach will often drive Laura to inebriation. Here are a couple of souvenirs from our enchanting evening.
Eves on the River's Braised Beef Cheek
Due to an Aioli addiction, I opted for Fries and Aioli. I also had the Braised Beef Cheek with cauliflower & field mushroom Gratin. I'm a sucker for melt-in-your-mouth tender meats and was not disappointed with my delectable choice. The mushroom was soooo cute! It was as tight and thin as a nori sheet and lay compressed underneath the little bed of cauliflower. Oh, the novelty.
Shane chose the Lamb Shoulder Pie and pommes mousseline & pea puree. Everything was delicious.
Ok, so it's not quite Yatala Pies but still!
After dinner, two lovely waitresses paraded a huge chocolate cake topped with burning sparkles all the way to our table. They sang happy birthday for me and I beamed like a little girl. That sort of surprise has never happened to me before and I must admit that I found it very enjoyable!
The song, "La Petite Fille du Troisieme" (The Little Girl from the Third Floor), is one of my favourites by French singer, Christophe. One could write a script, and yes, make a film from its lyrics.
There's a cold, chaotic effect brought upon by the redundant repetition of certain words in an almost clinical, orderly manner. Since the lyrics are in first person, the main character emerges as a meticulous observer with an almost cynical focus on other people's behavior. There's a scrutiny over details that most people overlook and it hints to the character's attitude and mental preoccupations. So then, it should come as no surprise if that I tell you that this song paints the story of a psychopath, a man who describes his future victims and who evinces a guiltless detachment from his crimes by engaging in culture and refinement, that is, by listening to ballet all day. The plaintive, romantic quality of Christophe's voice only adds to the character's eeriness.
La Petite Fille du Troisieme (The Little Girl from the Third Floor)
La petite fille du troisième a toujours Oui elle a toujours, a toujours, a toujours, a toujours des problèmes Quand je la vois le matin Quand elle va prendre son train, oui son train, oui son train Je prendrais bien sa p'tite main Je vois tout, j'entends tout, mais je ne dis jamais rien (x2)
The little girl from the 3rd floor, always has Yes, she always has, always has, always has, always has problems When I see her in the morning When she goes to catch her train, yes her train, yes her train I would [gladly] take her little hand
I see everything, I hear everything But I never say anything. I see everything, I hear everything But I never say anything.
La vieille dame du cinquième, elle se prend Oui elle se prend, elle se prend (x2) pour une cartomancienne Elle a dit au monsieur, au monsieur du huitième, du huitième (x2) Qu'il allait mourir demain Je vois tout, j'entends tout, mais je ne dis jamais rien (x2)
The old lady from the fifth floor, She takes herself Yes, she takes herself, she takes herself, she takes herself for a fortune teller She told the gentleman, the gentleman from the eighth floor, the eighth floor, the eighth floor That he would die tomorrow
I see everything, I hear everything But I never say anything. I see everything, I hear everything But I never say anything.
J'habite au rez-d'chaussée et je joue du ballet, du ballet, du ballet A longueur de journée Quand on vient me questionner sur la dame du cinquième Sur la fille du troisième, je réponds sans hésiter : Je vois tout, j'entends tout, mais je ne dis jamais rien Je vois tout, j'entends tout, mais je ne dis jamais rien Je vois tout, j'entends tout, je vois tout, tout, mais je ne dis jamais rien J'écoute tout, je vois tout, j'entends tout, tout, mais je ne dis jamais rien J'entends tout, tout tout tout, je vois tout, tout, mais je ne dis jamais rien, rien.
I live on the Ground floor And I play ballet, ballet, ballet All day long When they come to question me about the lady from the fifth floor, About the girl from the third floor, I reply without hesitation: I see everything, I hear everything But I never say anything. I see everything, I hear everything But I never say anything. (Repeat ad nauseum)
What I enjoy most about travelling is the 360 degree visual overload which I scramble to capture with those absurd digital contraptions that tourists so often carry along with them. Other aspects I love include cultural immersion which so often involves tasting glorious, yummy food, the history of different places, the wonderous architectures and the beautiful natural scenery. Travel, for me, is systematic invited change. Surprises. It's about the joy of discovering a life that I am not familiar with and that I can learn from and grow from, it's about experiencing different things, living other paradigms and appreciating human difference. I aspire to be in a perpetual state of wonder where I take nothing of the world for granted and where my senses are overwhelmed every single minute. I also travel to have fun and to explore the past.
This is a list of places I've travelled to or lived in. It's nowhere as extensive as some of my friends' lists including Ginny, Cathy and Jacqueline whose broad travel experiences I greatly admire. Overall it makes me happy to see what I've done so far.
I hope to see much more of the world in the future and return to a few places that I enjoyed. I'll update this list regularly in the years to come.
Africa
Senegal
Dakar
Kaolack
Popinguine
Pacific
Australia
Bondi
Brisbane
Broadbeach
Bronte
Burleigh Heads
Caloundra
Canberra
Coogee
Clovelly
Coolum Beach
Fraser Island
Hamilton Island
Hervey Bay
Hobart
Maleny
Maroochydore
Melbourne
Mooloolaba
Palm Beach
Port Arthur
Surfers Paradise
Sydney
Watsons Bay
Whitsunday Island
New Zealand
Auckland
Dunedin
Fox Glacier
Motueka
Mt Cook Village
Nelson
Paihia
Picton
Queenstown
Wanaka
Society Island (Fr)
Moorea
Asia
China
Badaling (Great Wall)
Baisha
Beijing
Kunming
Lijiang
Hong Kong
Macau
