Damages

I don't often go to the movie but I loooove series. Whenever I have time I can go for a season in one time. It happened with Dexter and it happened again with Damages. The plot : "Launching a pitched battle against corporate titan Arthur Frobisher (Danson), Patty Hewes (Close) is determined to destroy him with a class action civil suit after he was let off free in a government case, despite the scandal that surrounded his flameout. But the serie begins on an even more ominous note : a bloodied, terrified young woman has run from her apartment". And that's what is good in this story because you never end to get clues and to have piece by piece the whole story. So in the end of the 13th episode, you still get news and of course what was expected the little thing that makes you think there will be a second season (I think even 2 followings are planed). But I am grateful that for the first one we have it complete. From episode 1 to 13 you have the full story and you are always surprised. You are allowed to be naïve and to wonder what will come next and that's the trick because even if it is bed-time you can't help yourself putting on the next episode. All the characters are good and of course Glenn Close is fabulous. It's not too much as it was in "Fatal Attraction" but more likely "Dangerous liaisons". Her best part for me was "Things you can tell just by looking at her". I heard the actress Rose Byrne is the next star of the big screen ...

Instantanés

A room with a view

It seems that the new tendency in Berlin to stay is the multiplex, meaning it's everything in once : a youth hostel with rooms for 10 or less and bathroom to share at the floor and double rooms with private bathroom. In the middle some other options, all this in a design location newly renovated, preferably in a trendy area with garden and all opportunities round the corner. It happened last february with Wombat's (friends who stay there say It is very valuable and for the price and location you can even enjoy your private terrace or have a drink in the lounge on the roof) and a second one just opened a few meters away : Pfefferbett. The name is a mix of Pfefferwerk and Bett (bed in case It's not clear). So you know where you are, in the middle of the green, downtown east. I found it by surprise. After the week-end work in the flat I needed a nice walk and went wandering in my area as usual. In the Pfefferwerk, outside the Biergarten (beer garden, can you imagine?) and the hostel you will soon have culture center and restaurants and probably other planed things that are not visible yet. Because I have friends coming over this summer I booked a room, breakfast and bike included (yes, you read correctly).

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Exotic

Last evening I was invited at a birthday party to a friend's place. Usually it's not the event you really enjoy going because you feel obliged to stay even when it did not even start or nothing around is interesting. But I gave my word, I had a difficult appointment a few hours ago and I knew I would enjoy the ride because it is a bit far from my place. I know some people as well so I would not be completely lost so I went. After the P.R. things, a glass of wine in my hand and a cig in the other one (smoke free inside the flat of course but I told already outside is the next cruising area) I start to listen around. Again, because german is not my language I have to accomodate my ear to the new sounds and the way people speak otherwise I won't be able to talk with them afterwards. I've been told It looks like that I just want to stay alone in my corner but not at all, It's just that I need to practice. Mostly guys are there and my second glass emptied I need a refull. Because some heard me talking when I went back to the balcony some of them started with the questions. It seems mandatory for the people to put in categories (where you born, where do you live, what do you do ...) when I never ask those questions. But I guess It's because for them I am still exotic (what the hell am I coming to make a living in Berlin ?). They all feel like my accent is "charmant" (in french in the text) and after all this chit-chat they started with the real questions between the french-german relationship. When president of France meets Prime of Germany and say that he loves her, nobody believes a word. But if I say that in Berlin I still meet people full of resentment against me nobody wants to believe it because they say their city is the city of freedom (I heard as well it is sin city!). But on return they can't help themselves affirming that from my side of the country French don't like German. Well if you take it this way, we don't like English neither. And nobody likes anybody. It is again this way German have not to accept they can be wrong and make you feel guilty. It's one of their strongest behaviour. Not one of them will say the contrary, try to understand my difficulties or at least give me the benefice of the doubt. But they also confirm that the other way round is very very complicated when they come to France. The difference is that I try to understand the situation, accept it and put it at my advantage when they think all is theirs. Start by learning the language, Daaarling, that helps. Outside of that I almost spent my time on the balcony. Some started to leave because there was some nice parties downtown because of the long week-end (today is bank holiday) and I soon finished my drink. Conversations are nice but when I see a a guy (whose 20 years' boyfriend just left) starting sniffing my ass, It's time to go away and have a nice last glass anywhere at the terrace.

Cin-King

I can carry on moving with the bike with this beautiful weather but it will change soon and I'll have to find a solution. The people of Cin-King made your dream true. For every of your use you might find the one to suit you. My favorite is the Naked Wonder for its capability of being parked anywhere.

Guette l'Aube

Instantanés

Carneval of cultures

Since last Thursday takes place in Berlin the Carneval of cultures. It's mostly in Kreuzberg with its multi-kulti tradition. At day you find exhibitions and demonstrations. It's very colourful and easy going. At night it's party time and you never finish to enjoy the different style of music and DJ's. A must-do in the year and we are very lucky with the beautiful weather.It's the occasion as well to improvise discos in the park, to meet in a café and ask musicians to play a set or towatch sunset on the bridge... and of course to meet new people.

Are you sure you slept with a woman?

Doing it like a man

Talking with my (girl)friends last evening between cheese and dessert I agree with them that sometimes in public places you just don't want to go to the toilets and especially when it is a gay disco. The girls can't have any privacy and let's say it straight you don't really look where you pee, and even less when you're drunk (among some other visual and audible discoveries in those places). Well ladies, some thought about it and found out for you solutions. It's called whiz, it's australian (but is already known with some other names in different countries) and you don't need anymore to be frightened going in the toilets of train, motorway, or neighbour. It's in plastic, easily washable and foldable, takes the space of a mobile telephone. So from now on whenever you feel like doing it feel free to unzip your pant after walking in the rain, put yourself in the corner of the street and share. It has its advantage : looking at studies the human needs to pee beween 6 and 7 times a day (don't get scared if you're not in this rate, it's average). Men who time it say the morning one is the longest one (1 minute due to the accumulation of night sleep). The rest of the day, time varies between 40-45 seconds. For women, it's longer, especially in winter. Purple colour is "in" these days but you can be sure that black will be available soon, much more discreet in the handbag. Don't let it fall on the floor.

Another country

There is a big debate this week in France : a french gay lives with his boyfriend in the Netherlands. Gays in this country can get married but in my country you can't. Following dutch-french regulations voted in 1985 and re-examinated in 1996, either of citizen who marries his beloved from the other country looses his nationality except by special request. This goes for straight couples. The newly married french gay goes to the french consulate to renew his ID. France makes its investigation before delivering the paper and finds out. Result : the french looses his french nationality. From every politcal side in France is coming violent discusions stating that in the european community France is far behind other countries (Spain, UK and Belgium authorize as well gay marriage). President of France said during his campaign that he will do something regarding this matter but how can he satisfy a majority (and I am surprised people believed in it) when the right side is strongly attached to the traditional scheme daddy-mummy-baby ? He engaged himself in a third way proposing a "civil union" (?!) speaking of a recognition of the gay love (can't we simply talk about love ?) to guarantee equality (for example regarding succession). Strangely in 1999 France was one of the leader when PACS was created (civil contract, other countries followed the example) but when it was expected gay to adopt and use it, it had more success with straights. A gay marriage has been in 2004 celebrated in France by a mayor (ecologist) but was illegaly pronounced by french justice. Most of the political left side tenors announced proudly that they are favorable for gay marriage and adoption as well as 60% of french people. Surprisingly the effective reaction was to improve the PACS when no-one before this event saw utility to do so. As per today french government will not move.

A Real Mother For Ya

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Work day

In many countries today May 1st is a bank holiday. In my country if I translate it, it's called the "day of work", isn't it funny a bank holiday named like this ? There is a possibility it comes from Chicago in the US. To make it short, workers obtained the 8 hours day of work after a big strike in 1886 (and has nothing to do with the labour day). 3 years later in France, in order to celebrate the universal exhibition and the century-old french revolution the socialist party decided to meet to demonstrate and to reduce the duration of a day work to 8 hours (48 hours a week, only sunday is not worked). May 1st, 1891 in north of France (this was the industrial part of the country with mines) demonstration was tragically ended by police with 9 dead people. Since then this date finds its roots traditionally as a fight of the european workers and became soon international when in 1920 Russia decided that this date will not be worked and will be the legal workers day. This example is followed by many countries. Today in France people still demonstrate a lot to warn the government that Unions are ready to start negociations to make work life in better conditions even if it has nothing more to do with the past centuries but we are at this point today thanks to people who fought for us and still do. Frankly speaking it's mostly about money that we talk about but season's opened. In ex-west-Germany we don't really pay attention to this date except that we don't go to work but in ex-east-Germany it has more to do with young socialists. Traditionaly they wear a red carnation flower when in France we offer lily in the valley to our families and people we love. This year May 1st is a Thursday and most of people deserted the city because if you take a day of holiday you can leave 4 days looking for the sun in Spain. I stayed because my friends came over for the week-end. The city is full of tourists and you can hear everywhere every language except german. Anyway we went out last night and I discovered with big surprise that round my corner the Pfefferwerk just reopened. It's been under work for months and it's newly lighted and looked of course beautiful. There it's a multicultural place and also a garden where you can share drinks. In the underground you find my beloved Bassy club where yesterday there was a 1920's party (pictures on the website). No demonstration today in the area (it's done far east of the city) so the centre looks empty and the museums are packed. Tomorrow for me is work day.

L.A. shorts

I received this link as a comment the other day regarding L.A. shorts unfortunatly without note so I can't make nor publish any opinion about it. But you know me, I'm a good heart and I like to help. And furthermore I like the short films, so if it can help the festival to be alive and film makers to be on the red carpet, I'm happy to share.

Leon Jean Marie - Trusted You (Live)

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Suffer the little children

The book helps me to fall asleep but sometimes I write down things that I find interesting. I found back a note which reminds me of a novel I read. The subject is how far people can go to have children when they can't have any the natural way. I marked "... yes it's like we're living in two worlds," she said. "There's the world where people have too many children, and they get sick and starve and die, and our world, where people want to have them and can't". How accurate even if I'd say there are even more than two worlds on our planet. In Donna Leon's