Interview JK Rowling

Dear Reader, 

Today is not a "normal" day.

It has been the second time that I am writing this message because of a computer bug.
The Thursday quote won't be a usual one.

Today, for once, you'll have a series of quotes.

Everybody knows the Harry Potter books and movies. 

I found interesting to show you an interview of JK Rowling.

The following video is the first one I found on Youtube.

And this interview of JK Rowling by Oprah Windfrey stroke me. 

They are both so natural, so "normal", so clever... 

They behave just like old friends and seem to have so much in common.
And it is true.

At the end Oprah Winfrey even answers JK Rowling questions.

Since I was young, I have always watched the "behind the scenes" movies and listened to authors' interviews. 

This time it is quite the same and it helps to know who is this amazing writer.

My aim has never been to spy or to be curious. 

As I have already said in a previous message, I care for privacy.

But I have always felt that artistic creations (writing, movie making, painting, singing...) are much more interesting when explained by their authors.

So today you have a series of 4 videos, all coming from the same interview.

I really hope that you'll like them and feel happy after watching them as I was.

The first (big) quote is the most important one.
JK Rowling puts words on the moment that every artist has to experience : when you let the characters go away and when your creation is done.

The video is in English.
There are French subtitles too.


Part 1

"- It was a bereavement. It was huge. But I think, one way, although I knew that it was coming... We all know that the people we love are mortal, we all know that we are mortal. We know it is going to an end. You can not prepare yourself for it. So even though I had always known that there would be only seven books, that was it. I knew how it would come to an end, when it ended I was in a harsh state of shock.

- What did you do after you finished writing ? (Oprah Winfrey's question)

- Initially I was delighted. But there came a point, I cried as I had only cried once before in my life, when my mother died. It was uncontrolable. And I am not a big crier. (...) For seventeen years I had had many tumultuous times in my life and I had always had that. And if it is an escape for all those children, you can imagine what it has been for me ? And it was not just the world, it was the discipline of working. It was the structure it gave to my life. I knew that I would still go on writing. But I had to mourn Harry."

Part 2

"Love is the most important thing in the world."

JK Rowling

Part 3

"When I knew that it was time to go, I left"
(about her first mariage)
 
JK Rowling

Part 4

"I had an old typewriter and a big idea."

"It is impossible to live without failing at something, 

unless you live so cousciously 
that you might have not lived at all."

JK Rowling in her "Harvard Speech"

Monet Exhibition in Paris

Yesterday I went out of work later than what I had expected. 

But I run in the streets to the nearest tube station.

I had just two hours and a half before the doors would close.

I was going to the Monet Exhibition at the Grand Palais (near the Champs Elysées), which was closing definitely its doors at 9 p.m.

I finally arrived.

But I had no ticket.

People had been waiting for hours and hours to buy them.

Others had bought tickets earlier on the internet.

The guard confirmed that it was too late, that the waiting line was closed.

Surprisingly I did not feel sad.

Maybe I already knew.

And I was right.

Near me, there was a woman. 

My Angel !!

She had an extra ticket, which a friend of hers had given to her earlier that day. 

And she offered it to me, telling me that it would be useful.

So I was LUCKY enough to meet her and spend the next three hours inside the museum with her.

She was a journalist.

She liked art, culture, literature... just like me. 

This meeting was so unpredictable.

Yes, miracles DO happen.

The Exhibition was fantastic.

There were many paintings, coming from all over the world, including amazing and "famous" ones.

 (c) Claude Monet

 (c) Claude Monet

 (c) Claude Monet

 (c) Claude Monet

 (c) Claude Monet

 (c) Claude Monet

 (c) Claude Monet

 (c) Claude Monet

 (c) Claude Monet

(c) Claude Monet

The scenography was well-done.

Many similar paitings had been hung side by side, so that we could see Monet's genius and detail-orientation : he could catch the "instantaneity" of things. At the same time, those paintings were so different, that no one could have said they were copies with only different colours.

(c) Claude Monet

(c) Claude Monet

(c) Claude Monet

(c) Claude Monet

This latest painting stroke me so much, that I stayed at least 3 minutes without saying nothing in front of it.

How is it possible to paint such a delicate, pure, evanescent, foggy landscape with a focus on details and at the same time evanescence... and without ANY brush trace on the painting ?

How did he succeed in finding and showing the extraordinary in the most daily, ordinary, "flat" landscape ?

Claude Monet was definitely a genius.

At this exhibition three points stroke me, which I never heard anybody to talk about :

- The extraordinary light inside Monet paintings.

- The overwhelming presence of nature, sea, landscapes and the tiny, discreete place of characters, which shows evidence the humility of the painter towards nature.

- The proficiency in painting foggy and snowy landscapes.

(c) Claude Monet

(c) Claude Monet

913.000 people attended this exhibition.

Many others had not the chance to have tickets.

Sometimes fate is unfair, when we think that Claude Monet was so poor that he had not enough money to by drugs for his wife, when she was ill.

But to me, yesterday was a very good day. Without this French woman, I would not have had the amazing priviledge to see all those paintings.

So, even if you won't probably never read this,

Dear Madam,

Wherever and whoever you are, THANK YOU so much for your kindness and generosity.
I will never forget this.

Frenchy Baguette

Flash Mob Black Eyed Peas

"I Gotta Feeling,

That Tonight is gonna be a good night..."

The Black Eyed Peas

I discovered this video a few days ago.

I sang.
I smiled.
I laughed.
I danced.
I was impressed.
I was delighted with Oprah Winfrey's astonishment.
I wanted to be part of the "surprise".
I felt happy.

For 5 minutes, that day was a really good one...

Enjoy !

(c) "I Gotta Feeling" by The Black Eyed Peas

(c) Flash Mob in Chicago on Sept, 3rd 2009
(c) 24th Bday of the Oprah Winfrey Show

De la Démocratie en Tusinie

Aujourd'hui, Tunisie rime avec Démocratie !

"The One" performed by Vanessa Carlton & Stevie Nicks

Who is gonna be the One in your life ?

"But you'll always be my golden boy.

And I'm the summer girl that you enjoy.

Some melodies are best left undone."

The One

Written and Performed by Vanessa Carlton

(c) Song : "The One" written by Vanessa Carlton

(c) "The One" performed by Vanessa Carlton & Stevie Nicks

(c) TV Show : Soundstage (2008)

Lyrics :

Ahhh

Holiday and I come home
I hope to see this boy I know
I can't wait for us to be alone
Flippin' through the radio
We sing along to the indie show
The songs they play mean more than I can say

And the tape I made you,
Hope you think of me when it plays through
I'm kinda sad now that it's done
You think my time is for free
In all the ways you say to me,
Sweet versions of let's wait and see

You're always a golden boy
And I'm the girl that you enjoy
My parents say isn't he a gifted son
Time is always passing
By but still I have to wonder why
You can't come to tell me I'm the one

Summer goes and we have grown
We have our friends,
Live on our own
Still I'm not the girl you want me to be
Say gravity can bend the time,
Funny, I always liked your mind
But this whole thing is crushing me

But you're always a golden boy
And this girl's heart that you destroy
You smile at me and then you have your fun
Time is always passing by,
Still, I give you another try
And hope that you will see that I'm the one

You say you're scared to get too close
Come let's see how it goes
I see you now at the show,
The 7th in,
The 7th row.
Now you look at me
And see what I've known for so long
Sad that you could be so lovely and so wrong

Came to say that I moved,
I see your face you don't approve
Guess, you could say that I'm already gone

But you'll always be my golden boy
And I'm the summer girl that you enjoy
Some melodies are best left undone

I feel the time pass away
But in my songs you will always stay
I don't need you to tell me I'm the one
I don't need you to tell me I'm the one

You'll never know that I was the one.

Un avant-goût de mon passage éclair à Etretat

Ou les joies simples de se retrouver en famille...

(c) Frenchy Baguette

"Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell

"I've looked at life from both sides now

From win and lose, and still somehow

It's life's illusions I recall

I really don't know life at all"

Both Sides Now

Joni Mitchell (1969)

(c) "Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell (2003)
(c) Original Song from 1969 by Joni Mitchell

Lyrics :

Bows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I've looked at clouds that way.

But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way

I've looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all

Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As every fairy tale comes real
I've looked at love that way

But now it's just another show
You leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know
Don't give yourself away

I've looked at love from both sides now
From give and take, and still somehow
It's love's illusions I recall.
I really don't know love at all.

Tears and fears, and feeling proud
To say "I love you" right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I've looked at life that way

But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads
They say I've changed
Something's lost but something's gained
In living every day

I've looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose, and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all

No New Year's Resolutions for 2011

This year, I decided that I would not take resolutions.

Because everybody knows that New Year's Resolutions disappear after January.

Instead, I decided to list the most important 5 things that I want to realize in 2011.

Five realistic goals.

Five personal goals.

Five important goals to me.

Because Life is so short.

Because no one but you can live your OWN life.

Because it is time to curb this gloomy occidental mood.

Because 2011 is totally new and allows everything to happen.

Because this year I want to see life as a HALF-FULL glass.

I wish you all the BEST for this New Year.

May 2011 bring you Love, Happiness, Joy, Good Health, Prosperity, Good Fortune, New opportunities to travel and to meet interesting people from different countries.

In 2011...

CARPE DIEM !