*Overwhelmed*

Have you ever felt so overwhelmed with all sorts of things – tiny and huge – happening around you from the time you open your eyes in early hours of the day till you close them again? Not to mention that the feeling is often haunting you in your dreams. This is when calm breathing should take place, together with an inner-voice reminding you to shut off that thought cycle and have you repeat over and over again: “hey, I’m healthy!”

Now, my marathon at this year’s TIFF is about to start this evening with two back-to-back films from the French cinema.

I’ll be back with more culture-related updates – hopefully soon!

S

TIFF 2010 | Kick-Off

Here we are again…

Yes, it’s that time of the year – the 35th Toronto International Film Festival is kicking off today with a great deal of films worth watching from around the world.

The following ten days won’t be any different than previous years to me — my very own journey down the path of cinematic culture (!) continues, as I update my dear movie-loving readers with my TIFF experience and the films I am lucky enough to watch.

So stay tuned and be fabulous!

S

Mr. Schnabel

OK, I admit: I only knew him as the director of “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”, the movie that amazingly touches my heart each of the several times I have watched it.

Last week at the members’ preview night of his exhibition at the AGO, “Julian Schnabel: Art and Film”, I discovered Mr. Schnabel’s main source of artistry – his paintings and installations.

His massive canvases and independent style are absolutely fascinating – the dazzling colors and the clever choice of subject behind each piece perfectly appealed to my modern-art taste. I now have even more respect than I ever had for the one and only Julian Schnabel. His creative mind and narrative imagination are what I often desire for myself.

S

P.S. “Julian Schnabel: Art and Film” at the AGO will be on until January 2, 2011.

Scrambled – No. 8

Move your body
towards otherness;
towards a half-moon night.

Move your soul
towards me;
fascinate me.

Show me what you know
but do not know
that you know.

You, you are the
glossy image that
you are.

Stop.

Alter it and take a part
in our fairy tale;
the Frog Prince
or Cinderella.

O Lord,
I crave
more.

I crave
reciprocal
views.

S

Shitty Mood

I don’t know if I should think about the poor people of Pakistan dying every minute of hunger due to the worst flood in the history of their country; or my own shitty cold, complete with fever and shivers; or my friends who just lost their beloved father yesterday after fighting for such long time.

All I know is that life is full of suffering – big and small – no matter what. And the question floating in my feverish head is why we were born to go through all this pain.

But my inner instinct tells me, there are no whys.

S