If you could meet yourself, what would you say?

What would it be like to meet yourself? Would you like that person? Dislike that person?
How would you judge a version of yourself, outside yourself?

The fantastic film Another Earth finds a way to externalise the internal monologues that we all have inside our heads. This minimalist Science-Fiction movie focuses on redemption, forgiveness and what it means to be human- as oppose to the stereotypical aliens, spaceships and time travel that is associated with Sci-Fi. I am not particularly a fan of Science-Fiction but Another Earth would certainly appeal to all who are willing to ask questions about humanity. It sounds like deep, ponsy, self-reflective jumbo but honestly, even my grumpy ole' paps enjoyed the twist in the film.

The complex characters makes the notion of there being a parallel universe believable. As a viewer, you are forced to empathise with both sides of an accidental tragedy, instead of being told to pick sides like a child in a divorce. You are made to, and allowed to think for yourself, something long awaited after years of Disney and Hollywood blockbusters aiding you to the predictable (anti-)climax. The low budget of the production may be seen as an obstacle or hinderance to many but I think it adds a personal and intimate quality. In the words of the director Mike Cahill, it allowed the creators to come up with "creative and clever methods of suggestion", which ultimately adds to the wonderfully moving story behind the philosophical debate.

So, if you could meet yourself, what would you say?...

Hello 2013

We have all waved goodbye to the high of 2012 and now look ahead to 2013. In my opinion 2K13 or Twenty Thirteen just doesn't have the same ring to it as 2K12 or Twenty Twelve, but I must say it is slowly growing on me. There is speculation that due to there being so much excitement throughout last year that this new year will not live up to the wonderment that was 2012. These exciting events include:

• The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, marking 60 years on the throne
• A pastel version of The Scream by Edvard Munch was sold for $120 million in an auction in New York, setting a new world record
• A new particle was discovered, the Higgs boson or known as the God particle
• The London 2012 Olympics
• Successfully landed on Mars
• Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner became the first person to break the sound barrier without machine assistance during a record space dive from 24 miles about Earth.

However, like any year, despite it's many highs, there were also less joyful events that occurred during 2012. Important events that shouldn't be forgotten are: 

• Greek debt crisis,Eurozone finance ministers agreed on €130 billion bailout
• Encyclopedia Britannica discontinued print after 244 years
• Hurricane Sandy killed 209 people, hitting Caribbean, Bahamas, Canada and USA, it caused the NYC subway to shut and cancelled the annual New York marathon 
• UN approved motion granting Palestine non-member state status
• Deaths of many such as Etta James, Whitney Houston, Neil Armstrong and Eric Hobsbawm.

Nonetheless, 2013 is sure to have it's highs and lows just like 2012. Things to look forward to include:

• Film releases such as: The Hobbit, The Great Gatsby, Iron Man 3, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Les Miserables, The Hangover Part III, Kiss-Ass 2, Admission, Monsters University, Anchorman: The Legend Continues, Despicable Me 2
• London Marathon
• Gloucester Cheese Roll
• Glastonbury is back
• Royal baby
• Eminem rumored to be headlining Reading & Leeds Festival
• Exhibitions such as: (RA) Manet: Portraying Life, (Tate) Lowry, Lichtenstein, Chagall, Klee, (V&A) Beatrix Potter and the Beautiful Satin Waistcoat
• Performances from: Lana Del Rey, Milton Jones, Kings of Leon, Michael Buble, Alt-J, Two Door Cinema Club, Darwin Deez, Lianne La Havas, The Vaccines, Tame Impala 

Unfortunately we can not predict the lows. But I can still wish you all a happy, successful and healthy 2013. May this be a calm year in comparison to the last. 

Causing a scene for Christmas

December is here, which means time to get in the Christmas spirit. I personally do not go mad over the holiday with decorations or any kind of religious connections, but I do exploit it as a time of giving and receiving. That is why when I came across this video, it really got me in the festive mood. 
The group "Improv Everywhere" is a based in New York City and is a "prank collective that causes scenes of chaos and joy in public places." It was created in 2001 and has executed over 100 "missions" involving thousands and thousands of "undercover agents". I think the idea is marvelous and never fails to put a smile on my face. I think I've seen them all... Brilliant stuff. 

And it was all Bronze

I visited the Bronze exhibition at the Royal Academy this weekend- a much anticipated trip. I took someone who isn't as keen on art as I am, one of those "what's the point?"-people. However, they did enjoy themselves! Or they were just being polite... Nah, it was a great exhibition.

The vast collection of solely bronze work brought together 150 items from numerous cultures and time periods, spanning 5000 years from antiquity to the present day. Many of the works had never been shown in the UK until this eclectic and fresh exhibition. Bronze has been used as an artistic medium in different ways for thousands of years,  a section of the exhibition explained the complex processes involved in making bronze. Although my least favourite room, it has to be said, purely because it was the busiest room!

The items were arranged thematically into Human Figure, Animals, Groups, Objects, Reliefs, Gods, Heads and Busts. I thought this was an effective way of presenting the work as it showed the relationship between objects, and how a similar theme has been represented throughout time and in various cultures. 

Pieces ranged from a Louise Bourgeois Spider IV to a Thracian Portrait of King Seuthes III.

Louise Bourgeois, Spider IV, 1996

4th century BCE, Thracian, Portrait of King Seuthes 

A few rooms had dark walls and were dimly lit in order for spot lights to highlight the individual works. This created a beautifully eerie feel and made Louise Bourgeois' Spider IV particularly stand out. The white background in the image above does not do the sculpture any kind of justice near to the way it was presented in the exhibition. 

One might feel a slight resemblance to a museum of artifacts, but that is just a word used to describe an object with historical and cultural value, and these pieces all happen to have just that- plus artistic merit and a craftsman's touch. 

I strongly encourage a trip to this exhibition. 

It is a rare opportunity, and one that should not be overlooked. 

Reading Festival was epic

Had such an amazing time at Reading Festival 2012.
It didn't live up to last year and it didn't exceed last year either because they were different. No comparison.
The line-up this year, I thought, was better than last year. But this isn't necessarily good because it meant that acts clashed and I couldn't go to all of the ones I wanted ! Unhappy face.
But here are some new artists I came across, or just ones that were/are super great and didn't share with you on my pre-Reading post:

Theme Park 

Jagga

Miike Snow

The Gaslight Anthem

The Black Keys

Kasabian

The Japanese Popstars

Justice

The Cure

And here's a top comedian for y'all too:

Doc Brown

Happy listening

Is is best for an ex to become somebody that you used to know?...

Just wanted to share this.

It is something that has crossed my mind a lot and even after discovering the post by A CUP OF JO I am still stuck. 

Do you stay friends with an ex or not? Do you even try to stay in contact, even if it's a "Hi, how are things?" every now again?

Do you even bother or is the best thing to just let them go and both get on with your lives without them?
If someone has been such a big part of your life so so long it's obviously going to be hard to let them go so easily, so is no contact better than some or a lot of contact?
ARGH!
When life hands you this problem, what do you do?

This song popped into my head.
Is is best for an ex to become somebody that you used to know?...

Baby love

Incase you didn't know, like a stereotypical female, I love babies. 

I see a baby and my womb starts throbbing with a want for a child... 

I know I am no where near ready to have a child of my own, but I just can't help my utter adoration for children!

However, when you are in a restaurant, or on a bus, or just anywhere, and there is a screaming child, like most people, I would think, my fondness decreases.

People say that children are only cute if they are your own, that is probably true. But if I find children this adorable now, can you imagine what I'll be like when I actually (hopefully) have my own?!

Anyway, I have rambled about this because the most hilarious and completely amazingly cute book of photographs as been brought to my attention by the blogger A CUP OF JO. (Please check out her post and her blog and enjoy.)

In regards to the book by Rachel Hulin, the idea began when she explored what it would look like if she cropped her husband out of photos of him lifting up their son.
A wonderful result.
Highly amusing and delightful.