cala

anise green

the sensualist

My French mother wrinkles her nose when she describes her compatriots and call them" des raleurs et des jouissseurs" which means complainers and pleasure seakers. I guess I fit the profile quite nicely.You cannot reject your inherited DNA. Reading a historical time line of France during the 19th century, I was horrified by the constant struggles, wars, unrests.But I have to say that I love to see people march down the boulevards and protest,voicing their disgust or their support.Last year, in the bitter cold of a parisian winter, I was carried by the enormous crowds ,wanting justice for a young jewish man kidnapped and tortured and killed brutally. When do people here manifest their displeasure, and complain about injustices and violence ? there is a voice, but it remains low.On the other hand, I saw a lot of people out last week end shopping, seemingly on a very important mission for the quickness of their steps out of the parking lot.
Now about the pleasure seekers.Yes, the French have 6 weeks vacations, and the country seems to be running O.K.Vacations and travels are indeed a big topic, but honestly what can be better: it is life as it should be lived: a feast for the senses, a pace we should acquire, a discovery of new tastes and horizons, meals that go on the way they should,a litttle wine to enhance the pleasure , friends to visit and new ones to link with.
Next week I return to the land of my dear raleurs and jouisseurs.

spring stroll

yes, the air is soft and fragrant, and we had our first lunch out on the deck, cats sprawled around with paws in the sun.went up the street the other day for a walk and found a mix of pastoral beauty, confusing and humorous business combinations and unmarked storefront( must be and is a medicinal marijuana outpost!),and friendly organic beermeisters doing their work, door open to the ocean breeze. The little country path meanders through the gardens of the famous People's Park, where a long time ago, berkeleyans fought for their piece of the land.a garden was established and is still cultivated to this day....It has been the sheltering sky to homeless junkies for decades though and there were a few sleeping heads poking out of bags under the blooming trees. daffodils were from a neighbour front yard.It is difficult to imagine that we live in an busy active uran area !

commune

More than ever, in a world of exquisitely and frightening personnal freedom, we need a sense of connectivity to others.The sense of support both physical and psychological,the belonging to a certain ideal,the giving, sharing and receiving that forms a web of emotions that makes us human.that makes us fulfilled.
Saturday evening was a drizzly night in San francisco.We went to Haight Street,to see a documentary called"commune".Had not been on Haight for years and was pleasantly surprised by the colorful young crowds,shopping at trendy shoe shops or eating crepes in funky cafes.It was busy, it was alive,and I felt like a tourist in youthland.The Old Vic theater brought back memories of old:Rialto, Telegraph av cinema, all venues in reconverted buidings, showing artsy films with poor sound systems.now gone and replaced with corporate multiplexes.The Old Vic has church pews for seating, and serves pop corn in recyclable wooden bowls.so appropriate for tonight show:The film was about Black Bear commune that was established in 1968 by a group of young hippies who moved to the wooded wilderness and deemed the place" free land for free people".Who could argue with that ? The film was a clever montage of old reels of naked young bodies cooking, working the land, giving births, believing in an alernative reality of "natural" and of today's footage of interviews with the aged protagonists. They have kept us their ideals, moving on to carreers that grew out of their experiences( acupuncturists, teachers, cabinet makers, organic farmers...).What has come out of this mouvement is enormous: alternative medicine, natural foods,ecology, and protection of the environment, feminism, natural childbirth.... support groups..... tolerance, acceptance, rock and folk music...... We owe that generation so much, no wonder young people these days turn to that era with questions, with lonely hearts in a disconnected world.

birds and eggs

A couple of weeks ago, I heard the first chirp. it was a moment of grace, where I focused on the beauty of that sound, and then I was off imagining wings swooping over nests where pearly eggs waited for some sunnier days.

climactic

Flew to the arctic tundra of the midwest to Iowa for a job.Let's see what it feels like to walk out in the icy slush of 0 degrees in the sunny mornings.... well,you breathe in the mintiness and then the cold rises and envelops you, the ten seconds are too much and you have to retreat.It was very pretty though, the snow flurries covering the boughs, the deers jumping in the white powder,the crunch underfoot....When I returned, California was under a mediterranean spell of 78 degrees.quickly took off boots, woolies,layers,and welcomed the soft scented air of new blossoms.

bird song

If you care to comment, I would like to know which is your favorite.....

Berkeley bowl

If you live in the San Francisco area, you may have come all the way to Berkeley to shop at the berkeley Bowl....When they opened over 20 years ago, the store replaced an old bowling alley.pins left, name stayed .The parking lot was handkerchief tiny and the aisles so narrow that caddies bumped at each turn.It was time to move to bigger quarters across the street.Everyone looked forward to ampler parking, but to no avail, it is so crowded that you have to take a breath and enter the stage for a little parking ballet....But then, you will be rewarded with the biggest produce section ever,the most fun shopping crowd to watch,the friendliest staff to deal with.So, go with a light heart,and a curious eye and say Hi to Don for me.

mc paisley portrait

Mc Paisley,the unique and incredible new singer.go listen to her on myspace.com/mcpaisley.......
here is the link:

http://www.myspace.com/mcpaisley