Cinema...

Tonight I went to the cinema to see Juno. I wasn't sure what to expect of it as I only knew two things about it: that it's a teeny movie and that the screenplay was written by a former stripper, Diablo Coby (she won an Oscar for it). Well, yes, it is a teeny movie - but a really nice one. First of all I was really surprised to find out that for this kind of film on a Wednesday evening at 7 the audience's average age was still mid 30s. A good sign I'd say.

I guess that with Hollywood you simply cannot fully escape stereotypes, and with a pregnant 16 year old that is even less the case. But it was good. I like her. She's cool. She knows what she wants and doesn't like to be told what to do. (Maybe this is why I like her...?) Her parents are cool too, nothing more with Madonna's Papa Don't Preach! Pregnant and still very clear about what to do, she analyzes her options rationally as well as emotionally. Finally you get a modern thinking and open minded America! Some exceptions are kind of a must, but there you go, it can't all be roses.

The film is structured in a cycle: it started with a chair and finishes with a chair. I like the armchair and the pipe, the runners and the tic tacs. Some good humor and a somewhat unexpected ending that gets rid of a heep of cliches. Not the best of movies but still pretty impressive!

Easter & books

During this low key Easter weekend spent with Oliver in London, all our four other housemates off to somewhere nice but equally cold and wet, I have dedicated plenty of time to reading newspapers, and book reviews in particular. There has never been a time with more literature prizes. Now even supermarkets and coffe shops give out prizes. And chocolate companies. Maybe an online travel agency will be the next one to invent a book prize, probably for fiction or biography.

The Guardian has dedicated the front page interview of its magazine to Jordan, or Katie Price if you prefer, whom I now find a whole lot more irritatingly horrible than before. And who at the age of 29 has 3 biographies out. Richard Hammond has co-written with his with Mindy a book on before and after his near-fatal car accident in Semptember 2006 during the shooting of Top Gear. And commedian Russel Brand just brought out his biography too, of course. And then Clarissa Dickson Wright, one half of the duo of Two Fat Ladies. At least she has lived long enough to have plenty to tell us... I look at all these biographies and cannot stop thinking it is a mere business. Yes, it is interesting to read about other's people's life, and the occasional one can be inspiring too. But all these many to me simply read like gossip, and this is when I appreciate people like Stephen King who wrote a short memoir of his life (and it is indeed not very long) as the beginning part of his book On Writing, where his autobiography is actually an integral part of the following and main part of the book. Thoughts and tips on writing. In other words, this is a book for the sake of writing, not merely of money.

Contrary to all my expectations I must admit I really like audiobooks. Yes, it's very nice and important to read books yourself, but I decided to give it a go and went to the local library. Among the rather poor selection on offer I found Andrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years by Sue Townsend, loaded it on my iPod and went to the gym. Well, I liked that session a lot more than many others!

Big circles

It has been a week end of music, parties and good friends leaving.

Tan Hauser Gate were on on Friday evening at the Clapham Grand in London where they gave another brillian performance. They immediately turned on the crowd with magic music and brilliant lyrics and surprised us all with some laser lights and fireworks. I really like the way James and the others engage among themselves and the audience.

Oliver's brother Philipp and his girlfriend Silvie were over for the week end. They're great fun and easy going. Together we danced and cheared THG, and went on the following day dancing and chearing Amanda, a special friend and good house mate, who is now sitting on a plane taking her back to New Zealand. And Philipp and Silvie too are back in Munich now. I am left in our living room listening to the parrot of our crazy neighbours, Oliver upstairs, music in my mind and my mind with my friends. A big circle that keeps us going. We're sad when friends leave, happy when we meet them again. And it's just this what makes us go on, wanting to improve life and ourselves, keeping the ones we care about around us.

International Women's Day

I must admit I have mixed feelings about International Women's Day (which is supported by the UN): information on how it came to be varies enormously, clearly putting its current commercial value in front of its historical one, which concerns the development of women rights and gender equality.

And, talking of gender equality, International Men's Day (again supported by the UN) was started in 1999 but is celebrated merely in a bunch of far away countries and on different days of the year.

The 1911 fire of the the Triangle Shirts Factory in NYC killing 140 women, although some claim it was the 1909 fire in the Cotton factory in Chicago burning to death 129 women workers, about a century later has turned into a global commercial activity and in Italy into a huge sale of Silver Wattle. Why Silver Wattle, I do not know. What I do know is that on 8th March women tend to be "celebrated" a lot more in those countries where gender equality still has a long way to go. I'll call it a compromise.

So do we really need a day to celebrate women? Yes. And we also need a day to celebrate men. However we do not need flowers, dinners out and what not - just leave equality and respect for both genders.

Did you know...?

Women win the right to vote:
- 1893: New Zealand
- 1902: Australia
- 1920: USA, Austria
- 1929: UK
- 1930: Turkey
- 1946: Italy
- 1971: Switzerland (1990: kanton Appenzell Innerhorden)
- 1984: Liechtenstein
- 2003: Afghanistan


Divorce becomes legal:
- under Henry VIII: England (only if initiated by husbands)
- late 17th cent.: USA (after English laws)
- 1875: Germany (for civil marriages)
- 1954: India
- 1970: Italy (against the Vatican's will)
- 1977: Austria
- 2003/2004: Chile
- not permitted: Malta, Philippines (annulment is permitted), Jordan (men are permitted to divorce their wives)

Die Zauberflöte

One of my birthday presents this year was two tickets for Die Zauberflöte at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. And that is where Oliver and I went yesterday evening. I must admit I particularly like the this opera house: it has a beautiful theatre with a spectacular ceiling, the bar areas both upstairs and downstairs are very well designed and last but certainly not least I always enjoy their performances. (It was a little chilly so if you ever go there make sure to dress warm enough.)

Die Zauberflöte is one of my favourite operas, and it was a genuine pleasure to see it performed live for the first time. What surprised us most is the many funny things they added to the live performance: on several occasions all the audience was laughing out loud! Papageno and Papagena were wonderful and the Queen of the Night exceptional! I can definitely recommend this production!

The state of Italy, or "Researcher of long life claimed by the US"

On Wednesday last week the Italian newspaper L'Arena, the newspaper for the town of Verona and its province, published the following article. Scroll down to read the original version in Italian.

"GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF VERONA, LUIGI FONTANA

Researcher of long life claimed by the US

He researches the link between food and long life aiming to find the scientific formula for long life and good health. But the Unites States are not willing to "give him back to us": this is LUIGI FONTANA, 39 years old and a degree in medicine from the university in Verona. He does not consider himself a "drained brain", he prefers to think of his brain as "borrowed". Fontana spends three months on, three months off, alternating between Rome (he is a researcher at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità) and the US, where he is assistant professor at the Washington University of St. Louis. He would like to move back to Italy but his desire "collides" with those of his American bosses: they are not letting him go by offering him advancements and career opportunities. His latest research findings? The ideal diet to live up to 30% longer does not exceed 1,800 calories a day."

A note from Sonia: I feel that an Italian audience might not get the irony of this article.

Original article as published on L'Arena on 20th February 2008:

"LAUREATO A VERONA. LUIGI FONTANA

Studia la lunga vita, gli Usa lo reclamano

Studia il nesso tra alimentazione e longevità, per trovare la formula scientifica di una vita duratura ed in buona salute. E gli Stati Uniti non vogliono «restituircelo»: è LUIGI FONTANA, 39 anni ed una laurea in Medicina presa a Verona. Non vuole definirsi un «cervello fuggito»: semmai, «prestato». FONTANA, vive per tre mesi a Roma (è ricercatore all’Istituto superiore di sanità) e per tre mesi negli Usa, dove è assistent professor alla Wahington University di St.Louis. Vorrebbe ritornare in patria, ma si «scontra» con i suoi capi statunitensi: non vogliono lasciarlo andare e per questo gli offrono avanzamenti e opportunità. La sua ultima ricerca? Ipotizza che la dieta ideale, per vivere fino al 30% di anni in più, sia quella che non supera le 1800 calorie al giorno."

To Brits or not to Brits

I find music programmes and competitions very interesting - new and old talents mix, you get to know something more about each of them. Now I know that Adele is a boring person, that Leona Lewis has a marvellous voice and that the Osbournes are complete nutters. Nothing new about the latter you may say...

The idea of artists and musicians has changed drastically. Globalisation I suppose. Now you've got to play the excentric and hang out your "logo", otherwise you disappear among the others. All these artists were playing their role very hard trying to impress. But then Paul MacCartney comes along.... and you see what a real musician really is like: comfortable on stage, a short poignant speech, great music, involving the crowd and an amazing show.

Naturally in his environment.

Does the world need another blog?

Having just celebrated yet another birthday (and allowed time for my hungover to ease) I finally decided to materialise an idea I've had in my mind for some time. Telling the world what I think. Well, maybe not the whole world will read this blog. In fact it would be rather unlikely and presumptious of me to think so, but I like to think that my words will inspire you.

And yes, I'm excited!