Tuesday 25th Jan, somewhere round 1pm UK time
'The most amazing thing about Iceland is not the Northern Lights or the lava fields...
It is the fact that over half the populartion believes in elves.'
Errr.............
On the screens on the back of the seat in front of you, there were adverts for Iceland's tourist industry scrolling across.
This was one of them.
So, according to the Icelandic tourism maestros - Icelandic people believing in elves is more amazing than the Northern Lights. I think here they may be mistaking 'amazing' for 'incredible'. Literally, as in not credible. Unbelievable.
Brilliant, though. How do they know? Do they do a census and instead of having boxes to tick for 'married' 'single' 'divorced' they have 'unicorns' 'hobbits' 'elves'?
For all the comedy value they brought to my journey, the Icelandic folk have earned my respect forever. The flights were wicked. The planes were pretty empty - on the UK-Iceland leg there were 3 seats between me and one other gentleman so we had lots of space. Then Iceland-US I had an entire 3 seats to myself! Score.
And you know the rest...films, airports, subway etc.
***
My plan for today didn't really get followed too well...I did go and visit my old building, which was bizarre...someone let me in and it was like it was Feb 2010 all over again - the smell of Subway sandwiches from next door really took me back! Marisa wasn't home so I left her a note, and I can't wait to get down to Duane Park on Friday for some Brian Newman jazz trio and some burlesque!
I also had breakfast at the 23rd St diner, where I had breakfast most weekends when I was last here. And they remembered me! When I sat down one of the waiters said 'welcome back'! I can't believe that, it's been nearly a year! Just shows what a pancake addict I was/am. French toast with strawberries and a chocolate shake, it's good to be back!
When I left Loftstel this morning at approx. 11am I walked to the subway and caught the G train and then the L train to Union Square. It was funny, because I actually felt a little bit nervous about arriving there. You know how it feels when you're about to see someone you used to know really well but haven't seen for ages? I had that. Was fab when I came out of the subway steps though - pretty quiet, oh and snowy! Forget that bit - it was snowing quite hard when I left, complete white-out.
I also went to see The King's Speech today. It was really really good, of course it was. Colin Firth definitely lived up to the hype. When I came out of the cinema, the snow had all gone. This is a perfect example of the daft New York climate - one thing one minute, and something completely different the next. It changes so fast. In this case, the snow had all been washed away by sudden rain, which turned to really fine sleet/hail which was bloody painful on the ol' face!
There was a lady talking to a squirrel in Union Sq. I mean, really. Holding a full on conversation with it. Well, I suppose a conversation has to be two-sided and the squirrel wasn't really participating.
Getting to know a few more Loftstel residents now - it's so easy, everyone is vair vair friendly. Also many people are vair vair foreign so there's a few names I cannot pronounce yet. Have been chatting to another roommate, Camila who is Italian and lots of fun and DANCER yay.
Finally, did some shopping - groceries and pharmacy things like shampoo. Struggled home on the trains, and I was quite close to home when a guy walking past me said 'Do you need any help?' I politely declined and walked on, and then he called after me 'I'll carry you any day!'
Which is all very well but mightily unhelpful - if he was carrying me, who's carrying the shopping bags?! Silly blokes trying to be smooth and failing miserably.
Hmm ok well that was basically a long account of my day which essentially consisted of doing nothing, and it took me 7 paragraphs to communicate that.
And now, some reviews.
Here's what I notebooked yesterday as well:
Sooo, Black Swan...just reading about the costumes.
They were by Rodarte - a design duo consisting of 2 sisters. Rodarte's signature look is distressed clothes in delicate fabrics - perfect for a ballet movie as they work a lot with silk, tulle, chiffon, embellishment and detail.
So the Black Swan people hired Rodarte to come up with something fresh, inspirational...know what they came up?
A variation on the standard, traditional, actually quite famous 'Swan Lake' tutu - a short tutu rather than a long romantic-style one, a feather detail bodice with a sort of extreme sweetheart neckline and, in a piece de resistance of originality, the white feather half-headbands that are probably the best-known element of the white swan costume.
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE! OH MY GOD RODARTE YOU'RE SO UNIQUE!
So, an expensive design team designed the costume that's already been designed by the wardrobe and costumiers of the Royal, English National, Bolshoi, New York City and countle
ss other ballets. Hmph. Want to marvel at innovative swan costumes? MATTHEW BOURNE! Well, actually costume designer Les Brotherstone. http://www.swanlaketour.com/about_the_show
I'm not just saying that because I'm religiously devoted to Matthew Bourne either.
All in all I think Black Swan was ok but I found a lot to criticise - I understand a lot of the stuff was for purposes of storytelling, but some things were just silly. Like when the ballet company director says 'Watch her, she has less than perfect technique' - comparing a dancer who does have perfect technique but no much stage presence to one who is all performance no technique. Errr...I think by New York City ballet stage they wouldn't overlook having 'less than perfect technique'. She wouldn't get that far if she was sloppy no matter how good a performer she is. Also, this only occurred to me, the film features the NYCB staging 'Swan Lake'. The principle character of this ballet (originally choreographed by Julius Reisinger) is Odette. She's called Odette. Yes she is a White Swan. Yes she is the Swan Queen or Princess. But her name's bloody Odette!!! And the evil version is called Odile. They do not once refer to these names in the movie. What plot device was that supposed to be??? Silly silly silly. Well done Ms Portman though she was good.
That's all folks, til next time
Peacexxxxxxxxxxxx
I also had breakfast at the 23rd St diner, where I had breakfast most weekends when I was last here. And they remembered me! When I sat down one of the waiters said 'welcome back'! I can't believe that, it's been nearly a year! Just shows what a pancake addict I was/am. French toast with strawberries and a chocolate shake, it's good to be back!
When I left Loftstel this morning at approx. 11am I walked to the subway and caught the G train and then the L train to Union Square. It was funny, because I actually felt a little bit nervous about arriving there. You know how it feels when you're about to see someone you used to know really well but haven't seen for ages? I had that. Was fab when I came out of the subway steps though - pretty quiet, oh and snowy! Forget that bit - it was snowing quite hard when I left, complete white-out.
I also went to see The King's Speech today. It was really really good, of course it was. Colin Firth definitely lived up to the hype. When I came out of the cinema, the snow had all gone. This is a perfect example of the daft New York climate - one thing one minute, and something completely different the next. It changes so fast. In this case, the snow had all been washed away by sudden rain, which turned to really fine sleet/hail which was bloody painful on the ol' face!
There was a lady talking to a squirrel in Union Sq. I mean, really. Holding a full on conversation with it. Well, I suppose a conversation has to be two-sided and the squirrel wasn't really participating.
Getting to know a few more Loftstel residents now - it's so easy, everyone is vair vair friendly. Also many people are vair vair foreign so there's a few names I cannot pronounce yet. Have been chatting to another roommate, Camila who is Italian and lots of fun and DANCER yay.
Finally, did some shopping - groceries and pharmacy things like shampoo. Struggled home on the trains, and I was quite close to home when a guy walking past me said 'Do you need any help?' I politely declined and walked on, and then he called after me 'I'll carry you any day!'
Which is all very well but mightily unhelpful - if he was carrying me, who's carrying the shopping bags?! Silly blokes trying to be smooth and failing miserably.
Hmm ok well that was basically a long account of my day which essentially consisted of doing nothing, and it took me 7 paragraphs to communicate that.
And now, some reviews.
Here's what I notebooked yesterday as well:
Sooo, Black Swan...just reading about the costumes.
They were by Rodarte - a design duo consisting of 2 sisters. Rodarte's signature look is distressed clothes in delicate fabrics - perfect for a ballet movie as they work a lot with silk, tulle, chiffon, embellishment and detail.
So the Black Swan people hired Rodarte to come up with something fresh, inspirational...know what they came up?
A variation on the standard, traditional, actually quite famous 'Swan Lake' tutu - a short tutu rather than a long romantic-style one, a feather detail bodice with a sort of extreme sweetheart neckline and, in a piece de resistance of originality, the white feather half-headbands that are probably the best-known element of the white swan costume.
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE! OH MY GOD RODARTE YOU'RE SO UNIQUE!
So, an expensive design team designed the costume that's already been designed by the wardrobe and costumiers of the Royal, English National, Bolshoi, New York City and countle
ss other ballets. Hmph. Want to marvel at innovative swan costumes? MATTHEW BOURNE! Well, actually costume designer Les Brotherstone. http://www.swanlaketour.com/about_the_showI'm not just saying that because I'm religiously devoted to Matthew Bourne either.
All in all I think Black Swan was ok but I found a lot to criticise - I understand a lot of the stuff was for purposes of storytelling, but some things were just silly. Like when the ballet company director says 'Watch her, she has less than perfect technique' - comparing a dancer who does have perfect technique but no much stage presence to one who is all performance no technique. Errr...I think by New York City ballet stage they wouldn't overlook having 'less than perfect technique'. She wouldn't get that far if she was sloppy no matter how good a performer she is. Also, this only occurred to me, the film features the NYCB staging 'Swan Lake'. The principle character of this ballet (originally choreographed by Julius Reisinger) is Odette. She's called Odette. Yes she is a White Swan. Yes she is the Swan Queen or Princess. But her name's bloody Odette!!! And the evil version is called Odile. They do not once refer to these names in the movie. What plot device was that supposed to be??? Silly silly silly. Well done Ms Portman though she was good.
That's all folks, til next time
Peacexxxxxxxxxxxx
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