The Blessing of The Curse

Thanks to the repeats of Foxtel I am about to line up for my third viewing of The Curse of the Golden Flower. How can I not? This time Foxtel has preceded the viewing with The Making of... Apparently, the crowd scenes which look like a cast of millions to me are only a cast of thousands. But the costumes, the colour, the lights, the sets, the action!

This is the most expensive Chinese movie ever - and I think they get more bang for their buck in Beijing than in Los Angeles. The promo has just said that if you love House of Flying Daggers, you will love this. How tantalising! But I loved House of Flying Daggers. I came out of the theatre after that movie thinking that I didn't really need to see another movie ever again - because it had everything.

The director of both movies is Zhang Yimou. I have not seen all of Zhang's work - but who can forget that beautiful and poignant movie, Raise the Red Lantern with the magnificent and beautiful Gong Li who stars again in Golden Flower. And who can forget his production of Turandot at the Forbidden City? And as if all this wonderment was not enough, Zhang has been selected to produce the Opening and Closing Ceremonies at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Quote above from here

The time of universal peace is near:

Prove this a prosperous day.

William Shakespeare

The Week-end: Part 2 - Falling among Storytellers

The Boyhood of Raleigh by John Everett Millais

A seafarer tells the young Sir Walter Raleigh and his brother the story of what happened out at sea.

On Saturday afternoon, there was a gathering at the new home of Cindy-Lee. And there I met, among others, story-tellers Cora and Doug. What interesting and stimulating conversation! And the excitement was to continue when Cora and I, the next evening, went to a performance by the Playback Theatre Company.

But before we get to that, there was a lovely, lively Sunday lunch at Kiss the Sky Cafe with Cindy-Lee, Tara and Cherie and assorted kids. Kiss the Sky was quaint and cosy - after all, this is the Dandenongs and it was a misty, cold, cloudy, rainy day

This was another adventure into story. Selected audience members are interviewed by the 'conductor' and the bare bones of a personal story emerges which the company's actors transform or playback before the eyes of the audience. The improvised performance is not only entertaining but can provide insight to the owner of the story. The performance can be moving, funny, or laden with meaning. The company only performs twice each season. Last weekend's Saturday and Sunday performances were the Winter Season. Playback theatres are an international phenomenon so there may be one near you.

The Week-end: Part 1 - The winter garden

Broad Bean - picture from Top Veg

Gardening in winter has NEVER been my thing - not even with the promise of the most beautiful and colourful spring annuals. But the habit - or lack of habit - of a lifetime has been broken. I have worked on the garden patch/es from last summer's rampaging, sexy pumpkins. The leaves from late autumn raked into big piles and rained and rained and rained upon by Melbourne's winter rain have turned into lovely mulchy humus. So this has been distributed. Soil disturbance revealed a worm or three which encouraged and reassured me no end.

Then on Friday afternoon I stepped into the plain old fashioned gardening wonderland that is Presti's Nursery on Ferntree Gully Road, Ferntree Gully and picked up some seedlings. I had already consulted Belinda's calendars (that girl is just so darn organised - and she has it all on a calendar on the kitchen wall, too!). So here is what I planted on Saturday morning:

Broad Beans

Snow Peas

Schallots

Leeks

Beetroot

Borage

The rain has seemed never ending in the last week or so with scarcely a sign of the sun so there has been some great after the planting rain. Now if the sun would put in an appearance, I am sure that would be a big help.

So, please Creator of the Universe, help this landmark Winter Garden to grow as you intend and give us in the coming spring a bumper crop.

BY THE WAY, last summer I planted rocket behind the tool shed. In typical rocket fashion, I got some harvests in but, far too soon for me, it bolted and went to seed. Now I have a lovely crop of baby rocket coming up behind said tool shed. Young, early greens.