From Squats to Souks

Well January came and went very quickly indeed. It is February on Tuesday. I was lucky enough to bring in the new year with my other half the amazingly talented, ‘published,’ Mr A.F. Horse, but January seems to have flown by. Perhaps due to the fact I wrote my dissertation and have been blinkered into thinking of nothing else for weeks! 

The whole last year has moved very quickly, last week I was secretly reminiscing of the trip to Berlin I had last January. I adored the city particularly the crumbling dilapidated Tacheles squat not only home to many art studios but totally covered in graffiti, posters and other wonderful things for your eyes to play with.

I have decided that a holiday is most definitely in order. My first choice is Marrakech after wanting to go there for a fair few years now.  I have always fancied it and have never been anywhere so culturally diverged from my own, wandering round little streets of orange and red and getting lost in souks and Djemaa el-Fna market. Yes. Holiday is on the cards.

Thinking of Souks, there is a great shop in Howarth called ‘The Souk’ although very different from the Moroccan souk I’m sure! I took a photo ages ago for this blog there, it’s filled with the most beautiful vintage clothing, accessories and jewellery. It’s a really classy vintage place; it has huge cabinets littered with antique watches, rings, lighters and other smoking paraphernalia. 

 Here’s another photo, payment to the eyes after reading this boring bit!

Dogville

Dogville is the second Lars Von Trier film I have been introduced to, the first was Antichrist which shot straight up into my favourite films for its imagery, uniqueness and its ability to provide an amazing atmosphere which lingers for days after watching it whilst  providing enough connotations, interpretations and themes to poke at indefinitely. Antichrist has a full serving of horror, gore, sex and self mutilation so I expected similar things from Dogville, not necessarily that order.

Dogville is the story of a tiny town in the mountains somewhere in America during the depression. Nicole Kidman’s character stumbles upon it escaping gangsters and persuades the townsfolk to let her stay by volunteering herself for labour with each household. 

The set for the film is not in the mountains. It is on a stage, blacked out at the sides so all that can be seen is the one street town with chalked out buildings and minimal furniture. No walls exist. It takes a few minutes to adjust after the novelty of the setting but the focus is quickly stolen by the atmosphere and acting skills of the cast. I personally found that, most likely as intended, having no distractions more focus was placed on the actual storyline and characters and found it mesmerising that such ambience can be created through chalked out floors alone. 

Everything in the film is transparent, the film is split into chapters and they entitle what will occur in them, there is a narrator telling you what is happening, no walls or buildings enable you to see what the whole town is doing at once providing the audience to see that one character is raping another whilst another is ringing the parish bell. The transparency of the set aids the storyline and as it unravels, the transparency helps chillingly denote the township as everything you can see is everything they need fearful of anything beyond it. 

As far as themes go there are many I am sure, for me, there is an underlying philosophical look at human nature and this is depicted by the town’s existence and the characters fear, jealously, good, evil, arrogance and resilience.

I almost thought at times that it was too long and I didn’t want to watch anymore. The deteriorating mood of the film and of the towns inhabitants turning goodwill into greed and changing needs from none into an insatiable desire for a slave I found gripping and infuriating and I hoped that the inhabitants would be shot in the end the whole town would be burnt down.

Lars Von Trier made me think. I have practically written an essay and could definitely write more. Anything that evokes a reaction on this scale, in me, is impressive. I think I will watch another.

Work avoidance, my CV, job worries and an addiction to online recipe websites

I am blogging as part of a uni work avoidance tactic i fear i am becoming far too good at. My dissertation will not write itself, if it could I am positive my blood pressure would be lower.

I have even resorted to re-writing and structuring my CV. It also has thrown me into a slight panic (an almost palpitating panic) when thinking of job prospects after I actually finish uni in May. I have fallen out with my CV because I don't think it really portrays me that well, it looks dull (i don't like the font..) and consists of nearly all of the cliched job seeking works, e.g motivated, enthusiastic, well presented, hard working, they say just about nothing.

That said, I am yet to find a graduate scheme to apply for, they are illusive or ended for this year so far as I can see. 

Perhaps i should make a beautiful batch of cupcakes and send them out to prospective employers, at least that way i would enjoy the process of applying for jobs and say a little more than how many GCSE's I gained. 

I noticed today that, during my work avoidance, i am ridiculously addicted to recipe websites.I can browse and search for hours and hours on and off. I am hoping it will improve my abilities in the kitchen but then worry about how much time I actually waste.

Today was always going to be a ramble I suppose.