Things of note this week

1. I started back at work after two weeks off. Bah, i can't even talk about it any more than this.




2. Romina and i went to see the movie 'Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky' as part of the French Film Festival on Tuesday. Last year we went to see Coco Avant Chanel, the movie about Coco Chanel before she really became Chanel, so this seemed the natural follow up. It's set around the time Chanel is preparing to release her first perfume - Chanel No. 5 - and the affair she embarks on with the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky in that same year. It was definitely a much darker film than the first one, and obviously a much darker period in her life. We enjoyed it, and it definitely left us with lots to discuss.





3. We went to see baby Zara on Thursday, and she is gorgeous. Her features are so petite and delicate, and she's so teeny tiny it's hard to imagine that one day she's going to be human-size, like the rest of us. Even though she was a few weeks early, and should technically STILL be in her mothers tummy right now, she is doing beautifully. And the girl can eat, let me tell you.

Jo and Zara (she's just fixing her hair for the photo).


"Hmm, yes, hello adult human. Feed me please."

"I know, I'm adorable. But get the camera out of my face, crazy lady."



Zara's "sister" Cino. She's suffering from lack of attention right now, and made no secret of the fact.

4. Last night, Jo and I went to see The Hurt Locker. This movie won Best Picture at the Academy Awards, and now that I've seen it, i can appreciate why. I thought it was going to be just another (boring) American war movie - but i was very wrong. Yes, it's about the war in Iraq, but it focuses on a U.S Army Explosive Ordinance Disposal team - or, the bomb squad. These guys have the unpleasant job of making sure explosive devices are rendered safe. And in a place like Iraq, bombs are a part of every day life. I was literally on the edge of my seat for 130 minutes - it's SUCH a tense, draining film, but i was gripped right from the start. The film is shot in that 'hand-held camera' format, where you feel like you're right there, getting the point of view of the characters. It's a terrifying and terrible thing to see just what goes on in a place like that. Reading about it is not the same as seeing it. One of the great things about the movie is the absence of politics - it's not about why American soldiers are in Iraq in the first place. It's personal, reflective of the real men and women out there on the front line every day, because that's their job. Gritty, frightening stuff - but highly recommended.