brain dead.

I taught, face to face, in a classroom for a paltry nine hours today.

Ooof.

I also had three one hour meetings in Catalan.

Ooof.

I had ten minutes for lunch.

groan.

The good part?  One of the meetings with the architect, builder and contractor....it went REALLY smoothly.  No one yelled.  No. One.  

Even when they realised that they would have to reposition one of the beams.

That they'd already put in place.

Thanks guys, you can come again.

Woof woof

Went into BCN today to have a look at an exhibit at the Fundació Miró.  For the third time in not too long we're making it in on the last few days of a show, at least we made it.

This exhibit was about Murals, Youngest had gone with school and said it was really very cool, and ya know what?  It was.

I loved the coopérative féminine de Djajibiné Gandega "Djida's" work from Mauritania, and Sakarin Krue-on from Thailand as well as Brian Rea from the US

Now I'm jonesing to go down to the house and do some funky painting on the walls and on the cardboard they finally put down on the stairs.

I figure this is a combination of desire to paint and a dog-like desire to piss on a tree to mark his turf.

*woof woof*


Should I?  Hmmm.

I may be the only loser without a TV, but

You have got to see this if you haven't by AKON!:

Then there is this, by the unbelievable K'naan:

World Cup anthem.

Love how they are embracing the up and coming (already up and on the top) international hip hop stars, playing music that sings to realities other than making bucks in the music industry.

How can Saturdays go by so fast?  Then again, it seems like it's been a long long day. Maybe cause I woke up at 3am and couldn't get back to sleep.

Youngest's work.

After showing some of Eldest's work, Youngest wanted a piece she's pretty pleased with up too.

I didn't see why not.

Taste?

This pot?

Hand made and old. Not Roman or anything.

Someone chucked it out! Can you imagine?

Weirdness.

Then there are the 100+ (?) year old tiles I had set aside that the builders tossed.  I was not in a very good mood this morning.  

We are also having something of a wrangle over the shape of some windows for the house.  Remember this window?  See how it's set back, and there is a pretty arch over the top?  The other windows that will go in the same room will be rectangular holes with windows in.  Can you say ugly?  In the front there is nothing we can do about it because of the giant rocks and mud which makes up that wall.  The back however is another question.  The architect thinks we should stick with the plain rectangular hole along side the much more attractive older window.  We have conceeded, on structural grounds that the set back will not go down to the ground, nor will it slope out at the sides, but that arch over the window?  It's here to stay.  Sorry boys.  After I got off the phone with the architect the man looked over at me.  "Listen," he said, "you can hear him grinding his teeth from here!"

He was probably right too.

Pretty pretty pretty

"She's very pretty in a tall blond Nordic way."

A line from a book, stated by a male character who loves women, many many women. (More than 200/day?)

What I find fascinating about it is the implications of the multiplicity of ways to be pretty.  I don't think women recognise or internalise this.  I believe that women have a single very narrow view of what pretty means, what men find pretty, and what they themselves aspire to.  Tall, I think generally; blond, not necessarily, but given the number of blond dye jobs in this town of brunettes, I would say generally as well.  Nordic?  Not so sure, but if we're going to rephrase that as slim/thin and long-limbed, I would say that that is generally accepted as pretty.

An Uma Thurman kind of thing, though hasn't she always kind of reminded you of a praying mantis?  She has for me.  A lot of the most famous 'pretty women have that look, no? Thin chin, skinny neck, big big eyes, the head wider at the top.

Getting back to my topic, I think that men in general, as well as individual men have a much wider range of what they view as pretty or beautiful than women do.  Some guys, like some women do have a type they prefer, but I think, somehow, women need to lighten up.

Pretty isn't just one look.  Not for the guys, and nor should it be for us.

It's only the marketers that are so narrow in their views.

Really, only them.

*Lalalalalalala I'm not listening*

But is my daughter?

Men and women

I've been thinking on this one for a while and it emerged out of a couple of conversations.

It all started with some of the teenage boys I teach.  Funny stuff happens when you work with teens.  They are quite cool in fact.  One of the boys asked me what the English word is for a boy that cannot stop thinking about sex.

I said a teenager.

Then a while later I heard an interview with Russell Smith on CBC and he stated that he assesses/considers/ponders what it would be like to sleep with every single woman he sees.  All of them.  Seems to me this would take up a lot of your day, no?  He also seems to imply that this is pretty normal.  Not a comment I have had contradicted by many men.  One guy I know, not a teenager, said that he thinks about having sex over 200 times a day.  That'd fill up your day a bit too.

Which does leave me wondering why it is that they never notice when you've gotten your hair cut, or your wearing new clothes.

Eldest was pondering this conversation with some disbelief.  Then I mentioned that there are some boys who just loves girls, delight in their very existence.  They wakes up in the morning happy simply because girls exist.  They like their company and spends a ton of time with them.  They chat with the girls, tease them, crave their attention.  The girls often like these boys as well 'cause they're respectful and so obviously delighted to be in company with them.

These guys just like girls and have the skills to hang with them;  indeed they'd rather hang out with girls than watch football.

I suspect also that they would be well above the 200/day mark, too, eh?

Who wants to be a star?

I got this comment left a few posts ago, I imagine you may not have seen it, but I just had to share:

Hi,

I was doing some research online and came across your blog. I hope you don't mind me reaching out to you. I'm a casting assistant in New York for a popular show about people relocating outside North America. It's called House Hunters International and airs on the Home & Garden cable network (HGTV). We are casting people for this show right now and I was wondering if you or anyone you know would be interested in participating.

Our show tells the story of a family or couple who have purchased property outside of their native country . The purpose of the show is to demystify the process of moving and living abroad. You can learn more about our show and watch episodes here: http://www.hgtv.com/house-hunters-international/show/index.html or here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hety7cF7k0g

Putting together an episode with you would be a real treat for our audience and it's a lot of fun for you too. Contributors to the show get a nice keepsake shot in HD video and also receive compensation for your time and efforts.

If you or anyone you know is interested in learning more, please contact me directly at househunterscasting@leopardfilms.com. Thank you in advance for your prompt feedback on this. Have a wonderful day!

Seriously, someone wants to make a show about our lives?  

FREAKY

and, um, 

no.

More meeting weirdness

This will be my bedroom.  Someday.   Maybe.  Use your imagination, m'kay?

This is where we held that meeting the other day.  That one I found frustrating?  'Member?

At one point in the meeting I realised that my bedroom was filled with a pack of cranky sweaty men.  

And I was paying them.

I then wondered whether they could simply all leave now.  Please.

My bedroom. 

Mine.

Saying everything 10 times or red.

This is a given in a parent's life, you assume that you are going to spend huge swaths of your waking hours repeating yourself over and over and over.

Brush your teeth.

Brush your teeth now

Eldest!  Brush your teeth

Are you listening?  Brush your teeth.

Don't wait till I yell at you to brush your teeth!


Too late.  Now brush your teeth.

Sound familiar?

We have a similar issue with the architect and builder.  For example, the contractor brought samples for the tiles for the terrace yesterday.  The man and I decided, pretty much instantly, which one we wanted.  The architect wanted the other one (of course), we went round it again, and we decided that we still wanted the red one.  We told them that.  They asked again and again and again, we kept saying 'the red one'.  Again and again and again.

The architect urged us to spend the weekend thinking about it.  I ask you, how long do you have to spend on this?  It is a tile choice, not an ethical debate.  We want the red!

Then the builder took me up to the terrace to look at them in place after the man and the architect had to leave.  I re-reiterated that we wanted the red.  Red red red red red I said.

(Do you like green eggs and ham?  This post makes me feel faintly Dr Suess-ish.)

He wants me to call him and let him know at the beginning of next week which one we want.

In a word,

RED.

RED

REdredredredredredredredred.

Red.

They clearly have never been paint shopping with me.  I'm in and out of faster than you can survey the tuna fish aisle, and I always like the colours I choose too.