January 30, 2010
January 26, 2010
January 24, 2010
A Prophet
French film by Jacques Audiard. Malik is in jail on a 9 years sentence. We follow him in the very tough life of a prison and how, being a smart young man, he manages to be trained as a successful gangster.
It is very well made and the 2 hours and 30 minutes just go very quickly. No to be missed.
It is very well made and the 2 hours and 30 minutes just go very quickly. No to be missed.
Tulpan
Tulpan, Russian film by Sergay Dvorsevoy. It takes place in a Kazakh steppe. The plot is very simple : a young man is coming back in his nomad community after serving in the Navy. He'd like to "settle down" but in order to get his own flock of sheep he needs to get married. The only girl available is Tulpen...
We follow the everyday & humble life of this small community. And then deep down we are left with very moving human feelings : sibling love, what are the most important priorities ?
We follow the everyday & humble life of this small community. And then deep down we are left with very moving human feelings : sibling love, what are the most important priorities ?
Invisible by Paul Auster
Paul Auster once again leads us in an astonishing - but still believable - story. Or how a talented young American poet finds himself implicated in a very weird situation with bizarre people. Paul Auster is telling different stories within the main one and questioning with reality and fantasy.
January 21, 2010
Greta's friends (1)
Greta's living café is no doubt THE place to meet up people. Yesterday morning I was enjoying a cup of tea listening to conversations around me. A gentleman was telling Greta's husband about his last holiday on a safari in Africa. As he was leaving I noticed his trousers with multi-colored stains of paint. And he was carrying a brand new canvas. Greta confirmed my "suspicions" : P. is an artist painter and he has his own Art Gallery a few streets away from Greta's.
This afternoon I went to visit the artist's gallery. It's amazingly very diversified and affordable. I quite like most of the paintings.
See : http://www.pspowageartcafe.co.uk/
This afternoon I went to visit the artist's gallery. It's amazingly very diversified and affordable. I quite like most of the paintings.
See : http://www.pspowageartcafe.co.uk/
January 20, 2010
Bank / Car Insurance
Eventually I'm giving up on having a bank account in ££. I had a word about it with my financial adviser. He said that a bank account based in the Isle of Man is considered by the French Tax Man as a way to avoid taxes i.e it would look like suspicious and I would get into trouble...
When I bought the car last Friday the seller arranged for me to have a 7 days free insurance. It is ending tomorrow. I didn't take time to "fish around" so I had decided to go along with this company. Well, they couldn't accept payment through my oversea account and for some mysterious reasons my international credit card didn't get through... So 1st thing in the morning tomorrow I have to go to a high street insurance broker.
"French Help Services, could you help me ?"
"No, sorry, we only work for people relocating from English speaking countries to Montpellier area, not the other way round, on your bike Ben !"
When I bought the car last Friday the seller arranged for me to have a 7 days free insurance. It is ending tomorrow. I didn't take time to "fish around" so I had decided to go along with this company. Well, they couldn't accept payment through my oversea account and for some mysterious reasons my international credit card didn't get through... So 1st thing in the morning tomorrow I have to go to a high street insurance broker.
"French Help Services, could you help me ?"
"No, sorry, we only work for people relocating from English speaking countries to Montpellier area, not the other way round, on your bike Ben !"
January 19, 2010
January 18, 2010
Sunday in Leeds
Leeds is a lively and vibrating city. There are quite a few lovely old shopping arcades with fine shops.
See : http://www.leeds-uk.com/index.html
My friend C. is a school teacher in Lille and he's in Leeds as part as a Year-Abroad-Program. He teaches maths in 2 different schools. And he is organizing the twinning between schools in Leeds and Lille.
See : http://www.leeds-uk.com/index.html
My friend C. is a school teacher in Lille and he's in Leeds as part as a Year-Abroad-Program. He teaches maths in 2 different schools. And he is organizing the twinning between schools in Leeds and Lille.
Weird Saturday
I had planned to go to Leeds to visit my friend C. from Lille. I started around 10 with my new car and GPS. We were quite happy the 3 of us. Then, only about 5 minutes away, the car came to a stop : the clutch gave in ! I just had time to pull on a drive. I phoned up the warranty service and waited 3 hours before to get rescued ! They drove me back with the car at the dealership. There they told me that, being a Saturday, they couldn't let me a courtesy car. But they offered to give me a lift back in town. I had to wait a further 2 hours before they had the time to do so.
I didn't give up my week end plan all together though. I had lunch - well a five o'clock lunch - and made my way to the railway station. I actually got lost on foot, believe it or not and missed the 7:15 train and eventually caught the following one and arrived at 10 in Leeds to have dinner with C. !
We had a very nice meal at an Indian restaurant on the river banks.
I didn't give up my week end plan all together though. I had lunch - well a five o'clock lunch - and made my way to the railway station. I actually got lost on foot, believe it or not and missed the 7:15 train and eventually caught the following one and arrived at 10 in Leeds to have dinner with C. !
We had a very nice meal at an Indian restaurant on the river banks.
January 15, 2010
Collected the car / Trip to Leicester postponed / Nottingham Contemporary
This morning I collected the car from the garage. I was then supposed to go to visit my friend P. in Leicester. He gave me a call to postponed our meeting because his boiler just packed up. I had lunch at Broadway's and afterwards went to David Hockney & Frances Stark's exhibitions at the new Modern Art Gallery, Nottingham Contemporary. See : http://www.nottinghamcontemporary.org/
I ended the afternoon knitting away at Greta's over a hot chocolate and a Jasmine tea.
I ended the afternoon knitting away at Greta's over a hot chocolate and a Jasmine tea.
January 14, 2010
New car / new beard
This morning I went over to a car dealer to buy a car ! I got a second hand car. I will pick it up tomorrow. I would have prefer to live without a car but unfortunately there isn't over here an equivalent of Modulauto. (see : www.modulauto.net) On the other hand I can't really afford to be without one. If I ever got any teaching I need to be able to get about. And then most of my friends are around Ashby De La Zouch. (see : http://www.aboutbritain.com/towns/ashby-de-la-zouch.asp). To get there by public transport it takes half a day instead of roughly 45 minutes by car...
This afternoon I went again to Greta's to test one of her hand made cake... Very nice... Then I had my beard dyed at the hairdresser's.
This afternoon I went again to Greta's to test one of her hand made cake... Very nice... Then I had my beard dyed at the hairdresser's.
The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordano
This is January Britsnîmes Book Club book. (see : www.britsnimes.com) It's a first published novel. And it's already an international bestseller ! O.k , that's doesn't mean anything as such. But this book is actually good and tells an unusual story with characters larger than life. Here is the plot in a nut shell : friendship over the years between a boy and a girl who stand out and for the outside world are inadequate for "ordinary social life".
I'm sure everybody can somehow identify with all the feelings, experiences very smartly described.
I'm sure everybody can somehow identify with all the feelings, experiences very smartly described.
January 13, 2010
How my day went
The International Bank phoned me this morning. They need more info on my income... And couldn't accept an utility bill printed from a web... So eventually I had to go back to the Local Branch to get my driving licence faxed. I had some times to kill - knitting away - so I had a cup of tea and a jam-nd-cream-scone at Greta's living tea room (see : http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/news/Eating-Greta-s-Living-Room-Cafe-city-centre/article-1148156-detail/article.html).
I was then supposed to meet up with my friend M. and his friend A2 (M's boy friend is called A too hence the "A2") to see the film Sherlock. Well, I got it all mixed up, I waited for them at Broadway Cinema instead of the show case and then I couldn't see Sherlock on the films listing (now days on those electronic boards after the beginning of the film it's erased, no kidding !). So I went to see "Sex Drugs and Rock & Roll" instead. After a while - that is after all the advertising, reviews and 20 minutes into the film - I realised I had to go because I had to have lunch before my appointment at the chiropodist's. I had a bite at the Broadway cafeteria.
By the way over there last night they had a French food evening. I had a very nice ratatouille.
Some more time to spend on knitting so back at Greta's.
Then on the bus to go to J's, my new voice teacher. It went fine.
Oh ! If you come to Nottingham give me a shout ! I'll meet you at Greta's !
I was then supposed to meet up with my friend M. and his friend A2 (M's boy friend is called A too hence the "A2") to see the film Sherlock. Well, I got it all mixed up, I waited for them at Broadway Cinema instead of the show case and then I couldn't see Sherlock on the films listing (now days on those electronic boards after the beginning of the film it's erased, no kidding !). So I went to see "Sex Drugs and Rock & Roll" instead. After a while - that is after all the advertising, reviews and 20 minutes into the film - I realised I had to go because I had to have lunch before my appointment at the chiropodist's. I had a bite at the Broadway cafeteria.
By the way over there last night they had a French food evening. I had a very nice ratatouille.
Some more time to spend on knitting so back at Greta's.
Then on the bus to go to J's, my new voice teacher. It went fine.
Oh ! If you come to Nottingham give me a shout ! I'll meet you at Greta's !
January 11, 2010
Looking to do some volunteering
This morning I went to the Nottingham Central Volunteering Services. A lady helped me to narrow down my choices and eventually I left with info and contacts for 3 different possibilities :
- to be a "Volunteer Activities Promoter" for an association who run several nursery homes
- to be a "Befriender for People with Alzheimers"
- to be a "Befriender" for lonely elderly people
I have sent an email to each NGO concerned. They are going to send me Application Forms and ask for my Criminal Record so it is going to take at least a fortnight before anything happens.
- to be a "Volunteer Activities Promoter" for an association who run several nursery homes
- to be a "Befriender for People with Alzheimers"
- to be a "Befriender" for lonely elderly people
I have sent an email to each NGO concerned. They are going to send me Application Forms and ask for my Criminal Record so it is going to take at least a fortnight before anything happens.
January 10, 2010
Looking for a teaching job (1)
This morning I applied on line to be a tutor for "My Personal Language Tutor" (see : http://www.myplt.com/). And I had an answer back in the following 5 minutes ! They don't have any demand for French right now but they'll keep me posted.
The 1st day of the rest of your life
By Remi Bezançon with Jacques Gamblin, Zabou Reitman, Deborah François. Yes, it's a French film ! It's the story of a family through the events of 5 specific days between 1988 and 2000. See www.broadway.org.uk for more info. It is certainly a good story about the ups and downs of a family.
January 09, 2010
Desert Island Discs Evening with LGCM
Last night I went out with my friends from LGCM (see : http://www.lgcm-nottingham.org.uk/) at a member's house in Derby. We met up to listen to each other favorites musics following the idea of the long time running Radio 4 programme "Desert Island Discs" (see : http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnmr and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_Island_Discs). Unfortunately we were only 4 but nevertheless we had a good time. My colleagues played rather classical music and I had brought myself a Charles Trenet's cd.
And again it has been a good opportunity for me to get on knitting !
And again it has been a good opportunity for me to get on knitting !
Hairdresser
Yesterday I went to a haidresser saloon called Jazz. See www.jazzhair.co.uk. K, my hairdresser in Nîmes are you listening ? You''ll be pleased to know that he had the same method as you for highlight : with a comb. D., the hairdresser has a ltr girl-friend in London. He is going over there this week end and is hoping to do a snow man in Hyde Park. I asked to have the bear dyed in black but he won't take any risk with the products so I had a skin test behind the ear. Well, not very convenient when you live on your own ! Anyway I didn't have any itching !
January 08, 2010
Mobile phone and Bank
Yesterday I went to a Local Branch Bank (LBC) to open a bank account in ££. I explained that I did not intend to be a Permanent Resident (PR) in UK and therefore was thinking to have an oversea bank account. At the LBC they put me through their International Banking Branch (IBB) which filled up a form over the phone and faxed it to the LBC for me to sign. Afterwards I just had to send to the IBB a utility bill and my last 3 months French bank statements.
It is going to be like that : I'll have in fact 2 accounts, one in €€ and one in ££. This system will allow me to transfer money from France to UK through the Isle of Man without any fees.
Then I went to buy a mobile phone. I wanted to get a phone with a contract. Unfortunately I couldn't. To have a contract you have to have a bank account related to an address in UK. So, back again - I mean like in the States - with a prepaid phone.
By the way one of my client - Irish, married to an English lady and based in India - told me that "he never met before such a bohemian accountant" ! (I'm not an accountant but I sort out his tax form every year)
It is going to be like that : I'll have in fact 2 accounts, one in €€ and one in ££. This system will allow me to transfer money from France to UK through the Isle of Man without any fees.
Then I went to buy a mobile phone. I wanted to get a phone with a contract. Unfortunately I couldn't. To have a contract you have to have a bank account related to an address in UK. So, back again - I mean like in the States - with a prepaid phone.
By the way one of my client - Irish, married to an English lady and based in India - told me that "he never met before such a bohemian accountant" ! (I'm not an accountant but I sort out his tax form every year)
January 07, 2010
Start of a new life again !
I arrived yesterday. A few delays on the train but not much considering the weather conditions. I travelled with my piano under one arm and my knitting under the other. They both reached destination in good shape.
In the city itslef there isn't any snow as such but a few patches of snow on the pavements are icing overnight over and over. And to make it even more wintering we have an ice ring on Old Market Square. Anyway it's nice to be back there. It feels like reuniting with old sleepers !
I had - and still have - quite a few shopping to do (including new sleepers) today. I had lunch at the Broadway cinema cafeteria. See : http://www.broadway.org.uk/Main%20Pages/contact.php
I have quite a few memories down there. I have known it when they used to have only one screen. Once upon a time they showed "Cyrano" with Gerard Depardieu. At the end of the show there was a standing applause !!
In the city itslef there isn't any snow as such but a few patches of snow on the pavements are icing overnight over and over. And to make it even more wintering we have an ice ring on Old Market Square. Anyway it's nice to be back there. It feels like reuniting with old sleepers !
I had - and still have - quite a few shopping to do (including new sleepers) today. I had lunch at the Broadway cinema cafeteria. See : http://www.broadway.org.uk/Main%20Pages/contact.php
I have quite a few memories down there. I have known it when they used to have only one screen. Once upon a time they showed "Cyrano" with Gerard Depardieu. At the end of the show there was a standing applause !!
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