two italian films

recently i watched two Italian films
my Netflix queue seems to be all about Italy these days...



the first one was a classic film great italian film!
Mafioso



a noir comedy about the Sicilian mafia on the 60's
directed by Alberto Lattuada
who i read was an architect before being a film director
which explains the beautifully framed framed
and the aesthetically timed scenes



it featured Italian star Alberto Sordi
who does an excellent job in this noir comedy
really enjoyable performance!
Mafioso is a hidden jewel, showcasing
every Sicilian and mobster cliche you can think of
but... just when you are about to get tired
of Sicilian old ladies and so much 'baciamo la mano'
(kissing of the hand)
the film offers a superb visual & musical twist...
do not miss it!

the other film is much more contemporary
is a subtle comedy about old age, good food,
wine drinking, all happening in Rome
during Ferragosto...
Pranzo di Ferragosto
or as they called it here
Mid-August Lunch



this film is not a strong film
but it's lovely in its subtlety, it's delightful one!
i watched on a perfect schedule
on my TV at home, during this past warm Sunday
while sipping wine and preparing a late snack
this is a perfect setting for this film
you don't want to watch this film late at night
you want to watch it on a light warm day
while sipping wine (believe me you'll want some)
and with a light snack, at least...



Pranzo di Ferragosto or Mid-August Lunch
is one of those little films that probably you'll forget
and that sometimes seems pointless but just like
a good magazine article, it will keep you fulfilled
while you watch... and it will make you smile
many times... lovely little film
great film for an outdoor summer day...

the return of the Literary Gato

Herr Gato favorites another book



now he's been cuddling on my Paul Bowles'
Let It Come Down copy
that is a very entertaining reading
rather dark with long existential passages
written under the influence of kief



i am afraid Herr Gato's getting
a little high himself with all these Moroccan
adventures & dark characters that Bowles creates...
i mean those big dark dilated pupils are not a natural thing
i say...

he likes good books! remember?

paths upon which travel occurs (mine in this case)

Normal Heights sidewalk


Los Angeles Metro, subway system

the great white ocean

i've been away from the blog
for too long
days are busy, tiring
Herr Gato got into a fight
lots of vets visits, compresses
no yoga, stress at work
but the saddest, the Japanese news
and now Libya and so on
so little humans, we struggle, we do
but from the pain comes art, and inspiration
and survival, and love
this little song about death, about love
to the victims of Japan and all earthquakes
i dedicate with love



Swim with me my mama when I die
In the ocean of death I will cry
If I am not with my family
You could be my friend eternally

Swim with me my Sister when I die
In the great white ocean we must try
Try to find a way that we can see
See each others faces in the sea

Swim with me my Brother when I die
I don't ever want to say good-bye
If you do go first or if it's me
Oh my darling brother, swim with me

Swim to me my Father when I die
Please remember Father, we must try
Try not to forget our family
Oh my darling Father, rescue me


Google Earth's picture of Japan after the quake

a related book

After the Quake by Haruki Murakami

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


View all my reviews

Monday's lively clouds

hola dear blog
i haven't written on you for so long
a lot has happened,
but yet nothing really at all...
i went to L.A., back & forth
i worked, i rested
i inhaled, and exhaled,
i did both

and here another Monday on a calendar
the pages of time come & go
as my little life seems to float on
nights, and days,
lunches, dinners,
walking, sleeping, smiling, crying, and so on

but these lovely clouds
fidgety at their best
as time, they don't stop
but i capture them with the camera 'cause



Monday morning clouds, oh so why not?
and then click on publish post

my first stare at the sea in 2011

Monday was my during-the-week day off
i love to have a day off during the week
it was cold but sunny, so i grabbed my sweater
my book, and my orange tennis shoes
and drove to Mission bay
here some waves playing to a Brian Eno's song



can't wait for my next day off
nothing like reading and seating at the beach

the treacherous art of keeping it simple

“I am convinced, both by faith and experience, that to maintain one’s self on this earth is not a hardship but a pastime, if we live simply and wisely…”
–Henry David Thoreau

i came across this quote at my yoga studios' blog

http://www.pilgrimageyoga.com/blog/living-simply/

it's accompanied by a wise comment by sujantra
(the founder of the studio)
he writes:
"So often our society sends us the the message that life has problems that only more complexity and machinery can solve. Oh, how wrong our society may be. To find out for yourself try living a little more simply and wisely and see how it feels… my bet is with Thoreau!"

and then i remember this another quote about simplicity that i keep in my refrigerator
i cut it from a tea box, and every time i feel i am making things 'complicated'
i go back and read it... from my fridge to your screen



and now try to keep it simple
it's hard but worth it

Art Project by Google

i much rather see art live
nothing like the textures, the real colors
of a beloved painting
but since i doubt i'll make it any time soon
to the Museum Kampa in Prague Czech Republic

i find the Art Project by Google
quiet outstanding!
a little preview of how you navigate through the galleries
of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City



here's the The Cathedral, František Kupka from the Kampa



if you have a beloved piece of art, i'd recommend you to go
and search for it at the Art Project
and the sigh of relief and smile of happiness

also, have a terrific weekend full of colors and art

the stars of San Diego sky

it's good to step out and watch the stars



Kelly did it too and Air wrote a song of that



i love San Diego starry skies!

the last one of january

ah! these days
the beginnings
the endings
the time
the work
the routine
the days
ah! these days
they are so strange
and then again, the same
the life
this static adventure
that moves fast
and the feels like it stopped

and a song
and january is gone
of 2011
every second is of it, is gone
is less

and the sounds
and the time spent
with eyes closed at home
or bored of stress behind a desk
where we type tiny black letters
that never make sense

more action! less tears!
from pretty little lighting paw



tiny black letters
to mark how lived in this Earth