Wicked

Today I went to Portobello Market. Ill never go there again.

It has loads of hype. But with the amount of people running through the market I was begining to question what was being sold. Second hand items or people?

After that, I made sure my wallet was completely licked clean. And went to another musical. WICKED. Well now, I have done three musicals and none a favorite. All of them so good and uncomparable due to the fact that they are all so different.

Wicked is the story of how the Wicked Witch of the West became to be so wicked. Now you will be surprised. It is her story. And I do sympathise her. Infact, I like her. But the bottem line is along with the opera voices the actresses and actors have, the story all falls into place. Anything in Oz will be clarified in this musical.

Phantom Limb

I am presently listening to The Shins. I want to cry and Im not even sad. That music is just so beautiful. Thats one thing I cant wait about Montreal, To submerge myself into my music and loose myself while creating watever flows out of my mind.

The last two days have been pretty good. I really feel at home in London. Like I said, half Montreal and half New York. Some how I need to fit Tofino in though...

Yesterday I went to the TATE Modern. It was good but to be honest the MoMA in NYC is way better. Lets just say watever the MoMA refused, the TATE took in. Now I do realise theres huge hype about the TATE. I mean they do have big names in theres just not big pieces. I would have to say though that the highlight of all this is that I saw pieces of Warhol that I didnt even know existed! They were actually pretty good too. Black and white pieces. No color. I have noticed that Andy likes to present his pieces in dyptichs. Look around, youll notice it too.

After that I went to another musical. This time it was Billy Elliot. Wow! Another good one. It was very different from Chicago. Directed towards another crowd. At times it was very serious and at others quite funny. The accents were really good. And the dancing, better. The boy who played Billy was very talented and could do flips in the air while wearing tap shoes. Imagine him in 10 years.

Good Luck

Right now its pouring rain outside. As in the intensity it does in Tofino. But It has been raining non-stop for the past 12 hours. Its sheet rain so therefore a permanent shower. I dont really mind.

Today I passed on really good luck. I went into a shop that had some exposition with Tara McPherson (lowbrow artist) a month ago.And swipped up a print of heres which was signed. Its a small print but Im going to frame it. Tara McPherson is a great painter and a pretty renound female artist. I also bought my second Gary Baseman book, as well. And to my luck he signed it too. So now I have two more collectible artist pieces. I collect other peoples art. Its more interesting.

Tonight I went to a fabulous show. CHICAGO! I love musicals. It was my second ( I went to a broadway show back in NYC). Chicago is the greatest. A little Vaudeville, A little Burlesque, A dash of scandal and a ton of strong voices. The costumes were great. I loved the way they presented and portrayed their voices. It was cool that Roxy Hart, for the first time to my knowledge, was played by a black chick. And then to my surprise it happened to be Michelle Williams of Destiny Child. But I personnaly like Thelma the best, she had attitude and she wasnt a nice woman. The stage was presented in a 1920s fashion and had a live orchestra in the background. They were very good and complemented the voices but with force and strength. The storyline was pretty good. It was smart ans sassy. I was always hit by surprise. It was fun to recognize the songs frome the burlesque modeling sessions at Dr Sketchys.

On another note, before my limited time runs out here, I had a conversation with a young def man. It was real fun and we understood eachother. I also sat next to a boy on the train to London who was also reading Into the Wild, side by side and same edition.

London is calling my name!

Oh-my-goodness... gracias I love this city. Ok I havent seen much since today I took the train. But so far Im really liking this city. Im going to spend 5 days in this city because I have always been a little infatuated with this city and want to try and figure it out.

Besides I have this personnel brilliant beyond brilliant idea of comming to live in London on a two year visa. I started really thinking about this idea half a year ago. We will see where my ideas lay when Im 24. The dream and idealistic and reveuse plan is to move to London and become a well established artists' main woman. I would want to be the artists ART assistant. Almost like a Warhol syndrome but be treated fairly. You know, enough to live. I would help the artist set up various art shows, maybe a little art journalism on the side. But the biggest part would be working in the studio alongside the artist. Learning asmore then an apprentice but a friend who would share artistic secrets and tricks. I would love to work in a screenprinting studio helping set up and creat large scale works. But pushing further then where Andy had limits. Bringing social causes into the issue a bit like Keith Haring. My goodness I am on an artistic tangent. And then one day just become an artist. Just being and living and CREATING.

Guys London is way cool. Its a mix between New York and Montreal. But more new York minus the high rises. People have lovely accents over here. And the kids are dressed totally rad and have this whole skinny-punk-vintage vibe to them. Im digging it.

I live in the past present and future. Im just one of those people.

A last day in Paris

well all the things come to an end, except eternal life. But on this world, yup, they finish. And my stay in Paris is coming to that fate.

Today I checked out Notre Dame de Paris. It is a Gothic church with a presence. Inside you get a dark almost unsettling feeling. But at the same time it is so beautiful and the stain glass windows let only the tiniest of light illuminate the interiour, keeping most of the sun to brighten the glasses' dark and rich colors. It feel really good and peacefull in there. But you cant help but imagine that something dark must have happened there. Its just my feeling. And my wild imagination.

But I cant help but salute Victor Hugo for using his wild and crazy imagination for summing up the story of Le Bosu de Notre Dame. He really did reference the building different corridors and hidden rooms.

Then I became a bike junkie and hopped onto another Fat Tire tour. This time in Paris, duh. Man, they are so much fun. I love the mixture of biking and history with a dash of humor. Its really good cause it keeps a kid like me moving and on the ball while being completelly fascinated and immersed into these historical situations while seeing the places they took place in live.

This evening I spent sitting on a concrete rail watching the Eiffel Tower. Illuminated in the night sky. I watched the moon move from one side of the tower to the other side. For about five minutes there was even a cool light show that gave the tower a sparkling effect.

well folks, demain Im taking a train to London, last country and leg on this journey before I head back to Dublin, my temporary home and where half my heart is currently being held...

I am sorry, I do not have an interesting title

But before I get to that Ill tell you a little lowdown on the Louvre. In my poor attempt at a defense, loads of people go through the same 'too much art to handle' syndrome. Infact the average person spends 3 hours in the museum till they start to go crazy and then leave. The museum, once a palace that just kept growing due to kings marking their territory, is so huge. If you were to spend one humble and honest minute looking at all the PERMANENT collection, excluding expostitions, you would spend a whole 9 months in the Louvre without sleeping, going to the loo or sleeping. Yeah, go figure.

So last night I went on a walking tour of Monmatre. I decided that I should figure out the area that Im currently staying in. Montmarte is cool. Im having a case of deja vu...

Louvre

did that today. Um cool. But exhausting.

I am knackered. People in Paris seem to be happy people but not inside the Louvre. Everyone is rushed.

I didnt have to cue for two hours, only 20 minutes and I got in for free cause I was living in Dublin :)

I saw some very famous works. Like, the Mona Lisa, Wrath of Medusa, Winged Nike, Seated Scribe and Venus of Milo.

I dont think Ill ever go back to the Louvre. There is just too much art. You end up not really appreciating it.

I was not impressed with the Mona Lisa. She is tiny! We were corded 30 feet from her and she was encased in glass. Thus, we could hardly even see her.

The piece that impressed me the most was the Seated Scribe from Egypt. I have known about him since 1st semester at Dawson. He stands about a foot high. I thought he would be huge so I kept walking past him really frustrated. I fianally gave up and asked the staff to escort me to him. I relly needed to see him.

He is beautiful.

My favorite piece of Egyptian art by far. His face is so sculpted and rendered that he seems to almost be smiling. The shadows created make him so 3D that he seems to be alive. His eyes are lined with an aqua color instead of the typical black and for his pupils he has embeded colored glass. His painted skin is still so terracota in color that it is a wonder that it is still preserved.

I also saw mummified animals, who woulda thought?!

So what have you been up to, little miss Premont?

well, loads.

One thing I havent been doing is posing nude. I have had a fair deal of artists comming up to me offering paying modeling positions. But Im to busy taking in the city to cash in extra money. Paris is very open in my opinion. If people think your attractive, theyll tell you. Im not used to that. Of all the Europeen cities that express it, Paris does it the strongest.

Paris also constantly smells of urine and is ver dirty. Do come anyway!

I went to the Chateau de Versailles. Now that is a very cool place. The ticket cost me a hefty 25 euro but it is impressive nonetheless. The grounds are huge (I spent 6 hours and saw about 30 percent). I watched musical fountians to which I was quite in awe. And walked through Marie-Antoinettes little wonderland. She really did make a little paradise and that was my favorite part. The castle was cool and luxourious. The ceilings were encrusted with gold leaf, jewels and frescos. But I do have to say, I am not fond of a luxourious lifestyle. And back then, neither were the French.

...

I am staying in a hostel in the Montmatre area which happened to be and still is the home of many artists. Some famous and some, not so much. Once the district of; Vincent Van Gogh (touched his door!- I have the right to be excited ok), Toulouse-Lautrec aka Moulin Rouge, Monet, Picasso and Dali to name a few... Therefore Im in a really cool part of town:)

To get to Paris I took a plain from Hamburg. On boarding the plain I almost thought it was a joke. Smallest plain I have ever been in. It was the size of a bus and had propellers. It was basicaly a long helicopter.

I checked out the Dali museum. The mueum itself was dark and smelled of urine. But the art saved the exposition. I didnt even know that Dali also dabbled in sculpture! shame on me...

But the killer qrt museum for me was the Pompidou. Wow, now that is where youll see cutting-edge modern and contemporary art. The building itsledf is a piece of innovative architecture. Trasparent tubes encasing escalators dominate the exteriour of the building.

There was a whole expostion on Klandinsky (Taught alongside Klee at the Bauhaus Design School in Berlin- but a Russian himself). Showing loads of his works. I was able to notice the evolution through time in his works. I wasnt a fan of his simple elementary-school-looking bland lignes and colored shapes pieces but his latest was his greatest.

The other real cool part about the Pompidou was that they had a whole floor dedicated to feminist art. Yup, that right. Everything from Gorilla Girls to Yoko Ona to Kiki Smith, the works. And they didnt hide the facts that most women artists are showed in the shadows. However, I feel with the art that is comming out now... things are changing. We are starting to really just focus on whats essentiel, the art.

Carmen Sandiago, where in the world are you?

Paris

Luneburg

The last couple of days I have been spending a little south of Hamburg, in the cute medieval village of Luneburg where my cousins live. They are my cool cousins who are my age. Remember Jacob? And Maria? Thats who! I also finally got to meet my German Tanta Angelica and Theresa.

Basicaly it was just family chilling time. We went out to the lake and relaxed. German lakes are tiny. They look like ponds. haha

But the highlight of all this was when my uncle Gunther brought us to Hamburg. Hamburg is a very cool city. But my uncle is cooler. No kidding. He is very witty. So basicaly smart and funny. But the kinda funny that comes out of nowhere and takes you by surprise. Thus, ending up in. funny.

In Hamburg, Onkel Gunther became the perfect guide and showed us loads of sights and we toured around the city by walking and the river ferry.

But the part of Hamburg that struck me the most was Reeperbaum. Reeperbaum is the largest red light district in Europe. It was astonishing. Prostitutes out waiting in line on the sidewalks at 3pm. Streets of strip clubs and what not. The weirdest sex shops, not that I entered. But from the window I saw breast slippers. Which made me burst out laughing. So ridiculous.

We ate in a Greek restaurant and Maria and I couldnt stop keeping are eyes from being glued to the window as we watched lavished prostitutes trying to pick guys up. I do have to say that as pourly looked down upon a red light district is, Reeperbaum is still fascinating and I would go back again.

Towards the end of the trip we went to a fair. And this where I witnessed how hardcore my uncle really is when I watched him ride a rollercoaster on his own in the front row. I was v impressed.

I didnt actually ride a rollercoaster myself. I was petrified. You can all make fun of me when I get home, or not. haha

Chapter 3: Day 3

This morning I went to Checkpoint Charlie. It is a very ugly and badly put together museum but holds loads of information on the Berlin Wall. The highlight of the museum is all the escape stories and the radical ways that people crossed the border from east to west. After reading all these heroic stories of survival and courage I was really touched. People were doing so much to get the freedom they deserved.

After that, I went to the Jewish museum. Don't go there. It's expensive and and analytical. To the point where I was really disgusted. It was a poor excuse to say sorry to the Jewish population who was persacuted here. The building had cool architecture and some beautiful symbolism to it. But that's where it ended. It's high time that Germany fess up and say they are sorry. The museum told the cute little history of Jewish people. My arse. Basically analyzing them like they were a species or something. The smallest part of the whole exhibiton was the part on the Second World War. I didn't see a single photo of a tyrant named Hitler or a single swastika. Ok, cool, if you don't want to be offensive. But they hardly even wrote anything down about that troubled period either. Completely turning a blind eye to the situation and diluting the truth. First of all Hitler was Austrian and second of all the Nazis are hated practicaly world wide. Museums are allowed to show the truth in print and phtoography. Thats what they are there for: To help us document history in accuracy and get the facts straight.

After that I went to the Bauhaus Design School expo. Pretty darn interesting. It was one of the most influential art schools of the 20th century to the point where even IKEA got pointers from them. The likes of Klandinsky and Klee tought there. Although the art was pretty cutting edge for their time, it was all too similar. The work was new for the 1920's but within the school it was basically one body of work made by different wannabe artists. And that is where they missed their mark. A lot of art and architecture that we see today is thanks to Bauhuas.

To end my day I went to the East Side Gallery in east Berlin. This is where 1.5 km of the Berlin Wall still stands and have been transformed into paintings depicting peace. Even when the Wall was all still standing artists were flying into Berlin to paint in protest against the wall and its seperation. There is one painting by a Quebec artist but it really sucks. Im glad that some of the Wall still stands because it is a reminder of how greed over people and eventually world power makes some go mad and crazy. And thus, creating inhuman and disturbing oppression. There is nothing more evil then greed and power.

Well goodbye, after the bank I'm off to Lunebourg ( half an hour south of Hamburg) to see the cousins.

Chapter 2: Day 2

This morning I went to the Helmut Newton museum and exposition. I want to be a photographer! (among maney other things) His photography is a fetish and so provocative that it is nearly pornography. Yet, is not because it is only suggested. The intersting thing about his work is that he would take color photographs and only then before developing them turn them into black and white.

During the afternoon I went on a bicycle tour of Berlin. I was riding this real nice Hawaiin beach cruiser and the tour guide was so funny. Im pretty sure I was the only once who understood his mocking sarcastic humor. I kept bursting out laughing and everyone else was just insulted or too afraid to laugh. haha. But the tour was pretty sick and I saw loads of monuments. We also biked through Tiergarten, which would be their Central Park. Yet, only half its size.

During the evening I met up with my reflection. Crazy but true. Imagine me one year older and that would be Macey. She lives in T.dot. And for some strange reason is so alike to me physicaly but more psychologicaly and interest wise that we actually get along really well. We went to this lounge in their 'Plateau Montreal'. The interiour decor of the place was really cool. Set up like a 1950's livingroom and full of 30 year old intellectuals smoking and disgussing. I was in awe of the place. There are a few places like that in Berlin that were created out of Anarchy. It was a movement were people didn't care for the government and continued on with their lives but more or less in secret. Thus, creating pubs out of their livingrooms in order to not conform to Capitalism and propaganda. It was completely independant.

Chapter 1: Day 1

Today I went to the Hamburger Bahnhof museum. It is filled with works by the likes of Andy Warhol and Jeff Buey. It tends to hold really impressive large scale works. Only photography could explain this 'contemporary' (more like modern under my impression) art.

On a whim I got a haircut. I just popped into a salon and paid 10 euro. I asked to chop off my stringy split ends and crown my forehead with thick bangs. Its different but I think it just might work. Im tired off always looking the same since I was seven. Besides I don't have to be pretty for anybody because I'm pretty sure I'm 'pretty' in the inside. Someone did tell me I looked like Janis Joplin though. haha

And after that I went to see the new Harry Potter. Because its a must. Man I actually was laughing alot. Its pretty funny to be honest. Real good British Humor.

Berlin Babe

Berlin is a spralled and stretched out city. It isn't huddled together like Dublin or Montreal. It also happens to be a city 60 million euro in debt. Thus, they hardly even noticed the recession. Because of all the previous attacks on Berlin, the city is constantly reconstructing itself. And because there is a lack of money alot of reconstructed 'building' are plastic printed sheets stretched out on blocks. Yes, pretend buildings to give a sense of the city.

But Berlin is also a city with so much to do.

I have mingled in the city for 3 full days and I'll tell them all in chapters. enjoy

Just a thought on a year off

I highly recomend to take time off from the scholarly institution.
As a witness to my own life, I can attest that you will learn things that school does not have the capacity to teach you. The 'class' will be on yourself. Life will be your teacher for once.

In the past year I have learned more about myself then I have growning up during all my teen years. I have seperated it into three concrete and seperate parts all dealing with location. Because location has actually had a tremendous influence on my learning process.

1- Tofino
-Learned who I was
To a certain degree. But I figured out both good and bad things about myself. What I should change about myself and what I should grow and continue to do. I would say this was sort of like a 'comming of age' because I was not influenced by anything really other then myself. I was away from the media and submerged into nature. I could breathe again and because I wasn't distracted I had time to analyse myself and realise things and patterns about my personality.

2- Dublin
-Learned who 'They' were
This part had nothing to do with me at all. It was strictly about the 'others'. I was learning about a culture and people with whom I was becoming apart of. I was watching and learning. Adapting to a new lifestyle and figuring out how another society works and functions.

3- Europe
-Taking a course in Cultural history
Not that I chose to. But boy am I learning loads. For once, I am surely the outsider. Communicating in foreign languages and quickly adapting to their systems only to be replaced in another foregin situation. Truly thrilling.

You can't learn any of this in school, atleast not in a hands-on level.

Fate

Funny how Fate makes her mark. She makes herself known. And won't allow herself to be forgotten. No matter how hard you try to run away from her, she'll make sure she's there to stop you and make you go on with her plan.

I came to Berlin by fluke. My Opa really wanted me to go. I didn't really care for the city (now I do) and was being a bit of an absentminded teenager. Well, that was one plan altered and for some strange reason I hadn't planned on being in Berlin long enough. Because on Saturday the instateller ate my debit card. Luckily, I had pulled out a hundred euros to survive just before hand. So, I now spend more time in Berlin until the bank opens again. I'm not calling the shots here! But I do not mind at all. Because folks, Berlin is a city with a lot of history (duh) and therefore loads to see. And now I can leave after really appreciating and understanding this contraversial and influential city. the end.

ps. Thank you Fate

Tuscany

I am so dissapointed because I wrote a tale on Tuscany. It was a beautiful and picturesque story about my days in Tuscany. For some reason she chose not to inscript herself into the blog. And vanished.

Now I just dont feel like repeating myself. So this part of the journey will be a little less known and a little more mysterious. But I can tell you that my body is painted with freckles and I swam everyday. My aunt owns a real nice country villa and I babysat my adorable cousins, all 4 of 'em. I even changed a diaper (while the kid chose to stay standing- v difficult procedure) , and nearly fainted.

But the highlight of all this country and rolling hills talk was when my two Aunts brought me to the Opera. It was La Boheme by Puccini. Although it was in Italian I was completely mesmerized. The event was outdoors and super classy. Italians are very extravagent dressers.

so you missed your plain, eh?

I spent a few hours in Milano and hated it. I dont care if its the fashion city mecca or not. To me its an industrial and ugly city. I call it Shitilano. The only good thing about that city is the really good looking boys.

And then I missed my plain. Whatevs. So I chilled in the airport forever until I could catch a flight to Berlin instead of Hamburg.

I have loads to say but so little time

...and these keyboards are so confusing.

K folks Ive been in Tuscany. And I will elaborate in the very near future.

But cooler then that is I missed my flight to Hamburg. I woke up at 4:45 am and still missed it. The metro and bus were late. I forgive them.

You see, I believe in a little theory called Fate. I booked my flight to Hamburg and then my credit card cancelled the purchase. So then again I bought a ticket and then missed the flight. I wasnt suppossed to be in Hamburg,... yet. So I took the next flight to Germany which led me to Berlin. My Opa wanted me to go here and I need to realise where I come from and step up on my social-political knowledge. Its time to try and figure Germany out.

And the best part is, I didnt loose a dime. So it was meant to be. Im letting life call the shots and my history is writing herself down.