Cultured Kids

With Sam studying Matisse in his art class, Ruby taking ballet lessons, Tom's new 'french only' regime at work, and me in my new photography course, we’ve all started off the new year with cultural intentions.

Ruby recently visited the Dali museum in Montmartre with her school, proceeded by a project on surrealism, namely recreating Dali's famous elephants and clock sculpture called 'The Nobility of Time'.  Personally I find Dali a bit creepy for a four year old to study, but that's culture for you.

A few weeks ago we visited Le Palais Garnier and Ruby decided she wanted the full tour of the famous Opera House.  She felt like we were in the movie 'Beauty and the Beast' and was quite surprised to see 'boy' ballet dancers rehearse on stage.  This was followed by a cinematic viewing of the ballet 'Caligula' showing in the basement of the Opera House, a tad erotic for a four year old but she was entranced by the artistic impression I am sure. 

And finally 'binoga' (yoga to you & I) is her latest activity as it is now being incorporated into the curriculum at school.  She has apparently mastered the breathing techniques required along with the 'down faced dog' yoga position.  This teamed with her formal ballet class at the Academie De Danse is turning her into a right mademoiselle.

With Ruby excelling in the Arts, of course we are very proud, but realise not all children have such a natural yearning to learn about culture. 

Sam, on the other hand, though excelling in rugby with his dad at the weekends, is falling out with his various french teachers at school.  After receiving his second report card of the year we are pleased to see a huge progression in French, yet strangely he is not taking the other courses in school so seriously, such as Art, Gym, Music, and Computers, all taught by french teachers.  

Sam receives a note in his agenda from his french art teacher stating; 'Sam does not listen to me when I speak to him.  Sam always has his fingers in his mouth.  Sam is not a baby anymore.  He must make a painting on the subject of 'Sam is not a baby anymore'.  Use colors freely, proper paint preferably, collage is acceptable'.  The French revel in humiliation at all levels, and apparently it's quite a common method used in schools to keep children in line.  Maybe this is why the french are so pissed off when they grow up.

However, his recent masterpiece is a sculpture based on Alfred Jacquemart's work, the artist who sculpted the 'Rhinoceros' outside the Musee d'Orsay.  Carrying the tall, spindly man made out of plaster home on the bus was interesting, though not an unusual sighting in this city.  

Though the kids are being subjected to all kinds of culture in Paris, we're not quite sure how much is sinking in.  Sam is still quite anti-french and is turning his sister against them too as she refuses to play with French girls at school.  We wonder whether this is just a matter of culture clash or a truly informed opinion after spending 18 months in Paris!

For adult culture Tom and I recently went to the Marie Antoinette Exhibition at Le Grand Palais.  Everyone apart from the French seem to be entranced by this women, the French just seem tired of her.  Saying that, it was a fantastic exhibition and I was relieved to see the furniture from that era is similar to my authentic Louis XVI chair.  

Also very interesting was the Femmes de Monde Exhibit, stunning photographs of women from around the world from photographer Titouan Lamazou:

This is the story of a navigator, a dreamer who enthusiastically and courageously braved the the seas and oceans day after day, sails to the wind, in search of beauty and the absolute...

When the sea was calm, this sailor set about painting, drawing, or taking photographs to recount his amazing journey to us. It is the fabulous story of Titouan Lamazou! The Musée de l’Homme invites us to discover, "Zoé Zoé", the wonderful portraits of women by Titouan Lamazou during his travels over five continents. Six years journeying in search of his muse, is summed up in 200 sketches, photos, paintings and texts.
In the beauty of his models, and his art works, Titouan Lamazou shows us that he felt even more inspired by his many encounters across the world than by the crossing of nations and frontiers.
We are therefore able to become acquainted with young female Chinese rock stars, a very made-up Brazilian actress from 1997, a princess from Bali, a mother of five children, etc. It is then a veritable artistic world tour that our generous-hearted sailor proposes. Not to be missed!

With the upcoming Jazz Festival in St.Germain and the superb Babylon exhibit at the Louvre, we've got lots to see and do this spring, but a family trip to Normandy is in order first, followed by a short excursion to Norway for some travel writing and photography practice with fjords for inspiration.

Black November Fades to Grey

After eighteen months in Paris things are starting to settle down and get easier. After Sarkozy's 'Black November' last year we weren't sure if we'd recover, but we have, until the next transport strike anyway. France has become a bit more interesting with Sarkozy ruling along with his new wife, Carla Bruni. The political climate feels like a virtual soap opera, full of intrigue and glamour, gossip and sex appeal. Seeing pictures of Sarkozy cuddling up to his attractive missus makes him feel more 'real', albeit in a celebrity kind of way, regardless somehow more approachable and appealing than your run of the mill politician, like someone you might actually bump into jogging along the Seine in the early hours when all the true Parisians are fast asleep.

Needless to say, Paris is never boring. With all the buzz of a big city it exudes something a bit more special somehow, unattainably appealing. It's a city that you immediately love for all the obvious reasons, then soon love to hate once you become victim to linguistic disadvantages, then slowly fall back in love with as you gain more confidence or get more familiar with the geography. Sometimes all it takes is a successful chat with a friendly waiter, a glimpse of the sun shining on Invalides golden hat, or a sip of an espresso whilst you watch the whirlwind of Paris blow around you. Such simple things all of a sudden become more meaningful in Paris, but that's an adult point of view.

Paris at knee height is much different. Most children not used to the hustle and bustle of city life will dislike moving to a city with a foreign language. 'There's too many people and they're too bossy' is how my children view the Parisians, and they are right. They are homesick sometimes, understandably. They miss the space in a house, the outdoor freedom of a garden, the even more simple things that mean much more to children than to their parents. And what do you do if you love a place that your children don't? Or at the very least aren't at their happiest? Move, of course. But not yet....

Spring in Paris is around the corner...and I wouldn't miss that for the world.