Entries from July 2008 ↓
July 26th, 2008 — Books, Non-fiction
Deborah Rodriguez has written a must-read book for those interested in other cultures and the fate of women world-wide. She has changed the names and stories, but the stories are true.
I’ve wanted to read this book ever since I heard of it, but never got around to having the time to do so.
My questions would be how endangered are any of the women she helped as a result of her book? and how accurate is the telling? I don’t think identities could be withheld that thoroughly, and the stories are enough similar than any abusive husband could suspect it is his wife they are talking about.
Rodriguez has led an interesting life by anyone’s standards. In 2002 she traveled to Afghanistan with a humanitarian group. Not only did it given her the opportunity to flee her second husband who was abusive and she later divorced, but she found her niche. A hairdresser by trade, she doesn’t realize how much her skills would be welcomed.
She contacts Paul Mitchell who donates truckloads of product. Then she has to figure out how to get them, not only in her garage and away from her husband, but to Afghanistan. Another western woman in situ has also been moving in this direction and the two of them work together to establish a beauty school in Kabul.
Meantime, Rodriguez learns of the daily tragedies of Afghan women who are subjugated in many ways, including being beaten by their fathers or their husbands with impunity, groped on streets, made to serve in prostitution or worse, in a society that has generations of patriarchy behind it and no male incentive or desire to change.
Marriages are arranged to men often double digit older than their wives-to-be, men who go back to the lives they led in Europe who then divorce this wife, leaving her to her fate, or bring her to the foreign country where she disappears from her family. (The preparation for a wedding is interesting, including such things as waxing all body hair from both the bride and groom.)
Women are little more than chattel. They must prove their virginity, even after marriage to another; be subjugated to their husbands and their in laws; and etc.
Rodriguez finds herself loving the country and the women in a unique time when many men are unable to find work so they are willing, albeit with pressure, to allow their wives to learn the skills in order to support the family.
It is not a pretty picture, but it is one we would do well to heed. Unless we want the fate of women to deteriorate to such a state, we must hold the line with laws and regulations in countries outside of this culture where these women are brought to live — even with second or third wives in the home country. (Men will visit every couple of years so these women become pregnant again.)
Rodriguez manages to open the school, standing up to officials and husbands. She finds a way to bridge the cultural gap to explain the logistics of hair coloring, by finally describing the underlying color as Satan that must be obliterated in order for the color to take effect. Then she allows the woman who grasps this concept to teach it to the other women.
Along the way she gathers a third husband, Afghan, in an arranged marriage, that she allows herself to be swept into, while at the same time realizing she needs the protection of a man in order to resolve some of the issues. The story of this marriage is woven into the book. She also knows she is the second wife. His is still married to his first wife who lives in another country with their children — and has another child while Rodriguez is married to the same man.
She touches on the various ethnicities that are represented in Afghanistan; the compounds in which people live; the difficulties of having a beauty school when electricity and water are issues; and much more.
I understand the school is now closed and she may be living outside the country. I don’t know details, but would be happy if someone could provide them.
Have you read it? I give it a 3.
Karin
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July 18th, 2008 — Movies, Paris
Apres Vous is a romantic comedy that takes place in Paris. The DVD is subtitled in English, at least here in America.
In a way, it is similar to Ratatoille, only not animated. A lot of the action centers around an up-scale restaurant in Paris. Things get complicated when Antoine (Daniel Auteuil) (he was nominated for a Cesar for best actor), the headwaiter, takes a shortcut, scaling the gate, through the park late one night. (I was trying to figure out what park, and if I’d ever been there.) He is late to meet his girlfriend, and he is about to be even later. In a humorous scene, filled with pathos, he saves Louis (Jose Garcia) from hanging himself.
This random act of kindness snowballs into more, when he takes Louis home; doesn’t tell his girlfriend the whole of it; and eventually gets Louis a job in his own restaurant in a funny scene in which Louis is clearly out of his element during the job interview.
The same night he rescues Louis, Louis remembers he sent his grandparents a suicide note. Antoine and Louis take an all night road trip to intercept the letter. But the letter has already been delivered. The grandmother is a hoot, and Antoine reads her his version of the letter. (It would have been fun to know the whole of what the other letter said. I could catch a lot, but I suspect it is even funnier than I knew.) The grandmother is to blame for a lot of it. I bet the actress had fun with this role!
Louis is despondent, because his love for Blanche (Sandrine Kiberlain) was not reciprocated. Louis is just strange enough — and funny enough, since you know this is a comedy — that it makes you wonder how anyone would take him home without being afraid. And make no mistake, he is strange. But against all odds, he manages to conquer the restaurant, strange or not.
Later Antoine finds Blanche, saves her from a disastrous fast-approaching marriage, and falls for her in a big way. He tries to leave the field open for Louis, but there are pitfalls in the way. And the better Louis seems to be, the more Antoine has followed in Louis’ footsteps by being unable to function.
It has a believable and satisfying ending. There are many, many funny scenes, where people just miss each other — or run into each other — scenes in the restaurant; the restaurant owner; scenes in the kitchen of the restaurant; etc.
By the time we had watched half the movie I was picking up a lot of French phrases again. In some cases I know it was subtitled perfectly. In other places I know the subtitles were not complete or were translated easier than it would have been if you knew the language. Scenes in the restaurant, with people talking in the background are not subtitled, but you’d catch the words if you were French-speaking. Same goes for the songs played during the soundtrack, the words are not translated.
Have you seen it? I give it a 3.
Karin
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July 14th, 2008 — Perfume review, Perfumes
When I was asked to be part of the ones who mentioned their 25 all-time favorites today, I was pleased to be a part of it! While bread is the staff of life, perfume is the essence of life. What would bread be, without the scent wafting from the oven or as we eat it!
There are many ways to delineate this, and I’m going to use some of each: houses, notes, personal history to me…
I really couldn’t keep it to 25, not when I consider adding my favorite niche houses and vintage (which we weren’t supposed to include.)
I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed cataloguing them. I tried to include a wide price range, from very inexpensive up to the more pricier ones. Let me know your thoughts!
Karin
See the others here:
Ayala
PerfumeShrine
Gaia, thenonblonde
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
To start off:
For Men (or women — I wear them)
Angel pour homme by Thierry Muglier
L’instant pour homme by Guerlain
Isfahan pour homme by Ormande Jayne
Obsession pour homme
Old Spice
Ormonde Man by Ormande Jayne
Borneo 1834 by Serge Lutens
Cedre by Serge Lutens
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Perfumes that have a personal history for me:
Coco (this smells wonderful on my daughter-in-law)
Desert Flower or Intimate (my mother wore these well, may her memory be a blessing)
Rive Gauche (vintage)
Shalimar (vintage) (or parfum today)
Tabu, its headiness for that day
80’s fragrances that smelled great on others, but were way too strong for me.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
By Houses:
If I listed them under notes, for the most part I didn’t list them under Houses.
Bond No 9
Chinatown
Scent of Peace
Caron (gotta mention them)
Chanel
Bois des Iles
Cuir de Russe
Cristalle, No 5, 19, 22 (Though I don’t wear them well, they need to be mentioned as classics.)
Dior
Dioresscence
Dolce Vita (I wore this a lot when it first came out.)
Miss Dior
Guerlain (I could mention more.)
AA Mentafolia
Attrape-Coeur / Guet-Apens
Chamade
Chant d’aromes
Parure
Mitsouko
Vega
Vol de Nuit
Estee Lauder (I like the solids, especially.)
White Linen with Cinnabar (I used to wear this.)
Sensuous (Haven’t bought this yet, but I likely will.)
Youth Dew
Hermes
Caleche Fleurs de Mediteranee (Neiman Marcus only)
Hiris
Eau des Merveilles
Un Jardin sur le Nil
Un Jardin Mediteranee
Vetiver Tonka
L’Artisan
Ananas Fizz
Bois Farine
Fou d’Absinthe
Mure et musc
Timbuktu
YSL
Nu
Opium
Rive Gauche (vintage, I cannot tell a lie)
XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Notes
I generally put categories here that I don’t wear a lot of or that stand alone, like Lily of the Valley.
almond
Cinema by YSL
Poison Hypnotic by Dior
Rose (Generally I cannot wear rose — there are a few more I could add, if you are interested.)
Bvlgari Rose Essentielle
Elle (modern rose) v. Paris (which I cannot wear) by YSL
Kelly Caleche by Hermes
Stella
T’aif by Ormonde Jayne
Lily of the Valley
Diorissimo
Floral
Bvlgari or Voile de Jasmine by Bvlgari
Cristobal by Balenciaga (beautiful bottle!)
Heure Exquise by Annick Goutal (aldehydic also)
Flower by Kenzo Oriental
Kenzo Flower le parfum (red bottle)
L ‘ i n s p i r a t r i c e by Divine
Madame Rochas by Rochas (aldyhydic also)
Light Blue by Dolce and Gabbana
Gourmand
Angel, when in the mood, esp the extrait
Incense
Angelique Encens by Creed
Iris
Bois d’ Iris The Different Company
Infusion d’Iris by Prada
Iris Ganache by Guerlain (beautiful bottle, a little sweet for me.)
Iris by Molinard
Iris Poudre by Malle
Orange (I could have added a lot more to this as it is one of my favorite notes.)
Bigarade Concentree by Malle
Mandragore by Annick Goutal
Sweet Patchouli (yum!)
Ayala and Neil Morris
Prada
Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille
Woods (love ‘em!)
Chypre
Cabochard by Gres (vintage parfum) (Miss Balmain, which I cannot wear, takes this to the limit.)
Knowing by Estee Lauder (A little goes a long way, unless this is your Holy Grail, but don’t knock someone out! Again, I like
the solid.)
Greens
Cialenga by Balenciaga
Oriental/Spicy
Anne Pliska
E. Coudray Nohiba
Euphoria by Calvin Klein
Le Baiser Du Dragon by Cartier
Organza Indecence by Givenchy
Prada
Tolu Ormonde Jayne
XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Niche Houses
Andy Tauer (He has some fabulous fragrances.)
L’air du desert marocain
Ayala (Let her help you choose what you like in samples. Lovely fragrances!)
Espionage
Film Noir
Finjan
DSH(I love all the ones I’ve chosen to sample. A very deep line of scents.)
MPG (Love these!)
Or des Indes
Secrete Datura
Neil Morris (Each that I sampled was delicious — choose notes you love.)
Dark Earth
Dark Season
Ormonde Jayne (I bought the sample set and liked them all.)
Serge Lutens (Simply choose what you like.)
His Bois series
Sonoma Scent (Reasonably priced, well made. Choose what you love. Laurie is great!)
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Strictly for fun
Avon/Mark
Tahitian Holiday
Greek Isles
. . . . .
Any fragranced lotion you like from Make Me Smooth or Bathed and Infused. They are so reasonably priced, you can choose a bunch! Go by notes you like. I’ve only been wrong for me a couple of times. And they’ve been right for someone else.
. . . . .
Pink Sugar by Aquolina, layers well. Takes the harshness off fragrances that may seem too dark. Conversely, they balance the intense sweetness of this.
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July 13th, 2008 — Beauty, Books, Fashion, Humorous, Style
This book is a delicious romp, with some serious issues handled through the story and the relationships, but in ways that you care about the characters and don’t look at them with a jaundiced eye. Most of us have known someone who might act this way, given half a chance. And most of us have felt the brunt of some of this, even if in lesser degree.
Again, I was struck by the cover (which was what made me choose it) — both the illustration and the clever title with its play on words to the English idiom, “Wolves in sheep’s clothing.” (It gave me the opportunity to define the idiom to my younger girls.) And because it said chic clothing, I hoped it would be as fashionably interesting as it turns out to be.
Oh my, this story is a lark! Filled with twenty-something abbreviations, it is Mean Girls grown up. I read nearly every word so as not to miss any of the humor or the abbreviations. The authors skewer anybody and everything. They even skewer themselves:
Lell: “My number-one priority is discretion…I don’t like to have people who are loose-lipped working close to me [she has security cameras trained on everyone]…I don’t gossip about my coworkers, and I expect — no, no demand the same from them. Besides the fact that we have no friends in common, you don’t seem the type to waste time on meretricious persiflage.”
Julia (thinking): Meretricious persiflage? What the hell was that? “Of course not. I am like a vault…” And God, what had she told Douglas so far? She’d need to put a filter on that.
Lell: I didn’t think so. Because gossip is really just tacky and harmful…In fact, there are two girls that I’m sort of friends with, and they have a book deal to write about twenty-something Park Avenue debutantes. I think it’s really shameful and tacky.” p 64
It has everything — a thoroughly likable main character, Julia; love; sex; morality; sexless marriage (and adultery and wished-for adultery); a pedophile married to one of the women; extreme wealth and those who have wealth, but can never keep up; four friends who are variably supportive of each other; gay men (friends with the heroine Julia) who later enter into marriage in Canada; foreign phrases used to separate the knowledgeable from the less knowledgeable…
All this is delivered with a camera’s eye, dished up with humor, while we laughingly wince at the character flaws, which are our own, but exaggerated enough to make them palatable.
Julia has naturally what the others need to develop — style with a capital “S.” She works at Pelham’s jewelry store, a mere peon in the system, until she is noticed by Lell, the store heiress, when she is asked to deliver a necklace on Lell’s wedding day. Julia is handcuffed to the briefcase containing the necklace and escorted by security. While there, she knows intuitively how the bridal attendants can successfully wear the normally staid and old-ladyish Pelham jewelry (which is delivered in a second delivery), by making some deceptively simple changes.
Suddenly Julia becomes the pawn in Lell’s and Polly’s makeovers. Both see her potential and feel it will reflect well on them if they are her mentor. Lell really has nothing to prove with the snobbery to bring it home, but Polly is playing catch up. Julia finds herself thrust into the world of trust funds (and lack of), loveless marriages, the milieu of high fashion, and more. She loses herself for a bit, but never completely loses her good sense, her kindness, her sense of seeing the good in everyone, even when they treat her crassly.
I rate it a 5. I chuckled out loud more than once, and I look forward to reading their first book on the off chance that it is similar to this one.
BTW, this would make a great movie!
Have you read it? If you like the relationship between the women in Sex and the City or the cattiness of The Devil Wears Prada, this is a book you will thoroughly enjoy.
Karin
If you are looking for interesting jewelry or bridal attendant gifts, look to Inky Productions. You can find more information at her blog. Her MySpace.
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July 9th, 2008 — Adoption, Books, Detective or mystery, Military, Parenting
Because I enjoyed Tess Hudson’s Double Down so well, I wanted to read this one. If you remember, Double Down was a romance about a young woman overcoming her addiction to gambling. There were some darker images in it involving uncovering a mystery about drugging a football player (her new romance) in order to predict a game.
I don’t know what I expected from Invisible Girl. Perhaps it was something psychological about a teen? It was not what I expected.
Invisible Girl’s prologue starts in the middle of the story. It unfolds in flashbacks to Vietnam and the Vietnam War, not chronological, superimposed on present day. It is very well written. I finished it pretty much in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down.
I think Hudson captures the time of the war, as well as the feeling that there are a lot of things we will never know about or that are deliberately hidden from us. She tells us that she was befriended by a Vietnam-era veteran who taught her about writing, art, and faith and showed her a side of the war she hadn’t glimpsed in the news broadcasts from her childhood.
She uses that to good advantage here. I cannot check her facts, but I can attest that she captures the feel of that time of war perfectly. And the feel of many of the returning soldiers.
She moves effortlessly from the battlefield to deep love; from rape to the babylift; from the soldiers to the highest echelons of politics and a powerful family; from the family of soldiers to the family of one of them; from the harshest of betrayals to the depths of trust and love. Along the way she mingles Catholicism and Buddhism, as Maggie’s mother covers all the bases to protect her family. She succeeds in a way not foreseen, including her own death and the solving of a puzzle from the past wherein only bits of the puzzle are held by individuals in order to afford protection to her children.
I find myself thinking if only, if only she had taken others into her confidence, others that loved her, she would be alive and reunited with her daughter.
For those who are touched by the Vietnam babylift, this book offers a small insight into the pain corruption adds to adoption. At the same time, the woman who was adopted as a baby was deeply loved by her adoptive mother (and loved her too.) There is also reunion of the half-siblings.
Additionally, it was interesting to me how the young Vietnamese woman who gave birth after being raped by an American soldier named her daughter Tam, which means heart. She felt that when she prayed to Buddha, he conceived this child through her heart on her own, not through rape. I don’t know how realistic this is, but it was very touching to me. Having biological (and adopted) children of my own, I know how deep is the mother love, and how it is very often our heart.
I give it a 5.
Karin
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July 8th, 2008 — Inspiration and creativity, Opportunity, Spirituality and God
I saw this mentioned at another list this morning and thought others might enjoy it too. (It mentions God in the message and Jesus is mentioned in the website title.)
It deals creatively with the concept of fear (and even flying). I’m reading a fiction book now where the woman has a phobia of flying so it struck me on two levels.
Karin
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July 8th, 2008 — Just thinking, Movies, Opportunity
Here’s a short 3 minute inspirational movie on the importance of having dreams for your life.
I enjoyed it. I hope you do too!
Karin
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July 7th, 2008 — Books, China, Detective or mystery
This is the first book I’ve read by Qiu Xiaolong, though he’s written a number of other books. I chose to read this book because the cover jumped out at me from the library — a beautiful Chinese woman, drawn from just above the mouth, rising over a city (Shanghai) — and because of the Chinese subject matter.
This is the fifth book in the Chief Inspector Chen series, according to Qui Xiaolong’s website, though he has written other books, including translations of poetry. I found I could easily pick up the stories with this book, then read the others.
He dedicates this book to his elder brother, Xiaowei –
but for luck, what happened to him during the Cultural Revolution could have happened to me.
I am privileged to know someone who was caught up in the Cultural Revolution, so this book had a secondary appeal to me.
In a way, this sets the stage for the book which moves from just before the Cultural Revolution up to the present. The book is interspersed with much Chinese poetry, heady insights into the Cultural Revolution and its costs to Chinese society, Shanghai history and Chinese culture (including the concept of ‘face’ as it plays out in the story.) It also has a couple of scenes of cruelty to animals in cooking (also befitting the story.)
Chief Inspector Chen has decided to take a vacation that coincides, fortuitously, with his being asked to investigate a corruption case that is going to court. He can’t directly say no, but he can use this time to take a literature course wherein he has to write a paper.
He doesn’t appear a lot in the first half of the book. Instead we meet the other characters, including the lawyer in the corruption case, officials, his counterpart in the force who is taking over for him while he is gone and this man’s wife who is interested in helping her husband solve the case. (Women play pivotal roles in this story.) But like a fox, he solves the case in a slow and steady way, using love poems along the way.
If you are interested in learning more about Chinese culture, this series would be for you.
Qiu Xiaolong was born in Shanghai, but now lives in St. Louis, MO. A poet and translator, he has an MA and PhD from Washington University.
The book has a feel of being translated from Chinese. By this, I mean that it is easy to slip into the world of China, because the choice of words or phrases is a bit different than a native American English speaker would choose. I’m not sure this is a deliberate literary ploy or if we are just blessed because of who is writing it.
I felt the book was as valuable for what it says about China both literally and through the story and the interactions of the characters as it was for the actual story.
If you have a Chinese child or a heart for China, you should not miss this book. It is not always easy to read (such as the scenes of cruelty in cooking and the fact that it has a feel of being translated and because you’d like to remember the cultural references) but it is very worthwhile.
I look forward to reading his other books. Have you read it?
I give it a 4.
If you would like to see the story behind the book, go here.
Karin
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July 5th, 2008 — Perfume review, Perfumes
I have been remiss in reviewing this scent. I’ve had it now for a couple of weeks because a generous POL’er shared some with me. I have no excuse not to have reviewed it sooner, or expressed my thanks in this way, but it is summer and life is in the way.
I probably have more Guerlain fragrances than any other house. I still remember how vintage Shalimar smelled when I wore it in the dead of winter, snow on the ground, the scent of fireplaces in the air. It was amazing. (A friend told me that it smelled best on her when she was still smoking — the mix of the perfume with tobacco was intoxicating.) I’ve moved past this scent, though I still like it on occasion.
I had high hopes for Sous le Vent!
This is one that I would like to spritz more heavily to see how it really does. I’m being wildly cautious, making my sample last, but giving it more than one try.
The notes are:
Notes: lavender, tarragon, basilic, citrus, carnation, oakmoss, iris, woods, patchouli. [It is said to be a leathery chypre.]
Sous le Vent came out originally in 1933 and was created for (or worn by) Joséphine Baker who would drench herself in the luxury of it. It is easy to see how one could drench oneself, as it is not over powering.
Some say it smells heavily of lavender. I’m very grateful I don’t smell (much) lavender on me, because it isn’t one of my favorites.
On me, the predominant over-all feel is salt or salty leather. This salty-air feeling gives the impression of the trade winds blowing near an ocean getaway. I am ready to go! This contributes to a dry feeling. It’s a place I’d like to visit, compared to my hot and humid area, even if we do get breezes.
The iris is not powdery. The patchouli is a whisper; it is not heavy. I had hoped to smell more of the tarragon, which is a spice I truly love — and I love the smell of tarragon.
The question for me, which has yet to be settled, is if this fragrance on me has too much of a masculine feel to it. Perhaps that is the lavender which I sense only as a periphery, a note that gets me in trouble if it predominates. If this is the scent that wafts its way through the whole, I will have to pass, but if it is dry, salty, and airy it would have a place in my scent lineup. Time will tell!
Karin
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July 5th, 2008 — Perfume review, Perfumes
Over the past few weeks I’ve sampled small bits of Sensuous because one of the local store’s SAs was sharing her own small purse size with customers. I liked it well enough to try a larger spritz when the full size bottle came in.
I’ve had a love/hate affair with Lauder fragrances through the years. One of the nicest combos, which never fails to get me compliments, is layering Cinnabar with White Linen. They are better together on me, than separate. But it is big and bold.
My late mother-in-law smelled amazing in Estee, which does nothing on me. Another relative used way too much Private Collection for my taste. Rooms where she had been still held her fragrance after she left.
My sister wears Beautiful wonderfully! That is her Lauder signature fragrance.
For the most part Lauder fragrances are too in-your-face for my tastes. They just don’t soften down on me. For example, Knowing, in very small amounts is OK. Unfortunately most people that wear it wear it far too heavily. I know one woman who wears it extremely well, and if it smelled like that on me, it would be my Holy Grail scent.
What I find interesting about Sensuous is that I cannot smell it at first. I have to get right on top of myself to catch even the smallest whiff. (College Girl said she could smell it right away, and she liked it. She feels it is an evening scent.) But the longer I wear it (it’s been on about 5 hours now) the better it smells and the more I can smell it. It stays close to the skin, but if I move quickly I know I’m wearing it. Right now I feel elegantly wrapped in the scent. It is not too strong or sweet. It isn’t cloying or flowery. Classified as woody amber, it is a lush wood, with a hint of amber. Both of which smell real, not artificial or like plastic. In a way, it has a caramel aspect to it, a kind of gourmand. I suspect it is the honey that gives it that richness. But as I said, it is not sweet.
The notes of Sensuous are:
Ghost Lily Accord, Magnolia, Jasmine, Molten Woods, Amber, Black Pepper, Mandarin Pulp and Honey.
Who knows what molten woods are! Perhaps it is giving the impression that it is not woods on a snowy night, nor woods that are burning in your fireplace, but if you could melt them, so that they permeate the recipe you are preparing (or eating), that gives you a sense of it.
Warm, lush, sensuous with an understated elegance. I think it’s a winner. Sensuous was created by perfumer, Annie Buzantian at Firmenich.
I would not purchase a fragrance, if I didn’t like the opening. If I have to hold my breath for the first few minutes to get to a drydown that I like, I have too many perfumes that I like from the get-go to bother. But this fragrance sneaks up on me. I don’t care that I can’t smell the beginning. It doesn’t offend me. And I really, really like the dry down.
I would love to smell this on a man.
There is an upcoming gwp at Neiman Marcus, a perfect time to get it, but you’ll have to wait until August 3. OTOH, you can pre-order and they will throw in something else to the gift.
Karin
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