LAST WEEK

I've never got the time to write things as they happen and then I forget half of them. Work isn't busy at the moment so we are trying to tidy up and make space in view of the new season. There is so much clutter in the office. It is unbelievable. I've managed to sort out all the stationary and I've reduced to a minimum my files and documents. So much dust!
I've been to the gym or exercising almost every day and I feel much better. I can't stand being inactive and waste time. I just get frustrated and depressed. I hope I can keep this up!

Last Sunday I went to the Tate Britain to see the Millais exhibition. I knew it was ending soon and I really didn't want to miss it. It was £11 to get in, but it was well worth it. They had so many paintings. It was massive. It was my chance to see some of my all time favourites. What I like when I go to exhibitions is to find out the story behind the paintings. It really adds up to the experience. Since I've always been interested in the Pre-Raphaelit Brotherhood, I already knew many stories about the artists and the models belonging to this movement. One of the figures that has always fascinated me is Lizzie Siddal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Siddal) She is the face of Millais' Ophelia and to me she is a true romantic heroine, tragic ending included.
It is crazy that she had to pose in a bath full of water for hours no end while Millais was painting. She got so ill that her dad asked for compensation!

The story of Effie, Millais' muse and wife, is also interesting. She looks amazing in "The Eve of Saint Agnes", inspired by Keats' poem. The basis of the poem is the superstition that a woman would see her future husband if she performed a certain ritual on the eve of Saint Agnes. If she were to go to bed without looking behind her back, her future partner would appear in a dream, eat with her and kiss her. In his original version, Keats emphasised the sensuality but his publishers persuaded him to change the wording so as to avoid a controversy.

On Thursday I went to Saki, a Japanese restaurant in Smithfields. Hiroko is leaving for 6 months and it was very nice to see her. The food was excellent. It was a bit expensive, but perfect for a special occasion. I had been to Saki once before on a Sake Tasting Event, but it was my first time eating at the restaurant. Highly recommended! http://www.saki-food.com/

Tommy is back from San Francisco and she brought me a lovely panda puppet. As you can see they are both very jet-lagged! Ah, ah!

This week one of the most inspiring figures of the past century has died. Sir Edmund Hillary was 88. He was the first to summit Everest, together with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953. A true explorer and philantropist. Sadly we will not see his kind again.

PANDA :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The Xmas holidays have just finished and I'm already fed up with work. Today was the first day back and guess what? I was the only fool to turn up for work... I felt really sad because I came back slightly optimistic and hopeful for the future and everything was exactly the same old crap, maybe worse. Freezing, messy, dirty and nobody gives a damn. Well, why should anyone? I left early because I really couldn't be asked.

In spite of that, I really had two nice weeks off and a good time back at my mum's in Italy. I cooked and played a lot with my sisters. My DS pet hamster Uik gave birth to a baby boy with stars as his coat. I called him Stellino. I wanted to call him Super Stellino, but it was too long and didn't fit the screen.

Today I've also collected Tora from the cattery and she is very happy to be home.

I've finished reading "Mayme Angel" by Yumiko Igarashi. It is a manga from 1979 and I used to read it, as it appeared monthly on the "Candy" magazine. I was really young back then and I must have missed a few issues because I had never managed to read the very beginning and the end. Now it has been reprinted and I got it as a Xmas present! I'm so happy. Hi, hi!