Dear Oh the Cheek,
I apologize for neglecting you, not writing and sharing my thoughts on you, and thinking you can exist without me updating any information. It's not that my life is boring these days, but the heat oppresses my brain and anytime I do not have urgent tasks to do, I fall asleep without, sometimes, even realizing it. I know, it's terrible.
And yes, yes, I'll admit, I have been hooked on podcasts these last few weeks, making me forget about you a little. No, it has nothing to do with you, Cheeky, I promise. It's just that podcasts are... so... great, you know? I had not listened regularly to the radio for a full year, which is very uncharacteristic of me. But then, I was presented with the 21rst century gadget known as the ipod. It was hidden underneath my cousin's couch, found, and given to me. I had vaguely heard of podcasts, wasn't sure how they worked, thought they cost money. How wrong was I. They are free, informative (at least the ones I've followed so far) and have brought talk radio back into my life. Currently, my favourite podcasts are This American Life, NPR's Fresh Air, Living on Earth, Stuff You Should Know, and the New York Times book review. I also discovered there were video podcasts too! I need to look into that. And this may mean I'll catch French radio, regularly, all the way in America. Oh, technology. Sometimes, you are just beautiful.
But back to you Cheeky, I still value you and your terrific readers. I'm just learning to adjust to this new form of podcast media to which I have just been introduced. But you are a faithful companion, and I will come back to you, and keep you strong.
Sincerely,
Anne
dimanche 25 juillet 2010
samedi 26 juin 2010
Les médias français sous surveillance
Le 7 avril 2009, je m'étais fait du souci à propos de l'avenir de France Inter, et je m'interrogeais sur la réelle liberté de la presse en France. Et quest-ce que j'apprends aujourd'hui? Les deux humoristes irrévérencieux de la station - Stéphane Guillon et Didier Porte - sont virés!!!
Je m'y attendais, mais en même temps je suis quand même tristement surprise, navrée.
Voici la lettre ouverte envoyée par l'ensemble de la rédaction de France Inter aux auditeurs:
---------------------------------------------------------
La société des journalistes et la Société des producteurs de France Inter adressent une lettre aux auditeurs de la chaîne. La voici
Lettre ouverte aux auditeurs de France Inter
Chers auditeurs, C’est à vous que nous souhaitons nous adresser après l’éviction de Didier Porte et Stéphane Guillon. Evictions que nous avons apprises, comme vous, en écoutant l’antenne ce mercredi. Nous sommes sous le choc de ces annonces aussi brutales qu’incompréhensibles. Que se passe t-il dans notre radio, celle que vous aimez et celle que nous fabriquons ? Ce qui se joue à France Inter, au-delà même des personnes concernées, nous semble lourd de symbole quant à l’identité de votre, de notre radio. Nous vivons un tournant qui nous inquiète dans l’histoire de cette station. Nous, personnels de France Inter, partageons un attachement indéfectible à la liberté de ton, à l’impertinence, à l’exigence, à la différence et c’est ce que nous défendons tous les jours à l’antenne. Ce qui a fait le sel et la valeur de cette station depuis tant d’années ne peut devenir un simple argument publicitaire vide de sens. Ces valeurs dont nous sommes fiers et qui représentent l’ADN de France Inter, se trouvent remises en cause et gravement menacées. Avec le renvoi de ces deux humoristes se pose la question de la garantie de notre indépendance. De très nombreux membres du personnel de France Inter, techniciens, réalisateurs, attachés de productions et assistants d’édition, se joignent à nous, journalistes et producteurs pour vous adresser ce message. Etre une radio de service public a un sens. Vous auditeurs, nous personnels de France Inter, devons veiller à en garantir la pérennité !
24 Juin 2010
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Et ci-joint une excellente chronique de Guillon. Juste, dévastatrice et déprimante:
http://www.lepost.fr/article/2010/06/21/2122816_stephane-guillon-compare-les-bleus-au-gouvernement-un-tacle-bien-appuye.html
Je m'y attendais, mais en même temps je suis quand même tristement surprise, navrée.
Voici la lettre ouverte envoyée par l'ensemble de la rédaction de France Inter aux auditeurs:
---------------------------------------------------------
La société des journalistes et la Société des producteurs de France Inter adressent une lettre aux auditeurs de la chaîne. La voici
Lettre ouverte aux auditeurs de France Inter
Chers auditeurs, C’est à vous que nous souhaitons nous adresser après l’éviction de Didier Porte et Stéphane Guillon. Evictions que nous avons apprises, comme vous, en écoutant l’antenne ce mercredi. Nous sommes sous le choc de ces annonces aussi brutales qu’incompréhensibles. Que se passe t-il dans notre radio, celle que vous aimez et celle que nous fabriquons ? Ce qui se joue à France Inter, au-delà même des personnes concernées, nous semble lourd de symbole quant à l’identité de votre, de notre radio. Nous vivons un tournant qui nous inquiète dans l’histoire de cette station. Nous, personnels de France Inter, partageons un attachement indéfectible à la liberté de ton, à l’impertinence, à l’exigence, à la différence et c’est ce que nous défendons tous les jours à l’antenne. Ce qui a fait le sel et la valeur de cette station depuis tant d’années ne peut devenir un simple argument publicitaire vide de sens. Ces valeurs dont nous sommes fiers et qui représentent l’ADN de France Inter, se trouvent remises en cause et gravement menacées. Avec le renvoi de ces deux humoristes se pose la question de la garantie de notre indépendance. De très nombreux membres du personnel de France Inter, techniciens, réalisateurs, attachés de productions et assistants d’édition, se joignent à nous, journalistes et producteurs pour vous adresser ce message. Etre une radio de service public a un sens. Vous auditeurs, nous personnels de France Inter, devons veiller à en garantir la pérennité !
24 Juin 2010
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Et ci-joint une excellente chronique de Guillon. Juste, dévastatrice et déprimante:
http://www.lepost.fr/article/2010/06/21/2122816_stephane-guillon-compare-les-bleus-au-gouvernement-un-tacle-bien-appuye.html
vendredi 25 juin 2010
Two catch words : "Populaire" and "Community"
Summer! Warmth, heat, sweat, late sunny evenings, ice-cream, world cup... Now that I got myself a hat, I'm not fearing a heat stroke every time I set foot on the sidewalk, so life is good!
A week ago, the Southside Film festival happened in Bethlehem. 4 days of film screenings, parties, talk-back sessions, and opportunities to appreciate the creative and entrepreunerial drive present in the Bethlehem community. There, I said it. Community. That's one of those words I don't like to use too much. Because it's so full of political precedent. Everyone believes in community building, everyone wants people to live happily ever after together in the same neighborhood, blah blah blah.
But I have to say that the South Side fest is true to the core of the word. It's organised by local volunteer leaders, it uses the spaces of the town, from the Lehigh University campus to the local shops and coffee-shops. The general quarters are located at Deja Brew, the late night parties happen at the Wild Flower cafe, the opening party was at the decor-shop Home and Planet. People from Bethlehem made sure to come, there were auditoriums full of people watching documentary films, shorts and feature-lenghts, all non-mainstream films, part of the festival circuit. And yet, no snobbiness whatsoever. Just a love of film and a passion to make such a large-scale grassroots event work out. This is the festival's 7th year, and it's stronger than ever.
Touchstone also engages with community, working in local schools, bringing shows to kids during the summer, opening its space to artistic groups. The word "community" comes up a lot in our work, and yet we try to use it sparingly. Because it can quickly become stale, dishonest, hypocritical. And we don't want that.
I find similarities between the use of the word "community" in the US, and the word "populaire" in France. Maybe it's because the shadow of the Revolution follows French culture even to this day, but something that is "populaire" is very often seen as something good: Front populaire, fête populaire, bal populaire, soupe populaire, secours populaire, rassemblement populaire, etc.
And that word has been used SO MUCH by the political elite in France that it really is hard to stomach. To the extent that anytime someone says something is "populaire", I glance at them with distrust in my eyes.
But then, when a real "populaire" community event is set up, you can forget about the word, and revel in the beauty of being together. When the audience about to see an Ariane Mnouchkine theatre production is eating delightful food served by the crew in a tent on the outskirts of Paris, that audience is involved in what could be called a "dîner populaire", but all we're thinking about is how good the food is, and how nice it is to be there.
Same for the film festival in Douarnenez. Queues of people waiting to get into the cinema, dinners of sardines and fries made outside in a school courtyard... it might be called "populaire", but it's just a bunch of people having fun together.
So my question is: have we gotten to the point in our societies where we need to use catch words like "community" and "populaire" to bring people together? We must be pretty disengaged from our neighbors if we constantly have to find excuses and schemes to look at each other in the eyes and engage in activities. But since that seems to be the case, then it's all the more important for local leaders everywhere to show how natural it is to engage in community, and to have fun in a "populaire" kind of way. With no political agenda, just for the sake of being human.
A week ago, the Southside Film festival happened in Bethlehem. 4 days of film screenings, parties, talk-back sessions, and opportunities to appreciate the creative and entrepreunerial drive present in the Bethlehem community. There, I said it. Community. That's one of those words I don't like to use too much. Because it's so full of political precedent. Everyone believes in community building, everyone wants people to live happily ever after together in the same neighborhood, blah blah blah.
But I have to say that the South Side fest is true to the core of the word. It's organised by local volunteer leaders, it uses the spaces of the town, from the Lehigh University campus to the local shops and coffee-shops. The general quarters are located at Deja Brew, the late night parties happen at the Wild Flower cafe, the opening party was at the decor-shop Home and Planet. People from Bethlehem made sure to come, there were auditoriums full of people watching documentary films, shorts and feature-lenghts, all non-mainstream films, part of the festival circuit. And yet, no snobbiness whatsoever. Just a love of film and a passion to make such a large-scale grassroots event work out. This is the festival's 7th year, and it's stronger than ever.
Touchstone also engages with community, working in local schools, bringing shows to kids during the summer, opening its space to artistic groups. The word "community" comes up a lot in our work, and yet we try to use it sparingly. Because it can quickly become stale, dishonest, hypocritical. And we don't want that.
I find similarities between the use of the word "community" in the US, and the word "populaire" in France. Maybe it's because the shadow of the Revolution follows French culture even to this day, but something that is "populaire" is very often seen as something good: Front populaire, fête populaire, bal populaire, soupe populaire, secours populaire, rassemblement populaire, etc.
And that word has been used SO MUCH by the political elite in France that it really is hard to stomach. To the extent that anytime someone says something is "populaire", I glance at them with distrust in my eyes.
But then, when a real "populaire" community event is set up, you can forget about the word, and revel in the beauty of being together. When the audience about to see an Ariane Mnouchkine theatre production is eating delightful food served by the crew in a tent on the outskirts of Paris, that audience is involved in what could be called a "dîner populaire", but all we're thinking about is how good the food is, and how nice it is to be there.
Same for the film festival in Douarnenez. Queues of people waiting to get into the cinema, dinners of sardines and fries made outside in a school courtyard... it might be called "populaire", but it's just a bunch of people having fun together.
So my question is: have we gotten to the point in our societies where we need to use catch words like "community" and "populaire" to bring people together? We must be pretty disengaged from our neighbors if we constantly have to find excuses and schemes to look at each other in the eyes and engage in activities. But since that seems to be the case, then it's all the more important for local leaders everywhere to show how natural it is to engage in community, and to have fun in a "populaire" kind of way. With no political agenda, just for the sake of being human.
mardi 8 juin 2010
Boston
I went to Boston. I moved my bouncy bottom out of Bethlehem and went out to explore the world, and it felt nice. Really nice. I'm starting to like buses a lot. Not nearly as much as I like trains, but trains aren't the way to go in the US. They're expensive, and impractical, and slow. Buses are actually faster, most of the time, and a lot cheaper.
Jack Nicholson hanging out on a Boston wall
The Harvard Philosophy Department
Harvard bookstore
A funny dentist's window
George Washington in the Public gardens
Old church - newer building
So I took the bus from Bethlehem to New York, and when I got to Port Authority bus station, as I was standing on the escalator and seeing crowds of people pass me by, I heard myself whisper to myself "why the hell am I not living here". It always happens when I'm in New York. I can't help it. Completely spontaneous, completely uncontrolable. A real question: indeed, why am I not living here? Strange. But okay! I'm okay not living in New York. I really am okay with it. Nevertheless, everytime I'm there, I sense the vibe, the sheer energy of that city, and I'm drawn to it. I was a bit disappointed to simplytransit through, until I realized the bus from New York to Boston was crossing all of Manhattan before reaching the highway!
We rode on Amsterdam avenue, from the very lower part of Manhattan all the way up to Harlem. I watched and watched and watched as the neighborhoods changed, as we passed by a Central Park entrance, as a lady all dressed up for church (red and white hat, red suit, red and white shoes) stopped at the crosswalk. When we reached the highway, I could still see the roofs of a burrough, which I realized was South Bronx when I saw a panel on a building " Save the South Bronx".
Then we were on our way to Boston.
Past New York, Connecticut, into Massachusetts, I started realizing what the big deal was about New England. The big deal is that New England is really pretty. Forests and lakes, and you can almost see the crispness of the air. I remembered that some friends I had met in Dublin who were American came from here. And I remembered their descriptions as I was staring through the bus window. This was different from Pennsylvania. It felt more... "North", just as DC feels more "South".
When I got to Boston, I took the subway, which also made me happy, because that's what public transportation does for me. And then, I met up with Olivia. We hadn't seen each other for two years (!) so we of course had a lot to talk about, a lot to catch up on. And, as we immediately bonded again, and felt no awkwardness, we realized that, well, we really were good friends.
Past New York, Connecticut, into Massachusetts, I started realizing what the big deal was about New England. The big deal is that New England is really pretty. Forests and lakes, and you can almost see the crispness of the air. I remembered that some friends I had met in Dublin who were American came from here. And I remembered their descriptions as I was staring through the bus window. This was different from Pennsylvania. It felt more... "North", just as DC feels more "South".
When I got to Boston, I took the subway, which also made me happy, because that's what public transportation does for me. And then, I met up with Olivia. We hadn't seen each other for two years (!) so we of course had a lot to talk about, a lot to catch up on. And, as we immediately bonded again, and felt no awkwardness, we realized that, well, we really were good friends.
We walked a lot, visiting the various neighborhoods, going to Cambridge and seeing Harvard, and going to the Samuel Adams brewery for some beer tasting. And I got to eat the chowda', and some of the best cannoli in the world (Mike's pastry, you should check it out if you're ever over there). Life was good that week-end.
Maybe it was because I was with Olivia, and because we met up with another friend who used to go to Royal Holloway, but I could sense the Britishness, and the Irishness of the environment. Maybe because, for the first time since I've been in the US living here, I walked into a bar that felt more like a pub, more like a place where you actually take your time to sit and relax and drink good beer, and eat something else besides chips. Maybe because the buildings were all red brick, or because of the accents, or because of the public parks and plazas... Boston felt new yet recognizable. It felt like the perfect place to catch my breath, gain perspective and chill. Exactly what I needed!
Maybe it was because I was with Olivia, and because we met up with another friend who used to go to Royal Holloway, but I could sense the Britishness, and the Irishness of the environment. Maybe because, for the first time since I've been in the US living here, I walked into a bar that felt more like a pub, more like a place where you actually take your time to sit and relax and drink good beer, and eat something else besides chips. Maybe because the buildings were all red brick, or because of the accents, or because of the public parks and plazas... Boston felt new yet recognizable. It felt like the perfect place to catch my breath, gain perspective and chill. Exactly what I needed!
Jack Nicholson hanging out on a Boston wall The Harvard Philosophy Department Harvard bookstore A funny dentist's window George Washington in the Public gardens Old church - newer buildingjeudi 27 mai 2010
Better
Thank you, my friends.
Much better, meltdown over
Comforting thoughts and words.
Going to Boston for a few days, bringing my camera, will take pictures and share them here!
Much better, meltdown over
Comforting thoughts and words.
Going to Boston for a few days, bringing my camera, will take pictures and share them here!
MELTDOWN!
So...I wrote all this stuff in French about knowing that staying here in Bethlehem was the right thing to do for next year. I still believe that, but I just had a little meltdown this afternoon, feeling very lonely. I miss everyone I know and love, and sometimes I really hate globalisation for being the way it is. WHY ARE WE ALL OVER THE PLACE?
This meltdown probably has to do with the fact that The Pan Show closed last week-end, and that there is now very little for me to do for more than a week until rehearsals start for the summer kid's show. Also, a lot of my friends are taking exams, if they haven't already, and not being around to support them does make me feel particularly isolated. Not being around to celebrate family events and successes also makes me feel isolated.
I have cabin fever, and I'm realizing I'm becoming a workaholic.
If anyone wants to remind me that my choices aren't completely ridiculous, that I am not ruining my life and that I might perhaps find some sort of emotional stability some day, that would be greatly appreciated. If not, don't worry. I'll deal. I will. It's just... sigh. Life is... sighable, sometimes.
This meltdown probably has to do with the fact that The Pan Show closed last week-end, and that there is now very little for me to do for more than a week until rehearsals start for the summer kid's show. Also, a lot of my friends are taking exams, if they haven't already, and not being around to support them does make me feel particularly isolated. Not being around to celebrate family events and successes also makes me feel isolated.
I have cabin fever, and I'm realizing I'm becoming a workaholic.
If anyone wants to remind me that my choices aren't completely ridiculous, that I am not ruining my life and that I might perhaps find some sort of emotional stability some day, that would be greatly appreciated. If not, don't worry. I'll deal. I will. It's just... sigh. Life is... sighable, sometimes.
vendredi 14 mai 2010
Rester
J'ai un peu de temps. Rien de précis à faire avant 17h30. A ce moment là, je passerai un coup de serpière sur la scène, et je commencerai à préparer les coulisses pour le spectacle de ce soir. La première de The Pan Show était hier. Une réussite. Cette petite comédie musicale déjantée et coquine a plu au public. Les comédiens étaient dans la zone, et je n'ai pas fait de grossières erreurs de régie. Soupir de soulagement, sourires et enthousiasme pour les prochaines représentations. Ironie du théâtre, le gros du travail est passé. Maintenant, on peut véritablement s'amuser.
J'écris cette entrée pour parler théâtre, mais aussi pour... et bien pour dire publiquement, aux amis français et membres de la famille qui lisent ce blog, que je vais rester à Bethlehem encore un an. Les membres de la troupe m'ont proposé de rester pour une deuxième année d'apprentissage, peut-être plus spécialisé, et un brin mieux payé.
Après avoir réfléchi, pesé le pour et le contre, je me suis rendue compte que je n'avais pas envie de partir tout de suite, et que je me plaisais bien ici. Touchstone est une institution très spéciale, très précieuse: un bastion du théâtre de troupe. Et quand on intègre une troupe, on se rend vite compte que ce n'est pas un boulot comme un autre. C'est un mode de vie. Un an, finalement, ça passe vite. A peine arrivé, on est déjà reparti. Je n'ai pas simplement envie d'arriver et de partir. J'ai envie de rester, un peu. Et la prochaine étape s'annoncera d'elle-même, j'en suis persuadée.
Cela ne veut pas dire que mes amis et ma famille ne me manquent pas. Au contraire, vous me manquez d'autant plus que je vis joyeusement ici, à des milliers de kilomètres de beaucoup d'entre vous. Sans vouloir paraître malade, j'ai parfois des ... appelons-les des ... visions mentales de vous alors que je me ballade dans les rues américaines. Comme si vous étiez là, le temps d'un clin d'oeuil. Je ressens la complicité et le soutien de tant de personnes en moi et ça me donne un sentiment de paix assez difficile à décrire mais merveilleux à vivre.
Je sais que ma décision de rester n'est pas raisonnable sur bien des plans. Mais un coup de coeur n'est pas, par nature, raisonnable. J'ai décidé de ne pas y resister... et je sais que vous comprendrez.
J'écris cette entrée pour parler théâtre, mais aussi pour... et bien pour dire publiquement, aux amis français et membres de la famille qui lisent ce blog, que je vais rester à Bethlehem encore un an. Les membres de la troupe m'ont proposé de rester pour une deuxième année d'apprentissage, peut-être plus spécialisé, et un brin mieux payé.
Après avoir réfléchi, pesé le pour et le contre, je me suis rendue compte que je n'avais pas envie de partir tout de suite, et que je me plaisais bien ici. Touchstone est une institution très spéciale, très précieuse: un bastion du théâtre de troupe. Et quand on intègre une troupe, on se rend vite compte que ce n'est pas un boulot comme un autre. C'est un mode de vie. Un an, finalement, ça passe vite. A peine arrivé, on est déjà reparti. Je n'ai pas simplement envie d'arriver et de partir. J'ai envie de rester, un peu. Et la prochaine étape s'annoncera d'elle-même, j'en suis persuadée.
Cela ne veut pas dire que mes amis et ma famille ne me manquent pas. Au contraire, vous me manquez d'autant plus que je vis joyeusement ici, à des milliers de kilomètres de beaucoup d'entre vous. Sans vouloir paraître malade, j'ai parfois des ... appelons-les des ... visions mentales de vous alors que je me ballade dans les rues américaines. Comme si vous étiez là, le temps d'un clin d'oeuil. Je ressens la complicité et le soutien de tant de personnes en moi et ça me donne un sentiment de paix assez difficile à décrire mais merveilleux à vivre.
Je sais que ma décision de rester n'est pas raisonnable sur bien des plans. Mais un coup de coeur n'est pas, par nature, raisonnable. J'ai décidé de ne pas y resister... et je sais que vous comprendrez.
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