Illumini

There have been signs. The leaves are changing, the weather is colder, and pumpkin spice lattes are back at Starbucks.  It may not even be October, but Halloween is upon us.  Arguably, it is one of the few holidays that does not lose its appeal as we get older.  The costumes are more ridiculous, the parties are better, and the attractions are much scarier than the stories we were told when we were seven.

To celebrate.... Illumini's Dickensian Hauntings opened last night at a darkly lit underground venue transformed with art, performers in full Victorian costume, and of course a hypnotist.  Figuring out past lives with the hypnotist was only one of many intriguing options however.  There was also seances, fortune tellers, and installations of all forms of morbid fantastical art. This modern nonprofit gallery aims to immerse visitors in these types of events to attract a wider audience and showcase the art in the exact opposite of the typical white wall gallery.  Clearly, they have excelled.

Check out some of the work!

Queued outside the venue.

I do love layers.  Ads Outside.

Artwork.

Contortionist in one of the corridors. 

Color changing chandelier installation.

Get in the mood music!

Fire Baby

  The Burnt Out Punks Grand Finale at the National Theater

I made the unexpectedly great life choice of attending The Mayor's Thames Festival, which is an end of the summer fest near the bridges in London.  Apart from inspiring spoken word and beat boxing by Lyrix Organix, there was an awesome closing performance by the Burnt Out Punks.  I was expecting a band, instead I got a combination of pyromaniacs, Swedish circus, and dancing. Everyone has a dream, this is the result of freaks and punks who had dreams to play with fire.  Let's just say the evening ended with a couple bangs and explosions.
Check out the following video to see one of the performers get crazy, or don't... Your loss!

FNO London

Normally, Fashion's Night Out is all about the free perks... and last night there were definitely fantastic drinks, gift bags, and delicious treats.  I had my very first ever macaroon at Victoria's Secret, liquid chocolate & truffles from Hotel Chocolat, and what seemed like an endless stream of available free alcohol.  Tory Burch even supplied gourmet takeaway food from Street Kitchen's van.  Still, the best part this year was not the edibles or the shop-portunities or even the spotting of celebs (like Misfits actress Antonia Thomas)- it was without a doubt the performers that made this night amazing.

My night started down by McQueen, Tiffany's, Chanel and all the other fabulously expensive places with incredibly long queues (lines).  While glamorous, it was also slightly depressing because I cannot afford very much shopping down there.  As I made my way down though I was delighted to see the evening turning into a street festival as much as an opportunity to shop.  It was complete with a swing dancing stage and some of the coolest buskers (street performers) I have ever heard.

Ended the night with drinks at the flagship for Superdry on Regent St. in the gorgeous high fashion punk barbershop Tommy Guns Salon. 

On Victoria Secret's giant glass staircase.

Swing Dancers and Visitors

Front and Center for the Dear Prudence performance.

At The Gazelli Art House, Philip Colbert of The Rodnik Band's (part musician collaborations/part fashion designer) had his Andy Warhol-esque clothing pieces on display for the evening.  He quite amusingly performed with No Cars, who were all wearing his collection. There should be a music video of it going up soon, according to the photographer we met there, and I shall be sure to share it! 

Buskers!

I tried to link to as much as possible because all of these artists and places are worth checking out. :)

In Case You Were Wondering...

Discovered in London...

1. Everything is smaller: showers, elevators, laundry machines, fridges.

2. Over a cup of ginger & lemon tea my roommate told me ginger was once used as punishment in "figging" where it is inserted into the bum causing understandable discomfort and burning sensation.  It is now a form of erotic pleasure. The English are known for their punishment fetishes, especially "flogging" or spanking.  It is rumored to come from their private school days.

3. The mixed drinks here seem to be Pimm's cocktails, which can be any type of alcohol depending on the number on the bottle.  http://www.anyoneforpimms.com/recipes/

4. Everything closes early on the weekends, even restaurants, if they open at all. 

Still to Do...

1. I saw Prince Albert's statue, still have no idea why the piercing was named after him.

2. Try Wagamama and Yo! Sushi, super popular Asian restaurants out here. 

3. Already went to the Ye Olde Cock pub, but Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese and Filthy McNasty's Whiskey Cafe are also intriguingly named. Haha 

The London Eye view below us, those are the giant class containers we were in. 

Apparently the UK supports the gorilla population. I plan to watch this happen.

 Waterloo Station, the nicest tube/train station I've ever seen.  The inside also felt more like a mall or airport than a tube station.

View from the London Eye of Westminster Bridge, The House of Parliment on the left of the bridge with parlimentary offices in the building on the right, Big Ben, and behind that is Westminster Abbey. 

StoryTellers

Entertainment has become cheap.  I get it, really I do. Sometimes people just want to sit and laugh for a couple hours watching  a predictable movie that impart predictable emotions.  I'm not bashing it.  I just wish this didn't make it more difficult to find films that have true storytelling power.

A good plot line follows a journey, but a great story also unfolds the past that has led the characters to the present.  As I finished watching The Darjeeling Limited I could not help but feel satisfied as everything came full circle.  The film follows three brothers on a their dysfunctional spiritual journey through India. They try to cope with what the loss of their father and what it means for them as a family.

I realized as I guessed at each brother's nature and what it meant for the movie that maybe there is psychological aspect to this type of film that appeals to me. I like to hear personal stories, to go beneath the superficial surface that binds so many movies.

The way these grown men still compete, argue, and try to distance themselves as they surely must have done as young boys showed to me how certain parts of who we are never change. Their individual personalities represent parts of a whole, almost as a reaction to their being a part of the "whole."  The brothers' relationships with each other have clearly defined who they are.  Like most people they were shaped by their families, and even their rebellions like unconventional poisonous-snake-buying/pill-popping behaviors are symptomatic of belonging to their family.

Most movies have obvious plot twists to develop the story line, instead this film utilized the wonderful storytelling tool of symbolism. Symbols of who they were, where they had been, and where they were going. I largely attribute the symbolism in the films for the way that in Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola's collaborations there is always that feeling of not quite knowing what is going on because we must interpret instead of being told, thereby uncovering the plot little by little.  This is clear in the fact that the prequel is available but not always presented with the film, leaving the story open to how the viewer chooses to experience it.

Every pause I take to admire one stunning aspect or particular symbol seems to make the full creative power of the film become clearer.  Unlike movie adaptations of books, these films were clearly written with the filming in mind.  The way the story is told ties in so perfectly with how it is portrayed on the screen.  The beauty of it being that they understand the story so fully that everything about how it is presented- music, lighting, costumes- fits perfectly into the telling of the story. 

And, best of all... The films are witty.

I adore Wes Anderson's films, but I do not think they are for everyone.  They are not necessarily films that are meant for people to "get."  They are mysteries, adventures for the imagination. They are slightly unhinged, out of the ordinary in the fantastic way that stories are allowed to be.  We are transported from the over publicized reality of this world, and taken on this comedic look at humans and life, where nothing is spelled out if you are not clever enough to look for it. You draw your own conclusions about what is meant in the curious endings, because like all good stories the films make sure to leave you with a sense of wonder and amusement.

Friends With Kids

Most of us have heard something along the lines of "if you want to be happy, marry your best friend."  It sounds so ideal- someone who understands us, already accepts us for who we are.  The truth is our best friend never really had a chance.  We are constantly looking for a spark to catch our attention, not for the qualities that really matter.  It is our culture to want the latest and greatest, leaving our relationships to be rarely substantial where it counts.  Intimacy is not in the physical attraction, rather intimacy comes from the sharing of your life so completely and unconditionally in a way you could only do with a true friend.  Think about how often people have sex, wanting some kind of intimacy but it amounts to nothing.

The trouble is that contentment, which is much more important than over the top happiness, shows its beauty subtly- it forces us to be truly wise to appreciate it and not going looking for the next great thing.  When I decided to rent Friends with Kids, I thought I knew exactly where the film was going, but I was wrong. I wanted a light hearted romantic comedy along the lines of Bridesmaids due to the cast line up.  In fact, I felt slightly guilty for not choosing a more thought provoking film.  I underestimated Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt's project.  I laughed, cried, and ached for the characters. The film was insightful and human. Human in the sense that unlike the typical perfectly quirky characters or unreal scenarios we see in every other movie, there was a realness to the film provoking emotion that no typical blockbuster could.

Good Morning Fire Eater

It’s not that I don’t have a plan; it’s just that the plan is always open to reinterpretation.

As I prepare for an entire year abroad, I cannot help smiling at all the tweaks and additions to my so called “plan.” What I’ve come to realize is life is much too short to live without purpose and some kind of plan for achieving that purpose. Some people are so comfortable with settling, simply going through the motions of what is expected.

Do not misunderstand my definition of settling as a dislike of all things with roots, I strongly believe in contentment and boredom being two very different things. Unfortunately, the two seem to be easily confused. Contentment is a state of being I always aim for.  As for boredom… well like they say “only the boring get bored.”

I prefer to change the things that no longer have a spark for me, always keeping on my toes. I constantly look for new opportunities to avoid the ruts so many people fall into. I never feel wrong for needing a change from what I at one point dreamed of because each experience better equips me to aim even higher for the future. For the longest time, all I wanted was to be at a university.  The independence was so important to me, and has made me confident enough to now study even farther away from home (London & Spain).  At one point I was also sure I would be a magazine editor and fashion student, neither is true now, but without those passions I would never have created this blog. :)