Miles Davis and no-knead bread
Hi everyone! Sorry my blog wasn’t accessible almost all afternoon today. The server was down and I had to wait for my provider to fix the problem.
Anyway, I hope you had a great weekend! I did despite the rainy weather.
I went to the Miles Davis exhibition (held at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts – last day is August 29. More info here). It was great, lots of good stuff, beautifully done. Since it was a rainy Sunday afternoon, the exhibition was packed so I didn’t get to enjoy it as much as I wanted, but I had a great time nonetheless.
I also made bread. Yes, real bread. It’s so easy a child could do it. And it’s seriously as good as what you’d buy at an upscale bakery. It took less than 5 mn to prepare the dough (then you’ll need to let it rest for at least 12 hours). I didn’t have wheat bran so I coated the dough with just a bit of flour (which I like better anyway). And I was afraid our Le Creuset French oven would be too small, but it’s actually the perfect size (I’m not sure what size it is… maybe 2L or 3.3L). I love quick, simple recipes that make me feel like I can actually cook!
The whole process is explained in the video: (there’s a slightly different version of the recipe here)
Movies!
If you have nothing special planned for this weekend, I have a few movie suggestions. Most are rentals, the last one is still in theaters. Enjoy! And have a great weekend!
THE JONESES
It isn’t Oscar-material but it’s actually better than I expected. I was going to say it will speak to most minimalists and aspiring minimalists but I guess it would be preaching to the choir. Still interesting to watch.
MARY AND MAX
I love, love, love stopmotion animation, and Mary and Max is my absolute favourite. You’ll laugh and cry. Sometimes both at the same time. It reminded me of my relationship with my friend Guillaume, whom I met on a trip to Ireland when we were teenagers. He and I became best friends from day one and maintained our long distance friendship for years thanks to regular 10 to 20 page letters. (We didn’t use email back then, kids.)
HALF NELSON
I watched this movie several times and never get tired of it. Shareeka Epps and Ryan Gosling (hello total cuteness) are both amazing. Some may find it boring but I find it powerful.
500 DAYS OF SUMMER
One of the only “romandic comedies” (beside Love Actually and a few others) I can watch without rolling my eyes every 5 seconds.
SHOPGIRL
It’s a simple little movie that isn’t mind-blowing but I feel connected to Claire Dane’s character.
INCEPTION
If you’re into visual arts, this movie will be a nice treat. It takes imagination to a new level.
21st century minimalism
I was reading a post on Apartment Therapy earlier today about some guy who “has whittled down his possessions to a laptop, an iPad, an Amazon Kindle, two external hard drives, a “few” articles of clothing and bed sheets for a mattress that was left in his newly rented apartment”. Another guy who is “living from just a backpack full of designer clothing, a laptop, an external hard drive, a small piano keyboard and a bicycle – an armful of goods that totals over $3,000 in value” claims “digital technology has replaced the need for his home and his possessions”.
In reply to a commenter who wrote “That’s ridiculous. How does technology substitute for a decent place to sleep and heating in the winter?”, someone made a valid point: “According to the article, he now couch-surfs at friends’ houses. That’s not downsizing, that’s mooching. He kind of reminds me of people who claim they aren’t materialistic/live simply because they don’t own a car or some other big ticket item, but then constantly borrow from friends or beg rides.” Moochers disguised as minimalists? Hmmmm…..
Anyways, the writer (Gregory Han) asked the following question: “If you had to live with just 10 possessions, what would they be?”. You’ll find my list below – just for fun because there’s no way I’m ever going to live with just 10 things. Maybe when I become an ascetic nun but the chances of that ever happening are very slim. (I assumed that possessions don’t include personal stuff like underwear, family jewelry and winter gear – hey I live in Canada!)
- iPhone
- Laptop
- Swiss army knife (I don’t own one, but if I had to live with just 10 things, it would definitely be on my must-have list)
- Sketchbook
- Pen
- Toothbrush
- V-neck cashmere sweater
- 1 pair of jeans
- 1 pair of ballet flats
- Purse
Did you read the Apartment Therapy post? What do you think?
Comme des enfants
I’m feeling a bit nostalgic of the old days so I thought I’d post this super cute song (Comme des enfants which literally translates to “Like children”) by Quebec-born Béatrice Martin aka Cœur de pirate. (Even though she’s singing in French, I have no idea what the song is about… I think it’s about a love triangle but I may be wrong.)
It reminds me of my late teenage years (I’m a kid of the 90s) when I couldn’t wait to be a grown-up. What I didn’t realize is I was actually living the best time of my life. There’s something magical about being a teenager. The spontaneous crushes, the special bond shared with friends, the feeling of endless possibilities, the fearless attitude. Where does all that go when we grow up?
Happy Friday! Enjoy your weekend! I’ll be back sometime in the next couple of weeks.
Crap at my parents’ house
The title says it all. Check out the blog here.
(ps: I’ll be MIA for a few days but as always, you can leave a comment or contact me at hasinafr[at]hotmail.com.)
Via AT
