Work

            Work is great and very important, but not the most important thing in the world. Unless, you work for yourself noone will appreciate your work as it should be appreciated. It is expected of you to do your job and to do it well and that is what you have to do. No questions asked no excuses.

So do it. Do your job but if you can - do not make it your life :)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

           In 2005 first book from the Millenium Trylogy titled: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson was published. Next year the second book: The Girl Who Played with Fire appeared and finally the third part: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest hit the stores in 2007. The books become instant bestsellers and you couldn't walk by a book store and not notice the covers. All of the sudden everyone loved Swedish books.

No wonder that the book almost immediately drew moviemakers' attention.

The Swedish were first and realised all three movies in 2009. Michael Nyqvist portrays Mikael Blomkvist and Noomi Rapace stars as Lisbeth Salander. The film follows the book very closely. We meet Mikael, who after writing a scandalous article has to resignt from his journalist job for a while. At the same time he is being invigilated by Lisabeth on the order of Henrik Vanger, who wants to hire Mikael. Our two heroes eventually meet and cooperate to find Vanger's niece, who disappeared over 40 years earlier. At the same time Lisabeth has to fight her own battle, which will only come to a close at the end of the third movie. I really liked that movie because I was fresh after reading the book and I was curious to see how they would handle some part which I liked most. I instantly liked Lisabeth as a, despite everything, very strong character. For me the face of Lisabeth is the face of Noomi.

Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish film

Such succesful venture couldn't have gone unnoticed by Hollywood, however. In 2011 the American version on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is realised starring Daniel Craig as the journalist Mikael Blomkvist and Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander. The American version of the story doesn't follow the book as much as the Swedish one. It rather focuses on the thrilling tale of the missing girl search bypassing most of Mikael's troubles. However, Lisabeth's story is shown in details. This movie is an excellent action picture, in which Hollywood is so greatly specialised. 

Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander in the American film

Two different movies based on the same book. Two different approaches to the same story and two good results. Two excellent Lisabeths :)

In cold blood

                My first audiobook was "In cold blood" by Truman Capote.

I liked the book immediately and I listened to it every night. It was a truly thrilling tale and perfectly written. The way it moved us step by step, the way it penetrated the minds of not only the murderers but also the victims. Later, when I read more about the events which the book describes, I wandered how come Capote knew about it all. I understand that he spent a lot of time with Perry Smith and Richard "Dick" Hickock while they were in prison. I know that he spent many years writing the book and many hours interviewing the murderers and people who knew the victims.

I know that Capote couldn't know all the details and that he filled the blanks with his imagination. I know that many things in the book are his ideas about the crime and people. However, they all make the whole story more gripping and believable.  It all makes the whole story more real.

Despite some criticism I recommend this book as an example on how reality and imagination meet and create new quality :)

P.S. I also enjoyed the movie to the full!

Millennium Bridge, London

            I am always astounded when I see bridges. They sometimes seem to exist against all laws of physics. How can cables and concrete stay up and be held on pillars? Quite amasing for me.

However, there is a big difference when you walk on a small footbridge across a big river. Just as you can do it in London. Just look up the Millennium Bridge.

The building of the Bridge started in 1998 and the work finished just right for the bridge to be open in year 2000. It links City of London with Bankside, across the lovely River Thames. 

In 1996 a special competition was announced by RIBA Competitions and Southwark council. Finally the winners, Arup+ Foster and Partners+ Sir Anthony Carowas, were chosen.

I recommend the walk along this footbridge to anyone.

The Bridge

St. Paul's Cathedral in the background

Tate Modern 

The river

The river

More view

The Cathedral again

and again

The Bridge from the other side

Christmas bauble

         Christmas baubles I made last year. The core is styrofoam with different color sequins pinned into it with small pins. They are beautiful and sparkling and perfect.

Brokeback Mountain

                 I know that some people don't like "Brokeback Mountain" because they don't like homosexuals in movies. It's fine to watch a sitcom where one of the characteris is gay, they usually have some adventures but the rarely kiss or shown while having sex. It's fine then but it's not great when things ike that are presented and shown in  plain view.

I on the other hand enjoyed the movie a lot. Maybe I'm not that prudent I don't know. I treated the story as a regular love story. There are two people who love each other but for some reasons they cannot be together. Here the reason is that they would not be understood and accepted by the society. 

They try to fight the love. They don't see each other, they don't contact each otherthey even get married, have families and kids. But it is too much for them to stay away from each other. And when they meet again the feeling burst out of them anew.

I admire Ang Lee for his bravery and his daring. I admire Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal that they agreed to star in this movie. And they starred magnificently. I admired their talents (especially Ledger's). 

We need more such movies. Movies which discuss difficult and hard subjects with such good taste and gentleness. 

Loneliness

             What is loneliness? 

Is it simply a time when you have no one to talk to about your hobbies? Or maybe no one to call when you need help with your car, washing machine or a leaking tap? Maybe when you have no one to call at all, regardless the problem and the only letters you receive are those from the local bank? Everyday all you get are spam messages on your e-mail box. Or maybe when you stand in the middle of a busy street and there are people walking by, not looking at you, pushing you out of their way, muttering something under their angry noses? Or maybe it’s a feeling you get every morning, before you even open your eyes, before you are even aware you’re awake? The feeling of abandonment. The feeling of belonging to nowhere and no one. The feeling that clutches tight in your chest so you can barely take a breath. 

And I’m not talking about some figure of speech. I’m actually talking about pain in the chest, very real, forceful, grabbing you first thing in the morning, when you lie in bed, staring at the sealing. The pain which makes your heart race like crazy, like it would like to jump out and spring away. The hole of total and consuming you from head to toe emptiness. You can try and scream. There is nothing wrong in trying, but I can assure you that there will be no sound escaping your mouth. Not even a whisper.