la Fête Nationale!

la liberté, l'égalité et la fraternité le quatorze juillet... Happy Bastile Day fellow Francofiles!!!

There is no other day that gives a better excuse to engage in French traditions than today. It is a time for those of you that have never been to France or have no French ancestry to pretend 'je suis Francaise' (a sort of French version of St Paddy's Day where EVERYONE is suddenly Irish?). And for those of us that have traveled to France and/or have French ancestry to reflect on the history, the culture and rejoice for their wonderful life-enhancing exports; art, fashion, music, films and of course...FOOD & WINE!

The French typically celebrate this day by dressing in their finest red white and blue attire, waving flags while attending a morning parade (the one that sashays down the Champs Elysees is by far the most popular), then drinking lots of champagne, eating bistro/cafe/picnic food while dancing in the streets and watching fireworks after sunset.

Yes, that IS a lot like our Independence Day celebrations, huh?

Amusez vous bien !

Hopkins Spring Fair!

At the last minute on the very last day of the Johns Hopkins Spring Fair, I decided to make the trek down to the world reknowned Homewood Campus. Hopkins has always held a place in my heart - my mom worked in the Biochemistry Department of the JHU School of Medicine for 35+ years - so it always feels like going home for me.

Of course it had to be the one weekend in April where the temperature soared into the upper 90's! If that wasn't bad enough, the beer garden's entire keg supply was NOT in trucks (or even iced!) and was nothing but warm foam...this really put a damper on my day.

As I always do, I gravitate toward the student-artisits' booths...an incredible mix of creativity and genius on every level. From an Asian student that hand carves wooden frogs that make a real frog sound when the tiny stick provided is rubbed on it's back to a Jewish painter whose visits to Jerusalem's Wailing Wall inspired his latest emotional works to a self-proclaimed hippie-chick's laptop protectors/purses made from recycled coffee bags... ( http://www.labudde.etsy.com/ ) ...pure genius!
















The artwork, crafts, clothing, jewelry and food reflects this very diverse, multicultural utopia in the middle of Baltimore City...it truly is a treasure.

Battle in...Baltimore?

First let me begin by saying...having to go online to 'demand' a movie be shown in a big city near you is pretty shitty. I certainly had imagined (hoped?) that certain 'artsy' and up-and-coming theaters in the Baltimore area would show the incredible documentary 'Battle in Seattle'.

I don't know what was more powerful __ the movie itself or the message. Both were phenominal! No matter what your opinion(or lack there of) with regards to NAFTA or the WTO,...the fundamental message of this documentary was the deterioration of the First Amendment to The Constitution of the United States and the right of her citizens.

Demand this film be shown in your area too at http://battleinseattlemovie.com/