Das Parfum: Patrick Suskind's Story of A Murderer

Pic from bookcoverarchive.com

Perhaps the darkest, yet most eloquent piece of literature I have ever read, Suskind's Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (1985) tells the tale of an orphan who was abandoned as a baby, with an extraordinary sense of smell, a lack of identity, and an obsession to explore his gift of scent into dark extremes. Jean-Baptiste Grenouille learns the art of perfume making, finds beauty in a virginal woman's scent, and seeks to transfer her scent into a bottle.

Sexually charged, mystifying, and about the love (and hatred) within humanity, Suskind's work is a horrifying page-turner. As Grenouille realizes that he, himself, was born in the stinkiest city in the world, with no smell, he experiences the pain and suffering of an innocent man, and despises humanity.  As the rich and poor try to save their daughters by marrying them off and banning them from the streets, Grenouille relishes in the game and hunts twenty five of them, knowing that he needs them, needs their scent. With third person narration that brings us directly inside the mind of a murderer, this novel draw you into deeper darkness with each page.

The Art of Translation

Most translated works seem out of place, missing character, and most definitely not original - but Suskind's story is magnificently transformed  by John E. Woods. Set in the backdrop of Paris during the French Revolution, we feel the streets come to life and Grenouille's twisted power change the people of city. As I have just started an online German course before my move to Europe, and  my career venture into linguistics, I cannot begin to imagine the difficulty and artistry required to translate the mood of this text.

A Ruinous Film

Yes, I venture to call it ruinous - disastrous. Without spoiling the beautiful climax and denouement of this novel, (a short novel I definitely recommend), I can only say that the film changed the meaning of the novel itself, simplifying both Grenouille's tragic descent and the horrifying actions of the townspeople. While Hollywood can only go so far in depth, Tom Twyker's Perfume (2006) simply cannot captivate Suskind's horrific, mystifying plot.

Janice's Birthday at Padmanadi's

Sean and Janice

 Janice's 28th Birthday Bash was a small but fun event, with Sean, Janice and I enjoying a delightful vegan meal. Padmanadi's Vegetarian Restaurant, which only two years ago was one of those hole-in-a-wall restaurants in Edmonton's Chinatown, has expanded to a beautiful dining place downtown, well-decorated with a Thai flair and the same, delectable, Asian cuisine. The Kasim family, from Jakarta, Indonesia moved their restaurant from Jakarta to Edmonton in 2002 --so it's definitely authentic, and wow, so tasty!


We ordered three dishes to share-  Ginger "beef", curried tofu and vegetables, and bok choy with jasmine and coconut rice. Reminiscient of our days in Asia (Sean and I  were in Singapore the same year Janice was teaching English in Taiwan), we talked of travels, past and future, masters' programs, and the exciting year to come. Not to mention, the beautiful summer ahead (I LOVE summer!). We'll be travelling Alberta and BC for sure, taking in the mountain fresh air this summer. 


To top off our meal, our waiter ordered a mini sorbet for Janice, complete with a candle on top and a birthday song. Of course, I had to try their coffee (delicious Fair Trade blend), with almond 
milk.


Happy  28th Birthday, Janice! To an amazing year ahead (and you visiting me at Oxford, I hope =)


Stay tuned for awesome book reviews and summer fun updates (as I will have more time in my busy schedule in about 7 weeks). Ready, set, SUMMER!

Calgary and Canmore Girls' Weekend 2012 - Part 2

Early Sunday morning, Julie and I headed west to the mountains - the beautiful town of Canmore. Both of us had our first facials at Bodhi Tree Spa. In fact, I've only been to a spa once before, three years ago in Banff with Sean  (blog post here). That hot stone massage was great; Bodhi Tree's facial was also an interesting experience. Thank goodness they allowed you to choose the scents though - vanilla and lavender, yum - the spicy scent - ick!

The hot pools outdoors were also an enjoyable way to start off our morning. However, the one part we were really looking forward to --all the free amenities and tens of types of lotions and creams most spas have for you to play around with while you wait, magazines to read, and hair products to style with once you're done at the pool --were all missing!!! Quite the expensive experience and definitely needs an upgrade. Bodhi Tree, we probably won't be back - maybe hotel spas are the way to go?

A late breakfast afterwards at The Wood grill was amazing. Definitely a major cheat meal (as was the entire weekend), but YUM, what an amazing juevo rancheros breakfast plate. A quick stroll in the mountain air, and a Good Earth coffee afterwards was definitely exactly what we needed. To make the day even more exciting, Julie and Kyle's offer they made when we went condo shopping Saturday afternoon (in between Crossiron Mills 

shopping and UNA pizzeria) was accepted!! 

They will soon be the proud owners of an amazing condo in the heart of downtown Calgary. So, between food, conversation, and text messages to a real estate agent, we had the most amazing day. No matter which city we are in, or what the weather is, Julie and I always have the best time. Julie and I have similar personalities and she is definitely what Anne of Green Gables would call a "kindred spirit". Julie put it best - "I feel normal around you!"  Me too - I love our insane, intense adventures :)

To top everything off, Julie's company sent her to Edmonton Monday morning for a short business trip - so after working the entire day, Julie and I both went running with the Kinsmen Running Room Club  - with Kiara of course (making that my second 5km run of the day). We'll

definitely be prepared for our races in April and June. Oh, and of course, Wild Earth Bakery was our final stop for a delectable cafe latte and Buckingham Palace twisted London Fog. Yum! I can't wait for the summer - I'll likely have a lot of time off in July, and Julie and I have plans for the Calgary Stampede, a British Columbia Road trip, and, of course, better shopping than Cross Iron Mills. Stay tuned for an amazing summer ahead!

Calgary & Canmore Girls' Weekend 2012 - Part 1

This Easter weekend is a welcome break from the norm, with time in Calgary and Canmore with Julie and Joanne. Despite the horrible winter weather Thursday morning, Spring did show its true colours for most of the weekend.  I arrived Friday afternoon, and Julie and I started the weekend off with an amazing workout at the Talisman centre. Running on the track is definitely not the same as the 5km 3 times per week I've been running outside. Wow, talk about shocking your body!







Saturday started off with Starbucks, of course, and then some shopping at Cross Iron Mills. What a disappointment! I cannot BELIEVE they call it an outlet mall. Has no one been to the States? This is NOT an outlet. Driving to the edge of the city for a glorified, large, mall, with only one real outlet store (Coach)? Totally not worth it. I ended up with one shirt and a pair of shorts, easily purchased just about anywhere. Bleh. Normally Julie and my shopping trips are SO successful! (but I guess they've been in California, so that explains it). Joanne used the perfect word to describe it - anticlimactic! 

The Birthday Girl!

Meeting Joanne for dinner at UNA Pizzeria was absolutely amazing. Wow - Italy! Amazing wine, pizza and dessert to die for. YUMMY!  After dinner, I hung out with Joanne at a bar called Craft Beer Market, and then met up with Julie for her friend Rachael's birthday at Hudsons. A popular Edmonton chain, of course, has apparently expanded to Calgary. My first time out in a LONG time - so it was a blast. Sorry for the AWFUL photo quality - I detest my blackberry and cannot wait to get a new phone in the fall!


























Now, it's early Sunday morning and we're off to the mountains for an early morning spa treatment (I LOVE that the mountains are only 1.5 hours away!) at Bodhi Tree Spa, and some time wandering around Canmore. I can't wait for fresh, mountain air.Stay tuned for Part 2 of this amazing weekend - coming tonight! 

Nabokov's Laughter in the Dark: A Dark, Dangerous Tale of Affairs

"Albinus was rich, respectable, happy...he loved, was not loved, and his life ended in disaster".(Nabokov 1)


Nabokov, Russian author and playwright, the genius behind the famous Lolita, has a definite art in storytelling, and Laughter in the Dark (1936) is no exception. Thirty nine short chapters detail the devastating impact of one loyal man's slip into the world of an affair, leaving his loyal, caring wife and daughter for a scheming, money-hungry, gorgeous woman that can give him the one attribute his wife lacks - passion. 


Deceit. Loyalty.Reality. Illusion. Nabokov takes the simplest, overdone themes and turns them into a page-turning, gripping novel.  Albinus, a film maker, meets Margot in the theatre; Margot re-encounters her ex-lover, Axel Rex in the cinema as well. Albinus, blind with passionate love, (and later literally blind) fails to see Margot's deceit; Margot seeks his hand in marriage and his wealth, both of which she deceives herself into believing she will have. Enveloped in realism, this novel destroys the notion of a "perfect family" and reveals perverse secrets in a dark, dark,violent tale. 

Nabokov (www.nabokov.com)

 Fluent in Russian, French and English, and from an aristocratic family in St. Petersburg, Nabokov became  a professor of literature at Cornell, Harvard and Wellesley, moving to American after leaving Russia and then Germany during the First World War. The verisimilitude he creates in his characters is stunning - and each chapter will leave you breathless, waiting for more, anticipating twists and turns and yet still reeling with shock when they occur. Definitely worth the three to four hours it will take to immerse yourself in this adventure.


We're already three months into the year and I realize this is my first book review of 2012! The others I've read in pieces, admittedly most so I can better help my students and edit their papers, but once I finish them, there'll be full reviews on L'etranger by Albert Camus (French philosopher),  Perfume by Patrick Suskind (German author), Linda Barry's illustrated novel about a drug-addicted teen, Cruddy and hopefully, Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Every book I read this year leads me towards dedicating a few weeks this summer to starting my own creative creation. Stay tuned for upcoming novel reviews!

Clever Rabbit, Duchess Bakeshop & An Amazing Sunday

 

 Sunday was an absolutely perfect day  - completely free of work, and full of time with friends, family and of course, Kiara. Sleeping in past 8am and joining friends at brunch at 10am was the perfect start.

Clever Rabbit Vegetarian Cafe  on 124th Street(no website yet!) is a new, fresh addition to Edmonton's culinary palate. In fact, everything in the restaurant is vegan-friendly and gluten-free friendly and SO delicious. With only a few items on the menu, as a table, we ended up ordering it all. Luckily, Joanne was in Edmonton for Saturday's Bust a Move event (which Edmonton Mixed Martial Arts was part of!), so she joined us for some long awaited catch-up time and conversation.  Meghan and Ryan, Jared, Joanne, Sean, Sean's friends Pablo and Tin (who we ran into at the restaurant) and I all absolutely loved it!








Duchess Bake Shop is the most European part of Edmonton, in my humble opinion. Wow --looks and smells like Paris! Meghan, who recommended this place to me months ago, picked the very best treats. The Duke, my pick, was MUCH too rich, but had a delectable cocoa taste that is beyond words ---like moist cake with a hint of pepper, flavour, and tang enveloped in a chocolate robe. Their espresso also fits the European bill --and the pastries ---well, the Chocolate Brioche is definitely the best! 

The Duke

YUMMY! That's the best word to describe Sunday...and makes me really want to take more Sundays off.  

The Paris Brest

Sean with a Lemon Meringue Pie

Coming up...April Long Weekend 2012! Three full days off for Easter in Calgary and Canmore with Julie and Joanne, and great new friends I'll be meeting in Calgary. Not to mention dinner out, cafes and definitely some shopping at Cross Iron Mills outlet centre.

Joanne and Sapna

 Plus, Julie and I will be running in the mountains. I'm running a 5km race this Sunday, a 10km race on April 29th with The Running Room Run Club and one in June with Julie in Calgary. Turns out running is actually fun - especially with a dog attached to you!

The rest of Sunday was Thai food with family (at home), and hanging out with my beautiful puppy Kiara.  Definitely check out Duchess and Clever Rabbit - the perfect Sunday hang outs!

Rishi's Birthday - A Quarter Century Celebration at Chateau Lacombe

One week late, I realize, but here is a short note about my brother's 25th birthday celebration at the Crowne Plaza Chateau Lacombe hotel downtown  ---I will say, hotels who say specialize in "celebratory events" as they call them, do celebrate well!  While, of course, you pay a slight premium over a regular dining establishment, it's  about $10 more per person - and turns out to be a spectacular experience with soft live music, as the floor beneath you slowly turns, about one rotation an hour.

Flaming Kiss Coffee
(after the flaming part)

While I've been there quite a few times for brunch (with my family), dinner is definitely a different affair. A portabello mushroom grilled patty with a delectable sauce, fresh baked bread, and an array of vegetables, including squash - was amazing. The dinner was so filling though, that we could only handle about one bite of one dessert to share amongst the five of us. A note for Janice, a new vegan, - except for the bread (not that great) and dessert, you could have enjoyed this meal too! 


Of course, the waiter was excellent, and even made a show of flaming a flavoured coffee in front of us , like they do at resorts. I will say though, I have decided that merlot is definitely not my favourite type of wine. I'm a Shiraz girl, I think. Excuse the pictures - dim lighting and iPhones were all we had! 


Definitely a great place to check out! If anyone wants to do a Sunday brunch or Monday to Thursday dinner - especially in the summer when they have live jazz at 9pm, I have a coupon I'm ready to use.