On the left bank of River Seine in the 7th arrondissement of Paris you will find a real jewel- Musee Rodin. There are at least four reasons not to miss it when you visit Paris:

1.  The crowd is much less than at the other Parisienne attractions

2.  You will spend a few hours enjoying magnificent sculptors in one of the most beautiful gardens in the world and inside a splendid building of the former hotel Biron

                  

3.  You will be fascinated by the life of one of the most talented artists of modern times – Auguste Rodin (1840 -1917)

4.  You can admire three paintings of Van Gogh – Pere Tanguy, The Viaduct in Arles and The Harvesters and a painting of The Rodin’s Thinker by Edvard Munch. 

                                               

 

Of all the sculptures displayed in the Musee Rodin I have two favourites – The Thinker and Balzac. 

The famous Thinker presents a man with a very fit and powerful body (nowadays we cannot attach gender) sitting on a stone in a moment of deep thought and concentration. It appears that he has risen above daily chores and noises, above the external world and is contemplating his inner worth and space. It is very clear to me why Rodin was acknowledged as a modern sculptor – he did not go for a photographic similarity of the figure but expressed himself as an artist, expressed feelings, concepts and ideas. One of the man’s legs is not fully developed and is still part of the stone, the surface is not smooth but has traces of sculptor’s tools (is that reminding you of the brush strokes on the paintings of Van Gogh?!). The sculpture just invites us to stop for a while, to slow down, to rise above modern day speed and impatience and look for inner peace. 

The “Balzac” sculpture caused a scandal when it was presented by Rodin.  The author of Human Comedy was well known for his habit of  writing standing up wearing his dressing kaftan. Creating his monument, Rodin chose not to use any symbols such as books and pens or to go for a photographic resemblance of the writer.  Instead, he presented a revolutionary monument, showing a man with vision, a genius looking over the world, powerful with his intellect and talent. Surprise, surprise – The Society des Gens de Letters who commissioned it refused to accept it.  Why? Because the decision was made by yesterday’s people and not people of vision. (the story of our lives). 

Rodin’s personal life is very interesting for me for two reasons. Firstly, Rodin was not a mainstream artist. He applied three times to the prestigious Ecole des Beaux-Arts and failed every time. He had a very long apprenticeship mainly in the studios of the very fashionable sculptor Albert-Ernest Carrier- Belleuse in Paris and Brussels, learning the trade of the decorative craft. He was 35 when his first sculpture The man with the broken nose was accepted by the Salon. Success came to him when he was 40 years old. Maybe the fact that he did not have an academic education and was more practitioner than creator was a blessing in disguise as this paved his way to become the most famous sculptor of the 20th century. 

Secondly, Rodin met his long-time partner and wife for two weeks, Rose Beuret, when he was 24. She was a seamstress and they had one son Auguste Beuret (Rodin gave him only his first name not his surname). The artist had endless affairs but Rose never left him. Maybe she loved him and/or she appreciated that she was living with a genius. Rodin was unfaithful to her and had a 10 year passionate affair with one of his students, Camille Claudel. Camille became his lover and muse. She was also a talented sculptress. They separated when Rodin refused to leave Rose for Camille but they still kept in touch. However, in 1893 Camille created The Age of Maturity sculpture. It has three figures. In the middle is a man, on the left is a much younger woman on her knees who is looking longingly towards the man, The man is reacting to her but at the same time is leaning to the right where there is a mature woman embracing him. The mature woman is smiling and guiding the man away from his young lover. Rodin was furious with this sculpture and that was the end of his relationship with Camille. Camille continued her creative work but became ill and was confined to an asylum. Rodin married his long-time companion Rose two weeks before her death. 

Musee Rodin has a room dedicated to the work of Camille Clodel, including The Age of Maturity. One wonders whether mature ladies should choose to live in France if handsome and talented French men appreciate maturity so much (reference: current President Macron).

I have been to some of the most famous opera houses in the world (Sidney Opera is still on the list) but Opera Garnier in the Place L’Opera in the 9th arrondissement of Paris is something magnifique in its own right. The taxi approaches the square from the beautiful L’Opera Avenue and the building is in front of us (my husband Adrian and I) – monumental and authoritative but attractive and artistic at the same time. The building was commissioned by Napoleon The Third in 1860 (he was the nephew of Napoleon The First). The anonymous competition to build the Opera House in Paris was won by Charles Garnier who was a very young architect (35 years old) and had not build anything before this commission. 

                         

A big crowd of tourists is sitting on the stairs of the Opera, chatting, people watching, enjoying the warm Parisian evening. Adrian and I climb the stars between the tourists, show the barcodes of our online tickets to the security guards and “Abracadabra” – doors are open to a magical world.  

The Grand Staircase of the Opera is breathtaking – a mixture of marble, gold and light. Ballet lovers are all around, buying programmes, taking pictures, looking around – all happy to be here. There is no dress code. Some people (obviously tourists) are in their casual trousers and t-shirts. An elegant French couple enjoy a glass of wine – the woman is in a beautiful little black dress and her partner wears an immaculate suit with a scarf around his neck in the way that only French messieurs know how to do. A Russian family passes – straight from the St. Petersburg salon of “War and Peace” – the mother has long blond hair and wears a velvet opera coat, the daughter is a little princess in a dusty pink dress with tulle roses and the father is a copy of Anton Chekhov – intelligent, with a beard and spectacles. 

We have folding seats in the second row from the stage. It is too early to enter the main auditorium for the show  but the friendly French assistant speaks from experience – I can enter it  to take photographs. Of course, I want photographs  but what amazes me is how we all (everyone around me is taking photographs) do not live in the present moment, The main auditorium is spectacular and instead of breathing the atmosphere we are busy with our iPhones. Later, at home we will look at the pictures regretting the moments we are missing now. 

The ballet is the creation of a Swedish artist Mats Ek on the music of Bizet and Chtchedrine, Franz Liszt and Ravel. He is a famous contemporary choreographer whose style of dancing is very expressive, distinctive and immediately recognisable. I dream that time will stop and I will be in this wonderful world forever. 

During the interval the fairy tale continues with a visit to the Grand foyer and the terrace. I also look at the ceiling and the magical  surrealistic figures of the Marc Chagall frescoes. The story goes that in 1960 General De Gaulle and the French Minister of Culture, Andre Malraux, entertained a foreign delegation with the premiere of Daphnis and Chloe, the ballet of Maurice Ravel, in the Opera Garnier. The costumes and decor were created by the artist Marc Chagall. The minister looked at the ceiling, saw the work of Jules Lenepveu (quite academic) from the19th century, and asked Chagall whether he would be willing to paint new frescoes. In 1963 Marc Chagall was commissioned by the French Government to paint the ceiling of the Opera Garnier. The appointment sent a shock through some French circles. The correspondent of the Los Angelis Times described the reaction as if the minister ordered the Eiffel Tower to be painted pink! The message was that foreigners should stay away from French heritage (Chapel was originally from Belarus). 

                                       

The Government and Chagall compromised – Chagall’s painting should not destroy the original paintings. They were painted on a suspended, removable canvas, 240 meters square. The paintings are colourful, a joyful tribute to 14 distinguished composers in two circles. They are so beautiful that one could hardly imagine there was any opposition to them when they were revealed on 23rd September 1964 . By the way, Chagall did not take a penny for his work as he regarded this work as a great honour. 

The ballet is over, it is time to go. Outside, on the stairs a man is playing guitar and two couples are dancing with many singing and laughing. In front of us is the River Seine and the magical world of Paris. 

 

1. WHEN  –  Saturday, 11th June, 10.00-17.00

                      Sunday, 12th June, 10.00 – 16.00

2. WHERE  –  Lymington Road (High Street) and The Recreation Green 

             

3. ADMISSION  –  Free for everyone

4. FOOD AND DRINKS  –  Over 80 artesian food and drinks stalls, most of them in the High Street

             

5. CHEFS  –  Jan-Christophe Novelli, Lesley Walter and many distinguish  local chefs. 

             

6. ARTS  –  Over 60 specially curated craft stalls on the Green

7. CHILDREN  –  Pottery and art classes, Kids kitchen, treasure hunt, Grow Your Own, face             painting, playground, funny photos

                                                     

8. ENTERTAINMENT  –  Two stages – Main stager on the Green and The Tesco Express stage – everything from Swing Unlimited Community Band to Fifinellas, Highcliffe school, the Charity Players.

9. ORGANISERS  –  Non-for-profit organisation of volunteers – residents of the village. 

Mary Reader – Director – Sponsorship, PR&Marketing, Cookery demonstration and entertainment

10. ENVIRONMENT  –  Environmentally friendly waste management and recycling

More information – www. highcliffefoodandartsfestival.co.uk

Happiness as a goal

Everyone wants to be happy. This sentence implies that happiness is some kind of goal we create  and work towards. Then what comes about when we diligently work  for our happiness – are we unhappy, miserable, in anticipation of future bliss? Further, what happens when we achieve the goal – are we permanently happy or does the happiness fade and we have to set up another goal and strive for happiness again? 

                                 

I really do not think that the “Happiness as a goal” theory and practice are feasible. They appear to our Western mentality but do not make us happy.

Fake it until you make it

Another theory is “Fake it until you make it”. This theory and practice is based on the premise that ultimately mimicking the body language and mindset of a happy person will make you happy. I can see some potential in this theory. If you smile more you feel, if not happy, at least better. Nevertheless, I do not think this practice is sustainable. There is not a solid foundation for happiness – you feel that your happiness is fake  and other people feel it too.

Happiness as a sidebar

Therefore, I am suggesting the “Happiness as a sidebar” theory and practice. It is not my idea but I have instinctively practiced it throughout my life. In a nutshell, if you do what you love or like, what inspires and motivates you, happiness appears as a side effect. If you dare to go into uncharted waters, have a leap of faith, explore the unexplored and try the impossible, or even try something new – happiness occurs as a sidebar on the screen. So, the indirect way is quite direct. 

                                             

It sounds very easy so there should be a catch. What happens if an unhappy event occurs in our very happy lives? What if we face betrayal, non- acceptance, ignorance, illness, loss or an injustice?

Then the story of the “Two Arrows” helps tremendously. The first arrow is the pain – the accident, the loss, the failure, etc. It is painful, we accept the pain and it takes time to deal with it. Sometimes, paradoxically we even experience happiness . Looking after my dying mother and losing her 18 months ago brought unbearable pain but my husband was there for me  – rock solid as the Hans Christian Andersen’s steadfast tin soldier. The tragedy brought us even closer than we were before with absolute trust between us. 

What we should not accept and be aware of is the second arrow that could hit us – our mind, people’s words or opinions, group’s judgements and the pressure of society. This arrow brings layers of pain and unhappiness (we are not talking about support and encouragement from other quarters). People’s words speak volumes about them and not about the person they talk about. What we should know is that there is a very brief moment before the second arrow can reach us when we can decide our reaction. And we usually know who is sincerely there to help and encourage us and who is there to upload their negativity on us. So practise stopping the second arrow before it reaches you. 

How? By performing the lost art of observation.   

More about it in a future post. 

                            

 

 

Gut-Brain Axis

It does not seem very sophisticated to connect blissful happiness with processed food and waste. Yet, scientists have become more and more aware in recent years of the strong connection between the digestive system and mood balance.The truth is that happiness depends on gut health and vice versa. 

Our nervous system, responsible for our behaviour, is formed by two interconnected parts – the Central Nervous System (brain and spinal cord) and the Enteric Nervous System (ENS). ENS is located along the entire digestive tract – from the oesophagus through the stomach and intestines and down to the anus. ENS can perform tasks independently of the brain such as coordinating reflexes and secreting. It is built by the same neurones and neurotransmitters as the Central Nervous System and often is called “the second brain”. 

The two systems talk to each other and the communication system between them is called gut-brain axis.  The largest nerve in the body, the vague nerve, which runs from the brain to the colon is part of it. When a person is in danger, in “fight or flight” mode, the ENS helps by slowing down or stopping the digestion so more energy can be used to deal with the threatening situation. Another example is when the person is afraid of public speaking. Their digestive system again reacts by slowing down or speeding up and that can cause abdominal pain or diarrhoea. My personal experience of this brain-gut axis is that before my uni exams I was frequently visiting the  bathroom. Emotions like love or excitement can lead to feelings of “butterflies” in the stomach. 

The opposite also happens – poor gut health can influence how we behave and our mood. Problematic intestines, or a troubled stomach may signal to the brain and cause anxiety, stress and depression. 

Communication between the brain and the guts (particularly stimulation of the vague nerve)  is the reason for feeling so good after dropping a poo, so called “poo-phoria”. Bowel movement stimulates the vague nerve, the heart rate and blood pressure drop and you feel relaxed and pleased. 

Serotonin

Serotonin (remember, the happy chemical?) impacts every part of the body from emotions to motor skills. Serotonin is critical for the functioning of the digestive system. It is primarily produced in the body’s intestines, and affects many sides of the gut functioning: how fast the food goes through the system, how much mucus is secreted in the intestines and how sensitive intestines are to pain and fullness from eating. Changes in the serotonin level affect the guts as well as the brain. If you deal with chronic digestive issues your serotonin level is being impaired. Serotonin rises when you eat something toxic or have food poisoning in order to quickly remove the food from the body by vomiting and diarrhoea. Having a low level of serotonin creates a savage circle as serotonin is fundamental for ensuring proper nutrition digestion and absorption.

People with Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) who experience constipation often have lower levels of serotonin  – the muscles in their rectum are less reactive to serotonin and they are more likely to have hard stools. 

Those with IBS with higher levels of serotonin may have diarrhoea – their rectums are more reactive, with loose watery stools.

Microbiome

90-95% of the body’s serotonin is produced in the gut cells. Production of serotonin is affected by the microbiome in the guts – millions of viruses and bacterias. The microbiome diversity is important for gut health but unfortunately, it decreases with age. Also high stress can cause changes in the microbiome.

Research shows that healthy gut bacteria plays a role in maintaining healthy serotonin levels. Serotonin is produced in the digestive tract by enterochromaffin cells and particular types of immune cells and neurones. Studies have found that several species of gut bacteria are missing in people with depression and, furthermore, imbalance in gut flora can lead to imbalance in mood. 

Nowadays it is widely accepted that a better understanding of the serotonin production in the guts may inform the treatment of certain mental health conditions in the brain. 

If this subject resonates with you there is a ton of information on YOUTUBE, various podcasts, many books and articles, including recipe books for clever and happy guts. 

This article is inspired by the Christchurch Rotary Charity Quiz on 7th May at the Twynham school. 

Let’s start with a confession – I do not like quizzes. My husband Adrian is quite the opposite  – he loves them and he is good at them. However, I really enjoy going to quizzes (always with Adrian, otherwise I will significantly drag the team’s score down) when they are for charity, like the one we attended yesterday. Here is Adrian talking about it.  

 

The charity quiz has been organised by Rotarian Paul Mills and his wife Jean for more than 40 years and the money raised donated to many local charities over the years. Yesterday,  the organisation was impeccable, the atmosphere was great with 15 teams, good raffle prizes and quite difficult questions. All good and I will inform you about the amount of money raised. The only downfall was that our team came last, an honourable position as someone has to be last. We were good losers. 

People go to quizzes for different reasons: to challenge their memory, to put their brain to work, to have fun and feel the camaraderie of a team, to experience the excitement of the competition and the desire to win. They do not know what else to do in their leisure time and it is an excuse to have a drink – all very valid reasons. 

As a person with a not-so-good memory, I do not really understand the purpose of quizzes – the Internet and IPhones have made our lives very easy and comfortable – I just need to Google or to speak to Siri and I immediately know what I need to know, I do not need to remember it. 

Philosophical questions about quizzes

And here we come to the philosophical and scientific questions – does evolution have direction and is the direction from more simple to more complex and skilled formats? It appears not. Darwin and the evolution theory are clear – evolution is about surviving. Only the most adapted to the environment organisms survive and that could mean losing skills or more compounded features. A great example is penguins. They are birds but they lost their ability to fly as they developed more fat in their body to survive the severe cold of their surroundings. 

Turning to people and our ability/skill  to read maps and being orientated. I listened to the TED talk “How your language shapes the way you think”. It is about people Kuuk Thaayorre who live at the very west edge of Cape York . They do not have a concept of “left”and “right”, instead they use the cardinal directions – north, south, east and west. So, they will say something like “You have an ant on your southwest leg”. However, they are the most orientated people in the world, in a way we did not think it possible. But we, we are forgetting how to read maps (on the other hand, many marriages are safe). We just use the Google map on our iPhones or the car’s SatNav.

Recently, even I as a strong digital supporter was shocked to discover that a young girl (generation Z) could not read the clock on the wall. She did not have an idea what is “quarter to 7”, the reason being she only was exposed to digital watches. Another lady in the company confirmed that her grandson (school age) also cannot read mechanical clocks. 

So where are we heading to? Where is evolution taking human beings? Will people in the 22nd century be able to love and enjoy quizzes?