German Exchange

Sooo I went to see the David Hockney Exhibition in Cologne. 

Hockers. What a guy. 

And it was AMAZING for the following reasons:

1) We booked, all casual like, online a couple of weeks beforehand. None of this Royal Academy queuing-for-months/selling-kidneys-in-order-to-procure-tickets nonsense. 

2) There was a *big breath* video installation on four walls with nine screens showing the same country lane but each wall showed it in a different season. Oh, and it was just impossible to look at without your eyes roving all over the thing and the wintery one hurt my eyes it was so brilliant and white like real snow. And it was, like, properly amezzin.

3) This painting was one of the first ones I saw and it blew my mind. 

Garrowby Hill, oil on canvas, 1998

The colours were unreal - this picture does it nooo justice. And the plough lines in the field must have been created by dragging some cardboard with a zig-zaggy edge through the paint like I remember doing in primary school. I just wanted to run my fingers over it and feel the ridges. 

4) Cologne was beautiful. And full of lovelocks which provided a non-insignificant amount of imstagram joy:

mismacdonner instagram

5) And we stayed in a B&B (within spitting distance of the Erotic Superstore, yer narr) which looked like THIS: 

WOAH. This isn't a futon, by the way. Actually a big, posh, white, shiny bed. 

So yes, Cologne. I can totally recommend it for luscious-arty-shopping-city-break. 

Now mustn't spend any money ever again until, err, March (at least). 

Meetup

At the grand age of 29 in the year of 2012, I've discovered Meetup. I know: I'm always late to the party. 

So yes, last week, I joined Meetup. 

I'll explain the basic concept. Every major city seems to have a Meetup site for people who are new to the area/looking for something different to do. In a place like Brussels where the expat community is so transient (we've been to two leaving parties already), Meetup is invaluable. 

If I'd taken the fancy, I could have gone beer-tasting. Or card-folding. But I went on the 77 Pencils of Brussels run. And it was ACE. 

Everyone was uber-smiley and welcoming. And I (somehow) ran 15k. And now, wherever I go in Brussels, I see pencils. Batman Pencils. Angry Pencils. Indiana Jones Pencils. Sexy Pencils. Window Pencils. Pencils EVERYWHERE. 

source and source and source 

There is graffiti everywhere in Brussels - and lots of it is artistically decent, interesting stuff rather than inexpertly sprayed teenage tags. It's inspired me to go on a Brussels Graffiti tour and take photos aplenty.

Have a good weekend. 

Wants.

I really, really want a neon sign. I really think it could change my life. I think it's a home essential.


It all started with a tea shop in Lourdes that sold macaroons and overpriced prosecco. God knows how we ended up in there...but we did.

(photo offov the Crackberry liiiike)

Imagine this on your kitchen wall. I can. If it was there, I'd die happy.

Then I got to thinking about the SEX exhibition I went to at the Barbican yeeeeears ago and the Tracey Emin neon stuff that was there.

It being the SEX exhibition it was some of the - well - ruder stuff. But some of the other stuff is pretty awesome, hey? Look.

I could put this on my office door so that people KNEW when they came to talk about a difficult kid or a staffing problem or whatever they could have my response immediately - I know, I know, I KNOW.

For the insomniacs amongst us.

I don't know if this is hopeful or hopeless, but it's one of my favourites nevertheless.

This is a lovely, very un-Emin-like reminder to stay positive. I almost wish it was 'IN your dreams' to get a wee bit of word play on the go.

So Emin. Sleazy and tacky but wanting desperately to be oh-so-beautiful and rise above it all.

Lumiere Durham was on recently. From the website, it looks a damn sight better than Leeds' attempt. There were multi-coloured lights on Prebends Bridge (amongst the scaffolding, like). And they had Martin Creed's (isn't his hair wonderful?) Everything Is Going To Be Alright which I LOVE displayed on Old Shire Hall (I believe).

So now I just need to start saving - ooo, I don't know - a grand? - to have a custom neon sign made.

And, of course, I need to start deciding what it would say. Hmm.