JJ's posterous

I went to see this on Wednesday and floated home. It's a grown-up and almost believable fairy tale, not completely sugary sweet.  There's a fair amount of drunkenness and one hellish hangover. It made me want to fall in love all over again - I mean, do it all again with my husband from the first night to the "oh shit, I'm in love" point. I am not looking for someone new!

It's a great performance, the songs are catchy and actors amazing. It would be a great date show and is still fabulous if you go on your own as I did.

Go see it!

We took the youngest (the 8yo) to the Geffrye Museum today. Mainly because it's close and easy to get to. It was nice, but not one of those museums where you can go and find interesting stuff if you're not already interested in the subject (interior designs of the past and present). There's a restaurant but no café.

There are some reportedly excellent Vietnamese restaurants all down Kingsland Road; I would have loved to eat at one but the boy is super fussy. Instead, we had a great lunch at a little café at which I accidentally ate someone else's sandwich given to me by mistake. (I should pay more attention to things.) It was good though - the man has taste.

The best thing was the lava lamp shop down the street, Mathmos. It was great and much more affordable than I remember from my university days. Of course, this might be a function of me having more money now. The boy loved it. I think I'll sneak back down tomorrow and get a couple for Christmas.

Really, that's it. It was a huge amount of fun with loads of fantastic stalls and gorgeous cupcakes when energy flagged. It's over now but worth keeping an eye out for the next time it's on.

Sophie Calle asked women in various professions to professionally interpret her partner's email in which he breaks up with her. The phrase "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" springs to mind. All, bar one (a writer if I remember correctly), took to the task with relish and, it appeared, no small amount of glee at being able to mock and humiliate this man who has dared to find Calle less than enough for him.

The interpretations themselves were extraordinarily well thought out and clever. There is a lot of text - it's worth taking the time to read it thoroughly. The children's story was my favourite.

Upstairs there are earlier works from Calle. I'm not quite sure what I think of her and her lack of respect for individuals' privacy. I'm not quite sure what I think of her in general. It gave me the same feeling as reading decently written but ultimately unsatisfying chick lit.

The East London Design Show is in the same vein as the Hidden Art Fair last week. If you like that sort of thing (ie browsing crafty / arty stalls) then it's a good one. It's in Shoreditch Town Hall and £4, although you can get a 2 for 1 voucher if you sign up to their mailing list here.

Tate The Biscuit was quite fun. It's works done on the theme of sayings and proverbs. There were some groan-worthy pieces but a lot of interesting stuff. It's in the cellar underneath Shoreditch Town Hall and winds around in rooms in various states of disrepair. It's worth going just to see the space. Don't bring the kids, though. Or at least I wouldn't.

I wish I had gone to Let's Play at The Maverik Showroom but didn't know about it until I got home and now don't have the time.

We eat at the Greedy Cow on Grove Road (near Mile End Rd) occasionally. It's never been crowded, although we eat a tad earlier than normal people, I think. The hamburgers and chicken sandwiches are excellent with soft, gorgeous buns, and extensive toppings. The onion rings I had last night were sublime; I love good onion rings and these were some of the best I've ever tasted.

Service is variable, usually a bit clueless, but nothing awful.

This place is much better than those gourmet hamburger chains, I think, and well worth a visit if you've got a craving or just need an inexpensive, reliable, tasty place to eat.

Every year my dad and I have a discussion about how Wal-Mart is affecting, well, everything. He's pretty pro-Wal-Mart and can't see past the low prices and the fact that it does employ some people who might not otherwise be able to get a job (or so he says). I refuse to shop there; it's getting harder every year and I think if we lived in Alabama full-time instead of just being there for the summer we might have to break down and go. There are fewer and fewer places to shop for necessities in the nearest city.

The article linked to above, In Wal-Mart's Image from The American Prospect, includes a review of The Retail Revolution: How Wal-Mart Created a Brave New World of Business by Nelson Lichtenstein and a brief overview of its story, a history of Wal-Mart. The review itself gives a feeling of what the company is doing and how it does it. It's worth reading even if you have no desire to buy the book.

I have until mid-July. Perhaps I should order it now and have it shipped there for summer reading. My post goes to my mom and dad's so maybe he'll read it....

Ooh, my DHC Deep Cleansing Oil arrived today along with their Washing Powder and a handful of samples (four free with every order - they sent even more!). I remember trying the Shu Uemura cleansing oil a few years ago and being decidedly underwhelmed but I love this. Shu Uemura's smells better (this smells like olive oil) but is more expensive, although looking at it, not that much more expensive (~£3.50/100ml more). It's great to have something that will melt off makeup - I've just started wearing foundation instead of tinted moisturiser on a regular basis because I'm OLD and it covers a multitude of sins. The washing powder is fab; nice to have something that foams up and strips everything away every so often.

I'm moving on from Akamuti Facial Cleanser which was a freaking pain to get off. I tried it on a Mumsnet recommendation but it's not for me. Cheap as chips though and it did smell nice.