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crossing the globe Before this morning, I had no knowledge whatsoever of Pan Yuliang. The name meant nothing to me. Now after having seen the movie A Soul Haunted by Painting with the ever lovely actress Gong Li, I know a little more about a young Chinese woman who studied art in 1920's Paris. If it hadn't been for Gong Li, I doubt that I would have ever rented this movie. I suspect that parts of her life were simplified, but I was amazed at how easliy she adapted to life in Paris after growing up in China. Then again I guess that she really didn't have much going for her in her homeland and any kind of change was for the better. She clearly found something in life that gave her meaning and she was going to follow that path for as long as she could. In keeping with what I imagine is Chinese tradition in film, this was not a journey filled with happiness. Tragedy after tragedy happened in her life until she died alone. ... The Amazing Race may not have started yet, but thanks to Ewan McGregor I have another travel reality program to watch called Long Way Round. It seems that he and a friend of his decided to ride their motorcycles around the world and this series will air some of what was filmed during that trip. Through six episodes I'll get to see them make their way across Europe into Kazakstan and from there through Russia and Mongolia. Then a plane will take the two of them from Russia to Alaska, where they can cross North America and finish in New York. Part of me envies them, but I'm not sure if I could spend ten hours a day riding a motorcycle. That part of the adventure doesn't sound that appealing to me. |