2003-11-04 - 9:01 p.m.
In which I see everything as a potential film
Ever since comparing Charolette’s Web the animation to the book—Second Grade I think it was—I have frequently wondered about translating the world, but mostly stories, into film. I placed no stock in this and gradually learned to not to look at the world this way. Once my boyfriend was gung-ho about making this his life’s work, however, it was like flicking a switch. Fortunately, I had suffered (truly suffered) through the humiliating experience of working for Dr. Tsao in his Film Class (which I realized was one of my dumber ideas the very first day of that class, since I was quite lost with the electronics). Due to this class, I had a more realistic idea of how to shape life into a film. I have not been the same since.
We have bounced, with many other ideas, the idea of making a movie around or a documentary of Zingerman’s. As little credence I give this, I find myself during my mental retreats viewing my work from this perspective. Today was a strange day where I found a minute to take notes of the silly things that make this place a very different place to work, like our “Cheese Mascot”. She was our “Meat Mascot” last week; and the week before that we found her in the Dry Goods Department. What it is, is a wallet-sized school photo, it seems, of a teacher. She is in the middle, perhaps, of making her way to a smile, but the photographer snapped… and we have one of those faces you never want to think of yourself making.
Then, this evening, Gauri asked me to give her a blind taste test to see if she had the taste memory for Lancashire. I gave her Cheshire, Lancashire, and Double Glouster, in that order. The other two were similar in texture and taste respectively. Gauri did well, and differentiated between the three cheeses the way she ought. It was a wonderful time selecting the cheeses, making the samples, then calling her over for her “test” which I had as much fun with as she did. Because all three cheeses are recognizable by their color I insisted upon “blinding” her, so blindly she would put out her hand to receive the sample, then get the cheese to her mouth without making a mess or a fool or both out of herself, and then you would see her smell, feel, and taste the cheese with about as much concentration as one can give food. All the while her whole face smiled like laughter. I grinned like a kid, absolutely delighted by her intensity. Such a moment would have to work itself into a scene, being so typically Zingerman’s.
