The 29th of February.
I had some grand thoughts for this non-existent day.
The day should be one on which experimental behaviour is excused and even encouraged. There should be few repercussions for (legal) out-of-character activities. Each person should try something that scares them, something they’ve always wanted to do but were too afraid to.
It should be celebrated. A day to be different. A day to smile at your work mates, the people on the bus and on the street. A day to be someone you're not. Invite that guy or girl you've been ogling for ages out for a drink. Take the plunge and apply for that new job. Make the decision to go sky diving and then go.
Be daring if you’re a scaredy-cat, be outgoing if you're not, maybe be quiet if you're usually loud. Try something new and unusual for you. The day should be one of accomplishments and of experimentation.
Well, that was the way I thought it should be. But it wasn't. I can't think of a more ordinary day than today has been.
So much for an exciting day.
Friday 29 February 2008
Wednesday 27 February 2008
The Cost of Living...
I've been chatting with various people over the relative costs of living between Australia and the UK lately, and we have come to a rather surprising conclusion, so I thought I'd record it here. It's actually not that more expensive living here day to day than back home.
Oh I'll grant you, the coast of accommodation here is heinous. And here you pay water rates and council tax as a tenant which you don't back home. The result of this is that I'm paying almost 50% more for about 1/2 the space as I was in Aus ($200 / wk versus $300+ now). But this is London, one of the most expensive cities in the world, so that's hardly surprising.
Otherwise... well, let me give you a few examples:
£40 will get you 5 paperback books (£8 for one). That's ~ £85 Australian at the current exchange rate. And last time I checked, a book in Aus was between $18 and $20 so it may even be cheaper here.
£15 will get you a DVD. (~$32 Aus)
£9 a movie (~$19 and yes that's a little more exe than home, but not by much)
£25 a meal in an average Restaurant (~$53)
£25 - £50 a theatre ticket ($50 - $100)
And you can get 50 Twining teabags, for £2 ($4.25), which is less expensive than Aus.
I suppose the biggest difference beside accommodation is travel. It costs me £0.90 using an oyster card for a single bus trip, and between £1.50 and £2.00 for a single tube trip. If I caught the tube every day, it would cost me £20 a week ($42) to travel to and from work. I take the bus in the mornings and walk most evenings so it costs me about £5 a week, but still... And yet if you lived in Sydney and drove to work it would probably cost you that much in tolls anyway (Em?). And I don’t have to have a car here like you do in Canberra – almost everywhere is accessible by public transport.
So really, especially with the current exchange rate, the cost of living here is not that bad. The $50 you spend back home will get you approximately the same amount of stuff that the £20 your $50 will buy you here will get you… if that makes sense.
Oh I'll grant you, the coast of accommodation here is heinous. And here you pay water rates and council tax as a tenant which you don't back home. The result of this is that I'm paying almost 50% more for about 1/2 the space as I was in Aus ($200 / wk versus $300+ now). But this is London, one of the most expensive cities in the world, so that's hardly surprising.
Otherwise... well, let me give you a few examples:
£40 will get you 5 paperback books (£8 for one). That's ~ £85 Australian at the current exchange rate. And last time I checked, a book in Aus was between $18 and $20 so it may even be cheaper here.
£15 will get you a DVD. (~$32 Aus)
£9 a movie (~$19 and yes that's a little more exe than home, but not by much)
£25 a meal in an average Restaurant (~$53)
£25 - £50 a theatre ticket ($50 - $100)
And you can get 50 Twining teabags, for £2 ($4.25), which is less expensive than Aus.
I suppose the biggest difference beside accommodation is travel. It costs me £0.90 using an oyster card for a single bus trip, and between £1.50 and £2.00 for a single tube trip. If I caught the tube every day, it would cost me £20 a week ($42) to travel to and from work. I take the bus in the mornings and walk most evenings so it costs me about £5 a week, but still... And yet if you lived in Sydney and drove to work it would probably cost you that much in tolls anyway (Em?). And I don’t have to have a car here like you do in Canberra – almost everywhere is accessible by public transport.
So really, especially with the current exchange rate, the cost of living here is not that bad. The $50 you spend back home will get you approximately the same amount of stuff that the £20 your $50 will buy you here will get you… if that makes sense.
Monday 25 February 2008
Stockholm Take 2
I went to visit Helen and Johan this weekend in Stockholm, Sweden, and it was lovely.
The only downside was that I stupidly calculated how long it took me to get there. I left work at 1330 on Friday and got to Helen's at 2130. On the way home I left Helen's at 1700 and got home after 2300. With the hour’s time difference, that makes for a seven-hour journey both ways. Ouch. That's longer than it used to take me to drive from Canberra to Bendigo to see Ali.
But: and it's a big but: I really had a lovely time. H & J are great hosts and we had gorgeous food all weekend and they really made an effort to entertain me royally including excellent tea in copious amounts, homemade blueberry crumble, Kanel Bullan (sp?? Tastes just like Cinnamon toast – yum) roast beef with mushroom stuffing and home-cooked bread for breakfast. And we even had tablecloths and linen napkins with every meal! Wow. Very Cool! :)
And Stockholm is a beautiful city. Clean lines, elegant architecture, clean streets and fresh air. I finally got to see some of it after spending my entire last trip sewing a bag for H for the wedding (grrr… damn stretchy fabric!). Really lovely. And even the weather cooperated. It wasn't snowing and (for this time of year) was a balmy 8-9 degrees. It's supposed to be minus lots right now. In fact J was saying that it is possibly the mildest winter that Stockholm has seen in recorded history. I didn’t mind a bit.
There is a real dearth of craft- shops in London because the overheads here are so ridiculous so H took me round to see some of their craft shops and I spent lots (the actual real down-side to Stockholm is the cost of things; it is expensive even if you are earning pounds). We did lots of talking and shopping and talking and craft and talking and walking and had chocolates and basically caught up. It was all good.
An actual relaxing holiday in a strange city for a change. Very happy.
The only downside was that I stupidly calculated how long it took me to get there. I left work at 1330 on Friday and got to Helen's at 2130. On the way home I left Helen's at 1700 and got home after 2300. With the hour’s time difference, that makes for a seven-hour journey both ways. Ouch. That's longer than it used to take me to drive from Canberra to Bendigo to see Ali.
But: and it's a big but: I really had a lovely time. H & J are great hosts and we had gorgeous food all weekend and they really made an effort to entertain me royally including excellent tea in copious amounts, homemade blueberry crumble, Kanel Bullan (sp?? Tastes just like Cinnamon toast – yum) roast beef with mushroom stuffing and home-cooked bread for breakfast. And we even had tablecloths and linen napkins with every meal! Wow. Very Cool! :)
And Stockholm is a beautiful city. Clean lines, elegant architecture, clean streets and fresh air. I finally got to see some of it after spending my entire last trip sewing a bag for H for the wedding (grrr… damn stretchy fabric!). Really lovely. And even the weather cooperated. It wasn't snowing and (for this time of year) was a balmy 8-9 degrees. It's supposed to be minus lots right now. In fact J was saying that it is possibly the mildest winter that Stockholm has seen in recorded history. I didn’t mind a bit.
There is a real dearth of craft- shops in London because the overheads here are so ridiculous so H took me round to see some of their craft shops and I spent lots (the actual real down-side to Stockholm is the cost of things; it is expensive even if you are earning pounds). We did lots of talking and shopping and talking and craft and talking and walking and had chocolates and basically caught up. It was all good.
An actual relaxing holiday in a strange city for a change. Very happy.
Friday 22 February 2008
Dog Shit: A Devine Right.
I am fed up. What is it with the people living in this city and their total disregard for common decency? Everywhere I go I find dog shit. Dog shit, vomit and public urination. Defecations everywhere. And everyone seems to think that this is ok. That a drunk person is a sign of amusement and their vomit an hilarious spectacle. That a drunk (usually male) person pissing on the wall, or on a lamp-post or on a car is a thing to be accepted. And that a dog owner patiently watching as their dog shits in the middle of the path way is just fine and dandy.
I'm not sure if I walk along a particularly dog-owner frequented path or if it really is as universal as I believe, but I see dog shit every day of the week and it really, really, really annoys me. And my bus stop of a morning is frequently decorated with the leavings of a human’s stomach. And they don’t call the lane beside the place where I work, ‘Piss Alley’ for nothing.
Where do they get off on such a sense of entitlement? How can they not see that they are polluting their own environment? Shitting where they eat so to speak. And making it very unpleasant for the rest of us? What a nightmare.
Now I have nothing whatsoever against dogs - I’ve known many and loved a few - but their owners could really use a lesson in manners. There are trees and there are plastic bags - why do you have to let your animal defecate in the MIDDLE of the public walk-way? How RUDE!
The vomit and urination… well with a culture this indoctrinated into the art of getting pissed I suppose it’s inevitable. But it should never be acceptable. I am most definitely displeased!
I'm not sure if I walk along a particularly dog-owner frequented path or if it really is as universal as I believe, but I see dog shit every day of the week and it really, really, really annoys me. And my bus stop of a morning is frequently decorated with the leavings of a human’s stomach. And they don’t call the lane beside the place where I work, ‘Piss Alley’ for nothing.
Where do they get off on such a sense of entitlement? How can they not see that they are polluting their own environment? Shitting where they eat so to speak. And making it very unpleasant for the rest of us? What a nightmare.
Now I have nothing whatsoever against dogs - I’ve known many and loved a few - but their owners could really use a lesson in manners. There are trees and there are plastic bags - why do you have to let your animal defecate in the MIDDLE of the public walk-way? How RUDE!
The vomit and urination… well with a culture this indoctrinated into the art of getting pissed I suppose it’s inevitable. But it should never be acceptable. I am most definitely displeased!
Tuesday 19 February 2008
The Heathrow Injection
Like many before me I did not believe that I would be affected by this most terrible tragedy of English living. Yes, I am overweight, and have been for some time, but at a level of overweightness that has remained stable for the last five years. I keep meaning to do something about it but kept putting it off.
Today I got a big fright.
Today I got weighed for the first time since coming here.
Today I am going on a diet.
So what is the Heathrow Injection exactly? Well, it’s the sudden and inexplicable gain of weight that a new arrival experiences upon settling in London. It has a lot to do with the imbibing of beer, the amazingly stodgy English food, and the wide variety of new temptations available. For example, my downfall was due to Belgium chocolate. And French bakeries, and the Borough market and the wide variety of lovely cheeses available… yes, well, will stop drooling now.
End result; I have put on weight. Not Happy Jan!
So now I am back to being good, eating well and avoiding all the amazing, marvellous range of food here, the cheeses and chocolates... oh dear. This is going to be tough.
Today I got a big fright.
Today I got weighed for the first time since coming here.
Today I am going on a diet.
So what is the Heathrow Injection exactly? Well, it’s the sudden and inexplicable gain of weight that a new arrival experiences upon settling in London. It has a lot to do with the imbibing of beer, the amazingly stodgy English food, and the wide variety of new temptations available. For example, my downfall was due to Belgium chocolate. And French bakeries, and the Borough market and the wide variety of lovely cheeses available… yes, well, will stop drooling now.
End result; I have put on weight. Not Happy Jan!
So now I am back to being good, eating well and avoiding all the amazing, marvellous range of food here, the cheeses and chocolates... oh dear. This is going to be tough.
Monday 18 February 2008
Words of the Day....
Check out this site: http://www.vocaboly.com/vocabulary-test/
It will let you know just how good or bad your vocabulary really is. I'm not going to brag, but mine's not bad! :)
It will let you know just how good or bad your vocabulary really is. I'm not going to brag, but mine's not bad! :)
Friday 15 February 2008
A Lovely Valentines Day...
Being a confirmed bachelorette, St Valentine’s Day doesn't mean an awful lot to me. Most years I don’t even notice it happening and couldn’t care less. However, this year, in this city, I discovered it is a day to avoid. It is a day to avoid getting caught by red, heart-shaped decorations hung diabolically and designed to entangle you. A day to avoid getting scratched by bunches of red roses applied with deadly force by men who don’t know how to carry such unwieldy objects. A day to try to avoid being sick when you see the 50th couple in a row snogging their brains out with tongues so far down each other’s throats I’m sure their stomach contents were re-eaten.
It actually made me feel sick.
Anyway, to avoid the unavoidable, Jane and I went and saw a movie. We saw Juno. And it was fabulous. I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend it to anyone. It was cleaver and funny, the story was intriguing, the character development was real, the action flowed from who the characters were, and it presented a take on teen pregnancy which I found earthy and entirely plausible. It is a lovely feel-good movie, but it is also intelligent and not at all soppy. I walked out feeling really good.
And then I went out for a night cap in Earl's court. I'd never been to Earl's court before – It’s known as kangaroo court so I've avoided it like the plague because I don’t want to be a typical Aussie in this city – but Rod K, father of Nick K, was in town for one night, and so it was worth an investigation just to catch up with the GS icon. We went to a lovely little café. The food was gorgeous (I had an apple crumble that was to die for), the hot chocolate perfect, and the company excellent. As ebullient as ever and always really good company, the K's are the perfect anodyne to anyone’s bad day and I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with them. I came home feeling really good about life and pretty happy with the world in general.
It was absolutely lovely. So Valentines Day wasn’t such a bad day after all!
It actually made me feel sick.
Anyway, to avoid the unavoidable, Jane and I went and saw a movie. We saw Juno. And it was fabulous. I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend it to anyone. It was cleaver and funny, the story was intriguing, the character development was real, the action flowed from who the characters were, and it presented a take on teen pregnancy which I found earthy and entirely plausible. It is a lovely feel-good movie, but it is also intelligent and not at all soppy. I walked out feeling really good.
And then I went out for a night cap in Earl's court. I'd never been to Earl's court before – It’s known as kangaroo court so I've avoided it like the plague because I don’t want to be a typical Aussie in this city – but Rod K, father of Nick K, was in town for one night, and so it was worth an investigation just to catch up with the GS icon. We went to a lovely little café. The food was gorgeous (I had an apple crumble that was to die for), the hot chocolate perfect, and the company excellent. As ebullient as ever and always really good company, the K's are the perfect anodyne to anyone’s bad day and I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with them. I came home feeling really good about life and pretty happy with the world in general.
It was absolutely lovely. So Valentines Day wasn’t such a bad day after all!
Wednesday 13 February 2008
A work lunch date.
Hilary came to see me for lunch yesterday. We went to a Lebanese Place called Kaslik near work. Highly recommend it to anyone who wants a good, reasonably priced and sizable meal in Soho. Lovely.
Tuesday 12 February 2008
Oi Vay! And on a school night too...
I had intended on going to see the new version of Rent on Monday night. Jase was available and Nick is in town – it seemed a perfect opportunity. I failed to take into account the dismal reception of this re-vamped musical however. It was so unpopular and so badly attended that it closed…last weekend. Crap. Damn, botheration, and just…well…Bugger!
So, instead of a night of music, Nick, Jase and I met up with 3 of Nicks friends and went out to dinner instead. The venue was Sitaaray, a Bollywood inspired Indian restaurant, complete with photos of famous Indian actors crammed onto every available wall space and televisions playing selected dance sequences from undoubtedly famous movies. I haven’t seen much Bollywood, so I’m not sure I can comment on that part. The food however, was really good and the company was excellent, so the meal was a success. Replete with endless curries and more than a couple of beers, we moved on to find better opportunities for conversation…
We met up with J’s better half, K, at a wine bar called the Cork and Bottle. Here, a selection of very smelly cheeses were had, accompanied by a couple of bottles of a Coonawarra sparkling red, and as previously stated, lots of conversation…lovely.
A little more unsteadily now, someone decided that it was time to head home but that we’d just go for a night cap to polish off the evening, so we moved on to Camden. Here we met up with J’s flatmate James at the Oxford something, and K and I had a couple of Whisky and Gingers (another great invention of the English – Ginger Ale takes the edge off the whisky and makes it so much easier to drink…?!?) whilst the boys had more beer and more whisky... The end result of which was that we closed the bar. By this time Nick was singing loudly in French and it was about four hours past my bed time and I am still not up to full strength, so I dragged our carcass’s home and crashed.
It was a really fun evening. I enjoyed catching up with the boys and girls and the food and company were both excellent… the only problem being that today I couldn’t stop yawning, and I wanted to go to sleep so badly… I think I will do that now in fact. G’night.
So, instead of a night of music, Nick, Jase and I met up with 3 of Nicks friends and went out to dinner instead. The venue was Sitaaray, a Bollywood inspired Indian restaurant, complete with photos of famous Indian actors crammed onto every available wall space and televisions playing selected dance sequences from undoubtedly famous movies. I haven’t seen much Bollywood, so I’m not sure I can comment on that part. The food however, was really good and the company was excellent, so the meal was a success. Replete with endless curries and more than a couple of beers, we moved on to find better opportunities for conversation…
We met up with J’s better half, K, at a wine bar called the Cork and Bottle. Here, a selection of very smelly cheeses were had, accompanied by a couple of bottles of a Coonawarra sparkling red, and as previously stated, lots of conversation…lovely.
A little more unsteadily now, someone decided that it was time to head home but that we’d just go for a night cap to polish off the evening, so we moved on to Camden. Here we met up with J’s flatmate James at the Oxford something, and K and I had a couple of Whisky and Gingers (another great invention of the English – Ginger Ale takes the edge off the whisky and makes it so much easier to drink…?!?) whilst the boys had more beer and more whisky... The end result of which was that we closed the bar. By this time Nick was singing loudly in French and it was about four hours past my bed time and I am still not up to full strength, so I dragged our carcass’s home and crashed.
It was a really fun evening. I enjoyed catching up with the boys and girls and the food and company were both excellent… the only problem being that today I couldn’t stop yawning, and I wanted to go to sleep so badly… I think I will do that now in fact. G’night.
Monday 11 February 2008
Sunday Roast
I’ve had Nick K staying on my lounge room floor this weekend, so playing host, I invited myself and Nick around to R & H’s for Sunday night dinner. :)
Hilary is a vegetarian, so it was never going to be a traditional roast, but we had the loveliest nut roast I have ever tasted. Well, it’s the only nut roast I’ve ever tasted, but it was flavoursome enough to more than rival a real roast, and the rest of the veggies were traditionally roasted, and there was broccoli and gravy to boot, so it felt like a traditional Sunday roast. And the whole was followed up by some baked pears coated in chocolate sauce with marzipan and raspberry ice cream, so it was altogether a very scrumptious meal.
In fact, it was one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time. Thanks guys!
Hilary is a vegetarian, so it was never going to be a traditional roast, but we had the loveliest nut roast I have ever tasted. Well, it’s the only nut roast I’ve ever tasted, but it was flavoursome enough to more than rival a real roast, and the rest of the veggies were traditionally roasted, and there was broccoli and gravy to boot, so it felt like a traditional Sunday roast. And the whole was followed up by some baked pears coated in chocolate sauce with marzipan and raspberry ice cream, so it was altogether a very scrumptious meal.
In fact, it was one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time. Thanks guys!
Sunday 10 February 2008
Thoughts on Fire
On Saturday night, a part of the Camden Markets caught fire, 
which is but a stones’ throw from my house. It was a very impressive fire, the flames reached at least 30 feet above the three story buildings and smoke poured out everywhere. It caught on extremely fast and burnt a lot of property, but I’ve got to admit, I was a little blasé about the whole thing.
Camden was as usual over-crowded with tourists, who were all unceremoniously evicted from their evenings drinking, so there were a lot of people just hanging around, fascinated by the pretty fire. But it was the matter of a couple of hours’ coverage on the news channel and that was it. The destruction of the very old stables area would have been a great loss to the cultural experience of this city but it was mainly warehouses, and after all, it is just property - no lives were lost. The most annoying things really was that the streets surrounding the incident have been blocked off ever since so getting around has been that much harder. Camden always smells, it just smells a little differently at the moment is all...
However, what it did do was remind me very strongly of the
Canberra fires in 2003. Four days of pacing at home, terrified that we may lose our house, watching a blood red sky for any sign that the black soot falling had embers attached, hosing down the house along with every other person in the street, all our precious possessions dumped into our cars with the electric garage door always open in case the power went... nothing I think could ever come close to that.
Well, I certinaly hope that I never have to experience anything like that again. It wasn't for the faint of heart!
Mind you, the real sense of community and of belonging that
occurred was amazing too. With 530 homes lost, everyone that wasn’t affected knew someone that was, and donated every spare piece of property they had without a second thought. One of the guys at work lost everything, and the office raised a considerable sum to help out. And I remember a call going out over the radio for people to please stop donating to one of the animal shelters as it had enough food to last the new inhabitants for over a year. It was as if everyone found their higher selves and gave freely without thought.
I guess the biggest impact for me from the Camden fire was
that it made me think a lot about home and of the people I’ve left back there. The people are all that matter after all. Possessions can always be replaced and houses rebuilt. Photos are more difficult I’ll grant you, but our lives live within us after all...
So I guess I’m just wanting to let you all know that I’m thinking of you and that I hope you are well.
Take care of yourselves. Love always, Kat.
which is but a stones’ throw from my house. It was a very impressive fire, the flames reached at least 30 feet above the three story buildings and smoke poured out everywhere. It caught on extremely fast and burnt a lot of property, but I’ve got to admit, I was a little blasé about the whole thing.Camden was as usual over-crowded with tourists, who were all unceremoniously evicted from their evenings drinking, so there were a lot of people just hanging around, fascinated by the pretty fire. But it was the matter of a couple of hours’ coverage on the news channel and that was it. The destruction of the very old stables area would have been a great loss to the cultural experience of this city but it was mainly warehouses, and after all, it is just property - no lives were lost. The most annoying things really was that the streets surrounding the incident have been blocked off ever since so getting around has been that much harder. Camden always smells, it just smells a little differently at the moment is all...
However, what it did do was remind me very strongly of the
Canberra fires in 2003. Four days of pacing at home, terrified that we may lose our house, watching a blood red sky for any sign that the black soot falling had embers attached, hosing down the house along with every other person in the street, all our precious possessions dumped into our cars with the electric garage door always open in case the power went... nothing I think could ever come close to that.
Well, I certinaly hope that I never have to experience anything like that again. It wasn't for the faint of heart!
Mind you, the real sense of community and of belonging that
occurred was amazing too. With 530 homes lost, everyone that wasn’t affected knew someone that was, and donated every spare piece of property they had without a second thought. One of the guys at work lost everything, and the office raised a considerable sum to help out. And I remember a call going out over the radio for people to please stop donating to one of the animal shelters as it had enough food to last the new inhabitants for over a year. It was as if everyone found their higher selves and gave freely without thought.
I guess the biggest impact for me from the Camden fire was
that it made me think a lot about home and of the people I’ve left back there. The people are all that matter after all. Possessions can always be replaced and houses rebuilt. Photos are more difficult I’ll grant you, but our lives live within us after all...
So I guess I’m just wanting to let you all know that I’m thinking of you and that I hope you are well.
Take care of yourselves. Love always, Kat.
Friday 8 February 2008
Wagamama
I have been to Wagamama in Sydney with Emma on several occasions, and always enjoyed the food there, but I hadn't managed to try the UK version until today. It was just as good.
I had a Ginger Chicken Udon which was really lovely and which I'm sure boosted my immune system ten fold because I feel a lot better. Whilst it's not the best place to have a quiet meal (lots of people talking animatedly does tend to create a bit of a din) it is good, reasonably priced food and I loved it. The Tiger beer was tasty too.
Another lovely night out in London Town.
I had a Ginger Chicken Udon which was really lovely and which I'm sure boosted my immune system ten fold because I feel a lot better. Whilst it's not the best place to have a quiet meal (lots of people talking animatedly does tend to create a bit of a din) it is good, reasonably priced food and I loved it. The Tiger beer was tasty too.
Another lovely night out in London Town.
I couldn't remember what the bean things were Em - you'll have to let me know so I can look for them next time.
Wednesday 6 February 2008
Hello, Death Warmed Up Here!
I have yet another lurgy. This is, I think, my third in a row. They're all kinda running together but I'm sure I've almost recovered twice now and have succumbed again... The first two I managed to keep to a level where they were only mild irritants, not major inconveniences. This one has hit me hard and my body has totally succumbed to the virus.
I know, I know, it is to be expected. This is my first winter in a foreign city that has roughly 25 times the number of people as that of my last place of residence and hence 25 times the number of strange and exotic bugs and nasties that my immune system is running scared of, but I do so wish I could be done with being ill. It's getting very annoying not to mention exhausting. This one has a hacking cough that makes it feel like someone is wacking a pick-axe in my head with every honk, my chest feels like it's bruised, my sinuses like someone has been applying liquid fire to them and my eyes are full of pins.
Gah!
In a city of at least 7.5 million people, you'd think the damn colds could find someone else's body to take over. Give me a break... just a little one would be ok. A week maybe? A day even would be acceptable.... Please!?!
I know, I know, it is to be expected. This is my first winter in a foreign city that has roughly 25 times the number of people as that of my last place of residence and hence 25 times the number of strange and exotic bugs and nasties that my immune system is running scared of, but I do so wish I could be done with being ill. It's getting very annoying not to mention exhausting. This one has a hacking cough that makes it feel like someone is wacking a pick-axe in my head with every honk, my chest feels like it's bruised, my sinuses like someone has been applying liquid fire to them and my eyes are full of pins.
Gah!
In a city of at least 7.5 million people, you'd think the damn colds could find someone else's body to take over. Give me a break... just a little one would be ok. A week maybe? A day even would be acceptable.... Please!?!
Monday 4 February 2008
The Demon Barber of Fleet . . . Street
Not sure that the most appropriate emotion to have coming out of the cinema was joy nor the most appropriate expression a grin but I had both. I really enjoyed Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. I've read some criticisms of it, and yes it wasn't perfect, but it was satisfyingly good. Most of the songs from the musical were there, the actors did a great job of singing and acting at the same time, and being a Tim Burton's film, it was as atmospheric and moody as you could wish for. I liked how dark Johnny Depp was as Sweeny, and Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett and Alan Rickman as Judge Turpin were as disturbing and repulsive as they should be. Add to that literally gallons of blood and quite grisly ends for everyone and it was as true to the original as it could be. Loved it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)