Culture and Madness
First, the madness.
The bombings won't end. Not only has there been the second (failed) attempt, but now policemen have gunned down an innocent man in the Tube. Holy shit. Granted, what that dumbass was doing running from the police I don't know. But still, the tragedy is staggering. I thought the 7th was going to be an isolated incident, but now I'm suspecting that the troubles might continue. All the more motivation to buy a bike, I guess. Thank god I get paid on Tuesday.
I would like to take a moment to rant about the dumb fucks who leave their bags unattended on the tube. Besides the signs everywhere and the stupid announcement every 10 minutes to mind your personal belongings, there is the fact that there have been fucking BOMBINGS. Now every time some dumb prick forgets his backpack or leaves a large bag of litter somewhere, they have to stop all the trains and bring in the bomb squad to deal with some books and half a pack of gum. There should be a hefty fine or possibly a swift kneecap-batting for the people who leave their shit behind. And they should be condemned to wear a shirt that reads "I'm the reason you were late" every time they use public transport.
Ok, now the culture.
Paul, Justin, Brooke and I all went to see The Woman In Black. It's a play that's been running since 1996 or something on Drury lane. And it is scary. Fantastic stuff. At first I really didn't like the large group of high school kids who were there, but once all those teenage girls started screaming their fool heads off I decided they were exactly what the night called for.
Quick synopsis: the lawyer goes out to the dead spinster's haunted mansion in the boonies to go through her stuff, and gets haunted by the Woman in Black. Turns out the Woman is haunting because her sister, the dead spinster, took the Woman's son away, and then he drowned. Now she haunts the town, and whenever she is seen a child dies. All this is told by the lawyer who is now an old man and has written it all down. He has come to an actor to help him tell the story, and they are rehearsing the play they will make. Their rehearsals are the story, so every now and then the action stops, the lights come up, and they discuss. At the end, of course, the actor (who has been playing the role of the lawyer) see the Woman in Black, and now his son is doomed. Curtain.
The acting was great. The old man played a dozen roles with spectacular definition. When he's the coachman, I swear his chin grows an inch at least. The lights were cleaver, and the sound design was spot on. At one point there is supposed to be the sound of a rocking chair from upstairs. The sound they used for the rocking chair was a fetal heartbeat. Brilliant.
Being a theatre geek (noticing things like the heartbeat: I'd bet no one else there did) means that bad theatre is torture, but good theatre is made all the better. And this was good theatre.
The next night Brooke and I went to the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. The Proms is some kind of big annual symphony. The big crescendos were fun, but I find classical to be background music. It was a beautiful symphony, don't get me wrong. But halfway through each piece I'd realize I had forgotten I was supposed to be watching the performers and I was just staring around at that fantastic Hall. Good times, but I'm not really a symphony person. If I'm going to watch live music, I want it to rock. Classical is what I put on when I need to think. The Royal Albert Hall was, of course, magnificent. I'd love to see something else there.
Today we went to the Portabello Market, the oldest market in Briton. About a mile long, it's just little stalls set up along a narrow street. Beautiful section of town, and neat stuff. Lots of antiques and jewelry. There was one store that was all authentic medieval weapons. A total SCA wet dream. The guy who runs it is a total dick and won't let anyone inside unless they are actually going to buy something. Granted the place was tiny, but come ON! I just want to look for a minute. I didn't even get to see what the prices were. Ass.
All in all, good times. I'm staying safe and being smart. My Tube lines haven't been targeted yet, and I'm hoping that I'm far enough off the beaten track that they'll stay that way.
Things progress with work nicely. There was more talk about sending me to the Very Exotic Place, and I should know for sure soon. I might even be able to tell you where it is (they made me delete it last time I wrote it here. stupid Google finding my blog...).
Justing leaves soon. I get my room back!!! Patience, patience...
Word.
The bombings won't end. Not only has there been the second (failed) attempt, but now policemen have gunned down an innocent man in the Tube. Holy shit. Granted, what that dumbass was doing running from the police I don't know. But still, the tragedy is staggering. I thought the 7th was going to be an isolated incident, but now I'm suspecting that the troubles might continue. All the more motivation to buy a bike, I guess. Thank god I get paid on Tuesday.
I would like to take a moment to rant about the dumb fucks who leave their bags unattended on the tube. Besides the signs everywhere and the stupid announcement every 10 minutes to mind your personal belongings, there is the fact that there have been fucking BOMBINGS. Now every time some dumb prick forgets his backpack or leaves a large bag of litter somewhere, they have to stop all the trains and bring in the bomb squad to deal with some books and half a pack of gum. There should be a hefty fine or possibly a swift kneecap-batting for the people who leave their shit behind. And they should be condemned to wear a shirt that reads "I'm the reason you were late" every time they use public transport.
Ok, now the culture.
Paul, Justin, Brooke and I all went to see The Woman In Black. It's a play that's been running since 1996 or something on Drury lane. And it is scary. Fantastic stuff. At first I really didn't like the large group of high school kids who were there, but once all those teenage girls started screaming their fool heads off I decided they were exactly what the night called for.
Quick synopsis: the lawyer goes out to the dead spinster's haunted mansion in the boonies to go through her stuff, and gets haunted by the Woman in Black. Turns out the Woman is haunting because her sister, the dead spinster, took the Woman's son away, and then he drowned. Now she haunts the town, and whenever she is seen a child dies. All this is told by the lawyer who is now an old man and has written it all down. He has come to an actor to help him tell the story, and they are rehearsing the play they will make. Their rehearsals are the story, so every now and then the action stops, the lights come up, and they discuss. At the end, of course, the actor (who has been playing the role of the lawyer) see the Woman in Black, and now his son is doomed. Curtain.
The acting was great. The old man played a dozen roles with spectacular definition. When he's the coachman, I swear his chin grows an inch at least. The lights were cleaver, and the sound design was spot on. At one point there is supposed to be the sound of a rocking chair from upstairs. The sound they used for the rocking chair was a fetal heartbeat. Brilliant.
Being a theatre geek (noticing things like the heartbeat: I'd bet no one else there did) means that bad theatre is torture, but good theatre is made all the better. And this was good theatre.
The next night Brooke and I went to the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. The Proms is some kind of big annual symphony. The big crescendos were fun, but I find classical to be background music. It was a beautiful symphony, don't get me wrong. But halfway through each piece I'd realize I had forgotten I was supposed to be watching the performers and I was just staring around at that fantastic Hall. Good times, but I'm not really a symphony person. If I'm going to watch live music, I want it to rock. Classical is what I put on when I need to think. The Royal Albert Hall was, of course, magnificent. I'd love to see something else there.
Today we went to the Portabello Market, the oldest market in Briton. About a mile long, it's just little stalls set up along a narrow street. Beautiful section of town, and neat stuff. Lots of antiques and jewelry. There was one store that was all authentic medieval weapons. A total SCA wet dream. The guy who runs it is a total dick and won't let anyone inside unless they are actually going to buy something. Granted the place was tiny, but come ON! I just want to look for a minute. I didn't even get to see what the prices were. Ass.
All in all, good times. I'm staying safe and being smart. My Tube lines haven't been targeted yet, and I'm hoping that I'm far enough off the beaten track that they'll stay that way.
Things progress with work nicely. There was more talk about sending me to the Very Exotic Place, and I should know for sure soon. I might even be able to tell you where it is (they made me delete it last time I wrote it here. stupid Google finding my blog...).
Justing leaves soon. I get my room back!!! Patience, patience...
Word.
posted by BAA at 1:51 PM
4 Comments:
HI Brett, Finally got the dinosaur I use to communicate with the world wide web to open your true blog page! Glad to hear you are staying out of the line of fire, so to speak. Scary times over there. Would be happy to pass the hat to generate funds for the bike if it will keep you off the tube and those damn double decker busses.
Thanks for the hellos on Kimmie's site. Take care and all that.
Paula
Hi Brett, this is Robin from the UI, discovered your blog quite by accident today via a post by Chelsea on Trinity's myspace page. Glad you are safe and unharmed in London and still having fun over there. I spent most of this summer at CSF in Boulder, had a fabulous time, going back to Idaho is going to be tough. Anyway, I'm hanging out at my parents' new place in Fairbanks, AK until school starts up again. It's pretty nice up here in the summer, although it never gets dark outside.
e-mail me sometime if you want, I'll write back.
~Robin
seef7939@uidaho.edu
brett,
i thought i told you not to take the tube! stick to black cabs...do i have to come to london and school you?! don't test me young man, i'll do it. i have a passport.
just winding you up, mate. i ken that you know how to take care of yourself and that you'll be fine.
miss you loads.
ta ta
If you stop taking the tube they win. Fuck them. Anyway I have seen the play the Woman in Black and it almost made me cry I was so scared. They had the woman enter from all over the house (because it was a pretty huge theatre with ailes all over and exit doors) We were in the front, right hand side of the second section (like where the seats start to really become stadium seating in movie theatres) and she entered right in front of me with no warning and she slipped in the door without it seeming to open!!!! I nearly peed! I tried to climb out of my seat over my friends. That play truly rules. I have never been so scared inside a theatre in my life. More theatre should do that.
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