dig for fire

I had a lovely post in my head about riding home on the bus tonight, watching the rain stream down the windows as we crossed over the bridge from Gateshead into Newcastle, seeing the Millenium Bridge lit up, colours dancing on the water…

Then I got home, opened a letter from the post office. They are holding the parcel my mother sent, and I had to pay £50 to get it released, while it cost $150 to send in the first place.  Oh, and if I’m good I shall get it next week.  Oi! The lovely gingerbread men dancing around in my head all stopped dead and were replaced by…I don’t know, something unpleasant. I don’t want to give anymore money to this postal service, so I may decide not to send cards this holiday season. Although I love receiving mail. Bugger!

Anyway, the trip to Sheffield was alright, not spectacular and not worth a 3.5 hour bus ride for sure. I now have to clean my hovel and have it respectable as I’m having a house guest for the weekend. Good thing I did laundry this week. Perhaps I shall attempt lighting my carrot scented candle to mask other smells that seem to be coming from the kitchen at the moment.

Later I shall upload some interesting pictures from the day. Includes a statue made of spoons and forks. Woot!

and i fell so deep within it i got lost inside it all

So today: insert large portions of yesterday, except substitute the bar for going to see the play Much Ado About Nothing.

It was fantastic. I have seen Much Ado About Nothing twice, once adapted and once in its original form. Tonight the performance was in the latter, and I honestly was gobsmacked with the intensity, yet humour of the actors and their ability to wow me with words. It was put on in a small theatre (funnily enough next to a museum I’m thinking about doing my placement in) and put on by a theatre group from the university, non drama students though. It’d been awhile since I had been to a Shakespearean play, a long while, and I remembered why I love them so. Sometimes its just nice to get caught up in the language.

I’ve been gone quite literally all day. After classes today I had a curatorship meeting, which ended up lasting two hours, as we’ve sub-divided into groups and there are our of us in charge of writing the “exhibition brief” which will define a more coherent theme, aims, etc. Then we pitch it back to the group next week. I’m really excited how things are going so hopefully next week everyone else will be on board as well.

Tomorrow I’m going to Sheffield with my class. Not overly keen on the whole day, 8-8 being taken when I have piles, and piles of things that need sorting but the museums and galleries look quite fine. If my camera behaves perhaps I will be able to share some pictures.

Still, all the good that came with this day was made officially sweet with perhaps one of the longest, yet finest, emails I have received in some time.

I heard from my friend Bre who had not been speaking with Annie and I since we left uni, despite numerous attempts on our part to get in touch, which was very odd as having lived together or 4 years it was weird not hearing from her. She just kind of dropped off the face of the earth. Long story short, she is happy and healthy and quite near to being engaged from the sounds of it. She was recounting how her partner has two kids and even through the words on the screen I could see her face swell in happiness as she told me about them all and how much she loved them and how they are all moving into a house in the coming months.

The very first time we met, we ended up staying up all night eating ice cream, watching tv and listening to music in residence, she proclaimed her goal in life was to have as many kids as possible and shower them with love. One of my favourite lines from the email…You know how I am with babies. No worries, I’m not gonna start pumping any of them out until at least 4 years from now.

I can honestly say reading her words and hearing how happy she is I don’t think I’ve ever really been that happy for someone in a while. She deserves it.

So to conclude: today I realized how much I am in love with words and how even the simplest thing such as reading an email saying I miss you will cause a smile, and a lump in the throat. What word, phrase or sentence even, will always put a smile on your face?

Wow, this is rather sweet. Don’t worry, tomorrow I return to (jolly) cynicism.

hey, i know you…randomly

Tonight. Was. So. Much. Fun.

I don’t know why I haven’t been going to the more of the international pub crawls. Although there was no crawling involved tonight, we stayed at one very cool bar and it was rather sublime. They were playing JAMC.

I met a local artist and had a very in depth conversation about contemporary art and then got side tracked by talking about graffiti. I also told her about our exhibition and she said she’d be interested in contributing. Yay! I have a list of links and address to source out now. Exciting!

She started out the conversation asking me (being from Canada and all) if I’d seen any bears. I told her no, but that she was the second person to ask me this today. So I in turn asked her if when you think of Canada you immediately think bears. Turns out, yes. Really? Okay. Cool.

Also everyone in the international crowd mistakes me for German. Which makes a little sense as most of my friends are German. I just find this funny. Yet I pulled out my Canadian linguistic styling tonight. Sharing the words, tuque, and chesterfield and apparently I say “dancing” weird.

So, good times, good times.

yue. blue. Cause I wanna put it up on the TV screen.

There are certain words, or phrases when said by certain individuals that will just make me cry at the drop of a hat.

Lately everytime I speak with my mom I end up getting off the phone in tears. Not tears from arguments just you know, tears. I’d been trying to reach them for a bit, they were away in the States and their phones didn’t work so when I finally got a call just now it was really nice to hear a friendly voice.

Much like myself my mom loves to chat, and we often times find ourselves getting into ridiculous conversations. Today for instance discussing which type of spatula works best for cooking. And remember that one time you managed to burn rice crispy squares. Yes. Yes I do.

Then of course we talked about the holidays, and how myself nor the other offspring will be home. Shall be quiet this year. Yeah. She told me a package of goodies should be coming my way soon via post and that in it contained a “special candle”, and that they had the same one at home, so when each of us should light it we would think of the other.

Cheesy I know, but enter the silent cry on my part as she continued to speak. You sound like you have a cold. We had done the candle tradition when my grandmother passed and it always held a distinct spot on the mantel, year round. I will have to clear up my bookshelf. Good timing too, as chocolate candle is nearly dead.

Anyway, my head is full as is been a really long, but great day at school, which ended with going out to tea with two of my friends and I’m off now for drinks! Also most excited about having the morning off tomorrow. Hu-freaking-zzah.

Hope everyone is having a spectacular Wednesday!

oh asclepius

I was just typing up the minutes for a meeting I was at today. Even though I was the one taking notes I was surprised when I read this line.

Allison agreed to set up (and maintain) a blog, with the AN for promotion of the exhibition.

I did? Fuck me, I need to start paying more attention to what I volunteer for. Ever agree to something unconsciously? I think I just heard the word blogging and said yes. However, I don’t think the person who proposed the idea knew too much about blogging, so I’m just going to set up something on WordPress and then advertise with art info sites here in Newcastle, which makes sense to me…so we don’t have to pay the subscription fee with the magazines…hopefully others will agree. I also have to think about what to call it, oi.

Today all of our lectures were about words. We learned the theory behind writing and intrepreting labels and text, it was quite fascinating really. One of my favourite labels of the day was this example:

Tartanalia

When you see tartan you immediately think of Scotland.

It is a powerful symbol for Scots – so powerful that the British government once banned people from wearing tartan in Scotland.

Tartan is now a huge success story – it graces the catwalks of London and Paris, and finds its ways into the heart and carrier bag of every visitor to Scotland.

It also helped that I was eating Scottish shortbread at the time. Opposed to this:

Silver Ring Brooch

Inscribed IHESVS NAZARENVS, REX, part of a hoard which was hidden at Canobie, Dumfriesshire, about 1298- 1302. The brooch is an example of new styles coming from Europe.

Although to the point, I want to know a bit more about these hoards of silver and what new styles? Tomorrow in our seminars we get objects, then have to write labels and text panels for them, setting up a mock exhibition…then of course give a powerpoint on it. Which reminds me I need to clean up me desktop if my computer shall be used. Perhaps rename folders, so my narassitic picture tendecies don’t pop up unexceptadly.

Do you read labels/text when you’re visiting a museum/gallery? I know I don’t read everything, I read about 70% of the text, maybe less, depends really.

Wow, that was a little museum geeky. Here are photos to distract.

Sad eyes, eh.

This picture makes me want to watch a Bogart film.

turn around bright eyes

I had a dream last night about an actual situation that happened a few years back. One night after many, many glasses of wine my friends and I ended up in the kitchen singing drunk karaoke to Total Eclipse of the Heart. I think we must have just seen Old School or something. Anyway, everything was identical except for the fact I was using spoons as a musical instrument backup. Don’t ask me why this stood out.

I emailed my friend retelling her about the dream and she wrote me back. Al – you actually were hitting your knee with spoons. I think also a whisk was involved.

Right.

Well good to know my dreams are somewhat based on reality. Oh, and kitchen parties rule.

***

I have a new neighbour! Its one of the girls who lived downstairs, but she’s moved in next door, which is great as I was starting to feel very isolated and the other side of my flat seems to be coming over more into our kitchen. So its starting to feel a little bit more like a house, which is really a great feeling.

Perhaps drunken karaoke is in our future.

happiness isn’t happiness without a violin-playing goat

I can’t sleep.

I’ve been watching too many Richard Curtis films. Huge Grants floppy hair is starting to give me nightmares.

I just got a message from my friend Janette who cannot sleep either. We’re discussing where to go for lunch tomorrow. Damn, I just remembered I have a lunch meeting. No tea for me.

My entire life I hated salt and vinegar chips. Then I discovered Sea Salt and Balsamic Vinegar chips. Yum.

Almost all the sites I watch tv on went down today. I need a more descriptive word than Boo to illustrate my feelings on the matter, yet nothing is coming.

What was your favourite television show growing up? I throughly enjoyed The Popples as a wee child. Here is a porcelain Popple, by Jeff Koons. It sold for $1.2 million.

I knew I was smart not to throw out my Popple bespread.

my teenage heartthrob is having twins

On laundry day I always end up wearing the crappiest thing I own, or the dressiest. Although I didn’t put any dresses on this morning, I did go with a skirt, which believe me is rare, but I figured it would force me to actually do laundry so I wouldn’t have to wear the skirt again tomorrow. Turns out I actually like wearing a skirt.

Other realizations of the day: I own 53 pairs of underwear. I know you all needed that information to complete the rest of your day. I was also surprised to learn I only own 19 pairs of socks. I think more balancing is in order. Oh, and is it just me or is it crazy that it costs £2 to wash and £2 to dry? I did 3 loads. Mr. Noodles for the rest of the week!

I was all set this evening to bake chocolate zucchini bread, however I could not find cocoa or unsweetened chocolate at the market. Boo. So I made chocolate chip cookies instead. I am also considering learning how to bake bread, as bread here last for about 4 days. And putting it in the fridge/freezer makes it worst. They should make single people portions of bread. Half-loaves. As I’m concerned that I am contributing to the obesity of the pigeons, giving them bread crumbs on a regular basis just because I can never finish the bread before it expires.

Do you think its acceptable to pop a collar on a trench coat and not be considered a pop collar? I was contemplating this fact tonight as I walked home in my trench and a strong breeze picked up. I then suddendly had an urge to watch Inspector Gadget.

oh look its huge grant in a box. with a bow too.

I heart my country. I really do. Thanks 668 for reminding me why I love Rick Mercer.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I have sat so much this weekend I feel the need to walk for at least a couple of hours. However, I start a new module tomorrow and believe class runs late and it gets dark now at 4…so I shall get my walk on traipsing back and forth from the laundromat and returning the mountain of books I’ve had out for this essay. Ahhh…sweet release.

On Thursday I’m going to the theatre to see Much Ado About Nothing and next week there is film festival here which I’m excited about and I was just in the kitchen making tea and my flatmate asked me if I wanted to go to one of the screenings being held at the Baltic (which is a contemporary art gallery at the Quayside), so I’m looking forward to that. Its always interesting seeing galleries and museums being used for other events. Plus, its been a long while since I have watched a brilliant film and got a chance to be all film geeky afterwards.

Seen any stand out movies as of late? I can honestly say I haven’t, except for seeing Control back in October. I think I’m going to have to make a visit to the video store and see what I’ve been missing.

what’s my thesis again? buttress that

It amazing when working on something you’re not fully engaged in how not only can you be easily distracted, but how the distraction has to be something that must be accomplished now. This second!

I paused earlier to reflect on a point (and a cool word ‘infotainment’) and suddenly became preoccupied with a chipped finger nail. I subsequently had to trim my nails, file, and polish before I could get back to work. Although that small task was trumped when later on in the afternoon I got up to go to the washroom and ended up cleaning the sink, shower, mirrors etc before I went back to writing.

It reminded me of when I used to study for math exams in high school, I would become distracted by calculating what I needed to pass I would sometimes not fully study. Ever do that while preparing for an exam? Imagine the possibility if I actually used that time productively? Possibilities would be endless.

Essay is almost there. Perhaps when I’m done if I print it in purple ink they will be distracted and awed. I bet even more if I sprayed perfume over it and tied a sprig of holly to the corner. It could work both ways, really, I’m not sure I should risk it.

In other news, Sweet Chili Kettle Chips are perhaps my new favourite thing. They are so deliciously yummy I am not sure how I lived this long without having eaten them. Go out now and buy some, I promise you won’t be sorry. Unless of course you are allergic to wheat, gluten or other spices, then don’t buy them. Oh and also, be sure not to mix the chips with a glass of orange juice. Then you will be sorry and won’t be able to say I didn’t warn you. Because I just did.

The end.