Last week a friend and I went along to The Watershed to the film of Lou Reed's stage version of the Berlin album. Being a Grumpy Man DJ the record is of course a bit of a favourite with me, so it was nice to get the chance to see the performance on a big screen. Lou even managed to smile a couple of times, which shocked me.
We've been having quite a few chats recently about happiness and what actually makes you happy. If you have no interest in anything, literally anything - material, spiritual, the natural world, physical well being how can you be happy. Some of us get fulfilment from work, some of us work to earn the money which allows us to indulge our interests or hobbies. If you have no interests or hobbies why would you want to work and you can't think of a job which you would enjoy - what on earth do you do with your time. If time is an endless void with nothing to fill it, what motivates you to get up in the morning? How do you engender a sense of interest and curiosity, where none is naturally forthcoming?
We are off for a long overdue trip to London on Sunday, we shall be staying with Orynthia's Auntie along with two of her cousins. We hope to get along to The Heyward for the Psycho Buildings exhibition and hopefully the Tate Modern as well, it feels like ages since we were there and London, like New York, Paris or Glasgow always manages to offer up a little surprise for us. Hopefully we shall be rid of the miserable weather which looks like afflicting us this week.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Monday, August 04, 2008
Well Bristol was a very social place to be this weekend. On Friday evening I joined Orynthia and her workmates for a river cruise to Beeses Tea Rooms. Much Pirate wear was in evidence, including a rather splendid human representation of a skull and crossbones flag!
Saturday was warm and sunny, perfect conditions for the harbour festival. Tens of thousands thronged the dock area. We saw some nice bands, hooked up with some lovely people and it was even warm enough for Orynthia to eat an Ice Cream, those of you that know her well, will be aware of how unusual an event that is. Highlight of the day though was the 60p ferry across the river which saved us a very long walk.
On Sunday we visited Goldney Hall for the annual Amnesty International fundraiser. It really is one of Bristol’s hidden gem and it was lovely to introduce several long time Bristol residents to it’s spectacular charms.
Those of you that enjoy Murakami would like The Diving Pool by Yoko Ogawa. Three Novellas which leave you with a slightly uneasy feeling, it's her 1st book to published in English, loads more waiting to translated.
Also just read A Moveable Feast by Earnest Hemingway, it's a short memoir of his time in Paris in the 1920's and he hangs out with Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald and others. Very interesting and enjoyable.
Saturday was warm and sunny, perfect conditions for the harbour festival. Tens of thousands thronged the dock area. We saw some nice bands, hooked up with some lovely people and it was even warm enough for Orynthia to eat an Ice Cream, those of you that know her well, will be aware of how unusual an event that is. Highlight of the day though was the 60p ferry across the river which saved us a very long walk.
On Sunday we visited Goldney Hall for the annual Amnesty International fundraiser. It really is one of Bristol’s hidden gem and it was lovely to introduce several long time Bristol residents to it’s spectacular charms.
Those of you that enjoy Murakami would like The Diving Pool by Yoko Ogawa. Three Novellas which leave you with a slightly uneasy feeling, it's her 1st book to published in English, loads more waiting to translated.
Also just read A Moveable Feast by Earnest Hemingway, it's a short memoir of his time in Paris in the 1920's and he hangs out with Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald and others. Very interesting and enjoyable.