Wednesday, December 11, 2013

As 22 and 2014 approach ...


 May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art - write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.

(Neil Gaiman)



(Scott Naismith)


Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Far Away Close

Home has become a precious commodity to me lately. Especially since I know there will be one of these with an armchair close by, and quite possibly a cat. All of which I will be able to relish in 3 weeks time.
Victoria Semykina's art, by the way. She's Russian and wondrous.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Thoughts provoked by a movie trailer.

What do I want to do with my life? I don't know what I want to do with my life. I do, however, know some things. Though not many. I'm learning.
I  do know that I always want to be living such a way that I am constantly reminding myself and those around me what a bloody brilliant world it is in which we find ourselves. A world that is filled with (extra)ordinary things and people and places, a world filled with violent happiness and fierce tragedy and a large amount of silliness and incalculable possibility. I want to always be pestering people with the thought that we live in a world that is pulsing with life.
I do know that I want to be telling people, as long as I am able, whether with words or music or dancing or art or anything at all, is  that if they do one thing while they are breathing and pumping blood, that one thing should be that they should care and care a lot and keep caring all the days of their lives about this mess we are all a part of.


Saturday, June 29, 2013

Zdraveyte, Zdravo, Mirupafshim ...

Sorry! Sorry! I know, I've not posted once and it's almost been two weeks. I honestly haven't been able to find an internet cafe to upload photos at, and I'd feel terrible hogging a hostel computer and shoving it full of my photos.
Even though I have no photos to share, I have so many stories! In fact, too many to share on here. Although I can say that we have experienced more than a few mishaps and broken down buses and been lost practically the whole time, we have experienced so much kindness in all sorts of ways from all kinds of people. We went to the ballet in Sofia wit Bikchee from Hong Kong, we watched a protest whilst sitting on a socialist statue, climbed a mountain with all our possesions on our backs, swam in a forbidden alpine lake, got stuck in a lightning/thunder/hail storm on top of said mountain, gotten lost on the way down from said mountain and taken in by kind ski lodge owners who spoke no english but provided warm beds and food which was more than enough, and even a ride into the nearest town so we could find our way again. We've had personal concerts, had much home-made wine and raki, and spent lots of time listening to awful pop music on crowded buses. We've been walked to hotels by strangers to make sure we would find our way, had our taxi paid for by strangers, and been given so many great pointers and much help.
I should say I have found sufficient evidence this trip to up my opinion of general humanity's goodness.
There has also been beautiful backdrops to all this in the form of alpine forests, ancient cities, crazy geographical phenomenons and so forth, which we have also enjoyed, to say the least.
That's all for now (off to Albania and Corfu!)

Sunday, June 9, 2013

I am much inclined to live from my rucksack and let my trousers fray as they like.

Indeed, Herman.
I'm going to steal this sentiment of Mr. Hesse's and take it as my own. I leave for a stint of travelling in a week. I'm off to Bulgaria, Albania, Bosnia i Herzegovina, Croatia, France, Britain and The Republic of Ireland ... and possibly a couple other countries along the way. I'll be back in time to shackle myself with the irons of education.
I just wanted to let you know that this is where I'll be sharing about the trip. I'm not bringing a computer, so posts may be far and few between, but I'll try and eke out a couple of them. I'm not gone that long ... but for those who are far away from me whether I'm abroad or not, I hope you'll enjoy this in lieu of first hand information.
Till then.