Friday, December 15, 2006
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Things to Do
I've booked my ticket! I will be flying out of the country on New Years Eve [will see in the NY 35,000ft above Dubai... I hope I get a drink!] What a great way to start a new Year. Feels good.
Of course there's the usual tiresome stuff to do before I leave...
1. Find Passport! Easy - under the bed with all my other important documents.
2. Get visa: Already done! Oh yes, and it's shiney and laminated - mmm mmmm! I do like a Visa that really looks like it means something. I feel slightly cheated with the smudgy stamp one often receives [smile] - it could say anything! How do I show off my global credentials with a blemish?! I'm happy to say, my Filipino Visa looks truly cultivated!
3. Get travel insurance. Ugh - it seems so defeatist to pay for something you don't plan to do. Yes, I understand the logic behind it - but it's giving-in to the inevitability of the Dark Side. I have a sneaking suspicion that if I am not insured, nothing bad will happen to me! [Ha!]
4. Go to the Dentist: ONCE AGAIN! You don't go to the Doctor unless you are ILL! Why do I have to go to the dentist? Huh? Why goddammit?! I last went to the dentist 3 years ago [cos my mother made me!], my previous visit was two years earlier [cos I had tooth-ache - I have no serious ethical objections to this visit, although he did make me watch American cartoons] before that, there was a gap of 16 years [ie. since the last time my mother made me] and you know what? Nothing bad happened! It doesn't make sense, your teeth aren't going be any better just cos some bloke looks at them, are they?
errrrr, what else was there? I'm sure there was more, there's always more... ahhh yes,
5. Learn how to use my camera: this should be easy, after all, the instruction booklet is a veritable epic. The War & Peace of Photography! An Odyssey into Visual Representation! A Saga of Similitude! 1,847 pages of the most intensely boring prose you could ever imagine - o joy. I was going to quote a particularly stodgy bit for effect - but the world doesn't deserve it. Besides, a quote wouldn't convey the sheer scale of it's boringness - pages and pages of it... [sigh]
6. Pack: this is always tough. I have a rough idea. The temptation is to re-pack exactly what I had last time [smile] and to an extent that's what I'll do. But I have to be realistic: quite a few of those items are on their last threads and once I'm wearing them daily they'll fall apart in no time.
Some decisions are easy - I only have 2 pairs of shorts - so they're coming! Some decisions will be hard: there's only room for 1 long-sleeved top. Ay there's the rub. My apple-green hoodie? It's my fave, but thick and doesn't roll up small. My white hoodie? Rolls up small... but it's new - I haven't learnt to love it yet. Or my scruffy blue top - stretched beyond recognition, faded and I adore it, but has no hood! Life is hard.
Now here's a tricky one: I have a favourite t-shirt which I won in a pub [don't ask] in 1996. I love this t-shirt: it fits, it doesn't stretch in the wash and it says 'XLR8' in a tacky-looking stylee on the sleeve - what's not to love! It's been everywhere with me since then... so now it's got 'sentimental value' - which means if it gets nicked I will be upset! So should I leave it behind? But can I go away without it? Yes! These are the things that keep me awake at night!
7. Find out what language they speak in the Philippines. Learn some of it.
I'm being facetious - I've already looked it up. They speak Tagalog, which incorporates some Spanish - which should help me, right? Wrong. The problem is I am not linguistically tuned, but I've been exposed to a lot of languages... and after a while [sorry about this] they all sound the same! My Spanish slips very smoothly into my Franglais! My Greek is remarkably similar to my Indonesian. My Thai - Ha! I actually ORDERED "Cat & Rice" at a food stall. Luckily they realised I'd made a mistake and gave me "Snake on a Stick" instead.
8. Get a plan.
[chortle] I'm joking! That's one thing I'm definitely not taking! The future starts here...
Of course there's the usual tiresome stuff to do before I leave...
1. Find Passport! Easy - under the bed with all my other important documents.
2. Get visa: Already done! Oh yes, and it's shiney and laminated - mmm mmmm! I do like a Visa that really looks like it means something. I feel slightly cheated with the smudgy stamp one often receives [smile] - it could say anything! How do I show off my global credentials with a blemish?! I'm happy to say, my Filipino Visa looks truly cultivated!
3. Get travel insurance. Ugh - it seems so defeatist to pay for something you don't plan to do. Yes, I understand the logic behind it - but it's giving-in to the inevitability of the Dark Side. I have a sneaking suspicion that if I am not insured, nothing bad will happen to me! [Ha!]
4. Go to the Dentist: ONCE AGAIN! You don't go to the Doctor unless you are ILL! Why do I have to go to the dentist? Huh? Why goddammit?! I last went to the dentist 3 years ago [cos my mother made me!], my previous visit was two years earlier [cos I had tooth-ache - I have no serious ethical objections to this visit, although he did make me watch American cartoons] before that, there was a gap of 16 years [ie. since the last time my mother made me] and you know what? Nothing bad happened! It doesn't make sense, your teeth aren't going be any better just cos some bloke looks at them, are they?
errrrr, what else was there? I'm sure there was more, there's always more... ahhh yes,
5. Learn how to use my camera: this should be easy, after all, the instruction booklet is a veritable epic. The War & Peace of Photography! An Odyssey into Visual Representation! A Saga of Similitude! 1,847 pages of the most intensely boring prose you could ever imagine - o joy. I was going to quote a particularly stodgy bit for effect - but the world doesn't deserve it. Besides, a quote wouldn't convey the sheer scale of it's boringness - pages and pages of it... [sigh]
6. Pack: this is always tough. I have a rough idea. The temptation is to re-pack exactly what I had last time [smile] and to an extent that's what I'll do. But I have to be realistic: quite a few of those items are on their last threads and once I'm wearing them daily they'll fall apart in no time.
Some decisions are easy - I only have 2 pairs of shorts - so they're coming! Some decisions will be hard: there's only room for 1 long-sleeved top. Ay there's the rub. My apple-green hoodie? It's my fave, but thick and doesn't roll up small. My white hoodie? Rolls up small... but it's new - I haven't learnt to love it yet. Or my scruffy blue top - stretched beyond recognition, faded and I adore it, but has no hood! Life is hard.
Now here's a tricky one: I have a favourite t-shirt which I won in a pub [don't ask] in 1996. I love this t-shirt: it fits, it doesn't stretch in the wash and it says 'XLR8' in a tacky-looking stylee on the sleeve - what's not to love! It's been everywhere with me since then... so now it's got 'sentimental value' - which means if it gets nicked I will be upset! So should I leave it behind? But can I go away without it? Yes! These are the things that keep me awake at night!
7. Find out what language they speak in the Philippines. Learn some of it.
I'm being facetious - I've already looked it up. They speak Tagalog, which incorporates some Spanish - which should help me, right? Wrong. The problem is I am not linguistically tuned, but I've been exposed to a lot of languages... and after a while [sorry about this] they all sound the same! My Spanish slips very smoothly into my Franglais! My Greek is remarkably similar to my Indonesian. My Thai - Ha! I actually ORDERED "Cat & Rice" at a food stall. Luckily they realised I'd made a mistake and gave me "Snake on a Stick" instead.
8. Get a plan.
[chortle] I'm joking! That's one thing I'm definitely not taking! The future starts here...
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Monday, November 13, 2006
Friday, November 10, 2006
I go around around around...
I haven't blogged in ages. Not sure why! I still read lots of blogs [loving you all!] and still regularly remind myself to sit down & write one [smile] but to no avail. I guess I've had lots on my mind recently.
I am leaving the country again soon [not sure exactly when - nothing is booked yet. Not sure exactly where! Although the Philippines is looking like a strong contender] which I am both looking forward to and daunted by!
Yes! Me! Daunted! Well it's true, I will be moving out of my flat next weekend and I feel weird about that, I will be giving up work about the same time and most of all, over the next week or so, I will be saying good-bye to lots of friends.
But what really scares me, is that moment [coming soon] when I will be getting on the plane, just me and my [beloved] pack and setting out 'into the world' once again - homeless, friendless and aimless [grin].
Of course I can be rational! I am not an urban creature! I know that! I am a wanderer and when I get moving I will be fine. In fact [if past experiences are anything to go by] I will quickly feel more comfortable and 'at home' than I have done since I last got back! But that doesn't make it any easier...
Recently, I have been corresponding with a good friend who has been doing some soul-searching with regard to his choices and how he makes them. We have both come to the conclusion that happiness is not something that just happens to you. Happiness is something that we must actively choose and pursue. The irony is that the steps needed to pursue that happiness may not be happy ones! That is how I feel right now. I want to leave, I believe that I need to leave in order to pursue my happiness. But leaving anywhere is never easy.
I am leaving the country again soon [not sure exactly when - nothing is booked yet. Not sure exactly where! Although the Philippines is looking like a strong contender] which I am both looking forward to and daunted by!
Yes! Me! Daunted! Well it's true, I will be moving out of my flat next weekend and I feel weird about that, I will be giving up work about the same time and most of all, over the next week or so, I will be saying good-bye to lots of friends.
But what really scares me, is that moment [coming soon] when I will be getting on the plane, just me and my [beloved] pack and setting out 'into the world' once again - homeless, friendless and aimless [grin].
Of course I can be rational! I am not an urban creature! I know that! I am a wanderer and when I get moving I will be fine. In fact [if past experiences are anything to go by] I will quickly feel more comfortable and 'at home' than I have done since I last got back! But that doesn't make it any easier...
Recently, I have been corresponding with a good friend who has been doing some soul-searching with regard to his choices and how he makes them. We have both come to the conclusion that happiness is not something that just happens to you. Happiness is something that we must actively choose and pursue. The irony is that the steps needed to pursue that happiness may not be happy ones! That is how I feel right now. I want to leave, I believe that I need to leave in order to pursue my happiness. But leaving anywhere is never easy.
Monday, October 30, 2006
smile
Saw a man in the Bank last week, who made me smile. He was in his 70's, wearing the obligatory OAP-issue beige slacks and matching anorak! He carried a rather nicely carved walking stick in hand, tweed flat-cap and... most surprisingly, peeping out from under his anorak was a bright blue Superman tee-shirt! Stylish! I was impressed!
il a fini
The tattoo is finished! Ok, so still no pictures... [coming soon I promise!] cos it's still a bit angry & scabby-looking, but it is finished and it IS most, most awesome!
Ibuprofen is a truly wonderful thing [grin] and with it's assistance the final 4 [FOUR! Crikey!] hours actually went quite smoothly. It was quieter in the shop too, which meant I got to be nosey and listen-in to all the work going on around me!
T was in his 40's - he had three 'delightful' tattoos on his arm [smile]: a stunning football emblem [grin] which I suspect may have been a prison tattoo; a very smudgy bulldog ["I was 17 and drunk" he told me, with a wry smile] and the tour de force - an Olde English stylee 'Mum' on the shoulder. He was in for a full cover-up sleeve from Miss N, the Japanese expert! She spent about 3 hours drawing on him in felt pen, before she started [only the outlines this session]. T looked very tense when we first arrived and it was wonderful to watch him visibly relax as lithe carp, delicate water-lilies and smokey bubbles slowly appeared from the jumble of pen strokes.
M had come over from Holland specifically to be tattooed by Mr Z. His design was an intriguingly sci-fi style pattern of interlocking cubes and lightening - sort of M.C. Escher meets Captain Marvel.
Mr Z is an art gallery all of his own - two densely inked black sleeves that met across his chest, facial tattoos across both cheekbones, up the bridge of his nose and onto his forehead and [the one that really made me wince] a curved shape around the back of his ear which spiked down his neck.
It's quite a statement to have such extensive ink work. I was impressed by his commitment: when you decide on facial tattoos you are quite clearly saying you will never be 'mainstream': never work in an office; never do any kind of public or customer service... it's a lifestyle choice that most would not be brave enough to make.
I spent some time trying to imagine what it would feel like to be 'the tattooed bloke' - because that's all that most people will see. I don't mean that in a bad way - but it's true! Even as a tattoo-fan my first impression of Mr Z was a little bit scary, a tough guy, maybe aggressive... those impressions were quickly shattered when he started talking of course! But it must be hard to meet those kind of preconceptions everywhere you go.
Then it occurred to me that [when I show it] I will be definitely be 'the tattooed girl'. I have mixed feelings about this. Obviously I was aware from the start that this is something people are going to look at - and, in all honesty, wanting to be looked-at must be a part of why anyone has a tattoo. But still - even though I co-designed it and knew exactly how big it would be - now it's finished even I am quite shocked by just how big and how bright it is! It's pretty damn hard to miss. I am going to have to find my way of dealing with comments & stares [that's one good thing about having it on my back - I will be unaware of most of the pointing!] and I am not yet sure of how that will be. Also, since the design features some Chinese calligraphy I am going to have to decide what to say when I'm asked what it means. It won't be the truth! I think that will remain my pleasure! But my fave potential answers so far are:
"Chicken in Yellow Bean sauce" - cos it saves time on the way home from the pub!
"I'm with stupid" - Te-he!
"Nothing is permanent" - oooooh! Verging on smart-arse but that appeals to me!
"Made in Sussex" - obvious, but strangely classy!
and the best one [courtesy of Mathew] simply "Rudegirl"!
Further witty suggestions on a postcard please!
So now I have the itching to look forward to [nooOOOooo!] and then lots of showing off to do! Hurrah!
Ibuprofen is a truly wonderful thing [grin] and with it's assistance the final 4 [FOUR! Crikey!] hours actually went quite smoothly. It was quieter in the shop too, which meant I got to be nosey and listen-in to all the work going on around me!
T was in his 40's - he had three 'delightful' tattoos on his arm [smile]: a stunning football emblem [grin] which I suspect may have been a prison tattoo; a very smudgy bulldog ["I was 17 and drunk" he told me, with a wry smile] and the tour de force - an Olde English stylee 'Mum' on the shoulder. He was in for a full cover-up sleeve from Miss N, the Japanese expert! She spent about 3 hours drawing on him in felt pen, before she started [only the outlines this session]. T looked very tense when we first arrived and it was wonderful to watch him visibly relax as lithe carp, delicate water-lilies and smokey bubbles slowly appeared from the jumble of pen strokes.
M had come over from Holland specifically to be tattooed by Mr Z. His design was an intriguingly sci-fi style pattern of interlocking cubes and lightening - sort of M.C. Escher meets Captain Marvel.
Mr Z is an art gallery all of his own - two densely inked black sleeves that met across his chest, facial tattoos across both cheekbones, up the bridge of his nose and onto his forehead and [the one that really made me wince] a curved shape around the back of his ear which spiked down his neck.
It's quite a statement to have such extensive ink work. I was impressed by his commitment: when you decide on facial tattoos you are quite clearly saying you will never be 'mainstream': never work in an office; never do any kind of public or customer service... it's a lifestyle choice that most would not be brave enough to make.
I spent some time trying to imagine what it would feel like to be 'the tattooed bloke' - because that's all that most people will see. I don't mean that in a bad way - but it's true! Even as a tattoo-fan my first impression of Mr Z was a little bit scary, a tough guy, maybe aggressive... those impressions were quickly shattered when he started talking of course! But it must be hard to meet those kind of preconceptions everywhere you go.
Then it occurred to me that [when I show it] I will be definitely be 'the tattooed girl'. I have mixed feelings about this. Obviously I was aware from the start that this is something people are going to look at - and, in all honesty, wanting to be looked-at must be a part of why anyone has a tattoo. But still - even though I co-designed it and knew exactly how big it would be - now it's finished even I am quite shocked by just how big and how bright it is! It's pretty damn hard to miss. I am going to have to find my way of dealing with comments & stares [that's one good thing about having it on my back - I will be unaware of most of the pointing!] and I am not yet sure of how that will be. Also, since the design features some Chinese calligraphy I am going to have to decide what to say when I'm asked what it means. It won't be the truth! I think that will remain my pleasure! But my fave potential answers so far are:
"Chicken in Yellow Bean sauce" - cos it saves time on the way home from the pub!
"I'm with stupid" - Te-he!
"Nothing is permanent" - oooooh! Verging on smart-arse but that appeals to me!
"Made in Sussex" - obvious, but strangely classy!
and the best one [courtesy of Mathew] simply "Rudegirl"!
Further witty suggestions on a postcard please!
So now I have the itching to look forward to [nooOOOooo!] and then lots of showing off to do! Hurrah!
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