Music Memories: Garbage

This musical memory isn't really for all music by Garbage but rather one particular song "I'm only happy when it rains." For some reason, the summer after my first year at Uni, we listened to that song on repeat and it became our anthem.

Music Memories: Beastie Boys

When I was in University, I applied for a job posting to work in the post office. I was hired on the spot and was scheduled to work Tuesday and Thursday afternoons to start the following week. I turned up at my scheduled time and my new boss started walking OUT of the post office. What?

My first time at Wembley for the FA cup

I will admit that I'm not an avid football fan. I don't have a jersey and I don't have an official team to support. But I am a fan of live sports. So when an extra ticket sprang up for the FA Cup semi-finals Manchester United verses Manchester City, I had to go.

Marathon Magic and the start of my running adventures

Today Marianne and I went to London bridge to see the Marathon. A woman in the crowd asked us if there was someone we knew running in it. There are probably a person or two who might have been but no - I was there to cheer everyone on. My friend who ran in it before said the only thing that kept her going was hearing her name shouted from the crowds. If I could give that same support, I was going to.

Lastbookclub gets Gleick-ed

So today was the first lastbookclub adventure. British Library hosted a reading of The Information by James Gleick. I was slightly late but so was Gleick so it all worked out in the end.

The event started with a reading from the Information. Gleick chose to read a large section from the beginning, which I already read, and also added a few florishes. Next up were some student films - 45 second interpretations of The Information in a visual format. As there were 12 of them and no indication of who made what, it's hard for me to disect them properly but I did think they were hit and miss. BUT a great idea. How many non-fiction books get creative visual interpretations?




Rhys was able to capture the Q&A at the end with Audioboo. I find it's these sections that really bring out the real element of the author and his relationship with his work. A couple of the questions were a bit too self-important for my taste (it was the British Library after all). I wish there were a few questions on why he wrote the book and disected the process/ research but I guess that may be up to me to ask at future readings.

I loved reading a book (or some of it at least) and hearing from the author. Getting the book signed was a bonus - like an author's way of saying thank you. Or at least it is to me. So for future lastbookclub books and events, we'll be picking books (as often as possible) that coinscide with readings by the author. You can read any book by any one but connecting it with events gives our book club endevours a unique flavour.

Want to get reading? Start with The Information and we'll go from there.

Want to join our book club?

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There are many book clubs out there. Ones in libraries, ones at friends houses with candles, cake and crudites, and ones Oprah spreads to the public at large.

Rhys suggested to me the other day that we needed to start a book club mainly because he had books he wanted to read. These books weren't the standard fictional fare but ones that have the distinct possibility of making your brain hurt.

My first ever comic convention

[caption id="attachment_1268" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Photo taken by Ketan Majmudar"][/caption]

Today I experienced my first ever comic convention and in fact the first ever London comic convention, Kapow. Though I had a pass for both days, I could only make it today.

Just before 10 am, I joined the queue for a good 25 minutes with a mix of people - some in costume but mostly guys in t-shirts and jeans - the same guys I'd expect to see at a hack day or any other tech event I've been to in London. I actually expected more costumes but I did see enough people in full make up to feel like I was at an actual comic convention. Of course it's nothing compared to the adventures I'd have in San Diego at the main Comic-Con but it's much easier to get to this London one.

Sunday Stories: The Fight

So we were sitting around talking about writing stories as kids and I thought it would fun to blog a few of those I wrote when I was 10. As this mini play was set in England, it's the most fitting that it would be the first one up.

The Fight

Characters: Tabby Cat (TC) and Yorkshire Terrier (YT)
Time: Mid-afternoon
Place: On a quiet street in an English suburb

(Cat and dog enter from opposite sides)

YT: 'Ello Tabee. 'ow are you?

TC: Oh it's you and your English accent again Yorkshi Porkshi. That's what your owner calls you, isn't it?

YT: All me say is 'ello and ye blow up. Yer such a stupid cat, Tabee.

TC: Ha, you puny little ball of fur. I am more sophisticated AND smarter than you.

YT: Least me don't cough up dose awful fur balls.

TC: Humph! Wll I don't have to wear that ugly plaid hat and coat. (laughs cruelly) You look so stupid YORKSHI PORKSHI! (laughs again)

YT: All ye get is food, Tabee. But me get love an' 'ttention.

TC: Ask anyone. I am better than you.

(Cat flicks her head and leaves with her nose in the air)

YT: There she goes, an' all me said was 'ello.

The joy of when they get it

Being a Canadian writer in the UK has given me a new perspective on word choice. I can definitely say that my vocabulary has increased (my favourites being snog and plunker). But there are some references I don't get and some my audiences don't get as well. The main way I've worked around this is to use my obscure references in a way that readers/ listeners who don't get it, can still understand the poem. Like Simpson-ic poetry.

One of my poems is about how I have the musical tastes of a teenage boy (it's the second poem in this clip that I recorded a couple weeks ago):