Sharon's Back!

So anyway, last Friday I went along to my second 'intermediate' capoeira class. It ended up just being a Rhoda (game) but I had fun anyway. Caboclin, my mestre, jumped in to play me, and I did OK against him. He tried to trip me up, but I held my ground, which was goodish.
Then on Saturdya I had a great breakfast with Jo and later caught up with Tam. Tam, my best mate here, is oing on holiday for the next 3 months (damn him!) to Australia and so on. We are therefore having lots of 'see ya' events such as drinks tomorrow night.
Sunday Sharon arrived back from Canada - after a very long 2 weeks. I met her at the airport, and managed to get us on the wrong (tough only slightly) train back to London. But we got home OK and ended up watching a few videos and going for a walk around the park.
Monday we went along to the Notting Hill Carnival and had a good, if a little crowded and hot, time there. I had Goat curry for lunch, which was VERY yummy, though also VERY greasy. We came across a Capoeira troupe of course (not mine) and they invited me in to play. I went up against a yellow belt (remember I don't have one yet) and within a few moments their mestre had bought into the game with a (very rude) surprise kick! I don't know what I did to get on his ire like that. Anyway, he also tried to trip me up, and I just managed to not land on my arse (and then I pushed him over, not very elegent but it worked :)
Then we went to see Crash, which got me quite angry because of its portrayal of everyone being a complete arsehole. I know I'm a WASP and have been sheilded from complete arseholes (and spell checkers) but I just don't believe it. I also don't see the point in making a film like that. Sharon really liked it - it was certainly powerful and emotional (if you could sympathise with any of the charactesr, which I couldn't because they were all arseholes - did I mention that all the characters where arseholes?)
Finally tonight I went to see Electric Eel Shock, who rock and who were supporting The Dwarves. The Dwarves are a hard core punk band (bassist from Offspring and some other people as well) who get off on being 'out there' 'on the edge' and having one memeber who is naked. Ho hum. When they say hardcore, they don't mean Slayer, they just mean fast and noisy. I probably could have enjoyed them if I hadn't used all my energy on EES, but they just didn't capture me. They didn't even do an encore.

No Sharon

And now I'm bored. and de-motivated - didn't end up going climbing 'cos I was too lazy 'cos I was pining for foreign parts that I've never even been too.
So Sharon left on Sunday the 16th. I rushed off to see The Island (I quite liked it, critics hated it) and Charlie nd th Chocolate Factory (quite true to the book, some nice Roald Dahl moments that I'm surprised americans would like at all). Monday I had off and did the bathroom, or something as riveting.
Tuesday was climbing, and Wednesday was Capoeira. During Cap' Mestre Caboclin told me I should go on Fridays now, because I wasn't getting anything out of the other classes. He also said that my sequences were good enough that I didn't have to worry about graduating - just how many 'points' I get. So that was pretty exciting!
Can't remember Thursday - maybe a movie?
Friday I went to the 'advanced' Cap' class, and also paid for a month (doesn't cost that much less, but encourages one to actually go twice a week). Went home and to sleep ahead of Saturday when I went climbing with Tam. We had a pretty good, if relaxed, climb once we got down to Portland - 4.5 hour drive! it normally takes under 3 - and poor old Tam has to drive the whole thing because of insurance. Fortunately it only took some 2.5 hours to get home again.
Sunday I mainly pottered around. Went for a film - Appleseed (beautiful, ok story)
Monday I pretended to go to Cap' (everyone was going to the pub) but instead went to see Primer, which I really enjoyed, even though the last 15 minutes were very hard to fathom (usually in time travel stories the last 15 minutes clarify everything...)
Tuesday, as I said, I skipped on climbing and hung out at home.
Last Night I had a damn good session of advanced Pilates and Capoeira.

Other stuff - been reading the ruby on rails book. I started downloading the astro stuff, but stopped when 'neek informed me that we already have it, and have been watching 'firefly', a western set in space by the Buffy people, that I am quite enjoying.

motivational posters

www.despair.com
'nuff said

and again...this time in JPG!

Now that works a little better.

alright already!

Hmmm. I don't think that worked. I suspect tiffs aren't supported as standard in browsers. Might have to do that again. Anyway, if you can see the image, it contains Adele, Sharon and Kaia. Adele is Sharon's sister, and Kaia is her niece (via Sarah)

Stuff that's coming

When I get my arse into gear Im going to review FAntastic Four, the Island and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, not to mention Robin Hobb's new book 'Soldier Son'. I'm going to talk about Capoeira and the positive stuff Caboclin said, and I'm going to brag about all the concerts I'm going to go to and the videos I've downloaded (original astroboy!)
One final thing - in the post yesterday came my 1st addition Agile Web development With Ruby on Rails - woohoo!!! Not very exciting for you guys, but I am chomping at the bit to read it.

And then there's Krav Maga

Going along on Saturday has only further complicated this quandry

• It does seem to be entirely focused on effectiveness (it's damn brutal!), which is what I would be looking for in an additional art form
• Jo, the instructor, is really cool and very funny
• Doesn't seem to be particularly focused on competition, just effective training in the techniques

BUT

• It costs a lot (£50 for 1 class a week for a onth, £60 for unlimited!) not to mention boxes and padding and gloves etc
  
• Requires time - which I could be spending with Sharon
• Hurts :) cos you hit each other pretty hard
• My previous qualms

Wadda Ya think?

Reminder

don't forget about this fantastic website
http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/
Wherein an Iraqi girl tells of her life in that troubled country. Her latest entry highlights another blog with is a MUST READ about a boy who gets 'arrested' while paying his university fees.
http://secretsinbaghdad.blogspot.com/

Complexities

Here is an article which reports on an excellent 7 minutes of speech that the Mayor of London (Ken Livingston) gave to a reporter about the suicide bombers in London. Sums up my perspective very well.
And the other complication? I am off to Krav Maga on Saturday. It is an 'effective' martial art, to balance the 'beautiful' one I am doing already. It is also the fighting technique used by the Israeli army. Am I tacitly endorsing the Israeli army by doing so?
Well I haven't decided that I am going to do it yet, and they may be a bunch of arseholes, so I might not have to deal with this quandry at all. But am I being overly sensitive? Overly insensitive by writing this in my blog?

Best wishes for Wilma

My aunt Wilma is currently having a difficult time with Cancer in Perth. My best wishes go out to her, and I hope she recovers from this latest setback. Dad is currently helping Oma move into an old person's home, and helping support Wilma.
I think it is wonderful that my Dad has the opportunity to help in this way, I just wish it wasn't necessary at all.

Long time no BLOG

And I mean a long, long time.
Sorry everyone, I've been distracted with the wonderful Sharon, as we've been going out, and visiting her family, and all kinds of things. I think this is the longest that I haven't blogged so far...
My last entry was on the 18th of July, which was the day Mum and Dad went to Paris. The following weekend they returned home. At Sharon's suggestion I headed up to Brum that last Saturday to say goodbye and had a wonderful lunch with M&D and Jan and Adam. Mum and Dad had a fantastic time in Gay Paris, and I was thrilled to give them that opportunity. Can't remember Sunday, sorry.
The following weekend saw me jetting off to Sweden for my birthday. Took the Friday and Monday off to maximise the trip. While I did miss Sharon, I had a great time lounging around Karin and Iain's new house out on the island where Karin grew up.
On my actual birthday I went to MetalTown, an 11 hour metal festival, and saw the likes of Hanoi Rocks (they do) and Hammerfall (even more so). I was so tired and wet (that was the only day it rained, or was even overcast for that matter) by the time the final act, Ramstein, came on that I went home after 45 minutes. Great day tho!
Last Friday Sharon threw a little birthday party for me; she put up streamers and balloons and we had cup cakes and she gave me a fantastic framed photograph that she took. That was the beginning of one of 'those' weekends.
On Saturday I raced up to see Grandma (who was OK, though got flustered when I suggested that I didn't want to have lunch but that she could go ahead :) who accused me of always rushing off - I stay for at least 3 hours each time! I then rushed back to London to go and have dinner with Sharon's brother and sister (Tarik and Sarah and Tarik's girlfriend Sabrina).
On Sunday I had brunch with Adam and a snotty little kid called Henry whom I dislike VERY much. I then ran to the tube to get down to Hampton Court to catch up with Keith and Anne who I haven't seen for some 2 months! Finally I returned to Central London to go to dinner with Sharon at Matt and Jenny's place (who I met through work, and introduced Sharon and myself)