27 January 2006
Haven't written for ages as life actually became too interesting and had to go and live it. My boss resigned and then left 3 days after the official announcement. We kind of knew it was going to happen but didn't realise things would suddenly just escalate the way they did. It was pretty sad as she's just about the only real long-term boss I've had all my life. It was all hush hush and then suddenly a mad scramble to tell all the right people and make sure all her stuff was packed and all the things that you have to do when ordinarily you think you have a month to leave, when you actually only have three days. Now, we're all in limbo wondering what's going to happen to us.
In the meantime, I got the docu-drama job for Discovery channel and am suddenly off to Germany in a week's time to film in Cologne. Also had an audition for the Leicester Haymarket but probably blew the job by saying that I thought I was too old for the part and that all the characters in the play were just foils for the main character to bounce off and weren't really interesting in their own right. Perhaps honesty is not always the best policy.
Also have to prepare a tape for a top secret new children's programme that needs voices for the characters. Then, my temp agency calls up and asked if I would like to go work for some other company in the same field, for more money. They're going to find out if they'll let me carry on going to auditions and stuff and, if so, then I'm off.
All in all, I can't complain. About to embark on a weekend of celebratory meals for Chinese New Year and that's very good too. Have my Chinese snacks, cherry blossom and decorations and might even tidy up too.
In the meantime, I got the docu-drama job for Discovery channel and am suddenly off to Germany in a week's time to film in Cologne. Also had an audition for the Leicester Haymarket but probably blew the job by saying that I thought I was too old for the part and that all the characters in the play were just foils for the main character to bounce off and weren't really interesting in their own right. Perhaps honesty is not always the best policy.
Also have to prepare a tape for a top secret new children's programme that needs voices for the characters. Then, my temp agency calls up and asked if I would like to go work for some other company in the same field, for more money. They're going to find out if they'll let me carry on going to auditions and stuff and, if so, then I'm off.
All in all, I can't complain. About to embark on a weekend of celebratory meals for Chinese New Year and that's very good too. Have my Chinese snacks, cherry blossom and decorations and might even tidy up too.
Labels: acting, festivals, work
8 January 2006
Have just finished reading A Short History of Tractors in Ukraine. Quite a good read but it strikes me, as it often does when reading a novel, that it takes so much effort to write a book. There's so much to think about, flesh out and tie together that it makes me tired trying to think about thinking about writing a book.
Another person is in the news for committing suicide despite having a seemingly perfectly happy life with no financial, personal or other worries. Someone who is very content in everyway and yet doesn't think life is worth carrying on with. The first person - a teenage girl on the South Coast somewhere actually wrote in her suicide note that she was very happy, loved her family and boyfriend and was really happy about her exam results (she was accepted by all her universities) but thought that as things couldn't get much better, she might as well die now. The thing is, no matter how bad things are or how good things are - I guess the end result is that you die whatever your circumstances, so maybe they're thinking - well what's the point of living out your life? It's a strange thing the human decision making process.
The 2nd half of the 2nd season of Battlestar Galactica has started. Watched it last night and it was so tense and gripping that I practically had heart palpitations. I'm not sure it's good for my health - but it's great.
Another person is in the news for committing suicide despite having a seemingly perfectly happy life with no financial, personal or other worries. Someone who is very content in everyway and yet doesn't think life is worth carrying on with. The first person - a teenage girl on the South Coast somewhere actually wrote in her suicide note that she was very happy, loved her family and boyfriend and was really happy about her exam results (she was accepted by all her universities) but thought that as things couldn't get much better, she might as well die now. The thing is, no matter how bad things are or how good things are - I guess the end result is that you die whatever your circumstances, so maybe they're thinking - well what's the point of living out your life? It's a strange thing the human decision making process.
The 2nd half of the 2nd season of Battlestar Galactica has started. Watched it last night and it was so tense and gripping that I practically had heart palpitations. I'm not sure it's good for my health - but it's great.
Labels: books, television
7 January 2006
Work has been exceedingly dull these last few days. However, we now have lights at home! And hot water! Hurrah! It's like being real people with proper things and everything! And out of all the tribulation, we've found a good electrician and a good plumber who don't try to rip you off. More priceless than gold and jewels.
My friend J in Porto has won a Jaguar in some magazine subscription competition. How exciting is that? She really needs the money so I'm very, very happy for her. They go and pick it up next week, enjoy it for a week and then, flog it. I hope she gets a good price.
Am going to see if I can get into the organic butcher's down the road today. We're definitely going to try and get our haggis from there for Burns Night. Yum!
My friend J in Porto has won a Jaguar in some magazine subscription competition. How exciting is that? She really needs the money so I'm very, very happy for her. They go and pick it up next week, enjoy it for a week and then, flog it. I hope she gets a good price.
Am going to see if I can get into the organic butcher's down the road today. We're definitely going to try and get our haggis from there for Burns Night. Yum!
1 January 2006
Went to see Sunday in the Park with George at the Menier Chocolate Factory after dinner at Roast. It was very good. The theatre really squeezes them in because they are profit-making and it's all benches in the auditorium, so they can squash you in. Maybe they should make tickets for larger people more expensive.
The theatre is a studio and very small and it was hard to see how they were going to manage the set. It was done brilliantly, with projections on the walls of the paintings and people. Couldn't work out how they did it without the actors casting great shadows on the pictures. The ensemble were fantastic and all-in-all, after adjusting to not having Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin in the roles, the leads did admirably - particularly the Seurat character. Music direction was very tight and impressive.
We left the theatre and BB said 'Let's go again' before we even made it out of the foyer - so the highest compliment indeed.
The theatre is a studio and very small and it was hard to see how they were going to manage the set. It was done brilliantly, with projections on the walls of the paintings and people. Couldn't work out how they did it without the actors casting great shadows on the pictures. The ensemble were fantastic and all-in-all, after adjusting to not having Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin in the roles, the leads did admirably - particularly the Seurat character. Music direction was very tight and impressive.
We left the theatre and BB said 'Let's go again' before we even made it out of the foyer - so the highest compliment indeed.
Labels: theatre
So we went to the new restaurant Roast on Friday. It's big selling point is that it celebrates food from Britain in all its glory. We had a pretty good time. I was a bit dubious because the reviews had been v mixed but first impressions weren't bad. There was only one guy at the desk when we arrived, and he was dealing with phones, coats, taking us to our table etc but was perfectly courteous, if a tad condescending in his manner (but I think that was just him).
The room was huge and tables nicely spaced, but despite it being 6pm and almost empty, we got tucked in the corner by the waiters' station. We did have a view of St Paul's though. They make a bit of a thing about their view of St Paul's, but it's not all that spectacular as it's framed by lots of railway line (sorry to appear churlish).
They have a pre-theatre menu which is great, because great British food comes at a premium (especially if you source your food from Borough Market). It's £18 for 2 courses, or £21 for 3. We weren't famished so just went for 2. We had 28-day hung roast forerib of beef (apparently there are great - as in large - spits on which all the meat is roasted but I didn't see them). It was medium rare and very juicy and tender, although it could have a been a bit warmer. The plates were hot though, so they must have left the meat to rest rather long. The Yorkshire was damned fine but the horseradish a tad creamy - I prefer mine with bits. The potatoes in dripping were piping hot and crisp on the outside and melty on the inside - perfect. The mixed salad was... a mixed salad.
The dessert was bread-and-butter pudding and chocolate fudge pudding with clotted cream. The fudge pudding was very good - all rich chocolate, warm and gooey. The bread-and-butter pud was divine. It was all thin layers of bread with fantastic vanillaey homemade custard and not dissimilar to lardy cake, though less crispy. Lardy cake is something I haven't had since my schooldays and have tried to find ever since. This pud made a pretty fine substitute.
All in all, a really great experience. The waiter was a tad chatty but better that than sullen. The loos were nice and they use Neal's Yard toiletries which are very nice and not boring old Molton Brown which seems to have made its way into most bathrooms of choice.
The room was huge and tables nicely spaced, but despite it being 6pm and almost empty, we got tucked in the corner by the waiters' station. We did have a view of St Paul's though. They make a bit of a thing about their view of St Paul's, but it's not all that spectacular as it's framed by lots of railway line (sorry to appear churlish).
They have a pre-theatre menu which is great, because great British food comes at a premium (especially if you source your food from Borough Market). It's £18 for 2 courses, or £21 for 3. We weren't famished so just went for 2. We had 28-day hung roast forerib of beef (apparently there are great - as in large - spits on which all the meat is roasted but I didn't see them). It was medium rare and very juicy and tender, although it could have a been a bit warmer. The plates were hot though, so they must have left the meat to rest rather long. The Yorkshire was damned fine but the horseradish a tad creamy - I prefer mine with bits. The potatoes in dripping were piping hot and crisp on the outside and melty on the inside - perfect. The mixed salad was... a mixed salad.
The dessert was bread-and-butter pudding and chocolate fudge pudding with clotted cream. The fudge pudding was very good - all rich chocolate, warm and gooey. The bread-and-butter pud was divine. It was all thin layers of bread with fantastic vanillaey homemade custard and not dissimilar to lardy cake, though less crispy. Lardy cake is something I haven't had since my schooldays and have tried to find ever since. This pud made a pretty fine substitute.
All in all, a really great experience. The waiter was a tad chatty but better that than sullen. The loos were nice and they use Neal's Yard toiletries which are very nice and not boring old Molton Brown which seems to have made its way into most bathrooms of choice.
Labels: food, restaurants
Happy New Year everyone! We went out onto the roof and watched the fireworks over London as is our wont. It was chilly and pretty and a bit rainy. When we came back in, a ladybug came in with us. I think it's one of the killer American ones, but it's still a good omen, isn't it?
Well, anyway, hope it's a good one for everybody!
Well, anyway, hope it's a good one for everybody!
Labels: festivals
