Chinese shadow play

I have to say that I was not at all surprised at the news from the BBC that the little girl in the red dress with the pretty bunches who sang was miming. At the time I thought that the noise was so pure and easy to hear among all the other noises, that it must have been pre-recorded. I also commented to H that a few years ago, she would have had short hair, curving my hand round my face to demonstrate. So it was interesting to read that not only was she miming, but she was miming to another little girl's voice! The actual singer was deemed by a member of the politburo to have buck teeth, whereas the first little girl looked more perfect - together, the girls made the perfect package.



Secondly, the fireworks travelling through Beijing were also pre-recorded. Again, I assumed at first that they were computer simulated, but then the BBC started talking about the fireworks outside, and I realised that they were live. Or at least, supposed to be. Reading between the lines, it sounds as if there were live fireworks on the night, but the footage was pre-recorded (from rehearsals, presumably) and enhanced - which is what gave it the CGI effect, I would think. Anyway, who can blame them? The whole show was fantastic, with so many things that looked computer generated actually having people behind them, for example the ceramic typewriter, out of which came cherry blossom then waving dancers.

I do think it's a real shame that in this day and age the appearance of a nine year old still matters so much - and the seven year old singing girl also looks very cute! - but at least she has been given the praise now, rather than it trying to be hidden forever. Hopefully she will be given the credit in China too and not just in foreign press. Of course many people are understandably angry, and really both girls could be insulted by the decision, one not pretty enough, the other not harmonious enough. Hopefully though they will both be able to show off their talents, as much or as little as they want to, and make good memories out of the experience rather than being bitter. After all, one little girl made people smile in her little red dress, and the other made people marvel at her beautiful voice.

Otherwise, the whole show was a spectacle, and of course China wanted to present everything to the highest standard. Can anyone watching at home on TV really feel let down to know that the fireworks we saw were not necessarily those going off at the time? I don't. I really enjoyed the whole shabbang. What would be really disappointing is if the athletes were shown to be fakes. That's where reality has to be all important. What do you think?

A Productive Day

I have been indoors all day - we both have - although I have gone outside for some fresh air on the balcony, but it was wet and overcast, so there was no real pull to go any further - anyway, I have been inside and very productive! It's been my most productive day so far. Not too much surfing, mostly very focused. Also made spaghetti bolognese, and the studio isn't too messy, but mostly I worked on finishing my essay, and I did, and I'm happy with it. So that's good. Have a couple more to do tomorrow, if I can keep up this focus. And so, to bed.

Paperback Pleasers

I am writing this as a response to a meme prompter on Meme Express. Apparently I can use this prompt, along with the images and music of the Beatles' Paperback Writer in order to inspire a poem, song, photo, or other entry ... Well, I do actually have a lot of other work to do, so I'm not feeling particularly creative at the moment! (Although many ideas of photos of my many paperbacks come to mind ... Maybe some other time.) So, because I do want to write something just now before getting back to my essay, I am simply going to answer the questions. Because they are about one of my favourite ways of spending time ...

Do you love to read?

I love to read. Apparently I was a real pain when I was young because I used to stay awake until I had been read to. I was finally able to get to sleep by myself when I was able to read for myself. Although my eyesight has never been quite the same! All those Famous Fives and Agatha Christies read either under the duvet cover, trying to keep the light from alerting my parents to the fact that I was still awake, or even straining to read in the darkness, simply by the light of the moon through the cracks between the curtains. I still devour books, in fact I devour words. It's the only way to describe it. From the ingredients on the side of a cereal packet, through the text messages sent to the free newspapers that I pick up and read on the tube, to novels and biographies with a bit of internet stumbling added in for good measure ... I am constantly reading. Fortunately H is the same, so if we go to a restaurant and happen to have a paper to hand ... well, he can read one section while I read another, and although we might look as if we are miserable in each other's company and are rudely reading instead of making small talk, in fact, we are both happy to quietly read and just be in the presence of the other, and in the presence of words. So, yes, I love reading.

How many paperbacks do you have going at one time?

Hmm. This is a tricky one. I have just finished Fearless Fighter by Vera Chirwa, and have also recently finished a couple of other books as well - I write my reviews on my other blog, Louisa's Library. I have read 20 books this year so far, and most of them have been paperbacks. I have two paperbacks by my bed at the moment - When a Crocodile Eats the Sun by Peter Godwin and Two Caravans by Marina Lewycka. Normally I have some others lying around as well, and may have a larger book for at home and a smaller one in my handbag for the tube.

What is your favorite genre of books?

(Is it adventure, biography, history, mystery, romance or another?)

Hmmm. I read a lot of very different genres. At the moment I have been reading a lot of autobiography - this year has included works by Russell Brand, three sisters who grew up in a cult, Henry Hemming, Roald Dahl, Ishmael Beah, Peter Godwin, Alexandra Fuller, Erin Gruwell and Vera Chirwa. So that's almost half my books ... and one of the books by my bedside is also biography. Well, autobiography, or memoir, to be precise. The year before that I read 28 books, five of which were biographical. That year I read a lot of more literary fiction, because I was trying to get through a few of the books in the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list. I also quite like a good old detective novel - I suppose the Famous Five and Agatha Christie reference from my childhood indicates that that love has been around for a while! They do seem a bit trashier when compared to Coatzee, Camus and Carter, who were all on my 2007 reading list, but they are fun and necessary at times for some light reading! I also love a bit of Jane Austen, but haven't read that much romance recently.

Do you consider paperback books a scholarly pursuit or a guilty pleasure?

A bit of both, I suppose ... I studied English, and don't feel guilty about gaining pleasure from reading. I also gain a lot of knowledge - especially if it's biographical, I suppose - and find it very relaxing. Much better for me that being on the computer all evening, which is how I more and more frequently find myself spending the evening. So it engages my brain while relaxing me ... It's all good.

Have you ever written a book?

I've written a short story at secondary school! Very hifalutin' (that's what comes up on the spell checker - it's not a word I've ever written before - I hope you know what I mean!), sentimental, quite silly and romantic, but I enjoyed it very much! I tried to write a novel during NaNoWriMo last year, and managed about 20,000 words, but it was hard to do that and work at the same time! I have no great ambitions to write a book, but I do love writing, and, as I said, I love words, so it was fun experimenting during November. I do know someone who has written a book though, so I have seen the experience at close hand. I don't know if I would have the stamina!

If you could write a book, what would it be about?

That's a hard one! The book I started before involved banking, shopping and driving. Very mundane. So I suppose it would probably be an observational book based on everyday life. I'd need to think of a more exciting plot though! I love words, but planning and following through ... well, that's where I would let myself down!

And that's it ... thank you, Meme Express, for that inspiration! Hope it's livened up my blog a bit for my readers (my parents and overseas friend, I think, but possibly other people passing by!)

(PS Not sure why the choo choo image doesn't show up unless you click on it ... May get round to fixing it later, but I really do have work to do now!)

My Weekly Summer Update

So, what exciting things have happened this week?

Monday 4 August - Discovered a few more interesting websites and computer applications. Played around with those, did some writing, generally inside, tidying up etc.

Tuesday 5 August - More computer stuff, practiced animating cartoons on the internet, went to the shops. Up really late surfing around on the internet. Mostly stumbling around using the StumbleUpon button, which you click and it takes you anywhere on the internet! Very addictive. Also updated most of the phone numbers etc on H's new mobile phone. Which means he can't phone anyone, because whenever someone changed their number, he added it as a new person, whereas I'm putting them all in one place, then he doesn't know which one is the correct number! Oh dear.

Wednesday 6 August - More working from home and surfing. Had a lovely evening though. We walked to Canary Wharf again and went to the Cafe Rouge for a drink, and ended up sharing a plate of bread, pate and cheese. Delicious! And very continental, sitting by the Thames. Relaxing. Watched the world go by ... I had a citron presse, which comes with a very concentrated bitter lemon juice, a jug of water, and a decanter of sugared water, which you make to taste. Felt very adult-like and grown up! (Which I suppose I am, really, although the older I get the younger I feel, I think! Or at least the younger I act!) I think we managed to have an earlyish night this night ...

Thursday 7 August - Did some work, but too much stumbling around again. Think it was tonight we watched No Country for Old Men, a film set near the Mexico border, with a ruthless killer to uses an air gun pellet thing that is used for killing cattle to murder people and to blow out locks. Very dark, but fairly gripping. Then went back on the computer ...

Friday 8 August - Had a long lie in, but got up in time to watch the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony; stayed on the couch from 11:45am to 5:15pm or something like that ... It was fantastic, really eye catching. I loved the scroll effects, and the way the painting started with dancing, continued with children and was completed with the feet of the athletes. The ceramic typewriter with the dancing keys, the thousands of disciples of Confucius in long robes and paintbrush-like headgear, the swirling dove people, the giant globe, the long, almost infinite-like, procession of athletes, the military precision of the Chinese police as the received the Olympic flag, the little boy, survivor of the earthquake, walking alongside the tall Chinese basketball player, and finally the delivery and lighting of the huge Olympic torch, as the Chinese gymnast floated then ran through the air, running behind the unveiling scroll revealing scenes from Athens to Beijing ... And I haven't even mentioned the fireworks. Well. What a start. Having watched to the very end meant that we didn't go into town, as planned. However, in the evening H decided to head to the O2 with his work to write his proposal, and I decided to stay at home and tidy up. I stuck on some nice African music - couldn't find the kwassa kwassa though - and that perked me up, and within the hour the studio had gone from being messy, dirty and a hindrance to clear thought, to being tidy, clean and a pleasure to be in. Made me feel like dancing. But I had some work to do, and with a nice clean studio, I could finally get on with it, and managed to write about 3000 words or so and still was in bed by midnight. (I read until about 1am.) However, when H came home, he was very excited with some news, which kept us both up for a while!

Saturday 9 August - Got up bright and early (ish!) in order to go to the bank, the mobile phone shop, and the bookshop. When I was in the Orange store, the shop assistant went to get another assistant because it was very busy. It's a small shop. He opened the door, and said, "Come out now, what are you doing in here? You need to come and help with the customers now. That's not important - don't waste your time on that now," or something like that. The other person behind the door was not happy. "What are you talking to me like that for? You don't need to talk to me like that." "I'm talking to you like this because there are lots of customers. You need to come and help." The first man was quite rude, and the second man wasn't very happy about it. A bit embarrassing really. It was very busy. But the first man could probably have gone into the back room and spoken to the second man quietly. Anyway. Then I came home, put on the washing, and made lunch. Planned to have lunch, then go to the shops before heading back for an afternoon nap and working all evening, and felt really good because I'd been out for fresh air and was half way through my essay. Then a friend turned up just before lunch was ready. So I divided it between three rather than two, and we sat and talked for a long time. Around 3pm I suggested that I go for shopping, and see them when I get back, but the friend said he'd be going soon, so I decided to wait and go shopping after he left. He left around 7pm ... by which time H was hungry, and I was tired and a bit frustrated that I hadn't managed to get any work done, although it was nice to see him. We eventually decided to go to the Orange Tree for dinner, then I dropped off H and went shopping. Came home ready for sleep! Just before I went to bed H decided he wanted to get a video uploaded to YouTube. The video was on my computer, so I started editing it, but I have new iMovies software, and it's really complicated (when you are used to the old software), and seemed to take forever. Got it eventually, but another late night.

Sunday 10 August - Got up bright and early for church. A different priest was there, talking about the Africa Missionary Society. It was very interesting and informative - he was telling us about the history of Liberia. Came home, made lunch - liver and onions with mashed potatoes - and moved the washing into the sun. Then pottered on and off the computer for a while throughout the day. Suddenly realised just before starting this post that the rain was bucketing down - such a contrast to earlier - and all my clothes are soaked once again. They were practically dry before. Ah well, these things happen. Now I'm going to go and try and finish this essay so I can get on with my lesson plans!

26 Things

I am intrigued by the concept of memes, and have just discovered a one-off meme called 26 Things. The idea is that you take 26 photos of objects, each beginning with a letter of the alphabet, ie an apple, ball, cup etc. Of course, I would have to try to make them a bit arty. Could be fun ... might try it.

Lots more to write, but it's way passed my bedtime, so I'll love you and leave you. Hope to do my weekly round up tomorrow though! (Had planned on doing it today, but a visitor arrived and stayed about four hours longer than expected, so I got nothing done, although it was very nice to see them!)

One Word Meme

With thanks to http://frabjousdays.blogspot.com/

1. Where is your cell phone? Desk
2. Your significant other? Drunk!
3. Your hair? Brown
4. Your mother? Home
5. Your father? Retired
6. Your favorite thing? Reading
7. Your dream last night? Clock?
8. Your favorite drink? Water
9. Your dream/goal? Family
10. The room you’re in? Only
11. Your church? Catholic
12. Your fear? Cockroaches?
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Mother
14. Where were you last night? Computer
15. What you’re not? Sleeping
16. Muffins? Waist
17. One of your wish list items? Rest
18. Where you grew up? Scotland
19. The last thing you did? This
20. What are you wearing? Pyjamas
21. Your TV? Off
22. Your pets? None
23. Your computer? MacBook
24. Your life? Wonderful
25. Your mood? Tired
26. Missing someone? No
27. Your car? Outside
28. Something you’re not wearing?
29. Favorite store? Bookshop
30. Your summer? Holidays
31. Like(love) someone? H
32. Your favorite color? Orange
33. Last time you laughed? Earlier
34. Last time you cried? BucketList
35. Who will re post this? No-one!

Busy, busy week!

Wow, what a busy week! And with so many late nights! I have had a wee sleep, which was much needed, and I hope to have a lazy day tomorrow to catch up on my rest - but also on the tidying up, washing etc! So, what have I been up to this week?

Monday 28 July - Celebrated our anniversary by staying in for once! H was very busy getting ready for some shows, so I did some shopping for him and went to Ikea to buy a new bed, since we were having lots of guests this week.

Tuesday 29 July - My cousin arrived to look at flats in London. It was really nice to see her. She and another friend will be starting work in September. H continued to work on his preparation and I was able to help him. Think we were getting a bit high on the glue he had to use!

Wednesday 30 July - I dropped my cousin and her friend off at an estate agent. At least, that was the plan. Turns out the road she was on was so long, the numbers repeated themselves in different parts, so she was dropped off about a mile or two from her destination! Later, Mum and Dad arrived with my sister and her husband. I went to meet them, then later they met my cousin (who had found a flat - sounds nice!) who then left. After a short rest, we drove to their hotel and had dinner there.

Thursday 31 July - The highlight of the week! Really enjoyed the evening event, which was a great success. Loads of people there, friends, old, new and just met. During the day we had to prepare - it was SO hot, and I stupidly didn't get dressed up in the morning, choosing to come home, get changed, then go back. Silly idea! Anyway, an old school friend of mine had come down in the morning, and he was able to stay and help H get set up. I think everyone seemed to enjoy it. We stayed until we were eventually kicked out, drove home via the Orange Tree for some delicious Lebanese cooking, then stayed up chatting until about 3am, H, F and I.

Friday 1 August - Arranged to meet M&D at Camden Market. Wandered around for a bit, had some lunch, then took the tube to Waterloo, where we had a coffee. It was a cooler and wetter day, although the rain tended to be a drizzle, so it made a nice change. Then we took the Thames Cruiser - wonderful! - from Waterloo to the O2, where we met up with S&B. Kylie was playing, so there were loads of crowds, and the queues were long, but we got a good round table at Nandos, where we had lovely lot of food. It was funny when we got there; S, B, F and I followed the waitress up a flight of stairs to the table, then turned round to discover that H, M and D had continued up the staircase - which turned out to end up with the toilets! Fortunately they eventually found us! We had a really lovely evening, lots of chat and laughter, and all too soon it was time to go home. We took the tube, although H, F and I went to the supermarket before going home, had a nice walk, then stayed up talking again until about 3am once again.

Saturday 2 August - This is the day everyone had to leave and go home. So it was an early start in order to catch the lunchtime train. However, everyone managed to get there with plenty of time to spare. H and I had a wedding to go to in the evening, so after waving off the train we went to Oxford Street to get a present. They do excellent gift wrapping in John Lewis! Also got a new SIM card, and H got a new phone, which I have been playing with since. Quite jealous! We both had an afternoon nap once we got home, then had to rush to get ready to head across London. We decided to drive, and H managed to get through the lights as they changed to amber on Tower Bridge - just before the bridge went up! So that was lucky, or we would have been even later in arriving. It was a nice evening; H met up with some old school friends and I was able to chat to an old friend as well. Then we drove back with a couple of friends which was a good laugh, reminiscing. Another late night for H and I again, as we chatted about the wedding reception.

Sunday 3 August - So tired getting up for church, but made it. Hope my closed eyes looked like I was being particularly prayerful rather than sleeping! Came back and tried to sleep for a bit, but the noise of the Red Bull planes outside alerted us to the fact that the Air Race was on, so we decided to try to get a closer view and went to the O2. When we got there, we learnt that the tickets for the seats were £50 a go, so we decided to forego that and just stand and look up for a few minutes, before taking the tube to meet up with yet another friend at the Serpentine Gallery. Took a while to meet up, since the rain meant we changed our plans and first of all met her at her borrowed apartment, but we got there eventually and saw Richard Prince's work before heading home. For a much needed (and hopefully deserved!) afternoon nap. And then I got up, made some dinner, and here I am catching up with my blog. Hopefully this coming week will be a bit quieter! (Although, somehow I doubt it!)

See you next Sunday - if not before!