I needed to see some performance art this week. Last week saw me at two very different shows. On Thursday it was the Barbican Centre for Richard Maxwell's New York City Players and their new piece - The End of Reality. http://www.nycplayers.org/
It was interesting but not typical theatre or performance art. A group of actors moved their way through a series of scenes without looking like they were acting in some parts and very much like they were acting in others. It really did remind me of the States though in its tone and visuals. Sometimes when I walk out of a play or film where the actors speak North American English I get confused as people around me start to speak and my mind has to switch continents quickly. There is something much more disorientating about hearing your own language for 2 hours than hearing a film in French or German or Japanese for an hour and then having to return to the world outside.
Friday I was at the Chelsea Theatre http://www.chelseatheatre.org.uk/ for their series 'Sacred.' I was there to see a piece in progress by Ron Athey and Dominic Johnson. Dominic works with me at Queen Mary. He just finished his PhD and is a great teacher. He also performs although not usually in collaboration. Ron Athey is a performance artists who has been producing work for about 20 years. He is a very interesting person and although I am putting his website here, I don't recommend you go there unless you are ok with seeing a body in painful situations - he is an extreme body artist. http://www.ronathey.com/
I had heard from Dominic that Ron was coming to perform, and while the name was familiar and I had seen a few picture I did not know anything else about him. So I watched a DVD of Judas Cradle, which is a piece he did last year and then I read some articles and looked at the website. I met with Ron about 3 weeks ago and we talked for 2 1/2 hours about everything! It was great. I asked him all sorts of questions about faith and ritual and religion and massage therapy. He is an extremely open person with a complex background. He was raised in the Ecstatic Pentecostal movement in southern California. His family believed he should be a preacher so he was groomed to lead. From an early age he spoke in tongues and danced in the spirit. He lost his faith at 15. After years of coming to terms with what he believed he started using performance. While he has been performing for years he has always worked full time at a 'normal' job (journalism) and only produced performance when he had something to say.
So last Friday I saw the most recent piece 'Incorruptible Flesh (Inner Pig - Petrified Life).' Needless to say it was interesting. Not always easy to watch, but compared to some of his other performances which have involved a lot of blood, this was very tame. I found that there was Christian symbolism throughout and am looking forward to talking to Dominic about it next week. I wonder if other people see the links with ritual?
Tonight I went to a completely different type of piece. This one was part of Riverside Studios season called Feeast (Festival of Central and Eastern European Arts). http://www.riversidestudios.co.uk/cgi-bin/season.pl?f=Feeast%2006
The piece tonight was commissioned for the festival and was created by a Czech Artist. Here is what the website said:
A visual feast beneath the streets of Clerkenwell, this truly remarkable, dark
and cavernous space provides the setting for an extraordinary piece on human isolation.
As we carry our own energetic fields or auras, a kinetic merry-go-round gravitates
around our body, made up of the particles of our experiences, emotions and memories. Though we try to retain our identities through this protective layer, it fights to free
itself and cross into the unknown.
Magic, trickery and thrills are guaranteed as Czech’s renowned installation artist,
Petr Nikl, is let loose in the abattoir to the music of The Balanescu Quartet. In a
disused abattoir, four physical performers inhabit Peter Nikl’s astonishing, working mechanical installations to take us on a journey through air, water and sound.
Especially commissioned for Feeast 06, Soul-étude unites a remarkable team of international artists including the celebrated visual artist Petr Nikl and Feeast
Director Diana Cezar. They are joined by a company of physical performers and the internationally acclaimed Balanescu Quartet."
I really enjoyed it as it was playful, though provoking and meditative. The live music was wonderful and the site was intriguing. It was also absolutely pouring down with rain tonight which added to the atmosphere of trying to find an old building in dark London at night.
So there are my three most recent excursions. I think I might go to see a play called On Religion next week...although I will also be going skating outdoors (if it doesn't rain!).
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Mustard and Scholarships
Yesterday I opened a new jar of
This week I applied for a scholarship for next year. I might have to pay for 3 or 4 months after my current scholarship runs out and so I finally found something I could apply for as a Canadian living overseas. I had to line up three referees to write letters for me. This is always a difficult thing to do as it has to be people who are somewhat familiar with my work and know me now, but they are not all supposed to be from the same institution. Well, in the end I had to go with the Head of Drama and my two supervisors. They were very willing to do this for me, but at this level they appreciate it if you give them the material which they should include in such a letter. Not exactly write the letter for them, but give them the notes to write from. It is such an awkward (doesn’t it look strange to see wkw in the middle of a word?) experience to talk about why you are wonderful and should be given money. Apart from that, I actually found that most of the material I needed for the application already existed. It seems the older you are and the more things you have written and/or applied for, the easier it is to cut and paste from everything! So I have now amassed enough information about my own life that I can structure an application without too much effort. It is simply time consuming. And I doubt I will get the award, as they usually tend to give such things to people who are trying to cure cancer or save whales. However, it is important to at least try and at the very least I have “a distinguished academic record.”
Monday, October 23, 2006
Pumpkin loaf and biscuits
The conference is over and it went very well. Exhausting all around but only positive feedback from people on how it was organised and the content. I can't take any responsibility for the quality of the people who attended, but apparently we managed to provide an open environment for people to discuss just about anything!
I recovered by spending yesterday watching DVD's of West Wing. Highly enjoyable. And I made pumpkin loaf. That was also good. Today I have done some work, but I also had to bake again, and this time it was buttermilk and cheese biscuits to go with soup that I bought. Yum.
Now I have to read through an article, clean the dishes and go to bed...but I will leave you with a photo of me and my German host-sister Birgit from two weeks ago in Germany.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
website
This is the conference website, although not every detail is on here.
http://www.english.qmul.ac.uk/sightingdoc/
http://www.english.qmul.ac.uk/sightingdoc/
Germany, archives, conferences and pumpkin
There are so many things that I would like to post about, but somehow recently the only time I think of to write something is late at night when I should be sleeping! It is now 12.02 and I just had to get something down...
The past few weeks have flown by. I was in Germany visiting friends and did some research in an archive as well. This was the first time I have even gone to a 'real' (that is, with old unpublished documents) archive. I looked through folders and tried to decipher handwritten notes. I pretty much failed to do the second, but photocopies do not help handwritting in the least. And most of it was in German...but I did find one lecture given by Hannah Arendt which I can use for my research and this will be great to have. I was able to photocopy the whole thing. There is one folder which I was not able to read through while I was there, but an excuse to go back will be nice!
Teaching has started and I once again have a good group of students, although this week they were a little tired and I was exhausted, so conversation would go really well for about 10 minutes and then they would drift. I managed to make it through about 1 1/2 hours and then I ran out of stuff to bring up. Next week I will have a better handle on things.
However, this Friday the conference that I have been organising for 4 months starts (which is also on archives!) and I am up to my ears in details which all need to happen between now and Friday at 13.00. The conference should be great and I am very much looking forward to it...although I don't even really know what I am going to be doing during it. Hopefully things will run smoothly and I won't have to do much trouble shooting during the actual conference itself.
Water, food, tables, chairs, AV equipment, lighting, security, name tags, programmes, and coffee have all been looked after. Now I just need the people to show up and the whole thing will happen! Well, at this point I have 50 people registered and more who will show up on Friday. I need 60 people to eat all the food I ordered...
Meanwhile, I tried making braised celery last night. It was excellent on rice with some grated parmesan. Also, a very good recipe for Plaice steamed in a sauce in foil envelopes, and I think that pumpkin bread is on the menu for this weekend...yum! I love autumn food!
The past few weeks have flown by. I was in Germany visiting friends and did some research in an archive as well. This was the first time I have even gone to a 'real' (that is, with old unpublished documents) archive. I looked through folders and tried to decipher handwritten notes. I pretty much failed to do the second, but photocopies do not help handwritting in the least. And most of it was in German...but I did find one lecture given by Hannah Arendt which I can use for my research and this will be great to have. I was able to photocopy the whole thing. There is one folder which I was not able to read through while I was there, but an excuse to go back will be nice!
Teaching has started and I once again have a good group of students, although this week they were a little tired and I was exhausted, so conversation would go really well for about 10 minutes and then they would drift. I managed to make it through about 1 1/2 hours and then I ran out of stuff to bring up. Next week I will have a better handle on things.
However, this Friday the conference that I have been organising for 4 months starts (which is also on archives!) and I am up to my ears in details which all need to happen between now and Friday at 13.00. The conference should be great and I am very much looking forward to it...although I don't even really know what I am going to be doing during it. Hopefully things will run smoothly and I won't have to do much trouble shooting during the actual conference itself.
Water, food, tables, chairs, AV equipment, lighting, security, name tags, programmes, and coffee have all been looked after. Now I just need the people to show up and the whole thing will happen! Well, at this point I have 50 people registered and more who will show up on Friday. I need 60 people to eat all the food I ordered...
Meanwhile, I tried making braised celery last night. It was excellent on rice with some grated parmesan. Also, a very good recipe for Plaice steamed in a sauce in foil envelopes, and I think that pumpkin bread is on the menu for this weekend...yum! I love autumn food!
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Volunteering and my new duvet
This weekend was Open House London http://www.londonopenhouse.org/ and I volunteered both mornings. I started doing this when I lived in Ottawa and had such a good time that I decided to keep going here. Yesterday I was at the Chartered Accountants Hall near Moorgate http://www.cahall.co.uk/ and gave 6 tours of a building I had never seen before Saturday morning! It was great and I got my 'tourism buzz' which is much needed. The building itself was gorgeous, Victorian - Neo Baroque - with some Italian Renaissance inspiration...and antiques from the 1750s to today.
The main benefit of volunteering is that you get a little pin (badge) which lets you jump the line (queue) at almost all the other buildings! So on the way home I stopped by the two buildings near where I live. One was an environmentally friendly house that was build last year (they anticipate getting a cheque back from their energy provider at the end of the year!). This is the first house in the UK that I have seen which truly has draft proof windows...oh for the little things in life! The other building is a school for children with various learning and physical dissabilities. Many children have autism and the entire building is accessible in every way you can imagine. Much imagination has gone into making the whole building user friendly and easier for the children to adapt to - apparently orange is the easiest colour for people with sight problems to identify so there is a stripe running down all the corridors which is orange. The children walk single file on the line without having to be told to do so! Really great place.
Today I was at the Royal Festival Hall http://www.rfh.org.uk/main/index.asp which is undergoing a 111 million pound refurbishment! It is currently a mass of scaffolding inside and the only way to see the building was to book ahead. I have used this building many times since I moved to London for classical music, the Poetry Library, the free jazz and the cafes. The views of the river are great and the coffee is no more expensive than anywhere else! So by volunteering I was able to go on the tour twice and once again, assuage my desire to organise people and places. The people who work there were very stressed by the whole thing, although they did organise it quite well. Each tour had 15 people on it and tours started every 15 minutes. At the Expo in Hannover in 2000 there were 1000 people going through the pavillion every 15 minutes. Needless to say, this was relatively easy to manage. Although the Brits love to tell you why they aren't happy or tell you in detail how they had trouble finding the building...how many ways are there to interpret "Belvedere Rd"? Either you come to that side of the building or you don't! Most people were lovely though and I got to speak German three times, once with a man from Namibia!
Jumping topics, I have bought a new duvet cover...the old one was getting quite faded. So at a recent trip to Ikea I took a leap into a new colour scheme.
Normally I go for soft greens, neutral cremes or warmer tones, like red sheets. This time I went turquoise, blue, yellow and brown! I matched the brown in it to the brown that I bought to paint two of my walls. Actually, the brown in this duvet cover and my other, more neutral one, is the same tone as the curtains as well. So the wall colour was picked to go with all three. This shift in colour for me has been great! I love crawling into bed and am looking forward to the first day I will get to sleep in! So far I have been needing to get up as soon as the alarm goes off, so hopefully Friday morning this week I won't have to jump out of my nice, colourful bed!
Tomorrow I am back to the library to work and am both looking forward to it and dreading it. I will have to make lunch and be organised. At least I have unpacked almost everything now and I found my theatre tickets for this Wednesday! I'm going to see Bobby Baker, who is a performance artist here in London who has a funded position at my university as a 'fellow' for three years. She is a wonderful performer and has a big show at the Barbican this week. She is also a Christian and has been very supportive of me every time I have talked to her. The last time I saw part of a video of her work I was laughing so hard I was crying! If you have a moment, do check out her work. http://www.bobbybakersdailylife.com/ http://www.barbican.org.uk/theatre/event-detail.asp?ID=4273
The main benefit of volunteering is that you get a little pin (badge) which lets you jump the line (queue) at almost all the other buildings! So on the way home I stopped by the two buildings near where I live. One was an environmentally friendly house that was build last year (they anticipate getting a cheque back from their energy provider at the end of the year!). This is the first house in the UK that I have seen which truly has draft proof windows...oh for the little things in life! The other building is a school for children with various learning and physical dissabilities. Many children have autism and the entire building is accessible in every way you can imagine. Much imagination has gone into making the whole building user friendly and easier for the children to adapt to - apparently orange is the easiest colour for people with sight problems to identify so there is a stripe running down all the corridors which is orange. The children walk single file on the line without having to be told to do so! Really great place.
Today I was at the Royal Festival Hall http://www.rfh.org.uk/main/index.asp which is undergoing a 111 million pound refurbishment! It is currently a mass of scaffolding inside and the only way to see the building was to book ahead. I have used this building many times since I moved to London for classical music, the Poetry Library, the free jazz and the cafes. The views of the river are great and the coffee is no more expensive than anywhere else! So by volunteering I was able to go on the tour twice and once again, assuage my desire to organise people and places. The people who work there were very stressed by the whole thing, although they did organise it quite well. Each tour had 15 people on it and tours started every 15 minutes. At the Expo in Hannover in 2000 there were 1000 people going through the pavillion every 15 minutes. Needless to say, this was relatively easy to manage. Although the Brits love to tell you why they aren't happy or tell you in detail how they had trouble finding the building...how many ways are there to interpret "Belvedere Rd"? Either you come to that side of the building or you don't! Most people were lovely though and I got to speak German three times, once with a man from Namibia!
Jumping topics, I have bought a new duvet cover...the old one was getting quite faded. So at a recent trip to Ikea I took a leap into a new colour scheme.
Normally I go for soft greens, neutral cremes or warmer tones, like red sheets. This time I went turquoise, blue, yellow and brown! I matched the brown in it to the brown that I bought to paint two of my walls. Actually, the brown in this duvet cover and my other, more neutral one, is the same tone as the curtains as well. So the wall colour was picked to go with all three. This shift in colour for me has been great! I love crawling into bed and am looking forward to the first day I will get to sleep in! So far I have been needing to get up as soon as the alarm goes off, so hopefully Friday morning this week I won't have to jump out of my nice, colourful bed!Tomorrow I am back to the library to work and am both looking forward to it and dreading it. I will have to make lunch and be organised. At least I have unpacked almost everything now and I found my theatre tickets for this Wednesday! I'm going to see Bobby Baker, who is a performance artist here in London who has a funded position at my university as a 'fellow' for three years. She is a wonderful performer and has a big show at the Barbican this week. She is also a Christian and has been very supportive of me every time I have talked to her. The last time I saw part of a video of her work I was laughing so hard I was crying! If you have a moment, do check out her work. http://www.bobbybakersdailylife.com/ http://www.barbican.org.uk/theatre/event-detail.asp?ID=4273
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
camping out
The new place is great...if you don't mind boxes, paper, and everything I own in the living room and kitchen! I have been painting since Sunday! But the end is in sight. It is a small room, but I am a perfectionist and the magnolia colour I chose did not cover the already existent brown that was on the walls as well as I would have hoped with two coats...so some walls got three coats. I used the entire 5 L of paint to do a small room! And two of the walls are being redone in a warm brown. I matched the paint to the curtains, my duvet cover and the carpet so that it will hopefully all flow together well. I do love the look of fresh paint. the last room I painted was in Ottawa and I loved that room! After two years of living in a yellow box with strange racing stripes on one wall, being able to determine my own colours is bliss!
Meanwhile I have become very good friends with the couch...and really enjoy sleeping in the living room. At least I know that it is a quiet street and the neighbours don't stare too much when I get changed for bed...
It is wonderful though, not having anyone else to worry about and the only dishes on the counter are mine! My housemate is away until the 20th so I am living the single life and enjoying it more than I thought I would. It is good that someone else will be here from time to time though as I am a social being and I tend to cook too much!
As there is no TV here, my radio has become my best friend. This is great! As I love learning about things that way. I have set up the stereo (on loan from a friend) in the living room so that I get great sound and can hook my laptop up to it to play movies. I even got a movie for free in the newspaper this week "Belleville Rendezvous" so I will reward myself with that soon.
I'm also glad to be done paiting as I have only been eating when I take breaks from painting and as my hands have been absolutely encrusted with paint I have been trying not to do too much cooking...I'm sure paint is not great for my digestion! I did buy beets yesterday...so I think that sliced cooked beets with a garlic-yogurt dressing and ripped basil might be a perfect supper with some seeded spelt bread! Yum! Thank you mom for a love of beets!
Meanwhile I have become very good friends with the couch...and really enjoy sleeping in the living room. At least I know that it is a quiet street and the neighbours don't stare too much when I get changed for bed...
It is wonderful though, not having anyone else to worry about and the only dishes on the counter are mine! My housemate is away until the 20th so I am living the single life and enjoying it more than I thought I would. It is good that someone else will be here from time to time though as I am a social being and I tend to cook too much!
As there is no TV here, my radio has become my best friend. This is great! As I love learning about things that way. I have set up the stereo (on loan from a friend) in the living room so that I get great sound and can hook my laptop up to it to play movies. I even got a movie for free in the newspaper this week "Belleville Rendezvous" so I will reward myself with that soon.
I'm also glad to be done paiting as I have only been eating when I take breaks from painting and as my hands have been absolutely encrusted with paint I have been trying not to do too much cooking...I'm sure paint is not great for my digestion! I did buy beets yesterday...so I think that sliced cooked beets with a garlic-yogurt dressing and ripped basil might be a perfect supper with some seeded spelt bread! Yum! Thank you mom for a love of beets!
Monday, September 04, 2006
half way moved
I am a nomad. It started last week and I have almost finished house sitting in the first place. Tomorrow I move onto the next. I get to move fully on Saturday and then the unpacking will begin in earnest.
I was on my way to bed when the movie 'Adventures in Babysitting' came on and I ahve been sucked into watching it...Ross, it really is as funny as we remember! Babysitting Blues was just sung...
More later...
I was on my way to bed when the movie 'Adventures in Babysitting' came on and I ahve been sucked into watching it...Ross, it really is as funny as we remember! Babysitting Blues was just sung...
More later...
Friday, August 25, 2006
packing
I'm part way through packing. All the easy stuff is packed and I'm slowly working my way through the annoying things which don't really fit in any box. I have to pack a bag to take to the wedding in Ireland, and a bag to live out of in London for 10 days. Everything else needs to be put in boxes and transported to one of three houses in London. Some boxes will go to my friend Louise's house, others will go to Emily's house and the rest will hopefully go around the corner to the house I am housesitting until the 10th. It is too much organisation for me to get my head around at the moment...but it should all work itself out in the end.
I'm also trying to get through all the food that I have in the house so I won't have to take any of it with me to the next place. Well, at least not the things in the fridge or the freezer at least. I supposed that Jams and sauces and such will have to come with me, but the rest of it I should be able to eat.
I had a fantastic time in Edinburgh this week. I was there from Sunday to Wednesday morning at the Fringe Festival and it was wonderful. I managed to see 7 shows in two days. I would have seen more, but tonsilitis took over and I was too tired to do much more than that. It was such a great atmosphere and the backed potato place in Cockburn St were delicious! Great toppings and very cheap. Edinburgh is such a nice city. Really easy to walk around and I was staying in a beautiful place which desperately needs to be renovated. Gorgeous house from 1818 which has fantastic original features and fixtures. But at the moment it is in disrepair...so sad. But I was thrilled to have a free place to stay and it is so close the centre of town.
Tomorrow is one of my house mates birthdays, so I will get up in the morning and make muffins and wrap his present. We are all going to a pub in the afternoon where his other friends will gather as well. Then one of my friends from Canada is coming to stay with me for 5 days. So I will pick her up from the station and then keep packing. Sunday night should be lovely as we are going to the Proms which is a huge festival in London for which her great aunt has bought us two tickets. It will be lovely. Although it is supposed to rain.
I'll be glad to get back to writting my thesis again next week. But in the meantime it is time to get some sleep so I can keep packing!
I'm also trying to get through all the food that I have in the house so I won't have to take any of it with me to the next place. Well, at least not the things in the fridge or the freezer at least. I supposed that Jams and sauces and such will have to come with me, but the rest of it I should be able to eat.
I had a fantastic time in Edinburgh this week. I was there from Sunday to Wednesday morning at the Fringe Festival and it was wonderful. I managed to see 7 shows in two days. I would have seen more, but tonsilitis took over and I was too tired to do much more than that. It was such a great atmosphere and the backed potato place in Cockburn St were delicious! Great toppings and very cheap. Edinburgh is such a nice city. Really easy to walk around and I was staying in a beautiful place which desperately needs to be renovated. Gorgeous house from 1818 which has fantastic original features and fixtures. But at the moment it is in disrepair...so sad. But I was thrilled to have a free place to stay and it is so close the centre of town.
Tomorrow is one of my house mates birthdays, so I will get up in the morning and make muffins and wrap his present. We are all going to a pub in the afternoon where his other friends will gather as well. Then one of my friends from Canada is coming to stay with me for 5 days. So I will pick her up from the station and then keep packing. Sunday night should be lovely as we are going to the Proms which is a huge festival in London for which her great aunt has bought us two tickets. It will be lovely. Although it is supposed to rain.
I'll be glad to get back to writting my thesis again next week. But in the meantime it is time to get some sleep so I can keep packing!
Monday, August 14, 2006
Chapter Draft submitted!
Good news from London, the city of 5 hour line ups to check-in for a flight due to insane security screenings. The good news is I will not be obsessing about my chapter for at least a week. The draft was emailed on Saturday night and now I am worrying about the accompanying 10 pages of explanation instead. At least this bit is not as much about my own theories as it is about my reasons. I have to talk about why this project is relevant to anyone! What academic 'hole' am I filling by writing about this topic and why is it interesting...sounds easy, but it is proving to be a whole new kind of frustrating! I have been here for three hours, and so far I would rather find things to 'research' online than actually write anything. But after this little interlude on my much neglected blog I will once again try to concentrate for more than 15 minutes at a time.
The beginning of July was spent on a trip to Canada/NY State. It was nice to see everyone, but hard, once again to be in different beds every few nights. I would love to have a holiday where I sleep in the same place every night and don't have to arrange travel plans for myself or anyone else! Someday...
I arrived back in this country three weeks ago and that is how long it took me to finish writing up a draft chapter which is now about 19,000 words...longer than my Master's thesis and yet it is just one chapter. The good part is that I only have to do that 4 more times! And of course edit everything including all my ideas, over and over and over and over (you get the idea) again!
Since returning I've managed to see The Comedy of Errors and Coriolanus at the Globe Theatre, as well as Henry VI parts I and II in Stratford-upon-Avon (for free no less!). This weekend I am off to Eastbourne for the church weekend away, where I will still have to do some reading...and then on Sunday to the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh as a friend has offered me a place to sleep for free! So more theatre on the horizon.
The main thing I have been missing is cooking, as I have been out of the house 6 of 7 days for the last three weeks. Cooking now involves cutting up celery and putting some oil and vinegar over it, and throwing together sandwiches of cheese and lettuce. And I've discovered that porridge is quite good cold and very easy to transport in tupperware. Not quite my normal culinary standards, I know!
Hopefully I will be able to be a little more adventurous once this 10 pages is in, although I have to empty the freezer of all my food so that I can move at the end of August or beginning of September. Always something to organise and plan instead of my chapter!
The beginning of July was spent on a trip to Canada/NY State. It was nice to see everyone, but hard, once again to be in different beds every few nights. I would love to have a holiday where I sleep in the same place every night and don't have to arrange travel plans for myself or anyone else! Someday...
I arrived back in this country three weeks ago and that is how long it took me to finish writing up a draft chapter which is now about 19,000 words...longer than my Master's thesis and yet it is just one chapter. The good part is that I only have to do that 4 more times! And of course edit everything including all my ideas, over and over and over and over (you get the idea) again!
Since returning I've managed to see The Comedy of Errors and Coriolanus at the Globe Theatre, as well as Henry VI parts I and II in Stratford-upon-Avon (for free no less!). This weekend I am off to Eastbourne for the church weekend away, where I will still have to do some reading...and then on Sunday to the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh as a friend has offered me a place to sleep for free! So more theatre on the horizon.
The main thing I have been missing is cooking, as I have been out of the house 6 of 7 days for the last three weeks. Cooking now involves cutting up celery and putting some oil and vinegar over it, and throwing together sandwiches of cheese and lettuce. And I've discovered that porridge is quite good cold and very easy to transport in tupperware. Not quite my normal culinary standards, I know!
Hopefully I will be able to be a little more adventurous once this 10 pages is in, although I have to empty the freezer of all my food so that I can move at the end of August or beginning of September. Always something to organise and plan instead of my chapter!
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Conference over, performance over, chapter still not done...
There has been so much going on since I last posted I don't even know where to begin. But the basics are that the conference - Performance Studies International: PSi #12 went very well. I had a great time and the campus felt so alive with over 500 delegates and artists from around the world participating in 5 days of panels, discussions, performances, interventions...it was fabulous. I met some wonderful people and was able to engage with stimulating ideas. The really big names of Performance theory/theatre theory were at this conference and their papers were really wonderful to listen to. I managed to go to 6 performances as well. They ranged from very basic sort of lecture/story telling to full on performance event with naked bodies, offal, accupuncture and blood...if you really want to know more, email me. I even got to perform at the event with a group called the Red Ladies who are part of the Clod Ensemble in London. I was an interventionist! I sat on a bench, in costume, and knit for a while and then I participated in the closing ceremonies with 11 others. It was great. Coming down from so much activity took about a week. But on the 24th of June I was hosting a performance event in London.
'Liturgia' was a collaborative performance evening that was created by myself and 5 other women. It was mostly installation pieces in a series of 5 rooms in a space called the Boiler Room. The Boiler Room is a place that has been donated for prayer. There are quite a few of them in London. This one is in central London, near Moorgate Station. The other women involved in the project were mostly fine artists who do drawing, sculpture, silk screen, film, photography, etc. I am the only trained performer. The evening was a series of events where we got people who came along to join in with a 'tongue in cheek' exercise video that we had created, to help keep the 'clock' going (this is also hard to explain in a few lines...so maybe phone me if this one interests you!), to make the snacks in the assembly line, and to generally engage with the idea of work through many different pieces. Although we didn't advertise very well, we had a decent turn out and the evening was succesful. We had a great time and I enjoyed playing hostess and keeping everthing ticking along. I also orchestrated a series of interventions where the 6 of us suddenly appeared in the space all together moving chairs around, having a board meeting, or doing the exercise video ourselves. We have been offered a space in Kennington where we can remount the exhibit in 3 or 4 months. So that is the next thing to work towards.
Now I am madly trying to work on my chapter as I am flying back to Canada on the 4th of July for 16 days. I also have friends coming to stay with me from Thursday through to Monday...packing may get done at the last minute!
'Liturgia' was a collaborative performance evening that was created by myself and 5 other women. It was mostly installation pieces in a series of 5 rooms in a space called the Boiler Room. The Boiler Room is a place that has been donated for prayer. There are quite a few of them in London. This one is in central London, near Moorgate Station. The other women involved in the project were mostly fine artists who do drawing, sculpture, silk screen, film, photography, etc. I am the only trained performer. The evening was a series of events where we got people who came along to join in with a 'tongue in cheek' exercise video that we had created, to help keep the 'clock' going (this is also hard to explain in a few lines...so maybe phone me if this one interests you!), to make the snacks in the assembly line, and to generally engage with the idea of work through many different pieces. Although we didn't advertise very well, we had a decent turn out and the evening was succesful. We had a great time and I enjoyed playing hostess and keeping everthing ticking along. I also orchestrated a series of interventions where the 6 of us suddenly appeared in the space all together moving chairs around, having a board meeting, or doing the exercise video ourselves. We have been offered a space in Kennington where we can remount the exhibit in 3 or 4 months. So that is the next thing to work towards.
Now I am madly trying to work on my chapter as I am flying back to Canada on the 4th of July for 16 days. I also have friends coming to stay with me from Thursday through to Monday...packing may get done at the last minute!
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Performing Rights and Ice Cream
Time has gotten away from me a little. I have wanted to write, but just haven't been able to find the space and time to really sit down and think. So I don't know what kind of an update this will be. I've been working on a multitude of things this past week as there was a graduate student conference, theatre, marking and organising for Psi#12 next week.
The graduate student conference happens every year at Queen Mary (QM) and this year there were 7 of us. Two from Drama, the rest from English. We had two respondents and it took the full day. It was really nice to hear what other people have been working on and to see the different presentation styles that people use. The respondents were mostly helpful as well although people didn't really engage the implications of the theory that I was proposing...they were more interested in talking about the theorist herself - Hannah Arendt. Interestingly, I found out that there is a digital archive of all her work in Oldenburg, Germany, which is where I went to high school when I lived there. I might just have to spend day looking at the archive the next time I go there to visit!
Psi#12 is Performance Studies International: Peforming Rights. It is the largest theatre/performace studies conference in the world and this time its theme is Performing Rights. One of the keynote speakers is Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International. There will be over 500 delegates from all over the world. I have been working on PhD involvement so it hasn't been that hectic for me. But it is still enough to keep me busy with emails. I just booked catering for lunch for 60 people. A far cry from the events for 1000 people I used to do on Parliament Hill!
Tomorrow night I am going to see Titus Andronicus at the Globe. It is a nasty play with lots of blood and the reviews always mention the people who faint. People faint at the Globe every year, simply because if you pay 5 pounds you stand in the 'yard' in front of the stage and it can get a little hot and stuffy if all 1500 people show up to stand. I don't thint it really has much to do with the amount of blood on stage! But I'll let you know after I see it.
This Sunday at church there is a bbq in the afternoon to raise money for a kids club trip this summer. Then at church they are baptising 5 people - they use the really big pool and dunk people completely. Last time the heater didn't work so the water was quite cold... and then I am running the fair trade stall after the service. Too much to do!
The world cup of Football (Soccer) starts today and all of Europe has gone crazy. Almost every second car here has little St. George flags (this is the white flag with a red cross that forms the middle of the Union Jack) flying from the windows. And their best striker had a hurt foot, but he has just been cleared to play so everyone is over the moon about that!
I'm just thrilled the weather has picked up - It's 27 (80 F) today, and hazy. It is supposed to be about the same tomorrow but no clouds! Perfect ice cream weather.
Now I am going to read...really...
The graduate student conference happens every year at Queen Mary (QM) and this year there were 7 of us. Two from Drama, the rest from English. We had two respondents and it took the full day. It was really nice to hear what other people have been working on and to see the different presentation styles that people use. The respondents were mostly helpful as well although people didn't really engage the implications of the theory that I was proposing...they were more interested in talking about the theorist herself - Hannah Arendt. Interestingly, I found out that there is a digital archive of all her work in Oldenburg, Germany, which is where I went to high school when I lived there. I might just have to spend day looking at the archive the next time I go there to visit!
Psi#12 is Performance Studies International: Peforming Rights. It is the largest theatre/performace studies conference in the world and this time its theme is Performing Rights. One of the keynote speakers is Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International. There will be over 500 delegates from all over the world. I have been working on PhD involvement so it hasn't been that hectic for me. But it is still enough to keep me busy with emails. I just booked catering for lunch for 60 people. A far cry from the events for 1000 people I used to do on Parliament Hill!
Tomorrow night I am going to see Titus Andronicus at the Globe. It is a nasty play with lots of blood and the reviews always mention the people who faint. People faint at the Globe every year, simply because if you pay 5 pounds you stand in the 'yard' in front of the stage and it can get a little hot and stuffy if all 1500 people show up to stand. I don't thint it really has much to do with the amount of blood on stage! But I'll let you know after I see it.
This Sunday at church there is a bbq in the afternoon to raise money for a kids club trip this summer. Then at church they are baptising 5 people - they use the really big pool and dunk people completely. Last time the heater didn't work so the water was quite cold... and then I am running the fair trade stall after the service. Too much to do!
The world cup of Football (Soccer) starts today and all of Europe has gone crazy. Almost every second car here has little St. George flags (this is the white flag with a red cross that forms the middle of the Union Jack) flying from the windows. And their best striker had a hurt foot, but he has just been cleared to play so everyone is over the moon about that!
I'm just thrilled the weather has picked up - It's 27 (80 F) today, and hazy. It is supposed to be about the same tomorrow but no clouds! Perfect ice cream weather.
Now I am going to read...really...
Friday, May 26, 2006
spiders on the ceiling and birds on the roof
I've thought of many things to write, but correcting student work is simply taking a long time. So eventually today I should get something written, just bear with me...
So hours later, I'm back. Occasionally in the house we find some lovely spiders. They seem to come in all shapes and sizes and don't play favourites; they'll visit anyone. Last night on my way to bed I happened to notice one crawling on the ceiling near the light. When I tried to get him with a book he fell onto the light fixture.
From there I chased him (I have decided that spiders are male...not that this makes any logical sense, but it is working for me right now.) with the book until he fell off to the floor. Then I bashed him with the book. It happened to be the library copy of The Cambridge Companion to Hannah Arendt. I had to bash him twice as it was the paperback version. I'm sure John, who has the room below me, was thrilled to hear that at 23.00. No more spiders tonight though!
The birds of the neighbourhood like to coo. Specifically they enjoy cooing either near, on or in the chimney that goes through the wall in my room. It's hard to tell if they are just chatting or actually having an important conversation. Unfortunately there is no way to tell them to shut up as I can't see the roof from my window. What I can see are all the rooves of the neighbours who live in the council housing. Those buildings are much shorter than this three storey Victorian house. And the rooves are flat so when it rains a lot of water accumulates - they were definitely not built for snow! The birds like splash about in the water and the cats like to walk around the water while showing their disaproval. The birds avoid the cats, the cats never manage to get the birds...as you can tell I get hours of entertainment from this. And of course from the people who live in these houses coming out to yell at the birds. The old couple across the way even shake their broom and mop at the birds occasionally. The most exciting thing was when a football (soccer) flew up and a young boy was suddenly walking around on the interconnected rooves. The birds really didn't know what to do with him!
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
More tea!
Why the link between action and work in relation to the liturgy is eluding me is not clear. I have been staring at the same paragraph for about 4 hours. 3 cups of tea, lunch, and some email have come in between me and the paragraph - I thought we needed some moments to ourselves...but to no avail. I can't seem to make the segue between the chapter I have been working on and this new theory section. It will all fit together eventually, but I need a bit of speed on this! And if I am not going to get any work done, I might as well be cleaning my room instead of staring at the screen. Or correcting student work. I got through 14 essays last night, mind you they were for second marking purposes. But it is over half of that pile. The other pile which is first marking takes a little longer...but at least all the students have seen fit to give me lots to rant about which is helpful. I like to feel that I can impart something to them - PAGE NUMBERS PLEASE!
On the other end of life, I did some laundry this morning. That is always a good feeling. And I booked tickets to see the Exonerated which is about people who were on death row in the US and were released after proving they were innocent. It is read by a large cast and will no doubt be a heavy evening of contemplating the inner workings of the justice system and how humans can continue to hope. So to contrast with that, I am planning on going to see the Da Vinci Code at some point next week. I've read the book and want to see how they have managed to interpret the story. I'm not expecting much, considering the book wasn't well written, but I do like all the high speed travel through Paris, London and the UK. It is so strange to watch parts of London go by and realise that I know where they are! Also, that they filmed the movie while I was living here...very strange.
The English weather is not dissapointing today - It has been rainy, sunny, spitting, cloudy, sunny, driving wind and rain, sunny, light breeze...and that was all before lunch. I am just glad I don't have to go anywhere. I managed to get out for a 30 minute walk this morning. But do not feel inclined to try my luck again. I will no doubt be drowned if I try to step out the door.
So back to the ideas of labour, work, action and the performance of the liturgy. Some day this will all be over and I won't have to think so hard...more tea!
On the other end of life, I did some laundry this morning. That is always a good feeling. And I booked tickets to see the Exonerated which is about people who were on death row in the US and were released after proving they were innocent. It is read by a large cast and will no doubt be a heavy evening of contemplating the inner workings of the justice system and how humans can continue to hope. So to contrast with that, I am planning on going to see the Da Vinci Code at some point next week. I've read the book and want to see how they have managed to interpret the story. I'm not expecting much, considering the book wasn't well written, but I do like all the high speed travel through Paris, London and the UK. It is so strange to watch parts of London go by and realise that I know where they are! Also, that they filmed the movie while I was living here...very strange.
The English weather is not dissapointing today - It has been rainy, sunny, spitting, cloudy, sunny, driving wind and rain, sunny, light breeze...and that was all before lunch. I am just glad I don't have to go anywhere. I managed to get out for a 30 minute walk this morning. But do not feel inclined to try my luck again. I will no doubt be drowned if I try to step out the door.
So back to the ideas of labour, work, action and the performance of the liturgy. Some day this will all be over and I won't have to think so hard...more tea!
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Jacobean Drama and women in bras...
I never think of what is going on in my life as strange until I try to tell someone about it. This week, however, is classic. After the escapades I wrote about on the 18th, I tried to stay near to home and write. I did a lot of thinking on Friday, but not much writing. That evening I went to a play at the Barbican called "The Changeling" which was first performed in 1634. It is Jacobean drama and similar in language style at least to Shakespeare. This was not a play that I had read, but I had heard a lot about the company who were putting the play on - Cheek by Jowl.
http://www.barbican.org.uk/theatre/event-detail.asp?ID=3662
It was one of the most impressive stagings I have seen. The set was minimal, the costuming was simple but the lighting was incredibly effective and the acting was superb. It was a great piece of theatre. But the play itself is NASTY. Not the sort of thing you want to go to for fun. It is not cheerful, although there are moments of humour. Love, sex, betrayal, violence...people do come out of this one very well. The commentary on a women's virtue is also interesting. Under the guise of Christianity and purity, virginity is really just another way to validate men. Of course none of this is surprising...but the entirety of the way the play was performed was stunning. The images they created are vivid and impossible to forget. The tempo of the play was also impressive as this is a very wordy play, but the action drove ahead with a speed that was unrelenting. There was no chance to get bored. Really wonderful, horrifying stuff.
Saturday morning I went to a workshop that took place at church on Nuno felting. This is a textile technique where you take merino wool, place it in any way you choose on muslin, wet it all down with soap and water and rub it until the wool adheres to the muslin. There are more details involved than that, but the basic idea is very simple. There were about 14 women and we all came away with scarves. The woman leading the event suggested I put mine in the wash on gentle to finish it, but forgot to mention that it would shrink...luckily it is still wearable, but not quite as long as I thought it would be. I went with a simple pattern - cream wool on cream muslin with pieces of fabric that I cut out laid under the top layer of wool. I'll get a picture up if I can borrow a camera. It was fun and adictive! It is so nice to spend two hours doing something and come out with a finished product. And the range of beautiful textiles that people created were really impressive.
http://www.jmh.company.org.uk/pages/out-&-about-page/opera_house/opera_house.html
Saturday night I went to the ballet at the Royal Opera House. They were celebrating Dame Ninette de Valois who started the Royal Ballet and was responsible for the National Ballet of Canada, among others. So Canada sent over a new piece to be performed here. The male dancer in that piece was the brother of my roomate in fourth year university in Canada. I never met him, as he was always travelling or performing. Alex (the former roomate) lives in Paris right now, so she came over to see him and some other friends dropped in as well. It was a really interesting evening and I wore my new scarf...I managed to not tell everyone that I had made it that morning -- in fact, I didn't tell anyone! But it was fun to be able to wear it immediately.
On the way home, I opted to take the bus from Trafalgar Sq instead of taking the tube. I managed to pick the bus that crossed the route for the Playtex Moonwalk for Breast Cancer... mostly women walking 26.2 miles through London overnight while wearing decorated bras... Needless to say it took an extra half hour to get home and I got to see a wild variety of bras!
http://www.walkthewalk.org/
Today I wrote and corrected student work. Some of my students have such great ideas, and even when they don't understand the implications of some of what they write it is still exciting to see the links they do make. Others...I am going to have to report for plagiarism. Ouch. That is the downside, although at least with plagiarism I do not have to comment on the quality of the writing, whereas with bad writing I have to find a way to be encouraging!
For the moments when I relax my brain, I have been reading P.G. Wodehouse's books on Bertie Wooster and Jeeves. They are very funny and so different from what I am doing right now that they are a great diversion! I feel a chapter calling me now...
http://www.barbican.org.uk/theatre/event-detail.asp?ID=3662
It was one of the most impressive stagings I have seen. The set was minimal, the costuming was simple but the lighting was incredibly effective and the acting was superb. It was a great piece of theatre. But the play itself is NASTY. Not the sort of thing you want to go to for fun. It is not cheerful, although there are moments of humour. Love, sex, betrayal, violence...people do come out of this one very well. The commentary on a women's virtue is also interesting. Under the guise of Christianity and purity, virginity is really just another way to validate men. Of course none of this is surprising...but the entirety of the way the play was performed was stunning. The images they created are vivid and impossible to forget. The tempo of the play was also impressive as this is a very wordy play, but the action drove ahead with a speed that was unrelenting. There was no chance to get bored. Really wonderful, horrifying stuff.
Saturday morning I went to a workshop that took place at church on Nuno felting. This is a textile technique where you take merino wool, place it in any way you choose on muslin, wet it all down with soap and water and rub it until the wool adheres to the muslin. There are more details involved than that, but the basic idea is very simple. There were about 14 women and we all came away with scarves. The woman leading the event suggested I put mine in the wash on gentle to finish it, but forgot to mention that it would shrink...luckily it is still wearable, but not quite as long as I thought it would be. I went with a simple pattern - cream wool on cream muslin with pieces of fabric that I cut out laid under the top layer of wool. I'll get a picture up if I can borrow a camera. It was fun and adictive! It is so nice to spend two hours doing something and come out with a finished product. And the range of beautiful textiles that people created were really impressive.
http://www.jmh.company.org.uk/pages/out-&-about-page/opera_house/opera_house.html
Saturday night I went to the ballet at the Royal Opera House. They were celebrating Dame Ninette de Valois who started the Royal Ballet and was responsible for the National Ballet of Canada, among others. So Canada sent over a new piece to be performed here. The male dancer in that piece was the brother of my roomate in fourth year university in Canada. I never met him, as he was always travelling or performing. Alex (the former roomate) lives in Paris right now, so she came over to see him and some other friends dropped in as well. It was a really interesting evening and I wore my new scarf...I managed to not tell everyone that I had made it that morning -- in fact, I didn't tell anyone! But it was fun to be able to wear it immediately.
On the way home, I opted to take the bus from Trafalgar Sq instead of taking the tube. I managed to pick the bus that crossed the route for the Playtex Moonwalk for Breast Cancer... mostly women walking 26.2 miles through London overnight while wearing decorated bras... Needless to say it took an extra half hour to get home and I got to see a wild variety of bras!
http://www.walkthewalk.org/
Today I wrote and corrected student work. Some of my students have such great ideas, and even when they don't understand the implications of some of what they write it is still exciting to see the links they do make. Others...I am going to have to report for plagiarism. Ouch. That is the downside, although at least with plagiarism I do not have to comment on the quality of the writing, whereas with bad writing I have to find a way to be encouraging!
For the moments when I relax my brain, I have been reading P.G. Wodehouse's books on Bertie Wooster and Jeeves. They are very funny and so different from what I am doing right now that they are a great diversion! I feel a chapter calling me now...
Thursday, May 18, 2006
all over London and back again
A friend of mine needed a place to sleep last night. She was on her way from Lithuania to Calgary and cheap flights being what they are, she had 14 hours in London to kill, between midnight and 2pm. So, I arranged to doze on the couch at a friend's place near Victoria Station until she called to tell me that she had arrived on the bus from Stansted Airport. As the bus goes directly to Victoria Station, it was then simple to pick her up, and catch a bus back to Brixton. I anticiapted her calling sometime between 1:30-2:00. Just after 1 my cell rings and she announces she is at Liverpool Street Station. The bus driver, who knew she wanted to go to Victoria Station has made it sound as though this is the normal place to get off. So, we are now at opposite ends of town and there is no easy way to navigate night busses so that we will find each other. After deciding to risk a cab (how much can it cost when there is no trafic!), I wander out the door of my friend's house and head to the end of the street where they have said that the traditional Black Cab's wait. I see two drive by as I sprint downt the street...when I get there -- nothing.
However, within a minute a cab pulls up, but the light on top, indicating it is for hire, is turned off. The cabbie pulls up, turns off the engine, gets out and goes into the public toilet that is standing on the corner. While I am contemplating how long I should wait for the cabbie another cab pulls up and is nice enough to notice me waving my arm. Luckily there is very little traffic at this time of night and to my surprise, I know the streets the cab is taking to cross town! I normally only take busses or walk when I am not on the Tube as cabs can get quite expensive! Knowing that the streets of London are no longer impenetrable, I feel confident that this will all turn out in the end. I do love driving along the bank of the Thames at night in London. There are so many lights and well known sights that I always feel a little awed that I am really in London!
Barely 15 minutes later and I am jumping out of the cab - the driver did tell me that the public toilet at the end of Maunsel St is the only toilet available to cabbies at that time of night in London. So if you ever need a cab, that is the absolute best place to get yourself to! Back to jumping out the cab and doing a fairly good immitation of competitive walking (which is now an Olympic sport) to find Meaghan (yes, I have friends with my name...different spelling). Waiting on street corners in foreign cities is never one of my favourite things to do...especially when I haven't anticipated having to do so! Walking aound three sides of the building twice (the fourth side adjoins other buildings) did not produce the anticipated Meaghan. By this point, everyone who is waiting for busses, and the cabbies trying to convince someone to pay more for a ride think I am a little strange, when on my third trip around the main corner, I spot a figure looking at the bus map! With the traveller found, tired, but generally well, we head for the night bus to Brixton, which is just pulling up. 30 minutes later we are back at my house and eating toast.
After sleeping for a scant 5 hours we are back out the door, on our way to Victoria Station. A little bit of shopping for marmalade, tea and biscuits is followed by a traditional English 'fry up.' Breakfast felt well deserved after all the running around the night before, although that much grease is never good for the stomach! Just after 11 we got on the train to Gatwick (an impulsive decision on my part to take a train ride...but there just hadn't been enough time to talk!). Meaghan has recently bought a house in Edmonton (these people with real jobs!), so we looked at the house plans, paint chips, carpet and countertop colours...if only there was time or money to decorate anything on a PhD salary! Once at Gatwick we discovered that Zoom was checking in two flights to Canada and that everyone had turned up at the same time! But the line moved relatively quickly and within an hour I was watching security guards patting Meaghan down for sharp metal objects...ah international travel!
After all that, I am quite impressed that I managed to get any work done today at all!
(And the image is from Paris in January - view from near the Louvre, looking at the Left Back.)
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
writing and yet not
Although today was dedicated to writing, not much happened. I have mostly been thinking and trying to decide what to do with the ideas that I already have. A workshop is now in my mind for liturgical purposes. I think that churches need help to understand what the liturgy is, how to use it properly and how the structure of the liturgy is powerful. It was through talking to my mother that this idea finally christallised in my mind.
A friend is sleeping at my place this evening on her way from Lithuania to Calgary. I need to pick her up at the station at 2am...so I will have a long night! Off to home group now where dinner will be whatever I find at the store on the way there. Although I have made homemade banana bread.
A friend is sleeping at my place this evening on her way from Lithuania to Calgary. I need to pick her up at the station at 2am...so I will have a long night! Off to home group now where dinner will be whatever I find at the store on the way there. Although I have made homemade banana bread.
Monday, May 15, 2006
Action
I think the reason that Hannah Arendt's political philosophy can be relevant to the study of liturgy is through her definitions of labour, work and action. Labour is not applicable, in this case, because it is based on necessity and religion, or the performance of the religious texts, are not (strictly speaking) necessary. People will live very well without ever engaging with such an activity. Work, on the other hand is part of what happens in the liturgy. Work is characterized by the idea of utility, it is used to make things, or order things. Work is used to create the objects which are used in the liturgy - decorations for the church, writing of the texts, composing the music, crafting the chalice and candles, etc. Work is also engaged in by people before they come to the service, in preparing themselves, mentally, spiritually, physically. Once in the space action takes over for the most part. The enactment of the liturgy is a series of actions which are mostly known, because they appear in the text that prescribes the liturgy. Yet, each beginning of an action is new and unique, and this is where, once again, Arendt's thoughts are relevant. Through action, humans reveal the unique 'who' of themselves. This means that each person has a unique way of being in the world which is shown through their actions. They usually are not aware of this identity as it can only be perceived by others. This unique way of acting means that each person contributes to the enactment of the liturgy in a way which is only visible to the others who are present. A group is needed to be aware of how the group is functioning. The group needs to pay attention to the contributions made and how they change what happens in each instance of the liturgy. The liturgy cannot function in a vaccuum where everything happens the same way each week, because it never does happen the same way each week. Added to this is the theological view that God, in all of his incarnations, is present and contributing to each enactment of the liturgy each week. So not only is every person present contributing, but so is the spiritual centre of the event. The liturgy needs to be formed through action which can never be anticipated, because action cannot be known before it happens. Its effects are far reaching and unpredictable.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Christmas Cake and Sappy Movies
It's all extremes this week - hot and hazy, complete inability to write, full deserts of christmas cake (the kind that keeps forever...) and luxurious vanilla ice cream with a spoonful of whiskey over the top, and ridiculous sappy movies (yes, I watched, 'You've Got Mail' for the second time). But as it is late and I need to finish a whole section of my chapter tomorrow I really can't go on about things that really aren't' making any sense. If only I felt that this was at all eloquent, but I know that I am too tired to really think about that.
I have freshly washed sheets, a P.G. Wodehouse book and a full glass of water. Sleep should go well!
I have freshly washed sheets, a P.G. Wodehouse book and a full glass of water. Sleep should go well!
Friday, May 12, 2006
washing on the line
I've managed to wash my sheets and get them hanging outside to dry. The weather people tell me that it is going to rain and be ten degrees colder by Monday so I am taking advantage of 25 and sunny. Although I was supposed to have really gotten work done today and I am just setting off to start typing now, at 13.40. A lovely food delivery arrived today though. Smoked haddock, smoked bacon and a box full of fresh organic fruits and veg. Last week I got two globe artichokes. I think I will be having them for supper tonight. I had never had smoked haddock on its own before this week. There is a restaurant on Mile End Road, called L'Oasis where they have a chef on all day. They only have 11 tables, but most seat at least 4 people. A lunch item was Smoked Haddock with Mash, spinach and a poached egg. I don't know what the chef put in the mash or in the slightly milky sauce that was on the plate, but it was one of the most enjoyable meals I have eaten. All the flavours went together so well. I finished it all, but I was stuffed! Barely managed a bowl of soup for supper. The menu had another dish that looked great, wild something sausages with mash (not potato) and some other side item...anyway, I will have to to back for that soon. I could ramble on about food all day, so now it is time to really work on my chapter!
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Smell of Lilacs
I can't believe that just a few weeks ago I was sitting in Dubai writing postcards... In London just a few lilac blossoms are out on the bush two floors below my window, but it is enough to make the air smell sweet. For the first time this year I have dried my clothes on the outdoor line in the sun. The neighbourhood cats took great interest in the ritual of walking back and forth to the basket to get more clothes. The little taby watched from behind a chair in the bushes, but after 5 items decided to ignore me. If they would stop using the gravel in our little garden as a big litter box I might feel more friendly towards them...
Not much writing happened today, although I did a bit of thinking. Tomorrow it will happen. The only thing I really have to do is pay for a new travel card...replacing a lost student oyster card ended up costing me 55 pounds! I'll be complaining to someone - why the student has to get punished when they have no money to begin with is beyond me!
I made a really good cauliflower, potato and fish soup/chowder with soy milk. It tastes of home, although the soy does make for a slightly different texture. And I bought some truly luxurious hot chocolate mix with vanilla and chilli from a place near Liverpool Street Station! That will be my legacy to London - finding all the best places to get hot chocolate!
Monday, May 08, 2006
Rain, rain, rain, london...
It is absolutely pouring here, or as a favourite prof at Uni would have said, "Il pleut comme une vache qui pisse." Maybe not the most elegant, but accurate. After three false starts to spring and a drought in south east England, rain is falling. Old victorian roofs are not known for the soundproof design and the steady sound of rain is soothing as I try to get organised for the day. Hopefully not too soothing as falling asleep is not part of my plan...
I am hoping to use this blog as a way to get out my need to write when the PhD chapter just won't cooperate. Thoughts build up, as does the need to write, about anything really.
Until the next tea break...
I am hoping to use this blog as a way to get out my need to write when the PhD chapter just won't cooperate. Thoughts build up, as does the need to write, about anything really.
Until the next tea break...
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