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'My Corduroyed Life' - Mark A's Journal
Looky, looky! New categories!
WORK
Things have calmed down since the start of term, and my job is nowhere near as stressful as it has been. This is good. I’ve also had some interesting pet projects to get my teeth into, and I’ve enjoyed the challenge. All in all, I think I’m finally settling in, and it’s been a relatively pleasant month.
JOB HUNTING
Having given my job at School of Languages a fair amount of time (IE: Not just starting there, and fucking off a couple of months down the line), I am now back looking for jobs. Rob and I are both looking for new jobs actually, and if we get up off our arses, we might be able to do it together.
MONEY
I’ve had to delve into the inheritance fund for holidays, Christmas presents, Ninja gear, and various other things. It seems like this month has just been when everything has to be bought/ paid for. Wintertime is always so bloody expensive! Gah!
Actually, life in general is just expensive.
LOVE LIFE
Is fantastic, thank you very much! Rob is wonderful. He makes me so incredibly happy.
NINJA
I always enjoy the lessons at the start of the term because it reminds me that I am actually good at my martial art. When new ninjas start, you realise just how much you’ve learnt, and just how much of a beating you can take. For example, when you slightly twist their wrist and they tap out and then they twist yours tenfold worse and you don’t, it reminds you just how tough Ninja makes you.
The bad thing about the start of term, of course, is insurance renewal, dojo membership, a new gi, and that I’m no longer paid up for the year means it’s costing a lot. Martial Arts are expensive!
BOOKS
I enjoyed The Pearl by Jim Steinbeck which was grim as you like (what did I expect from Steinbeck?), yet beautifully written. I then read The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupéry which I adored. It was a very sweet book for children with clever metaphors for its adult readers (Incidentally, it’s dead short, and I’ve found an online version here - it’s well worth a read!). I have just started Why Do People Hate America by Ziauddin Sardar and Merryl Wyn Davies, and it’s looking like it’s going to be another good read.
MUSICA
As you may have noticed, I have very much been into The Wonder Stuff this month after going to the gig in Birmingham. I am happy to say that their new album, Escape From Rubbish Island is great! I am also receiving an education in music from Rob and our friends Baz and Lawrie: apparently I am not allowed to be ignorant of Leonard Cohen.
FILM
I’ve hardly been to the cinema at all this month! Well, that’s strictly untrue as I’ve been going once a week for my course in Japanese cinema at The Cornerhouse. It’s perhaps a little too high brow for me (I find myself sitting quietly at the back while clever people talk), but I’m really enjoying it. It alternates each week between a film and a two hour lecture. I haven’t been to a multiplex all month! Haven’t really used Screenselect to its full potential this month either, but have seen some good stuff.
At the cinema, I’ve seen Yojimbo, The Lady of Musashino, and The Corporation.
On DVD, I’ve seen Welcome To The Jungle, The Swordsman, Infernal Affairs, The Calcium Kid, The Wasp Woman, and Seven Samurai.
Yojimbo
Slow paced and dark, with a badass, intelligent Samurai. Akira Kurosawa is rapidly becoming a favourite director of mine.
****
The Lady of Musashino
Probably wouldn’t have bothered to see this had it not been on my course. The Aesthetics suffered because of its black and white print, and it was a bit slow paced and wishy washy. Just about watchable.
**
The Corporation
Bleak, and downright frightening in places, depiction of what corporations are and can do. A worthy, and compelling film.
****
Welcome To The Jungle
A fun romp with the Rock being badass and Sean William Scott being amusing. Pretty much exactly what I was expecting.
***
The Swordsman
Shocking. Dull, irritating and disappointing.
*
Infernal Affairs
A stylish, enjoyable and clever film (with a fab alternative ending on the DVD), but ultimately it didn’t quite live up to its hype.
***
The Calcium Kid
Fun. This was silly British humour with the oh so fit Orlando Bloom in it (and probably sponsored by the milk people). It’s definitely worth watching, but no classic.
***
The Wasp Woman
A weak rip off of The Fly saved only by how amusingly bad the ‘horror’ wasp woman actually is. This is a just about passable old school schlock.
**
Seven Samurai
At over three hours, it was a task to watch this. Basically taking up a whole evening of my life, it needed to be good. It really was – Kurosawa is amazing.
****
TELLY
Not sure I like this category, so it’s on trial. I next to never actually watch telly telly (IE: the scheduled programming) and don’t have Sky. However, I do watch a lot of telly programmes on DVD, so feel it might be worth documenting what I’ve watched in a similar way to the films category. Recently, I have subjected Rob to Buffy and Angel, and in return, he’s sat me through some of his favourites. I’ve also had some telly programmes on hire from Screenselect.
The Book Group – Series 1
Recommended by a mate, and it didn’t disappoint! This was clever, intelligent, subtle comedy for book readers, but not elitist. Both Rob and I want to join a book group now!
****
Prime Suspect 1
One of those ‘I’ve always meant to watch that’ things, and it was very good. I’m looking forward to the rest!
****
Bob & Rose – The Complete Series
Compelling, well-written, well-acted, set in Manchester… And a fucking crock of shit ending. This gets one star out of principal.
*
6 Feet Under – Season 2
This is simply one of the best programmes on television ever. So clever, so witty, so dry – just pure genius!
*****
RPG
After a prolonged period of a life pretty much bereft of roleplay, I am back big style!
Pixie started a play by email RPG set in a medieval town which is under threat of zombies. I can’t really say any more as the other players read this blog and we’ve agreed not to tell each other who’s playing which character (an interesting twist, I thought).
As well as that, this month I returned to my wrestling old RPG, GZW, albeit as just a match writer (kind of like the DM) for the time being.
Also, Ninja Oli recently started up an evil Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms campaign which we play weekly after Thursday Ninja. I’m playing a no-nonsense Dwarven fighter by the name of Havok who has a stupidly big warhammer called a maul. He’s basically a goon for an evil lord and hangs around with other unsavoury characters/ goons: Saint (human bard played by mcphee), Xiao (human monk played by Ninja [Money] Mal), and Marius (human wizard NPC played by DM Ninja Oli). Three sessions in, and I’m completely hooked and loving every minute!
Also, being October, it was Crasimeet time! We all met in Wigan, and as is the tradition, got pissed and roleplayed all day the following day with hangovers. I had great fun playing my most longstanding RPG character anywhere, Maiyart, and we completed our mission successfully! Yay!
BLOGGING & T’INTERNET
Well I’m sort of back online. I’ve not managed to work out how to get bloody BT bloody broadband to bloody work, but at least have dial up for when I need it. I’m hoping to get it sorted as soon as possible because dial up is just horrible once you’re used to broadband (and costs extra!).
I’ve caught up with Weebl and Bob, Happy Tree Friends and all my other favourite websites that require sound.
Something extremely cool online this month is that mcphee has started an online story in which you write the next chapter and give choose your own adventure style options at the end! I’ve not really explained that very well - check it out to see what I mean (and he’s only been promising it since like November last year too!). I’ve written a few chapters there already: great fun!
Blog wise, I’m pretty pleased this month. I’ve been blogging relatively regularly, and once in a while have written something that people have liked. I also like the idea of having my RPG characters up on this thing, but doing profiles for all of them is more time consuming than I expected!
BLOGS I READ
Alley Katt
Blurty Friends: Jadash, Ajax, Fi and Deiselboi
Bowch
fishmonger malarky
Fluff (currently inactive)
mcphee
Mojo
Pixie
Prince Gaz
Shooting Parrots
ANYTHING ELSE INTERESTING?
I have some friends, a couple, called Huw and Laura. Laura and I sprung a surprise birthday party on Huw early on this month, and Huw and I sprung a surprise party on Laura last weekend! Neither of them will ever trust me again! TeeHee!
I also went bowling (how retro!) with Rob and friends Sam and Charlie which was great fun. I was however mortified that I came last in both games, and then got my ass handed to me on the Dance Mat too. I was having an off day, damnit, that’s what it was!
Also, this month saw me visit Wolverhampton and catch up with Jonathan who I haven’t seen for 3 years due to him being in Japan. In fact, I managed to catch up with loads of people that I’d not seen since last Christmas which was great.
Rob and I were also lucky enough to be invited to our friends Baz and Lawrie’s for dinner. Between them they cooked a full five course meal and it was just divine! Halfway through the meal, I held Rob’s hand over the table and said “There is no way that we can compete with this! We have to terminate this friendship!” [grin] We finally agreed that that was perhaps a little extreme, and have decided to order takeaway when they come round mine.
THE WHOLE MONTH IN A FEW WORDS
(I’m ignoring money) Things are good. In fact, things are great.
Have fun,
M
Current mood:
happy.Current music: So Long, Marianne by Leonard Cohen.