staying grounded

So it has started. The future, both near and far, is still very much up in the air, but hopefully it will be a little less unclear by the end of next week. I've done all I can do now though, and am trying as I write to come to terms with that fact. Some people have been more helpful than others, but that's the way it usually is, I guess. Now it is time to sit back, relax, drink a chilled drink, and read a book.

here we go again

Another short night, early morning, long day, unhappy knees, endless border control, humid heat. Fleeing from one busy life to another - changing to the same; but hopefully same will somehow be different. I'll let you know how it goes.

it never shines twice

This evening fate had it that I should end up on the couch with a bowl of ice-cream, watching the matrix. Once again I was reminded of how sequels never are as good as the original. The matrix truly is a great accomplishment. It is thought-provoking; so much more than mindless action. The original Pirates of the Caribbean is also a work of cinematic art - more on the merit of its classic blend of action, romance, and comedy than its worth for thought, but a great movie nonetheless. The sequels may well have provided their makers with a hefty profit, but they should never have been made. The originals would have been best left on their own; but art is hardly the only driving force behind cinema. A sequel can only be a good movie; it will never be great, never escape the shadow. Only an original will ever break into the light - not as something else, but as its own.

to the simple things

Sometimes it's the simplest things that make me the happiest.

- The first bite of my aunt's chocolate cake.
- Tasting the salt in the sea breeze.
- Feeling the wet sand stick to the soles of my feet.
- Having a hot drink in the middle of the night.
- Seeing the smile on someone's face knowing I've made a difference.
- Catching up with an old friend and talking all night.
- Finishing something I've been working on for a long time and knowing it is good.
- Enjoying a good book or movie.

All those good, simple things - let's do them.