Wordsboogie

fishy techno pants or why education as we know it is all wrong

2011-01-16T21:42:00.000Z

happy new year all! / bonne annee a tous!
may 2011 be as magical as your wildest dreams!

Now, a few things I've found interesting this week:

- Channel 4 have been having their Big Fish Fight on this week. I was very surprised to find that there can still be some decent TV on thses days! Hugh Rivercottage's done some interesting programmes looking at the main isues surrounding fishing in the UK, and Jamie Oliver showed some really easy and cheap enough recipes... So, if like me, you bore yourself cooking the same stuff day in and day out, have a look at some these recipes...Nothing like well-oiled joints to start off 2011!!

- Ever feel the weight of the years when you're around kids? well, that's probably cos technology's evolving so fast that compared to today's kids, our childhood was filled by neanderthal toys .. as demonstrated by this clip from boing boing showing cute French-speaking kids try to make sense of gaming technology from the 1980
Really nicely done, in French with English speech bubble subtitles...

- and if you've always wanted to break loose from society's conventions, taking part in the no pants subway ride could be a good start! As shown by these video snipets, Le slip c'est chic!
quite liberating... although I've got to wonder why, of all seasons, they've decided to do in the midst of winter...

Now, because I'm a teacher, you won't blame me for giving you some homework, alright? it's for your sake, of course...
One of my students forwarded me that link and it's simply blown my mind.. beautifully animated, fascinating contents: it's time to change education paradigms!
There are some other inspiring presentations on the RSA youtube channel... Enjoy!

take care and have fun...

a few things

2010-12-04T01:15:00.000Z

hello- ahoj- hola- salut!

it's hard to believe that Christmas is only a couple of weeks away!
10 days off work is just what I'd asked Santa; I'm sure glad he got it right.. swell guy!

I've finished working on the New English File project, and the online int and upper-int reading activities will hopefully go live next May.
Immensely enjoyed the process; as opposed to teaching in a school with continuous enrollment, that project had a beginning, a middle and an end, and I gotta say that it did help motivation-wise!
Anyway, I was thrilled to bits to try my hand at this and I'm hoping to do some reading to hone my writing skills! yep, it has sure made me appreciate the work that goes into the average multiple choice task!

I also did a translation for ted.com. Very interesting and open process there as well: Join the translators' database and if you've enjoyed a talk and notice that there are no subtitles for it in your language, then you can request to translate it. The translating platform used is really user-friendly. When you're done, a reviewer has to check your work and make any necessary changes (collaboration between the translator and the reviewer is encouraged). There's no money involved but it has genuinely reconciled me with translating: i got to translate something I'm interested in, yeah!! take that contracts and manual guides!
One really neat thing you can use is the interactive transcript, i.e. you click on any sentence from the transcript and it takes you to that exact spot of the talk... (brilliant resource for language learners)
The talk is by Rob Forbes and is about urban design. Check it out, it's pretty cool!

A few interesting things coming up in Belfast:
this Sunday (05-12-10): Black Market @ Black Box- crafts, books, clothes, food, and BEW's bleep boxes!

Sunday 19-12-10: Black Books-( I'll be selling French and English books)

So brave the cold and come to the Black Box: Christmas shopping and mulled wine, not a bad combo!

One last thing and you can go back to your online Xmas shopping:
The online music magazine Vibrations posted a link to this Radiodiffusion music blog, and, oh my word, it's a wonderland of old, rare, weird, beautiful, melodic, different sounds; a free library of musics from Africa, the Middle-East and Asia. (I only found it about an hour ago and all i've been doing since then is telling everybody how awesome that website is.. so don't leave me hanging, go check it out!!)

wrap up and stay cosy!
peace.

quick update

2010-09-27T21:40:00.001+01:00

Hi all,

after that wonderful holiday in Canada, it's been real hard to get back to work... you leave thinking you'll get back feeling refreshed and motivated, but you come back resenting the alarm clock more than ever before...
It will have taken a while, but I think I'm almost cured from the back-to-work depression, just in time to get my Seasonal Affective Disorder on.. that's what I like to call perfect timing.
I was offered a writing gig a while back... been working on an online bank of EFL reading resources, involving selecting and editing texts, and designing accompanying tasks. It's fairly time-consuming but mega enjoyable! I've been looking at reading, from how ESL students read to how we teach or test their various skills...
well, you gotta get your kicks from somewhere!

let's finish this quick update by a real cute thing I've heard in class:
"teacher, I can't concentrate.. my mind is dancing in my head!"
When complimented on his lyricism, the student replied: "nobody else can use that, it's only me, it's my line".
can't think on what to write after that....
my neurones are breakdancing in my skull...

Snippets of Toronto goodness

2010-06-27T00:46:00.001+01:00

Toronto- a few highlights from the vibrantly cultural hub of Ontario
bew @ somewherethere

Improv gig featuring Belfast-based bew and Toronto-based Octopus. Although the artists only met on the night, the mix of sounds was very natural. A sonic conversation, all voices were heard. Beautiful music and very warm atmosphere.

ROM (Royal Ontario Museum)

Neither the building nor the art pieces could possibly disappoint. Objects from around the world. Amazing collection of beetles. Traditional costumes, weapons, musical instruments and other objects from various continents. Fauna and flora.. plenty more.

Architecture

old...

and new...

Kensington Market
bric à brac, vintage, junk, fruit & veg, reggae, bars, 'Paris Hilton' incense sticks (phew), colours, smells, random bits and pieces...
awesome place to roam the streets... sit down and make camp the time of a couple of cool pitchers...

or take the time to smell the patchouli oils burning in and outside the numerous hippie shops

Niagara Falls

from ghost town ... to wonder of the world

and many more... Tony Allen and his band playing for free in a park, by far the best sushi I've ever tasted, street festivals, the Bata Shoe Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario, kind and welcoming strangers...
and more importantly, wonderful friends and hosts! Thanks Gerald & Katie.

Next stop of our holiday: Montreal.
TBC.

and so I kiss my social life goodbye...

2010-05-30T19:39:00.001+01:00

... and what's more surprising is that it's not even for a TV series!
The little bit of free time I have these days is being spent playing the Word Machine game...
It wouldn't be so great were it not for the fact that it works in both French and English.. that Word Machine is very clever indeed!

For native speakers, what a lovely way to procrastinate, and for language learners, what a thrill to see how many words you know in another language.

So whether you've got some time on your hands and no urging matter to attend to, or you're keen to challenge your vocabulary skills, you should most certainly have some fun with the Word Machine.

have fun no matter what! Amusez-vous bien quoiqu'il en soit!

a blissful Sunday

2010-05-09T21:35:00.001+01:00

After a maniac week and before another few to come, I've had a beautifully peaceful day which involved...

The Crescent Arts Centre are host of the adult electronic creche previously held in the Ulster Hall.
It takes place in the cafe on the ground floor. All the Sunday papers you could possibly want to read and more are available, and if you're in a playful mood, you can have a game of Wii.
Opened from 1 to 4p.m., the event is free of charge...

Today's creche saw local artist Barry Cullen perform a DJ set that suited both the space and the mood of the day. A great selection of chilled tunes!

(also, if you are going to make your way down to the Crescent, oh dear, you absolutely got to try the scones... without the shadow of a doubt the best in the city and beyond!)

Back home, watched Pedro Almodovar's classic Women on the Verge of a Nervous breakdown. Fantastic comedy... enough to make you go 'that's it, I'm definitely going to learn Spanish!' Some lough out loud moments topped by stunning shots; Almodovar's irreproachable sense of aesthetics strikes again, to the viewer's delight!

Highlights for the coming week include Chris Morris's Four Lions, a well overdue visit to the dentist, and just over 30 hours of teaching!
oh well, might spend the week running around like a headless chicken, but I've had a wonderfully blissful Sunday!

to all, have fun!

Festival of Fools

2010-05-02T10:09:00.001+01:00

The Festival of Fools is back in Belfast! Rejoice!!
This festival of street theatre brings us international acts rich in beauty and laughter...

Many acts, such as Rob Torres', don't use intelligible words, but rather comedic sounds...

Now, being a language teacher, I spend my time trying to teach people how to communicate in another language, set of values etc., but when I see an entire audience in stitches at the artist's latest gag, I can't really help wonder how redundant my job could be....

words are handy for sure, and I love them, still I'm in awe when I see a person expressive enough to convey so much without uttering a sound!

if you're around, I urge you to go see the Decadence. All the way from St Petersburg, Mr. Pejo's Wandering Dolls will make you believe in magic the time of a unique procession from Cotton Court to the brand new St Anne's Square. It starts at 9p.m.

Smitten yet?
The Festival of Fools finishes on Monday. All performances are free, although you'll be kindly asked to donate some money towards the festival, whose future is at risk due to lack of funding.
All the info you could possibly need and more available at:
http://www.foolsfestival.com/

Fun, art, poetry and laughter for everybody... a weekend rich in 'waouh's!
Because words aren't everything!

Bring your friends, relatives, beaux and belles... and enjoy!

Apostrophes are going cheap

2010-04-08T18:46:00.000+01:00

Some people swear them, some others loathe them..
when to use them, when to drop them.... headache!
it's vs. its... there will be blood!

One thing I've noticed on several occasions is that apostrophes are more of an issue for native than for non-native speakers.
Odd, indeed, but true nonetheless!
Teaching beginner learners of English is a major part of my job. They come in on Day One with no English, but after about a month, they will have learnt and assimilated that 'it's' is the contraction of 'it is' and that 'its' is a possessive pronoun.
However, many native speakers mix the two forms at any given opportunity! The other day again, I read a Facebook thread on the subject... something along the lines of:
-"Facebook isn't working properly.... it's having of it's turns!"
-"haha, you made a typo!"
-"what? No, I didn't!"
etc.

Mind you, it might become common usage and therefore acceptable, who knows! After all, people dictate the rules language, not the other way round...

and yes, I really want one of these t-shirts! Check it out!
http://www.sharingmachine.com/index.php?item=33
or grammar fashion as the new black
(in my mind)

'Beurgeois'- a new French word

2010-04-06T11:45:00.002+01:00

Reading the paper this morning, I came across a new French word- beurgeois.
It's so new my spellcheck is going 'whaa?'
What it means:
A beurgeois is a middle-class Muslim living in France.
It is a portmanteau word combining the words 'beur', which is verlan/ slang for a person of North African descent, and the word 'bourgeois', meaning affluent.

The article from the Guardian is quite interesting; it focuses on the buying power of the emerging young Muslim middle-class and highlights the way supermarkets deal with it.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/05/france-muslims-halal-boom
Conclusion: Halal meat is more widely available than ever and the language keeps on getting richer!

For more information/ pour plus d'informations:
http://beurgeoisie.fr/2008/06/07/dou-vient-le-mot-beurgeois/
(in French/ en français)

Word Bubbles game

2010-04-05T00:50:00.000+01:00

Spent a lot of time playing this game today (and found myself being quite competitive!)...
The premise is dead simple; you're given a three-letter stem and have to find as many words as possible starting with this stem.
Could be useful for helping students improve their spelling (laptop on one lap, dictionary on the other!).
Going to try it in class on Wednesday morning (another 2 full days off... how many more of that game am I going to play?!)

Simple and addictive
http://www.instructables.com/community/Lumosity_Word_Bubbles_Game/

Have fun!

Some urban wisdom from Mexico

2010-04-04T01:01:00.001+01:00

Context: Using common signs to practice modals verbs of permission, advice and prohibition (must, can, should...)
Me: 'Where can you see this sign and what does it mean?'...
Mexican student: 'My granny used to say that you always kept her valuables safe between the twins...'
Other students: 'the twins?'
Mexican student: 'yeah, the twins...'
To which he gets hold of his moobs, simulating a cleavage meant to reflect his gran's breasts.. the twins! Better than a safe and no risk of losing the key or forgetting the code.
Conclusion of the lesson: When on public transport, you should keep your valuables between the twins.
Need to find out what 'stick it between the twins' is in Spanish...

back to green

2008-07-22T15:40:00.005+01:00

After three years spent in Poland and the Czech Republic, I have come back to Ireland. smile.
Because the time felt right,
because if you give too much time to people to forget you, they just might...
because family and friends are everything...
because I don't want to back to this scarily scruffy dentist ever again (the cheapest dental care I ever received, mind you..)...
because I want to try something new in terms of work beyond lesson planning!

I have attended the 'Go for it' set-up-your-own business course and found it really helpful.. it made the idea of starting a business a lot more achievable and concrete.
I am going to start a freelance language business, providing tuition in French and English as a foreign language (E.F.L) to young learners, teenagers and adults, as well as doing some translation.... It is very unlikely that I'll make a living from it, but not trying would be silly..
The business will be called 'wordsboogie' as i am terribly uncreative when it comes to finding names...
however, all suggestions welcome!

I also want to get into the community sector.. ideally, i'd ike to deliver different types of E.F.L workshops to ethnic minorities (via music, broadcasting, cooking, making crafts etc.)..
Ideally, because the reality of it is that there's no money there and that all the work is done on a voluntary basis, not that i have something against it, but it's useful to have a paid job in our modern world, innit?!
I'm going to look at different options, take the time it takes, and get somehting sorted I'm sure!!

I have felt so much support since I have come back, it's truly wonderful!!
I am very thankful and feel very lucky to know such beautiful people!

Fo now, I am now teaching at a residential international summer school in Dundalk...
saving some pennies and earning a few wrinkles!!!

models Fernando and Marina at the fashion show

A lot of stress but some good times had as well!! Managing ok, doing yoga every morning!! (i 've only recently started yoga but absolutely love it.... it's three in one, as much as kinder surprise is chocolate, a toy and a surprise, yoga is a sport, an art and a philosophy!!!)

Will head over to France mid-August to visit my dear aunt Jojo who's not too good at the moment and also to help mum who's up to her ears fighting a system that does not grant decent rights to people with heavy disabilities.
Big respect to you Mum!
I'll also get to see my dad who will have by then become a pensioner! Some rest and peace of mind well deserved!

Looking to go to the Glasgowbury festival this weekend.. the line-up's good and the company should be great, add a bit of good weather, and that's a bit of heaven you've got there!

Just finished reading Vertigo, the novel which inspired Alfred Hitchcock.. brilliant read, recommend it!

Time to go...

peace out

wordsboogie

A Winter diary - Zimni Denik

2008-04-12T14:56:00.008+01:00

after months of silence, the boogie's back...

.. with my first solo photography exhibition 'A winter Diary' or in Czech 'Zimni Denik' (without the accents..).
The images will be up in Brno and more precisely in the Centre for free time in Luzanky from April 21st to May 11th.
There will be an opening at the same location on Monday, April 2I started it when I arrived in Poland1st at 8p.m.
Provided the weather's good, we will have access to the gardens, where Barry will be playing some music. Large helpings of tea and wine will be provided!
I'm really looking forward to it.
it feels great doing something other than teaching! I'd almost forgotten I've got hobbies!You can find the photographs on exhibit by going to my Picasa

I started putting this album together about three years ago when I arrived in Poland and I've been collecting snaps since then.

The collection is called 'A Winter Diary'.
Winter is more often than not a period where we can reflect and get introspective... and hopefully feel cosy inside...
(we're far too busy drinking cool pints in beer gardens during the summer for this kind of stuff!)
I have always felt that winter, no matter how cold it may get, has a beautiful and calming quality to it, like a soft breeze whispering that it is all going to be ok... When I can spot this in landscapes, I get snapping, even at the height of the summer!

I'd like you to tell me which picture you like most by posting a comment at the end of this post.
Thanks.

... On some other news, the boogie is moving back to Northern Ireland in mid-June..
interesting times ahead!

lots of love
peace out

changement de decor...

2007-11-29T21:29:00.000Z

Changement de decor indeed...
After being given a week's notice to move out of our flat on Mendlovo Namesti (and being made a lame offer to relocate to another flat at the heart of panelak town- how much communist heaven can you ask for?!), we've found another flat, right in the centre of town.. and are now ready to move, yet again...
So before we lock the door one last time, here's a wee blurry snap from the living-room window... really had a fabulous time in this flat!

On a different note, winter's lowly but surely settling in. There have been a couple of intense snow days... yet, it's all pretty much thawed out by now... many Czechs are in the starting blocks, snow boots on!
gotta go to the shop and get some mulled wine spices.. it's this time of year!
Apart from this,
- going to Prague to see Stars Of The Lid on Saturday 15th of December.. should be intensely tranquil... odd combination that, isn'tit?!
- done and dusted- I have finally read angels and Demons as well as The Da Vinci Code...
'it's a common misconception to believe that...' oh come on Danny, can't you pull some synonyms out of your box of tricks, nevermind how deep, dark and ritually pagan that place is!!
- been re-listening to some of The Magnetic Fields stuff, and oh man, I had forgotten how good they sound (especially on headphones, no doubt there!)..
- planning to go and watch Irina Palm and 'Elizabeth the 50-year-old-Queen-that-looks-30-cos'-Cate-blanchett's-hot'... (good reviews on europeanfilms.net , the site seems to be down momentarily though..)well, keen on waiting for another week for the latter and make most of the Spalicek cinema 50 crowns for a film offer...
yeah, every little helps...
- going to Watch the documentary Spellbound... now!

he coughs collages

2007-11-03T21:00:00.000Z

that of course makes no sense
and that's alright for now, let's face it, it's Saturday evening, autumn's definite;ly settled in, it's grey east west north and south
and yeah, it's kinda pissing me off, I suppose
cranky time of year for me and others for whom lack of natural light's an open doorway to dark shades of introspection....

anyhoos... time's passing so fast i feel i got no grip over it..
too busy to take time management classes or any smart arse's advice
but apart from spending too much time on the kind of trivial crap i usually thrive on, there have been some interesting -and needless to say time-consuming- experiences:
here's a quick summary:

- eating lunch and dinner in France- homecooking joy...
a fantastic week's holiday, time well spent, food well digested.. and even a quick visit to Belle-ile, and oh man, that's got to be a good thing... sea, sex, mussels and chips, and cycling cramps...
couldn't really ask for more, could you?!

- My Cup of Tea, a collage exhibition.
Organised by the Art Class of Luzanky, Brno. We all worked on our collages for about 4 lessons.. unsurprisingly enough, time was an issue here as well, as we didn't have so much of it.. the general theme was tea/ cup of tea..
it was the first time I worked from scratch, as opposed to remix an image. That was very interesting and thoroughly enjoyable. The result could have done with more work, but respecting the time limit was quite a positive challenge too, as it can be quite difficult to put a full stop to a collage.
- visited Moravsky Krumlov at the end of October. The is pretty derelict but there's a wonderful charm to it. The rooms that are well-kept are all dedicated to the painter Alfons Mucha, known worldwide for his legacy in Art Nouveau. Yet, advertising posters portraying voluptuous women are not what the exhibition's mostly made of. Indeed, it focuses on the Slav Epic- a collection of 20 canvases of most impressive dimensions.... it's a long tale of oppression, fighting, fear and glory, all set in the Slavic countries of Europe. Most certainly worth a visit, for art and history (on arrival, you're handed a booklet that explains each and every painting. available in English, French etc.)

- Visited Vienna that same weekend- Home of some of the most classical architecture in Europe/ clean/ affluent/ very white.
Strolled down a flea market, which is always great for photographic opportunities...
Visited the Schiele exhibition in the Leopold Museum, which is part of a huge complex of museums called Museum Quartier.
This is a truly wonderful place to visit and get lost in.. only drawback.. exhibitions are about 9 euro a pop...

- Went looking for deers in a forest south of brno... unfortunately, the photographs are out of focus.. but it was fantastic to witness a whole herd of deers.. i don't think i had ever seen deers before... It made me feel very privileged... moreover, walking in the forest at this time of year is simply a treat, autumnal colours make for a stunning scenery!

- have been working on photographs. I'm hoping to exhibit them inthe near future in Brno. I'm just hoping that the print quality will be decent enough.. fingers crossed.. the images are on one of my picasa albums:
http://picasaweb.google.com/annesophiecocault/ADiaryOfMissingYou
- not much happening since then, unfortunately.. very little time, and energy levels have been going down big time... it's time for vitamins I think!

http://www.nataliedee.com/110904/vitamins.jpg

hoping to be back soon
peace out

Druids bless Elvis!

2007-08-03T20:33:00.000+01:00

Currently working on a summer school in North Dublin- I've been on a good few excursions over the last 5 weeks.. one of the 'highlights' was the Hill of Tara, which I had thought to be fairly dull until 'County Meath Elvis' and his compadre arrived spreading the love and freaking the kids out... the front man's not really to be admired for his guitar playing dexterity but, oh man, does he have soul.... and humour!
Visited loads of other places, all to be found in any (absolutely any) tourist guide for Dublin...

Thanks to Barry's sister Grainne, we got to spend a couple of days in Clogherhead, located just off Termonfeckin... (once you say that name out loud, you can't get enough of it... 'termonfeckin, termonfeckin.... well, thats enough now..)

and there again, walking on the beach, you get to wonder: what are some folks on about?
Totally un-green, but it does make for a picture I like!

Indeed, television's bad, but man, drop it somewhere else!

Had an amazing time at the last Dry County show.... oh, some hot dancing had!
Sorry I can't link to the band's Myspace (I'm staying in a boarding house by the school, and there's some kind of parental control that won't give access to most sites... is my soul any more healthy for that? i doubt it... imagination's far worse than facebook, innit?)
anyway, here's a link to a nialler9's blog entry dedicated to dry county, (that blog is just brilliant by the way..) wee pix of Sir Porter, photograph by BEW

also had the pleasure of going back to belfast last weekend, where BEW performed on both evenings.. I was at the Black Box (always a good venue) and did some dancing to some very, very dirty but oh so hot beats!! for more details, go straight to dodgystereo.blogspot.com
Pictures to be seen there as well.

During that weekend, Conal and I drove to Brown's Bay, walked around for a bit, which was fresh and calm...
We headed to the Gobbins after that, and that was simply splendid... I seriously doubt that any descriptions or photographs could do the place justice.. simply astonishing!!!!
don't you just love it when Nature takes over and leaves you contemplating, breathless??!!!
A very inspiring place, with a real eerie atmosphere, something in the air, in the ground, in the sea, or in the stones, I couldn't say, but definitely a very special feeling..

so please people, by all means, don't you go dump your nasty rubbish out there....

Rock on
sing to the Sun God
leave a few coins in Elvis-from-Meath's cap

peace out

on my way to Baile Átha Cliath

2007-06-29T11:37:00.000+01:00

After spending three weeks in Belfast, It's now time to get busy earning again!
I'm going to be based in Sutton, North dublin for the next seven weeks... I'll be 'edutaining' a group of French kids...
Some terrible sins I must have committed in my previous life!

The last few weeks have been really full on but I'm leaving today feeling that I got to touch base with some wonderful people here! Although the weather's been pretty nasty, there's a lot of warmth in relationships...
and what do I like most but that feeling?!

Now, as to what's going to happen once the summer's over... it does look like Barry and I will be heading back to Brno, for another year of English Language teaching...
It's not a matter of not having tried, but finding a job other than a call centre position is very difficult around this part of the world...

That actually reminds me of an article I read about the 'New Northern Irish economy' some time ago, where the headline read 'Northern Ireland's losing its graduates'...
there's a point there... Being qualified is far from being a guarantee that a job will follow! More and more people find themseleves having to move to get the job they're qualified to do.. it's a pity (to je skoda!) but that's the way it is at present.. and fingers crossed, things will turn around at some point and we will all live happy everafter... well, here's to hope anyway!

Anyway, I might as well believe that going back for another year abroad's the best thing right now...
There is something to be said for genuine positivity and hope! If being a dark realist prepares one for the worst, being confident that things are going to be ok and looking at the positive before the negative may just prepare one to a less traumatic life.....

oh man, can't beat simple pleasures!!

peace and happiness to you all

tree trunk- Mikulov- on a sunny day... earthy goodness!!

brno... belfast

2007-06-06T16:11:00.000+01:00

Alright, so.. the bags are packed, the shoulders are about ready to be hurting over the next couple of days..
the travel nervousness's kicked in too...
butterflies in the stomach...

I'll be travelling to Prague tomorrow morning with mr Cullen.. one idle afternoon and evening to be spent there, before flying to sunny Belfast on Friday morning..

looking forward to it? yeah, sure..
a bit at a loss with emotions, the leaving and arriving ones..? oh, yeah.. oh yeah!!

surf the wave and go with the flow...
live and let live... se laisser vivre...
accept that the future's got a lot in store that I can't control...
(oh, damn it... that i find so frustrating!!)

after all, the best things that have ever happened in my life were totally random and certainly were out of my control...
just as my favourite photographs were not staged, but captured a moment that the photographer didn't provoke...
let live...
and snap!!

to all of you people
to the dreams.. NA SNI!!!!!!!!!!! (cesky)

whacking day, recycling & clubbing, Easter over here...

2007-04-12T10:53:00.001+01:00

Easter, eggs, lambs and other whatnots.... traditional essentials in France and other countries I'm sure..
throwing buckets of water in Poland...
men whacking women with sticks (that will heal them of all illnesses and other ailments apparently)....
here's me WA??!!Whack your woman, and she'll be guaranteed fertility... doesn't sound that Christian to me....
I feel that Easter's got a lot more to do with paganism than anything else...
Have you ever seen processions of crucified people? Well, it's not what you'd call most people's idea of fun... bank holiday and long weekend usually don't rhyme with nails and wood...... Fact.
But still, It's not widely admitted that we commemorate some Pagan myths...
This brings me to recommend THE Easter film, if there's any...
Surprisingly enough, it tends to be found on 'horror' shelves....
Denial? pfff.. just don't know what that's all about........

Somehow, it makes me feel better to think that Easter is more to the effigy of the god of spring than to the one of Jeesy

Here's the man who knows how to laugh at the discrepancy between what the bible says and what is actually commemorated at Easter...
(true enough... Which gospel mentions the Easter bunny?!!)
Hope yo find it as funny as I do!!

On other fronts, went to Prague last weekend, while my infamous brother Jah-Mi was visiting...
good times were had....

here's a quick review of what we saw:

ORBIS PICTUS exhibition
Astonishing audio-visual installations at the Czech Museum of Music....
luscious imaginations... interactive principles where all are free to touch, experiment, look, play... fantastic for all generations.. and sure, from toddlers to the white hair confederacy, all were wearing wide smiles...

visit to the Museum of Communism
Fairly bookish, but widely informative...
It focuses on the communist era in the Czech Republic, and explores the dream of the ideology as well as the nightmare that followed.
when it comes to books about communism in Central and Eastern Europe, I've found the two following books deeply insightful and easy to read (magic combo for a reader as lazy as me)..
the author is Slavenka Drakulic
How we survived communism and even laughed
Cafe Europa

So, that's all for the museums..
Strolled loads and, naturally in Prague, we came across some beautiful and random artefacts...
Oh, that city really is gorgeous!!

And as a Saturday night in Prague as a dutiful tourist is to go clubbing and get pickled... we carried out our mission in the futuristic Cross Club ..
truly amazing, welcome to some far away century, a century that will be recycled or won't be at all... the whole club, which is like a maze, is a display of sculptures made from parts of what seem to be disintegrated engines belonging to a long gone past... a place that screams of Paddy Bloomer and Nicky Keogh ( as seen on the dodgystereo blog)..
fine evening...
not drinking rhum again in a hurry though...

pic of happy tourists.. Jah-mi, wordsboogie and dodgystereo

Be well,
breathe in the spring wherever you are

Peace out

Mr Chips is born...

2007-03-05T17:12:00.000Z

Now, come on, look at it.....
isn't it gorgeous?
and how was the delivery?
well, it was raining, but we took a taxi so it wasn't so bad at all...
must be said, it sure has a joyous owner...

so here I am, geek in the making.. quite happily so actually..
I wiped windows off it straight away and installed Ubuntu-Linux...
an installation so easy it was hard to believe.. put the live CD in, have a tour first, then click on install...
and that's about it really..
Windows is definitely trickier for newbies such as myself.. Especially when it asks (and it always does..) you a question type ... or... and the only answer you can think of is 'hm, yes'...
know what I mean?... on my own?

Have been reading about the Linux history and politics, interesting and full of sense if you ask me...
There are some good books out there that help getting started with linux:
Beginning Ubuntu Linux
that's the one I've started reading and despite being pretty hefty, it's a very comprehensive guide...

and oh man, does it feel good not to be using microsoft.....

Linux seems to be doing pretty well for itself in the Czech Republic - i've done a wee survey with my students (around about 100), and definitely most of them have heard about it, and close to a third use or have used it...
humm.. that's what I like... totally non-accurate statistics...

Other news... My favourite music magazine Vibrations now has a website... in French.. so get your translators on!
it's simply awesome, it looks good, it ranges from artists'playlists to events guide, from news to downloads...
and most importantly, it listens to music rather than look at it... meaning that they thrive on being modern, open and hungry to sounds from all different continents...
I certainly don't know much about music websites, but sure, I know what I like.. and there's definitely enough to read on that site to keep me busy for another while...

enjoy

the saints are locked up in Mikulov... 31 days, pix update

2007-02-27T20:50:00.000Z

Ahoj,

simple pleasures galore in the last 4 weeks... dodgystereo's gig in fleda/ Conal defeated by quality Czech pork/ a week off work/ day trip to Mikulov/ freaking awesome pancakes/ Polish- German jazz trio in Stara Pekarna..
appreciate all those moments and memories all the more as.. back to work.. good but very busy too...

some pix from the last few weeks

got loads more pictures.. might just have to get a flicker acount thingy at some stage...
but oh, man, was it worth bringing the camera to Holy Hill in Mikulov!!
all the saints are locked up there!!!!!!
never saw anything quite like it...

gonna get a 2nd hand PC this week hopefully, linux myself up....
the pen might be mightier than the sword.. fine with that..
just very excited about visual diaries at the mo...
not sure why so... and most unlikely to worry about it as well...

Good people,
peace to you all

there's no place like homes!

2007-01-27T16:00:00.000Z

Hven't written much at all lately,
have been very busy trying to figure out what to do after my episode in the Czech Republic, and how not to freak out about it all...
Long to be at peace with the future...
Decided to go back home.. The Belfast one...
I've had an awesome time away, but I feel like stability's what is simmering inside me....
boiling my nerve endings, gently...
started sending out CVs this morning.. time to get practical!!!

soon, it will be time to click my shoes together...
there's no place like homes

And as decision always does, it's triggered loads of other emotions I wish I could describe with onomatopes, would I get those by applying a contact microphone on my brain and heart? hum.. I wonder...
hum.. distractions...
but so yeah, I've been overcome by an urge to enjoy whatever time we've got here...
it's started snowing, at last.. and It's such a revelation to see the same place with a white filter on it..
The Luzanky park (where i take my art class) is just stunning, branches covered in snow are definitely Sophie's favourites when it comes to winter landscapes!!
(by the way, that was a hint at Mister Nakata from Kafka on the shore by Haruki Murakami)
I'll be posting some decent photographs soon hopefully!!

Also came across a very famous Czech film director/ animator: Jan Svankmajer
I watched Otesanek and I can say it'd been a long time since a film hadn't felt like such a discovery!!! can't wait to learn more and watch more... waouh... dark fairy tales!!!!!! nothing like them!!
Czech animators seem to be doing very well for themselves.... here again, nore research to be done..

time to go for coffee 99, apparently the best in Brno.......... woudn't miss that!!
Peace out

Ho-Ho's coming to town again...

2006-12-13T09:53:00.000Z

hello all,

what's happened since the last time I was here?
Well, there was a visit to the Brno local museum... we were led backstage to visit the room were about 1200 puppets are stored. [small room- mezzanine- hangers- wires- carved faces- and more]. That was simply astounding. Found that some of those puppets are about 2 centuries old. Some are very ornate and sophisticated - some are made from animal skulls- some were carved by non-professionals, at a time were puppet making as well as puppetry were prohibited by a state that feared any kind of personal expression. Those amateurs puppet-makers designed series of puppets with one similarity: the face- all the puppets are said to represent their maker's face...
A lot, very much so, of history, personal threads and national ribbons, side by side...
bonus of the visit: we were given a vintage poster of a puppet performance dated to 1987. Don't exactly know what it's called, as the text is in cyrillic.
Inspiring stuff... got to make a couple of sketches that will be used to make some printing comes the new year!!
Also. discovered a new venue north of the city centre. Stara Pekarna. Basement venue, stone walls.. the result is far from cold and damp. On the contrary, the walls exult warmth and openess. An 'alternativni folk' gig was on.. the Sestry Steinovy, two young ladies, were singing in Czech and playing the guitar. Some really delicate riffs and some delicious harmonies...
only regret: my own lack of grasp of the language.. judging from the reaction of the audience (which was quite large: it's a small venue but it was packed full), the Steinovy Sisters had a fair sense of humour.. anyway, that was a great evening.. discovering new places is definitely part of the thrill of being abroad!

Oh, on the right is poster for Brno Divadlo (theatre)... as the Czenglish phrasing would put it...

and what else? Well, more art, a lot more art...
The Moravske Galerie has a large and quite impressive collection of Czech artists from the 20th century.. It's more or less divided into decades, each experiencing a lot politically. Some of the art has been painted with the colours of politics and national issues, some other artists have had a much more intern and individual vision of the time they lived in and had very little intention of associating themselves with the political climate and instead immersed themselves in philosophies such as existentialism. Well, as far as I understood...
Some names: Emilie Medkova/ Wilem Reichmann/ Vaclav Hejna/ Frantisek Kalab/ The Krizovnicka School of Humour Without Fun ...
To find out a little more about the latter 9well, it does have an awesome name afterall...), here's a link http://vvp.avu.cz/en_index.php?load=antologie_ceska_obsah
(I wonder whether it's got something to do with the school of Pataphysics.... absurd and grotesque outlook.... well, one more thing to find out..)

So yeah, all's good..
going to France in 6 days. New year's in Belfast.... oh, really looking forward to seeing my loved ones...

happy Kruta (turkey) to yous all
for the veggies... happy Brussel Sprouts

peace and love to you
back soon

immersion in the world of photocopying and cutting up...

2006-11-26T15:47:00.000Z

Waouh,
it feels like it's been ages since I last blogged..
Time's been leading me rather than the other way around lately... stuff has to be done, a lot of, and a very small bubble's held my whole life in tight immersion for the last couple of... hum, not too sure...
so yeah, a lot of work, and when it's come to play, entertainement has unfolded in a series of happy moments, the kind you can neither predict nor take for granted, but ohhhh, that' s so good when it happens...
The force of nature Michele came over for a week. We certainly didn't have to wait long before the first adventure happened: Michele got on the wrong tram on the very first day and realising that she was short of all possible landmarks - phone, language, visual memory - she then walked back all the way, following the tram tracks that's taken her to this unknownarea. Needless to say, Barry and I did think some blood vessels were going to pop in our brains...... We eventually found each other at the flat after a couple of hours.
Joy and strong booze concluded the evening and the traumatic chapter of Michele's visit.
Monsieur Cullen, Earth Mother Michele and myself headed to Prague for a day trip.
As many others, I heard many extremely positive stories and acounts of visits in Prague, but nothing prepared me for such a photogenic city. And it wasn't even a matter of warm and dazzling summer day; this was on a full-on Autumn day... We had no planned itinerary so we walked around the Old and New town..the magic of it all is that some real wonders can be found in some totally unexpected corners and alleyways... We certainly had a full day of walking the streets with our heads up.. proper tourist trademark, I suppose...
So Prague happened to be a great destination for our wee fanily day trip..
But no doubt, Prague, I'm sure, must be a fabultastic destination when it comes to visiting art galleries, fancy cafes and traditional boozers..... to be contiued... I really hope to go back as soon as time and money come back from the enemy camp.

Other beautiful moment had this month: Barry's birthday and the BEW gig at Fleda. Not that I'm the most objective music critic when it comes to my other half's art, but hey man, no shit, i know what I like... and this set, oh I did enjoy very very much!! Got two albums there for B's birthday: a Czech band called Abuse, full of jazz, calm and electronics.... and a Slovak band called Poo... yes, I wasn't going to resist that, for sure!! more on the noise side of sounds.. drifty and mental according to my ears..

As for the latest laughing developments: Dress to Kill in Alcatraz by Eddie Izzard.. oh, that's really made my day everytime i've watched it, a bit too often that is.... might look like a weirdo, but beware of negative denominations, he makes it very clear; ain't no weirdo tranvestite, but he's an executive tranvestite... ah, that's more like it..
anyway, well-balanced version of history, from the birth of the Roman Empire to the future decline of the american one..... and the american audience laughed its head off: either aware or naive, well, the future will tell......

I think that's it for now,
I hope to be back on the blogging machine as soon as possible
hopefully with some good news or some good rant....
true enough, haven't been on a rant in quite a while now...

time to get my anger on...
argggghhhhhhhh

until next time,
love yous

peace to you all

on Brno so far- on a Bratislava day

2006-10-24T21:33:00.000+01:00

Brno's had me for about 6 weeks... so..... so far:
- kinda manage my way round the city... the streets now have recognisable features- some of them even have names by now...
- feel safe in quite a peaceful city- always avoid the train station area late at night- as a rule of thumb...
- still on the look-out for even more atmosphere-rich cafes - with cheap and crispy pints on top of that if possible...
- went clubbing once in a venue called 'Fleda': DJs and live bands, there's room for all the good fun... no dancing for me that night though.. too tired, too late..
- hopefully some hip shaking action soon!!!!!
- loads of work. Doing higher levels' challenging what i thought I knew of the English language... I find myself having to learn again stuff I learnt age ago and never ever used in Ireland or Britain.. Ah, teaching Cambridge standards and expectations of the English language... Well, it's a new teaching experience for me, and a challenge's gotta be a good thing...
- met 'kwolity' people... really... need evidence? come over and find out for yourself..
- taken some pictures; walking around new territory and the eye wonder, stops and snaps... borders between new and regular are mellow - the first time I spotted those letter boxes, the concept of correspondence bounced back in mind... leading me to wonder.. when was the last time I forgot about what i've always known? need to be reminded, novelty helping, energy paving the way.... new/ old = novy/ stary
- still go to my Czech lessons every Tuesday: great fun
- I also attend an art class on every Tuesday: been making a lumpy pot for the last couple of weeks.. could get angry atmy hands for nt doing this 'proper', but hey, have done enough of that already.. just gotta have fun with what i've got...
- lumpy can be groovy... in me head!!!
- have learnt some stuff about Action art... thanks to a retrospective (is that considered a bad word??) of Vladimir Havlik.. loads of old documentary photos testimoning of the action that invovled the art/ modern paintings..) the website could well be something like www.dumb.cz

- you just can't deny the power of the boob.. as shown here in a fine communist sculpture ornating a rather random post office..... got to spot some more soviet block representations of mankind: big and grey, seems to be the crying out loud motto of every single one of them.. I've been told that a park in budapest gathers loads of sculptures from the communist era.. sounds impressive and intriguing, if you ask me.... Definitely want to go and check that out.. Yet, will patiently wait for the end of the turmoil..
tear gas's not one of my favourites..

On a different note, visited Bratislava on last Saturday. It was a worth day trip.. even though it involved getting up at 6.30a.m and going to bed at 2.20 a.m.. a few impressions about the city:
the old town is the highlight/ the rest of the city's pretty grim/ nice park with '4-swan fountain'/ irish breakfast for about 10 euros/ that got a giggle outta me/ bad smell here, luxury shop there, it's all there...
here is some most randomly selected evidence
electric box on a Saturday morning

terminally ill buiding betwwen the Old Town and the Castle. Below, almost as good as home-baked cookies: homemade poster stuck in the street..... I like it....... For now, wish you well....
groove away!!
all of you people, take care of yourself and of your loved ones
cau/ ahoj/ as the Czech say

une nouvelle terre d'accueil... News from the Apple green block

2006-09-17T17:26:00.000+01:00

A week on in a new land,
and that land's warm, the city's rich of sensational facades,
it sometimes looks old and proud of its once grand presence,
it's sometimes new, freshly born of the side of modern urban design....

man, it's brilliant!!!
it's 0nly been a week and aready, left, right and centre,
heart, body and soul have flirted with new sounds, flavours and a new pace..
there's peace in the air,
work to be done,
encounters to be pursued,
and love to be had...

The material side of the installation's been so smooth it's kind of hard to believe, the flat's very big (SPARE ROOM: PLEASE VISIT!!) and well-furnished (wardrobes galore); it's a 15 minute walk to the centre and to the school... all good, all convenient..
As for the school, there are some really helpful and generous people on board... it does make a big difference and it's definitely enhanced the positive feling of having moved to Brno...
The teaching team's got a great variety of nationalities: Canadian, Scottish, Finnish, South African, English, Irish and the frog...
Well, the job's going to be a challenge (mostly high levels to teach.... time to polish off the idiom collection I learnt many moons ago and never ever used!!)...
but don't we just love challenges so much..

Butterflies in my stomach...
so much to this being alive business/ art/ epic...
breathing enough air to fill the lungs
so it can all last longer,
the doubts, the smiles, the winks, the sleepless episodes, the holidays..
time to send more letters,
make more love,
fear more wars,
dream more dreams,
good ones...

other things that have happened:

Biennale of Graphic Design in Brno.
http://www.moravska-galerie.cz/en/biennale/22nd-international-biennale-of-graphic-design-brno-2006/
4 sites offereing different perspectives on graphic design.
words for it: inspiring/ random/ diverse/ natural/ mechanical/ long/ exhaustive/ rich/ playful/ photography/ I bought a poster/ white cube (special wink to Conal for that.... if the lazy sod bothers reading this to this point!!!!)/ Andy Henry would love some of the work displayed, I think/

'Tits out' bar.
This is not a miracle, but it kinda looks like a Czech version of America.
Roughly: local dive in the centre.. one of the last boozers according to my boss.. old men at the bar (they've seen it all before)... the bar lady has a killer-mullet... they bring you cool pints before you've even finished your own one... and at 8 on a Friday, a waitress comes in, topless, American flag printed a tight pair of trousers.. and nobody seems to care.
no web link for that one.

an incredibly old lady.
She spoke some English to me after I told her I couldn't speak Czech (and a fact that is!). she looked so old. she had a very wide smile.
Hope she's got a blog.

already looking forward to tomorrow. First teaching day. I'll be teaching technical engineers. should be interesting.

Music:
have made none. sniff.
http://www.beirutband.com/index.htm?http%3A//www.beirutband.com/music.htm
I like that sound. A LOT.
Also, listening to Moujikk's gotta be a good thing. And we want tio do good things for ourselves, don't we just..
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=65488800

Love you my dears,
peace out.

And I says... gonna miss yous....

2006-09-05T09:02:00.000+01:00

It looks as if it's really happening, we're going away.... and freakishly soon as well...
Mister Barry and I will be departing on thursday morning...
still lists of stuff to do before that:
1. realise that it's true
2. get the back ready to carry my house again
3. enjoy the last days here
4. say good bye.....

and with that, I do have a slight problem, ans I thereby announce that I am gonna be an emotional wreck for the next couple of days...

I'm hoping for the best, and I feel confident that good times will be had... but still,
Belfast, you're a bunch of nutters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and Belfast feels like home...

next post will be either from Brno or will be alcoholically charged from Belfast tomorrow night..

love yous

home is where you feel you belong, just now...

2006-08-20T17:01:00.000+01:00

yep, they're mental, but god, is it good to be back around the belfast people??!!!
I got back to belfast on last Saturday night after working very hard in England. Flying from London was a straining experience too: about 8 hours of queueing among grannies jumping the impressively long queue and crying babies who'd had enough...
There was no luggage on board, the whole lot'd been forgotten in London, so it took about 4 days to get my mobile-home/backpack...
I attended baby Sorcha's christening.. oh, it'd been a long time since I'd been to church.. and the reasons why i do so came back to my mind about 2 seconds after the priest started to speak.....
'cos there's no room for being an individual in such a cult, and that annoys me a lot.. really...
I tried to make barry laugh to pass the time, but it still felt like ages until we could get a break.. to get ready for Christian sunday round 2: the christening ceremony..
3 other infants were to enter the house of god, but sorcha did so remarkably reluctantly...
But I was thinking that it has to be quite a disorientating experience for such a small human being.. babies strive around smiles, bright colours, twinkling music and kinaesthetic craic... well, welcome to the house of God, where colours are dull, where it's cold, where people look stern, and where you're not really supposed to run around screaming your head off... So Sorcha made it clear that she wasn't going back there in a hurry...
and with such a lovely afro, it's gonna be Jah or nothing...
good girl!!
the rest of the week's been dedicated to baby-sitting and catching up with friends, who all look very happy in their relationship...
It feels amazing to see Soulbro Conal so happy and loved...

All is full of love,
and for now,
I'm very happy

hope you're too.

no time for boogie.....

2006-07-27T09:31:00.000+01:00

Very little time for words,
living under the regime of The Timetable,
the days are punctuated with signalled directions of action and responsibility,
you can't choose
and to my great disbelief,
it's stagnant,
no change, little movement,
that will account for the itchy feet and the craving brain...
but for now, no time for boogie......

the tidiest village in Britain

2006-07-11T13:20:00.000+01:00

it's been a long week,
a very long week indeed,
back to the sweat shop, as Benoit said... and that's mostly what it is...
there's loads of work to be done, loads of pressure to handle,

and here we are: in the wonderful world of EDUTAINMENT!!!!

well, I'll be there for another 5 weeks..
and then, back to Belfast,
and oh man, i can't wait!!!!! really. really excited about this,
baptism of baby Sorcha, seeing the beautiful people of Belfast again...

all this to look forward to...

in the meantime, gotta go to the dance workshop,

keep the hips moving baby

do widzenia Polska/ bonjour la France

2006-06-19T15:05:00.000+01:00

A week ago, exactly, I was carrying my house on my back, or trying to anyway, 'cos it was far too heavy and I was just going nuts...
that was before I was charged a lot of money for extra luggage... by that time, I was close to delirium...
and I hadn't even got onto the Paris métro yet... flippin' atrocious heat and carriages filled with rush hour commuters... needless to say, I did cry when I got off...
so yep, leaving Kielce brought back a condensed version of the year's emotions, but oh man, was I glad and relieved when I put my bags down and downed a cool and expensive beer at the end of the journey...
I have found myself missing Poland, though... and I think I owe that to the fact that I can't relate it in a way that would make me feel: yeah, that's what it's like...
It's incredibly difficult to explain and describe, objectively (relatively), what a foreign country is like... what it's inspired etc.
so, all I feel I can say, without betraying any Pole, any Rynek and any plateful of bigos, is:
book a cheap flight/ go there/ enjoy/ tell me all about it/
If you can................................................................................

where will it be.....

2006-05-31T11:02:00.000+01:00

Still unsure of where to sail to next...
Could be Spain, could be random....
Throw a spinning top on the map and see where it points,
That's good enough for me,
It's all a matter of keeping an open mind,
Nothing less than happiness,
Wherever but soon I hope,
Energy 's running low at times,
It will happen, it's going to...
Before the worry-fed impatience becomes too much...
Nice planet, though...
"Treat it good and keep it clean...."

hope the next update to be slightly more concrete than this one....
wouldn't it just be so cool to drop the name of the next airport to come through to visit...
fingers crossed,
here's to hope!

a fun weekend to start the quest for the next adventure

2006-05-26T10:40:00.000+01:00

a fun weekend that was for sure!! My bro came to visit in kraków, and we managed to do loads of walking, an awful lot of drinking, a lot of being tired and hangover... good times all over...

Back in kielce, and there it is, the big kick: it's time to look for a new home, don't know where, unsure, positive one day, taking the doubt to the extreme the next...

attracted to the light, buzzing around any pale fire...
as long as it takes me somewhere
Light.

de retour de la mer baltique

2006-05-07T17:17:00.000+01:00

It's the most human shape,
it comes and goes, in waves,
it's the most human fibre,
doesn't bloom, won't fade,
the constancy of change,
progress, regress,
breathing in,
letting out,
move on and look back,
there's nothing to worry about.
Fot just as the Earth goes round,
just can't always walk straight.

Going to Hel for baltic farniente..........

2006-04-29T17:00:00.000+01:00

it's the start of the long May weekend. It's an important time over here, the Polish flags are up in preparation of the celebration of the Polish constitution (that's on the 3rd).. so lucky, we certainly are.. another wee holiday!!
Decided to go to the baltic coast..
really miss not living by the sea.. I'm no mountain girl, but i need a sniff of the salty air, walk in the sea, and get drunk on the beach if possible...
After looking for hostels for ages around Gdansk and Sopot, I was advised to look at Hel, yes, Hel...
It's a tiny peninsula on th north of the coast....
so, here I am, ready to go with Mister B..
getting the train tonight at 8.30 and we'll be in a small place called Chałupy tomorrow at 8...

Longing to breathe the air of rest and peace, of time dedicated to the leisure of being...
No role to play for another couple of days, energising the body, appeasing the soul....
Do the work that I will set for myself, try to be fair... and ignore the call of the world,
for a couple of days,
repair, recharge and relax...

pojadę na morze...
I'm going to the sea...
je m'en vais a la mer...

talking limbs

2006-04-27T11:32:00.000+01:00

Stories from the back bench, what wouldn't I do to compensate, bottle up and take up the pen. Speak the life of someone else. The stories from the back bench pierce the protection, wipe the make up off. They don't come haunting 'cos they've never left in the first place. Denied them as much as I tamed the wildest dreams. The stories of pain and desillusioned aspirations to Good, teamed up, somewhere, hidden behind the bed, ready to bounce and answer the call of revenge.
the stories from the back bench are written on the surface. And it's the look of the outside that speaks them to me. Inside.
Woman does as woman must. Listen & comfort.
If only ears could speak..

wielkanoc (minus the spelling mistakes)

2006-04-18T14:19:00.000+01:00

the Easter break's just finished... It's been a family catch-up ocsasion, with 3 of the famous Cullen gang visiting Poland..
We spent about 3 days inWarsaw.. this city definitely has a weird quality to it: despite the overwhelmingly present buzz (on the scale of any european capital city, i.e. numerous flyers and posters advertising gigs and exhibitions, and an unbelievable quantity of street art/ see www.dodgystereo.blogspot.com for more info on the stencils spread all around the city), you can of wonder where are the people...
they're probably much wiser than us 'fresh tourists', and don't hang around the city centre...
it's probably the kind of place where you're much better off knowing some ' experienced locals'!!!!!
But hey, the Cullens got to try some bigos and pierogi...
as well as discovering with great dedication the polish beers!
Ah, that was a happy Easter...
On a different note, the pix is a view from the kitchen window... where Barry states that the wee granny across the street appeared in the buff, yes...in the buff... to let her dog out...
and I was just thinking that after all, this view is my daily soup for the next 7 weeks only...
oh well... so much for time passing..

the chimneys

2006-04-04T21:25:00.000+01:00

that's my favourite view.. out of the bedroom window... they've become familiar, and that's got to be a good sign! Man, I just love them....
Technology's good for sharing views, isn't that right!
I took some more shots of roofs, trees in the buff and different shades of grey sky.....
to be continued then!!

voila ma vue de predilection.. a l'arriere de l'immeuble, a gauche de la cour en photo plus bas...
les cheminees, les miennes!!! Elles me sont devenues aussi familieres que la brique rouge de l'appart ou j'etais avant a belfast!
en bref, je profite de la technologie pour partager mes vues.....
J'ai pris d'autres cliches de toits, arbres tous nus et autres ciels gris....
a suivre donc!!!

2006-04-01T16:48:00.000+01:00

Voila Mister Barry et moi dans un bar a Kielce cette semaine. Les etudiants de Barry l'ont invite a aller boire un coup et je les ai rejoint apres avoir descendu ma biere chaude! Tres bonne soiree ma foi, mais assez bizarre quand meme... le 'statut' de prof d'anglais nous a valu d'etre pris en photo a peu pres 10 fois.. pas trop a l'aise!! Ils on demande au DJ de dedicacer une chanson de U2 a Barry et on a du aller danser sous les regards satisfaits de sa classe.... Le passport irlandais casse la baraque! Incroyable quand on sait ce que beaucoup de gens ici pensent des etrangers... comme une de ses eleves nous a dit ce soir-la apres m'avoir dit que paris est une tres belle ville mais qu'il y a quand meme beaucoup de noirs la-bas, hein "c'est quand meme mieux d'etre blanc en Europe. et puis les noirs, ca fait peur"....
Cool,detendu, on respire bien profondement, on finit son verre, on prend ses p'tites affaires et puis cassos.....

Wee picture of Mister Barry andme in a kielce bar this week. that was with Barry's students, who on the one hand were incredibly sweet and thoughtful (DJ dedicated U2 tune to barry and we had to go and dance), loving the Paddy passport, and who, on the other hand, were so narrow-minded it was hard to believe.. anyway, cut a long story short: "it's much better to be white in europe, and the Black are a bit scary, aren't they"..
alright, finish the drinks, get the coat, and thank everyone for such a great evening, and get out of there.....

2006-04-01T16:28:00.000+01:00

Here's a view of the backyard, out the bedroom window. that was about 10 days ago, just before the big melt-down!
Snow is ususally responsible for this 'eery winter' sensation we get at the sight of the first snowflakes..
The first crack-crunching footsteps in the snow are the sonic highlight of the freezing cold season..
So, here I was, walking around, listening to the melodies hissing under my soles at the start of December.. loving it!!
After months of layers of fleece clothes, of ice everywhere, of falling on my bum under the apalled gaze of people, I kind of agree with an english man, who told us a couple of weeks ago, that "yeah, I love snow! especially when there's a window between it and me".... thought that was a fairly good summary!
Anyway, the tricherous ice is gone and my arsebone cam now heal in peace!

let's boogie

2006-03-31T15:58:00.000+01:00

Because I can't get with the people I love often enough.
Because it's difficult to fit all that's happening in a different country in a metered phone conversation.
Because it's all the small oddities of life that make it so unpredictable...
Because why not.
For my loved ones.

wElcOme tO aLL
wOrDsbOOgIE

Parce que je rancarde pas les gens que j'aime aussi souvent que je le souhaiterais.
Parce que c'est vraiment pas evident de faire tenir tout ce qui se passe dans un pays etranger dans une valise telephonique.
Parce que c'est tous les etrangetes quotidiennes qui donnent a la vie son inpredictabilite.
Parce que pourquoi pas.
Pour mes aime(e)s (accent aigu)

bIEnvEnUE a tOuS
wOrDsbOOgIE