Blood and even more blood...

I haven’t been blogging much lately. I know. I've generally been very busy with work, the house, my social life. I’m not complaining though. It’s been fun. In an even weirder note, I've even enjoyed having to work over the weekend. It’s nice to be productive and creative on something that you don’t mind doing…


Anyway, starting with the most major news of the last weeks, I met the doctor of my heart! I can’t really remember his name but he’s a nice gentleman from the NHS that acted as my medical and cardiac consultant! He’s the kind of doctor of that age that took notes with an ink pen and my blood pressure with an old style manual monitor. It was adorable. And what made it even better where the wonderful news he brought me.

Apparently the diet worked! Shedding a bit more than 10% of my body weight and watching my diet decreased my cholesterol levels. They’re still higher than normal, but fell quite a lot. So, the bottom line is that I’m under surveillance and will go back in 2 and again in 4 months, but at the same time I won’t start any medications or other treatments. Hoorah! That's the first part of my news associated to my own blood.



In a way to celebrate these news, I took JJ to his ever first Ancient Greek tragedy called ‘Medea’ by Euripides in the National Theater, produced for the first time in 431 BC! The adaptation had somewhat brought Medea to contemporary times. I can’t say I was entirely thrilled with that (being a Greek snob) but I’m glad to say that JJ liked it. I quite enjoyed it too.

The actress playing the main role was simply amazing though. It’s not an easy role to play. She wants to plot her revenge over the husband that abandoned her, but at the same time to portray an inner conflict and struggle over her hatred and whether it’s the right thing to do. For such an ancient play the subjects analysed are quite modern; foreigners versus natives, men versus women, power abuse and the subjective sense of rightfulness. In all fairness however, the Ancient Greeks really knew how to put curses on one another.

Yes, as promised, more blood at the end...

Tuesday the 13th

 According to Greek customs, the so called unlucky day of the calendar month is not Friday the 13th but Tuesday the 13th. There is of course a reason why this happens that is not lost in the past.  The story says that on a Tuesday, back in May 1453, the greatest city of them all, Constantinople, fell to the hands of the Ottoman Empire, the Turks. Losing that war meant the end of the Byzantine Empire and the start of almost 4 centuries occupation by the Turks, which is considered to be the darkest page of the Nation’s history. The occupation officially ended in 1821 with the Greek revolution!

However, I’m not superstitious and I don’t care about things like that. So, yesterday I went with Jeff to the ‘Duke of York’ theatre to see ‘All New People’ (after devouring an amazing meal at Yo-Sushi). That Zack Braff’s (Scrubs) latest play. Apart from starring in it, as expected, he’s written it too. To be honest I was a bit hesitant about it. I didn’t consider Zack to be an amazing actor and I feared that the play would be mostly fixated on him. Hopefully, I was wrong, not in everything, but in some stuff.

I was right when I thought that Zack is not that amazing actor. He’s not. He’s not bad either though. His co-stars however were the ones to steal the spotlight from him. Which bring us to the point where I was wrong. Although the story starts with Charlie (Zack Braff) and revolves around him, Charlie doesn’t have much to say apart from a small monologue near the end when he describes his story. The other three people that enter his life the day he decides to commit suicide (thus the play’s title), have a lot to share and do.

Generally the play is about life, its purpose, relationships and even the existence of god. Although these topics do seem a bit heavy, the play is a comedy with not that many dramatic moments. Braff’s writing style is inviting, modern and funny. There are some unavoidable stereotypes like the existence of the unintelligent bimbo / escort but they don’t spoil the fun. At some point I had to roll my eyes backwards but I also laughed and generally enjoyed the play. It’s not an experience not to miss but it offers a great night out. I’d give it a 7.5 out of 10.

Guests, the sequel

It’s been really fun having the girls over. They are the best guests ever. They’ve been really easy and they haven’t caused any troubles (knock on wood). They’ve been even helping at the household chores like washing dishes, tidying their stuff and going to the supermarket. These are things that some people take for granted but not all guest are so well behaved.

They’ve seen most of London attractions already and they’ve taken more than a 1000 pictures! I was thinking about what people did before the invention of the digital cameras! How did we cope having such a limitation of a few photos that might not even come up clean or nice? 

The other day we went to see the ‘Phantom of the Opera’. I don’t know why but I hadn’t seen it before. I do like theatre plays and I do occasionally watch musicals but I haven’t seen many Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber shows till now. Although I do appreciate that he has some talent, I tend to find him overdramatic.

For example, last year there was a TV show for girls to audition for the role of Dorothy of ‘Wizard of OZ’. It was a bit like X-Factor but the winner would get the main role on the West End show. Sir Andrew was a judge amongst other 2 people. You should have seen at least an episode! It was so tacky that it was really fun to watch! Sir Andrew was siting among the other two judges but not in the similar chairs as them! He had a throne for himself, a very tacky, over the top decorated one! The only thing missing was a tiara and a sceptre! Also, what was hilarious was the way the disqualified contestants left the stage! They took their Dorothy shoes off, gave them to Sir Andrew and said their goodbyes. Then, they would climb on a half-moon that would carry them over and out of the stage above the remaining girls! While sitting on the moon they would sing for the last time and cry their way out! So overdramatic!

Anyway, last Tuesday we went to see the ‘Phantom’! It was generally very good. The girls loved the experience. Even the girl who doesn’t know how to speak English could follow the story and enjoyed the singing and dancing! It was generally impressive how many different sets there were and how many costumes changed! Of course there were some moments I thought: ‘OK, this is going a bit too far’ but I had a really nice night out!

In general it’s been a bit tiring having guests to take out every day after work but it’s been great fun! During the weekend we’re renting a car so we’ll drive outside the city. We haven’t confirmed the destinations yet but there are many options to choose from.

Pygmalion

Yesterday, it was theatre night. We went to see the Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion in Garrick Theatre. That’s the theatre play where the ‘My Fair Lady’ movie with Audrey Hepburn was based. That’s probably one of the very few Hepburn movies I’ve seen. I’m very ashamed, I know. Apparently, you can’t graduate and become a full grown ‘gay’ if you haven’t followed ‘Gay Cinema Icons 1.01’. But anyway…


In the latest adaptation, Rupert Everett plays the egocentric Professor of Phonetics Henry Higgins and Kara Tointon plays Eliza Doolittle. I was curious to see Rupert Everett act in a play. I liked some of the movies he’s done but I have the impression from recent interviews that he’s growing into a bitter old queen. Prof Higgins as a character is quite obnoxious and I have to say that Rupert was good in it. I have to admit that I liked more the rest of the cast, like Peter Eyre playing Professor Doolittle and Dame Diana Rigg playing Mrs. Higgins, Everett’s mother. I fear that Everett lacked sometimes the passion needed for the role, even the correct articulation. Even Kara Tointon who I didn’t know gave me a better impression. She’s known here from winning ‘Dancing with the Stars’ last year and playing in soap operas.



In any case, I did enjoy the play. The direction was nice and the script well adapted. The story is quite enjoyable and the clash between the sexes and the classes well presented. Overall, I recommend it as a pleasant night out.

The countdown…

In less than a week’s time it’s my birthday. What’s a bit special about that is the fact that I’m turning 30, the big three and Oh! It’s quite a nice number and it’s the change of a decade, so everybody’s been telling me to do something extravagant / different that I will remember for the decade to come.

I have been fortunate enough to have memorable celebrations of my birthdays, good or bad. I remember children parties with friends from school, I remember dressing up parties and dancing till the morning in university, I remember serving in the army guarding a post at 4:00 in the morning in freezing cold and I remember being in Las Vegas the year after.

What’s a bit special about turning thirty is my past and how I viewed back then this milestone. When I was a young 14 – 19 year old lad, during my teenage years, I was so closeted, I couldn’t even see any light outside the closet. I remember having these depression crises wondering why this ‘thing’ had happened to me and why I was having these different feelings. I remember asking this unanswered ‘why?’ and ‘why did it have to happen to me?’ over and over again without of course getting any answers.

I was afraid of everything. I was afraid that the ‘awful’ truth would come out. I was afraid that I would disappoint my parents and friends. I was afraid that people would think I’m a freak and I would end up eternally alone not having the courage or the chance to fall in love and have a ‘normal’ life (as they believe it to be). According to the media back then (and sometimes still now), gay people do not get a chance to create a happy family. They all end up badly either being brutally murdered, dying from overdose or becoming prostitutes.

During these times I was foolishly thinking like that since I didn’t know any better. There was no internet to find likeminded people, no gay friendly places to go in my small town, or even a family or friend acquaintance to ask for advice. I was having some dark thoughts. My desperation and loneliness made me think that this kind of life is not worth living and I had thought of suicide. I had decided though that I would give my life a chance until I was thirty (thankfully)! I was sure that if by that time, I was still alone to that degree, still closeted and depressed, I was just put a stop to it.

That is why turning 30 is now so important. I started thinking again about how I was feeling then and my journey to this point. I’d really like to think that if my teenage self could see where I am now, he would be happy or at least content. Life can be a real pain in the butt sometimes, that’s no big secret, but generally she can be so good sometimes. What I believe I lacked back then was hope. That is why I loved initiatives like ‘It gets better’. I am so grateful for so many things in life now, many more than I was back then.

Generally, I’m not worried about growing older (yet). OK, I have recently noticed a dark hair or two on my chest giving me a fright (but at least my round face remains unwrinkled). I feel like I have so many things to see and do. I have so many unfulfilled dreams and goals that will take at least another 35 years to accomplish so I will be busy till I reach 70.

So, the bottom line is that it’s time to celebrate! I’ve already been to the Opera this week; I was taken to a magnificent restaurant called ‘Babylon’ (with a bill matching my vacation budget) and to the theatre to watch ‘The children’s hour’ yesterday. The latter was really amazing. The cast and the direction were simply exquisite. I didn’t think that Keira Knightley could act so well. I feared she would be cold, distant and boring but she wasn’t. I also loved the rest of the cast which included big names like the Golden Globe nominated Elisabeth Moss, the award winning Ellen Burstyn and the award nominated Carol Kane. I don't watch Mad Men so I didn't really know Moss but I loved movies with Burstyn and Kane and I was looking forward to seeing them too.

The final act of my birthday celebration is that JJ is taking me away for the week. We’re flying Tuesday morning for a few days to Venice. I’ve never been there before and I hope I’ll love it. Everybody’s been saying that it’s simply amazing. I promise to take lots and lots of pictures to show you. I simply can’t wait.

(I hope this post doesn't seem like I'm bragging about myself. I just want to say how grateful and happy I am)

Nights Out

I didn’t mention it before but last week I went to see the play called ‘A flea in her ear’ at the Old Vic Theatre, directed by Richard Eyre. I generally love London for its theatres and I try not to miss productions or actors I generally like. Sometimes I get disappointed (Dame Judi Dench in last year’s Madame De Sade was a bit of a let down) or pleasantly surprised (Daniel Radcliffe in Equus I feared would be simply abysmal). I try not to watch only West End Productions and I visit regional theatres. I generally love ‘National Theatre’ productions as well as plays I’ve seen in the ‘Barbican’, the ‘Lyric’ or the ‘Soho Theatre’. OK, the Old Vic is a generally renowned theatre, especially since Kevin Spacey took the reins, but you get my point.

Anyway, back to the ‘Flea’. It received raving reviews and I expected to like it but I was generally disappointed. It’s a loud sex comedy of misunderstandings, miscommunication and stereotypes (boulevard theatre). Have you seen the ‘Moulin Rouge’? Do you remember the scene where Nicole Kidman and the producer are trying to hide McGregor from the Duke in the elephant? I might be wrong about the plot since I’ve only seen the movie once (which I didn’t really like for the same reasons). But I remember that being a really loud and fast scene of visual comedy which unfortunately is not my cup of tea. I found the ‘Flea’ for the same reasons tiring and predictable. Some of my friends loved it and I believe most of the audience liked it as well, but not me. I laughed only in a couple of occasions and I smile a couple other but that was it. I wasn’t holding my belly laughing like other people of the audience. It wasn’t a bad production but I didn’t find it that entertaining…

-----------------------------------------

On a very different subject I had a really nice time with JJ yesterday. The Chinese restaurant we went to, called the ‘Chinese Cricket Club’ (don’t ask me why), was nice. I really loved the starters (dumplings, spring rolls, and squid) but I wasn’t very impressed by the main. The food was very spicy and we had even trouble distinguishing the pork from the chicken because of the spices and sauces. We did laugh a lot though and at some point we gathered the eyes of the surrounding tables when JJ called me ‘honey’. Of course we were the only same sex couple in the place.

JJ told me the story of a friend of his we’ll call ‘Anne’. Anne is Finish and used to be JJ’s housemate. Last January she arranged online to meet a guy called George. George cancelled the last minute because something serious had happened so Anne arranged and met another guy we’ll call Sam. Sam and Anne fell in love. Anne had to move back to Finland and she took Sam with him. They’ve been happily living together for more than a year there and decided to get married! Before getting married this summer, they’ve decided to visit London in March. What’s really interesting in the story is that Anne kept contact with George and while she’ll be in London, they will go out to actually meet each other! Sam knows about the whole thing and according to Anne, he’s fine with it!

Am I prudent to think the story funny and slightly weird? Anne and Sam are supposed to be getting married this summer and are planning to spend the rest of their lives in Finland. Does Anne really require a new ‘friend’ who was supposed to be a potential boyfriend? If you were Sam would you be happy with this ‘arrangement’? I don’t think he is happy, but is he in a position to forbid her of going?

Anyway, the chocolate cake I made was greatly appreciated. We took some pictures of JJ trying to devour it, but we didn’t manage to finish it.

Feeling like a child (and loving it)…

I went to a pantomime the other day in the Lyric Theatre. It was a play called ‘Dick Whittington and his cat’. I’d never been to an English panto before. I was told that it is a child play that involves the actors interacting with the audience, mostly making them yell about stuff like ‘He’s behind you, he’s behind you’ when the bad guy is sneaking on the good guy etc.

Dick Whittington

I was honestly prepared for the worst. I feared that the play would be for 3 year olds with not many actors on stage, very silly songs, bad costumes, boring and predictable plot and annoying children in the audience. I was thankfully mistaken. The plot was a bit predictable but that was not really bad. The acts were really nicely directed. The choreography was interesting and the actors had rally nice voices. The songs were remakes of modern day songs giving the play a nice touch. For example ‘Bad Romance’ was transformed to ‘Bad Rodents’ sang by the Rat King.

Sarah the cook

I was amazed that the play was so long, lasting for a little bit more than 2 hours. I also liked the ‘booing’ and ‘yelling’ from the audience that was encouraged by the actors during the play and not done just by the kids. Parents were happily involved as well, pointing, booing, laughing, yelling and everything. I was a bit surprised since the English are stereotypically regarded to be quite proper and reserved all the time and you can’t say that yelling in a theatre is proper behaviour.

Overall, I had a great time. I went to see the play with colleagues and we did laugh a lot. We left the play happily chatting about it. I am not sure if I’ll become a frequent panto goer but I enjoyed the experience…

(Gossips: The main character who played Dick, Steven Webb is a good actor but not really an amazing singer. I googled him to find out more about him and it turns out that he's Stephen Fry's new boyfriend! That does explain some stuff and why Stephen Fry's voice is heard during the play as well. Needles to say that Dick's 26 years old and Fry's 52. I am not saying anything, I am just gossiping...)

-----------------------------------------------

On another happy note, I was very pleased to find out that the new release of the ‘Elder Scrolls’ has been announced and it will happen at the 11th of November 2011! It will be called Skyrim! For those of you not familiar with it, the ‘Elder Scrolls’ is a series of computer Role Playing Games. I am a huge fan of the series and I have finished the previous two (as much as possible).

Teaser:

Shirley…

Yesterday was theatre night for us and we went to see ‘Shirley Valentine’. I love the movie, so I thought that the play would be good. Fortunately the adaptation was very close to the movie script. Meera Syal playing Shirley is truly amazing.

The very interesting thing is that the whole play is one large monologue. There is only the actress playing Shirley, telling the stories and mimicking the rest of the characters. But she is doing it so well. If I knew it beforehand I might have been a bit worried about getting bored. Meera was truly captivating though! For example on the first act, she talks about the woman’s clitoris while actually cooking eggs and chips on stage! It was hilarious…

Having an adaption following the successful movie script however can be bad since no new elements have been added and you end up eating reheated food. Very good food, but reheated none the less.

Ultimately, I loved it. I had a really nice time and I enjoyed the play very much.

Saltimbanco and other reviews…

We watched Saltimbanco by ‘Cirque du Soleil’ yesterday and I have to say I loved it. I didn’t really know what to expect and I was positively surprised. Some of the acrobatics they are doing are amazing. They make them seem so easy! The whole show is a colour feast with humour, nice music, great performances and breathtaking stunts. I especially liked the taking part of simple spectators, the “Chinese Poles”, the “Duo Trapeze” and the “Bungees”. I also loved the fact that things where happening in the background and around the central performers by the rest of the cast. I don't believe that any image can capture the atmosphere of the show, which I think is a must-see.

Chinese Poles

Duo Trapeze

We also watched ‘Inception’ the other day. It was quite good. My friend ‘gb’ was disappointed because he wanted something slightly more intellectual or mentally changeling. I don’t know how he got the idea that he would watch some kind of a Kieslowski movie. Inception is something like ‘Matrix’, a very good action movie to watch in the big screen with pop corn and cola. The music, the direction, the photography and acting keep you on your toes for the duration of the movie even if the ending is slightly expectable. I especially loved Cotillard and Ellen Page. I wasn’t very impressed with DiCaprio’s acting. Overall it’s an entertaining action movie to watch.

On a different subject, I started reading the new version of “The Avengers” by Marvel. After everything that is happening (“Civil War”, “Secret Invasion”, “Dark Reign” and “The Siege”) new teams are being assembled entering the ‘Heroic Age”! Between the different teams, I randomly picked the main one, “The Avengers”. I know that there is a movie coming out and I thought that the best people would work on the title to prepare fans for the movie. I was unfortunately wrong.


After the third comic, I have to say that I will probably abandon the title yet again. I was not impressed by the artwork or the storyline. The appearance and disappearance of Wonder Man (what the?), the battle with Apocalypse (was that it?) and the realisation that the time continuum is broken are presented in such a way that I am left uninterested. I also have objections on the selection of the characters (Wolverine also in this title? Two spiders? Hawkeye playing simply the role of a bystander?). I might give the title another chance or two, but I can’t see myself continue reading it for long…

Ghost Stories

Yesterday, it was theatre day! We went to see the ‘Ghost Stories’ in the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith. I enjoy their productions very much because they are well made and much cheaper than West End.

This time it was no different. The play was interesting. It lasts for 1 hour and 20 minutes without any break. The general idea is about a professor narrating three ghost stories by interviewing the main characters that lived each one of them. The actors playing were quite good and I really enjoyed the sets and direction. Unfortunately, the stories themselves are not that scary but predictable. They reminded me of the ‘Tales of The Crypt’ TV series. They rely on startling / scaring the spectators with loud creepy noises in the dark. I fear that the play fails to catch the atmosphere of other plays, like for example the ‘Woman in Black’ which I did enjoy more.

Overall, I think that it was a nice play, but not something exceptional. If you don’t have something else to go and see, it is not a waste of time.

Ah, they make a reference in the play of this website (scienceofghosts.com) that contains pictures where something ghostly appears. If you have time, take a look at it... It’s fun

Queen of the desert

Yesterday I met my friends after work centrally. I took them to Chinatown to try the ‘local’ Chinese cuisine and then we headed to the Palace Theatre to watch ‘Priscilla: Queen of the Desert’ as planned. I had booked the tickets two weeks in advance and we had fairly good sits in the stalls. In general the play was brilliant. The story is not something phenomenon. It’s just a road trip of 3 drag queens. However the music is very uplifting and the actors have nice voices.The thing that really is captivating is the costumes! I have no idea who made them, but to be honest they are a work of art! You have to see them to believe them:



To good thing is that the girls loved it. It was a big West End production that mesmerized you. On the way back I took them to see ‘Waxy O’Connors’ pub which used to be a church. There is inside even the tree that used to be outside the church’s entrance.



By the time we got back the family was already in the bedroom trying to put little ‘C’ to sleep, so I didn’t see them at all!

I’m now thinking today’s course of action…

Arrivals…

I’ve always enjoyed having people over. My house is always open for my friends. I love to have them staying for dinner, coffee, just a movie or a board game. I loved the fact that while I was studying my house was right in city centre, close to the university and I had people passing by all the time.

I’ve been trying to do the same while I’m in London. I always invite my friends from Greece to come. I believe it’s an opportunity not to miss since I can accommodate and provide free tours of the city.

So, this weekend I have one of my best friends coming to London with her sister. Her sister is quite younger and has never travelled outside Greece. I hope it will be as amazing for her. They had this trip planned since before Christmas.

Lovely London in March

I have mentioned about them coming a while ago. What I think I haven’t mentioned before is that my housemate (‘hm’) also have people coming. She’s having her brother, his girlfriend and their two-year old daughter with them!!!!

OK, I’ll help you count:
Two of us already living in that house: 2 +
My friend and her sister: 2 +
The family: 3
Total: 7!

So, we will be 7 of us living in the same roof. My flat is not that big. Thankfully it’s a two bedroom, two bathrooms flat. Having two bathrooms I hope means less queues. The family will go into one room, the sisters will go to the other and the permanent residents (us) will stay in the living room.

Different version of a Full House

I’m not worried as much for the number of people living with us as I am worried with the two-year old. I’ve heard that she’s pretty spoiled and can be a pain in the ass. She’s used to do things like waking up in two in the morning screaming demanding her milk or toys. I know how to handle adults but I am not used to spending so many days with a toddler. Please tell me you have some tips to give me!
(I just hope that not knowing me and the beard will scare her a bit to be more well behaved). OK, don't get me wrong. I love children (as long as we keep our safe distances)...

My friend’s been here before but her sister hasn’t and she would like to see as many London sights as possible. That means that their day will start early and they will try to cover each day as much “distance” as possible. I’ll be going to work as normal and I’ll be meeting them after that. I might only take one day off next week for a day trip or something.

I’ve booked tickets for them to go and see Priscilla – Queen of the desert. They wanted to see a big West End musical and I haven’t seen this one. I heard it’s quite enjoyable.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On a slightly different subject following my birthday,
I bought yesterday the UK based gay magazine called Attitude. The theme of this month’s issue is about getting old. There is a huge article about how a ‘gay man’s life starts at 30’! I haven’t read it yet but I’m quite interested in going through it. Knowing the magazine I know it’s not going to be top journalism or something to think about for long. However, I’d like to see their point of view.

Even before reading the article I know that this statement contains true facts. I truly believe that the next decade of my life will be great. Let’s wait and see…

Enron the musical

Yesterday was theatre night. I went with some friends to see ‘Enron the Musical’. When they first mentioned to me that there is a play called ‘Enron the Musical’ my reaction was: ‘You got to be kidding me. How can you make that story into a musical?’

Kenneth Lay with the Board of Directors

The answer is that they can make it a musical and a brilliant one. I truly found it amazing. It was very cleverly done and as you can see from the pictures, it has amazing aesthetics. The direction is very good and the choreography was excellent.

The workforce

I knew the general story of Enron, but I didn’t know many details that were ingeniously presented to even the most ignorant of the story viewer. You don’t have to know how the stock market works to follow the plot. I also loved the fact that it was a political satire of a story that affected so many people’s lives and is still affected today’s economy dramatically. I don’t think that the general public knows the political games played all over the world and how governments rise and fall in them. Simplistically presented through a satire is the best way of doing that.

The stock market

I truly suggest you go and see it. It’s also been nominated for three Lawrence Olivier nominations including for ‘Best New Play’.

The Lehman Brothers

“ Are you kidding me? Did we take advantage? That's what we do, that's how the world works! If you want an objective morality, you're living in a dream. So when you ask, 'did we take advantage?', I hear, 'do you make a living?', 'do you breathe in and out?', 'are you a man?'! Yes, we took advantage. And the only difference between me and the people judging me is they weren't smart enough to do what we did. Now, are you gonna judge me or are you gonna help me? “
Jeff Skilling (President, COO and CEO) from ENRON by Lucy Prebble

Being British…

In general I like having people coming to stay over. I always try to tell my Greek friends how nice London is and that they should visit. They shouldn’t miss the fact that they can crash in my place and I can be their personal tour guide (I truly really like showing people around). I’m still in the process of learning to say ‘no’ to some people that obviously and crudely try to come over, but my friends are always welcome. I have one of my closest friends coming in beginning of March with her younger sister. For the sister is the first time going abroad and I’m trying to set something really nice for them.

I am definitely taking them to see a theatrical play. I know their English are very good and they wouldn’t have a problem following it. What I am definitely not taking them though to see is a standup comedian. I really do like British standup comedy, I was watching one yesterday. In most of the cases, it’s very witty but you need to know the people, the situations or the sayings discussed. I had to learn these things while spending many evenings at the pub with my colleagues.


I still remember the first times I was spending with them in the pub, talking about the various British regional jokes that apparently everyone knew (apart from me). For those outside the ‘Islands’ who might not know, British people LOVE to chat about the different regions of UK (and not only them). They have sayings about every different region or even country (but the regional jokes are much better). For example, because of their accent the call the people coming from Liverpool ‘scousers’, the people from Birmingham ‘Brummies’ or that people from East London talk in ‘cockney’.

Apart from making fun of the accents, try to lure a British into a conversation about which is the worst area of England. For example go to him and say something in the lines of ‘Isn’t Bolton a shithole?’, role your eyes and laugh. He’ll definitely agree with you but comment how ‘Brent is not far behind, I once went there’…


That’s not the end of it though. They have worse stories to share and jokes to tell about almost every area as well. There are jokes about people from ‘Essex’ (I mentioned it in the past), especially girls. I give you an example that I found online:
Q: What does an Essex girl say after sex?
A: "Do you really all play for the same football team?"
or
Q: What does an Essex girl do with her asshole after sex?
A: She takes him down the pub.
For people from Aberdeen (or from Wales) they say they are sheep-shaggers (classy) and for people from Hartlepool that they are monkey-hangers.
(The latter saying for Hartlepool is based on a tale that they hanged a monkey found in a shipwreck, wearing a French uniform, because they believed him to be a French spy since he couldn’t answer their questions.)


Anyway, I can go on and on for ages regarding these stories. The very funny bit is that everybody knows them (that is British). Using these stories is a common ground for small talk and a good ice breaker to start a conversation. You just ask a person where he’s from…

Avenue

So, yesterday was theatre day. I went with JJ to see AvenueQ and I loved it. I found it brilliant, very well written, witty and fun. I don’t know why I didn’t see it before. I should have seen it ages ago… I recommend to anyone wanting a fun night out.
Here are the lyrics of one of the songs. Apart from the song called 'Internet is for Porn', I found the lyrics of this one exquisite:

There's a fine, fine line between a lover and a friend;

There's a fine, fine line between reality and pretend;
And you never know 'til you reach the top if it was worth the uphill climb.

There's a fine, fine line between love
And a waste of time.

There's a fine, fine line between a fairy tale and a lie;
And there's a fine, fine line between "You're wonderful" and "Goodbye."
I guess if someone doesn't love you back it isn't such a crime,
But there's a fine, fine line between love
And a waste of your time.

And I don't have the time to waste on you anymore.
I don't think that you even know what you're looking for.
For my own sanity, I've got to close the door
And walk away...
Oh...

There's a fine, fine line between together and not
And there's a fine, fine line between what you wanted and what you got.
You gotta go after the things you want while you're still in your prime...

There's a fine, fine line between love
And a waste of time.

This and That…

Things that happened to me the last 24 hours…

Yesterday, I asked from a client (whose anonymity of course I’ll protect) to send me a ‘Print Screen’ image of his desktop to check about a problem. He is a middle aged man working from home. He sent the wanted image to me. Apart from our software he was running Mozilla Firefox, Minesweeper and Microsoft Word. What he didn’t notice was the fact that the tags from Firefox were readable even when minimized and that most of his windows were about porn! I was tempted to make a comment about it to him but I thought otherwise. I could of course be wrong and web pages titled ‘Fresh Pussy’ concerned something completely different and I just have a dirty mind (I do, but that’s another issue).

(We did laugh a bit with that with ONLY a couple of colleagues)

At the evening I went to see ‘The Royal Realist’ at Riverside Studio. It’s a poignant love story of two young men from diverse backgrounds who are being pulled apart by cultural barriers and family allegiances during the major social changes in the early 1960s. All the actors taking part in it were very good and the plot even if without any surprises or twists was interesting. The dialogs were well written and there were many moments that the audience laughed with jokes concerning family ties, old traditional ways and people from the North. The play is performed in a very small theatre and most of the audience was just some meters away from the actors. That fact made the whole experience more captivating and pleasant.

This morning, while going to work I stopped at ‘Prêt A Manger’ for breakfast (I forgot to buy milk yesterday). I was sitting inside on a stool and there was a guy outside sitting on a table in front of me working on his laptop. Me being a bit higher I was able to take a glimpse (unintentionally of course) to what he was doing. He was having a voice call to (probably) his wife. Their baby was also visible waving frantically to the camera. It was amazingly sweet. The guy was actually laughing and crying! It was such a wonderful picture. It was happiness personified…