WORDLINGS

Sunday, February 18, 2007

cynics and sentimentalists

Cynics have lost faith in human sincerity and believe that the sole motivation is self-interest. Sentimentalists have an emotional idealism and are believers in the sincerity of all. Although the cynic and sentimentalist have opposing perspectives they share a common denial of what is possible, both the good and bad.

The reality, of course, is that none of us is wholly cynical or sentimental and there is a place for both at certain times and in certain places. However, I have observed in my travels that cultures and countries can have a predisposition towards one or the other. In my experience, the United Kingdom and Ireland tend towards cynicism, the United States and Canada on the other hand tends towards sentimentalism. Both approaches infuses peoples aspirations, their relationship to fame, their critical sense, their humour and also the mood of a country.

(photo from despair website)

Personally I have found that my 8 years in North America has softened my cynical edge and I am more open because of this. Whilst self-help literature is mostly driven by greed not need (cynical side), I have come across books that people have written with a view to helping others (sentimental side). I do find I am more positive about what individuals can do with their life (sentimental side) but I still retain a degree of healthy skepticism because I understand not everything can be done just because we say so, e.g. winning the war in Iraq (cynical side). I find a lot of British humour, e.g. Little Britain, to be very misanthropic and as time passes I am less amused by it. American humour on the other hand is often just not funny.

As we return to the UK I hope to bring with me a degree of positivism I have learned. Creating a better life is at the heart of every immigrants journey and in the UK that will still be my status. Next post will be from Blighty!

For more information ...
despair
little britain
blighty

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

turn, turn, turn

Got a brilliant children's book of illustrations from the library based on the text of Pete Seeger's classic "turn, turn, turn". It includes a CD with his version and the more popular version by the Roger McGuinn and The Byrds. The book is beautifully illustrated and Pete Seeger's live folk version has a raw and rough quality that for me is more attractive than the Byrds pop version.

I think the music seems timely given the changes we are about to go through.

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to build up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones
A time to gather stones together

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time of war, a time of peace
A time of love, a time of hate
A time you may embrace
A time to refrain from embracing

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time to love, a time to hate
A time of peace, I swear it's not too late!

For more information ...
turn, turn, turn
Pete Seeger
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Sunday, February 04, 2007

the four seasons

Recently listening to Vivaldi's 'four seasons' I find myself surprised that I like them, as I had developed a distaste for them in the late '80's.

That time in Britain was dominated by the excesses of Thatcherite culture. It was a time of Gordon Gecko and 'greed is good' and the four seasons formed a musical backdrop for the last declining days of Margaret and her yuppies. The music became as common place as Constable's Haywain is on place mats and because of that probably undervalued, at least in my mind.

With a fresh and unprejudiced ear I have begun to listen to them again and found them to be great. My wife bought me Roberto Michelucci's take on them and I am thoroughly enjoying it. It almost makes me want to go out a buy Nigel Kennedy's take on Vivaldi. In particular I like the faster parts from Summer and Autumn, the allegros and presto.

Give them a listen, let me know what you think.

Concerto No. 1 in E major, Op. 8, RV 269, "La primavera" (Spring)
1. Allegro
2. Largo
3. Allegro
Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 8, RV 315, "L'estate" (Summer)
1. Allegro non molto - Allegro
2. Adagio - Presto - Adagio
3. Presto
Concerto No. 3 in F major, Op. 8, RV 293, "L'autunno" (Autumn)
1. Allegro
2. Adagio molto
3. Allegro
Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV 297, "L'inverno" (Winter)
1. Allegro non molto
2. Largo
3. Allegro

For more information ...
Antonio Vivaldi
the four seasons
Nigel Kennedy
Margaret Thatcher
wall street
hay wain
the four seasons recording by Roberto Michelucci

Monday, January 29, 2007

haiku challenge

Playing with the haiku form recently, I have begun to appreciate how difficult and yet how expansive it can be.

Here are some properties of a haiku

a 3 line form consisting of 5, 7 and 5 syllables
contains a word called (the kigo) which directly makes reference to the season, e.g. snow indicating winter
incorporates a distinct grammatical break (the kireji) at the end of either the first or second line
captures a moment or a setting
haiku usually are reflections upon the natural world, senryu follow the same form but are reflections on human nature and may be humorous
haiku and senryu usually manifest the Japanese aesthetic referred to as wabi-sabi, a beauty hallmarked by imperfection, impermanence, and incompleteness with a gentle slightly mournful appeal.

Here are some haiku and senryu.

The first soft snow!
Enough to bend the leaves
Of the jonquil low.
- Basho

the morning paper
harbinger of good and ill
- - I step over it
- McCroskey

grab and go coffee ...
breathe to let stories unfold
tea leaves brew slowly
- alan mee

My Online Girlfriend
Might be a supermodel
Or a big fat man.
- mr. big

summer is coming
break out the barbecue set
enjoy undercooked meat
- five spice

The challenge, compose a haiku or senryu and post here. The people who reply can decide the winner. The prize, a smug inner glow.

For more information ...
haiku
wabi-sabi
apple flower

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Thursday, January 04, 2007

liquidation

After reading liquidation I find myself reaching for that big book all of us have in our libraries, diminished though they be. The book which tells us what we should know or that which we already know but of which we unsure. Fumbling between 'post-coital' and 'Potenza' I find that expletive post-modern. The definition alludes to a 'late 20th century style, a distrust of ideologies, a deliberate mixing of styles and conventions'.

I don't understand the term because for me it always referred to an art that contained within itself a criticism of the form itself. It contained an allusion to its creation and a criticism of it. I never found it to be modern, let alone post-modern. Hamlet, for instance, I find to be post-modern as evidenced by the play within a play. Ulysses by Joyce must surely be post-modern and yet this term persists, and yet too, there must be some relevance for it as a descriptor. Or is there any relevance to it beyond the stylistic concerns of the Sunday supplements?

Liquidation suffers the fate of many books from late 20th and early 21st century writers who try to leave something of significance and yet the paradox is that they are generally nihilistic or cynical in their approach. The act of writing a book is essentially positivistic in nature and yet the doctrine they preach is pessimistic. Can a trumpet be blown that rallies people to their own demise? Perhaps, is what Beckett would say, and yet be assured I would not make this argument at the vanguard of conservative ignorance but rather in the shadow of such bold intellects.

'work makes one free'

I wanted to like this book and yet feel let down by the author, Nobel prize winner though he may be. Liquidation it is a good book that goes beyond the story telling narrative of a beginning, middle and end. It does seem to capture the succession of events that make up a life and the sense that their is very little of a story to relate. There is a sense that the story is lost, is abandoned, is discarded and maybe in some sense we all discard our own story. It is a 'degenerate art' that surely Hitler would have burned but yet it survives. Unfortunately, I believe it ultimately fails to make a connection with the Holocaust in spite of the words, in spite of the author's own life story.

But perhaps, in asking the questions, in presenting what is at times a contrived story it does achieve some awareness of an event. As you can see I am conflicted in my response to this book, a definite re-read is in order. However, I was left, thinking that I should go to Auschwitz.

Perhaps, he succeeded. Perhaps.

For more information ...
liquidation
Imre Kertész
post modernism
Auschwitz

Saturday, December 16, 2006

more monkey than monk

I am far from been an ascetic monk and quietness is not one of my virtues. However, I do often feel drawn to the quite life and the clarity that a silent space would provide.

Buddhists refer to the concept of 'monkey mind' when describing the tendency for our minds to leap from one thought to another. Silence does not stop the 'monkey mind' and the first step is just an awareness of the frenetic pace of our thoughts. A good exercise is to stop thinking for ten seconds and to observe how difficult an exercise this is.

Monk Tame Monkey Mind Tame Monk by Sandra Rose

Maybe we need to just stop, to stop moving, stop talking and then stop thinking. Only then we can dwell in a silence we create and from there, who knows?

For more information ...
thinking too much
a different view
art of sandra rose

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

nothing

Nothing to say at the moment.
Tired.
Uninspired.
Uninspiring.
Tiresome.
Tiring.
Trying and yet not trying.

Vacant but without the flashing sign.
Less busy than a vagrant.
Avoiding toil.
Shuffling off the mortal coil.
Not industrious enough to achieve such monuments.

Pause.
Slow.
Stop.

Inventiveness diminished by lack of imagination.
Foolish to attempt such writing now.
Driven by ego, a seeking of approval.
No identity can be derived from such nonsense.

Pause.
Stop.
Slow.

Thinking, now, of something important to say.

Pause.
Pause.
Pause.

Checking spelling.
In the absence of content.
This activity, the only one with meaning.

Pause.
Stop.
Pause.

Waiting for some meaning to come.
Like shit hitting a fan.
or even something less impressive.

Pause.
Absence.
Waiting.
Waiting.
No shit.
No meaning.
Waiting.
Pause.
There is no shit thrower in the universe.
Even thought there is a fan.
Even though there is shit.
No, that was not the important thing.

Begin now to focus,
like when you're drunk
and someone asks you a question, you really want to answer in a clever way.
Foolish thoughts.
But like Dylan, Thomas not Bob, a lucid moment that might in daylight be worth keeping.
Towards the end, a good place.
Here goes.
A blank line or two to set the tone.

Who among you are honest enough to be foolish?
And through your foolishness grow into a wisdom.

Didn't really hit the mark, did it?

------
Over the years I have played around with the stream of consciousness idea and have a kind of 'love hate thing' with it. There is an immediacy and movement to it that I like but the confessional and self absorbing nature of it can at times appear a little 'teenage' which is fine when you are a teenager but loses its appeal as you begin to push forty.

Nonetheless I thought I would share this as it addresses my recent dearth of postings but also a more general angst I have regarding if I have anything of importance to offer. The answer it would seem is nothing.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

mulberry bush

'Here we go round the mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush,
Here we go round the mulberry bush,
On a cold and frosty morning.'

This children's rhyme most likely began as a chant prisoners sung as they exercised around a mulberry tree in Wakefield prison. The tree (picture above) still stands in the grounds of the prison in the north of England.

Friday, October 06, 2006

maria callas

Listening to Maria Callas recently, I continue to be challenged by the operatic form which seems contrived at times. However, it is hard not to admire the accomplished nature of the performances. In particular I have been struck by Callas' version of Ebben! Ne andrò lontana. It has a slight manic quality at the end which you just don't seem to get in much popular music.

I think above all the classic and operatic has a broader range of both musicality and emotion which is hard to find in the 3 minute pop song. Don't get me wrong, The Beatles prove pop can be great but even they needed to stretch into other forms to get what they wanted to say said as Sgt. Pepper's testifies. Pop is at its best when it breaks its own form, think Nirvana, think Pink Floyd, think Radiohead.

Ebben! Ne andrò lontana (Ah well then! I shall go far away)
Come va l'eco pia campana, (Like the echo of the pious church-bell goes away,)
Là fra la neve bianca; (There somewhere in the white snow;)
Là fra le nubi d'ôr; (There amongst the clouds of gold,)
Laddóve la speranza, la speranza (There where hope, hope)
È rimpianto, è rimpianto, è dolor! (Is regret, is regret, is sorrow!)

O della madre mia casa gioconda(O from my mother's cheerful house)
La Wally ne andrà da te, da te! (La Wally is about to go away from you, from you!)
Lontana assai, e forse a te, (Quite far away, and perhaps to you,)
E forse a te, non farà mai più ritorno, (And perhaps to you, will never more return,)
Nè più la rivedrai! (Nor ever more see you again!)
Mai più, mai più! (Never again, never again!)

Ne andrò sola e lontana, (I will go away alone and far,)
Là, fra la neve bianca, n'andrò, (There, somewhere in the white snow, I shall go,)
N'andrò sola e lontana (I will go away alone and far)
E fra le nubi d'ôr! (And amongst the clouds of gold!)

Ebben! Ne andrò lontana (Ah well then! I shall go far away)
Come va l'eco pia campana, (Just like the echo of the pious church-bell goes away,)
Là fra la neve bianca; (There somewhere in the white snow;)
Là fra le nubi d'ôr; (There amongst the clouds of gold,)
Laddóve la speranza, la speranza (There where hope, hope)
È rimpianto, è rimpianto, è dolor! ( Is regret, is regret, is sorrow!)
O della madre mia casa gioconda (O from my mother's cheerful house)
La Wally ne andrà da te, da te! (La Wally is about to go away from you, from you!)
Lontana assai, e forse a te, (Quite far away, and perhaps to you,)
E forse a te, non farà mai più ritorno, (And perhaps to you, will never more return,)
Nè più la rivedrai! (Nor ever more see you again!)
Mai più, mai più! (Never again, never again!)

Ne andrò sola e lontana, (I shall go away alone and far,)
Come l'eco della pia campana, (Like the echo of the pious church-bell goes away,)
Là, fra la neve bianca, n'andrò, (There, somewhere in the white snow, I shall go,)
N'andrò sola e lontana (I'll go away alone and far)
E fra le nubi d'ôr! (And amongst the clouds of gold!)

Listening to this record, I wonder why the old fool Onassis ever left Callas for Jacqueline Kennedy. Such a force, what a woman, what a voice.

For more information ...
maria callas

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

in memoriam 2

We all share a compulsion for life, a sense of not wanting to let go and yet when we live, we often do so in a habitual, unaware state. When confronted by death I often turn to the words of Dylan Thomas, 'rage, rage against the dying light' but then when I begin, again, to think of life the words that often come to mind are ...

'Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.'

Within that tension, between the childish rhyme and the poets considered words lies the trick to life, an awareness of one's own mortality but not a dwelling upon it, an awareness of one's own life but not a dwelling upon it. Requiescat in pace.

For more information ...
do not go gentle into that good night
row, row, row your boat

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

summers lease

Sonnet XVIII

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

- William Shakespeare (1564- 1616)

Thursday, September 14, 2006

in memoriam

Whilst waiting for a burger in A&W I noticed these two 'obits' appearing in the local rag beside each other. One, a death resulting from a gang shooting, the other a more peaceful passing.

Read the details, I found them interesting. Requiescat in pace.

Mary Alice (Nancy) Melting Tallow of the Siksika Nation passed away peacefully at the Lethbridge Regional Hospital on Sunday, September 3, 2006 at the age of 91 years.
Mary is survived by her children; Gerald, Francis (Ruth), Dorothy (Fraser), Allison (Earl), Irwin (Teresa), Hayden, Georgina, Marie (Dexter), special grandchildren, Barry and Carla and nieces Annie Sharp of Seattle, and Lorraine Stevens and nephew Jim Monroe. She is also survived by 44 grandchildren, 96 great grandchildren and 13 great-great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews and other relatives. If we have missed anyone, the family greatly apologizes.
Mary was married on July 6, 1934 to her husband Matthew Melting Tallow who predeceased her. Later, she was predeceased by her common-law husband, George Wolf Collar. She is also predeceased by her son, Casey; infant twin son, Terry; infant daughter, Theresa; sister, Mary; brother, Paul Running Bird; adopted brother, Jack Big Eye and sister, Annie Sharp (nee Royal).
Nancy was born at the Blackfoot Indian Hospital one frosty Sunday morning on April 18, 1915 and lived all her life on the Siksika Nation. She traveled extensively across Western Canada and the south-western United States in her golden years. Nancy was sadly missed when she passed away on Sunday, September 3, 2006 under a clear blue sky and the hot autumn sun.
Nancy was very kind and warm-hearted and greeted you with a great smile. She was a quiet, spiritual mother, grandmother, great grandmother and great-great grandmother and had many relatives, adopted children and many friends. Nancy had her humble beginnings at the old Cold Mines Village on Siksika. There she was a housewife, homemaker and raised all her young children in a log cabin.
Although Nancy was a residential school survivor, she was a devote catholic and was especially dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and respected and prayed with everyone regardless of their faith and church affiliation or religion. Nancy was very fluent in Blackfoot and equally proficient in the English language, together with her knowledge of the Blackfoot Culture was able to give some assistance to Indian Land Claim issues and other historical matters of the Siksika Nation.

Tyrone Walker, beloved son of Patricia Minott and Bancroft Walker, passed away on Tuesday, August 29, 2006 at the age of 27 years.
Tyrone was born on January 12, 1979 in Kingston, Jamaica and migrated to Calgary at a very young age. He attended Father Lacombe High School in his senior years. He loved to play Ping Pong, and liked modelled and remote control cars.
Besides his parents, Tyrone will be lovingly remembered by his children Anushka & mother Wendy of Jamaica, LaShiya & mother Sarah, Trevayne & mother Inez, and Keona & mother Corrin; brothers Noel of Florida, and Christoper & Curtis, of Calgary; sisters Michelle of Jamaica, and Sophia of Calgary; aunts Hermine of Calgary, Gloria, Rose & Maruca of Connecticut, and Beverley of Toronto; uncles Compton 'Coco' of Calgary, Claudy of Connecticut, Abyn, Itell of England, and Donavon in the United States; and his grandparents Jessie & Percy of Calgary. Tyrone will also be sadly missed by his extended family and many friends, and all those who knew and loved him.

For more information ...
a&w
calgary sun

Sunday, September 10, 2006

wine table

I have been keeping my wine journal for over a year now and listed below are the wines that have made it into my seasonal picks. OK, this may be nerdish but here goes.

If we add up the points earned by each country (table 1) we see France leads the way and I was surprised to see Canada come second. Of course I drink a lot of French wine so if we weigh the rankings by amount consumed (table 2) we see France go right down the table and Canada go to the top.

Table 1: Most points earned - unweighted
France 22
Canada 14
Spain 10
New Zealand 8
USA 5
Italy 4
Chile 3
Australia 2

Table 2: Most points earned - weighted according to amount consumed
Canada 14/15 = .93333
Spain 10/11 = .90909
New Zealand 8/9 = .88888
USA 5/7 = .74128
Italy 4/7 = .57142
Chile 3/6 = .50000
France 22/48 = .45833
Australia 2 /14 = .14285

(drink or die)

What does this all mean?

We drink a lot of French wine, much good but also much that does not make my seasonal picks.
The Canadian wine we've had has mostly been good perhaps because it was tasted and bought at the vineyard.
We have not really sampled much from the USA, Italy or Chile. More sampling of those countries is in order.
We've had a lot of average Australian wine, I must get some recommendations from my family down-under.
Spain and New Zealand have been very reliable.
We must try some better German and Portuguese wines as none made it to my list of picks.
I agree with Einstein, 'Not everything that counts can be measured. Not everything that can be measured counts.'

Complete list of seasonal picks ...
18/20 wines
Veuve Cliquote Ponsardin, Demi-sec (non-vintage) - Riems, Champagne, France
Abrazo, Garnacha & Carinena, 2003 - Spain
Chateau de Lancyre, Coteau de Languedoc - Languedoc, France

17/20 wines
Hillside Estate Riesling 2002 - Naramata Bench, B.C., Canada
Sandhill Sauvignon Blanc 2003 - Burrowing Owl Vineyard, B.C., Canada
Calona Vineyards, Artist Series, Pinot Gris, 2004 - Okanagan Valley, B.C., Canada
Montes Alpha, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2002 - Colchagua Valley, Apalta Vineyard, Chile
Pierre Boniface, Apremont, 2004 - St. Andre, Les Marches, Savoie, France
Twenty Bench, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003 - Napa Valley, California, USA
Meursault, Paul Garaudet, Vieille Vigne 2002 - Burgundy, France

16/20 wines
Rubens, Tempranillo, 2004 - Villamanrique, Ciudad Real, Spain
Oyster Bay, Sauvignon Blanc, 2005 - New Zealand
Kim Crawford, Sauvignon Blanc, 2005 - New Zealand
Abrazo Gran Reserva, Carinena, Garnacha, Tempranillo, 1996 - Spain
Hillside Estate, Reserve Series, Muscat Ottonel, 2004 - Okanagan, Canada
Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc 2004 - Marlborough, New Zealand
Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc 2004 - Marlborough, New Zealand
Sumac Ridge Pipe 1999 - Blacksage Vineyard, B.C., Canada
La Vieille Ferme, White Grenache, 2004 - Luberon, Rhone Valley, France
Nino Franco Prosecco, - Valdobbiadene, Italy
Tres Picos, Garnacha, 2003 - Campode Borja, Borsao, Borja, Spain
Chateau Thieuly, Sauvignon Blanc & Semillion, 2004 - Bordeaux, France
Bogle, Merlot 2003 - California, US
Mount Langhi Ghiran, Riesling 2004, - Australia
Collalto, Prosecco DuConegliana e Valdobbialene, - Suseganna, Italy
Pfaffenheim, Gerwurtztraminer, 2004, Vin D'Alsace, - Alsace, France

15/20 wines
Beaurevoir Tavel, Rose - Chapoutier, Rhone Valley, France
Les Charmes, Touraine, Sauvignon Blanc, 2004 - Touraine, Loire, France
Cedar Creek, Pinot Noir, 2001 - Cedar Creek & Greta Ranch Vineyards, Okanagan, B.C., Canada

For more information ...
2006 summer picks
2006 spring picks
2005-2006 winter picks
2005 fall picks
2005 summer picks
2005 late spring/early summer picks

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

2006 summer picks

Summer has been nice but wet here in Western Canada. Not just wet because of the weather but also because we have managed to sample 18 whites and 3 reds. France once again dominates our sampling with 9, then Australia with 4, 2 for the US, New Zealand and Chile followed by a single bottle from both Germany and Italy.

"Somewhere near the cool shadows of the laundry room. Past the litter box and between the plastic yard toys. This is your time. Time to enjoy a moment to yourself. A moment without the madness. The dishes can wait. Dinner be damned. Mad Housewife Wine."

In Spring I promised to search out some good Aussie wines and I am glad to say one has made my list. Here are the top 5 for summer.

1. La Rouviere, Chateau de Lancyre, Coteau de Languedoc, 2004 - Languedoc, France (18/20)$20
"dry, beautiful, aromatic, understated, lemon tones"

2. Bogle, Merlot 2003 - California, US (16/20) $25
"plum, blackcurrant, soft and flavoursome"

3. Mount Langhi Ghiran, Riesling 2004 - Australia (16/20) $19
"nice dry, citrus on the nose, clear white colour, lemon and lime, strong minerality" (for a full review read here)

4. Collalto, Prosecco Di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene - Suseganna, Italy (16/20) $25
"just the way I like my sparking wine, not too dry"

5. Pfaffenheim, Gewurtztraminer, Vin D'Alsace, 2004 - Alsace, France (16/20)$15
"sweet but not sticky, a great sweet wine"

I expect the fall will see us return to trying more reds and I intend to continue looking for good wines from outside Europe. Keep an eye out for a post on how I rate the wines from different countries.

For more information ...
La Rouviere
Bogle Merlot
Mount Langhi Ghiran(poor site)
Collato
Pfaffenheim (good site and in French)
mad housewife

Thursday, August 17, 2006

not so constant gardener

I find gardening both relaxing and challenging. Relaxing because it gets my mind off work and other nonsense, challenging because of its unpredictable nature.

One can design a bathroom and due to its static nature you can define what you want and then work to get it. You can design a garden too but dynamic and unpredictable variables like weather and plants make it more difficult to get what you want but in many ways more rewarding.

Our garden is pretty simple and not too impressive, occasionally however we have a dramatic success. Two years ago it was our delicious tomatoes, last year it was the potatoes, this year it is the Asiatic lilies. Any fool could grow these, they take little care and just need to be planted in full or semi-shaded area.

So, overall I would not describe myself as a constant gardener. My neighbours on the other hand, that is another matter for another post.

For more information ...
lilies
the constant gardener

Sunday, August 13, 2006

a day in the life

Last week I decided to capture the mundane and banal from a typical work day.

I have never developed a strong liking for coffee, but, ahh! a nice cup of tea, is how I start my day ...

... I have been getting up early and writing for one hour before beginning my 40 minute commute ...

... first the bus ...

... at this spot the c-train door will open and I will get on, mine are not the pink toenails ...

... here is PetroCanada Tower, Calgary's #1 terrorist target, I work on the 38th & 39th floors ...

... spot the ubiquitous Starbucks in the foyer, been a tea drinker I never stop there ...

... I just take the elevator and look at the TV to get 'in depth' 20 word headlines...

... stop! you cannot come in unless you say the magic word ...

... go and work hard young man ...

... I walk down the hall to my office ...

... I'm thankful that I have an office even if it is next door to the notorious B.I.G. who adorned my name plate with this cartoon ...

.. of course to IT, I am just a number 'jtb86118' not a name ...

... I try to keep my desk tidy but it gets messy with word docs, excel spreadsheets and visio charts, may be the cartoon is closer the mark than I would care to admit ...

... my phone is invariably flashing messages when I come in, such is life when you work with people around the planet ...

... but I usually take a moment to enjoy the view, the buildings are not pleasant but in the distance I can usually see the snow capped Rockies ...

... why not cut out the 'middle man' and dump the paper straight in the recycling bin ...

... my office is on the 39th floor but I am typically up and down to the 38th floor 5-10 times a day ...

... looking down 39 floors can make me feel dizzy ...

... as can these diagrams, spot the Greek reference? ....

... so now it's time for lunch, today, sushi, tuna, salmon, prawn and California outside roll, all for $6! (4Euros, UKP3, $AUS7) ...

... if I'm stressed I will go and walk a labyrinth in a nearby church, this is a great way to relax, I try to do it slowly, typically it takes me 30 minutes to get to the inside ...

... at then home at the end of the day.

For more information ...
labyrinth

Saturday, August 05, 2006

listening

A wise old owl sat in an oak,
The more he heard the less he spoke;
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why aren't we all like that wise old bird?

- Edward Hersey Richards

Nature gave us one tongue and two ears so we could hear twice as much as we speak.

- Epictetus

Good listening involves being in the moment and tuning into someone else. I think too much about the future and too much about myself therefore I struggle with listening.

Although flawed, I am reasonably self-aware and have worked at listening. At work during meetings, I play this game where I try to be the last person to speak. In this way I can sit silently and listen. It kills me and yet shows me the idleness of chatter! I also ask myself if what I am about to say will make a difference, most times it will not, so I don't bother saying anything. More and more, I find this to be true.

I would not want to leave you with the impression that I am quiet. I am not and would say I am one of the more vocal in most work groups. I am working at listening and choosing a few key words that express something of import. I find my writing style is far more minimal than my verbal style and conveys better what I mean.

Do you hear me?

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

half way

So how long will I live? The following is certainly not scientific but it is amusing.

The life expectancy in Ireland is 77.73 years and I lived there for my first 21 years. In the UK it is 78.54 and I spent 8 years in that country. I am glad I spent 7 years in Canada as the life expectancy there is 80.22 years. Finally the life expectancy in the US is 77.85 and I spent 2 years stateside.

Calculating my life expectancy from the average life expectancy for each country and weighting it by the time spent in each country, I come up with the following.

((77.73*21)+(78.54*8)+(80.22*7)+(77.85*2))/38 = 78.36 years

So I will live to 78, which means that I will meet the grim reaper sometime in 2046. If I go all 'Cardinal Ussher' and calculate exactly how many days .36 of 78.36 translates to, the grim reaper will sharpen his scythe on Friday May 11th at 9.36 in the morning, just after my final breakfast.

(source: www.firstworldwar.com)

By then my son will be 42 and if he had a child at the same age I did, that child would be 6. So I will see my son mature to the age of 42 and my grandson to the age of 6, if I and they are lucky. This is certainly not scientific and it is quickly losing its humor. When put like this, 78 does not seem long enough.

Today I am 38, almost halfway there.

For more information ...
life expectancy
rank order life expectancy
first world war sketches
cardinal ussher

Friday, July 21, 2006

this week I am drinking

Recently I have been on two wine quests. First, to find a nice dry riesling as distinct from sweet rieslings. Secondly, to find an Australian wine that would make my summer picks.

I was pleasantly suprised to satisfy both quests when I came across Mount Langi Ghiran 2004 riesling ($Can19, 13Euros, $AUS22, 9UKP). This wine from the Grampians in Victoria, Australia perhaps lacks some of the layered complexity of the Alsace or Mosel-Saar-Ruwer rieslings but it is very drinkable and it is dry. The unusual name is aboriginal for 'home of the yellow-tailed black cockatoo'.

The label describes strong lemon and lime flavours and although I usually suspect the marketing spin on labels this one has got it right. This citrus quality lends it the dry acidic character I was looking for but there is also a hint of sweetness, perhaps peach. Additionally it has a mineral quality, a slight stony flavour but certainly not the flinty character of chablis.

This is so nice I bought a second bottle which I will polish off tonight! It should be available in Australia so I would be interested to hear what the antipodeans have to say about it. Enjoy!

For more information ...
mount langi ghiran (a good wine, a poor site)
yellow tailed black cockatoo