Theatre Review: CHIMERICA

Harold Pinter Theatre
Written by Lucy Kirkwood
Dir. Lyndsey Turner

Lucy Kirkwood is one talented young lady. Born in 1984, Kirkwood is only a few months my senior. This makes me feel deeply impressed and provides a welcome reminder that hard work and passion pay off. Kirkwood has produced an inventive, thought-provoking play that is currently receiving rave reviews from critics and public alike. And yes, I am about to write another such review.

Chimerica is not Kirkwood’s first play, but for those that hadn’t heard her name following previous successes, this will be the one to blow her out the water. It was first staged in May at the Almeida theatre, and has now moved to The Harold Pinter Theatre, where it is showing until October. Born in Leytonstone in 1984, Lucy graduated from Edinburgh University with a degree in English Literature. She is currently a writer in residence at Clean Break Theatre Company. She wrote and starred in her first play Grady Hot Potato in 2005. Kirkwood has since written other plays, many with dark undercurrents. Her 2009 production It Felt Empty When The Heart Went At First But It Is Alright Now, staged at The Arcola Theatre, provided a moving commentary on sex trafficking. Kirkwood is not shy to pick up bleak and difficult themes, and she tackles them with a sensitivity and humour that make them enjoyable for audiences.

So, what is so good about Kirkwood's latest production, Chimerica?

Well, the script for starters. The story centres on an iconic image taken during the Tiananmen Square protests in China in 1989. A well-dressed civilian, presumably on his way home from work with plastic shopping bags in tow confronts three tanks, standing directly in their path. The play opens with Joe Schofield (Stephen Campbell Moore), an aspiring photojournalist snapping the shot from his hotel window. The story shifts to some years later when Joe returns to China on a visit. China has changed. The play details a corporate and rapidly developing nation, seemingly intent on fitting the American consumerist mould. One of the play’s characters describes it as a nation that has gone “from famine to slimfast in one generation”. 

The play recounts Joe’s obsessive search for ‘the tank man’ in his photograph. Joe’s boss Frank (Trevor Cooper) is not convinced when Joe pitches his idea as a ‘good-news, human courage’ scoop. That may be well and good, Frank responds, but it’s not what America is interested in paying for or reading unfortunately. Joe’s blinkered obsession reveals a preoccupation to find a meaning beyond the superficial growth and artifice that now embodies China, as well as America. It turns out that his idealistic interpretation of the image may be far from the truth of the situation. Kirkwood calls to question our interpretation of history, events and the world around us. She starts with a real photograph and exposes the many possible stories that exist behind it.

Kirkwood’s writing is relevant, accessible and jam-packed with witty one-liners to boot. Being funny is something tricky in writing, especially if you are writing about serious matters. You can easily over-bake it, making funny too deliberate and starchy. But here, the characters deliver punchy, off-the-cuff responses when interacting that jolted the audience into riffs of genuine laughter.

This production is innovatively staged and applause must be directed to stage designer Es Devlin. A rotating cube containing different rooms and spaces between America and China provides numerous set changes. Relevant city scenery is projected on the outer cube walls to enhance the wider geographic location and help to shift the movement between America and China.

The acting is superb. Stephen Campbell Moore plays the obsessively idealistic activist, Joe. Claudie Blakley gives a stand out performance as Tess. Benedict Wong, Trevor Cooper and Sean Gilder also shine brightly in fully fleshed out characters. Nothing left to say except to mention Lyndsey Turner who has stitched this play together in her accomplished and confident direction.

Go and see it.

The beauty of being inappropriate

There is something truly delightful about inappropriate behaviour. Or at least the relatively harmless strand of it.

Life is full of social codes and rules put in place to determine our behaviour in certain situations. We learn them as we become adults as a means of coping and functioning well in society. But, have you ever noticed inappropriate urges dive-bombing into your consciousness at the least appropriate time? These urges always spring up suddenly, unexpectedly. They pounce, and it always feels as if the imagined action is on the tip of your tongue or niggling the end of your fingertips or toes, threatening to burst into public domain.

I'll give you an example:
I ordered a Chinese takeaway not long ago. The delivery man rang the doorbell. I opened the door. He stood on the doorstep, holding the white plastic takeaway bag out towards me and exclaimed:
"Dewivewwyyy" in a Chinese accent.
I caught myself just on the edge, as I realised that my instant urge was to mimic his exclamation, mirroring back what he had said in an impersonation of his accent. I wasn't being racist, it was just an urge that came from somewhere within. But it would have been massively rude and weird if I had. So I refrained, paid him and ate the food. Which was the normal thing to do.

The other day I was walking along the underground tunnel at the interchange between the Victoria and Piccadilly line. I had an instantaneous urge to strike out and punch the guy in front of me in the back of the head. For no apparent reason. I didn't do it, obviously. At work, when the office is quiet, I sometimes feel like standing up and singing a random tune like 'Coco Jambo' in an over-exaggerated and stupid singing voice. I never have. It would be fun when waiting at the back of a long queue in a shop to suggest everyone starts a game of 'Chinese Whispers'. I love it when a newsreader struggles to fight a fit of giggles or accidentally slips up on a word and says something inappropriate by accident.

This Dutch interviewer's laughter is on the dangerously offensive side of inappropriate, but he just can't help himself!

My boyfriend told me about going to see some sections of Holst's 'The Planets' played live at The Royal Albert Hall with some friends. The support act had been an outfit playing on empty jars with drumsticks and suchlike. I can imagine some people probably enjoying it, the polite silence of others not enjoying it. There were probably stray claps, perhaps a few disapproving or confused glances exchanged quietly in the audience. Then someone stood up in the audience and shouted:
"THIS IS CRAAAAAAAAAP".

 

Inappropriate audience laughter during a TEDex talk

Even more fun than the inappropriate behaviour itself, is watching people's reactions. We have certain scripts and rules to our behaviour that feel safe and rehearsed, and we can act out appropriately. When these are broken we end up in the realm of the spontaneous. It's proof that anything can happen. It's sort of exciting. Most of us hold back from these urges, it is the obvious thing to do - unless you want everyone to think you're a 'nutter'. We try our best to snuff out the internal monologues that occur in our heads so that we can act out what it is we think we 'should' do to fit in and appear 'normal'. Mark and Jez from Peep Show always illustrate our internal battle so well.

Mark desperately tries to hide his real feelings when Sophie breaks up with him in an episode of 'Peep Show'.

Where do these inappropriate urges come from? When reading in bed last night a line stood out in my book that explained the notion well:

"one's rules of propriety make one thirst for the improper." - Mohsin Hamid, 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist'

Hamid employs this sentiment in an entirely different context. In his book, it relates to the conservative dress demanded of women in Pakistan and its possible effect on men and their desires. But...the line still made me smile as it makes sense here too and rings true. Confinement of our behaviour obviously creates an inner urge to break it.

Breaking the social code is usually awkward, shameful or embarrassing. But it can also be hilarious and exciting and break the monotony of what we expect from each other.

The Sins of Literature: BBC Radio 4

This morning I caught an interesting programme on Radio 4 about the writing process.

It turns out it was the second segment of a three-part series. The last segment will be aired at 9am next Monday 19th August. Each slot is 30 minutes long and focuses on a particular 'sin' involved in the writing process. The segments are titled:

1) Thou Shalt Not Bore  - first and most important rule of writing. If you are writing, you obviously want readers.
2) Thou Shalt Not Hide - writing is a weird way of life as it requires stepping outside life and into solitude - how do writers get the balance right to ensure that they don't turn into distracted public figures, or go the other way and become disconnected hermits?
3) Thou Shalt Not Steal - yeah, if you're going to write, try not to steal from someone else - it may seem obvious, but it can be harder to not do this than you may think.

The programme includes interviews with well-known authors about how they write and how they tackle each of the thematic problems.

Worth a listen...

Click here to listen to the 'Thou Shalt Not Hide' segment aired this morning.

I find different people's writing processes fascinating. Creativity is bred and nurtured differently in all of us. It is totally individual. Some people have set die-hard daily schedules. Those that don't usually develop some sort of funny little traditions or rules to cement a looser routine. Some people love background music. Others would never be able to pen a word with noise and need silence in order for words to unravel on the page.

One thing is certain - writing requires endless discipline and is actually the antithesis to life in many ways. This factor always reminds me why it's so hard to consistently pick up the pen. Sometimes I scold myself and think 'well I clearly don't want this enough do I? There is no way I'm dedicated enough to ever be a proper writer!' And maybe that is true. I enjoy the outside world of distractions too much at the moment, and am too restless and irritable in my own company during prolonged periods of time.

But, I do love writing. I always come back to it. Whether it ever becomes a money-making career for me or not, listening in to the radio this morning reminded me that I have a little niggle inside somewhere again saying 'please sit down and write something'. There is a story brewing. I have no idea what it's going to be about, but I never do until I start writing it.

How could I forget...

my favourite book from all of those I have read over the past few months?

Island - Aldous Huxley

 

This is Huxley's final novel, published in 1962. I urge you to read it. Keep in mind when it was written when you do.

Literature often provides a platform for the individual to voice their discontent. Many authors have written successful and haunting dystopian novels, drawing on elements of our reality to create terrifying portraits of the possible destiny of modern humanity. George Orwell's '1984', Margaret Atwood's 'A Handmaid's Tale' and Aldous Huxley's 'Brave New World' are favourites among many.

But how many writers can give us their vision of dystopia and follow up with an alternative offering into a possible utopia?

In 'Island', cynical journalist Will Farnaby is shipwrecked on 'Pala' (a fictional island in the Pacific Ocean). Farnaby has been sent to explore the land for its potential oil reserves. The motor of the outside world is running on empty and here, the peaceful islanders have not yet plundered the land. Through the course of the novel Will learns about the way of life on Pala. As the Islanders open his eyes to an alternative way of life, he wonders whether the outside world could benefit from a similar education.

Huxley's antithesis to 'Brave New World' reveals a society where Eastern philosophy meets Western science. Violence and weapons are banned, as is needless materialism. Children learn 'the yoga of love' and selective industrialisation is implemented to meet basic human needs such as nutrition and food storage. People take 'moksha medicine' to aid their enlightenment and practice Buddhism. They strive to attain enlightenment through constantly working towards awareness; of their own bodies, minds, and the world around them. The Palanese people have ultimately built a society that aims to dissipate collective human fears by sharing, learning and understanding them. It seems that when fear is removed, greed and the need for power and attachment disappear too. People accept who they are so they no longer need panic-fuelled crutches to assert their importance and make them feel worthwhile. The Islanders are able to find peace with their place in the chaos of the natural world, rather than fight against it.

I like the way this guy writes:
"spongy seats for spongy bottoms - at home, in the office, in cars and bars, in planes and trains and buses. No moving of legs, no struggles with distance and gravity - just lifts and planes and cars, just foam rubber and an eternity of sitting. The life force that used to find an outlet through striped muscle gets turned back on the viscera and the nervous system, and slowly destroys them."

This book highlighted our obsessive need as humans for control. For whatever reason, humans have been given the gift of consciousness. No other animal seems as aware or conscious of its own existence as we do. What we choose to do with this consciousness is up to us. That's where the fear steps in. One thing is clear, with responsibility, comes fear. The idea that we are free and have the power to choose actually terrifies us more than anything else. Why else are so many of us so desperate to believe in a God above us? So that we may find a reason for our actions, and a responsible party outside ourselves. Rather than look at the fear, we have tried our utmost to bury it. We build cities, surround ourselves with manmade things, suckle oil from the earth like desperate overgrown babies and farm animals so we can get nice and plump and show them who's boss while we're at it. Huxley indicates that this "gift" of consciousness could be nurtured in an alternative way. If we learned to understand ourselves, we may see that there is in fact a higher order. It is not us, as we have tried to assert, but if we stop pretending we are the higher order, we can definitely be part of it. It might be a better idea than trying to destroy it?

Unfortunately, in the novel, the future of the island lies in the hands of Murugan, a greedy teen who is set to be the next Raja. Murugan represents the hoodwinked greed and naivety of capitalism. He is drawn to the ways of the outside world and has links with Colonel Dippa, the military-backed ruler on the large and developed 'Rendang' island next door. Murugan provides the ultimate example of how power corrupts.

Some quotes that illustrate Huxley's philosophy in the novel:

"Abstract materialism - that's what you profess. Whereas we make a point of being materialist concretely - materialistic on the wordless levels of seeing and touching and smelling, of tensed muscles and dirty hands."

"Armaments, universal debt and planned obsolescence - those are the three pillars of Western prosperity. If war, waste and money-lenders were abolished, you'd collapse. And while you people are over-consuming, the rest of the world sinks more and more deeply into chronic disaster. Ignorance, militarism and breeding, these three - and the greatest of these is breeding. No hope, not the slightest possibility, of solving the economic problem until that's under control."

"But the underdeveloped countries aren't committed. They don't have to follow your example. They're still free to take the road we've taken - the road of applied biology, the road of fertility control and the limited production and selective industrialization which fertility control make possible, the road that leads to happiness from the inside out, through health, through awareness, through a change in one's attitude towards the world; not towards the mirage of happiness from the outside in, through toys and pills and non-stop distractions. They could still choose our way; but they don't want to, they want to be exactly like you, God help them."

The Reading List Catch-up: Part 2

Here are some short reviews of books I have read in the last months. Unfortunately the details are already receding as time sweeps the pages out of my grey matter to make space for boring things such as arbitrary sentences from job applications I have filled in of late and Neighbours quotes (which are always important and deserve brain-space, despite the fact I am no longer 10 or a uni student and thus have no excuse to watch the show other than unemployment and pure love).

I think I just wrote the longest, most incoherent sentence of all time on this blog. Can you tell I have been away a few months? Let's start scraping the rust away and dig out those lovely books from the back of my brain...

 

The Vintage Book of Latin American Stories - Ed. Carlos Fuentes, Julio Ortega

A surreal and magical collection of short stories by imaginative writers from across the continent. The volume includes tales by some of Latin America's most celebrated literary figures, such as Jorge Luis Borges (Argentina), Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Colombia) and Juan Rulfo (Mexico).

The short story is a popular and pivotal medium in Latin American literature and I adored this collection. I would go as far as to prescribe this book to any writer suffering from block. Each day they should pick any story at random and read. I guarantee each tale will feed even the weariest imagination and help to fill the writer's well with new images and delicious impossibilities.

The genre of magical realism was born in Latin America, and this collection proves that it is alive, well, and continues to grow in exciting and unpredictable directions, tipping the conventions of story-writing as we know it on its proverbial head.

Ernesto 'Che' Guevara - The Bolivian Diary

Having previously led revolutions in Mexico, The Congo and Cuba, Che Guevara left Cuba in 1966 to front the Bolivian Liberation Army in an attempt to overhaul Bolivia's military dictatorship. On 8th October 1967 Guevara was captured by the CIA-backed  Bolivian army. The following day he was murdered at the orders of Bolivian president Rene Barrientos. This is Che's last diary, rescued from his backpack after his murder.

Diaries can be a wonderful thing. If Che had not been committed to scribbling his daily entries, this story is one that may have been lost or distorted. The matter-of-fact tone and practical nature of Che's recordings reminds us that this is not a literary tome created with the public in mind. This is as close to the bone as it gets - Guevara expresses his worries regarding dynamics within the guerrilla army, lack of food and shelter, new warfare strategies as well as his own thoughts and political ideas. Reading the diary provided an illuminating insight into the mind of one of the world's most famed  and romanticised political revolutionaries.

The tiny guerrilla army consisted mainly of Cuban and Bolivian men. I found it riveting to read about the dreary realism and survival logistics of such a small team of principled revolutionaries with such a grand aim. Guevara was a passionate, well-read thinker, but he knew that thought and belief were not strong enough allies. He believed that action and aggression was the only way to ward off the spread of US imperialism. The diary reveals a warm, genuine man who fought for his principles until the end. He used aggression as a tool, but he never advocated it needlessly. Where possible, prisoners would be set free and only those that stood in his way were killed.

This book contains a foreword by Fidel Castro.

Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse

 

Modern Penguin Classics version includes an introduction by best-selling Brazilian author Paulo Coelho.

A lovely, nourishing read by German author Hesse about finding purpose in life and the importance of following one's own heart. Set in India, a young Brahmin (Siddhartha) finds himself constantly dissatisfied and lacking in life. Following a meeting with the Buddha, Siddhartha finds himself wandering down many different paths in search of peace and fulfilment - religious, spiritual, sexual and materialistic. Although each way of life seems right initially, Siddhartha repeatedly ends up disappointed and disillusioned.

The book is written in a simple style and explores the importance of finding our own way in a world full of existing dogma. Only when we listen to and trust our own intuition and innate beliefs can we find fulfilment on the path right for us. Often life itself is about finding this path and the experiences and growth we encounter on the way.  This book echoes many of the preoccupations Hesse himself held in life and had a huge effect on its reading audience when first published in 1922.

If You Survive - George Wilson

On a recent seven month trip around South America, Murry and I recommended one of our favourite books to each other. We then had to read the other's book to revel and share in the love...or explain why we didn't agree and thought it was crap. This was the book Murry recommended to me. Initially I thought "oh great, a war story, blurgh". What judgement!

This was a fantastic read. It documents the experiences of a young American infantry officer fighting in some of the most renowned and devastating battles of WWII in 1944. 

The title owes to Wilson's first day in combat, when his commanding officer tells him: "if you survive your first day, I'll promote you." This sets the tone for Wilson's progression to a veteran combat commander and the shocking human turnover he encounters amongst his comrades. Of all the men to start out that day in Wilson's division, he was the only one to survive the war.

Wilson provides a matter-of-fact, detailed account of the grim realities of frontline warfare during the last months of WWII. The writing is not emotive, which actually strengthened the emotion for me. Wilson's survival seems like an incredible miracle when faced with the facts in this book. He dodged death daily through his encounters in some of the most brutal battles to take place in France and Belgium: Saint Lo, Falaise, Siegfried Line, Hurtgen Forest and the Battle of the Bulge.

This book is worth the time. 

Me Before You - JoJo Moyes

 

Oh my, did this book make me weep? Unfortunately I wasn't alone at the time either. I finished it on a crowded long-haul bus journey in Chile. It was the sort of silent weeping you can get away with as long as nobody looks at you. I ended up with a soaking face and a very snotty nose. Murry was asleep next to me and completely oblivious. Some stranger sitting nearby probably thought I was having some sort of quiet breakdown. The book got me good!

It's a brave and touching fictional story that resonates with the personal choice 'right-to-die' debate currently rife in UK news and debate. Will Traynor, a young and formerly successful businessman has lost all joy in life following a road accident that's left him in a quadriplegic state. Lou Clarke, a vibrant and bubbly small-town girl with no huge ambitions loses her café job and ends up as Will's carer.

I don't want to give any more away, but it's a lovely, heart-breaking read. My only suggested improvement: Moyes' should think about selling it in waterproof copy.

Moab is my Washpot - Stephen Fry

This is the first of Fry's autobiography instalments, re-hashing the first twenty years of his life. We follow a young Fry through his confusing youth via various school expulsions, sexual and romantic encounters, and finally imprisonment and probation for fraud.

Stephen Fry's well-known wit and intelligence is intact throughout, however the book is also beautifully candid and honest. Fry suffers from bipolar depression which sees him careen from swooping highs and ecstasies down to plummeting lows of darkness and despair. He recounts his pain in early years at feeling like an outsider. Language, books and knowledge blossomed into his strongest allies and passions in a world that didn't always allow him to be himself.

This account is a wonderful contrast to many glossed-over celebrity autobiographies. Fry's brave dedication to honesty in his writing lets us into the vulnerable world of a remarkable individual. All the more poignant in light of Fry's recent admission regarding a suicide attempt in 2012.

Of Love and Shadows - Isabel Allende

Set in an unnamed country full of random arrests, executions and disappearances 'Of Love and Shadows' is a magical novel with a strong undercurrent of political satire. As in many of her other novels, the Chilean author campaigns and speaks out against the military dictatorships imminent in South America during the time of her writing ('Of Love and Shadows' was published in1985).

A young aspiring journalist Irene Beltran sets out with her photographer friend Francisco Leal to document the case of Evangelina Ranquileo, a young girl partial to powerful and supernatural fits. Whilst witnessing one such fit, the military arrive and take Evangelina away. She is never seen again. Irene and Francisco embark on a mission to uncover the disturbing truth of an order that dupes and victimises its own people. Allende's novel is a political homage to her own people as well as a powerful love story.

Allende is an insanely talented writer with an impressive career spanning three decades. I received lots of recommendations on my South American jaunt to read one of her more recent novels, 'The Island Beneath the Sea' (2010) so that one is lined up next...

Love's Executioner - Irvin Yalom

 

I am currently enrolled on a ten week 'Introduction to Counselling Skills' course at The Minster Centre and this was one of the books recommended to us on the course reading list.

The blurb of the book reads:

 Why was Saul tormented by three unopened letters from Stockholm? What made Thelma spend her whole life raking over a long-past love affair? How did Carlos's macho fantasies help him deal with terminal cancer?

Irvin Yalom is a well established American psychiatrist and author. In this book he opens the door to his consulting room and lets us revel in his individual relationships with ten patients. His honesty about his own opinions, mistakes and prejudices gives us a refreshing view into the mind of the therapist as a human rather than a non-judgmental blank canvas.

Together, these complex therapeutic cases unravel to reveal some basic underlying existential fears we can all relate to. Yalom sounds like a talented therapist and he's a bloody good writer too.

Film Review: The Comedian, Dir. Tom Shkolnik, 2012

Tom Shkolnik's first feature length film 'The Comedian' was aired this week as part of the BFI London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival 2013.

Edward Hogg braves the London comedy circuit as Ed in 'The Comedian'

Set in London, the film centres around three thirty-something characters. Ed (Edward Hogg) is frustrated by his job in a call centre selling women's health insurance. By night, he struggles to bag laughs as a stand-up comedian. Sitting despondently on the bus after a particularly cringe-worthy gig, Ed meets Nathan (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), a bright 'sort-of' artist. The two hit it off and start dating. Then there's Elisa (Elisa Lasowski), Ed's flatmate; a sensitive singer-songwriter looking for true love. As Nathan and Ed's relationship develops, Elisa and Ed also discover they have unexplored feelings for each other.

The starkly realistic 80 minute feature explores the emotions and relationships of three liberal young adults. All are seeking creativity and love, but find themselves lost and hopelessly dwarfed by the city around them.

The setting is central to the premise of the film. Having lived in the city for ten years, Israeli-born Shkolnik wanted to present an authentic portrayal of London; something to fit "in that space between gritty estate dramas and Notting Hill (1999). [Those films] miss a whole gamut of experiences" (BFI interview). Certain rules were followed in the making; i.e. no altering or staging of settings, and all scenes were filmed in one take only. The pinnacle is a recognisable top-deck bus scene, where a gang of girls direct abuse at Ed and Nathan for being gay. The film projects a raw modern London that is both progressive and simultaneously intransigent.

The filming took place in East London and the style is simple and intimate. Laboured shots fix on the expressions of characters and follow their actions, reactions and drawn out silences. Perhaps one reason the silences are so frequent and important, is that there was no script. The film was born following intense improvisation workshops. Actors kept their real names, and fleshed out their characters through discussions with Shkolnik about themselves and their own lives in the city.  

In the Q&A after the showing, Shkolnik explained that his approach to the film was laid-back and organic. His confidence in the process and actors was clearly pivotal to carrying through the project. The idea was for the film to come about by itself; for authenticity to come across for the fact that the action is in fact, almost entirely real. Ed is not really a comedian. Thank god. But he did actually write the stand-up act and he did perform it in a Leicester Square Club to an unassuming audience. His despair following the flailing act is, as a result, pretty authentic. This off-the-cuff approach was a brave move for a first feature and it steeps Shkolnik as an exciting new talent.

In a final scene, Ed opens up about his despair to a minicab driver. His detachment is amplified as we realise the only place he can forge meaningful intimacy is when relating to an unfamiliar pair of eyes in a rear view mirror. The credits rolled, and I was left feeling frustrated. The ending seemed so abrupt; there was no redemption, no movement, no decision. We don't even know where Ed was journeying to. Then I realised how perfect that was. In a largely improvised film, wrapped around the natural movement of the city, the central theme was not indecision or insouciance, but simply 'not knowing'. The film explores the agitation of real people desperate for meaning, but who just don't know yet; about themselves, or each other.

'The Comedian' is due for release in UK Cinemas on 31st May 2013.

Director: Tom Shkolnik
Cast: Edward Hogg, Elisa Lasowski, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Steven Robertson, Kate Rutter, Gerard Murphy
Language: English
Country: England
Running Time: 80 minutes

The Reading List Catch-up - Part 1

It's been a long time since I recorded my reading, roughly 15 books have been eaten with my eyes since I last posted. Time to catch-up...

During 2012 I discovered some lovely books, dipped into different genres, and found some new and inspiring authors.

And then there's the reading list for 2013. Since the new year, I have read lots of books including a moving World War II soldier's account, the first installment of Stephen Fry's autobiography and the first book that has made me seriously weep since I read E.B. White's 'Charlotte's Web' as a child.

First to pick up where I left off...somewhere around August 2012:

The Power of Kaballah - Yehuda Berg

A good friend of mine lent me this book - thank you Tash. I have never been one for following a religion, but I have always been interested in spirituality and nurture of the soul.

What I love is faith. I think faith in itself is an entirely different ballgame to religion. Your faith may be strong and beautiful and channeled into a religion, which is great if it helps you lead the kind of life you want to. The difference being that faith is something that I think comes from within. How can a book, or someone else's experience or lessons teach you about your own faith? Each of us has our own individual faith. We cultivate it along the way, through our own experiences and beliefs. It is inevitably influenced by what we read and see and feel and the people that enter our lives, but it is something made of all those personal elements that only we can know.

I am always interested in reading about spirituality and 'the stuff that lurks beneath the material surface', so I enjoyed this book. It is an introduction and overview of the spiritual practices and beliefs of Kabbalah, a practice with its roots in Jewish mysticism that has previously been shrouded in secrecy and passed down by word of mouth. It is somewhat like Scientology, if only in the number of celebrity endorsements it draws; Guy Ritchie, Mick Jagger and Madonna are among others.

According to Kabbalah, we have forgotten how to connect with the ethereal reality beyond what we see every day and often find ourselves trapped and unsatisfied as a result. This realm contains all of the things we don't know how to attain through money and status: peace, happiness, fulfillment, hope and freedom. The manual is written in simple and approachable terms, with shades of a self-help manual. It is a nourishing read, even if you do not find yourself agreeing with all of the principles. It escapes religious dogma by exploring the spiritual power of the universe and how we can start to connect with and apply it to our everyday lives.

 

Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut

Vonnegut's most renowned novel is a satirical and fantastical anti-war book. It was first published in 1969 and is inspired by his own personal experience as an American Prisoner of War during World War II. He was one of few survivors of the firebombing at Dresden carried out by the allies in February 1945. Click here to read more about the firebombing at Dresden, and/or for those with a strong stomach, I advise whacking 'firebombing Dresden' into Google images to get an idea of the extent of the damage - truly horrifying.

In the novel, the protagonist Billy Pilgrim has become unhinged from reality in his later years, having been abducted by aliens from a planet called Tralfamadore. He constantly time travels, jumping to different stages of his own life. One phase of constant return is Billy's time as a soldier during WWII. He is rendered a weak and incapable soldier, eventually taken prisoner by the Germans in an old slaughterhouse in Dresden with other fellow American soldiers. After hiding in a cellar, they are some of the few survivors of the devastating firebombing. Is Billy's abduction real, or are the aliens a fantasy created to help Billy escape the horror of his past?

Vonnegut warns his readers in the opening chapter of the novel that he has attempted to write about his experiences of the war, but really 'there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre'. At the outset, Vonnegut actually aimed to write a book about heroic young soldiers; it was his war buddy's wife Mary O'Hare who brought him back to reality. She exclaims with outrage to the two men reminiscing about their experience during the war, 'but you were just baby's then'. This comment held firm with Vonnegut and is the inspiration behind the alternative title for the novel, 'The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death'.

I loved my first taste of Vonnegut and he is on the reading list for 2013. 'Slaughterhouse-Five' manages to ride a fine line between humor and tragedy. Comedy often enables us to face the dark stuff. In an interview on the BBC World Service Book Club in 2006, Vonnegut explained that he included the aliens and science-fiction aspect not only as a relief for Billy Pilgrim, but for his reading audience. He wanted to give his audience 'a breather' from the heavier stuff.

There are some beautiful and memorable passages in the book and some scenes that really made me share in Vonnegut's feeling of the futility of war. For example, when the war has officially ended, one of the freed American POW's is executed for stealing a kettle. Such incidents of individual violence reveal the vacuity of the violence inflicted on innocent men during war.

The Celestine Prophecy - James Redfield

This one was a recommendation from my boyfriend Murry who found it in a book exchange in New Zealand. I read it in Peru, which was a nice coincidence as it is set in Peru. It is an adventure book mixed with a good dollop of spirituality. 

The protagonist embarks on a quest to discover the nine insights described in an ancient manuscript recovered in Peru. The Peruvian government and Church are attempting to hide the manuscript from the public as it threatens their own power and doctrine. Through the teachings and experience of the manuscript, Redfield explores ideas rooted in Ancient Eastern philosophy and New Age Spirituality.

The plot was pretty cheesy at times, but I appreciated the book for the content more than the story, which I think was just a device for Redfield's interest in and deliverance of the spiritual ideas.

How To Look Like You - Rose McClelland

This is the second novel by Rose McClelland, and the follow-up to her debut 'The Break-Up Test'. I don't read much Chick-lit so this was a welcome deviation from my usual reading. I steamed through this book. The characters really jumped to life. The story centers around relationships; their beginnings, endings, trials and tribulations. The narrative is written from the perspective of  Chloe and Ella, both twenty-somethings seeking love and happiness. The girls could not be more different from each other but the book explores the insecurities and doubts that they both, and in fact we all experience in love and relationships.

This was a great introduction to Chick-lit and a really enjoyable read. I'm pretty sure I even had a dream inspired by it, so it must have sunk in under the skin.

Click here to visit Rose's blog and find out more about her.

Gunshot Glitter - Yasmin Selena Butt

This is Yasmin Selena Butt's debut novel and rest assured, it's quite a corker. It was published in 2012 for Kindle, and has recently become available in print. It's a love/ thriller/ crime story all rolled into one. The plot is gripping and fluid, knitted together gradually through the perspective of many different characters.

I developed empathy and compassion for both the seemingly heartless hit-girl protagonist and the family of one of her murder victims (an innocent twenty-one year old boy). I imagine this is a hard feat to achieve on the writer's side. I don't want to give any more away on the plot as I am hopeless at doing that (I'm always the annoying person who accidentally informs everyone of the twist in a film they have yet to see).

In terms of plot development, character and writing style, this debut was very accomplished for a first-time novelist. Yasmin is now working on her second novel and all I can say is watch this space...I know I am...

Click here to find out more about Yasmin and have a peek at her blog.

FEAR: A Modern Anthology of Horror and Terror: 2 (Crooked Cat Publishing, with an Introduction from Sherri Browning Erwin)

An anthology of new horror writing. All royalties from sales go to Barnardo’s and Médecins Sans Frontières. I have to make a disclosure and a public apology on this one:

Disclosure: I have not yet read all of the thirty short stories in this anthology (Volume 2 of 2). That's one of the reasons I love short story collections, because you can dip in and out of an anthology at your whim and fancy, without losing the thread. I was really eager to dip into the last story first on this account, as 'Daisy And The Bear' was written by a good friend. I met Mel Melis on a writing course I did a few summers ago. I remember being impressed by his unique and quirky writing voice and also the range of genres he was able to successfully try his hand at. Among his offerings in class, there was gentle, lyrical and poignant poetry, laughter-inducing modern fiction, and stories that reached into a surreal and fantastical past.

Public Apology: Mel - if you are reading, I realised when writing this blog that I never gave you any feedback after initially reading the story. Not that you need my feedback, but I still feel bad. I'm slow and rubbish and I really enjoyed your story!

Ok, enough about Mel (yeah Mel, stop being so greedy)...what about the whole?

Well it's a great collection of original and gritty horror tales, and I imagine the first volume is too. Among the ones I have read so far, a few stand out in my mind:

The Sculptor - Tom Gillespie
The hauntingly creepy story of a young man and his impromptu encounter with an old sculptor. Maybe becoming an Artist's muse isn't all it's cracked up to be?

I enjoyed Gillespie's writing style and the mystery we are left to ponder at the end of the story.

The Living Eucharist - A. Taylor Douglas
A surprising tale about a lady seeking a better connection with God. Through a sustained head injury, she summons something perhaps closer to the devil instead.

I was drawn to the main character in this story and her desperation and desire to be close to and feel God's blessing. I could not relate to it, but it hooked me in and made me want to read on. Although I knew it was a horror story, I was not expecting the ending either, so it was a nice twist.

Black Ash - A.E. Doylle
An accomplished story about a teenager who gets entangled in a terrifying myth from the past. The old charred remains of a convent capture her imagination when she arrives in town with her parents, who are surveying the site for construction. When she starts experiencing nightmares that relate to what supposedly happened at the convent before the fire, she becomes more involved than planned....ooh and eeek!

Daisy And The Bear - Mel Melis
An inspired tale about an arranged marriage imposed on a young teenager, just seventeen on the day of her wedding to an almost-stranger. Daisy's comforting (and later terrifying) childhood teddybear becomes a symbol of her emotions. Where Daisy feels helpless to express her true anger, hatred and anguish towards her husband and the situation imposed on her, her teddybear decides to give her a helping hand (or should we say claw)...

Impressive writing style and economy - always tricky to nail in a short story and Melis does a fine job. The action moves along nicely and hooks the reader, each sentence revealing something new. It's a well-rounded, structured and polished tale with a deliciously dark twist.

To have a mooch at Mel's blog click here.

The next Catch-up blog will feature the rest of what I have been devouring recently. Some of it is 'South America inspired' and I have much to rave about on that front. All in a good way I should add.

Travel Snapshots

Oh dear...it´s all turning to proverbial shit isn´t it?...the old blog that is. I am in Argentina and I haven`t posted for two months. Naughty. And I can´t say I haven´t had anything to write about - I´ve been exploring new countries in Spanish-speaking South America with my boyfriend. My only excuse is that the adventure of real life took over for a little while there...

Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina. They are the six we have given ourselves six months to explore. One month each. We are nearing the end of our trip, with time in both Argentina and Chile left (save the most expensive ´til last eek)! There is too much to say to compress into one catch-up blog and in months to come I will write more about our experiences and encounters (and about our continued struggle to learn Spanish, complete with all of the embarrassing faux-pas' we made along the way).

For now, I want to write about the little things that make travel worthwhile.

This fine dog specimen wearing a neckerchief was, for example, one of the many little things that has made my trip.

So...we have been bussing our way around South America for 4 months. We are still thoroughly enjoying the experience, however we both agree that at this stage of the trip we are both feeling the inevitable niggles. Firstly, there's the itchiness of our wafer-thin travel towels after 4 months use, and then there is the mind-itch of the impending end of our trip - home time, job time, down time, broke time. After 4 months of freedom, excitement, adventure and beauty...we have both also started to feel a little lethargic! I feel very spoilt saying that, as we wake up with the promise of discovery at our feet every day, and the hardest decision in a day usually consists of what to have for dinner. What luxury! But...can too much beauty and freedom be a bad thing?...well, not really. But we do miss our friends, families, beds, home-cooking and a decent cup of tea (so British).

I remember experiencing a similar feeling at the same time during my last trip in Asia too. Carla and I both felt a bit depleted and lethargic in Cambodia. The thought of home was on the horizon and frankly, we just didn't give a shit about seeing 'another waterfall'. Travel, is in many ways, similar to the consumerism we indulge in at home. It depends how we travel of course. But consumerism is our way of life and it invades every aspect. We often think we travel to escape it, but is buying into all this quick-dash sightseeing not just another gulp of it? More about that another time...

 I know this is just a week of ´travel blues´ and I know it will pass. We have two good friends coming to meet us in Santiago, Chile in 2 days and are so looking forward to it. They will definitely put the spring back into our step. And for now, we are enjoying relaxing, and drinking copious amounts of Argentinian red wine...yes, life is still very, very good.

Relaxing in Mendoza (Argentina) with Jorge the turtle (I'm sorry, a lot of this is inadvertently animal related).

Anyhow, whilst sinking coffees a few days ago in a lovely cafe in San Pedro de Atacama (Chile), we pondered (somewhat sullenly) what to do with the day. Silly to be sullen, but we had just made our way to Chile from Bolivia and were still in shock over the prices and mulling over the inevitable work options upon our impending return home. At that moment, a llama happened to strut casually up to the table next to us on the cafe terrace. He sniffed around until the cafe owner came and offered up a nectarine. The llama was chuffed. He sloshed and slurped away on the thing in that comically slobby way that llamas eat; crooked mouth, blubbering lips, chowing down in opposite directions and overlapping all over the place.

                                      Llama eating nectarine - San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

In 30 seconds he was done and spit the nectarine stone neatly on to the table, directly in front of a woman enjoying her morning cappuccino. He sniffed around some more and took a tentative step towards the entrance of the cafe. The owner anticipated his hunger and returned, proffering an orange and a banana. The llama had a good go at the orange, but it was too big (peel and all) and kept rolling out of his mouth. The banana went in whole though, and somehow the full banana skin slipped out after a little chewing.

Little did this llama know, but having skulked up to the table and swallowed a load of free fruit, it also swallowed my sullenness. How can one be sullen in the presence of a llama?

This made me think about the little moments that are some of the best. I wanted to note some down in a bid to share the joy, and to not forget them.

* Quito, Ecuador - beautiful little Grandma's and Grandpa's (they already have a previous post dedicated to them). There was one particular little lady who got on the bus one day when we were on our way to Spanish school. She was tiny (of course, they all were). She had a curly cherobin-like halo of hair nested on top of her head. It was sort of golden and orange and reminded me of an orang-utan in the way that the sun hit and went straight through it, exposing the thinness of her hair and the whiteness of the top of her head. She had the kindest round face, with so many smile wrinkles etched around her eyes. She sat down and her legs swung from the bus seat. She was great. It was too obvious to pap her so no photo evidence.

* Trinidad Square, Cartagena, Colombia - a group of the same boys would turn up to play football in this square every evening. It became our favourite Cartagena date. We would arrive every evening (lazy, cold beer in hand) and sit on the stone bench that surrounded the square. The boys would turn up at the same time, barefooted and ready for play. They all had such big personalities in little bodies that it was easy to come up with nicknames for each of them. Little did they know we were giving a running commentary of their actions from the bench. The boys would play an energetic hour or two of football, and then at bedtime, they would hand over to the older boys. Suddenly the energy levels dropped. Self-conscious guys would make smooth, slow passes, beer in one hand, cigarette in the other. The little boys were far more fun, but the contrast was funny and recognisable.

              Trinidad Square, Cartagena, Colombia. Unfortunately without footballers at this time.

* Trujillo, Peru - we visited an old temple built from sun-dried mud bricks called 'Huaca de la Luna' (literally translates as 'Temple of the Moon'. We were not expecting anything particularly spectacular, but thought we better slot in some culture as we had recently arrived in Peru. Peru is described by many as the 'Egypt of the Americas'. This sight was incredible. It is still undergoing excavation and I found this added to the experience.

I felt in awe that what we saw was recently uncovered and more will be discovered in years to come. The excavation is particularly tricky work as the pre-Inca's who are responsible for the existence of the site built five temples on the very same location. It seemed to be some sort of unknown ritual to build a new temple directly on top of the old one every ten years or so, complete with engraved and painted decoration covering every inch of the mud-brick walls. Somehow, bright paint was still intact and many parts of the designs were on show.

Men were lying in the sun, radios tuned in, injecting water into cracks and carefully brushing away earth as part of the excavation effort. Across the desert land we could see a huge dusty mound. This was 'Huaca del Sol' ('Temple of the Sun'). Excavation has not even begun here, as the project lacks funding. Between the two temples was the dusty maze of the ancient town, also undergoing excavation.

                                    Excavation work at 'Huaca de la Luna', Trujillo, Peru

* Virgen Hogar de Fatima, Obrajes, La Paz, Bolivia - I was lucky enough to be able to volunteer for two weeks at an orphanage in a district of La Paz. My time here was short (boo), but I loved it. I worked with the same nine under-one year old's every day. I'm not particularly broody or 'cooey' over babies, but they were adorable. I fell in love with each and every one of them, even the annoying ones. Abel, Tito, Alejandro, Victor, Catlin, Angela, Rosita, Isabelle and Jasmin.

I am dying to put up a photograph of Alejandro, but I don't feel right doing that. I have one snap as a lovely memory. I would like to say I didn't have a favourite, but I had such a soft spot for him. He was seriously chubby with beautiful brown eyes. He had a cleft lip that meant he dribbled immensely and we had to tie a pair of trousers around his neck as a bib to soak it up. He had the funniest soft giggle, and he knew when to use it (usually when he was doing something cheeky). He had just grown his top and bottom two teeth and feeding time was hard work. He would bite down on the spoon, intrigued by the power of his new enamels, simultaneously dribbling all of the soup on the spoon out of the corners of his mouth. I would tut and sigh and bid that he eats (I was good at baby-language-Spanish)...and he would giggle, and then my heart would melt. He was good. I miss him now! :(

* San Pedro de Atacama, Chile - we went stargazing in the desert. We learned lots from a lovely young Chilean astronomy student and saw what the sky looks like in the Southern hemisphere. We saw the milky way and Jupiter with four of its moons (apparently it has about 83 moons)! We also saw nebulas, which made me think of Laura Kenwright :)

It's hard to take a picture through a telescope, but here is Jupiter with four of its moons

* San Pedro de Atacama, Chile - birds playing football with a grape. No, seriously. To combat the high prices in Chile and adhere to our budget we bought fruit for breakfast and ate it in the main square. This was the same square with the cafe where the llama had visited us the day before. One of our grapes rolled on to the ground. Before long, a group of tiny sparrow-like birds landed to examine the unidentified object. They tried to eat it, but their tiny beaks just pecked at it, causing the grape to roll off in different directions. They were playing 'beak-ball', or 'grape-ball'. It tickled me.

* Mendoza, Argentina - drinking the delicious glass of Malbec in front of me, while I type. YUM.

                   Vineyards in Mendoza with grapes that make some of the world's finest wine

Right, I'm going to finish this glass of red and get to bed. We have a bus to catch to Santiago early tomorrow.