Category Archives: Uncategorized

Theatre times: ‘This isn’t my desk’

Theatre, Uncategorized

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My bank holiday weekend started off with a bang.

An evening at the theatre to see the new play ‘This isn’t my desk’ by Kate Cosgrave (who wrote and directed this piece for At Large Theatre) was my plan for tonight. The venue was Smock Alley Main Space – the Temple Bar Theatre which apparently is the oldest in the land, having been built in the 17th century.

As we entered the auditorium some cast members were already on stage. In a desultory manner a pair of blue overall wearing cleaners were sweeping the floor. The location was an office. Continue reading Theatre times: ‘This isn’t my desk’ →

I’m going to wastelands, wastelands.

Dublin, Ireland, Travels to work, Uncategorized

bus
I have started boarding the bus to the wastelands, four stops later than what has traditionally been my boarding point. As the mornings are shortening, I am finding it more of a challenge to peel myself from my pit. Hence I am leaving the house later. If I walk a marginally longer route to this new point, I can save myself seven minutes extra in a morning. For an evening person, these extra seven minutes in the scratcher each day, are more precious than gold dust.

The only problem with boarding the bus on the fourth stop, is that my aromatic fellow travellers take liberties. They regularly sit in my designated seat. I will admit that I am joking – to an extent – when I claim to be obsessive compulsive about sitting in the same spot each day. The reality is that I am slightly more easy going. I’ll sit anywhere – but I’ll do a quick analysis before committing to a place. Continue reading I’m going to wastelands, wastelands. →

Office politics: The survival of the fittest

Uncategorized, , , ,

jazz

In my hi-tech, hi-spec office, on the plains of the industrial wastelands of county Dublin, we have an instant messaging system to communicate with our colleagues. We can thereby ping each other with questions and messages, without cluttering each other’s email inbox.

As I am paranoid, I tend to be quite discreet whenever using this system – on a computer everything you say is traceable. I don’t want to get caught issuing pronouncements like ‘The STATE of ****** today, looks like a bowl of reheated vomit.’ Actually I wouldn’t speak that out loud either. My external filter works on occasion, and I know that a thought like this is for internal mental use only.

I don’t engage in workplace gossip if and when it can get traced back to me. In other words very rarely indeed.

As a result people seem to trust me. And confide in me. Which is always a boon. Anything that assists with the drear of the working day is welcome. I’ll take refuge where I can find it.

This morning I received an instant message.

‘I have a question for you,’ it read.

‘Fire ahead,’ I replied.

‘I don’t really want to ask on here.’ Continue reading Office politics: The survival of the fittest →

Drifting back

Dublin, Theatre, Uncategorized

jazz
I think my theatre sabbatical might be drawing to a close.

Over the past while I have been avoiding the theatre. I have skipped workshops – which occur on a weekly basis – with the drama group. I have been running from even the thought of writing any sort of play.

After a rather hectic year of dramatic excursions I was a bit worn out by it all. It can be so all-consuming and ravenous when it comes to your spare time, and so overwhelming in terms of the adrenalin in induces. This is offset by the exhilaration of seeing your play come to life on stage; or appearing in someone else’s piece. But sometimes you just feel worn out by the effort involved in getting stuff made. In this instance it may be better to take a step back and have a little break. You want to avoid creating an appalling yet irreversible situation – where you despise the theatre and the drama and the politics and the personalities; and want to abandon it for good. Continue reading Drifting back →

Bookworm: ‘World without end’ by Ken Follett

Books, Fiction, Uncategorized,

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The weekend passed in a blur. I was reading a very long book.

‘World without end’ by Ken Follett weighed in at a mighty 1,237 pages. I started this about four weeks ago with a slight feeling of dread. Books of this length can be dangerous.

As I am the type of person who will nearly always finish a book once I have started it, tomes like these are threatening. What if it is absolute gash, yet I don’t find this out until three hundred pages in? That’s a long and lonely nine hundred pages left to go. Continue reading Bookworm: ‘World without end’ by Ken Follett →

Cinema: ‘Loving Vincent’

Amsterdam, Film, Uncategorized

vinnie
‘Loving Vincent’ is a new animated film about the life and death of Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh.

I watched it last night at the Irish Film Institute.

When I say this that this is an animated film, I am not telling the full story. It is in fact the first fully painted animation film. Each of the 65,000 frames used in the ninety mimute tale is a Van Gogh style oil painting on canvas. It took the talents of 115 painters/animators to create the film. Continue reading Cinema: ‘Loving Vincent’ →

That one Ophelia – I never liked her. Always had fierce notions about her.

Dublin, Uncategorized,

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The alarm went off at 7.30am as usual. My phone beeped. It was a message from my boss. The office is closed today as Hurricane Ophelia thunders towards Ireland.

My heart soared with joy. Naturally I am concerned that people are safe, and that the damage caused by this weather event is not too devastating, But for self-centred and petty reasons, I was happy. There won’t be too much working from home for my good self today, seeing as I left my computer at work on Friday. What a shame. Continue reading That one Ophelia – I never liked her. Always had fierce notions about her. →

Weekend

Driving, Film, France, Uncategorized, , ,

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I watched ‘Jackie Brown’ on Friday. This movie had been mentioned in some report about serial predator Harvey Weinstein that I’d read a day earlier. I’d seen that film many times. I’d loved that film. I detest violence or harassment against women.

But I decided I needed to do some research. Did Whalestein influence ‘Jackie Brown’? Continue reading Weekend →

Coming out? Nah. I’m staying in.

Gay, Uncategorized,

Yesterday was National Coming Out Day in the USA, some other countries, and online. I wasn’t aware of it – not being a very international day, I guess this is not a surprise.

Like many of these new-fangled web-based days of celebration (day of the sister; day of the brother etc. ) they are American creations, used as marketing gimmicks, for consumer goods and campaigns; and are very easy to promote through social media.

With my cynic’s hat on, I doubt that National Coming Out Day was celebrated with parades and parties in Saudi Arabia or Russia or Uganda.   Continue reading Coming out? Nah. I’m staying in. →

Men v women – why I will go straight to hell

Dublin, Travels to work, Uncategorized, , , ,

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When I get my driving license (whenever that may be – I have the test in a month, but I am well aware of how tricky it can be to pass, so I need to stay realistic) I do not ever want to get into breakfast discussions with colleagues, about the traffic on the way to work in the morning. I’ve just had the most mind-numbingly dull bowl of porridge, and boiled egg of my life – and these are not thrilling foodstuffs at the best of times.

This morning my breakfast companions were all male. I don’t want to engage in stereotypes about the sexes, and I am a firm believer in equal opportunity for everyone. However I have observed that there is a distinct difference in the topics of conversation over morning gruel, depending on whether you sitting with men or women. Continue reading Men v women – why I will go straight to hell →