Refraction

De Pierre Reverdy
Read the rest of this entry »

I kind of like listening to hip-hop sometimes – it’s so percussive, and the wordplay can be really glorious.
Read the rest of this entry »

So I’ve found out that marking with French TV in the background really works. For whatever reason I’ve cottoned onto the Voice, possibly because Mika as a coach/judge is totally adorable and he always says the right things to the contestants.

A song which I used to know was covered, and I’m procrastinating, so here goes…
Read the rest of this entry »

Translation of the brilliant illustration here: http://www.huffingtonpost.fr/muriel-douru/le-feminisme-mais-pour-quoi-faire_b_5633338.html
Read the rest of this entry »

If I were 12 I’d be singing this song non-stop.

Oh wait.

Read the rest of this entry »

10 marks for a perfect report (earned by at least one student!)
9 visits to my old haunt at the university
8 dragonboat competitions
7 capoeira classes
6 countries visited
5 kilometers in my first OC6 race
4 places of employment
3 Couchsurfing experiences
2 paddles purchased
1 gold champion medal

I’ve enjoyed 2013. It wasn’t always an easy year – from troubles with employment to pushing through training with my team – but I find myself in a nice place entering 2014, and I couldn’t ask for more.

It’s been a really long time since I last wrote here. How much things have changed since then. 2013 has brought me even more upheaval than 2012; but in subtler, gentler ways.

Now that I’m back all I can think about is how to leave again.

I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

— John Masefeld, “Sea Fever”

Today on the tram someone actually talked to me. Usually these things don’t last long because I don’t give them much in return (it’s quite easy to ignore people when you have no idea what they’re saying to you.)

After some halting small talk in German (did you make that cake? where are you from? why did you come to this city?) we started talking about polylactide, of all things. Anyway, we then started talking about our consumerist society, and he directed me to a German documentary called Kaufen für die Müllhalde.

Ah, but you understand some German, ja?
Uh, a little…

Luckily, since it was originally a Spanish-French production, a French version (Prêt-à-jeter) is also available! I might actually get around to watching this, unlike the pile of movies I have sitting on my bookshelf at home.

Happy 2013. Some unstructured thoughts kicking around in my head:

1. Four New Year’s Eves in four different cities. I think it’s become a tradition. Should plan for December 31, 2013 now.
2. Planning for that should include finding a guy to go with to a party whom I can’t drink under the table. ¹And it’s not always Asian guys, either, okay? At this point it’s kind of getting embarrassing.
3. I wish I could have stayed a little longer in that city. I wish I’d met that guy earlier. I wish we could’ve gone for Chinese together.
4. I also need to work on this tendency of mine to patronize people. I shock myself with how petty I can be.
5. The world does not owe me anything. This does not mean that I do not owe the world something.
6. The next adventure begins in two weeks, and lasts about that long. I can’t wait to see some old friends and make new ones, too.
7. I don’t want to go home. Yet how could I do anything else?