I see that google has acknowledged Bloomsday. James Joyce would doubtless be delighted.
Reading etc.
LRB personals
A particularly difficult choice this time but I’ve decided on:
“Collector of albums with palindromic associations (M, 33) seeks aibohphobic F Abba fan with copies of ELO’s Ole; Black Sabbath’s Live Evil (also the album of the same name by Miles Davis); Evil Live by Misfits; Ufo Tofu by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones: Aja by Steely Dan and Aoxomoxoa the Grateful Dead. It’s a niche request, but I figured I’d find someone in here. Box no. 11/03”
I swear I am not making these up. I couldn’t.
Just finished the latest Marian Keyes. Very good but not as good as it would have been if she’d had me and the Princess in for a cup of tea to discuss the writing process.
Biography and biographical details
Read “The Road from Coorain” on my mother-in-law’s recommendation. She is a big fan of biography which as she pointed out to me, presents particular problems. I mean how many books of biography is the average person going to write? So she finds a great book and she knows that there will never be more than one or two subsequent volumes, if that. Unless, I suppose, you like the Beckhams. “The Road from Coorain” didn’t do it for me but it was far better than the other thing I read last week. On the basis of rave reviews, I bought two volumes of the “Shadowmancer” series at once. It’s alright. For teenagers and a bit too overtly religious – epic tale of a struggle between good and evil described somewhere, with accuracy, as a cross between His Dark Materials and Jamaica Inn. Author is a vicar and so is the baddy in the story, so clearly the author has a sense of humour. It is a bit worthy though. Lots of biblical quotes which I suppose might be new to teenagers in godless England, but certainly aren’t to me. A bit puritanical too – he is down on cards and beer. However, further evidence of humour comes from the author biog at the front of the book. He is described as follows:
“G.P. Taylor has spent the whole of his life searching for the the hidden secrets of the universe. He lectures on the paranormal and folklore and lives in a secluded graveyard.”
Comments
LRB personals
They just keep coming. Fortnightly. This fortnight’s offering:
“Had an accident at work that wasn’t your fault? My god I love you. Junior lawyer (M, 62) seeks winnable case/easy sex. Box no. 10/13”
Comments
belgianwaffle
on 29 May 2004 at 09:04
Hard to know. I tried to look at your site but it’s too hard to read in that blue on that backgrd (moan, groan, grizzle, whinge). Do something for the elderly, change your colour scheme. V. much liked your “if you can read this, it must be downloading v. slowly” thing. 
First world joys and woes
On Friday, Mr Waffle recovered from his life threatening sore throat and we went to Beloeil. It was lovely. We had the place to ourselves and the Princess could crawl at will over the Aubusson carpets. She also made a spirited effort to crawl into a number of the water features in the extensive grounds. In a further burst of energy, Saturday saw us heading off to Lille. We had a lovely lunch where the Princess was surrounded by adoring waitresses who entertained her, heated her lunch and ran down the street after her with the various soft toys which she had left strewn on their restaurant floor. After this excitement she, very obligingly, fell asleep allowing her parents an opportunity to admire the glories of Lille in peace. And finally, just as we reached our car it started to rain, having been beautifully fine up to then. Two perfect days- it just couldn’t last.
Saturday night we bought tickets for a lateish cinema showing and went to dinner. The film started at 9.40 and we only arrived at 9.45. The ever punctual (except when he’s with me) Mr. Waffle was tense. “Don’t worry, we’ll only miss trailers” I said. The film had started. It was the new Almodovar flick. We knew we were in the right film because there were Spanish speaking transvestites on screen. But the reviews I had read said it was about catholic schoolboys. Confusing. It was good but hard to follow. Obviously missing the first five minutes had made all the difference. After half an hour, it ended. I whispered to Mr. Waffle “see, I was right, it hadn’t started, that was obviously a short”. “Well then why is everyone leaving?” he hissed. It appears that we had inadvertently bought tickets for the 8.20 showing and when we arrived at 9.40 the idiot usher had sent us to that rather than the later showing. Suggestions that there are other idiots involved are unhelpful at this juncture. So, here we were. I was all gung ho to go to the 9.40 version but Mr. Waffle wouldn’t go “we’ve missed the first half hour, we’ve seen the last half hour and I’m not going for the half hour in the middle.” I seethed with impotent rage but I was forced to concede that he had a point.
We arrived home and I was still seething. It was my turn to drive the babysitter home and her innocent question as to how we enjoyed the film was met with a full description of our woes. When I had finished, I drew breath and asked how things were with her.
“Not so good. I was supposed to go to the Philippines for a month in June but now two of my employers won’t give me time off”
She is a middle aged lady with a husband and two teenage children in the Philippines. She works for three different families in Brussels and has been here 18 years. She has only seen her children once or twice a year since they were small. She hasn’t been home since Christmas.
“That’s terrible” I said.
“Yes,” she said “and it’s my 50th birthday on June 6 and my 25th wedding anniversary on June 24th and we had lots of things planned. I have to ring my husband tomorrow to tell him I can’t come.”
“Could he come to visit you here?”
“No, he can’t get a visa.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“This is my life.”
I came home to a sleeping husband and baby a chastened woman. Lucky me.
Comments
mamothingson 24 May 2004 at 22:44
That happens to immigrants the world over I suppose. A recent case of nanny-abuse is hitting the headlines over here. What a life!
jackdaltonon 25 May 2004 at 01:28
Know what you mean, ‘waffle…Is trom cearc i bhfad… 😉
belgianwaffleon 25 May 2004 at 21:22
On the missed film front, I thought you might like to know that “Lost in Translation” has finally come out on video.
LRB personals
And this week’s winner from the personal ads is:
“Don’t reply to this ad. There isn’t enough of me for you all, and it can only end in heartbreak. Gorgeous, well-educated, well-hung man (35) waiting here for all the pretty ladies to 25 to tango into bed with me. All you have to do is get through this bald, gnomic, flatulent 67 year old exterior and the night will be ours. No refunds. Box no.09/07”
In fact, there are a range of excellent candidates but I can’t be bothered retyping the longer ones. You’d think that they’d restrain themselves as it’s 70p per word, but no.
I offer this short one as well:
“Please send me money. And pictures of yourself naked. And cigarettes. Lifer. Box no. 09/08.”
This edition also contains a piece on Israeli-Palestinian relations by Ilan Pappe who is the head of the Emil Touma Institute for Palestine Studies in Israel. Now, there’s a challenging position.