In a previous post, i shared some of the simple photos I took with my phone. Now, all the real photos from our 3-day weekend can be see on my facebook page here, along with some commentary.
Here are a few selects.
Monday, April 18, 2011
London Symphony Orchestra
There was one point during Stravinsky's "The Firebird" when the intense inferno movement starts and I nearly jumped out of my seat. I was listening and reading the Program(me) notes, when the sudden BANG! hits and if I had coke and a popcorn, I would have been sharing them with the nice folks three rows back and maybe the double basses on the stage in front of us.
They also played this Suite called "Fire and Blood" inspired by the "Detroit Industry" mural by Diego Rivera. It's by an American composer and he was in the audience and got a huge applause when he made his stage call after his piece. It had tons of brake drum clanks and ratchets and fun percussion, plus mariachi band-esque Mexican influence (based on Rivera and his wife), and a mind boggling violin solo throughout one of the movements. Read more about it from the perspective of the conductor, here.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Freedom
William Wallace was dragged behind a horse to Smithfield Market, steps from where I work in London, then hung, drawn and quartered here. Right next to an Anglican church that's been here since 1123.
That kind of stuff just isn't around the corner from the office in the States.
And in a weird way, that's why I like the States, especially the west. Relatively unspoiled country, well cared for by Natives until we showed up. No Anglo-Saxon ancient history tickling your feet at every corner. You can go to the grocery store, then drive into the true wilderness
Still, this is pretty cool.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Munich/Salzburg/Hallstatt trip
I'm sitting on the Stansted Express train to go back to central London from the airport. I thought I'd post a few camera phone shots from one of the coolest weekends I've had in a long time. I'll let the photos speak for themselves and provide more commentary from my computer, along with nicer DSLR photos later.
Sent from my Windows Phone
Monday, April 4, 2011
Identity crisis?
This who I am to people:
I don't drink, smoke, use illegal drugs or even swear (much). I'm married, have a mortgage, go to church, and am even involved in Boy Scouts. I know more useless Star Wars "facts" than I'm proud to admit, and I wear collared shirts much more often than tee shirts, even though my steady job requires no particular dress code. In high school, I had a letterman jacket, but it was from a fine-arts letter earned through years of band, choir, drama, etc. I'm a bit overweight and I have allergies. According to my last voter registration, I'm a registered Republican. At one point I carried a Michigan driver's license. By this description I'm pretty much the squarest dude on earth. And it's all true.
In contrast, some people know this other guy:
He's a drummer, guitarist, and rock band veteran. He has owned motorcycles (plural), and is an addicted snowboarder, skateboarder, and outdoorsman. He works in advertising, wears thick-framed glasses and shades, drives a VW and has a hot woman and an awesome dog. He grew up in California but has lived in major east coast, Midwest, tropical, and inter-mountain west markets, as well as more than a couple years in Europe. He's bilingual. His favorite movie is Ferris Bueller's Day Off and pretty much strives to live a life that makes Ferris look boring. He's big on tolerance, cultural education and open-mindedness. He listens to NPR and is currently thinking about his next album release while planning another adventure in a foreign country.
Together, here's where I've noticed we're netting out: Between the urbane hipsters who get nervous/contemptuous around anyone who doesn't drink and has already been married four and a half years at 28 years old, and the quiet, church-going family types who like to put down roots and not cause a ruckus - our combined presence is bound to make most anyone uncomfortable. Just for different reasons.
Those who are open minded, no matter where they come from, tend to get along with me splendidly.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
love letter
Nothing's funnier than ending a sincere, heartfelt letter with the following paragraph, which is exactly what Jaime just did in an email to me. You only get to see the end, because it's too funny to keep to myself.
I am really going to miss you when I go home, but nothing could ever tear us apart. I love you with all my heart. I think you look smart, even when you fart.
Love, Jaime.
Monday, March 21, 2011
hard knock life
I just overheard someone in the office say “I literally finished Uni and then went to work only two weeks later, so I didn’t even have a chance to relax or travel or anything.”
Then in the same minute she said, “my dad bought my car, and I have to pay for petrol.”
Some people have it so tough.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Menu Feb 26-28: The last stretch of my vegetarian month.
This was not that big of a deal. That's my final conclusion.
Fries (chips) from a restaurant in Wells called "Ask". With garlic mayo.
Great penne pasta with fresh basil, mushrooms and fire roasted tomatoes and spicy tomato sauce. And parmesan, of course.
Scone served by Somerset English countryside dwelling friends Bob and Wendy, with jam and "Clotted Cream" on top. Amazing.
Basic vanilla yogurt and granola at home.
Keeping the blog updated on a daily basis was the biggest challenge. Taking pictures of my food proved to be awkward when eating out (and we tend to eat out a lot here). I'm glad that part of my life is over.
As for the eating tasty food that doesn't contain meat period of my life, that will still happen on occasion. Maybe a little more than it already naturally occurred in the past, but my tastes haven't changed much. I still like granola. Pizza. I still love bread and olive oil. Roasted and sun dried tomatoes. Pasta. Garlicky things. Spicy things. Roasted herb potatoes. Green salads with cucumbers and peppers and home made croutons. Melted cheese. Hummus and Felafel. Asian food of all types. Jaime's chocolate chip cookies. Water. Ginger beer.
I think I snacked on cookies and chocolate laying around more than i normally would. I think I might have gained a bit of weight with the sweets and bread and cheese and all, although I don't have a scale.
I didn't sense having more energy, or feeling like I was lacking protein. Although now that I think about it, I did have some sore muscles and headaches that I are usually not that bad. Not sure if it's related. I feel fine today, and yesterday I had chicken for lunch and dinner (not the cliche' beef burger with which I thought I'd start March. We found a great eatery called "Nandos" with Portuguese / Afro inspired chicken dishes and good sides).
One thing I did feel like I was lacking was manliness. As if my testosterone level was dependent on the meat that was eliminated from my diet. Other contributing factors may had to do with being in London and living the metro life, missing the mountains, and my dog ("man's best friend," after all), and driving stick shift. I felt like I needed to walk out on to the busy sidewalk and punch a random dude in the face, then walk back inside. Not out of anger or frustration. Just to feel a sense of manliness that seemed to be lacking (chemically?). I thought, "then I'd feel better." Rest assured, I avoided acting on this impulse.
Here are some pictures from the Feb 26-28. The last of my strictly vegetarian days.
The last supper. Cheese tortellini soup with zucchini, peppers and spinach and tomatoes. And cheesy bread quickly broiled in the oven.
Fries (chips) from a restaurant in Wells called "Ask". With garlic mayo.
Great penne pasta with fresh basil, mushrooms and fire roasted tomatoes and spicy tomato sauce. And parmesan, of course.
Scone served by Somerset English countryside dwelling friends Bob and Wendy, with jam and "Clotted Cream" on top. Amazing.
Basic vanilla yogurt and granola at home.
Grilled cheese sandwich, made at home with grainy bread and mature English cheddar and olive oil in the pan.
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