Wandering into the building, all neutral colours, blonde wood, escalators and denial, I wondered what I was getting myself into.
I've been here before. I know the drill. I can swim with these sharks and come out unscathed.
My first impression was that I'm going to have to up my corporate wardrobe - I'm still wearing Darwin business casual, and it's not going to cut it here. If anything, I'm going to have to find some different, comfortable work shoes - my trusty white trainers aren't going to cut it in the main office - maybe the satellite offices, but not this one.
The second impression is that the man on the concierge desk was known to me.
"You came back! Good to see you again."
"Lovely to see you too -though I've forgotten your name."
"I've forgotten yours too - but we know each other and that is all that matters."
He's been with the company about as long as I've been going in and out of it.
As onboardings go, this has been a good one. by 11 am I had a configured computer, a working door pass and ID and a functioning email (not that I can email out of the company - joys of being a contractor.)
And I got started on the compliance training.
I'm not sure what I did in a former life. Most of it is boring (although it has improved tenfold over the years). But still. It's been a day of compliance training. Tomorrow will be a day of compliance training.
It's new job day tomorrow. I hope the new team are as lovely as my last team - who I'm going to miss.
The list of things I wanted to do is nearly complete. The Lost Dogs Home visit nearly killed me - when all I did was drop off some blankets and towels.
I've had a lovely day today. I found the couch, had lunch with a friend and had book group this evening.
Now, I'm going to do my physio exercises and get ready for tomorrow.
That will do.
Here's hoping all goes well. At least it's a company I've been at before and know the lay of the land.
Drive out to the Lost Dogs Home and drop off the unused towels and blankets.
Go home.
Knit and watch Netflix
Not hard. It's not too much to ask.
The physio went well - intermittent knee pain - nothing serious, but we have some exercises to do a couple of times a day. Thankfully nothing is broken.
After this, my organising head come on. Did I take my meds? No. Does it matter? No. But I do get led astray a bit more. I get it into my head to go and get a coffee, so I have something to drink on the way to the Lost Dogs Home. How hard can it be? Go to my favourite coffee shop, get a coffee, get driving.
Did that happen? No.
Did I run into an old friend, Trish, who I keep saying to Jay, we really should catch up with Trish and then do nothing about it.
Trish and her gym buddies have a coffee at the same place at the same time every Monday, not that they go to the gym anymore. Also, Trish, technically, is old enough to be my Mum. Only just. As are most of her friends. They are very nice people. They remind me of the masons.
However, don't get me started on gender politics. That's a bad move. Especially when you start a sentence with, "When we were growing up..."
Give me my dues. I didn't roll my eyes. I tried to be gentle. When the other party was stating some narrow views on personal pronouns, I gently reminded them how would they feel if they were addressed as Mr on their post? Or how I get shitty when I'm referred to as Mrs or Miss, instead of my default Ms (personally, I think we should be done with courtesy titles - especially as there is no courtesy in this world. Besides, who needs to know if I'm married or not? Seriously.) Or when people assume that I've got another nick name - It's Pandora or Panda - nothing else. The courtesy title discussion is a good jumping off point.
And besides, who is it hurting if the person wants to use alternative pronouns. It's a matter of respect...
I think my mate Trish's friends think I'm a bit odd and lippy.
Never to mind.
An hour later, I made my excuses, found some lunch and then drove out to the Lost Dogs Home in North Melbourne, which is one of the most heartbreaking places I've sensed. Dropping off the towels and blankets to a cacophony of barking. I just wanted to take all of them home. I didn't see them, but I could feel the beasties. I hope they find a home soon. At least now, they have some warm dry bedding to sleep on
I’ve got two days off before I start this new job, so it’s time to get down to some odd jobs. I like making a list. I also know that in making the list I won’t get through half of these things, but it’s nice to set the intentions.
Anyway, here is my list of things I would like to get done before I start my new job on Wednesday.
Find the couch
Everything gets put on my couch. It’s a bit like a tardis, you never know what you’re gonna find on there. I’m missing a pair of bone conducting headphones that I would really like to find again. And put a few things away. And maybe throw a few things away. Regardless, I need to go over the content of my couch, and what’s under it - hat’s just as much of a minefield as well.
2. The floors
I hoover the floors once a week. I’m up once a fortnight. I know it should be more. I will feel better if I do the floors. I hate doing the floors, still I have the time to do them.
3. A clothes cull
There is no room in my chest of drawers. Time to make some space. Even if I go through just one or two drawers, it will be an improvement.
4. Drop off towels and blankets at The Lost Dog’s Home
I’ve been meaning to do this for months, and now I have the time. I wish I could go in and get a cuddle with one of the puppies, but that’s probably not gonna happen. I would take home all the puppies. We know this so it’s probably best not to chance fate. Lucifer wouldn’t like a puppy.
5. Meet a friend for lunch on Tuesday
She’s down from Darwin, it will be fantastic to see her.
6. Go to the physio tomorrow
Intermittent knee pain needs to be investigated. I’m glad I’ve got the time to do it. I’m trying to be proactive with minor injuries at the moment. I’m sick of being injured.
So, along with everything else, I think that’s enough. I’m also getting back into knitting again and would like to finish my big scarf in the next month or so. I’ve always wanted a Doctor Who scarf. I’ll have one soon.
1) Are you the sort of person who can nap or sleep anywhere, any time?
No. I can't nap unless I'm horizontal, warm and quiet in a darkened room (or sick) and even then, I don't sleep well during the day or on planes.
However, by the end of my stint going up to Darwin on a monthly basis with very anti-social flight times and a lot of red-eyes, I was getting better at sleeping on the planes.
2) Have you ever walked in your sleep?
No.
3) Do you chat with your Uber/Lyft/taxi driver?
It depends on the driver. I've had some great chats with taxi and Uber drivers - then again, I also know when to shut up and keep my own company. It's very much dependent on the driver and the mood at the time.
4) Do you remember what you did on Valentine's Day?
No. Well, nothing. I went to see Wuthering Heights the night before and I did the Sunday Stealing questions on the day. It's a Hallmark holiday.
5) How many laptops have you owned over your lifetime?
Far too many. I was an early adopter and I tend to replay my personal laptop every couple of years. Saying that, I bought an iPad this afternoon. I've not had an operational one of those for a while.
6) How many countries have you visited?
Okay, let me think about this:
New Zealand (I was there last weekend)
Indonesia (Bali)
Thailand
Malaysia
Singapore
India
Greece
Italy
Spain
The Netherlands
France
The United Kingdom (England / Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland)
Ireland
The United States
Hong Kong
Vatican City (it is technically a country)
Germany (but only for a few hours on a train.)
You can also add Finland as I had a few hours of stopover there a few years ago.
7) Did you/will you go to work today?
No, because it's 1) a Saturday and 2) I'm between jobs. I finished up my last job on Friday as I'm starting a new one on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to a few days off.
The Theatre: The Princess Theatre, Spring Street, Melbourne.
Booking until 19 July
Stars: 4
I always qualify my reviews of musicals with the words, "I'm not into musicals, but...".
I'm not into musicals, but The Book of Mormon is just how I like my musicals - high energy, irreverent, great fun and about 15 shades of wrong, which makes it so good.
After seeing this around 10 years ago, I knew I could see this and be amazed by it all again, because it's not only the fine details which assist with the appreciation of this show, but it's the shock value that makes it so funny.
It's a simple story. Elder Price (Sean Johnston) is just out of Mormon school ready to go on is mission. He's hoping to be sent to Florida. Elder Price is a good Mormon. Elder Cunningham (Nick Cox) is everything Elder Cunningham is not - a bit of a dud Mormon, who hasn't done the work. He's also prone to the odd fib.
The two are sent off on their mission to deepest darkest Uganda, where The General (His other name is not suitable for work) is terrorising the villagers.
The young men must proselytise and try to bring new members to the faith. Cunningham, somehow brings them around through some unconventional needs.
I won't say much more about this so not to ruin it for first times.
The singing and dancing are fantastic. The songs are irreverent - I loved "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream" and "Turn It Off" in particular.
This is not for anybody who gets offended easily. There are some terribly off colour jokes in there and the crude humour isn't for everybody, but I really enjoyed this. I know I liked it more the last time I saw it as the shock value made the laughs louder. Still, this production is sound. And it still takes the absolute piss out of organised religion - but what more would you expect from the creators of South Park, who also created this wonder.
Tickets are selling through until 19 July. Keep your eyes out for ticket deals - there appears to be some decent cheap tickets on the market.
I'm glad I saw it again, although I won't enjoy singing "Hasa Diga Ebowai" for the next few weeks. If you know you know.
After a quiet penultimate day at work meant that the ironing got done and I've got some knitting done and I have finally got to watch The Other Bennet Sister.
As a lover of Pride and Prejudice, I've always been of the impression that Mary got a bit of a bad rap.
This series, based on Janice Hadlow's book of the same name, is awesome.
I relate to this Mary a little too well. Ella Bruccoleri, who play's Mary, is awesome.
Short episodes, encompassing another side to Jane Austen's seminal work.
Comes highly recommended.
And because of this, I left the blog until late.
But it was worth it.
The Other Bennet Sister can be seen on Binge (which is having a cheap month sale at the moment).
The last days of a job can be good, if you're lucky. Thankfully, my luck has come in. I'm at what's called the "Rats and Mice" stage of the job, finishing off the loose ends, doing some handovers, saying goodbye to the crew. I've really enjoyed this job. Great people, and I'm sad to be leaving them behind. But it's my last few days with the company, and this means I get to do things like get a lunch break and go out for coffee.
Which is what I did today.
For an hour.
Unheard of.
Regardless, I went out for coffee with an old colleague from way back when - back in the deepest darkest naughties when we worked in merchant banking. Back when the lunches went on for hours, the alcohol flowed and all of these behaviours. 25-years on it's been lovely to reconnect. It's funny how people don't change that much. We congratulated ourselves on doing well. We don't look our age. We're solvent. We're single, pretty much by choice (but also have you seen the dating pool out there - sheesh!)
It was lovely.
I'm not sure of the moral of this short blog, but it is nice to reconnect with people, just as it's good to get a bit of downtime.
Two more days of this contract, then four days off, starting a new job next Wednesday.
I'm not going to write about how cute my cat is being. He's being hideously sooky after his little holiday at Blarney's place. Making it even more fun, he's decided it's cold enough to sleep with me again. I woke up this morning with him cuddled up next to me and Manky Mouse (his aptly named favourite toy) on my pillow. Thanks, mate.
No, I'm going to provide a few of my observations about New Zealand. Not that I'm unaware of this place. I've been over "The Ditch", also known as the Tasman Sea, ten or twelve times - but mostly to the South Island. Geetangeli lives in Christchurch. I make a point of visiting. There's a difference between the North and South Islands
In saying this, New Zealand is not really a foreign country, even if it is classed as one thanks to the use of my passport. I mean, so much is familiar. The electricity sockets are the same. They drive on the same side of the road. The food is similar, if not the same, coming from, similar British roots. Yet, there are some differences that I saw, and rather liked from my short stay in Auckland.
1) People seem to be universally nice
Sure, people are nice all over the world, but as Canadians are known as the nicer cousins to Americans, New Zealand seems to have similar relationship. People appear to be universally welcoming. Maybe a little quieter, but welcoming. I'd heard some things about people from Auckland - akin to how people from Melbourne view people from Sydney. It didn't make a difference.
2) Walking through groups of people
Maybe it's a big city thing, but randos seem to walk right through groups of people. How rude? It was noticeable while walking down Queen Street.
3) Their National Anthem is much, much nicer than ours
Have a listen to this. It's sung in both Maori and English, and it doesn't contain the word 'girt'. It goes to show that a National Anthem can be both stirring and lovely.
The song of the day is the alternative national anthem.
4) The incorporation of the Maori language around the country
Another great thing New Zealand does better than Australia. We're about 50 years behind them. I really like the way signs and words are in both languages. It gives a sense of belonging for all.
And they've got some great words, like whanau (Friends and family), kia ora (g'day) and my favourite, whakeparu (toilet). It's great being a part of this.
5) The food and coffee punch above their weight
Kiwis like their food and coffee and it's lovely to be a part of the culture. Saying this, a lot of my eating was done in the refectory of a Freemason's hall where and excellent CWA (Country Women's Institute) spread was provided. Asparagus rolls! I'm happy.
They are everywhere. Wherever you go, there seemed to be a box of feijoas in a cardboard box in the lobby. They must be in season. I love the soda you used to be able to get.
8) Whittaker's Chocolate
Have some spare New Zealand dollars at the airport. Spend it on Whittaker's chocolate. My favourite is Jelly Tip - Geetangeli always brings me some over when she's about. it's addictive.
When I walked into Blarney's place she told me I could find him in Lance's room. He's normally stationed at the back of the house in the spare room. When I dropped him off, I left him in the spare room.
"What happened?" I had to ask.
Blarney smiled. "I went down to play with him and he got out. He doesn't know what outside is, but he ran into Lance's room, and he's been sitting in the cupboard ever since."
"He'd like that."
See, I know Lucifer hates staying with Blarney, but I know he's fed, watered, uses the litter box and plays a lot at night - for a few days, he'll cope. And he's got a cupboard to sit in - he feels safe. All is well.
Tonight, I collected him from the cupboard, put him in his carry cage, had a cup of tea with Blarney with him sitting next to me (in his box) on the couch, with Blarney's two cats, Rey Rey and Kylo sitting with her.
There was no hissing or spitting. Everybody was relaxed.
I took him home a bit later. He's great in the car.
We got home I let him out.
And he hasn't shut up since!
Lucifer is normally a quiet boy. Nope, he's chatting away like a dinner lady in a canteen. He can't leave his scratching post alone. He's being smoochy?
Here I was thinking I'd be getting the cold shoulder for a few days.
Rather than dwell on the fact that my plane might not get me home tonight, thanks to a looming cyclone I'm going to look back on the marvelous day that was had yesterday.
See, I really like New Zealand. It's familiar, but it's also different in a lot of ways. Auckland is a big city by the sea, but it has its own strange charm. The buildings are different. The people are different. The only thing that seems the same is the supermarkets and their set up. Being a port city, we arrived at the waterfront to find a very large cruise liner which holds up to 5000 people (Great way to get gastro or COVID as far as I'm concerned.) People are friendly, but they will also walk through you without a word if you're walking in a group.
The morning was spent with to others from our group. They are lovely. They're also a little older than me, but mobile, which is good. I refer to them as my maiden aunts. They would go into a shop. I'd sit outside. We had a good potter, had a lovely coffee, then I put them in an Uber and went off to see a friend at the Marina.
It was lovely catching up with ZeeZee. She's a writing friend who's been living with her partner on a boat over here. She's just awesome. I got to meet her partner and see the America's Cup and their boat and have a lovely catch up.
Another Uber ride later it was back to the hotel for a nana nap, then to get change and meet up with the rest of the crew to be taken to the meeting for which we came to New Zealand.
There are some interesting elements when you're a freemason. to being a freemason. We were talking about it, after the last night's meeting. Some of it is addictive. The fact that it gives you space to investigate humanity in a safe, nurturing environment is one of the drawcards for me.
Going into another lodge, you meet people, who you may have absolutely nothing in common with, but everybody will have some similar values. Seekers, searchers, those who want peace, harmony and fellowship and enjoy looking for the good in man. It's not a bad thing. What always gets me is how comfortable you become with these people so quickly. They are generous, kind, funny, knowledgeable and interesting. You never know where conversations will go. It's good.
We had a big meeting last night, where some ritual was performed. It appears the New Zealand lodges have more members than we have in Australia (mind you they don't have the tyranny of distance), so the room was busy. It was wonderful.
And then there was the proper supper, complete with asparagus rolls, decent vegetarian sandwiches and fruit plates. The feast could have fed an army.
We went back to the hotel around eleven, physically and spiritually replete.
Now, I'm preparing to check out of the hotel. We have another meeting today, before I take off for the airport and hopefully get the flight back. So far, the wind and the rain have not been too bad. It is very wet, but not unpleasantly so. So far, we've been lucky. May that luck hold.
Greetings from Auckland, where we're expecting a cyclone (hurricane) to hit in the next 12 hours. Oh what fun! I'm supposed to be going back to Australia tomorrow - but we will have to see whether the weather allows that to occur. It's a situation here that planes have to get in to get out. Fingers crossed, if not, I might be having an extra night here. Mind you, the people are lovely and the food is good. There are worse places to be stuck, and hopefully, it won't be too long. If the airline cancels you, they'have to get you back. I'm not that worried. As long as I get back safely.
Anyway, here are this week's questions, brought to you, as always, by Sunday Stealing.
1. Can you touch your nose with your tongue?
No. Did I try this out? No - I've done that in the past.
2. What foreign language did you study in school? How much of it do you still remember?
I studied French at school all the way through and into first year university. Since then, I've always tried to use it. I also have been on the Duolingo app for over three years, and I can proudly say, that though I'm not fluent, my French is very good. When in France, the French let me speak, gently correct my grammatical slips and encourage me to keep speaking French - which is nearly unheard of. Being humble and saying, "Pardonnez-moi, mon Francais est terrible. Je suis desole. Je suis Australienne," gets you a very long way. They don't mind Australians. The English and the Americans not so much. Getting along with the French is all about attitude.
3. What recipe did you most recently prepare? Where did you get the recipe and how did it turn out?
I had to take something sweet to a barbeque last weekend. It was a long weekend. The shops were closed. I looked through the pantry. Thank goodness for RecipeTinEats. Nagi is a goddess. I made her easy peanut butter cookies. A cup of peanut butter, a cup of brown sugar and an egg. Mixed the three together, roll up into balls and bake for 10 minutes. They went down a treat.
4. What song have you listened to over and over and over again?
As I'm in New Zealand, the song of the day is a Kiwi song that I have on regular rotation. I used to live about The Thompson Twins nanny in London in the 90's. I have lots of songs on regular rotation in my head.
5. Are there currently any pets in your household? Are you considering adding another?
I have a lovely black cat named Lucifer (who is staying with a friend while I'm away, much to his chagrin) who is a very solitary cat and very happy to be an only child. Given the opportunity, I would have ALL the cats. But Lucifer and I kick along well - although there will be hell to pay when I get home to Australia, whenever that may be.
6. As an adult, have you ever performed with a drama group? (Student productions don't count.)
Yes. I was part of a drama group when I lived in London. To this day, I am still an overgrown theatre kid and frustrated actor on the inside. It's good fun. Good for confidence.
Greetings from Auckland, New Zealand, where they are getting ready for a cyclone to hit in the next 24 hours. Fun, eh! They're explecting 6-month's worth of rain on Sunday morning
This is the weather map for Sunday at midday.
Yep. Fun.
While out at dinner tonight, I asked the fellow sitting opposite me what a Orange alert was. He just said it wasn't good.
"And a Red Weather Alert."
"Yeah, nah. Worse."
There's an Orange Alert out on Auckland from 9 pm on Saturday night.
My flight is booked to leave at 8.30 on Sunday evening. This might be a bit interesting. We will cross that bridge if and when it occurs. The airline has duty of are to get me home somehow.
I've just checked the Qantas website. The warning was issued about the cyclone while I was flying over. Hmmm.
Regardless, I will get home somehow. Hopefully the cyclone does what cyclones often do and divert.
And this is why we have travel insurance.
So, I'm in Auckland.
It's humid and overcast.
It has the feel of a larger city - lacking some of the charm of other centres in New Zealand. However, we've landed in an inner-city area with lots of older buildings and a bit more pizzaz than what I remembered from 23 years ago - when I was last here for a friend's wedding.
Tomorrow is the day for sightseeing, before a big mason's meeting tomorrow night.
Allegedly, on Sunday, there's another meeting at lunch time. Then I'm supposed to be off to the airport after that.
Okay, enough whinging about the weather.
I will now complain about airport prices.
$10 for an almond decaf latte (large).
Seriously.
Highway robbery.
Anyway, as I'm not making too much sense, I'm going to sign off. I've been up since 5 am Melbourne time and bed is beckoning.
Keep your fingers crossed I get back across the ditch in a timely manner and in one piece.
I have been told that I'm a bad mother. He looked me right in the eye with such disdain. I could see it. You hate me! How could you? As mothers go, you are the worst of all mothers, and nobody is worse than you.
Yes, I took my cat over to Blarney's tonight. Nobody spouts vitriol and bile like a black cat who has been forced into his travel box and then taken to his lease favourite cat sitter's place. Cat sitters who would love to love him, but he won't let them.
I got him in his room. I set out his stuff - litter tray, food and water, blanket, toys, they opened his cage. He hissed at me.
After going out for a chat with Blarney and Barney I went back in to see him again and say goodbye. This time, he was behind the bed head. He hissed at me again.
See - worst mother in the world.
I know this is only a short trip across the pond to Auckland, but I'm away for three full days, leaving early tomorrow morning, coming home late Sunday night. I'll happily leave him for two nights - but this feels a bit longer. (also my normal cat sitter is away). So, he's gone to Aunty Blarney's for a few days. I'll pick him up Monday night after going to the gym. I don't really care how unhappy he is for a few days - he's being fed, watered and his poop scooped - and he's being looked in on regularly (even if he hisses at his guardians). What more can he hope for? It's better than being left alone for three full days with no company.
Still, there is nothing worse than when your most near and dear call you bad names and let you know of their absolute hatred.
I'm sure he'll have forgotten it all when I bring him home in a few days.
I hear you. Yes. I'm getting on yet another plane on Friday morning, heading to New Zealand for the weekend.
The weekend, you cry!
Yes, I'm going to New Zealand for two days. I have a mason's meeting, in New Zealand. A delegation is going over. We get there Friday afternoon, there is a dinner on the Friday night, a free day on Saturday, a meeting on Saturday evening, another meeting Sunday lunchtime, then I trot off to the airport on Sunday evening to get back to Melbourne around 11 pm (if the cyclone which is threatening to bear down on the North Island doesn't cause too much havoc). Because I have to leave at stupid 'o'clock on Friday morning to catch the plane, and tomorrow night will be spent dropping off Lucifer at Blarney's place - which he will not like, but it's better than having him home alone for three days.
Documenting what I'm packing makes me feel a lot better about things. It's part of the process.
Come with me as I pack.
1) Mason's regalia
Being a freemason means you get to wear some funny stuff. Thankfully it's light and lies flat. I'll put the little instruction book in as well. We've been instructed not to take our swords and capes. The former doesn't give a good look in airport scanners, the latter is just asking for trouble as all superheroes will attest. Haven't you watched The Incredibles? NO CAPES!
Status: Packed.
2) Travel laptop and accouterments
I don't go anywhere without my little travel laptop, charging cables and a spare jack with USB ports - you never know what the hotel will have in the room. Thankfully, New Zealand uses the same plugs as we do.
Status: Packed
3) Mason's Garb
There is a 'uniform' of sorts that needs to be packed. Think hospo. Black trousers, white shirt, black cardigan, white gloves, black sensible shoes.
Status: Packed
4) Clothes for the weekend
I'll be wearing whatever it is I wear on the plane - with my basic white trainers. I've got some play clothes to run around Auckland in, a couple of changes of underwear, spare socks. I do no possess a rain jacket, but a brolly might go in my hand luggage - but fat lot of good that will be in a cyclone.
Status: Packed
5) Toiletries and Makeup
Thankfully my toiletries and makeup bags are already packed . I'm only gone for two nights and three days - if I'm missing anything I'll buy it over there.
Status: Packed.
6) Meds
Can't go without these, but with the exception of the HRT gel, these can go in the hand luggage.
Status: Ready to go.
All I have to do now is grab a few things for my hand luggage. Things like:
Passport (which is valid with years to run)
My book
Hairbrush
Assorted lipsticks
Fisherman's Friends (a flyers best made - keeps your ears clear)
It's a lot of not particularly nice people behaving strangely. Even if it is pretty to look at and the cast is pretty good, it doesn't have that many redeeming features. Maybe it's because if my friends started acting like these people, I'd tell them where to go.
Even stranger, this has got a very good metascore on RottenTomatoes.com, although if you look at some of the reviews, you can see that what I'm about to say about this film.
It's a bit of a dog. A dog with fleas, despite the good ratings on the major movie websites. I don't really get it.
The synopsis is fairly straight forward.
At the start of the film, we meet Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson) who are on the brink of getting married. They appear to be the perfect couple with the perfect life. Living in Boston, they have a lively and varied life.
At their rehearsal dinner with their best friends Rachel (Alana Haim) and Mike (Mamoudou Athie) they play a game of "What's the worst thing you've done?" The group make their confessions. Some are truly awful, others, childhood slights. When Emma provides her worst moment, the group erupts. (I'm not going to give a spoiler on this, needless to say, I think what Rachel did was worse)
From here, everything spirals. Emma and Charlie's relationship falters and a lot of rather silly things happen right up to when they get married.
Even though the movie, though Kristoffer Borgli's script and direction, to view where their line may be, this didn't ring true for me at all. As the cards started to fall, so too did my belief in any of the characters thanks to their dodgy behaviour.
What surprises me is how popular this movie is proving. When we went the largish cinema was three quarters full. Maybe it's the star power, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson having quite a lot of pulling power.
And sure, the acting isn't bad and the film is pretty to look at, but this didn't ring true for me. It's a film of a lot of people behaving like children in many respects.
To read the book, or not read the book? That is the question. Whether it is nobler to see a film on spec, or to slug through a tome before seeing said movie. It is a universal question.
Blarney and I went to see the film this weekend. I've read the book (well, I listened to it as an audiobook - and it was excellent) Blarney hadn't. We both really liked the movie, however, having read Andy Weir's novel of one man saving the world from space, my views were a little more skewed.
Don't get me wrong - this is a very good film. But you're always going to get more out of the book.
Thankfully, the film follows the book closely and hits most of the major plot points. Not that movie goers really don't need to know that.
For a short synopsis, Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling), a middle-school teacher with a PhD in molecular biology finds himself in deep space, alone, wondering how the hell he got there. Over time, he regains his wits and memory and goes about discovering how he's going to save the world. You see, the sun is dimming thanks to these alien microbes which are eating the sun. Other stars in the galaxy are also diminishing. Something has to be done. Over the two hours and 40 minutes of the film you see him discover alien life in the form of Rocky (the voice of James Ortiz) and the two work out to save both of their planets.
In the background, we're taken back to Grace's memories where the enigmatic Eva Stratt (Sandra Huller) runs the Project Hail Mary who press-gangs Grace into working on the project.
It's a simple story, very well executed. What's essentially a monologue for a lot of the film until Rocky's arrival brilliant viewing. Grace, and Rocky, have a lot to work out, from how to communicate, to how to survive in each other's atmospheres, to conflicting scientific beliefs. Somehow, they manage it.
This is where the book comes into its own. Through the book, you get more of an insight into how Grace and Rocky develop their communication, and the science, and the situation to hand. I remember listening to the book being on the edge of my seat wanting to know how these strange bedfellows were going to get out of their predicament. The movie glosses over a lot of this. An eight-episode series would have had the space to investigate everything in the book.
Yet, Project Hai Mary is a very good film. The set up, the cinematography, the animatronics in the way they created Rocky, the sets - they're all excellent. For a longer film, the time goes quickly. And don't be afraid of the science - it's adequately explained (where the book delves deeper into the concepts.)
What it missed for me was the depth of Grace and Rocky's relationship, which felt a bit rushed in the end. You don't get the gravitas of Rocky's predicament, having his large crew die around him and being stuck at Tau-Ceti for years alone. Nor do you feel Grace's final response when they realise that they've messed up and there are only two solutions - go home - or save your friend.
Also, I wasn't thrilled with the way they tried to intimate that Grace and Stratt had more than platonic feelings for each other.
Regardless, I really recommend seeing this on the big screen. Drew Goddard and Andy Weir's script is fast paced, funny and moving. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller's direction keeps this feeling very real.
Project Hail Mary is best seen on the biggest screen you can find. It's great. (And if you haven't seen The Martian, look it up - same author, similar set up, just as good.)
But read the book. You'll get a lot more out of the experience.
It feels funny to be saying this in a secular country in a place where everything is closed on Good Friday. It's a bit bizarre.
Anyway, I've got a busy day, so here are this week's questions, supplied, as always, by Sunday Stealing. I like these easy fallback questions.
F. Film: What movie or tv show are you watching?
I'm just about to go off with Blarney to see Project Hail Mary at the cinema.
There's also talk of going to see The Drama tomorrow. I loved the book of the former. The latter just looks interesting.
Currently, as I'm writing this, I'm watching The Ballad of Wallis Island. I think I need to give it more attention.
I've also started watching Shrinking on Apple TV.
A. Audio: What are you listening to?
I've been a bit remiss with music of late. I saw an artist called Irish Mythen at a local pub the other week. They were great. This song has been played at both Stockholm and Boston cathedral.
B. Book: What are you reading?
At the moment, on paper, I'm reading the amazing Heather Rose's A Great Act of Love. She's a Tasmanian author and one of Australia's best.
On audiobook, I gave into the hype and I'm listening to Allen Levi's Theo of Golden, which is a delight.
I hope to have both of these finished by Friday so I've got something new to read/listen to on the way to New Zealand.
I laid in bed this morning thinking about the day, only to remind myself that there is the barbeque and my instructions are to bring some dessert.
Bring on the ADHD rejection sensitivity and the feeling that anything I do or bring will be judged. Fun, eh!
Making matters worse, yesterday, being Good Friday, nothing was open. Could I get anything to make a dessert? No. Could I make something from what I had in the cupboards? Maybe. Would it be what I would normally make? No.
See, I've got a reputation as the dessert queen. I make a great tiramisu. My lemon polenta cakes are legendary. I bake a decent chocolate cake. There's little you can do when the supermarket is closed and you can't pick up the lady finger biscuits, marscapone, almond meal, fresh eggs or whatever else you might need to make such a concoction.
Added to this is the Gen-X guilt of not being a good enough home maker.
I was discussing this my friend last night and she sympathised, but recommended popping into Aldi and get one of their apple streudels from the freezer section. Or even better, go and find a Vienetta. So very retro.
I made a compromise. I did went apple strudel route as I passed an Aldi on the way home from meditation.
The other thing I did, to keep up with the CWA guilt, was made some biscuits. Nagi from RecipeTinEats had a recipe for three ingredient peanut butter cookies. Peanut butter (crunchy preferred) a cup of brown sugar and an egg. Mix. Refrigerate for a bit. Roll into balls and bake for 10 minutes in a medium over (180 degrees). Perfect. I cooked it myself (See how clever I am?) and I'd filled the brief.
I rocked up to Blarneys with the Apple Strudels and the biscuits. It seems somebody had brought over an apple pie and Blarney had made a large apple crumble that could feed an army.
Ah well. I put the apple strudels back in their freezer and got on with my day.
I go to the Comedy Festival with one particular friend, who I tend only to see at the Comedy Festival, then we catch up the following year. The conversation flows, even though we only see each other annually. I let her choose the shows. Having the reputation of going to the opening of an envelope and the ability to laugh at most things, it's a good trade off. We will have dinner at China Red, where you don't have to interact with wait staff - using the electronic pad to do the ordering. And I, of course, will have chilli wantons, because they are ambrosial and add to the meaning of life.
Anyway, tonight we went and saw the Chaser boys do their new show, Wankernomics Show V4.1 _Final_UseThis.
If you work in, or have worked in, any sort of corporate environment, you WILL be triggered. James Schloeffel and Charles Firth provide an hour of merriment as they navigate the current corporate jargon environment, from the technology of reviews (What did you think of our service?) to people on LinkedIn (Oh, shite, not that dude again), to agitators, thought leaders, to the shitfuckery that is the modern office, where consultants are paid more to conceive the build that the people actually doing the job.
James' bio on the website says a lot. It has the following paragraph:
'A renowned transformational strategist and growth alchemist, he has a proven track record of formulating results-focused, forward-thinking, environmentally-aware, value-driven, outcomes-centred, solution-led hyphenated adjectives, and putting them into complex sentences that at first seem impressive, but then just trail off at the..."
Having spent the last six months working on a technology project aligned to an HR function a lot of this was utterly relatable. It's all the stuff I roll my eyes at and find myself biting my tongue over. Like speak English and go stick your value statement up your bum! It's a matter of tolerating this behaviour to survive. But it's great to laugh at it. Oh, and they're still taking the piss out of Arts graduates (Mine's a double espresso...)
And it's based around the concept of Death by Powerpoint.
Yes, this is a bit triggering if you work in a multi-national filled with consultants, the "Big 4" and back to back meetings, where people have non-sensical job titles.
What is the factor, the gene, the familial traits, which make us prone to panic buying?
Tonight, being the night in questions. I was out at dinner when I was reminded that the shops were closed tomorrow. It's Good Friday. We can't have the shops open on the day Jesus died, can we?
Anyway, a quick inventory was taken. The shops not open for a day. The two things I require to make Friday comfortable is almond milk and salad, having used the last of my stocks today. I resolve to pick up these items on the way home, once my Canard a l'Orange and Iles Flottante are in my belly (Le Bon Matin do a lovely dinner - Marc-Antoine is brilliant.)
Anyway, it's about 8.30 pm, dinner is settling nicely, I go to the supermarket.
It's full! The supermarket is heaving! People everywhere. With full trolleys.
The supermarket is going to be closed for one day. You really don't have enough in the house to keep you going for a day?
And everybody was in a daze. The number of people in there just staring at the shelves.
I went in, got my almond milk, my bag of salad and some rice cakes (how exotic) and made my way to the self-checkouts - where there was a small queue.
This was 8.45 pm on the night before Good Friday.
Do we, as a country, really have such a feeling of lack, of food insecurity, that we need to hoard for a day off? Is this something to do with our convict roots, or boomer parents who faced rationing back in the day.
Is this the reason there's been a run on petrol in the last few weeks.
I find the psychology of supposed lack most interesting. I'm trying to understand why this happens.
Regardless, I paid for my almond milk, bag of salad and a packet of rice cakes and went on my way, happy that I was away from the crowds.
