Dec
28
2016
Princesses & other heroes
It is the night before my dad’s birthday and I am unreasonably sad that Carrie Fisher has died. Continue reading
Nov
30
2016
Words for 2016
Cartoon by the inimitable Leunig, as found here.
It’s riotous, really, that I have no words for things “riotous” right now as the season of merriment approaches. Sitting here at end of November in 2016 they seem too exuberant, too active and energetic, too damn happy. Right now needs dark, dense, stolid words. Words that sit on dank rocks in dark pools and brood. Words that refuse to leap or even twitch. Words that are hunkering down and waiting. Words that are grumpy and garrumphing. Words that wait for flies to come to them to be grudgingly licked up and swallowed without joy. Fat, sludgy words that blink slowly and watch you slink by, trying to avoid disturbing them as you search for better days.
Oct
20
2016
Changing your (career) view.
A friend recently asked for my views on whether to look for a new job or take the plunge into working for herself given some changing dynamics in the business she’s in and it was a fascinating thing to watch myself with. My initial reaction was to avoid the question for a few days – my own decision was made so unexpectedly and almost entirely based on intuition that I’m not sure I’m qualified to help someone make it thoughtfully!
Sep
30
2016
Finding your way
I have spent a significant portion of my life feeling lost. Not metaphysically, you understand, I mean actually, physically, geographically and spatially lost. I have no natural sense of direction. I cannot – unlike a certain barefoot husband I know – stand in a place and point out north confidently. I cannot tether places together in my minds’ eye or zoom out in my imagination and see how it all fits together. I cannot remember how streets meet up and which direction they’re going in. I can’t easily find my way to somewhere I’ve been, or “simply” backtrack a route I followed earlier to get somewhere. I can’t even, when I come out of a shop in a mall, remember which way I’ve come from and where I’m going to! I will always pick the wrong one and then, eventually, see a shop I’ve been in and realise that I’m going the wrong way. I really do have zero, potentially even negative, sense of direction.
Aug
30
2016
TV Bar and the failings of financial institutions
At a very swish lunch in the Constantia valley recently, the barefoot man was being taunted by tales of some delicious sauce and eventually proclaimed, hands over eyes, “stop, stop!” which immediately set one of our fine dining companions – the very smart lady who foodies (rightfully) fear – off on a recitation as follows:
“…imagine that it was raining crispy delicious crunchy rice and toasted coconut..”
“Stop! Stop!”
“…imagine a river of milk falling into a chocolate whirlpool…”