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Writer's Block: It's payday!
Nov. 16th, 2011 12:28 am[Error: unknown template qotd]
Give some to the family, buy a house (or at least, put away enough rent for the rest of my life because rent is a pain in the arse) and then blow the rest on travel.
First stop: Australia, to join my friend Katherine picking strawberries or whatever she's doing. I wouldn't do the picking part, though. I'd just sit in the sun with a cold beer and offer her beers whilst she rolled her eyes and said I wasn't seeing the real Australia.
Give some to the family, buy a house (or at least, put away enough rent for the rest of my life because rent is a pain in the arse) and then blow the rest on travel.
First stop: Australia, to join my friend Katherine picking strawberries or whatever she's doing. I wouldn't do the picking part, though. I'd just sit in the sun with a cold beer and offer her beers whilst she rolled her eyes and said I wasn't seeing the real Australia.
Writer's Block: Flashback films
Oct. 14th, 2011 11:55 pm
Always.
LJ, do you want to know something weird? I always found that scenario where Biff was Marty's stepfather and Marty and his mother unable to escape him as kind of ~exciting. What the hell was wrong with me, even as a child?
*furiously writes fanfic*
Writer's Block: Killer Queen
Sep. 5th, 2011 11:25 pm[Error: unknown template qotd]
I love this band so, so much. Queen are definitely one of my favourite bands evah and so... it's hard to pick my favourite song.
I think their best song is Innuendo but for all its lyrical genius and the intensity of that Spanish guitar, it frightens me!
Radio Gaga was my favourite song as a child and still makes me happy when I hear it.
Days of our Lives is so sad that I cannot.
Somebody to Love makes me intensely happy. Even at Glee, I was all 'raaaargh! It's Somebody to Love!' and super super happy.
However. My favourite is probably Who Wants to Live Forever. I love the gentle quality of Brian May's voice at the beginning, the sad lyrics, that it was used in one of my favourite films growing up and that it's beautiful and sad and profound and Queen at their very best.
Rest in peace, Freddie. There'll never be another like you.
I love this band so, so much. Queen are definitely one of my favourite bands evah and so... it's hard to pick my favourite song.
I think their best song is Innuendo but for all its lyrical genius and the intensity of that Spanish guitar, it frightens me!
Radio Gaga was my favourite song as a child and still makes me happy when I hear it.
Days of our Lives is so sad that I cannot.
Somebody to Love makes me intensely happy. Even at Glee, I was all 'raaaargh! It's Somebody to Love!' and super super happy.
However. My favourite is probably Who Wants to Live Forever. I love the gentle quality of Brian May's voice at the beginning, the sad lyrics, that it was used in one of my favourite films growing up and that it's beautiful and sad and profound and Queen at their very best.
Rest in peace, Freddie. There'll never be another like you.
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1. No.
2. Well, equality would be a good start.
1. No.
2. Well, equality would be a good start.
Writer's Block: Once upon a time…
Aug. 24th, 2011 06:21 pm[Error: unknown template qotd]
Oh, come on. You all knew it.
'I see…' said the vampire thoughtfully, and slowly he walked across the room towards the window.
Oh, come on. You all knew it.
The icon says Knigi, btw.
Aug. 5th, 2011 08:52 am[Error: unknown template qotd]
Spanish: I speak this with a strange mix of dialects, unfortunately. I use some Catalan words accidentally, don't use the Castillian 'th' and often use Argentinian/Colombian words by mistake. (I tend to say 'linda' more than 'bonita') though I still use Castillian like coger el metro, to the amusement of some.
French: The language I learned as a child and probably the one I am most fluent in (if by fluent, we mean halfway competent). I don't have to keep studying it as with other languages - it's like my brain is just switched on when it comes to French. I can count in the language faster than Spanish and recall words or guess what a word would be more often. Dammit, this is why it's so important to learn a language when you're a child. I wish the UK would stop teaching people from eleven. We should be taught a foreign language at primary school.
Greek: Very basic. I know enough phrases to have a card game with the woman we often stay with in Zakynthos or to shout angrily at an Athenian restaurant owner ignoring me (ahem). I can read the Greek alphabet and, again, guess at meaning of words I don't know but I'm nowhere near competent in the language yet.
Russian: Basic. I took lessons in Russian back in 2007 as part of an adult learning class. I can ask for a cup of tea without milk, tell someone to stop, say I'm English and give directions. I can read the Russian alphabet. Thankfully, a lot of the words I need in Russian are very similar to French, so if you can read the alphabet, you can guess the word.
Italian: Basic. I have only ever learned holiday!Italian. I can read it relatively well, but that's only because of its similarity to Catalan. This is the language I'd really like to learn more.
Spanish: I speak this with a strange mix of dialects, unfortunately. I use some Catalan words accidentally, don't use the Castillian 'th' and often use Argentinian/Colombian words by mistake. (I tend to say 'linda' more than 'bonita') though I still use Castillian like coger el metro, to the amusement of some.
French: The language I learned as a child and probably the one I am most fluent in (if by fluent, we mean halfway competent). I don't have to keep studying it as with other languages - it's like my brain is just switched on when it comes to French. I can count in the language faster than Spanish and recall words or guess what a word would be more often. Dammit, this is why it's so important to learn a language when you're a child. I wish the UK would stop teaching people from eleven. We should be taught a foreign language at primary school.
Greek: Very basic. I know enough phrases to have a card game with the woman we often stay with in Zakynthos or to shout angrily at an Athenian restaurant owner ignoring me (ahem). I can read the Greek alphabet and, again, guess at meaning of words I don't know but I'm nowhere near competent in the language yet.
Russian: Basic. I took lessons in Russian back in 2007 as part of an adult learning class. I can ask for a cup of tea without milk, tell someone to stop, say I'm English and give directions. I can read the Russian alphabet. Thankfully, a lot of the words I need in Russian are very similar to French, so if you can read the alphabet, you can guess the word.
Italian: Basic. I have only ever learned holiday!Italian. I can read it relatively well, but that's only because of its similarity to Catalan. This is the language I'd really like to learn more.
Writer's Block: Subtitles please
Jul. 14th, 2011 07:06 pm[Error: unknown template qotd]
Do American films count as 'foreign' for me?
Anyway, favourite films not in English:
Amelie
La Haine
Pan's Labyrinth
Goodbye, Lenin!
Olivier, Olivier
M
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari*
L'Auberge Espagnole
Run Lola Run
Nightwatch/Daywatch
House of Flying Daggers
Europa Europa
Pandora's Box*
Little Otik
Rashomon
Let the Right One In
ETA: La Reine Margot
Little Otik is one of the craziest, most fun films I've ever seen. You should totally watch it. I'm also going to outmyself as a ~cultural philistine and say I prefer the American dub of Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle. Idek, Christian Bale is a good Howl for me.
*Lol silent
Do American films count as 'foreign' for me?
Anyway, favourite films not in English:
Amelie
La Haine
Pan's Labyrinth
Goodbye, Lenin!
Olivier, Olivier
M
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari*
L'Auberge Espagnole
Run Lola Run
Nightwatch/Daywatch
House of Flying Daggers
Europa Europa
Pandora's Box*
Little Otik
Rashomon
Let the Right One In
ETA: La Reine Margot
Little Otik is one of the craziest, most fun films I've ever seen. You should totally watch it. I'm also going to outmyself as a ~cultural philistine and say I prefer the American dub of Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle. Idek, Christian Bale is a good Howl for me.
*Lol silent
Writer's Block: No. 1 hits
Jul. 8th, 2011 12:31 am[Error: unknown template qotd]
I'm pretty sure we had this question not so long ago (or at least, a variation of it) but I'll play.
I can't decide on an absolute favourite, but those I adore are:
1. Eleanor Rigby, which makes me think of my city's history and my ancestors.
2. Hey Jude, which is so sad and hopeful at the same time (and makes me want to slap John Lennon).
3. Let it Be, which![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mothergoddamn told me was named after a Liverpool expression. I asked my mother about it and she said her own mother used to say it to her, so I like the whole maternal aspect of the song, the earthly mother and the allusion to the Virgin Mary. I listen to this if I'm far from home and feeling a little homesick. It always makes me feel comforted.
4. In My Life, which I find so beautiful in its deliberately understated way. I like the gentle emotion of it: I've loved many people in my life and known so many good souls, but you -- I love you just that bit more. I think it's one of the most perfect songs and it probably is my favourite Beatles song. On most days.
5. I Want to Hold Your Hand, though I dislike the fast version. I like sad, slow arrangements of this song. It destroys me. And yes, some of you will know to which cover in particular I'm referring.
I also reference Liverpool a couple of times in this post as if in some chest-beating state but... I never used to really like The Beatles. As I get older, they mean more to me. They speak of my family's history and the character of this city, the home to which I always return. They remind me of the older generations, my dad growing up in Wavertree and following this rising band. It's impossible to escape them if you live here, but then... why would you want to?
I'm pretty sure we had this question not so long ago (or at least, a variation of it) but I'll play.
I can't decide on an absolute favourite, but those I adore are:
1. Eleanor Rigby, which makes me think of my city's history and my ancestors.
2. Hey Jude, which is so sad and hopeful at the same time (and makes me want to slap John Lennon).
3. Let it Be, which
mothergoddamn told me was named after a Liverpool expression. I asked my mother about it and she said her own mother used to say it to her, so I like the whole maternal aspect of the song, the earthly mother and the allusion to the Virgin Mary. I listen to this if I'm far from home and feeling a little homesick. It always makes me feel comforted.4. In My Life, which I find so beautiful in its deliberately understated way. I like the gentle emotion of it: I've loved many people in my life and known so many good souls, but you -- I love you just that bit more. I think it's one of the most perfect songs and it probably is my favourite Beatles song. On most days.
5. I Want to Hold Your Hand, though I dislike the fast version. I like sad, slow arrangements of this song. It destroys me. And yes, some of you will know to which cover in particular I'm referring.
I also reference Liverpool a couple of times in this post as if in some chest-beating state but... I never used to really like The Beatles. As I get older, they mean more to me. They speak of my family's history and the character of this city, the home to which I always return. They remind me of the older generations, my dad growing up in Wavertree and following this rising band. It's impossible to escape them if you live here, but then... why would you want to?
Writer's Block: Let freedom ring
Jul. 4th, 2011 12:04 pm[Error: unknown template qotd]
What?
Caveat: I celebrated last year because I was in America for 4th of July and it was festive and fun to shake my fists at those uppity colonials a lot. But c'mon, eljay. C'mon!
What?
Caveat: I celebrated last year because I was in America for 4th of July and it was festive and fun to shake my fists at those uppity colonials a lot. But c'mon, eljay. C'mon!
Writer's Block: Part deux
Jul. 1st, 2011 12:06 pm[Error: unknown template qotd]
Terminator 2
Godfather Part II
Toy Story 2
Queen of the Damned*
*Possibly a great big lie.
Terminator 2
Godfather Part II
Toy Story 2
Queen of the Damned*
*Possibly a great big lie.
Writer's Block: See you on the other side
Jun. 20th, 2011 07:06 pm[Error: unknown template qotd]
Yes. Even if it was something horrible, something to fear for the rest of my life, I'd prefer knowing instead of what I currently do: agonising over 'what if' at 4am most mornings.
Yes. Even if it was something horrible, something to fear for the rest of my life, I'd prefer knowing instead of what I currently do: agonising over 'what if' at 4am most mornings.
Writer's Block: Fast-food TV
May. 27th, 2011 12:13 pm[Error: unknown template qotd]
I am writing Santana/Brit fic and I ~don't give a damn.
I have the writing bug of late and am working on that, two VC fics and Original Story. I don't know what's prompted this, but I hope it sticks around.
ETA: I last updated this journal on the 14th?! Need to stop failing. I'm always around this site but never seem to have anything to say. Bah.
I am writing Santana/Brit fic and I ~don't give a damn.
I have the writing bug of late and am working on that, two VC fics and Original Story. I don't know what's prompted this, but I hope it sticks around.
ETA: I last updated this journal on the 14th?! Need to stop failing. I'm always around this site but never seem to have anything to say. Bah.
Writer's Block: Free your mind
Jan. 17th, 2011 12:37 pm[Error: unknown template qotd]
Uh... no. Throughout history people have needed scapegoats for every little thing that befalls them and of course it's always the fault of someone slightly different when that happens, whether it's their race, gender, religion or nationality. We'd have to change such a fundementally awful thing about ourselves and I just don't ever see it happening.
Uh... no. Throughout history people have needed scapegoats for every little thing that befalls them and of course it's always the fault of someone slightly different when that happens, whether it's their race, gender, religion or nationality. We'd have to change such a fundementally awful thing about ourselves and I just don't ever see it happening.
Writer's Block: Everyday I write the book
Jan. 13th, 2011 02:01 pm[Error: unknown template qotd]
It Was a Bit of An Adventure, Wasn't It?
I feel all magnaminous and nostalgic today. Oh dear God, the wish to travel and do great things (like falling asleep in a drunken heap on La Rambla) is getting more and more powerful. Why do I always have to upset the apple cart? Will I ever be satisfied? Sources say: no!
But it's kind of exciting. :D
It Was a Bit of An Adventure, Wasn't It?
I feel all magnaminous and nostalgic today. Oh dear God, the wish to travel and do great things (like falling asleep in a drunken heap on La Rambla) is getting more and more powerful. Why do I always have to upset the apple cart? Will I ever be satisfied? Sources say: no!
But it's kind of exciting. :D
Writer's Block: Clash of the titans
Jan. 5th, 2011 01:49 pm[Error: unknown template qotd]
This is the greatest writer's block EVER. It's going to cause so much drama.
Anyway, I haven't really had an LJ conflict outside of anonymous communities. I've had a crazy conflict cross over into LJ, where ~dramatic chat logs~ were posted to prove how awful I am, or something. It makes me laugh that I was so upset by it at the time. I think LJ has hardened me to internet!conflict and there's nothing wrong with that.
There was also an amazing one on![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
bookfails where someone attacked me in CAPS for daring to venture an opinion on The Vampire Lestat when she is apparently the fandom matriarch, which was news to me. I come across her every now and again, screaming at some other hapless fandom member when They Get Facts (that she made up) Wrong. It's fantastic. :D
*Loves Livejournal*
This is the greatest writer's block EVER. It's going to cause so much drama.
Anyway, I haven't really had an LJ conflict outside of anonymous communities. I've had a crazy conflict cross over into LJ, where ~dramatic chat logs~ were posted to prove how awful I am, or something. It makes me laugh that I was so upset by it at the time. I think LJ has hardened me to internet!conflict and there's nothing wrong with that.
There was also an amazing one on
bookfails where someone attacked me in CAPS for daring to venture an opinion on The Vampire Lestat when she is apparently the fandom matriarch, which was news to me. I come across her every now and again, screaming at some other hapless fandom member when They Get Facts (that she made up) Wrong. It's fantastic. :D *Loves Livejournal*
Which song by The Beatles is your favourite, and why?
Really strange. This question shows as The Beatles on my flist and everyone is answering it, but when I click on it to reply it switches to some stupid boring life motto one. Whatevs, I'm answering the Beatles question.
My gut reaction is Hey Jude. I just love how beautiful it sounds, McCartney's voice and the sad cheer of the lyrics. Also-rans:
In My Life - such tender, understated lyrics.
Eleanor Rigby - whenever I'm abroad, this is the only song that really, really makes me miss Liverpool.
Really strange. This question shows as The Beatles on my flist and everyone is answering it, but when I click on it to reply it switches to some stupid boring life motto one. Whatevs, I'm answering the Beatles question.
My gut reaction is Hey Jude. I just love how beautiful it sounds, McCartney's voice and the sad cheer of the lyrics. Also-rans:
In My Life - such tender, understated lyrics.
Eleanor Rigby - whenever I'm abroad, this is the only song that really, really makes me miss Liverpool.
Writer's Block: Cool places
Nov. 24th, 2010 01:24 am[Error: unknown template qotd]
There are so many places I love. According to my TripAdvisor map, I've been to over 220 cities and major towns and it's tough to choose amongst them. I'ma do a top ten countdown:
10. Edinburgh
My mother's side of the family can be traced back to Edinburgh and its surrounding area up until the late 1500s. That Gothic, spirited city is in my very blood.
9. Venice
Because it's eerie and beautiful and like attending a party long after the crowd have gone home. Even all that tourism and the lack of Venetians in those palazzos these days cannot take away from the sheer beauty of La Serenissima.
8. Baden-Baden
I wish I had scanned in my photos from this beautiful German town. It's lush and green, with all these spas and gentle cafes where old folk dance. It's like going back in time to some idyll. Absolutely lovely place.
7. Rome/Messina
I have hated Rome for a long time due to being robbed back in 2006, but my ex-flatmate persuaded me to go back. And I'm glad I did; the food was amazing, the sights astounding and sitting on that rooftop terrace as the sun set over the church of St. Francis of Assisi next door, the church bells tolling away, is one of the defining moments of my life. I hope I experience that feeling again, because it was heaven,
Messina was a port we visited in Sicily and which I kind of lump together with Rome. I dunno why. It had the friendliest people and the best coffee, so on this list it goes.
6. Tokyo
So my camera charger died on me in Japan and I had to buy some crappy disposable camera to record Tokyo. And, predictably, I have not got it developed yet. Have a picture of somewhere else in Japan instead:
Disclaimer: I don't take great photos.
Anyway, Tokyo is huge and sprawling, just so busy, busy, busy with all these sights and smells and sounds, fascinating and diverting during the day, a neon wonderland of a night. And I stayed at this dirt-cheap hotel (£15 a night for an en-suite room) where I got free miso soup, tea, coffee, all this awesome bathroom stuff and access to the communal spa. I love you, Tokyo.
5. Colmar
An Alsatian town I enjoyed in summer and could've wept at in winter: it's like the very essence of Christmas, being there with all those little markets, the lights and the bells, the smell of mulled wine in the air. My mum did cry at its beauty and spirituality.
4. Barcelona
A city that alternately charms and frustrates. It's chaotic, noisy, polluted, expensive. It's fascinating, colourful, alive and will still shock you after years. This city will always be a second home to me. I met so many fantastic people there, had so many experiences that shaped me as a person. I lazed in the sun, I staggered drunkenly down Las Ramblas, I watched the Tour de France go past on a rainy day, the Three Kings sailing into port to give children presents, naked joggers. I love you, Barcelona. I'll weep if I think about you too much. <3
I love you all. ;~;
3. New Orleans
I debated long and hard over number three - Paris or New Orleans? Paris just edged out New Orleans, but it was a struggle. I've never seen any place like NOLA! It's like nowhere else (I've visited) in America. It's like so many countries rolled into one. It's beautiful, dainty and dirty at the same time. The people charmed the hell out of me. The heat was wretched, the city charismatic and like some dream you awaken from and are all, 'wtf was that about?' I have to go back.
2. Paris
It draws me back time and time again. It's my first love. It's beautiful on such a grand scale. It has the best bloody history, the craziest stories, all the best dead people (you can while away an entire day in Pere-Lachaise), great food, frustrating metro system, annoying tourist hawkers, sexy gents, opulent fashion houses, half the world's plundered art and the settings for 10,000 great films. See Paris and die? See Paris and come back and back and back.
1. Sarajevo
Many people would, I suspect, hate Sarajevo for the same reasons I love it: it's battle-scarred, with bullet holes still adorning many buildings. The great library, gutted by fire from Serbian fighters, still stands bare with an angry plaque outside urging people not to forget. The hills are sad testimony to what happened in the nineties: scores of graveyards bearing the date of death as 1992 and areas where you can't walk for fear of landmines.
I don't know why my arsehole ex-friend wanted to go there and I was tempted time and time again to cancel the trip altogether, but I am so glad I didn't. To most Europeans (and, I suspect, most of the world), Bosnia is seen as a hellhole, this backward place still bearing the scars of war.
And it does. But it bears them wisely. The same people who lost family in that conflict work hard to seal over the cracks. Literally. They are the kindest, humblest, most humbling people I have ever met. They are crying out for tourism to help them rebuild and to give Sarajevo self-esteem. And why not? It's a beautiful city with so much history, so many great restaurants, museums, churches, pubs, cultural centres... I hope it goes from strength to strength.
There are so many places I love. According to my TripAdvisor map, I've been to over 220 cities and major towns and it's tough to choose amongst them. I'ma do a top ten countdown:
10. Edinburgh
My mother's side of the family can be traced back to Edinburgh and its surrounding area up until the late 1500s. That Gothic, spirited city is in my very blood.
9. Venice
Because it's eerie and beautiful and like attending a party long after the crowd have gone home. Even all that tourism and the lack of Venetians in those palazzos these days cannot take away from the sheer beauty of La Serenissima.
8. Baden-Baden
I wish I had scanned in my photos from this beautiful German town. It's lush and green, with all these spas and gentle cafes where old folk dance. It's like going back in time to some idyll. Absolutely lovely place.
7. Rome/Messina
I have hated Rome for a long time due to being robbed back in 2006, but my ex-flatmate persuaded me to go back. And I'm glad I did; the food was amazing, the sights astounding and sitting on that rooftop terrace as the sun set over the church of St. Francis of Assisi next door, the church bells tolling away, is one of the defining moments of my life. I hope I experience that feeling again, because it was heaven,
Messina was a port we visited in Sicily and which I kind of lump together with Rome. I dunno why. It had the friendliest people and the best coffee, so on this list it goes.
6. Tokyo
So my camera charger died on me in Japan and I had to buy some crappy disposable camera to record Tokyo. And, predictably, I have not got it developed yet. Have a picture of somewhere else in Japan instead:
Disclaimer: I don't take great photos.
Anyway, Tokyo is huge and sprawling, just so busy, busy, busy with all these sights and smells and sounds, fascinating and diverting during the day, a neon wonderland of a night. And I stayed at this dirt-cheap hotel (£15 a night for an en-suite room) where I got free miso soup, tea, coffee, all this awesome bathroom stuff and access to the communal spa. I love you, Tokyo.
5. Colmar
An Alsatian town I enjoyed in summer and could've wept at in winter: it's like the very essence of Christmas, being there with all those little markets, the lights and the bells, the smell of mulled wine in the air. My mum did cry at its beauty and spirituality.
4. Barcelona
A city that alternately charms and frustrates. It's chaotic, noisy, polluted, expensive. It's fascinating, colourful, alive and will still shock you after years. This city will always be a second home to me. I met so many fantastic people there, had so many experiences that shaped me as a person. I lazed in the sun, I staggered drunkenly down Las Ramblas, I watched the Tour de France go past on a rainy day, the Three Kings sailing into port to give children presents, naked joggers. I love you, Barcelona. I'll weep if I think about you too much. <3
I love you all. ;~;
3. New Orleans
I debated long and hard over number three - Paris or New Orleans? Paris just edged out New Orleans, but it was a struggle. I've never seen any place like NOLA! It's like nowhere else (I've visited) in America. It's like so many countries rolled into one. It's beautiful, dainty and dirty at the same time. The people charmed the hell out of me. The heat was wretched, the city charismatic and like some dream you awaken from and are all, 'wtf was that about?' I have to go back.
2. Paris
It draws me back time and time again. It's my first love. It's beautiful on such a grand scale. It has the best bloody history, the craziest stories, all the best dead people (you can while away an entire day in Pere-Lachaise), great food, frustrating metro system, annoying tourist hawkers, sexy gents, opulent fashion houses, half the world's plundered art and the settings for 10,000 great films. See Paris and die? See Paris and come back and back and back.
1. Sarajevo
Many people would, I suspect, hate Sarajevo for the same reasons I love it: it's battle-scarred, with bullet holes still adorning many buildings. The great library, gutted by fire from Serbian fighters, still stands bare with an angry plaque outside urging people not to forget. The hills are sad testimony to what happened in the nineties: scores of graveyards bearing the date of death as 1992 and areas where you can't walk for fear of landmines.
I don't know why my arsehole ex-friend wanted to go there and I was tempted time and time again to cancel the trip altogether, but I am so glad I didn't. To most Europeans (and, I suspect, most of the world), Bosnia is seen as a hellhole, this backward place still bearing the scars of war.
And it does. But it bears them wisely. The same people who lost family in that conflict work hard to seal over the cracks. Literally. They are the kindest, humblest, most humbling people I have ever met. They are crying out for tourism to help them rebuild and to give Sarajevo self-esteem. And why not? It's a beautiful city with so much history, so many great restaurants, museums, churches, pubs, cultural centres... I hope it goes from strength to strength.
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The French Revolution, 1790s
Absolutely every appalling, terrible thing about it. The march on Versailles, the guillotine, the arrest of Robespierre. Such brilliant, bloody, awful history which changed so much in Europe and the rest of the world.
Gavrilo Princip assassinating Archduke Ferdinand, 28 June 1914
This would make one of those great TV movies where you stop a dramatic event happening and history gets all messed-up. Could I just stand there and watch Princip shoot? Or would I knock that sandwich out of his hand and give him a smack to the face for all of Europe? Ooh.
The Christmas Truce, Christmas Day, 1914
This is one of the saddest and most poignant events, to me, in history. On Christmas Day, 1914, various troops along the Western Front (British, French and German) called a truce. They sang carols and played football with the same people who had been shooting at them hours before. It makes me tear up, even now, to think of honest, ordinary men caught up in this stupid war showing humanity at such a time.
The bombing of Hiroshima, 6th August 1945
No, no, wait. I don't mean in a gloating way. This is another fantasy where somehow history changes and some people are warned and escape before Enola Gay releases that terrible weapon. And obvs. I don't mean I'd want to be at the epicentre.
The discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, 1922
Imagine seeing that tomb opened up for the first time in thousands of years. Just imagine it.
The French Revolution, 1790s
Absolutely every appalling, terrible thing about it. The march on Versailles, the guillotine, the arrest of Robespierre. Such brilliant, bloody, awful history which changed so much in Europe and the rest of the world.
Gavrilo Princip assassinating Archduke Ferdinand, 28 June 1914
This would make one of those great TV movies where you stop a dramatic event happening and history gets all messed-up. Could I just stand there and watch Princip shoot? Or would I knock that sandwich out of his hand and give him a smack to the face for all of Europe? Ooh.
The Christmas Truce, Christmas Day, 1914
This is one of the saddest and most poignant events, to me, in history. On Christmas Day, 1914, various troops along the Western Front (British, French and German) called a truce. They sang carols and played football with the same people who had been shooting at them hours before. It makes me tear up, even now, to think of honest, ordinary men caught up in this stupid war showing humanity at such a time.
The bombing of Hiroshima, 6th August 1945
No, no, wait. I don't mean in a gloating way. This is another fantasy where somehow history changes and some people are warned and escape before Enola Gay releases that terrible weapon. And obvs. I don't mean I'd want to be at the epicentre.
The discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, 1922
Imagine seeing that tomb opened up for the first time in thousands of years. Just imagine it.
Writer's Block: Long ago and far away
Jul. 28th, 2010 10:21 am[Error: unknown template qotd]
I always think Georgian times would be deeply fascinating, but the reality of life then wouldn't be pleasant. You know how they cured toothache? By sticking a hot needle into the ear. Lovely!
I often imagine what it would be like to live in different times and how I'd be, but for all its many, many faults, the modern age has given me so much opportunity that I'm grateful for it. I also imagine how life would be if I had grown up in different countries. I think I would have been happier in France, Greece or America... then again, I may not. Who knows?
I just daydream and learn about history and travel to other countries for their culture, aided by modern facilities and the monetary, linguistic and geographical benefits of this small island. It's a good compromise.
I always think Georgian times would be deeply fascinating, but the reality of life then wouldn't be pleasant. You know how they cured toothache? By sticking a hot needle into the ear. Lovely!
I often imagine what it would be like to live in different times and how I'd be, but for all its many, many faults, the modern age has given me so much opportunity that I'm grateful for it. I also imagine how life would be if I had grown up in different countries. I think I would have been happier in France, Greece or America... then again, I may not. Who knows?
I just daydream and learn about history and travel to other countries for their culture, aided by modern facilities and the monetary, linguistic and geographical benefits of this small island. It's a good compromise.
