There's a bear in there...I can liken the week I've had so far to something you would find behind the 'square window' on Play School.
MondayLongish day at work, no major events worth writing home about. As I left work my boss, Ian, mentioned that the next two days were going to be f*in hell. He and the Marketing Director, Kieran, were off to LA on Thursday and we had a mammoth release strategy presentation (arrrrrggghhh I hate powerpoint...) to prepare for The History Boys - a British movie based on the play of the same name, starring the original cast of the play, which is currently on Broadway. I reminded him I'm a little aussie battler and to not worry as I was there to help and I'd be in early the next day to get started.
TuesdayAwoke at 6.30am and stumbled down to the shower to prepare for the early start. As I came down my flat mate's girlfriend, Hannah, came out of the bathroom and told me there was no water... Went down to the kitchen to check the taps - nothing... But it did sound really windy so I looked outside and found our tiny front courtyard (which sits below street level) was about 20cm deep in water!!! Opened the laundry door and it was teaming in through the wall there too.
We woke up the entire house and I had the duty of pushing the leaves off the drain to try and get rid of some of the water, Craig is on the phone to the real estate 'emergency' number, then both boys end up in the water trying to figure out what's wrong. The mains had burst under the sidewalk (which is next to our courtyard) and there was nothing we could do about it!
Due to the busy day I had to prepare for, I found half of a 1 litre water bottle in my room which I had to use to brush my teeth and 'shower'. Somehow managed to get to work on time leaving my poor housemates to take it in shifts staying home all day until the pipe was repaired at 5.30pm.
Had a ballbreaking day trying to deal with powerpoint and didn't leave work until 9pm - you can imagine how hideous I felt without showering.
WednesdayMade it into work early again, clean and refreshed this time, I can't really describe this day except I worked extremely hard for many hours and ended up getting sent home in a luxury car at 10pm. I vaguely remember walking up the stairs and falling in to bed - and fell asleep mid text message (sorry dude with the hat!). Darned proud of what I helped work on though. For someone that has never really used powerpoint before - putting together a 65 page presentation plus an appendix of 17 pages - it really is something to be proud of. With a Managing Director and Marketing Director looking over your shoulder all day and changing their mind about 50,000,039 times...
Thursday...so far...I described the bus to work this morning as a
veritable circus.
There was a guy with two screaming kids asking where their Mummy was - the guy said she's gone mad and has gone away for a while.
There was a try-hard model type trying to sweet talk this wicked rasta London Transport guy out of a ticket for not having a valid Oyster card (pre-paid travel card) - he took great pleasure in asking her to stop batting her fake eyelashes and take the ticket.
There was also the horseiest looking girl I'd ever seen with the largest plum in her mouth - talking to Mother really loudly on her mobile handsfree (so she looked like she was putting on a stage show if you couldn't see the ear that had the headphone in it), whining and carrying on about how terrible this or that was and what a tragedy that some event had been cancelled. And that she hoped from a previous event held in her honour that some of her friends would be decent enough to have extra prints made of photos taken - and forward them to her... As if you'd want a reminder of how much you look like Mr Ed!
If I hadn't been so tired after the rest of the week - I may have laughed at loud, instead all I could do was look at them all in amazement.
*****after writing this I went to a screening of The History Boys, after working so hard on the presentation I was dying to see it*****
There are some films you can watch and enjoy and not give a second thought to. And then there are some that will move you so much you know you will be pondering them for a long time to come. The History Boys, for me, is definitely the latter.
To set the scene, I'm extremely tired today and it is a very overcast outside - definitely the coolest day we've had in a long time. After a busy start to the morning it slowed off long enough for me to start today's blog entry which always results in me feeling somewhat reflective.
Headed off to the theatre downstairs and settled back in one of the plush leather seats with my bottle of Evian. Two hours later I emerged having laughed, shed a few tears and been incredibly touched by the story that had just unveiled before me. The dialogue (which if you see the play, read the script or watch the film will know really is a horrible 'word'!) is incredibly clever and I just wish my memory bank could have stored and catalogued the brilliance in a little accessible filing cabinet in my brain - ready to bust out at any given time.
The first thing I am doing after work is going to Foyles and purchasing a copy of the play script which is currently available in paperback. In conjunction with the film release they are going to launch a book of the film script complete with Alan Bennett's (the writer) notes. Can't wait to get that either - hoping a copy might swing my way at work.
The performances in the film are incredibly unique and theatrical, you grow to love each and every one of the characters. It is not a pretty film, the subject matters would be shunned or laughed at by many - but I truly loved it and cannot wait to see the play when it comes back to London.
The time is now 3.47pm and I suppose I should do some work...
Until next time xx
