Thursday, December 25, 2003
Christmas Rapping
(excuses for the cheesy pun of a title... but it makes perfect sense, I promise - stick with me here....)
So, if someone in a decade had to ask me - "Jonathan, what's your strongest memory of Christmas in Chicago?" - I now have my very definate answer:
underground rap.
more of which shortly... in the meantime I have some pressing issues with the home of KFC.... mmmmm :)
So, if someone in a decade had to ask me - "Jonathan, what's your strongest memory of Christmas in Chicago?" - I now have my very definate answer:
underground rap.
more of which shortly... in the meantime I have some pressing issues with the home of KFC.... mmmmm :)
Tuesday, December 23, 2003
After the show's over
So this past week has been spent running around backstage for the CSO Christmas Show, which is a high octane, affair. Hugely enjoyable for the most part, and even the ever-such-sincere-smiles-on-stage kids are bearable for their energy and enthusiasm.
It's just all a bit odd now that it's over.
I'm sitting here in the office, the last to go home as I'm the one who has to tidy up all the loose ends, and well, I'm not quite sure how to feel.
lonely I guess.
but then, it *is* Christmas - a fine time for feeling particularly alone when you're not at home - and as much as I enjoy living over here, I'm realising that home is still England for me.
So, Mum, Dad, Susie, Sarah - And the rest of you all who I don't tell nearly as often as I should how much I miss you and appreciate you - Happy Christmas.
I miss you guys.
Thursday, December 18, 2003
The AmericaniZation of Jonathan
"Can you say 'Doctor' in an American accent then Jonathan?"
"but of course" ( I say, confidently...)
"dahhhhhhktuuuurrrrr"
"no, no, less on the 'tor'"
"Daaaaahhhhktu"
"you're just not getting it, are you?"
"Oh I give up. this American is all just out-dated English anyways"
"ha, yeah, Shakesperean English"
"ahhh, Shakespeare - you know he and I were both born in Warwickshire don't you?"
"Warw....i....??? huh?"
"in the middle of England"
"oh, you mean near London?"
"nope, in English terms, nowhere near London - but then, we don't have to drive for 3 hours just to get to the next petrol station"
"petrol?"
"GAS you fool, petrol equalls gas"
"ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, that's so cute"
"yes, you mean in the same way that 'jumper', 'queue', 'weekend' and the way I say 'Daahhktur' are cute?!"
"no, no, it's 'Daahhktur'!"
"that's what I just said"
"you need more on the 'turrrr'"
"oh I give up. It's not like I can afford a doctor in this country anway"
"but of course" ( I say, confidently...)
"dahhhhhhktuuuurrrrr"
"no, no, less on the 'tor'"
"Daaaaahhhhktu"
"you're just not getting it, are you?"
"Oh I give up. this American is all just out-dated English anyways"
"ha, yeah, Shakesperean English"
"ahhh, Shakespeare - you know he and I were both born in Warwickshire don't you?"
"Warw....i....??? huh?"
"in the middle of England"
"oh, you mean near London?"
"nope, in English terms, nowhere near London - but then, we don't have to drive for 3 hours just to get to the next petrol station"
"petrol?"
"GAS you fool, petrol equalls gas"
"ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, that's so cute"
"yes, you mean in the same way that 'jumper', 'queue', 'weekend' and the way I say 'Daahhktur' are cute?!"
"no, no, it's 'Daahhktur'!"
"that's what I just said"
"you need more on the 'turrrr'"
"oh I give up. It's not like I can afford a doctor in this country anway"
Ring Cycles
Can't quite imagine where the last two weeks have escaped to. Somewhere in the anals of my memory now, though seemingly a long way off. And Christmas 2003 is just one week away.
and of course, this means but one thing, as Sharon puts it:
"JJaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay, we MUST see it"
the 'it' being Frodo concluding his epic adventure and Aragorn and Legolas fixing themselves in people's minds as the hot-property of the season, and Gandalf whacking out some mean kung-fu-wizards-staff action and most of all, Gollum doing that schyzophrenic thing he does so well...
so there we were, Sharon, her sister, her gay friend and I, packed into the rowdy cinema somwhere in the middle of 'NowhereVille' Chicago with 1,000 other nutters, at the first showing of LOTR - The Return of the King - Midnight, Tuesday (Wednesday December 17). I want to remember that date, that time. Because I can then say, "I was there". With all them there devotees who dressed up. But in the end it didn't matter what anyone was wearing - we all emerge from the cinema three hours later, a little bleary-eyed from discreet crying, sore-throated from all the cheering and drained from all the tension - and we'd all been on the same journey.
At this moment I think back to two years ago. To #45 Upper Belgrave Road. And to Soph and I prancing around her room pretending to be Aragorn, or Frodo. The three films have done more than provide an impressive cinematic trilogy for me, they've provided a thread of continuity whilst seemingly everything else changes...
and of course, this means but one thing, as Sharon puts it:
"JJaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay, we MUST see it"
the 'it' being Frodo concluding his epic adventure and Aragorn and Legolas fixing themselves in people's minds as the hot-property of the season, and Gandalf whacking out some mean kung-fu-wizards-staff action and most of all, Gollum doing that schyzophrenic thing he does so well...
so there we were, Sharon, her sister, her gay friend and I, packed into the rowdy cinema somwhere in the middle of 'NowhereVille' Chicago with 1,000 other nutters, at the first showing of LOTR - The Return of the King - Midnight, Tuesday (Wednesday December 17). I want to remember that date, that time. Because I can then say, "I was there". With all them there devotees who dressed up. But in the end it didn't matter what anyone was wearing - we all emerge from the cinema three hours later, a little bleary-eyed from discreet crying, sore-throated from all the cheering and drained from all the tension - and we'd all been on the same journey.
At this moment I think back to two years ago. To #45 Upper Belgrave Road. And to Soph and I prancing around her room pretending to be Aragorn, or Frodo. The three films have done more than provide an impressive cinematic trilogy for me, they've provided a thread of continuity whilst seemingly everything else changes...
Tuesday, December 02, 2003
let it snow
I love it. Chicago does snow really well.
it also does thanksgiving really well...
in fact, I'm rather taken with the festivities over here (be they commercially driven or not), and have even compromised my Britishness by fully getting into this Thanksgiving malarky, which I'm certain has some anti-colonial-power connotations...
the best bit? The gigantic Kermit the Frog inflatable floating down on the State Street Parade... mhmmm that rocked.
