belgianwaffle

Reading etc.

LRB personals


Posted in: Reading etc.

They just keep coming.  Fortnightly.  This fortnight’s offering:

“Had an accident at work that wasn’t your fault?  My god I love you.  Junior lawyer (M, 62) seeks winnable case/easy sex.  Box no. 10/13”

Comments
belgianwaffle

on 29 May 2004 at 09:04

Hard to know. I tried to look at your site but it’s too hard to read in that blue on that backgrd (moan, groan, grizzle, whinge). Do something for the elderly, change your colour scheme. V. much liked your “if you can read this, it must be downloading v. slowly” thing.

First world joys and woes


Posted in: Family, Reading etc.

On Friday, Mr Waffle recovered from his life threatening sore throat and we went to Beloeil. It was lovely. We had the place to ourselves and the Princess could crawl at will over the Aubusson carpets. She also made a spirited effort to crawl into a number of the water features in the extensive grounds. In a further burst of energy, Saturday saw us heading off to Lille. We had a lovely lunch where the Princess was surrounded by adoring waitresses who entertained her, heated her lunch and ran down the street after her with the various soft toys which she had left strewn on their restaurant floor. After this excitement she, very obligingly, fell asleep allowing her parents an opportunity to admire the glories of Lille in peace. And finally, just as we reached our car it started to rain, having been beautifully fine up to then. Two perfect days- it just couldn’t last.

Saturday night we bought tickets for a lateish cinema showing and went to dinner. The film started at 9.40 and we only arrived at 9.45. The ever punctual (except when he’s with me) Mr. Waffle was tense. “Don’t worry, we’ll only miss trailers” I said. The film had started. It was the new Almodovar flick. We knew we were in the right film because there were Spanish speaking transvestites on screen. But the reviews I had read said it was about catholic schoolboys. Confusing. It was good but hard to follow. Obviously missing the first five minutes had made all the difference. After half an hour, it ended. I whispered to Mr. Waffle “see, I was right, it hadn’t started, that was obviously a short”. “Well then why is everyone leaving?” he hissed. It appears that we had inadvertently bought tickets for the 8.20 showing and when we arrived at 9.40 the idiot usher had sent us to that rather than the later showing. Suggestions that there are other idiots involved are unhelpful at this juncture. So, here we were. I was all gung ho to go to the 9.40 version but Mr. Waffle wouldn’t go “we’ve missed the first half hour, we’ve seen the last half hour and I’m not going for the half hour in the middle.” I seethed with impotent rage but I was forced to concede that he had a point.

We arrived home and I was still seething. It was my turn to drive the babysitter home and her innocent question as to how we enjoyed the film was met with a full description of our woes. When I had finished, I drew breath and asked how things were with her.

“Not so good. I was supposed to go to the Philippines for a month in June but now two of my employers won’t give me time off”

She is a middle aged lady with a husband and two teenage children in the Philippines. She works for three different families in Brussels and has been here 18 years. She has only seen her children once or twice a year since they were small. She hasn’t been home since Christmas.

“That’s terrible” I said.

“Yes,” she said “and it’s my 50th birthday on June 6 and my 25th wedding anniversary on June 24th and we had lots of things planned. I have to ring my husband tomorrow to tell him I can’t come.”

“Could he come to visit you here?”

“No, he can’t get a visa.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“This is my life.”

I came home to a sleeping husband and baby a chastened woman. Lucky me.

Comments
mamothingson 24 May 2004 at 22:44

That happens to immigrants the world over I suppose. A recent case of nanny-abuse is hitting the headlines over here. What a life!

jackdaltonon 25 May 2004 at 01:28

Know what you mean, ‘waffle…Is trom cearc i bhfad… 😉

belgianwaffleon 25 May 2004 at 21:22

On the missed film front, I thought you might like to know that “Lost in Translation” has finally come out on video.

LRB personals


Posted in: Reading etc.

And this week’s winner from the personal ads is:

“Don’t reply to this ad. There isn’t enough of me for you all, and it can only end in heartbreak. Gorgeous, well-educated, well-hung man (35) waiting here for all the pretty ladies to 25 to tango into bed with me. All you have to do is get through this bald, gnomic, flatulent 67 year old exterior and the night will be ours. No refunds. Box no.09/07”

In fact, there are a range of excellent candidates but I can’t be bothered retyping the longer ones. You’d think that they’d restrain themselves as it’s 70p per word, but no.

I offer this short one as well:

“Please send me money. And pictures of yourself naked. And cigarettes. Lifer. Box no. 09/08.”

This edition also contains a piece on Israeli-Palestinian relations by Ilan Pappe who is the head of the Emil Touma Institute for Palestine Studies in Israel. Now, there’s a challenging position.

Noi Albinoi


Posted in: Reading etc.

This Icelandic film is described as bleakly funny.  It is not bleakly funny, it is bleakly bleak.  Most of the film is spent establishing how bored and miserable our hero is. The director masterfully conveys just how little there is to do in a small town in Iceland in Winter. The five minute shot of a fly climbing up a wall is a highlight here. The film ends with all of the characters who have speaking parts (other than our hero) being wiped out by an avalanche. Fun stuff.

“The Amateur Marriage” by Anne Tyler


Posted in: Reading etc.

Just finished this. Very good. Took a while to get into but worth the effort. It had been sitting on my bedside table for some time saying “I’m a hardback and a birthday present, are you ever going to read me?”Am now looking at the remainder of my bedside pile with some alarm; it is somewhat worthy. Which of the following should I tackle:

“The Bridge over the Drina” by Ivo Andric

“Le Bébé” by Marie Darrieussecq (in French please note, a pressie from the French mama)

“The Blindfold” by Siri Hustvedt (I know that I thought that “What I loved” was brilliant but this is from her back catalogue, suppose it’s disappointing)

“No Vague Utopia” by Emily Cullen (a book of poetry, ok maybe not for reading cover to cover at a sitting).

“Guns, germs and steel” by Jared Diamond (this is very good, but you need to stick with it and every time I get about 100 pages in I abandon for a couple of months and have to start all over again and, to be honest, I’m getting a little tired of the first 100 pages.)

Maybe I’ll just leave them all fester a little longer and reread “Pride and Prejudice”.

Comments
Wow, Jack, two minds with but a single thought between them (conveys, I feel a subtle difference to two minds with but a single thought), see my comment in your Cher thingy. Might buy Shade but as discussed am a little dubious. Thing it might end up stockpiled.
on 11 May 2004 at 15:29

Eh? 15 what? 0
Sweetie(s) given ���

jackdalton

on 11 May 2004 at 15:31

Andy Warholics….
God, some people don’t even read their own postings…
😛 0 Sweetie(s) given

belgianwaffle

on 11 May 2004 at 15:39

Well, I’m a busy person. I see, Andy Warhol, 15 mins etc. Yes, please do be one of my 15 people. I don’t think that I’ve actually made it to 15 yet so you’re getting in on the ground floor. Furthermore, I think that you are the ONLY person who reads this part of my weblog and, as such, you certainly deserve to be one of my 15.. 0
Sweetie(s) given

on 11 May 2004 at 15:45

Ahh, you’re nice.
You confused me, by the way. That was my Guts & Tripe posting, not my Cher one… 0
Sweetie(s) given

belgianwaffle

on 11 May 2004 at 15:52

Oh dear, well, there you go, as discussed previously, motherhood melts the mind, speaking of which, I should log off and bond with my baby.

Who would have thought Code 46 would be so dreadful?


Posted in: Reading etc.

Just polished off “Running with Scissors” by Augusten Burroughs.  Entertaining description of, frankly horrific, childhood.  Does not, however, entirely live up to the hype.

Last night saw the flic “In this World” absolutely brilliant, but very, very harrowing story of two refugees trying to make their way from Peshawar in Pakistan to London.  Really excellent though director’s social conscience can be a bit trying when he does voice overs.  This is, however, a minor quibble.  You have to get it out on video/DVD.  Suspect this will not be a problem as it is not exactly top of anyone’s list for an evening in (only got it myself because the rom com I wanted was unavailable).  Do see it, it’s fab.

Comments
belgianwaffle

on 13 May 2004 at 13:42

Yes, a bit depressing alright, but still very, very good. You see, I am NOT difficult to please!