2009 begins

[chickenfeet]

We didn't do anything for New Year's Eve. It's freezing here so we just retired early with the Guardian crossword and a book. I'm reading The Happy Isles of Oceania by Paul Theroux. It's classic Theroux. He goes to lots of exotic places and decides that they totally suck. Honestly, he makes Marvin the Paranoid Android look like Little Miss Sunshine. This morning I was reading about his time in Marquesas where, inter alia, he gave a Kiri Te Kanawa cassette to a local woman. I thought "I have that tape" so I put it on. It's so quaint. One has to play the tracks in order and turn the tape over in the middle! Great album though (Kiri - A Portrait)

Dawn over the Leslie Street Spit was rather lovely this morning though I was glad I was watching it from inside. We are going out for dim sum later. This could be a challenge as yesterday, on account of ankle playing up, I could barely walk. It's still quite sore today.

Comments

[fearsclave.livejournal.com]

I don't suppose you've read The Great Railway Bazaar? The bitching starts as Theroux is riding through the suburbs of London and continues across Asia and back through Siberia again. He almost makes travelling across Eurasia by train sound like no fun at all.

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

I have read TGRB. Also Dark Star Safari in which Africa is not only awful but also more awful than last time he was there. Also The Kingdom By The Sea where he manages to unearth all that is most awful about the UK in a few short weeks. I should hate to be anywhere near the man. He must be an extraordinary focus of negativity.

[fearsclave.livejournal.com]

Hee! Either that, or he's a charming, light-spirited, pleasant individual who saves his whinge for his writing.

I really should try to find some more Theroux. It's been years.