What I needed to hear
I have been a slow reader for a few years now. It's just life that gets in the way, isn't it. I would sit down with a book, and within 5 minutes I need to go to the bathroom, then notice I hadn't finished doing my dishes, the cat wants to crawl on my tummy. I'm lucky if I'm reading an e-book when the cat comes, there's at least some chance of multitasking. If it's a print edition - no way. And I was struggling, it felt like I was missing out on reading.
But then I thought, I'd give audiobooks a go. I had noticed it was mentioned more and more in the media and socials. And I really wanted to read Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club.
I had tried audiobooks a long time ago and had found that I drift off in my own thoughts and then I can't even remember where I left off. But this time, I guess for a good audiobook two factors have to be good - the story and the narrator. If one is missing, we're back to the drifting off.
The Thursday Murder Club is narrated by Lesley Manville. She is perfect for this book. She embodies the characters so well, giving them all the layers and tones. Instead of drifting off in my thoughts, I find myself listening to the book whilst doing my dishes, and in my head I'm walking with Joyce through a Kent village. Or sitting in a room with Elizabeth, eating cake and drinking tea. It does help, I think, that I also have been to Kent, and I have actually lived for a very short time, but still, in a small English village. I know the situation with the buses and I remember the high street shop settings.
I hadn't expected to giggle so much in a murder book, and feel so uplifted by the twists and turns wherever they took the characters. The realistic relationships and the tenderness that embodies the understanding of tragedies and the reactions to those. I didn't expect to have a little laugh or to get sympathetically sad whilst sitting on a tram with my headphones on whilst the characters are going through a new discovery of events.
And then came the biggest surprise of them all! The audiobook has a little interview with Richard Osman at the end of it. He talks about the inspirations for characters, admits to some form of his own life in them. He talks about himself as a reader and says things about not believing in good writing from people who don't read. The way he speaks about his characters, it's so endearing and so real. And somewhere in that interview it struck me.
I always have been a poet. Since I was a teenager. A poet who writes poems, some based on my life, some based on observations, some inspired by politics or current events.
But I have always carried a prose story inside me. For at least 10 years now, maybe more. Every time I had tried to write it, it had turned out just total shit, and I'd leave it be for another few years. But listening to the open and enthusiastic way that Osman talks about his characters, how they almost help him write his books, I realised that I had been going on about my story the wrong way around. I had been trying to write about the characters in my head, not writing the characters that live in my head on paper. Listening to what they say and how they feel. What would they do. How would they react. And I knew that is what I needed to do as well. If I get stuck, I'd just ask one of my characters to explain it. My first draft is slowly, but coming together. As Terry Pratchett had said: "The first draft is you telling the story to yourself", and I am finally ready to listen.
(Yes, I know, I know, this is not the Book3 Project that I've been hyping lately. But as the Book3 Project is mostly written already, it's going through the finding the design, the building of its own website, all the magical things that my designer does to make it real, I have some time on my hands to immerse in new writing.)
So, be brave and give Richard Osman's book a chance!
And keep an eye out for the new and amazingly different Book3 Project coming to all your screens soon enough.
Add a commentSolving mysteries
Sometimes the weird hip pain that won't let me sleep has nothing to do with the state of my joints. sometimes it's a cat's toy I'm sleeping on.
Music has sheets, and sheets need stands
My new hobby has now escalated to the point where I need a music sheet stand. So, I opened my favourite local music related thing shop and found the section for notové stojany.
I did not expect that this is going to spiral into a whole new research I need to do. So many options and details that I had no idea about. How does one choose!
Btw, I am also a proud owner of a Shure mic since the beginning of last month. Which seems to have impacted my blogging frequency. So, here's a snippet from a conversation I had with my Bandmate the other day:
Bandmate: I had a lot of fun creating this **plays me some new music**
Kae: **listens carefully** would you be surprised if I said that I have a poem for this?
Bandmate: No, not at all.
So, after the washing machine has finished the cycle, I need to record this particular poem. Until then, I'll get back to the new world of music sheet stands.
The current political world observation
I hadn’t seen this many articles stating “we stand with Ukraine” for a long time.
So there’s that.
Today
On days when I'm composing, my favourite track / song is the one I'm composing now. I might think it's utter rubbish the next day, but that's tomorrow's problem.
Musical inspirations and the results
I was playing my newest 2 synth piece to my bandmate tonight.
Bandmate: very jazz-ey!
Me: I know, and I don't even like jazz.
Bandmate: so, you listen to techno dude youtube music production lessons, hip hop music for inspiration, and end up composing jazz!
Me: I know, I am disappointed in myself.
* this is the 3rd time I have heard him referring to my (different) piano-synth compositions as "jazz-ey".
One day, one day
One day I'll write a poem about my distain towards the nature phenomenon called 'snow'. But it won't be today.
As I was just outside for about 3 minutes and all I can write atm is:
"I hate this fucking snow
I hate this fucking snow."
And that's not even my OC, that's me paraphrasing Tricky.
More seasonal stuff
My Neighbour dropped by last night for dinner and drinks. He asked if he needs to bring anything and I said no. Then he arrived and opened my fridge to get a couple of beers for us.
Me: oh, just like every year around Christmas time, I turn out to be good at hoarding alcohol.
Neighbour: never change that about yourself!
Reflections and no regrets
It's the end of the year and as it is customary, people tend to reflect on their lives. Over the last year and often even further past. I at times dabble in this practice, but I try not to go overboard with it.
However, a trail of thought today had lead me to remember how a woman once was genuinely surprised to find out that I had never been married. And at our age, too!
So, how did I manage this? Easy.
Principle one: "No" is a legitimate answer to a question when someone asks you do to something.
Will you change your shirt to something smarter? - No.
Will you dig out that tree? - No.
Will you marry me? - No.
I also have used another tactic. This one's a bit more elaborate and the steps to take can vary case by case basis, however when executed in a timely manner it is very effective. I have tested this out multiple times and all were successful. And it's goes like this: break up with them before the subject matter comes up.
Though, I should note that sometimes this tactic needs to be combined with the Principle of No.
So there, something simple and no regrets. Also, cheap (or so I've been told).
Domains and knees
Yesterday I bought a new domain. I had to specifically select just the domain option, no hosting plans. Then I had to explicitly confirm my understanding that buying a domain without adding hosting means that I won't be able to have a website on it.
I wish there was some setting on my user profile level to switch on that I already have a hosting plan elsewhere thankyouverymuch.
As for the knee rehab, that's still going on. These days I seem to be scheduled for my procedure on the same weekdays at the same time as a rather polite older punk dude. We are both usually a bit early. He has a convoluted last name.
Next week is my last week for this electro therapy thing. I am both relieved to be moving on to the next set of physiotherapy, but I'm also going to miss these 25 minutes twice a week being quiet with the punk guy listening to the hum on the clinic.
Today's battle was real
Things to realise on November the 10th - I have forgotten how to put my duvet in the cover.
I mean, I did win in the end, for a result, all that. However, I'm not entirely sure if this counts as remembering how to do this.
Only so many words per day
I know I've been a lazy blogger recently. But my excuse is that I've been writing lots of new stuff in my notebook.
But I'll tell you one thing though - knee rehab is exactly what I didn't imagine knee rehab to be. But as long as it helps
There are no ghosts
In regards to the local restaurant reopening, late last week the sign stated that it'll keep the previous name. Which feels like a weird choice to me personally, but I ain't no restauranteur.
But the more exhilarating news is that this evening I walked past there and I saw an actual human being inside. About 10 minutes later I walked past again (one needs the shops from time to time) and then there were two people in there! **gasp**
Also, I wonder how long it will take them to realise that for a nowhere near central neighbourhood restaurant opening hours until 5 PM on Sundays is just not going to work. (If they last that long, that is.)
The update you have all been waiting for
In the saga of the local restaurant that closed down, there is now Chapter 2.
At some point after the closing down of the establishment, it was noticeable that there are things happening in there. But never during a time when I'd walk past. At first this was just packing the place up. Which would be the expected behaviour.
During July, there were a couple of nights where the owner of the restaurant had parties with friends. Clearly as a thank you for helping to pack up, as stuff kept being in boxes and those boxes disappearing after these parties. (Nobody invited me to them!)
But then, end of August / start of September I started noticing new things placed in there. Which made me both suspicious and hopeful.
However I never saw anyone there. For a while there were no other observable changes. I decided that being hopeful was probably a waste of my energy.
Until early October, when I saw that the walls had been repainted and new pictures hang up. At this point, I was just suspicious.
Then a red carpet roll appeared.
Other bits and bobs looked different than before.
Once I saw the lights on in the restaurant, but I still didn't see any people in there.
Yesterday I saw the outdoor advert board being inside, near the door.
Today I walked past there, and the outdoor board was put outside, in front of the door stating: We will open on the 1st of November. We are looking forward to your visit! :)
I still don't really know what exactly is opening on the 1st, but I guess we'll find out next week. It's all just minor details, right :D
Additional note: I am now convinced that all the refurb was done by invisible people.
Tink tink pum tink
Kae: Soo, here we go. I haven't even finished the first composition, I already have an idea for another one!
Neighbour: Well, what did you think that you were going to be a one hit wonder?
Kae: It's not even a hit, it's an unfinished mess.
Neighbour: OK, one mess wonder?
Kae: But I'm not even close to finishing it. And now I have this idea that wouldn't be triad based. It would be la note based and go like tink, tink, tunk, then pumpum, tink.
Neighbour: Yeah, that's how I make my idea notes as well :D In my email or Bitwig or wherever :D
Phone shortcut to DND mode
Today's voice recording session.
I often enough practice sitting down, especially whilst figuring out what am I doing here with my voice. Kitto had just woken up, doing her afternoon little tasks. She likes to wake up, eat a bit, and do some kitto stuff, before going back to sleep before the evening.
As I stood up to record, kitto went under the bed.
When I stopped recording, she came back out. She's sitting here next to me and demanding attention. So, I'm going to do that now.
