So, it’s been a while since I last posted, sorry about that.
London has amazing time sapping powers, though I have seen Hero (oh my, so good, but not as good as Shaolin Soccer, which remains my ultimate fu foo film (for want of a better term). I suppose that indifferent Chan flick with him using his fu skill to win car races ranks alongside in many ways, but falls short of the Shaolin Soccer genius.
Other than all that, I’ve been reading (big shock) a fair number of titles, most notably Osamu Tezuka‘s Phoenix series, which has an alternating setting of Japan’s early years and the far far future (all the way to infinity). Certainly an equal of Buddha and Adolf, but retaining the essential comic touch (oh, the pun) that really makes his more “literary” works come to life.
Oh, and spending the equivalent of half a day commuting to and from work each week is only just starting to get a bit annoying. I can get up OK, and I get the chance to read and listen to music (courtesy of the Rio Karma) all the way, but it’s a lot of time and money to spend just getting to work.
And so, the flat hunt has begun at long last. First I looked at a bizarre renovated council flat in Wandsworth (remember the end of Trainspotting?), which was not impressive but seemed cheap at £350 a month. I’ve now found that there actually are affordable (well, 400 quid a month plus bills and tax) places in Chiswick within walking distance of work and that might get me back my ten minute cycle commute time! I’ve viewed one which I’ll hear back about soon, and the other I’m seeing next week. I should be able to find somewhere before Christmas at the current rate.
Meanwhile for a short period it seemed as though my hands were hating London, and they peeled like something rotten for the first few weeks, then I stopped using my shower gel (well, OK I slept in a bit two days in a row and skipped a shower) and my hands got better. It would seem I’m allergic to the Original Source mint stuff I like so much, and the shaving cream of a similar form I have been using may explain the unevenness of my beard that I had been putting down to my lack of a skilful hand. Still, E45 is lovely stuff…
Work is still a joy, it does feel a lot like trying to paint a masterpiece in biro right now, but I’m getting there. Overall, even though my boss has been ill this week I got the work done in the main, and the branches seem happy. It’s quite scary to realise how big a task I’ve taken on (especially when you sit on the tube and are surrounded by the black and gold bags and various bookmarks look eerily familiar) but I’m taking a real pride in making improvements and suggestions already.
All I need now is to get a flat close to work, get cycling more often, find some kind of a rhythm to my social life again and I’ll be fine. It’s been over four weeks since I left Edinburgh and for all I do miss it, this great hulking lump of a city does feel like a kind of home.
Over and out(in a KLF sample with an echo at the end of the song kind of way)
