The Wee Small Hours

I can't sleep!! It's just after midnight on Friday, I have to get up at 4.30, and I am sitting here in the living room with my laptop on my knee. The neighbours next door are screaming at each other, running up and down the stairs, and banging doors. And Keith (my husband) is snoring away upstairs.

I have no chance.

The good thing is that I only have to work today (and only until 2pm - although still an 8 hour shift) and then I am off for the weekend. The bad thing is that I have comitted to going to the gym after work, so will have to drag myself through that. Oh well, it's all for the greater good.

One of the reasons I can't sleep is that my mind is whizzing with thoughts and ideas. I made a promise to myself to write more every day, and spent a very fruitful few hours today working on my book and also on some other projects. I am awash with ideas, and totally changed the beginning of my story. I am so pleased with the result... excited.... fired up. Something has exploded in my head - a balloon filled with words and pictures, and light and colour. For the first time in ages I am excited about my book.

One of the other projects I am going to be working on is a screenplay! I have only dipped my toe into that before, many years ago, but have been doing extensive research into the craft lately and plan to write something for submission to the BBC! I wrote a script years ago, but was ignorant to the formatting of it, and now I plan to adapt that script to a proper screenplay. I am also going to change it considerably, adding new elements.

2009 is going to be a busy year for me!!!

Right, now I really must try to get some sleep... but first.... just another paragraph...?

If they get this right, 2009 will be theirs.

It's a New Year and U2 are claiming it already. In fact, they claimed it a while ago when they did the interview for Q magazine, which you can find details of on the Q Music Site here. And by the way, this is my favourite photo from the shoot that accompanies the interview.

I've been reading snippets from the interview for weeks (most of them, it has to be said, reported totally out of context on "scary fan" sites and other sites) but only read it in full yesterday when the magazine finally hit the shelves. Now, it has taken on a whole new colour and I love the way the writers (each band member was interviewed by a different journalist) have allowed the real people to come through and have not tried to mask their characters or make them appear what they are not. The focus was very much on the speaker and each interviewer was informed and respectful.

So what are my thoughts after reading this article - which was heralded with the mind-blowingly exciting front page headline: "U2 are back"? Er... I am scared witless, and I don't know if I can explain why. I'll give it a go though....

Everything has always been so predictable U2-wise. I don't mean their music... that is always a surprise, even though they have sometimes taken the safe way home instead of thumbing a lift with a stranger! (I'm talking about the last two albums which, though showing several sparks of genius, did not - for me - show them at their most dangerous best).

What I mean by predictable is their working format. Their office hours if you like. Album and tour every four years, give or take, with the occasional foray into something extra-curricular. And I kind of always know how I am going to feel. I am going to love the album no matter what. I might hate some of the tracks, but that's okay. Even with family members and close friends you have things you might not like (the way they snore or kick you in bed for instance - it's not always a deal-breaker). And I will love the tour. I will bask in their U2-ness and drink in the atmosphere, and lose myself in the songs, and sit on pavements with friends after and marvel at their genius. I'll cry at some point during a gig. I always know this. It always comes to pass.

But today, sitting here on the first day of 2009 - the first day of the year that will be U2's -I am not so sure of anything any more. Because for some reason, this album means more. This album is the most important one. Forget The Joshua Tree, forget Achtung Baby... this is the one.

Because now, more than ever, U2 have something to prove. And they don't necessarily need to prove it to me, but they seem to need to prove it to themselves, and to the nay sayers (of whom there are plenty) who will give anything to see U2 fail and shoot themselves in the foot, and produce a flop of a record.

And that kind of pressure is scary, and I feel it for them. And I so, so want the album to be brilliant. I want to listen to my heart which - after reading all the talk about the songs - kind of knows it will be.

But I am terrified that it won't.

So we'll see. Hopefully I will be going to Sue's place in Carlisle at the beginning of March for our own little "Release Party" with our friend Dawn. Let's hope that when we open that bottle of champagne it won't be to blot out the pain, but to toast the fact that U2 do, in fact, own 2009.

I am he as you are he as you are me and we are altogether....

I got the DVD of "Across The Universe" today as it was nice and cheap.... just £5. I figured I would enjoy it because I love "Moulin Rouge" and I knew that this film was like that - a surreal musical with lots of humour and a human story behind the glitz.

I wasn't disappointed. The love story running through this film is moving and poignant. It's the story of a young Liverpudlian lad who goes to America to find his father, a man who left home before he was born. Having a university address for the man, he expects him to be an educated man, a professor, but he turns out to be the janitor.

While in the school, he is befriended by a student and falls in love with his sister - who has lost her boyfriend in the Vietnam war.

Against a backdrop of war and love lost and found, this film is wonderful, with lots of Beatles songs sung very well by the cast!

I love the lead actor who plays Jude (a guy named Jim sturgess) and he has a lovely voice.

Bono's part in this is not bad at all. You think that he would be struck with the curse of the "singer turned actor" that historically never works out well. Most musicians who take this path turn out to give a wooden performance, but Bono's is funny and his comic timing excellent. Love the bit near the end of his scene where he gets all petulant about someone not being there to meet him.... his expressions are priceless. His accent is great too, but then Bono has always been a good mimic and is great with different voices and accents.

I was really excited when I knew his scene was coming up, and despite the fact that he is made up to look like some ageing, hairy hippie (nothing attractive about that moustache at all), I felt really proud of him. It sounds funny, but I think of Bono sometimes as you would a close family member! You know, when you feel that pang of pride when they do something, and you support them no matter what and feel fiercely protective!

His rendition of "I am the Walrus" is brilliant. His star quality shines out in the film and his status as a class act amongst the other performers is apparent. Well... it's Bono isn't it? :-)

I think some of the meaning went over my head initially.... when Bono's character, Dr Robert says "You're either on the bus or you're off the bus", I thought he just meant that literally. He had a psychedelic bus and had people travelling with him.

But apparently, it's beat generation lingo for "creative tripping".... so I guess this film had lots of that kind of thing that might not be initially apparent. At least to me.

Despite this though, and all the dancing and singing amid "trippy" colours... the theme running through it is one most people can identify with or at least understand. A "normal" love story with all its angst, and the difficulties facing young men drafted into the Vietnam war.

There is a fantastic sequence near the beginning when one of the characters is drafted, and goes to sign up. Just so cleverly done. I won't spoil it in case anyone decides to watch it.

And one of my favourite people, Eddie Izzard, is in this, and his scene and song is hilarious!

Oh... and the highlight for me, Bono-wise? Hearing him sing the words: "You let your knickers down" during his rendition of "I Am The Walrus"!!! Something a bit naughty about Bono saying "knickers"!!!! LOL

Cuba Travel Part Two

It's a rainy weekend here in England, and looking through the window is depressing. Grey, cloudy skies - no chance of the walk I had hoped for. Oh well, I suppose I had better just carry on with my "retro" travelog of my trip to Cuba in June this year. Memories of sunnier days..... sigh!

Sunday June 15th 2008

The next day we were up at 7am, victims of the time difference and the fact that it felt like 12pm to us. After changing rooms to a third floor one with a lovely view of the pool, we explored the hotel: bars, restaurants, pool area, fitness suite and spa, and realised that we were in a very special place and were going to have one hell of a holiday! We did say that we might take advantage of the fitness centre, but of course we didn't!!! Who were we fooling! Ha ha.

Keith in the fitness suite and me in the spa

In the hotel there was a large buffet restaurant that opened for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and this was where we ate most of our meals. The choice and range of food was immense, and it was really good quality. Although you might think you would get fed up of it after two weeks of lunches and dinners, that was not the case because there was just so much to choose from. A whole counter of starters, salads, soups, potato salads, pasta salads etc (I fell in love with the ham that was rolled and filled with soft cheese, and with their lovely mustard dressing!), and then counters filled with main courses with every meat you can think of, various special dishes, vegetables roasted and otherwise. Then there were the dessert counters!!! Oh my goodness! Here was where the diet went totally out of the window. Every day we had cake (and what an array of cakes!) and ice cream. And then there were pancakes with bananas and orange juice and rum. Yummy!

Oh, just for the record I discovered that - strangely - all the clothes I had brought with me shrank during the first week. Must have been the humid climate.

Ahem... anyway... where was I?

Oh yes, the food. As well as the buffet restaurant, there were two a la carte restaurants within the grounds of the hotel - one at the side of the pool, and one on the beach (called The Romantic, and it was!). You could eat out at an a la carte twice a week, so four visits in all. It made things a little more interesting and a nice change from the environment of the buffet. Plus, in these restaurants, it was waiter service, not self-serve, which also made a nice change.

Today, we went down to the beach, and Keith snorkelled while I lazed about and read my book. It was so peaceful and idyllic, with the clear blue sea and white powdery sand. We lunched at the Romantic restaurant, which in the daytime doubled as a snack bar. It was so great to have a few beers with lunch and not have to pay for them! A concept that I had not experienced before, but that I could definitely get used to. All you need in Cuba is a few pesos a day for tips. A peso at the end of the meal or after an evening at the bar is very welcomed, but not expected.

After lunch it started to rain, so we went back to the room to drop off all our beach stuff. By this time a magnificent thunderstorm was underway, and the rain torrential, but this was the only time we saw rain like this the whole two weeks. It did rain again during the second week, but it was hardly noticeable.

The beautiful, white sand beach

After dropping our stuff off in the room we decided to go down to the bar for a beer, which was interesting, because with being an open plan hotel, the bar had no walls and the wind and some spray from the rain was sweeping through. We spotted our rep, Janier, sitting alone. He was on duty as he is most days, but looked bored as he waited for people with problems (not many of them I am sure) so we decided to go and sit with him.

We had quite an in depth conversation with Janier, who is Cuban. He told us all about the tourist industry, and how it is normal for the barman serving your drinks to actually be a qualified doctor or lawyer. He can make more money in the tourist industry. Just to give you an idea of the difference in salaries between Cuba and elsewhere, we met a Canadian woman who was a radiographer, and she told us that she met a barman a few years ago who was also a trained radiographer. She earned in one hour what he earned in a month!

Despite this apparent shortfall in earnings, and the perceived poverty of this country, you have to look at things in context. Cuba has no unemployment to speak of, and although the government owns all the businesses and there is no free enterprise , everyone who wants to be is gainfully employed. There is hardly any crime because the penalties are high (many people would argue that ours are not high enough!) and the health service is on a par with what we expect in the UK. Obviously, everything has its problems and nothing is perfect, but life is not as dark in Cuba as you might think.

It's hard to think about Cuban children excited about presents and sweets from the tourists (many people take pens and other stationery if going on any trips where children will be around), but then, don't our children have too much? It's hard to rationalise it, but this is the only life they have known.

Janier said he wanted more for his children, more than is available in Cuba, and I understand that. Not being able to set up your own business and earn levels of money that some of us take for granted must be hard. We can buy TVs and Hi Fi systems, travel where we want to. That freedom can be hard to live without, but then that's what WE have always known.

So, our first full day in Cuba was a diverse mix of lounging on the beach in lovely sunshine, sheltering in the bar with a few glasses of beer, and learning about Cuban politics and culture. I'll be talking more about that later too.

Dinner in the buffet tonight was lovely. Even though you serve yourself, you get waiters/waitresses coming and constantly re-filling your wine glass, which is wonderful. The waiter tonight, Rafael, made me a lovely rose out of a white napkin!

Just two days in, I loved the place already and could not wait for whatever was around the corner. The view from our balcony during the storm!

Cuba Blog At Last

Okay, it's been weeks since I got back from Cuba and I am long overdue writing about it. Life has kind of got in the way, and I have been adjusting to some changes at work. Think I am just about doing that, so I am more able to work on my computer in the evenings now. Here is the first part of my Cuba write-up.... and there are going to be several more, with a few pics along the way. Hope you enjoy it.

I am also going to be writing in my Blog more regularly now about day to day things. It's hard to get a writing schedule going (as all busy Bloggers know), especially when you have other projects on the go.... but I am going to do my best.

Anyway, onto Cuba

Saturday June 14th, 2008

Cuba is not a country I had ever considered before. I've done a lot of travelling - not as much as many people, but I don't do badly. My destinations of choice have always been Greece (lots and lots of the islands over 22 years), Ireland (Dublin mainly and, once, Galway), the US (countless states and cities like Boston and my favourite, New York) and Canada (Vancouver). Cuba kind of happened by accident. Keith (my husband) and I were looking at going on holiday to Greece, but the Euro was doing too well for our liking, so on a whim, we decided to look for All Inclusive holidays in the Caribbean, as we know they can be great value for money. First we looked at the Dominican Republic, and then, we took a look at Cuba. To our delight, we found a fantastic deal on a hotel called Sol Rio De Luna Y Mares.

Thinking it was too good to be true, we tentatively checked out all the reviews we could find on the internet, and we could not find a bad review! Oh, apart from the people who complained that the sea was too wet and the sand too fine! That kind of thing! So.... we booked it. It was really exciting to be going to such a different country, and when the day came, we were raring to go!

You can't get Cuban currency outside of the country, so we took sterling to change when we were there. But, we didn't need much, as our holiday was an all inclusive deal, which meant that all our meals, drinks and snacks were paid for in advance.

The flight with First Choice airlines was relatively painless. For such a long flight, you always expect a bit of pain, but the aircraft was so comfortable, with lots of legroom, that it was not bad at all. Apart from the fact that it was FREEZING cold, and several people had to ask, time and time again, for the air conditioning to be turned down or off. Eventually, the message got through to the captain, who did the honours for us..... but this was after hours and hours of being cold. Oh well, a minor point I suppose, and at least all the complaining passed some time!

When we arrived the weather was glorious - really hot. I had been warned though, about the humidity, and the fact that I would have to put up with "bad hair" days for two weeks!! But I could put up with that to be away from the unpredictability of the British summer. Cold and rain was far from my mind!

Immigration in Cuba is much more relaxed than when you go to the US. No reams of paperwork to fill in, or questions about whether you are a terrorist or a Communist (ha ha!). The female official who dealt with our visa was wearing a VERY short skirt and black fishnet tights! I think all the men appreciated that after a long flight.

The journey to the hotel was just over an hour by bus, and it was very enjoyable, because we got our first glimpses of this beautiful country. The countryside was so lush, with many very colourful flowers, and lots of crops like bananas, avocados, corn etc. There were lots of people out walking, and taking shelter under trees. Animals like goats, cows and horses were tethered at the side of the road, thin and bony with ribs and hips (do animals have hips?!) showing. But this is a different life, a different climate. A fat animal would probably die of heatstroke!

One of the most noticeable things when driving in Cuba are the many old American cars. Up until the revolution in 1960, Cuba was the largest importer of American cars. Of course, now there is no trade allowed between the two countries, so the cars that remain from those times have been lovingly preserved and are driven with pride. They affectionately call them "old timers", and there were certainly a lot of them about.

A Cuban "Old Timer"

As we drove along the roads through the province of Holguin, we got our first glimpses of the Cuban people, and the impression we got from them during this time was the impression that stayed with us the entire two weeks. The people were friendly with very open, smiley faces, boundless curiosity (they gawped at us new tourists) and great senses of humour (we got saluted and kisses blown!).

When we reached our hotel, we knew we would love it. It was a pretty orange building, fringed with white, and like many of the hotels in Cuba, was an "open" hotel, meaning that there were no doors to enter it, it was just a big, open plan space in the lobby. There was a circular drive leading up to it, and lots of palm trees and flowering borders of many beautiful colours!

The beautiful "Sol Rio De Mares" - Holguin, Cuba

The sky was blue and on the air the sound of birds singing! Absolute bliss..

We were a little disappointed when we got to our room. It was pretty enough, but the view was non-existent, and all we had outside the balcony was a jungle of palm trees. We changed it the next day, but for now this was the first of FOUR rooms we had in total during our holiday!

Our first balcony view!

Cuba Travel Blog Coming Soon...

On 14th June this year, Keith and I went to Cuba for our holidays... the first time we have ever been to the Caribbean. But definitely not the last! I am currently working on writing about it, and will be posting very soon. It may have to come in instalments, but it WILL come eventually.

Missing In Action... But Now I am Back!

I've been neglecting my blog lately. I am not just sitting on my laurels though. I have been busy writing other stuff and have been doing a lot of creative stuff sort of behind the scenes, as it were! I need to get my novel finished so have been looking at that and also writing some other fiction. Also, I have been writing up an account of my recent trip to Cuba. That will be up on my blog in the next couple of days.

A lot of other stuff has been happening in my life too lately. Work is madness and sometimes stressful - mainly, it has to be said, because of the moods and despression of friends that I work with, rather than how I actually feel myself. Some people cope with certain situations better than others, and I am the kind of person who for the most part lets things roll off my back, and am not easily fazed by people. But it's hard when you see people you are close too, feeling so demoralized.

On Monday, we had my nan's funeral. She was 97 so you could say she had a fair crack of the whip, but still.... it has been a sad time and Monday was emotional. It was weird though, because in the process of burying her, I unearthed a lot of stuff that was buried in me. We went to the church I was practically raised in - attached to the school I attended until I was 11 years old and moved up to high school. It looked so much smaller than I remembered, but it was so eerily familiar even though it has been 32 years since I last set foot in it. The smells transported me right back and I became that child who took communion, lit candles for the souls I didn't know and knelt in front of a bishop who anointed my head and welcomed me into the Catholic "Club" when I was Confirmed.

Strange, mad times! You can read a poem I wrote on my Blog about the experience of this church by clicking here.

Anyway, I have lots of projects either on the go or in my mind, and hopefully I will find the time to get them all off the ground.

Meanwhile, I intend to post on my blog more, so get ready!

And I have had an idea for another blog site - U2 related. Watch this space!!!