This was a weekend for the sports I wish I played.
On Saturday night, it was off to the footy again, watching Buddy Franklin's Hawks get past Bradshaw's Lions by a couple of goals after a fairly close game that, I have to confess, the Lions were lucky to stay in as long as they did. why Matthews put Brown on the ball, I still don't understand. After the game, we went for a kick-to-kick on the field, which was, once again, lots of fun.
On Sunday, we went over to Bulimba for 9 holes of par 3 golf. I didn't know it was there, but they have a little course of 9 holes of between 83 and 102 metres, which is a type of golf I haven't played before, but which makes for a nice little challenge, and a pleasant social outing. I shot 35, and felt good hitting my wedge. It also reminded me again that, of all the sports at which I consider myself able, golf is probably the one to which I'd like to devote more time.
While we were waiting to play, Adam mentioned that he has just started up with a cricket team, which reminded me that, of all the sports at which I don't consider myself able, cricket is probably the one to which I'd like to devote more time.
After we had finished and were having a drink, a bunch of the Lions players rocked up. I'm not sure whether it was for a hit or a drink, but it was strange to see them wearing sleeves. Jonathan Brown is a big boy.
In the afternoon, we all rolled around to Neil & Sandy's for a BBQ. Doug, Andy and I went down to the park for a kick-to-kick, which was again fun. I was reminded that, of all the sports to which I wish I could devote more time, footy is the one most likely to result in my suffering a major injury.
Monday, 21 April 2008
Thursday, 10 April 2008
lending life to truth
On Monday night, I went with Andrew and Steven to a concert by the Australian Chamber Orchestra. It was a diverse (and, for the record, a thoroughly enjoyable) performance, chiefly because it was a hybrid of 3 sets that they are preparing for their (then upcoming, now in-progress) European tour. They began with works by Handel and Rameau, followed by a Bach cello concerto, each of which were quite beautiful. After the interval, they moved to another repertoire, notably an adaptation of Ravel's string quartet. I had enjoyed the earlier pieces, but the added passion present in the later work interested me much more.
Then, last night on the plane, I was reading Possession (Byatt), and came across quite a lovely turn of phrase:
The first part of that, in particular, really struck a chord with me. The first part of the ACO concert had been very beautiful (very "true", if you will), but the second was the more interesting because it contained more passion and drama.
My observation, uninformed though it is, on music is that the earlier forms of classical music (classical in the everyday term, not referring to the period), particularly the baroque but also much of the classical (in the period sense), at times lacks the passion of, say, Beethoven, Rachmaninov (I associate this stuff with the Russians, without much basis for the belief), or apparently Ravel (on the evidence of this concert).
Of course, the phrase itself is odd. The implication that life and truth are different things is somewhat strange when you think about it - both might be thought to mean "reality". However, despite an individual overlap of meaning, in combination the phrase is very evocative of some deeper or indeed more "alive" truth.
I don't know why I linked the two things. Certainly, two of the memorable things from the trip (to Sydney, for some training sessions for work) were the concert (which, I reiterate, I really enjoyed), and a realisation that I seem to be reading more - I have read 200 pages of Possession in the two weeks since I finished Lord Jim.
Then, last night on the plane, I was reading Possession (Byatt), and came across quite a lovely turn of phrase:
am I lending life to truth with my fiction, or verisimilitude to a colossal Lie with my feverish imagination
The first part of that, in particular, really struck a chord with me. The first part of the ACO concert had been very beautiful (very "true", if you will), but the second was the more interesting because it contained more passion and drama.
My observation, uninformed though it is, on music is that the earlier forms of classical music (classical in the everyday term, not referring to the period), particularly the baroque but also much of the classical (in the period sense), at times lacks the passion of, say, Beethoven, Rachmaninov (I associate this stuff with the Russians, without much basis for the belief), or apparently Ravel (on the evidence of this concert).
Of course, the phrase itself is odd. The implication that life and truth are different things is somewhat strange when you think about it - both might be thought to mean "reality". However, despite an individual overlap of meaning, in combination the phrase is very evocative of some deeper or indeed more "alive" truth.
I don't know why I linked the two things. Certainly, two of the memorable things from the trip (to Sydney, for some training sessions for work) were the concert (which, I reiterate, I really enjoyed), and a realisation that I seem to be reading more - I have read 200 pages of Possession in the two weeks since I finished Lord Jim.
inconstancy
My blogging inconstancy, with 2- and 3-week breaks between posts, is problematic to me. Each time I feel like I have something I'd like to blog about, I feel obliged to check when my last post was and post some sort of summary of the interregnum, which inevitably becomes a dull list of sports played, etc, without any great insight into anything.
This, then, signals the end of the interregnum summary. From now on, if I feel like posting, I will, but I offer no promise that the blog will present any sort of summary of what I've been doing. If I find some routine whereby I resume blogging more regularly, it may find itself serving that purpose, of course, but in the meantime, I'll just blog randomly about things I've been thinking.
This, then, signals the end of the interregnum summary. From now on, if I feel like posting, I will, but I offer no promise that the blog will present any sort of summary of what I've been doing. If I find some routine whereby I resume blogging more regularly, it may find itself serving that purpose, of course, but in the meantime, I'll just blog randomly about things I've been thinking.
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