BAD TO WORSE

I sit here.. and I can't do a thing... It's a hopeless situation...

The Cronulla Sharks board members are killing the team!! It's obvious to me that 'someone' on the board is leaking certain information out to the media, and thus, we see this ridiculous situation of dis-harmony and innuendo surrounding the club... Sure, the coach has quite a bit to answer for - we have gone from semi-finalists to 2nd last on the competition ladder in the space of 12 months.. but it is clear that a team of talented youngsters is being moulded into a premiership winning side here... There is more raw talent in the club, than we ever have in our 36 years of existence.. and there are quality signings for next season too... I could rant about this for pages and pages... but I won't...

---

Has anyone seen "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai"? I still don't quite get it.. It has this quasi-David-Lynch-Mulholland-Drive feel to it.. and while I'm not too familiar with Jim Jarmusch's other films.. I am now very curious... Forest Whitaker (Ghost Dog) has this exceptional ability to act with his eyes.. It is a joy to watch... I also desperately want to see "Rashômon" now too...

---

Wouldn't you know it... I'm scheduled to be away for around 3 weeks in September.. and look at all the quality gigs I'll be missing out on...

Pete Yorn

Lifehouse

Heather Nova

and now.. JASON MRAZ!!

Poo...

HONEY & LEMON

Think I've just about fully recovered from this dreaded flu.. I'm at least able to leave the house now, without the fear of having a massive cough attack, or scaring little kids off with what was not so much a voice but a harrowing death chant... For the most part, my voice resembled a growling Bea Arthur on steroids, or Aunt Selma.. well, just being Aunt Selma... The virus, together with the infection in my throat, had taken control of the whole body, and I was losing a battle I could not win... The night time was the worst.. I could not sleep.. not even a wink... The irritation in the throat was at times unbearable, and I tried everything from extra-strength Lemsip to Coke (don't ask)... Thank God it's all over now, coz quite frankly.. I could not take much more of it...

I don't think I left the house until Friday just past, which would make it a full week besieged at home trying to fight this thing.. Being sick and having no TV can and did make it seem like an eternity, but I did manage to keep myself entertained listening to a whole lotta of radio... I found this excellent station - Xfm (Indie/Alt-rock/Alt-everything music).. and in the process, discovered some really cool bands - Young Heart Attack, Elbow, The Coral, The Koreans(!!)... If I can plug a couple of songs here.. Growing On Me - The Darkness is a catchy ball-cracking song (almost quite literally) that really is growing on me.. and my fave song atm, Molly's Chambers - Kings Of Leon sounds like The Strokes playing The Doors.. I've had a bit of a listen to the rest of the album, and I think these guys can be anything (Damn, I just found out they were here earlier this month)...

When I did manage to get out of the house, the first thing I did was check out some cameras.. There are scores of electronic stores lined along Tottenham Court Rd, and although I still sounded like death itself.. I did my best to see what sorta deal I could get... I'm currently looking at the Canon Powershot S45, or IXUS 400, or the Sony DSC-V1.. Three very good cameras.. but I could be dreamin'...

On the weekend, my voice was somewhat back to a level where I was half legible again... There was another bbq down near the Wimbledon area, and I made the trip out with some friends.. It was no different to any other that I have attended over the summer, bar the small problem of incessant rain.. However, with England being England, such trivial matters are easily taken care of.. A couple of decent-ish sized canopies (that are really meant for blocking out the sun) did the trick... Most of the people there spoke Spanish, and it just made me feel like I have to pick up this language sooner, rather than later.. I just gots to get off my arse and enrol in a course... Oh, and the food was great.. Thanks Paul!

That night, more rain fell.. and consequently experienced a funny situation, when we could not get into a club we wanted to in Soho, because it was flooded... So, this is the real London... All this warm weather, cloudless skies.. it could have been a bit of a facade...

Well.. It had to happen sooner or later.. I finally went to church... A friend of mine, Sung (and I know you're reading this mate :P), has been pushing me to go for weeks now, and I'm glad that I eventually did... I guess in the past, I have had 'stuff' come up on Sundays, but I could only use that excuse for so long, and I would definitely like to go again, even if it's only once every so often... I'm not going to get into any sort of religion talk right now (it's too late in the night and I have an early appointment in the morning).. but it was somehow energising to hear the Word again.. I probably needed that...

THE GREAT OUTDOORS, NOT SO GREAT INDOORS

I'm struggling to recount the events of the past week or so.. Over the weekend though, I have been cooped up in bed, trying to get over this annoying flu.. My voice is almost non-existent, and my throat feels as if it is continuously being mashed into some form of mucus-y pulp... From what I could tell, the weekend weather was again perfect, and I was not out there to enjoy it... Instead, I resorted myself to playing Solitaire on the laptop in bed, and listening to an over-excited, and slightly-sadistic commentator describing a stroke by stroke account of Thomas Bjorn's complete capitulation at the Bristish Open...

I suppose the week had some highlights.. On Tuesday, Jen and I went for a long walk along the Thames, starting from The London Eye on the southside of the river.. It was terribly frustrating not being able to snap away with the camera, with such picturesque surroundings all around... We stopped and checked out Tate Modern for a short while, but continued east towards London Bridge... A short bus trip to St.Paul's Cathedral, and we rested on the grass at one of the nearby gardens... However, we felt like a beer, and ended up walking all the way to Temple, and onto a ship called the St.Katherine (one of many floating bars along the Thames)... After grooving to the last part of a free outdoor concert by Eleyo (a latino hip-hop band from Havana) at The National Film Theatre, we met up with Jonot and Paul.. We wandered about all along Southbank looking for food, but in the end, we decided on HK Diner in Chinatown.. 'Twas a nice walk anyhow...

Wednesday night, we decided to send Jen off (back to Sydney) with a bit of a bang... We hired out a room at a Korean restaurant at Moorgate, to eat, drink and sing the night away... There were about 10 of us, and from shy beginnings, by the end of the night, everyone were up at the front singing their lungs out... I love this place, coz .. 1) you can be as rowdy as you want.. and 2) they have Pearl Jam... Crooning to 'Betterman' in the confines of your own bedroom is one thing, but absolutely belting it out in front a group of people is just amazing! (especially after a few shots of soju)... So this continued until we were basically kicked out... Let's just say that we.all.had.fun...

Friday night, I went along to a showing of A Midsummer Night's Dream at The OpenAir Theatre at Regent's Park... I hadn't seen the play before, but was pleasantly surprised by its humour... As with all things Shakespeare, it was difficult to get into the language at first, but after a while, it seemed to flow and somehow make total sense... The acting was sound, without being spectacular, and I enjoyed how this production seemed to put its own spin on some of the jokes...

And so here I am feeling sick and sorry.. all drugged up and sniffling the day away... all alone...

A GREAT MAN

Looking out the door I see the rain fall upon the funeral mourners..

He used to take me up to the mountain..
He told me tales of old..
He taught me how to create..
We used to play...

Parading in a wake of sad relations as their shoes fill up with water..

He shared..
He cared..
He inspired..

I know it's not over...

ANOTHER WEEKEND

Jen returned from her 16-day tour around France/Spain/Portugual on Friday arvo... We joined some friends at The Old Thameside Inn Pub for drinkies, then headed over to Brick Lane for some Indian cuisine... Now, this was interesting.. There were about 12 of us, and the competition for customers is fierce, especially on Friday nights... Each restaurant hires a guy for the sole purpose of attracting large groups by offering them free drinks and naan... In the end, we successfully negotiated getting free beer for the boys, two glasses of wine for the gals.. plus plenty of naan and roti bread! It was then onto a club down the road, but we didn't stay there for long...

Saturday was spent at Camden Town Markets - home to weirdos and anything to do with fringe culture... It is possibly the most well-known of all the markets in London, and the crowds there on a sunny day really is a sight to behold... After a quick lunch, we strolled around the hundreds of stalls, with products ranging from clubbing/rave gear to antique furniture... We even went into a S&M shop, as Paul is interested in checking out The Torture Garden at some stage.. I just don't know if wearing latex is my thang...

That night, had a birthday thing which consisted of a Thai dinner and clubbing at Nell's (Mayfair), and then breakfast at Chinatown, before the long bus ride home at 6 in the morning - the usual Saturday night ritual...

It was yet another fantastic day on Sunday.. Temperature was nearing 30 degrees, and the words 'scorcher' and 'heat wave' were starting to appear in the newspaper stands... A bunch of us went to Royal China at Canary Wharf for some dim sum (yum cha)... This place is situated right by the Thames, with scenic views all around... Unfortunately, we couldn't get a seat outside, but it still turned out well for us.. They somehow stuffed up the bill and we only had to pay £7.50 each.. We probably ate double that amount... Next, we hopped on the DLR and visited nearby Greenwich.. The observatory and museum is well worth a visit... Just watch out for the crowds...

After downing some pimms at Greenwich Markets, I headed over to Hampstead Heath for yet another drinkies thing... It took me over an hour to get there, but was greeted by a refreshingly cold beer to satisfy the taste buds... There was this crazy Venezuelan guy, who seemed very eager to learn all the Aussie sayings.. Instead, we learnt how to be 'cute' without being crude in Italian...

Now, I have some bad news.. At some stage during the night, my bag was stolen.. It contained my wallet and camera... It's taken me a while to get over the shock of it.. but what can you do... I should've known better to leave it hanging on the side of the chair like that, for all the world to see... I'm ok about the camera now - I'll just buy another one.. a better one... But there were a few sentimental items in the wallet that can never be replaced.. I'm really kicking myself about that...

STILL NOT KING, CHASING PHO, AND IDEA OF HOME

Just finished reading LOTR: The Two Towers and I celebrated the occasion by watching the movie again at my favourite cinema... While I could find many imperfections with the way the book evolved into film, I can find just as many (if not more) good points about it... Most notable of these, is the incredible job Pete Jackson and the guys at Weta did recreating the character of Gollum/Smeagol... The ingenious way he is portrayed when debating with himself is both unbelievably funny and technically brilliant (although the script strays a fair bit from the book).. and I absolutely adore the part where Frodo tries to reunite with Smeagol again at the Forbidden Pool... The other thing I wanted to say was that I still cannot work out how Legolas (son of Weenus) conceivably got on that horse!

At the risk of offending those true Tolkien fans (those who hold his words sacred).. here is the Very Secret Diaries of each of the LOTR characters...

---

Bluu Grass is a Vietnamese-French restaurant at Mornington Crescent, that Shaun and I often visit for the best pho in London... We have also become friends with the lively shop-owner, whom last year gave up a well-paid, successful career to chase a dream of opening a hip eaterie in the hippest part of town... You gots to hand it to anyone whose boldness is only matched by their ambition.. and she certainly has all my admiration...

It makes you wonder though.. Would I ever be able to be so adventurous? Do I have the capacity to start all over again? I feel like I'm surrounded by fear all the time... If I see something I like, I will more likely stay away from it like a bad smell, rather than embrace it... I guess me being here somewhat contradicts this notion.. but in general.. I look around, and all I see is the gap between where I am and where I want to be... However, like a good little piglet, I shall pursue.. For the time being, that's all I can ask of myself...

---

I convinced half of Sydney (well, about 8 friends) to go check out Jason Mraz at The Metro last weekend.. I really should tell Jason about this, and try to get some sort of commission.. Now that his rocket has indeed come, I bet fame has well and truly gone to his head... Ungrateful bastard! Anyways, I was reading his online journal.. and he said an interesting thing...

"Although, being back here [Sydney] already feels a wee bit like returning to a home I’ve yet to settle. I have a feeling I’ll live here someday. It’s just a feeling, but I felt awfully similar when I first visited San Diego."

I felt a similar attachment to this city even on my first week here.. and lately.. I've been thinking a lot about where my 'home' actually is... Right now, it is in London.. I live here.. I can see myself being here for a few years yet.. and I believe I will... Then there is the 'motherland' - Korea.. Never have I felt so strong about wanting to go back there.. someday.. and learn about the culture and my own heritage... Having that true sense of 'belonging' seems all important...

And then there is Sydney... It was a big thing for me to leave the town that I loved so dearly.. I still do, of course... But being abroad has really opened my eyes.. to things I hardly could have forseen before I left... The more I think about it, the more I feel that things would be different when I go back... Still, I don't think I have been away long enough to say that Sydney is not my home... In the back of my mind, I know I will end up there.. settle down.. and have little pikes...

ALL ALONE, ALMOST GROWN

Never thought I'd see the day where I'd be found inside a centuries old church, tapping along to some good ol' rock'n'roll music, while sipping on a cold lager (cold by UK standards)... It wasn't exactly Bart Simpson leading the congregation into the devil's dance.. Far from it, in fact.. As bizarre as it was, there was a certain air of measured serenity, and the music.. well, the music was better than I had ever hoped... and then some...

His name is Jesse Malin.. He's from Queens, New York... By the end of the night, I almost felt like a NY'er myself, such was his agile wordplay and genuine passion for the songs that he so effortlessly performed... The venue was a church on Upper St in Islington, called Union Chapel.. Tucked away from the bustle of the various chic bars and restaurants in the area, the church has been the scene to some of the world's forefront in contemporary and classic music over the years... To see a show there is a completely captivating experience...

I met up with Natalia and her friends just before the first act came on.. The Veils played a short acoustic set, and the singer had a notably powerful voice - It reminded me of the first time I ever heard Jeff Lang sing.. It was rough yet strangely soothing... The second support act was a guy named Tommy Stinson.. If he wasn't so drugged out of his brain, I may have enjoyed his clever lyrics and undemanding guitar.. However, he failed to grab anyone's real attention... While this was going on, all the wooden pews were slowly being filled up, and we could sense that something special was building... It was an odd sight to see half-full pints of beer, lined along the seats all around us, instead of the usual prayer books, that would normally be found there...

When the lights finally dimmed, I ran to the seat I had previously reserved (4 rows back, centre of the stage)... I was immediately struck by Jesse's ability to capture the crowd.. His voice is like a combination of Ryan Adams and Bruce Springsteen, if you can imagine such a thing... Not surprising, as they have both played major roles in his solo career thusfar.. R.Adams actually produced Jesse's first album - 'The Fine Art of Self Destruction', and has been pimping him for some time now...

Jesse's storytelling is an essential part of his live shows - He has this knack of blending his quirky stories into his performances, which is entertaining, but also greatly enriches the understanding of his deeply personal lyrics... Growing up in a broken family in Queens can strengthen anyone's resolve, and one could really sense this coming through.. especially in songs like Brooklyn and Riding the Subway... He spoke of his troubled/violent past, and how he discovered that it was much better to vent his anger through music.. something I can certainly relate to...

Musically, his bare acoustic guitar perfectly accompanied his voice that rang through and bounced off the walls of the grand building... Wendy, a song about a girl he used to date before he scared her off, probably got the best reception of the night.. while Solitaire was deeply moving... Occasionally, he got some help from a keyboard player and two hot local lasses on cello and violin (Almost Grown and Queen of the Underworld)... The other highlights included his version of The Boss' classic, Hungry Heart, and near the end, hearing Dave yell out '3 Martini Lunch!!' from the other side of the room.. Unfortunately (for Dave), Jesse did not heed his request... Instead, he went onto play a beautiful version of Xmas, then he left the stage...

BURN BABY BURN

Before I go on, let me just point out that as early as January, I correctly predicted Roger Federer to win Wimbledon (woohoo!)... and yes.. it was a great performance by the Poo to reach the final.. and methinks he made a lot of fans yesterday.. He will be back stronger than ever...

Backyard bbq's are becoming the norm over here... Saturday, I ventured out to Malden Manor (zone 4? could be 3), for a Korean styled backyard BBQ, complete with Galbee and Pork Bulgogi... The boys really got stuck into it.. Half of it was gone in a flash.. but to our delight, there was much more to come... There's nothing quite like the smell of succulent beef short ribs burning on the grill... Mouth-watering stuff just thinking about it... On Malden Manor - it was the first time I had been to the outer 'burbs of London.. As strange it was to see individual houses in this part of the world (as opposed to the joined terraces I've become so accustomed to), I felt comforted by the fact that people here also live 'the great British dream'... However, I think I overstepped the mark when I enquired about backyard swimming pools...

On Sunday, after seeing the tennis final at Alice's (we still have no TV).. I made a quick dash home for Daryl's farewell barbie... Still dumbfounded by Poo's apparent lack of interest in the biggest match of his career, I walked through the front door expecting to see a pack of carnivorous bodies fighting it out for the meat... But it was the total opposite - Daryl and Mavis were in the kitchen preparing the salad, and 2 vegetarians were sitting on the lounge, quietly listening to a Jewel CD.. and not a beer in sight anywhere... Clearly, something was not right here, and I took it upon myself to get the party started by first firing up the bbq...

Soon enough, the rest of the crowd drifted in, as if drawn in by the sweet scent of grease and oil... The Chili Peppers was blaring out of the stereo, and now.. it was finally a party! I got a nice old tan outside while turning over the various meats.. All I needed was one of those chauvinistic aprons to complete the picture...

I met some cool people that day (mostly from Sydney).. and as per usual, I was able to establish that we had common friends with most of them... I just hope that they don't think I was too weird (coz you know.. I'm a weird ass).. It would be good to have them around again, I suppose... I don't often host parties/barbies, but I'm more than getting used to it...

CAMBRIDGE AND KING'S COLLEGE CHAPEL