A Wonderful Weekend
Nov. 6th, 2023 02:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tcpipFollowing the recognition of a moment's respite in my last entry, I have taken full advantage of a study break and a relatively quiet period at work (my main task is getting training documentation up-to-date) with a full set of thoroughly enjoyable weekend activities with some rather lovely good and true friends. It started with a regular op-shopping trip in South Melbourne with Mel S., where I picked up a lovely Chinese pine carved box, which now is at the foot of my bed holding linen. It followed that evening with a visit from Liana F., where, in accord with recent events I cooked up a collection of Eastern Mediterranean food including an entree of dates and figs, a course of fatteh, another course of shakshuka, a dessert of namoura, all accompanied by rose and lemon water). I am still writing up my thoughts the current conflict, and I would like to thank a couple of former state MPs (one Labor, one Liberal) for their somewhat biased point-of-view in inadvertently assisting me in this process.
The following evening I caught up with Des J., who joined me for an evening at Hamer Hall for "Blade Runner Live". The orchestra did a wonderful job, performing even the most minor sound-effects in the movie and with attention to the early-80s aesthetic. Appropriately we ate at well-known Japanese noodle bar (Mr Ramen San) beforehand. It was really such a Melbourne event - an excellent film and performance, and a great location, and with such attention to detail. The following day I caught up with Erica H., my favourite person for excellent taste in TV series and we finished off the highly-recommended modern gothic-horor, "The Fall of the House of Usher", which does a very deft job at integrating several of Poe's classic stories into one series. I rather suspect it will become a bit of a classic.
In other news, I have found myself in the Duolingo Diamond Tournament, which I am not taking too seriously but with a dedicated agenda of learning and combining Chinese, French, and English, I'm giving it a fair crack of the whip. Also, after a month of being more than a little under the weather and having an international trip, I've taken advantage of the spring-like weather that Melbourne is currently experiencing (ha! rain for the rest of the week) for a couple of nice bike rides around the city. If there is a message in all this, rather than just a documentation of my personal life over the past few days, it is this: appreciate the good times you experience, have gratitude for that opportunity, and never forget or ignore the suffering of those who have not had such good fortune.
The following evening I caught up with Des J., who joined me for an evening at Hamer Hall for "Blade Runner Live". The orchestra did a wonderful job, performing even the most minor sound-effects in the movie and with attention to the early-80s aesthetic. Appropriately we ate at well-known Japanese noodle bar (Mr Ramen San) beforehand. It was really such a Melbourne event - an excellent film and performance, and a great location, and with such attention to detail. The following day I caught up with Erica H., my favourite person for excellent taste in TV series and we finished off the highly-recommended modern gothic-horor, "The Fall of the House of Usher", which does a very deft job at integrating several of Poe's classic stories into one series. I rather suspect it will become a bit of a classic.
In other news, I have found myself in the Duolingo Diamond Tournament, which I am not taking too seriously but with a dedicated agenda of learning and combining Chinese, French, and English, I'm giving it a fair crack of the whip. Also, after a month of being more than a little under the weather and having an international trip, I've taken advantage of the spring-like weather that Melbourne is currently experiencing (ha! rain for the rest of the week) for a couple of nice bike rides around the city. If there is a message in all this, rather than just a documentation of my personal life over the past few days, it is this: appreciate the good times you experience, have gratitude for that opportunity, and never forget or ignore the suffering of those who have not had such good fortune.
