under another sun

A bit of an intense day. Feeling very tired, and working hard too with Fernanda the Brazilian art director. A sustaining lunch of baked potato, beans and cheese then, after work, walked off to The Poetry Cafe. On the way there I was crossing a road, and the lights changed. A psychopath in a Addison Lee cab almost killed me, driving right at me at high speed, and forcing me to leap out of the way.  I banged on his window and shared some of my opinions while the driver grinned at me infuriatingly. It rattled me.  Arrived at the poetry cafe early and met Robin and one of her old school friends. Our two other poets for the night arrived.  Rishi very much flavour of the month poetry wise, who happens to work at my old agency in Hammersmith, and Anja arrived from Switzerland. Lorraine arrived early to help and be supportive.  In the audience Mum, Lakshmi and her pal Rachel, Craig and Mel and Karam arrived. Good to see Lakshmi, who I've not seen for some time, and C...

Burning issues Up reasonably early today. Lorraine has a cold. In an unplanned branding exercise, I managed to scorch three fingers picking up an iron that Lorraine had turned off seconds before. Spent the next hour or so with my hand in water or on cold pad whimpering quietly whenever I removed it from the cold. The cold business worked however, as at the end of the day I had just a line of three small blisters. In the afternoon off to meet Lakshmi and Aimee at Brighton Station. Hadn't seen either for some time. Aimee now moved back to London. She told us about her Friday night, having seeing Coldplay she returned home to her flat, and decided to have a cigarette and nightcap glass of Scotch on her tiny balcony dressed only in her pyjamas. She has a complicated door, which while she was out there partially closed. She showed us the bruises on her arm caused by fishing around trying to get it open again. After some time she decided to tear off the net curtains and fashion a rope to...

Aftermath An early rise, hung over but happy. Shaila, Lakshmi, Lorraine and I all got up and drank tea. Then went to Bills where we were joined by Andros and Sophie, and Sam for a long and rather funny breakfast, despite moments of feeling like death warmed over. Feeling very rich and lucky in my friends. Afterwards fond farewells to all, a quick shower and out again, locating L's parents eating sadwiches on a bench in the middle of town on New Road. Lorraine and I went back to her house where I watched the first half of the FA Cup final which Chelsea won, making it almost a perfect week by winning the double. Then collected by the angelic Dawn and driven to Jan's house in Worthing, where she had a proper English barbecue with rain and sausages. However it was a fine time, marred only by the fact I was roundly exhausted, and faced by a man talking to me about recylcing bathroom tiles, found it impossible to locate any words to reply with. Dawn drove Lorraine and I back to her p...

Janet masked Zooming about today. To the gym again this morning. Still a very mild mannered workout, but good to be getting back into the habit. And feeling okay about it. Listening to The girl who played with fire on the hulk legs machine. Also putting together the first draft of a press release for This Concert. In the afternoon, after flyering my Twitten and dropping more leaflets off in The Eddy pub. I called around to Janet and Ken and was given a lovely cup of Earl Grey and much quality chat. Janet discussing her composition using fabrics of Canadian rainforest in her former home of BC. It will have 3D elements and branches will poke proud of the surface. From there bombed up to town to meet Aimee and Lakshmi in the hotel in Victoria. A good dose of gossip and conversation, not to mention overpriced drinks. Aimee is choosing to stay in Dubai for the time being on account of being a high flier. Tootled home on the train, and met Lorraine who'd been out with work friends. Didn...

A bat out of Balham Up at Lorraine's and some steady pottering about helping her to sort things out. Found ourselves in a nearby greasy spoon having egg and bacon sandwiches, with cups of splosh and reading a tabloid. I went home to feed Calliope and then bought some food for Lorraine's house and we did some more sorting and carrying. Then I left Lorraine to it for a while. Home and First Matie called around to drop off the tape recorder and have a cup of tea, also Alf the plumber came and fixed my shower, and relieved me of a wad of cash. In the evening I shot up to Balham as it was Lakshmi's birthday with a present and a card. The train from Clapham to Balham full of noisy teenagers, and oldsters tutting at them. It was ever thus. A massive effort of will prevented me tutting along with them, being forced to listen to some tinny grime tune emanating from a mobile phone. Rather pleased I was bearing a present, as Lakshmi gave me a PG Wodehouse book of short stories publish...

My birthday part two Now into the second week of my birthday celebrations. First tidying up my house in a frenzy in the morning, helped by the ever lovely Lorraine. Then Mum and Mase arrived first and were momentarily traumatised because I was in the corner shop, and thought they'd got the wrong day. Then my old school friend Shaila necessitated dancing about on the streets outside the stations looking for a glamorous sparrowy thing in a BMW. As we left for the Sussex Yeoman, a few yards around the corner, bumped into First Matie too. At the pub met Janet and Ken, Anton and Brian. Had some pretty nice snap and the conversation started to flow nicely. Also had several more presents too: one of those waterbottles you can put into your rucksack and suck water out from like you were in Dune, from Anton and Anna. A plastic model kit of an FW190 from my Godchildren, a beautiful designer jug from Janet and Ken, and some salad forks, a bottle of Champagne and books on Buddhism from Hong Ko...

A place where everyone's the same Much better day's work today. Worked well. The teethgrindingly annoying passage was effortlessly reworked in an hour. Calliope alternating between sleeping on my desk, resting her head on my keyboard (and occasionally contributing random punctuation) and bouts of demented miaowing as she chases flies about the house that she has smuggled inside in her mouth. I had the window half open in my study and she flung herself at it after a fly and I had to catch her as she scrabbled mid-air like the Coyote in Road Runner. Once caught, the flies are taken to my rug downstairs, which is a kind of insect killing field. Socks often find themselves there too, stolen from my sock draw to receive a savaging. Anna texted me to say that Klaudia has chicken pox. Up to the smoke this afternoon to meet Lakshmi and Aimee in Baron's Court. Aimee says she may be moving back to Blighty next year, which is a good thing. We met in a pub theatre, where Aimee's un...

The loneliness of waiting for Lakshmi Up with the sparrows and off to London again, working on MS and Surgical Site Infections. Managing a little Skelton Yawngrave work on the train. My wee crotch top computer is a boon, and I worked well despite being sat next to a weird woman who radiated psychic pollution as she tore through various files. After work went to The Salisbury to meet Lakshmi. While I was waiting for her and gratefully gulping a pint of Deuchars, I was rather surprisingly accosted by a young man called Tom. He worked in recruitment and thought I looked lonely on my own. Rather odd, as I had only been there for a few minutes and am not prone to looking lonely. Anyway, he was with a friend and they were charged with chaperoning two clients who had wandered off. I ended up sitting down and having a chat with them. Very nice guys.  Lakshmi soon appeared looking smart but having had a rotten day. However after a large glass of wine she cheered up somewhat, and we wove into So...

Dastardly drinking A slow start to the day. Cold, with rain lashing the windows as I worked at a strange new poem. Went out to buy bread in a cold rainy gale. Bumped into Ken by the station cashpoint, who was gloomily contemplating a trip to Axminister to see some of his family. Returned home to cook Lorraine a large breakfast. Then took an emergency fish call from Lakshmi whose fish (species unknown) was feeling a bit moby dick. I enjoy my role as remote fish doctor. Feeling slightly sneezy and man coldy but rallied heroically to go shopping. There are sales everywhere and an undercurrent of desperation in the shops. Bought bits for my God children, and saw a bargain charcoal grey coat for myself. First coat I'd bought in years. After these labours went to a little pub with Lorraine to quaff pints of bitter. Then more shopping again to buy cushions. Lorraine is not really a drinker, I remembered, watching her knock over a display of nasty ornamental ducks. Stopped at The Caxton on...

Soulfood with Lakshmi Another dire night's sleep. Consequently walking about like a brain donor again. Morning spent working on various manuscripts, until lunchtime when Lakshmi visited me, and met Calliope who bit her handbag. Had a pleasant afternoon mooching about Brighton. Nosing in a second hand bookshop, with Lakkers on her endless search for PG Wodehouse books, and myself thumbing through ancient poetry collections. Then we made off for Momma Cherri's Soul Food Shack, made famous after it featured in a Gordon Ramsay TV show. It was a raging success for a while, but on a rainy Tuesday lunchtime the place was virtually empty. The food was fine, although did not make my eyes pop out with amazement, and the staff very pleasant. Lakshmi tried a little of both jambalaya and gumbo, whereas I stuck to meatballs in a roll, with their own coleslaw and corn bread. All rather nice and freshly made, and worth visiting again. Then a bracing walk on the pier, followed by a pause in the...

A happy Monday Aimee and Princess Lakshmi hit Brighton today, popping into the Twitten. Lively ladies both, and I had a splendid day with them. A brief tour of places of interest: looking at famous graffiti by Banksy, Madhatters, threading through the Laines, Pavilion, etc. which Aimee really enjoyed. Then sitting under a parasol in the hot sun near the doughnut sculpture on the seafront drinking cold beer and picking at antipasti, and having a protracted gossip about romances and jobs and other good stuff while looking over at the pier. From there off to the Cricketers where we were joined by Romy, who is Aimee's cousin. Romy has just graduated with a degree in anthropology and, interestingly, spent much of her studenthood living in a treehouse. Returned to the Twitten, to rendezvous with Aimee's taxi which was taking her to the airport and back to Dubai, where she is currently the second or third most important person, and doing some very high profile work to do with the oil ...

Old haunts, new friends Into London today. As the train drew into Victoria Mum phoned to talk about an operation she is going to have shortly. Difficult to talk in the station with loudspeakers barking information about trains. Soon after, I met up with Lakshmi who was clutching a book of London walks, and after tubing it, we vaguely followed its directions into Chiswick, which of course is an old haunt of mine. We went to Hogarth House and the Italianate Chiswick House, enjoyed the Hogarth prints. And although I'd been in Chiswick House grounds many times, I'd never actually been inside Chiswick House. I took some photos of weathered statues that had been in the garden and were now inside as Lakshmi and I wandered about with the audio guides pressed to our ears. The statues creeped Lakshmi out a bit, and I thought their corroded faces were rather magnificent and best not encountered in a dark Twitten. We then walked off to Strand on the Green and met up with Matty, Kate, Graem...

The grump within Up unspeakably early to get into London to get an early start at the agency. Grumped onto the train, noting that my recent sense of humour bypass is holding. Falling into old survival patterns: meditation tracks, and then to Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo podcast from BBC radio 5. I always really enjoy their show, and pleased to hear Kermode rating The Orphanage . One I am definitely going to see, although I suspect I will be ululating with horror, and apparently crying like a big girl at the end. Even the trailer gives me chills. Worked all day through lunch on stuff for financial clients with Bee and Lana, who got engaged at the weekend. I was the soul of amenability despite the grump within. Then shot out like a rabbit from a ferrety warren at five thirty. Listening to an audiobook, and crazily fiddling with the stupid game on my phone. I can't believe how long I lived like this. Experiencing acute and violent heartburn at the moment, not something I get too much....

One toad, several ladies Crept into work today feeling fragile. But perked up later despite a mountain of work to finish before my holiday. Out in the evening to the Salisbury, where I met Aimee - who I'd not seen for several years - Lakshmi and Marcella. Aimee is in London (she lives in Dubai) on a course, and she is having a difficult time. Her aunt, who had been ill for a long time, died yesterday. Despite her being sad, we had a cheery night considering. We all met at the Salisbury and then had an adequate curry off the Strand, and an excellent evening of gossip and renewed friendship. A night out with the girls is a fine thing. Sleeping on the train home, when I wasn't thinking about golden toads that is. For Christiane and I have been corresponding on the matter. I consulted the ever-reliable Dictionary for Dreamers and became interested in the contradiction between the ugly toad and its golden quality. Christiane was looking into native American totem stuff... where toa...

A statue of affection Sluggish start to the day. Due to an infernal tube strike after getting to London I ended up walking from Putney Station to my offices, which took about 40 minutes. But it was a very beautiful morning. And I felt free and happy walking across Putney Bridge and along the river. I saw some statues I'd never noticed, including the one below, called Affection. Curiously I had a head full of sludge all day, and every time I opened my mouth something faintly idiotic came out of it. But after presenting some work (which I did badly but got away with it) we went out as a team with our clients for lunch, as one of them was leaving to have a baby. Ate some nice sea bass steamed in a bag with Jersey potatoes. Said one or two more slightly idiotic things while waving my fork about but did no damage. I have had to postpone my holiday yet again due to work stuff. The people I flew to Basel to discuss sticking needles in people's eyes last week are going to give us the ...

Lakshmi in London Hobbled from work off to a new and excellent back-cracker, who had me able to perform owl-like head swivels within half an hour. Took the opportunity to quiz her on skeletons while she was at her cracking and stretching work. After work off into the west end. London looking briefly sunny and fine in the sun, the buses extra red and the sky extra blue. Opposite Charing Cross station I bumped into my old pal Desi B who I'd not seen for about four years. We chatted on the street for about 20 minutes and it was very good to see her. By a strange quirk of fate she is working with Mex my ex-wife. She made me laugh when she explained with some vehemence that the marjority of single men over 30 are gay, whether they knew it or not. Then to the Salisbury where I met Lakshmi who, over a vodka and orange, discussed the rubbishness of the Pusscat Dolls and Posh Spice and corrected me on an urbane matter of PG Wodehouse scholarship. We then went to strap on the nosebag at a ne...

Eating animals in Chinatown Left my iPod earphones at home, which is fantastically annoying. Working on poems on the way to work. Little to report at work other than that I received a nice email from the Romy containing lots of links to things like the inside of her new bathroom (strange but true), the apartment they will stay at in Argentina and various appealing kittens who are plotting to weasel their way into the Kenny-Bowers abode in Toronto. In the evening went off to town where I met Lakshmi in the Salisbury, where I'd been with Sprinkles a week or so before. Wandered off for a bite to eat in Chinatown. Lakshmi is preparing for various adventures, such as going to Russia via Finland for a party, which partially explained why she is on a fierce Atkins diet and mainly ate animals. Nice to see her again. I am pleased that Aimee put us in touch as you can never have enough friends. Homeward bound, and feeling most peeved that I had nothing to read, and nothing to listen to due t...

In the Lanes with Lakshmi The very nice Lakshmi came to visit me in Brighton today. She is a good friend of Aimee in Dubai whose excellent blog you can see in my friends menu. Aimee had a suspicion that we would get on. And we do. Spent a cheerful day mooching about through the the wonders of Brighton, its beaches, pier and lanes. Then strapped on the nosebag in a nice colonial-style restaurant. Lakshmi at one point diving into a bookshop to score some dusty PG Wodehouse books which are as treasures to her. Later we went to the splendid Mock Turtle for a nice cup of tea and cake. Where I had a tooth-endangering crunchy flapjack. We also found the international sweetshop, where she was able to buy something called Mountain Dew which she coveted from her time in the US, this shop alone she said was reason enough to come back to Brighton. Before her train left we popped into the Battle of Trafalgar and sat on a table next to some smoking transvestites to give her a final flavour of Bright...

Thursday is the new Friday... ...when you are taking Friday off as a holiday that is. Was late for work, but got into the character of someone who has been conducting something mysterious, but supremely important. And on sitting down I conducted my vital junk mail business quickly and with ruthless efficiency and brilliance. In the evening I met Lakshmi, who is a pal of my friend Aimee . Lakshmi has moved from Dubai where she knew Aimee, after studying in Indiana in the US, and then back to Dubai, and now finds herself in London. She is a very nice person and we had a lot to chat about. She surprised me by saying that PG Wodehouse was her favourite author. Not the obvious choice for a woman in her twenties brought up in Dubai. Almost as soon as I met her I could see how her and Aimee fit together, both being chatty, spirited, and good fun. We met in Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese which is one of my favourite haunts with Mad Dog. It was rather full, but, fine, then we went to the Punch across ...