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Saturday, March 13, 2004

An imitation of life... 

Unlike Michael, I'm not very busy, but given most of my time is spent reading and under-employed, I still don't have much to say here. So I'll take the Friday Five challenge too:

1. What was the last song you heard?

'Tonight' from West Side Story. Given my habit of whistling along to whatever I'm listening to, and the intricate parts of the score to this musical, I've been getting very odd looks walking down Oxford High St with it on my walkman this afternoon.

2. What were the last two movies you saw?

Imitation of Life and The Dreamers. The first is a Douglas Sirk melodrama from the fifties, and absolutely typical of the genre. Someone storms out slamming a door or has an emotional breakdown on average every seven minutes or so. Fear not, though, faithful readers, I stayed strong against its emotional manipulation (until the end, where I cried like a baby). The Dreamers is marvellous, and I mean to post on it at more length when I've got a hold of the book for comparison.

3. What were the last three things you purchased?

Putting grocery shopping, alcohol and newspapers aside, probably Carina Round's Lacuna, a beginner's German course (it was between that, Russian and Czech, and for once I was sensible), and a job lot of (I think) every issue ever of the magazine Encounter. I've spent three weeks moving those to where I live, up three flights of stairs with no lift. FBI-funded literature never seemed so tiresome...

4. What four things do you need to do this weekend?

Finish reading The Republic, practise a reading for tonight's Lent service in church, eat, sleep. That is, I have nothing I need to do this weekend, which is blissful.

5. Who are the last five people you talked to?

My parents and my girlfriend, via two phone calls; a shop assistant; and a directions-requesting tourist. I was reading in The Independent the other day that old people are getting lonelier, seeing on average two people a day, where people my age are meant to see an average of twenty. Given my sole human contact today has lasted less than two minutes in total, perhaps I should worry...

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