Out of the rain

[puddleshark]

Two days into a three-day storm. It's wild. It's grey. The wind is full of light rain. But it's not cold.

Comments

[sartorias]

Oh, Max! He's such a character!

Rewatched LIKE A FLOWING RIVER, which I love despite the devastating ep in the middle, and its fallout.

Rewatched NIRVANA IN FIRE. The loyalty, the takedown of evil politicians, the sheer brains . . .

[puddleshark]

He certainly is. *sighs* I was hoping he might become a bit more chilled out as he got older, but he's still taking his guard-the-house-against-deliveries duties really seriously.

I might have to give Like a Flowing River another chance - I never got past the first episode last time.

NIF - ...the sheer brains... Yes! The fact that all the characters are intelligent (excepting poor Meng, bless him!) - not just the main protagonist.

[sartorias]

Like a Flowing River might not be your cuppa. But what I liked was the sheer good-heartedness of most of the characters, and the humanity behind even the ones I didn't like. The acting is superb. Wang Kai does such a good job playing a guy on the spectrum. And the little touches, like nothing really obvious is ever said, but the shadow of terror left by the Cultural Revolution in the older characters, the middle-aged people at last allowed to go to college . . . the recovery from being knocked back to feudal life, it's all just fascinating to me. I do like the first half more than I like the second half, but I think it's a stunning piece.

[heleninwales]

I'm sorry to hear that Max has developed a strategy to enable him to still bark at the postman, despite not being able to hear him.

Re bread and milk, I've found they freeze successfully. We get semi-skimmed, but I think the full fat also freezes OK. If you get unsliced bread, just cut it into slices before freezing, then you can split off as many slices as you need. It toast well straight from the freezer and doesn't take long to thaw if you want to make a sandwich, or you can defrost in the microwave. By doing this I can get away with one big shop per week, plus a quick top-up shop on a Friday to pick up the local paper and pizzas.

We've actually got quite a few cases here, so I'm being extra careful, but some elderly friends have had appointments for the vaccine, so I'm hoping things will get better soon.

[puddleshark]

Well, it keeps him entertained. Barking at the paper boy / postman has always been one of Max's main interests in life!

Thanks. I'm going to try that this week - buy extra for the freezer. I really need to cut back on my visits to the shops. There are so many Covid-19 cases in this region that it's scary. My sister said yesterday that there had been 17 cases in the small firm where she works.

[prettygoodword]

No judging during the Pandemic, okay? All means of escape are valid.

Yes. Yes, they are.

(Mine has largely involved smut.)

[puddleshark]

H'exactly!

It's all good. Even when it's bad.

[55nika]

I also avoid agreeing to a new post-writing editor. I reread the novels of Scott Fitzgerald-I admire his style!

[puddleshark]

Yes! Scott Fitzgerald has such a limpid, beautiful style. I don't read much 20th century American literature in general, but The Great Gatsby is a favourite.

[55nika]

I decided to reread all his novels. I also read a novel by his wife Zelda. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be interesting (this is her only novel)! Her writing style reminds me of Virginia Woolf

[lnhammer]

BTW, I like that Su Xiaoxiao poem, and want to do my own version, assuming I can track down the original. (I've done another of hers.)

[puddleshark]

I'd love to read your version, if you can find the original!

I love this particular poem/translation, but of course I have no idea how much of the poem belongs to the poet and how much to the translators.

[lnhammer]

I'm curious about that, too -- thus wanting to find the original. A cursory search of my usual sources didn't turn it up, but it was cursory due to work deadlines. Will try harder this weekend.