Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Train

After much faffing about, the time for clarity and indeed information is here.

Scotland will be depart on the 15th Febuary 2008 at approx. 1.35pm from GLA. The destination U.A.E. or more specifically Dubai to where my chariot awaits. Actually, it doesn't but my new job does.

The new job is much the same as I have been doing, namely teaching English as a Second Language. However, this position is different. 'Different' in a good and exciting way. It's neither at a School, College nor is it a University which have been my place of teaching so far. Alas, the teaching job is actually a 'Training and Development' position with Emirates Airlines. A Company. And a pretty bloody big one at that. One that operates worldwide and makes profits. Indeed, its distinctly corporate. But that is one of the draws - the fact that its not a School, College or University. It's a completely different working environment.

The role itself is a completely new one which no other person having it before me. The people who hired me suggested that their search to fill the position has been quite a long one and has been 'worldwide'. I might therefore consider myself lucky to have gotten it, though that could just be a line they are selling me. Still, even if they are selling it to me, then i'm taking it as a compliment.

SO, i'm going to be based at the International Airport in Dubai and essentially teaching the employees English. It appears that in order for the employees to be considered for promotion, they need a certain level of English - hence, that's where I come in. As for as I know, it might be baggage handlers and the like but I guess you have to start somewhere and let's face it, how many times will a job like this come along particualrly in the field I'm in. I suspect not often.

On the 16th Feb. I'll be in a hotel for a week before moving into my own 2-Bedroom apartment. One which needs furnished but I guess having an apartment is much more desirable than going to a completely new country and having nowhere to live at all. Not sure where it is mind you or even how large the apartment is but I'm confident it will be fine.

That's the skinny.Tminus 2weeks.

Now that its all happening, i'm not sure how I feel about it. I guess a mixture of shock, excitement, nervousness and all that kind of stuff but its got to be done. The job and the salary and the benefits dictate it.
Here goes.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

themusicone

The fluid nature of music dictates that somethings are 'in' and somethings or 'out'; somethings are never really 'in or 'out' but can be found suspended in a vacuum that no-one can be bothered to alter, much like the entire history of chart based music. That though is its own entity and can be considered a money making exercise rather than something that is purely artistically driven.

Whether or not something is 'in' or 'out' isn't really the point. The point being that it exists in some form ready to be dismissed by the listener or perhaps embraced at a point in the future whether that be a whole movement or just a group of random individuals. It seems as though the former could be applied to rave and its new manifestation whilst the later is something much more personal and perhaps much more interesting as it tells us something of that person, perhaps not explicitly though.
Which leads to this...
And the retreading of 'stuff' that was listened to before but given the fluidity of both the listener and the music has not been listened to for some time. No reason needs to be given for the lapse as its just what happens. Again, an 'in' and 'out' conundrum.

The ease of recalling former choons is as easy as clicking on the correct box on your screen. Not as enjoyable as digging around a shelf or larger 'real' box and finding some dusty plastic box with pictures and notes and dedications etc but things change. The pleasure though is clicking on the play button and being reminded of something from the past that, at the time, was something. A something that is entirely personal to that individual. A something that made them press that play button at some random moment.
The music that follows is inextricably linked to that random moment. But its now and it shouldn't be. What follows is a reminder of how good that music was. The ears providing the evidence that the brain recalls. And sometimes, just sometimes it evokes something that makes you say 'my god, that album is actually really rather good'. The memory complete. The 'out' becomes an 'in'. The cycle complete; for the time being.

Of late, a number of albums have done this and in no way do I have the slightest idea why the thought of getting that particular album out and wanting to listen to it arose. It just did.
The ghostly wailing of 'I wanna get high' followed by this old school, scratchy break in the opening 20 seconds of Cypress Hill's 'Black Sunday' is as laid back as it always was. The melody hypnotic. The rapping always was abit nasal but its the music that always did it. It's not the bling of modern hip-hop nor is it the bragging of 'look at me', its the original form of hip-hip with the playing of segments of old, old 50's songs that make it what it is with its James Brown-esque repetition. Yet, its modern and in many ways very eery with its dark undertones. Night music? It's interesting that its what, early 90's(?) and at the time this style should have evolved but in actual fact, has it? It has evolved into the hip-hip monster of today but cast a look around the genre and is it any better? To the untrained the answer would be somewhere between 'hmm' and 'not really'. It might be said that The Cardigans 'Gran Turismo' might also be in that category. The initial problem being that they will rather unfortunatly be linked to that 'pop' song from the romeo+juliet soundtrack. Shame really as it is not a representitive snapshot of them with all that glitter and sweetness. It might be argued that other bands have experienced this if I was to name to, it would be REM for Shiny Happy and Radiohead for Creep perhaps even Underworld for Born Slippy. Gran Turismo couldn't be further from that single. It's dark and brooding. Perhaps the most recognisable song from it is 'my favourite mistake' which is quite mechanicalistic in its approach with its distorted bass and almost metal on metal snare drum. Even the video is dark with the singer 'driving' at breakneck speed without care for anyone else on the highway. The car crash proving its darkness. Yet the album is not as uptempo as the romeo+juliet single would have you believe. Higher and Nil proving that. It's a gem and has wrongly /in my opinion/ been lumped into the 'brit-pop' era that surrounded its release.

Though evolution or simply the march of time throws up new things that in a few years might see a relapse into re-opening old tunes. Of current importance appears to be Burial and its genre shaping soundscapes along with something called Boxcutter /google it/ which might be considered akin to Burial but might also be classed as something of a drumandbass thing, again such thoughts return to the heady opening gambits of 'Brown Paper Bag' Roni Size/Reprezent. Perhaps thats the next one to get clicked back into existence.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

compile

Damn the unknown. I guess people might not wholly agree with that, but the unknown is abit of a worry whether that be in terms of what we can't see or taste or hear to other unknowns like superunknowns.

Perhaps if there were no unknowns this might be easier but i'm fairly sure that something else would exist that would make us worry. It's like all these people worrying about the unkown that is all the ice melting. If we didn't have that, the worriers would focus their attention onto another thing like the disappearing amounts of salt water into ice. A vicious circle especially if you are an insomniac or someone who spends too much time doing something other than what they should be doing.

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

.36

Might as well get the moan over with then. Wind rain, snow. Not always in that order. The wind caused me to be 2 hours late for work. Gales, hurricanes whatever, it was still strong. Thank you for that. Rain. It's wet and coupled with the wind, horizontal. The snow though is cheeky. It leaves no sound. You don't know it's there until its too late. Again, late because of it. Great start to the working year. That, couple with visits from external bodies clearly doesn't make the trip to work anymore enjoyable.
Alas, developments are afoot on that front. More to follow.

done.

When is the end not actually the end?
The end is when you say its the end. It's finished. You don't want to continue. That's the end. Quick, though not always sudden. But definitely final. No going back.
The reasons could be plentiful or there could be just one. A combination more likely though. Yes, a combination.
Done.

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

Valentine

Whilst sitting being tired and slightly under the influence of alcohol, a discussion arose about being the 'in crowd' or the 'cool' kids.

On the one side /me/, there was the notion that I have never ever been, what you could class as, in the 'in' crowd. Or at least, I've never felt as if I was part of any kind of it 'in'. I definitely wasn't at High School. I was much too preoccupied trying to pass tests and be 'clever' to be anything other than some in the background, just getting on with things. Even at University I wouldn't really say I was in the 'in' crowd but then with a class of only 20 or so, was there even an 'in' crowd. But then, what even is an 'in' crowd?
I guess as myself and others have gotten older, we have just kind of gotten on with things - jobs, houses, relationships...whatever but then most of us still go out to nice bars, buy nice stuff for their homes, look fairly modern in terms of haircuts and clothes et al. So, perhaps in an unconscious sense, I have become part of an 'in' crowd. But even that seems strange because all we're doing is what we have always done hence I don't necessarly feel 'in'. Yet, if you're already on the inside, then you wouldn't see others thinking 'they' are part of the 'in' crowd because its second nature to you. And its the second nature thing that I have trouble with.

Yet, the counter-arguement was that O.K. perhaps when we were young we weren't 'in' with a number of factors contributing to that. But, in actual fact we are the 'in' crowd in which others do actually think that we are a crowd that others my want to, not be like, but perhaps subconscious have a respect of sorts for us and may actually aspire or leviatate towards us. A certain example was used to illustrate the point which did kind of make sense. I wonder if I can get away with giving the example without giving too much detail. Actually, i'm not going to go with the example because I can't fully explain it. Much like the rest of what I'm trying to get at. Bloggers block perhaps?

Seize

Yesterday seemed much the same as today albeit will alot more rain. Yet, it is New Year's Day. A day to behold and drink and nurse the hangover. Actually, I didn't think that I did any of those things - behold the day, drink or have a hangover. Might be a sign of age or even indifference.

But Happy New Year. I'm sure it will be fine.