(Bill Nighy (left) and Andrew Scott)
OK, I have to write now, if not I would be screaming on Times Square, and with all the police men going around there, this was the safer option.
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New York, New York
Well I am alive and well, and I am in New York!
It is an overwhelming city, with very very few internet cafe’s, took me until now to find this one, and they are very expensive. So – dear readers, I am afraid that that means that updates here will be more or less postponed until I am back in London.
A few quickies though:
My body seems to want to wake up at 5am in the middle of the night since I am here, shouting “Come on yoohoo let’s stand up” and then my head answers “don’t be ridiculous, it is the middle of the night it is dark, get back to sleep”. I don’t know if that is a reversed jetlag or just the nerves for the play, which is in about 4.5 hours from now. I already checked the route to The Music Box Theatre, so I know where it is. And I am extremely exited to finally watch it.
My hotel had a stack of Vertical Hour flyers in stock, so Bill is all around. Times Square is intimidating, New York cabdrivers have to be the most rude ones in the world, the subway is a bit more of a challenge to find your way in than in London, the Empire State Building is huge (not sure I dare to go in there though, I am afraid of heights and it intimidates me too much), I saw Blood Diamonds which is an incredible film with Leonardo DiCaprio, and I have already nearly written a whole notebook full of ramblings. And I have only been here for a day.
But fear not : New York is a cool city to be, but London is the place for me. Now we just want our Englishman back.
I greet you from the Big Apple.
There’s no beginning, There’ll be no end
It was a long wait, but I am happy to say that I am off now.
It’s up to you, New York, New York …
What was the word? Oh, yes, tragic romantic.
My mind’s made up The way that I feel
“Ingrid …”
“Davy …., wow, how is New York? I look so much forward to see you again.”
“New York is fantastic, you are going to love it, trust me. And I had a great sailing trip, I’ll tell you all about it when you get here.”
“I can’t wait… I …”
“But as your editor …”
“Ehrm yes ?”
“I know you don’t really do Christmas, but for your readers …”
“What?”
“You need to wish them a Merry Christmas.”
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You know I love Christmas I always will
Well let’s not overdo it, but this year it’s really not bad. I am ecstatic, which has not that much to do with presents and Christmas trees but more with the fact that it is now only 2 days before departure and 4 days before Bill. And there was this other David Hare play …
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Come on and let it snow
After nearly a year with this project, I decided to put the girl on the map. This is just a screenshot, for a zoomable and scrollable map go to the Where is the girl now page.
Not in my wildest dreams could I have dreamed of such a large geographical area being covered by this DVD. It’s one of my best Christmas presents. And people are still signing up, the last location being Lancaster in the UK. You’re very welcome to join if you like.
Thanks to all of you who are participating.
The fog seems to clear up on Monday, according to the BBC. That’s another great Christmas present. The third one is already in New York.
test page
Hello
So if you really love Christmas
If I told you that I have already scored a date, on Tuesday the 26th at 10 am, with a guy who is going to sacrifice some hours of his Christmas day to show me around in New York, would you believe me?
Of you course you wouldn’t. I don’t believe it either, but it’s true. His name is Richard.
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It’s everywhere I go
The Girl on my travel guide
Today the girl learned something about London. Just in time …
You live in London right?
Yeah.
Big city.
Huge city!
So how do you plan to get to Heathrow on Monday?
Oh, easy, tube! Piccadilly Line has a direct connection to Heathrow airport, so smart this tube!
Yes, but it’s Christmas day on Monday.
I know, what’s your point?
No tubes on the 25th.
Ha, ha, this is London we are talking about. You don’t really think I am going to believe that.
It’s written in the wind
I stepped in to order something to eat, stood in front of him, trying to find the words as he makes me nervous since he started talking, and I remembered that I had no money. I had spent my last cash on stamps.
I just licked at a lot of them, and they taste nasty, but they are put on the envelopes. Airmail labels are put on them and I just personally delivered them in the mailbox. If you happen to be in South Croydon, you can hear them. Twenty giggling and exited girls together in a red mailbox, eager to go travelling.
I would love to hear if they have arrived safely in a comment here. And take good care of them when they do, they giggle a lot, but they are good company.
When they will arrive?
I have no idea.
It’s written in the wind.
and so the feeling grows
If I told you that I spent at least 3 hours totally in a shop to find the perfect travel notebook, would you think I was crazy?
If so, I am not going to tell you.
Oh, you already thought I was crazy anyway.
OK then, I spent at least 3 hours to find the right notebook.
Christmas is all around me
And so I bought a goat.
Say hello to Eddy.
While the mind is occupied with New York and the like, it doesn’t mean we can’t think about other people a bit. I like to think that that’s what Christmas is all about.
So I bought Eddy. And Eddy is probably going to Uganda, or Zimbabwe, some place where she is needed, and where she hopefully will breed and get a big family.
I like that. Eddy is going to Make Poverty History. For a few people at least.
I feel it in my toes
She is way less shy than I am, obviously. But I have no idea how she got there.
I feel it in my fingers …
It’s mine and mine alone …
If you don’t care to read about my upcoming trip to New York, then farewell my friend, try again somewhere next year. It is the only thing I can think, dream and probably also write about.
A visit
“Now do me a favour” I said to him “and try to land a place where it is a bit quiet. We don’t want too much attention”.
A few minutes later he called me.
“I’m here!”
“Where are you?”
“Oh, I just check, it’s a place called Leicester Square”.
“Right, you call that quiet? That’s in the heart of London!”
“Well people won’t notice me. ”
“What? That’s a major space ship you landed there!”
“It’s invisible!”
“I can see it!”
“Only you can see it, don’t worry”.
“My camera can see it too …”
“Yeah, I added some extra features to D(2) while they were upgrading it”.
“Oh wow, I don’t know what to say. I, erhm, I missed you”.
I love my D(2) we understand each other better for every day we’re together, I love spaceships, and I always love it when he comes over for a visit.
It’s all about those small things in life
When I am tired of my job, or get an assignment that bores the hell out of me I always shout that I should have become a garbage man in stead.
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Don Juan in Soho, Donmar – review
« Rhys Ifans in his classic Fancy-a-fuck t-shirt in Notting Hill
To be totally prepared for The Vertical Hour, I am doing a small theatre warming up these weeks. I saw Love Song, Love or Money, and today it was time for Don Juan in Soho. Three plays about Love actually, three very different plays in three different theatres. They are all great and recommended, but this last one was definitely the funniest one.
OK, you have all seen Notting Hill of course. If not go rent it (no Bill isn’t even in it), it is a lovely feel good film, an excellent Christmas watch, written by Richard Curtis, with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant in it. Hugh Grants lovely Welsh flatmate in that film, Spike, was played by Rhys Ifans. (The same Rhys Ifans who played against Daniel Craig in Enduring Love by the way, which has in fact Bill in it. By golly, I need to see that film again, Daniel and Bill in one film! Hello, you are rambling again. Oh, yes, sorry.).
13
The smallest integer with eight letters in its spelled out name in English.
The atomic number of aluminium.
The number of dimensions in some theories of relativity.
The number of participants at the Last Supper.
The number of steps, according to Egyptian lore, between life and death.
The number of animals in the Chinese zodiac, including the cat.
A 1999 album by British band Blur.
Yesterday.
The number of cards in a single suit of a standard deck of playing cards.
The number of players in a rugby league team.
He got nominated for a Golden Globe for Gideons Daughter that day in December in 2006.
The number of days before The Vertical Hour.
I got my new specs yesterday. They are funky, the world looks pink.
Random stuff from the head and a pink elephant
He always knew he was different
Bill Nighy in pencil, kind of
Because it is that day of the year again. And because I can only make things like this with nice faces on it. And no, of course I didn’t forget Bill’s birthday. 57 today, and still the funkiest man in the universe. And the most brilliant actor on the planet.
So – a very very Happy Birthday to:
Lawrence, Billy, Davy, Viktor, Alan, Whitey, Richard, Bernard, Slartibartfast, Dylan, Philip, Mortmain, Robin, Louis, Roger, Dan, Ray, Peter, Mr. Johnson, Edward, Tristan, Jeremy, Julian, Barton, Tiger, Gideon, Colonel Osborne, Cameron, Stamfordham, Mr. McGill, Jeffrey, Lockwood, Lord Sandwich, Ian, Will, Tom, Oliver, John, Hugh, Mark, Sam, Cecil, Ronald, Helmut, Lee, Oates, Conor, Vincent, Nick, and Albert.
And Bill himself.
I love them all ’cause they
Show me the world as I’d love to see it
Oh go on then, have some Billy Mack.