A week or so on and still learning this stuff

Since last time what has happened?  Cricket, reading, learning, and no jobs.

When I started this blog, it was a trial.  If it worked I thought that it would be good to maintain a historical bent.  That being so, I will add stuff that should have been included in the first one as it provides a more solid foundation on which to venture forward.  Thus in this post, I will cover my recent change in “world view”, visit to the T20 international - West Indies v Australia, and a brief review of our first visit to the theatre for the QTC 2013 season.  

Here goes:

“Changing World View”

Over the past little while, and particularly since Sept., I have been exposed to a new perspective to “the meaning of life” and have discovered that the answer is indeed “42”.  

It has been most enjoyable reading “Conversations with God – books 1,2 & 3”, “The Celestine Prophecy”, “The Power of Now”, and “”Spies Like Us”.  

Currently I am going slowly through “Instant Calm” while also listening to audio book “A new earth: Awakening to your life’s purpose” whenever I am in the little blue car by myself.  The generally 5-15 minute chunks seem to be neat bite-sized pieces which enable digestion in the gaps.   

All this “information” has aligned perfectly with input arising from interactions with family and friends.   The situations that have arisen around me, also complement the picture.  I am not unconvinced that the world as we know it did not end on 21 Dec 2012 and a new beginning is underway.  This is just one of the many mind blowing concepts which have come across my radar.  Some of these are mentioned in the list below.

• ·         Everything is connected - thus everyone has an influence on everyone else
• ·         Time does not exist – there is only now
• ·         Thinking is dangerous – being is better
• ·         You are not your “pain body” nor are you your “ego”
• ·         Coincidences do not exist – everything happens for a reason
• ·         Dreams are when you take leave of the encumbrance of your body
• ·         Egos are the cause of conflict
• ·         “Good” and “bad” are meaningless constructs

I could keep going, but I think you get the drift. 

“Windies win at last”

Jeff, Andy and I went to the cricket T20 international Australia vs West Indies here in Brisbane.  A combination of West Indian flair and unavailability of Australian stars saw the Trini heritage come to the fore – particularly for Andy & Jeff.  This was a Christmas present for me which gave Jeff and I great seats up high behind the stumps.  

Despite leaving home a bit later than planned we managed to get there in time for the first ball.  Gayle’s effortless early six set the tone for an enjoyable evening – lots of big hits and good shots to give a competitive total.   The Aussie chase getting close but not close enough was the desired result.  Jeff coped with the crutches – it just meant that I had to get the beers.  Andy had seats with his  friends down low on the boundary where he could  be in the thick of the action.

If the boys’ reaction to the game is any indication, perhaps the West Indian de Verteuil spirit will  live on in Australia.

“Two for the price of one”

The start of the Queensland Theatre Company’s 2013 season featured two plays from the same playwright, Peter Houghton – “The Pitch” and “The China Incident”.  

Both of these were single handed plays which tested the skills of those starring in each.  It started with ”The Pitch” where the actor playing a desperate screen writer was at his wits end to find the conclusion of a story for a film being pitched to financiers.  It was a fine display of his ability to imitate voices and sound effects whilst generating a few laughs along the way.   

After interval, the set had revolved to accommodate “The China Incident” where we watched the actress playing a high flying diplomatic consultant deal with simultaneous situations involving, the US President, a UN official that she fancied on the side, her daughter as she prepares for her wedding, her son arrested for drugs, a third world general caught up in wartime conflict, and the rest.  All of this over phones with as many as six phones going at once.  Needless to say, the result was a mess.  

Despite the intensity displayed, no doubt, the show went on again the next night and so forth until the end of the season – such amazing emotional resilience!   Having attended the play briefing for this show, I had a deeper appreciation for the product knowing that the playwright was an out of work actor at the time who decided to write a play for himself to perform.   When it proved a success, his wife asked him to do one for her which he duly wrote and then directed for her.  For their marriage to survive, they must have left their work at the office when they went home at night.   I left the theatre having enjoyed a couple of hours of thinking comedy, impressed by the skills of the actors and grateful that I had signed up for another season of theatre.