Film: Hindi Medium

Yes! I did make it back, in time and alive. A short walk from the office to the airport, I dropped my bag (when my printed boarding pass was, weirdly, replaced by a conventional one that they printed themselves), and I went through a weird security process, where everything went straight onto the belt - no trays! (They had little ones, for keys, wallets and change, I guess.) I didn't even have to take my liquid bag out of my luggage.. Anyway, once past security, guess what? No duty free. Whatsoever. Never before seen an international airport without one. As I say, weird.

Hmm. Anyway, once I finally got onboard, I consulted my film list - I could fit in one film. They had to serve dinner anyway. So, a choice of four at the same rating, and I started at the top, alphabetically, with A Taxi Driver, one that's been on my list of London films for a while. Unfortunately, that was temporarily unavailable, so I went to the next - Hindi Medium, about an Indian couple who are determined to get their child into the best school. Another that's quite good - the parents go through all sorts of funny shenanigans to get through the stiff admissions system, and it turns to social conscience at the end, as they consider children from less privileged backgrounds. Very enjoyable.

Still eating when that ended, so I decided to try A Taxi Driver again - which was working by now. Based on a true story, and set in South Korea during the pro-democracy demonstrations, it describes how a taxi driver steals someone else's fare - upon overhearing someone at lunch describing how he has a big fare to take a foreigner (whom we've already learned is a journalist) to Gwangju (centre of the action), our hero finishes early and nips off, pretending to be the reserved driver. I wasn't really getting into it, to be honest, by the time I'd finished my food and decided that I didn't have time to finish the film and still get a decent amount of sleep. So I left it.

Sleep didn't really work very well - it was too hot in the cabin, with no individual air vents, and the engine noise was intrusively loud, even with earplugs. Finally, I had the idea of selecting some music that might lull me to sleep - would you believe, they don't have any soothing music whatsoever! Just silly, on a flight where passengers are expected to sleep. I ended up drifting off to an Ennio Morricone soundtrack, which was at least familiar. And they have a "night" option to darken the screen, which was handy. Still, sleep was brief and broken. Upon landing, I had a scuttle across town, to drop luggage at home and pick up my case for Ireland, then a dash to Stansted. On the plane back to Ireland, it occurred to me that you could make a good case that I was hallucinating the leprechaun in the row in front of me.. (stag do, the stag in full fancy dress). Surreal - you couldn't make it up. Still, at least I had my own air vent now - and he and his companions were as entertaining as any airline-provided fare.

Too tired to blog last night, obviously, and indeed this afternoon as well. With nothing much on Meetup for Monday, I was thinking of a film: but gee, Makala came top again. Or a film called Raid, whose closest showing is in Shepherds Bush at 10.05pm! So, film not enthusing me - instead, back with Funzing (via London Speaks Sessions), for a "dim sum talk" about "Why the Universe Shouldn't Exist". Should be interesting. Oh, and LDN Talks @ Night just advertised the same thing, so I signed up with them as well. They also offered a 10% discount code.. but then, I did get a 10% discount. Unless I could've used both..

On Tuesday, back with Funzing - a Walking in London tour of Ghosts of the Old City. (Yes, it's different to the last one..) For both of these events, got a 10% discount - they alternate between the codes crazy_fun and LoveFun, these days.

On Wednesday, back at a proper Meetup at last, to the Park Theatre with Up in the Cheap Seats for the opening night of Pressure. Then I'm back to Ireland (yes, again!) for Easter, flying back to London on the 2nd. I see there's a treat for BBC viewers - Andrew Scott's Hamlet, from last year, is being broadcast on BBC2 next Saturday. Interesting choice for Easter. I just wonder whether his performance will be as electrifying on screen as it was live.. Man with the Hat, if you're reading, make sure to watch this! I know you would have loved to see it live.

On the 3rd, Meetup is throwing up a couple of things I'd have been interested in - Up in the Cheap Seats is off to the ballet at the Opera House, and North London Friends is off to see a play called Black Men Walking at the Royal Court. And wouldn't you know it, by the time I got around to checking, they were both sold out! Blast. Although there seemed subsequently to be some tickets left for the ballet, which is now sold out again. Anyway, in the meantime, I got the last £15 ticket - from the official website - for Bat Out of Hell, in the Dominion Theatre. Rear stalls - not so shabby. Should be fun. Then a couple more events were advertised that I'd have been interested in - too late, guys, I usually book earlier than that!

On the 4th, I'm headed (finally, it's been so long!) to see the Crick Crack Club perform The Gods and Monsters Show at Rich Mix. Now, I don't know what's with the head of their Meetup group, but she seems to think it's on two days later - I did comment on the event page to that effect. Just check the venue website, as I then said. Or indeed, the Crick Crack Club's own website. Daft woman hasn't changed it yet. Not that it wouldn't have suited me to have it on another day - I'd be missing London Literary Walks' first outing of the year, damnit! But it's for a very good cause..

And then I checked, and wouldn't you know it, he subsequently shifted the walk to the 5th! Seems he now works alternating shifts, so dates can change at short notice. Well, this one worked out great for me. Sadly, I'll be missing North London Friends' trip to the Moors Bar Blues Jam and Drinks - well, you can't have everything. I'd never be up to Crouch End in time after the walk.