The algae's greener on the other side

Yesterday, I was tempted to give into self-pity, to believe that my life (work)is hard and thankless. I then saw a documentary about the marine iguana who has to brave the rocky shores and crashing waves of a volcanic Galapagos island to forage for the only food he can find: green algae that grows on the seabed. As if getting in and out of the violent ocean isn't hard enough, he has to brave seals that don't eat the iguana but play a cat and mouse game by dragging the iguana by its tail through the water. Unfortunately, he can only stay in the water for ten minutes before his body temperature drops, his muscles become paralysed and he drowns.

Suddenly, my life doesn't seem too hard.

Now I know

Now I know how much a magnum of Veuve Clicquot costs. I know how much two magnums cost.

What I don't know is how I'm going to pay rent this month.

Crikey.

Saw the London Philharmonic Orchestra last night at the Royal Festival Hall. Vladimir Ashkenazy conducted two works by Prokofiev, Symphony no. 1 and Concerto no.2, Debussy's Prelude a l'apres midi d'un Faune, and Bacchus and Ariane by Albert Roussel.

It was an excellent evening and the highlight was the superhuman performance of the Concerto by Yvgeny Kissin. It was athletic, graceful, monumental and the crowd loved it, giving Kissin six ovations.

The real surprise was the Bacchus by Roussel. I'd never heard it before. It's a stunning piece of music and was beautifully played.

Oh yeah, this is my year of culture.

According to Great Circle Mapper, I flew almost 41,000 miles in 2007.

And boy, were my arms tired.

Boxing day reflections

The sun's out, I'm hungover and still stuffed from Christmas dinner, so it must be Boxing Day. Or, in the US, the day after.

Being in California is both unsettling and familiar. Some things one relives and others one can observe impartially. It's the same with friends and the family. Even those to whom one has strong ties. Whence came this cool remove?

Maybe it was the wine.

And there's still another week to enjoy. To try and slow the mind, unknot the shoulders, reflect on the past and the present. Strengthen still elasticine ties that are stretched and tested by oceans and miles and time zones and neglect. To count oneself amongst the most fortunate.

Time to plan for the successes of the coming year. The races to be raced. Battles to be ruthlessly fought. Wine to be tasted. Hearts to be won.

Time to find a balance of the mind, the body, the spirit; to exercise the heart in every way, to stop living in the 'imagine if...' and to live in the 'now that...' or even the 'what next...' To respect the intellect, but the corporal and the spiritual as well. To blend work and play and love and curiosity.

That's all. Easy, right? Especially when one sits in bed on Boxing Day wondering who's going to get up and make the coffee...

Brilliant

The brilliant Stefan Sagmeister talks about the development of one of his D&AD award winning posters in an animation designed by a student winner of the award.

Dubai

A brief stop in Dubai. Typical business trip. Arrive at 11pm on Sunday. Meeting on Monday. Boozy dinner. Fly out at 2.30am. Get a glimpse of that, a taste of this, and an impression of the touristy ex-pat bits and away we go. We did stop at the window to listen to the muezzin's call for prayer (salat) that echoed from a local mosque's minaret across the city - a powerful and beautiful moment.

Not much time for pictures. But here's what could be managed.