weeknotes #3
Another late weeknotes...
Things I've done โแฐ.๐๐ หหห
Attended a lunchtime meditation class at my local meditation centre (it's a Buddhist centre - despite meditating, I don't know much about Buddhism currently). I found the guided meditation very helpful and I'd like to go again. I struggled a lot meditating by myself last year, and finding it uncomfortable to focus on my breathing. So it felt positive to have a good experience with it again.
I also travelled back to Wales to see a play with my Mum - a performance of Our Town, an American play from 1937, which in this performance has been given a Welsh spin - which means put on with Welsh actors and given some other touches (hymns sung in Welsh, place names) while the New England location and other aspects of the play remain the same. It's a play that links the minutiae of daily life in an unremarkable town to more grand aspects of life, death and everything in between.
You know how it is; you're twenty-one or twenty-two and you make some decisions; then whisssh! you're seventyโฆ you've been a lawyer for fifty years and that white-haired lady at your side has eaten over fifty thousand meals with you. Stage manager, Our Town
It's an period play that deals with universal topics, maybe in a sentimental way. It had me crying by the end though.
I went to visit an art installation in a swimming pool.
I wrote the blog post linked above about the swimming pool art installation, and a post for the BearBlog carnival this month which I'm a little embarrassed about because I don't think it's great... but I'm trying to post more frequently and be less precious.
Films (and TV) ๐ฟ๐ฅโฎโห
I watched A Perfect Murder, Indecent Proposal and My Cousin Vinny at home, and Destroy All Monsters!, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple and The Voice of Hind Rajab in the cinema. Total cinema ticket expense this week: ยฃ12.65 (free 28 years later ticket courtesy of mubi go).
I had some conflicting feelings about The Voice of Hind Rajab - although a lot of thought went into it, including permission from her mother, I'm not sure how I feel about the melding of documentary and recreation in a film like this. There's an argument that raising attention to voices like this is one of the most important things film can do - a point debated by the film itself, where characters angrily question the point of displaying more atrocities on social media when it appears nothing is enough to capture people's empathy in a way that actually evokes real change, or can save children like Hind Rajab. I'm glad it's distributed here, regardless.
I've been feeling ๐ซ๐ฉน๐ฅโค๏ธโ๐ฉน
Indecisive and uncertain. I was introduced to the idea of collecting rejections via Ava's post, my theme for 2026, and I like the idea. I'm going to try and use it (as well as meditation) to give me courage to apply for things this year.
I'm looking forward to
It's fancy massage week! Making plans to meet my friend's new baby. Hopefully seeing No Other Choice, the new Park Chan-wook film this week. And discussing the Book Club book at our monthly meeting.
I've been reading ๐ต๐
I finished Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier - lots to unpack in this beautifully written book. Especially how the narrator and Rebecca represent two different feminine archetypes. The narrator is also a chronic day-dreamer and fantasist - as someone who spent a lot of my childhood day-dreaming it felt very relatable.
I'm continuing with Frankenstein (which has been a great time so far) and also trying to pick a book for the book club read next month.
Resolutions for this week ๐ค
- Stop drinking coffee in work to try and avoid that mid-afternoon crash.
- Make an effort to think more positively and not be threatened by critique or rejection, or see everything as a disaster.
- Finally do that bike maintenance I've been putting off since before Christmas.
See you next week ~ ๐