Music and films

Just thought I'd take a blog entry to chat a bit about some of the less stressful aspects of my life. Been listing to some cool new albums, favorites at the moment are The Editors, The Back Room; Jose Gonzalez, Veneer and one of the best albums I've listened to in a long time; Arcade Fire, Funeral. This is a true album in that it makes more sense as a whole than as individual songs. You really have to listen to the whole thing for it to make sense. It's absolutely brilliant and was on continuous play when I bought it.
I've also seen some top films recently, high on the list have to be both 'Walk the Line' and 'Hidden'. Thought Ms Witherspoon was well worth her oscar and thoroughly enjoyed the whole film -- pure entertainment. I defy you not to come out singing. Hidden is a real thinking film. It stars Juliette Binoche as the wife of a successful tv star who stars receiving video tapes showing their apartment. Very clever film and leaves more questions that answers. Highly recommended.
So there you go!

Pictures around Edinbugh

Outside the National Gallery of Modern Art

Outside the National Gallery of Modern Art, different view

Me nr. the centre of the city

Rose street, around 6pm

KK with castle in the background

Always go to a Chinese with a Chinaman!

Or at least someone who speaks Chinese. Yes, as referred to in a previous post, am temporarily living with my colleague KK from Singapore. So, we had a nice day out on Saturday, checking out the farmers market and the National Modern Art Museum. Which was excellent and well worth a return visit. I'm a big fan of modern art (or at least some of it) -- mainly because good modern art makes you think. It can also say whatever you think it says -- in the end a good painting of a landscape, although nice to look at is only ever that. I'm sure some of you will disagree.... There were some excellent new Damian Hurst things there, a series called "The last supper" where he's modified labels from pharmaceutical packets and replaced the drug names with day-to-day food items such as "Cornish Pasty". Very effective, wry statement about modern food.
Oh yeah, before returning to the chinese, it snowed here last Friday so there was some snow around still Saturday. I took the camera out again and took some shots around Edinburgh, which I'll pop in a separate post.
So back to the chinese. I didn't know, but apparently a lot of chinese restaurants have a separate chinese menu. Which was offered to us as soon as we walked in. And the stuff on there is quite different to the regular english menu. So, being a bit lacking in old chinese reading I let KK order. And we have the most fantastic chinese meal I've ever had. You know I like the regular chinese banquet thing, always happy with good prawn toast and aromatic duck. But main courses always a bit of a let down. Not here. Fantastic food. Fish soup. Tofu in this amazing sauce. Roast pork and duck with a delicious orange-flavoured dipping sauce -- like nothing I've ever had in any chinese. Dim sum. So, I've decided you have to do chinese with someone who can read the chinese menu. Well, I was excited anyway. KK was quite bemused at my excitement. Maybe you are as well.
Other than that nothing much else to report. Still trying to find permanent accommodation and the car is due for MOT tomorrow. Hope it passes.