six o'clock anti meridian
an orange horizon merges into an azure sky
the 63 building winks knowingly across the rooftops
the stars are still bright
a new day dawning
all is flux
a fleeting moment of crepuscular serenity
before the sun rises
before i brave the arteries of this restless city
all we have is now
then it's gone in a flash
like they say democracy isn't something that is
it's something that has to be fought for every day
still we cling to our certainties
we lament our pasts
impatiently await our futures
covet status and luxury
nurture our self-importance
scorn humility
oblivious to the glories of nature
blind to the simple pleasures of our immediate surroundings
and while we think only of what we can gain
we forget too easily what we lose
Sunday, October 29, 2006
THE PRICE OF $ELEBRITY
$elebrities
faces and images
etched on our collective consciousness
not so much cult as modern obsession
the ultimate goal
the pinnacle of success
satisfying our desparate need for idols
for hero-worship
(cosmic?) father figures
dear leaders
brave warriors
political saviours
icons
not mere mortals like you or me...
like wrapping around a comfort blanket
popping a valium pill
undergoing anaesthesia
something to ease the insecurity
of our impermanence
in an insecure world...
self-idolatry performs a similar function
everyone wants their 10 minutes of fame
the attention
the flattery
the ego massage
the fleeting impression
that life in this world of corporate consumerism
really is important and meaningful...
fireseed logging on to give ya the lowdown
on this week's brush with $elebrity
(senior member of the cabinet, no less, my seeds)
well, $elebrity aint wot it's cracked up to be
it sure don't cure dandruff
but does wonders for boosting the retinue of hangers-on
acolytes
security dudes
bodyguards
the journos and the hacks
the dreaded paparrazi
the mockers who will distort every word
as long as it $ells
constantly playing on your insecurities
nobody ever seems to acts natural around you
insincerity abounds
red carpets are rolled out
ingratiating smiles flashed
photo opportunities squeezed in to hectic itineraries
every last drop squeezed out
welcoming parties fidget nervously
ushers fawn obsequiously
no-one knows quite what to say
is it ok to depart from the script?
everyone wants an autograph
a photograph
a paragraph
a piece of the $elebrity pie
bees around a honey pot
(or flies around a turd?)
appearances to keep up
sponsors not to upset
a party not to embarrass
a mum likewise
the next gaffe only ever a tongue of the slip away
(oopsadaisy, there goes another one!!)
up on that pedestal
it's a long way down when you fall
a distraction
a freak show
a symbol of the shallow ambitions of 2006
the face-lift slipping
the chest sagging
nowhere left to go but D-O-W-N
nothin' sadder than the faded glamour of a has-been
a 'where are they now?' of 2016...
faces and images
etched on our collective consciousness
not so much cult as modern obsession
the ultimate goal
the pinnacle of success
satisfying our desparate need for idols
for hero-worship
(cosmic?) father figures
dear leaders
brave warriors
political saviours
icons
not mere mortals like you or me...
like wrapping around a comfort blanket
popping a valium pill
undergoing anaesthesia
something to ease the insecurity
of our impermanence
in an insecure world...
self-idolatry performs a similar function
everyone wants their 10 minutes of fame
the attention
the flattery
the ego massage
the fleeting impression
that life in this world of corporate consumerism
really is important and meaningful...
fireseed logging on to give ya the lowdown
on this week's brush with $elebrity
(senior member of the cabinet, no less, my seeds)
well, $elebrity aint wot it's cracked up to be
it sure don't cure dandruff
but does wonders for boosting the retinue of hangers-on
acolytes
security dudes
bodyguards
the journos and the hacks
the dreaded paparrazi
the mockers who will distort every word
as long as it $ells
constantly playing on your insecurities
nobody ever seems to acts natural around you
insincerity abounds
red carpets are rolled out
ingratiating smiles flashed
photo opportunities squeezed in to hectic itineraries
every last drop squeezed out
welcoming parties fidget nervously
ushers fawn obsequiously
no-one knows quite what to say
is it ok to depart from the script?
everyone wants an autograph
a photograph
a paragraph
a piece of the $elebrity pie
bees around a honey pot
(or flies around a turd?)
appearances to keep up
sponsors not to upset
a party not to embarrass
a mum likewise
the next gaffe only ever a tongue of the slip away
(oopsadaisy, there goes another one!!)
up on that pedestal
it's a long way down when you fall
a distraction
a freak show
a symbol of the shallow ambitions of 2006
the face-lift slipping
the chest sagging
nowhere left to go but D-O-W-N
nothin' sadder than the faded glamour of a has-been
a 'where are they now?' of 2016...
Monday, October 23, 2006
EMPTY3 OK!
what's this, bloglets
two blogs in one day?
surely knot!
well, your firebeef likes surprises
look out for your fave blogger wearing a funny hat next time!
so here i am
in this here empty3 service sent-her
getting my empty3 player fixed
been broken for six months
fireseat been doing without the travelling music show
ripeseed been dreaming up own music instead
but this is one of those things that sk excels at
just can't imagine wondering into such a place
in rip-off britain
fireseed approaches desk timidly
bearing in mind korean pro-fish-n-sea
girl at desk asks what problem is
seedy boy proffers empty3
and explains in broken korean
girl smiles sweetly and tries to put f-seed at his e's
while simultaneously answering three phones
girl says that empty3 problem can be rectified in fifteen minutes
fifteen minutes?!
my poor empty3 ain't seen no action in six months, sister!
empty3 is passed to demure welder gurl at different desk
meanwhile happy f-seed logs on to this ear handy terminal
and starts blogging
hardly a chance to get going before coy s g is calling me over
more like five minutes!
wow! its my lucky day!
well, not quite - it's a test she's offering
but empty3 sure sounds great
clean as a whistle
no sound cutting out left, write and centre!
sometimes this country drives me mad
don't get me started on bus drivers or musak, seedlets!
but i try not to dwell too much on the negatives
life is too short
other times sk sure delivers!
half full or half empty?
the choice is hours, ain't it!
luv
f
two blogs in one day?
surely knot!
well, your firebeef likes surprises
look out for your fave blogger wearing a funny hat next time!
so here i am
in this here empty3 service sent-her
getting my empty3 player fixed
been broken for six months
fireseat been doing without the travelling music show
ripeseed been dreaming up own music instead
but this is one of those things that sk excels at
just can't imagine wondering into such a place
in rip-off britain
fireseed approaches desk timidly
bearing in mind korean pro-fish-n-sea
girl at desk asks what problem is
seedy boy proffers empty3
and explains in broken korean
girl smiles sweetly and tries to put f-seed at his e's
while simultaneously answering three phones
girl says that empty3 problem can be rectified in fifteen minutes
fifteen minutes?!
my poor empty3 ain't seen no action in six months, sister!
empty3 is passed to demure welder gurl at different desk
meanwhile happy f-seed logs on to this ear handy terminal
and starts blogging
hardly a chance to get going before coy s g is calling me over
more like five minutes!
wow! its my lucky day!
well, not quite - it's a test she's offering
but empty3 sure sounds great
clean as a whistle
no sound cutting out left, write and centre!
sometimes this country drives me mad
don't get me started on bus drivers or musak, seedlets!
but i try not to dwell too much on the negatives
life is too short
other times sk sure delivers!
half full or half empty?
the choice is hours, ain't it!
luv
f
Sunday, October 22, 2006
TRUE OR FALSE?
a spectacular inkblot sky to report this morn, bloglets
seeping blue-black into the horizons
after yes-a-day's claustrophobia
the sun breaks through the grey blanket
and the mountains are sharp, clear and in ya face!
BOO!
3 sentences about riffseede - true or false?
1) i've never tried 'kalbi' (korean barbecued meat dish)
2) i've got ma own blog
3) if i won the lottery, i'd buy myself a flashy sports car
answers on a postcard please...
(big clue: two truies, one falsie - shame there aint 2 falsies!)
fireseed feelin' good this morning
despite the sleepless knight
and the unsociably early alarm clock
yes-a-day manidged to clear way through debris in spare room
squeeze self onto computer
and lay down backing track to new ditty
composed only on friday
'can it while it's fresh'
being the order of the day
not without obstacle
survived being half throttled by hannah e
wantin' attenshun
as free-year-olds do
climbin' on ma shoulders
gettin' headphones around ma throat
the things a home-muso dad has to carry!
but the song is luvly, seeds
gettin' better all the time
as paul once sang
in ma humble opinion, o'course
let others be the judge
when new album comes out...
well, best be off, my delicate little seedlings
and if ya not having a good day
try takin' a look up at the magical sky
marvel at the far off winking star
take in the wonder of the perfectly-formed leaf
admire for a moment the beauty of the young child
remember what matters, my seeds
remember how fortunate we are, you and i
to be sent out to navigate this incredible universe
and remember how much we have to lose
luv ya
f
x
seeping blue-black into the horizons
after yes-a-day's claustrophobia
the sun breaks through the grey blanket
and the mountains are sharp, clear and in ya face!
BOO!
3 sentences about riffseede - true or false?
1) i've never tried 'kalbi' (korean barbecued meat dish)
2) i've got ma own blog
3) if i won the lottery, i'd buy myself a flashy sports car
answers on a postcard please...
(big clue: two truies, one falsie - shame there aint 2 falsies!)
fireseed feelin' good this morning
despite the sleepless knight
and the unsociably early alarm clock
yes-a-day manidged to clear way through debris in spare room
squeeze self onto computer
and lay down backing track to new ditty
composed only on friday
'can it while it's fresh'
being the order of the day
not without obstacle
survived being half throttled by hannah e
wantin' attenshun
as free-year-olds do
climbin' on ma shoulders
gettin' headphones around ma throat
the things a home-muso dad has to carry!
but the song is luvly, seeds
gettin' better all the time
as paul once sang
in ma humble opinion, o'course
let others be the judge
when new album comes out...
well, best be off, my delicate little seedlings
and if ya not having a good day
try takin' a look up at the magical sky
marvel at the far off winking star
take in the wonder of the perfectly-formed leaf
admire for a moment the beauty of the young child
remember what matters, my seeds
remember how fortunate we are, you and i
to be sent out to navigate this incredible universe
and remember how much we have to lose
luv ya
f
x
TRIVIAL PURSUITS
a grey sun day arvo
hangs over mangwon-dong
like a hangover
sod's law, aint it, my seeds?
yessaday arvo
was luvly and sunny
perfect whether for sittin' up on the roof garden
spendin' some dream time with little hannah e
but no!
fireseede was senselessly workin' overtime
trapped in a 4-square box room
earnin' more of that cold hard cash
those trivial little digits mountin' up
somewhere on somebody's computer system
the root of all evil, so they say
greedy fireseed's flesh burnin'
ya seedish boy goin' up in smoke
as another one rolled meaninglessly off production line
and the muscles in fireseed's neck tightened another notch
(been slacking with the yoga n stretchin', my seedlings)
dosh, dough, notes, readies
aint wot it's all about, bloglets
they got us all well-sussed
those captains of industry
those corporate execs
those realpoliticos
they got us all eatin' out of their hands
one scooby snack, two scooby snacks...
they got us worshippin' at the consumer cathedrals
flockin' like sheep to the supermarkets n shoppin' malls
bowin' down at the altar of atheism
to declare there aint no other god
gettin' off on that retail therapy
then wonderin' why there's still a big empty hole in our lives
here in sk
they got the citizens flockin' to the traditional churches as well
prayin' to that number one dude in the sky
that all-powerful cosmic overlord
that's gonna look after em and save em
and forgive em their sins
they don't realise it's the same thing, my seeds
atheism n the bearded dude in the sky
power religion, my seedlets
no need to question
no need to search
no need to think too hard
cos these power merchants, these high priests will do it all for us
rupy murdoch
georgie boy soros
condi rice
they know what's right for us
dontcha worry
just keep reciting the mantra
free trade good, fair trade bad
capitalist good, communist bad
economic growth good, environmental hairshirters bad
(keep notin' the limited choice, my seeds
- it's one or the other, baby!)
trivial good, serious bad
chat show small talk good, honest debate bad
american good, un-american bad
british good...erm...un-british bad
canadian good...?
you're either for us or you're against us
atheist good, god-squadder good
hey! can't both be good!
(ah , but note the importance of limitin' the choice, bloggers
to distract attenshun from the real tissues))
orwell good, chomsky bad
our various despot chums good...
(what's the name of that nigerian fella again?)
...saddam, milosevic, mugabe n kim jong ill bad
(notice the emphasis on the nasty hateful figureheads here, my seedlings
that way it don't matter
if we bomb the shit out of the un-people
who actually live in these countries
- 650,000 of em in eye-rack!!!
never mind, eastenders on in a minute)
okay, okay
you've made your point, fireseed!
ya wanna play a little game?
wanna know how to get from fireseed
to andy partridge of xtc in 2 moves?
well, was talkin' to someone i work with the other day
who once got chatting to andy in a pub in swindon
and was invited back to play trivial pursuits
with andy and hangers-on
so there ya have it...
here's another one
how many moves from fireseed
to aforementioned despot kim jong ill?
well, mr ill meets former sk pres kim dae jung
(of famous 'sunshine policy')
and gives gift of puppy
kdj no want pup and passes on to pal
pal likewise passes on pup
to girl we met on holiday down in cholla namdo
so that's f-seed to mr ill in just 4 moves
impressive, huh?
fireseed can also get to the queen in 2 moves
by virtue of meetin' and greetin' prince andy last year
(rubbin' shoulders with royalty, dontcha know?)
one more i like
this fella i know visits a village in burma
and on the wall of this hut is of all things
a poster of 'westlife'!
well, this fella's uncle is a part-time musician
plays at weddings and stuff in ireland
and it so happens that the uncle gets to play at the wedding
of one of the westlife boys
so westlife to burmese hut and back again in just 3 moves!
so, bloglets
how many steps from ya good selves to fireseed?
apologies for the trivia interlude, my seeds
guess we all need a bit of escapism
see ya soon
rifeseed
xxxx
hangs over mangwon-dong
like a hangover
sod's law, aint it, my seeds?
yessaday arvo
was luvly and sunny
perfect whether for sittin' up on the roof garden
spendin' some dream time with little hannah e
but no!
fireseede was senselessly workin' overtime
trapped in a 4-square box room
earnin' more of that cold hard cash
those trivial little digits mountin' up
somewhere on somebody's computer system
the root of all evil, so they say
greedy fireseed's flesh burnin'
ya seedish boy goin' up in smoke
as another one rolled meaninglessly off production line
and the muscles in fireseed's neck tightened another notch
(been slacking with the yoga n stretchin', my seedlings)
dosh, dough, notes, readies
aint wot it's all about, bloglets
they got us all well-sussed
those captains of industry
those corporate execs
those realpoliticos
they got us all eatin' out of their hands
one scooby snack, two scooby snacks...
they got us worshippin' at the consumer cathedrals
flockin' like sheep to the supermarkets n shoppin' malls
bowin' down at the altar of atheism
to declare there aint no other god
gettin' off on that retail therapy
then wonderin' why there's still a big empty hole in our lives
here in sk
they got the citizens flockin' to the traditional churches as well
prayin' to that number one dude in the sky
that all-powerful cosmic overlord
that's gonna look after em and save em
and forgive em their sins
they don't realise it's the same thing, my seeds
atheism n the bearded dude in the sky
power religion, my seedlets
no need to question
no need to search
no need to think too hard
cos these power merchants, these high priests will do it all for us
rupy murdoch
georgie boy soros
condi rice
they know what's right for us
dontcha worry
just keep reciting the mantra
free trade good, fair trade bad
capitalist good, communist bad
economic growth good, environmental hairshirters bad
(keep notin' the limited choice, my seeds
- it's one or the other, baby!)
trivial good, serious bad
chat show small talk good, honest debate bad
american good, un-american bad
british good...erm...un-british bad
canadian good...?
you're either for us or you're against us
atheist good, god-squadder good
hey! can't both be good!
(ah , but note the importance of limitin' the choice, bloggers
to distract attenshun from the real tissues))
orwell good, chomsky bad
our various despot chums good...
(what's the name of that nigerian fella again?)
...saddam, milosevic, mugabe n kim jong ill bad
(notice the emphasis on the nasty hateful figureheads here, my seedlings
that way it don't matter
if we bomb the shit out of the un-people
who actually live in these countries
- 650,000 of em in eye-rack!!!
never mind, eastenders on in a minute)
okay, okay
you've made your point, fireseed!
ya wanna play a little game?
wanna know how to get from fireseed
to andy partridge of xtc in 2 moves?
well, was talkin' to someone i work with the other day
who once got chatting to andy in a pub in swindon
and was invited back to play trivial pursuits
with andy and hangers-on
so there ya have it...
here's another one
how many moves from fireseed
to aforementioned despot kim jong ill?
well, mr ill meets former sk pres kim dae jung
(of famous 'sunshine policy')
and gives gift of puppy
kdj no want pup and passes on to pal
pal likewise passes on pup
to girl we met on holiday down in cholla namdo
so that's f-seed to mr ill in just 4 moves
impressive, huh?
fireseed can also get to the queen in 2 moves
by virtue of meetin' and greetin' prince andy last year
(rubbin' shoulders with royalty, dontcha know?)
one more i like
this fella i know visits a village in burma
and on the wall of this hut is of all things
a poster of 'westlife'!
well, this fella's uncle is a part-time musician
plays at weddings and stuff in ireland
and it so happens that the uncle gets to play at the wedding
of one of the westlife boys
so westlife to burmese hut and back again in just 3 moves!
so, bloglets
how many steps from ya good selves to fireseed?
apologies for the trivia interlude, my seeds
guess we all need a bit of escapism
see ya soon
rifeseed
xxxx
Saturday, October 21, 2006
THE ART OF SONG
wrote my first ones when i was fourteen
about the time i laid down the pencil and paintbox
a twin-pronged attack
strumming on my mom's classical guitar
having learnt to play a few major n minor chords
one finger tapping on my bontempi electronic organ
hardly able to play at all
what were those long-lost titles again?
'mr reid' - a strange ditty about a neighbourhood tramp
'dear jane' - a soppy tale of lost and refound love
with some imaginary teenage sweetheart
'i'll only tell you one more time'
hard day's night-era beatles rip-off
with trivial words with some organ chords i thought were clever
e flats and b flats...
as i only ever listened to early beatles lps at that time
the lyrics were pretty trivial
though the tunes weren't too bad
twas my little brother
who started showing me how you could be a bit more ambitious
putting poetry to music
'dancing in the breeze', 'the dark woods decay'
moving away from the hackneyed romantic stuff
to something a tad more meaningful
must be old tapes of this stuff lying around somewhere
overdubbed by plugging a couple of cassette decks together
pretty hissy
accentuating adolescent fireseed's reedy adenoidal voice
what's new?...
strange to think now
but over the years the songs have come and gone
the urge to write all but disappeared
while travelling across continents
though did keep a diary travelogue
the thrill and excitement of america n australasia n asia
somehow did not translate into songs...
before coming out here
living in boringmouth and londinium
hardly picked up a guitar in anger for years
didn't even bring a 6-string with me to sk
till i met mr rawlings - the talented troubadour
who turned me on to dylan n cohen n other poets
(was turning on to dylan anyway)
gave me the necessary kick up the ass
to install a little studio in the spare room
and suddenly the songs started a-flowin' again
like rivers after rain
nothing quite like writing a new song
giving birth to new melody and verse
that the universe has never heard before
that moment when a lyric springs into being
or an intresting title
or a little riff or tune or bassline
or sometimes several at once
a clever little snippet that just demands attenshun
or maybe a whole fully-formed song
that just comes bubbling out - if you're really lucky
at times you have to work hard at it
at times it just flows oh so natural
like being the conduit or receiver
of something god-given
something religious
something wondrous
the way songs happen has changed though over time, though
a function of the lifestyle, i guess
used to spend a lotta time
messing around on the geetar or keyboard
playing with chords and notes
the pretty tunes wood come
the words wood often be secondary
something to fill up the space
hence, 'i'll only tell you one more time'
and its primitive pubescent siblings
these days, don't have that luxury
i am in transit
on the bus
gazing out the window
or even staggering in the aisle
as the gears crunch in rush-hour traffic
perhaps strolling along a seoul-less boulevarde
getting high on some commuters' petrol fumes
but there's definitely somethin' about the movement
that does it for me
the sense of straight-ahead rhythm in 4/4 time
the body helping the mind to function
the changing vistas
a notebook helps
as does the dictaphone
it used to drive me crazy when i forgot a good tune or couplet
a bit more organ-ised these days, seedlings
the home studio is great for jamming along
coming up with a harmony
or solo
or bassline
to the main action
revising and editing
chopping and changing
nudging and nurturing the song along
sometimes songs or fragments don't seem to make any sense
till years later...
crossing a bridge over a river in bangkok
spring 1991
out of nowhere
the guitar riff for 'to kill or to die'
leaps into my head
exccept at that time there is no 'to kill or to die'
(this being only episode numero uno of 'the gulf war', my seedlets
georgie w's daddy at the helm of this nasty little battleship)
then walking through a forest
up in the himalaya
some months later
somehow the riff has attached itself to some lyrics
written a few years before at univercity
about the events at tianenman square
WWWHHHOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
fast-forward 14 years
it's now gulf war numero dos
and fireseed has the horrors of eye-rack on his mind
and somehow T-square mutates into bad bag-dad
a mother's ordeal at the hands of the aggressors
tory and bushy's soldiers
messing up mesopatamia
messing up their own lives
messing up our lives
messing up everybody's goddam lives
aint these dudes never heard of bad karma?
despite the black subject matter
something quite satisfying
about piecing a song together like that over the years
though it's usually a real leaf to get things out of the system
while they're fresh as a daisy
if you ever get to hear any of the songs
hope they mean something to you...
b flat never
b natural sometimes
b sharp always
about the time i laid down the pencil and paintbox
a twin-pronged attack
strumming on my mom's classical guitar
having learnt to play a few major n minor chords
one finger tapping on my bontempi electronic organ
hardly able to play at all
what were those long-lost titles again?
'mr reid' - a strange ditty about a neighbourhood tramp
'dear jane' - a soppy tale of lost and refound love
with some imaginary teenage sweetheart
'i'll only tell you one more time'
hard day's night-era beatles rip-off
with trivial words with some organ chords i thought were clever
e flats and b flats...
as i only ever listened to early beatles lps at that time
the lyrics were pretty trivial
though the tunes weren't too bad
twas my little brother
who started showing me how you could be a bit more ambitious
putting poetry to music
'dancing in the breeze', 'the dark woods decay'
moving away from the hackneyed romantic stuff
to something a tad more meaningful
must be old tapes of this stuff lying around somewhere
overdubbed by plugging a couple of cassette decks together
pretty hissy
accentuating adolescent fireseed's reedy adenoidal voice
what's new?...
strange to think now
but over the years the songs have come and gone
the urge to write all but disappeared
while travelling across continents
though did keep a diary travelogue
the thrill and excitement of america n australasia n asia
somehow did not translate into songs...
before coming out here
living in boringmouth and londinium
hardly picked up a guitar in anger for years
didn't even bring a 6-string with me to sk
till i met mr rawlings - the talented troubadour
who turned me on to dylan n cohen n other poets
(was turning on to dylan anyway)
gave me the necessary kick up the ass
to install a little studio in the spare room
and suddenly the songs started a-flowin' again
like rivers after rain
nothing quite like writing a new song
giving birth to new melody and verse
that the universe has never heard before
that moment when a lyric springs into being
or an intresting title
or a little riff or tune or bassline
or sometimes several at once
a clever little snippet that just demands attenshun
or maybe a whole fully-formed song
that just comes bubbling out - if you're really lucky
at times you have to work hard at it
at times it just flows oh so natural
like being the conduit or receiver
of something god-given
something religious
something wondrous
the way songs happen has changed though over time, though
a function of the lifestyle, i guess
used to spend a lotta time
messing around on the geetar or keyboard
playing with chords and notes
the pretty tunes wood come
the words wood often be secondary
something to fill up the space
hence, 'i'll only tell you one more time'
and its primitive pubescent siblings
these days, don't have that luxury
i am in transit
on the bus
gazing out the window
or even staggering in the aisle
as the gears crunch in rush-hour traffic
perhaps strolling along a seoul-less boulevarde
getting high on some commuters' petrol fumes
but there's definitely somethin' about the movement
that does it for me
the sense of straight-ahead rhythm in 4/4 time
the body helping the mind to function
the changing vistas
a notebook helps
as does the dictaphone
it used to drive me crazy when i forgot a good tune or couplet
a bit more organ-ised these days, seedlings
the home studio is great for jamming along
coming up with a harmony
or solo
or bassline
to the main action
revising and editing
chopping and changing
nudging and nurturing the song along
sometimes songs or fragments don't seem to make any sense
till years later...
crossing a bridge over a river in bangkok
spring 1991
out of nowhere
the guitar riff for 'to kill or to die'
leaps into my head
exccept at that time there is no 'to kill or to die'
(this being only episode numero uno of 'the gulf war', my seedlets
georgie w's daddy at the helm of this nasty little battleship)
then walking through a forest
up in the himalaya
some months later
somehow the riff has attached itself to some lyrics
written a few years before at univercity
about the events at tianenman square
WWWHHHOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
fast-forward 14 years
it's now gulf war numero dos
and fireseed has the horrors of eye-rack on his mind
and somehow T-square mutates into bad bag-dad
a mother's ordeal at the hands of the aggressors
tory and bushy's soldiers
messing up mesopatamia
messing up their own lives
messing up our lives
messing up everybody's goddam lives
aint these dudes never heard of bad karma?
despite the black subject matter
something quite satisfying
about piecing a song together like that over the years
though it's usually a real leaf to get things out of the system
while they're fresh as a daisy
if you ever get to hear any of the songs
hope they mean something to you...
b flat never
b natural sometimes
b sharp always
THROUGH THE METAPORTAL
wasn't what i learnt at school
wasn't what my parents said
wasn't what my friends discussed
wasn't in the books i read
so misled
but fighting back now
truth-seeker, mind-reader, soothsayer, faith healer
disillusions, confusions, self-delusions, no conclusions
sold on an outrageous lie
distracted by a glittering prize
seduced by the high priests of power
deceived by an endless stream of propaganda
come with me
through the metaportal
truth-seeker, fire-eater, stargazer, lion tamer
mistaking, god-foresaking, all-embracing, my mind racing
wrong-doer, see-througher, heinous sinner, no winner
heretic, genetic, apathetic, kinetic
synthetic, poetic, stoic, heroic
truth-seeker
wasn't what my parents said
wasn't what my friends discussed
wasn't in the books i read
so misled
but fighting back now
truth-seeker, mind-reader, soothsayer, faith healer
disillusions, confusions, self-delusions, no conclusions
sold on an outrageous lie
distracted by a glittering prize
seduced by the high priests of power
deceived by an endless stream of propaganda
come with me
through the metaportal
truth-seeker, fire-eater, stargazer, lion tamer
mistaking, god-foresaking, all-embracing, my mind racing
wrong-doer, see-througher, heinous sinner, no winner
heretic, genetic, apathetic, kinetic
synthetic, poetic, stoic, heroic
truth-seeker
Saturday, October 14, 2006
NASCENCE
nascence
a seed carried by the breeze
settles in the ground
the earth incubates
a root extends
a shoot emerges
feeling its way toward the sunlight
photosynthesis
the stem thickens and arches
tiny leaves erupt and grow
a bud forms
a flower blooms
petals a riot of colour
a bubble rises to the surface of the water
a ripple silently crosses the pond...
fireseed talkin' about creativity, my seedlets
that mysterious frontal lobe activity
a natural trait or a learnable technique?
a serendipity?
(ask newton!)
thinking outside the box?
left brain or right brain?
words and language or symbols and images?
logical and analytical or intuitive?
the detail or the big picture?
introverted or extroverted?
where to start?
inspiration
conception
a split second
often the easy part...
incubation
editing, adapting and reworking
sleeping on it to forget the misleading and irrelevant
cultivating the idea
evolution
hard work...
birth
reward
creativity is individualist and non-conformist
rule-breaking and risk-taking
marching to the beat of a different drum
living dangerously
curiosity and fascination and challenge
no assumptions
updating and reassessing
fusing and cross-fertilising
oscar wilde said
'talent borrows, genius steals'
a seed carried by the breeze
settles in the ground
the earth incubates
a root extends
a shoot emerges
feeling its way toward the sunlight
photosynthesis
the stem thickens and arches
tiny leaves erupt and grow
a bud forms
a flower blooms
petals a riot of colour
a bubble rises to the surface of the water
a ripple silently crosses the pond...
fireseed talkin' about creativity, my seedlets
that mysterious frontal lobe activity
a natural trait or a learnable technique?
a serendipity?
(ask newton!)
thinking outside the box?
left brain or right brain?
words and language or symbols and images?
logical and analytical or intuitive?
the detail or the big picture?
introverted or extroverted?
where to start?
inspiration
conception
a split second
often the easy part...
incubation
editing, adapting and reworking
sleeping on it to forget the misleading and irrelevant
cultivating the idea
evolution
hard work...
birth
reward
creativity is individualist and non-conformist
rule-breaking and risk-taking
marching to the beat of a different drum
living dangerously
curiosity and fascination and challenge
no assumptions
updating and reassessing
fusing and cross-fertilising
oscar wilde said
'talent borrows, genius steals'
Thursday, October 12, 2006
FLAT-EARTHER
'the earth is flat
the myth is real
there's a level playing field
chomsky fresh in from neptune
there ain't no elephant in this room
gm soya
processed food
natural, healthy, fresh and good
pigs might fly
pie in the sky
day is night and black is white'
i just met a flat-earther
talkin' through his hat
he must think i'm stupid
talkin' to me like that
'you think too much
this world is sane
there ain't no proof of climate change
there's no such thing as god above
all you need is love
the iraqis had WMD
the coalition set them free
we value our integrity
you need some retail therapy'
i just met a flat-earther
talkin' through her ass
she must think i'm stupid
talkin' to me like that
the myth is real
there's a level playing field
chomsky fresh in from neptune
there ain't no elephant in this room
gm soya
processed food
natural, healthy, fresh and good
pigs might fly
pie in the sky
day is night and black is white'
i just met a flat-earther
talkin' through his hat
he must think i'm stupid
talkin' to me like that
'you think too much
this world is sane
there ain't no proof of climate change
there's no such thing as god above
all you need is love
the iraqis had WMD
the coalition set them free
we value our integrity
you need some retail therapy'
i just met a flat-earther
talkin' through her ass
she must think i'm stupid
talkin' to me like that
Monday, October 09, 2006
OFF THE HOOK
evenin' all
in case you didn't know
your humble seede doth belong
to a diminishing band of brethren
those without 'handpone'
as they call it in s korea
cell phone
mobile
irritating beeping gadget
whatever you wanna call it
i am in this indian restaurant where we have to wait for a table
and they ask for my mobile number to give us a ring
'i ain't got no handpone', says your fave seed
'no handpone?!' comes the shocked response...
guess you already cottoned on old fireseed's basic creed
your fave blogger's penchant for doing the opposite to what everyone else's is doing
f-seed's little attempt - however unambitious and unimaginative -
to break out of the crushing conformity
that straitjacketed me as a little seed
and still straitjackets me now
the 'successful compliance'
that dictates the society of big seeds
that squeezes the spontaneity and creativity out of kids
how about a few examples of the fireseed creed
calmly crossing the road with the man on red
in full gaze of a gaggle of shocked pedestrians staring into the middle distance
giving them the permission to dare to be different
taking the staircase to work off some calories
overtakingthe hi-cal crowd clogging up the upwards escalator
giving the tired old elevator a break
leaving the paisley shirt hanging out
instead of tucking it in
letting it all hang out
'hey - nice pyjamas, fireseed!'...
why then doth this trendy little piece of hardware irritate me so?
this innocuous piece of gadgetry that we all did without until recently?
how do i survive without this machine glued permanently to left ear?
what's the big objection, fireseed?
well, maybe it's the fact that nobody in this country seems to read anything
not unless it's a text massage, that is
not likely to be a great piece of literature in that case, is it?
or anything of great substance?
or maybe it's the non-stop tapping of said massage
the cheesy ringtones constantly invading my aural space
with a nasty MIDI version of johanne sebastian bark
ratcheting up the levels of noise pollution
in this cacophanous metropolis
or maybe it's just the mindless chitter-chatter
'i'm on the bus'
'just passing shinchon'
'where are you?'
'what are you doing?'
do i wanna be on call 24/7?
my boss ringing me up in the pub
being assailed by cold-call advertising
in my most private of momentos descuidados
(no, i sincerely do not)
a handpone ensures no commitment
ring to say you're on your way
ring to say you'll be a little late
ring to change the rendezvous point
ring to say that you can't make it after all
you've had a change of plan
you're not feeling too great
you're going home
in a cafe
a group of friends is sat at the same table
each talking to someone different on their mobiles
man, these people losing the F2F connection
conversations and thought processes constantly in...ter...rup...ted
concentration spans shrinking to zero
till it becomes an addiction - gotta check if i've received a massage
in the last two mins
since i last looked
(email can be like this too, my seedlings, as i know only too well
but at least it's a tad more difficult
to carry a whole computer with you on the bus!)
fireseed is forgetting the planned obselescence
last year's pone can take an instant piccy to send to ya gurlfriend
this year's pony got a cool swivel screen a whole 33% bigger than y'old one
next year's pony'll make a cup o' tea for ya
the environmental damage caused by the limited shelf-life
i dread to think about what it's doing to pristine lands
the consumer treadmill
work more
to consume more
the old hamster wheel
the health risks
the low wavelength radiation
the brain tumours
the dodgy transmission masts
built on the roofs of kiddies' schools, would ya believe!
now fireseed sure ain't no technophobe
but now you know what NOT to buy him for chrissy
that is if you were intending to buy anything at all!
clunk!
duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!
(fireseed hangs up and line goes dead)
in case you didn't know
your humble seede doth belong
to a diminishing band of brethren
those without 'handpone'
as they call it in s korea
cell phone
mobile
irritating beeping gadget
whatever you wanna call it
i am in this indian restaurant where we have to wait for a table
and they ask for my mobile number to give us a ring
'i ain't got no handpone', says your fave seed
'no handpone?!' comes the shocked response...
guess you already cottoned on old fireseed's basic creed
your fave blogger's penchant for doing the opposite to what everyone else's is doing
f-seed's little attempt - however unambitious and unimaginative -
to break out of the crushing conformity
that straitjacketed me as a little seed
and still straitjackets me now
the 'successful compliance'
that dictates the society of big seeds
that squeezes the spontaneity and creativity out of kids
how about a few examples of the fireseed creed
calmly crossing the road with the man on red
in full gaze of a gaggle of shocked pedestrians staring into the middle distance
giving them the permission to dare to be different
taking the staircase to work off some calories
overtakingthe hi-cal crowd clogging up the upwards escalator
giving the tired old elevator a break
leaving the paisley shirt hanging out
instead of tucking it in
letting it all hang out
'hey - nice pyjamas, fireseed!'...
why then doth this trendy little piece of hardware irritate me so?
this innocuous piece of gadgetry that we all did without until recently?
how do i survive without this machine glued permanently to left ear?
what's the big objection, fireseed?
well, maybe it's the fact that nobody in this country seems to read anything
not unless it's a text massage, that is
not likely to be a great piece of literature in that case, is it?
or anything of great substance?
or maybe it's the non-stop tapping of said massage
the cheesy ringtones constantly invading my aural space
with a nasty MIDI version of johanne sebastian bark
ratcheting up the levels of noise pollution
in this cacophanous metropolis
or maybe it's just the mindless chitter-chatter
'i'm on the bus'
'just passing shinchon'
'where are you?'
'what are you doing?'
do i wanna be on call 24/7?
my boss ringing me up in the pub
being assailed by cold-call advertising
in my most private of momentos descuidados
(no, i sincerely do not)
a handpone ensures no commitment
ring to say you're on your way
ring to say you'll be a little late
ring to change the rendezvous point
ring to say that you can't make it after all
you've had a change of plan
you're not feeling too great
you're going home
in a cafe
a group of friends is sat at the same table
each talking to someone different on their mobiles
man, these people losing the F2F connection
conversations and thought processes constantly in...ter...rup...ted
concentration spans shrinking to zero
till it becomes an addiction - gotta check if i've received a massage
in the last two mins
since i last looked
(email can be like this too, my seedlings, as i know only too well
but at least it's a tad more difficult
to carry a whole computer with you on the bus!)
fireseed is forgetting the planned obselescence
last year's pone can take an instant piccy to send to ya gurlfriend
this year's pony got a cool swivel screen a whole 33% bigger than y'old one
next year's pony'll make a cup o' tea for ya
the environmental damage caused by the limited shelf-life
i dread to think about what it's doing to pristine lands
the consumer treadmill
work more
to consume more
the old hamster wheel
the health risks
the low wavelength radiation
the brain tumours
the dodgy transmission masts
built on the roofs of kiddies' schools, would ya believe!
now fireseed sure ain't no technophobe
but now you know what NOT to buy him for chrissy
that is if you were intending to buy anything at all!
clunk!
duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!
(fireseed hangs up and line goes dead)
I READ THE NEWS TODAY, OH BOY...
...one big hole in the peninsular
not good news today, my bloglets
appears the norf koreans have exploded a new-clear bomb
on this here little rabbit-shaped spit of land
which is way too close for comfort
couple of miles underground, fortunately
but that doesn't reassure your faithful fireseed too much
old kim jong ill playin' with fire, my seeds
that hot shampoo i was talking about before
right here on this here blogge
can't really blame the north koreans too much
they just doing what anyone else would do
backed into a corner as they are
by the 'international community'
(read pax america and its poodles, my seedlings)
what's the alternative for 'em if they don't go new-clear?
some good role models around at present, are there not?
iraq - ooh, yes please!
afghanistan - ooh, that'd be luvly, dear!
and they may not inhabit a big country
but they're tenacious people, the koreans
history shows that they're in it for the long-haul
pushed around by the chinese and japanese
who wanted to steal their land
nope - not ones to give up easily
'Oh, alright, George, we give in 'cos you don't wanna be our friend'
not likely, mister!
washington will turn into a ring of fire first
ok, so mr ill and chums are hardly a saintly regime
but who's in a position to engage with 'em?
(i'll give you three guesses)
who insists on struttin' around
like they took out the patent on virtue and altruism?
(i'll give you three guesses again)
who's stockpiled enough hot shampoo
to blow up the planet about six times
and resisted practically every attempt
to move in the opposite direction?
(three more guesses?)
ain't it just a little hypocritical, my seeds,
this outrage that's been expressed by the 'int'national community'?
well, fireseed would like to express his outrage
at these dudes who are so quick to cast the first stone
they got a lot of gall...
well, don't spose they gonna take a lot of notice of me
tony bland didnae take much notice last time
when i sent him a couple of tracks off 'mustard seed'
to number ten downer street
and asked him politely to keep the hell out of iraq...
'over the hills
across the desert
over the water
across the sky
over the oil wells
across the desert
into death and out of light
where the flowers grow no more
sponsor a war of mindless destruction
pointing your weapons
to search and destroy
blood on your hands
you steal their black gold
leave them to till
the poisonous soil
where the flowers grow no more...'
are you listening, tony?
TONY??
TOOOO-NNNNYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
not good news today, my bloglets
appears the norf koreans have exploded a new-clear bomb
on this here little rabbit-shaped spit of land
which is way too close for comfort
couple of miles underground, fortunately
but that doesn't reassure your faithful fireseed too much
old kim jong ill playin' with fire, my seeds
that hot shampoo i was talking about before
right here on this here blogge
can't really blame the north koreans too much
they just doing what anyone else would do
backed into a corner as they are
by the 'international community'
(read pax america and its poodles, my seedlings)
what's the alternative for 'em if they don't go new-clear?
some good role models around at present, are there not?
iraq - ooh, yes please!
afghanistan - ooh, that'd be luvly, dear!
and they may not inhabit a big country
but they're tenacious people, the koreans
history shows that they're in it for the long-haul
pushed around by the chinese and japanese
who wanted to steal their land
nope - not ones to give up easily
'Oh, alright, George, we give in 'cos you don't wanna be our friend'
not likely, mister!
washington will turn into a ring of fire first
ok, so mr ill and chums are hardly a saintly regime
but who's in a position to engage with 'em?
(i'll give you three guesses)
who insists on struttin' around
like they took out the patent on virtue and altruism?
(i'll give you three guesses again)
who's stockpiled enough hot shampoo
to blow up the planet about six times
and resisted practically every attempt
to move in the opposite direction?
(three more guesses?)
ain't it just a little hypocritical, my seeds,
this outrage that's been expressed by the 'int'national community'?
well, fireseed would like to express his outrage
at these dudes who are so quick to cast the first stone
they got a lot of gall...
well, don't spose they gonna take a lot of notice of me
tony bland didnae take much notice last time
when i sent him a couple of tracks off 'mustard seed'
to number ten downer street
and asked him politely to keep the hell out of iraq...
'over the hills
across the desert
over the water
across the sky
over the oil wells
across the desert
into death and out of light
where the flowers grow no more
sponsor a war of mindless destruction
pointing your weapons
to search and destroy
blood on your hands
you steal their black gold
leave them to till
the poisonous soil
where the flowers grow no more...'
are you listening, tony?
TONY??
TOOOO-NNNNYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday, October 08, 2006
COUNTING STARS
lying on my back
supported by my elbows
feet high in the air
in yoga pose
soft yielding mat
cushioning the rough concrete
rush of blood to the head
gazing up at the twilit sky
black in the centre
fading to bright edges around the horizon
counting the little pinholes of light
peeking out at me
from their far-off place in the cosmos...
[buzzzz!!!! bite!!! itch!!!! curse!!!!
yep, you've guessed it, my seeds
another nocturnal visit
from the deadly mossie invasion force
sweeping ruthlessly and invisibly
across the rooftops of seoul
armed and sent by the Lord Almighty
to try the patience of a simple unassuming peace-loving vegan
inducing him to flail pitifully about in the darkness
as he furiously scratches his shins...]
evenin' all
or maybe just evenin' adam
who, judging by comments,
(not the best measure perhaps)
appears to be my sole surviving seedling
at the minute
keep addin' 'em, adam, mate
i luv ya!
got a bit of a nostalgia trip going on ye olde high-figh
'of skins and heart'
first album by my heroes, my blurred crusaders
the choich
from way back in '81
when i was nowt but a lad
and they was just a simple catchy new-wave guitar pop band
sporting duran duran haircuts and paisley shirts...
well not quite, ac-chew-ly
the intriguing surreal lyrics are already there
the inventive song structures
'is this where you live?' for instance
the dense texture of those dual interlocking guitars
the pulsating swooping basslines of mr kilbey
and that deep resonant voice, a bit hard on the ears at first
but deeply addictive thereafter
the atmosphere evocative of a balmy evening
on a slightly sinister bondi beach...
i've lost touch with them at times over the years
but 25 years on
these guys are still creating works of great beauty
albeit of a more mature and subtle bent
you can hear a few tracks off of the latest album here
wow! 'unified field' must be the catchiest thing they've done for ages!
your fireseedy boy feeling proud of himself again tonite
yep! won't be able to get head thru door of flat soon
the 'quarium's lookin' a treat with all the new plants in it
fish seem happy and all have survived, touch wood
latest upheaval to their peaceful water world
fireseed christened new yoga mat, too
up on yonder roof
as the sun went down and the gloom (and mossies) gathered
the trick now is to get into a proper roo-teen
what with going back to the old 9 to 5 tomorrow
or sometimes the old 6:30 to 9
or the 10 to 11
which has got to S-T-O-P!!
fireseed's chuseok resolution, friends
to keep a sense of balance to all things
to spread the energy evenly
not shoveling it all into the bottomless four-letter word bucket
where it aint appreciated anyway
then feeling washed up and hung out to dry the rest of the time
like at the start of these chew-sock holy days
not getting any new songs recorded
(and the's plenty of 'em, too!)
you promise me you'll turn over a new leaf, fireseed?
i promise
really?
cross my heart, old bean
attaboy, fireseed!
night, friends
f
xxxx
supported by my elbows
feet high in the air
in yoga pose
soft yielding mat
cushioning the rough concrete
rush of blood to the head
gazing up at the twilit sky
black in the centre
fading to bright edges around the horizon
counting the little pinholes of light
peeking out at me
from their far-off place in the cosmos...
[buzzzz!!!! bite!!! itch!!!! curse!!!!
yep, you've guessed it, my seeds
another nocturnal visit
from the deadly mossie invasion force
sweeping ruthlessly and invisibly
across the rooftops of seoul
armed and sent by the Lord Almighty
to try the patience of a simple unassuming peace-loving vegan
inducing him to flail pitifully about in the darkness
as he furiously scratches his shins...]
evenin' all
or maybe just evenin' adam
who, judging by comments,
(not the best measure perhaps)
appears to be my sole surviving seedling
at the minute
keep addin' 'em, adam, mate
i luv ya!
got a bit of a nostalgia trip going on ye olde high-figh
'of skins and heart'
first album by my heroes, my blurred crusaders
the choich
from way back in '81
when i was nowt but a lad
and they was just a simple catchy new-wave guitar pop band
sporting duran duran haircuts and paisley shirts...
well not quite, ac-chew-ly
the intriguing surreal lyrics are already there
the inventive song structures
'is this where you live?' for instance
the dense texture of those dual interlocking guitars
the pulsating swooping basslines of mr kilbey
and that deep resonant voice, a bit hard on the ears at first
but deeply addictive thereafter
the atmosphere evocative of a balmy evening
on a slightly sinister bondi beach...
i've lost touch with them at times over the years
but 25 years on
these guys are still creating works of great beauty
albeit of a more mature and subtle bent
you can hear a few tracks off of the latest album here
wow! 'unified field' must be the catchiest thing they've done for ages!
your fireseedy boy feeling proud of himself again tonite
yep! won't be able to get head thru door of flat soon
the 'quarium's lookin' a treat with all the new plants in it
fish seem happy and all have survived, touch wood
latest upheaval to their peaceful water world
fireseed christened new yoga mat, too
up on yonder roof
as the sun went down and the gloom (and mossies) gathered
the trick now is to get into a proper roo-teen
what with going back to the old 9 to 5 tomorrow
or sometimes the old 6:30 to 9
or the 10 to 11
which has got to S-T-O-P!!
fireseed's chuseok resolution, friends
to keep a sense of balance to all things
to spread the energy evenly
not shoveling it all into the bottomless four-letter word bucket
where it aint appreciated anyway
then feeling washed up and hung out to dry the rest of the time
like at the start of these chew-sock holy days
not getting any new songs recorded
(and the's plenty of 'em, too!)
you promise me you'll turn over a new leaf, fireseed?
i promise
really?
cross my heart, old bean
attaboy, fireseed!
night, friends
f
xxxx
Saturday, October 07, 2006
LIFE OUTSIDE THE TENT (CHEW SOCK ON THE ROOF WITH A LOUD BANG)
in the spare room
and the mossies are rampant
somehow the little buggers are squeezing in around the screens
insect kamikaze pilots, wreckless specimens
hurling themselves fearlessly at my defenceless flesh
come to fill up on my vegan blood
and blood sports, my seedlings,
are one thing i can't stand...
anyway, back in the O2 tent
after a chew-sock spent with the outlaws / inlaws
over at changmonim's place in gaebong
j's sis, minja, and her hubby
turn up unexpectedly with their 2 daughters
(h's cousins, yoora and jeewoo)
we tuck into some hearty chuseok fare
changmo has got me in some delicioso green bean pancakes
from the local market, bless her soul
(worth the admission price in themselves)
deep-fried mushrooms and courgettes
veggie buckwheat noodles
yummy mountain vegetable side-dishes
sticky purple rice with beans in it
marinated tofu
who says it's hard to be vegan?
dive-bombing moquito hits its target
fireseed's compassion for all sentient beings is rapidly crumbling
don't know what it is about these occasions
might well have a lot to do with stuffing
unusually large quantities
of tasty and wholesome but heavy food
down my gullet
but fireseed always come down
with an acute case of sleeping sickness!
may also be the shock of being unceremoniously chucked out
of my O2 tent
all that colloquial korean zinging about
the tv blaring out its holiday vacuous entertainment specials
but at some point i manage to escape the food and din
to take h and yoora up onto the roof to see the full moon
and the sea of tranquility
(fireseed startin' to get real fond
of these handy rooftop vantage points)
our lunar friend does not disappoint
as round and bright as i can ever remember
'why is it round tonight?' asks h, intelligently
daddy wishes he'd paid more attention at school
we climb down and the whole family
heads down to the local norae bang
korea's answer to kareoke
the funny thing about norae bang is
i always hate the idea of it
but always ending up enjoying it
of course it's naff as hell
locked in a room with the in-laws
thumbing through a book of hits
by musical heavyweights of the likes of cliff richard, westlife and englebert humperdink
(not a trace of bowie or bolan)
horrible digital echo on the mike
which amplifies every flat note and mistimed entrance
about 10 times
four tv screens showing the same bizarre visuals
always out-of-sync or totally unconnected with the song
the mock 96% score out of 100
which you get even if you don't sing anything!
and yet, and yet...
it somehow brings everyone out of themselves
changmonim does a heartfelt and surprisingly well-sung rendition
of some 60's korean ballad
minja and hubby do a slightly off-key duet arms linked
the kids shake the tambourines and have their turns
even my feeble attempts
at some jaurim and a couple of korean folk songs
gain nuff respect from changmonim
to get her asking j why i can't speak korean
when i can sing in it!
after leaving changmo's place
and taking leave of the outlaws
la famille watton take in a kids' play at a little teatro in hongdae
'mr wolf and one little pig'
mainly in english
a confusing musical take on the trad story
with pretty much zero plot
but some expressive acting by the main character
then we brave the hoards of trolley-pushers
at the world cup stadium super
to pick up a yoga mat
and a new bubble thingy and some plants
for our aquarium
can't say fireseed's completely relished his unfamiliar role
as aquarist...aquatist?
a good/bad number of the little friends
we inherited from the previous owners
have since gone to their little fishy graves in the sky
then alarmingly one day out of the blue
the bubble thingy just stops
and the water starts stagnating
thought our little aquatic companions
were all gonna bite the dust
but against all odds, there haven't been any more fatalities
fireseed been doin' his level best to clean the tank
and scrape off the algy with a toothbrush
fireseed, not renowned for his pet-pampering skills,
feeling quite proud of himself...
"sunday morning
praise the dawning
it's just a restless feeling by my side
early dawning,
sunday morning
it's just the wasted years so close behind"
be proud of yourselves, two, deer readers!
laters
f
and the mossies are rampant
somehow the little buggers are squeezing in around the screens
insect kamikaze pilots, wreckless specimens
hurling themselves fearlessly at my defenceless flesh
come to fill up on my vegan blood
and blood sports, my seedlings,
are one thing i can't stand...
anyway, back in the O2 tent
after a chew-sock spent with the outlaws / inlaws
over at changmonim's place in gaebong
j's sis, minja, and her hubby
turn up unexpectedly with their 2 daughters
(h's cousins, yoora and jeewoo)
we tuck into some hearty chuseok fare
changmo has got me in some delicioso green bean pancakes
from the local market, bless her soul
(worth the admission price in themselves)
deep-fried mushrooms and courgettes
veggie buckwheat noodles
yummy mountain vegetable side-dishes
sticky purple rice with beans in it
marinated tofu
who says it's hard to be vegan?
dive-bombing moquito hits its target
fireseed's compassion for all sentient beings is rapidly crumbling
don't know what it is about these occasions
might well have a lot to do with stuffing
unusually large quantities
of tasty and wholesome but heavy food
down my gullet
but fireseed always come down
with an acute case of sleeping sickness!
may also be the shock of being unceremoniously chucked out
of my O2 tent
all that colloquial korean zinging about
the tv blaring out its holiday vacuous entertainment specials
but at some point i manage to escape the food and din
to take h and yoora up onto the roof to see the full moon
and the sea of tranquility
(fireseed startin' to get real fond
of these handy rooftop vantage points)
our lunar friend does not disappoint
as round and bright as i can ever remember
'why is it round tonight?' asks h, intelligently
daddy wishes he'd paid more attention at school
we climb down and the whole family
heads down to the local norae bang
korea's answer to kareoke
the funny thing about norae bang is
i always hate the idea of it
but always ending up enjoying it
of course it's naff as hell
locked in a room with the in-laws
thumbing through a book of hits
by musical heavyweights of the likes of cliff richard, westlife and englebert humperdink
(not a trace of bowie or bolan)
horrible digital echo on the mike
which amplifies every flat note and mistimed entrance
about 10 times
four tv screens showing the same bizarre visuals
always out-of-sync or totally unconnected with the song
the mock 96% score out of 100
which you get even if you don't sing anything!
and yet, and yet...
it somehow brings everyone out of themselves
changmonim does a heartfelt and surprisingly well-sung rendition
of some 60's korean ballad
minja and hubby do a slightly off-key duet arms linked
the kids shake the tambourines and have their turns
even my feeble attempts
at some jaurim and a couple of korean folk songs
gain nuff respect from changmonim
to get her asking j why i can't speak korean
when i can sing in it!
after leaving changmo's place
and taking leave of the outlaws
la famille watton take in a kids' play at a little teatro in hongdae
'mr wolf and one little pig'
mainly in english
a confusing musical take on the trad story
with pretty much zero plot
but some expressive acting by the main character
then we brave the hoards of trolley-pushers
at the world cup stadium super
to pick up a yoga mat
and a new bubble thingy and some plants
for our aquarium
can't say fireseed's completely relished his unfamiliar role
as aquarist...aquatist?
a good/bad number of the little friends
we inherited from the previous owners
have since gone to their little fishy graves in the sky
then alarmingly one day out of the blue
the bubble thingy just stops
and the water starts stagnating
thought our little aquatic companions
were all gonna bite the dust
but against all odds, there haven't been any more fatalities
fireseed been doin' his level best to clean the tank
and scrape off the algy with a toothbrush
fireseed, not renowned for his pet-pampering skills,
feeling quite proud of himself...
"sunday morning
praise the dawning
it's just a restless feeling by my side
early dawning,
sunday morning
it's just the wasted years so close behind"
be proud of yourselves, two, deer readers!
laters
f
Friday, October 06, 2006
ART GALLERY
morning seeds
a resplendant chuseok morning it is too
in hazy but sunny seoul
been up on the roof garden
exercising the muscles
putting up the sun umbrella
activating some dormant vitamin d
breakfasting and reading storybooks
with h and j
(make mental note to purchase mat and try some yoga up there)
h has just made one of those enormous breakthroughs
which transform the life of a 3-year-old
learnt how to hold a crayon properly
between fumb and forefinger
by watching daddy drawing
and checking all the while
'daddy, is it right? like this, daddy?'
'yes, my peach, you're doin' great!'
and sure enough
the extra control has helped her to make a huge artistic leap
people with eyes, noses, bodies, arms n legs
so here is h's first art exhibition
dig daddy's hairy forehead and big ears...
daddy
mummy and hannah
monster
a resplendant chuseok morning it is too
in hazy but sunny seoul
been up on the roof garden
exercising the muscles
putting up the sun umbrella
activating some dormant vitamin d
breakfasting and reading storybooks
with h and j
(make mental note to purchase mat and try some yoga up there)
h has just made one of those enormous breakthroughs
which transform the life of a 3-year-old
learnt how to hold a crayon properly
between fumb and forefinger
by watching daddy drawing
and checking all the while
'daddy, is it right? like this, daddy?'
'yes, my peach, you're doin' great!'
and sure enough
the extra control has helped her to make a huge artistic leap
people with eyes, noses, bodies, arms n legs
so here is h's first art exhibition
dig daddy's hairy forehead and big ears...
daddy
mummy and hannah
monster
Thursday, October 05, 2006
LIFE IN THE OXYGEN TENT
a good evening to you, my bloglets
your faithful fireseed checking into the cyber motel once again
at your fave cyberport
'the art of living'
cheers for giving me a few mins
of your preshus day, my seeds...
tonight is chuseok eve
that time of year when the thoughts of kindly korean son-in-laws
turn to presentation packs of spam
a thoughtful gift for their dear mama-in-laws
(needless to say one that this seed's m-i-l shall go without)
a bright harvest moon waxes high in the seoul sky
lighting the way home for many a cheerful beerful drunk
fireseed treating hisself
to the remainder of a bottle of aussie white
chez moi
had a lovely day
invited some friends round for lunch
kris and gulcin
ate heartily
lentil curry & couscous
olive oil and balsamic vinegar
bulgar wheat and berkera
a tasty aussie white
fine jasmine tea and good espresso
sat out on our lovely roof terrace
as the sun sank over seoul
balmy temperatures for october
h having a good time riding her trike
and showing off for the guests
pretty as a picture in her summer dress
took her to the playground afterwards
to burn up some of that energy
that only 3-year-olds have
(i wish i had it)
now h asleep on the couch
j out with a pal...
don't know bout you guys
but this seed been enjoying some much needed r 'n' r, friends
some productive internet surfing
unearthed this little gem of an interview
off tony dushane's pirate cat radio show
a chat with 'the man':
steve kilbey
lead singer-songwriter of 'the church'
a big musical inspiration
since i discovered em over 20 years ago
monsieur kilbey is one cool druid
(and it turns out he's a vegan too!)
just listen to what he's got to say about
ageing rockers
ageing gracefully
playing acoustically
artistic integrity
nurturing creativity
etcetera, etcetera
i could listen to that cat all day...
life in the oxygen tent
cut off from reality
the boy in the bubble
that's how it feels for fireseed
living in sk most of the time
staying in the comfort zone
home to work
work to home
on the #9 bus
off the #9 bus
on the #271 bus
off the #271 bus
past the parades of slim, mini-skirted, sleek-haired agassis
holding hands
gawky four-eyed teenage boys
in their under-sized school uniforms
puppy fat toilet brush-haired girls
in their ankle socks
in the shower and iron a shirt
espresso n toast for brekky
(clunk!!!! h falls off sofa in lounge
and lands on floor
daddy picks her up
and nestles her on lap
in front of computer
then thinks better of it
and puts her into bed)
...rewwwwwwwwiiiiiiinnnnnddddddddddd...
espresso n toast for brekky
another espresso in the local cafe
no lunch as a rule
mushroom pasta or bean paste soup for dinner
speaking ze english all day
except for trotting out the survival korean
"ah - hangungmal chal hashineyo!"
"what good korean you speak!"
(embarrassed chuckle) "komapsupnida"
"thank you"
('ive only been living 'ere 5 years -
you should hear my feeble attempts to extrapolate
on the political and economic injustices
of corporate-lead globalisation',
thinks fireseed, grinning nervously)
"so big deal," you say
i guess we all got our own comfort zone...
speaking of the old CLG
fireseed knocked out once again
by the contrariness
of the twisted world we inhabit
went to buy some kimbap the other day
rice rolled up in seaweed - the 'korean sushi'
normal price 1000 won
ham, egg, maybe some fishcake or crabstick,
pickled radish, pickled root vegetable
of course fireseed asks the disapproving ajumma for 'salad kimbap'
take out the ham, egg, fishcake and crabstick
(that's most of the main ingredients)
add a bit of mixed salad
and what is the asking price for this downsized veggie version?
a whopping 2500 won, that's what
- only a 150% premium!
never mind the unsavoury practice of eating dead pigs and sea creatures
but where's the incentive
to avoid supporting the hugely wasteful business
of producing feed for export
chucking subsistence farmers in poor countries off their land
to make way for huge cash-crop farms,
then transporting the stuff thousands of miles
and feeding it to unfortunate creatures
crammed into tiny inhumane spaces
so that we can 'enjoy' a little bit of third-generation protein
which took a catastrophic amount of the earth's resources to produce?
not much incentive at all, is it, my seeds?
...ok, rant over
been good communing with ya as always
here's the key
i'm checking out
a very happy chuseok to you and yours
love
f
your faithful fireseed checking into the cyber motel once again
at your fave cyberport
'the art of living'
cheers for giving me a few mins
of your preshus day, my seeds...
tonight is chuseok eve
that time of year when the thoughts of kindly korean son-in-laws
turn to presentation packs of spam
a thoughtful gift for their dear mama-in-laws
(needless to say one that this seed's m-i-l shall go without)
a bright harvest moon waxes high in the seoul sky
lighting the way home for many a cheerful beerful drunk
fireseed treating hisself
to the remainder of a bottle of aussie white
chez moi
had a lovely day
invited some friends round for lunch
kris and gulcin
ate heartily
lentil curry & couscous
olive oil and balsamic vinegar
bulgar wheat and berkera
a tasty aussie white
fine jasmine tea and good espresso
sat out on our lovely roof terrace
as the sun sank over seoul
balmy temperatures for october
h having a good time riding her trike
and showing off for the guests
pretty as a picture in her summer dress
took her to the playground afterwards
to burn up some of that energy
that only 3-year-olds have
(i wish i had it)
now h asleep on the couch
j out with a pal...
don't know bout you guys
but this seed been enjoying some much needed r 'n' r, friends
some productive internet surfing
unearthed this little gem of an interview
off tony dushane's pirate cat radio show
a chat with 'the man':
steve kilbey
lead singer-songwriter of 'the church'
a big musical inspiration
since i discovered em over 20 years ago
monsieur kilbey is one cool druid
(and it turns out he's a vegan too!)
just listen to what he's got to say about
ageing rockers
ageing gracefully
playing acoustically
artistic integrity
nurturing creativity
etcetera, etcetera
i could listen to that cat all day...
life in the oxygen tent
cut off from reality
the boy in the bubble
that's how it feels for fireseed
living in sk most of the time
staying in the comfort zone
home to work
work to home
on the #9 bus
off the #9 bus
on the #271 bus
off the #271 bus
past the parades of slim, mini-skirted, sleek-haired agassis
holding hands
gawky four-eyed teenage boys
in their under-sized school uniforms
puppy fat toilet brush-haired girls
in their ankle socks
in the shower and iron a shirt
espresso n toast for brekky
(clunk!!!! h falls off sofa in lounge
and lands on floor
daddy picks her up
and nestles her on lap
in front of computer
then thinks better of it
and puts her into bed)
...rewwwwwwwwiiiiiiinnnnnddddddddddd...
espresso n toast for brekky
another espresso in the local cafe
no lunch as a rule
mushroom pasta or bean paste soup for dinner
speaking ze english all day
except for trotting out the survival korean
"ah - hangungmal chal hashineyo!"
"what good korean you speak!"
(embarrassed chuckle) "komapsupnida"
"thank you"
('ive only been living 'ere 5 years -
you should hear my feeble attempts to extrapolate
on the political and economic injustices
of corporate-lead globalisation',
thinks fireseed, grinning nervously)
"so big deal," you say
i guess we all got our own comfort zone...
speaking of the old CLG
fireseed knocked out once again
by the contrariness
of the twisted world we inhabit
went to buy some kimbap the other day
rice rolled up in seaweed - the 'korean sushi'
normal price 1000 won
ham, egg, maybe some fishcake or crabstick,
pickled radish, pickled root vegetable
of course fireseed asks the disapproving ajumma for 'salad kimbap'
take out the ham, egg, fishcake and crabstick
(that's most of the main ingredients)
add a bit of mixed salad
and what is the asking price for this downsized veggie version?
a whopping 2500 won, that's what
- only a 150% premium!
never mind the unsavoury practice of eating dead pigs and sea creatures
but where's the incentive
to avoid supporting the hugely wasteful business
of producing feed for export
chucking subsistence farmers in poor countries off their land
to make way for huge cash-crop farms,
then transporting the stuff thousands of miles
and feeding it to unfortunate creatures
crammed into tiny inhumane spaces
so that we can 'enjoy' a little bit of third-generation protein
which took a catastrophic amount of the earth's resources to produce?
not much incentive at all, is it, my seeds?
...ok, rant over
been good communing with ya as always
here's the key
i'm checking out
a very happy chuseok to you and yours
love
f
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
THE FRUITS OF EXPERIENCE
'Experience is not what happens to you,
it is what you do with what happens to you.'
Aldous Huxley
'O Lord, remember not only the men and women of good will but also those of ill will. But do not remember all the suffering they have inflicted upon us, remember the fruits we bought thanks to this suffering: our comradeship, our loyalty, our humility, the courage, the generosity, the greatness of heart which has grown out of this. And when they come to judgement, let all the fruits that we have borne be their forgiveness.'
Prayer found written on a piece of wrapping paper in Ravensbruck, largest of the concentration camps for women in Nazi Germany
it is what you do with what happens to you.'
Aldous Huxley
'O Lord, remember not only the men and women of good will but also those of ill will. But do not remember all the suffering they have inflicted upon us, remember the fruits we bought thanks to this suffering: our comradeship, our loyalty, our humility, the courage, the generosity, the greatness of heart which has grown out of this. And when they come to judgement, let all the fruits that we have borne be their forgiveness.'
Prayer found written on a piece of wrapping paper in Ravensbruck, largest of the concentration camps for women in Nazi Germany
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