A Modern Comedy

I’ve been watching the new adaptation of “The Forsyte Saga” on television, and I am impressed. I know the British produce all these great actors and writers, and it is easy to just take that for granted, but this is one of those shows that make you aware of that again.

I vaguely remember the first adaptation that was done in the sixties. I was very young then, and I can’t imagine watching it at the time, but I remember reading the book when I was very young, and being impressed. I could still remember the main story lines when I started watching this adaptation, but not all the details. And I don’t remember enough of that first series to be able to compare notes.

It is a great story of people and emotions. There are characters you can identify with, characters you love and admire, and characters you don’t approve of. But there are no characters to hate. Somehow they all are believable and they all demand sympathy to some extent. I think Damian Lewis did a great job of Soames Forsythe, making him believable, detestable but at the same time slightly pathetic and tragic. This is a man who simply doesn’t get the point, and that is sad, but happens all too often.

So much happens beneath all those proper and serious exteriors. There are loving relationships, the one between Jolyon and Irene, but a lot of emptiness and deceit too. The times may have changed but in many ways it still is a modern comedy. I don’t care much for Fleur, but her crying out to Jon after he walked away from her was heart-breaking. As was the look on his face and Irene’s piano playing.

Rowing

Yesterday we went rowing. We found out we could borrow a small boat at a nature reserve near the farm where we do our conservation work. They are fairly small boats, officially room for five, but I’m not sure I’d like to be on board with five people. This time it was the two of us and a camera.

It was a bit chilly, but not too bad for rowing. It was interesting to see the fields and the birds from this different perspectiv. Low down, looking up. The birds were wiling to let us come a lot nearer than they would if we were walking, so a good opportunity for taking pictures. Hard to keep the boat still though.

What surprised me was that rowing was so easy. I hadn’t done it since I was a child and I had this small inflatable dinghy, but I still knew how to do it. Maybe it is one of those things you don’t forget, like swimming. I managed to keep us more or less steady and heading in the right direction. And I actually enjoyed myself.

Accident Prone

I managed to burn my hand tonight. Just while I was cooking, I poured a lot of boiling water over my left hand. I always manage to do things like that. It hurts while you are doing it, then there is nothing for a while, and now it really hurts again. I am forever walking into doors, cutting myself, getting burned. I don’t know why that is. Maybe because half the time I don’t really pay attention to what I am doing.

Luka in Concerto

Yesterday I went to see Luka Bloom play at a record shop here in Amsterdam. He played for over an hour, much longer than I expected. And he was good. He just played quiet songs, new ones and songs from the Sleep album.

A different environment for a concert. The shop was fairly busy before Luka started to play, but once he sat down just about everybody came to listen and it became quiet very quickly. The shop was pretty full. A different concert too. A lot of daylight for one. Then the audience standing and Luka sitting down, very unusual. After a few songs he was joined by a couple of musicians, Suzi Ng on violin and Claudia Chambers on cajon. They worked together very well.

It was lovely hearing the new, gentle songs, and a few older ones. And what was really wonderful was that Luka played some brand new songs too. A beautiful love song about Amsterdam. Just the one guitar this time, gentle playing and singing. Very beautiful.

New Neighbours

I live up on the third floor in a city street, fortunately a street which has some big, beautiful trees. At the side of the house I have put up a small bird box, which has been up there for about three years now. Until this year a few birds showed an interest, but no nest. This year seems to be different though, as I seem to have a pair of Blue Tits showing a lot of interest. They have been flying to and fro for over a week now, beckoning each other, checking out safety and comfort. So maybe this year I will have some new neighbours.