Back in the US, disgrace at home.

Before I started writing this blog post, I looked out of the window. I saw a bright blue sky, and a hot afternoon sun beating down onto a lemon tree in the back garden. I'm clearly not home in England. No, I'm in sunny California, soaking up the sun on a family holiday. Some things here have changed, most things are the same. Either way, it's good to be back in the US. Indeed, the immigration officer at Philly Airport even said "Welcome Home" to me, before correcting himself to "Welcome Back".

If I were at home, and looked out of the window, I might see burning streets. Youths running rampant. The riots that have erupted in the UK, first in London and now spreading North to Manchester are quite simply disgraceful. There is no rhyme nor reason behind it; thugs out to cause as much damage and violence as they possibly can, inciting fear, looting shops, and challenging police to a showdown.

There are some in the media who have tried to pass this off as a bigger issue- disaffected young people, struggling in society. But there is absolutely no excuse for their actions, the vast majority of which are simply opportunistic; copycat violence, hearing of disturbances and jumping at the chance to hit the street and cause destruction. Indeed in Manchester, there were reports of organised thugs, with leaders shouting at younger kids what to do, where to throw bricks, which cars to flip over etc. etc. That they set fire to a Miss Selfridge shop in Market Street, the most unlikely target for anything other than wanton violence, shows the true nature of their crimes.

The police and fire-fighters appear to have done an incredible job, risking their lives through bravery and dedication in an attempt to bring the chaos under control. But when they are vastly outnumbered, even fully clad in riot gear, there is only so much they can do. Talks of rubber bullets, and even bringing the army in, will hopefully come to nothing, but I don't think they should be ruled out. It might be a necessity. As I hope you all know, I am a big believer in absolute human rights, but when the police fear bringing rioters under control because of complaints commissions and law suits, instead forced to stand idly by having debris thrown at them, something is amiss.

Fortunately for me, I'm not in Manchester. I can worry about the destruction of my home from afar, and not worry about going out for a shopping excursion. We'll certainly be doing lots of those, visiting local malls a long standing tradition in my family's American holidays.

I haven't been very good at posting lately. Being on holiday here in California probably isn't going to change that either, although I am sure there will be plenty of things to blog about, so who knows.

One final thing, today saw voting in Wisconsin once again, this time in the Senate recall elections, as Democrats try to win back the State Senate, and thus put up a much needed road block to Gov. Walker's draconian political plans for the Dairy State. If you're reading this, and you're in Wisconsin, in a Senate district that has a recall election, and you've haven't voted yet, what are you still doing reading? GO VOTE!

Hopefully I'll post more on the Senate election results later. If you're desperate to keep up now, then check out this site here.

It All Ends Here

Or does it? Because when it was all over, there was a long pause and a black screen, perfect for "The End" to appear. Yet it never did.

Was this producer and writer JK Rowling's way of hinting at more in the future? Who knows. It's certainly a possibility; if there's anything writers do, it's write.

This afternoon I went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II with my mum! Fitting that I should end the film series as I began it, though ten years later a new cinema had been constructed. Much has been written about the changes during that time; the rise and development of the young actors, the changing directors and styles of the series, the never ending phenomenon. Even I've touched on this subject before in the short life of my blog, describing my thoughts on the first part of the final book's film adaptation here.

As I make clear in that post, I've never really been a huge fan of the films, too much of a loyal, early convert to the books. Coming out of this final film though, I can honestly say that I think they finally nailed an adaptation. It took them 8 attempts, but this last one really was a good film, and captured almost everything it needed to from the book. For the first time in the series, I came out of the cinema with nothing to complain about.

There were lots of great scenes, very intense, very emotional, and acted extremely well. I used to think that Daniel Radcliffe lacked some acting ability, but I now think that actually it was poor writing and poor directing which caused me to think that. He finally came into his own as Harry in this film, and carried the heaviest, most emotional scenes almost perfectly, especially the walk through the Forbidden Forest which I think was the stand out scene in the film. Him and the other actors of course too, though everyone's role in this film was too short.

I thought we finally got to see what Professor McGonagall is made of in this film, as Maggie Smith got some well deserved screen time, as did some other Hogwarts teachers. Snape's memory scene was done incredibly well, as it is a very complicated back story, and was shortened extremely succinctly. It was very poignant and Alan Rickman got Snape's character spot on.

And then there was the Hogwarts Battle, the big scene everyone has been waiting for. As expected, the special effects were stunning. And the story was very efficiently and effectively told. I have to say I was very impressed with how it was handled, a rarity for me in the HP series. I would have liked to have seen more, most definitely, as it was so epic yet so short, but at least every character got a look in, and there is only so long you can make a film (extended cut on dvd anyone?)

Especially Neville, who shined in this film.                                                                                                                                 

Having said all that, there were some little things that I would change or didn't quite like. Molly Weasley's fight with Bellatrix was far too short and sprung upon us too soon. And while the final fight with Voldemort looked great cinematically, there was something about it that just didn't seem quite right. It was a little disappointing and didn't quite fit. I think they should have focused more on a simple showdown, more on emotions, than on a chase around the castle. His final death was rather gruesome in some ways too, and am not convinced on that yet, though I am not sure how else they could have done it. (That's right, the bad guy dies...sorry if I ruined it for anyone...not like it wasn't obvious!)

The epilogue was pretty much as it is in the book, although a few characters were missed out which was a little disappointing. In some way, I thought that this epilogue of the film...the end of the end of the phenomenon supposedly..would tie up even more loose ends than the book.

And yet it didn't, which brings me back to my original  thought...perhaps another dive into the magical world is on the horizon?

Then again, it could be left that way intentionally, to let our own imagination take hold, allowing us to fly away with our thoughts on what happens to the characters. We all do it... some of us even write it down. I read a very interesting article in Time magazine which I urge you to check about the wonders of "fan fiction", where fans take well known books and series and expand them forwards, backwards, sideways and downwards. Ever wondered what happened when Sirius was told to "lie low at Lupin's for a while"? Check it out here.

It's the best you'll get now it's all over, unless Ms. Rowling takes the plunge,unable to stay away from the magic. I'm sure it must be difficult for her to forget about all the thoughts she has about the world she created. Here's hoping it drags her back in soon.

All In A Day's Work: Part 1

After weeks of searching for a summer job, and a few "you're too qualified" rejections, I finally found myself a part time job. It's only weekend work, Saturday 9-5.30 and Sunday 11-4, but it tides me over for the time being.

It's in a store which I'd only ever been to once before, yet now find myself wishing I had visited more often, given some of the current bargains on offer! And based on my affinity for buying clothes in the sale, it really is a wonder I hadn't been to the store before.

The shop in question is called Slater's Menswear. It's primary focus is suits, wedding/formal wear, and smart dress. However it has quite a reasonable casual menswear section, and has now introduced a women's section. I spend my weekends helping people find jackets, trousers, suits and the occasional pair of shoes for weddings, special meetings, funerals, holidays and everyday work.

Slater's prides itself on the outstanding customer service it offers; that means that we greet customers as soon as the walk in the shop and help them in every way possible. We engage them in conversation, find out what they are looking for, and then help them find everything they need. We pick out suits for them, comment on what looks best, what's practical etc, and then take measurements to adjust their suits to the correct size. Each customer spends almost their entire time in store with their personal assistant, which makes them feel extremely valued, and likely to return.

Some customers are easy to please; recently we've had a lot of 16yr olds coming in looking for prom suits, and students looking for a suit for graduation. I show them a few modern fit suits, they try them on, sort out adjustments, and we're done. Shiny suits have been a winner for prom! Other customers are more specific, looking for a certain colour, or a certain type of material. Some know more about the style and designs of suits than I do, and are a little harder to please, but we usual find them a suit in the end.

And then there are the really difficult customers...those who don't really know what they want, or can't make a decision to save their life. We try on numerous different suits, we narrow it down, decide on one, and then we're not sure. Or, they really like a suit, think it looks great, then change their mind because their wife or partner or girlfriend don't like it. Or, they just can't buy something on their own! We almost always find something they like and agree on in the end though, given the huge choice available.

And then there are people like my Grandad...super awkward customers! Not in their personality, but in their shape and size! Of course, everyone is a different size, which is why Slater's has a free alteration service, but some people are just "too unique"! Super wide shoulders, and a skinny waist. Short torso, long arms and long legs! And yet, we still succeed in serving these customers.

Even better, should you put on a few extra pounds over Christmas, or find that special diet, the free alterations are for the life of the suit...so all you have to is bring it back and get re-measured!

I've always been a fan of great customer service...it really makes all the difference in any shopping or eating or entertainment experience. Slater's is a great example to follow. I was lucky enough to get a tip from a generous customer who appreciated my help last weekend, and its always great to shake a customer's hand and see them walk away with a smile on their face, knowing they have a great new addition to their wardrobe!

 

Thankfully, I don't have to measure anyone's inside leg!

 

Twenty Four Hours In Philadelphia

A post I wrote last month in Philly airport, and never got around to publishing:

Every time I have flown on the US Airways flight 734 from Philadelphia to Manchester, it has been delayed. Usually just be half an hour or so, occasionally for a few hours. The reasons for this have varied from lightening storms preventing baggage handlers operating, a back up of traffic, a plane not arriving from another destination, or a mechanical failure of some sort. The last reason is why I am waiting in the airport right now, with a scheduled delay of 50 minutes currently (that is certainly prone to change).

You’d think after these consistent delays, I would choose another flight across the Atlantic home. However, I still stand by the US Airways flight from Philly to Man, mainly because of its cost, but also because it is one of the few flights that flies  straight from the US to Manchester at a reasonable time. Did I mention it’s also one of the cheapest? And finally, it’s one of the few transatlantic flights which always has a personal TV screen for each seat (even for those of us who fly in pleb class), with a personal choice of films and TV shows to watch. It has had this feature for some time now. Despite being late departing, I don’t think I have ever arrived in Manchester more than an hour later than I should have.

Nevertheless, the one time I could have done with the flight being delayed, it was spot on time. Sod’s law right? Those terrible tornadoes which tore up Missouri were part of a bigger weather system which caused havoc to air travel on Monday. After a smooth flight into Phoenix, I found that my flight to Philly was subject to an ATC delay, air traffic control, and wasn’t allowed to leave due to weather issues en route to the East Coast. So, we waited in Phoenix, 45 minutes sat in the plane on the taxiway, just in case ATC allowed us an earlier wheels up time. They didn’t.

We made good time, but still landed in Philadelphia at 8.39pm. My flight to Manchester left at 8.40pm. Needless to say, I missed it. They figured I would, and had already given me a seat on the flight a day later.

So it was, that I was stranded in Philly for 24 hours.

It wasn’t so bad. Philadelphia is as good a city as any to be stuck in. US airways gave me a discounted hotel to stay in, a Holiday Inn right by “stadium city”, the area in Philly where all the sports stadiums are located. 4 of them in total. Pretty good idea having them all together. The Phillies were playing that night, so there was a great atmosphere all around the area. I was pretty beat though, and ordered in some Chinese and watched some Netflix before hitting the hay.

The next day I had hours to kill before I had to be back at the airport, so I took a shuttle into downtown Philly, and had a ride on the Big Bus Tour- a great way to see all of the city. Being a bit of a history buff, it’s also a great way to learn about the city too. I could bore you with lots of stories about famous Philadelphians, things that came from Philly, and the locations I visited. I could tell you the story of William Penn’s curse, or the designing of the American flag, or the railway stations in Monopoly, but this blog is already a little long. Save the stories for the pictures which I took. I might post them at some point in the next 3 months...if you’re lucky. (backlog of photos to clear!)

One story I will tell you about, is the final shopping purchase I made in the US. A genuine American Football, to practice with this summer, for only $11. Bargain. Anyone in England want a “throw around” to learn about the game, give me a shout!

As I write this now sat in the airport waiting for my flight back home a day later than planned, my plane is delayed by 2 hours. The plane I should have gotten yesterday. Yesterday, the delay would have been perfect. Today- not so much. Sod’s law.

It's All in the Atmosphere

When you go and see your favourite band live, you don't really just want to hear them play their music. If you did, you could save yourself a small fortune and stay at home, curled up in the armchair listening to the CD. When you watch a performer on stage, you want to feel the energy and the passion, share the feelings the music conjures up, and rejoice with all those fellow devotees around you.

You want to jump up and down, and dance around like a madman to the sound of your favourite song as the band entertains you with their performance. All the best bands I have seen live, have been the best and most memorable because of the band's performance on stage. Rocking out. Be it in a stadium like Wembley as Coldplay frontman Chris Martin prances around the stage, or in a tiny Manchester club as the 27 members of I'm From Barcelona jump into the crowd, or jumping up and down to the sound of Mr. Brightside with Brandon Flowers in Milwaukee, the best bands energise the crowd and pump up an incredible atmosphere. If only I could have seen Queen live, and rocked out to Radio GaGa.

Listening to the mellowed blues of Fleet Foxes new album, I thought about the two most recent gigs I went to. Neither of them had dancing around or loud rock music blasting into the audience. In fact, at both venues (Madison's Memorial Union Rathskeller and Hyde's Cheshire Ring), the vast majority of the crowd was sat down. On both occasions, the music was singer-songwriter, heartfelt ballads, at times very folksy. Yet on both occasions, the atmosphere was phenomenal, as the crowd listening eagerly in silence, taking in the beauty of the music.

Only once before, when I saw Damien Rice perform at the Manchester Apollo, was the crowd so silent, the atmosphere cuttable with a knife.

In Madison, I saw The Civil Wars, a very talented duet composing a girl and a guy who met at song writing camp, if I am not mistaken. I first heard them because of a couple of free downloads, and thought I would check them out. I was blown away. They were incredible live- despite the slow, subtleness of  their songs-, and they were extremely engaging, had stunning voices, and had some funny stories to tell the crowd. They did a great cover of Billie Jean, which almost matches their unique interpretation of The Jackson Five's "I Want You Back" on their album. They'll be in Manchester Sept 26th. This is one of their singles;

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfzRlcnq_c0]

This one shows how natural they perform live, and how great they sound, without any dubbing;

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYQwVZIr6iE]

 

The second gig I went to was this past Friday, and it was rather unusual. Not exactly what I was expecting anyway! I've been a fan of David Ford since I got his first solo album in 2006, and have now seen him three times; once in Manchester, once in Madison, Wisconsin, supporting Newton Faulkner and Ingrid Michaelson, and this last time in Hyde. Three albums, three gigs. David is a great singer songwriter who, as so many people have apparently told him, is perennially 'the next big thing'. I think not being a huge hit has made his music infinitely more likeable; personal, raw, beautiful. And it has certainly kept David as a down to earth guy who genuinely engages with his audience. I find him rather amusing too. This most recent gig was different because he has written a book, and so in between songs he read chapters from it. He too generated a great atmosphere in the small upstairs of room of pub in Hyde, seamlessly mixing intense emotional moments from his songs with laugh out loud stories from his life. His book promises to be an insightful take on the music business, and well worth the read. I particularly enjoyed his rendition of Young Hearts and Your Love Keeps Lifting Me!

I have always thought Mr. Ford was an incredible performer, and no song demonstrates that better than his first lead single, State of the Union, which is performed solo, in just one take, using a looping recorder of some sort. It is quite truly, momentous. Check it out;

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY8ni5kPp-E]

 

Finally, this is my favourite David Ford song. I could listen to it over and over again. I love the lyrics. And though it perhaps seems like a sad song, I think it's very uplifting. I can identify with it too. It always reminds me of a certain someone. Nicole, this one is for you.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ASspqGVLBE]