Catch The Big Train

I love offbeat, silly British comedies (Human Remains, Marion & Geoof, The Office, Extras, Father Ted, Mike Bassette, Max & Paddy), and Big Train, which I've not seen at all before, has not disappointed yet. I've picked the complete seasons 1 and 2 and finding it to be quite a hilarious treat, atfer all it has Simon Pegg in it!

Tomorrow is my first day as a Blacksheepian!

And I just sneezed! (Bless me!)

The novel in progress is passed the 43k mark. It's slowed down a lot and I've only written a few hundred words over the past couple of days, very lame I know. Oh, and the test shoot has been moved to Sunday now, instead of, well, it was meant to be today.

I had to take my Canon G7 to the agent's workshop a couple of days ago because it all of a sudden died on me. Apparently there was a problem with the power, as it wouldn't connect to be turned on! I'm told it must've been shaken, or stirred! Heh, careful now. Anyways, it's all fixed now, but I was camera-less for a few days.

The Heart of the Matter

Last night we had the first read-through of the KEEP short film script. Both actors (Gavin & Simone) did pretty well and we had a good chat about the direction I wanted them to take with the charachters.

It was an interesting session as I've never had a read-through before, to see (and hear) someone performing something that I had written was quite fascinating. They had their own interpetations and they took onboard the suggestions I had made.

We are now set to film on August 10th & 11th. The film will be about 8 minutes long and will be shot in one location. We are meant to go visit the location in a couple of days and put together a shoot schedule. And on Tuesday we will be doing a test shoot with the actors.

Oh, and our Human Heart had arrived from across the Atlantic!

As for my writing, it had faltered a bit lately I'm afraid. Still, I managed to pass the 42,000 mark. I still think I need more writing to do! My new estimated target is now probably around 50k, as I mentioned before. I'm a bit gutted, coz now it looks highly unlikely that I will finish the novel before the end of the month.

And to add to all this craziness (my illustrated story, making of short film, completing novel, pre-planning Elham and writing articles), I am starting my new "full-time" job this Wednesday!

Illustrating Musk for Publication

I have always had a fascinating with art and illustrations, and have always wanted to have the opportunity to publish an illustrated story. My short story, Musk, will be serialized over three issues in Ohlala Arabia magazine from September and will feature illustrations by French young artist Meriem Bennani.

I am getting excited about the concept. The story is about a "giant" boy who is abandoned in the desert where he grows up believing that he was a god and encounters a "wizard" midget!

I've seen some of Meriem's work and was impressed by some of her illustrations. After I sent her the story and some of my notes, she began working on developing the illustrations that will go with the story in the magazine.

I got the very first drawings from her yesterday. These are the rough first drafts so to speak. I give you a sneak peak of Kabeer, the giant boy/god, here. I will posting the developments of the story and the illustrations over the next few weeks and take you through the process until the actual publication of Musk.

It's the Songs We Sing that Make Us Smile

I can't shake this feeling I've got
My dirty hands, have I been in the wars?
The saddest thing that I'd ever seen
Were smokers outside the hospital doors
- Smokers Outside The Hospital by the Editors

I made this half-pony half-monkey monster to please you
But I get the feeling that you don't like it
What's with all the screaming?
You like monkeys, you like ponies
Maybe you don't like monsters so much
Maybe I used too many monkeys
Isn't it enough to know that I ruined a pony making a gift for you?
- Skullcrusher Mountain by Jonathon Coulton

Even Rome fell one day
And I know, some day
If we don't try to live as one
We will not out last the sun
- Catch Me If You Can by Polydream

God knows what is hiding in that weak and drunken heart
I guess you kissed the girls and made them cry
Those Hardfaced Queens of misadventure
God knows what is hiding in those weak and sunken eyes
A Fiery throng of muted angels
Giving love and getting nothing back
- People Help The People by Cherry Ghost

It's a Story to Tell

Ladies and gentlemen, buckle your seatbelts, adjust your seats to the upright position and secure the trays. We are 5000 words away from reaching the final destination and completing our journey.

Can I do it? 5000 more words before July 31st? Hell yeah!

It's been quite a while since I heard a piece of music so moving, so gorgeous, so stunningly emotional, that I felt my eyes well up, and a swelling pinch in my heart. This band is so good Im aching to get my hands on their new record. (click on the link and listen to the first song that comes on, you'll see what I mean).

I've also just seen what must be the best music video of the year, a splendid piece of film that tells a wondrous story.

F1 Management Aren't Happy With Me!

=
Originally uploaded by Alizod

Several months ago I was at the Bahrain Grand Prix. I took lots of photos and a couple of videos with my Canon G7. Then I went and posted one of my clips on YouTube, as one might do with such clips.

A few days ago I get this email from YouTube notifying me that the said clip has been removed. Here is what the email said: "This is to notify you that we have removed or disabled access to the following material as a result of a third-party notification by Formula One Management claiming that this material is infringing" Eh! WTF, seriously!

Has anyone else had similar problems? Or are these people simply being asses?

My Happy Place

It's funny how things work sometimes. You want to get something done so bad that the more you focus on it, the harder you try to get it done, the more unlikely it seems it will ever do! Makes sense?

I've been struggling with my 2nd novel so bad that it was starting to get very frustrating. I'd spent hours and days and nights thinking about it, trying to write it, hoping that I will eventually crack it, until I realised that it doesnt really have to be that way. So I moved to the next project online.

My 3rd novel kicked alive. And I suddenly am back to writing. After months of despair and not being able to write, I am working steadily so far. I had decided that I will complete a novel this month. It's unlikely, but I am determined to give it my best shot. I was going to go for the usual 1000 words per day. So far I've written a little over 3000 words in 5 days. I know I'm off target but you have to keep in mind thet problems I've been facing with my friggin laptop.... I swear to god, if anyone as much as mentions Acer to me ever again I will take it and smack them on the head with it!

I've found my happy place. And it's in Caribou!

Cake

You're bored. You're lonely. You're fed up. You cut the slice of banana walnut cake in half and you leave it. You sip. You look. You think. You sip. You breathe. You think to yourself, what on earth are you doing in this place? In this island of lost identities and repressed souls? You dip your stick in your coffee. You lick the foam. You play with your cake. You're lost in the thickness of it. How it formulates itself to the heat. You wear your ring but you can't even feel it on your skin anymore. You whisk. You stir. Are you enjoying this? Is it what you wanted to do today? Or is it just happenstance? Perhaps fiddling with your shopping bags would help. A book. Pulled out of a small sack, which you then slip into a bigger one. You finally take a bite of the cake. It's been seven minutes since you've sat. Five since you've cut it. You rest your arm on the hardback book next to your mug. And you eat. Bit after bit. You dip and you chew and you look and you chew and you're lost in a world you don't recognize.

For the Weekend

A book you MUST read...

A film you MUST see...

Our World (in a Kiss)

You make me strong
You make me weak
In the knees
You make me want
To sing louder when I'm not alone
You make me lose control
Over how my heart reacts
How my mind thinks
My hands and lips and fingertips
You make me unaware
Of the rest of the world
Because we've found our own
And it's in a car
In a moment
In a touch
In a smile
In a kiss