Friday 24 March 2006

Yin yang

I spent most of today at an excellent conference about initiatives for cultural exchange, countering racism and promoting multiculturalism, in primary and secondary education. The students and teachers were absolutely brilliant. I almost yearned to be a teacher again.

Of course before going to the conference I was dreading attending it, worrying about having to initiate conversations and being effective, which is really silly as all you have to do is just ask people lots of questions about them and their projects, which is very interesting, and the reason for which you are there, and deflects any discussion about you, because i hate talking about myself, that's why i started a blog.

This dread is all par for the course before any event that will entail mixing with more than four people, who I haven’t known for at least twenty years. Hey, I'm not saying that I'm complicated, am as straightforward as they come, just spazdual, one minute loving the social mix next vanning to be alone and/or psyching myself to be physically ill or wishing I’d break an arm or leg to avoid whole thing. So enough of that, not very interesting nor original, I’m pretty sure most people feel like that.

It was a great conference and a wonderful location. It was at the old Eveleigh Railway Workshops. Fantastic. You approach it from platform 10 at Redfern Station. I loved walking down to the Bay where the conference was being held. No one was around, and there were empty railway carriages, wonderful buildings, and an eerie silence pervaded the atmosphere. It was thrilling as I felt like I was playing a possible victim in an opening scene from the Avengers, the Steed and Peel years, and that I was about to happen upon a forgotten community, or even better, some midwich cuckoos, or be pursued by some evil clowns who had been lurking in some abandoned railway carriages.

So all in all it was a perfect day for me, my desire for ludicrous fiction was tempered with some very intelligent, sensible yet creative non-fiction.

I feel almost balanced and ready for tonight’s dinner party chez Meister. What a night that will be but I will be sticking to the theme of balance, for tomorrow I’m catching the matinee of the History Boys with the Llllllladies and Pinkie.

The Mistress bids a buoyant and safe weekend to all NSR readers.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Vanning oneself somewhere else, is that your favourite mode of escape? The windows blacked out, a young constable driving.

I was not allowed to stay up for the Avengers, but Paul Temple was OK. The empty outdoor shot also heavily featured. I guess it was easier than getting High Street to avoid looking into the camera, as you do.

Mistress Bel said...

that sounds so stylish.

I wasn't either but crept out of the bedroom and hid behind chairs until i shrieked with terror and was then sent to bed. I haven't seen Paul Temple. The empty outdoor shot is my favourite.