The Great Gatsby...

Myself and the Missus paid one of our yearly trips to Sadlers Wells in London last week to see the Northern Ballet version of The Great Gatsby. 

Having never read the book, I was unfamiliar with the story, but I soon picked up that it was about a reignited romance between a rich bloke and his one-time lover, and the doomed love affair between the woman's cheating husband and the wife of a drunk garage owner. 

I won't reveal the ending in case you haven't read the book or seen the film versions, but the moral seems to be 'Don't piss off alcoholic garage owners with guns.'

I'm still quite new to the world of dance and ballet and I'm only really a recent convert because the Missus likes it. But I am intrigued because, at its best, it's quite a pure art form, with the story stripped back and any fat trimmed off because there's no verbal narrative or interaction to explains the action; therefore it has to be quite compact. 

There were some jazz bits in this show that were a bit annoying as I don't like jazz, even though stylistically they very well done and in keeping with the 1920s period. The more balletic pieces were beautiful, though. 

A fab night out.

The Wellcome Collection...

One of the real hidden gems of London attractions remains the Wellcome Collection on Euston Road. It's a permanent exhibition of medical curios, which includes all manner of fascinating anthropological stuff with a medical connection. 

It also has a huge library, new exhibitions and a great book shop and coffee shop. 

The newest exhibit it's acquired is a copy of Harris's List, which was a catalogue of famous prostitutes in the late 18th century. And it's now put this up online on its website here. 

It's well worth a look.

The Modern World Disgusts Me: Part II...

I am sat on a train travelling home. It is a Monday evening. 


There is a business chap next to me. He is having a loud mobile phone conversation and he actually says the following thing: 'We need to park this because he hasn't got a benchmark, so it's obviously not a slam dunk.' 


He says it without a trace of irony. 

He says it as a real thing. That matters. 

Using those exact words.


Cunt of the week award? Already won on a Monday? With six more days to go? I think so...

Quote of the Day...

'The key to good decision making is not knowledge. It is understanding. We are swimming in the former. We are desperately lacking in the latter.'

Malcolm Gladwell, Blink

Holiday in Thailand: Part IV...

We were too knackered to travel to either of the major kickboxing stadia during our whistle-stop tour of Bangkok, so we made a decision to go and see the Muay Thai when we arrived in Krabi. And Ao Nang Kickboxing Stadium was about 20 minutes away from our hotel, so we went along. 

The stadium itself looks a bit ramshackle but it's perfectly safe and most of the seating is decent enough: the seats near the ring are 1500 baht (about £30) and essentially offer leather sofas on three sides, plus a standing area on the fourth side where the locals watch the fights and bet; while the stadium bleacher seats are 1000 baht (about £20) and aren't as close but offer a slightly elevated view of the action. The beer is pretty cheap, too.

There were nine fights on our card, with each fight lasting five three-minute rounds, unless there was a stoppage or a knockout. Four ringside judges decide the result if there's no stoppage or knockout.

All the fights except one lasted the full distance on the night we went, so it was about three hours of entertainment for £20, which seemed pretty exceptional value. Most of the fighting was of a decent standard, too, with the heavier and older fighters taking a more considered and technical approach, while the younger and leaner fighters were much more aggressive. 

The final fight was between two young children and their kicking was so technically solid it was astonishing. The referees were also incredibly good and kept on top of the action at all times during all the fights.

From a martial arts student perspective, I was intrigued that there weren't a huge amount of punch, punch-elbow or kick-punch combinations thrown. But the gloves looked about 10-12 ounces so I guess consistently kicking with the raw shinbone does more damage over a long period of time than throwing punches in padded gloves, although one of the better and more technical French fighters did cause a lot of damage with a couple of well-timed uppercuts. 

The plum clinch, where fighters get their hands around the back of each other's necks so they can pull the head down and drive knees into the head and the floating ribs, was also used quite a lot. But this was often effectively defended, so it was then turned into either a hip throw or a trip to down the opponent. I am assuming this was a scoring move as it was used quite frequently.

I'd read reviews online about Ao Nang Kickboxing Stadium that were a bit disparaging, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable night out and it felt a very safe environment to be in. It was certainly much less intimidating and much less testosterone-filled than many boxing matches I've seen in the UK. But Muay Thai is a part of Thai culture and also a martial art where both the martial and the art sides are clearly on display in the actual fighting and in the pre-fight rituals.

The night also offered a chance to see a less sanitised but also very traditional side of Thailand. We got there quite early and had a cheeky poke around the stadium and the training facilities next door and the staff were really friendly and helpful. It's well worth a visit. Just make sure you pre-book a cab back if it's a late finish.

Holiday in Thailand: Part III...

I have four basic requirements from any holiday: 
i) Time with the Missus. 
ii) Time to swim on a nice beach. 
iii) Time to read. 
iv) Time to explore something old or cultural.

Thailand is providing all four with stunning scenery and fabulous food thrown in. We should have come here years ago. 

One highlight of the holiday so far is book one from my reading list. I thoroughly enjoyed Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell and his second book, Blink, is similarly entertaining and thought-provoking. 

It explores the premise that unconscious decisions are often more accurate and reliable than decisions taken that are backed up by extensive research and planning. Of course, it isn't quite that simple 

But Gladwell argues that unconscious decisions made by people with experience and understanding are often more reliable than decisions made by equally qualified people who purely rely on statistical data and so-called proof... as the former rely on their unconscious to process data while the latter invariably drown in a sea of excessive information. 

Gladwell sort of concludes that the best results come from a joining of both statistical data with 'blink' decisions, but only as long as the statistical data is directly relevant and the 'Blink' decision-maker has the experience to back up his instinct.

It's a wonderful book and it introduces ideas such as 'thin-slicing', 'sensation transference' and 'white space' when it comes to rapid decision making.

I'll be starting on his third book when I've finished Chuck Liddell's autobiography, which is proving to be an enjoyable and entertaining read. That should be no surprise, though, as I'm a big fan of Liddell and used to love watching him fight in the UFC. 

So another Gladwell book is next up. If I'm not tempted by Victorian Prostitutes or Batman first...