It has been unusually wet in the UAE for the last few days. Which, for a country where rain is practically unheard of for most of the year (average annual rainfall is 6.5cm), is quite an event.
I went to see Coldplay in concert at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night. It was awesome, but for the rain. Security protocol dictated that anything that could be thrown around (such as plastic water bottles and umbrellas) were being confiscated on the way in, which meant that when the rain came we had nothing to either shield ourselves with, or collect it in.
But the lightning storm that accompanied the rain couldn't have been stage managed better as the perfect backdrop to the show. Take a look at this clip, which was the start of the show. Watch the sky behind the stage at around the 1:17, 1:30 and particularly 2:09 points. Quite spectacular.
I wasn't sure about the latest Coldplay album when I bought it last year, but this concert has now won me over. Have had it on constant loop in my car ever since. Some people (Michele being a prime example) often accuse Coldplay of being a depressing band, which is arguably true if you are only really familiar with Trouble (which is probably the only Coldplay song my parents are familiar with!). But they didn't play that song in Abu Dhabi, and in any event I think they are too often criticised due to the speed with which they became extremely popular. And also Chris Martin's occasional "holier than thou" grandstanding on issues like climate change and global poverty.
But they are currently touring the world twice over it seems during the remainder of this year. Some of which concerts may even be inside, away from the rain. So go see - you will enjoy (even without the lightning).
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
What to make of Jade Goody
I'm really struggling to decide what my opinion is about Jade Goody, who died yesterday. Predictably the media coverage of her death has been extensive, almost to (if not beyond) the point of excess. But I cannot help but wonder whether, despite the fact that it was a Sunday when news is probably quieter than in mid-week, it warranted 'Top Story' status on both Sky News and the BBC website for most of the day.
Undeniably it is a tragedy for a young mother to die so young and with two young children. But all the coverage seems to be reporting what she "did" to help raise awareness of cervical cancer. To me, there is a difference between actually doing something and simply making people aware by living out the reality in public. Jade Goody did the latter. Is it correct to say that she "did so much good for the cause"? Or was it more that she was extremely unlucky to be inflicted with cancer yet by remaining in the spotlight of the reality television cameras in a manner not seen before she served to effectively shock the general female public into the action of getting checked themselves?
It was obviously Jade's decision to live out her final few days in the public eye, and maybe this is what is being regarded as her contribution to raising public awareness. But here's the reason why, for me, the jury is still out on what to make of all this - because it is unclear what the motives were of those who have been watching? Are those who bought Hello magazine, or the daily tabloids, or watched her wedding on TV as a means of feeding their hunger for the latest updates on her condition, to be considered generous contributors to Jade's chosen form of fund raising (for what good would her desire to maximise the publicity coverage of her condition in order to raise money for her sons' future have been if there were nobody interested in biting the hand that feeds them)?
Or rather are they to be considered the very worst form of reality TV addicts, blinded to their underlying mawkish desire to witness one woman's sad and impending death played out like a 24/7 TV show?
I once read Ben Elton's book "Dead Famous", which was published somewhere around the time that the 2nd or 3rd series of Big Brother was being televised in the UK. The fictional story was set in a Big Brother type house, where one of the housemates was murdered mid series. What followed was played out on TV as the show was allowed to continue, much to the glee of the producers behind the scenes. It was a good book as I recall, but whilst entertaining on one level, it was clearly also designed to raise clear questions on another level about the depths to which reality TV might sink. If the people who were laying flowers outside Jade Goody's house yesterday, many of whom were residents of her village but did not know her other than through seeing her on television, had read that book, I very much doubt that they would have spotted the second level.
Undeniably it is a tragedy for a young mother to die so young and with two young children. But all the coverage seems to be reporting what she "did" to help raise awareness of cervical cancer. To me, there is a difference between actually doing something and simply making people aware by living out the reality in public. Jade Goody did the latter. Is it correct to say that she "did so much good for the cause"? Or was it more that she was extremely unlucky to be inflicted with cancer yet by remaining in the spotlight of the reality television cameras in a manner not seen before she served to effectively shock the general female public into the action of getting checked themselves?
It was obviously Jade's decision to live out her final few days in the public eye, and maybe this is what is being regarded as her contribution to raising public awareness. But here's the reason why, for me, the jury is still out on what to make of all this - because it is unclear what the motives were of those who have been watching? Are those who bought Hello magazine, or the daily tabloids, or watched her wedding on TV as a means of feeding their hunger for the latest updates on her condition, to be considered generous contributors to Jade's chosen form of fund raising (for what good would her desire to maximise the publicity coverage of her condition in order to raise money for her sons' future have been if there were nobody interested in biting the hand that feeds them)?
Or rather are they to be considered the very worst form of reality TV addicts, blinded to their underlying mawkish desire to witness one woman's sad and impending death played out like a 24/7 TV show?
I once read Ben Elton's book "Dead Famous", which was published somewhere around the time that the 2nd or 3rd series of Big Brother was being televised in the UK. The fictional story was set in a Big Brother type house, where one of the housemates was murdered mid series. What followed was played out on TV as the show was allowed to continue, much to the glee of the producers behind the scenes. It was a good book as I recall, but whilst entertaining on one level, it was clearly also designed to raise clear questions on another level about the depths to which reality TV might sink. If the people who were laying flowers outside Jade Goody's house yesterday, many of whom were residents of her village but did not know her other than through seeing her on television, had read that book, I very much doubt that they would have spotted the second level.
Monday, March 09, 2009
A sad day, and A Good Year
Yesterday, Bob (one of Jack's two goldfish - named Bob and Wendy after Bob the Builder and Wendy, his.. er.... friend I guess) died. Bob (the fish) had been ill for some time.
Jack was pretty upset, and I won't be ashamed to admit that the sight of a little 4 year old boy having to grapple, for the first time, with death was starting to choke me up after a while too:
Jack: But I didn't want Bob to die.
Daddy: I know Jack, but sometimes when fishes [I wasn't yet ready to say the word "people"] get very sick, it just happens. He's happy now because he's [Daddy looks up] in Fishy Heaven. [By "Fishy Heaven", I was intending to allude to a heaven for fishes, and not a particular seafood restaurant that may happen to go by the same name.]
Jack: [Looking upwards] But where is fishy heaven? I can't see him.
Daddy: Well, you can't see it, it's a long way away.
Jack: But there can't be any water in fishy heaven because otherwise it would fall down from the sky? How will Bob swim?
Daddy [having to think quickly on his feet]: Erm, well, there will be water Jack, because... erm... Fishy Heaven is a magical place. And Bob can see you.
Jack: But how can he see me if I can't see him?
And so it went on...
We seemed to have got past it by mid-afternoon, but by bedtime we were upset again. I'm sure the pain will ease over the coming days.
Jack's too.
Incidentally, some recent pictures of the kids can be found here. And for the avoidance of doubt, Jack is wearing his beloved Buzz Lightyear outfit in the last one. In case you were wondering.
Anyway, on an entirely unrelated point, Michele and I watched A Good Year in the evening (very light, slightly rom-com film with Russell Crowe as a British (albeit with questionable accent) investment banker type who gets left a villa in Provence by his uncle, and then becomes converted by French Provencal life). All very light and fluffy. Not the best film in the world perhaps, but very good for a Sunday night.
Jack was pretty upset, and I won't be ashamed to admit that the sight of a little 4 year old boy having to grapple, for the first time, with death was starting to choke me up after a while too:
Jack: But I didn't want Bob to die.
Daddy: I know Jack, but sometimes when fishes [I wasn't yet ready to say the word "people"] get very sick, it just happens. He's happy now because he's [Daddy looks up] in Fishy Heaven. [By "Fishy Heaven", I was intending to allude to a heaven for fishes, and not a particular seafood restaurant that may happen to go by the same name.]
Jack: [Looking upwards] But where is fishy heaven? I can't see him.
Daddy: Well, you can't see it, it's a long way away.
Jack: But there can't be any water in fishy heaven because otherwise it would fall down from the sky? How will Bob swim?
Daddy [having to think quickly on his feet]: Erm, well, there will be water Jack, because... erm... Fishy Heaven is a magical place. And Bob can see you.
Jack: But how can he see me if I can't see him?
And so it went on...
We seemed to have got past it by mid-afternoon, but by bedtime we were upset again. I'm sure the pain will ease over the coming days.
Jack's too.
Incidentally, some recent pictures of the kids can be found here. And for the avoidance of doubt, Jack is wearing his beloved Buzz Lightyear outfit in the last one. In case you were wondering.
Anyway, on an entirely unrelated point, Michele and I watched A Good Year in the evening (very light, slightly rom-com film with Russell Crowe as a British (albeit with questionable accent) investment banker type who gets left a villa in Provence by his uncle, and then becomes converted by French Provencal life). All very light and fluffy. Not the best film in the world perhaps, but very good for a Sunday night.
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