As cold weather goes, whilst the most invasive coldness was actually in Kent over my brief sojourn back to Blighty over Christmas, the weather in Kingston is pretty chilly too. Of course, I am always testing out exactly how cold it is by standing on M's 9th floor balcony for at least a few seconds each time the weather report says it has got a bit colder. I've found out through using this advanced form of empirical research that -20C with a winchill taking it down to about -29C really is bloody cold. I managed about 15 seconds before deciding that I really did like my ears, fingers, toes and nose attached to my body so went back inside. I've also had the daily experience of, when walking into the wind, having the sensation that my teeth are about to crack if I smile at my walking companion. Most upsetting as it restricts my jovial nature somewhat. ;-)
The boots (finally getting to the point here) are proper Canadian hiking boots that also serve as very good urban wear. If you will excuse the utter mundanity of this, I will try and insert a picture of them:
Ah ha! Success! Right, them little lovlies have three brilliant qualities: (1) They do not have a crack running right across the middle of the front of the soles like my previous pair (led to very wet feet after tramping to Uni in the snow); (2) they're from Montrail who get a good (verbal) write up from the Canadians I've spoken to; and (3) they don't squeak on the highly waxed corridors of the Uni! I am well pleased. Although I imagine you are incredibly bored by now, so on to other more interesting things.
Pan's Labyrinth is a very strange but very good film. It combines bloody aspects of cruelty and blind devotion to a cause (Franco's fascist Spain) alongside the desperation of the little girl to escape from her situation. The film is one of those where you're still thinking about 'what that bit meant' a long time afterwards.
The actions of the town Doctor are especially like this and you wish (hope?) that you are a human being of similar qualities. It is also difficult to repress the feeling that if you had the chance, you would quite happily cave in the skull of the Captain and make the world a slightly better place. But then, what would that make you? - plus that is exactly what he thinks about doing to the Republican guerrillas...
Plus this film aptly reminds you: never piss off a woman with a knife.
Right, I have work to do that involves reading some of Empire (if you're really interested in it, you can download the entire book - for free - from here), so I shall depart and then start after making myself a bagel and getting a very nice coffee from the shop just around the block. (And yes, yes, I realise I just used a 'Canadianism', it's just that, well, things here ARE built in a block format - oh how I miss the winding, but reasonably quick, roads of the UK!)
