Ye Weird Country....

The End of the World

The End of the World

I had the strangest dream the other night,

I dreamed the world was ending.

Streets were full and nothing seemed right

All about people were fending

off their demons, their regrets and their fears

and the doubts they had collected over many years.

Suitcases fell from the sky with such might.

Some heavy, some weighty and some light,

Tagged with different names and different places.

Departures were nigh- to those allocated spaces.

I fought my way through the crowds,

Searching all around, your voice was so loud!

The sun drew close and the earth grew hot,

So I took my bag and made my way to my rightful spot-

On the plains of Arafat, we were to wait

In hopes of receiving a blessed fate.

I never got to say goodbye

to my comrades, my blood, to the Lord so High

I never got the chance to say sorry,

amidst the chaos and the madness.

The end of the world came

and brought with it an enduring sadness.

I had the strangest dream the other night

I dreamed the world was ending.

I awoke with such a dreadful fright

And realised then, that my souls needs mending.

Shall we...?

Floating Words #3

Floating Words #3

My God, It's been years! I'm working at Boots now- I'm doing my pre-reg in Optometry. It's funny, back home they all think I'm an eye doctor! You wouldn't guess who I saw on the tube- Miss Lecky. And I was thinking about her that very morning. There's this whole segment in my life that I've blocked out. We made it! I could stay stay stay, if that’s what you want want want. I'll see what banana performance ideas we can come up with between us. And he asked me if I was a Northern lass! He's doing his phD, can you believe that! And he's only a year older than me! So what have you been up these last few years? She's working for KMPG. And Al's got a job at Halifax. It was nice seeing you too! Excuse me, how much is this? Do you know where the nearest tube station is? That's where we're going! I can come pick you up on Sunday. I'll drop you off in the morning. She's a solicitor. His CV is so glamorized, he could get a job as a prime minister! 

If you like quaint, you should visit Tenterden. We came here from Dover! I have to lie here on my face all day so that the gas bubble gets absorbed. I can't look up. I can't go out. I can't read. I can't watch TV. I'm doing the monkey rounds again. I just lie down on my face all day. We're so proud of you. And I can't fly until the gas in my eye evaporates. I need petrol! I never used to care what people thought of me. I don't want to fail. I'm going to fail. What if I fail? What if I fail? I'm going to fail. What did you do today? Stay here, don't go back. I'll miss you. I'm reading Night Train to Lisbon, it's so enigmatic. I was up in Northampton- I'm here all week, if I stayed the weekends too, I'd go mad! She's an occupational therapist, most of them are. Jimmy Savile had his own room here, you know. Dinoshop and Dietician- it will never work! 

Please don't get lost! We're looking for it too! Where's the exhibition? Where are the nearest toilets? I can't believe you made me go to Chicken Cottage, I've been here forever and I've never been to Chicken Cottage. I'm going to wait outside. Okay, alright, I'll drive you to the bloody forest! Look at that moon, it is beautiful! Mine are too short. Imagine eternity, doesn't seem that long. They say nothing lasts forever. We'll have to prove them wrong. I also suggested to my brother that he might come and play his sax as an accompaniment - not imagining he would be interested - but he got back asking me for more details -so you never know! What is your relationship is with your Lord, do you pray, where are you in life...

Nice to meet you! Nice to meet you! Nice to meet you! I'm from Isleworth...from Fulham...from Acton. I keep stepping on the kids. I've been here for a couple years... for a few months...it started off as a summer job...an Easter job... I was only supposed to be here for a while... Aap kya storia lihkty rety ho? Just follow that lady. It's my first day too. She didn't sound okay at all. I can vouch for her. So what are your plans? Any plans? Any plans? Any old bath tubs? Any plans? ...there's a long stretch of old railway and remains of a canal, both great wildlife corridors... I can't believe how much fish pie you consumed! Tea? You meet a lot of people here who you might not normally meet, scientists and biologists and palaeontologists. It's so good to see you! What part of forever, don't you understand? You know, sometimes I wish I was an ape.

It's essence

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012

I got a chance to check out the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition in my break today (one of the perks of working at the Museum). It was brilliant! I've had animals on my mind since reading Life of Pi and this just brought some of Yann Martel's marvellous ideas to life! There's just so much we can learn from the creatures we share this Earth with. Here are just a few of my favourite pictures from the exhibition.

Trip to Aylesbury

I got back from Aylesbury last night. I had a great trip! On Sunday evening, my friend picked me up from Harrow and we drove up to Stoke Manderville Hospital where she's currently staying in the staff accommodation.

When we got in it was quite late, so instead of going out we decided to cook some food, we watched TV and had a cup of tea before going to bed.

The next morning my friend left early to go to work. I had some breakfast before heading out, equipped with a bottle of water and a map I managed to print off the day before. I love that feeling you get when you're roaming around a new area and the streets look different, and the people and the landscapes and you feel like you could be any one, a stranger in a crowd. So I set off towards Aylesbury in search of the canal basin. I started off in the wrong direction but soon enough found my way again. Once I reached the town, I searched for the Grand Union Canal and must have asked a dozen people (all very friendly) for directions but alas no one seemed to really know what I was on about. At last I decided to give up and explore the old town instead. I visited a very beautiful church called St Mary the Virgin. It was quite different, but equally beautiful.

Afterwards I decided to go for lunch and have a cup of tea in the town centre. Once I had finished, and feeling a bit renewed I decided to try one last time to find the canal basin, and I did! It was completely hidden behind building works, ah that feeling I got when I set eyes upon it!

So I walked along the Grand Union Canal, the Aylesbury Arm for quite a long while. It was a beautiful walk! I passed some derelict sites and many farms with sheep, horses and cows. I also spotted many birds! The walk was quite remote, which I wasn't really surprised about considering how difficult it was for me to find! It was very quiet and peaceful and def worth the long and arduous search. Ever since I saw an episode of Canal Walks with Julia Bradbury on BBC4 I've really wanted to do a walk by the Grand Union Canal. The autumnal landscapes looked stunning and I could see the Chilterns off in the distance too.

Soon it started to rain and I decided to make my way back towards Aylesbury...

  

Fortunately I got back to town just before it started to get dark (and before it started really pelting). I decided to go to the library when I got back, clothes damp and shoes a bit muddied! At the library I stumbled across this very interesting book called 'Clothed with Gladness, the Story of Saint Clare.' I got quite absorbed in reading it. Later after my friend finished at work, she picked me from the town centre and we headed home to clean up a bit before going to Prezzo's for dinner. We then headed to Odeon in hopes to see Skyfall but alas, all the good seats for the 8pm showing had been taken- Aylesbury only has one cinema. We decided to head back instead where we drunk tea and watched a bit of Twilight on TV. 

The next morning, I woke up quite late and was quite tired from the previous day's hike! My battered converses have all but fallen apart- a sign of a good walk I think. I decided to clean the room and pack up some of my stuff. Once I had finished, I found a copy of Life of Pi on my friends bookshelf and started reading. It's a brilliant book, and I was completely hooked especially as I'm really interested in zoology and religious studies. Pi is a genius and his story is really captivating and beautiful!

So my friend got back from work early and we decided to drive to the Chiltern Forest. By the time we got up there is was pretty dark so we couldn't see much, but the moon looked stunning and quite otherworldly again the navy sky! The city lights shined too and the chalky hills looked beautiful, the tops were streaked with an ethereal stretch of purple sky. The photo's definitely don't do justice.

When we got back to town we got a takeaway and headed back to enjoy our last meal together, before my friend gave me a lift to the train station. We said our goodbyes and I got a single train ticket back to London Marylebone.

On a different note, I can't seem to enable comments on my blog any more, ever since I bought a Google domain, my settings have been messed up. If you have any comments or want to get in touch you can find me on twitter @sysprints or email me) :-)

First Day on the Job

So after completing a week of training, I officially started working at the Natural History Museum today. It was mad- but a good mad! I think I must have seen a hundred thousand people today from all different parts of the globe! The Museum is a really fascinating place to work, so far I've had a chance to explore some of the different galleries. I've also met some very interesting characters! This week I'll be working in a few different shops including the Dino Shop, the Earth Shop, the Wildlife Photography shop and the Museum shop.

I took this picture of the NHM logo on my new uniform shirt. I've just realised that I still have clothes to return from the last four jobs I've had! I'm thinking of sewing them all together to make some kind of mural/ collage... sort of to remind me of all the places I've been...

Anyway, I'm planning on going to Aylesbury tomorrow for a few days to stay with a friend. Hoping to explore the Chilterns, or maybe go for a walk along the Grand Union Canal while I'm up there- who knows! Have a great weekend! 

A Lonely Eid

It's Eid today

Why are you so far away? 

A lonely Eid, 
For you, for me
-G

why are you still there, 
when you should be here? 

The days have been hard, 

I know- you've got a lot to fear. 

But I'm still here. 
I'm here- for you, for me, 
for good. 

Stay strong- 
for the days are long- 
and cold and sad.

You know you're the best friend I ever had. 

These last few years have been rough. 

And Lord knows, we've been though enough. 

But stay strong. 
My truest blad, my fam. 

I really miss you Ham. 

I'm sorry I haven't been there

But you know how much I care. 

My dear, 
you say you're sinking

And I've been doing some thinking

And I think you should come home. 

So that we can roam 
like the old days

through forests and streets

and by them dodgy creeks

Drive around and around

to nowhere to anywhere

laughing, 
like we do

like Thelma and Lou

like maniacs -so true. 

Tooting misses you. 

Remember Me

Floating Words #2

Floating Words #2

You know what, I think you just like stepping in cow pat... Just get off it, the longer you're here, the harder it'll get. This isn't somewhere you want to be right now. Back then you were flying so high and now look, you're barely getting by. And we once had a Russian gang that came and tried to steal the diamonds. What was the name of that dinosaur? Ah sometimes life eludes me. And in Dublin, there was this shack on a hill top and on Halloween the people would go up there at midnight dressed in dark clothes to perform rituals. And in Singapore, you know they would actually marry the spirits of the two dead people, and they would prepare a feast for them. You wouldn't believe the amount of food that would be wasted, the bins were over-flowing! Everyone who lives there is either a builder or a plumber, and their wives all work in an office. 

How much further do we have to go till we get to Southease? Ah man, I'm sinking in the sludge! I know it's hard, but you can do it, you're talented you know and I'm not just saying that. Nah, my nephew is deaf, my sister knows sign language. And so the Devil climbed the apple tree and Jack carved out a cross on the trunk. I mean stories that deeply embedded in a culture, they have to have come from somewhere. Look at that bath tub! There are places, really remote places in rural areas especially where people still engage in human sacrifices. I remember when I was a child I always found the bonfire particularly eerie- the light of the fire would attract the spirits, and you had to walk through the two flames. I worry about my kids, I do. And the pagan name for Halloween is named after Iblis, the Lord of the Dead and people continue to do what the forefathers did and it's a sign of the Day of Judgement and it's wrong- casting spells for the devil and dressing up like the shayateen. 

I did ballet you see and I've calculated the odds what with all the young new things and the number of theatres in the West End and I won't get that chance. I'm old. I lived two blocks away from Niagra Falls, my first job was in the Observatory Tower for the tourism department. I would cross the border and go to America to buy petrol, it's cheaper there. And in my first year I went to college in Polegate- Herstmonceux Castle. I'm getting really stressed out, I don't know who it could be. Should I go to the police? Can you take a picture of me in front of the London Eye. Maybe the artist who painted it went to the lavender field? We have over seventy million collections. I'm not homesick, not yet. The way I see it, it's just like an advanced bible. I'm sure you can name at least five dinosaurs! Her ex-boyfriend was a busker, that's why she hates them. There was a time when you let me know, what's really going on below. But now you never show it to me, do you? I like you, you're cool and you're a fast learner. Do you know much about minerals? You've got your quartz, onyx, amethyst. I can't believe you studied geology and you didn't know that! I mean I don't know where my heart is at the moment, I don't know what I believe. I just need to move on, you know. Are you working in the Dino Shop? Laaara!! Laara! I think he's talking to you.

This is it, the exhibition? Thank you for taking me here! What a great city we live in! I was thinking about you today, we should go see the butterflies in St Albans next week. Look at the vampires and goths over there! Ah we've just entered hipster-ville. Do you know how I can get to Earls Court from here? It will get better, I'm sure it will. You'll see. Abraham was ready to sacrifice his son and with a knife at his neck Isaac instructed his father to make the cut...

This Fine City

I was hanging around London again today with a friend. We went to the William Klein exhibition at the Tate Modern and to the Obey: Sound & Vision exhibition at the Stolen Space Gallery. We also did quite a lot of walking (as usual). I love London, I think it's such a brilliant city to take photographs! Sadly though, I dropped my new camera in mud the other day when I was out hiking and it's been playing up since. I hope it will fix itself... if not who knows...

The Bath Tub Dreamer

I took this photo a few days ago and knew that I had to do something with it! I'm not sure if this quite constitutes as a poem...

Still Wandering...

I went for a walk along the River Wandle this morning. It was quite foggy and beautiful out. I'm not quite sure how I ended up in Wimbledon Park...

Dream within a Dream

Coast and Country II

I took these along the way to Alfriston. I quite like the ones of my friend...

Coast and Country I

I went for a hike with a mate yesterday, we walked part of the South Coast before following the river Cuckmere to the village of Alfriston. We planned on going all the way to Southease but alas, it started to get dark and we didn't want to miss the last bus to the train station. It was a great trip despite the mud! It's strange how the landscapes seem to transform with the seasons.

I done parts of this walk earlier this year (in Spring), http://sysprints.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/south-downs-walk.html Couldn't believe how different it looked (lots more bogs and wetlands and wildlife)! Here are some of the photos of the Seven Sisters/ River Cuckmere. Autumnal photos to follow....

Floating Words #1

I've been trying to live more mindfully lately and to help, I thought it might be an interesting idea to document bits of memorable dialogue that I've absorbed from the past week through conversations that I've shared with different people- strangers and friends, people from all walks of life. Anyway I quite like how this came together and sort of wrote itself. I think the very process of putting words down and reading through them, offers a whole new dimension to everyday life and everyday living...

Floating Words #1

I miss you, but I can't come back to Tooting because I know if I do, I'll never go back. That dog was on LSD! I could feel its teeth gnawing on my face. I shouldn't have pushed her, not with her ankle! I think we should wait here till the rain stops. Can you all follow me, the fire alarm has just gone off. I set fire to the rain! And she just pushed in front of me, as though I wasn't even there. I told you it was the queue for Oxfam books! It was about a man with quadriplegia and he fell in love with this woman, and even though it was secular, it was so Muslim. She told me that same day that I didn't get it, I couldn't list all the books on the best-seller list. My son loves wildlife, he once brought a snail home and we gave it lettuce and carrots. Would you be interested in paid work as a nanny? I've been looking for someone just like you. You've got that, but if you get this, I'm making you take it! So I see you've done a lot of work with a lot different charities. Thank you for being such a great team leader on the hike, the photo's were beautiful. We should plan the next one soon! My God, look at that spider's web suspended in air. You have to take a picture of that. It looks like its dotted with beads, because of those rain drops. I don't think I'm going to get married, it's not for me. I mean some people get married, some don't, what so wrong with that! And I came back feeling so depressed, I can't tell you. I'm content, you know, it just takes a good meal and I'm content. I like working in the library. I like books, I like the quiet.  

My husband started up The Ecologist, when he was young, back before working in the environment was fashionable. That was so funny! Come with me to Egypt. It'll only be for a month and we can go expeditions out there while we're learning Arabic  So what sort of person am I? I just need to start reading the Quran again. I expect for things to change, but I'm sinning constantly. We specialise in Nordic languages too, you know. The old ladies stole the multi-packs of chewing gum and I was like, seriously? I'm cooking my own Birthday dinner. Sisters, don't miss these ten days of Dhul Hijjah, you're never going to get them back! I just want to talk to my sister. Do you have any more interviews lined up? Do you want to go for tea? Well I'm sure they've both told you all about us, we're a small company, but we do well. She provided her three tiny daughters with lessons in Mandarin, it's invaluable, education and what it can do. And languages, languages are like portals into different universes. Oh she's so funny. She makes me laugh, she does. I feel suicidal, I don't think I should be on my own. They said they would repossess my house and I was like Daaaaaamn I just thought it was a bonus! It left its trails everywhere. And this lady, she couldn't speak English four months ago and now here she was emailing me. I couldn't believe it. It's these little things. Oh Barnes Village, beautiful! I just missed the bus by a whiskers. Have you got far to go? Tea time, computer off- now! We hire foreign language teachers from all over, we also have corporate clients like the BBC. She left university to help Dave and then I jumped on board and we've been working on the business for ten years now. You are do-main problem! I can't believe you didn't wait for me!

Do you still want the job, because they just called me to tell me that you've been successful. I work in construction, as an administrative assistant, but it's temporary. You're very accomplished for someone so young. I had a few friends who went there, when did you graduate? I worked in Diesel once, can you believe that? I've just come back from maternity leave and it's all changed. I'm going to throw a carrot at your head now. I can't believe you did that, you're dead! I felt betrayed. I just feel uncomfortable in North London. Can we just do something, can we go somewhere- in January. Let's go somewhere? Mind you, I'm only here on a visit, my husband and I decided to move to Italy a few years ago. Oh it's all changing, I remember in my day we would just have to speak to someone. I'm so glad you feel the same. I like talking about literature and politics and I don't like drama. Are you okay? Well try it out, if nothing else you could always write a short story about it! Good luck!