218 - 6.8.26 - -11: Changi Village and The Odyssey

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Yesterday was moderately busy. I had lunch with Jac and Ma and then we went to Changi Hopsital to drop Oisin off for the VC event. Then Ghin and I went for a walk to Changi Village. At first we went to this place called Smoke and Barrel, which was beside this per-friendly container park which served food and was also an amusement arcade. Seems odd that people would come all the way here for an amusement arcade. It was like a fragment of Coney Island which was Asian had been transplanted to the edge of an airfield. It was also unkempt and run down but clearly awaiting for people to visit and there were a few punters on this hot Wednesday afternoon. It felt like I had stepped into the set The Crying of Lot 49. Anyway, after deciding this was not for us, we ended up at Changi Village and walking along the coastal path. Changi is now very done up - I remember when there were no cycling paths and it was just sand. Of course it makes it more accessible. 

It was, as Ghin says, a vibe. There was quite a lot about the Sook Ching massacre which made me say this is why I can never ever ever do Zen Buddhism. It is a visceral thing. The Japanese 

After we collected Oisin, we headed to Lido. I was a wee bit frightened parking in town, but it was alright. We finally managed to watch The Odyssey. I don't know what to think of it. Best not to have known anything about Homer's poem before going. I think that the best part of the film was when he came home and told Penelope that he had done terrible things as part of war. And he wanted to forget what he had done. After seven years it was time to return. I then listened to a very interesting lecture about the various takes on the poem from Plato to Hockheimer. It was very good and it reminded me how much I loved literature and the subversive nature of literature. Which is why reading is never really encouraged. If you have words you could cause lots of trouble.

You could manufacture and hold on to hope. You could tell people about something different. You could turn things on their heads and make people realise that reality is nonsensical. You could coax someone into doing things they don't want to. Consequences always follow - and we reap what we sow. 

So there.

Well, speaking about consequences, I haven't done any exercise for three days - which is very long indeed. I mean I have walked, but I haven't done any running or swimming since Monday which is very long indeed for me. I'll start again tomorrow. I just needed the rest. 

The DW saga has come to an end. Apparently she will now stay until the end of August and the employer will buy her her ticket home. I'm sure that will not happen. I'm not holding out on anything anymore. It's all a load of bollocks I tell you. I told Yati I'm not getting involved anymore because I had done my bit. Yati said, Same. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

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