116. Get accupuncture

I did it. It was good. I'd do it again.

Acupuncture, as it turns out really is as simple as a haircut. It might have been the half an hour of stillness more than the needles but I definitely felt something.

I went in mainly because I'd been suffering from chronic sinusitis brought about from allergies. It's hard to say if the acupuncture sorted out the root problem. What it did do was make me feel incredibly relaxed afterwards.

#14 Get to 200 followers on Tumblr

Against my better judgement, this year I decided to properly insert myself into television fandom. Encouraged by my brother I set about creating a blog for my favourite show this year. As embarrassing as this was I somehow amassed over 200 followers. This is possibly one of my strangest achievements and potentially pointless but the blog as it stands is still one of my biggest and yet quietest projects. I'm not sure I'll ever share it with anyone outside of the internet out of fear they'll judge me. A bit like this blog.

Go to New York in Winter

Here's what a resolution should be; romantic, life affriming and exciting - 'Going to New York in Winter'

New York in general, let alone at Christmas time, was nothing like how I expected and yet everything like it's on-screen persona. Glamorous, gritty, loud but also lonely, and the glitz I had come to expect from the festively tinselled streets of my more familiar capital London, are really only comparable to the gritty fog ridden scenes of a New York Christmas in Home Alone and other memorable 80/90s Christmas films. By this, I mean that the pigeon lady scenes in Home Alone really could happen! As could all the scenes from coming to America and I'd like to think all of those from Sex and the City (film and TV). It somehow embodies every atmosphere any place can muster, and in this it is everything.

And with this ability to embody and house all styles and possibilities the city seems to breed chaos and almost a sense of surrealism, and in my tepid British state I struggled to understand the bravado but also madness that can be seen in the ongoing struggle of some of it's less fortunate inhabitants, perhaps born from this state of upheaval. By this I mean the city has a lot of homeless people, everywhere. It also seemed to have a lot of people who just appeared to be struggling, distressed and maybe in need of a break in life as they muttered through the streets or clung to slightly muddied clothes.

In our short time, I was able to visit the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian design museum, the natural history museum and the national museum of the American Indian. All great but I have to say sparser than a London museum, yet grander in terms of architecture. Most of my time was spent wandering around exploring the beautiful high rise, the bo-bo streets of the meat-packing district, Soho and Greenwich Village and the more surprising China Town which beats any china town I've been to hands down in terms of cool things to see. We stayed in Brunswick and managed to also explore Williamsburg, a bit of Brunswick and Brooklyn; all of which have a tonne of stuff to unpack and delivered wonderful food (rainbow bagels and macrons - yum), street art, the cheapest vintage stores I have ever been to and of course amazing bridges!

'O Bagel Tree, O Bagel tree...'

New Years itself was perhaps my most eventful yet, and not necessarily in a good way. A piece of advice, if you decide to go abroad with your 20-year-old drama crazed brother please be aware that New Years will be messy. And it was.

But hey I got to go to New York!

#125 Go to a New City

A few months ago I decided to visit Berwick-Upon-Tweed, a beautiful market town and one which has a large and important role in the making of Scotland and England. As the northern-most town in England the town has a special feel to it and  I spent a lot of my time listening to the twangs of locals which result from this. Disappointingly or perhaps delightfully though, I was struck at the inconsistency between Scottish, Geordie and Northumbrian accents. After exploring the adorable shops and cafes I decided to visit the old jacobite church which sits on the edge of the town. Unable to enter due to a visitng orchestra I retreated to a bench outside to do some sketching. Brilliantly they strarted playing and I was caught up in a surreal merge between soundtrack and life.

#117 Get a New Piercing

 

I'm not sure what piercings represent these days. My initial thought was that of anyone who has encountered the troves of bearded, tattooed youths; nob. However, I'm quietly quite pleased with my new addition. It's subtle enough to escape immediate attention, yet quietly strong. And for me pretty in exactly the way I want to be. So screw you judgemental former self. Here's to sparkly things affixed to my wavy ears.

 

 

#26 The Apartment

Number 6 in my attempt to watch 15 more films to see before you die, The Apartment, a story of love doesn't need to shout to gain it's place at number 1 and may possibly be one of my new favourite films.

I came with no real expectations for what a number 1 film on the list would be like. So far the list has introduced me to a few cinematic delights but on the whole I've felt slightly cheated by what have felt like empty recommendations. It's very understandable given that preference is such a subjective thing, so some films will be there simply because they tick all the boxes rather than their ability to pull on any heartstrings. Nevertheless, The Apartment, initially appears to be a rogue contender given it's seemingly mundane setting and subject (it is essentially a tragi-comedy based on the life of a Manhattan insurance worker). But it is exactly it's celebration of the mundane which makes it so interesting and loveable.

Like dipping into another world or taking a trip to a new city, The Apartment, places us firmly and assuredly into the lives of it's characters. Details like the smoke filled hedonistic new years parties in what were crisp sad Manhattan offices, kitsch poorly lit Chinese bars, and more importantly Baxter's apartment, never feel like they were supposed to be 'convincing' but rather accurate and just so. Character's too are realistic in their perfect balance of flaws and charm. They are also surprisingly modern as we see the men crassly organise their affairs and the women lament their situations of being"took". This perfection is the result I suppose of everything coming together; director, screenwriter, set designer and most importantly perhaps actors, or in this case actresses. It is also interesting looking back that the beginning of the film opens with similar accuracy as Baxter begins;

On November 1st, 1959, the population of New York City was 8,042,783. If you laid all these people end to end, figuring an average height of five feet six and a half inches, they would reach from Times Square to the outskirts of Karachi, Pakistan. I know facts like this because I work for an insurance company - Consolidated Life of New York. We're one of the top five companies in the country. Our home office has 31,259 employees, which is more than the entire population of uhh... Natchez, Mississippi. I work on the 19th floor. Ordinary Policy Department, Premium Accounting Division, Section W, desk number 861.

For me though it is a young Shirley Mclaine, who plays the part of Fran, who really makes the film and is again a very modern character. An independent 20 something, depressed but cheerful 'good girl', Fran is probably too demure and melancholy by today's standards, but watching her she completely steals every frame and is completely charming. The closest modern day equivalent I can think of is Rory from Gilmore Girls, but even then Fran is simply a lift operator, who "can't spell", unlike the Yale prodigy. It's this down on their luck but still smiling attitude which characterises the film, resulting in what could be an overdose of pathos, but in the end the film is too real and funny for that and any misfortune or hardship is dealt with by gentle comedy.

I really love this film. It's sweet, funny and incredibly interesting if you like the period (1960).

 

#32 Find a new Greek restaurant

Got a great burger from a small Greek contemporary restaurant I found in Edinburgh. Like all great finds it was stumbled upon at a time of dire need. Thankfully Edinburgh answered with a plate of tastiness (and a plug socket for my dying phone).