Twenty something year old doing twenty something year old things

Sophie Ben and Other Problems Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin ****  Written by Conor Burke Production by Binge Theatre Dates 27th Jan-1st Feb 2020 Sophie and Ben are a young couple in their twenties. We are the audience in a talk that they are giving about their relationship. They are the objects of a study. Their friend James is doing his dissertation on ‘Modern day Millennial relationships’ and they have been asked to speak. They’re both “a bit nervous” about giving this talk. Akin to Noah Baumbach’s recent film Marriage Story , they begin to describe each other. They have written notes to help themselves along: We learn, among other things, that Ben never says ‘thank you’ to the bus driver and that Sophie likes pineapple on her pizza. She is the self-described ‘Sugar baby’ and “I’m the Sugar daddy” adds Ben, “just with no fucking money” Sophie reminds him, Ben readily agrees. Yes, they even finish each other’s sentences. Chemistry fizzles and the humour i...

 Dr. Seuss once said "You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose".  I liked this poetry and decided that fulfillment would require the desired sandals. Upon returning to the beautiful fishing village of Hoi An from the even more impressive and quaint seaside island village of Bai Huong (see previous post) on the 2nd of July, I collected my coveted custom made sandals. These dusty pink beauties were knock off Birkenstocks admittedly, but infinitely cooler. The direction they took me to that night was to the notorious 'Hair of the dog' were I partied away my last night in Hoi An with new friends from Canada and England. The next day I left for the town of Phong Nha, its 'Son Doong' cave had been spoken about in hushed tones: "the biggest cave in the world", "King Kong was filmed there", "only discovered last year". Needless to say it was something that neither I nor my peers could afford to travel i...

Burgerz How do you picture your burger? A juicy thick slab of beef?  Sandwiched between two buns? Perhaps it will be served in a neat cardboard box for leisurely consumption elsewhere. Perhaps it will not be consumed at all, but thrown. This is what Travis Alabanza experienced on Waterloo bridge in broad daylight in April, 2016. A burger aimed and landed. A trans slur hurled and heard. Nothing was done and a mark was made. The burger is ubiquitous, much loved and universal. It is also the site of violence as trans artist Alabanza explores in a seventy minute piece of theatre designed to implicate each and every audience member. That we as individuals must ‘step up’ is the unavoidable message at an unwritten and contingent conclusion.  The burger serves as a deliciously emotive storytelling device. Made right in front of our eyes, we watch its journey from little parts to a recognisable ‘whole’. Part comic cookery show, part memoir but always making sure that we, the aud...

Beside me sits my thumbed copy of Dervla Murphy's Full Tilt, the published diary of her solo bike trip from Ireland to India in 1965. As well as inspiring ideas for future travels it also reminds me that my own more local bike backing adventure deserves recording, at least for posterity. Around Dingle Peninsula in seven days. This adventure was prompted and suggested by a dear Australian friend who would visit me for a week. It was architected by yours truly. Hearing from another friend that we should 'definitely' visit the Rose of Tralee festival 'for the craic', the idea was set in motion (or should I say 'gear'?!). I set about researching cycling potential in Kerry and, more importantly, bike hire. I got as far as finding the bike rental out fitter (they would also rent panniers--very importantly) and decided to outsource the research of bike routes into more capable hands. Thankfully my cycling fanatic father had many contacts and I soon had two emails i...

Traveling, everyone says, changes you in some way. You come into contact with other cultures, other people, new ways of thinking and push yourself out of your comfort zone. Now home after 9 months of flirting with South East Asia, 7 months of which were in a committed relationship with Vietnam, I am being asked by many people: "do you feel different?" , "how did it change you?" These are both questions that I find incredibly difficult to answer--the truth, as they say, 'is in the pudding.' This means that I am a delicious sweet treat and to know if I have changed, I must be gobbled up. My insides, my very core, sampled and treated like a delicacy. Which it is. I imagine a mixture of condensed milk, ginger, spring roll and a generous dash of rice wine to garnish. A fine cocktail of predominantly Vietnamese flavours. A heightened 'sense of self' however is one sure fire result of traveling, particularly solo traveling. You are your own best friend, o...

Bridges are wonderful things: They allow an undisturbed, birds eye view onto mayhem below whilst maintaining a safe distance. Combining with an eye level glance through building's windows, they perfectly satiate crytoscopophilia. This thought came to me as I ambled slowly along a particularly wonderful feat of engineering which conjoins Saigon's District Four to its beating heart and epicenter, District One. I looked down and mused that it was like a party that I had not been invited to or did not belong in, yet the superior height of the bridge had the happy effect of not allowing me to feel left out. The artificial superiority gave me access and views that I otherwise would not have got if simply standing and staring. After all, it's rude to stare. That's what everyone says. Not from a bridge, I say.  I stood and watched old ladies sitting on their haunches with spilling baskets of vegetables in front of them, they peeled and gossiped, gossiped and peeled; all acc...

A recent visa run led me once again across the border of Vietnam and into the kingdom of Cambodia. I was joined by a Welshman and three Vietnamese students from homestay. A schooltrip where the students mind the teachers. To get to Cambodia we took a night bus from Saigon to  Hà Tiên, a taxi from there to the border and then another bus to our destination: the riverside town of Kampot. Almost as soon as the border was crossed, a chorus of "it's just like Vietnam" began from our Vietnamese companions. With such a shared history, it is not surprising. In 1698, under the Nguyen Dynasty, South Vietnam officially began a separation process from the Khmer kingdom. Divorce proceedings can be a lengthy process however. For me, a visual reminder that we had crossed the border was the sight of delightfully colorful, wooden stilt houses. Under the bulk of the main house which is raised on four stilt pillars, is a shaded area perfect for hammocks and overflow. Above is the main home,...