Tick tock (Wednesday 29th March)

I'm having some difficulty in deciding how to structure my remaining time here in Oz - and the clock is ticking! It's odd to be back in the city, where somehow doing things takes that much more organisation and effort. I've felt a kind of inertia and torpor weighing me down this week. I think it is partly being in the city, as it's a feeling I've had before in crowded places. I remember when even Newbury had that effect on me (after growing up in a small village)! And that was back in the 1970s when Newbury (in Berkshire) was considerably smaller than it is now. I feel oppressed by the mass of streets, cars, houses and people and by the busy-ness of it all.

I spoke to Gris and to Danny on Sunday (Dan is at G's in London for the weekend). Becki (now 8 months) took her first 3 steps about 10 days ago and is now attempting to speak. Superbabe! Apparently she says something like 'hello' in response to a 'hello'. Both Gris and Dan says that she has appeared fascinated with Dan ever since he got there on Saturday morning - she just stares and stares at him with her big brown eyes.

On Monday I booked my rail ticket from London to Leeds over the internet. Amazingly I got a ticket for #9.50! (no pound sign on this computer). I'm returning home on 26th April (the day before my birthday) after spending a few days in London with Gris. There's a Sibford reunion - a small one - happening on 22nd April at Graham's house in Watford, which fits in nicely as I get back on 21st. I might be a bit jet-lagged though.

Whilst surfing the internet on Monday, I found a drumming class in Fitzroy, run by Ben from Voyeurhythmic (based in St. Kilda in the south of the city). Fitzroy is a northern district of Melbourne, adjacent to North Carlton where I am. I went along to the intermediate class yesterday evening. It was my first drumming since I last went to Clifton Drummers in January and my hands got pretty sore! It was a good class and if I'm around next Tuesday evening I'll go again. It was difficult picking up the intricacies of the soloing rhythms that Ben was teaching. But then I'm new to his style of teaching. The others have been learning all term. There were about twelve of us, ranging in age from 20s to 50s. I'm resolved to begin attending a class again when I get home. I'll probably go along to Ianto's classes again at Knock on Wood in Leeds, which is where I began learning drumming back in 1998. I need to learn some new stuff and develop techniques and that isn't going to happen at Clifton Drummers.