books, tv and music

It's been nearly a month since the operation. It is usually against my will, but my better judgement knows that complete rest is a no-nonsense requirement issued by my surgeon. Am I bored? No... not really; I have lots of entertainment and mental stimulation with all the books, movies and music I am trying to compose. Restless is a better description for how I feel. A year of trekking followed by this foot up in the air business is kinda tough on me. I long to walk the streets, go to the gym, dance at a nightclub, be able to stand up in the kitchen and cook a meal. This is yet another view of the world... from a chair, and albeit in a very comfortable location in Barcelona. I really cannot complain.

So I am reading a really cool book my Brother lent me called The Devil's Picnic, by a Canadian called Taras Grescoe. I pick it up mid afternoon most days because it is a collection of tales by a mind tickled with the questions of why certain foods, drinks and substances are banned in certain countries, or perceived to be "bad" for you. Ever wondered why raw milk cheese from France or acorn-fed and free range Spanish cured ham is banned in the US? or why on earth chewing gum and soimething as innocent as an M&S poppy seed cookie could get you into jail in Singapore...or why the Swiss are the original creators of Absinthe and would rather it had been kept illegal? These and many other questions are answered by this intriguing and funny book that challenges the establishment and puts a question mark on many of the reasons behind banning or not certain foods and substances. I highly recommend it, no less than for an interesting gastronomic tour of the world.

I've also been engaging, very actively may I add... and fervently, I suppose, in the act of audiovisual passive entertainment, read tv series. I do balance that with very active photographic editing, composing a mini picture/story book of my travels to present to possible editors and composing music on my new midi keyboard and professional microphone. This is what has me all excited now. For now, I can only point you towards one recording available online on http://www.myspace.com/teba2. More to come I hope.