Adventures Online

[smallhobbit]

I told the vicar last week, when he phoned for a catch up, that the next person who asked me how I was using all my new time would be throttled.  I'm lucky, I don't have children at home and my job isn't essential to the country, but I am still working from home.  (And my job is essential to the few employees we have because I do the wages!) 

Which means that with the plethora of new things online I have to be selective.  At the beginning I tried to watch lots of things, but rapidly realised that this was adding stress to my life which was frankly ridiculous.  So I cut back and, in some cases slightly reluctantly, deleted a lot of emails because it's still true that you just can't do everything!

The following I have enjoyed:
On Twitter Matthew Bourne posts an Uplifting Clip for Hermits most days - dance in some form, much of it taken from the musicals.  I've discovered I prefer Fred Astaire to Gene Kelly although I'll happily watch both.  Some days I don't get to watch, other days I'll enjoy two or three in succession.

Similarly I've been watching some of the videos put out by Bourne's company New Adventures, under the Reel Adventures banner.  These range from information about past productions, fun things for kids to an online dance class for professional dancers.

SM and I watched Andrew Scott perform Sea Wall, which is on Youtube and free to stream until May 25.  I'd have liked to see him do this live, but half an hour's theatre wasn't worth travelling all the way to London for.

And this morning, because it's Friday and I don't work Fridays, I watched a Curator Tour of the V&A exhibition of Kimono to Catwalk which I saw the last time I was in London, shortly before lockdown.  Having seen the exhibition I found it really interesting, but I would recommend it for anyone who wants to see some gorgeous kimonos, both historic and modern.

Comments

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

I watched one of the Uplifting Clips for Hermits and liked it. As a very small child, I took tap dance lessons and like tap dancing.

Yes, people are having different experiences and not everyone has loads of free time. And there are so many things available online, you do have to be discriminating.

Last night, I dreamed I had a penis (first time ever I've dreamed that!) and Andrew Scott was talking to me. I don't know if he was Moriarty or reading James Joyce's The Dubliners. But it was a very unsettling combination!

Very cool to see what you've been up to! And how you've been spending your....time :)

[smallhobbit]

I'm enjoying the clips - a few minutes completely away from everything. I'm glad you liked it. I never learnt tap dancing - I did ballet but was never really taken with it. And TD did tap for three weeks and stopped. I like watching tap, but I don't think I'd be any good at it.

Now that is a weird dream - not one I'd like. I wouldn't mind talking to Andrew Scott, but not in those circumstances.

[corvidology]

I'm with you on being tired of all this talk of extra time. I fear someone else must be getting my share!

Thanks for the Matthew Bourne link. I love old musicals so I will really enjoy the clips.

Gene is lovely to look at and one hell of a dancer but Fred will always be at the top of my list!

[smallhobbit]

I reckon someone's hoarding it!

I'm discovering more and more how much I enjoy old musicals. BBC iPlayer have a few at the moment, so I'm thinking of watching something over the weekend - which will make a change from Bank Holiday James Bond!

[margaret_r]

It is funny the way people seem to think that if you're confined to the house you must be battling to find things to occupy yourself! I seem to be even more busy these days!

I'm just checking out Andrew Scott and Sea Wall now, fascinating!

[smallhobbit]

Well exactly! I do like Andrew Scott as a performer.

[moth2fic]

It's strange, isn't it? Some comparatively small sections of the population find time on their hands, either because they don't have to do a long commute or because they can't work from home and aren't a key worker. They then assume it's the same for the rest of the world!! Daughter is busier than usual - online work which she does anyway, plus child full time at home, plus partner working from home being extremely busy and needing sustenance. I'm not finding much difference in daily schedules since I'm retired anyway, but I do find chasing up deliveries etc. takes more time than 'nipping to the shops'.

[adafrog]

ooohhh...kimono.

[smallhobbit]

Exactly. And then there's been all the 'importance of keeping to your routine' when the things which enable the routine have all been removed and some things take longer than before.

I hope your daughter is managing to cope one way or another - it's definitely not easy.

[smallhobbit]

They were lovely. I was so very pleased I'd managed to go to the exhibition and see them for real.

[adafrog]

That must have been perfect.

[scfrankles]

I hope you'll be wearing a mask and gloves when you're doing the throttling, madam. Though I think you can probably forego the social distancing in the circumstances :P Perhaps though you could just answer the question with: "I sit in my pyjamas crying while drinking vodka. Why, what are you doing?"

By coincidence I learnt the Dutch for throttle today - "wurgen". Don't worry - I was watching a programme about the Amazonian rain forest and they happened to mention boa constrictors (wurgslangen) ^___^

Some lovely stuff you've found online for when you do actually have some free time from work. And I have to agree that, although I am a Gene Kelly fan, Fred Astaire will always be the best ^___^

[smallhobbit]

I'll be sure to wash my hands thoroughly afterwards. That's a good answer, but possibly not the best one for the vicar - the idea is that he doesn't phone me very often rather than regularly to check up on me!

You never know when you may need to say "wurgen" ...

I'll happily watch Gene Kelly, but yes Fred Astaire just has something extra.

[smallhobbit]

It was :)

[luthienberen]

I do sympathise with you regarding not having much free time to do stuff online. Everyone's experiences are different as okapi notes above, and you really do have to be selective with what to do online as well as off! Edit: I agree, all this free time is being hoarded somewhere like pirate treasure! ;)

I am glad you decided to delete some emails - not an easy decision but a necessary one.

An interesting mix of activities too. I hope they have been relaxing for you. Choosing between Fred Astaire and Gene Kelley... I do like their films, but if pressed I would likely go for Fred Astaire as well.

I would love to see some gorgeous kimonos so have bookmarked to watch tomorrow! Thanks for the link x

[smallhobbit]

Yes - I'm still reading books and cross stitching so it's not as though I need lots of new things to do.

It appears that my flist does generally prefer Fred Astaire.

I do hope you enjoy the kimonos - it really is fascinating learning about the history.