One thing I loved about Bali was the abundance of beautiful arts and crafts. The Balinese are artists at heart, and nowhere is it more evident than in the intricate stone masonry that adorns its architecture.
Monthly Archives: May 2009
Spooks – Part 4
Spooks often surprises you in ways that you least suspect. Yes, it can thrill, but more often than not it can also break your heart. I’m not talking about corny achy breaky heart moments here either, but real moments. I loved the very gentle, very sensitive portrayal of Harry’s and Ruth’s relationship.
This is not a glamourous relationship by any means, but one that is very real. It also has some tremendous performances by Peter Firth and Nicola Walker.
Which made it all the more difficult to bear when Ruth departed. To be honest, I cried buckets.
That was three years ago, and I’m not the only Spooks fan that misses Ruth. That is why I am so happy to read this.
Spooks – Part 3
One thing about being a fan of British TV is that you will always see an actor that you recognise. And sooner or later your favourite actor might even appear on your favourite show!
Apart from Doctor Who, Spooks is one show that good actors seem to love to appear in. I was lucky that Adam’s replacement was played by none other than Richard Armitage, whom I had you might say, a rather keen interest in in the past through his role in bonnet drama, North and South.
It’s difficult to see what kind of an impact his character, Lucas North, will have in the long-run, but he’s had a very dynamic start for sure. This is certainly Richard Armitage’s best role since John Thornton in North and South, and his presence is another reason for me to keep watching this series. Not that I need any.
Spooks – Part 2
But eventually Tom was decommissioned, and was replaced by Adam Carter, played by Rupert Penry-Jones. As you can see, he’s also very easy on the eye.
Adam was a different character altogether. He started out being a very light-hearted alternative to Tom’s seriousness, but we found out very quickly that the man had an edge…
Watch here, but be prepared for a nail biter! Not many TV series are prepared to go to this extreme…
Spooks – Part 1
I watch a lot of TV, but not one to follow a long-running series year after year. Probably because eventually a series disappoints, or even if it doesn’t, it gets canned. One of the few series that seems to buck this trend is Spooks.
Why is it so enduring? Probably because the writing is of so high a standard, the acting so consistently good, and well… it’s exciting to watch!
Mind you, the fact that they have good looking lead actors does make things a little easier on the eyes. Back in Season 1 (corr, shown all the way back in 2002) we started off with Matthew Macfadyen, a.k.a. Tom Quinn. The trio of Tom, Zoe, and Danny certainly started the ball rolling. And got me well and truly hooked.
Two Years Ago…
Discovering the EatingAsia blog has made me very hungry. Fortunately, there is a lot of good quality SE Asian food around the city and I was able to indulge in some laksa and kueh teao.
It also reminded me that it’s two years ago that I visited Bali, and I’ll spend some time this week in reminiscence.
To start off with, a rather sobering subject – the bombings.
It’s quite a shock to see all those names on the memorial.
I ate with some family friends on the beach restaurant where the second bomb exploded, and I can’t imagine what the carnage was like.
Yet despite it all, it’s also rather sobering to see back then the lack of tourists and closed businesses. Personally, I never felt threatened at all and it’s ludicrous for Aussies to stay away. I think that the Balinese deserve a chance, and I’m glad to hear that things have improved from 2 years ago.
Yurting
The nuns recently built a yurt next to the cottages. Why? No, they’re not taking up a nomadic existence, but to use it as a prayer/meditation/conference room, of course!
During the Taizé prayer day, I spent an hour or so sketching the structure. From afar, it looks a bit like a flying saucer.
The Paddock
This gate is the entrance to a marvellous paddock that features my favourite Moreton Bay Fig tree.
Walk past the tree and there are acres of grass, surrounded by rainforest. It is beautiful on a clear, sunny autumn’s day.
I like to take a picnic blanket and lie down on the tall, soft grass, soak up the sun, and listen to the cicadas and crickets.
Static and Silence 