Radio Shak

Book: Baudolino, Umberto Eco

2013-05-25T00:00:00.001+01:00

Some books are harder work than others. For instance, the series I had been reading for the past year (A Song of Ice and Fire) was almost a pleasure to read - not much was missed and it was just easy to absorb; albeit without sacrificing depth or complexity.

Then you have a book like Baudolino, a book that, well, made me feel a little thick. I think I must have only taken in around 70% of the story - there were times when I had no idea where the characters were, or how they got there... or even who they were. And on completion I still don't know where some of the main protagonists came from.

For me the problems came from both the pacing of the book (the friend who loaned me it aptly described it as "meandering") as well as the assumption that the reader understood the politics of thirteenth century Italy and Christendom. I found this lack of connection a little frustrating at first, but after a while I soon warmed to the book and was able to enjoy it despite the holes in my understanding of it.

The book itself (or at least the bits I engaged with) is pretty good. It's essentially a biography of the fictional Baudolino, from childhood all the way to old age, and explores themes of dogma, moral corruption and self justification of obviously bad acts like lying on a grand scale. It's actually a very good lesson on how perception can become reality, and by the end of the book you begin to understand and share the in-joke the author himself is playing on you, the reader - which kind of explains why you have to throw your objectivity out of the window if you want to really enjoy this book. The multiple disparate characters bring tons to the book, and are well laid out in contrast to each other - although they might not be that deep themselves, as a collective they generate bags of characterisation.

Overall though, although I don't have any regrets in reading it, Baudolino was a slog to get through. But although it wasn't completely to my taste it was enjoyable enough and I am sure that others might appreciate even more the journey they share with him.

Film: Star Trek Into Darkness

2013-05-22T23:43:00.000+01:00

Sometimes it's really hard to assess something you've seen. Maybe it's some magic ingredient that's missing or perhaps it's just the mood in which you were when you saw it, but there are times when your head doesn't quite agree with your heart and you don't know why.

Melodrama aside, I'm not exactly sure why I didn't enjoy Into Darkness as much as I should have. I mean it had some great visuals, excellent acting and the plot was good enough (but not amazing). It could have been because I was coming down from watching the amazing Fast 6 (and yes, I have no right to mention that here, but that was a great film).

Thinking about it further I do start forming some conclusions: technically, the pacing was well off; it was almost as if the beginning merged headlong into the climax, and there's something unsatisfying about a payload that gets delivered in that way. But a bigger problem that that was how it just didn't feel like Star Trek; it was all too nice, too easy... too sterile. The ancillary characters were a bit too ancillary, the locations way too incidental and all the reasons why I watching ST so obsessively over the years just weren't there, or at least weren't there enough.

But it is a good film (and chances are I would have been a little more forgiving had I not watched that other one on Monday), and I do recommend it. I guess I just expected a little more from my three-yearly does of Starfleet.

Film: Fast & Furious 6

2013-05-20T21:06:00.000+01:00

Oh my, this was a brilliant film. I won't even attempt to justify that claim by talking about the plot or the acting - if you've seen any previous instalments of the franchise you'll already know where you'll stand when it comes to the film as art.

But in terms of cars, bang and wallop Fast 6 has spades of the stuff. I'm actually struggling to think of a moment where it sat still. It was funny, loud and so, so much fun. Gal Gadot adds tons to the film too.

But that's not even to say this was a mindless popcorn flick - there were so many "Oh my god" moments, so many "Oh, snap!" exclamations, so many coverings of the mouth in awe that I felt like a cheerleader at times. And now it seems I am gushing.

Definitely recommended - and without doubt my film of the year so far.

Food: R.S. Hispaniola

2013-05-18T23:30:00.000+01:00

"Back in the 80s and 90s, if you brought a date to the Hispaniola it would pretty much be a done deal."

Not that it mattered much to me (of course), but this was the tagline that was prescribed to us in the week coming to the birthday party we were to have in this place. Leaving aside the graphic detail (chi chi), the sentiment is sound in theory - what could be more romantic than a meal on an, albeit permanently moored, boat on the Thames?

It certainly was novel, that's for sure. I mean sure, I've lost count of the number of times I've eaten on a boat, but there was something different about this place, this setting. It could have been the Thames, but more likely it was the fact that this was restaurant first and boat second. Perhaps that's why the rocking was so unsettling (and for some of us, nauseating). Buyers beware then, although I suspect it's better on the outside deck where you know you're on the water. I'd also suggest heading out there if you did actually happen to bring a date. It'd pretty much be a done deal.

Due to our party size we went for the set menu which allowed us to pick one, two or three courses (yes, you could just have dessert) from a more-limited-than-usual selection - even more so for the majority of the table, who just happened to be Muslim. It said a lot that almost all of us ordered exactly the same starter (a salmon dish) and main (fish and chips).

Points were scored by the restaurant when they mixed up a fresh batch of ale-free batter, but immediately lost when the salmon starter came without the potato pancakes that were described. The well fought for table salads in compensation didn't save them, but at least the food was good. A good selection of dessert ended a pretty well rounded meal, food wise.

But otherwise service was adequate, and I have to say I quite enjoyed the live piano too - the inevitable happy birthday ditty went way beyond the call of duty.

So yes, a decent enough night out, for a decent enough price - most paid £20 for three courses - and assuming you did actually get what you wanted out of it (wink wink, nudge nudge), that's pretty good value there. For the rest of us who are just going for the food and dining experience, I would say that there are plenty of other options out there for a fancy night out.

Food: Caraway

2013-05-12T16:51:00.001+01:00

You know, I thought I was done with generic Indians. Yes, in my even-less-imaginative-than-I-am-now days, I wouldn't have even thought of going to anywhere else than a curry house for a dinner out, but since discovering that London has so much more to offer than boring yet solid baltis, barring a few exceptions I tend to experience a much wider range of cuisines each month. And yes, full qualification here: I wouldn't have even tried Caraway if I hadn't been given some vouchers to use there.

I'll start with the good. Which is pretty much just the food - it was actually pretty good. The meat was well cooked, the flavours bursting, the mango lassi just about refreshing enough to pass. If food is why you go out to eat, then you won't be disappointed with Caraway. Oh and the place itself was clean and well presented.

However the place does fall short in other aspects; mainly in the customer service department. Having to eat on a clock doesn't really make for a great dining experience, as doesn't the inflexibility around how or when I was able to use my gift voucher. Don't get me wrong - I'm all for rules and discipline, but it doesn't take much to realise that fancy restaurants are actually in the hospitality industry, and in the hospitality industry service means more than food.

The bill came to a total of 70 quid or so which I thought was a bit too much considering what we ordered, but then on the other hand the portions were generous so perhaps we over ordered. But alas at the end of the day Caraway is just another generic Indian, which is actually a bit of a shame as it has the groundings to be so much more.

Cyanide & Happiness

2013-05-11T19:49:00.000+01:00

Here's an arbitrary comic I found funny! Nothing to do with me of course.

I repeat, this has nothing to do with me. I don't even own a hat.

Food: Momo

2013-05-10T23:30:00.000+01:00

It shows how long it's been since I last visited a place when it doesn't appear in my blog. But I have been to Momo's before, which I suppose is a good indication of how memorable it is. The romance starts before you even get there - tucked away in a corner behind Regent's Street, it almost feels like a little secret part of London that only a few know of.

Which of course is silly, particularly after you see how busy it can get there. The occasion today was a long overdue get together with some university mates - a good test to see how amicable and accessible a restaurant can be. Top marks to Momo then, as we found it pretty easy to regress to a bunch of rowdy and loud students sitting around the perfectly sized round table in the corner of the place. I express the detail here because it really is important.

Service had few complaints - perhaps the constant reminders that we had to be out by 9pm or the threat of a fine for a no show while booking left a sour taste in the mouth - but that was soon forgotten once we got the food. I rarely rave about meat but tonight I got to taste some of the most succulent chicken and melt-in-the-mouth lamb I'll have this year.

Cost wise, we had to pay around 25 quid per head (for just the food, excluding drinks) which was of adequate value considering we shared all our dishes. It was a very satisfying night out overall, and perfect for act of rediscovering friendships.

Abstruse Goose

2013-05-01T22:15:00.000+01:00

I'm not sure why, but this is a comic that struck me a little. I'm not even sure I understand it all to be honest.

Perhaps it's the whole anti-capitalism vibe? Or just how it rings with the attitudes I encounter during the more "significant meetings" I have in life? It's interesting how, given a new perspective on things, we realise how much of the stuff we universally take for granted is man-made.

Film: Iron Man Three

2013-04-30T01:00:00.000+01:00

Even Tony Stark wasn't able to forget last year's The Avengers - it was almost like he was admitting that nothing was going to match up to that juggernaut of a movie. And alas he was correct as this didn't leave that fresh comic book taste as other Marvel films have in recent times. Of course it was fun and had some very cool set pieces... it just wasn't fulfilling enough, something that very could have been because we're all so spoiled now. I do think that the first two were better though.

RDJ was pretty good of course, but otherwise this is one for DVD night.

Islamic Wills and Bequests

2013-04-24T22:15:00.000+01:00

Although I've come across many of 1st Ethical's leaflets (mainly in my local mosque) this was the first time I was attending any of their seminars, and I have to say I was pretty impressed. This was in part due to learning about the work that they do, but mainly because of our host this evening, Imam Mohammad Abid Khan. He almost effortlessly led us through the basics of Islam's take on wills and inheritance, giving us a solid understanding of the stuff that will cover most use cases.

I think for me was Imam Khan's ability to engage both the topic and the audience. He managed to talk about the issues on deeper than usual level, both by filling out all the assumptions a typical audience would usually make as well as avoiding the canned reasoning and lip service you'd find elsewhere. That's not to say that the material was overly academic or dry; on the contrary, the real value came from how accessible he made it all.

Of course as usual it was the audience who got in the way of the talk running smoothly, with various digressive questions being thrown in at each slide. I reckon a format with the questions at the end would have allowed Imam Khan to have flowed at a decent pace, but then the interactions did make it more engaging I guess.

So yes, although a lot of what was covered was basic I certainly left the talk feeling empowered. I'd definitely be interested in attending a 1st Ethical seminar again.

SMBC

2013-04-19T20:06:00.000+01:00

Here's a quick guide to figuring out if you're interesting, boring or intolerable.

Please go ahead and self assess. Now now, be honest.

Food: Chaudhry's

2013-04-17T22:47:00.000+01:00

So this is interesting. I first visited Chaudhry's as a guest of a wedding party a few weeks ago and I have to say that I rather enjoyed my visit there back then. The food was good in terms of quality, taste and (most important for a buffet) the variety, and it made enough of an impression to get me to go back with friends in tow.

Except this time the experience was a little off. The food was merely okay, and the range a little stunted, although apparently this was by design as the servers explained how they have a different layout for the weekend. Bummer, but at least that explains the price difference depending on what day you visit.

Today the entry cost £11, which is hardly worth fussing over considering. Drinks were a little extortionate at £9 for a jug of okayish Mango Lassi, and the few desserts were nothing to write home about. On the other hand the place was clean and service more than adequate.

Whether or not you should go depends on what day you're planning to then: definitely avoid Chaudhry's on the weekdays but you might get lucky on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday night.

Book: A Dance With Dragons, George R.R. Martin

2013-04-17T18:56:00.000+01:00

(Part 2, here)

It seems pretty surreal how I started reading A Song of Ice and Fire almost a year to the day (it was actually the 3rd of April when I did), but here I am, finally, at the end of all the books that have been written so far. And I am sad. Sad because there's nothing else to read from the land of Westeros (right now). Sad because the habit I've formed over the past year has abruptly come to an end. And finally, sad because there's only two more books to go. Frankly I'm confused as to how such a classic isn't finished yet. This wasn't the case for Narnia or LOTR.

This latest one (the fifth, just in case you're struggling) is by far the largest yet - which is probably why it had been split into two here in the UK (as I refuse to believe it was to spin money). It isn't actually the best book, but that's not saying much in a series of this calibre. Sure, reading all of them in such quick succession may have spoiled me a little, and if I'm honest I'm not quite sure where one ends and the other begins, but so much was crammed in Dragons that it all felt a little too thinly spread at times.

But still, it's a pivotal book in the Ice and Fire saga and therefore by implication a must read. Totally recommended. And now we wait for number six.

Food: Busaba

2013-04-09T22:37:00.000+01:00

Now here's a little gem, apparently known to all but me. Kind of like Waga's but with Thai food, and so much better, I'm left wondering why I haven't checked it out before.

Good food, dodgy square tables (really, what are they thinking?) and a decent bill of £16.50 per head including drinks makes Busaba interesting enough to have found its way into my list of staple places to go to when you can't be bothered to find anywhere new to check out.

Food: Bintang

2013-04-05T23:34:00.000+01:00

Now I'm pretty sure I've been to this place before - being only a few doors down from the seminal Guanabana, it would have served as a solid alternative at least once in the past few years. Either way, there's no reference on my blog so tonight gave me the opportunity to correct that oversight.

Pan Asian is a vague and ambiguous term. I would probably say the food was mainly Korean, with some fusion of the adjoining countries chucked in. Then again I generally don't really care about the origins of the tastes I'm experiencing - wherever this stuff comes from it was quite good.

The starters more so than the mains - the chicken wings were sublime, the tofu excellent. The mains weren't too bad either, myself going for the soft bun sandwiches... but if I do go again I will probably just stick with more starters.

The bill came to £22 per head even after we skipped dessert. I found this to be pretty pricey considering the overall experience, and that is a bit of a shame. Still, if we follow the trick of sticking to starters then this could turn out to be much more of a classic place to eat.

SMBC

2013-04-04T11:10:00.000+01:00

Another great tip from the folks at SMBC:

Remember: it's not them, it's you.

SMBC

2013-03-30T11:06:00.000Z

A great tip from SMBC for those too... polite to do the right thing:

Of course it won't work if the other person is way smarter than you are. As is usually the case, of course.

Food: One08

2013-03-22T22:00:00.000Z

It goes to show how limitless the food options in London are when I get to check out yet another unvisited hotel restaurant. One08 is the name (clever, as it sits at 108 Marylebone Lane), with The Marylebone Hotel being the enclosure this time around.

The place was dark (in a good way) and intimate, with us getting a perfectly sized round table for five. For the Muslim there weren't many options on the already limited menu; between us we exhausted the starter options and we had to ask the chef to adapt the beer battered fish and chips; they were happy to do this and the grilled version of the dish wasn't too bad.

We were using a Top Table offer to get 50% off our food bill, and it all came to around £16 a head which was fair enough value, but not so much had we paid full whack. On this basis the place gets a recommendation I suppose, but if you have to book a place then you're better off going elsewhere.

But in this instance the story doesn't quite end there. After pointing out a piece of bacon that was found in one of our otherwise vegetarian salads, we were well looked after when it came to paying the bill. It's probably bad form to say exactly how we were made to feel better, but they did pull out the stops to do so and that very quickly. It's not the kind of service I'm used to seeing, and although it could be argued that it shouldn't have happened in the first place it's impressive that they made the effort to correct their mistake - enough at least for me to note it here and send a thank you email afterwards.

SMBC

2013-03-04T11:28:00.000Z

It seems the world is waking up to cynicism and curmudgeonry:

Ahhh when did contentment, self worth and security become so boring?

The Annual Inevitably Cynical "I Hate Valentine's" Post

2013-02-14T08:00:00.000Z

A very, very easy one this year:

All true, yet I'm still struggling to think which category I fall into. And no, that isn't an invitation to comment.

Book: The Game, Neil Strauss

2013-02-09T00:12:00.001Z

I am far from being a player. Of course making such a statement myself is problematic on so many levels, but I couldn't think of any other way to open this review. The thing is that as a single guy who is looking for a partner and who happens to occasionally and rarely talk to members of the opposite sex (shut up at the back) it's impossible not to relate to at least some aspects of what goes on in a book about a guy who is dealing with his own issues with women. Of course, that could just be the nature of self-help books (even though, technically, this is less self-help and more a commentary on self-help): to be read in a way that will get the reader to personalise and relate. Which is even more ironic and meta considering that's exactly the skill being talked about within. Phew. Let's talk about the book itself for a minute shall we?

The book traces the origin, development and conclusions of a master pick-up artist in the making, Neil Strauss, also known as Style. He begins lamenting his lack of skills with attracting women, blaming in part the lack of exposure to them during his younger years (yes, sounds familiar I know). He decides to tackle this problem academically; by striving to define and quantify what was wrong in order to create specific solutions to overcome them: routines, scripts, tactics and strategy. On the way he also chronicles the rise of a community that grows around these ideas and processes, cumulating in multiple businesses, geographical centres and even academies containing them. I'll say it now - the book itself is quite trashy in terms of writing style, but the sheer content more than makes up for that.

But back to me. Despite not being a player (I am yet to figure out if that's by choice or not), I have to say I was quite surprised by how familiar some of the techniques described in the book were. Not in a sleazy or manipulative way of course, but in a more organic and correlative one. There were a fair few times when I would think "xxx totally does that!" or "that's what I see yyy doing all the time!" and perhaps even a "but... I do that too!" at times. In broad terms this book is actually about social relations, and for those who are socially apt naturally or after development it's both a little disconcerting and validating to see behaviours put down and packaged as strategy or script. The fact is that there is a reason why popular people are popular and if I have even an ounce of that stuff myself, reading it in black and white did allow me to trace back why that might be. And no, I won't tell you which exact techniques I recognised.

Essentially as a person socialises and matures and gains experience they begin to realise what works and what doesn't. Things like Social Awareness, Perception and Emotional Intelligence are all things that can develop over time both organically or academically, but it's only those who have that will know how to efficiently and quickly both build and destroy relationships. I'm not sure how far in that journey I am, but even right now I'm writing this post in a way that I know will give a certain impression to readers; and I know that even admitting as much is a part of that plan.

Leaving aside the context of pick-up, I do think the book makes a pretty good and fun commentary on social relations. It tells us how straightforward this process can be, but also how nothing of value comes for free. Just being told that both sides of the coin exist is a valuable lesson in itself and for that alone the book gains a recommendation.

Film: Race 2

2013-02-04T23:30:00.000Z

Ah Race. A good five years after the first film and we actually get given a sequel. Is it really possible to build on the "should be bad but is rather good" character of the previous instalment?

Well it seems so and in exactly the same way. We still have the ludicrous premise, the hammy acting and awful, awful special effects. And we still have irrelevant distractions, the half naked guys and enough twists to make the guys behind us in the cinema want to discuss it out loud during the show.

But then we also have the comedy, the tripping plot, the half naked chicks (Deepika yay!) and the fun - oh my the fun - all proving that a film can be way more charming than the sum of it's bad parts. And that's all that's important in Bollywood really. So yes, even though it makes me feel oh so dirty doing so, Race 2 gets a cheerful recommendation from me.

Link of the Day

2013-02-01T13:38:00.000Z

How to pick a wife if you want to have kids

Purely for completion of course. You can read my thoughts on Penelope's corresponding post here, and what I said then still applies to the above too.

Film: Django Unchained

2013-01-28T22:12:00.000Z

I wouldn't say I'm a Tarantino fan. I mean, sure, I really like many (most? all?) of his films, and I love how he manages to keep his audience on his toes too. I just don't think he's Amazing with a capital A.

That said I did think Django was pretty brilliant. As was the case with Kill Bill, the beauty was in its simplicity - there was no ambiguity here, we all knew who the good and bad guys were, what everyone wanted and how they were going to get it. The acting was solid, the dialogue sublime and I even appreciated the soundtrack.

The whole movie was so easy to watch, it was easy to forget how long you were sitting there for - this despite the many opportunities there were to end the film early.

Recommended!

Valentino: Master of Couture

2013-01-19T18:30:00.000Z

Yes, that's right: this was an exhibition on fashion. And leaving aside my general disinterest in the topic, I actually reserve a special sneer for Valentino, the jeans of whom were such a big deal way back in school and college. Looking back I'm glad I wasn't another rude boy statistic who owned a pair.

On the other hand I do like to expose myself to new things, particularly those outside of my comfort zone. And there's no doubt that fashion has a relevance in society and culture whether I like it or not, so when I had the opportunity to check out an exhibition on one of the world's biggest designers, I thought it would be interesting enough to check out.

And it was for a bit. The first 5% of the exhibition is a display of various letters, invitations, sketches and memorabilia from the life of Valentino, all evidence of a world apart from that of our own, where a dress or party could be a life changing event. The final 5% was a collection of various media demonstrating how some examples of designer clothes were made - you know, fancy pleats and bows and flowers and the like.

The bulk of the exhibition (90% for those of you who really don't like maths) was on the catwalk, a collection of over 150 dresses created by Valentino. It was all a bit overwhelming actually, although I was surprised (or perhaps not) by how few I actually liked the look of. I suppose then I prefer the more boring, conventional and square look - and since that's an explicit opinion I've only formed after seeing what else was available, I guess even for me there was some value for coming here today.

Overall I would have preferred a bit more about Valentino's development - perhaps twice or even three times what was actually presented - but I suppose those who know fashion more intimately would have gotten exactly that through the medium of wardrobe. But exhibitions like these are supposed to be a little more accessible than that, otherwise there's a danger of them just becoming gratification; in this case fashion porn.

So then in general terms I can't really recommend this one, and that not just because I'm not interested in the topic being covered. But then again, those who will enjoy this will already know that they will anyway.