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Last week was a particularly hectic week in terms of cultural consumption. I don’t do it as much as I used to in my bohemian heyday (more than a decade ago) but I find that I’ve done so much of it that I can somehow glide into many different activities and spheres.
The schedule ran as follow:
Tue 23.05: Fast X
This was far more pleasant than I expected; Fast X doesn’t disappoint for high-octane adventure with a stand-out villain (Jason Momoa)
Wed 24.05: White Ant, a film by Shalini Adnani
I went to see Shalini Adnani speak and show her film “White Ant” at Cambridge University. Disclaimer: Shala is a good friend and relative of Dr. V
White Ant is a beautiful and powerful short film subject to multiple interpretations. I found it to be a wistful meditation on the ever-demanding march of modernity and how all “must accomodate” to it, displacing exquisite modes of creation.
Thur 25.05: A Little Life play + Tandoor Chophouse (Connor’s birthday eve dinner of the London friends, a tradition started in the pandemic)
Went to watch this “Little Life”; the play and it was fairly riveting + traumatic.
Fri 26.05: Connor’s cake cutting at B.Tap + R&M.
We celebrate young Connor’s 23rd birthday, lynchpin of HoLZ, on Friday the 26th May and of course Zora took centre stage!
Sat 27.05 - Mon 29.05: Dr. V, Homi & I went to the Hay-on-Wye festival in Wales to see Professor Sebastian speak at the “How the Light Gets In Hay 2023.” We stay at the exquisitive Lake Country House Hotel.
Dr. V & I went to beautiful Wales (my first time) to listen to Professor Sebastian speak at the "Hay Festival; how the light gets in.”
We get to listen to Professor Sebastian speak on “emergence” and also listen to the fantastic Senegalese singer, Baaba Maal.
The Festival was extremely well-organised; Dr. V & I have a tradition of going on the Ferris Wheel. It’s just a thing we do, since we like to gain new perspectives through height.
I’ve scattered pictures throughout this newwsletter but it’s interesting how I seem to think that I have toned down in my activity and then all of sudden it revvs up. I’m somebody who’s profoundly wedded to ritual and tradition so Monday nights are reserved for the cinema (except when it’s a Bank Holiday Monday) and Friday nights for the Shabbat-inspired dinner at Rose & Mango.
Homi & I both need a shave. Lévy wanted to stay back home with Zora & Temple while Homi was yearning for the Welsh adventure.
As I begin to drill down to the core values of my life; it’s fascinating just how much I revere the “life of the mind.” It doesn’t mean that my soul loses out but the constant detachment that I pray for allows me to process life in as structured rational way as I can try.
Dr. V looking radiant in the sun with the magical lake framing a beautiful picture. Homi’s attention elsewhere; he’s probably thinking about the Wild Swans paddling yonder.
In fact I’ve actively tried to avoid unnecessary cultural consumption since I feel it interferes with the process of creation but the beauty and power of this newsletter is that it allows me to connect the dots in real time.
What were the main takeaways from all of this consumption; I don’t really know but each event spoke to me in a different way, forced me to engage with life in perhaps a more profound way than before.
It’s always instructive to remember how lucky I am to have Dr. V in my life.
Dr. V’s scientific framing and process however means that invariably the counterpose to that the humanities and art just seeps into our lives. I guess I’m writing this longish newsletters to just reflect on how grateful I am that I used my “hyper-bohemian” period of book clubs, plays and climbing to make some rather correct decisions in my life.
Centring it on my Faith & Family; it’s been an adventure I wouldn’t trade for anything else. But as always one must cower and tremble before the Divine in absolutely humility to ensure that one’s life is filled with love, light, laughter and meaning. Perhaps this week of Kulturkampf is a gentle reminder that the path I’ve taken has been shed with serendipity and wisdom? And that sometimes I need the Bohemianism to shed the path forward; to understand and drink from the life experience of others.
I’ll leave you with some Persian rap and by the way which the final event to complete the Tue-Tue week?
Tue 30.05: Hypnotic (a mildly interesting Ben Affleck film).