Of Numbers, An Artist Rediscovered, Sad News, and Moving Out
Numbers
This year for me could be summed up in three numbers - 3, 2, 1.
Three concerts
kd lang, Janis Ian and Elaine Paige
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d get to see even one of these singers “live” , but to see all three in the same year (and two of them, kd and Janis in the same month), and in a country just south of Malaysia, too - three dreams come true! And then to meet other fans online through their message boards, and become good friends with some of them, too. *waves to janina (kdlang), ManchesterFan, BGG, Redjack and other Rudies (Janis Ian), and Lynette (Elaine Paige)*
Two panda cubs
Tai Shan at the National Zoo, Washington, DC, and Su Lin at the San Diego Zoo, San Diego, California. He’s older by about 3 weeks and they’re related - his dad and her mum share the same father.
One father
My earthly father was taken home by my Heavenly Father on 15 April 2005. I have precious memories of making breakfast for him that morning before he was admitted into the hospital (I’d never made breakfast for him before), telling him I was going off to the office, and him nodding his head in acknowledgement.
And since we’re talking numbers, here are two more:
16 surviving panda cubs at the Wolong Giant Panda Conservation Centre in China
50,625 words written for my 2005 NaNovel
These are just numbers, but they are my numbers.
An Artist Rediscovered
Earlier this afternoon, I sent off an email to a fine art restorer by the name of Richard Zahler. His name came up in my search for information on the artist Ha Van Vuong.
Ha Van who?
As far as I know, HVV is Vietnamese. I first discovered HVV’s paintings when a student in Norwich, England, in an Athena store which sells pretty pictures for framing, cards, etc., including reproductions of famous paintings. HVV’s work caught my eye, I bought copies of whatever was available, in both poster and smaller 10×12 sizes. I still have the posters and expect to bring them out for framing and displaying at my new apartment (which I expect to be moving into sometime in January 2006).
Years later, I searched for HVV online and some of those paintings came up. The most well-known is probably this, which has various names, including “Mandolin” and “Strumming” :
That’s one of the pictures I bought at Athena years ago. I took out my collection and saw two that have not surfaced on the Net so far:
And what brought Ha Van Vuong and his/her paintings to mind? Janis Ian. Her new web site’s logo looks quite similar to the first picture:
What do you think?
I thought maybe either Janis or Pat her partner are familiar with Ha Van Vuong’s work, so I posted a question about it on the message board and she replied that they are not.
Going back to the email I sent Mr Zahler, I hope he replies and gives more info on the mysterious Ha Van Vuong.
Sad News
While visiting mother at GT Heritage this afternoon, I caught the tail-end of the BBC News which highlighted well-known people who left us this year. As the faces came on the screen, I found myself thinking there was only one woman so far (the late Anne Bancroft, best known as Mrs Robinson), and then another female face came on the screen, one I haven’t seen in years …
Andrea Dworkin (radical feminist and anti-porn activist)
I didn’t know she’d passed on, and after googling about it later, was surprised to learn it had been in April this year. I felt rather sad as I’d met her when she came to UEA for a talk when I was a student there, and interviewed her for the student publication. By then, I had most of her books published up to that time, which she signed for me. Her views and writings were part of my “coming-of-age” while at UEA.
According to the BBC News round-up, there were three well-known women who left us this year - Anne Bancroft, Andrea Dworkin, and Rosa Parks.
Farewell, ladies.
Moving Out
Well, it’s about time! Where to? My own apartment which I’d bought in 2002 but had been renting out since its completion.
Seriously, since father left us in April, I’ve been living on my own in a double-storey linkhouse that’s just too big for one. Around that time, my tenant informed me that she would not be renewing her tenancy when it expires at the end of August. What good timing. She eventually asked for a month’s extension as renovations to her own house were not completed in time. After she left, I took my time looking into renovations for my apartment but eventually (finally!) it got under way. I’d earlier told the contractor I would like to celebrate Christmas in my apartment. Well, Christmas came and went, and I was still at the current house. But now, I think I will be celebrating Chinese New Year in my new apartment.
Meanwhile, there’s lots of packing to do. Before the packing, there’s decluttering, too!
Stay tuned for more moving news.
