Subversive protest

It was a bright sunny morning, and while Clare went for her swim, I went out and walked in the park for an hour. Then when she got back I did my share of the cleaning, made lunch and did the week's grocery shopping at the Co-op. At tea time, I took the bus into town and walked the rest of the way to St German's to lead Stations of the Cross, and celebrate Mass this evening. 

There were about twenty of us present, including three youngsters who came out of the blue asking if they could attend the service. I don't know why. I answered a few of the questions they asked, but Hilary took an interest in them and gave them books to follow. They were in the first year at Willows High School. I think their visit may have had something to do with their R.E. class. They were well behaved and stayed for both services. People from other Ministry Area churches joined St German's regulars, and expressed their appreciation for the shared experience. Geraldine was able to give me a lift back to Canton on her way home. 

I was surprised to find that I'd walked fifteen kilometres today instead of ten, and yet I didn't feel unduly tired. I don't understand why some days I lack energy and it's an effort to keep up my daily exercise, then other days I don't feel tired at all.  I'm very grateful for those days when I don't feel quite so old.

It's been more of the same in the violent onslaught on Ukraine today. Almost three million people are refugees now. There's more speculation in the media about what role Chinese President Zhi Jinping will play. China isn't currently answering questions about sending military aid to Russia allegedly requested by Putin. At the opening of the Winter Olympics, the two dictators were together rejoicing in their new measure of partnership. I wonder if Zhi is starting to regret that now?

Despite the suppression of any news about the conflict in Russia which differs from the official version, today has seen the most remarkable piece of subversion on a live TV news channel. A member of the news editor walked into the live studio news broadcast carrying an improvised 'Stop the War' placard and showing it to camera. She had just recorded and uploaded a brief video of herself explaining why she felt compelled to make this protest. For her it's professional suicide and will result in imprisonment, no doubt. Such courage! Slowly, the truth is seeping out, and Russian casualties keep mounting.

Contrasting crime stories

Friday slipped by in an unremarkable routine way. Apart from a few email and phone conversations, it was all maintenance tasks, learning to be patient with myself. In the evening I watched a bilingual English and French high speed conspiracy thriller 'The Take' (aka Bastille Day) on Film Four about a Parisian pickpocket and a CIA agent, whose only common ground was that both are American. It was pretty violent, packed with improbable set piece fight scenes. Not the best kind of pre-bedtime entertainment, plus there were several loose ends in the storyline which made the ending somewhat unsatisfactory, given the alleged far reaching nature of the conspiracy. Disappointing really.

Today was much the same, except for an evening walk down to Blackweir bridge at sunset. It was warm enough not to need a top coat and the sky was clear. The trees continue to change colour at a gentle pace, and everything looks lovely in the golden orange glow as the sun seems to linger over the horizon. It's dusk by seven now. Clocks go back next weekend, and for me what isn't the best time of year begins. Thankfully I can still make myself useful occasionally covering services in the Parish, though I'm content not to be as busy as I have been in the past - for now!

BBC Four's Euro-crimmie slot this evening brought us a two part dramatisation of a real-life hostage crisis in 1988, starting in Gladbeck in Germany's industrial Ruhrgebeit, ensuing in a chase into Holland and back to Cologne where it ended. The accent, pace and raucous nature of the dialogue made it had to follow so I had to rely entirely on the subtitles. It showed how different regional jurisdictions failed to play well together in a fast moving situation, which quickly got out of police control, dogged by live news media teams intervening and reporting live, even interviewing criminals on the run and their hostages. Presumably lessons were learned from this unfortunate experience, Could this still happen, I wonder? This was described as the darkest hour in the history of post War Germany's press industry, and resulted in some new guidelines being implemented to forestall such dangerous interference. It's a sobering reminder of the need for responsible limits to the notion of press freedom.

The way it was filmed seemed to be to be a little rough and ready making use of handheld camera shots on times, and the visual quality had a certain retro quality to it, the colour cast seemed more like eighties video, less over saturated than what we're used to nowadays. Apparently it was released this year on the thirtieth anniversary of the event, and may well serve as a focus for reflection and debate, assuming that as fact-based fiction it is true to the realities for the story it seeks to tell.

It certainly made for tense watching, more from the threat of violence than from any actual violence portrayed, in contrast to my previous night's viewing. Afterwards, I cheated and read up on the real life hostage situation, as I was curious to find out how it ended. At least now I know why certain minor characters appear early on, who seem unconnected to the main thrust of the plot. And it won't stop me watching next week, God willing.