Having said that, there have been numerous cold snaps, and at various times over the past few weeks I have been wishing I didn’t leave all my winter clothes back in Madison. Indeed last weekend, I woke to find snow covering the ground, and some nice icy roads around town.

What I notice most about winter- and the reason for illuminating the outside of the house with as many lights as possible- are the long dark nights drawing in. Especially “up North” where it’s often dark and gloomy and chucking it down with rain, it’s going dark at 3.30pm, IF it’s even got light at all. And when you’re heading off to work in the dark, and leaving work in the dark, you can feel like you haven’t seen daylight all day. Waking up and seeing it’s dark outside, coupled with the encroaching cold drifting through the windows and walls, makes you just want to stay curled up nice and warm, deep amongst the covers of your bed.

Fortunately, the longest night has now passed-my Dad has the good fortune of having his birthday on that short day- and the days will be growing longer again.

It is on this arrival of winter, the depressing nights and the frantic goings-on of the holiday season, that I blame my writer’s block, and the reason I haven’t written for a month again. AGAIN. That shows I can’t really blame winter, but I’m going to anyway. For reasons unknown, circumstances have conspired to make me lazy and lethargic when it comes to blogging (and perhaps other things too) and I seem to spend just too much time thinking about what I want to write about, what I should be writing about, and too much time contemplating about how I am going to do all these things, that I never get around to doing any of them!

My mind is racing, but I can’t seem to kick my fingers into action. I guess I never was a very fast typer anyway, but at least I have progressed from the two-finger tap approach.

But, with the New Year comes new resolutions and new intentions to pull my finger out and get down to work writing and what not.

Winter has seen me venturing into new places though, and made me reflect on how life can often take turns you never really expected. I mean, who would have thought that someone who never really cared about any sport, or any team, or anything athletic at all really, would be planning a trip half way around the world just to watch his now favourite team compete in a big game. Well, having stayed up through the night just to see them win the Big Ten Conference-again something I thought I would never do- I’m off to California, to the Rose Bowl again, to see the Wisconsin Badgers take on the Oregon Ducks. I never thought I’d be able to converse confidently on a sports subject before!

Similarly, as someone who often despised physical education at high school, I now find myself working in the local gym! And one of the benefits I am excited about most is the free gym membership! My time selling suits has sadly come to an end, and I now have to travel just 1 minute down the road to work. It’s a simple little part time job, but I’m fortunate enough to have just that in these trying economic circumstances.

Anyway, it’s time to enjoy Christmas with the family now. I “intend” to write another blog post all about the Christmas period, but it will likely now come after Christmas. I’m sure it’ll include lots of anecdotes from another crazy family Christmas though.

In the meantime, I hope you all have a very, merry, Christmas, and a wonderful New Year.

Sweet Potato Ships

And so it should be unique to America right? Well, that’s not what Amazon thinks, and a few other companies too. I seem to have been bombarded with offers for Black Friday sales- Black Friday being the big day of sales equivalent to our Boxing Day sales (which were originally January sales)- despite being in the UK, coming from Amazon UK. I suppose with a sluggish economy, stores are grabbing any opportunity they can to stir up interest.

But if you take away the origins of Thanksgiving, why shouldn’t we, and other countries across the world celebrate the day too?

For a start, it helps stop the inevitable onslaught of Christmas, which now seems to start in September. When lots of people I spoke to here today seemed to find the need to mention that it was only one month to Christmas, Americans are focusing on the day at hand, taking a sabbatical from Christmas.

More seriously, Thanksgiving and the Thanksgiving weekend is a time that is genuinely about spending time with family, relaxing, and being thankful. Sure, there’s the food, but more than any other holiday, Thanksgiving brings families together, without the need for presents and parties and decorations and all that kind of thing. Millions of Americans have travelled these past few days, in order to make it to a loving home for Thanksgiving. Both times I experienced Thanksgiving in the US, I was welcomed into incredibly loving families, to share in this special day, with special people.

Thanksgiving in California

And if nothing else, the day does make you reflect on life, and reflect on what you are thankful for. I’ve done a fair bit of sulking around recently, not at a point in my life where I want to be, away from the US, not with a job that I want, and all that kind of thing. But I have a roof over my head, I have food on the table. I have a wonderful family, and lots of great friends, loving and caring all around me, across the world. At times I feel sad, but when I stop think, I’m relatively happy, and I have nothing to complain. And happiness is just that, relative. To many, I am the luckiest person in the world, and today is a day that helps me acknowledge that.

We live in a globalized world, yet with the materialism that is so prevalent in society, the suffering of millions in other parts of the Earth seem can seem further away than ever. I’m guilty of it, like almost everyone is; I want a new computer, I want to travel here and there, buy this and that, do all these things, and I’m disappointed when I can’t. Instead I should be using technology to look across the globe and take the time to see how fortunate I really am. Millions will go hungry today, millions will fall ill with no hope of a cure. Many will die. It’s easy to forget this, despite the global media coverage. I should be thankful for everything I have, and be wishing that everyone can join me in being as lucky as I am.

Safe, secure, healthy. Loved. And Happy.

For that, I am thankful.

Nicole: Hope you feel better!!!

Give Blood.

It’s something I had always wanted to do, but never really the found the time. A completely rubbish excuse, I now realise. Then when the opportunity to actually donate came up, I’d conveniently be unable to attend, too nervous, and honestly a little scared to have a needle shoved into me and blood drained out of me.

But of course, it’s nothing like that, and is seriously one of the best ways to spend 30 minutes of your day. I successfully gave blood for the second time on Thursday, and just as painlessly (literally and figuratively)as the first time, it was incredibly worthwhile.

For all you nay sayers out there, those who are perhaps like I was, a little scared and nervous, a little worried about what might happen, a little squemish perhaps, I want to tell you about my experiences, and how simple it really is. Some people cannot give blood, for various reasons, but there is no reason, none whatsoever, not to at least try. No matter how old you are, how long  you’ve put it off. Do it. You’ll thank me for it.

The blood drive was just down the road from home, a 2 minute drive. I stopped in on my way home from the dentist. All I’d had to do before hand was fill in a little basic health question, which just ensures that you won’t make a wasted trip. Very kind of the Red Cross to do that for you really. It’s also simple to fill in the form on the day too. Anyway, I hand in the form, grab a glass of water, and take a seat. Out comes my book, and I wait for a maximum of five minutes.

A nurse calls me over, and we have a little chat about my health, making sure I’m feeling well, that everything is in order, and that I’m comfortable with the whole process. Basically, it boils down to “right everything is OK on the form” and “Do you have a cold? No? OK good.”

After a quick pin prick of my finger tip, to make sure my iron levels are high enough, I get a huge plaster on a tiny little mark on my finger, and sit down to wait to be called up. Two minutes later, I’m lying back, making myself comfortable on the bed, arm outstretched, ready to donate. You even get to pick which arm you use, in case you need to keep one arm in tip top shape for something afterwards.

A nice informal chat with the nurse, a very chatty one this time, and my arm is cleaned, sterilised (basically a wet wipe), blood pressure taken, and a sharp scratch later, that just feels like a pin prick again really, and my blood is sliding down the tube, ready to give life to someone in the future.

Ok, so this time I had a Donor Carer look after me, and, as she was training, she wasn’t as skilled with needle, and had to do a slight rearranging once it was in. No big deal at all. And the first time you donate you get an experienced nurse, who takes extra special care, and talks you through every stage. 

Once the needle is in, you just lie back and relax. If you’re good like me, you can squeeze out a pint in 5-10 minutes- all you have to do is keep crossing and uncrossing your legs, and squeezing your fist together every now and then. And in no time at all, the needle is out, cotton bud and plaster/bandaid on the minuscule hole in your arm, and you slowly sit up from the bed, the nurse carefully watching to make sure you’re not light headed or feeling unwell.

I felt exactly as I did before I gave blood, only there was a slight warming feeling inside me, a natural high, a sense of pride at what I had just done.

After it’s all done, you get to sit down and have a drink, a biscuit/cookie, and a little natter with other folks, before you’re free to leave whenever you feel like it. All said and done, less than 30 minutes.

30 minutes, to save a life.

A good half an hour well spent I would say, wouldn’t you?

Ok, ok, so I’m exaggerating a little, I’m not that angry, but still, there really is something extremely agonizing about being stuck, in a long line of traffic, with nowhere to go, not moving an inch. Not only does it send my blood pressure sky rocketing and make me late, its also great for fuel consumption, and does wondrous things to the surrounding atmosphere.

So what happened? Well, there was some kind of oil spill on a motorway this morning at around 10am, as far as I understand. Unfortunately, it was on one of the only two major motorways which run from the South of England to the North. And because of the nature of the accident, to make the road safe, the entire 3 lane north bound carriageway needed to be re-surfaced. That meant the road was closed for the entire day. Ordinarily, this wouldn’t have been too much of a problem, diversions would be in place to use the other major roads.

However, as bad luck would have it, the accident occurred at a spot where 3 major motorways feed into one, such that all three motorways were affected. Since this isn’t LA too, our motorways only have 3 lanes each, so there wasn’t anyway to only close off parts of the road. And Britain’s A roads…well lets just say we have nice windy,scenic, country lanes, and not a top notch infrastructure.

As an ‘Always Be Prepared’ scout, I knew about this accident, and knew about the backed up traffic. And I planned accordingly with a detour on the side streets. I pulled off before the tailbacks on the motorway, rounded the roundabout, and began my journey, very pleased with myself that I had skipped the traffic.

And then I saw red brake lights. And we stopped. And we moved about 300 yards in 20 minutes.

But while I was sat waiting for the traffic to move, I was able to play with my Sat Nav (I say mine but it’s really my Grandad’s!) And, I was able to calculate a new route to my destination, avoiding this gridlock in front of me. The left turn was inches in front of me, but the car in front, in true “sod’s law” fashion, decided he couldn’t edge any further forward, and couldn’t move a touch to the left so I could slip past.

So I waited a little longer.

Finally, I was off, whizzing west down country lanes, through small countryside villages, seeing some places I never would’ve seen along the motorway. But every major road I came to going North, was rammed with cars, slowly creeping along like a drowsy snail.

Thankfully again though, I’ve been blessed with a good sense of direction, unlike some in my family, and can generally determine the rough direction I should be heading in! So again, it was off into the country roads, skipping out huge portions of traffic jams and edging a little closer to where I had to be a little faster.

Still, I spent a good time sat going nowhere. I made it to where I was heading only an hour and ten minutes behind schedule. Not bad, when the radio was saying it was taking most people at least 2 hours to get through to the other side of the jams. And the audition I was going to was very informal, so my tardiness was immaterial.

Coming back, I was eager to make up for lost time, and zoom back down the clear southbound carriages. Alas, I hit rush hour traffic, buses stopping in front of me and then pulling out, traffic lights always on red, cyclists dangerously cutting across the roads. Slowly I made it the short distance to the slip road entrance….only to be confronted by another gridlock, an absolute stand still slip road, and a motorway carriageway cluttered with unmoving headlights.

Back round the roundabout, back through the city centre traffic, and back to the trusty sat nav, to help me skip out the tailbacks from a multi vehicle pile up. Though again I was able to keep moving, I was still faced with little old men drivers, blocking lanes, not knowing where to turn, and not knowing how to accelerate. Gosh it was frustrating.

Finally, I made it to an open motorway, homeward bound. But then I got stuck with those idiotic drivers who hog the middle and outside lanes, and won’t move over. And then all red traffic lights. And a learner driver.

The lesson from all this: Save Time, Save Money, Keep your blood pressure low, and Save the Planet….by taking the train

Libyans are out in the streets cheering, as politicians in England, America and France congratulate themselves on a nice victory.

As I was watching the news this evening as events unfolded, I couldn’t help thinking about Iraq, and the similarities between the two campaigns. The initial attack/invasion was relatively simple, and before we knew it, Iraq/Libya was free, as “the good side” entered the Capital cities to declare victory. After a few weeks of nothing, the tyrannical leader was found hiding in his home town, cowering in some makeshift hidey hole. And then ordinary citizens got their justice, as the tyrant was killed.

A new day for the future of the country. Well look what happened next in Iraq.

Of course, there are lots of differences too, not least between the military tactics and campaigns, but behind the cause for the regime change in the first place. Libya is profoundly different than Iraq because, like with the Arab Spring, it began with local citizens organising themselves, and encompassed almost the entire population. Libyans fought to be free by themselves, before NATO offered support.

And yet, there are lots of rivalries between these freedom fighters, lots of divisions along ethnic and tribal lines. And so, while politicians may rejoice at “a successful intervention” and claim victory very easily, what they ought to be doing is remembering Iraq. Now is not the time to take your hands of the ball.

Libyans naturally deserve to make their own future, to shape a future constitution, a future society. A country where every Libyan is free, and has an equal say in how their country is run. But the US, the UK and France should not disappear now. They should be on hand in every way, helping the interim Libyan government in every way their help is wanted. They should be providing aid and support to help rebuild the towns their bombs have destroyed. They should be showing their good nature and genuine care to every Libyan citizen, and encouraging the new Libya to make strong ties to democracy, and strong ties to the West.

Hopefully, lessons were learnt from Iraq, and together, a prosperous, democratic Libya can be created from the fallen shackles of Gaddafi’s regime.

Not only can you hear yourself, but you can see yourself too.

“So this is how people see me then, is it?”

Only it isn’t really, because your acting, your someone else. But then you look at yourself, and criticise your acting, thinking how terrible your American accent is (it was pretty bad), thinking that you don’t look that convincing, or that you’re doing something wrong. I suppose it is just that natural, first thought human approach, instinctive to get the bad things out of the way first. Because really, on reflection, it wasn’t that bad, and I did what needed to be done!

And I got paid for a brief moment of fame, so who am I to complain really!

Still, it is quite surreal seeing yourself on TV. First off it’s strange because it happened so long ago! The scene that aired last night (mid October) was filmed in mid July, so in some ways it’s a bit of a blast from the past. Then again, it’s still all so fresh in your mind, and the anticipation of this upcoming episode has been building for so long, you feel like it can’t come soon enough!

When you finally find out the air date, there is then the question of how much do you promote it. Sure, you want friends and family to see it, even if it is a small part, but then again, you don’t want to come across all boastful and arrogant. You want to play it off nice and cool and modest, and yet still have people watching. That actor’s need for attention.

Paradoxically though, a part of you feels like you don’t want anyone to watch! What if it’s terrible? What if no-one likes the show? What if they love the show but hate your part? Or what if you do something embarrassing? Or worse still, what if your scene gets cut, which is a very real possibility?

In the end of course, the actor’s need for attention wins out, and you make sure everyone you know will be watching, and the anticipation reaches it’s climax, as the show starts and you begin to see that little scene you filmed fall into place with the story of the whole episode.

You know your part is about to come up, right before anyone else does. And then, you’re there, filling the screen in your living room! There is definitely an initial little bit of that childlike wave of thought “I’m here, and I’m there at the same time”! And then, you’re so busy gawking at your screen debut that you miss what’s going on in the story. Of course, I’d filmed it, so I knew, but I’m sure my family was a little caught up in it too.

Then there’s the analysis, seeing how all those shots came together to form that brief scene, how 6 hours of work boiled down to 2 minutes on screen. The weighing up of your performance. And then it’s all done, the story moves onto another scene, and your life seems so normal again. That’s show business for you.

Afterwards you wait expectantly to see if people recognised you, to see what they thought. And it is always wonderful to have people talking about it, and great to hear from old friends who spotted you, and decided to get back in touch. Fun to talk about the scene now people have finally seen it, fun to speculate about how famous you are now going to become….. yeh right! As I said, before you know it, it’s back to reality.

Anyway, in case you missed it (here’s that self-promoting actor again), for your viewing pleasure, my debut speaking performance on British television, in Episode 5 of Fresh Meat, playing of all things, an American Tourist in London, filmed in Manchester. It was also raining and cold, in the middle of July (standard Manc weather). Oh, any my hair is super short, because it was shaved for a previous role I had as a soldier!

American readers: You’ll need to download that Expat Shield  I was talking about in order to be able to view! I will try and maybe get a youtube clip of it or something, so that everyone can view it easier, but for now, this will have to suffice.

Also, if you don’t know anything about the show, it’s about a group of students… it’s rather crude and vulgar, and has lots of bad language in it! You have been warned!

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/fresh-meat/4od#3242122

Click to view! (Once you have expat shield running if you are in the US!) If you don’t want to watch the whole episode, skip to 12.20 on the bar at the bottom (once you’ve watched all the obligatory adverts) and you should see me come into the scene in about ten seconds! Sit back and enjoy!

I’ll post a link to a previous Fresh Meat episode I was in as well, as an extra in the background of the pub, just in case you can’t get enough of me

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/fresh-meat/4od#3236525

Same deal, skip to 11.44 mins and I’m the guy sat in the foreground until 12.01, and then you may catch me in the bottom left corner of the screen at 34.28!

Thanks for watching!

Plus, I thought it would be fun to write a post while journeying South to London on the train. A tilting train at that.

I’ve always been fascinated by trains. I love the intricacy of the the rail network, all the behind the scenes operations, and the way trains work. There is definitely something innately British about travelling by train. Don’t get me wrong, travelling by cross-continental train across the US would be incredible, but I don’t think anything beats a train journey through the English countryside, seeing places that you would never see from the road.

I haven’t been so fascinated by trains that I spend long hours sat on platforms “spotting” trains as they go past. I could perhaps understand that in the past, when there were more frequent trains and a greater variety of engines, observing beautiful steam trains like the Flying Scotsman or the Mallard cruising past. But really, how many small, two carriage, dilapidated commuter trains can you watch. Alright, the TransPeninneExpress ones are purple, but still.

There’s little doubt that the hey day of the British Rail Network has passed, as train routes are discontinued and journeys become ever more infrequent with costs continually rising. Yet there is still hope for the country which created train travel. I find that most people are in favour of train travel in the UK, unlike the US. It’s popular, because it’s practical.

Take this train to London. It’s at least 10 carriages long, and judging by the capacity in first class, I’d say there’s probably at least 300 people on board. At least. And there are three of these trains an hour. Let’s ballpark a figure of 800 people an hour going down to London. I’d say at least 75% of those people are travelling alone. That mean’s if this train journey didn’t exist, that would be 600 more cars on the road per hour.

My logic is hardly flawless, but you get the picture. Practical and environmental sense.

It’s comfortable too. And I’m not just saying that because I’m enjoying extra space and lots of freebies in first class. Just being able to sit and enjoy the scenery, work, blog, tweet, sleep or listen to music, rather than face the hassle of motorway traffic easily makes it worth it. As does the time it takes, at least half the time it would be via road, thanks to improved lines and the tilting nature of Virgin’s fast trains.

But there is no doubt being in first class makes everything just a little nicer, especially considering it only cost me £4 extra. I’d already made up that cost in free coffee, lemonade and biscuits sat in the first class lounge in Manchester waiting for my train. On the train I’ve been enjoying free wi-fi, more drinks, and a sausage buttie! Not too shabby at all.

I’ve still been getting those “you don’t belong in first class” looks, but that’s ok. Those people are probably just jealous about how much they paid for their ticket.

So if you’re ever planning a journey in the UK, consider the train instead of the car. You won’t regret it. And America? You desperately need to work on your rail network. I know Wisconsin is going to regret letting Gov. Walker stop the train. We should all be hopping aboard, not disembarking.

Though some would dispute it, I don’t have multiple personalities, but I do act.

And acting is what I have been doing since I returned to England in June. It’s always been a dream, an ambition of mine, to be a full time actor, a Hollywood movie star, a famous British Thespian, but has largely taken a sideline to more traditional studies. Now though, I have decided that I really want to get my teeth stuck into it. And so, I got in touch with some acting agencies, and jumped right into it.

Sadly, it isn’t currently regular work, and, you have to start at the bottom of the pile. But, I landed on my feet and got lucky with a few roles, which I’ll detail later. First though, I want to describe what life is like on set, and what a “working day” usually involves.

It usually starts early. Call time is often 7.30am, which is what time you have to be present at the studio, or on location, depending on where/what is being filmed. One time, it was the Shameless studio in Wythenshawe; another time, it was in the North Yorkshire moors. So depending on the location, it can entail leaving home at 5.30am. Often though, breakfast is provided when you arrive! All inclusive

After you check in with either the runner (a person who “runs” back and forth between the director, producer and cast) or the 2nd or 3rd assistant director, it’s off to costume to get fitted out in some suitable attire. If it’s just regular, casual clothes, you’re often asked to bring your own, as it makes things much simpler, but you have to have lots of changes, to make sure you fit with the needed “look”. And it often means avoiding bland colours, stripes and patterns, and absolutely, no logos. Wouldn’t want to get sued or anything like that.

Then it’s off to hair and make-up. As an extra, this is usually very minimal, if anything at all, given that the formal name of extras is “background artistes”. Hardly seen in the background, it isn’t necessary to get all dolled up. Once in a while though, like when you’re playing a soldier, a certain look is required. Long hair is not tolerated in the army. And so, I had to have my head shaved. Not exactly a skin head, but given the head of hair I had, even a number 4 with the clippers was incredibly short! But on the bright side, I got a free hair cut, AND, if they cut your hair, they pay you extra! So in some ways, it’s win win!

Once that’s all out of the way, you do what extras, and most actors do most. You wait. Could be for 20 minutes. Could be for 5 hours, there really is no telling. My first time on set, a guy said to me “actors and extras become black belts in banter”, because you just sit around with everyone and effectively “chill out” until you are called onto set. If you like waiting around, not knowing what is going on, and like to read, then this is the job for you!

When the time finally comes to head onto set, you follow a runner down to your designated place on set, and then often wait around again, this time waiting to hear from a director about where you should be and what you should be doing. Then you wait while all the technical stuff involved in the shot is set up. And then finally, you act.

Sometimes it’s over in a flash. A short, less than a minute scene. But that’s quite rare. Usually, it’s “from the top please” and you do it all over again. And I quickly came to realise that “let’s do it one more time” means we’ll do it at least 3 more times before the director is happy. Then the camera gets flipped around, and you do the whole thing all over again from the opposite angle. And you have to remember exactly what you did the first time around. Then it might get done from another angle, a close up perhaps, and everything happens for a third time.

Often, you’re acting even though you know you’re out of shot, the camera no way near you. But for continuity, noise vibrations, and to help the other actors, you just go ahead and do the same thing again.

If you’re lucky, you get some good face time. If you’re very lucky, you might get a nice close up, and then get to go home early, because as you’ve been seen, you can’t now be in another scene. Or, you might just have to wait around until everyone has finished. Again, it’s back to the waiting, more often than not.

Occasionally, you never make it to set. I was asked to do an episode of Hollyoaks (a soap, for my American readers) and turned up in Liverpool at the studio raring to go. I sat out in the sun for the whole morning, and then at lunchtime, we were told we weren’t needed and could go home. With a full day’s pay of course. Not bad for a day’s work.

Sometimes though, you’re on set for the full twelve hours, with the same rate of pay. One time, that was from 2pm, to 2am.  That’s what it was like for Fresh Meat. Fresh Meat is a new channel 4 comedy about “freshers” or first year students at university. It’s getting some pretty good reviews too! I had a couple of roles in it, one as a background artiste, in the the local pub at a blind dating session and wandering in and out of scenes, and the second as a supporting actor, playing an American Tourist, complete with American accent.

So hopefully, that will be some good face time, and you’ll all get to hear my terrible accent. But even with that speaking part, there is no guarantee that you will. Lots of post production edits happen, which is why it’s called the cutting room floor. Take this most recent episode of the British Shameless. The scene I am in was filmed from multiple angles, with some relatively “tight” shots on me, but the finished version just shows the angle from the opposite side of me, where I am behind two other people. It’s very much a “blink and you’ll miss me” shot.

But, if you want to see me on TV, you can check it out on 4oD here. It’s the 100th episode of Shameless, quite a milestone episode to star in, and it was written by the series creator Paul Abbot. So check it out! To skip the shenanigans and wonderful language of the Shameless crew, you can skip ahead (after watching the necessary adverts) to 1:03:50 and wait for the scene to cut indoors. The cursing woman bumps in to me, twice, and if you freeze at 1:04:11, you’ll see me turn around. Then I get back to drug dealing.

If you’re in the US, you’ll need to download ExPat Shield so that you can make your computer look like it’s from the UK and thus access the video. (It’s just gives you a UK IP address). Plus you can watch lots of British shows too!

Fresh Meat is currently airing on Channel 4 too, at 10pm every Wednesday. I might be in tonight’s episode, it might be next weeks. My speaking part I think is episode 5, but that’s all subject to change. I’ll keep you informed, and again, it will be online too. I just saw the back of me, walking into the pub in episode 2. Nothing to write home about though, and more scenes on the way!

Other shows have yet to air, again, I will let you know when they do (and whether you can see me!).

More to the point, how can I have a job to go to, yet not be able to go, because of visa issues. Does it not make sense that if there is a job in the US where I am wanted, and this job is something I want to take, and it’s a job which ultimately benefits the US, that I should be allowed to work that job? Well no, because visas are a complicated thing.

I understand the logic behind them existing; obviously as a country, you want to make sure that your own unemployment rate is kept as low as possible, and that you look after your own citizens’ interests first. But, that shouldn’t be to the detriment to your own society.

The US allows thousands and thousands of foreign students to enter their universities each year. They are trained to American standards and an American curriculum, and often excel in the work which they produce. They graduate top of their class, having benefited from great resources and wonderful teaching. They have so much potential. And then they have to leave, forced out of the country that just gave them so much. Instead of being able to give back, they take their new skills off to their home country, to work for a foreign company which will than compete globally against an American company. Make sense?

This process happens in every field, from engineering to business, chemistry to accounting. While I may not have fallen into a skilled job category such as nuclear physics, I do have a lot to offer to the local and national community. Yet whether it be political work, or acting, whatever I should happen to choose, or whatever job I should happen to have, if it’s in the US, where I could be doing good, beneficial work to lots of Americans, I couldn’t just get the job.

I would have to go through a lot of time and expense to get there, which may cause some to say, is it worth it? For me, it is yes, because I really do love America and all it stands for, and sincerely want to live there and offer my services to the community. But, this isn’t the kind of thing that you can impress upon officials of any kind. Instead, you have to match a pre-determined criteria. Any deviation, and..tough luck.

America, it seems, doesn’t want the best.

Ok, that’s my rant over for the evening. I had planned some more entertaining blog posts, but I got bogged down filling in yet more visa forms. Complications with my application which mean there really is no guarantee I’ll be able to get a visa. We shall just have to see.

I’m not getting all philosophical on you, it was a question posed in a book I just read. One of the best books I’ve ever read in fact. And it has nothing to do with inter species breeding, or animals in the wild. It’s about a lot of things, but birds and fish don’t have a role to play.

Music: Yes. Physics: Yes. Politics: Yes. These are all important parts of the book, but they remain parts. The overarching theme is whether race trumps everything, or whether love, and family, can overcome the constraints of the colour of someone’s skin.

The book is called The Time Of Our Singing, by Richard Powers, and is a tale of epic proportions. It spans three generations of the Strom family, from 1939 to 1995, in the United States. The narrator, Joseph, is the son of a mixed race couple; she is from a Baptist family in Philadelphia, he is a German Jewish immigrant. They fall in love at the Marion Anderson concert, in Washington, and their lives spiral outwards from there.

They are united by their love of music, music of all kinds, and this musical thread winds throughout the book, as with incredible skill, the author makes you hear the music coming out of the pages. His descriptions of sounds, beats, and voices are just phenomenal, and his knowledge of all genres is fantastic. This is not a book you can just sit down and scribble out. It’s been painstakingly researched, as all the physics descriptions attest to, and is a true labour of love.

I’ve never read such an eloquent, verbose book before. On many occasions, the descriptions of people, of places, do not just serve the story; they are the story. As I’ve said, the book is about race and colour. It isn’t just black and white though, as the author’s descriptive ability shines when describing the skin colour of some of the protagonists. Imagining these characters is extremely easy with Powers’ words.

The story itself is easy to imagine, following Joseph as he devotes himself, and his piano playing skill to the services of his older brother Jonah, who has a voice like no other. Jonah is very fair, almost white, and tries in vain to assimilate himself into highbrow white European culture. Yet he remains just “one of the finest Negro singers around”. Ruth, the boys younger sister meanwhile, devotes her talents to the Black Panthers. Joseph remains stranded between the two. Everything that happens to the characters is set to a backdrop of race relations in the US during the 50′s, 60′s, 70′s and 80′s.

Historically, a lot happened during this period, which perhaps explains why the book is over 600 pages long. It was the historical and political nature of the book which drew me to it in the first place, but they merely remain in the background, anchoring the story firmly in reality. It’s the personal relationships which drive the book, and make the story so enthralling.

And, so relevant today. With the ten year anniversary of 9/11 fresh in my mind, the book offers an incredible window on tolerance, differences, and human nature. We all ought to remember the importance of tolerance, and should judge people on their actions, not on their looks.

Civil Rights have long been a passion of mine, and I focused my studies at university on the Civil Rights Movement in the US. This book showcases the Civil Rights Movement in a way no text book ever could. It’s not a fast read, not a trashy, throwaway novel. The descriptions are paramount to the story, and should be savoured. But it is a truly incredible read, and I heartily recommend it to anyone.

P.S. It’s my ambition to one day write, and narrate, a Civil Rights documentary series, in true BBC/PBS style. I once even mapped it out, episode by episode. Hopefully one day, I’ll have the resources to make it a reality, perhaps even in time for the  50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination, in 2017.