O Canada
The thing about keeping my perceptions open is that I spot trends and threads that otherwise might fly completely under my radar. Just at the moment, I can't seem to take a step in any direction without tripping over Canada or Canadians. :-) Bizarre... but really pleasurable. This weekend, just about everything that has happened to me has had a touch of the maple leaf about it; here goes...
A few weeks ago, I read on Tod Maffin's great blog "i love radio.org" that he was going to be in the UK, and was interested in meeting up with anyone with an interest in podcasting. Tod's a producer for CBC Radio in Canada; radio is his passion and day job, while podcasting is his hobby. (I've mentioned his fantastic show "How to do Stuff" in the past; as I wrote here, one particular episode of that show is still my pick for "podcast of the year"; I've played it to so many people, who just crack up when they hear it.) Anyway, we arranged to meet up for a coffee and a chat yesterday afternoon, and so we did; take it from me, a nicer, funnier guy you'd be hard pressed to find. It was a pleasure meeting you, Tod!
Having arranged to meet Tod in the afternoon, I suggested a morning meet-up with a great friend of mine, Marie. So we met for coffee and baklava in a cafe on the Edgware Road, and then adjourned to a nearby Persian restaurant for an absolutely gorgeous lunch. Nice to just chill out and have a girly chat for a few hours... and the Canadian connection? Building work on her new home in Toronto is nearly completed.
So, I have to make it from the Edgware Road to the Strand in exactly twenty minutes, including finding somewhere to park. And I make it through the tourist-crowded streets in exactly 22 minutes. Maybe I should consider a career option as a London cabbie. ;-) It helps to have some adrenalising music pumping through the speakers; which was from the album "Spiritual Machines" by the (you've guessed it) *Canadian* band Our Lady Peace. A band I'd been unaware of until hearing them mentioned (and played) on the show "Acts of Volition Radio" by the recipient of one of the extremely coveted "You Rock!" awards, Steven Garrity; who, of course, hails from Canada.
On the drive home, I listen to some more of the audiobook I'm currently enjoying; "Hey Nostradamus", which was written by one of my favourite authors, Douglas Coupland (and no prizes for guessing where *he* comes from).
This morning, my podcatcher greets me with the welcome arrival of Session 20 of "Acts of Volition Radio"; I'm saving that for tomorrow, for the weekly drive to London for electrolysis and speech and language therapy.
And tonight I see that a new article has been added to Toronto-based Melanie McBride's blog, "Chandrasutra". I was touched beyond words when she emailed me last weekend to ask if she could put an interview with me on her blog; but what made that request so much sweeter, for me, was when she explained that one of the reasons she wanted to include me was because she "needed some female energy in there".
You cannot possibly imagine how much that statement meant, to me.
This blog has been migrated to new software on a different server (http://www.multidimensional.me.uk) and comments on this post on *this* blog are now closed. All existing comments have been copied to the equivalent post on the new blog. If you still wish to comment on this post, please use the equivalent post at: http://www.multidimensional.me.uk/
A few weeks ago, I read on Tod Maffin's great blog "i love radio.org" that he was going to be in the UK, and was interested in meeting up with anyone with an interest in podcasting. Tod's a producer for CBC Radio in Canada; radio is his passion and day job, while podcasting is his hobby. (I've mentioned his fantastic show "How to do Stuff" in the past; as I wrote here, one particular episode of that show is still my pick for "podcast of the year"; I've played it to so many people, who just crack up when they hear it.) Anyway, we arranged to meet up for a coffee and a chat yesterday afternoon, and so we did; take it from me, a nicer, funnier guy you'd be hard pressed to find. It was a pleasure meeting you, Tod!
Having arranged to meet Tod in the afternoon, I suggested a morning meet-up with a great friend of mine, Marie. So we met for coffee and baklava in a cafe on the Edgware Road, and then adjourned to a nearby Persian restaurant for an absolutely gorgeous lunch. Nice to just chill out and have a girly chat for a few hours... and the Canadian connection? Building work on her new home in Toronto is nearly completed.
So, I have to make it from the Edgware Road to the Strand in exactly twenty minutes, including finding somewhere to park. And I make it through the tourist-crowded streets in exactly 22 minutes. Maybe I should consider a career option as a London cabbie. ;-) It helps to have some adrenalising music pumping through the speakers; which was from the album "Spiritual Machines" by the (you've guessed it) *Canadian* band Our Lady Peace. A band I'd been unaware of until hearing them mentioned (and played) on the show "Acts of Volition Radio" by the recipient of one of the extremely coveted "You Rock!" awards, Steven Garrity; who, of course, hails from Canada.
On the drive home, I listen to some more of the audiobook I'm currently enjoying; "Hey Nostradamus", which was written by one of my favourite authors, Douglas Coupland (and no prizes for guessing where *he* comes from).
This morning, my podcatcher greets me with the welcome arrival of Session 20 of "Acts of Volition Radio"; I'm saving that for tomorrow, for the weekly drive to London for electrolysis and speech and language therapy.
And tonight I see that a new article has been added to Toronto-based Melanie McBride's blog, "Chandrasutra". I was touched beyond words when she emailed me last weekend to ask if she could put an interview with me on her blog; but what made that request so much sweeter, for me, was when she explained that one of the reasons she wanted to include me was because she "needed some female energy in there".
You cannot possibly imagine how much that statement meant, to me.
This blog has been migrated to new software on a different server (http://www.multidimensional.me.uk) and comments on this post on *this* blog are now closed. All existing comments have been copied to the equivalent post on the new blog. If you still wish to comment on this post, please use the equivalent post at: http://www.multidimensional.me.uk/
posted by Koan @ 11:45:00 pm
2 Comments:
At 5:28 am,
Anonymous said…
Koan, it was my pleasure! I hope this interview brings a few new visitors to your blog and your podcasts (and vice versa). I also hope I'll get to actually meet you in person at Blogher. We'll have to do "lunch" as they say ;-)
At 6:06 am,
Koan said…
I say this in all seriousness; I'm really not fussed about how many people read my blog (and I'm *really* not fussed about how many people listen to CrossOver); I'd like to think that the need for the latter (and consequently, the noteworthiness of some of the content of the former) would be nil. But, apparently, there *is* a need. So I don't judge my efforts on circulation numbers or audience votes (sure, I'm aware of them, but primarily for quality control / "anonymous feedback" purposes); if the circulation suddenly drops, then that's a sign I may be heading into irrelevance, I guess.
Genuinely, if the people who *might* benefit from or find pleasure in what I write or record find their way here, that's all the reward I need.
As for lunch; I'm *always* up for doing lunch! :-)
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