Okay- my brain is now functioning a little better (although only a little…)

Returned to London yesterday morning at 5.40am, after a relatively pain-free bus ride. In contrast to the journey up, this bus was actually air-conditioned, so things didn’t go too badly, although I was only able to get a couple of hours sleep. Once I got home, after a couple of hours of running around going “Yeah! I’m back!!!” I crashed quite severely, went to bed till 12, and spent the rest of the day in a haze. Went to bed at 10.30pm, woke up at 5.40 a.m. Still feeling strange, and I’ve also had to work this morning, doing the review for Red Eye, and trying to think up movies with Rock Stars in them which are actually good. Which isn’t as easy as it sounds.

The air here is strange- I’d gotten used to fresh, Scotland-type air, so being back in the sticky fug of London is an unsettling experience. It’s very strange being back- and I have to try and get enough rest so that I feel like I can function, rather than just throwing myself at stuff and gradually making myself iller. I keep thinking that the Glandular Fever may be coming back, and I really don’t want it to.

My last day in Edinburgh was good- went for a walk up to the Edinburgh Royal Observatory, and then tried climbing up a gigantic hill next to Edinburgh called Arthur’s Seat- which felt terribly familiar in a really weird way, and it turns out that I’ve actually been there before, at the age of 3. I can remember the Scotland trip, I’ve just mixed together that with my trip part-way up Ben Nevis. Anyway, I didn’t make it all the way up, purely because I was tired and the wind was constantly in threat of blowing me off the hill and down a limb-breaking slope, so I headed back.

Also saw the first hour of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (had to leave in order to get ready for the bus, and would have seen more if there hadn’t been half a fragging hour of adverts on the beginning!) which was an oddly charmless experience. It’s closer to the book, and yet the Gene Wilder version actually captured more of the weird spirit of Dahl. Strange stuff.

Anyhow- I must relax, recuperate, and get something to eat. In that order.

Okay- I’m back.

And I’m still tired.

I’ll update tomorrow, when I’m capable of rational thought.

There’s Bob Marley playing on the stereo. I’m in the front lobby of the hostel, having bought some time on the Internet, and there’s just under five hours before I get on the bus. It’s been a funny couple of days- I managed to see three seperate shows yesterday. 20,000 Leagues Under The Office was brilliant- a mental explosion of physical comedy, slapstick, and the kind of daffy theatrical nonsense that I love. A couple of awkward moments, but otherwise outstanding stuff (especially when it’s just two people on a tiny stage). Later, I saw Rom.Com- an attempt at an internet spoof romance- and there were a couple of halfway decent moments, but mostly it was rather annoying and studenty. Finally, I saw Funny Women At The Fringe, a selection of female stand-up comics, which was hilariously funny (once the damn thing started- we had to wait in a nightmarishly claustrophobic bar).

Most of the Fringe is packing up today, so I’m considering possibly popping off to the Cinema for the final section of today. I’ve also eaten a truly gigantic Chinese meal, to the extent that I don’t want to eat too much for dinner. I don’t want to be hungry on the bus, but I don’t want to give myself an upset stomach either. I walked up to the Edinburgh Royal observatory, which was beautiful, and then worked my way along to this gigantic hill. I almost got all the way up it, but the trouble was the path dropped away to in incredibly steep slope on one side, it was incredibly blustery, and the entirety of Edinburgh was spread below me as an uneasy reminder of exactly how high up I was. Certain heights I just can’t cope with, and this was definitely one of them. I’m going to be nice to myself today, and I’m just hoping that the bus journey will be as comfortable as possible.

In conclusion, I am glad that I’ve done Edinburgh. I’ll do it differently next time (potentially for less days), but the positives have definitely outweighed the negatives.

And I can’t wait to get home.

I feel like I should be singing “My Way” on stage in a big auditorium.

Slept well last night- my plan of eating at a decent time rather than at 11.30 at night paid off in dividends. I now have one more night to go in the hostel, and I actually need to think about doing some packing tonight, which is quite a wild concept. If the delegate centre was like a ghost town yesterday, today it’s more like the Marie Celeste. The whole kit and kaboodle shuts down at 12, so I’m going to pop downstairs and try and watch something before the barriers come down.

I’ve also been having some good thoughts about my writing, and the fact that I am going to have to work like a dog when I get back if I’m ever actually going to get anywhere with it. It’s all acheivable, but none of it is going to be particularly easy.

I’m looking forward to getting the chance to enjoy Edinburgh- even if, on the day I’ve finally got the chance to take some pictures, it’s gone grey as hell. And I’m not worrying about the money side of things- I’m having a good time for the next 72 hours, and I’m going to make sure that I’m well fed and ready for sleep when I get on the bus tomorrow.

I may not get the chance to update before I get home. It’s been an interesting, weird and occasionally difficult ride- but, in the end, it feels like it’s been worth it.

(Almost forgot to mention the movies I saw last night- The Devil and Daniel Johnston was a weird, fascinating tale of a cult musician and his battle with severe mental disorders. Touching, illuminating, and quite excellent. P, on the other hand, was yet another Thai movie that doesn’t quite work for me, a tale of an “evil ghost girl” that’s very close to Buppa Rahtree (a previous Thai horror flick), very uneven, and not very scary. It’s also got a fabulously daft ending (Basically, imagine the “Take ME!!” ending of The Exorcist if Damien Carrass then had to sprint about a mile down the road in order to throw himself off something tall to kill himself. Doesn’t quite work, does it?)

I’m very aware of the fact that I’m losing free internet access when the Delegate’s centre closes tomorrow lunchtime, so I’m trying to make the best of it while I can. Ran into Dave, artist friend of Stevie’s and original creator of the Kooks- found out some changes that they’ve made to the screenplay (It’s a short film we’re doing). Not sure if I’m happy about hearing about the changes after they’ve been made (rather than at least being run past me first), I’m trying to be phillosophical and remind myself that, when it comes to the crunch, it ain’t my film. Had some fantastically wonderful Chinese food as well, and then watched a rather damn good serial killer thriller called Antibodies. Also heard from George briefly, and she’s doing fine, which is great. Back to the Hostel, some quick food, and then on to the evening’s two screenings.

There are some hills nearby, and I really want to walk in them on Monday. The idea of finding some green areas that I don’t know, and getting to explore them… that’s a good thing.

And being home is getting closer and closer.

Okay- the last one I did with my username. This is probably the better one- (and I like the robot more!)

Managed to watch the bits of Gunner Palace that I missed thanks to being asleep (which was, to be honest, most of the movie). I’ve managed to bag a screening for this afternoon of a thriller called Antibodies, then I’ve got Devil and Daniel Johnston (which I’m not quite sure about…) and Thai horror P. I may try watching something tomorrow morning in the Videotecque, but I’m not panicking.

Everything’s quietening down here. The Delegate Centre is like a ghost town, and tomorrow it closes its doors for good at 12.30. It’s a strange feeling- good, but strange.

I’m off to lug my stuff back to the hostel, grab some food- and possibly leap into a live show if I’ve got the time. I am determined to have a good time for the next couple of days.

Something that made me smile (thanks to Nessreader….)

It’s 9.00. And I don’t have to go to a screening. This feels very, very strange.

Yesterday was a bit wearing- saw The Beat That My Heart Skipped, which did finally win me over despite the fact that I spent most of the movie restless and not wanting to be in a Cinema. It’s not the movie’s fault, it’s just that I’ve been doing way too much of that kind of thing recently. I’ve got some Videotechqing to do over the next day, but if I don’t get it all done, that’s okay.

Slept well. Even managed to dream- all I can remember is being on a tube-type train where it had to pass through these various pink muslim curtains that had been hung over the track. George was with me, and had to run off at one station, and only just made it back in time. Nice to know that I’m getting to hang out with her in my subconscious, even if it’s not going to be happening for another week.

I’ve got two more nights at the hostel. Three more days in Edinburgh. There’s stuff to do when I get home, but for the moment, I’m just looking forward to being back in London, in my flat, and not having to move from the sofa for a while.

I think my body is trying to tell me something. I just watched Gunner Palace, a very good, very absorbing documentary about American soldiers in Iraq- at least, the bits that I saw were good. Trouble was, I fell asleep about ten minutes in, and woke up an hour later. It’s a little frustrating, as I am trying to make the best of all the stuff I’ve got going on here, but now that the Industry Screenings are over, it’s like the momentum is slowing to a trickle. Tomorrow is going to be catching up with stuff in the Videotecque (hopefully), and two screenings- The Devil and Daniel Johnston, and P. After that, the Festival is over. Was asked twice today “if I was going to the party tomorrow night”, which was news (the answer was no). I’m not sure if I’ve networked enough over the last couple of weeks, but keeping myself sane has been difficult enough. The weather here has gone rather grey, and it’s sapped my mood somewhat. However, I am determined to keep myself happy, and that my last couple of days in Edinburgh are going to be adventurous and fun.

I can’t wait to be home. And I can’t wait to see George again.