I held my breath, but nothing happened. No noise, no tipping forward and falling and no shrinking feeling. Instead bright light flooded the chest, sunlight, dazzlingly clear.
'What can you see?' called someone.
I gazed through the doorway. 'I can see,' I said slowly, 'the sea.'
'What? said Robert, incredulously.
'Yes,' I said, 'I promise you. Are you coming?' I turned to look at them. I could see them more clearly now, there must have been nearly thirty of them huddled together, most with worried faces.
'You're not going through there?' said a man.
'Well I'm not going to stay in a chest I can't get out of,' I replied, 'now is anyone coming with me, or am I going by myself?'
'I'll come,' said a girl, stepping out of the crowd. She was about my age and height, although, since we'd shrunk, I wasn't sure if that meant anything.
'So will I,' said someone else, and then suddenly they all decided they'd quite like a change of scenery and eventually even Robert gave in.
'Good,' I said, 'let's go then.' Slowly I stepped through the door and onto soft sand. The sun was hot and bright and we all blinked as our eyes adjusted to it. We spread out onto the beach and some people went cautiously down to the water's edge. Others turned and looked around. When the last person stepped through the door it swung firmly shut, and no amount of banging or wiggling the handle could open it.
'It's like the lid of the chest,' I said, 'it can only be opened from one side.' It looked very odd stood there on the beach by itslef but now we began to wonder what new world we had found.
'Where do you suppose we are?' said someone.
'It's the Caribbean,' said Robert.
'Or the Pacific,' I offered, either way, it's an island.
There was a small hill rising away from the beach and after a short climb we were able to see all around and this confirmed my statement.
'Well it's bigger than the chest,' said the girl.
'Can't be more than half a mile long, though,' said Robert, 'and less than that wide. I don't see any more doors either.'
'Will you stop being so gloomy,' said a woman, this is much better than the chest, and of course there aren't any doors, everyone knows the only way off an island is by boat.'
She's right, I thought, I just hope it doesn't take eighteen years for one to turn up.
Friday, 22 February 2013
Thursday, 21 February 2013
The Padlocked Chest
Yesterday in my Writing for Young People class at Uni we were given a task, just to get us writing. We were given a short beginning to a story and had to continue it. This is what I was given:
I sneaked into the old, abandoned house at the end of the street. I was surprised to find a small, padlocked treasure chest on a dresser in an upstairs bedroom. There was a note that said, "Do not open. EVER!" I also noticed a small key hanging on the wall. I tried the key in the padlock. It was a perfect fit.
Maybe you have some idea about how you would continue this story, but here is what I wrote:
I paused. My heart began to beat quicker and my hand, which was still holding the key, began to shake. Was I really going to do this? I couldn't very well not now. I glanced about, breathed in slowly and then, as quickly as I could, turned the key and flipped the lid open.
An intense amount of noise hit my ears and at the same moment I felt myself get tipped forward, going head first into the chest. That was ridiculous though, I was was much to big to fit into such a small chest. As I fell, however, I realised that I was shrinking rapidly, until I landed with a thud on on the bottom. The lid slammed shut above me and plunged the inside into darkness.
I lay still for a moment, dazed from the fall and then I heard a click and a chink of light appeared above me. The key had been removed from the hole.
'Hello,' said a voice.
I jumped and turned around on the spot. In the small amount of light I made out a whole crowd of people. Slowly they gathered around me.
'Hello,' the man said again, 'what's your name?'
I was still very surprised and confused, but I managed to say, 'Edward.'
'Welcome Edward,' said the man, 'my name is Robert.'
'Do you live here?' I asked.
Robert looked at the others. 'You could say that, yes, but we haven't always. We came here the same way you did. I have been here for eighteen years. I was about your age when I unlocked the chest.'
'Can't you get out?' I said.
'To get out through the lid is impossible unless it is unlocked, but it is only unlocked when someone like yourself comes along. We tried to warn you by shouting but it never works.'
That explained the noise, I thought. 'So there's no other way out?' I questioned.
'Well,' said Robert, 'there is a small door, over in that corner, but it has another sign with it.'
I peered through the gloom and made out the door and the sign above it that said, "Do not open. EVER!" 'That's the same sign which is on this chest,' I commented.
'Yes,' said the man sadly.
'So, why has no-one opened the door?'
'We made the mistake once, why would we make it again?' said a woman.
'Correct,' said Robert, 'we have learnt our lesson.'
'No!' I said, 'we should open it.'
'Shhh, now,' said Robert, 'you've had a big fall, don't get upset.'
'This is ridiculous,' I said, standing up. Then I raced to the door and grabbed the key.
'No! Don't!' screamed the people, but too late, I turned the key and swung the door wide open.
I sneaked into the old, abandoned house at the end of the street. I was surprised to find a small, padlocked treasure chest on a dresser in an upstairs bedroom. There was a note that said, "Do not open. EVER!" I also noticed a small key hanging on the wall. I tried the key in the padlock. It was a perfect fit.
Maybe you have some idea about how you would continue this story, but here is what I wrote:
I paused. My heart began to beat quicker and my hand, which was still holding the key, began to shake. Was I really going to do this? I couldn't very well not now. I glanced about, breathed in slowly and then, as quickly as I could, turned the key and flipped the lid open.
An intense amount of noise hit my ears and at the same moment I felt myself get tipped forward, going head first into the chest. That was ridiculous though, I was was much to big to fit into such a small chest. As I fell, however, I realised that I was shrinking rapidly, until I landed with a thud on on the bottom. The lid slammed shut above me and plunged the inside into darkness.
I lay still for a moment, dazed from the fall and then I heard a click and a chink of light appeared above me. The key had been removed from the hole.
'Hello,' said a voice.
I jumped and turned around on the spot. In the small amount of light I made out a whole crowd of people. Slowly they gathered around me.
'Hello,' the man said again, 'what's your name?'
I was still very surprised and confused, but I managed to say, 'Edward.'
'Welcome Edward,' said the man, 'my name is Robert.'
'Do you live here?' I asked.
Robert looked at the others. 'You could say that, yes, but we haven't always. We came here the same way you did. I have been here for eighteen years. I was about your age when I unlocked the chest.'
'Can't you get out?' I said.
'To get out through the lid is impossible unless it is unlocked, but it is only unlocked when someone like yourself comes along. We tried to warn you by shouting but it never works.'
That explained the noise, I thought. 'So there's no other way out?' I questioned.
'Well,' said Robert, 'there is a small door, over in that corner, but it has another sign with it.'
I peered through the gloom and made out the door and the sign above it that said, "Do not open. EVER!" 'That's the same sign which is on this chest,' I commented.
'Yes,' said the man sadly.
'So, why has no-one opened the door?'
'We made the mistake once, why would we make it again?' said a woman.
'Correct,' said Robert, 'we have learnt our lesson.'
'No!' I said, 'we should open it.'
'Shhh, now,' said Robert, 'you've had a big fall, don't get upset.'
'This is ridiculous,' I said, standing up. Then I raced to the door and grabbed the key.
'No! Don't!' screamed the people, but too late, I turned the key and swung the door wide open.
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
A deep and amusing conversation
Part of a conversation in my 6th form common room many years ago. (I've changed the names of those involved to Harry, Barry and Larry.)
H: It’s not.
B: Yes it is. (laughs)
H: Nothing makes nothing. Means nothing makes nothing.
L: A equals B. B equals C. Therefore C equals A. But Jane loves Pete. Pete loves Mary. Therefore Mary loves Jane, doesn't work.
B: That’s the same as, you have a table and a saw. Cut the table in half, two halves make a whole and you jump through it.
H: The only reason nothing makes nothing works, in a general sense, is because we don’t have nothing. As soon as you start saying there’s nothing outside the universe, nothing makes nothing doesn’t work anymore.
B: The universe is mainly made up of nothing.
H: Is a vacuum something?
B: No, a vacuum is absence of something.
H: But it is still something.
L: Not tangible.
H: What happens when you take away the vacuum?
B: Well you can’t take away the vacuum; the only way you can remove the vacuum is by adding.
H: Just because there’s a blank piece of paper there, with nothing on it, it’s still a piece of paper. There’s nothing in a vacuum but it’s still a vacuum.
B: A vacuum is just a description.
H: Of something.
B: No a vacuum is a description of the absence of something.
H: But anyway my theory was really good, and it was that if nothing makes nothing then nothing must be multiplying.
B: That is good.
H: Which means the something inside the universe must be spreading out into the nothing by diffusion.
L: Why is the universe spreading?
L: If there’s nothing there, how can that draw you?
H: Because it’s diffusion (laughs) by concentration of stuff, or no concentration of stuff.
B: (laughs) Oh dear.
H: And my other thought was, if the universe is expanding and time and space are linked and we’re getting more space, what’s happening to time? Maybe we just don’t know, maybe time is constantly warping.
L: Time is only in the universe, though, time is not in nothing.
H: That’s why it’s growing.
L: Why are time and space linked?
H: Because Einstein said so.
L: What's the theory behind that?
B: Yes time and space aren’t supposed to be linked.
H: The space-time continuum.
L: I thought that was something out of/
H: Star trek/
L: Back to the Future or Star Trek, or one of them.
H: But it is real, he did write a lot about it.
B: You’ve got it in the wrong context-
H: - I don’t have it in any wrong context!
(General laughter)
H: The reason the universe is expanding is because time is happening and it’s affecting things. If you stop time you can stop the universe, or if we stop the universe we will stop time.
L: At the end of the universe time will end and there will be no time.
H: Why wouldn’t there be any time. Just cause there’s no clocks?
L: There’ll be no night or day.
H: Well that’s just a measurement, there’s nothing to compare it against.
B: Therefore you can only really gauge time by your aging.
H: Does the justification of time warrant that time exists?
B: I’m sure you can’t deny that time exists.
H: Can’t you?!
B: Try.
H: I can deny the future exists, I can deny the past exists.
B: The future hasn’t happened yet. The past is just a record of events.
H: The future doesn’t exist-
B: -No it doesn’t exist yet.
H: If the future doesn’t exist that means we’re creating something somehow. Something’s being created all the time.
B: No, something’s progressing.
H: That means it’s already there to progress to. If it’s not there and then it happens, then it’s created somehow.
B: It’s not there to progress to.
H: Well you’re saying the future doesn’t exist but somehow we’re gonna get there.
B: Because everything around is changing. It’s not being destroyed and then created, it’s just altering.
H: You know when we say, ‘Now’.
B: Yes.
H: The present, how long is the present?
B: Now that just comes from your own opinion, it could be present day, a year, a month.
H: Yeah but when we say, ‘Now’. Me saying, ‘now’.
L: Is then past.
H: The ‘N’ and the ‘W’ are in different times.
B: That’s just your opinion.
H: But when does it happen? Like now, when I’m experiencing now? I’m not experiencing one time at all. It’s just going past like a motorbike.
B: Maybe you’re thinking too much
H: The present is just not; it’s just a happy interruption of the past.
B: What before we get onto the future?
H: Yeah. All there is, is a past and a future, and our interpretation of what we call the present.
L: But then if you say, “in a minute I’m going to say, ‘now’, then you know the future.
H: Maybe none of it exists
B: (to someone else who’s just arrived) You don’t want to come here.
H: None of it exists.
L: Deep conversation.
B: And my head hurts.
H: You’re holding up quite well.
H:
What I wanted to tell you was that I’ve figured out the expansion of
the universe. Outside the universe there is nothing, apparently, and it
keeps on expanding into nothing. We were thinking about why, and Mr Smith says
that that’s impossible because nothing makes nothing. So, if nothing makes nothing then nothing
must constantly be multiplying, cause nothing makes nothing. There’s growing
more and more nothing.
B: That’s just play of words.H: It’s not.
B: Yes it is. (laughs)
H: Nothing makes nothing. Means nothing makes nothing.
L: A equals B. B equals C. Therefore C equals A. But Jane loves Pete. Pete loves Mary. Therefore Mary loves Jane, doesn't work.
B: That’s the same as, you have a table and a saw. Cut the table in half, two halves make a whole and you jump through it.
H: The only reason nothing makes nothing works, in a general sense, is because we don’t have nothing. As soon as you start saying there’s nothing outside the universe, nothing makes nothing doesn’t work anymore.
B: The universe is mainly made up of nothing.
H: Is a vacuum something?
B: No, a vacuum is absence of something.
H: But it is still something.
L: Not tangible.
H: What happens when you take away the vacuum?
B: Well you can’t take away the vacuum; the only way you can remove the vacuum is by adding.
H: Just because there’s a blank piece of paper there, with nothing on it, it’s still a piece of paper. There’s nothing in a vacuum but it’s still a vacuum.
B: A vacuum is just a description.
H: Of something.
B: No a vacuum is a description of the absence of something.
H: But anyway my theory was really good, and it was that if nothing makes nothing then nothing must be multiplying.
B: That is good.
H: Which means the something inside the universe must be spreading out into the nothing by diffusion.
L: Why is the universe spreading?
H: Because it’s being drawn into the multiplying nothingness down a
concentration gradient.
B:
You can’t be drawn into nothing.L: If there’s nothing there, how can that draw you?
H: Because it’s diffusion (laughs) by concentration of stuff, or no concentration of stuff.
B: (laughs) Oh dear.
H: And my other thought was, if the universe is expanding and time and space are linked and we’re getting more space, what’s happening to time? Maybe we just don’t know, maybe time is constantly warping.
L: Time is only in the universe, though, time is not in nothing.
H: That’s why it’s growing.
L: Why are time and space linked?
H: Because Einstein said so.
L: What's the theory behind that?
B: Yes time and space aren’t supposed to be linked.
H: The space-time continuum.
L: I thought that was something out of/
H: Star trek/
L: Back to the Future or Star Trek, or one of them.
H: But it is real, he did write a lot about it.
B: You’ve got it in the wrong context-
H: - I don’t have it in any wrong context!
(General laughter)
H: The reason the universe is expanding is because time is happening and it’s affecting things. If you stop time you can stop the universe, or if we stop the universe we will stop time.
L: At the end of the universe time will end and there will be no time.
H: Why wouldn’t there be any time. Just cause there’s no clocks?
L: There’ll be no night or day.
H: Well that’s just a measurement, there’s nothing to compare it against.
B: Therefore you can only really gauge time by your aging.
H: Does the justification of time warrant that time exists?
B: I’m sure you can’t deny that time exists.
H: Can’t you?!
B: Try.
H: I can deny the future exists, I can deny the past exists.
B: The future hasn’t happened yet. The past is just a record of events.
H: The future doesn’t exist-
B: -No it doesn’t exist yet.
H: If the future doesn’t exist that means we’re creating something somehow. Something’s being created all the time.
B: No, something’s progressing.
H: That means it’s already there to progress to. If it’s not there and then it happens, then it’s created somehow.
B: It’s not there to progress to.
H: Well you’re saying the future doesn’t exist but somehow we’re gonna get there.
B: Because everything around is changing. It’s not being destroyed and then created, it’s just altering.
H: You know when we say, ‘Now’.
B: Yes.
H: The present, how long is the present?
B: Now that just comes from your own opinion, it could be present day, a year, a month.
H: Yeah but when we say, ‘Now’. Me saying, ‘now’.
L: Is then past.
H: The ‘N’ and the ‘W’ are in different times.
B: That’s just your opinion.
H: But when does it happen? Like now, when I’m experiencing now? I’m not experiencing one time at all. It’s just going past like a motorbike.
B: Maybe you’re thinking too much
H: The present is just not; it’s just a happy interruption of the past.
B: What before we get onto the future?
H: Yeah. All there is, is a past and a future, and our interpretation of what we call the present.
L: But then if you say, “in a minute I’m going to say, ‘now’, then you know the future.
H: Yeah, you know the future.
B: Look. It depends. I will do
something, I am in the process of doing something, I have done something.
It all depends how it fits the situation.H: Maybe none of it exists
B: (to someone else who’s just arrived) You don’t want to come here.
H: None of it exists.
L: Deep conversation.
B: And my head hurts.
H: You’re holding up quite well.
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
Where Your Treasure Is
"Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is there your heart will be also."
Luke 12 v 33-34
"Sell your possessions." Sounds pretty difficult doesn't it. Could you do it? Could you give away everything that isn't essential to your existence?
Most of us have more things that we even know what to do with, things that aren't necessary, but still we don't feel like parting with them. Yet here is a command to sell everything! The reason it seems hard though can be found in the second sentence. "For where your treasure is there your heart will be also." If we make our possessions our treasure, we will not want to let them go, even to help someone else. But if our treasure is in heaven, earthly things lose their importance. Remember we will all die one day and our possessions will be worthless.
Still we worry about how we will live without our possessions, but Jesus says, "I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear." (Luke 12 v 22) And he said that 2000 years ago!
But how about the things that are precious to us, how can we sell them. Well Jesus is not necessarily demanding you to get rid of everything important to you, he does not wish us to be upset, or in need ourselves, in fact he wishes to bless us abudantly. However if we are to pass on what we have it is hardest to sell those things that mean the most to us because in our eyes they are priceless. And how do you sell something that is priceless? Well, you can't, so the only option is to give it freely, finding someone who needs it and will look after it.
This is all very tough, and will remain tough until we change our perspective. We need to stop judging our lives by what we own, they should not define us. How can they?
"A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Luke 12 v 15b)
What do we really need, and where is our focus? Lets keep things real!
Luke 12 v 33-34
"Sell your possessions." Sounds pretty difficult doesn't it. Could you do it? Could you give away everything that isn't essential to your existence?
Most of us have more things that we even know what to do with, things that aren't necessary, but still we don't feel like parting with them. Yet here is a command to sell everything! The reason it seems hard though can be found in the second sentence. "For where your treasure is there your heart will be also." If we make our possessions our treasure, we will not want to let them go, even to help someone else. But if our treasure is in heaven, earthly things lose their importance. Remember we will all die one day and our possessions will be worthless.
Still we worry about how we will live without our possessions, but Jesus says, "I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear." (Luke 12 v 22) And he said that 2000 years ago!
But how about the things that are precious to us, how can we sell them. Well Jesus is not necessarily demanding you to get rid of everything important to you, he does not wish us to be upset, or in need ourselves, in fact he wishes to bless us abudantly. However if we are to pass on what we have it is hardest to sell those things that mean the most to us because in our eyes they are priceless. And how do you sell something that is priceless? Well, you can't, so the only option is to give it freely, finding someone who needs it and will look after it.
This is all very tough, and will remain tough until we change our perspective. We need to stop judging our lives by what we own, they should not define us. How can they?
"A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Luke 12 v 15b)
What do we really need, and where is our focus? Lets keep things real!
Thursday, 17 January 2013
The Impossible and Les Miserables
Last night I saw The Impossible, which, if you don't know, is about the tsunami that hit South East Asia on Boxing Day in 2004. The film is the true story of a family who decided to spend the holiday at a beach resort in Thailand. Henry (McGregor), his wife Maria (Watts) and their three sons experienced the full horror of the disaster and the film relays that horror in detail, from the grotesque injuries to the pain of separation and not knowing if your family are alive. All this is pieced up with wide shots of mass devastation and rows of dead bodies waiting to be claimed. As you can imagine the film is very intense and made more so by the dramatic way it has been filmed with long chaotic sequences underwater or in the hospital.
The acting is good, as you would expect, although they mostly spend their time lying on beds looking tired and ill or swimming around in murky water. More plaudits should go to the director Juan Antonio Bayona for the hard hitting way he has put together this film, which very clearly shows the craziness of being in a natural disaster.
An incredible and powerful film, although not one I necessarily want to see again soon. The previous night I saw Les Miserables, which has already gone straight to the top of the UK box office and is proving a big hit around the globe. Adapted from the long running stage musical, and the original book, the film gives yet more life to this story.
I'll admit I was worried about the cast because there were, for me, too many stars, but each and every one of them put in strong performances and surpassed my expectations. I have to pick out a couple though for special mentions. Firstly Anne Hathaway (Fantine), who I was least looking forward to seeing. Before hand I could only picture her in goofy roles such as in Princess Diaries, but she blew me away with an incredible performance that set up the whole film. Secondly Eddie Redmayne (Marius), who I am growing to appreciate more and more. I did not expect him to sing as well as he did and again his acting was superb. Finally Samantha Barks (Eponine), someone I have admired since she was part of the BBC show 'I'd do anything'. She was perhaps the biggest unknown, certainly world-wide, but played her part beautifully. She was not dwarfed by the presence of the other actors but held her own and, of course, sang brilliantly.
Filmically it looked beautiful; the sets and costumes were fantastic and the music, which to many is already so well known, was done just about perfectly, I thought. If you are going to see this film, which I highly recommend, be prepared to come out feeling like you've been shot. Adrenaline will be pumping through you, but at the same time you'll just want to crash and not do anything for several hours, or at least I didn't!This is a phenomenal film, definitely go and see it!
Tuesday, 15 January 2013
The Colours of Autumn
This is a video I posted of photos from the beautiful Bath Spa University campus where I am fortunate enough to study.
I took the photos in the autumn term of 2012.
Enjoy
Saturday, 12 January 2013
Grey skies for a grey day
A wet Saturday in January. Feeling strange, feeling sad, although there is nothing strange and nothing to feel sad about. The radiators are on. I get more feelings: curling on sofas and wearing large jumpers and reading quietly.
Next door the children, so noisy in the early morning, have gone silent, or gone out, though where to? In the rain and easterly wind that threatens snow, which wouldn't settle.
Work has to be done, or rather, study. Increasing knowledge, producing word counts, perfecting techniques. All the while finishing the last of the Christmas chocolate, of which there was actually a large amount. Tiredness will come swiftly tonight.
The year has yet to really get going, or maybe it's already in full flow, but just doesn't feel like it. Not much has happened, and then again, quite a lot. I think things are a bit unsettled, like the weather; sunny yesterday, raindrops racing on windows today. There's a steady patter on the glass.
Is there anything interesting happening where you are?
Well it is January in a wet Saturday.
Next door the children, so noisy in the early morning, have gone silent, or gone out, though where to? In the rain and easterly wind that threatens snow, which wouldn't settle.
Work has to be done, or rather, study. Increasing knowledge, producing word counts, perfecting techniques. All the while finishing the last of the Christmas chocolate, of which there was actually a large amount. Tiredness will come swiftly tonight.
The year has yet to really get going, or maybe it's already in full flow, but just doesn't feel like it. Not much has happened, and then again, quite a lot. I think things are a bit unsettled, like the weather; sunny yesterday, raindrops racing on windows today. There's a steady patter on the glass.
Is there anything interesting happening where you are?
Well it is January in a wet Saturday.
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