1 post tagged “hundreds tens and units”
Whoops! It seems I haven't posted on Vox since, well, almost exactly this time last year. Will this be the only thing I add in 2008? We shall see.
What did you do for Chinese New Year? I was looking forward to joining the crowds enjoying the glorious spring weather while attempting not to get pickpocketed in London's Chinatown. Instead what I did was to finally succumb to another cold that's been doing the rounds and spend most of the weekend in solitary, fidgety contemplation. This inevitably leads to feelings of despondency. Thus I have self-prescribed a cure: Supersystem (clicky to the righty).
Yes - if nothing else, 2007 was a great year for music. I joined eMusic on a particularly good deal (here are some of the best things I've picked up on there). I had a huge amount of fun playing in a great band that nearly went somewhere (mind you, don't they all).
And Last.fm, one of my favouritest ever websites, has gone from strength to strength. I even set up an artist account for my rubbishly-monikered Nanoloop music - which is good because MySpace still refuses to play anything I upload to my account on there.
Sit Down and Shut Up
Hmm, I didn't intend this to be a 2007-recap post, but then as I didn't really have a specific topic in mind, I may as well continue by saying that it was also the year I 'discovered' Zen Buddhism. This no doubt raises a few eyebrows when I mention it in conversation. I'm not sure yet what my stance is on Zen - but I do know that I find it very interesting. Compelling, even.
As an ex-Christian I'm fascinated by religion in general - specifically the religious mindset - but, it turns out, most of what I'd assumed I knew about Buddhism (which wasn't much to begin with) was wrong, and the meaning of Zen was a complete mystery beyond pop culture references. Then on a long train journey my friend put straight some of my preconceptions and I've become enthralled in a whole new culture and philosophy. I highly recommend Brad Warner's Sit Down and Shut Up to anyone with even a passing interest in the essential yet mind-blowing teachings of Zen.
It's not religion as I knew it. A lot of it is completely alien. And it's probably 'just a phase'. But I've been thinking of writing about my experiences as I learn about it here on Vox, so if you hear from my again - whoever you are - any time soon, that's probably what I'll be talking about.
