blin 30 November 2008
Apparently Boris Yeltsin, in his heyday, once got Bill Clinton’s name famously wrong and called him Blin Clinton. Blin, as you may know, is the Russian for pancake – as in blinis etc. Now there is a pancake chain in Kiev, Ukraine, called Blin Clinton’s – you gotta love that (and I guess it would have been a gulag-going offence in the bad old days…)
Watched Kenneth Branagh as Kurt Wallander tonight on the Beeb and I thought it was very, very good. I enjoy the books (if that’s the word – they are a brilliant detective series but grey and low key in all the best possible ways). He is probably too young and so on but SUCH a good actor that I thought he made the character his own. The rest of the cast were impeccable too. It’s tremendously and stylishly well made. I will tune in to the 2 other full length features coming over the next weeks.
Strictly Come Dancing (also the BBC – hurrah) is getting UNBEARABLY exciting now…
I think I may do some Christmas shopping tomorrow – the thought FILLS me with dread…I still don’t like the whole Yuletide festivities thing but I must say the weather is perfect for it in Dublin right now – it’s those cold, bright, crisp, dry days that are a pleasure to be out in if you’re wrapped up tight. Not SO great being in a house with many, many draughts cos it’s not finished but I’ll stop right now before the whinging takes hold of me…3 more weeks, 3 more weeks , 3 more weeks (if I say that often enough it might happen…) all together now – 3 more weeks!
