Blessing’s HIFA Diary - Day 4, Bedridden spirit, poetry & ZESA
30 April Friday
Lion Lager day
“Life is just a shelter for the soul.” – Phillippa Yaa de Villiers - poet (HIFA 2010)
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Today my body came to HIFA but my spirit stayed in bed. It caught up with me much later on, just before the Hot House Flowers show in the evening but by that time I could only persuade my body to stay only a little bit longer.
My day started off with Only Hope, a play at the Standard Theatre, which ironically enough began with a funeral scene, just like Hamlet did, in the same theatre two days ago. The dirge they sang was exactly the same as in Hamlet, but without the searing quality of the delivery, however, it fitted the scene. Deja-vu? I sat too close to the front and felt far too involved in the whole enterprise. I always prefer to be a little further away so as not to feel too captive an audience. However, there was some really good acting here. Read more
Blessing’s HIFA Diary- Day 2, Magic
28 April, Wednesday
CABS DAY
Some memorable soundbites of the day:
“Absence is a mass noun …”
“The tonnage of years …” - Richard Brown - poet
“You are a friend of my conscience…” Yasus Afari - poet, Reggae artist
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I have discovered that I have the magical ability to close my eyes, turn over in my bed and turn night into morning. It happened for real. I guess it’s a feat made easier by the kind of evening I had. After the opening show we went to the Coca-Cola Green ( known as the Green from now on). Had several drinks at Laiza’s Restaurant with assorted friends and family, watched a bit of Liyana ( with Prudence, of the Music by Prudence fame) and finally made it home just after midnight, at which point I set out to write my diary for the day. At about 3 am I quit battling with my modem and that’s when the magic happened.
Somehow by the time I climbed the stairs to the press room this morning I felt human again and ready to do repeat the internet/modem battle. I eventually won the battle but at the cost of missing the Shanghai dance and acrobatic show. Oh internet, they name is plod! I then made it to another dance show, just barely though, and this is the trouble with things that start dead on time. Probably the most interesting piece in this show, was one that involved the putting on of sweaters and then taking them off again almost before they were on and I couldn’t help thinking that I could do that, in fact I do do it when I can’t decide what to wear or when I discover I’ve put my sweater on backwards and try to right the wrong without taking it off completely again. I just don’t put as much symmetry into the movements. Read more
