Flett-cetera

Greetings readers! I must apologise for my prolonged absence from the typewriter but we’re back on track now and I will once again lead you into the light of my goings-on.

So what’s new? Well, I’m back at school again; a couple of new faces and many gone for good. Over the summer I attended a sound engineering course on Fridays where I learned how to set up and mix for live bands. This led to a purchasing of a Yamaha Stagepas 300 portable PA system which I acquired with the extensive riches accumulated through the graft of dish-washing at the Standing Stones Hotel.

As of yet I have not used this for any enterprising schemes, or even addressed the public with it but I plan to make money out of it somehow. Whether that means public performance of some of my material published over the summer (https://soundcloud.com/alasdair-flett here’s the link if you’re curious) or putting myself up for hire for parties as DJ, I don’t know. Anyway I do have one gig lined up entertaining the WRI (Women’s Rural Institute) but that’s a while off…

Basically I’ve been having fun playing around with that. I have continued to volunteer with the Pier Arts Centre on Saturdays which entailed helping out on their stand at the County Show and helping out at workshops during Shopping Week among other things. I have also been attending “Pier group” meetings which have led to an exhibition to do with the changing view of Stromness with the Copland’s Dock Developments and by extrapolation, what “the view” represents. I was gifted some interesting books with pencil drawings by Diana Leslie of the view from Brinkie’s Brae and an entertaining book of quotations from “famous” Orcadians on what Orkney would be like in the future.

So yes, work is starting to reduce as things get less busy, the Stromness Pool where I train (don’t know whether I’ve mentioned that) has closed for maintenance so I’m through to the fancy new Kirkwall pool at the Pickiquoy Centre on Tuesday mornings and my piano teacher is moving to Spain. Things are changing and I’m not really sure where I’m going next but hopefully everything will turn out okay. Anyway, waffling. Cheerio.

Hello my lovelies. Its been too long. Well what’s new hmm… I’m on exam leave at the moment and I’m half way through them. I’ve been working fairly frequently as it happens.

Work, yes I haven’t told you much about that. I am employed as a kitchen porter at the Standing Stones Hotel. Some are quick to dismiss me as a lowly dishwasher yet I am proud to claim my title is justified as I have been known to bread a haddock every now and again.

It is true, my friends,  I live a double life. An existence concealed, inaccessible to the majority. A world where my name is forgotten and I take on a new persona, that of the majestic phoenix: Brundle.

The fateful day of my christening was not marked with ceremony, only an innocuous Facebook posting proclaiming I was to be bestowed with these characters and associated thereafter. I did not question what was happening at the time but in the months that have followed I have learned to embrace my double identity.

I have trawled the interweb for clues as to what my new name could mean but have never come across anything that was entirely conclusive. Perhaps as a non-word it has taken on a new meaning, one that is evolving constantly, living, breathing, changing. Brundle represents a time, a specific period of my reality which I must overcome and move beyond for the good of myself.

If anything, Brundle has taught me how important it is to pass exams and progress into the future because if you get complacent, you will just be stuck there in the Brundleverse unable to escape, unable to move on. Overtime you’ll enjoy it, never want to leave, because its a simple life where you are appreciated and you are amongst friends. But that’s the trap we all risk falling into, to stay somewhere comfortable in blissful isolation from the real world without ever evolving. We cannot allow this we must acquire the means to escape and in this world that means passing exams, so that’s what I’m off to do [hopefully ;)]     

The idea was an adaption of another school’s one-off event, though our’s was of a distinctly different hue. Stromness Academy has no uniform. People come to school wearing as they please, so why opt for a dress code?

The concept is simple enough; “Come to school in a white shirt and tie next Tuesday, other finery welcomed but not compulsory.” This was the premise set out in the Facebook page created to deal with the organisation of the event. This was met with much intrigue and many pledged their support early in the week, they seemed strangely taken with the idea.

As the scattergun approach was adopted when it came to the target market, discussion was promoted across a diverse range of social groups and this was very encouraging. The big day drew closer but as I began to question my advocates in practical terms, their commitment seemed to waver. Perhaps in hindsight, though we had longer to prepare, the timescale meant people had time to doubt themselves.

Monday night was here. I frantically mined the social network, working tirelessly to sell the idea to people. Many promised their attendance. I personally almost doubted for a second, #getyourgladragson was not exactly trending, though it had been favourited. I lay in bed buzzing with excitement, the tie had been practiced, shirt ironed and alarm set ten minutes earlier than usual to allow for the sprucing.

My first disappointment came when my bus companion had failed to partake. Of all the people! He had witnessed the conception of the idea, endorsed it and nurtured it to this date – I had taken his word for the truth! So I stood by the radiator and shrugged off derogatory remarks for ten minutes until a beaming auburn headed talisman strode in sporting the colours of the movement, I called out, “You are my only true friend!”

Next to arrive after a significant succession of no-shows was another present at the event’s formative stages, he had truly embraced the theme and I was proud of this outwardly display of commitment. The newest member of our year, not yet acquainted enough to feel the judgement of his peers to the extent of the more established presences, wore a jumper over his shirt and tie; reflecting his slight insecurity about the lack of participation.

My last hopeful arrived predictably last minute in his usual outfit and was promptly scorned by the assembled trio until he revealed he had a shirt in his bag and would be back shortly to join in the festivities. So I sauntered into reg. a trifle dejected, all we had managed to muster surmounted only to a quintet. Alack, my spirit soared again for the presence of a blue-haired maiden clad in tights of a similar hue and a loosely hung tie over a crinkled white collar.

So, what conclusions can I draw from the unfoldings which presented themselves? We are not fascists, there was not a hint of militarism in our purpose. We do not exist to intimidate, we merely exist. The beauty of it is that the basic concept is so simple and broad that it can be interpreted by the individual how they choose. No one was coerced into doing it, participation was entirely voluntary. Sharing a common dress code is a step towards unity and common purpose without having to be oppressive. In fact everything about the organisation of the day was democratic. Formal Tuesday is about exercising our right to form societies and this gained respect from many observers. This was reflected in the sequential repetition in which 33.333…% more pupils took part.   

Hashtag Sympathy: Boston, Disaster Porn And The Law of Zuckerberg.

I am aware that my current succession of posts are direct contradiction. I would just like to clarify that I am participating in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme solely for my own benefit and not because I feel any sort of “duty” towards the sovereignty.

With all that out of the way I’d like to say an all encompassing welcome back to my readers and a wider embrace to those who have had the fortune of discovering this page for the first time. In the time we have been apart I turned 16 and completed my Bronze Award and have proceeded to move on to Silver. I will hopefully be able to give you weekly updates on my progress.

Week 1 – One pot Moroccan Chicken

To begin my Skills section of my Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award with the target of improving my cooking aptitude I made Moroccan chicken. I found the recipe on the BBC Good Food website and decided to give it a go. The dish featured some strange ingredients and used up a considerable amount of spices such as ginger and cinnamon.

I had an initial mini crisis where I reached out for the brown sugar, when sealing off the chicken, in the cupboard above and the red food colouring fell from the height and opened in the process dying the fowl an offensive vermillion. This was met with a mix of fury and hysterical laughter from mother and father respectively.

During the task I learnt several things, how to make a paste using the food processor, how to prepare a butternut squash and the importance of efficient cupboard layout. The end result was in the most part a success, the crimson chicken was disguised by a sauce that had an orange hue anyway. I was not able to win over the fussiness of my sister but other family members seemed to appreciate the dish adequately.