williamjm

Since I don't usually have the busiest of social lives it is a bit annoying when two things I would like to go to happen simultaneously. A couple of friends of mine from University who are living and working out in Taiwan are visiting the UK for a few weeks and while they're over here they decided to revive an old tradition from when we are at university and have a trip out to stay overnight on Crammond Island (an island just outside of Edinburgh with a Causeway that is flooded except at low tide, it's quite a nice place) with various people we knew from university. This should be quite good fun, unfortunately I won't be able to make it since the weekend they've selected is the same weekend I'm planning to be in London on Saturday for various birthdays/book signings/etc. and have train tickets on Sunday to travel up to Scotland for a week. Since I don't have plans for most other weekends in June/July it is unfortunate timing, although since I will be up in Scotland the following week hopefully I'll be able to get through to Edinburgh at some point to see Fiona and Adam before they return to Taiwan.

I went to the cinema today to see "Mongol : The Rise of Genghis Khan". Although it was a reasonably good film, I think I will have to agree with

zollo_the_fat that it's been 'Bravehearted' a bit (although fortunately he doesn't start shouting about freedom), apparently Temudgin was an unusually benevolent ruler which I find a bit unconvincing. The final battle is a bit of an anti-climax as well and it does seem that Temudgin only managed to become Khan because all his enemies were incompetent and kept capturing him, not killing and letting him escape (despite the fact that putting him in stocks didn't stop him escaping once, they promptly do the same thing again next time they capture him).