strike the battle drum of the great leap forward ever louder

I’m back in the land of rain and fog. It’s a shock after the wonderful weather I experienced in L.A., but it has its own charm… I’m trying to be there’s-still-drink-left-in-that-cup because I’m finding it hard to be cheered by damp and chilly weather.

So I’m going to Amsterdam in a couple of hours… which will probably be colder, and possibly wetter.

However, the incomparable Amsterdam has many other delights to distract you from the climate.

I don’t normally travel this much. In fact, this trip (I have to use that word in relation to this vacation) is the first really self-indulgent holiday I’ve had in about two years. It’s time off for good behaviour for Martin and I.

I discovered a couple of minutes ago that the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam is starting this evening. I don’t know if I’ll have it in me to attend a documentary while I’m away, but it’s nice to know I have the option.

My time in L.A. was well spent. I met a lot of great people, got a decent snapshot of the film industry, and had a couple of useful meetings.

To quote a famous governor: “I’ll be back.”

In December, once I return from my European vacances, and graduate from college, I intend to write my ass off. I’ve had a lot of distractions in the past couple of months, and I haven’t written enough to satisfy my internal writing fascist (a tortuous taskmaster). A new regime (“Maura’s Manuscript Mission”) will be established December 1st. I predict ruthless deadlines and goose-stepping quotas.

It will be the year of The Great Leap Forward.

Hopefully no one will perish during the process…