Grahamstown

This is my 3rd time in Grahamstown, though the first extended stay here. It's a small town with impressive colonial architecture (at least in the central part). The weather hasn't been great (quite chilly actually) it's a nice plae to visit regardless.

JPO's 2nd 2013 Season, 2nd Concert

Pianist Jan Hugo was completely focused on the keyboard as his fingers sped across the keys. He looked at the conductor for his cue, swayed slightly when it was just the orchestra; but mostly he was focused on the piano keys. It was a mesmerizing performance of Mendelson's 1^st Piano Concerto, which got a rousing applause from the audience; so muh so, that the pianist obliged with two encores.

Before the concerto, the JPO played Mozart's Magic Flute Overture; and finished off with one of the most well known symphonies - Beethoven's 5^th. Once again, conductor Daniel Boico brought great energy to the performance - especially for the symphony.

Yet another great concert from the JPO, and a great selection of pieces this week.

Movie: RED 2

I enjoyed RED, and the sequel is much more of the same. As in previous movie, ex-CIA black OPS, Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) and his best friend Marvin (John Malkovich) are being chased by a number of governments relating to an old operation known as Nightshade. Set up across 4 countries, there are brilliant performances by Anthony Hopkins as the deranged villain and Helen Miren gets to play the queen again - although this time it's in a psychiatric ward. 

Despite some amazing stunts, the movie felt less slick than the original. The plot has a lot of holes, the dialogue seems to have been written by different writers (of different abilities) and the story sometimes looses steam. It is still funny, and a very good antidote to the run of the mill action story.