I have snapped tendons in my finger before during a rugby game. It didn’t even see me leave the field. When I dislocated my shoulder in a game of American football, it certainly hurt. It took three hours to get the shoulder back into the joint. Of course, I am well known for having gone to do a summer camp in the USA & breaking my leg in four places on the first day, requiring a plate and 14 screws in my fibula to put it back together.
All of these experiences, which hurt in very different & powerful ways, pale in comparrison with watching this american girl absolutely bomb at the Underbelly club’s “The Late Show”. Mic’s good friend Marian managed to score us some free tickets from her pseudo-boyfriend Dave to the show. Each night they have three of the top flight comedians from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival come out and perform. The first & the third guys really were funny, but the girl who came out in the middle sucked in ways previously unimaginable.
Like a pork ribs restaurant in Israel, each joke found itself without an audience. It was funny the first time, frustrating the fifth time & just freaky the fourtieth time! After 5 minutes it felt more like watching a road accident than stand up. Every joke, story or observation lay around her wounded and dieing, but she kept on creating new casualties.
I can only figure that she got paid if she filled her full 15 minute slot, because in the end, she spent the last 5 minutes looking for a heckler. A couple of guys had a go, which was helpful because we got to have our first laughs in quarter of an hour. Having suffered some zingers from the crowd, the girl bravely limped off (the polite UK crowd still managing to give her a clap, more of simpathy than appreciation) and the next act came & redeemed the night.
Well I have spent the last 5 minutes trying to think of some amusing way to finish of this post, but finally I have decided that in honour of the brave girl from Saturday night, I will just let it peter away into painful silence…
In other news, here are a couple of pics. Click for bigger versions.

Tim’s new watch

An Aussie street juggler.

Mic & Marian walking into the Underbelly Club

Light fixture in a pub.