Alan Fox

Last week I flew from Edinburgh back to Los Angeles. I still marvel at the fact that I can step onto an airplane in London, sleep a bit, then wake up in Los Angeles.  No long ocean crossing with dangerous storms to ride out. No crossing the prairie in a covered wagon pulled by oxen for months at a time.

Unfortunately, I didn’t travel alone, but in the company of a zillion or two microbes that hitched a ride inside my lungs.

I seldom take comfort in the travails of others, but I did smile when my pulmonologist just told me that he had traveled through London recently and came home with the same diagnosis: Bronchitis. He said that it’s not from the airplanes which have great filtration. It’s the airports that get you. (While I’d like to think that my pulmonologist is exempt from lung diseases, I suppose that’s about as absurd as my CPA not having to pay income tax).

And the Heathrow airport, which is the primary hub of both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic and serves more than 84 million passengers a year, is a model of … what?  A modern shopping center that doubles as an auto parking lot and a security company with restaurants open 24 hours a day but seldom busy?

Question:  When does eleven hours seem like a very long time?  Try an airplane ride when you don’t feel like either reading or watching a video.  While it might be better than the slow train, the next time I think I’ll take a night flight.  At least then I can sleep.

I know that you don’t want to take any more pleasure from my discomfort.

So I’ll stop.

Alan

I’m sitting in a British Air business-class lounge at London’s Heathrow Airport, about to return to Los Angeles after an eight-day stay in Edinburgh, Scotland. Daveen and I were there, once again, to attend the annual Fringe Festival where hundreds of entertainers perform before thousands of theater goers. It is touted as being “one of the greatest celebrations of arts and culture on the planet.”

Daveen asked an Edinburgh taxi driver if August was the best month for business. To my surprise, he said, “No.  Traffic is so heavy that it takes a lot of time to get around.”  I imagine, with the throngs of people crowding the city, that he is correct.

My dad had discovered the Festival about forty years ago, before it became hugely popular. Daveen and I have been to the Fringe four or five times. Since most of the performances are an hour long, it is possible to attend four or five shows a day, and in. prior years we’ve always enjoyed most of the shows we’ve attended.

In the past, I’ve always picked the shows we’ll see based upon the reviews conveniently available in festival related newspapers distributed throughout Edinburgh. This time, alas, the reviews had migrated on-line. While that might seem like progress, I found it more difficult to navigate the multitude of information. Rather than make it easier to find which shows to see based on reviews, I found it nearly impossible.

Unfortunately, as a result, I must admit that I thoroughly enjoyed only two of the more than twenty performances we attended. And the two best shows, including Nina Conti, an outstanding ventriloquist, were both on our final day and were both recommended by a friend.

As I’ve written before, whenever I’m asked if I am looking forward to a vacation, my answer is that I try to stay focused on the present moment, so I never really “look forward.”

Well, I now realize that in fact I was looking forward to Edinburgh  — how else could I have been so disappointed?

I’m remembering the closing line in a letter written to me more than sixty years ago.

“Dreams are extremely fragile outside the womb of the mind.”

To that I would add “Amen.”

Now I’m going to focus on USC football.  I’m dreaming that they will win the national championship this coming season.

Alan

The first Edinburgh Festival Fringe took place in 1947, when eight theater troupes arrived uninvited to perform alongside the inaugural Edinburgh International Festival. Their performances outside the official festival led to the creation of what is now known as the Fringe.

My blog was also born at the Edinburgh Fringe. In about 2015, I wrote the very first installment in my room at the Historic Bonham Hotel, where I was staying with family and friends.

The Fringe festival consists of just about every type of performance you can imagine plays, musicals, improv, circus, comedy acts, puppet shows, spoken word and street performers as well as numerous one-person shows. More than 3,000 acts are featured at venues throughout the city. They take place in every possible space that can hold an audience. They are performed in churches, bars, and vacant offices. Some of the performances are intimate, catering to a few dozen audience members. But the city is also dotted with large brightly colored tents that can hold thousands.

This year, in addition to the multitude of performances, “Oasis” (the rock band) has been performing in concert. Every hotel in the city is sold out, so I’m glad we made our reservation at the Sheraton Grand six months ago

Since many of the Fringe performances are only an hour long, I have seen as many as six performances in a single day even allowing time for meals. Today we enjoyed a delicious dinner at Bertie’s Proper Fish and Chips. Yes, we had the fish and chips, and they were delicious (as well as proper).

During the Fringe, the City, as well as the festival, draws people from all over. Our waitress at Bertie’s was an attentive young lady born near Austin, Texas, who is working her way around the world.

At the table next to ours Daveen struck up a conversation with a woman traveling alone. She said her husband prefers to avoid the crowds attending the fringe and prefers to stay at home.

Every day the papers print reviews of the various shows including lists of shows that shouldn’t be missed. I’m eager to begin reading all the reviews and lists of recommended shows so we can choose the shows we will go to see, starting tomorrow. With so many shows and so little time, it helps to have a plan.

I am especially looking forward to attending the Improv Musicals. In my experience these are an amazing showcase of creativity and talent. They are very entertaining and not to be missed.

But you never know what you will come upon. I saw a one-person show twenty-five years ago called Krishnan’s Dairy. In sixty-five brief minutes it was one of the best theatrical experiences of my life. I understand it is still playing in Australia. Maybe one day I’ll make a trip to see it again. It was truly unforgettable.

I’m looking forward to this week filled with theater and performances at the Fringe in Edinburgh.  Next week, I’ll let you know what I discover.

Alan