After a nine hour delay at Gatwick Airport, I have finally arrived safely in Dublin. I spent the time reading Sweetness in the Belly, a novel that my mother sent me that has thus far been superb. It is making me feel as though I should learn a lot more about Islam. Also, it generated a certain calming effect while other passengers were howling for blood: especially after we got told we would have to wait another hour in our seats on the tarmac for a take-off slot.
My first impression of Isaac’s Hostel is that it is in a well run place, easy to reach, with a capable staff. I like the look of the room and of the crowd in the lobby. Showing up six hours after the check-in date specified for my reservation was not a problem. Far more details will follow, as internet access is quite cheap.
For now, I am off to buy film and explore. There is no HD400 to be had anywhere in the UK, it seems, so I am going to try one of the Fuji line of colour negative films for this trip.
Superia 400 is perticularly bad in my experience for skies if you do not use a polarizer. On the other hand, if you do polarize, you can get the skies to turn sharp black. Kodak gold 100 and 200 are the best consumer films readily available everywhere. Skin tones on gold 200 are almost as good as HD, far better than fuji films in my personal tests.
Tristan,
That’s good to know. All manner of film here is even more expensive than in Oxford. Plain old Kodak Gold 100 is about seven Euros in big supermarkets. Likewise, the kind of generic sandwiches that go for £1.50 or £2.00 in Oxford are about 5 Euros here.
I may just keep hunting around until I find a B&W film I like. I’ve seen lots of Ilford HP5, but it’s too high contrast for my tastes.
PS. DLab7 has agreed to re-scan those slides. Hopefully, they will get the colour and exposure right this time.
I am glad that you enjoyed “Sweetness in the Belly”. I used it as a source for multicultural reading course. If you are interested in Islamic fiction, you could try a turkish author callled Pamuk, notably a novel called “Snow”. It is complicated and very lyrical at the same time.
Tristan,
In the end, I managed to find a roll of HD200 at Boots, in a discount bin. I also picked up a roll of Ilford HP5 400, which I am shooting now. I think the colour film is better saved for the Aran Islands.
Mom,
I mean to read “Snow” and perhaps “My Name is Red” before going to Instanbul with Dad in December, provided that plan still takes place. I will write more about Sweetness in the Belly once back in Oxford.