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I know the weather back home isn't great but in a strange way I kind of miss the cold nights tucked up on the sofa, it also feels a bit odd that it's christmas next week. I know I will miss everyone back home over the holiday especially Mum, but I know she will be OK as my 2 big sisters and their families will be looking after her.
Spent a couple of days in Lombok before spending 3 days in the Gili's, they are the islands where everybody says you must visit. I was on the largest of the island's and it's only 3km by 2km, there are no motorised vehicles allowed on the island with the only mode of transport a bicycle or a donkey. It is very nice and has a relaxed vibe with a typical golden sand beach and lots of restaurants and bars. There are no inhibitions or discretions and you are offered all sorts of substances. As you would expect the vast majority of people here are very young, I am glad I came to see them but quite frankly apart from the diving attraction you could have been anywhere in the Med. I don't know what all the fuss was about, perhaps it's an age thing? Of course its an age thing, but I'm not a grumpy old man it's great to see people having fun.
I decided to take a walk around the island as I was told it was a pleasant walk, like a cretin I started my walk at about 11.30 just in time for the midday sun and what I didn't know when I started to walk was half of the island is practically deserted with sparse places to find shade, after a while I had to jump in the sea to cool down, but boy what a feeling that was as reflected in my self portrait picture having a fag after my dip.
That same day I was having lunch and just observing the surroundings, the workers are so relaxed there was a guy just rolling dough making bread, the kitchen staff relaxed waiters easy going, as I sat there eating this glorious food I thought how lucky am I, then I saw someone in a wheelchair and thought not just lucky being here but wherever you are whatever you are doing, be thankful for the health you have.
I have been doing a fair amount of reading recently, something I hadn't had time for in a while, feels good to get back to reading. I find that with everything you do in any period of your life is relevant and you should try not to force things, which reminds me what Mum and Dad always said to me " if you are hungry eat and if your tired sleep" that statement is so simple in its terms and can be translated to other activities such as reading or a hobby you may have had and not done for a while or exercise, don't force the body to do something it can't, the gym will still be there tomorrow and will be ready when you are.
Read a JD Salinger book, didn't realise how ironic and funny he was, must read catcher in the rye some day.
In the middle of a Michael Foot book where he talks about 12 people he admires from Lord Beaverbrook to Bertrand Russell, brilliant stuff and the most striking thing is his compassion and understanding of all sides of the political spectrum, when I read a biography on him a few years ago it was fascinating to learn one of his closest associates was Enoch Powell. He was often portrayed in the press as being of the loony left and was ridiculed once for wearing a donkey jacket to the armistice memorial and deemed to have shown a lack of respect for turning up scruffy, yet he was one of the foremost advocates of peace. That's the problem with the majority of our printed press they are owned by megalomaniacs who tell us things that are seldom of any relevance.
If you always tell the truth, you never have to remember anything!
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