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Today I woke up and shot an elephant in my pyjamas, how he got into my pyjamas I'll never know. I didn't really it's just my favourite Groucho Marx quote.
Happy birthday to 3 special people, Mitch, Caroline and my Mum, spoke to mum on her birthday which always gives me a lift.
After a tough few days travelling I made it to Mount Bromo. Up at 3am for the climb to the top to see the sunrise, not to bad of a climb to the first mountain, the views were stunning and gave me a magic moment which will last long in the memory, it was an occasion when you have think am I really here! There was smoke coming out of one of the volcanoes but fortunately it didn't erupt! It only erupts every 4 years and the previous one was last year.
After the ramble down it was on to the next climb to see the inside of the volcano, thankfully I had a donkey to help me half way up but had to climb the final part up steps to the top. Once again the views were spectacular and the photos probably don't do it justice.
Indonesia is a truly magical place, the travelling is hard work but worth the effort. When I say hard work what I mean is although the transport is comfortable the length of each takes a long time, it also helps that you can smoke on the trains. I am not complaining, I know each one of you back home are in the middle of winter and I think of you all often and the messages and emails that come through really give me strength. All the wonderful sights I have seen and things I've done are truly great but sometimes the simplest of things fill me with joy, last week while in Yogyakarta I cooked myself some porridge for breakfast and it felt great, but I still haven't found real bacon and cabbage like mum makes.
I arrived in Bali yesterday and going to spend a few days relaxing in Ubud before I head to the coast.
Looked at the map and realised how far away I am from home, I am only 4 hours from Australia.
I am now about half way through this journey of mine and know it won't last forever, before I know it I'll be back working on the production line, but I will savour each moment. I think we can all savour moments of joy wherever we are or whatever we are doing, I thought of a great game the other day whilst I was too tired to read on a train - go through the alphabet and think of positive words beginning with each letter or people, places or things that make you happy.
I know my words are random, but random I am, words are wonderful and the other day I read a very short passage which was the single most poignant I think I have ever read.
Here it goes:
source: “Like the Flowing River” by Paulo Coelho
The story of the pencil
A boy was watching his grandmother write a letter. At one point he asked:
‘Are you writing a story about what we’ve done? Is it a story about me?’
His grandmother stopped writing her letter and said to her grandson:
I am writing about you, actually, but more important than the words is the pencil I’m using. I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up.’
Intrigued, the boy looked at the pencil. It didn’t seem very special.
‘But it’s just like any other pencil I’ve ever seen!’
‘That depends on how you look at things. It has five qualities which, if you manage to hang on them, will make you a person who is always at peace with the world.’
‘First quality: you are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps. We call that hand God, and He always guides us according to His will.’
‘Second quality: now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpner. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, he’s much sharper. So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person.
‘Third quality: the pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes. This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the road to justice.’
‘Fourth quality: what really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside. So always pay attention to what is happening inside you.’
‘Finally, the pencil’s fifth quality: it always leaves a mark. in just the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that in your every action’
- comments
Caroline Teresa Regan Hey Ferg. I read out your blogs to mum on her birthday but not this one. Very strange as it is dated 4th December. Got your parcel yesterday. Smaller than the first. I dare not distribute it's content, so I will wait to speak to you before hand. Kids break up tomorrow and boy are they ready for it. Very tired and tearful. Looking forward to spending warm snuggly days inside with them watching TV and baking yummy food! Have to put my new food processor to work (birthday pressie! First year haven't asked for boots. 45 is definitley my middle age! Eek!). Mills has just come home with the tree! So will definitley feel christmassy later when all the decorations are on. Hopefully speak in morn. Will Skype you if I can get on laptop! xx