Weather report. We are having some terrible weather here in London again this summer. After the two amazingly summery months of March and April (or April and May, time blends a bit lately), June has brought rain. A lot of rain and it is not fun. So last week I got fed up with it and I looked for a quick escape into the sun. With a passport that needs renewal in under six months, Malaysia’s Sipadan (my preferred choice) was not a viable option. (As a side note, what is the point of a five year validity passport if the last six months are technically invalid in most of the world?). So Europe it was, for some diving. After a couple of hours of ogling over Google maps (the most helpful tool in anyone’s disposal to destination hunting the world around) with quick glimpses on Wikipedia, Wikitravel, PADI’s website and TripAdvisor (really, you need nothing else to make your decisions for a diving holiday), I decided to go to Tenerife. It being a sort of holiday destination for the young Brits (amongst others), I was not very optimistic, but it was going to be sunny, next to the sea and I would be under water. Two hours later, I had booked my ticket with EasyJet (I hate them, there is nothing cheap about their price and everything is cheap about everything else they offer). I had also been in touch with a dive centre called Aqua Marina and arranged four days of dives. They were also kind enough to arrange accommodation.
All packed up and ready to go, though carefully sizing the weight of the suitcase for EasyJet’s 20 kilo limit and including the rather heavy diving equipment requires some trickery. Packing, calling taxi, [...]
“Kafka, in everybody’s life there’s a point of no return. And in a very few cases, a point where you can’t go forward anymore. And when we reach that point, all we can do is quietly accept the fact. That’s how we survive” (Murakami).
I am no stranger to hitting walls, but I hope that whatever comes along, whatever the circumstances, I can overcome it. And if I cannot go forward, then sideways is not a bad alternative.
I saw a couple of beautiful Japanese vases yesterday. A contemporary one (round, green one) and a satsuma from early 19th century. At 7.5 and 2.8 £k respectively they are very expensive, but my god I have fallen in love with them.
I had to go to the Greek Embassy this morning to take care of some paperwork business required for passport renewal. The six o’clock wake up call went unnoticed until seven, at which point I rushed to shower and leave in order to queue up outside the consulate. You see, they don’t take appointments there, according to them it works better for the citizens if they serve on a first come basis. On that account, I was pleased to be the first one at about twenty past eight, which was rather surprising. The queue built up rather fast after that, but to no concern of mine.
Once inside, I was told that I needed photocopies together with the original documents I had. No one had mentioned that before and it certainly was not the case five years ago when I went through the same process again. Incidentally, but utterly predictably, it was unclear exactly what supporting documents were required for the document I needed to get from the consulate. A quick trip to a small shop near by for photocopies, I am back in thankfully swiftly my turn comes (I was the first there after all). There is no point elaborating on the inefficiency or absurdity of the Greek civil service, but one thing worth mentioning is that due to the Greek financial crisis most embassies and consulates are running with minimal staff and the threat of being shrunk further in the near future. How on earth can they not find some easy solutions to save money is beyond me. I any case, an hour later, with required document at hand and a very relieved heart I walk out to the sunshine.
I am not used to time off. Though I yearn for it every day, [...]
The last year or so has been a bit turbulent. Perhaps I have had a few too many things on my plate, but for whatever reason it made me rather tired and I fell ill more times than I can remember in the last decade. For some time now I wanted to take a break and rest. As my current contract neared completion, I made the conscious choice to take the summer off and concentrate on things I rarely have the time for while in the rat race. Today is the first day of that ‘project’ and I am trying to slowly get organised.
It is going to be a very busy summer rather than a laid back one. I am giving it a sincere shot at building my own company, concentrating on Aikido and fitness, some traveling, socialising, expanding my work skills, resting, sleeping, eating better and generally enjoying a summer without having to do things, but rather wanting to do spend time on my own choices.
I think the most important thing for the first few days is getting organised and finding a way to allocate my time constructively, but without pressure. Though I am a bit of a control freak, it does take me effort to stick to my plans and not get sidetracked, either by choice or laziness. I found a good way to plan not only the whole summer, but my daily wishes as well, in using a mind mapping application called iThoughtsHD on the iPad. For these early steps, it seems to be working just fine for me.
