Bad writing

I have just finished a biography of the Prophet by Juan Cole. Little in it was new to me, and much of it seemed a little off, a little to eager to excuse or justify to hostile Christian readers. It was interesting, though, to read the biography of the Prophet as a historical text rather […]

No walking

Today we were supposed to go for a walk, from La Catedral, formally Pablo Escobar’s prison and fortress, past two waterfalls, and through forests to a lookout point. I was the first to drop out due to a niggling medical thing that turned into a small crisis (by which I mean I will have to […]

Silly mid

I am reading a really entertaining book. It’s called Chinaman, is by Shehan Karunatilaka, and is a sort of cricket novel. I say sort of, because it’s also about Sri Lanka and is full of people and place. It’s also really funny, quite similar to one of my favourite Pakistani novels, A case of exploding […]

Not quite enough

Though Saturday it was a working day today, though we went for a leisurely lunch. Sadness was largely kept at bay, though I felt slower and even quieter than usual. From experience I should be back to normal tomorrow. But today even yesterday’s diversion didn’t raise a smile and though I enjoyed a spoof video […]

State of the nation

I have received some work I’d been waiting for for some time. It’s a major report on nutrition which needs editing, and is fascinating reading. I can’t say anything about it for now, of course, but will say that things are both better and worse depending on your perspective. This is a major study, with […]

Hot silent days

A couple of quiet days as we are both busy at work now and life in Valladolid has settled into a routine. I wake early in the mornings and make myself a cup of tea and scrape together a bit of early breakfast. We work steadily through the morning. There is a hammock slung at […]

The earth moves

I woke up in the middle of the night and turned over and the bed started shaking violently. I leapt up, my instinctive thought to make for the outdoors. The Gentleman Friend also woke and said, sleepily, ‘earthquake?’ I paused and thought, still half asleep, I am not in Pakistan where the houses are made […]