A very very long day indeed. My flight was at a truly terrible time, at 6 in the morning and, unusually, I had the good sense to sleep for a couple of hours before leaving for the airport at 3.30. A later departure than usual to Lahore airport’s hellzone as my brother whose love language, […]
Gathering forces
In Lahore. The flight was long and, rather to my annoyance, my seat was one of the bulkhead ones, which are much desired by the longer limbed, and pay a premium for them. I didn’t pay a premium, but the plane was changed so found myself assigned a far more expensive seat than I’d have […]
Sudden decision
This morning I woke at 5 to finish some work and just as I completed it at around 7, I got a call from my father, saying that my siblings were all going to be in Lahore this weekend, why don’t I come too? I looked at tickets, they were very expensive, and then there’s […]
Strawberries in winter
A good article on changing seasons, or rather on unchanging seasons, and on the harms of 24/7 convenience stores. We eat our strawberries, not knowing where they came from or at what cost, but they do taste nice. And if they spoil, we throw them out and buy more. Indeed, the increasingly superficial celebration of […]
Back
I flew from London to Istanbul yesterday. It was a very long day for a flight that was less than four hours long. I left in the morning at 9 London time and didn’t reach the flat until 10 Istanbul time. In between I travelled to Gatwick, remembered what a terrible airport it is to […]
Under the weather
Feeling a little under the weather today, though this might be the power of persuasion, as my hostess is currently languishing on a sofa with a terrible cold or perhaps incipient flu. Hoping I don’t catch it, with my return to Istanbul imminent, but what can one do? The only positive to come out of […]
Start of the return
Today, early in the morning, the GF left for Nairobi, marking the beginning of our return to Istanbul. I’m not exactly aching to get back to the city, but it will be nice to be back in our own space. This trip has had rather too much of being with other people, more than I’m […]
In Devon
I am in Devon and sworn to have cream teas. I arrived today at around lunchtime, got myself some fish and chips and ate them in a park, then wandered around a bit, got groceries, and ended up at a tea room for my first cream tea. It was served by a blonde woman with […]
Visitor from afar
A visitor from afar arrived last night. I went to the airport to collect her. The airport and the way to the airport have evolved greatly over the years, such that they are virtually unrecognisable every time I pass through, at least the outside of the airport, but the inside is the same miserable beige […]
Goodbye SEA
I was supposed to go out for a final lunch, but slept badly so woke with a headache and cancelled the reservation. Instead I packed, worrying all the while about luggage allowance (this turned out to be not an issue). Among my purchases is a slightly embarrassing one, a very lightweight wok. I wanted a […]