“It is not for me to judge another man’s life. I must judge, I must choose, I must spurn, purely for myself. For myself, alone.” Herman Hesse Thursday There is an option. An offer on the table. A good offer. Safe. Clean. Practical. Responsible. Reliable. Should we turn it down? There is no enthusiasm for…
Year: 2024
Dubai Decisions
“The difference between passion and addiction is that between a divine spark and a flame that incinerates.” Gabor Maté Thursday A busy week and a colleague has left. People come and go, in life and work, but this person worked closely with Shell. They were a strong team and relied on each other for professional…
Reflection
“The more often a stupidity is repeated, the more it gets the appearance of wisdom.” Voltaire Thursday A week down. The first week back from break looked remarkably similar to the last week before break. The past reflecting the future. Friday “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a…
Return to the Desert
Saturday Sleep in. Gym. Groundhog day. “Well, what if there is no tomorrow? There wasn’t one today.” Phil Connors I finally finished Moby Dick. It was a painful process, a 400 page book that was somehow stretched to 800. If it was half the length it would be twice the read. I am not sure…
Departures – Budapest
“Is it the sea you hear in me?Its dissatisfactions?Or the voice of nothing, that was your madness? Love is a shadow.How you lie and cry after it.” Sylvia Plath Friday Back to Dubai. I don’t want to talk about it. Back to Zërgë Coffeeshop. Taxi. Airport. Fucking dreadful. “We look up to see if it…
Familiar
“We slept like stones. Lady, what am I doingWith a lung full of dust and a tongue of wood,Knee-deep in the cold swamped by flowers?” Sylvia Plath Thursday There is a restaurant in Bratislava called Fat Louis. Rachelle has been calling me Louis for three days. I am not sleeping well. I am sleeping long,…
Home to Budapest
“How often have I lain beneath rain on a strange roof, thinking of home.” William Faulkner Wednesday A cold morning. Even though Budapest signals the end of our trip, it is a return home in some way. We check out and head to Otto! for breakfast. It is a shame we did not find this…
Bratislava Interrupted
“For there is no folly of the beast of the earth which is not infinitely outdone by the madness of men.” Herman Melville Up early. For reasons undeclared. Breakfast is a disappointing affair. Blue Monday has no food and there is confusion surrounding my order. We head to nearby no9 which is rated well and…
Bratislava Bound
“You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.” Albert Camus Breakfast at Oak. Again. We walk back to the apartment. Shell is ready to leave. I could stay. Check out and walk to the station….