We are early risers so we have seen plenty of sunrises. Morning is my favourite time of day. That chilled moment before the sun breaks the horizon. The light without the sun breaks the darkness, pushing at the blackness, and moving it across the sky. The weather has changed in Sharjah, it is cool, but…
Category: the grind
Social Scene
Shell keeps a tight friend circle. I can count the number of people she keeps in contact with on one hand that is missing a few fingers. Wenche is one of these friends. Shell met Wenche in Malaysia. Wenche was working in the Humanities department for the high school where Shell taught primary. I also…
Identity Crisis
Shell has massaged all the blogs into one, but this place seems to be having an identity crisis. It was simple when we were riding, each day was different and there was something to write about, scenic pictures. Adventure. Then there was the wine blog. Every post was the name of the wine and some…
Saturday, 4 November
2021 Azienda Guilio Straccali Chianti (Chianti, Italy) We decided Saturday morning not to drink today. We stayed strong until just after lunch. I used to be a bit snobbish with Chianti in the fiasco. We have had a few here in Dubai and they have all been great. Chianti always takes me back to Italy,…
Friday, 3 November
2022 Casal Garcia Vinho Verde (Minho, Portugal) We fell in love with these Portugese wines on our bike ride. We often joke that Portugal does not make a bad white wine. So far so good with the wines of Portugal here in Dubai, but this is the first that has had the classic Portugal spritz…
Clean Your Plate
“Oh, pity the poor glutton Whose troubles all begin In struggling on and on to turn What’s out into what’s in.” ― Walter de la Mare Clean your plate. Here is some bread to wipe up the gravy. There are starving Africans somewhere. I am ungrateful. I am wasting food, and African…
More Bukowski
Charles Bukowski. You will probably get sick of me talking about him; fine with me. There is a raw beauty to his work—a brutal honesty. There are too many favourites. Get your hands on two of his collected works, The Last Night on Earth Poems and Love is a Dog From Hell. …
The healthy Unhealthy
The social media algorithm believes I need to see body transformations. I am bombarded with images of men losing weight and getting shredded. These miraculous diets and training programs not only build muscle and drop weight but also provide a tan, strip body hair, and allow for a manly beard. Impressive program. When…
Socialising
“Now is the time to get serious about living your ideals. How long can you afford to put off who you really want to be? Your nobler self cannot wait any longer. Put your principles into practice–now. Stop the excuses and the procrastination. This is your life! […] Decide to be extraordinary and do what…