Thursday
“Some people like what you do, some people hate what you do, but most people simply don’t give a damn.”
Charles Bukowski
I could get used to a two day work week.
On the spur of the moment, the head of our school decided to announce our impending departure.
Some people cared. Most didn’t.
Friday
My back is starting to resolve itself.
Gym.
Di and David are passing through after their two month trip through Europe.
It is nice to see family.
“Go then if you must, but remember, no matter how foolish your deeds, those who love you will love you still.”
Sophocles
We take a drive to Ajman to buy some booze.
Out of Woodford so we cannot make Old Fashioned and we have a Spanish dinner next weekend so we need some suitable wine to match.
Shell is still fighting off her cough.
A lazy afternoon of reading.
I finish Nexus.
“In order to cooperate, Sapiens no longer had to know each other personally; “they just had to know the same story.”
Yuval Noah Harari
Homo Sapiens saw explored some of the reasons behind the rise of man. I enjoyed the work, but I think it has been all said before.
Homo Deus was more interesting. Looking forward, the driving forces of religion, political ideology, money, technology as man becomes God.
Nexus is my favourite book. The role of information network is weaved through the theories in Sapiens and Deus and culminates in algorithms driving social media. The rise of AI and the influence it is having on our lives.
Brilliant writing.
We open a bottle of wine and I bore Rachelle with the details.
Saturday
Gym. Cardio.
As much as I hate cardio I can feel my body improving.
We head to Pasha Sarayi, our regular when David and Di visit.
Another fantastic meal.
There is a local artist near the restaurant, Wael Hamadeh.
Hamadeh, born in Lebanon, has been in Dubai for over 14 years. His work is mostly sketches and oil on canvas. We picked up an original sketch.
We head home and I read some more.
We head out for a walk in the cooler weather and don’t bother with dinner.
Sunday
We start the day with yoga.
“The morning was full of sunlight and hope.”
Kate Chopin
My hips and back are so tight.
Tomorrow is Monday which means meal prep.
I read for the day.
Two weeks and we leave for Austria.
All I can think about is Korea.
This weekends wine –
2019 Domaine des Pasquiers Gigondas (Côtes du Rhône, France)
An even blend of Grenache and Syrah, this Gigondas is delicious. The sweet fruit of the Grenache is balanced by the structure of the Syrah. After months of Italian wine and some not great Beaujolais, it is great to find a solid French wine at a reasonable price.