Monday, October 27, 2008

Someone asked me, well it was Black Stilettos actually, whether I didn't get sick of the travel.

It does get tiresome I grant, especially the sitting around twirling my thumbs waiting on someone else. But that's just the boring part.

lets start off with Airports. They are kind of fun to hang around if a) there is free wi-fi and/or b) you have a good book and or c) its got stuff to look at and or d) there is air conditioning.

Watching people provides one with insights into people and some entertainment is wondering where they come from and where they go.

With advancing age, economy class airline seats are getting rather painful I grant. And somehow, all that neatly packed food they serve no longer quite does it for me anymore. I've lost the desire to consume alcohol on a flight preferring to stay with fruit juice and water with perhaps an occasional white rum and coke to help me sleep.

What still makes me high is walking along the street of a place I know is so far flung that there is hardly a chance of seeing a fellow countryman, and then, seeing in my minds eye, an image of me walking there, zooming out into space to show my location is relation to where I was born - a mental google earth if you like

So yeah, travel I do like. Different food, new people

Friday, October 24, 2008

Back to Africa

On the final leg to base - Accra to Ouaga - to set up base. Kotoka gets better looking each time I pass through, this time a fancy entrance to the departure terminal!

Left Colombo on the 22nd, amidst a monsoon shower, I have to confess to feeling rather sad at the time, not knowing when I’ll be back next. Strange, in all the years I’ve taken a flight from there, this was the first time I felt so. Lot of things left behind this time, a less than perfect relationship with a mother who I adore but cannot seem to get along with, a rather dysfunctional family, one dear friend whose physical presence I will miss sorely and of course that path I wish I could walk with that one person.

I am trying to understand, how fates twisted path brought us so close and yet threw every possible obstacle in front of us. Was it to test our resolve, was I finally found wanting? I tried, god knows I did, bring my entire life to a point that I was tethering upon a step into the unknown. But she was not with me, her actions confusing, placing her self in situations that tore at me, fraying the edges of my soul; leaving me wondering if I was soon to find myself all alone, after risking it all for her!

I guess what ultimately broke me was when she asked me to go back, to try and make a go of it; did she know what she was asking of me when those words were written? I never got to see her after that; I haven’t seen her in months… I don’t know when, if at all I’ll see her again… a chapter done? Time will tell, One thing though, what was always, will always be, and that is how I feel about her.

4 odd hours to Dubai from Colombo, and a 15hr stay before my connection. Self imposed I have to admit, taking an earlier flight rather than having to make a mad dash from one gate to another with a mere two hours between.

Business Class lounge access makes the stay less than painful fortunate.

A small detour, to write a few words about laptops… My first one was a HP NX2500 which I got configured to my specifications. This was state of the art at the time in 2005 and one I was mighty please to lug around with me as I went about my work. Wife number one as it was fondly referred to. Over the years I’ve seen them getting smaller and smaller, and airports the best place to see what’s around… As I type this I see a Vaio bigger than mine to my right and a smaller Dell to my left.

Since getting up at 5am on the 21st I remained awake till around 10pm on the 22nd due to a combination of different factors. The tedium of the long hours broken by a shower, food, and a lot of time surfing the net down loading porn.

Landing in Accra, re united with my suitcase I was on my way to the Blue Royal Hotel in Ossu. I’ve taken to staying there as it’s a pleasant enough hotel, with Wi-Fi, close to the main road with friendly staff. I usually get a decent room with a large bed, comfy enough for me.

Ticket to Ouaga sorted out the next item on my agenda was to meet with a couple of clients… One a Ghanaian and the other a Guinean with whom I do business with in Guinea’s, Senegal and possibly Ghana in time to come.

Last evening was a bad one. I need to avoid such situations again. Sitting on the terrace of the food court drinking a beer I was suddenly struck by a terrible sense of melancholy… my thoughts drifting back in time as well as across the distance and of things that were, that are not.

Such moments are bad, there are dark soul ripping moments where I am utterly lost. It’s an effort at the best of times to hold the emotion back, when I am weak, I can be lost easily.

In an hour or so, my flight to Ouaga should take off. Shall post this as soon as time and a connection permits.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

My thoughts are restless, running to one point... pulling me... feel the darkness gathering...

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

My family sucks

It does, its an awful thing to say, but I'm becoming more and more convinced that we are one of the more badly adjusted ones on planet earth. And before I say more, I'll just shut up and say nothing at all!

Friday, October 3, 2008

I think I'm SPAM

I'm I the only one with either bad eye-sight or just short of imagination? I can never get it right - typing in those alpha numeric slanted combination's that are becoming common at the end of most posts these days!

I feel stupid when I get it wrong, and as I get it wrong more often than I get it right, this is really not good for what little ego I have.

Dang.