Saturday, November 29, 2003
Amateur stand up comedy can either be a delightful infusion of new talent and insight or a 'please God swallow him into the ground now' cringe type experience. I am chuffed to report that Thursday night when Giles invited me out with the gang to The Stand I had some full on belly laughs. For a 5er we had four quality acts and the Compare was a good old chuckle in himself. I have great admiration for people who are able to get up infront of a crowd and put themselves on the line like that.
I think my favourite skit was a guy imitating his parents having a fight bysempaphore signalling.... hmmm, suspect you had to be there.
I'm afraid this week there really isn't much to report. It's cold (high of 7 today), I have a cold, it's drizzling, it's overcast and dark by 4pm... Hey! It's Edinburgh as we know it! I managed to struggle out of bed this morning (three times actually - thanks for the 5:30 and 6am wake up calls from Oz, Ange ;) and went to running training around the Meadows. Our coach Alex is such a bloody legend and good mate. In his own time he comes out Tuesdays at 7pm to give a session on the track, Wednesdays at 6pm for the Women's Middle Meadow Milers fartlek training, Thursdays at 7pm around the Meadows, Saturday mornings at 10am and Sunday morning marathon sessions. There were only 6 of us this morning, so it was a nice small group to be able to (try and) stick together and run like the clappers ;) The rest of the afternoon is study I'm afraid, so I won't bore you with that...
However, I will end on a MUCH more exciting note in including a little excerpt from an email from my dear friend, Dave Mathieson, who is in the deepest darkest jungles on the Thai/Burmese border having the most jaw dropping experiences. I'm keeping all the emails he sends me, because if he doesn't end up writing a book about his life, then I sure will! Apparently he is doing 'research' for his PhD, but come on Dave... what a bloomin' jolly jaunt. Boy, did I pick the wrong topic for my PhD!!
Dave wrote: For the past few months I've been living in a refugee village (well technically an IDP village
as its just inside Burma) controlled by the Shan State Army, teaching English and researching. It has been amazing, living with no electricity, poor food supply, cold malaria ridden mountains (with a view thats too beautiful to describe) and living in a dank dirt floor hut. With a Burmese army garrison across the valley staring at me every morning and Thai soldiers looking to arrest any farang crossing the fence. So much fun as you can imagine.
Just had several days of fun for Shan New year celebrations. I even joined some of the soldiers in the tug of war grand final (we won...I'm not surprised with some of the extremely mean looking, muscular, heavily tattooed, battled scarred and sunburnt Shan State Army soldiers...I am SO glad they like me) ate some amazing food, got drunk with a few old guys who used to work for the retired druglord Khun Sa, danced
with beautiful Shan ladies, and watched some great dances and performances. It was a lot of fun, but sad considering that most of the people celebrating are refugees and do not have much at all.
I've left camp now with the 'order' to become better at Shan and Thai, so lots of work ahead of me. I also think I might have gotten out in good time, as several of my students conracted malaria and looked pretty wretched, so its creeping back into the valley. As long as the bloody Burmese Army doesn't start shooting though it should all be managable.
Christmas, I've been invited to spend with my friend Dave in lovely Mae Hong Song. He wants to go pig shooting in the jungle with some of his foreign NGO friends and some other people. I guess its a way to
start a BBQ from scratch.
I think my favourite skit was a guy imitating his parents having a fight bysempaphore signalling.... hmmm, suspect you had to be there.
I'm afraid this week there really isn't much to report. It's cold (high of 7 today), I have a cold, it's drizzling, it's overcast and dark by 4pm... Hey! It's Edinburgh as we know it! I managed to struggle out of bed this morning (three times actually - thanks for the 5:30 and 6am wake up calls from Oz, Ange ;) and went to running training around the Meadows. Our coach Alex is such a bloody legend and good mate. In his own time he comes out Tuesdays at 7pm to give a session on the track, Wednesdays at 6pm for the Women's Middle Meadow Milers fartlek training, Thursdays at 7pm around the Meadows, Saturday mornings at 10am and Sunday morning marathon sessions. There were only 6 of us this morning, so it was a nice small group to be able to (try and) stick together and run like the clappers ;) The rest of the afternoon is study I'm afraid, so I won't bore you with that...
However, I will end on a MUCH more exciting note in including a little excerpt from an email from my dear friend, Dave Mathieson, who is in the deepest darkest jungles on the Thai/Burmese border having the most jaw dropping experiences. I'm keeping all the emails he sends me, because if he doesn't end up writing a book about his life, then I sure will! Apparently he is doing 'research' for his PhD, but come on Dave... what a bloomin' jolly jaunt. Boy, did I pick the wrong topic for my PhD!!
Dave wrote: For the past few months I've been living in a refugee village (well technically an IDP village
as its just inside Burma) controlled by the Shan State Army, teaching English and researching. It has been amazing, living with no electricity, poor food supply, cold malaria ridden mountains (with a view thats too beautiful to describe) and living in a dank dirt floor hut. With a Burmese army garrison across the valley staring at me every morning and Thai soldiers looking to arrest any farang crossing the fence. So much fun as you can imagine.
Just had several days of fun for Shan New year celebrations. I even joined some of the soldiers in the tug of war grand final (we won...I'm not surprised with some of the extremely mean looking, muscular, heavily tattooed, battled scarred and sunburnt Shan State Army soldiers...I am SO glad they like me) ate some amazing food, got drunk with a few old guys who used to work for the retired druglord Khun Sa, danced
with beautiful Shan ladies, and watched some great dances and performances. It was a lot of fun, but sad considering that most of the people celebrating are refugees and do not have much at all.
I've left camp now with the 'order' to become better at Shan and Thai, so lots of work ahead of me. I also think I might have gotten out in good time, as several of my students conracted malaria and looked pretty wretched, so its creeping back into the valley. As long as the bloody Burmese Army doesn't start shooting though it should all be managable.
Christmas, I've been invited to spend with my friend Dave in lovely Mae Hong Song. He wants to go pig shooting in the jungle with some of his foreign NGO friends and some other people. I guess its a way to
start a BBQ from scratch.
Sunday, November 23, 2003
Another day with Jim. I think he feels that whilst Kirsten is working her ridiculous shifts, he is a little step closer to her. It's so sweet. The two of them are SO gushy in love ;) When they get married, I expect to be the best woman.. tee hee..
And yet ANOTHER gorgeous sunny day. Kind of weird running beneath a clear blue sunny sky with frost under foot. Jim and I headed out for perhaps my longest run since the marathon to Aberlady along the John Muir Way. As you can see from the links, it is a picturesque trail along the East coast from Edinburgh. We ran until Jimbo got a blister and we had to get to the nearest town and catch a bus home. The bus wasn't due for 45 minutes, so a good excuse for a pit stop in the local tea rooms for a warm cuppa coffee and a perfect open log fire. I was aiming to reach Gullane, (zoom out for a nice map of the run from Edinburgh) but we had a great 1 hour 45 min run none-the-less.
Well, better get to the books! Have a meeting with my supervisor Tuesday about concepts and a theoretical framework for the PhD. What theoretical construct!? ;)
And yet ANOTHER gorgeous sunny day. Kind of weird running beneath a clear blue sunny sky with frost under foot. Jim and I headed out for perhaps my longest run since the marathon to Aberlady along the John Muir Way. As you can see from the links, it is a picturesque trail along the East coast from Edinburgh. We ran until Jimbo got a blister and we had to get to the nearest town and catch a bus home. The bus wasn't due for 45 minutes, so a good excuse for a pit stop in the local tea rooms for a warm cuppa coffee and a perfect open log fire. I was aiming to reach Gullane, (zoom out for a nice map of the run from Edinburgh) but we had a great 1 hour 45 min run none-the-less.
Well, better get to the books! Have a meeting with my supervisor Tuesday about concepts and a theoretical framework for the PhD. What theoretical construct!? ;)
Saturday, November 22, 2003
Pity about the Rugby.... so close and yet so far... :(
Back in the harness again! What a fantastic feeling! My little mate Jim (Gile's flatmate) took me rock climbing today on a rock face called The Hawkcraig. When the tide is out, as it was on this glorious sunny day, you climb directly above the sea (OK, Dad, take a chill pill and breathe). On our final climb, Jim set up a 'hanging-stance' belay and I was leaning against the sun-warmed rocks and lapping up the breeze on my face whilst he set up the rest of the climb. The view from the top was something out of this world looking out across the Firth of Forth.
A little fact you may or may not know about me (or indeed WANT to know) is that I absolutely smell of fear when I do a challenging climb. Seriously, my body odour is something I never smell at any other time than when I climb and it is the scent of FEAR. Jim led a 5a HVS (Hard and Very Severe! Ha ha, the British climbing grading system cracks me up) and I managed most of the climb quite competently considering I haven't climbed in about 15 months. However, in the middle there was an overhang that I had to do a 'lay back' to get around. Serious horizontal position type climbing which I have no skill for! Expletivarific! But I did it, and boy does it make you love your life when you get up the top ;) The sky was bluer, the clouds were whiter and Jim was the best lookin' man in the world and got the biggest hug... well, he's a dear bloke, but ... you get my drift. Was very pleased to have made it to the top.
Sly, you would have LOVED it. Come over and climb with us!!!
Out to a party with Jim and all of Giles' mates... he's away in the Lakes District and Jim's girlfriend (my bestest running pal, Kirsten) is working a 12 hour anaesthetics shift, so should be a great night! Better go get myself glammed up!
As for Giles, hopefully we'll make better friends than love interests. Hope so, as this bunch are too much fun!
A little fact you may or may not know about me (or indeed WANT to know) is that I absolutely smell of fear when I do a challenging climb. Seriously, my body odour is something I never smell at any other time than when I climb and it is the scent of FEAR. Jim led a 5a HVS (Hard and Very Severe! Ha ha, the British climbing grading system cracks me up) and I managed most of the climb quite competently considering I haven't climbed in about 15 months. However, in the middle there was an overhang that I had to do a 'lay back' to get around. Serious horizontal position type climbing which I have no skill for! Expletivarific! But I did it, and boy does it make you love your life when you get up the top ;) The sky was bluer, the clouds were whiter and Jim was the best lookin' man in the world and got the biggest hug... well, he's a dear bloke, but ... you get my drift. Was very pleased to have made it to the top.
Sly, you would have LOVED it. Come over and climb with us!!!
Out to a party with Jim and all of Giles' mates... he's away in the Lakes District and Jim's girlfriend (my bestest running pal, Kirsten) is working a 12 hour anaesthetics shift, so should be a great night! Better go get myself glammed up!
As for Giles, hopefully we'll make better friends than love interests. Hope so, as this bunch are too much fun!
Monday, November 17, 2003
Men hey!??! I tell ya... I seem to love swinging on vines like Tarzan when it comes to guys. I have broken up with Warren; a caring, sensitive, expressive and loving man and now find myself swinging over to a parallel universe in dating Mr. Stereotypical Alpha Male. Well, not for much longer that's for dang sure. He's getting the old heave-ho this week. I feel like I am back in high school with this bloke in terms of emotional connection and communication. The mixed messages are so immature it's unbelievable. I don't even seem to have a friendship with this guy, let alone a relationship. I certainly don't have friends that treat me this poorly!
Tis a real shame I must say as we have so much in common: running, climbing, travelling, mountain biking, politics etc. etc.. However, a mental illness not being ruled out, this guy has some serious issues.
So single life strikes Kelly once again, so soon... ho hum. Having said that, Giles' mates are absolutely tops! His flatmate Jim is utterly adorable and in love with my best Edinburgh gal pal, Kirsten. So I'll be seeing a fair old bit of him. Tomorrow night I'm going out with another of Giles' friends, Elise, to see Madam Butterfly. She and her husband are excellent company to bike and socialise with. So Giles will have to stay in the picture I guess... just a very blurry distant one!
Tis a real shame I must say as we have so much in common: running, climbing, travelling, mountain biking, politics etc. etc.. However, a mental illness not being ruled out, this guy has some serious issues.
So single life strikes Kelly once again, so soon... ho hum. Having said that, Giles' mates are absolutely tops! His flatmate Jim is utterly adorable and in love with my best Edinburgh gal pal, Kirsten. So I'll be seeing a fair old bit of him. Tomorrow night I'm going out with another of Giles' friends, Elise, to see Madam Butterfly. She and her husband are excellent company to bike and socialise with. So Giles will have to stay in the picture I guess... just a very blurry distant one!
Sunday, November 09, 2003
It's been a while since I touched base. Sorry about that! Still kicking about, fairly literally! Had another mountainbiking session yesterday and I am afraid that I am still quite the novice at this clip in pedal caper. Bruises on my bruises from the falls.
It was a really great day, though, battered legs aside. Giles and I drove about 2 hours near to the border of England (just out of Dumfries) to Dalbeattie Forest and met up with another couple, Elise and Tim (who are just the best company!). It was the first time for each of us to ride the 3 hour trail. Beautiful and challenging enough! There were adequate drops and jumps for the boys to show off, and adequate wuss alternatives for me to slip by on ;)
Finished up famished and hopped into a good feed of country cooked grub. Soup and a sangger never taste so good when you're hungry!
Last night the four of us went to an 'Underground' party in the Edinburgh Caves. It was fancy dress, and considering the caves are supposedly haunted, the theme was along those lines. I went as a saucy black cat. It was such a hoot to get the reactions as I strutted my stuff up 'the mile' in my black leather boots, fish net stockings, mock fur jacket, mask with whiskers and long black tail. Rarrrrrrr, baby, rarrrrrr! It was a great venue, excellent crowd, but abysmal music... you know, perfect music to slit your wrists to... I yelled out to the lead singer to play something more up tempo and they played REM's 'Everybody hurts some time'. Yoiks. I daren't ask his choice in mellow music! We held out as long as we could then went back to mine for some more upbeat tunes until the wee small hours. I really must get an early night tonight as Friday night Ben and I went for my first real long run since the marathon and then met up with a bunch of other mates and took over half the pub for one too many. That ended up some time after 3am. But t'was fun!
Hey, two weeks since the marathon and the photos are finally out. I'm quite pleased with the one that shows my time. Looking pretty happy it's done there!
Have a good week all!
It was a really great day, though, battered legs aside. Giles and I drove about 2 hours near to the border of England (just out of Dumfries) to Dalbeattie Forest and met up with another couple, Elise and Tim (who are just the best company!). It was the first time for each of us to ride the 3 hour trail. Beautiful and challenging enough! There were adequate drops and jumps for the boys to show off, and adequate wuss alternatives for me to slip by on ;)
Finished up famished and hopped into a good feed of country cooked grub. Soup and a sangger never taste so good when you're hungry!
Last night the four of us went to an 'Underground' party in the Edinburgh Caves. It was fancy dress, and considering the caves are supposedly haunted, the theme was along those lines. I went as a saucy black cat. It was such a hoot to get the reactions as I strutted my stuff up 'the mile' in my black leather boots, fish net stockings, mock fur jacket, mask with whiskers and long black tail. Rarrrrrrr, baby, rarrrrrr! It was a great venue, excellent crowd, but abysmal music... you know, perfect music to slit your wrists to... I yelled out to the lead singer to play something more up tempo and they played REM's 'Everybody hurts some time'. Yoiks. I daren't ask his choice in mellow music! We held out as long as we could then went back to mine for some more upbeat tunes until the wee small hours. I really must get an early night tonight as Friday night Ben and I went for my first real long run since the marathon and then met up with a bunch of other mates and took over half the pub for one too many. That ended up some time after 3am. But t'was fun!
Hey, two weeks since the marathon and the photos are finally out. I'm quite pleased with the one that shows my time. Looking pretty happy it's done there!
Have a good week all!
Sunday, November 02, 2003
Cold and dark. Scotland lives up to it's reputation once again. It's absolutely pitch by 5pm now that day light savings is done. Oooooff, it makes the runs after work a challenge indeed. But I've been out running this week (yeh, the body is holding up really nicely since the marathon) with my running buddies, Kirst and Ben, which makes it tolerable.
Having just bollocked the weather, today was actually a glorious day. Ben and I drove up and met a large bunch of newly aquired mates at Glentress for a lovely long mountain bike ride. My gorgey new beau, Giles, had a party last night so we were all a bit worse for the wear, but the ride was a sure fire hang over cure. A little foolishly, I put clip-in pedals on my bike for the first time today (so that your shoes are clipped in to the pedals which is allegedly more 'efficient' for pedalling, uphills particularly). Well, of course I had my first stack infront of Giles and all his friends simply by riding up to the group to start the ride. I just could not unclip my shoes out the pedals quick enough and ended up legs in the air, bike on top of me looking totally uncool. Ben declares he and I are off up the Black route, the hardest rated route in the Forest. So that was the first of FIVE major stacks with arms and legs flailing in the air and bike back on top of me. Thankfully, Giles stayed back with a slower friend and missed the carry ons. Ben had himself a rip roaring good laugh at my expense. With friends like that hey? Now I've cleaned the mud off and can see my legs again, I'm looking pretty multicoloured this evening!
Movie with Giles tonight so better get going. We've also invited Kirsten along to see if she and Giles' flatmate, Jim, end up hitting it off ;) Me and my bloody matchmaking. I should have learned my lesson by now, right Ange?
Having just bollocked the weather, today was actually a glorious day. Ben and I drove up and met a large bunch of newly aquired mates at Glentress for a lovely long mountain bike ride. My gorgey new beau, Giles, had a party last night so we were all a bit worse for the wear, but the ride was a sure fire hang over cure. A little foolishly, I put clip-in pedals on my bike for the first time today (so that your shoes are clipped in to the pedals which is allegedly more 'efficient' for pedalling, uphills particularly). Well, of course I had my first stack infront of Giles and all his friends simply by riding up to the group to start the ride. I just could not unclip my shoes out the pedals quick enough and ended up legs in the air, bike on top of me looking totally uncool. Ben declares he and I are off up the Black route, the hardest rated route in the Forest. So that was the first of FIVE major stacks with arms and legs flailing in the air and bike back on top of me. Thankfully, Giles stayed back with a slower friend and missed the carry ons. Ben had himself a rip roaring good laugh at my expense. With friends like that hey? Now I've cleaned the mud off and can see my legs again, I'm looking pretty multicoloured this evening!
Movie with Giles tonight so better get going. We've also invited Kirsten along to see if she and Giles' flatmate, Jim, end up hitting it off ;) Me and my bloody matchmaking. I should have learned my lesson by now, right Ange?
