(Monday 18th January)
Up from bed a 9am intending to go down the gym but I wanted to finish the Chadwick novel I mention yesterday and read instead, finished the novel at just gone twelve midday, the novel is everything I said it was, and more. It makes me want to know more about W. Marshal and his wife Isabelle, and I will, next time I'm down the library, might be later today, (12.30pm now) I will get look to see what is down there about this great historical family. To date, I’ve read three of her novels, I have one more here to read and will start it later today. I did say after I’ve read four of her novels I would seek a change, but I may not now, and read all her works at one sitting.
I should also be doing some writing myself, but I haven’t yet started after Christmas, but I feel there is no rush, besides, it will be getting a car this week, Wednesday it looks like, and then I’ll be starting to travel around the county. I have an inclination to be near the sea. I know there is a large lake here, but it is not the sea, there is no salt air, no big waves, large long sandy beaches, so my travelling will start shortly. But not quite yet, I’ve just started the other Chadwick novel “The Love Knot,” this one is a shorter read than the other one, besides, it’s cloudy out, I think the sun has taken a rest today, but it’s still quite warm.
Listening to the news last night about Haiti it made me sad; it’s now believed there are over 200,000 people dead with that many again injured with millions displaced and homeless. The earthquake struck the capital Port-au-Prince the most heavily populated part of the island. Haiti is a poor country, corrupt with it, which doesn’t help the situation.
Graham Greene write a novel about Haiti; I remember reading it quite a few years ago, I can’t remember its title, but I do remember it was about a priest and the capital Port-au-Prince was mentioned. Aid I believe is slow getting into the country, bodies fill the streets, destruction abounds, law and order has broken down – starvation seems to be a fact of life. It is so bad that it is hard to picture, even though we see the devastation on the TV, so I hope when aid does finally arrive in quantities, it goes to the right people.
Call me cynical if you like, but somehow I hesitation it will be so, but I hope I’m wrong and my cynicism is unfounded, but one-way or another I doubt it. But there again, even that is not sufficient verification for not sending aid, if a small part gets through and the few increase their Swiss Bank Accounts, that is a price that must be paid, but it does leave a bitter taste in the mouth.
I have read all day since I woke this morning, indeed, I haven’t even changed out of my sleeping shorts, (7pm) not worth it now, listening to the news on TV, Prince Andrew is in Auckland, from the look of things getting a good welcome. Half way through my fourth novel by E. Chadwick, I’ll finish it tomorrow, but I’ll be down the library tomorrow to see if they have any other books by that author and on Earl W. Marshal – the author recons Marshal was the Winston Churchill of the 12th Century.
Listening now on D Toxic tablets and their value, (television documentary) and the article recommends most if not all remedies are a load of nonsense and can do more harm than good to the body. I’m inclined to agree, sensible eating, reasonable exercise, no smoking or too much alcohol, don’t become over weight, with no drugs, and there is no problem, sorted, simple really. It doesn’t take a lot to stay healthy – it’ll all about life style, so stop worrying and get eating correctly and exercising.
(Tuesday 19th January)
Up from bed a 9am intending to go down the gym but I wanted to finish the Chadwick novel I mention yesterday and read instead, finished the novel at just gone twelve midday, the novel is everything I said it was, and more. It makes me want to know more about W. Marshal and his wife Isabelle, and I will, next time I'm down the library, might be later today, (12.30pm now) I will get look to see what is down there about this great historical family. To date, I’ve read three of her novels, I have one more here to read and will start it later today. I did say after I’ve read four of her novels I would seek a change, but I may not now, and read all her works at one sitting.
I should also be doing some writing myself, but I haven’t yet started after Christmas, but I feel there is no rush, besides, it will be getting a car this week, Wednesday it looks like, and then I’ll be starting to travel around the county. I have an inclination to be near the sea. I know there is a large lake here, but it is not the sea, there is no salt air, no big waves, large long sandy beaches, so my travelling will start shortly. But not quite yet, I’ve just started the other Chadwick novel “The Love Knot,” this one is a shorter read than the other one, besides, it’s cloudy out, I think the sun has taken a rest today, but it’s still quite warm.
Listening to the news last night about Haiti it made me sad; it’s now believed there are over 200,000 people dead with that many again injured with millions displaced and homeless. The earthquake struck the capital Port-au-Prince the most heavily populated part of the island. Haiti is a poor country, corrupt with it, which doesn’t help the situation.
Graham Greene write a novel about Haiti; I remember reading it quite a few years ago, I can’t remember its title, but I do remember it was about a priest and the capital Port-au-Prince was mentioned. Aid I believe is slow getting into the country, bodies fill the streets, destruction abounds, law and order has broken down – starvation seems to be a fact of life. It is so bad that it is hard to picture, even though we see the devastation on the TV, so I hope when aid does finally arrive in quantities, it goes to the right people.
Call me cynical if you like, but somehow I hesitation it will be so, but I hope I’m wrong and my cynicism is unfounded, but one-way or another I doubt it. But there again, even that is not sufficient verification for not sending aid, if a small part gets through and the few increase their Swiss Bank Accounts, that is a price that must be paid, but it does leave a bitter taste in the mouth.
I have read all day since I woke this morning, indeed, I haven’t even changed out of my sleeping shorts, (7pm) not worth it now, listening to the news on TV, Prince Andrew is in Auckland, from the look of things getting a good welcome. Half way through my fourth novel by E. Chadwick, I’ll finish it tomorrow, but I’ll be down the library tomorrow to see if they have any other books by that author and on Earl W. Marshal – the author recons Marshal was the Winston Churchill of the 12th Century.
Listening now on D Toxic tablets and their value, (television documentary) and the article recommends most if not all remedies are a load of nonsense and can do more harm than good to the body. I’m inclined to agree, sensible eating, reasonable exercise, no smoking or too much alcohol, don’t become over weight, with no drugs, and there is no problem, sorted, simple really. It doesn’t take a lot to stay healthy – it’ll all about life style, so stop worrying and get eating correctly and exercising.
(Tuesday 19th January)
I woke at 8pm and read for a while, later I walked to town and spent a pleasant hour in the library where I took a few books back and a few more out to keep me going. I finished reading the fourth novel by E Chadwick, or yes, I have her novel “The Greatest Knight.” But now I’m reading a novel by Agatha Christie “Death Comes As The End” it’s based in ancient Egypt 2000 BC, I didn’t know she wrote about Egypt in this vein, so from what I’ve read so far it an ancient detective story.
Again, there is chaos in Afghanistan, Kabul, the capital, there it should be safe now, has seen the Taliban making a fool of the government yet again, the city rocked with bombs. State building destroyed, many people killed, how can the government, corrupted elected government, hope to govern the country?
The truth is, there is not a hope in hell of making it work despite the extra troops deployed there to help hold the peace process. The country is run by many different factions, drugs are grown at an all time high, murder and every day is a natural phenomenon. We should just pull out and let them get on with it. Why oh why can’t our and other government see this, we are not going to win, the Taliban are fanatical individuals, and civilization cannot hope to win again these types of people, so I say again, let them got on with it and fight around each other: there is no other way.
For the evening, I read and watched TV, and in bed by 12am.
(Wednesday 20th January)
For the evening, I read and watched TV, and in bed by 12am.
(Wednesday 20th January)
Woke at 8.20 and I had a quick breakfast and out with my son at 8.45am and we went into Hamilton, the journey takes around two hours. It is some town, and we had meal in one of the shopping centre and then made a phone call to look at a car, the car looked rather good but after haggling we failed to agree on the purchase and I we left, the second car we looked at – both private sales – we agree on price, and that was it. I had my car and drove it back to Taupo, it only a small engine, 1000cc, but it’ll do me, I’m now mobile and I intend to make the most of it. I’ve just about exhausted the area around Taupo and very nice it was too, so now it’s further afield for me.
Already I’ve planned where I want to go and will start tomorrow, Rotorua is my first stop, and then alone the Hawkes Bay Coast, quite a number of the beaches are pristine and are virtually deserted. I’m really looking forward to it.
(6,10pm) Listening the evening news, Haiti is still in a mess, aid is arriving, but from what I can see, so is looting, and the country is in a desperate state. Already, to death toll is over 200,000 and it is still rising. The sights make me want to cry, the misery is unbelievable, whole families wiped out, when Nature clenches its fist the world feels the blow, and there is not a thing we can do about it.
(10.45pm) I've just listened to the weather forecast, and would you believe: it will be a day of rain tomorrow, all day from what I’ve just heard, “a burst of heavy rain,” the words used, and for the next two days. So it may not be Rotorua tomorrow after all: if it is raining heavy, I’ll go to the swimming baths and to the hot pools after my morning gym session.
Over the last few days I haven’t walked as far as I normally walk, but not to worry, I have spent a lot of time reading, so I’ll take a rest over the next few days and get more exercise and read a little less. But I’ll be lying if I said I’m looking forward to reading the novel “The Greatest Knight,” and for me to finish reading the A. Christie novel about ancient Egypt.
I have so much to do out here, and I need to make the most of the time. But I haven’t rules out coming back again for next winter and spending another few months out here, but I still have another two months out here, but I don’t want to spend next Christmas out here, so it may be next year, January, if I do decide to come back.
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