The life of MG (I) - A different morning...

This post starts "fictitious" tales about the life of MG, a random striker somewhere in western Europe… for now...

" 4:30 AM - Another typical Thursday night ends on a (cold) walk from the usual place straight home... The good thing is that somehow there is still warmth within me... maybe "a couple" of beers and "a couple" of gin tonics have something to do with that. In 4 hours I will be back to my desk! Work hard play hard, definitely the way to go...

9:00 AM - Zzzzz... A voice far far away in the hall... Shit! I’M LATE!! 45 min later I am back at my desk, in record time...

9:45 AM - Phone rings... far far away a strange voice is mentioning something about meeting the company doctor and doing a routine health check. First thought crossing my mind: "I am fine! No worries..." However, I wander about not having met the doctor until now, a dude that might be a useful contact for the future... What the heck, it is just a couple of staircases down...

9:50 AM - Sleepily, I knock at the door "Medical checks". With the usual friendly manner (yes, usually quite good in first approaches…) I introduce himself and wanders what are these checks about... A very friendly woman goes off about the need of routine checks to make sure everything is fine. In theory it makes a hell lot of sense but then again... a strange effect pops up in my stomach... Asking about the checks, a shiver runs through my spine... Blood and urine, reflexes, seeing and hearing... Mmm, maybe not the best time to prioritise these dangerous and devious practices... One thought only: “I need to get OUT!”... small steps back, babbling a combination of sentences involving recent made health check and too much work... ufffff… Back to the safety of my desk, a muted phone and replenished with much needed water…

7:15 PM – Here we go again…” MG

My personal worldmap (part II)

On the other hand, written from somewhere in Laos...

“… I now dive in the touristic flows of Southeast Asia. In the middle of all this, the funny thing is that, against all evidence, we maintain intact the perception that we are living an unique adventure, discovering new exotic tracks, travelling where barely anyone has travelled before us. Adventure?

The true adventure in these times is found home. Adventure is to commit for life with the person you love, to sign your name in a loan contract for an apartment, that will put a rope around your neck for the next 30 years, to drive in Portuguese avenues on a Saturday night. To swim in a wooden boat in river Mekong, deep in Laos?” (Goncalo Cadilhe)

Carpe diem!

A week in PT...

(written on Dec 12th)
9 days in Portugal (yep, definitely stayed home!!) were brilliant for the usual reasons...people... food... weather! Where else in Europe can you enjoy 15'C this time of year?!?!?!?!!? AH!

This was good to realise I am definitely back in immigration mode, and that trips to Portugal now work as holidays from my Madrid home. So, small details become important again...
... always stopping in the first portuguese service station, to have a coffee (not dirty water in big buckets...) and check out the latest "pink magazines" (Maria, TV7Dias, Gente, etc);
... enduring a Marginal road traffic jam, with a stupid smile in my face, just because of the view and smell of the sea;
... taking time to re-discuss feminism and the role of women in the XXI century with my sisters… or actually listening to their monologue;
… playing with my nieces and nephews… simply that… (and now even talking through MSN!!);
… nearly being stopped in yet another police traffic control operation (was the second car to be allowed to move through… pffiiuuuu…)
(... )

On a more serious note, these dips back “home” are also indirectly showing me the true strength of the friendships I have in Portugal, through the powerful test of distance. Although not always, most of the time I have been very positively surprised :)

Time to think, time to plan… So, I have officially declared 2006 as a travelling year! Here is my tentative travel schedule until Sep’06!
. Jan’06 – Rome – meeting Friends and fulfilling a promise of returning to that fantastic city;
. Feb’06 – Holland – AI reunion!!!! Getting together with my family 01-02;
. May’06 – Egypt (or Morocco in June!) – need to visit a new country every year, so it is definitely time meet friends either in one of these… or both!
. Oct’06 – India (wedding in Delhi + Hymalaias=2,5 to 3 weeks!) – yet another wedding followed or anticipated by 2 weeks chilling out up north in the Himalayas… Wanna join?

And in between, if the opportunity arises, I might be tempted to visit… YOU! ;)
Carpe Diem!