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Early birthday presents
It’s my birthday tomorrow, but after opening some of my presents on Saturday – new cycling shorts, new pants and socks, and Guy Martin’s second autobiography – I had one more parcel that my wife had given me to fly back to Singapore with. It had the concerning dimensions and weight of a small, hyper […]
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What I Learned This Weekend
I didn’t have much opportunity to learn things this weekend, because I spent a lot of it on an aeroplane, asleep. However, I gleaned a few insights: The whole of Colorado is higher than every part of England. That is, when in Colorado you’ll always be above everyone in England, unless you’re in a very […]
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The Program
This evening I went to see The Program, because there’s no better way to avoid jet lag than to sit in a darkened room, eschewing all natural light. (Although to be fair, if you’re going to take part in a fundamentally unsociable activity, what better time to do it than when separated from your family […]
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Waiting for takeoff
After a week in London, I’m abandoning my wife and kids for three weeks, flying back to the all-embracing heat of Singapore. I was amazed how empty Heathrow was. I suppose that most people don’t choose to travel on a Saturday evening, but the terminal felt deserted. That may be just me making comparisons to […]
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The Surprising Bliss Of Tottenham Court Road
Tonight I walked down to the Tottenham Court Road Tube station, which I was very impressed by. Long ago (well, a few years) Tottenham Court Road was horrendous: a series of cramped ticket barriers jammed together in a low ceilinged hall, with exits that spat you out into the miserable end of Oxford Street. Transport […]
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Not wanting to go to work
I realise that I really, really hate commuting. In Singapore, if I leave the office at six, ten minutes later I’m home and able to play with the kids before their baths, and everyone is happy. Or La Serpiente is screaming “Daddeeee” and trying to eat my beard, which is the same thing. In London, […]
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Discombobulated
I’m feeling a little bit wonky today. After getting home late from depressing tapas last night, I was up until after midnight, and then at 5:30 I had to get out of bed to take a call with Tokyo. So as well as working what feel like Singapore hours from London (as well as London […]
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Viva Cafe Espana?
Tonight I met an old friend for dinner in Soho. We went to a tapas restaurant on Old Compton Street that had been good ten years ago. Unfortunately…
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Hypocrisy is not a luxury good
Killing time in WHSmiths before boarding my train tonight, I saw the Daily Mail’s entire front page is a headline complaining about the hypocrisy of cinemas. This is because several large chains are not playing an advert for the Church of England, but do show violent ads for booze to children. I’m not sure who […]
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Things I learned this weekend
Jet lag is great for getting your kids to sleep. Not so wonderful for you when they wake up at stupid o’clock. I really do jump to conclusions much too quickly when there’s a bad smell. The bassinet seats on British Airways’ A380s aren’t great because you can’t move the armrests to allow your child […]
