Persecution, I Don't Think So

The Sunday Telegraph ran an article yesterday called 'Britain is persecuting Christians'. The article tells how 640 prominent figures (mainly teachers and religious leaders) have signed a letter stating that teaching sex education in schools to minors is undermining morals etc. They are also aggrieved at recent cases where they state christians have been seemingly persecuted or discriminated in the work place. They are calling upon the government to drop legislation regards teaching sex education to pupils as young as seven, stating they need a childhood first as one example. Whilst I am inclined to agree children do need a childhood I also think they need to be aware of adult issues too, especially in today's modern society where media and television exposure only leaves kids asking questions at an early age anyway.

Back when I was at school I recall my parents tentatively telling me the basics, I suspect it was probably awkward for them, in school I don't think we got the official lowdown till about age twelve, by which time we all knew about 'how babies are made' and just sat there giggling nervously as the teacher prattled on but this was the late seventies after all.

Firstly I think in today's society you can certainly structure how it is introduced to young curious minds. In later years of course you can introduce the safe sex elements, which I suspect is pretty much how they handle it anyway these days.

Of course, if religious or faith leaders had it their way there'd be none of it, we'd be filling young minds with nonsense about Adam and Eve and big storks coming alone bringing bundles of joy. As a species of course we are driven to procreate, you reach puberty and all hell breaks loose in your mind and your body, if matters aren't understood then of course accidents occur, as they did back in the day so to speak when conceptions happened at early ages for a lot of women. These of course were women that had to endure shame, hand the baby over to elders or strangers and loads of other horror story scenarios. When asked why they'd had a baby so young the majority would plead ignorance as regards sex, so would males, after all it was a taboo subject. Most people had to find their own way forward sexually, gaining information either by experience first hand or by asking others shyly in confidence.

Thankfully we've moved on, sex isn't such a 'difficult' subject anymore, so explaining what is a perfectly natural act shouldn't really be a big deal, however we do need to be sensible about the approach and application of it. Emphasis in this day and age needs to be on the pitfalls of having children at an early age and the dangers of unprotected sex.

What I am really saying is young minds need to be open and not closed at an early age so things become understood.

As for people being discriminated in the workplace because of their faith, all I have to say is that firms and companies do have ethical frameworks and rules in place but that's the nature of the beast in the workplace anyway, rules vary from place to place. Whilst I personally would have no problem with anyone wearing a crucifix I can also see why organisations take a neutral line on religion, it just makes things easier. I don't think there's any prejudice against christians like they state, sure, exceptions may have been made for some faiths, Sikh's wearing turbans being the obvious one that comes to mind but this really isn't new. The work place should be a religious free zone except for issues of common sense. The place of work and the place of belief and worship need to be kept separate. You wouldn't talk (as we say in Britain) 'shop' in church, neither do you want someone rambling on about religion and morals in the work place.

Personally I am glad we are more open these days as a society and that the Sunday school mentality is beginning to fade, the truth of the matter is that christians are losing the grip they had in bygone days, when ignorance was preferred and sex was something muttered about whilst looking around cautiously.

Friendships

I've always been a person that takes friendships seriously, though that said in all honesty I have very few close friends. At the start of this year I pondered the friends situation and decided to strengthen some of the friendships I have. There's no really easy way you can do this apart from just being honest and straight with people and of course giving them more of your time and be more understanding of them. Personally, sometimes I do myself no favours, I can be brusque at times, maybe arrogant to some, and I don't think people always get my humour. I also have a habit of speaking my mind, though these days I do generally tend to think more before I do so.

The good thing over the first quarter of this year is that I do feel I have improved several friendships with people. I think the recent passing of my friend Russ has also made people closer in the community I socialise with, I suspect a good few of us have been reflective of our friendships with each other.

I do think it's hard to strengthen some bonds, people have different outlooks or allegiances and some people can be judgemental at times, including myself, which is why I decided to try and be more accepting of others this year, to try harder in general.

Fortune has favoured on me since I moved here and I've made some good friends, though there's the odd one or two that I feel haven't really accepted me into the fold just yet. Recently I've connected with some old school friends and that feels good, hopefully I will see more of them and catch up about the past (cringe!!!) in the coming months.

One thing is for sure though, as I get older I increasingly realise how important good friends are.

Street Sage

I've been enjoying my weekly jaunts to the Nottingham project immensely of late, it's good to experience a change of scenery and new sights and sounds, though I like my little town, but sometimes it can be a little mundane at times, if only through familiarity.

This Wednesday gone by, I awoke feeling very fatigued. The night before had witnessed the onset of a cold, aches, sniffles and the usual heavy feeling around the nose and forehead. Part of me wanted to call the day off, recline back into bed and seek solace in the warmth of my quilt but with a great effort I clambered out of bed groaning loudly as the cold engulfed my skin. The usual morning routine followed, kettle on, wash, clean teeth, switch PC on and check emails and sit and wake with a cup of Earl Grey and a mint flavoured Kit-Kat.

My cold was seriously encroaching upon my well being, my nose running like an out of control freight train and every limb had a gnawing icy ache. I didn't want to miss Nottingham, plus I wanted to put some posters up of a friends band in a couple of music shops there as his band is playing an unsigned bands music festival this Sunday in Birmingham. So armed with some pain killers, tissues and hobbit like resolve I wearily marched off into the new day.

The day passed pretty rapidly, I was on my own for a while at the project in the morning but joined by others later, there were a couple of amusing events and some really interesting (though a few odd) people drop into the project during the course of the day. At 3pm I was on my way, heading back to Nottingham train station albeit at snail's pace, sniffling with cold and cursing my aching bones.

It was then I decided to try to reach out and connect with the city. Now this next bit may seem bizarre, so bear with me but it's something that is kind of like an extension to my psychotherapy training , an idea of sorts put into practice and form by letting go to your surroundings or 'Street Saging' as I've nicknamed it.

Still with me? How does it work? I'm as mad as a hatter you say?

Well, the secret to it is simply like an extended empathy with your immediate surroundings, a case of active listening, people watching whilst shutting your own thoughts down to reach out and connect with others around you. I know, it's hard to take on board but the secret is using the vibe of the city as a kind of conduit to extend yourself out and actively try and feel how others around you are feeling. Of course body language is essential but I've found I can also reach out when listening to music on the ipod too. I think its something like 80% of all communication is done via body language, it's something we can all read and understand, sometimes its evident and sometimes it's more sublime but we can all understand it and read it to varying levels, more so actively examine it if know what you are looking for. There's nothing hard or complex about street saging, it's basically people watching in it's base form, it's just I feel that a little more knowledge and awareness does help you see and feel more of what's out there.

As I was really tired it wasn't hard to mute my own thoughts and try and connect with what was going on around me. I saw an Indian guy, smartly dressed but looking lost and lonely, he aimless wandered gazing around as he did so, trying to connect with someone or perhaps hoping to see someone he knew. He was short like me, had large eyes and in truth looked a little odd, it occurred to me that because of the way he looked he had possibly suffered rejection by people of his own community, though this of course is only speculation, as I try to fathom why he looked so forlorn. In truth of course I'll never know but I could sense he felt alone and a part of me wanted to reach out and say 'you don't have to feel lonely mate, let's have a coffee and a chat but as we all know you can't just go marching up to people, it's just kind of how you'd want it to be in an ideal open world, but alas it's not. I could have been wrong about him but my feelings were there all the same, it's just the empathy feeding back to you.

As I walked on I saw other people, a guy walking with a bad limp, probably due to some deformity or accident, he seemed to avoid gazing at people, he looked down and ambled on almost shutting the outside world out, as if he wanted to get from A to B without noticed or ridiculed. Several people in and I was lost with thoughts and feelings of others detached from your own personal stuff, I'd forgotten my cold completely as more and more I was drawn into people around me, not so much staring but just taking a glimpse and you stroll past and taking on board how they look to be feeling.

In some ways my heart sank, there seemed to be a lot of lonely lost souls that day, I mused to myself many things such as 'do they have many friends, where do they live, are they just wallflowers that want to let the world pass them by, simple because it's easier that way?'

As I journeyed home on the train I felt emotional inside, whilst cities can be infectious and exciting places they can also be sad and lonely, not because of the obvious candidates such as down and outs, big issue vendors and such but simply because of how sad the average man or woman in the street can look and how alone and vulnerable they seem to be.

Street saging doesn't have to be so depressing, though it's good to be aware that others around you can be sad, it's good to notice vulnerabilities and try and understand them. There's times when I have let go and street saged only to be lifted by others around me, small children laughing or having wonder in their eyes. Lovers embracing, having just met up after being apart, old people holding hands having been married for decades and simply people smiling to one another. I put my thoughts to a friend briefly last night and he say he understood completely where I was coming from, I'm sure others understand my angle too.

When I look at people I always see optimism, and hope inside that despite the fact they are looking sad, tomorrow they may well be feeling happy or turning a corner better things. If only more people tried being human more often, forgetting personal thoughts and reaching out with empathy - can you imagine how much a better world it would be?

Malta

Sometimes when you are really ready for a holiday you perhaps subconsciously place your hopes on wanting it to be good. I think I did that prior to my recent holiday to Malta, as it turns out it wasn't a bad holiday (though not amazing either), it was a welcome respite from the cold weather, time to think and reflect and time to have a bit of fun.

Arriving at Luton airport and checking in I was worried about the weather, the clouds were heavy and full of snow and as my dad had recently had a holiday at Christmas cancelled due to the bad weather I was on tenterhooks. We queued for the check in and just happened to be behind a female Maltese volleyball team, each and everyone stunning looking, my spirits began to rise. So we boarded the plane and the heavens cascaded with snow, not good. Seat belts on we nervously waited, time dropped off the clock slowly, a lorry with some kind of jet wash hurriedly caressed the aircraft with icey cold water washing any traces of offending snow away, suddenly we were away, thrusting engines hurtling us down the runway - my heart leapt and in my mind the ride of the valkyries music thundered forth in elation.

About three hours later the lights of Malta appeared on the horizon, I squinted out of the window as the plane dropped and saw a pretty church lit up in the late evening, orange street lights surrounded it, a harbour, boats and moving traffic - touchdown.

It didn't seem overly warm as we disembarked but then again it wasn't cold either. We were through the airport in a flash and our transfer driver was waiting. Onto a mini bus and a roller coaster ride later (yep the Maltese drive like maniacs) and we were at the hotel. On booking in we were told a floor of the hotel had been flooded and we were being transferred to a 'sister hotel'. Another mad dash in a mini bus, some protestations at the new hotel reception and we were upgraded to fully inclusive, result. It was late, I explored a little and felt more than a little despondant that we didn't seem to be near anything really, and so travel tired and left wondering I went to bed.

The next day the sun was astride the sky in no time, breakfast inside me it was time to ask questions and explore. it turned out my reconnaissance the previous evening had yielded little because basically I'd been up the wrong streets. My spirits rose as I got my bearings and began to discover things and then we left for the capital Valletta.

The capital is comprised of many adjoining areas, Vallatta being on the main promontory that is flanked by various harbours and inlets. It's a very pretty place, lots of old buildings and interesting fortifications and architecture. It didn't take long to discover the bar where the late great actor Oliver Reed had died whilst filming the movie 'Gladiator'. it was a busy little back street pub with English charm and character adorned with lots of movie posters of the actor in past roles. A few pints later and I began to relax and think 'I'm here, I'm on hoilday - at long bloody last!'

So, Malta, what did I think to it? Well it's a bit of a mixed bag really. I liked the place but it has a generic Mediterranean feel about it when you're away from the touristy bits. Some places like Mdina and Mosta have real charm, history and depth, though that said many other places have a very unfinished or 'derelict' (as one Brit in the hotel said) feel about them. Some of the pavements are particularly bad and there seems to be a good few half built apartments and other buildings.

It's not a big island, so exploring is fairly easy, though the old yellow and orange buses are real bone shakers with no suspension. Some buses have been passed down from father to son and are decades old, the jewel of the family. Sadly the bus drivers themselves aren't the most friendly characters, no doubt they've seen tens of thousands of tourists and have been asked the same questions time over. The roads in Malta aren't great to be fair and there seems to be lots of one way systems. The Maltese love their cars, most families I am told have 2-3 cars, most young Maltese men like to pose around in them booming music forth, the older men do the same but play 80's music! I have to be honest and say I didn't feel the Maltese were the best drivers in the world, they are generically continental in their style with a manic speed demon edge. They seem to drive with abandon and rarely indicate leaving the whole thing a guessing game. It seemed to be every time you crossed a road there was a car bearing down upon you.

The Maltese as a people are a mixed bunch, not overly friendly but not aloof either. Much like any country there is good and bad but in fairness the Maltese I'd say aren't a bad lot. They speak good English, are polite and helpful when approached (apart from the bus drivers!). I noticed how observant they are about current affairs, especially goings on abroad, the UK in particular. My feeling was now and again the Maltese get fed up with tourists flooding their small island but they also acknowledge we're a good source of revenue. I guess like in other places the rule of one price for tourists and another price for locals applies. One thing I did pick up on was the Maltese concern with immigrants, mostly from Africa but according to the barman in my hotel there are a lot of Bulgarians and other east Europeans coming to the island now. There was a Bulgarian maid in the hotel that was very charming but there were a lot of African males walking the street on some occasions. I was told most Africans make for Italy but get stopped and sent back to Malta where the Maltese have to deal with them. There are a lot of camps of immigrants to the south of the Malta I'm told. I never felt nervous walking the streets at night though, the Africans seem to be in search of a better life and not criminals.

Maltese women are absolutely exquisite creatures, beauty personified and probably up their as some of the most gorgeous creatures I've seen on my travels. Maltese women have a certain class of their own. They wear great outfits, carry themselves with grace and pride. Dusky skin, long locks of dark hair, curves to die for, they are a mix of European, Italian and slightly Arabic looking at times, that said some looked very English too, with a resplendent aura.

It wouldn't be fair to draw too many conclusions about the Maltese as I was only there a week, for the most they seemed nice people, however I would have liked to immerse myself in their culture and language more. Some things are evident about the Maltese, they have a strong sense of family, they are fervently religious, patriotic, observant and perhaps a bit materialistic as they do like their fine clothes and cars.

It's no secret that I love my history and for this reason I was looking forward to Malta. Most of the big players in history have occupied the little island and made their mark. The Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs and various European powers have all contributed in some way or another to leave Malta how it is today. I sampled a few places of historical interest, Wignacourt tower, Fort St Elmo, Valletta, Mosta, Mdina to name some. The actual places, what you pay to get in them and what is on offer varies greatly though. The Knights Hospitalars museum/show in Mdina cost 5 euros, was said to be award winning but just turned out to be a tour with crackling headsets viewing waxworks dolls (though some were very lifelike and spooky). The re-enactment of troops training at fort St Elmo in Valletta was good, but we only stumbled on the show just before it began so missed the tour of the fort but the actual place was across a weed strewn concrete plateau that really wasn't signposted well, a case of follwing the crowd.

I got the feeling some historical places of interest just seemed to be there for the cash in value and are lacking in some areas, though to be fair I never really felt ripped off, just left feeling a little disappointed in some instances. The best thing is to read up and pick and choose, or just talk to other tourists or locals to get feedback.

Personally for me Malta was a welcome break, the weather reached 75 degrees at times and it was great to stroll around in a t-shirt feeling warm and content but not over baked. There's some lovely little bars there, some lovely views and I especially liked the area of Sliema just north of Valletta. Sliema has a very cosmopolitan feel about it, great shops, restaurants and cafes and the whole area feels quite modern, great for when you want to escape the historical touristy stuff (and with good pavements!). St Julians is also a nice little bay/area as is St Pauls which in contrast is very quiet. Bugibba, the area where I stayed is ok, a typical holiday place festooned with English style bars, clubs and more than its fair share of tacky shops. It's a clean place, plenty of places to eat and drink and is quite small and easy to traverse with good bus links, facilities and a really good cinema.

Would I return to Malta? The answer is probably yes but I'd probably go to Sliema for a long weekend with friends. It's not that cheap a place really, the locals aren't happy with the Euro still either. Malta is worth a visit (for the beautiful women alone!) but generally only attracts the retired sort for any duration, mainly because the weather is favourable and English is spoken everywhere. I would recommend Malta for a short break to anyone, especially younger people wanting a vibrant capital to explore. It wouldn't be a bad family holiday either and the oldies (mainly) love it there.

So that's Malta, and here is some photos for you to enjoy!

Mosta Dome

Wignacourt Tower

A vintage Perkins Bus

Re-enactment at Fort St Elmo, Valletta

Fort St Elmo battlements

Valletta

Mdina (the silent city)

Sliema coastline

Valletta main street

Valletta street & architecture

A street in Mdina

St Julians

Carnival parade in Valletta

St Julians

Valletta view from the Sliema ferry

View from just outside Fort St Elmo

Yours truly, ponytail flapping madly in the breeze!

Funky Chicken Little Song

They kept playing this in the cinema in Malta, now I can't get the tune out of my head. Maybe they have it in some cinema's over here but I've not seen it yet, anyway, it makes me smile, so here you go!

Traveller's Tales

Well here I am sat in a cyber cafe in Bugibba, Malta. Today I've been to Mdina, called the silent city because there's no cars there (though there is a few). It's a beautiful place, winding alley ways, lots of quiet nooks with an amazing view overlooking the island. Then it was off into Sliema for some retail therapy and food.

The hotel is ok, the staff are friendly. Initially on arriving at our hotel we were told there had been some sort of flood and had to be transferred to a sister hotel. My heart sank and I thought 'here we go!' but after arriving at the second hotel and venting our displeasure we were promptly upgraded to fully inclusive.

The resort of Bugibba is quiet but it is off season, there's some good little bars though and the local beer 'Cisk' is smooth and refreshing. I'm also enjoying 'Kinnie' which is the preferred soft drink on the island.

I think the weather has been touching between 65 and 70 today, lovely and warm, and oh those Maltese girls!!! I've found a tattoo shop nearby, looks very professional and I'm gonna check out tatts and prices in the next day or so and treat myself to one maybe.

So there you go, a little blog from the wandering hobbit in Malta, photos to follow when I get home!

Come On Lads!

Poor old Notts County Football club, it's been a real roller coaster of a season for them. Today they lost to Fulham in the FA cup but did get quite far in the tournament. I recall blogging at the start of the season, filled with glee at the arrival of Sven-Goran Erikkson, Sol, Son of Schmeical and an endless pot of money. Now that's all gone, First Sol Campbell left after one game, then the mysterious arabic backers pulled out and the club has now been sold by the Chairman Peter Trembling for £1, to Ray Trew, former chairman of Lincoln City. Sven has left but is some sort of new club figurehead/president (non-paid/active).

Still, on the up side Ray Trew is held in high regard seemingly, and knows the Football business well. County were in 4th position in the league last I looked, and could still well get promotion. Fair play to Sven too, he stuck by them for a good while when many expected him to walk, I just hope in this new role he can influence the future of the club. I just hope in these turbulent days of stability for many clubs my favourite team Notts County can hang on in there. Come on lads, you can do it!

The Story So Far ...

January has been and gone, and very cold it was too. I saw Gary off before he flew back to Hong Kong on new years eve, drove home, elected to stay in for the new year and bolted down the hatches and dug in for a bleak cold month.

The weather didn't let me down and we had snow aplenty. Fortunately the tv was good, celebrity big brother, Survivors, Dan Snow's 'Empire of the Sea', Paul Merton in Europe and the very cringe worthy 'Take me out' with Paddy McGuiness, oh and not forgetting the return of the Gadget show.

Regime wise, well things went well, no beer for about 3 whole weeks and then only a tentative tipple. Sensible eating at sensible times and more importantly sensible portions. The upshot was a bit of weight dropped off and I felt much better in myself. I've not started the writing projects I have planned but I have been blogging more, so that's good. Friend wise? Well part of the new years resolution was to forge stronger friendships this year as I feel it needs to be done in certain cases, I'm happy to say that seems to be going well too.

All in all, January has been a slow but good month marred only by the death of a friend (See: The Big Empty blog). I've a holiday booked for later this month, well just over a week away and I can't tell you how excited I am about it and how much I need it, it's been far too long. I've also been doing stuff at a new project in Nottingham and I'm really enjoying the involvement. So there you go, a little update of sorts.

Mike Flowers Pops

I'm currently really into 'The Mike Flowers Pops'. I've always liked a bit of lounge music and was aware of Mike Flowers back in the mid 90s with his cover of Wonderwall. It was only yesterday as a result of a previous conversation with a friend (Drew!) that I decided to look Mr Flowers up, and I'm glad I did. Here's his ultra cool cover of the Oasis track 'Wonderwall' below;

Whilst at the project I'm involved with in Nottingham today (It's a music shop) I found Mike Flowers to my elation on CD and promptly bagged it, as seemingly his stuff isn't easy to come by nowadays. Anyway, I played it in the shop and both customers and staff loved it! Oasis gave the nod for the cover to be released back in the 90s because they liked the arrangment so much, and music critics really rate his other covers, personally I think they're super cool, not my normal taste I'll admit but damn cool all the same - I'm a fan, enough said!

The Big Empty

It's just a little over three years since I moved to Newark. When I moved here I was lucky in the fact I made friends with a great bunch of people, or rather they made friends with me - a bit of both I suspect. Within that group of friends it's fair to say I forged some friendships quicker than others and big Russ was one of the later friendships to be honest, though we did have brief chats and exchange 'hello's' all the time.

I really began to gel with Russ about a year and a half ago. In fact I remember when we really clicked, we were sat in the Fox & Crown on a Friday afternoon early last summer and got chatting about retro video games. We both had an immense passion about old school gaming and would sit and debate the virtues of it most Friday tea times in the Fox. The more I sat and chatted with Russ, the more I realised we had lots in common, especially comedy and sport. The lads in the Fox would often call Russ 'Statto' because he knew his football so well. I wouldn't say Russ was the easiest person to get to know, such was his demeanor. Until you got to know him he could appear reserved about you but once you'd broke that barrier he seemed to have, you were totally accepted.

It wouldn't be right of me to harp on and try and pretend we were famous or best friends, we weren't but we did have an amazing total acceptance of one another, especially when it came to taking the piss or having a laugh. Many a time we'd have David and Goliath type verbal sparring, much to the glee and entertainment of some of our mutual friends. Russ would often point out to me that he'd ever been the same with Ryan (who is a little taller than me!).

Last January myself, Russ and Ryan drove over to see the comedian Jerry Sadowitz in Nottingham, I recall Jerry doing a vitriolic rant at the crowd 'I hate ginger people, I hate fat people, I hate skinny people ...'. As Russ and I were stood next to each other, Russ towering over me, we knew what was coming 'I hate small people, I hate tall people...'. We both looked at each other and smiled. I think because both of us were polar extremes height wise we understood each other so well.

It's at this point of the blog it's actually occurred to me why it often hurts when friends pass away, sometimes more than family. The answer is because friendships have to be worked at, cultivated and gradually built, and when someone dies - it all comes crashing down.

Russ died at home yesterday, after a brief battle with cancer, the second friend I've lost to it. I saw him just over a week ago at the hospital and I thought to myself 'he's a big strong lad, he'll shake it off'. Alas it wasn't to be.

I'm not sure how old Russ was, 37 for an educated guess, I can't help feeling he had so much of life to still experience. He leaves behind an amazing bunch of people that will miss him greatly.

As for me, I'll miss the texts that tell me what is happening at Notts County football club before I even know! I'll miss the chats about video games classics of yesteryear. I'll miss his towering presence over me.

It will be 'the big empty'.

A Nottingham Interlude #2

Can lightening strike twice? Let's be pragmatic and say no, though it probably has happened but as regards me in the female stakes, well... I'm just not that lucky. So why a second interlude in the big city? stay tuned and I'll divulge.

Last Wednesday I was over in Nottingham at the new project I am involved with, the train journey was uneventful, I could have driven there but I didn't really want to mess about parking in the city or bump heads with traffic en masse. Anyhow, it was a cold morning, I felt tired and was propped up by a couple of pain killers whilst listening to some Infected Mushroom on the ipod. Arriving at the new project I was received warmly by the guys there and the day passed expeditiously, new experiences, new people, fast thinking and a lot of standing up. I didn't doubt I'd enjoy the day, though the niggling physical tiredness seemed to linger in the background like some revenant shadow.

At 3pm I was heading home, though I had half an hour to spare before the departing train, so it was a steady and fatigued saunter in the direction of the station.

REWIND...

Before Christmas I'd had problems with my right eye, no point going into boring details here but at the time I decided to get it checked out at the emergency eye clinic at Queens Medical Centre. As I see a consultant there, he always advised me not to hesitate if I did have eye problems to get them looked over. Casting my mind back it was a bleak October morning when I attended, in fact I'd been before the previous year to get something checked out. Behind the desk both times was a little cutie of a nurse, my height in fact, hair pulled back neatly into a ponytail and spectacles adorning her pretty face. It might be worth mentioning that in the past I've had girlfriends the same height, only a couple as I recall, though there have been plenty of equal sized encounters in China and Thailand *ahem* but we don't need to go there right now! The fact is I've had girlfriends of all shapes and sizes, the tallest being 5'11. I don't really have a size preference but I also can't help liking girls around my height, so the nurse behind the helpdesk of course caught my attention. She was very attentive, there was some minor flirting and when I went for a coffee in the nearby hospital cafe I couldn't help thinking 'what if?'

But in scenario's like this you can't go chatting nurses up on duty, well you can but you just know they are going to remain professional, and rightly so! Anyway, she seemed to move me up the queue, I was examined by the doctor and diagnosed with some minor eye inflammation. As I headed back into the city I couldn't help thinking wistfully about her, hoping I'd bump into her again one day under better circumstances.

FAST FORWARD...

So there I am trudging back to the station, I look up and suddenly there's the cutie nurse, hurtling at break neck speed towards me (us small folk can't half move at times!). There was really no time for me to react, I guess I could have asked her some inane question about the hospital or the eye casualty but I was really too tired to give chase or try and interrupt her. I turned and watched her vanish into the assemblage of shoppers, thinking to myself she'd be 'perfect'. Ok, she's no super model or delicious dame but I don't care for 'showmance' and what people many think, I care about the person inside. I guess two hobbit's walking hand in hand would get heads turning, people would mock and snigger, let them because I care not, I love unreservedly be it a curvy amazon or a cute pixie.

So, nothing happened. I came home feeling content with the day, and another Nottingham encounter. Before, dear reader you lean back in your chair and think 'How many women does he actually like in the city?' I can answer only the two I've blogged about, though I'm pretty sure millions of singletons and people in relationships have similar such encounters or thoughts everyday - we are only human after all.

20,000 !!!

I've just noticed the webcounter on here and it's clocked 20,007. I think the blog has been going over 5 years, 6 years in September, so the journal has been getting around 4,000 hits a year on average. Not a massive amount really considering the big picture out there but I feel content knowing a few people swing by to read my ramblings and perspectives.

Thank you all for reading and commenting!