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Strength in Interesting Places

Thanks, guys. It has been tough and is going to continue to be not great for a good few months. I am kind of looking at the end of the year and the start of the new one as the time when things will settle down a bit.

I too am looking forward to the travel side of it. It's a great opportunity, really. I get one return ticket between every 6 week period in Afghanistan, and up to a certain cost they can be to anywhere I want. Obviously in the past I've been using that to go home every time, but now that is up for grabs (although I still need to get back there fairly often).
 
You should travel to good gyms around the world, and then write a book about it. It would have a bunch of photos in color and B&W on high gloss paper in the middle.

Or maybe that's just me.
 
Tosa said:
You should travel to good gyms around the world, and then write a book about it. It would have a bunch of photos in color and B&W on high gloss paper in the middle.

Or maybe that's just me.
Click to expand...

I guess, although the places I want to go to probably don't have the best gyms.

But I have been thinking about a theme for my travels. I think it is a good idea to have something you like to do when you get to a new city. I was thinking it would be nice to take in at least one sorting event. I might take up some martial art again, probably striking-based, and let people beat the crap out of me in interesting new places.
 
Sorting event: Sports of categorization. Perfect for people with OCD, bureaucrats, and aficionados of an orderly universe.




I don't mean to give you a hard time over a typo. I just found the idea too amusing to ignore.
 
hahaha

"Where do you want your ticket to this time Jaunty?"

"Well...Supposedly there are some pretty bad ass dudes in Somalia, I'm gonna go over there and check it out"


I always knew you were part of the Expendables.
 
guilineseguy said:
hahaha

"Where do you want your ticket to this time Jaunty?"

"Well...Supposedly there are some pretty bad ass dudes in Somalia, I'm gonna go over there and check it out"


I always knew you were part of the Expendables.
Click to expand...

My firm has projects in Somalia, so there is a chance I will end up there for work- no need to go for tourism. We specialize in the most poor and conflicted areas- hence my recent resume- Afghanistan, Pakistan and Southern Sudan. Given that, my tourism preferences will be a bit more prosaic.
 
Sorry to hear of your pending divorce JA, can't be easy, even if it's for the best. Sure you will come out of it a stronger man
 
MilkManUK said:
Sorry to hear of your pending divorce JA, can't be easy, even if it's for the best. Sure you will come out of it a stronger man
Click to expand...

Thanks, MilkMan. I am certainly expecting to bust through the 1,000lb total in emotional strength. Actually, screw that- I hit that ages ago. Let's say the 2,000lb total.
 
JauntyAngle said:
My firm has projects in Somalia, so there is a chance I will end up there for work- no need to go for tourism. We specialize in the most poor and conflicted areas- hence my recent resume- Afghanistan, Pakistan and Southern Sudan. Given that, my tourism preferences will be a bit more prosaic.
Click to expand...

You know what the funny thing was, after I posted it. This exact thought ran through my mind.
 
Got down again to the area of Dubai I mentioned before, and grabbed some pics. They are not very good because (i) my snapping skills were a bit dull that day, (ii) all those vertical straight lines tend to get distorted, (iii) my phone camera is fast and has good software, but apparently a tiny sensor so its low-light stuff is crappy.

Anyway, here's the shopping/restaurant complex in the Arabian style, from a distance:

Dubai1.jpg


Walking down towards the bridge that leads to the complex, big-ass building in the background (tallest in the world if you count the antenna on the top):

Dubai2.jpg


Coming in over the bridge:

Dubai3.jpg


Sitting in a restaurant while a slightly cheesy waterworks/fountain display happens:

Dubai4.jpg
 
Jaunty on the Road

Well, back in Kabul now. Happily, I have got my old room back, that I had for something like 13-14 months. It's one of the better rooms in the house, and the house is one of the better ones that my company has (it has a squat rack, after all). Might well sign a 2-year contract to do another project here, and if I do, since I no longer have a home, I will probably buy some furniture and make this room nicer.

Didn't get time to go the gym. Will probably go early tomorrow morning.
 
Sorry to hear about your separation though it sounds like it's for the best.

That first picture from Dubai is pretty good for a phone picture.
 
JauntyAngle said:
[since I no longer have a home
Click to expand...

While there are certainly some negative emotions that accompany your current situation - from a pragmatic perspective - I imagine there is a certain amount of freedom and opportunity that comes with the above statement, especially for a world-wise man such as yourself.

Best of luck, sir.
 
Sorry to hear about the pending divorce, Jaunty, though it sounds like it's what you want. Hopefully you and your family make it through this OK.
 
These days, I define "home" as wherever one feels content and most able to be oneself. If separating from your wife means you can more freely achieve both states, it is the right action for you to take because it will ultimately be the best circumstance for the both of you. I wish you the best of luck during this time--that said, luck isn't really what you need right now so much as clarity and self-knowledge. I wish you those more than luck. I suspect you have both of those at greater levels than many people do.

And the big-ass building of which I've seen many pictures but don't know the name...man would I like to see that in person.
 
Gandi said:
While there are certainly some negative emotions that accompany your current situation - from a pragmatic perspective - I imagine there is a certain amount of freedom and opportunity that comes with the above statement, especially for a world-wise man such as yourself.

Best of luck, sir.
Click to expand...

Thanks. As you might detect, I am also quite positive about what comes next.

Keosawa said:
Sorry to hear about the pending divorce, Jaunty, though it sounds like it's what you want. Hopefully you and your family make it through this OK.
Click to expand...

Thanks Keo. It is definitely what I want, but unfortunately the feeling is not reciprocated on the other side, which makes it a lot harder.

Babyeater said:
These days, I define "home" as wherever one feels content and most able to be oneself. If separating from your wife means you can more freely achieve both states, it is the right action for you to take because it will ultimately be the best circumstance for the both of you. I wish you the best of luck during this time--that said, luck isn't really what you need right now so much as clarity and self-knowledge. I wish you those more than luck. I suspect you have both of those at greater levels than many people do.
Click to expand...

Damn, I'm sure when I was your age, my peers weren't so wise. (Then again, I am so all over the place at the moment that people just have to say things like "Have you considered eating or sleeping" and I am bowled over by their brilliant perceptiveness.)
 
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