Week 6: Gap Year

A elongated flight from Stornoway to Inverness and then London, nightmarish stuff when cooped up in an aircraft with a wailing child for all aboard. Nevertheless much to reflect upon and the cycle to Spain has its potential foundations, a route that possesses certain challenges different in ways to London to Paris (2012). Biarritz to Madrid is the likely route which involves starting along the coastline of France, climbing over the Pyrenees into Spain, descending into the Basque region through Bilbao and push on to Madrid. Barcelona from Montpelier is also a possible route, however having been to Barcelona twice, new cities and new regions seemed a more likely temptation. A plan for now.

Cycle Destination?: Madrid

Basque region

The flights to Uganda have been booked with arrival scheduled for 15th October and departure the day after the birthday 29th November, so celebrations in Africa which is always something special. Injections are scheduled as well so plans are running smoothly before the trip to the United States, as well as plans for this particular trip with San Francisco, Las Vegas and New York booking complete and a planned drive through the southern states to Miami in operation now because everyone involved preferred procrastination to booking the flights. Blessing in disguise, more experiences and undoubtedly a bunch of red-necks to encounter, and lets hope it is not based on the film 'Deliverance' or 'Dodgeball.'

German lessons at the Goethe Institute have began sluggishly; accent is still there and certainly I am not supposed to be in this group. Nevertheless big gaps have been exposed by German's five year absence in my vocabulary, grammatically I am diabolically bad. Understanding what a teacher is saying to me is not  the problem nor is reading, writing and speaking however I would probably at this moment in time sound like a oaf, a four year old German, a man-child at best. So I may be advanced in many ways, but starting fresh gives me the opportunity to fill in those big gaps I eluded to earlier. On the plus side it gives me something to do, gives me routine in London, a city I always struggle to get used to and keep my fitness at a reasonable level. The detox July after University in preparation for the U.S.A is going well. The German could yet prove handy, if I decide to do a potential ski season in Lech or some other resort doing work their. Images of me shocking the English holiday-makers with my fluent German, then speaking to them suddenly in English and baffling them and getting a significant tip as a waiter was the most imaginative but distance thought. The work being set at the moment is horrendously easy. A mixture of people the youngest, an apparently ambitious sixteen year-old poet who is having his work published and wants to open a cafe specifically designed for showing Formula 1. Personally I would have preferred cycling to have been shown if I opened a cafe, but he seemed to like writing like me so I warmed to his youthful purpose which far exceeded mine when I was sixteen. Nevertheless after a week with Micheal (uncle) on the Isle of Lewis journalism is suffering quite a lot, courtesy of bloggers and the worldwide web. Apparently some guy he knew, published a fantastic piece of non-fiction, highlighted by Radio 1 and his reward for a hard year's work was some what unsubstantial, which is giving me second thoughts about the journalism course, perhaps the MA in International Relations is the favored option now. I was quick to say this to him in what could be considered a dick move 'killing of dreams' moment, but he was good humored about it as was I. Heck he could be a better writer than me, so who I am to judge? A multicultural classroom, two days without the book which I forgot to buy did not come back to haunt me, all is well.

A second revolution and coup in Egypt that followed 2011, a chaotic year in 2012, fireworks and potential reaction from supporters of the Muslim brotherhood. Potential political gridlock, threat of civil war and continued economic crisis and social upheaval. Mubarek and now Morsi follows him, however one side, some will regard deposing a 'legitimate', democratically elected president as a crime. This time around the second Egyptian revolution will have severe ramifications not just for Egypt but the Middle-East. Top tip to Lucy and Thomas planning on holidaying there. Don't. This was preluded by a tweet. @tpbowden http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23133174 … I don't think you should take Lucy to Egypt this year mate. Not now anyway. #gridlock

Highlights of an average week:

• Wimbledon with the old man, and witnessing Jocewicz struggling to put on a t-shirt after defeating Kubot in the quarter-finals, nor have I seen someone hit a tennis ball at an average of 185-140 mph...
• Watching Spain get trashed by Brazil 3-0 in the Confederations Cup Final was particularly good. There worst defeat since 1985. http://mg-global.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/the-confederations-cup-review.html
• Entering July and realizing that a trip thought about since 17 and being planned for over a year is so close now.
• 909 chain in word association. (What am I doing with my life?)
• German lessons that start at 10:30 and finish at 15:00. 45 minute break. Not bad.
• Foundations for Spain 2014 have been considered.
• Intriguing week in Africa; Obama's debated tour of Africa, Mandela's continued uncertain condition in hospital, revolution in Egypt, and also had a major reality check on my knowledge of Somalia by reading Mary Harper's book.
• Congratulations to Rupert Arvidsson on getting a 2:1. Top man!

Matthew Williams