Listening in the Silence

 It's too late to find out what I've forgotten The downhill flight takes 9 hours. Timetables are confusing at the best of times. British Airways confused me so much that I could not tell whether they listed the check-in time or the departure time. Indian Railways (the world's largest network) are updated easily in some areas, where the departure times are written in chalk on a blackboard. Unsurprisingly, German schedules are written in a standardised 3-column format: Departure times are on the left side, arrival times on the right-hand side and the station names in the centre column. I suspect everything is updated in real time on your mobile: in Germany, everything is properly organised - no surprise there! I must get back to Germany for a short break this year; just to relish a super-organised society.  Having accepted the mantle of senior status when booking my flights, I registered for "Assistance" to get me to the right Lounge, right Gate and right Flight. As...

Still Living the Dream On Thursday, they phoned me from the hospital, here in Oxford. They wanted me to come in 2 days later, to have a minor procedure, which had been delayed several months. I agreed, as it would be one less detail to worry about before I start travelling, and I’m conscious that it’s not long now. Suddenly, everything is coming together. and I'm about to fly to India next week. I've cashed-in a few of my small reserve of Premium Bonds, and on Tuesday I shall get the bus to Heathrow, and then I fly to India. Organised Chaos At home, today, my life is chaos. it's organised chaos - but I am the only person who would describe it as "organised" in any way. I've packed far too many clothes: I need 3 tee-shirts, not 6. I’ve packed far too many books: they'll mostly still be untouched when I'm flying home. And I’ve not packed any of the essentials, like mosquito repellent and medicine for stomach upsets.But nothing will stop me now. Whether...