Gradually our photographs have been getting more and more attention. It’s wonderful that we very occasionally get requests for photographs; the latest of which was from Babis Alexiadis, one of the artists from Ron Arad’s Curtain Call installation at the Roundhouse which we featured back in August.
We are very very proud to now have our photographs feature on Babis’ own website, which you can see here at babis-alexiadis.com.
As you may start to notice, Atsuko has begun a more active contribution to the journal. She has rediscovered her love of writing and for the time being at least we are simple going to join things here in one constant thread and just see where it takes us…!
There’s no real need for me to be writing about the earthquake as you all know what’s going on, probably better than us as neither Atsuko nor I can bear to watch the news at the moment. Thankfully, our family in Japan are safe and well; it also seems most of our friends are also doing alright. Thank-you to everyone for your messages, calls and thoughts. I can’t really say anything else at this time…
Happy New Year everybody, it was lovely to see you all over the holiday. Wishing you all the best for the year ahead…
あけましておめでとうございます、今年もよろしくお願いします。私は日本にいる友達のために今年からがんばって、一ヶ月一回日本語で書くつもりです。みんなさん楽しんで下さい…
Just watched another incredibly imaginative movie from Pixar… Up.
We ordered a few Roald Dahl books online recently, first up, The Witches. While I was walking yesterday, Atsuko read the entire book…! We are still waiting for the BFG, Matilda and George’s Marvelous Medicine… can’t wait…!
Well as I mentioned, on Friday I went back to the Cotswolds to meet with the rest of my Trailwalkers team to attempt a night-walk of around 25 miles. If you haven’t already heard, we are in training to walk 100km in under 24 hours, this coming summer, for the Oxfam’s climate change charity. Please check out the link here for more information about this event.
In preparation for this massive challenge, we are trying very hard to get prepared, both physically and mentally, and this was our most demanding walk to date. Don’t be fooled by the fresh-looking faces of optimism and happiness; just 10 minutes after we left the carpark, we were drowned by a hailstorm that lasted hours and hours. As we walked through the night, wet and cold, we started to realise just how tough 100km was going to be.
Map-reading, darkness and extreme tiredness don’t really go together, though having said that, Nick ensured that we took not even one step in the wrong direction. We did a couple of sections of the Cotswold Way, up and down some properly-steep hills, through super-thick mud. The weather and darkness made this quite an exhausting walk but it was a great test of our kit and our own physical condition. We got back to Dursley around 1.30am having learned a huge amount. Mostly that we need to train more. A lot more. And we need to walk even faster to meet our 24 hour target.
As a team, we are trying to raise 2000 pounds for Oxfam and though we haven’t started fund-raising in earnest yet, if you would like to help us get the ball rolling please donate here. Any donation is really appreciated.
…for all the cards, and little gifts we have had since the wedding, we are planning to send out cards and thank-yous; we are just waiting for the photographs from our photographer. Will have to wait another week or two while he edits and air-brushes me so that I look good enough to stand next to Atsuko. I am so worried that I have ruined all those photos of Atsuko looking amazing…! Anyway, thank-you all so much for your cards and messages, your kindness is not being ignored.
Really enjoying BBC coverage of the World Track Cycling Championships in Copenhagen… If there is one event to see at the London Olympics, it is this for sure… For great pictures and news, check out the Telegraph online…
