So yesterday I turned the grand old age of 29, a day not many people really look forward to but at least it’s not as bad as the grand ole’ 30. If I said I had a nice enough wee day, I’d probably be lying. In the morning I had some excellent presents from the wife. I’d asked for Strongbow, a foursome and some Berocca and it turns out Strongbow is the hardest to source of the trio. I got some some crackers though. Magners for breakfast, Berocca for lunch, an AC/DC vest, a cowboy shirt and some books, which I’d already read but with my booze addled brain I figure it’s not a big problem to read them again then trade them for some new ones. That was a good start to the day, even if the Strongbow and the foursome never materialized.
We went out for some birthday cocktails with a spring in our step and they had CNN on all the TV’s with the volume up. This is quite a rarity for where we are as you can imagine, it’s hard enough trying to figure out what day it is when you’ve lost your phone and there are no newspapers in English etc… It turned out that there had been a massive earthquake in Japan and a Tsunami that followed and totaled everything in its path.
I already knew the world was going to shit and that was one of the reasons I moved away from home anyway. Since I’ve been away there had been the Earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand…pretty much one of the last places anyone would have expected it and now this in Japan. I got to thinking of the Tsunami that wiped out where I’m sitting right at the moment in 2004, I think?? You see, there are no news channels on here, nobody watches the news and no one seems to read the papers so there was no early warning at all. I can imagine 2 wee Jimmy Thai guys sitting on the beach and one asking “Does that look like a big fucking wave to you?” and the other guy going “aye, it does like” and then next thing you know they’re all dead. It’s nothing that anyone would expect and probably a sight no one had seen the likes of before so to say they were surprised is undoubtedly an understatement. I saw on the news how fast the wave in Japan was moving and was just lifting trucks, houses and boats along with it and that shit really is scary.
The reason I was so worried was because one of my best friends has just moved to Tokyo and had already been in an accident the week prior and was on crutches, had a broken nose and 2 black eyes that made him look like the Hamburglar. It wasn’t that I was worried the anniversary of his death would forever mar my birthday but for once in my life I was really, really worried and all communications were down in that neck of the woods so I had the whole day with that on my mind. To top that off my family called to wish me well and also that my Mother had suffered a stroke. She’s OK now but has been told to take it easy which is not as easy as it sounds for my Mum…she has and always will be a pure grafter. I told her it was time to retire, she said she was too young to retire, I said she was too young to be having fucking strokes! It seems like my family are falling apart and although I never really go home to see them when I’m in Scotland I know how easy it will be if ever I need to. Now though, getting home is not so easy so she better start taking it easy or I’ll do her in myself. Mum, I know you read this so take heed, afore’ yer deed. Enough said. Holly had also taken on a new job and was working 4pm til’ 10pm also and I had some time to kill aswell. So, all in all not the best start to my 29th year!
In a moment of lighter relief a couple from New Zealand we had met a couple of days earlier that had a taste for the bevvy not too dissimilar to my own sent me a text wanting to meet up and get me a birthday drink. I took them up on this and spent the rest of the day drinking beers, buckets and shots with them until Tanzi got a sudden case of ‘heat stroke’, I’m no doctor but I’d call it ‘bucket stroke’ any day of the week! We went to a few more bars and I got a ton of free drinks and buckets until Hol finished work and we went to see a live band play in a rock bar.
Around midnight I got a call from Dan, the friend who lives in Tokyo saying he was alright and the worst thing that happened to him was trying to fit his chin under his work desk then having to walk 9km home on crutches. At this point, in a mixture of relief and inebriation I got quite joyful much to the distaste of my wife who couldn’t handle me changing the words to every song to ‘Cowboys from Hell’. Lassies, pffft. We both have the night off on Sunday so I’m sure we’ll make the most of that one. Cowboys Fae Hell!!!
I decided to call it a night at this point as I was only gonna get more annoying , and she would get subsequently more annoyed as the night progressed so hit the sack and fell straight asleep and missed my scheduled Skype date with my friends at home. I woke up with a jolt in the morn though and went for a proper Skype wank with a wee tert called Div who lives in Brighton. Was nice getting some decent patter again but people in the bar were looking at me like I had 3 heads or something with the fully ‘Scottish’ patter we were having about locking guys in bin sheds and waking up surrounded by dead pigeons. Again, enough said!
In other news, working 2 jobs and having to stay on the same Island for a while is getting me a bit down. I’m doing all the exact opposite things that people come to this island to do, sunbathe, relax and taste the delights of the worlds women. I have had a wee bit of time to do some writing and catch up on the photography bit, which helps. I actually got one of my pictures used as a magazine cover for one of the tourist magazine that goes out to all the islands around here, a pretty good first step which has brought a few wee sneaky ideas to mind for me. The walking wounded and official Tsunami survivor is supposed to be coming to see me the first week in April, so if he can make it I’m looking forward to some good times and a bit of time off with ma pal.
This has been a bit of a downer of a blog but as I’ve said before I want it to be a bit of a diary for myself as well that will capture this highs as well as the lows. Bear with me though, I have some funny stories to tell and I’ll be a bit cheerier later. It’s raining like hell here today and I’m the only guy on the island with a hat and a jacket so I’m gonna enjoy a good bit of rain before work.
Crag
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