Readers of this journal will be painfully aware of how the tsunami affected me, and the fact that I am now going about my life in a safe and predictable way again. I may have overlooked the slight fact that other people were also affected, and lost more than their footing. The Red Cross will not.
Tommorrow is New Year’s eve. The thought of at least sending the equivalent of a round of drinks to the appeal fund, surely can’t be too unimaginable. Especially if you have a home and family to look forward to in 2005.
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
The Uninvited Guest
You can fly to the other side of the world
You know you’ll only find
I’ve reserved the seat behind you
We can talk about old times....
Salex has been promoted as a good preventative for air-borne viruses that have a nasty habit of infecting you on aircraft journeys. Like the one that hit me and the Elf on our way out to Mombasa, and laid us low for nearly the whole duration of our stay there. So in future I shall be dousing my nasal pasages with saline ( if they dry out in dry aircraft air, then the viruses get a good foothold ), and probably loading up on zinc at the same time.
Needless to say, training nosedived. My dry run on statics for the next competition, dissolved in a haze of perspiration and fits of coughing. I managed about 3 sessions of my 4 minute ‘A’ tables before I took to my bed. Emerging several days later, I was in no fit state to attempt even one repitition of a 4 minute hold, let alone eight. I need to establish now if I have enough time to restore conditioning to pre-holiday levels, before the end of February.
Still all was not lost in the tropics. The Elf and I put together a 1,000 piece jigsaw. We swam with ( and photographed ) a Whale shark. We fed ndeezis to the local population of bush babies. We ate Nyama Choma at Rongai’s, the big butchery / eaterie at Ukunda, without the aid of cutlery or plates. And we were nearly swept away in the boxing day tsunami. If that sounds flippant, it isn’t meant to - the tide went from low to high in about 5 minutes flat, with a ripping current flowing at several knots northward parallel to the shoreline. It took all our strength to get out of it, wondering what the hell was going on - we hadn’t seen or heard any news for a good 24 hours at that stage.
So now we’re back in our safe haven, away from the ravages of nature and the threat of parasitic infections. We hope.
You know you’ll only find
I’ve reserved the seat behind you
We can talk about old times....
Salex has been promoted as a good preventative for air-borne viruses that have a nasty habit of infecting you on aircraft journeys. Like the one that hit me and the Elf on our way out to Mombasa, and laid us low for nearly the whole duration of our stay there. So in future I shall be dousing my nasal pasages with saline ( if they dry out in dry aircraft air, then the viruses get a good foothold ), and probably loading up on zinc at the same time.
Needless to say, training nosedived. My dry run on statics for the next competition, dissolved in a haze of perspiration and fits of coughing. I managed about 3 sessions of my 4 minute ‘A’ tables before I took to my bed. Emerging several days later, I was in no fit state to attempt even one repitition of a 4 minute hold, let alone eight. I need to establish now if I have enough time to restore conditioning to pre-holiday levels, before the end of February.
Still all was not lost in the tropics. The Elf and I put together a 1,000 piece jigsaw. We swam with ( and photographed ) a Whale shark. We fed ndeezis to the local population of bush babies. We ate Nyama Choma at Rongai’s, the big butchery / eaterie at Ukunda, without the aid of cutlery or plates. And we were nearly swept away in the boxing day tsunami. If that sounds flippant, it isn’t meant to - the tide went from low to high in about 5 minutes flat, with a ripping current flowing at several knots northward parallel to the shoreline. It took all our strength to get out of it, wondering what the hell was going on - we hadn’t seen or heard any news for a good 24 hours at that stage.
So now we’re back in our safe haven, away from the ravages of nature and the threat of parasitic infections. We hope.
Sunday, December 12, 2004
Monkey Magic
Another week of pre-Xmas over-indulgence has not dented dry static times - this morning's final was 6m30s again. Big surprise of the week was my reward for providing sterling service throughout 15 years of marriage - Pelizzari's Manual of Freediving - hand delivered by Laura Ashley.
Ninety minutes remain before the taxi picks us up for the first part of our journey to Mombasa. I am greatly pleased that it has been so cold and dark today - it will make me appreciate the warmth and sunshine at the other end, even more. Even the winter birds couldn't be tempted into the back garden today, though we did have a visit from next door's rat. It stood up on its hind legs quite brazenly, looking through our back door window at me.
I'll see that look again in just a day or two. The impeccably mannered troop of Vervet monkeys that live with Ivor at Tiwi beach. Just like garden rat, they have much patience.
Ninety minutes remain before the taxi picks us up for the first part of our journey to Mombasa. I am greatly pleased that it has been so cold and dark today - it will make me appreciate the warmth and sunshine at the other end, even more. Even the winter birds couldn't be tempted into the back garden today, though we did have a visit from next door's rat. It stood up on its hind legs quite brazenly, looking through our back door window at me.
I'll see that look again in just a day or two. The impeccably mannered troop of Vervet monkeys that live with Ivor at Tiwi beach. Just like garden rat, they have much patience.
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
Message in a bottle
Monday night's sherry tasting was a bit like Goldilocks tasting the bears' porridge. Out of nine tastings, all except one were either too dry or too sweet. The one that was just about right was the Lustau Oloroso Don Nuno, supplied by Moreno Wines. A pungent nose, firm palate, and following through to a complex finish. So said the wine buff holding the mike.
This time next week I'll be bumming around with my favourite beach operator, Ivor, and his daughter Laura. He hangs out on Tiwi Beach, in Mombasa. With any luck I'll get some good results on my trusted MX10, this time using it in freedive mode. Might help to make my mind up on what I want to upgrade to. Before I do, I'll be looking at digideep, wetpixel, and uwpmag to give me some pointers.
This time next week I'll be bumming around with my favourite beach operator, Ivor, and his daughter Laura. He hangs out on Tiwi Beach, in Mombasa. With any luck I'll get some good results on my trusted MX10, this time using it in freedive mode. Might help to make my mind up on what I want to upgrade to. Before I do, I'll be looking at digideep, wetpixel, and uwpmag to give me some pointers.
Sunday, December 05, 2004
Slainte Mhath
Are hangovers supposed to last for more than 2 days? After big-night-out with the guys from the office on Thursday, I still have a headache and it's now Sunday. Sandwiching a curry at Bengal City between bouts of Blonde Leffe consumption might not have been the most sensible decision. Making it in to work on Friday was nothing short of a miracle. I just don't ever want to answer 'yes' to the question, "Have you ever had to take a day off work through over-indulging in alcohol?"
"No" isn't strictly truthful anyway, unless you imagine the word "recently" tagged on the end, which I do.
A dry static in the living room this morning produced a 6 min 30 second hold, so apnea integrity has remained.
"No" isn't strictly truthful anyway, unless you imagine the word "recently" tagged on the end, which I do.
A dry static in the living room this morning produced a 6 min 30 second hold, so apnea integrity has remained.
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
A Short Lesson in Humility
Tempted though I was to remove or edit my previous post, the whole fiasco of yesterday's filming serves as a useful reminder of how hubris can carry you away sometimes.
Before I left for the shoot, I emailed as many people as possible, suggesting they might like to get home early from work to see me talking about Freediving on BBC London. So straight away, we can see the direction this is heading in.
I arrived at the Altitude Centre on time, to find Richard ( who runs it ), and Kav ( another volunteer like myself ). Kav is a very interesting and amiable guy. He started out life as an orphan, found somewhere as a toddler, without any record of his birth or past. He is aged somewhere between 50 and 52 - he really doesn't know exactly. He has had a succession of different careers, including time in The Parachute Regiment, and most recently, French polishing. He weighs in somewhere around the 15 stone mark, but this represents roughly half the weight he was 18 months ago. Since then he has restricted his intake of not only food, but oxygen as well, through his training at The Altitude Centre. This culminated in the successful ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro, about a fortnight ago. For someone with diabetes and high blood pressure, this is something of an achievement. Especially when you consider that a fit 38 year old woman who was climbing alongside him, collapsed and died on her attempt.
The BBC arrived 45 minutes late. They had very little plan of what they wanted to do, and immediately came to the conclusion that the room with all the IHT equipment in was far too small to fit in myself, Kav, Richard and the cameraman, plus his equipment. So they decided to film us individually, me first. The shoot took a good half hour, with cameras and lights being
constantly moved and readjusted, while I breathed away on a ventilator supplying me gas with half of the oxygen content removed.
A conversation something like the following then took place:
BBC Producer: "Thanks a lot, we've finished with you now"
Me: "OK, great - so what happens next?"
BBC Producer: "Well, we'll shoot Kav on the ventilator, and then do another scene across the road in the pub, with Kav French polishing one of the tables - but you can go now"
Me: "So when is the screening?"
BBC Producer: "Ah. Well, we've decided to make two pieces out of this - one with Kav, and another with you..and we'll add in some freediving footage to that one.."
Me: "And when will they be shown?"
BBC Producer "We'll broadcast Kav's tonight. We need to get the freediving footage before we do yours"
Enlightenment hit me like one of Kav's size 12 boots in the groin. What perfect sense - having two almost identical sports news stories for different nights. The controllers would love that one. Coupled with the fact that the BBC hadn't asked for my contact details, or any questions about freediving. Excuse the skepticism.
So the first shoot was a complete mock, presumably to appease me having taking an afternoon off work to appear.
I left, and walked toward Charing Cross through Covent Garden, passing on my way a man singing Christmas carols through a large traffic cone. I felt like doing a duet with him. But duets were off the menu today.
( Footnote: Auntie Beeb took pity on me in the end, and used about 5 seconds of my footage to support the feature on Kav. As for Richard, he ended up with publicity that portrayed IHT as an expensive therapy for well-heeled city types, rather than the serious training aid it is meant to be. As my friend Mr Hogarth sometimes sings, "We get what we deserve". )
Before I left for the shoot, I emailed as many people as possible, suggesting they might like to get home early from work to see me talking about Freediving on BBC London. So straight away, we can see the direction this is heading in.
I arrived at the Altitude Centre on time, to find Richard ( who runs it ), and Kav ( another volunteer like myself ). Kav is a very interesting and amiable guy. He started out life as an orphan, found somewhere as a toddler, without any record of his birth or past. He is aged somewhere between 50 and 52 - he really doesn't know exactly. He has had a succession of different careers, including time in The Parachute Regiment, and most recently, French polishing. He weighs in somewhere around the 15 stone mark, but this represents roughly half the weight he was 18 months ago. Since then he has restricted his intake of not only food, but oxygen as well, through his training at The Altitude Centre. This culminated in the successful ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro, about a fortnight ago. For someone with diabetes and high blood pressure, this is something of an achievement. Especially when you consider that a fit 38 year old woman who was climbing alongside him, collapsed and died on her attempt.
The BBC arrived 45 minutes late. They had very little plan of what they wanted to do, and immediately came to the conclusion that the room with all the IHT equipment in was far too small to fit in myself, Kav, Richard and the cameraman, plus his equipment. So they decided to film us individually, me first. The shoot took a good half hour, with cameras and lights being
constantly moved and readjusted, while I breathed away on a ventilator supplying me gas with half of the oxygen content removed.
A conversation something like the following then took place:
BBC Producer: "Thanks a lot, we've finished with you now"
Me: "OK, great - so what happens next?"
BBC Producer: "Well, we'll shoot Kav on the ventilator, and then do another scene across the road in the pub, with Kav French polishing one of the tables - but you can go now"
Me: "So when is the screening?"
BBC Producer: "Ah. Well, we've decided to make two pieces out of this - one with Kav, and another with you..and we'll add in some freediving footage to that one.."
Me: "And when will they be shown?"
BBC Producer "We'll broadcast Kav's tonight. We need to get the freediving footage before we do yours"
Enlightenment hit me like one of Kav's size 12 boots in the groin. What perfect sense - having two almost identical sports news stories for different nights. The controllers would love that one. Coupled with the fact that the BBC hadn't asked for my contact details, or any questions about freediving. Excuse the skepticism.
So the first shoot was a complete mock, presumably to appease me having taking an afternoon off work to appear.
I left, and walked toward Charing Cross through Covent Garden, passing on my way a man singing Christmas carols through a large traffic cone. I felt like doing a duet with him. But duets were off the menu today.
( Footnote: Auntie Beeb took pity on me in the end, and used about 5 seconds of my footage to support the feature on Kav. As for Richard, he ended up with publicity that portrayed IHT as an expensive therapy for well-heeled city types, rather than the serious training aid it is meant to be. As my friend Mr Hogarth sometimes sings, "We get what we deserve". )
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