(Swiss wood stack)
AA Gill, the columnist for the Sunday Times, is a guy I love to hate. He's just too smug to live, but I have to admit that he's often funny and clever, and Billy reads his restaurant review before anything else in the Sunday papers. This week he wrote:
"I've often thought that Europe is a allegory for the ages of man. You're born Italian. They're relentlessly infantile and mother-obsessed. In childhood, we're English; chronically shy, tongue-tied, cliquey, and only happy kicking balls, pulling the legs off things, or sending someone to Coventry. Teenagers are French: pretentiously philosophical, embarrassingly vain, ridiculously romantic and insincere. Then, in middle age, we become either Swiss or Irish. Old age is German: ponderous, pompous and pedantic. What Germans have instead of sex and laughter are word games and complaining about grammar. Then finally we regress into being Belgian with no idea who we are at all."
OK, I'm not ready to be anything more than middle aged - but he didn't really describe the Swiss or Irish psyche. I don't want to be my stereotype Swiss (compulsively tidy and xenophobic), but I can't fit into my Irish stereotype either (care-free and engaging, but slurring my words).
So, I'll try to be the best of both - disciplined (15 weeks of half marathon training to go!) and friendly (making people smile and feel good about themselves).
With my navigating Garmin back (THANKS TO GLENN!!!), I'm exploring the trails again, and I paid up for another 3 mo at the gym, so now I can focus on the path ahead to the WWFOR Half Marathon in October, and enjoy the journey.
Sunday, July 05, 2009
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6 comments:
Swiss or Irish...chocolate or Guinness; tough call!
I guess he didn't describe the middle age because we know who we are? I am confused...I do like chocolate though.......
Thankfully he left out the Dutch - it can't have been positive...
I can't find your email at the moment so this is my only way to contact you and let you know that yes I can do the timekeeping that week - just tell me what to do. Do you need me to host as well? Take care, kiss, Petra
Hi Toni, good luck getting ready for your next half marathon!! Or did you say it was a full marathon? I started a blog. :) I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep it up during the year, but I should be good to go for the summer. Hope all is well with you.
http://missilowebaker.blogspot.com/
Here's my link for my blog. Weird. Another place to post stuff, but I'll try it. Like you said, this is more like a journal. I think I'll like that.
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