no longer a hippy

Glad I stayed?

Somebody told me I was an agel today, because angels bring happiness, and inspire people, How nice is that?
You know, I am nearly glad I got stranded now. If I hadn't then I wouldn't have achieved my life long ambition and become a Michael Swan tribute act, I would not have delivered my Brains session to two brilliant audiences an d I wouldn't have been called an angel.
The reaction of the people on both days, who must have been very disappointed that the person who they had come to see had been replaced by a grey hippy screaming five days! five days! was fantastic.
They hid their disappointment and made the most of what they ended up with.
So thank you to all of those people.
and thank you to in no particular order,
Anna,
Lenka
Carl
Kelly
Shaun
Naomi
Katie
Pete
Keith
Ana Simina
Vera
my family and all the others
for all you have done to keep me company, keep my spirits up and to get me out of here.
And so if all goes well now, and the flight leaves, then this will be if not the  last then one of the last blogs.
Lisbon here I come.

Does anyone know a good barber's shop in lisbon?

Facebook status updates

turns out I wasn't a Swan after all just an ugly duckling

to which Carrick replied : 

Noooo! Surely not. I deputised for him once. But I avoided the subject of grammar. That would have been taking things too far.

to which I replied: 

So did I, in fact some might say I avoided the subject of teaching completely :-)

My hair is so long, I just used conditioner for the first time in my life.

Stars in their eyes

drawing to a close

Not many of these left I guess, My plane departs at 5.40pm local time tomorrow night and that will be that I suppose.
It has been emotional.
Character building
something like that.
So replacing swan seemed to go okay, they laughed in all the right places anyway,
I am not looking forward to tomorrow
I have to check out of room at 9 be swan at 10.20 and then hang around till the flight. Long old day, I know I know never bloody happy eh?
But I am looking forward to it and all the delights that Lisboa holds,
Pinga Doce, olives, bread, cheese, vinho tinto, superbock, sun, a lovely castle,
SO One more lovely Kiev moon, one more swan, one more Ukrainian lunch and then back on the road again.

By the way Kiev is so so so nearly an anagram for Evil, but it isn't that bad really :-)

Stars in their Eyes

The scruffy man hobbled on the stage, his trade mark t-shirt and shorts looking almost comical on his overweight forty year old frame, making this particular make over seem even more unlikely.
The introductions were quickly done, the film started, the contestants doing the voice over himself.
"Hi I am Gareth and I live here in Cardiff bay," the camera panned to a wide shot across the bay and then back to Gareth trying negotiate his way around a morbidly obese seagull.
"I've always been an admirer of this man, ever since I started my career 14 years ago, his books were essential reading for me back then. Then I got to meet him, talk to him, I've even eaten off his plate. I can't believe that I am actually going to be him after all he has written the industry standard grammar reference" the obligatory clue given,  the camera followed Gareth as he limped off across the barrage and faded out.
Back in the studio Matthew was smiling,
" I think we all know who it is but tell us anyway." he said as if he was talking to a puppy
 "well tonight Matthew I am going to be ... Michael Swan."

Yes that is right today I am going to step into the considerable shoes of Michael Swan, obviously I am not going to be him, I can't,  but there are a lot of people coming and they were expecting one of the greats... and they get me. ‏More nervous than I thought I would be.

more facebook statuses

Under 48 hours to go!!!!
spanner in works me thinks

Not sure if anyone cares anymore but very pretty mood in kiev tonight :-)

Save 6 music :-)