Farewell, 2023.

This is the time of year where we traditionally reflect and review the past twelve months and anticipate and plan for the coming year.

 I'm not going to pretend it's been an easy year. There have been some disappointments, some stressors, some difficulties. I'll be glad to see the end of 2023. But in among all that, there have also been some amazing moments.

My brother and my sister-in-law came to visit from Australia, as did some old friends. It was wonderful to catch up with them. And to hear all the news from my other home.

I've found a new community, and started making new friends there. Unfortunately, due to distances, it's difficult to see them in person. And so it remains mostly online. 

I've heard a new Beatles record, discovered some new authors, read a lot of books. I've also written a lot of words - not fiction, and no one will ever see these, but it has been valuable. And will remain so.

And next year?  My only aim is to make it better than this year.

Happy New Year to you and yours.

A Time of Change

2023, the year of the Rabbit. A year of peace and patience, according to my Chinese friend.  He also mentioned prosperity, but he says that to me every year.  I'm not sure if the prosperity thing is a Chinese thing, or just him. But overall, apparently, 2023 is a year of hope.

It certainly feels like a time of change.  The weather has mellowed, we're in the middle of renovations, there are a few long-term colleagues moving on from my team at the moment, one of my favourite magazines is closing down, and several TV shows I like are not being renewed.

I suppose that is true every year, but this year it seems more obvious to me, more of these factors aligning and occurring at the same time. Even a couple of my friends have commented on it.

I'm not one to make New Year resolutions, and I don't plan to start now. But beneath the pain that accompanies pain, there is a sense of hope. I can feel it deep down.

There are also some changes I want to make. Nothing drastic or life-changing, but a few things I am working towards. Baby steps.  Which is where the 'Patience' part probably comes into play. These changes will take time to come into effect, but I think I will be pleased with it all.

I wouldn't mind some of that prosperity happening either.

Gong xi fa cai.

A Strange Christmas.

A strange festive season indeed.

We had a week or so of cold weather, with a very light snowfall, but apart from that it has been quite mild. A couple of days I've even been out in my t-shirt. 

But for some odd reason it just doesn't feel like Christmas. I don't know why this should be. Perhaps it's because I've hardly been in town, especially when the lights have been on. But we have our tree up, our cards on display, our decorations and so on. But I just don't feel Christmassy yet.

I have, against my better judgement, bought a Christmas jumper. I always vowed I wouldn't, but it is a thing here.  Maybe I'm acclimatising in more way than one.

I'm looking forward to the Christmas break. I hope to have a relaxing time. To refresh, recharge and renew.

Here's to a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Happy New Lockdown Year.

Happy New Year.

And for those of us in the UK, we're back in lockdown. The virus seems to be running rampant, and we're confined to the house for the foreseeable future. Not that it changes much for me. I've been working from home since March, have been quite reluctant to got out unless I need to, and generally avoid people where I can. In fact, we even stayed at home for Christmas this year - just the two of us. It was lovely and quiet.

But I'm not going to dwell on the negatives in this world. There are so many at the moment, and I'm surrounded by them all the time.

A new year - the year of the Ox in China. I have no idea what it means for us, but I suppose I will have a look shortly. I could ask my Chinese friend, but the last time I asked him what a particular year meant for us, he advised me to invest in the stock market. I suspect it's similar advice he would offer now. 

The year is fresh, although I recognise it as an arbitrary marker. Simply clicking over a new number in a calendar doesn't actually change anything. Or does it?  I suppose it offers us a chance to reset, forgive and/or forget, and face the future with a new determinism. This year, that could be quite difficult.

But despite that, I do have plans for this year. By December I'll be able to report back on my strike rate.

Have a great year. Don't let the world get you down.

On Being A Scottish Australian.

A busy cultural weekend coming up.

Friday 25th January is Burns night. A Scottish evening in which we partake of haggis, neeps and tatties. And whiskey. Oh yes, there will be whiskey.  And yes, I have booked in for a Burns supper.

Saturday 26th is Australia Day. The local Rotary club is hosting a Big Australian Breakfast. From what I gather it will be bacon, sausage, eggs, and beans (which is considered a Full English Breakfast, and still far more Australian than Walkabout, a chain of allegedly Australian bars).  I don't hold out too much hope for any real Aussie delicacies, but I am going to support the event, as they are hosting this to raise money for the bushfire appeals.

And while these two dates are somewhat part of my character, the weekend is also the Chinese New Year. I spent a few weeks in China (twice) on Study Tours, in which my two colleagues and I were tasked with setting up a sister school relationship. And I'm pleased the exchanges continue all these years later. While I don't plan to celebrate with dragons or fireworks, I am planning on some Chinese food.

Happy cultural day to you!

Welcome to 2019.

Happy New Year.

I've had a great break - a really relaxing time with family and friends. We didn't travel anywhere really, but managed to catch up with some people. Mostly we relaxed and ate great food. And I didn't over-eat or feel bloated.

The car decided to get a puncture on Christmas Eve, and of course they don't supply spare tyres anymore.  But this was a puncture where the spray can of foam stuff and nursing the car to the garage wasn't going to cut it. It meant, however, we either stayed at home or walked for a few days, which at this time of the year isn't necessarily a bad thing.

New Year's Eve was pretty quiet. We did stay up but went to bed shortly afterwards. I had too much to do on my secret project the next day to be up too late. And yes, I did get lots and lots done.

As I said in a recent post, I don't really do the whole resolution thing. I make my plans as I go, prioritising and re-prioritising as need be. I do have some plans for this year, one of which is to try and keep track of the books I read. I made a list a few years ago, just on a word document for myself, and if I can find it, I might even post it. This year, however, will be the only other time I have kept track of my reading. I've decided to add a page to this website and make the list public. Have look sometime.

I also plan to write more. You might even see some longer fiction emerging. You just never know.

But I have work to do now, and need to be gone from this page. All the best for the coming year.

New Years And New Plans.

At the beginning of every year people make plans and resolutions.

Not me.

If I want to make a change, then I try to do it. No need to align with a date of imaginary importance. I think the last resolution I made (and didn't keep) was back in the 20th Century. I just don't really see the point. I suppose a large part of that is my failure to keep my resolutions.

I do, however, use New Year as a time of reflection and planning for the future. Nothing formal, simply a few thoughts about what I have done and what I hope to achieve. Writing usually pops into my brain, as does playing my guitar more often with the intent to improve. And there's sometimes something about exercise and planning earlier for work.

You might be asking right now what the difference is between these and resolutions. Simple. This is merely planning, and I don't make it a promise.

As the Australian academic year rolls around, this was the time when we had our summer break. This was when I had some free time to get on with things and I needed to start preparing for the commencement of the school year.

Of course that doesn't apply here in the UK. The extended break is in July and August. So this year I took the opportunity to eat well and go for long walks with Lindsey and the dogs.

Hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year.

Start All Over Again.

I was hoping to have more good writing news to finish off the year, but sadly it seems as though that's not going to be the case. On the other hand, I do hope to shortly have some to see in the New Year. And that would get 2015 off to a flying start.

It's been a good year for me, although one that has been slightly odd. Changing schools in March, then finishing up there as the work dried up. Prepping to return to my old school. A great trip to the UK and Turkey, catching up with family and then going to Worldcon in London. A fabulous week in Istanbul and spending time with an old friend from Tokyo days. Setting goals and focusing on writing self-discipline, and actually seeing results from it. (Who'd have thought?) And having a few epiphanies about myself along the way.

Resolutions? I don't believe in them, and I don't make them. I believe if you want to change something, then just get straight into it. You don't need to wait until New Year to get started.

I do, however, see New Year as a time to wipe the slate clean and start again. Time passes, and years are what we use to measure that passage. As a teacher, who works to a calender academic year, I see this time as very much the ending and beginning. A time of recovery, re-energising and rebirth, so to speak.

And I feel writing wise, 2014, although successful in many ways, was not all I hoped it would be. It was the year I put several plans into action. It was the year I developed long-term writing plans. I know where I'm going and what I'm doing next year. And I have high hopes it will happen.

Happy New Year.

Here In The Future.

It's 2014, and we're well into the 21st century - something which still sounds bizarrely futuristic to me. When I was a kid I could barely imagine 1999, never mind where we are firmly sitting now.

I've spent some time this week with someone who is incredibly talented and creative, and this has done nothing but inspire me and increase my hunger to write. I've had a bunch of ideas, made lots of notes and I'm ready to put words on paper.

I missed a submission deadline I'd hoped to meet, but it was always unlikely it was going to be met. Life and stuff.

But there are a couple more coming up shortly for which I will be ready.

Wishing you all the best in this new year.

Year Of The Snake.

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Happy New Year to all my Chinese friends.  It's the year of the snake, and I've been trying to work out exactly what that means for us.

In Christian beliefs, the snake is the serpent representing Satan.  It seems, though, that snakes generally have a bad reputation where ever you go. From my limited understanding of Chinese mythology, it seems as though the snake has some positive and negative traits.

After an internet search, I must admit I'm not a whole lot clearer on what this implies for 2013.  But whatever the astrology might suggest, I certainly wish you nothing but the best.

Resolutions.

I'm not really one for making resolutions, although I can understand why some people find the beginning of a new year the right time to effect change. New beginnings and all that. I've just always figured if you want or need to change something, then do it.

And I could make promises about writing more regularly, but the truth is that life gets in the way and I write when I can.

Goals for 2012? Well, that's another matter. And yes, I have some goals. They're similar to last years goals, only further along the master plan, the big picture.

I was able to achieve last year's goals - even better them, and hopefully I can do that again this year.

Happy New Year.