Fledgist's Journal, 04 September 2011

Congrats on the weight loss - lol on 'seeing land'. You are in this for the long haul and I am sure you won't stumble now. Thanks for the link, I will look at later. Did you enjoy your time with your sons? And isn't it great when people notice - its quite a boost. Love your sense of humour - I like 'Fernando' - he is too funny! 

Morning again. I watched both videos - well - looked at - love the English accent (being Scottish myself I enjoy an accent from 'home') and you look very very good. Congrats again. 

Thank you! I have the misfortune of being a native Londoner, even though I haven't lived there for over four decades. 

I really had fun with both my sons. It was great to have them here, and I miss them both already. 

just wanted to say... think you could have made the title to your chapter just a little bit longer! LOL!!! (just teasing). Thanks for posting these... You do look great, and you seem so happy in your self as you are discussing your works. So glad you enjoyed the visit w/ your sons! Have a great week!! 

Good morning my English mate - how are you today? Hope everything is well in your world and with your chosen WOL.  

Thanks for posting the links. I am going to check them out now. Have a great day. 

Great to listen to a buddy (who is another expat) ....my Dad lived and worked in India for a year and totally fell in love with the country and the people in 1948. My nephew went there in 1998 and did the same trip on the train that my Dad did all those years earlier.....took photos along the way like my Dad it is a fabulous story in the pictures from all those years apart......Harry also fell in love with the people and the country......thank you for sharing.... 

Were you son's suitably impressed by your weight loss Fledgist? 

Thanks all. My sons were impressed, though trying hard not to show it. My older son had been at me about my weight for years. Now I -- and his girlfriend -- both get to nag him. I'm not sure he's too pleased about that. The point, my dear lady, about the chapter title is that it was meant to be a fairly short description of the contents. Those contents were indeed racist rantings (Carlyle), travellers' tales (Trollope, Kingsley, and Froude), and a Creole counterblast (Thomas telling Froude off). There was some cost to it for me. I can't reread Kingsley's novels, and I can't read Trollope's (Trollope, for example, spent so much time being contemptuous of the people he observed that he didn't seem to understand why they might be suspicious of him). That's a pity in its way; I have a friend who was inspired to write a superb novel (Jo Walton: Tooth and Claw, I strongly recommend it) by Trollope's work. India's a country I'd love to get to some day (the West Indies being on the other side of the world from it). 

Always was bad with Geography.....so where are you from, .....I went to Jamaica when I was 8/10 (holiday)had Jamaican friends went to stay, just love to travel. I have never read any of those books apart from Barchester Towers, Trollope while at school, my English teacher I remember him saying Trollope has the correct name. He used to be very outspoken, actually loved him as a teacher......I hope your son takes a leaf out of your book if he needs to. I know my son has lost 30lbs he said I inspired him. (that feels good) 

Where am I from? I was born in south Kensington, spent my childhood in Battersea and Stockwell, then moved to Jamaica. Since then I've lived in New York, California, Kentucky, and now Georgia. Years ago, I got into an argument online with a chap who insisted that I wouldn't be able to understand his background. What was it, I inquired. He told me he was born in Kensington and had gone to an English public school. I replied that I, too, had been born in Kensington and that the school I'd attended was (at the time I attended it) an English public school (it was a member of the Headmasters' Conference, the association of English public schools at the time, it happened to be located in Jamaica but I didn't tell him that). Shut his gob good and proper. 

Lol Fledgist. That's awesome. Btw, I keep getting tripped up seeing you mention Kensington. I am not at all familiar with the West Indies, so the only Kensington I know of is a town local to me. :P 

LOL I love that Fledgist......very good.....haven't heard shut his gob either in a while......thanks for the laugh...I love those people know it alls.....I love Kensington High st too....what woman doesn't.....I lived in Kensington for a year when we moved back from Cyprus when I was 11 so didn't really appreciate it then.....small world.  

Mrs Tofu, the Kensington that Yvonne and I are talking about is in London (the large city in England). There are Kensingtons in the West Indies too, notably one in Barbados, but, sadly I haven't been there (it's a famous cricket field).