Morning Has Broken

I love Richards building, its like a 1940's condo and the walkways remind me of The Bates Motel. The first night I feel asleep after travelling I woke in the middle of the night. I had this immense swirling feeling inside, I didn't know where I was. It was as though my body were doing a whirling reset to align me with a new part of the planet. I guess like when on your phone you press the 'get location' setting on google maps. I am reminded of the saying in AA, first you bring your Body, then your Mind arrives and lastly your Spirit joins you. Last night I fell asleep at 10 and I awoke this morning at 6.30 am. It is so peaceful here I can feel my shoulders beginning to relax in a rather sunburnt base tan kind of a way.

For The Music Is Lethal

I am so pale, I had coffee with Ryan this morning and we discussed my tanning strategy. Why I would discuss risk factors with someone who sky dives for fun is another issue altogether. He said I should avoid the sun from 1 - 3, I thought I should do 2 hours 2 - 4. I don't have a clock or phone in my bag so I time my tan listening to tracks on my iPod, this has the added advantage of blocking out the unbearable sound of other people.  I estimate that I did 90 minutes between 2 and 3.30. I think if I do an extra 30 minutes each day I can build up to brown over the next few weeks. My friend Jess is doing a project about replacing chemical products with safer alternatives. She asked me to name the ones I could not do without. Right now Clarins Sun Oil SPF 15 is one. Clarin's Gentle Foaming Cleanser and Clarin's Daily Energiser Lotion SPF 15. The thing I don't understand about SPF's is this, if a product is factor 15 then I understand that it means that you can be in the sun 15 times longer without burning. If you then reapply your product - do you get another '15 times longer' or is it a once a day thing?

Risk Management

Of course South Beach is fraught with danger! Today we had 2 flags, one for dangerous marine life (yuk) and the second for dangerous cross currents. It's almost impossible to relax around here.

There Is No God I Am Alone Here

I saw this man on the way home from the beach.  He was screaming at another guy 'Do you want to see my God?' and the man was saying 'Sure'. The first man says 'Do you want to see a God you can live by?' The second man says 'Yes'. This banter went on for a while and then finally guy number one points at the Sun and says 'There, there is my God, now you show me yours!' Genius.

Nothing Tastes As Good As Thin Feels

Except cheese fries from Shake Shack and German Chocolate Cake from Icebox. My own version of the South Beach diet has begun. I am starting with a kind of a fruit detox.  Breakfast & Lunch were fruit salads, with coconut water on the beach and detox tea at home. Also about 3 large cups of Starbucks coffee which is not something that appears on many diet sheets and yet is an essential component of mine.  I am having dinner with a girl from London - we are meeting at Wholefood's so I should have plenty of healthy options to choose from.

Your Name Is Cherish

As I left university yesterday I saw a student from a class that I totally forgot I was supposed to be taking. She asked me if the class was still on.

For a moment I didn’t know what the fuck she was talking about.

‘Er No, this weeks material was rubbish anyway’ (tell it like it is babe)

‘OK if I apply for a job this summer will you give me a reference?’

‘Absolutely – I would love to.’

‘Do you know my name?’

‘I do actually.’

Then although it occurred to me that I really should go back inside, I kept walking. 

Remember When You Were Young?

Pink Floyd reminds me of my misspent youth life (not something I want to bring up at passport control) but it takes me back to lying on my friend’s floor having been awake for 48 hours straight. We used to play The Dark Side Of The Moon, The yellow Leonard Cohen greatest hits album, Led Zeppelin, Stairway To Heaven & Sunday Morning by The Velvet Underground. I attribute the gentle melancholia and closet optimism of our Sunday dawn playlist to the overall survival of my mental health, what I mean without it things could have been so much worse.