Happy birthday Dad…I hope I’m as young at heart as you are when I’m your age.
I’ve got a fair bit to pack into this blog but as you can imagine I’m having a great time. I have 3 days left of my overseas experience and although I’m sad to not be continuing on I’m ready to go home, home to Mum and Dads. I have no real fixed abode right now, which is a weird feeling but somehow liberating also. I feel free, but in the back of my mind reality beckons and I’m ready to embrace it. My time away has given me a chance to have a look at my life and decide what it is I want out of my life. It’s given me a chance to have a blow out so now I can focus on the realities of everyday life. I’ve lived in a dream world for the past 6 months and escaping reality has relaxed me, focussed me and motivated me. Not everyone is fortunate enough to get the chance to do this so I am forever grateful. Breaking my neck 19 years ago has turned out pretty sweet so far.
This latest blog takes us to 4 different countries; USA, England, France and Thailand.
My last sojourn in the States was to the New Orleans Jazz Festival. The primary objective was to see Mumford and Sons again although we nearly missed them and all I got to see of them was a whole bunch of American asses. I’ll explain….we left Austin at 5am and we were making good time to N.O. Traffic in downtown slowed our progress as did the fact that our tickets wouldn’t print out. We waited for a bus to the venue and time was ticking ever closer to Mumford coming on. I didn’t drive all this way to miss them (9hour drive). So eventually we got there, sorted tickets and made our way into the showgrounds.
Have you ever been to a music festival in a wheelchair? Yeah not much fun really. We battled our way through the crowd just as Mumford started to play. Any chance of us getting to the front and the disabled section was impossible. Literally there were a hundred thousand people and we were at the back, in the sun, couldn’t even see the screen, the toilets were….god knows where and my favourite band was missing the joy of seeing me. I was a bit pissed off by this stage. I didn’t even sit there for the whole thing. I went off and got some food and water and came back just before they ended….stink aye.
Luckily the sun in the States isn’t as harsh as downunder. Even with my angelic complexion the sun didn’t burn me….I was just sooo hot…and the weather was pretty warm too heehee.
I had had it with festivals by this stage. It was like when I went on a 10 day sailing trip on a tall ship in the Baltic Sea….4 days of it I was stuck below because of force 8 winds and massive waves, spewing and swaying, thinking this is money well spent….I’d rather eat raw chicken.
You know me though, always make the best out of a bad situation. The Avett Brothers were on next and they were a band I liked. I sure as shit wasn’t going to sit at the back for this one. We made our way to the front via running over some toes and excusing ourselves. I don’t mind this too much because you soon get peoples attention when you pat them on the ass to ask them to move. Well they don’t pay attention otherwise, a pat on the bum brings there attention to you straight away and they end up apologising to you, haaha…..It’s a perk if it’s a nice ass.
The disabled section or as I call it the VIP section was amazing. Best seats in the place. Stage side with an unimpeded view of the band. Another perk.
Not sure though why some of the other people got in there….it seemed as if they didn’t really need to be there. Ah well I wasn’t fussed cause I had my possie. One guy was more than a little baffling. He wore sunglasses, had a white cane but had a really expensive camera. Not sure how much he could see nor the quality of the shots he was taking but fair play….he no doubt takes better shots than me!
The Avett Brothers were phenomenal and as Zupan said, made Mumford sound like easy listening. I was so impressed.
The next day we explored New Orleans….my most favourite city in the world! I love everything about this place. The food, music, architecture and people. I could spend days exploring this place. That night we made a complete mess of ourselves and the night was a blur…until I found some pictures on my camera, then it all made sense.
New Orleans I love you and would go there over Vegas anytime. Bourbon St you are seedy and dirty but you are the best party street I’ve ever been to. The seafood is delicious and the architecture is so romantic.
After saying goodbye to America it was off to England. Don’t ever fly United Airlines internationally. Bad food, uncomfortable seats, crap entertainment, uninteresting staff and a weird French women sitting next to me. She was in the aisle seat but desperately wanted to look out the window….she was all up in my personal space trying to see.
The reason for the trip to the Mother Land was to see my long time friend and mentor Jason and his new family. Married to Jade, Jason introduced me to her and their new baby, Grace. Jade, gorgeous! Grace, made me clucky. Many a night was spent sitting around drinking fine wine and eating gourmet fish, chips and mushy peas. Not to mention the BBQ that no rain, wind, nor freezing temps would stop. I loved my time with Jason. He let me see my future. I yearn for what he has and that is what I’ll be working towards when I get settled again.
Jason is a man with an intricate knowledge of the martial arts. Quiet and unassuming he can kick anyone’s ass with serious consequences. We share the same love of the UFC although Jason’s knowledge is more in-depth than mine. He is also a fantastic photographer and I was fortunate enough for him to do a photo shoot of me. He is a writer and a man who has a deep knowledge of many of the wonderful writers that I know nothing of; Bukowski, Dante, Thompson, Kerouac etc. He is a philosophical man who I act as a sponge around. I soak up his good sense, advice and knowledge of all things important, romantic and sometimes benign, because as much intellect he talks of he can also talk utter bullocks. He takes joy in watching trashy day time talk shows, the Simpsons and follows with great interest Ricky Gervais, Eddie Izzard and Russell Brand. A complex man who enjoys the simple things in life.
Jason is a truly great friend, a wonderful Dad, a loyal, loving and great husband. I just wish he didn’t live on the other side of the world.
The week was spent going for long walks, going to the pub (went to a pub that had been there since the 1700’s), cooking great food and going to the supermarket. It did look a little camp, two handsome men in the supermarket with a little baby with them. It was a great week and I cherished every moment.
Contrast the family atmosphere of Jason’s to my next destination…..France and staying with two 24 year olds.
I am so in love with France! I was based in Clermont Ferrand in the middle of France, a small university town surrounded by mountains. Whenever I travel I always ask myself could I live here. If the answer is yes it’s usually a favourite of mine. Clermont is a place I could definitely live.
I stayed with Adrien and his best mate Fabien. Adrien broke his neck playing rugby 5 years ago. A French under 19 rep he had a promising future. At 6 foot 7 he is a big dude. Astonishingly handsome with a dark Mediterranean complexion, softly spoken yet a practical joker at heart. You were never safe and I still don’t trust him. Adrien and his partner in crime Fabien (who has known Adrien since they were 5 and played rugby together) would spray whipped cream all over me while I was in the shower, through the open window….I found some very disturbing items stashed under my pillow and it seemed they were hell-bent on feeding me until I popped.
The 1st night I got there it was about 1130pm before we sat down to eat. Fab’s prepared a traditional French dish consisting of scalloped potatoes cooked in the frying pan with half a block of cheese and then some more cheese. I’m not scared of cheese but I’d never seen anyone put that much cheese in anything. It was delicious.
Next day we went to lunch at a rugby bar. I had a salad. But the thing that surprised me was that all 3 of the lads I was with had a dessert. Now I aint tailking just a fruit salad with ice cream they had crème brulee. Not in a little dessert bowl but a cereal bowl. At home you would divide it up into 4 but not here. The portion size made me weak at the elbows.
The following week was highlighted with a gastronomic adventure. It seemed like everywhere we went I was fed and fed well. Snails, frogs leg’s, whiskey, desserts, red wine, homemade alcohol, Spanish food (Adrien’s grandparents are from Spain), cigars, raw meats, cheese to die for, croissants and all sorts of other stuff….
Here’s the phenomenon…..if we are all told that these foods are bad and will make you fat how come that obesity is not a problem in France, well at least in Cleremont? How come the women in Cleremont chow down on ham and cheese baguettes and pastries as well as tons of bread and are still the hottest, fittest, slimmest, healthiest women I have ever seen. The guys are a bit tubby here and there but they should all be massive…..what’s the deal???? They are no more active than we are. They take a lot more time to eat but other than that I don’t get it. I wanted to taste everything but my ingrained attitude was to stay away from this food….and that sucked. Don’t worry I ate some good stuff but you should’ve seen what I said no to.
I didn’t want to travel to far from Cleremont because I wanted to get a real good feel for the place. And that I did. Adrien grew up there and is well known around town. We met so many cool people He’s a ladies man so there was never a shortage of women to look at…I couldn’t exactly talk to them no could I.
One highlight was getting access to the local rugby team. This wasn’t just a park footy team this was comparable to a Super 15 franchise and then some. We were shown around the purpose built stadium where the team is based and got to meet the players including a few of the kiwi lads; Sione Luaki, Tasesa Levea and Kevin Senio. The team is coached by a Kiwi too. We saw the dressing rooms, weights room and everything else. I was a real privilege.
Do you know the coolest thing was though? Everyone greeted Adrien with such affection, like he was one of them. That’s the same thing I have back in Sydney and something I have missed dearly. My league mates to this day make me feel like I’m still one of the boys and it’s the biggest reason I’m moving back there. I love Auckland and all my mates there but the bond you have with the lads you played with when you broke your neck is strong.
Adrein volunteers at the local children’s hospital once a week so we went up there, donned the pink aprons and went around the ward playing cards and trying to cheer up the kids….it was cool.
Cleremont Ferrand is a town in the middle of France near Lyon. It’s old and as you can imagine it has the skinny cobbled streets, terraced buildings and European type nostalgia. It was perfect and just what I wanted from the trip. Wheeling around in the 25 degree heat in my tank top was weird because I was the only person with tattoo’s. Pasty white, ginger with tatts….god dam freak show! Meanwhile everyone else is dressed up all conservatively and looking beautiful. Not as smart as the Italians but never the less very classy. They take pride in their appearance. And no gingers anywhere either.
The night we went out to dinner and I had frogs legs was so cool. The restaurant we chose was a tiny French restaurant in a back alley. We sat outside with the cathedral as a back drop. It was 20 odd degrees and it couldn’t have been more perfect. As usual we started with aperitifs of snails and liqueur. A bottle of red wine was ordered and it sat there for a few hours before it was opened. In NZ in that time we would’ve done 3 bottles but such is the way of life here. They take there time enjoy each others company and don’t feel the need to get wasted. It was very civilised.
Frogs legs taste like chicken and snails are chewy like mussels and only taste of the garnish, garlic butter or blue cheese. Dessert was once again phenomenal (but I only tasted it as I was so stuffed). We finished up about midnight and went of the a nightclub until 5:30am. It was the biggest club in Europe and is able to host 3000 people. It wasn’t that busy when we were there but still so much fun. I’ve never been so sober at a club in my life and still had fun. Driving home Adrien observed that the day is waking up….its been many years since I’ve had a night that big.
I’ll miss Cleremont and Adrien and Fabien. I’ll miss how I’m greeted – a kiss on each cheek. I’ll miss the food, the relaxed lifestyle, I’ll miss the sexy accents, I’ll miss the history, the weather, and I’ll miss the French passion. I’ll be back for sure.
Thailand!!!! I’m in Pattaya right now and I have done nothing for the past 4 days. It’s been wonderful. I’m staying at my mates resort 20 minutes out of Pattaya and it’s quiet. He has a pool, bar, pool table and the opportunity to do all sorts of other stuff like quad biking, golfing, shooting etc….but I’ve done nothing.
I went into town one day but it was so hot and my motivation was zero so I had an $8 hour long Thai massage.
Everything I need is at the resort….great food, friendly people, beer and solitude.
In 3 days time I’ll be freezing and back to reality. Mum will be fussing over me, I’ll be talking rugby with Dad, playing with my nephew and I’ll be catching up with sis….I can’t wait but a few more days here will be just fine.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my blogs. I’m not sure how many more I’ll write but if I do I’ll let you know. I think I’ll do one more to sum up the whole trip and let you know where I’m headed. I have an exciting new life to begin in Sydney and I really can’t wait to get started on it.
Farewell for now….be safe but have fun
Much love
Curtis
