Learn to control money but do not allow it to control you

Firewalker

SW, funnily enough, there is a museum of the intenational spy here (repuredly the only one in the world). Might have a quick pop in this faternoon (when finished work). As to JB - this is who I wanted to be, I suppose. But we grow up and the dream changes - now I'll be quite happy to meet him:rotfl:.

Firewalker

Money_Fritter

Hi Firewalker,

Hope you are having some fun out there and not working too hard. I am enjoying reading your updates. As for the spy, who didnt want to be one, just to be cool :j

Money Fritter

Firewalker

Couple of days ago, I reached the place in Elizabeth Gilbert’s book where she describes how she adores travel but travel does not seem to like her much and she doesn’t travel well. ‘I could have said this’ – I thought. Then to strengthen her point that she was not designed to travel she asked self deprecatingly: ‘Who gets sunburned in Stockholm?’. I wanted to scream ‘Me! Me! And I am supposed to be a dark woman from the Balkans! My hair is black but my skin is as white as milk.’ I want to meet this woman – I can do with another friend.
With the wisdom of hindsight it probably was not such a bright idea to walk around Washington for three hours in the blistering sun and temperature of 35C today. It was great fun – I walked from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol Building (and from there to Union Station). But now I look like the most deliciously ripe tomato which is not the look I want at the moment – tomorrow I am meeting Mr. Obscene Amount of Endowments and some of his stuff. Oh well, can’t be helped I am afraid.

I loved the walk – the monuments are very impressive. There were two things that I was particularly impressed with: the Second World War Memorial with its fountains and my all time favorite the Washington Memorial. I have wanted to see it, like, forever. Heat, sun, sunburn – it is worth it. This thing is massive and in some bizarre way it is obscene and dramatic at the same time. It is obscene because it is there, towering over the city like a giant phallus. And it is dramatic because it is exactly the half point between the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol and is completely aligned with them. And of course it is very Masonic (but I would rather not go there although I did see the Masonic Temple).

And now I know why I want to write (continue writing) books:

“Writing books is a socially acceptable form of getting naked in public” – Paolo Coelho

Firewalker

Firewalker

Savingwannabe, today three things happened:

1) I went to the nearby garrage to buy water and a lady there was joking with a guy is suit and loking very official. When he left, she looked at me and said: 'He is unbelievable, he speak all langauges under the sun and his Arabic is really good.' Aha, I thought, shall I give him a hug - but he did not look very appealing, trust me.
2) I saw a car with registration JB...
3) And next to it another one with registration 007.

I think it is near....

Firewalker

williamD1964

FW - I for one have no objection should you wish to "...get naked..." in public...

savingwannabe

I woke up all stressed about today and i have just been cheered up by two of my favourite people. I am smiling again. I talk too much to be a spy and my idea of maintaining world peace would be by hugging people so i dont think the Foreign Office would have me! FW look after yourself. I am of indian heritage but i get sunburned in Hampshire, dont worry you are not on your own.

William i am going to try to find your diary maybe tonight. Gosh i have missed you both.

Firewalker

williamD1964 wrote: »

FW - I for one have no objection should you wish to "...get naked..." in public...

William, thanks thanks but this might constitute an esthetic offence - writing is safer. And the pen is mightier than the sword (Eminem in on eof his songs asked ;..how much damage can one do with a pen' and everytime I listen to it I shout 'loads').

Glad you are still around, mate, and hope that you are well and all is well. Followed the news and thought of you.

Firewalker

Firewalker

Did I say that I would like to meet a spy? I would like to take my words back – I want to meet top scientists. In fact today I met three of those – Mr. Obscene Amount of Endowments (OAE) and his staff are all top scientists. They are ferociously clever, stimulating, open, curious, interesting and interested. It was a pleasure meeting this people and discussing some of the intricacies of funding science. Also a great compliment was paid to me – Mr. OAE initially said that he has less than an hour to meet me but at the end we spent close to two hours talking – after the first 15 minutes he announced that he can squeeze a bit longer.

Of course my discussions with the people of this organisation were what matters. But the position of their headquarters as well as the architecture is a dream. The modern but human building is situated in a small part where at lunch time the people working there can run. Failing that there is a gym – between 6.30-7.30 a.m. there is a strength building class; at lunch time there were yoga classes going on. A coffee bar area that looked like something from an internal design magazine was at the centre of the building – people kept coming and going, talking, having coffee.

And now about the coffee: you know that I don’t compromise on two things and one of these is coffee. Lots of compromising had to be done since I’ve been in the US. All I get is gallons of American coffee – weak filter coffee stuff I normally won’t even look at. The organisation I was visiting is about quality in research – but judging by the coffee quality is their all pervading philosophy.

Everything at this place said ‘create, create, create’. And people working there do exactly that. Who said that being rich can make you complacent?

And now the thought for today; this one really resonates with me – and when one thinks that the guy was a general not a philosopher.

“Age wrinkles the body. Quitting wrinkles the soul.” ~ Douglas MacArthur (1880 - 1964)

Firewalker

Money_Fritter

Hi Firewalker, love the quote for the day!!!

Glad things are going well, but if you wanted to meet a top scientist, you did not have to travel to the US, you could have come to see me in Durham.:rotfl:

Also I have better coffee :rotfl:

Money Fritter

Firewalker

Money_Fritter wrote: »

Glad things are going well, but if you wanted to meet a top scientist, you did not have to travel to the US, you could have come to see me in Durham.:rotfl:

Also I have better coffee :rotfl:

Money Fritter

Life scientists? The very foundation of life and all!

FW