I’ve always had a baby face. Even with the beard, I’m usually assumed to be far younger than I am. So imagine my surprise when I gazed lovingly at my wife, only to find her staring not into my eyes, but at an indeterminate area above my eyebrows: the clinching evidence that I really am … Continue reading The surprising joy of getting wrinkles
The liberating power of taking responsibility
“I had a good lunch and now I’m first in the queue to board,” Mariacristina texted me as she waited for her flight to Naples. I didn’t understand – where was the usual last-minute duty-free shopping? Why wasn’t she dashing to the gate as the menacing final boarding call boomed out across the airport? In all … Continue reading The liberating power of taking responsibility
The unadulterated joy of three
There's something special about the number three. The rule of thirds. The Holy Trinity. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Earlier this year I turned three. Three years ago, my new birth day (Day Zero, the day of my transplant) had a lot riding on it, to say the least. My first birthday was a huge … Continue reading The unadulterated joy of three
The cancer look – or, why I have a beard
I remember my first day at Goldsmiths in 2007, officially registering for the Masters in Journalism I had decided to pursue as I neared the end of my chemotherapy course. I’d almost forgotten I was still on chemotherapy: a measly pill of a low dose could have been my daily vitamins. My hair had grown … Continue reading The cancer look – or, why I have a beard
Life lessons on and off the pitch
I’ve been glued to the Six Nations rugby tournament. Mariacristina, on the other hand, is baffled at why I want to spend a large portion of my weekend watching two or three dozen grown men kicking and throwing a ball around. I sympathise with her view, even if I lost the bet that in marrying an Italian … Continue reading Life lessons on and off the pitch
♫ And you were there, my good man ♫
"Anyone who signs up to the stem cell register must have at least a minimal level of goodness," I was telling our guests on Saturday, not long before they went on their way. And it's true. You're offering to help a stranger – if you're found one day to be a match – with no benefit … Continue reading ♫ And you were there, my good man ♫
Terrible twos: remembrance of things past
I probably shouldn't have been celebrating with Prosecco, but last week I turned two. Before then, though, since my fabulous first second (second first?) birthday on 26th March last year, I had discovered that my first first birthday was pretty fantastic, too. Mariacristina and I were staying at my father's with my sister Harriet, her husband Duncan and … Continue reading Terrible twos: remembrance of things past
Seismic shifts in Pozzuoli – and life
If any place could symbolise how forces beyond your control can sweep into your life, bringing destruction, change but also surprising new opportunities and hope for the future, Pozzuoli's Rione Terra, in the heart of Campania's Campi Flegrei (Phlegrean Fields), is that place. The volcanic area of the Campi Flegrei is drenched in fascinating myth, history and geological phenomena. It's where … Continue reading Seismic shifts in Pozzuoli – and life
A time for giving?
I know I've left it a bit late to ask for Christmas presents this year, and the chances are I'm not getting you anything, but I'm going to inflict with my wish list anyway – BECAUSE IT'S CHRISTMAS! And, of course, as any John Lewis advert devotee will remember from a few years ago, the joy is in … Continue reading A time for giving?
Imperfect 10: a defiantly different decade
My relationship with diaries is a troubled one (erm, happy belated birthday, everyone!), but a growing number of dates have been sticking in my mind. Back in March I celebrated my first second birthday, a year after my stem cell transplant. A few months later, as I celebrated my 33rd birthday and fourth wedding anniversary, I … Continue reading Imperfect 10: a defiantly different decade