Ready, Set.

Let there be no excuses, no explanations and no regrets

[bornonthefullmoon]

371. Don't take anything for granted.

371. Don’t take anything for granted.

Today I taught a Japanese karate champion English literature. You? Alongside the great works of the English language, we got to speaking about some of the time that he spent in the UK when he was younger. He happened to mention that his favourite place was the Lake District, and in fact it was one of the few places in the world he would like to travel back to. I can relate. I love the Lake…

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[bornonthefullmoon]

370. You can still learn about the world from the comfort of your own home.

370. You can still learn about the world from the comfort of your own home.

In these covid days, where travel is few and far between / completely forbidden, it seems unlikely that you could learn so much about the world from your own living room. But, the great thing about teaching people from all around the world, is that you’re always learning important things about different cultures and languages. Take last week for example. I learned that if I attend a housewarming…

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[bornonthefullmoon]

369. Any walk you do in the South will result in you saying how it isn't as good as the North.

369. Any walk you do in the South will result in you saying how it isn’t as good as the North.

The other night, I went out for dinner with an old friend. Like myself, he has spent many years abroad, loves languages and learning new cultures and with everything that is happening here, feels ever increasingly further away from being ‘British’, whatever that means nowadays. I don’t feel like London is ‘home’ and I certainly don’t get a warm feeling when I land in Manchester airport.

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[bornonthefullmoon]

368. In times of anger, take it out on a watermelon.

368. In times of anger, take it out on a watermelon.

Sitting on the narrow streets of Trapani with some friends one night, drinking, talking and enjoying the hustle and bustle, our chill was interrupted by an angry Sicilian man walking with a watermelon under his arm. (I’d like to take this opportunity to point out that Sicilian watermelons are extremely large.)

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[bornonthefullmoon]

367. Some people have it all figured out.

367. Some people have it all figured out.

You know, every now and then again you meet those special kinds of people who make you feel calm and zen and like nothing in the world is ever as big of a problem as you think it is.

Whilst traveling Pantelleria this summer, I came across one of these amazing people. After what has been a terrible year for the vast majority of us so far, it was refreshing to see someone that hadn’t been…

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[bornonthefullmoon]

366. The true art of negotiation can be found on a little island between Sicily and Tunisia.

366. The true art of negotiation can be found on a little island between Sicily and Tunisia.

This summer, I headed out to the beautiful island of Pantelleria – a little slice of paradise nestled between Europe and Africa. If you are looking for some of the most blue water, fresh food and people who have understood everything important in the world, then I recommend heading there to escape for a while.

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[bornonthefullmoon]

365. Wear a mask. (Correctly.)

365. Wear a mask. (Correctly.)

I have to hand it to the human race, we sure can be creative. You’d think that having seen masks being used by others or on TV or just using common sense about how they work, we’d all be putting them on in the same fashion, but there are just some that just keep knocking it out of the park and surprising me.

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[bornonthefullmoon]

364. Watch out for dogs.

364. Watch out for dogs.

Picture this…

You’re out on a beautiful run in the middle of the Sicilian countryside. You’ve waited all day for the heat to die down and the sky is turning orange and pink, the vineyards and almond trees climbing up and down the rolling burnt hills.

You hear a growl.

You see an angry looking dog pop out from the undergrowth and start to follow you.

You pick up the pace – the dog…

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[bornonthefullmoon]

363. Always always always ask the locals.

363. Always always always ask the locals.

There’s no piece of advice more golden than going local when you visit a place – who’s going to know the best places to eat and adventure (ie. everything I live for) better than the regulars?

This summer I was fortunate enough to roam around Sicily for a couple of months. Here, asking a local is sure to lead you to a hidden gem, a good meal and most likely a friend for life. On a weekend…

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[bornonthefullmoon]

362. The joy of playing 'Would you rather give up pasta or pizza' with Italians will never get old.

362. The joy of playing ‘Would you rather give up pasta or pizza’ with Italians will never get old.

If you’ve ever wondered what true panic and fear look like on the face of a human being then I highly suggest playing the following game with your nearest Italian.

Start with a simple one: Would you rather give up pasta or pizza? – watch for the change in expression before they eventually tell you something along the lines of ‘no no pizza. The pasta is sacred. Sunday with no pasta? I…

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[bornonthefullmoon]

361. The Beatles stole everything from Napoli...

361. The Beatles stole everything from Napoli…

Did you know that the world actually started in Naples? (source: Everyone from Naples)

After a certain period of time, you almost get used to the fact that most Italians believe that Italy is the birthplace of culture, language, food, love, civilisation (despite this not being historically completely accurate, I advise you heavily not to engage with this argument and accept that they do have a…

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[bornonthefullmoon]

360. Good things take time.

360. Good things take time.

When you take a look at all the most magnificent things in the world, very few of them happened overnight.

Nothing in the world is an example of this more than the holy arancino. (more…)

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[bornonthefullmoon]

359. Walk London with nobody there.

I know the loose thing we’re calling advice in the UK at the moment is to stay inside, but providing you’re following social distancing rules then I’d highly recommend taking a walk through central London.

Anybody that has spent an extended amount of time in central London knows that its streets are bustling with busy bodies. All. The. Time. If you want a photo outside of Buckingham Palace,…

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[bornonthefullmoon]

358. If you haven't got a fine within ten minutes of driving, then you're not in Italy.

358. If you haven’t got a fine within ten minutes of driving, then you’re not in Italy.

My experience of Italian roads has been a turbulent one. Do I hate the may the fastest driver go first kind of attitude? – yes. Do I hate the general lack of respect for any kind of safety regulation or road rules? – Absolutely. But do I miss the adrenaline when I’m back on these English roads? – occasionally, yes. There is something a bit monotonous about following the rules sometimes (safety…

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[bornonthefullmoon]

357. Weddings and social distancing can work.

357. Weddings and social distancing can work.

Almost two months ago now, I had the pleasure of watching two wonderful people start their lives together. When you think of weddings you think of lots of hugs and kisses and shared embraces, so when social distancing is implemented in to your special day, you’d think it would throw a somewhat large spanner in the works. (more…)

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[bornonthefullmoon]

356. It wouldn't be Yorkshire if the sky were blue.

356. It wouldn’t be Yorkshire if the sky were blue.

You know it’s been far too long since you’ve been in blighty when you expect the weather to do what it promises to.

One weekend, I took a couple of friends to the North, both of whom, being from Italy and Mexico, are more accustomed to having sunshine than myself. I checked the weather and we set out for a walk across the moors from Hebden to Haworth, expecting views of space and sky and the…

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[bornonthefullmoon]

355. The times, they are a-changin.

Today, I got one of those notifications from some form of social media that I rarely use – those ones that remind you that this time, however many years ago, you were doing something far more exciting than what you are doing now.

Today, mine reminded me that four years ago, I was aboard a ship in the middle of the south China sea chasing illegal whalers – not your average 7th April granted, but…

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