context
- 01 Jul 23
- 12:08
- One Comment
I find myself in France, sitting just inside a classic French café in the Paris suburbs, people-watching whilst tucking in to the ‘plat du jour’, almost exactly 44 hours after leaving the settlement in northern Uganda. 53 hours since I got out of bed on Thursday morning.
After work, our security guard took me into town on the back of his moto. I got the overnight bus to Kampala (see, never say ‘never again’). I hung out in a couple of cafés for the day, got a haircut in between. Headed to the airport, checked into the ‘lounge’ (surprisingly pleasant). Had a shower: used all the hot water they had. I don’t mean I was in there forever, I mean when the hot water ran out, after a few minutes, I got out. Just about made the plane despite arriving at the airport 3 hours early, and it was 45 min late (please just don’t ask). Three (now two) hour layover in Rwanda (really modern, yet somehow still crappy) airport, then made it to the plane for Paris. I had two seats to myself in the 2-4-2 configuration, which was as close to a win as I think I could get. I figured another 30 mins to take in the safety brief, before I could sleep – and I was ready to sleep as it was more than 40 hours since my last sleep.
Safety brief over, blanket out, pillow down, I got into a sort of embryonic-sideways-dying fly-on my back position (???) and was out like light. Great, right up until thirty minutes when the drinks trolley came by and the guy woke me from my sleep. Jerk.
I mean context, it is now about 0200 local. They guy is clearly sleeping, why wake him for a nearly cold can of beer or cheeky miniature? And it won’t be cordon-bleu quality food, it’s pre-packed airline slop. Jerk.
Anyway back to today. Half a bottle of house red and some delicious bread to start*. But I have to say it was worth it. Was it Michelin Star quality? No. Gastonomie? No. The most delicious steak-frites I have ever tasked. Yes. Objectively, of course not. Subjectively, absolutely. Context.
*I made the wine last until the end of the meal…
One thought on “context”
1 Jul Phil, I am late to the party, soz. Some is funny, some is thought provoking. Wishing you well my friend. Take care, k