Things to Do Before I Die.

I blame it on my fascination with Russian fiction and, well, general non-fiction, in the past year. Provoked by the need for retrospect that time forces upon us towards the end of every year; and the sense of hope that Christmas tends to bring round. That things are slow in the office also helps.

Yes, this is (part of) a list of stuff I'd like to do (in no particular order) before I die. It's likely to evolve over time, with more items changing than being ticked off. A crude manifestation of my life's objectives and ambitions. Maybe (hopefully?) even a prototype epitaph. So here goes:

1. Be choppered onto an offshore oil rig, preferably a new-ish one, in the North Sea (or wherever's sexy at the time), and choppered off, of course.

2. Cross the Bering Strait in a kayak.

3. Watch herds of migratory animals from a hot air balloon somewhere over Africa.

4. Do all that travelling I mentioned in the previous two posts.

5. Live and work in London.

6. Live and work in Russia.

7. Find a humanitarian cause and acting on it.

8. See the establishment and worldwide recognition of a contiguous and viable Palestine state capable of sustaining a nation.

9. Raise intelligent and useful kids.

10. Skydive.

...and lots of other stuff. That I can't be bothered to think about right now, when it's time to leave the office.

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I was reading TIME's list of people who have left us in 2007, and was shocked to find out that Kurt Vonnegut passed away this April. Vonnegut was my favourite critic of modern society and a major influence on how I think today. He's said and written countless memorable things, but I think the following is most apt for my blog:

"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be."

R.I.P. K.V.