"Y007
?? ......"
Day 1
Madrid airport
is civilized in the fact that it has smoking areas for those of us doomed to a
lifetime habit of enjoying ourselves while we still can.
Iberia
airlines is civilized too, because they have a comfortable, nicely equipped
smoking room in their Business Class airport lounge (well, come to think of it,
they could do away with the cinema-style chair layout).
The
wide-screen TV is always tuned to CNN when I go in there. This is good and bad,
but that is a topic for another time ......
If I wasnīt so
tired I could have enjoyed it more but I had to make some important, critical
strategic decisions.
Do I buy my
cigarettes here at duty-free (where they are cheaper because my destination is
Moscow and Russia is not in the EU, at least not the last time I looked) or do I
risk waiting to buy them in Moscow where they may not have my exact favourite
brand .... ?
Life is such a
challenge sometimes.
But I can feel
you getting caught up in the pulse of this moment and I donīt want to spoil that
...
Every time I
go to Russia I give a fleeting thought to James Bond and The Beatles. I get
excited and feel a burning need to wear my dark glasses and to keep a wary eye
out in case someone is following me.
Then I
remember that, instead of an Aston Martin DBS I have a Nissan pick-up truck and
somehow the dark glasses donīt fit any more .... plus I havenīt got any friends
called ĻMĻ.
How great is
that? .... a name that is not a name ..... only an initial ... a letter.
ĻHi, my name
is K .... James KĻ .... Well, maybe this application doesnīt work but, from now
on, I am K.
I have said
enough about Alicante airport. One day (or century, more like) they will open
the new terminal they have been building since the establishment of the
Gregorian calendar. By this time of course it will be totally obsolete and
theyīll have to start again or, at least start talking about starting again.
At least itīs
a good way to keep several generations of the same family working on the same
project.
I am going
back to Russia for nine solo concerts and this time I am working with a new
promoter and visiting at least three new cities.
No doubt I
will be facing some new challenges and quite ridiculous interpretations of
simple requests and requirements but I am doing this for the love of music and
my fans arenīt I? So, think positive ....
Actually, the
whole question of why I do this is something that I have thought about a lot
lately. Good, healthy thoughts that have yet to come to a conclusion but you can
be sure I will keep you posted.
I can tell you
one thing for sure and that is that itīs not for the ĻfameĻ. In truth, what I
care about the most is that people like the songs.
I donīt care
if they like me or not, itīs the songs that count, itīs the songs that make a
lasting difference.
The songs are
more famous than me and they will still be here long after I am gone to be with
Jesus. Itīs the songs that I care about.
Weīre getting
ready to land but before I go, I ordered the Ļcandied pork jaw with black cherry
sauce, french onions (didnīt have a chance to check on the authenticity of this
nationality) and sweet potatoĻ. It wasnīt bad ....
I just thought
you should know!
Four hours and
50 minutes from Madrid to Moscow and then 3 hours from the airport to the hotel!
I always forget just how bad Moscow traffic is and then I get these ugly
reminders.
I must
remember not to accept flights that arrive at rush hour!
The hotel is
nice, the people at the front desk are cool so everything is good, but I am
exhausted.
I do wonder
if the girl from New Zealand will forgive me for asking if she was from
Australia ......
