Rainbow over Vilingili

A stunning half-rainbow over Vilingili greeted me as I turned left, at the end of Majeedi Magu. Thankfully, a colleague, Niran, captured the sight and graciously donated it to my blog, which has been in need of an update badly.

A lot has happened in my life since the last post, most of it unexpected. I’ve taken up a full-time job in Male and moved to Hulhumale. My earlier plans to move to a North Maldives island community has, therefore, been shelved for now. Instead, I’m settling down to my new life on the artificial but quiet and spacious island of Hulhumale. In fact I would be content there if not for the nagging thought that I haven’t done anything creative for a while now.

But this may change soon. My friend Centerey and I are planning to shoot a music video on Hulhumale for Ramazan. This will give us a chance to work together again and hone in on our filmmaking skills.

Also planned for Ramazan is a new fitness and nutrition programme with very specific strength and endurance goals. But if I can get the windsurf board I’m trying to put together it would make this programme truly enjoyable. Windsurfing, I believe, combines all the components of the pre-trek strength training developed for me by Zinan. It builds coordination and balance, and strength in the legs, knees, arms and back. I suspect, that windsurfing may well fall into what the personal trainer in his blog describes as “functional training”. In other words, windsurfing is probably the ideal strength trainer for a trek in the Himalaya!

Nobody will be surprised to hear that, in the last few weeks or so, I’ve been dreaming mountains again. As soon as my contract is up I plan to go back to Nepal. Yes, in the spring or autumn of 2008, I hope to be in the Himalaya.

I realize now that my attachment to that part of the world may be the only really endearing attachment I have, left.