1994
Jan 94
Political Change
There are rumours of political change in China and I go with some villagers who decide to move to a more remote mountain region for three months. Some won't go, claiming it is "adultery" of Mao's philosophy. The hill tribe where we stay greet newcomers by squeezing their upper arms. One by one members of the tribe disappear and no one knows what happens to them. We suppose they have fled back to the city.
One day a horseman rides in shouting "Run! Run! They are cannibals! Run!"
Jan 94
Real Zaragoza.
I promise Real Zaragoza six thousand pounds of my own money if they get into the semi finals of the Copa del Rey, thinking I´ll lay it off against another bet which I forget to put on. I wake up with the image of a "cheque" tatooed onto the pitch of the Romareda where the players run out thinking that I owe them the money and me wondering where I'm going to get it from.
Jan 94
Paradise City Revisited.
Another dream of my paradise city of gold in the mountains by the sea. We go off to train for a football match and are trotting single file through the park when I decide to show everyone the sights and lead them to a large flat gold-paved square between ornate golden buildings on a plateau high above the city by the sea.
4-5.5.94
At the Cup Final
I go to the Cup Final and I'm the only Chelsea supporter.I find my way to my gate (No 110) hasving first gone to No 10 by mistake. I make my way there through loads of festival type tents. I'm in a lobby made mainly of glass when I ask a bloke directions. His wife says "Chris!, Chris!" I don't recognise her, but pretend to and promise to exchange letters with her when I return to Spain. She writes her name and address. It turns out she's called Sarah.
5-6.5.94
Boring Concert
I go to a concert which is boring. At the end I see Javier, Teresa, etc I'm with loads of people. It's in Coventry or Milton Keynes or somewhere. For some reason, at the end we have to split into groups of four and do a treasure hunt. I end up in a group of three - me and two girls.
17-18.5.94
Teaching with Rhianne.
I have to move classrooms so I and my students go to the upstairs part of a bar, a big wooden room. A new pupil comes in. Rhianne is giving a class on the other side of the same room and puts some music on. Two of my students start snogging (one is Merche, la rubia). I go over to Rhi and tell her to turn the music off as she's creating too much of a party atmosphere, but people are bringing in bottles and glasses and the party's under way. Among the guests are Merche's dad (who she reintroduces me to) and Pablo. We all end up dancing.
6-7.6.94
In a Van with Jordi.
I'm in a van with Jordi and others (Aidan and Cristina?). We go to a place just past Madrid that Jordi wants to show me because it's where he used to go and smoke. It's a rocky desert landscape that looks like the moon. We run out of petrol so Jordi goes to get some and A and C go to a house cut into the rock where they know pople they can "cenar" with. I wait in the van for ages but no Jordi so I go into the house to enquire. C and A say that Jordi got the petrol but then he drank it. I decideto go for a walk on the roof seeing how near to the edge I can get but I overdo it and fall off. It seems that I knew I was going to fall. The drop looked to be about forty feet.