Merry Christmas/Happy Xmas
CS Lewis used to distinguish between Christmas, a Christian mass celebrating the birth of Jesus, and Xmas, a feast of over-commercialised self-indulgence, the implicqation being that the former was being swamped by the latter. Leena and I went to midnight mass last year - the best part of the celebration for me - and I will go to the Unitarian Church in Brixton for Christmas tomorrow before setting off down to Winchester to be with my ex and children for Xmas. Henry and Julia have been brought up in a secular environment and, although I share some of Diana's scepticism over religion, I obviously have the piety gene and cannot really enjoy the event without a little bit of church.
For guides Xmas usually brings the chance to earn a little extra in the bleak winter months when work is scarce and the January tax bill looms. I often used to take off as soon after New Year as possible and return a couple of months later for my birthday and readiness for the new season - March can be surprisingly busy as the air fares tend to be lower then than in summer.
I have exactly a week's work over Chmas/New Year with an agency job doing London and Windsor, my favourite day trip, on the 28th and a six day tour over New Year, which should bring in some extra cash. I have asked TT not to give me anything else until March, as I felt I did a little too much last winter with too few people, and would prefer a complete break to write my masterwork.
Actually, although the life should be ideal for writing as a second occupation, that side of my work has been a fairly complete failure, as my ideas for books and articles hardly ever get taken up. I think the problem is that I am neither a scholar nor a hustler. I rejected the academic life in favour of, first, public service and then tourist guiding, so I am not in a position to get any research published and I find it hard to pitch ideas over the telpehone. Whereas I enjoyed working on my own in guiding and finding my own way, I could have done with a mentor in writing to show me the ropes. However, I feel I have soemthing to say in the field of intelligent travel writing and so I must keep plugging away.
So, New Year's resolution: hustle, hustle, hustle...in a genteel way.
For guides Xmas usually brings the chance to earn a little extra in the bleak winter months when work is scarce and the January tax bill looms. I often used to take off as soon after New Year as possible and return a couple of months later for my birthday and readiness for the new season - March can be surprisingly busy as the air fares tend to be lower then than in summer.
I have exactly a week's work over Chmas/New Year with an agency job doing London and Windsor, my favourite day trip, on the 28th and a six day tour over New Year, which should bring in some extra cash. I have asked TT not to give me anything else until March, as I felt I did a little too much last winter with too few people, and would prefer a complete break to write my masterwork.
Actually, although the life should be ideal for writing as a second occupation, that side of my work has been a fairly complete failure, as my ideas for books and articles hardly ever get taken up. I think the problem is that I am neither a scholar nor a hustler. I rejected the academic life in favour of, first, public service and then tourist guiding, so I am not in a position to get any research published and I find it hard to pitch ideas over the telpehone. Whereas I enjoyed working on my own in guiding and finding my own way, I could have done with a mentor in writing to show me the ropes. However, I feel I have soemthing to say in the field of intelligent travel writing and so I must keep plugging away.
So, New Year's resolution: hustle, hustle, hustle...in a genteel way.
posted by tourguideddie at 1:06 AM
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