I filched this from the author’s website:

Q. When did the idea of an autobiography, with the city both as a character and as a backdrop, first strike you?

A. With respect, Shantaram is not an autobiography, it’s a novel. If the book reads like an autobiography, I take that as a very high compliment, because I structured the created narrative to read like fiction but feel like fact. I wanted the novel to have the page-turning drive of a work of fiction but to be informed by such a powerful stream of real experience that it had the authentic feel of fact.

Also, from a bbc story:”Roberts admits that the novel very closely mirrors his own extraordinary life.”

I suspect it’s liberally embellished truth.

Apparently, Johnny Depp is going to play the main character in the film version…

To be honest, I think I’d need to be paid money to do a Nevis (or any other type of) bungy jump. Looking at the various videos on YouTube just confirms it. Utterly insane.

In those pics, jul looks like he could be one of the Others in Lost, or a thin, long-haired version of Mr Echo…

I purchased a Snowboarding helm today, so that when I do my crazy tricks on the slopes of Austria, my noggin will be protected. I also have the added advantage that it makes me look like an idiot.

View from our Christmas Eve walk

Presents under the tree

Launching the kite

Getting ready to go

Geoff heading out to sea

Your epic 40 and 25 hour train journeys makes our Christmas trip to Devon seem like a short excursion, it being a mere 4 hours away…

Shame you didn’t take a video of the epic pizza hut dancing for the enjoyment of fellow bloggers.

Things are pretty quiet back here in blighty. That is, apart from the hoards of crazed shoppers rushing around desperately trying to purchase ludicrous amounts of presents. Mercifully, due to our “secret santa” regime, I’ve been spared the worst and actually completed most of my shopping relatively early.

Work Xmas meals were good. Food at the Half Moon nr Knaphill was excellent and the Lloyds evening had live music from Sera Golding & The Men In Black, who were most skilled.

Hail Jul

Have you encountered drive mode? It seems to do exactly the same as Softick Card Export II, but without a fee of $15.

Actually, on closer inspection is seems that they didn’t include it on the TX, but it seems are though if you can find the files, you can transfer them over to the TX and it should work. I’ll have a look tonight and see if I can email you the files.

hail Jul,

Just to clarify:

Flight	BA0199
Operated by	British Airways
Departing from	Heathrow (London) Mon 4 December 2006, 21:30
Arriving at	Mumbai (Bombay) Tue 5 December 2006, 11:40 (Local Time!)
Number of stops	0
Flying duration	8hrs 40mins
Aircraft type	Boeing 747 jet