Oath, Boast, Toast 2021

 

Well, it's that time of year again. Seems to come around quicker each time. 

That was a long slog, right?

For those new to the blog, each New Year I do a very Pagan oath, boast and toast. That's where I make a promise (or a resolution), boast about something I'm proud of, and toast the health of something or someone. 

This time last year I made the oath that I would enter one writing competition every month. Didn't do great at keeping that one. I made it up to September. I entered 11 competitions total, one poetry, one essay, the rest short stories. I spent a total of £40.25 on entry and made back £50 in prize money, so not at all profitable, but it kept me on my toes. I won that on the Bet Tuppi Near Eastern Historical Fiction Prize and publication through a Bridge House Publishing competition. I was also longlisted for another, but didn't make the shortlist. I enter for the entertainment value, and any unpublished stories can go into a collection at a later date. 

It's been a distraction from my Akkad novel, which I did complete, but which I'm struggling to edit. It's the longest novel I've ever written at over 160,000 words at the moment. I hope, by this time next year, it will be fully polished and perhaps even out there.

Main highlights and horrors of the past twelve months:

• In the past couple of weeks, I lost my friend Emmy. Who was a huge part of my life in Rwanda and I will feel his absence for years to come. He was such a genuinely lovely guy who went out of his way to help his friends and make other people's lives easier. Really going to miss him.
  
  
• I completed two semesters as head of Writing and Communication at the University of Global Health Equity, teaching academic English and creative writing. I designed and delivered both curriculums, adapting the courses for online learning during COVID. It was a privilege to be involved and very interesting. 
  
  
• I turned 40 in February. Had a lovely celebration and spa day with my close friends. My mum had been working with them covertly to arrange everything. I feel pretty good about being 40. Doesn't feel noticeably different to 39.
  
  
• Had a lovely start to last year at Lake Muhazi with my friend Maia. Went for a boat ride and a walk, lit a bonfire and ate cake. 
  
  
• Nyarigongo volcano erupted, causing several gays of strong tremors. 
  
  
• I learned to make soap and found some very creepy caterpillar webs in my mango tree.
  
  
• Took the plunge on YouTube. Being in front of a camera isn't that comfortable for a writer, but I think I've got the bug. Bought an Insta360 One x2 and plan on making some travel videos around Rwanda when I return. Got a laptop that can keep up with DaVinci and even 4k, though maybe not an internet connection that can do the same. 
  
  
• And, finally, made it back to the UK to spend Christmas and New Year with family. Went to the Lake District with dad and ate myself into a coma with mum. Got everyone doing ancestry DNA testing and discovered... well, I'll reveal that in a YouTube video soon. 

So, without further ado:

Oath

This year, I am going to pursue creative projects that I enjoy. I am going to turn down things that don't make my soul sing. 

(Easier said than done sometimes, all creatives know what I mean).

*drink*

Boast

I won the inaugural Bet Tuppi Near Eastern Historical Fiction Prize.

*drink*

Toast

To Emmy. My dear friend. Thank you for everything. May your next life be full of adventure and joy. 

*drink*

Oath, Boast, Toast 2014

Well, it's that time of year again. Time to charge my drinking horn and raise a toast both ways: to the past and to the future.

So, how have things gone since last year?

Well, last year my oath was to finish my fantasy novel, which sat at 45,000 words. 

That novel is still at 45,000 words. 

Instead, I decided to work on Blood Rose, a piece of spuriously Historical Fiction (borderline complete fantasy) which was only at 10,000 words. I've been blogging my progress since May, under the tab Novel Idea.

I didn't make any adjustments to my oath for length, and it's not surprising I overshot my goal by... three days. Still, I did hit the 100,000k mark before midnight on New Year's Eve, which makes it the single longest work of fiction (or anything other than a blog) that I have ever written in my life.

I think that's a big enough achievement to make up for the three extra days it took to complete, so I'm going to say 'hell, mission accomplished.'

My boast last year was that I'd done a signing at Waterstones. I followed that up with a talk at Folkestone Book Festival this year, which was good fun. Especially as I appeared on the programme next to Lionel Shriver! Now that is something to boast about.

And, finally, my toast last year was to the Spirit of Adventure. My very good friend, Martine, had just quit her job, was getting married and moving to Laos. I was rather hoping some of that wanderlust might rub off on me. Sadly, 2013 wasn't the year for long-distance adventuring, but that is all about to change in 2014, I assure you - and myself.

Not a bad year 2013, all things considered. Some of the highlights included:

• Walking in the snow.
• Hanging out with Lies, Kassim, Noah & Cathryn for the last ever time in Torhout, Belgium. They've moved to Bruges now and added twins Aaron & Elias to the family! End of an era, beginning of a new one.
• Martine & Ruairí's wedding in Edinburgh.
• Spending three months walking the hills of Scotland with my mythical friend Paul, including a sojourn to Fife to run naked into the North Sea at 4am.
• Horsing around with Simon, and my riding buddies Di and Julia.
• Catching up with Gedge and Suki, two wonderful friends (and dangerous drinking buddies) from my misspent Cardiff youth. It had been six years since I last saw Suki!
• Admiring the beautiful flowers in Dad's garden, and rescuing a seagull from it!
• Exploring Puzzlewood with the Kingswell family: Cassie, Sean and wee Ryanman.
• Hollowell Steam Rally, and hanging out after hours, getting drunk with my brother and his friend Richard, who is a talented guitar maker.
• Hanging out with my summer love, Dweezle, swimming at the reservoir with Harri and my brother, and watching my nephew sail his boat at the local sailing club (dressed as a pirate!).
• Visiting Ireland to see Ruairí & Martine - my first visit to Newgrange, and the first time I saw seals in the wild!
• Giving a talk at Five Youth Centre in Folkestone, as part of their book festival.
• Winning, and drinking my way through, a £100 bar tab at Public House in Islington with my mates Cathryn, Danny and Will.
• Feeling all festive, visiting Clearwell Caves with my friend Daniel.
• Gasping in wonder at the Ice Palace, and scaling the Shard in London on Dad's birthday surprise weekend.

It's funny looking back, as I often suffer from a sense of not having done very much with my time. It's good to take a moment to reflect, because it makes me realise how long a year actually is, and how much I have managed to pack into it, even if I don't always realise it. 

There's a charming idea called a Memory Jar, where you start at the beginning of the year with an empty jar, and fill it with good memories, each one written on a post-it note. Then, at the end of the year, you take out all of the notes and remind yourself of the good times you've had and the achievements you've made. I think it's a lovely concept, but I don't think that I need one - my blog seems to do the trick. It is funny how much you forget if you don't write it down. 

So, with all of that said... what is my oath, boast and toast for 2014?

Oath

I was brimming with enthusiasm last year to set myself a goal, but I'm currently reading a brilliant book (The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking) and it's all about goalless living. I've also been re-watching Tim Minchin, who advocates 'passionate dedication to the pursuit of short-term goals' and being 'micro-ambitious.' I do spend a lot of time worrying about the big picture, and I don't think it brings happiness. On the other hand, stressed as I may feel, I did (just about) manage to complete last year's oath. Then again, might I have done that anyway? And possibly even faster if I hadn't looked at it as a deadline and thus spent even more time than it took to write the novel figuring out ways to avoid writing it and tearfully accusing myself of being a serial procrastinator? Might I just have gotten on with writing it because I wanted to?

I feel like being one of those people who say "My New Year's resolution is to stop making New Years' resolutions."

But then, what would I have to look back and comment on next year?

So, let's go for a small one...

Hmm.

This year I will ask the question that I most want to know the answer to.

I know, that's ridiculously cryptic, but I can't tell you what the question is, otherwise I would have asked it, and there wouldn't be a challenge left for the rest of the year.

Hopefully it's just cryptic enough to keep you reading until then, when I'll have to reflect on whether or not I asked the question, thus revealing what it was.

Moving on...

*drink*

Boast

What am I really proud of this year? Easy. I broke the 100,000 word barrier on my novel, making it the longest piece of fiction I have ever written!

*drink*

Toast

I'm going to raise a glass to goalless living. To Eris, goddess of chaos. 

There are things I'd like to do this year, but if they don't work out or I don't get to do them, it's not the end of the world. Having spent most of my life being quite self-critical and piling on the goals - then being gutted if they don't work out - perhaps it's time to just let go and see what happens? 

To uncertainty and possibility!

*drink*

Welcome 2014. Let's dance.

Oath, Boast, Toast 2017

Time for my annual oath, boast & toast.

This year has felt like a fairly quiet one, until I sat down to think about it. 

As with years past, it's been full-on, but it's also brought a huge sense of contentment. 

Some of the main highlights have included:

• Trekking mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, with two beautiful ladies, Jo & Maia, and a jazz band.
• Continuing the animal theme by hand rearing four abandoned kittens (two of whom, Sophie & Howl, became family - cute pics).
• Had a couple of earthquakes and saw a solar eclipse. 
• Bought a piano and starting to learn how to fix it up. Also built up the courage to sing songs around a campfire. I always sing to myself at home, but it takes quite a bit of courage to do it out loud in front of strangers.
• On the down side, I suffered a really bad accident and fell on a bonfire, severely injuring my left hand. However, seven months on from that things are pretty much back to normal, if one set of fingerprints fewer - and I can play the piano I bought. Also learnt about the incredible healing power of pawpaw.
• Despite all that, had a lovely time hosting my friend Paul, singing to the royal cows and floating out upon Lake Kivu.
• I have made some fab friends this year, namely Maia and Lulu, plus reconnected with Tracey from Kenya, who came for New Year with friends, who have all just left for the gorillas. One of my best friend memories is of staying out all night with Maia and Cindy, at Cindy's nightclub, Envy. Getting back to Maia's just as the sun was rising, and falling asleep on a mattress in her garden. Such a good night.
• Fed my interest in African artifacts by learning a lot about Congolese masks.

Also got the good news that my visa has been renewed, so I get to call Rwanda home for another two years.

I felt a bit bad after last year's OB&T. I wimped out. I said I wanted to 'focus more on writing,' when what I actually wanted to say was: 'write three novels,' but I was unsure whether I could do it, and felt more likely to fail if I put public pressure on myself. As it was, I managed this. I wrote a bottom-drawer urban fantasy, just to see what it felt like. I wanted it to be a trilogy, but it's not that good. Then there was a Hookland novel (possibly the first?), called Creeper's Cottage, and a retelling of Red Riding Hood, Wolfish. I've got the latter two printed out, ready to edit once I find time. Between them that's roughly a total of 240,000 words.

In truth, I did keep my oath. I threw everything behind writing and it's really changed things.  

• I started teaching fiction at my friend's café cum night school
• I became a proofreader for the new national curriculum textbooks
• Sold an article to The Author
• A friend I edited made it into print
• I've been hired to write business profiles and web content for two big local companies and one start-up

I still do a bit of consultancy on the side, but I've stopped pursuing it. I've cut right back to make more time for literary-related work, and ironically the educational proofing job has paid better than any contract I've had in a long time. It was actually one of my writing students who put me onto that job.

So there's no reason I shouldn't continue developing this. It makes as good financial sense as NGO consultancy, and it adds far more to my sense of contentment. Although, it does still carry the issue of needing to make time to do my own writing, in between writing for other people.

So, what's lined up for 2017?

Oath

I've really enjoyed learning about the inside of pianos. Instead of getting someone to come and tune it, I've decided to turn Lirika into my own project. This year, my oath is to fix my piano until she plays properly, and to learn about piano refurbishment.  

*drink*

Boast

Dude, I hung with mountain gorillas!

*drink*

Toast

To another two years in Kigali. 

*drink*

Oath, Boast, Toast 2013

Well, I can delay no longer. I'm not a big fan of New Years' resolutions, but I shall charge my drinking horn to a good ol' heathen oath, boast and toast.

Oath

I'm going for something modest this year, in the hopes of achieving it. Preferably within the first six months of this year, I will finish writing my fantasy novel. It's currently at 45,000 words, 165 pages, and it's the most fun I've had writing in a long time. I've kept putting it off because I feel as though I should be writing something more 'contemporary,' 'historical' or 'literary.' But, sod it, I just want to write about elves. So, this year, I'm going to stop using the things I think I should be doing as an excuse for not enjoying the things I actually want to be doing. Fantasy novel, ahoy!

*drink*

Boast

I have officially done a book signing at Watersones this year. Come on guys, that's fairly wicked awesome! 

*drink*

Toast

I'd like to raise a glass to my wonderful friend Martine, who recently jacked in her job to go off around the world - first to her acushla in Ireland, then on to her daughter in Australia, and finally off to Vietnam, a place she's always wanted to visit. Martine is one of the bedrocks of my being, and watching her die a death in a job that bored her stupid was horrid. So, firstly, well done lady for finding the courage. Have the time of your life! And here's to the spirit of adventure - may it rub off on the rest of us.

*drink*

...*hic*

Oath, Boast, Toast 2022

 

Hi guys, please don't be too annoyed with me, but as I've neglected my blog in favour of YouTube this year, I decided to do my oath, boast and toast on YouTube as well. I'm not proud of myself. I hope to find a better written/recorded balance in the New Year.

In brief:

Oath

I'm making two:

1. To complete a creative project this year (either the audiobook of Children of Lir or my Sargon manuscript).

2. To go visit friends in Europe - a long overdue ambition.

*drink*

Boast

I learned to ride a moped! So damn proud of that.

*drink*

Toast

To my friends Harris and Rob who are coming to visit in the New Year!

*drink*

Oath, Boast, Toast 2016

How fast the time flies! My annual oath, boast and toast has come around already.

Once again it's been insanely busy. Top highlights have included:

• My writing: This time last year I had just signed Those Rosy Hours at Mazandaran with Ghostwoods Books. Best decision ever! Had an absolute blast working with them, and Rosy Hours launched on Valentine's Day 2015, debuting at #6 in Historical Fantasy on Amazon. It was also turned into an audiobook, narrated by Hugo-nominated Sci-fi and Fantasy author Emma Newman (check out her podcast and books). I've since given talks about it in Northampton, Kendal and Malawi (via Skype!). I've done a ton of online interviews including Chuck Wendig's terribleminds and Riffle Books. Rosy Hours was even turned into a healthy snack, a charm bracelet and a cute cartoon. Best of all, I managed to fulfil my oath last year of completing my next novel (The Children of Lir) and garnered my first ever book advance! 2015 has been a fantastic year for writing. I'm hoping this will continue in 2016.

• Another utterly incredible part of 2015 was my first ever trip to DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo). As a VSO many years back we were forbidden from going there for safety reasons. It still isn't that safe, but it's somewhere I've long been fascinated by, and it was a trip to remember. We went to a remote school, a refugee camp, and hung out in Goma.

• My friend Jo and I decided to have a go at walking part of the Congo Nile River Trail, which is a long road leading from Gisenyi in the North of Rwanda, right down to Cyangugu in the South, along the watershed of the two mighty rivers: Congo and Nile. It was hard going in parts, but an amazing experience. The furthest source of the Nile is said to be in Nyungwe Forest, Rwanda.

• Thanks to many wonderful friends and family, I managed to raise the money to help rebuild my housekeeper's home after it was washed away in an unexpected deluge. I attended a 'thank you' dinner with Damascene's family in Muhanga, on behalf of everyone who donated.

• I took up the country program directorship of a human rights organisation. That was fairly incredible. It provided an opportunity to travel to parts of the country I would never normally see, and discuss issues with people I would never normally meet. We went to two more refugee camps (Kiziba and Gihembe), a Batwa village, Nyange Memorial School, Nyamata and Kigali genocide memorials, MindLeaps, Ineza Cooperative, Rwanda Development Board, the Ministry of Health and the US Embassy. Rwanda also did something special on the human rights front. Got to see old colleagues from the Deaf Association and Paralympic Committee, as well as friends from the LGBT community who came to talk. Made some fabulous new friends and received the compliment "thanks for being a great boss." 

• Hosted French John for a few weeks. A photographer on a round-the-world mission. 

• Returned to the UK to catch up with family and cream teas. Spent a month up in Scotland with my friend Paul, exploring standing stones and founding a charity. Had a fabulous Christmas with all the trimmings.

• Oh, and survived my first bout of malaria. 

So, on that lengthy recap, drum roll please...

Oath

This has been so hard. I've thought about it right up to the final hour. Usually what I want to do is so clearly in front of me, but this year I'm a little hazy. I honestly have no idea what 2016 will bring. Originally I was going to say 'quit development and throw everything I have into forging a career from writing' - but at this precise moment in time, I'm not sure I have the courage to turn down guaranteed work. So, I guess, in some form of weaker words: 'Focus more energy on writing - try to build a career around what I love doing.' I'm not too sure if that's possible, but I'm sure I'll learn a lot trying.

*drink*

Boast

2015 was so full-on, it's hard to pick just one thing to be proud of. Getting offered my book advance was the first thing that sprung to mind, but it's very closely followed by the program directorship and all the hard work and amazing experiences that entailed. It's been a year to be proud of all round.

*drink*

Toast

To my amazing friend Christiane, who sadly passed away in September, far too soon. I will miss her very much, and the conversations we used to have sitting on my porch with a bottle of Gatanu. 

*drink*

Oath, Boast, Toast 2019

Time for my annual oath, boast and toast. It feels like it's been a fairly hectic year this year. Started slow but built momentum. The main highlights have included:

• Giving a TEDx talk at the University of Luxembourg, which I was roped into by my lovely friend Harris. It was my first time in Luxembourg, and then my first time in The Hague, visiting my cousin Tamsin and partner Guido, who visited me in Rwanda last year. Had a fascinating time exploring the Escher Museum. Giving the talk was slightly terrifying, but I'm so glad I did it. You can find the full list of talks here.
• Another, much less stressful, trip was to Idjwi with Maia and Taia. Idjwi is a huge island in the middle of Lake Kivu, between Rwanda and DRC. It's legendary as a place where unwed pregnant Rwandan girls would be thrown overboard in days of old. They'd wash up on Idjwi and Congolese men would come down to the shore to pick up a ready-made family. Getting there was a truly epic journey from Kigali, up to Gisenyi, taking the ferry down to Idjwi, staying at the north of the island before taking a two-hour moto to the south, a small boat across to DRC mainland to visit Lwiro Chimpanzee Sanctuary, a taxi down to Bukavu, then across to Cyangugu and a seven-hour bus ride back up to Kigali. An intrepid adventure. We also did a brief safari to Akagera earlier in the year. 
• Also went back to the UK for the first time in two-and-a-half years. My first time experiencing British summer in about five years, and it was one of the hottest on record. I went back to attend Hollowell Steam Rally, a local village festival. Also celebrated my mum's birthday and had a lovely time wandering along the pier at Cleavedon and exploring country gardens in the Cotswolds.
• Harris's family came to visit and we went up to Gisenyi for a few days. One of the most incredible memories of this year was our friend Sameer showing us around the tea estate he manages. That's where Yorkshire Tea comes from. We drove right out into the middle of nowhere, surrounded by swathes of rolling tea fields and the edges of Gishwati Forest. 
• On the piano front, it's been a busy year. Unfortunately we're still quite a way off completing the first prototype, but we're getting there. Impressively, I strung an entire piano this year. Definitely a first. Désire has done amazing things with wood. I even took a mad trip down to Bukavu, DRC, to check out a grand piano - just for fun. You can follow the piano escapades at Kigali Keys. We've also done a few interviews, including with BBC World Service. For Christmas, I bought a Young Chang to massacre whilst I wait to put my Lirika back together. Hoping my extremely talented friend Bonanni will teach me to play.
• On the writing front, not so good. I've done a lot of reading but not much writing. Though I have taken my first leap into self-publishing. I re-released Lucid when the rights ran out, and put out a short story collection called The Tangled Forest. Was hoping to have Hookland out before Christmas, too, but the post to Rwanda took a lifetime for the proof to arrive, so it'll be out first thing January.

The work I have been doing for other people this year has been fairly fulfilling. I've been making a pretty good living as an editor during the last half of the year, working for a number of development agencies worldwide on topics from global immunisation to preventing gender-based violence and promoting human rights. Even worked for the UN for the first time, training civil society organisations. Also ghostwrote a biography and helped edit the story of an inspirational cancer survivor. I'm lucky I get to earn a living through words, even when my own stories aren't flowing.

In other news, this might be my last year in Rwanda. I went to renew my visa the other day and instead of the usual two years, they handed me a one-year visa. Not sure what that means. I'm assuming it's nothing terrible, otherwise they wouldn't have given me a visa at all, but it's a little unsettling. So, this year is devoted to enjoying my time here whilst it lasts, and considering how to relocate five cats if it doesn't...

Anyway, down to business.

Last year's oath was to finish the piano. That's more work than we expected, but I have strung an entire piano for the first time. Dead proud of that.

I guess, this year...

Oath

I'll go to Italy to see my lovely friends Martine and Rauíri. It's been far too long.

*drink*

Boast

I strung an entire piano! And did a TEDx talk! Double whammy.

*drink*

Toast

To my family and good friends, who are all brilliant in their unique and freakish ways. And to my five cats, who are insane, murderous objects of chaos, but forever entertaining.

*drink*

Oath, Boast, Toast 2026

Welcome to my annual New Year's tradition, the Oath, Boast and Toast. This is where I promise to do something in the year to come, boast about something I have done in the year that passed, and toast someone or something important. Let me know your OB&T below.

Oath, Boast, Toast 2021

 

First off, is everyone alive? Everyone doing okay out there?

What the hell was that?

I'm sorry everyone, I think that might have been my fault. I jinxed it by raising a toast to 'a better year than the one before.' I apologise to everyone. Back then, I thought splitting up with my fella was bad (okay, that and the month-long bout of malaria, the kidney infection, and losing my cat).

I had no idea. 

I was planning to jet off round the world and get drunk with friends. 

How was I to know we'd all be stuck at home getting drunk with Netflix?

How were any of us supposed to know? (Shush Bill Gates, any of us except you).

Just, seriously...

Still, I've been a lot better off than many people.

Last year, I included a few downers in my annual oath, boast and toast. I'd never done that and was at a particularly low point. This year I'm going back to the traditional format of only focusing on the positive. 

What were the highlights?

• Secure the Shadow is out in the world. I'd been writing that for a while, and I was never too sure about it, so it was wonderful to finally let go of it and to see it get such a positive reception. Even made somebody's 'Best books of 2020' list. You can catch up on the interviews here. I'm now head-first into a new book that I've wanted to write for a while, all about the Akkadian Empire. It was originally only going to focus on Enheduanna, but, to get to her, I've had to write the Legend of Sargon as well. Looks likely this will be two books. So, I'm entering the New Year with a writing project I absolutely love. 
• One of my other works, The Children of Lir, inspired a lovely piece of art by Irish artist Jonathan McFerran.
  
• Also on the writing front, a strange quirk of fate. I lost my job thanks to the disappearance of DFID. Twenty-five percent of my organisation's income disappeared overnight, and my salary was a casualty of those cutbacks. Thanks Borris! However, I ended up being brought on as head of the Writing & Communication course for a prominent university instead. I've spent the past six months designing and then delivering their foundation curriculum, training 36 first-year medical students in English grammar, technical writing and clear communication. As such, I've now been retained for a second semester, where I get to teach full-on creative writing. Try and inspire students to enjoy writing. It's rather a shift in pace from development work to academia, but I'm very much enjoying it. So far, everything's been taught online, but, restrictions allowing, I'll get to see the campus soon. It's really been quite an amazing ride so far.
  
• Randomly, I've taken up boxing. With the pools closed and an ever-expanding waistline, I decided to try to fight the paunch, quite literally. My friend introduced me to her boxing trainer, Mike, and I've discovered I really like punching things. Turns out, I'm not too bad at it, either. I had no idea I'd actually enjoy this sport and wish I'd done it years ago.  
• In the sheer boredom of lockdown, I turned to Duolingo. I'm useless at languages, but I've now got further with French than I ever have before. Part of this was that I wanted to understand my students better. Many of them have been taught English vocabulary but French word order, grammar and sentence construction, so I wanted to understand specifically why they were phrasing things in certain ways. It's also partly in solidarity. They work so hard in English, that I thought I should remind myself how hard it is to learn another language, just to stay humble. I've bought a copy of Les Medicines Redicules: En coulisse avec Moliére by Laura Bazire, which is a story for eleven-year-olds. Maybe by next year I'll be able to read it. I also took a little look at Korean after falling in love with Korean soaps during lockdown. I love their phonetic system, but - one language at a time.

For me, this year actually hasn't been as tough as last year. Certainly not on a personal level. I'm a very happy recluse and can spend days on my own without seeing anyone. I've been lucky enough to keep an income and my family are all well and safe. I'm very much looking forward to seeing them again one day, but I'm able to wait a while longer. Had to do dad's 70th virtually, and probably the same for my 40th, but we'll save it up for a proper reunion. Bit pissed off about Britain voting for Brexit and possibly requiring a visa to visit friends in Europe once we're free to do so.

So, last year I swore to take a holiday to go visit friends. Yeah... can safely assume that one didn't happen. I boasted about the two novels I'd published. And I toasted to a better year ahead. Again - sorry! Won't ever do that again.

This year...

Oath

I'm going to enter one writing competition a month via Almond Press for the next twelve months. Doesn't matter how big or small - just to keep my hand in and force me to write different things.

*drink*

 

Boast

I have a strong left hook! (according to my boxing trainer)

*drink*

 

Toast

To my friend Jean, who underwent a kidney transplant this year, and his girlfriend, Marie, who gave him that kidney. May they continue to be happy and well.

*drink*

Oath, Boast, Toast 2018

Well, unlike last year, this year hasn't felt at all quiet. It has turned into a very productive year, despite starting in tragedy, in an incident that damn near broke my heart. You'll be glad to know that Sophie, Howl and Sen (also known as Harold, thanks to our lovely vet Dr. Arum) are all doing extremely well and sitting here watching me type.

So, moving ahead. What have been the highlights of this year?

• More than anything, this has been the year of travel and pianos. I'll get to pianos in a moment, but I've just returned from an incredible trip around India with Dad & Marilyn. We went to Goa, Delhi, Agra, Chand Baori, Ranthambore, Jaipur and Mumbai, with a Kashmiri carpet thrown in for good measure. Seeing the Taj Mahal has been a spectacular end to the year.
• The beginning of the year was also special. Headed out on safari across the Maasai Mara with my friends Tracey and Celia.
• Had a fun away trip with my friends Jo, Maia and their daughters to Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda, staying in traditional huts on an island.
• Also hosted my cousin Tamsin and her partner Guido as they passed through Rwanda on their round-the-world tour. Memorable night in a spooky abandoned fairground.
• Had some fun times closer to home. Threw my first and only house party for my birthday, which was excellent, and attended Rwanda's first ever Rock Night, which has become a staple on the social calender.
• Another big change that occurred this year was that I've finally relented in my solitude and started sharing the house with some friends. One of whom is an excellent cocktail maker. But this does mean I'm now living in an apartment I made out of the back shed.

On the writing front, it's been a year of ups and downs. Rosy Hours has been stocked in Books & Convenience in town, and CasaKeza, were I teach the occasional writing course through which I've made some lovely friends this year. I have done some writing, but I need to get my mojo back. I wrote a novella. My publisher asked me to write some more stories to create a collection, then, once I'd completed them, they decided they didn't want them after all, and on top of that offered me back a manuscript they'd been sitting on for two years (Children of Lir) because they'd run out of money and were offering all their authors back their manuscripts. Whereas I appreciate their difficult circumstances, and I did enjoy writing the short stories and will probably self-publish them later this year, it's hard to recover your drive after something like that. However, this year is definitely going to be focused on writing and pianos. Only that.

Editing has proven much more successful for me this year and I've done quite well working for ImagineWe and Perdua Publishing, as well as taking on a couple of manuscripts for private clients. I've also had more work proofreading the national textbooks for Rwanda Education Board, which has been good experience and kept the bank account afloat.

So, how did keeping last year's oath go?

I've really enjoyed learning about the inside of pianos. Instead of getting someone to come and tune it, I've decided to turn Lirika into my own project. This year, my oath is to fix my piano until she plays properly, and to learn about piano refurbishment.  

Um, well... that got a little out of hand.

Not only did I learn to fix and tune my piano, I now tune upright and grand pianos across Kigali, and I took my own piano apart to start the Kigali Keys project, attempting to become the only existing piano manufacturer in Africa.

So, um, yes. 

I think I can cross that one off the list.

Onwards with 2018...

Oath 

My oath this year is to finish what I started, and complete the first prototype piano in Rwanda. 

*drink* 

Boast

Saw the Taj Mahal!

*drink*

Toast

To a little more luck on the writing front.

*drink*

Oath, Boast , Toast 2015

Happy New Year! Time for the annual roundup.

It's been an incredibly busy year. Top highlights:

• Did the annual road trip to Belgium with Cathryn, this time to Bruges instead of Torhout (Part I / II), had a fabulous birthday in London and ended up visiting standing stones with my mate Jon in Cardiff.
  
  
• Signed with Ghostwoods Books, an absolutely brilliant publisher who took on Rosy Hours, created a stunning cover (thanks to Gábor Csigás and the art of Iranian photographer Babak Fatholahi) and raised an £11k marketing budget for their projects through Kickstarter. I'm in safe hands.
  
  
• I went to Asia for the first time. Had an incredible time visiting my good friends Ruairí and Martine who moved to Laos last year. All of the trip is blogged, but the highlights included the New Year festival of Pii Mai, which is basically a giant water fight (Part I / II / III & IV), Vang Vieng, Phonsavan (Plain of Jars), Luang Prabang and, best of all: Kuang Si Falls. Oh, and not forgetting a cycle past the local hospital, setting for Colin Cotterill's Dr Siri Paiboun series.
  
  
• From there, I flew over Sari, setting for Rosy Hours, towards Nairobi. This was the whole need-to-answer-a-question oath of last year. In between all of that silliness, I did have a lovely time with elephants, saw a great play. Even joined a drumming circle and went for a ride through the woods. I reckoned I'd spent about 20 hours in transit in Nairobi airport over the years, but never actually seen the city. In the three weeks I was there they blew up the local market, evacuated all the Western tourists, shot a man in the street and murdered the guard next door. It was nothing if not eventful. 
  
  
• In search of calmer climes, and nursing a bruised ego, I continued on to my old stomping ground of Kigali, Rwanda. Got drunk with the outgoing Commissioner General of Burundi (an old friend), started a consulting company, received a two-year visa, did some work including a programme evaluation and a documentary - really proud of all that - moved to Kagugu, Gikondo and then Kanombe in the space of a few months. Now have a beautiful house, a wonderful landlord/friend and a vegetable garden. Took road trips to Muhazi, Gisenyi, and watched some excellent Intore dancing.
  
  
• Thanks to the lovely crime writer Adrian Magson, got myself featured in the December issue of Writing Magazine.

So, yes, it's been an eventful year and my life now is very different to how it was this time last year, though more like it was five years ago. Did all the travelling, and more, that I had intended to do in 2013.

My oath for last year was to 'ask the question I most want to know the answer to.' Which I did, in a round about sort of way. I was very much smitten by somebody I met some years ago. I wanted to know if there was anything there - there wasn't. 

Wish I'd asked that one four years ago. 

Still, I've met some lovely people since, and re-joined the land of the almost rational. Plus, if I hadn't set myself that oath of finding out, I would never have booked a plane ticket back to Africa, seen Laos, or ended up living in my lovely house with my lovely friends and my - occasionally quite trying - business.

Rejection can be a great catalyst. 

Though I must admit, I miss the friendship.

Still, it's the New Year, time to look to the future and forget the past.

My Oath this year is an easy one. I've been so wholly overwhelmed by my new publisher's enthusiasm and support that it's rejuvenated my love of writing. I'm currently working on a new novel and I intend to finish it before the year is out. 

*drink*

My Boast: There have been so many extraordinary experiences and minor triumphs this year. But, heck, I was interviewed in the UK's largest national writing magazine! Hell, yes. Famous for a day. (A close second to that is that I moved halfway around the world and set up a company which I am now the CEO of... yeah, that was pretty impressive too).

*drink*

And, finally, my Toast for 2015?

Oh, fuck it, let me be maudlin for a moment.

To unrequited love. Though we are left foolish in its wake, for a while at least it sparks our hope and our imagination. It certainly led me to write the best work I have ever written. 

May we all be left to dream a little longer.

*drink*