There's something quite special about those days where plans go out the window and random good things happen instead. Thankfully, they seem to be happening to me on a regular basis at the moment. I have no idea why, but that's half the fun.
This particular day started with one of the most wonderful sights I could wish for. How often do any of us get to watch a turtle wander up the beach, dig a pit, and lay its eggs? A couple of locals and hotel staff were amazing at protecting the area until the authorities arrived. There's now a protective cage and signs up to make sure the eggs stay safe until they hatch in a couple of months. Thanks to Meryem Karsaarslan and Kemal Durmazer for the videos and photos below.
I wouldn't blame you for thinking that was enough excitement for one day. You would, though, be wrong. At lunchtime I went to the beach to draft what would have been this blog post (you'll have to wait for the one I was planning).
There was a BMW 3 Series convertible parked by the cafe. I saw a man getting in, nodded to him, and said, "nice car." His response of, "hop in, we'll go for a spin" was unexpected. I know you should never get into a car with a stranger, but this really was the exception that proved the rule. We spent a couple of hours driving up the coast road with the lid down and tunes blaring. Needless to say, I was in my element having made a new friend.
He then invited me back to his house to meet his wife. Imagine my surprise when my best friend's fiance was also standing in the doorway. We'd had no idea there was a connection. Obviously, we had to take the obligatory selfie to send to my friend. Ten minutes later, he turned up with a big smile on his face asking, "what are you doing here?" We all sat down and had a Turkish coffee (OK, there may have been a chaser of Scotch too!). It led to another hour of laughter before the bride and groom to be had to pop off to a dance class. Kindly, they also gave me a lift home. It had been one of the best afternoons I'd had in years.
Little did I realise the entertainment for the day was far from over. I needed a few bits and pieces from our local shop, so I was off out again. A man, whose son I had given some help to with his English skills, approached me. "Can you help me with my English?" was his question. Of course I could. We sat at a table for an hour or so, practising his pronunciation and laughing a lot. Had he told me at the beginning he was planning to move to the East End of London, we may have changed the lesson somewhat.
It had been a truly random day. One of those even authors daren't dream up. It showed all the best bits of human nature. One to remember.
Revisiting A Dream & A Big Thank You
Life has thrown a few unexpected surprises my way in recent times. I grew up wanting to be a journalist before I turned to the darkside and a career in PR. Make no mistake, I've loved my job and how it's taken me around the world, seeing amazing sights, and meeting wonderful people. There will be a book about the travels soon enough. I still get that buzz when I write about something I'm passionate about for a website or magazine, though.
I'd like to thank Carl, Peter, and Justin at www.donotscratchyoureyes.com for giving me the chance to write a few articles on Watford Football Club (visit the website to read them). The response has been extraordinary. We even had a friendly chat with a misguided supporter of that lot from Junction 10 of the M1. Goes to show, being friendly means we can overcome even the biggest rivalries. I also need to thank Colin Payne at YBR for reproducing one of the articles.
I've also been working with another newspaper and editor on different articles which has really brought the newsroom buzz to life.
The opportunity you have all given me has had a huge effect. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Downloads, Merchandise, and so much more
Regular visitors to the website will have seen a new addition in the past couple of weeks. We have partnered with the amazing people at www.wetransfer.com to offer downloads of signed posters and pictures of the real stray dogs. We will add far more content over the coming months, including exclusive short stories, audio of the books, and a few quirky ideas middle-aged people shouldn't even be considering.
There's also plenty of merchandise you can get your hands on too. You never know, if all goes well, we might hit the esteemed heights of minimum wage!
TTFN
MaxS and The Strays
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