Just marvelling

Things (and people) I marvel at:

• Aeroplanes. How do these massive things manage to stay in the air?
• The internet. All 1613 of my posts are stored in some data centre somewhere. Not to mention endless information available at the click of a mouse. And dozens of other uses.
• Squirrels. They're considered to be among the most intelligent animals in the world. Known for their quickness, intellect, memory, and ability to plan ahead.
• Smart phones. Revolutionised communication. A mobile phone, camera and computer in one device.
• Cutting edge surgery and medical treatment. Previously incurable conditions can now be beaten.
• Love. What is it that makes us fall in love - possibly for an entire lifetime?
• The human brain. For its imagination, its ability to think and reason, its grasp of complexities, and its sudden surprising insights.
• Rock stars who're still alive despite the drugs, the booze, the junk food, the late nights. Mick Jagger is now 81.
• The pianist Yuja Wang. Her astonishing dexterity.
• The mass murmurations of starlings. How come they never collide with each other?
• Chinese trains that can travel at up to 286 mph.
• Polyglots. Like Ziad Fazah from Lebanon, who claims he can read and speak 58 languages including Arabic, Polish, Thai, Urdu, Norwegian, and many more. What's his secret?

There are probably many more things I marvel at, but they don't come to mind right now. I might add a few items as I think of them. We all need to marvel more and scoff less.

Things you might not know

I love doing lists, but I haven't done one for a while. So here are some things you might not know (or remember) about me:

• I don't get jet lag
• I only have 26 teeth
• I had a small trace of prostate cancer, which disappeared
• I don't like red wine
• I've been a vegetarian for 47 years
• I often talk to myself
• I hate long haul flights
• I can do a perfect Aussie or cockney accent
• I hate the dark
• My piano teacher quit, saying I was unteachable
• I did jury service twice
• I was a trade union rep for five years
• I had 12 sessions of psychotherapy
• I took LSD twice
• I've given blood 33 times
• My favourite animal is the squirrel
• Cats usually run away from me
• I've lived at 13 different addresses
• Football leaves me cold
• I've never worn boxer shorts

Some of these things require explanations, but that could get very long-winded. However, feel free to ask me questions, express disbelief, or have a good laugh.

One comment on the above: It's a shame I didn't apply myself more seriously to learning the piano, as I'm sure if I'd learnt to play properly it would have given me a lot of pleasure. And I could join Jenny, who not only plays piano but has a degree in music. But I don't regret my half-heartedness. I regret nothing.