Welcome

So, who am I?

I’m Tim, I’m 38 (my God, already?!?), and I live in Thatcham near Newbury. Married to Heather for eleven years; one son, Isaac (Zac), aged ten months as of today.

There’s nothing particularly out of the ordinary about me, but if you wanted one word to sum me up it would probably have to be ‘diverse’.

Why?

Well, for starters, I like to think of myself as multi-cultural. I was born in London and consider myself unwaveringly British (hey, it’s what my passport says I am), but my parents are both Malaysian Chinese, so although I sound like your average middle-class Londoner - whatever that is these days – I don’t look it. Heather’s half-British (mum) and half-Australian (dad), and I think it’s fair to say we’re both keen that Zac grows up with a full appreciation of his diverse origins.

What else? Having (barely) completed a chemistry degree, I haven’t seen the inside of a laboratory since - no great loss on either my part or the scientific world’s - and have worked in marketing ever since. I’m currently employed by a large American multinational manufacturer, having previously worked for, among others, a large British media corporation, a very large retailer and the same public sector business as Postman Pat.

Let’s just say I’ve built a rich portfolio of experiences. It sounds better than “never really had a career plan”, doesn’t it?

The same goes for my interests: I like variety. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to 20-something countries, and I love discovering different cultures. I follow many sports but football is my first passion (specifically Arsenal), and although I like rugby I much prefer American football and Aussie Rules. I like photography; I like to read; I like to write (hence this blog).

Anyway, that’s me in 300 or so words. And this is my blog.

Like me and my life, there’s no specific aim to this blog, other than a desire to capture and articulate my thoughts on life, the world, and anything else random which catches my interest. If you want to know my reflections on the sporting universe, you’ll find them in my other blog; if you want a window into the life of an ordinary but reasonably diverse chap, then stick around here. I don’t crave an audience for my soapbox rantings, but this ain’t no secret diary either; I may be many things, but I’m neither Perez Hilton nor Belle de Jour.

And that’s it, really. Welcome.

(Incidentally, if you’re wondering what the title of this blog is supposed to mean, it’s a reference to the book Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion, which in turn is derived from a line in the poem The Second Coming by W B Yeats. There’s nothing deep and meaningful nor intentionally pretentious about my choice - I just liked the phrase.)