There are some things in life that I’m not very good at. Many, actually, but some of them are more obvious than others. Some go unnoticed for a long while, thanks to my strategy of quietly sloping away any time anyone wants to play cards or starts brandishing a microphone and talking about karaoke.

Others…

Surfers have a reputation for being cool, laid back and sexy. I’m talking, of course, about the professional ones with their seamless suntans and freshly squeezed physiques rather than, well, the rest of us. Those whose very act of lashing a surfboard to our ankles transforms it from an uber-cool sporting accessory into an oversized, [...]

I’ve arrived in Sydney, a little dazed, a little confused. Apparently that’s jetlag and it’s something to do with circadian rhythms, cortisol surges and melatonin…although right now I can’t quite remember my name and could easily believe that jetlag’s caused by blue-edged tomatoes and overripe watermelon and comes with an easy cure of standing upside [...]

Men form a semi-circle on the sand, arching their backs and turning their faces towards the sun. But this isn’t a wellness retreat or a yoga lesson.

It’s surfing. And this is a surf lesson…

Somehow, my vision of becoming a sexy surfer babe didn’t involve this…