Lets Hope Its a Good One

Lalo,David,Raquel,Jean and Joe with Christmas tree in between them (guests) Letti, with Adam and Sally (guests on their honeymoon). Maria calling from the freezing UK - 16th December 2008!

Being a Brit I am used to Christmas starting as soon as the August Bank holiday has finished .There is nothing quite like entering Tesco’s supermarket as the summer sun is setting and hearing the Stars on 45 hymns caressing your ears (do you remember those from the 80s?). Listening to Silent Night as I am getting my summer holiday photos developed certainly gives one a warm and acute awareness of Christmas.

I jest of course, for most of us the last thing we want to be thinking about as we dream of an Indian Summer giving us an autumnal respite is the deep and crisp bloody cold snow with an ice cold winter wind blowing us all over the place as we surely realise that winter is on its way as soon as we pass Christmas pudding in the Asda aisle as the August sun sets.
I realise I am talking as though I live in the UK which as many of you know I don’t. But I am speaking for all those of you who do and have to put up with the ridiculous early start to Christmas in the UK imposed on us by the shops. Here in Argentina I almost forgot it was Christmas - honest. It may be something to do with it being a balmy 28 degs and jumping in and out of La Margarita swimming pool. However, it’s probably more to do with the fact that this country recognises that Christmas starts in December – thanks goodness.
Last Friday night (the 12th December) I had to drive back to BA airport to pick up Sally and Adam two guests from London who were coming to stay on the estancia. On my return 12 hours later Christmas had arrived on La Margarita - it was the 13th December just 12 days before the day itself rather than 112 days in the UK – bliss.
Raquel and Letti had put a lovely Christmas tree up and decorated it. Lalo had put Christmas lights up on the tree outside the house and hey presto on seeing all this my thoughts turned to the good things about Christmas The time we get to spend with family , our children and our friends - ok ok I know war breaks out sometimes but hey what’s Christmas without a little war? – ask George Bush!! It’s also the time we get to spend alone with our thoughts as we reflect about the year that is nearly behind us and what’s in store for us in the next year. No doubt about it, commercialism has spoilt Christmas – putting too much stress on us to buy this, buy that, do this, do that – but strip that out and there is no doubt about it, Christmas can be a lovely time.

I, along with my team on the estancia, want to say a very warm and peaceful Christmas to all our guests who came to visit us on La Margarita this year. Many of you become our friends while you were here and to be honest I wanted to give you all a mention in this blog, but I then thought - what if I missed someone out? - so I decided to name no one just to say you know who you are – we drank wine together, sang songs together - some of you even knowing all the words to songs that came out when you were not even a twinkle in your Dads eye!, we rode horses across the pampas ensemble, we talked about life, happiness and Keef Richards. We discussed life in distant countries such as Hawaii, Sweden, Mexico, Dubai, Mississippi, New York, Derby, London and, of course, Argentina. We talked about destiny or coincidence. We talked about babies and the fun of travelling with them. We talked over the pros and cons of living in Argentina. We cheered New Zealand in the rugby world cup and cheered even louder when the French got beaten (sorry to my French friends - only joking). We talked about Boca and River trying to decide who was best, we talked about Christina and her husband and more importantly we talked about giving names to La Margarita horses- I could go on and on but you will be relived to know I won’t.

I really wanted to invite you all to a party on La Margarita but of course that would be impossible since you live so far away from us. So can I say to you a big, big thank you for visiting us here at the end of the world and I wish every one of you a very happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year. In spite of the bad news that is around us at the moment what with the credit crunch crises and River finishing bottom of the table, in the words of John Lennon “let’s hope it’s a good one”.
One behalf of David, Maria, Raquel, Lettie and Lalo and Carlos on La Margarita, and Maria and Melli in the BA office
Feliz Navidad.
Hasta la Vista - and come back soon, we miss you all !!!

P.S. I want to say a big, big English Gaucho thank you to those of you who took the time to write a review for the estancia on Trip Advisor - thanks for all for your lovely words; it really helps us spread the word about La Margarita. Thank you, Mercie, Gracias, Danken ...............

The Class of My Mates

left to right are Grant, Jan , Russ, Johnny,Mel,Jimmy y Moi

These guys in the picture will be for me "forever young" as the song goes. Sorry I can't explain why now off to La Margarita to meet my guest and horse ride with them - all will be revealed soon - bet you can't wait 0k ok I know you can..........

Whew arrived a few hours ago - horses ridden now off to drink a Malbec or two but first the answer to why these guys will be forever young to me is because they are my mates and we have been mates since school..........

Once again this blog has nothing to do with La Margarita but once again it has everything to do with happiness. This blog often delves into the state of happiness as well know you may know. Now I love Keef Richards the dude from the Stones who was voted by guests on La Margarita as one of the happiest man in the world. Is it his wedge that makes him seem so happy? – maybe but my bet is not. I reckon that if old Keef was just good old Keef of Sutton Ave, Ewell and he made his money from being an electrician and played with some dodgy old pub band he would still be a happy bloke. A happy bloke because he would have loads of mates who would make him happy. He comes across as the sort of bloke who no matter what he did in life would have loads of mates.
So is that the main reason for happiness in life, having loads of mates? Well last week I read somewhere that to have a happy life one needed to have 10 friends you could count on. What a load of rubbish – who ever came up with that number? The truth is I reckon having just one good mate can make one happy - to me the magic 10 is rubbish. However, after I read that article I did start to add up how many friends I had (as you do). It was like one of those quiz things you read in a magazine such as “How sexy are you “ do this quiz and find out - you really want to ignore it but can’t resist doing it just in case it says that you are the sexiest thing since Englebert Humperdinck! - see that’s got you foxed eh! Which brings me to the class of my mates.
I have just come back from a trip to the UK where I originate from (but have avoided living in over the years) to see my mates. Now some of mates have been mates since I was a little sprog and it never ceases to amaze me that after all these years (and I am talking decades and decades here) that they turn up in some dodgy pub on a rainy cold night to see me when I make it back to the UK to have a good old get together Not only that they turn up but that we all get on so well – it’s like putting on that old favourite comfortable shirt that just always feels right when you slip it on – it doesn’t matter that we haven’t seen each other for a few years we just naturally get on and it always makes me happy.
I have the upmost respect for my mates without doubt some are in the photo. There is rock solid Johnny who I have known since I was five, we explored the beginnings of life together. It was Johnny who persuaded hi s mum and dad to put me up when I first attempted running away from home – see I still remember it Johnny and thanks once again . There is Russell who won my undying admiration for the way he saved my (and our other mates) worldly possessions from being robbed by an Indian lorry driver in the middle of India who was driving off into the distance with then. All of us were too tired to do anything about it but not Russell. Just like in those old western films he ran after the lorry –jumped on the back and hauled himself up to the top and throw our backpacks of the lorry – then proceeded to give the thieving lorry driver a whack on the nose – thanks Russ it still makes me smile. There is Jimmy who was the coolest dude on the planet in the Mod era (and still is) – Mr Mod was our Jimmy as he became our very own dedicated leader in fashion and risked the wroth of the teachers to dress how he wanted to – good on you mate . On my right is Grant the best artist in the world – ok an exaggeration but no doubt about it he was the Picasso of De Brome and a top bloke. There is Melvin our very own Mr Jazz Singer – invite him to sing and angels would come and listen. Then there is Jan, Grants wife, funny and charming and may I say it Grant beautiful. To make up this wonderful evening we had Russell’s lovely wife A. Delightfully feeding us wonderful Thai food where she comes from -thank you.

We don’t meet everyday -once in a blue moon more like it but I without doubt I love it when we do and although I think it’s a load of rubbish that you need to 10 friends to have a happy life certainly having friends in our lives can save us and without them I reckon that we could be very unhappy.
So this blog is a tribute to my mates. Here’s to you guys – thanks for being my mates after all these wayward years - I tip my hat to you and who would have thought as we sized each other up in that long distant memory school playground that we would still be amigos after all these years - as Neil Young sang “Long may it Run.
So then is happiness having mates? – that’s your homework –discuss and come to a conclusion. Or better still ring up those mates you haven’t heard from for a while and arrange a get together – I thoroughly recommend it for your well being – that or ring Keef up and ask him his opinion – second thoughts don’t bother he will be down the pub with his mates

This is a happy David Cummings alias the English Gaucho writing besides the pool of Estancia La Margarita as we get ready to fill it for the coming summer.