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09Feb 2022 by Dave Macleod No Comments
Why I Didn’t Change #27 Watch a Bullfight

Why I Didn’t Change #27 Watch a Bullfight

GENERAL
As discussed in my previous blogs, #27 Watch a Bullfight and #54 Run with the Bulls in Spain, I copped a lot of verbal abuse for wanting to be involved in these two events. Those who were close to me said hurtful things to me and drew conclusions about my opinion on animal rights that were not at all accurate. I was not oblivious to what happened at these two events. I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. The only thing that I didn’t know was how I was going to react. I thought about changing these two items to make the naysayers happy, but, after much deliberation, I decided to leave them unchanged. I didn’t want to become them. I didn’t want to have my opinion formed…
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26Jan 2022 by Dave Macleod No Comments
[#61 Lesson] Marvel at Human Capabilities

[#61 Lesson] Marvel at Human Capabilities

BUCKET LIST, LESSON
This life lesson relates to my previous blog #61 Watch the Tour de France Live. Just as I described how I Marvel at Engineering Capabilities, I marvel at human capabilities in the same way. I have never been a fan of road cycling, but I love the Tour de France. The reason I love the Tour is because of the feat of endurance that all these athletes put on display for us. For a month straight, they bike all over France, through some grueling stages in the French Alps. This is what I truly love to watch. Endurance athletes have always impressed me. Although I am a fit person, I would not be able to complete many of the endurance races that this world has to offer. I have completed…
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12Jan 2022 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#61 Watch the Tour de France Live

#61 Watch the Tour de France Live

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 22nd July 2017 in Marseille, France. Ever since I was a kid I have always marvelled at the endurance of the athletes in the Tour de France. I have never been into road cycling and have never actually rode a proper road cycle but the Tour de France was always an event I could not ignore when it was on TV. I just had so much respect for the athletes who were going flat out, stage after stage, for a month straight. And not just over flat ground... They would go up and down mountain passes and through small villages as they toured around the country. It was my admiration of the athletes that compelled me to put this one on the list.…
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29Dec 2021 by Dave Macleod No Comments
[#27 Lesson] You Don’t Know Until You Go

[#27 Lesson] You Don’t Know Until You Go

BUCKET LIST, LESSON
This life lesson relates to my previous blog #27 Watch a Bullfight. The first time that I heard these words, laid out in that exact order, was from my friend Jesse. He was referring to a surf report that we were trying to decipher. Modern surf reports are very accurate and used by every surfer to figure out whether the drive to the beach is worth it or not. However, they are still based on a computer model that is susceptible to inaccuracies. From Halifax, the nearest break is about 40 minutes away. When the reports are marginal, it becomes a gamble to determine the value of the next 80 minutes of your life. If you don’t think the conditions will be surfable, do something else. Or take the chance…
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15Dec 2021 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#27 Watch a Bullfight

#27 Watch a Bullfight

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 8th July 2017 in Pamplona, Spain. This post continues on from the story in #54 Run with the Bulls in Spain: Part 2. As a forewarning, I will describe what I witnessed at the bullfights. For those of you who don’t know, the bulls are killed in the ring during the fights and it can be gruesome. As I sat on the bus on my way back to camp, all I could think about was finally getting some sleep. I began chatting with the girl next to me and explained what had happened to me in the ring. I told her about the doctor and all the checks he performed on me. She mentioned that it would be a good idea to assume…
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01Dec 2021 by Dave Macleod No Comments
2016 Roundup

2016 Roundup

GENERAL
I had my second-best year for the bucket list in 2016. I managed to complete seven items from my bucket list across three different countries. In case you have missed any of the stories or lessons from my bucket list adventures in 2016, here is a roundup. #36 Run a Half Marathon Completed on 26th June in Wellington, New Zealand [#36 Lesson] Accomplishing Life Goals Takes Commitment #90 Go to Pompeii Completed on 3rd July in Pompeii, Italy [#90 Lesson] Explored History #23 Ride in a Gondola Boat in Venice Completed on 15th July in Venice, Italy [#23 Lesson] Keep your Wits about Yourself When Travelling #78 Make a Call from a London Phone Booth Completed on 3rd October in London, England, UK [#78 Lesson] Stay in Touch #77 Get…
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17Nov 2021 by Dave Macleod No Comments
[#54 Lesson] Do Things for Your Own Reasons

[#54 Lesson] Do Things for Your Own Reasons

BUCKET LIST, LESSON
This life lesson relates to my previous blog #54 Run with the Bulls in Spain. The San Fermin Festival in Pamplona is known around the world by millions. Just as a flipped coin has two equally weighted outcomes, it would appear that 50% of people think that the festival is an incredible experience, while the other 50% think it is despicable. Unfortunately, my ex-girlfriend Sarah, her mother and the loud-mouthed English holidaymaker on the airplane were part of the latter 50%. I never tried to impose my beliefs on any of them, but they did their best to bring shame to those very beliefs. I wasn’t doing it for them, and I didn’t need their approval, but their disapproval made it tough on me. It took a lot of resolve…
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03Nov 2021 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#54 Run with the Bulls in Spain: Part 2

#54 Run with the Bulls in Spain: Part 2

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 8th July 2017 in Pamplona, Spain. This post continues on from the story in #54 Run with the Bulls in Spain: Part 1. I woke up around 6 am and the atmosphere had not changed much, compared to 2 am. There were still thousands of people running around the city, singing, dancing and drinking. In fact, I think there were probably more people as they had woken up early to get to the course. The course is well defined and is either blocked off by wooden fences or has buildings on either side. The run starts at 8 am but people begin to make their way to the course as early as 6 am. It took me a minute to wake up and…
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20Oct 2021 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#54 Run with the Bulls in Spain: Part 1

#54 Run with the Bulls in Spain: Part 1

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
In January 2017, my girlfriend at the time, Sarah, and I were living in New Zealand. We were experiencing the worst summer New Zealand had seen for several years and were not looking forward to winter. Our solution to the problem was to spend the winter months in the UK and spend some time travelling around Europe. We quickly decided on dates and booked our plane tickets. Once our dates were confirmed I pulled out my bucket list to see if I would be able to cross off some items while travelling. One of the main things I had been wanting to do for a long time was to experience the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona, Spain and run with the bulls. This event draws thousands of participants and spectators…
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06Oct 2021 by Dave Macleod No Comments
[#63 Lesson] Passion Among Sports Fans

[#63 Lesson] Passion Among Sports Fans

BUCKET LIST, LESSON
This life lesson relates to my previous blog #63 Attend a European Soccer Match. This adventure, to watch Newcastle play, was eye-opening. Nothing serious happened with the fans during the game, but Craig and Jon’s stories about previous games had shocked me. In Canada, hockey is everything, and we are a very passionate nation. If we don’t win the gold medal at the Olympics, the whole country goes into depression for the next month. Fighting is also commonplace in the sport, though it is confined to the ice surface. Players fight all the time in hockey, but it is incredibly rare for the passion among fans to cause them to fight. This is what sets hockey fans and European football fans apart in my opinion. This led me to think…
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