quotes by J. Maarten Troost

"Personally I regard idling as a virtue, but civilized society holds otherwise."
— J. Maarten Troost (The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific)

"Like many air travelers, I am aware that airplanes fly aided by capricious fairies and invisible strings."
— J. Maarten Troost (The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific)

"“It was, to reiterate, to stress, to accentuate the point, to leave no doubt, hot.”"
— J. Maarten Troost (The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific)

"Look for a wave shaped like an A.

An A.

Hmm.

I saw Zs and H's and Vs. I saw the Hindi alphabet and the Thai alphabet. I saw Arabic script. I saw no As.

Finally I gave up, and chose the next wave that would have me, which turned out to be a poor move.

There is a moment, shortly after one accepts the imminence of one's demise, when it occurs that you could be elsewhere: that if you simply left the house a little later, or lingered over a Mai Tai, you would not be here now confronting your mortality. This moment occurred just as I encountered a very large (from my perspective), rare and surprising wave. A wave that was pitching and howling, and it really had no business being where it was - underneath me.

The demon wave picked me up, and after that I have only a a vague recollection of spinning limbs, a weaponized surf board, and chaotic white water, churning together over a reef.

I decided surfing was not for me. I generally no longer engage in adrenaline rush activities that carry with them a strong likely hood of life-altering injury. (p. 138)
"
— J. Maarten Troost (The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific)

"When it comes to naming things, vanity and flattery are dull motivations best suited for deciding on a child’s middle name. Much more interesting are the descriptive names that suggest a story or happening of interest."
— J. Maarten Troost (The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific)

""Look for a wave shaped like an A." An A. Hmm. i saw Zs and H's and Vs. i saw the Hindi alphabet and the Thai alphabet. I saw Arabic script. I saw no As. Finally I gave up, and chose the next wave that would have me, which turned out to be a poor move. There is a moment, shortly after one accepts the imminence of one's demise, when it occurs that you could be elsewhere: that if you simply left the house a little later, or lingered over a mai tai, you would not be here now confronting your mortality. This moment occurred just as I encountered a very large (from my perspective), rare and surprising wave. A wave that was pitching and howling, and it really had no business being where it was-underneath me. The demon wave picked me up, and after that I have only a a vague recollection of spinning limbs, a weaponized surf board, and chaotic white water, churning together over a reef. I decided surfing was not for me. I generally no longer engage in adrenaline rush activities that carry with them a strong likely hood of life-altering injury. p. 138 (The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific)"
— J. Maarten Troost