Life Out East

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 00:54:00 +0000

For anyone who is even slightly interested, this blog is now closed.

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 08:14:00 +0000

Does anyone care??

One of so many Burmese monks, bludgeoned to death by the regime

I'm guilty. I'm guilty as charged of caring. As much as I want to start the post by talking about the wonder that is the English rugby team which embarrassed the Australians and kicked them out of the world cup I think there are more important things to get off my chest. Sorry to be a bore but I'm talking Burma.

For a while it seemed that people cared but, alas, it's not so. A weekend of protests just didn't happen. The only place where anyone could be bothered to make an effort was London where several thousand marched through the streets in an attempt to gain support for some kind of action on Burma. The Japanese protest was cancelled because they've decided it's all hunky dory down Rangoon way now, 100 Burmese and foreigners managed a token gesture in Bangkok and the same in Sydney. Pitiful!China, host of the 2008 Olympics. A more appropriate logo.

It seems that no one really cares. Some have called for a boycott of the 2008 Olympics in China (China is the biggest supporter of the regime in Burma and has the power to turn off the tap, as it where) but that won't happen; after all how will people be expected to remember those silly Burmese getting slaughtered a year from now. Personally I think there should be a complete boycott of all Chinese products but then that's me. Thailand is another big supporter of the regime and pours money into the military coffers in return for gas. But the Thais have never been ones to let the slaughter of innocence get in the way of luxury and consumerism so no action from them. Will anyone cancel their holiday in Thailand as a protest? Not a chance. Or maybe think twice about buying wooden products from Thailand, many sourced from Burma where the good old practice of slavery and environmental exploitation still exists. Nope. And the same goes for the French (Total oil) and the Singaporeans (big trading partner with the regime).

At the start of the week there was shock and horror at some of the images coming from Burma. People were disgusted and horrified. But that was the start of the week. Time has moved on and, as the saying goes, yesterday's news is today's chip paper. So just when the Burmese people need help the most no one seems in a real hurry to offer a hand. The UN is talking. ASEAN, currently chaired by Singapore, is saying that any solution must include the military. Anyone who knows anything about SE Asia and the great "Asian values" argument knows that what they mean is the solution should include an amnesty for the military and be profitable for them and the despicable neighbours (China and Thailand) who support them.

Does anyone care??

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 22:23:00 +0000

An entry with no name...

Slow day. Still pain but going now. Half the day on the phone and the other half wondering how I managed to spend half a day on the phone.

It's here! It's arrived! Well it arrived a few days ago but this evening I have started to watch it. Yes, I'm talking about season 6 of 24. Sad I know but I think 24 is one of the best TV series for a long time. Over the next week 24 hours of my life will be wasted.

The daughter got yet another party invitation today which means another weekend given over to taxi duties. Free weekends are rapidly becoming a thing of the past.

An entry with no name...

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 09:20:00 +0000

Money's too tight to mention...

Yep, more going out than is coming in. Feeling slightly jaded and disillusioned about life in general at the moment. Several months back in dear old Blighty and still I'm not on the road to riches, or even on the pathway to security. Various projects that I've devoted time and money to have come to nothing or I've been outbid on. There's one I'm looking at at the moment that's showing a glimmer of hope but I'm sure that by the end of today it'll all seem bleak. God I must sound depressed.

I'm suffering from a neck injury which is causing me a great deal of pain. I'd like to say that it was the result of some heroic play on the rugby field but, alas, it's not. It was nothing more heroic than getting out of bed the wrong way on Sunday morning. I moved, there was a crack and that was that, virtually immobile since then. I managed to get the daughter to her party on Sunday afternoon which she enjoyed immensely.

Yesterday was just too painful to mention and this morning I awoke, after eventually getting to sleep, with the biggest bad boy of a headache I've ever had. So at half five this morning I breakfasted on a fistful of the strongest headache pills I could find and mooched about slowly until it was time to start the daily routine of getting the daughter ready for the school run. It's times like these that I have all the sympathy in the world for single mothers and can fully understand why so many of them seem to smoke.

This afternoon I have to take the daughter to get her "winter uniform". Nice as it is I can't help wonder if it really is necessary to have two uniforms throughout the year. Isn't this just a waste of resources and parents' money. I certainly feel like it's a waste of my money.

Here's a link for a petition about the crisis in Burma, please help by signing it and help put pressure on the UN and China to intervene. It seems that the various rebel groups along Burma's fringes might be preparing to join forces and attack the government troops. A spokesman for them pointed out that the people in Rangoon need their help and that this is the only chance of freedom the people of Burma will get for a long time. Though massively out gunned they can, at the very least, tie down much of the Burmese military and hinder their actions. Ten rebels being enough to occupy the attention of a hundred soldiers. I just hope they can get support from outside the country to help arm them, and political support.

Money's too tight to mention...

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 09:58:00 +0000

Alicia Silverstone naked!! Gambari in Burma as more protests begin and a nice gift from the government...

I remember seeing a girl in a few Aerosmith videos way back in the early to mid-nineties. I thought she was the most gorgeous thing I'd ever seen, apart from Helena Bonham-Carter of course, but never managed to find out who she was. It was some years later when I discovered that the woman in question was Alicia Silverstone. So an email from PETA that arrived yesterday really brought a smile to my face. Not only is Ms Silverstone a fellow vegetarian she's gone and dropped her kit for a PETA advert. I know this is very shallow and even juvenile of me but here it is:

Alicia Silverstone’s Sexy Veggie PSA
Order a FREE vegetarian starter kit at GoVeg.com

UN special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari has arrived in Burma for talks with, well, whoever is allowed to talk to him. America has said he should be allowed to talk to whoever he likes but it remains to be seen if that actually happens. In the meantime protesters have taken to the streets again in defiance of the military junta. Could this be another day of barbaric slaughter or will the military exercise restraint whilst their guest is in town?

I discovered yesterday that the government deems it necessary for all 3 and 4 year olds to be in some kind of education and parents should be given help financially. As a result every 3 and 4 year old in the country is entitled to 15 hours of tuition or care a week courtesy of the government. Sadly we missed out on last term's handout but I'm on the case now.

Having paid this term's school fees in full at the start of the term the money will go against the next term, and with the discount for next term as well the next bill is set to be very low indeed. This is wonderful, like a school fee holiday for a whole term. This is one of the nice things about living here. A big hearty thanks to Gordon Brown and Co., for this early Christmas present, nice to get something back occasionally.

Alicia Silverstone naked!! Gambari in Burma as more protests begin and a nice gift from the government...

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 18:45:00 +0000

Death of an innocent man, China and Thailand, and another weekend...

The moment the Japanese photo-journalist was shot [video below]

General feeling among world leaders appears to be that yesterday's hunting spree by the despicable Burmese military junta resulted in far more deaths than is being let on. I honestly find it so hard to believe that this can continue in the twenty-first century without anyone doing anything to help. The UN have talked, but action has been blocked by China and Russia. The EU and US have condemned the junta's actions but no action taken. Some members of ASEAN, of which Burma is a member, have mumbled that their action is a bit naughty but they haven't taken it further. And Thailand's General Sonthi remarked that criticism "isn't appropriate" yet. So in the meantime the people of Burma remain alone at the mercy of one of the world's most ruthless regimes.

Here is the footage of the Japanese journalist shot by a Burmese soldier. Cold, calculated and a complete waste of life. He shoots from point blank range and just moves on. Moving footage.

For Brits wanting to sign a petition to pressurise the government into some kind of action check here. People power is an incredible force. If enough people make their voices heard something might actually get done. I'm sure most who read the words I write here everyday already know what is going on but if just one person is encouraged to do something or sign a petition then it's worth it.

Here's a little reminder of why China and Thailand won't intervene. Something about birds of a feather I think.

Chinese tanks on the way to crush some protesters.

General Suchinda's brave soldiers whacking the crap out of some unarmed civilians in Bangkok

Another week over and another weekend with a party for the daughter. Sunday will see me playing daughter's taxi for this week's party. I think there's one next week and then we're free for a while. Other than that not too much happening. I've got some tasks that I need to complete by the end of play tomorrow but other than that it's a fairly uneventful weekend.

Looks like the wife will be here for definite in December so my spell of single parenting will be coming to an end. I'm sure the daughter will be over the moon about the return of the mum but I can't help feeling that there's going to be a painful period of re-adjustment when she does make an appearance. Turbulent times ahead.

England are playing Tonga in the rugby world cup. For a while they were in the lead and it was starting to look like we were heading down the pan. However, thanks to the great Wilkinson and his kicking ability we're steaming ahead and a great try by Paul Sackey has just edged us up even further. Something to smile about.

Death of an innocent man, China and Thailand, and another weekend...

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 12:36:00 +0000

The aggression continues and sillyness from the UK...

*** http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Burmacrackdown/ ***

Sadly there is still no end to the chaos that has hit the streets of Burma this week, not that anyone expected it to end so soon. It appears the UN tried to make some moves but dear old China and her mate Russia blocked any moves towards taking action. China feels it's all a matter for the Burmese and we should all just close our eyes and carry on with business as usual. But I suppose for a nation like China to criticise hard-handed military aggression against innocent civilians it would come across as somewhat hypocritical, given their track record. Which is probably one of the many reasons why military controlled Thailand has failed to do any voluble condemning either.

[pics from http://ko-htike.blogspot.com/]

Word on the net is that there has been at least one more fatality. Bloggers from within Burma continue to get the news out one way or other and still the junta of Than Shwe threatens the people with harsh action if they don't just go home and behave. And stories of monks trashing a mosque are just that apparently. Seems the junta has been getting soldiers in robes to do some mischief-making to blacken the name of the monks protesting.

For the first time in a long while I currently feel respect and admiration for a religious group; the Buddhist monks of Burma. I'm no fan of any religion and have no time for such man made hypocritical mumbo-jumbo (no offence to any die-hard religious fanatics) but I think what the monks in Rangoon are doing takes real belief, conviction and plain guts.

Added: And now nine more have been killed including a Japanese video journalist and some reports have suggested a German national was shot by the soldiers.

On a somewhat more trivial and light-hearted note here's some news from the UK. McDonalds have been charging a fine in some branches for people who take more than forty-five minutes to eat their food. They've brought in a car park firm to check and process fines for cars that remain in their car park in excess of this limit. One family received their bill two weeks after visiting McDonalds. They have four kids and dropped in for some dinner. First there was a queue so they took some time to get served and then there was a wait for the burgers. We're talking young kids here so there was some dillying and dallying before the burgers had been eaten, by which time everyone wanted some ice creams and apple-pie. Result: it was more than forty-five minutes. Anyway, two weeks later they get a bill for £125GBP (approx US$250). It seems they are not alone, loads of people have been caught in this McTrap. The family have of course raised two fingers in McDonald's direction and told them to whistle for their cash. The case continues.

And the Conservatives have named their candidate for the race to elect a new mayor of London. And yes, they opted for the candidate with most comedic qualities, yes you guessed it, Boris Johnson. So that's it, surely another victory to the madman Ken Livingstone. Eton and Cambridge educated "Boris the Blond" has been editor of The Spectator, MP for Henley-on-Thames and a shadow Conservative minister but is probably most famous for his unique brand of upper-crust buffoonary on the popular quiz panel show, Have I Got New For You. So, keep watching for more hilarious antics as Bozzer makes his quest to become the new mayor of London. I just love this guy!!! [But I wouldn't trust him with anything serious]

Bozzer in action [he's the floppy haired one with the plum in his throat

http://www.freeburmarangers.org/

http://ko-htike.blogspot.com/

http://weblog.xanga.com/dawn_1o9/618271640/the-dark-hours.html

The aggression continues and sillyness from the UK...

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 19:49:00 +0000

A dark day for Burma....

From the BBC:

Witnesses described monks with blood on their shaved heads as police charged at the Shwedagon pagoda in Rangoon.

[photo courtesy of Reuters]

Reports have indicated that five monks and a woman have allegedly been killed during the bloody crackdown by the military junta in Burma. Brave action from armed soldiers against peaceful protesters in robes.

I must admit this whole thing has really got under my skin. I really fell for Burma the few times I visited and my limited experience of the Burmese was 100% positive: genuinely warm and welcoming people despite the terrible conditions most there live under. Whilst the Burmese are kept impoverished and as virtual slaves within their own country China and Thailand exploit the situation by making off with it's resources on the cheap, trade that helps prop up the evil regime and prolong the hell. In the case of Thailand this unfortunate situation also means they have a regular supply of extremely cheap labour that can be abused without complaint.

With the Olympics approaching in Beijing the general feeling has been that the Chinese might be able to put pressure on their allies, the Burmese military. However, the Chinese are now saying that it's purely an internal matter and for the BUrmese to sort out. Basically the Chinese think that stability, no matter what the cost, is preferable to any kind of instability.

Whilst Britain remains the biggest aid donor to Burma it came out today that not a penny of government money has gone to any pro-democracy cause. However, £120,ooo GBP of British taxpayers' money has gone to help save the Burmese bat. I'm all for looking after nature but surely there are more pressing issues in Burma at the moment.

http://irrawaddy.org
http://burmacampaign.org.uk/

A dark day for Burma....

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 20:02:00 +0000

Plot thickens in Burma and something I never thought I'd ever say....

As more and more people and monks join the protests in Rangoon so does the intensity of media coverage outside Asia. With a curfew now imposed and threats of harsh action by the ruling military junta the big worry is where this will all end.

The footage of monks clad in nothing but robes marching in defiance against the heavily armed troops of Than Shwe is quite something. This is what I've always thought Buddhism was all about. Quite refreshing after my many years witnessing the uglier side of Buddhism next door to Burma.

Apparently the military have ordered several thousand robes and ordered the same number of soldiers to shave their heads. The thinking is that they might be preparing to send these guys in undercover to stir up trouble and start violence, thereby giving the military an excuse to let loose with the big guns.

The group I mentioned on facebook.com in yesterday's post [Myanmar (Burma) Uprising: Worldwide Support] is gaining support and some of the people involved have already organised quiet protests in Canada.

A view by Shwe Dagon that I took in 2005

On another topic here's something I never thought I'd ever say: That Gordan Brown bloke, he's not too bad. Anyone who either knows me or has ever read this blog will know that there's more chance of Margaret Thatcher voting Labour than me but after Brown's inaugural speech yesterday I can't help thinking he's not such a bad bloke. Unlike Blair and his cronies, Brown doesn't seem to be afraid of liking Britain. Where Blair made people feel ashamed of being British Brown is gunning for more patriotism and a sense of national worth. And rather than coming out with clever soundbites penned by Alastair Campbell he does seem quite passionate about his policies, including education, crime and immigration. Hopefully he's true to his word and manages to follow through on his promises. And, of course, being a Scot and PM of England it will be interesting to see who he supports when England next play football or rugby against Scotland.

Plot thickens in Burma and something I never thought I'd ever say....

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 14:05:00 +0000

Monks' revolution in Burma, and some photos....

Things are really starting to move in Rangoon and throughout the rest of Burma. They're calling it the monks' revolution and it certainly seems to be gaining momentum. I've visited Burma about three times and have a real fondness for Rangoon, and found the Burmese to be a genuinely friendly and welcoming people.

Opinion in the media seems mixed about where this could all be leading with some predicting bloodshed and others wondering at what point will it be too late for the ruling junta to intervene. There is also a theory that the Chinese, one of the junta's biggest partners along with Thailand, are pressurising Shwe and the boys into exercising restraint. Either way, this is the closest they've been to true uprising for many years.

This is one of an increasing number of clips appearing on youtube.com from people inside Burma.

Here are some other images appearing on the net. These two courtesy of AP.

Here are two shots I took in Rangoon, personal favourites.

And on a lighter note here's a bill board I saw in Rangoon. Yes, that's right, beer that is both anti-aging and keeps you forever young. Marvelous!

Links:

http://www.irrawaddy.org/
www.bbc.co.uk/news

Or you could express your support by joining this group on facebook.com - Myanmar (Burma) Uprising: Worldwide Support

Monks' revolution in Burma, and some photos....

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 22:19:00 +0000

So what's happening with our animals??? What is Red Gurnard and summer flooding...

Once again the country is at risk from another serious outbreak of foot and mouth disease. Currently confined to small pockets of the country, that are increasing at a worrying speed, the general line is that it's all in hand and being taken care of. PM Brown is on the case and he's gunning for the cattle and the farmers on this one, or so he wants people to believe anyway.

But now we have something new. Now the animals are being hit with bluetongue disease, being spread by midges. Bluetongue isn't a new disease for southern Europe and Africa but this is the first time it's emerged in the UK. General feeling is that this is the result of global warming.

Ever heard of Red Gurnard? No, me neither. Well this little known fish has been happily plodding along secure in the knowledge that its only use to mankind has been to be thrown back when caught by accident, or used as bait. However, thanks to the likes of Rick Stein, it's the new sought after fish by all the trendiest restaurants. It's good news for fishermen on the south coast as the price has rocketed from £0.25p GBP per kilo to £4.00!! And to top that, there's no annoying quotas like there are for other fish. Great news for fish fans, even better news for fishermen, but a real bugger if you happen to be a Red Gurnard.

During an afternoon of feeding ducks and swans and generally just sightseeing with the daughter I took her into Worcester cathedral. It's been a favourite of mine since childhood, for architectural reasons rather than theological ones, and I've been promising to show her a cathedral in England since we visited Hagia Sofia in Istanbul earlier in the year. It had to be today because she was insisting that it wasn't a cathedral but, in fact, Cinderella's castle. It took a tour of the crypt and twenty minutes watching the voluntary choir before she was convinced.

Here is a picture I took earlier in the summer when most of the country was freakishly underwater. When we should have been greasing up with sun lotion most were donning waders and bidding for dingies on ebay. This is a Tesco lorry determined to get supplies across the Severn, picture taken about three miles from the Severn so you can imagine what it was like closer.

So what's happening with our animals??? What is Red Gurnard and summer flooding...

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 23:37:00 +0000

It's been a long time..

Too long. Feels like an age since I last posted. Being back here I just don't get the time to update the blog anymore, though I intend to try and change that now.

All the pressures of being back in the UK have been piling up. I'm still a single parent and a working one at that, which is proving to be a real bitch of a job. The daughter is in her second term and loving it and I somehow manage to take full care of her whilst trying to make a crust and fight off bankruptcy.

I can't lie, there have been the odd occasions when I've wondered if coming back was right and recently I've found myself drifting off into beach-based Thai-flavoured day dreams. Still, I'm here and I ain't moving nowhere just yet.

Is Christmas really that close??

Here's a few pics of some paragliding up on Hay Bluff in the Brecon Beacons the other week.

It's been a long time..

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 10:17:00 +0000

What to do with the blog, 24 and insomnia again.....

I find now that I have less time to blog, or rather feel there is less to write, especially on a blog entitled "Life Out East" when I'm living in the west. Though I guess I'm technically in the east if you're coming from the States.

I enjoy the blogging thing and the whole blog experience and I'm happy that I've made some friends, and sadly some enemies too. But do I continue at all? Do I continue under this banner? Or do I start afresh under a different title but with a travel flavour? Try to contain the desire to be too harsh with any response here, I do have feelings.

As the rain drizzles down in the continuous and maddening fashion that seems somehow exclusive to these small isles the daughter, having a few days off between term end and summer school is competing with the rain to drive me insane. She wants attention! She wants MY attention! And when she doesn't get it she seems to know just how to drive me mad. She has perfected the art of annoying me when she feels there is a need to annoy me. Can't help wonder if this is something her mum taught her or if it's just genetically coded.

My relatively new obsession with 24 continues, and so do the late nights. Luckily I suffer regular bouts of insomnia, and that's what's been happening this week. So now after several nights in front of 24 until nearly 4am I'm cruising into season 5, which looks set to be a goody. And as the week draws to a close several days of 4am to bed 6am start are taking their toll and I really do feel that a good night's sleep is headed my way. Suffered a humiliating defeat at badminton last night which I put down to sleep deprivation and too much caffeine.

Is it normal to have the hots for your kid's teachers? Or one in particular actually.

What to do with the blog, 24 and insomnia again.....

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 22:19:00 +0000

Concert for the planet and child care......

Due to a lack of babysitter I find myself stranded at home whilst the daughter and her cousin, who is here for a sleep-over, run amok. Fortunately the internet and Live Earth concert have stopped what could have been a very dull evening. Admittedly a trip to the pub would have been better still but beggars (parents) can't be choosers.

Quite nice to see that at last people are waking up to the fact that we need to change our habits if life is to continue as we know it. Though it is well known that more than a few of the people involved don't give a toss about the environment, they're just in it for the music, and the very cynical have even suggested that Gore (the organser) himself has more sinister political motives. .

We had quite a good selection of bands here in the UK and among them was The Foo Fighters. Obviously I've heard of these guys before but never really paid them much attention. Having seen their performance I'm impressed. That guy Grohl is quite an entertainer. They have a new fan.

I couldn't help notice the number of beards around. It certainly seems that the beard is in vogue once again. Maybe I won't have a shave after all.

I've also discovered www.facebook.com. Or at least I've just signed up for an account. Anyone else use it?

Concert for the planet and child care......

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 19:47:00 +0000

Just drifting....

Never thought it would happen but great news about Alan Johnston. Free at last! Given the weekend of violence we've had here with Muslim doctors allegedly trying to blow up parts of London, and then two more ramming a Jeep into Glasgow airport it's nice to get some good news from that part of the world. Oddly, the release of Alan Johnston hasn't yet generated as much media coverage as the release of that bint Paris Hilton. Funny old world.

The daughter finishes school for the summer break next week, already! Feels like it'll be five minutes and then she'll be sitting GCSEs. Yep, having a kid seems to accelerate the aging process, certainly a lot more gray hairs.

Interest rates up again today. Seems our wonderful government is desperate to knock the housing market into a nosedive. Happy days ahead.

Discovered 24 just before leaving Thailand. Now on to box set season 4, almost finished. It does get a bit predictable at times but still got my attention. Great TV. Kiefer Sutherland is cool. He's also a Canadian/Brit. He was born in London, holds a British passport and lived and studied here. Must admit I assumed he was American from a Canadian family.

Anyone ever tried Second Life? Keep hearing about it on the radio.

Just drifting....

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 23:38:00 +0000

Back from Germany and something from the inbox..

Germany was good. The daughter enjoyed seeing her old mate again and the two of them, three with the mate's little sister, ran wild all weekend.

Often there are women on the radio here in the UK moaning about looking after kids and especially when it comes to going on holiday, always worrying about what to take and how to entertain the kids. It really isn't that bad to be honest. Now having been clocking up miles with daddy-daughter travel over the last few years I can honestly say that I recommend it in some ways., it's no half a bad as people say it is.

We've made more flights from UK to Thailand than I care to mention, I've been to Laos with her, and Austria and Singapore. The two of us have driven through Malaysia, traveled overland from Istanbul to the UK and now driven from England to Germany and back. Did it drive me crazy? Not a bit. We had a great time. Drawing pad, pencils and crayons, book to read, cuddly toy or two, music CDs that she likes and the patience for hours of mindless conversations. Fortunately I haven't fallen into the trap of buying a seat-back DVD player yet.

Here's an amusing one from the inbox:

During a visit to a mental hospital recently, Harriet Harman asked the director what the criteria was, which defined if a patient should be institutionalized. Well replied the director, first we fill a bath with water, then we offer them: A teaspoon A teacup A bucket And ask them to empty the bath. Oh yes I understand said Harriet, obviously a normal person would use the bucket, as it's bigger than a teaspoon or teacup. No said the director. A normal person would pull the f###ing plug out. Do you want a bed near the window or the door ???

Back from Germany and something from the inbox..

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 21:23:00 +0000

The comfort of technology and another trip...

Having one of those moments when everything just seems to fit into place. Perched comfortably on the sofa with laptop in hand and connected through wifi to the internet I'm busily planning an entire trip online whilst sipping a cold beer and watching an excellent film, Layer Cake. Sometimes I just love technology.

I'm taking the daughter to Germany for the weekend to visit one of her old mates from school in Bangkok who is back home for a month. The temptation of the budget airline was strong but I managed to resist and keep my new found environmental credentials intact, well almost. I guess train would have been the better option but more expensive, so we're driving.

From the comfort of the sofa with one eye on a great movie I can book and pay for the ferry crossing, get an exact route and map and print it all off, calculate the fuel and mileage, arrange and pay for European breakdown coverage, arrange and pay for European insurance, and sip an ice-cold Stella. Now all that's left is to battle through Friday afternoon traffic around London getting down to the ferry port, and that will be a challenge.

The comfort of technology and another trip...

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 16:32:00 +0000

Meme time, MUSIC...

OK, so I've been tagged with one of these so now my turn to have a go. Having completed a short overland trip I found time, when the daughter was sleeping, to kick back and plug into the iPod. This got me thinking about music and travel. About music that you associate with journeys, music that is a must for a long journey, and generally, well, music. Here goes.

5 - You're going on a long journey, what five albums MUST you take with you? Albums that you need to listen to regularly.

4 - What four albums/songs do you most associate with a journey or travel experience? You know, the ones you listen to that instantly transport you back to a place and time.

3 - Your three favourite songs of all time?

2 - Two feel good songs, the ones that are guaranteed to lift the blues and put a smile on your face.

1 - Absolute, overall, undoubtedly the best album of all time, in your opinion.

5 - You're going on a long journey, what five albums MUST you take with you? Albums that you need to listen to regularly.

The Dreaming, Kate Bush
Protection, Massive Attack
Exile on Main Street, The Rolling Stones
Tears for Fears Greatest Hits
Led Zeppelin 1 by Led Zeppelin

4 - What four albums/songs do you most associate with a journey or travel experience? You know, the ones you listen to that instantly transport you back to a place and time.

Give out but don't give up, Primal Scream - Working in Hong Kong early nineties, late nights walking home from Lan Kwai Fon (spelling) full of beer, happy and with this CD played real loud through the headphones.

Greatest Hits, Sade - Also early nineties but this time Samet Island, Thailand and being in love (sorry about this) and alfresco sex on an almost empty beach. Happy days!

This used to be my Playground, Madonna - At the end of my first backpacking journey I was on a plane to London from Hong Kong back in the days when planes were usually half empty and you could smoke. I remember being in a blissful drunken haze and drifting in and out of sleep listening to the in-flight music selection. For some reason everytime I drifted into conciousness this song seemed to be playing, must have heard it a dozen times. As a result whenever I hear it it takes me back to that moment. Again, happy days.

Angie, The Rolling Stones - Picture the scene: late at night in the dimly lit communal lounge of a backpacker hostel in Hong Kong 1992. Half a dozen or so strangers gathered around and high as kites on various substances. One guy, a slightly morose heroin addict starts telling his tale. The love of his life was in Taiwan. They had been together for many years and were deeply in love, they both had good jobs and life was sweet. But the relationship was a secret. Being Chinese she couldn't tell her father that she was hoping to marry her foreign boyfriend. Then he finds out. Our young hero is thrown on a plane by his girlfriend and flies to Hong Kong to excape possible death at the hands of the girl's father. He's waiting for her but she hasn't come. She isn't going to. He's given up work, started shooting heroin and his life is in a mess. The only thing he cares about is his distant girlfriend and his guitar. With tears in his eyes he starts playing and singing this classic Stones song on his guitar. It was a surreal moment and I don't think there was a dry eye in the house. A moment that will stay with me forever and this song will always remind me of that night.

3 - Your three favourite songs of all time?

Didn't realise just how hard this one would be.

Thank You, Led Zeppelin
Gimme Shelter, The Rolling Stones
Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd

2 - Two feel good songs, the ones that are guaranteed to lift the blues and put a smile on your face.

Let me Entertain You, Robbie Williams
Lola, The Kinks

1 - Absolute, overall, undoubtedly the best album of all time, in your opinion.

In reality it would be a joint fist place with many others but if one album then:

Blood on the Tracks, Bob Dylan

Tags:

The Lost Boy - Interesting to see how he copes with this one, will dance music feature highly?
Lisa at Something Something - I enjoy her weekly eighties feature so it will be interesting to see what she comes up with here, sure to be good.
Sensei-Katana - I'm thinking heavy rock here as he heads for Afghanistan.
Escape England - No idea but look forward to seeing.
Lillian at My Thailand Diary - Mum of three, Swiss and living in Chiang Mai, I have no idea what to expect.

Meme time, MUSIC...

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 09:08:00 +0000

Rain, trouble in Thailand and whatever happened to competitiveness in schools????

I was feeling glum last night due to the intense and prolonged rain. It poured it down all afternoon and most of the night. It was the full British rain experience; heavy thick dark clouds, continuous drizzle which regularly turned into great downpours and that feeling of overcast misery. Ah yes, the great British summer that I remember so fondly from my youth. Though to be honest, the weather has been fairly good so far so the odd lapse can be accepted I guess.

However, it seems that a drop of the falling wet stuff is small beer by comparison to what is happening over in Thailand (where I've recently returned from living for those who don't know). Outbreaks of malaria, missing billions, emergency decrees in Bangkok, fear of the entire education system in the south being closed down through violence and terror, and on and on... I must admit that life here does seem somewhat dull by comparison when the only thing I have to complain about is the rain and high prices.

The daughter has her first sports day coming up. I'm probably more excited about this than she is, as long as dads aren't expected to make fools of themselves in any way. I've been harbouring proud father images of the daughter winning a race or throwing a ball the furthest or generally winning some activity or other that three year olds do.

However, in this day and age of political correctness it seems that my dream will not come true. Having put her in a public (private for you non-Brits) girls school to escape the silliness of the education system here I find that it's even permeated into the private sector. Yes, they are creating a sports day that has neither winners nor losers. Just people taking part and being happy about the fact they are taking part. For fear of someone being disgruntled at not winning anything, and presumably then feeling that their human rights have been violated in some way, everyone will be a winner. Well yippee-dee! I haven't established whether or not this madness continues throughout the school yet, but if it does there will be a school change coming her way.

How will we ever beat the Aussies at any sport if we are going to take the competitiveness out of competitive sports?? When I was at school I won races and lost races (though lost more often than won, I seem to remember). In some things I'd either win or do respectably well and in others I was just a joke but it never bothered me. I couldn't stand football when I was a kid and reluctantly minced about the pitch like some kind of spanner that shouldn't have been there but I don't appear to be scarred by it in any way. The country is going completely bonkers! Can someone explain??

Rain, trouble in Thailand and whatever happened to competitiveness in schools????

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 09:22:00 +0000

Cigarette Accessories Reviews..

I've been asked to link exchange with a blog about cigarettes and their accessories, the link is now on the blogroll and also here. Quite an interesting blog from a girl in the States mainly about cigarette accessories, rather than ciggies themselves.

Funny how even now I still find the itch to smoke when faced with things like this blog. I COULD MURDER A CIGARETTE!!!! And just to make it clear, I'm not endorsing smoking I just like the blog. Why are all the good and enjoyable things in life so bad for you????

Cigarette Accessories Reviews..

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 22:22:00 +0000

Nostalgia...

Well, I guess it was going to happen eventually. I have had some thoughts and feelings that I suppose could be interpreted as missing Thailand. Shit, there goes, I said it. Never thought it would happen. It all started when I was having a clear out of old things and found a pile of old papers from my university days. It's not that I spent too much time looking through the papers but they reminded me of a time when I was very much in love with Thailand.

I found Thailand on a backpacking trip before I went to university, gap year I guess you call it. Anyway, it got under my skin, as did Asia in general, and I found it hard to get away. My summer holidays were a shade over four months which was great for going to either Hong Kong or Thailand, but I even managed to sneak off for the short Christmas and Easter holidays. I just couldn't keep away. I even opted for a project on the HSBC headquarters in Hong Kong as an excuse to go there to research and take photos.

Thailand seemed somehow different in those days. I'm sure I've changed too but I can't help feeling that Thailand has definitely changed for the worse. Development was still in the early stages and people weren't quite so brash and ostentatiously vulgar as they are now. Many islands were still very much undeveloped and Bangkok's streets were thick with pollution and the air dense enough to cut with a knife (not that that is a good thing). I made some good friends who I still stay in touch with today.

On one occasion I fell in love with a young university student. It was love at first sight. I won't embarrass myself by going into too much detail but I got in her car, took one look at her and fell head over heels (she was a friend of a friend by the way). I remember she had a Utah Saints tape playing at the time which has meant that fly-by-night group will forever be in my mind (I think the track was 'Something good' - very catchy). She spoke excellent English, was gorgeous, knew about the world and western history, was educated, rich and reminded me of Kate Bush for some reason. Not quite sure which of those was the most important but we stayed together, often with more 6000miles between us, for about four years.

There were good times and bad times but generally I have some awesome memories of my early life in Bangkok and on Samet with her and I can't help getting bogged down with nostalgia whenever something reminds me of that time in my life. I hate the fact I'm getting old and would happily go back to being eighteen years old and doing it all again, even with mistakes and painful moments. It's not her that I pine for but my youth and probably the best years of my life. I'm older now and the world has changed. Gone are the days when I could spend twelve hours on a half empty plane, smoking like a chimney and getting quietly pissed whilst heading out east to do more of the same in a small hut on a paradise-like island for about a quid a night. Then I didn't worry about things like health and the environment and didn't have a single responsibility, just selfish desire for pleasure. God I hate getting old.

Sorry for the slightly morose post, I blame that recent burst of nostalgia and the more recent game of badminton followed by red wine which has left me feeling this way. So anyway, all this has got me feeling that I miss Thailand in some way. I hope this doesn't last, there's no way we can go back now, surely!

Nostalgia...

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 22:33:00 +0000

Short update..

So, too long since I last tapped keys on this blog. The move back here has left me with virtually bugger all time. I just never seem to have the time to regularly read all the blogs on my list nor update my own.

Life goes on. Everything slowly coming together, well I hope so anyway. Not a huge amount to report other than daughter related things, work and house hunting. Oh, and trying to work out how to finance house purchase in the land of ever increasing house prices without selling the existing one.

Got this in the mail today so I thought I'd share it:

Larry gets home late one night and his wife, Linda, says, "Where in
the hell have you been?"
Larry replies, "I was out getting a tattoo."
"A tattoo?" she frowned. "What kind of tattoo did you get?"
"I got a Fifty Pound note on my privates," he said proudly.
"What the hell were you thinking?" she said, shaking her head in
disdain.
"Why on earth would an accountant get a Fifty Pound note tattooed on
his privates?"
"Well, for one...I like to watch my money grow.
Two...once in a while I like to play with my money.
Three...I like how money feels in my hand.
And, lastly...instead of you going out wasting money on shopping,
you can stay right here at home and blow Fifty quid anytime you want."
Larry is recovering nicely in hospital

That's it for now.

Short update..

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Tue, 29 May 2007 22:20:00 +0000

Trouble predicted in Bangkok...

Well, what's happening in Thailand. Is democracy about to take another hit? All sources seem to be pointing toward Wednesday as being a day of chaos and possibly violence. So much so that the government are drafting in 13,000 soldiers and police to keep things calm. Hmm, surely such a vast number will only have the opposite effect.

Oddly enough the "PM" is out of the country, despite warning about this date last week. So presumably in his absence responsibility for quelling any protests that turn violent (or ones that are forced into violence) will be at the door of the military. Worrying. For anyone who isn't familiar with the Thai way of quelling protests check out this video below (apologies to readers in Thailand as the great Thai nanny deems youtube.com unsuitable for your eyes). Watch it all and keep your eyes on the screen, it's shocking, really shocking.

With any luck the whole thing will pass without so much as a stone being thrown, but it seems that might be unlikely.

Trouble predicted in Bangkok...

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Mon, 28 May 2007 19:10:00 +0000

Single dad and nothing to write..

Being a single dad (temp) is taking its toll. Doing more work now and managing to balance fatherly duties with work - just about.

Surprisingly easy to slip back into life here in the UK. Apart from the fact it has rained for three days solid it's quite nice. Oddly enough even though everything here is stupidly expensive things somehow seem cheaper here, consumer goods and food at least.

Despite us Brits having a reputation for terrible food I really think the food here and the choice of food here is excellent. Certainly from the daughter's point of view things are better. The daughter has got her appetite back and eats much more than she ever did in Thailand. It's much easier to buy good quality food here and organic food is plentiful too. On top of that it's much easier for me as a vegetarian here.

Seems more difficult to find something to write about here. There are plenty of things that are every bit as shocking or interesting as there are in Thailand but somehow it seems less worthy of blog column inches. Or maybe it's just that I simply don't get as much free time to sit down and write whilst I'm here. Should eventually get more time to write as we get more settled here.

Single dad and nothing to write..

noreply@blogger.com (Life Out East) — Tue, 15 May 2007 21:54:00 +0000

Long time no post..

Seems like a lifetime since my last post. Slowly getting back into things here. Daughter in school and enjoying it. Normally 8am to 3.30pm but this week she's been staying on until 6pm, and enjoying it. I feel cruel making her stay so long but it's only temporary.

Now I'm completely a single parent (temporarily) the reality of it is sinking in. There's no problem but everything is a struggle. We're living quite a distance away from her school so I have lots of driving to do, something that will change when we find a new house. Balancing work and parenting is tricky. Even though the wife was only around for a few hours each day in Bangkok there were always some periods when I could take a backseat and relax. Now the pressure is all on me. Every time I try to do something for myself I'm wondering if I'm ignoring her and should I be spending more time with her to compensate for the lack of one parent?

Oddly enough I don't seem to be missing Thailand. We've been back here for two weeks now, I think, and I can't say there are any withdrawal symptoms. Enjoying not sweating all the time and not getting eaten by mozzies (and of course I can look at youtube here!!).

Here's something stupid from dear old nanny state UK. There's a law in place that bans smoking in the workplace. However a van used for commercial purpose, or a lorry, is seen as a workplace. So, you guessed it, someone in their own lorry or van who lights up a cigarette is actually breaking the law. Bonkers! And today a young child of about eight was arrested for throwing a piece of cucumber at a vehicle. The police said that they have a quota for the number of arrests they make so they are now having to target such cucumber throwing minors in order to reach that target. Ho-hum!

Long time no post..