Hail! Joseph.

Leaving the house to take Joseph to school yesterday, started out well enough-a bit chilly, but sunny.Halfway there the sky opened and we were both soaking and cold but had to press on or we would be late for school. Then it started to hail and I could feel the temperature drop.Joseph was shocked, "ouch, ouch!That hurts!" It was his first experience of ice falling from the sky onto his head."Is it snow Daddy?" He enjoyed it I think.He had to change into his PE stuff in the classroom along with Beth and Kyle the other 2 unlucky kids that have to walk to school as well. Funny thing was, was that it had completely stopped on the way back, the sun was shining again.Teosdee often remarks "crazy weather" as she runs to get the washing in for the tenth time that day or as we take shelter with the kids on a Sunday afternoon walk.She comes from the Philippines where as I write a typhoon is boring down, probably for the 10th time this year-it will hit HK on Saturday night.English weather may seem boring, but to foreigners it is actually quite puzzling how 1 day can have every kind of weather, sometimes all at once.
Bonfire night was much better than I expected.In some ways it was more impressive even than the Hong Kong fireworks.Apart from the fireworks beginning a good 3 weeks before the actual night, the actual night itself was spectacular. The fireworks began as the sun was still heading down, and when I went to sleep at 2am they were still relentless. We walked to the local community centre at 6.30pm and watched the organised display, which was great as you could feel the earth move as they banged, and the smell was so strong that I am still coughing.The Hong Kong fireworks always seem so far away even after you have battled a million people to get that 1cm of sky view. We spent just as much time stopping and wowing on the way home at all the other fireworks .English people are also quieter as they watch fireworks, the only person shouting waaah was me!
I am attempting to give up smoking again! I have not smoked for 3 days, although I am wearing patches.Which is more likely to kill me though-smoking, or being a fat bastard? Answers on a postcard please to 'Fat Bastard or Smoker' 10 downing street London.I have had to edit and correct this blog because of mistakes-giving up smoking makes you stupid as well, so let's change the above to 'stupid fat bastard'.
Apart from killing me, is there really anything wrong with smoking? This is not helping me give up.later.