Well, we moved into our new place this week.I could hear the crowds at Tranmere's game on Tuesday night. Don't have any furniture yet, but I managed to buy a t.v. for £4 at a boot sale-it works as well! Sitting and sleeping on the floor at the moment, although we do have a dining table to eat at.The oven is cool, it is great to be able to experiment roasting meat.
Big brother fever is very high this week, I have tuned in for a few minutes and I have to say it is the biggest pile of shit you have ever seen.It does make me wonder about the nation's sanity and intelligence.It seems that the whole population stayed home last night to watch the penultimate episode, not me, I watched a docu-dramatisation about the slavery trade on BBC2.Every other programme is about people setting up new lives in France or Spain, or their dream is to get out of the UK to anywhere.It feels like I am the only idiot doing it the other way around. Repercussions from the bombings continue, with the emphasis this week on relabelling ethnic minorities to British-Asian, British-Muslim, British-African, they haven't mentioned what us white people will be called- British-British, Irish-British, Native-British, British-Wanker.The government is introducing tough new legislation so that nobody can critise Tony Blair, sorry that is not true, nobody can agree with terrorists.
20c here today, and sunny! P.s. these tablets still haven't stopped me smoking yet.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Friday, August 05, 2005
The wild wild west
Not a good week for Liverpool this week, in the news for all the wrong reasons. An 18 year old black boy was killed by an axe to the head in a racist attack! A fire in a home that killed a mother and her 2 kids was found to have been murder after they found 2 gunshot wounds to her head, witnesses remember 3 masked men acting suspiciously outside the house(have you ever seen anyone with a balaclava that wasn't acting suspiciously?)These are stories that have made the national news, not all of them do. There have been at least 3 other murders here in the last 10 days or so, all horrific, all pointless. A man was beaten to within inches of his life here in the housing estate where I am staying by a group of yobs for no apparent reason. Liverpool is not alone by a long shot though, a man was stabbed to death on a London bus when he tried to reason with a yob throwing chips at passengers on the top deck of the bus!
I try and tell people here that relatively Hong Kong has no crime, I don't feel safe here at nights, I worry about muggers robbers and rapists here that is not an issue in Hong Kong. But these things take time to get used to, everybody else here doesn't bat an eyelid.
Well we found a place to live and will move in tonight. It is flat in a house which is bigger than a village house in H.K.. Dining room, huge kitchen, huge garden, living room etc. The price here is the same as HK, £450 per month. It is in Tranmere, literally across the road from Prenton park- The stadium of Tranmere Rovers.The season starts this Saturday so I should be able to get to some games with Joseph.
19c here today, feels cold in the wind.
I try and tell people here that relatively Hong Kong has no crime, I don't feel safe here at nights, I worry about muggers robbers and rapists here that is not an issue in Hong Kong. But these things take time to get used to, everybody else here doesn't bat an eyelid.
Well we found a place to live and will move in tonight. It is flat in a house which is bigger than a village house in H.K.. Dining room, huge kitchen, huge garden, living room etc. The price here is the same as HK, £450 per month. It is in Tranmere, literally across the road from Prenton park- The stadium of Tranmere Rovers.The season starts this Saturday so I should be able to get to some games with Joseph.
19c here today, feels cold in the wind.
Thursday, July 28, 2005
food, glorious food.
I have a new addiction-supermarkets! Iceland, Sainsburys, Tescos, Kwik Save, Aldi, the list goes on. This addiction will hopefully replace my other ones fags and beer. I started to take tablets yesterday which will make stop me smoking, they will make me feel sick when smoking and take away the urge, I'll let you know how it goes.
I went out for a few drinks with my cousin last weekend in Liverpool. He took me to the roughest pubs I have ever been to in my life. In one pub which looked just like a house from the outside, 60 % of the clientelle were off their heads on things much stronger than alcohol, and looked as though they had been that way for a number of years. The other 40% were over 60 and looked as though they had been drunk for 50 of those years. I walked in looking quite smart in my teachers blazer, if I hadn't been with my cousin I don't think i would have lasted very long. After visiting a number of slightly better establishments I took the opportunity to do my party piece- House of the rising sun! It was received quite well, I was afraid that I could only sing it in the Old China Hand.
Still haven't found anywhere to live yet. The amount of bureaucracy that needs to completed when arriving from the moon is amazing, I have had to visit at least 2 government offices everyday since i arrived. It is rainy here today and only about 14c, a taste of the autumn to come, oh joy! i have to do this from the library at the moment and hence cannot do as much as I would like.
Waiting at the bus stop yesterday I overheard the following conversation, a Liverpool accent must be used, i will not attempt to try and write one.
Girl 1: How old is he now?
Girl2 : He's nearly 2. I've got another one on the way.
Girl 1: Who's the father?
Girl 2: I'm not sure!
Both girls were only about 19 or 20-Liverpool!!
I went out for a few drinks with my cousin last weekend in Liverpool. He took me to the roughest pubs I have ever been to in my life. In one pub which looked just like a house from the outside, 60 % of the clientelle were off their heads on things much stronger than alcohol, and looked as though they had been that way for a number of years. The other 40% were over 60 and looked as though they had been drunk for 50 of those years. I walked in looking quite smart in my teachers blazer, if I hadn't been with my cousin I don't think i would have lasted very long. After visiting a number of slightly better establishments I took the opportunity to do my party piece- House of the rising sun! It was received quite well, I was afraid that I could only sing it in the Old China Hand.
Still haven't found anywhere to live yet. The amount of bureaucracy that needs to completed when arriving from the moon is amazing, I have had to visit at least 2 government offices everyday since i arrived. It is rainy here today and only about 14c, a taste of the autumn to come, oh joy! i have to do this from the library at the moment and hence cannot do as much as I would like.
Waiting at the bus stop yesterday I overheard the following conversation, a Liverpool accent must be used, i will not attempt to try and write one.
Girl 1: How old is he now?
Girl2 : He's nearly 2. I've got another one on the way.
Girl 1: Who's the father?
Girl 2: I'm not sure!
Both girls were only about 19 or 20-Liverpool!!
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
In Liverpool
Well, I have now been here in the UK for 1 week. The weather has been excellent for England. We are just trying to find somewhere to live right now here in the Wirral-near liverpool. We will stay here for a few months before heading down south, near my family and Teosdee's. The kids love it here, although it is crowded in her cousin's house. The aftermath of the bombs is still being felt here, there was a firebomb thrown at a mosque here in birkenhead last week. My last week in Hong kong was spent in a haze, so much so that i didn't even drink on the flight! A first for me. After a weeks good food, and no beer, I feel fit as a fiddle. In fact I had a medical on Friday and the doctor told me everything is tip top.I will give up smoking next week, apparently they have tablets now which are very effective.
We went to New Brighton on Sunday, but at one point I became claustrophobic, too many English people, too many scousers in one place.It was too much too soon. The supermarkets are heaven, I find myself wandering around them in a daze.Cool, look at that, wow! look at these. The simplest pleasures are the best.
We went to New Brighton on Sunday, but at one point I became claustrophobic, too many English people, too many scousers in one place.It was too much too soon. The supermarkets are heaven, I find myself wandering around them in a daze.Cool, look at that, wow! look at these. The simplest pleasures are the best.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
7 days is a long time
7 days have gone by, I still haven't sorted out this flat. I have thrown away bags of sh...stuff and still haven't finished.Because of the rain, i've had to keep the windows closed in 32C heat and 95% humidity that means a damp house.No use washing clothes as they will never dry so of to the laundry with my umbrella today, you must use an umbrella here or you do get soaked. I am smoking too much i think, it must be the boredom, and no kids in the flat. Not sure how they are doing, i bought a $50 phonecard yesterday, it lasted for 3 minutes!!! I also didn't get to speak to the boys on Father's day.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
The journey
Well, I saw them off at the airport this afternoon. I have just checked their flight and they are on the tarmac at Bangkok airport-technology really is amazing! They will take off again in 25 minutes for Bahrain, where I should be able to call them.After a 3 hour wait they will board a flight to London where they will arrive 22 hours after leaving Hong Kong at 6.25amBST . THEN ....they will take a coach to Luton Airport and get a flight to Malaga Spain and arrive at 3pm Spanish time,30 hours after leaving!!
I wish I was there to help Teosdee,the kids can be a handful just at home never mind on a plane. I am here watching the news -Michael Jackson getting off, sickening really, he should at least be placed under psychiatric care.
I wish I was there to help Teosdee,the kids can be a handful just at home never mind on a plane. I am here watching the news -Michael Jackson getting off, sickening really, he should at least be placed under psychiatric care.
Saturday, June 11, 2005
dragonboat festival
Today was dragon boat day here. We didn't see any dragon boats this year as we got out too late to get to the beach. We went into the city and took a couple of ferries and had a walk around, but it got up to 34c and it really was hot and humid out there.
The tradition dates back to the legend of Wat Yun, a Chinese minister a very long time ago, in other words I have no idea when! Anyway he disagreed with the evil emperor of the time and in protest jumped into the sea or river and drowned. Impressed by his dedication the locals went out in boats and tried to scare the sharks and fish away by banging on drums or failing that dropping food into the river to discourage the fish from eating Wat Yun's body.Today's races were mainly for fun and are fun to watch. They will hold the international races next weekend in the harbour. It will be the first time for 17 years that dragon boats have been in the harbour, mainly due the danger posed to boaters from the pollution. Now either the harbour is cleaner or they want tourists to see the city in the background, which will make great pics. I think it is more likely to be the latter as although the harbour water quality may have improved fractionally it is still very dirty. One mouthfull of that water, and you can expect some stomach problems for sure, as well as various skin allergies rashes etc.That is what the government were warning only a couple of years ago. But those pics will be nice.
The tradition dates back to the legend of Wat Yun, a Chinese minister a very long time ago, in other words I have no idea when! Anyway he disagreed with the evil emperor of the time and in protest jumped into the sea or river and drowned. Impressed by his dedication the locals went out in boats and tried to scare the sharks and fish away by banging on drums or failing that dropping food into the river to discourage the fish from eating Wat Yun's body.Today's races were mainly for fun and are fun to watch. They will hold the international races next weekend in the harbour. It will be the first time for 17 years that dragon boats have been in the harbour, mainly due the danger posed to boaters from the pollution. Now either the harbour is cleaner or they want tourists to see the city in the background, which will make great pics. I think it is more likely to be the latter as although the harbour water quality may have improved fractionally it is still very dirty. One mouthfull of that water, and you can expect some stomach problems for sure, as well as various skin allergies rashes etc.That is what the government were warning only a couple of years ago. But those pics will be nice.
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