Sunday, June 27, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
A week in the life...
A week in the life....
Sunday-Leave the beach in Lantau fly to Taiwan. Taiwan is really just halfway between Hong-Kong and China, a little lost in its identity really.
Fly to LAX on Delta and the narrowest seats I have ever come across, I can hardly walk when I get off the plane. Then onto Mexico City.
Monday- Stranded in Mexico city for 24 hours, miss flight because I fall asleep after trying to stay awake so I don't get robbed. This was another of those hallucinating times, but this time not only did my vision go but also the weirdest thing with sound as well. As I am trying desperately to keep my eyes open, all the sounds around me take on a very crystal heightened tone, until they all merge into a cacophony of sound, and I can hear strange conversations, such as being nagged and shouted at-very very bizarre! Only by begging American Airlines for a ticket back am I able to literally get the hell out of Dodge.
Tuesday- Have a couple of fags outside Dallas airport in the scorching heat. American Airlines charge US $7 for a beer, even on long haul flights and as with all North American Airlines you have to pay by credit card-even for $3 headphones to listen to the in-flight movie!
Wednesday- As we take off from Tokyo, I get a wonderful clear view of Mount Fuji and then of Tokyo itself. Watch England game back on Lantau.
Thursday- Fly to Shanghai, arrive at 1am stay at the airport hotel. Watch Italy game in room.
Friday.-Walk into the fish pond in the Shanghai hotel as I am walking along looking at my tickets. Shoes, socks and bottom of pants soaking. Not the best way to fly! 13 hours in Toronto airport. Standing outside having a fag, as ever, I couldn't remember where I was and only after mentally retracing my steps did I remember!
Saturday- Fly to Mexico City, and then Guadalejera.
Sunday-Leave the beach in Lantau fly to Taiwan. Taiwan is really just halfway between Hong-Kong and China, a little lost in its identity really.
Fly to LAX on Delta and the narrowest seats I have ever come across, I can hardly walk when I get off the plane. Then onto Mexico City.
Monday- Stranded in Mexico city for 24 hours, miss flight because I fall asleep after trying to stay awake so I don't get robbed. This was another of those hallucinating times, but this time not only did my vision go but also the weirdest thing with sound as well. As I am trying desperately to keep my eyes open, all the sounds around me take on a very crystal heightened tone, until they all merge into a cacophony of sound, and I can hear strange conversations, such as being nagged and shouted at-very very bizarre! Only by begging American Airlines for a ticket back am I able to literally get the hell out of Dodge.
Tuesday- Have a couple of fags outside Dallas airport in the scorching heat. American Airlines charge US $7 for a beer, even on long haul flights and as with all North American Airlines you have to pay by credit card-even for $3 headphones to listen to the in-flight movie!
Wednesday- As we take off from Tokyo, I get a wonderful clear view of Mount Fuji and then of Tokyo itself. Watch England game back on Lantau.
Thursday- Fly to Shanghai, arrive at 1am stay at the airport hotel. Watch Italy game in room.
Friday.-Walk into the fish pond in the Shanghai hotel as I am walking along looking at my tickets. Shoes, socks and bottom of pants soaking. Not the best way to fly! 13 hours in Toronto airport. Standing outside having a fag, as ever, I couldn't remember where I was and only after mentally retracing my steps did I remember!
Saturday- Fly to Mexico City, and then Guadalejera.
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
Move along sir!
2.00am-Silvermine Bay beach
I am not sure how long I had been there to be honest, but there I was. On a covered bench at 2am smoking a fag, I hadn't seen another human being for at least half an hour, I had my beat box next to me blasting out the loudest music possible. In front of me was the sea and the relentless wind. The 2 police men stopped directly in front of me and the second one said' please turn down the music' 'no' I said, and after a short conversation he said ' I don't want to argue with you anymore, I'm going' and off he went.
I have spent a long time since, thinking about this short exchange, and let me make it clear-I really do have the upmost respect for the Hong Kong police, and I am convinced this would never have happened elsewhere.
I was awakened from my reverie by the policeman's request to switch down the music, and it is really impossible to write down with any accuracy the speed and volume of thoughts that went through my head before I decided upon 'no' as an answer.
I am not a fucking fool and immediately I thought 'this is a man with a gun,a truncheon and possibly other things that could seriously hurt me and if he fails there is always his mate as well'.
On the other hand though, I was sat on a beach at least a quarter of a mile from the nearest house which I did tell said policeman after I said no and he told me I was noisy and I told him I was sat on a beach, and he said someone might complain and I told him there was no one within a quarter of a mile. It was at that point that he told me he didn't want to argue and rode away. Could I have gotten away with that anywhere else? No fucking way! Across most of the world the police have some really big mental shit going on, especially in England and the US. I was there tonight, a lone man on a beach, defying 2 coppers, I knew full well that if I was elsewhere they would have dragged me off to jail before I could utter ' bent copper'. The officer i met tonight though, considered my non compliance and thought' well ,he is actually well within his rights, let him be' and went on his way. He doesn't know it, but I am so thankful that there are still policeman as upstanding and honest as him.
I am not sure how long I had been there to be honest, but there I was. On a covered bench at 2am smoking a fag, I hadn't seen another human being for at least half an hour, I had my beat box next to me blasting out the loudest music possible. In front of me was the sea and the relentless wind. The 2 police men stopped directly in front of me and the second one said' please turn down the music' 'no' I said, and after a short conversation he said ' I don't want to argue with you anymore, I'm going' and off he went.
I have spent a long time since, thinking about this short exchange, and let me make it clear-I really do have the upmost respect for the Hong Kong police, and I am convinced this would never have happened elsewhere.
I was awakened from my reverie by the policeman's request to switch down the music, and it is really impossible to write down with any accuracy the speed and volume of thoughts that went through my head before I decided upon 'no' as an answer.
I am not a fucking fool and immediately I thought 'this is a man with a gun,a truncheon and possibly other things that could seriously hurt me and if he fails there is always his mate as well'.
On the other hand though, I was sat on a beach at least a quarter of a mile from the nearest house which I did tell said policeman after I said no and he told me I was noisy and I told him I was sat on a beach, and he said someone might complain and I told him there was no one within a quarter of a mile. It was at that point that he told me he didn't want to argue and rode away. Could I have gotten away with that anywhere else? No fucking way! Across most of the world the police have some really big mental shit going on, especially in England and the US. I was there tonight, a lone man on a beach, defying 2 coppers, I knew full well that if I was elsewhere they would have dragged me off to jail before I could utter ' bent copper'. The officer i met tonight though, considered my non compliance and thought' well ,he is actually well within his rights, let him be' and went on his way. He doesn't know it, but I am so thankful that there are still policeman as upstanding and honest as him.
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
The Yuppies are taking over the asylum.
The Yuppies are taking over the asylum.
I have lived on Lantau-on and off for 17 years, and during that time I have seen many changes. When I first arrived in Lantau it was almost a backpackers/hippy paradise, there were very few foreigners, and those people lived quite happily with the locals, the dark days of the airport soon followed and the huge influx of airport workers clashed terribly with the locals-often violently. The culture clash was deep indeed, taking the bus to Pui-O was a real drag, and the locals began to resent all foreign men under 50. Thankfully those times passed with the completion of the airport and things once again settled down.
For the last 5 years more and more families settled in Lantau, and a lot of us started families of our own. Locals and foreigners now live side by side, and our kids are friends and those cultural differences seem to be much less marked-until now!
Living in an idyllic place such as this word is bound to get out, and more and more affluent foreigners have begun to settle here. This is in itself not a problem, although it has pushed up prices for us riffraff-but that's life.
What is now becoming apparent is another cultural clash, this time not only with the locals, here is an example;
Wang Tong in Mui-Wo, is situated in the swamp behind the beach, and rents there have remained low for many years-and there is a reason for that which I will come to. Recently a few large houses have grown there, which were built by foreigners but the majority of the village has remained the same-cheap housing and holiday flats. A group of people who apparently represent foreigners have recently begun a campaign to change some things in the village.
• Reduce noise in the village by closing holiday flats
• Control the number of dogs loose in the village
• Rehouse a particular person who lives in a house with no roof at the entrance to the village-he is apparently an eyesore.
• Close the toilet bar
Mui-Wo is a seaside town-if you don't want to live next to holiday flats , you should have done your research before moving to Wang Tong! This is important income for Mui-Wo residents and any chance of changing that will seriously piss them off, and that is really not a good idea. I can give you a list of people who can attest to that.
Go to any New Territories village and you will see lots of loose dogs, they are a part of life, and unless they are dangerous are nobody's business.
How someone lives is none of your damn business-if that person wants to change his life he will, who are we to dictate?
Good luck with closing the toilet bar-it never has any noise complaints against it, it is a perfectly legal shop, the same as hundreds dotted around Hong Kong, and once again I certainly wouldn't want to mess with a locally owned shop and then have to walk to Wang Tong every night.
In the end, things are how they are, and that is part of Lantau's charm, and the local people accept us and our differences quite happily, we should do the same-or piss off back to where we came from.
I have lived on Lantau-on and off for 17 years, and during that time I have seen many changes. When I first arrived in Lantau it was almost a backpackers/hippy paradise, there were very few foreigners, and those people lived quite happily with the locals, the dark days of the airport soon followed and the huge influx of airport workers clashed terribly with the locals-often violently. The culture clash was deep indeed, taking the bus to Pui-O was a real drag, and the locals began to resent all foreign men under 50. Thankfully those times passed with the completion of the airport and things once again settled down.
For the last 5 years more and more families settled in Lantau, and a lot of us started families of our own. Locals and foreigners now live side by side, and our kids are friends and those cultural differences seem to be much less marked-until now!
Living in an idyllic place such as this word is bound to get out, and more and more affluent foreigners have begun to settle here. This is in itself not a problem, although it has pushed up prices for us riffraff-but that's life.
What is now becoming apparent is another cultural clash, this time not only with the locals, here is an example;
Wang Tong in Mui-Wo, is situated in the swamp behind the beach, and rents there have remained low for many years-and there is a reason for that which I will come to. Recently a few large houses have grown there, which were built by foreigners but the majority of the village has remained the same-cheap housing and holiday flats. A group of people who apparently represent foreigners have recently begun a campaign to change some things in the village.
• Reduce noise in the village by closing holiday flats
• Control the number of dogs loose in the village
• Rehouse a particular person who lives in a house with no roof at the entrance to the village-he is apparently an eyesore.
• Close the toilet bar
Mui-Wo is a seaside town-if you don't want to live next to holiday flats , you should have done your research before moving to Wang Tong! This is important income for Mui-Wo residents and any chance of changing that will seriously piss them off, and that is really not a good idea. I can give you a list of people who can attest to that.
Go to any New Territories village and you will see lots of loose dogs, they are a part of life, and unless they are dangerous are nobody's business.
How someone lives is none of your damn business-if that person wants to change his life he will, who are we to dictate?
Good luck with closing the toilet bar-it never has any noise complaints against it, it is a perfectly legal shop, the same as hundreds dotted around Hong Kong, and once again I certainly wouldn't want to mess with a locally owned shop and then have to walk to Wang Tong every night.
In the end, things are how they are, and that is part of Lantau's charm, and the local people accept us and our differences quite happily, we should do the same-or piss off back to where we came from.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
If-again
I never tire of this, it remains as true today as it ever was-
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings—nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And—which is more—you'll be a Man my son!
—Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings—nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And—which is more—you'll be a Man my son!
—Rudyard Kipling
Monday, May 17, 2010
jet lag
Jet lag-
I never really understood the full effects of jet-lag until yesterday. I arrived back in Hong Kong at 6.30am from Tuscon, Arizona via Los Angeles and Vancouver. I did some boring shit in the morning, and then lay down on my bed at around 11.30am.At 11.45 i was in the middle of a dream that involved me waiting in line at security at a nameless airport, and then i was awoken by my phone. It took me a good 2 minutes to clear my head and get to grips that i was no longer travelling and realise where i was. I had a great afternoon at the beach with friends, but I did feel a little tired. Most of my mates passed through and then went into the town, and I promised that i would follow them later. Mid evening I walked into town by myself to catch up with everyone and made a fatal mistake and sat on a bench at the harbour, to have a smoke and enjoy the view. Here's where the jet-lag really kicked in! I came to, and panicked and thought, fuck what time is it? Have i missed that flight? Where am i? Where's my bag? Not being able to answer any of these questions I did what I always do in such situations and 'took a moment' during my moment I thought Where am I going? Where have I been? My bag is probably with someone! It was then that I heard a lot of Cantonese voices to the left of me, and my first thought was-i must be waiting for a flight back to Hong Kong. I honestly at this point had no idea where i was, or what i was doing. A minute went by , I was quite happy knowing that i must be waiting for the same flight as the Chinese people next to me. Then it occurred to me that i could only hear Cantonese voices .At every point in this story , my eyes had been open, i was sat on a bench with the South China Sea less than 5 metres away with all the noise that entails. At the exact moment that i realised it was really strange to only hear Chinese people in an airport, the curtains opened before my eyes , and my brain accepted the reality of what my eyes had been seeing for the last 5 minutes. I had had moments of hallucination during extreme times of tiredness recently, but for my brain to completely disregard what my eyes were seeing is another matter entirely! That is jet-lag.
I never really understood the full effects of jet-lag until yesterday. I arrived back in Hong Kong at 6.30am from Tuscon, Arizona via Los Angeles and Vancouver. I did some boring shit in the morning, and then lay down on my bed at around 11.30am.At 11.45 i was in the middle of a dream that involved me waiting in line at security at a nameless airport, and then i was awoken by my phone. It took me a good 2 minutes to clear my head and get to grips that i was no longer travelling and realise where i was. I had a great afternoon at the beach with friends, but I did feel a little tired. Most of my mates passed through and then went into the town, and I promised that i would follow them later. Mid evening I walked into town by myself to catch up with everyone and made a fatal mistake and sat on a bench at the harbour, to have a smoke and enjoy the view. Here's where the jet-lag really kicked in! I came to, and panicked and thought, fuck what time is it? Have i missed that flight? Where am i? Where's my bag? Not being able to answer any of these questions I did what I always do in such situations and 'took a moment' during my moment I thought Where am I going? Where have I been? My bag is probably with someone! It was then that I heard a lot of Cantonese voices to the left of me, and my first thought was-i must be waiting for a flight back to Hong Kong. I honestly at this point had no idea where i was, or what i was doing. A minute went by , I was quite happy knowing that i must be waiting for the same flight as the Chinese people next to me. Then it occurred to me that i could only hear Cantonese voices .At every point in this story , my eyes had been open, i was sat on a bench with the South China Sea less than 5 metres away with all the noise that entails. At the exact moment that i realised it was really strange to only hear Chinese people in an airport, the curtains opened before my eyes , and my brain accepted the reality of what my eyes had been seeing for the last 5 minutes. I had had moments of hallucination during extreme times of tiredness recently, but for my brain to completely disregard what my eyes were seeing is another matter entirely! That is jet-lag.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Delhi
Day 6.Not a great day yesterday. After the hell that was Delhi, being shut up in a small room with lots of other people who had dared to transit through Delhi airport, they do their upmost to make the experience as unpleasant as possible-they really hate transit passengers there. I was lucky I was only starved, confined and shouted at for 8 hours, there were others who had done 18-24 hours. A certain camaraderie was established though, and hands were shook as people escaped. I got talking to a gay Filipino guy(from Pampanga) on his way back to work(in an American base)in Afghanistan! He assured me that these conditions were normal in Delhi. I did raise the issue with him that the Philippine government had banned Filippinas working in Afghanistan and Iraq, he told me that if you paid the right people in the Philippine immigration dept, that was not a problem. So after a very nice and brief stop in Munich, (I went outside and watched a polo match, and Lufthansa kindly provide free hot drinks and newspapers in the airport) I arrived in good cheer at Prague. I was then stuck in customs for 7 hours. I learnt a valuable lesson yesterday, never assume things will run smoothly, and sleep whenever you get the chance-don't wait. I was so tired that I began to hallucinate as I tried to stay awake. The customs hall would visually blur into one and the sounds of the people became a very sharp echo. I found myself continuously shaking myself out of these mini-trips to see people watching me, and wondering what the hell is that hippy on? Sleep deprivation-the ultimate high!
Luckily I suppose, when I finally arrived (midnight)at the Pensione (hotel) it was in the middle of nowhere. Otherwise I would have been tempted to have a walkabout, the temptation to explore is very strong in a new place. As it was I went straight to sleep, and slept like a log.
I had a walk around before breakfast this morning, and it is very pretty near the Pensione, I must be in the suburbs. I will probably have a quick look around Prague before heading back to the airport, and then I'm not sure.
Prague
Day 7.
I am here again in the hell that is the transit lounge in Delhi. I have been on the road for a week now. I seem to be on my way back to Singapore, not sure where to then.
I had a fantastic morning yesterday in Prague. I managed to have a 4 hour walk around the city. It was a warm spring day, and I even managed to top up the old tan. Prague is surely the beautiful city in the world. The architecture is simply breathtaking, and the Czechs really know how to treasure and take care of their heritage. Prague really is a friendly lovely place. It is not cheap anymore, but probably cheaper than London. It is a must see city, you haven't seen Europe unless you have seen Prague. I prefer it to Paris or Rome, although Barcelona is hard to beat, but I think that's because of the beaches. The flight from Prague to Munich is a short flight-40 minutes, but the countryside in between is very pretty. The plane flies low so the view was as clear as a bell. I could see cyclists and even people walking in the countryside. For possibly the first time i found myself thinking 'I wish I could drive' i would love to explore the whole area of Southern Germany into Austria and across to the Czech Republic. There are so many small villages, valleys, rolling hills, lakes, and forests. Unlike Northern Germany and Europe, it really is unspoilt by industry and large cities. At times from the air it looks as though someone has laid down a velvet rug, the greens and yellows of the fields look so clear and smooth. Definitely on my list of places to take the kids, not sure about the driving though. Again I was most impresses in Munich by how helpful and friendly the Germans are. I realised that my German is better than my Cantonese, it always surprises me how much I can understand. Most people mistook me for a German, and I tried my best to speak German to them, but i am very rusty. The more I see Europe, the more I think I would rather my kids grew up there rather than England, but we can't always get what we want.
Airports
Day 4. In Delhi airport.
On a scale of 1-10 I decided to rank some of the airports where I've spent some time.
Singapore-10
Seoul-9
Hong Kong-8
Helsinki-7
Copenhagen-7
Heathrow-5
Los Angeles-5
Chicago-5
San Francisco-5
Toronto-5
Gatwick-4
Detroit-4
Atlanta-4
Penang-4
Manchester-3
Liverpool -3
Manila-1
Delhi - -3
Yes, Delhi has been that good. Enough said. Munich and Prague airports to follow.
Munich-8
Prague-7
Bangkok-5
On a scale of 1-10 I decided to rank some of the airports where I've spent some time.
Singapore-10
Seoul-9
Hong Kong-8
Helsinki-7
Copenhagen-7
Heathrow-5
Los Angeles-5
Chicago-5
San Francisco-5
Toronto-5
Gatwick-4
Detroit-4
Atlanta-4
Penang-4
Manchester-3
Liverpool -3
Manila-1
Delhi - -3
Yes, Delhi has been that good. Enough said. Munich and Prague airports to follow.
Munich-8
Prague-7
Bangkok-5
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Penang
Is in a hotel in Penang.I came here about 13 years ago, wasn't too impressed then either.Georgetown is a bit of a faded traveller's hangout.Not sure why they come here really, same old reggae bars etc, but there are no great beaches here or fantastic temples. In fact it was busier and its redeeming factor 13 years ago was that it must have neen how Hong Kong looked years ago, but now even that life has gone.The Chinese have moved out to the huge malls and entertainment complexes in the suburbs.Nervertheless it has been great to get off the road and see something new even if I only arrived at 11pm. I have been stuck in either the Philippines or China for years now, nice to see the other Asia again.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
travels
Me In Detroit
I have decided that I like the U.S. I am now sat in Detroit airport for the umpteenth time over the last few weeks. The people are genuinely friendly. I was in LAX last night, flying over Los-Angeles at dusk was brilliant. Wow! What a city, it is absolutely huge, I haven't been so impressed landing at a city since the old Hong Kong airport(although planes do still fly over the city sometimes). I had a great view from the business class seat of my Philippine airline flight(that sounds better than the reality, they still only have 2 movies!), as the plane flew right over downtown LA, and then over most of the city to LAX. Of course I was imagining all the guns, cops, and Hank from Californication in the streets below. I was just as starstruck as I took off 3 hours later for Detroit. I did manage to mingle, and people-watch as I smoked myself to death outside the airport for an hour. I found the people and staff much cooler(in a positive sense) than those in Atlanta, Detroit, or Chicago, although San-Francisco is still up there. So California is definitely on my list for a longer visit. I have been surprised by the sheer number of people here, and of course the size of the country. It's a little like China, but with white people, and black and brown people. The sheer myriad of peoples here is astounding-Indians, Filipinos, Russians, Africans, Chinese.....A lot of people are still trying to live that American dream. It makes Europe feel small. I haven't met any yobs on the streets or trains or in the airports-unlike the UK, where yobs rule every public place. The people here seem to be nice to each other and surprisingly intelligent, of course Europe is like that-just not the UK. Next time you are in Heathrow, Gatwick or Manchester airports, have a good look around and listen to the people there. Listen to the language and have a peek in the bars. Don't even bother with the train stations, bus stations, cinemas, supermarkets, or other public places-it's just too depressing. It is nice to blend into the hotchpotch of people and not get noticed. Yesterday I was in Manila, which can be a bit much sometimes, with people stopping staring and pointing-and even taking photos(think it must be because they think I look like Jesus 'Mummy why does Christ our Lord smoke so much?')!
Me in Chicago
I am glad that we don't have the same crime as they do here, but I have my doubts as to how that affects everyday life here, not as much as low-level violence affects life in the UK I think.
I'm waiting for a flight to Chicago now, and hope to get downtown again for a couple of hours, and then it is back to Manila via Seoul, and then I'm not joking, probably back here to Detroit. Seoul has very fast free-wifi in its airport, and I should be able to post this and any pics when I get there, and call my boys and wife on messenger who I miss very much. I spent a very boring week hanging around Mui-Wo last week, it's no fun when it's cool and rainy ,I would rather be flying.
Update(7hrs later)-I am now at Chicago O Hare airport, waiting for a flight to Seoul which is 8 hours away from now. It is nearly 6pm, so too late for me to head downtown so i will wait here. At times like these it is hard to stay awake-it is 6am Hong Kong time. I will now go to Hong Kong from Seoul and then onto Penang in Malaysia, from there I have no idea. I am never too sure how bad I look as the days pass, i have not had a chance to take a shower or sleep in a hotel yet, which is not too bad as it is only 48 hours since I left Lantau. A border Guard called me 'young man' earlier, but he looked younger than me, it must be a sign of getting old(or vain) when being called young gives you a boost.
Eruptions.
I have seen at first hand the chaos caused by the volcanic eruption, which is causing almost as much trouble as it is to try and pronounce the bloody thing! Hong Kong airport was eerily quiet and calm on Sunday, a lot of flights head to Europe from there, but as it's easy to get to from the city, most passengers had simply stayed away. Manila was as manic as ever, but that has nothing to do with the volcano, they don't really have direct flights, it is always manic. In fact it is the worst airport in the world, lazy immigration guards, surly ground staff, very few people working there seem to want to be working there. I asked 5 security guards/porters how to get from one terminal to the other last week, and every one of them told me to take a taxi, and denied the existence of a shuttle bus which I eventually found. If a management team was to try and improve Manila airport, it would have to fire 90% of the staff there for incompetence and corruption. I digress- but it is the pits.
I could see some big queues in LAX(immigration and customs were a joy by the way, including the large number of Filipinos working there!) but I wasn't really taking much notice. It was only in Chicago that I have seen the full effects, Chicago being one of the main European hubs for North America. At all of the airlines serving Europe, the queues were massive, full of very worried people pushing and shoving, shouting and crying. The main problem being that it seemed to be airlines themselves dictating policy, for example United Airlines were flying to London, but BA wasn't, although they did have one flight to Glasgow-best stay in Chicago really. Scandinavian Airlines were flying but Air France were not. This may of course have more to do with where the cloud is than the airlines choice, but I can see flying to Europe being hell for the next week or so. I wouldn't have minded getting stranded in London myself, or if you were on holiday in Cyprus or in Australia, being a week late back to the UK surely would have been a bonus.
As you can tell I am pretty bored, and actually I am just trying to stay awake, so on that note I'll go and have another fag.
Update(another 3 hours later) I have just nipped into the toilet to change my socks, noxious is an understatement. I'm airside now and only another 2 hours before the flight, and then 14 hours up to the Arctic and down again to Korea. I don't think I'll see much this time, I was fascinated last time and stayed awake the whole time, as I thought ' well, this is definitely a place I'll never visit so I may as well watch it from above' . Didn't see any polar bears though!
Heard on CNN that the UK are using naval ships to get people back home, very exciting indeed. It's just what Gordon Brown needed a couple of weeks before the election, sending in the military to help stranded Brits from the perils of France. D-day again, this time rescued from bad wine and rudeness, I can see Gordon winning a huge majority, unless they accidently rescue the thousands of Iraqis, Afghans and other illegal immigrants camped out near Calais.
Just heard about a man in the UK who has been accused of bestiality with horses and cows. The judge refused him bail as he said the defendant didn't have a stable address. True story!
Update-Just landed in Seoul, internet access- yeah!!
Me in Manila!
I have decided that I like the U.S. I am now sat in Detroit airport for the umpteenth time over the last few weeks. The people are genuinely friendly. I was in LAX last night, flying over Los-Angeles at dusk was brilliant. Wow! What a city, it is absolutely huge, I haven't been so impressed landing at a city since the old Hong Kong airport(although planes do still fly over the city sometimes). I had a great view from the business class seat of my Philippine airline flight(that sounds better than the reality, they still only have 2 movies!), as the plane flew right over downtown LA, and then over most of the city to LAX. Of course I was imagining all the guns, cops, and Hank from Californication in the streets below. I was just as starstruck as I took off 3 hours later for Detroit. I did manage to mingle, and people-watch as I smoked myself to death outside the airport for an hour. I found the people and staff much cooler(in a positive sense) than those in Atlanta, Detroit, or Chicago, although San-Francisco is still up there. So California is definitely on my list for a longer visit. I have been surprised by the sheer number of people here, and of course the size of the country. It's a little like China, but with white people, and black and brown people. The sheer myriad of peoples here is astounding-Indians, Filipinos, Russians, Africans, Chinese.....A lot of people are still trying to live that American dream. It makes Europe feel small. I haven't met any yobs on the streets or trains or in the airports-unlike the UK, where yobs rule every public place. The people here seem to be nice to each other and surprisingly intelligent, of course Europe is like that-just not the UK. Next time you are in Heathrow, Gatwick or Manchester airports, have a good look around and listen to the people there. Listen to the language and have a peek in the bars. Don't even bother with the train stations, bus stations, cinemas, supermarkets, or other public places-it's just too depressing. It is nice to blend into the hotchpotch of people and not get noticed. Yesterday I was in Manila, which can be a bit much sometimes, with people stopping staring and pointing-and even taking photos(think it must be because they think I look like Jesus 'Mummy why does Christ our Lord smoke so much?')!
Me in Chicago
I am glad that we don't have the same crime as they do here, but I have my doubts as to how that affects everyday life here, not as much as low-level violence affects life in the UK I think.
I'm waiting for a flight to Chicago now, and hope to get downtown again for a couple of hours, and then it is back to Manila via Seoul, and then I'm not joking, probably back here to Detroit. Seoul has very fast free-wifi in its airport, and I should be able to post this and any pics when I get there, and call my boys and wife on messenger who I miss very much. I spent a very boring week hanging around Mui-Wo last week, it's no fun when it's cool and rainy ,I would rather be flying.
Update(7hrs later)-I am now at Chicago O Hare airport, waiting for a flight to Seoul which is 8 hours away from now. It is nearly 6pm, so too late for me to head downtown so i will wait here. At times like these it is hard to stay awake-it is 6am Hong Kong time. I will now go to Hong Kong from Seoul and then onto Penang in Malaysia, from there I have no idea. I am never too sure how bad I look as the days pass, i have not had a chance to take a shower or sleep in a hotel yet, which is not too bad as it is only 48 hours since I left Lantau. A border Guard called me 'young man' earlier, but he looked younger than me, it must be a sign of getting old(or vain) when being called young gives you a boost.
Eruptions.
I have seen at first hand the chaos caused by the volcanic eruption, which is causing almost as much trouble as it is to try and pronounce the bloody thing! Hong Kong airport was eerily quiet and calm on Sunday, a lot of flights head to Europe from there, but as it's easy to get to from the city, most passengers had simply stayed away. Manila was as manic as ever, but that has nothing to do with the volcano, they don't really have direct flights, it is always manic. In fact it is the worst airport in the world, lazy immigration guards, surly ground staff, very few people working there seem to want to be working there. I asked 5 security guards/porters how to get from one terminal to the other last week, and every one of them told me to take a taxi, and denied the existence of a shuttle bus which I eventually found. If a management team was to try and improve Manila airport, it would have to fire 90% of the staff there for incompetence and corruption. I digress- but it is the pits.
I could see some big queues in LAX(immigration and customs were a joy by the way, including the large number of Filipinos working there!) but I wasn't really taking much notice. It was only in Chicago that I have seen the full effects, Chicago being one of the main European hubs for North America. At all of the airlines serving Europe, the queues were massive, full of very worried people pushing and shoving, shouting and crying. The main problem being that it seemed to be airlines themselves dictating policy, for example United Airlines were flying to London, but BA wasn't, although they did have one flight to Glasgow-best stay in Chicago really. Scandinavian Airlines were flying but Air France were not. This may of course have more to do with where the cloud is than the airlines choice, but I can see flying to Europe being hell for the next week or so. I wouldn't have minded getting stranded in London myself, or if you were on holiday in Cyprus or in Australia, being a week late back to the UK surely would have been a bonus.
As you can tell I am pretty bored, and actually I am just trying to stay awake, so on that note I'll go and have another fag.
Update(another 3 hours later) I have just nipped into the toilet to change my socks, noxious is an understatement. I'm airside now and only another 2 hours before the flight, and then 14 hours up to the Arctic and down again to Korea. I don't think I'll see much this time, I was fascinated last time and stayed awake the whole time, as I thought ' well, this is definitely a place I'll never visit so I may as well watch it from above' . Didn't see any polar bears though!
Heard on CNN that the UK are using naval ships to get people back home, very exciting indeed. It's just what Gordon Brown needed a couple of weeks before the election, sending in the military to help stranded Brits from the perils of France. D-day again, this time rescued from bad wine and rudeness, I can see Gordon winning a huge majority, unless they accidently rescue the thousands of Iraqis, Afghans and other illegal immigrants camped out near Calais.
Just heard about a man in the UK who has been accused of bestiality with horses and cows. The judge refused him bail as he said the defendant didn't have a stable address. True story!
Update-Just landed in Seoul, internet access- yeah!!
Me in Manila!
Friday, April 16, 2010
2 Buddhas
I have just returned from the village to pick up my laundry, and I was asked why I was back on the island and where were the family?-3 times. It's nice that people care but after the hundredth time I have decided to spice up the story a bit, and this will be my answer next time;
Whilst trekking in the Himalayas we met the Dalai Lama, who after a brief chat with my youngest son, decided that he was the living incarnation of himself. I did question the logic of this as I didn't understand how this could be, as he was still alive, so that would mean there are 2 of them, and I didn't see any financial advantage of him being the next Dalai Lama. After a brief negotiation, I went happily on my way, having been rewarded with a modest payment and a share of any royalties from tie-in books etc in the future. I threw in my eldest son for good luck-in for a penny, in for a pound! The wife wasn't overjoyed at the arrangement, being a Christian and all. In fact she kicked up an almighty fuss, and ran away with a travelling circus we met at the next town. Apparently she is now a lion tamer, she said taming lions was a synch after living with me for 10 years. The boys have had their heads shaven and are studying meditation and Tibetan. Not sure it will last though, as although saintly, I think the Dalai Lama has bitten off more than he can chew with my two.
Whilst trekking in the Himalayas we met the Dalai Lama, who after a brief chat with my youngest son, decided that he was the living incarnation of himself. I did question the logic of this as I didn't understand how this could be, as he was still alive, so that would mean there are 2 of them, and I didn't see any financial advantage of him being the next Dalai Lama. After a brief negotiation, I went happily on my way, having been rewarded with a modest payment and a share of any royalties from tie-in books etc in the future. I threw in my eldest son for good luck-in for a penny, in for a pound! The wife wasn't overjoyed at the arrangement, being a Christian and all. In fact she kicked up an almighty fuss, and ran away with a travelling circus we met at the next town. Apparently she is now a lion tamer, she said taming lions was a synch after living with me for 10 years. The boys have had their heads shaven and are studying meditation and Tibetan. Not sure it will last though, as although saintly, I think the Dalai Lama has bitten off more than he can chew with my two.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Waste
This is a true story, it is heartbreaking, disturbing and definitely a tragedy. Although I will tell it in the first person, I was not there, and the first person is fictional, as are the thoughts and sentiments of that first person. The reasons I have written it in the first person is to try and approximate the sheer horror of that person. If you don't like my language, then fuck you, because as with most people in this world you have blinded yourself to the cold hard fucking facts of life in the real world. And so I will begin;
Hong Kong is a pretty fucking good place to live, and to live in Lantau is the business. I live in Mui-Wo, which is by far the best place to live on Lantau.All this means shit if you've never been here, but you must at least know that Hong Kong is the most populated place on the planet. Well, us Gweilos (white motherfuckers) who've lived here awhile realised very quickly that we couldn't handle the city and found our way to the beautiful,tropical and quiet outlying islands-Lantau being one . Life is pretty idyllic over here, a little like Cheers but much much bigger. This is not a fuckin tourist blurb though and if you want to know more look on the net. To pay for this life we have to work, and that takes me to the day in question, where I was on the late shift and ready to go home. The office is always high stress, there are over 20 of us there, most of us British. One of the fellas hadn't turned in today, which in itself is not unusual, but nobody had heard fuck all from him for a couple of days now. Only 2 days ago it had been Bill's(made up name) birthday and a few of the lads had had a night over in Wanchai. Nothing unusual had happened, and so far as we knew nothing was amiss. It wasn't the first time that someone's dad/mum/wife had called, shit after a good night we lost people for days, that's Hong kong. Bill's Dad told me hadn't heard from Bill for 3 days, I had worked with Bill for 7 years, so I knew straight away to expect the worst. 7 years Bill was on the desk next to me, we were close. Most of us here have lived the life, but survived and calmed down with wives and kids. Bill had been married, but it didn't last-who knows why? Bill lived in Mui-Wo above the supermarket, close to the ferry, most of my Lantau friends didn't know him though as he kept himself to himself.He was still young , on the right side of 30 and as I've said had worked for our company for years. As I also said earlier, most of us had walked the fuckin walk and done the talk before we settled down, and as far as we knew so had Bill. Someone always went off the rails at times, but generally nothing a good sleep or a good divorce wouldn't cure-you know what I mean. So back to Bill's dad on the phone; He hadn't heard from him for three days and had been round to his flat a couple of times but had got no answer. He could hear the same music being played again and again though. You fuckin know where this is going and so did I at this point, but of course prayed and prayed that he'd left his telly on and was shacked up with some bird somewhere. We had no clue where Bill was, and Bill's dad didn't live on the island so I offered to stop by on my home and call him later. The sense of impending dread built as I took my normal 90 minute journey home, it was 1am by the time I got back.i had never been to Bill's flat but I knew the building and floor, and so I found myself at his door. The music was still playing, and after a while I realised it was on a very short loop, it must be a DVD. Of course there was no answer to my ringing and knocking. Hong kong is a small place and if Bill was still out on the town we would have heard, he wasn't, I knew he must be in his flat-nobody leaves their music playing like that. On the way I had called a couple of friends in the police to ask their advice about what I should do and they had been very clear-Don't put in the door, just call the police. I already knew from Bill's father that the music had been playing for a couple of days, and so called the cops.
They arrived very quickly-the island is a small place. They broke down the door. I followed them into the flat.
He was sat there rigid, frozen. On a chair facing the TV. Blood and vomit had congealed on his face. The DVD was some crap Jennifer Lopez film. There were syringes. He was dead.
They moved him and the rigor mortis was obvious, his whole body remained in the same position as they tipped his body.
I don't have the words to describe my feelings, my horror, my shock at that moment. This was my friend, my colleague. How much of our lives had we shared together? I knew he'd had history, but thought that had long gone. He was so straight at work, competent.
This was a young 33 year old, intelligent, good, hardworking man. He still had everything to live for, with so much to come. This man was not a drug addict-he was a fully functioning, highly functioning young healthy man. The anti drug adverts don't do the reality justice. Bill's petrified rigid body would scare the fuck out of anybody.
What a fucking waste!
Hong Kong is a pretty fucking good place to live, and to live in Lantau is the business. I live in Mui-Wo, which is by far the best place to live on Lantau.All this means shit if you've never been here, but you must at least know that Hong Kong is the most populated place on the planet. Well, us Gweilos (white motherfuckers) who've lived here awhile realised very quickly that we couldn't handle the city and found our way to the beautiful,tropical and quiet outlying islands-Lantau being one . Life is pretty idyllic over here, a little like Cheers but much much bigger. This is not a fuckin tourist blurb though and if you want to know more look on the net. To pay for this life we have to work, and that takes me to the day in question, where I was on the late shift and ready to go home. The office is always high stress, there are over 20 of us there, most of us British. One of the fellas hadn't turned in today, which in itself is not unusual, but nobody had heard fuck all from him for a couple of days now. Only 2 days ago it had been Bill's(made up name) birthday and a few of the lads had had a night over in Wanchai. Nothing unusual had happened, and so far as we knew nothing was amiss. It wasn't the first time that someone's dad/mum/wife had called, shit after a good night we lost people for days, that's Hong kong. Bill's Dad told me hadn't heard from Bill for 3 days, I had worked with Bill for 7 years, so I knew straight away to expect the worst. 7 years Bill was on the desk next to me, we were close. Most of us here have lived the life, but survived and calmed down with wives and kids. Bill had been married, but it didn't last-who knows why? Bill lived in Mui-Wo above the supermarket, close to the ferry, most of my Lantau friends didn't know him though as he kept himself to himself.He was still young , on the right side of 30 and as I've said had worked for our company for years. As I also said earlier, most of us had walked the fuckin walk and done the talk before we settled down, and as far as we knew so had Bill. Someone always went off the rails at times, but generally nothing a good sleep or a good divorce wouldn't cure-you know what I mean. So back to Bill's dad on the phone; He hadn't heard from him for three days and had been round to his flat a couple of times but had got no answer. He could hear the same music being played again and again though. You fuckin know where this is going and so did I at this point, but of course prayed and prayed that he'd left his telly on and was shacked up with some bird somewhere. We had no clue where Bill was, and Bill's dad didn't live on the island so I offered to stop by on my home and call him later. The sense of impending dread built as I took my normal 90 minute journey home, it was 1am by the time I got back.i had never been to Bill's flat but I knew the building and floor, and so I found myself at his door. The music was still playing, and after a while I realised it was on a very short loop, it must be a DVD. Of course there was no answer to my ringing and knocking. Hong kong is a small place and if Bill was still out on the town we would have heard, he wasn't, I knew he must be in his flat-nobody leaves their music playing like that. On the way I had called a couple of friends in the police to ask their advice about what I should do and they had been very clear-Don't put in the door, just call the police. I already knew from Bill's father that the music had been playing for a couple of days, and so called the cops.
They arrived very quickly-the island is a small place. They broke down the door. I followed them into the flat.
He was sat there rigid, frozen. On a chair facing the TV. Blood and vomit had congealed on his face. The DVD was some crap Jennifer Lopez film. There were syringes. He was dead.
They moved him and the rigor mortis was obvious, his whole body remained in the same position as they tipped his body.
I don't have the words to describe my feelings, my horror, my shock at that moment. This was my friend, my colleague. How much of our lives had we shared together? I knew he'd had history, but thought that had long gone. He was so straight at work, competent.
This was a young 33 year old, intelligent, good, hardworking man. He still had everything to live for, with so much to come. This man was not a drug addict-he was a fully functioning, highly functioning young healthy man. The anti drug adverts don't do the reality justice. Bill's petrified rigid body would scare the fuck out of anybody.
What a fucking waste!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Grief
Witness to grief.
Let it be noted that I have found the following extremely difficult to write.
I missed the ferry today by about a minute as the time on my phone was 5 minutes slow. It's not like I had to be anywhere, I had no idea where I was going-just off the island. I was on call, but as it now seems these days that was not likely. I put my shades on and thought I'll go walkabout. Pissed off that I'd have to take a longer journey but happy that I'd have time for a fag I waited for the bus and sparked up. I saw the Filipina girl walk by as she answered her phone and went to join the queue, and thought to myself, 'she looks familiar, I wonder if she knows my wife?' Within a minute I hear a commotion in the queue, it takes me a minute to determine what it is. It is the same girl screaming at her phone, my first thought is that she is shouting at her partner or possibly her employer-just another domestic problem ' Jesus, do you have to wash your laundry in public? The Chinese hate this kind of thing' You do hear a lot of crap that could take place behind closed doors here, generally not from the locals, but from the rest of us who are guests here. I was wrong, and the tone of this poor girl's voice soon made it obvious. She left the queue and I then started to understand the pure horror this girl was in. During the next minute I picked up that someone very close to her had just died in a terrible accident. I have no idea who or how, and I still have no idea who the girl was. As I listened to her desperate pleas on the phone I absolutely froze. Her pleas will remain with me for the rest of my life. I wanted to do something, I wanted to help her or at least comfort her, but for a whole host of reasons could not. The relationship between British male and Filipina females is fraught with many problems, it's just not that easy. For 3 minutes I was literally glued to the spot, as her pleading and grief grew and grew. This was a public place and I did know that as soon as she put down that phone I would have to do something and make sure that she got home or whatever. It was then that she ran towards 2 other Filipinas waiting for a taxi, and of course they immediately took her in a cab. There is a certain sisterhood and companionship that exists between Filipinas here, not always but certainly at times like this. I do hope she is okay, and that her God and her family, and even her employer will help her through this. I once received that call, and I'm not sure if you ever get over it.
Let it be noted that I have found the following extremely difficult to write.
I missed the ferry today by about a minute as the time on my phone was 5 minutes slow. It's not like I had to be anywhere, I had no idea where I was going-just off the island. I was on call, but as it now seems these days that was not likely. I put my shades on and thought I'll go walkabout. Pissed off that I'd have to take a longer journey but happy that I'd have time for a fag I waited for the bus and sparked up. I saw the Filipina girl walk by as she answered her phone and went to join the queue, and thought to myself, 'she looks familiar, I wonder if she knows my wife?' Within a minute I hear a commotion in the queue, it takes me a minute to determine what it is. It is the same girl screaming at her phone, my first thought is that she is shouting at her partner or possibly her employer-just another domestic problem ' Jesus, do you have to wash your laundry in public? The Chinese hate this kind of thing' You do hear a lot of crap that could take place behind closed doors here, generally not from the locals, but from the rest of us who are guests here. I was wrong, and the tone of this poor girl's voice soon made it obvious. She left the queue and I then started to understand the pure horror this girl was in. During the next minute I picked up that someone very close to her had just died in a terrible accident. I have no idea who or how, and I still have no idea who the girl was. As I listened to her desperate pleas on the phone I absolutely froze. Her pleas will remain with me for the rest of my life. I wanted to do something, I wanted to help her or at least comfort her, but for a whole host of reasons could not. The relationship between British male and Filipina females is fraught with many problems, it's just not that easy. For 3 minutes I was literally glued to the spot, as her pleading and grief grew and grew. This was a public place and I did know that as soon as she put down that phone I would have to do something and make sure that she got home or whatever. It was then that she ran towards 2 other Filipinas waiting for a taxi, and of course they immediately took her in a cab. There is a certain sisterhood and companionship that exists between Filipinas here, not always but certainly at times like this. I do hope she is okay, and that her God and her family, and even her employer will help her through this. I once received that call, and I'm not sure if you ever get over it.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Letter to my boys
Dear Family,
it was lovely to see you all last night, although it would have been nice to HEAR you as well. When I use the video, as soon as I say I can hear you, you can tell me everything you want-school, Dr who, grandma, football, swimming , roller skating, and that goes for mummy too!! You will all be happy to know that I had a shower today! I am in the hotel in Helsinki, looking out at the snow. The snow is so deep that at the side of the road it is taller than me, but they keep the roads and paths clear here, as they are used to clearing the snow. I have been travelling for almost a week now, let me tell you where I have been.
Thursday-Hong Kong-hot
Friday-London-cool,
Saturday-Helsinki-very cold.
Sunday-Hong Kong(only in the airport), Manila-very hot, I went to the mall to get some new clothes.
Sunday. San-Francisco-cool. I left manila at 10pm on Sunday night and arrived in San Francisco at 8pm on Sunday night.
Monday- Detroit-cold, Chicago-cold( had a nice time going into the city and bought some jeans and 2 sweaters.)
Tuesday- Copenhagen-cool, Helsinki-very cold( but nice to have a shower and a bed again).
Today, Wednesday I will go back to Hong Kong and Manila.
Sometimes I have to deliver lots of boxes with electronics inside, they will be used inside cars and machines, sometimes I only have 1 box which also has electronics. Of course I would like to be teaching, but this is interesting and it means I will be able to come home sooner and go back to school. It is not always easy to get on the internet at some airports boys and I look forward to your e-mails, so don't forget-and that goes for mummy too!
Love you
Daddy
it was lovely to see you all last night, although it would have been nice to HEAR you as well. When I use the video, as soon as I say I can hear you, you can tell me everything you want-school, Dr who, grandma, football, swimming , roller skating, and that goes for mummy too!! You will all be happy to know that I had a shower today! I am in the hotel in Helsinki, looking out at the snow. The snow is so deep that at the side of the road it is taller than me, but they keep the roads and paths clear here, as they are used to clearing the snow. I have been travelling for almost a week now, let me tell you where I have been.
Thursday-Hong Kong-hot
Friday-London-cool,
Saturday-Helsinki-very cold.
Sunday-Hong Kong(only in the airport), Manila-very hot, I went to the mall to get some new clothes.
Sunday. San-Francisco-cool. I left manila at 10pm on Sunday night and arrived in San Francisco at 8pm on Sunday night.
Monday- Detroit-cold, Chicago-cold( had a nice time going into the city and bought some jeans and 2 sweaters.)
Tuesday- Copenhagen-cool, Helsinki-very cold( but nice to have a shower and a bed again).
Today, Wednesday I will go back to Hong Kong and Manila.
Sometimes I have to deliver lots of boxes with electronics inside, they will be used inside cars and machines, sometimes I only have 1 box which also has electronics. Of course I would like to be teaching, but this is interesting and it means I will be able to come home sooner and go back to school. It is not always easy to get on the internet at some airports boys and I look forward to your e-mails, so don't forget-and that goes for mummy too!
Love you
Daddy
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Global warming?
The HK observatory have now revised by 60 years(!) their forecast for the effects of Global Warming to kick in. I also forecast that it will snow on Jan 10th 2065 in Lantau Island. Seriously, talk about accountability.Make a definite forecast, just make sure that you are long dead when it happens. They really have no f***ing idea what is going to happen do they?
From RTHK-Hong Kong
Observatory revises climate forecast
23-03-2010
The Observatory has revised its forecast for long-term weather trends. It now expects that Hong Kong will cease to have any winter days by 2090, instead of 2030 as earlier predicted.
A winter-less year is when the temperature never drops to 12 degrees Celsius or below.
Observatory director Lee Bun-Ying said the new projection is based on more detailed data.
From RTHK-Hong Kong
Observatory revises climate forecast
23-03-2010
The Observatory has revised its forecast for long-term weather trends. It now expects that Hong Kong will cease to have any winter days by 2090, instead of 2030 as earlier predicted.
A winter-less year is when the temperature never drops to 12 degrees Celsius or below.
Observatory director Lee Bun-Ying said the new projection is based on more detailed data.
Monday, March 22, 2010
How to block annoying facebook notices/applications.
Reposted by popular demand-
Just found a way to block posts from farmville, zooworld, etc. On the post go to posted 'via farmville' this will take you to application and then find 'block application' button. The required application will no longer appear when your friend kills a pig, plants a tree, shags a sheep, etc.
E.g. look at this post. look at bottom line-Yesterday at 10:07 via Movies.....
click on via movies(or farmville/mafiawars etc on other posts) you then go to movies and can block the application.
Just found a way to block posts from farmville, zooworld, etc. On the post go to posted 'via farmville' this will take you to application and then find 'block application' button. The required application will no longer appear when your friend kills a pig, plants a tree, shags a sheep, etc.
E.g. look at this post. look at bottom line-Yesterday at 10:07 via Movies.....
click on via movies(or farmville/mafiawars etc on other posts) you then go to movies and can block the application.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Heroin
Source-http://www.metro.co.uk/news/814761-schoolgirls-dear-heroin-letter-before-od
Aidan Radnedge - 25th February, 2010 Share|
Schoolgirl Hannah Meredith's Dear Heroin letter days before drugs OD
Schoolgirl Hannah Meredith died from a heroin overdose just three weeks after writing an emotional 'Dear Heroin' letter celebrating her apparent triumph over addiction.
Hannah Meredith relapsed and was found dead aged just 17, three years after her first taste of hard drugs.
Now her distraught parents have released the poignant ‘Dear Heroin’ letter in which she confronted the demon that ravaged her life.
They hope to shock other youngsters into avoiding heroin – and make anti-drug agencies give better help to struggling teenage addicts.
In her letter, Hannah, from the Welsh town of Llanelli, said she stole from her family to pay for her habit, leading to run-ins with police.
After briefly managing to give up the drug, she wrote: ‘Dear Heroin, I never want to touch you ever again - you’ve ruined my life.’
The note – quoted in part on the left – described the misery of ‘cold turkey’ and ‘clucking’, as well as the shame of ‘pin holes’ and ‘track marks’ in her arms. The teenager, who was given her first ecstasy tablet on her 14th birthday and a year later was using heroin, said she was lucky the drug had not ‘put me in a box’.
Yet three weeks later, she was found dead in her bed from an overdose of heroin, temazepam and diazepam.
Her mother, Louise, 43, recalled breaking down in tears when Hannah read her the letter for the first time.
‘She was so proud of it, and I was so proud of her for writing it,’ Mrs Meredith said. ‘I just hope it can help someone else now.’
The family has set up the Hannah Meredith Foundation, hoping to provide a ‘one-stop shop’ offering families help and advice. They also plan to publish her letter in an anti-drugs booklet for schools and youth centres.
Aidan Radnedge - 25th February, 2010 Share|
Schoolgirl Hannah Meredith's Dear Heroin letter days before drugs OD
Schoolgirl Hannah Meredith died from a heroin overdose just three weeks after writing an emotional 'Dear Heroin' letter celebrating her apparent triumph over addiction.
Hannah Meredith relapsed and was found dead aged just 17, three years after her first taste of hard drugs.
Now her distraught parents have released the poignant ‘Dear Heroin’ letter in which she confronted the demon that ravaged her life.
They hope to shock other youngsters into avoiding heroin – and make anti-drug agencies give better help to struggling teenage addicts.
In her letter, Hannah, from the Welsh town of Llanelli, said she stole from her family to pay for her habit, leading to run-ins with police.
After briefly managing to give up the drug, she wrote: ‘Dear Heroin, I never want to touch you ever again - you’ve ruined my life.’
The note – quoted in part on the left – described the misery of ‘cold turkey’ and ‘clucking’, as well as the shame of ‘pin holes’ and ‘track marks’ in her arms. The teenager, who was given her first ecstasy tablet on her 14th birthday and a year later was using heroin, said she was lucky the drug had not ‘put me in a box’.
Yet three weeks later, she was found dead in her bed from an overdose of heroin, temazepam and diazepam.
Her mother, Louise, 43, recalled breaking down in tears when Hannah read her the letter for the first time.
‘She was so proud of it, and I was so proud of her for writing it,’ Mrs Meredith said. ‘I just hope it can help someone else now.’
The family has set up the Hannah Meredith Foundation, hoping to provide a ‘one-stop shop’ offering families help and advice. They also plan to publish her letter in an anti-drugs booklet for schools and youth centres.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
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