tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70991902011-07-08T04:23:38.600+08:00Having recently moved from the UK to South East Asia, a lot of people have asked me: "So, what's it like, then?" This is my attempt to answer that question.Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.comBlogger2381100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-60183982724797127742007-06-14T20:55:00.000+08:002008-11-13T17:33:08.187+08:00

Almost a year ago to the day, I was in hospital having a knee ligament reconstruction. Look back at my June 2006 archives: it’s all there. I’ve just read it back and can’t believe what high spirits I was in.On Tuesday, I was back in hospital again for another operation. This time: wisdom teeth extraction. All four of them.I quite liked the whole anaesthetic thing last time, but this time I woke

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-25535521279381560232007-05-06T20:16:00.000+08:002008-11-13T17:33:11.535+08:00

At Easter, my brother and his family visited for the first time. It was an absolute joy to have them here and we did loads of stuff with a week in Bali and a week in Singapore. This 'loads of stuff' included:seeing some Balinese dancing (all colourful costumes, monkeys, eyes and fingers)seeing pink dolphins:going to the aquarium:marvelling at what some people can do with water melons:pool and

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-91499099121983713112007-05-02T19:04:00.000+08:002008-11-13T17:33:13.555+08:00

Went away this bank holiday weekend to Macau, kind of near to Hong Kong and attached to mainland China. Until 1999 it was Portuguese, in the same way that until 1997 Hong Kong was British. They’re both now Chinese again. If only the Iraq situation was that simple.It was about 2am when we got to our hotel in Downtown Macau, only ten minutes from the airport, and slap bang in the middle of casino

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-52661003993910439432007-02-23T17:58:00.000+08:002008-11-13T17:33:14.756+08:00

It’s been a rollercoaster, the last few weeks. This weekend, though, was Chinese New Year, which meant (yet another) holiday – three days off, Friday to Tuesday. We went for a long weekend in Pulau Besar, which is a tiny Malaysian island, then came back to Singapore to watch the Beastie Boys and Jurassic 5. Nice.Besar was stunning. White sands, sea of various shades of blue and lovely sunshine

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-21607437457268923742007-01-21T20:52:00.000+08:002008-11-13T17:33:16.116+08:00

Jonny’s doing a grand job of documenting my holiday. It was a quite extraordinary three weeks in which we saw the stunning Blue Mountains; went wine tasting at the Hunter Valley; went to the races (and lost – it’s a mug’s game); had a top Christmas day BBQ followed by a game of cricket on the beach, rounded off with another BBQ; enjoyed H’s birthday; watched the NYE fireworks from the Opera House

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-55604273011700260932006-11-30T19:31:00.000+08:002006-11-30T19:47:15.183+08:00

I can't keep up with life at the moment. I start writing about something for this blog that's about to happen, or that might happen in a while, then it happens before I finish writing about it. I then either have to rejig what I've written or scrap it.I can't believe how little time I've had to do anything since September. Life is rushing by. I've been reading the same book for four weeks,

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-62244695600503720832006-11-12T20:13:00.000+08:002006-11-12T23:26:18.371+08:00

By popular request (well, Andy mentioned it once), here's my very belated run down of my Summer. In order to do this, I need to go all the way back to July. Bear with me, though, because it's not going to be like your boring old uncle talking through his holiday snaps.That last sentence isn't true.The last thing I told you about my trip to Sydney was this - an account of why I love Aussie Rules

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-46525875502556931912006-11-11T11:10:00.000+08:002006-11-11T19:58:51.488+08:00

Since that unusual Thursday night, lots has happened, but let me home straight in on half-term when I went to Japan. This was the first trip I’d taken entirely alone. Unlike everywhere else I’ve been to in Asia over the last couple of years, hardly anyone in Japan tried to speak to me in English. This made it an odd week, because I was surrounded by people the entire time, but I was silent most

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1157853950291887392006-09-10T09:57:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:28.259+08:00

Over the last year, Ella’s been doing her MA here and last Thursday she held her final show. It was called Pilgrims’ Process - A Journey Over Land and Sea: Beyond the German Girl Shrine. Ella has researched loads of stuff about Chinese customs and rituals for her course. She knows lots of legends and stories and has dug deep into local culture, all of which fed into Pilgrims' Process.One of the

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1157379823733574322006-09-04T22:06:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:27.856+08:00

My first encounter with him was on a preview for one of his first shows broadcast in England. He was winding up a crocodile. "Who's this loony?" I wondered. Then he turned to the camera and uttered the immortal words: "If you think that's dangerous, you wanna see what I've got in my shed!"I've said that as often as possible ever since, even when it's only slightly relevant to the conversation I'm

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1154768805459126162006-08-05T15:01:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:27.563+08:00

I’m still here! After leaving Jonny and H in Sydney, I returned home only to move house about 8 hours later. That’s why I haven’t written for a while, and is also why the first sentence of this entry is, in some ways, inaccurate: I’m not still here because I am, in fact, now there instead.Don’t worry, there’ll be no more semantics today.In the end I only wrote two reports from Sydney because my

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1153362640635593812006-07-20T10:03:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:27.280+08:00

The last few days have begged the question: what is there for an invalid to do in winter in Sydney? The answer seems to be: get better quick, because Jonny certainly won’t be slowing down his walking pace for you. As a result, I’ve battled through calf twinges and knee tautness, thigh stiffness and ankle aches and I can now, just about, stay within two streets of him.Fortunately at the weekend H

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1153019193906148012006-07-16T10:12:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:26.732+08:00

My first few days visiting Jonny and H in Sydney have been superb. It’s great to see them again and it’s like we saw each other last only yesterday rather than a year ago. Even the excruciatingly cold weather is reminding me of times we’ve spent together in England. Temperatures of 16 degrees in the day time, and much lower at night, have resulted in me having to wear three layers at least at all

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1152512492514902302006-07-10T13:35:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:26.414+08:00

From the first moments, when Henry went down in agony, to the last penalty, scored by the superb Grosso, it was a gripping World Cup Final. It wasn’t a great game, but, as they say, it had the lot.Zidane’s extraordinary assault on Materazzi will be the stand-out image of this World Cup Final. No doubt, every four years, we’ll see endless replays of the moment of impact. I’ve only managed to find

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1152407365808705562006-07-09T09:02:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:26.087+08:00

As I said the other day, when LB sent me his CD from the ST Shuffleathon, he also included some reading material from Blighty. There was an NME which I haven’t read for ages and it seems to have gone all weekly and glossy. It featured lots of bands I’ve never heard of. The other thing he sent me was a copy of The Sun. I’ve long wondered whether The Sun is serious, or whether it’s social

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1152326436596257382006-07-08T10:36:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:25.833+08:00

Longsuffering readers may remember me writing about the frustration I feel when I walk through the streets because other people don’t look where they’re going. They have no awareness of their own body space. I wrote about it way back in November 2004 and it provoked a comments frenzy (14 comments!) the like of which I rarely see these days as everyone’s stopped reading or something. Still, I’

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1152129407565034522006-07-06T03:56:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:25.522+08:00

After a career of being a fair player, Henry suddenly seems to have decided to start whinging as in the Champions' League Final, and diving as in the World Cup 2nd round and semi-final.Why's that then?"That really hurt my chest, but I've forgotten where it is."

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1152044561823373502006-07-05T04:11:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:24.649+08:00

I went back to the doctor yesterday.“I’m going to take your stitches out today. How are you with pain?” he asked, casually. “Er… not brilliant,” I replied limply.“Well, you’ve got a choice between a shot of Glenfiddich, or you could clamp my hockey stick between your teeth.”“Er… I’ll be ok…” I replied.He removed the stitches and I didn’t feel a thing. What a swine.Here are the latest photos of my

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1151910794175310552006-07-03T14:51:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:24.352+08:00

I felt very sorry for Beckham when I read he’d resigned as England captain. He’s done the job with dignity and pride and has played consistently well for a talented England squad with so many underperformers. Beckham has led by tireless example. I’m not just talking about that game against Greece in 2001, which is the best individual performance I’ve ever seen by any player. In this World Cup he

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1151852736325472152006-07-02T22:31:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:24.066+08:00

The incomparable Swiss Toni organised a Shuffleathon recently: lots of volunteers were to make CDs of songs that were important to them and send them to someone else, drawn out of Swiss' hat. Once we get our CD we have to write a review. I received my CD yesterday. Funnily enough, it came from Lord Bargain, who is the only other person I link to that Swiss links to at the moment. I can't tell you

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1151748743545459282006-07-01T18:10:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:23.819+08:00

Don't forget to play this during the England game today.

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1151678865388050542006-06-30T22:33:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:23.393+08:00

If you’ve not been following the thrilling story of my operation and recovery, it starts here, then goes here, here and here.Last week, in my first week of being housebound, I was required to inject myself once a day. I never thought I’d be able to do that. In fact, whenever I’ve had an injection I’ve always turned my head away (which is quite painful when you do it at the dentist). When my

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1151503525101555632006-06-28T22:10:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:23.215+08:00

The first couple of days back home and out of hospital were relatively painless, even when I stood up (with my crutches, of course). I hadn’t seen my wound as, when I awoke after the operation, my leg was wrapped in a fairly heavy bandage, which wasn’t to be removed until I went back to the doctor a week later. Can you imagine having to wait a week to see what lay beneath? The suspense almost

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1151503398644561762006-06-28T22:03:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:22.930+08:00

Youch! 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1151379408437268142006-06-27T11:36:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:22.693+08:00

Bored of watching England’s lacklustre performances in this World Cup? Wish that you had something to do while you were watching that was an entertaining distraction, but also enabled you to concentrate on the game? Well, you need look no further. Throughout England's last game in this World Cup against Portugal on Saturday, you can play The Peter Crouch Drinking Game™ (TPCDG™ for short).It’s

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1151379353169926402006-06-27T11:35:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:22.440+08:00

Er... Crouching Tiger Hidden Linesman... 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1151330646355198842006-06-26T21:41:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:22.162+08:00

The day after the operation, I was taken in a wheelchair to the Physio department to “learn how to use crutches”.I now know how to use crutches.After being taught how to use crutches, I was asked whether I wanted to buy any crutches. I wasn’t really sure what to say to this. The conversation went something like this:“Would you like to buy some crutches, Mr Michael?”“Er… what?”“Some crutches.”“

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1151293036147278072006-06-26T11:35:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:21.222+08:00

For the players in the Holland and Portugal teams: the World Cup motto is "A time to make friends."I love games like that.

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1151119903378497542006-06-24T11:32:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:20.913+08:00

I was woken up by the anaesthetist saying my name. I don’t know about you, but I get “sleep guilt”. Whenever I fall asleep during the day or in a public place or on the sofa and someone wakes me up, or asks if I was asleep, I maintain in the strongest possible terms that I was doing anything but sleeping. Bizarrely, the first thing I felt after waking up from the general was sleep guilt. I

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1151119606482579192006-06-24T11:30:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:20.165+08:00

Before... 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1151119650713350692006-06-24T11:27:00.001+08:002006-11-11T10:42:20.629+08:00

Removed Bones 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1151119624906512892006-06-24T11:27:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:20.403+08:00

After... 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1150983788972029652006-06-22T21:35:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:19.935+08:00

I arrived four hours before my operation and was immediately put to bed. Over the course of the next four hours, I was asked by about ten different people whether I had any allergies, whether I was on any medication and which knee was going to be operated on.I thought they were supposed to know all that.I was in a two-bed room. The guy in the next bed had seemed heavily sedated when I arrived.

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1150955603990602732006-06-22T13:50:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:19.728+08:00

Got home yesterday. Tired and in relatively good spirits. Getting a bit bored of feeling too tired to do anything, though. They operated on the correct knee (and left my breasts alone). I have photos and bones. I also have stories. Maybe after a nap…

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1150691048723716632006-06-19T12:21:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:19.467+08:00

I leave for hospital in about half an hour. My "nil by mouth" started an hour and a quarter ago. I'm parched already. Got a slight case of the butterflies. I feel less nervous than I did before the start of the England v Paraguay game though. Surely that doesn't mean that the game was more important to me than my knee? That would be stupid.Anyway, just in case you miss me writing about

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1150635083867368392006-06-18T20:39:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:19.144+08:00

My knee operation is one day away now. I’ve been avoiding writing about it because I’ve not really been thinking about it. Not too much, anyway.It’s odd to think that my knee is in bad nick at the moment, but I can get about, bend it normally, kneel down, stand up and all that without much of a problem. I’ve even played football and basketball on it without realising that I shouldn’t have been

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1150604519144723682006-06-18T11:57:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:18.830+08:00

Once again, yesterday revealed that commentators start sentences with little idea how they're going to finish them.From Portugal v Iran:"Cristiano Ronaldo, who loves playing for his country as much as anyone..."From Ghana v Czech Republic:"They'll be loving this across Africa, watching the game at petrol stations across the continent... you can just picture it."From USA v Italy:"The referee's

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1150510206027673362006-06-17T10:01:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:18.555+08:00

More skewering of the English language occured during the World Cup coverage yesterday. I love it. Henri Michel, Côte d'Ivoire manager, said this in French, though: "Experience can only come with games." Does anyone know why we call them Côte d'Ivoire rather than the Ivory Coast? We don't call Spain "España", for example.The commentator was getting excited about the names of the players

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1150193035700578662006-06-13T17:57:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:18.291+08:00

I very much enjoyed reading two things Peter Crouch is quoted as saying on the BBC website.Firstly, it seems he has grasped the main object of playing football: “it's not about robotic dancing. It is about scoring goals and winning matches.”Glad he’s pointed that out.He also talked about the booking he received in the Paraguay game. He’s got an idea about how he can make sure it doesn’t happen

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1149988734641913552006-06-11T09:13:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:18.021+08:00

It’s good to get a win under the belts, but England’s win against Paraguay has punctured the optimism I had been allowing to build up following the victories against Hungary and Jamaica, and more importantly after noting Sven’s cavalier demeanour in interviews over the last few weeks. I thought things might be different. Yesterday told me that England won’t win this World Cup, and it’s all

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1149919048377195912006-06-10T14:20:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:16.813+08:00

Germans, Yesterday 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1149920243535166292006-06-10T14:15:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:17.807+08:00

Opening ceremonies manage to be fervently nationalistic whilst also bizarrely functioning as a welcome to lots of foreigners. They play on national stereotypes and are camp, kitsch and carnivalesque. England, hosts of Euro 96, decided that a re-enactment of the legend of St George (you know, that English bloke who probably came from Palestine) slaying the dragon would be one way to sum up the

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1149919853098198642006-06-10T14:14:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:17.044+08:00

Fan 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1149919881916626162006-06-10T14:11:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:17.293+08:00

What Does It Do? 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1149919905297211932006-06-10T14:00:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:17.572+08:00

What's It For Again? 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1149385706508886842006-06-04T09:43:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:16.520+08:00

Went out for a drink on Friday night. Met my friend at the pub. Sat down and a waiter took my order (not like a real pub, where you queue at the bar). When he brought my drink to me, he moved his head close to mine in a conspiratorial kind of way and said, softly, so that my friend couldn’t hear, “The man over there is paying for this one.” He nodded his head in the direction of the other

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1149348377887923472006-06-03T23:24:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:16.333+08:00

Whilst he was summing up England's performance and, in particular, Peter Crouch's contribution to the win against Jamaica, Martin Tyler said:"Crouch the tiger is certainly no hidden dragon".Anyone?

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1149240429072661382006-06-02T17:22:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:42:16.018+08:00

The other week I bought an electric razor for the first time after years of wet-shaving.Gone are the days of throwing a Mach 3 razor sexily into a glass before sweeping water onto my face in slow motion, removing all the soap with one scoop, after which a beautiful woman runs a finger down my cheek. I made the change because, unlike in the adverts, I felt that it took me a bit too long to shave.

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1148998046253361932006-05-30T21:59:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:12.210+08:00

It’s been a long time since I mentioned my knee. I injured it playing football in April 2003. I landed awkwardly and it felt as if my lower leg went one way while my upper leg went the other. It swelled up a treat, so I went to the local hospital the next day and waited around for five hours before being given a pair of crutches. I was told I’d probably torn a ligament and that I should rest and

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1148391561126090232006-05-23T21:13:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:11.940+08:00

After a few weeks of frenzied blog action, it's now been over a week since my last post. Why?Let me tell you why.If you view my profile above, you'll see that there's a link to "mikeysmovies", which, when you click on it, takes you nowhere.This isn't just some kind of postmodern statement on the futility of life or anything like that. It was actually intended to be a working site, with movies

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1147553713979516852006-05-14T03:55:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:11.737+08:00

Singapore is a pretty good place to eat. There’s plenty of variety and it’s extremely cheap – it’s often cheaper to eat out than it is to go to the supermarket. Having guests here has ensured that I’ve got out a bit, and I’ve revisited a lot of my favourite places in the last three weeks.As well as the usual curries, noodle dishes and rice dishes, I’ve had a couple of these beauties. It’s an

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1147257069960792452006-05-10T18:21:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:11.544+08:00

Ubin is a tiny, sparsely inhabited island just off the coast of Singapore. You get there via bumboat, which costs $2 for the 10 minute trip and you can cycle around the island after hiring a bicycle which costs $2 for a day. It takes about 25 minutes by car to get from my house to the jetty to take the ferry to Ubin. I don’t have a car, so I take a taxi. This doesn’t cost $2.Appallingly weak

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1147256258265041552006-05-10T18:17:00.001+08:002006-11-11T10:18:11.376+08:00

Upside-down Tree 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1147256243423235362006-05-10T18:17:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:11.166+08:00

Pots (Lots) 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1147256218169147602006-05-10T18:16:00.003+08:002006-11-11T10:18:10.970+08:00

Rusty Leaves 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1147256205728395842006-05-10T18:16:00.002+08:002006-11-11T10:18:10.801+08:00

House By The Sea 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1147256185150166382006-05-10T18:16:00.001+08:002006-11-11T10:18:10.632+08:00

Flower 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1147256176198323142006-05-10T18:16:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:10.452+08:00

Pool For Insects 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1147256140063486812006-05-10T18:15:00.001+08:002006-11-11T10:18:10.312+08:00

Three Little Cups 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1147256116866123112006-05-10T18:15:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:09.917+08:00

Shrine Before Sea 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1147256093863060852006-05-10T18:14:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:09.743+08:00

Shrine 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1146914380223825912006-05-06T19:19:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:09.589+08:00

For the May Day bank holiday weekend I went to Bangkok with my parents who are visiting at present. It’s only about a two hour flight from here and flights are cheap cheap, so this is, I think, my fourth visit in the last couple of years. Each time I’ve been, though, I’ve been with someone who is making their first visit to Bangkok, so I do the same things.So, I made my fourth trip to the Grand

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1146912472674661672006-05-06T18:47:00.001+08:002006-11-11T10:18:08.824+08:00

A Fruit Vendor's Homage To Norwich City 

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Is This Sad Or Brilliant? 

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Chewing Gum Tree 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1146912386762660462006-05-06T18:46:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:08.339+08:00

Spiky Branch 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1146912354032366672006-05-06T18:45:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:08.199+08:00

Anyone? 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1146849867490100772006-05-06T01:02:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:08.008+08:00

Very briefly, Wayne Rooney's injury is very distressing. I had a small inkling that he would be injured for the World Cup, but, fortunately, Sven doesn't care and will play him anyway.Something occured to me in between watching him writhe in agony and bawling my eyes out. Do you remember when Michael Owen burst onto the scene? Commentators kept talking about how we, the tv watching public, should

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1145879147412210452006-04-24T19:20:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:07.852+08:00

You may remember that I wrote about Markolepsy fairly recently; a term that I coined to describe a condition suffered by English teachers. In a nutshell, marking is extremely soporific, so we fall asleep mid-essay, which results in us marking essays with blotted ink and droplets of sleep-induced saliva rather than ticks, “sp” and “punc”.I’ve spent a few hours marking this weekend in various

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1145726881123968152006-04-23T01:18:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:07.671+08:00

I went to a pub quiz with a difference last night. Ella and I were in a team together in a pub we’d never been to before. It was kind of glitzy and the quizmaster really played up the razzmatazz. At the same time, there was a bit of a small-town atmosphere too. It reminded me of some of the roadhouses we visited in Australia – a thriving community in the middle of nowhere. We felt like

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1145698474897642832006-04-22T17:31:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:07.467+08:00

It's probably quite easy, actually.

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1145698208340907662006-04-22T17:15:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:07.215+08:00

Inundated with visitors at the moment. First of all, Merle and Si were here briefly and now my parents have arrived.Merle and Si are on their way around the world and had four days or so in Singapore. They were superb guests: no trouble at all. They even popped in on Ella at college, where they were complimented on how young they look by someone on Ella's course. I wasn't there myself, but

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1145542840144927872006-04-20T22:12:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:07.068+08:00

Some people crave fear, or at least the adrenaline which accompanies it. I hate it. I loathe the increased heartbeat, the sweaty palms and the internal lurch.These are some of the other things I was scared of in Bali, to varying degrees.Dogs. The streets were full of them. They barked at us. Ella didn’t care. I crossed the road where sometimes there was another barking dog waiting for me, in

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1145441352434583922006-04-19T18:07:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:06.809+08:00

After five days in Bali, Ella had to get back to Singers for college, so I was left on my own to explore.Actually, this was my first ever experience of “travelling” on my own (the more I creep into my thirties, the more I feel I should be calling it “holidaying”). I like the melancholy atmosphere that solitude creates and the way that one can just meander purposelessly from one thing to another,

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1145091356615461442006-04-15T16:50:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:06.586+08:00

Went to some beautiful temples, including one which is also a monkey sanctuary. As well as being tame, these monkeys could also be aggressive, apparently, and according to the publicity info, we should avoid being scratched or bitten at all costs.Rather confusingly, we were asked to buy bananas to give to these monkeys that we were supposed to be avoiding. The logic was that by throwing bananas

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1145087017213423232006-04-15T15:43:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:06.362+08:00

Bali has the most picturesque scenery of anywhere I’ve ever been to. If you’re standing in Bali and you spin around in a circle with your eyes closed and a camera in your hand until someone says “stop” and take a photo at that instant, chances are you’ll end up with a quality photo.Here are some photos I took using the method above.

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1145086532903620172006-04-15T15:35:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:06.040+08:00

All quite colourful, eh? 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1144127275224455432006-04-04T13:02:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:05.888+08:00

It's Easter holiday time, so I'm off to Bali this afternoon for about 10 days. It's about an hour from here, but I've never been before. No idea what I'm going to do once I get there. Sorting out itineraries and places to stay are what plane journeys are for.See you in a couple of weeks with some photos, probably.

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1143908089302782082006-04-02T00:01:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:05.752+08:00

I went to watch some stand-up comedy last night. According to interviews I’ve read, it appears that comedians become annoyed when members of the public come up to them when they’re at the supermarket or wherever and tell them jokes or say to them, “I reckon I could be a stand-up comedian”. I suppose it’s like being a doctor and having people always trying to put your arm in a sling when you’re

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1143725293040333862006-03-30T21:26:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:05.596+08:00

In my list of rules for monologuing I used the pronoun “he” to describe the hypothetical monologuer. In her comment, H said that this choice of pronoun was “interesting” and asked whether monologuing is a male trait. From my experience, most monologuers seem to be male. What do you think?H certainly wasn’t suggesting I use “he/she” instead of “he” – that wasn’t her point. But it did get me

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1143457417546336312006-03-27T18:37:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:05.460+08:00

Following my last post about my encounter with a noisy man on an aeroplane, and my coining of the term "monologuer" to describe his conversational selfishness, I've started to develop the theory.Before I expound, I should explain that I might be slightly jealous of monologuers. You see, I’m quite a quiet chap and usually try to express my opinion in two sentences or less (in spontaneous

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1143373374607376492006-03-26T19:42:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:05.292+08:00

Just got back from a week in Australia – been on a school trip. It was great. This focuses on the flight home. I’m a little bit nervous about flying, although I’m gradually getting more and more comfortable with it. On my first flight over here from England I spent an awful lot of time wondering how something as heavy as a plane could actually stay airborne. I can put it out of my mind much

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1141453829724199532006-03-04T13:16:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:05.103+08:00

Following my previous experience at a barber shop and three more recent haircuts by the same bloke, I decided to change my barber. If you can't be bothered to read the previous post, to cut a long story short, I have frizzy hair which, when blow-dried, looks like a limp bouffant, if you can imagine such a thing. So, instead of a $12 haircut, I'm now the proud owner of a $10 haircut (just over

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1141327298318642692006-03-03T02:26:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:04.895+08:00

I was at my local electrical shop today, mulling over and discussing a potential purchase. Bizarrely, this shop is called Paris Silk. I call it Paris Hilton.I was talking to the chap behind the counter about electrical goods when there was a bit of a commotion to my left. A bearded chap with an American accent was shouting into his mobile phone. We were all slightly distracted by this. I was

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1141323190628093042006-03-03T02:02:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:04.710+08:00

H has also joined the "blog-club". She and Jonny have emigrated together, and now you can read about their adventures in stereo, as it were. Well worth a read in my humble one. Same goes for Andy's latest post, which had me a-chortling.The "blog-club" sounds like the kind of thing losers at school join because they're not very good at football or top trumps, so need to fill their lunchtimes

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1140707076493490022006-02-23T22:53:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:04.529+08:00

These are ludicrously exciting times in the world of people I know starting blogs. Not only has Jonny started one (see last post), but so has Andy. Like Jonny, Andy has been reading Allrighthere since its inception (I think) and has made many a thoughtful comment. He's an interesting chap and I'm sure his blog will reflect that.Check it!

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1140356255528654932006-02-19T20:59:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:04.319+08:00

Hello everybody. Since the last time I wrote, I've been inspected (not personally... my school has been inspected) and, as Jonny has pointed out in some comments, I've become an uncle for the second time (this required less work than the inspection). Both of those situations, though, have resulted in me feeling like popping home for a weekend or something. It's not possible, sadly, as it's a

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1136637572570735912006-01-07T20:27:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:04.082+08:00

G’day! This Christmas we were in the Northern Territories of Australia. Before I continue, I should explain a couple of things. As with so many things in life these days, one has to be sensitive in the way one labels people. I'll be writing about Australian Aborigines and other Australians, so I need to explain the terms I'll be using. Apparently, using “Aboriginals” as a noun is offensive, as is

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1136636771575280002006-01-07T20:25:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:03.888+08:00

 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1136636574858122652006-01-07T20:22:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:03.658+08:00

 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1136636503631520202006-01-07T20:21:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:03.469+08:00

 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1136636395444880352006-01-07T20:19:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:03.317+08:00

 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1136636328990863092006-01-07T20:18:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:03.188+08:00

 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1136636155027501612006-01-07T20:15:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:03.065+08:00

 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1136636090772589932006-01-07T20:14:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:02.919+08:00

 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1136635933251367162006-01-07T20:11:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:02.782+08:00

 

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1130246480039338272005-10-25T20:58:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:02.622+08:00

A bar with a difference has just opened near my house. It’s a “concept” bar. I spent fifteen minutes in it last night and it was an unusual experience, to say the least.I suppose I should offer my ruminations on the precursors to the “concept” bar before telling you all about it.In England a few years ago theme pubs were being built all over the place to replace and update the typical good old

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1128939713870665692005-10-10T18:18:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:02.472+08:00

It's been a while since I've written about football, but I guess England qualifying for the World Cup is a suitable occasion to pass comment.Beckham was rather unfortunate, I thought, to be sent off, but he seemed to take it rather well, probably because he got someone else sent off in similar circumstances last week.Good to see, too, that the best replacement we have for Wayne Rooney is Peter

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1127909892030697512005-09-28T20:04:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:02.271+08:00

You'll have to read yesterday's post first if you want this one to make sense.I've had my treatment. The dentist, I think, was getting his own back for me being such an ex-pat, even though I still strenuously deny that was what I was being. I've even consulted some other ex-pats about the situation and they agreed that I wasn't being one. Anyway, the dentist started off by apologising for

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099190.post-1127800050812326852005-09-27T13:37:00.000+08:002006-11-11T10:18:01.983+08:00

I’ve been in the wars a bit lately. First, a couple of weeks ago, a bit of one of my teeth came out while I was eating a chip. I hate going to the dentist and went for the first time in about six years in April under extreme pressure from various concerned friends and relations. I thought I’d got away with it with a bit of a polish and a couple of minor repairs. It’d only cost me about fifty

Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357389424886189542noreply@blogger.com4