We came into this world on the same day. My forceps provided the slipstream for her, 5 minutes later. And twin-life began. It was a mixed bag. The fun of having a ready-made playmate was diluted by sibling surveillance, and... Continue Reading →
Three years ago the freedom of infertility set me on a mid-life meander to Melbourne. Last month, I went home... So, what have my cohorts and countrymen been up to without me? Well, apart from break-ups, breeding and Brexit. Not... Continue Reading →
Recently, I discovered something laying dormant inside my mobile blower... Podcasts. More precisely, Desert Island Discs. There are hundreds of 'em - and many are my cultural counterparts; from Gallagher and Brand, to Weller, Winstone and whispering Bob. If you're unfamiliar with... Continue Reading →
First I heard of Van Diemen’s Land was back in the 80s when my Walkman was partial to a bit of Rattle & Hum*. Little did I know, it was real place that one day would be on my doorstep. Nowadays it’s... Continue Reading →
Some call it Australia Day. Others, Invasion Day. For me, it’s January 26th – a public holiday and a welcome break from the daily grind. Australians woke to the news that their prime minister had awarded Prince Philip a knighthood... Continue Reading →
The anniversary of my 4th decade on the earth gave the old girl an excuse to fly out for a visit. Fancy man in tow. My end of the bargain was to assume the role of tour-guide-slash-driver for a road trip round Victoria. #1... Continue Reading →
As far back as I can remember I always wanted to be a footballer (well, and a gangster - but that's another story). I'd have been in with shout, but lager and birds sabotaged my crack at the top flight... Continue Reading →
Approaching 30 and birdless: "I stopped looking for a dream girl. I just wanted one that wasn't a nightmare." - Charles Bukowski As luck would have it, one turned up anyway - and it wasn't long before we were shacked... Continue Reading →
This time last year I was looking out of my Canary Wharf window thinking: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." - Ferris Bueller It’s good advice, but... Continue Reading →
It's been a while since my last post. So let me fill you in. When we wrapped up the backpacking we headed for a 6 week stint with the in-laws and Chinese New Year Macanese style. They're a family that... Continue Reading →
With the backpacking part of this trip done and dusted. I've been in a reflective mood and put together a montage of the journey so far. Now it's onto Melbourne where another new experience awaits - living and working in... Continue Reading →
Got chatting to this monk the other day. Didn't catch his name, so for the sake of the story we'll call him Harry. The conversation* went something like this. Rooky: Being a monk must take a lot of self-control -... Continue Reading →
The next stop in our tour of Indochina was Vietnam. This is what I saw... Saigon Scooters With 35 million scooters in Nam, you can forget what the green-cross-code-man told you. You'll be there all day. They come at you... Continue Reading →
Cambodia, a perplexing place - one day you're watching the sunrise over the "8th wonder of the world". The next, you're standing in the middle of the killing fields shocked by the evil humans are capable of. After a month... Continue Reading →
After 4 months on the road, travel burnout was beginning to kick in - sightseeing had become a chore and I was missing the sense of purpose that work used to provide. Thankfully my friends at OSCAR India supplied the... Continue Reading →
Our 34th day in India takes us to Bombay, and my mind adjusts to the flagrant poverty people had warned me about. Even before my feet hit the tarmac my window seat shows me a sea of shanties that seemed... Continue Reading →
Be Here Now by Ram Dass My rating: 3 of 5 stars In India and en route to an ashram, I was looking for a spiritual read to complement the trip. I heard this book led Steve Jobs on a... Continue Reading →
When the missus first floated the idea of a week in an ashram, "reluctant" weren't the word. Don't get me wrong, I like my yoga as much as the next man, it was the "mandatory" schedule* and the prison-like house... Continue Reading →
There's something about a Hindu temple that makes me wanna sing a bit of Sanskrit. I've only gotta enter one of those places and the words "Govinda jaya jaya" or "acintya bheda bheda tattva", are in my head. So as... Continue Reading →
Coming from Singapore, India's like a different world; cows at bus stops, blokes in skirts*, people eating with their hands, shoeless pedestrians on dirty roads, entire families on one motorbike (sans helmets), regular power cuts, straight men holding hands, and... Continue Reading →
Our journey down the Malaysian peninsula finishes with a few days in Singapore - everything is just that little bit better; shopping malls are spotless, public transport runs like clockwork, even the quality of the crumpet exceeds that of its... Continue Reading →
Bored of Melaka and with a few days to kill before Singapore we weigh up a trip to Tioman Island. The weatherman tells us they'll be rain all week, but Time magazine had it down as one of the world’s... Continue Reading →
One of the benefits of colonialism is that you get towns with plenty of character, and in the case of Melaka & George Town that'll get you world heritage status too. Well either that, or someone at UNESCO has taken... Continue Reading →
