So you think your life is harsh - try this...

Out of respect for this gentleman I will not show his face. He did not mind me taking his picture. Yes - that's an inner tube (Gumi) he uses as a sort of sock on his damaged lower torso. He was dragging himself along the ground, singing for a few bucks while pushing a box with some trinkets for sale. So next time you're whining that the Aussie government isn't paying enough on your disabled benefit or that your boss is pissed at you, reconsider your blessings please. I sure did.

New Camera - Panasonic DMC-FX07

This is the man who sold it to me... in the big electronics market in Korea. It looks good so far - 7.1 MP, anti-shake Leica lens (wide angle too which I always seem to want). Price 270,000 WON (USD 290) inc a 2MB fast write SD card... I don't know whether I was ripped or not but doubt it - I always liked this model and Lydia - a friend - bought the model below for about the same price in Singapore so I'd say I've done ok.

Back in Korea - pic is from New Year Eve Party

Very drunk, happy, just chilling on the dock with a friend and his boat..... happy memory.

Ever saved a life? Feel odd for ages after?

I saved a woman from drowning a few weeks back. IVF boy was at swimming lessons and I happened to look down and out and saw a Chinese woman struggling in the deep end. I reached out with his kickboard and she grabbed it but slipped and promptly went to the bottom. Without thinking in I went - clothes and all. Down to the bottom, swam around her back, grabbed her by the waist from behind with two hands while keeping my distance - pushed her up to the side with a few good kicks. I got out thinking it was all finished and she'd be ok.... but she slipped back in... so I reached down and lifted her right out of the pool by her armpits - straight lift. Pushed her over - slapped her back to kick start her.... In the meantime her boyfriend - who also was a poor swimmer came over babbling "dai bu qi" in Chinese... I told him no problem back in Chinese.... and then left him to tend to her as he should.

It's left me feeling odd for weeks. Grateful I knew what to do courtesy of very old SCUBA training (without any conscious thought) ... frightened at how quietly and quickly people drown.... wondering why I had this feeling to have nothing to do with them afterwards (and I've noticed this in other rescues). Also pleased that IVF boy didn't panic while splashing around in the deep end on his own while I was occupied in the rescue.

The moral - none - but if you're going to drown for goodness sakes scream!

Dirty airplane = unsafe aerpplane?

I don't know about this - I'm sick of MAS and their broken seats, out of order toilets (onboard and in KLIA), not so pleasant service, terrible FF program.... Can't say I recommend them at all .... take a look at this plane tail section! WOULD you consider a plane well maintained if they can't even keep the paint work up? Not me. No more Malaysian Airlines for me if I can help it.

My dead Kat - Kasih

This is a picture of my dead Cat - Kasih (it means cute, nice, lovely in Bahasa Indonesia - it can also mean - appropriately - castrated!). He's dead (yes - in the picture). Hit by a car about a year ago while my sis was taking care of him. Died instantly and not mangled or bloody - probably a broken neck. Not her fault - a car has four tires and cat's are too damn curious. He was a great cat though - fantastic personality - the only cat I ever had that would go for walks... I also had him trained welll enough to sit on my lap for bike rides. He was also a talker - a great thing in cats - I guess he had about 12 different vocalisations. I miss him a lot.

Back on the slow boat to China tonight

It must be my 40th? International flight this year... I gotta go back - maybe last trip for awhile. Then Australia straight after followed by KL and the US (TX). I really can't be stuffed posting a pic today so instead I'll tell a joke...

Knock knock

Who's there?

AB

AB who?

ABCDE

That's from No 1 unnamed son.

Squares and Squirls

The above pic was hanging in a friends house in Adelaide. Very attractive but then I saw this pic below:


I'm not much of an art person but I saw this in a hotel in Malaysia and couldn't resist it - something kept drawing my eye to it. Of course the real art is all around us - this below is a view from the same friend's patio in Adelaide... (and yes - I'm facing west - you will probably think it should be south but look at a map...).

This is "R" and I...

This is "R". Tell me what you think?

I like her. That's what counts.

(PS - we're getting married June 30th).

Vertigo? Not me!

I don't suffer from vertigo fortunately - this is how I get from a boat to a platform. The older and more gnarly the crane drivers look though the happier I am! The younger ones don't seem to have the judgment - many years ago one young guy knocked me off a personnel basket! (Fortunately only a few feet off the deck!).

Ships passing in the night = pretty lights!

Some pretty lights that resulted from taking a slow exposure light of a ship passing the ferry I've just been on. I travelled from HaiYan to HaiKou (Hainan Island)

China - a bit like Europe from the Air?

It's a little hard to tell through the smog and fog but to me - China does look a little like Europe from the air... What of course is impressive is that this is only a small coastal city (ZhanJiang) that I am flying over - and there are thousands of these all over China. One very busy, potentially very powerful country is arising from the ashes of the Cultural Revolution (yes - it still matters 25 years on).

My commute - and my most recent work place.

Scary ride but always fun. Notice the funny spelling (typ. "Chinglish") on the sign.

I have looked for this for 7 years since I left Shanghai!

I first had this Sichuan dish in Shanghai many years ago courtery of LML. I have looked and looked for it since then to no avail and Frank ordered it by pure chance in Sekhou! I was so happy! It's chopped up dried red chillies with lots of small pieces of fried chicken - very hot - but absolutely delicious. It's called "La Zi Jie". It's a real effort to get down to the last viable piece of chicken without accidentally consuming a red hot chili.

China - Shekou - suprisingly nice

Ok so it's a quick snap from the hotel car park but hopefully you'll get a feel for Shekou - a nice coastal support city close to HK.

Isn't he a happy boy?

Un-named boy child #1 - he's the light of my life - always happy - always keen on learning. What happens in between childhood and 42 that turns us into such unhappy people?

Top of the hill.

This is the top of the Kassam Pass - Papua New Guinea. It's quite a drive - recent road repairs thanks to the Oz Tax Payer. You still stand a reasonable chance of being killed in a landslide.

You talkin' about me? Don't be scared... get a wood duck first!

A "tropical" racoon - pic was taken in Malaysia. An yeah - Akubi - they're scary....

Did that Cat have too much Guiness?

Hey I like cats... but they can be pretty moronic at times. I'd have to say this is one of those times!

4x4'ing in Singapore? Say it ain't so!

A good friend took me for a ride in his landrover in Singapore... can you even believe this in Singapore?

Kissing Rocks in Taiwan!

No! Not me kissing the rocks - two rocks trying to kiss each other ... for the last million years or so.

The house I grew up in - Papua New Guinea

Originally built as a gift by missionaries to a newly wed couple. It has been extended and redone several times and is now over 40 years old.

Desert Moon over Tarbat near Eromanga

Ok - I'm cheating for Aspeth... this is from a few months ago but I couldn't resist posting it when I looked again at the colours... Tarbat is near Australia's most remote town (in the sense of being furthest from the Ocean) - Eromanga - a town which boasts not much more than a single Pub.

New Car - Subaru Forester - 2.5XT - 230HP!