DuLa B'day BBQ

It was DuLa's Birthday BBQ today, and with emb in Borth, it was me and Ulrick out for the day. Now you've got to remember how I fell on my face yesterday ... today he was lovely, a near perfect pup.

The food was fantastic, just check out the fish!

I'll be there for you ...

(When the rain starts to pour)
I'll be there for you
(Like I've been there before)
I'll be there for you
('Cause you're there for me too)

E4 have a tag line, "You don't need to buy the box set, we'll never stop repeating Friends"

I've sky plus-ed the last few episodes, which I've been watching, series 10 finished on Thursday. On Friday they started from the very beginning again! Today was the "I have elbows" episode ...

What did shock me was the first episode aired 28 April 1995 in the UK ... that's bang on 12 years ago.

12 years, I feel so old.

Down But Not Out

I took Ulrick for a walk.

On my own.

Lead to unexpected events ... like me falling on my face

Being pulled onto my face to be more accurate, I'll set the scene.

lady, dog, stick ... a stick which Ulrick wanted to play with. they were in front of us as such didn't know we were there.

Stick was thrown, Ulrick went off to get that stick, leaving me lying on my face.

ow, doubel ow, oh so ow.

Got him back, shouted at him, was so not happy, hurt myself, not just my pride.

little bugger ...

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Here's how it might have been...

Can't stop the signal

DuLa

Happy Birthday to You,
Happy Birthday to You,
Happy Birthday Dear DuLa,
Happy Birthday to You!

Here's to an exciting night to gilravage

Jury Service

I'm back!

But on jury service, which is unpleasant but necessary.

post dated updates to follow soon

London, Baby!

12 hour on a plane & I smell.

12 hours on a plane and then 12 at the mercy of British rail (or rail track, or network rail, or what ever it is now) then I'm tiered, grumpy and smell.

it took me more time to get from London to Birmingham than it did for TPG to get from HK to KL, which is silly.

now off for a shower, and a sleep.

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Like new york on steroids, really. All a bit mad, lots of time out and about, lots of time watching rubbish (and not so rubbish) TV. the place is built on a hill, a big hill at that, the view is incredible, photos can't capture it, but we had a go.

We ate lots, & I discovered that I don't rally like real chines food that much, all a bit non vegi friendly. We found a very good Indian, and were shown a lovely whole food restaurant by a lovely lady. We ate there twice.

I could just be where we were but though the visuals were stunning, the tunes were most definitely old school! Not that old, 80's/90's or so, can't argue.

Holiday in Camdodia

This is a strange country, like lord of the flies, with out the seashells, and the complete destruction of society, it's a nation of children, the average age is under 21 years old. while we were there we saw maybe 5 people over 60, and no more than 10 between 25 and 60. Now of course we were in the tourist areas the adults may have been elsewhere, but even the police officers were young, our main "tut tut"(the noise a straining scooter engine makes when pulling a carriage) driver was 15 if he was a day.

Everyone seemed beautiful, moved with purpose, and the country is incredible. It's going develop with a bang, hopefully a good one.

Busy Day

Today is my last full day in KL, as such I had much to do. Those Temples don't visit themselves you know!

First step was catching the train by myself, this was a big step. Please allow a slight digression, the tickets have some form of reprogrammable feature, and as such they can be reused, but rather than in the UK, where you have your destination on the ticket, here you don't, so you just have to remember!

First stop Chinatown, where I first went to Chan See Shu Yuen Temple, which was very old, and took a leap of faith to get to as you had to cross a very very busy roundabout to get there, on the plus side you got two for one as there was also the Koon Yam (Guanyin) Temple a little bit over. Next back a bit was yet another temple, Sze Ya Temple which was a little tricky to find but fengshui put it there, so we're all good.

Next, in my attempt to find the train again I went back past the Guandi Temple (Kwong Siew Free School) and the Sri Mahamariamman Temple. (not just an excuse to show I now know the names and put more photos up!)

After all this I still found no postcards!

Running out of options I decided to catch the train to KLCC, which is a temple to consumerism, so still in the same theme. to make it clear there is a M&S, a Top Shop, and many other designer boutique. But most importantly there is a park with the dolphin sculpture.

Today was a long day and I'm very sleepy.

I'm going to Cambodia tomorrow, we have to leave the house at 07.00. I have to pack. I hate packing. EMB has called to make me hurry up and TPG says he's just going to leave me behind.

Should pack ...

Dirty Stop Out

Last night TPG, neighbour + family & I ventured in to town, to KLCC, where we saw the stunningly beautifully Petronas towers by night. Then ate Mexican food and went on to a bar called Luna, to do this we walked through a street of clubs, and in case you were worried the 80's are alive and well, having retired to KL for the sun. I kid you not, if you're not heard Queen with a Malaysian MCing over the top you've not lived. (come to think of it, it's a bit like when we went to a disco in a rugby club, which had welsh MCing over a forgettable dance track)

Anyway, I digress. As we didn't catch the train till 21.00 we ate late, so we got to the bar for about 23:30, discovering that the ING/Renault team had had a party in there until 23:00 or so, and as such the place was packed. To be honest it required more concentration than I have as there is just to much water! Once sat down it was a very chilled place, apartment swimming pool by day, chill out bar by night, unbelievable view.

Solo Adventure

From the apartment you can see a temple. (top right of photo above what looks like a light gray box)

Based on this I hatched a plan, I'd walk down to Freedom Park (Bottom Left), see how I was doing and maybe walk to the temple, now on the photo it may not look far but it is 35c and over 50% humidity. So hot and sweaty.

Anyway freedom park is lovely, very peaceful with lots of shade. I'm not sure what time school finishes here but there seemed to be a fair few school children around, boys being noisy and the like. What I did notice was that everyone was in the shade, of which there was a lot.

Feeling ok I decided to make the trip to what I later discovered was the (Buddhist) Chetawan Temple. which in the photo above looks small but is actually a complex of shrines and temples, even having a homemade waterfall.

First port of call was the office where there was a nice lady looking like she'd just got up and a saffron clad Monk using a computer. I asked if I could look round, was told yes, asked if I could take photos, was told yes, I checked, everywhere? Monk nodded, lady said yes. Hence there are many photos.

As I wondered around I got to see many things and reinforced my belief that fire, smoke, sunshine and faith is a good combination.

It's a Small World After All

And not just in a Disney/Winnie the pooh kind of way.

Much to TPG disgust I've been taking photos of random things that remind me of not here. I'll explain, when you turn on to the complex there is an A&W which does root beer floats just like I remember. (They melt faster there than in Colorado though).

In the mall downstairs there's a Starbucks. Not just a Starbucks but the other day it had saffron clad Buddhist monks enjoying a latte. We couldn't work out a way to photo them with out being hugely disrespectful, so we didn't. Still saw it though.

We went to a "Mega Mall" It had a GAP, and even more frighteningly a Dorothy Perkins. Dotty P for goodness sake, they're a well respected brand over here apparently!

More Small World photos.

*****************************

Multi Lingual Danger Sign

Ding Dong (Secret Swiral Post)

Wedding Bells are chiming,

Best wishes and congratulations

Can't Stop The Signal

A captain's goal is simple: find crew, find a job... keep flying.

With thanks to Da Josephine

Abertawe to KL

A Long Time Ago ... I used to live in Swansea, I loved living there but it was not without its downsides.

One thing I do remember about Swansea is the weather, according to my memory it rained almost every day. It seems to do that here as well, difference being in Swansea, you'd get cold and wet, where as in KL you get warm and wet.

Also thought the storms in Swansea could be impressive, they had nothing in comparison with what's going on outside at the moment, thunder, lightning, flood water unbelievable. Blackpill would be underwater by now, so it'd be not all bad!

Photos

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Also

A memory from the Florence