Where on earth is Tim ?

A Global Warning

I've just checked the BBC news and its all doom and gloom in the UK. The weatherman is predicting that the south of the UK is about to face its coldest night ever (on record), with lows of -20C. And for the past few days I've had a stream of Family and Friends pinging me about the snow and ice that has enveloped the UK. Rod even got me to look at his webcam pointed at his front garden, which is in balmy Ealing (West London) and is now covered in snow. Thats quite a few snowfalls for London this winter, isn't it ?

I'm in the Cook Islands, which is almost the other side of the world, drinking a beer on the beach and in the sun. But as it happens the Cook Islands are now particular worried about a typhoon. Apparently the Sea's temperature is critical; Hit 29 degrees C and cyclones start kicking off. Its at 27C and rising. A couple years ago they had 5 typhoons in one week. Considering the average is one typhoon every 5 years its about 175% above average.

Cyclone Bearing down on the Cook Islands in 2005

Yet I'm now reading The Rough Guide to Climate Change (On a rather nice beach with a rather nice beer). Apparently there are people out there who still deny Global Warming ? They must be mad, delusional or just simply greedy.

Brown and Out

One of the great things about travelling is that your a long, long, long, way away from the Tabloids. Ok, that is, apart from when I was passing through Bangkok airport and saw a selection of The Mirror and The Daily Mail in the Duty Free shop. Not quite the choice I wanted to make and certainly not the Sunday afternoon, Sunday Times, experience I might be looking for.

So today, while in rural Cambodia, a Cambodian came up to me told me that "The Sun" had just endorsed the Conservatives in the next election, ditching Labour after 13 years.

Right. No need to hurry back home and vote next year then. Its going to be a whitewash, or should I say, a bluewash.

On my way to Ankor Wat this afternoon

What I am more concerned about is if it will stop raining before I leave Ankor Wat. We are in the fallout of Typoon Ketsana and its rather wet. The river is only inches from breaking its banks. The Tuc-Tuc I was in died this afternoon ... from a flooded engine ... The driver got me another bike and then promised he will be at our guesthouse for a trip at 9am tomorrow, without fail, and ... he promised ... with a fully fixed Tuc-Tuc. I expect they will be working all the night to fashion a DIY high air intake. He is sure to reap his $8 dollars for a days work showing people like me round Ankor Wat tomorrow.

Detail, Ankor Wat

Despite the rain, Ankor Wat is rather good. More of it for the next couple of days, with or without the rain.

Life from a bus window...

This week I've had the traveling blues. I've got stuck in Chengdu at Sim Cozy's Garden Hostel, which, all things considered, is not a bad place to spend a few days relaxing. Its given me a bit of time to reflect some four months into my trip.

I've been thinking about all the Fantastic Places I've Seen, People I've Met and Experiences I've Had. I can more or less remember every day of the last four months. I can't even begin to say the same about the prior four months.

Such as the day I spent cruising around Hampi on a motorbike; The evenings spent watching Hindu Brahmen go about their daily worship like nothing has changed in the last 2000 years; the week spent hanging out with Mathius in Kathmandu; two weeks trekking to Everest, meeting such interesting characters on the way; A few minutes seeing Baba the dentist in Varanasi; Meeting so many smiling Indian's; Getting such warm hospitality from the Pakistani's; The 'family' hospitality from OpenTV colleagues while I am passing through; having a laugh with some great people along the way; Seeing so much variety in the world.

I could go on, but most of all I enjoy the freedom of sitting on a bus watching the world go by, thinking about life with no concern about when the bus leaves or arrives. It gets even better with no windows, just fresh air to free the mind.

And then I've thought about the Things I've Not Done ... Cook; Sit at a desk; drive a car; take a bath; clean the house; use an alarm clock for more than a couple times a week; use a rain coat or even a fleece except within sight of Mount Everest!

And then There Are The Things I Miss ... Lazy sundays pottering round the house; Playing with power tools; Family; My own bed; A rainy day on the streets of London; A night out with my mates; a lie-in in my own bed; Proper Bacon, Avocado, a decent Cheese and all of the above in a monster size salad.

The list of Things That I Don't Miss ... which is not worth the time to write about, only to add that the thought of work is a mere blur. I've not been thinking about it.

Traveling has been a discovery which I am only just getting into. I can feel my outlook on the world changing. I can feel my views changing. I can feel my motivations changing. My only regret is traveling with a defined end. The thought of traveling until I decide to go home appeals right now. Allot.

Alas, on January 15th I'll be woken up by an alarm clock and will find myself sitting behind a desk in the morning. Probably wearing a fleece and rain coat. Or will I ? I hope this is an appealing concept in January. We all have to earn our way in the world and I made this choice before I started traveling. But then again, I will get a Bacon, Avocado and Cheese Salad that evening.

Before I left, I was wondering if I should spend more time in less places or less time in more places. Right now, I think that a mix of the two is perfect for me... Spend too long in a place and you get stuck. Speed around too often and you'll get 'templed out' thinking that one of the last places you visited would have probably been 'the' place to stop and enjoy it slowly for a week or two. Be flexible and if you really like somewhere. Stop. Enjoy. Take in Life and the people. Then move on once you feel stuck.

So I've decided that I am stuck in China and I have had enough. We are off to Tibet later this week, where we have a trip planned to travel across thought the alto-plano and on to Kathmandu. I am looking forward to a good Steak at the Everest stake house, washed down with a few Everest Beers. Oh and I will hunt down a supermarket that sells Avocados. I need some luck to find some.

By the way, many of you know it was my Birthday on Friday. We went for hot pot and had amongst other things, had pigs brain as part of a extravaganza. I can report that it is rather nice. I cant say so much about the Biju though, a rather vile spirit brewed by the Chinese. Finally note-o-fun for this blog:

I saw this sign on the way into the Panda Sanctuary in Chengdu. Says allot about some of the attitudes in China.

G20 - So what are they going to loot this year ?

This week is the G20 summit in London. I remember the last one a few years back....The streets of central London were crawling with protesters against 'Capitalism'. No MacDonalds was safe and several lost their front windows. I certainly was not going to venture out onto the streets...

This year they are back, but their message has changed;  Its now all about 'Jobs, Justice & Climate'. Protesters have swapped a fight against the 'evil of capitalism' for more Jobs, better Justice and climate change.

Which made me think about Capitalism and what it means... "Capitalism is an economic system in which wealth, and the means of producing wealth, are privately owned and controlled rather than commonly, publicly, or state-owned and controlled."

Oh, dear I forgot to mention that the UK is broke. Best not rely on them to ditch capitalism and create Jobs.

And MacDonald's employs people and that means Jobs, 1000's of them. (and BTW, MccyD's is doing particularly well in the recession). Even with my limited first grade economics doesn't this represent a U-turn in messaging from the street ?

Anyway what i am more interested in is what are they going to loot this time ?

Just what were they thinking ?

Jack’s Vacuum Pants
United States Patent #4,230,114, 1980


"the continuous evacuation of air will cause the pant material to press against the user’s body to induce sweating during an exercise routine with the effect that overall girth reduction is promoted." So who among us isn’t in favor of overall girth reduction with a vacuum cleaner ?

Dean’s Sputnik Cap
United States Patent #2,971,082, 1961

This ingenious Sputnik Cap, a lighted, translucent, spiked plastic helmet that glows in the dark "in order to warn approaching motorists of the presence of an individual along a highway."

Would you rely on this ? (and not leave the car headlights on ? )

Domenic’s Life Preserver
United States Patent #1,292,587 - 1919

This ensemble consisted of a vest, two mouth-inflatable underarm air sacks and an elastic-necked head covering designed to keep its wearer from swallowing salt water.

Volenteers ????

If you traveled through the centre of the earth....

If you traveled through the centre of the earth....where would you end up ?

Unfortunately if you live in London, you would end up somewhere in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean, meaning that if you've survived the heat of the earths inner core you'd probably end up drowning as a result, with no desert island in sight....

Whereas if you live in Madrid, you would end up in a very nice part of North Island, New Zealand. Nice.

Any other interesting Antipodal loactions* out there ?

* The antipodes of any place on Earth is its antipodal point; that is, the region on the Earth's surface which is diametrically opposite to it. Two points which are antipodal to one another are connected by a straight line through the centre of the Earth

Spaghetti hoops as haute cuisine? or just another Erotic Toy...

Answers on a postcard.... and for a reason why see here