I hate fashion. It gets me that people wear very similar clothes these days- all wanting to be accepted- all designered up. I’d rather dress in rags, or perhaps if I could have the clothes I wore as a child, but made bigger..not a label in sight- just good old woolen numbers.

Been in Dubai all week. It’s a funny old place. I may be wrong, but there always seems to be more females than males; like 2 to 1..and the majority look really fit. On the flip side, the men are generally dark and hairy and smoke continuously in a jabbering kinda way..sticking their cigarettes at the side of their mouths and jabber jabber to one another. Cars everywhere, heat, headaches, no pubs. Foreign workers, dust, air conditioning, sterile life..

Tomorrow i’ll be back in Jersey and ensconsed in the Lamp to watch England’s 1/4 final game. They need to come good, but I feel somehow Portugal have speed, presence of mind and a killer instinct. Crouch has been found wanting- Sven’s fault to be honest..what the fuck was he thinking in his selection? We’ll see..

I’m in Jersey all summer, barring a 2 week break in Corsica in August. Henry the Cat has moved out there and bought a run down property. I believe he’s making walls. perhaps that should that be building walls? Prefer the former. Anyhow, he’s into it apparently… rather like making love.

I’ve got 4 Chloe bags in my case from Shenzhen. Chinese knock offs. Just doing a friend a favour, although it occurs to me that that favour will also involve spending a rather large sum in postage to get them up to Tyneside. Shite. Might keep one back for my sister.

I’ve also purchased cigarillos- some vague maxican sounding word that distinguishes the cigar with a cigarette filter. need to give up the cigarettes, so I will try with these. 50 of em to get through..

Best get off..

I spotted my first chinese woman sporting a hair lip yesterday and i’m further impressed that I have managed to remember to document the chance sighting. I strolled past her and my eyes darted onto her lip, a split second later our eyes met. The resigned look on her face sugested that she was quite used to people looking at her lip rather than into her eyes. Such a strange thing really..te way it transforms a persons face.

I’m in Dubai this week and just checking out the weather ont tinternet, it’s currently 45 degrees c. Call me old fashioned, but that’s proper bubbling!

It’s now 11pm and England are due to kick off their last 16 match against Ecuador. Might just wander and see if I can pick up a viewing in the Emirates lounge. In HK, they use the China Aviation business lounge, which is adequate- the new lounge they have in London is the DB’s. Leather everything- food, booze, a crash out area, a smoking room that smells actually quite nice and internet. Sprawling facilities. Great stuff. With an 8 hour flight in prospect, i’m not looking forward to it.

Spent the day on Lantau with Steve eating then gambling the Sha Tin race card. I did a few place bets but mainly quinella places- bet 3 horses and if any 2 in any order come in it pays whatever’s in the pot. I lost ever bet.I’d maybe get 1 in and a fourth. 4th doesn’t pay- it’s a shame. If you could make money picking the fourth horse, i’d be well off. Then we shot some pool and I i pipped him in a nailbiter 7-6.. I was down 1-5 at one stage. I’ll finish this later..

The jungle was wonderful. It’s just so savage. Everythig is on the breadline. If it can grow a spike, or some form of hurtful thorn, plants generally do it. Pitcher plants are there in abundance- they trap. Everything living bites. If ony they didn’t have mosquitoes, the place would be heaven. Without a care in the world, I believe I was the only person in the history of primary rainforest trekking not to cosider the attributes of insect repellent. It didn’t even occur to me. the only vague protection I carried was a plaster, which incidentally went unused. Anyway, bloody mosquitoes buzz around in swarms. To balance up the place, because let’s face it, life’s about balancing things up, Borneo does have very nice people. Not a head hunter in sight…

I hoked up, for a long time of my week, with a travelling couple called Matt and Amber from NZ. They were good fun and it was good to share a number of exeriences with others. Bravely, because i’d certainly think twice about it, they started their “holiday” in East Timor. Apparently it was nice. So much for official websites warning you never to ever consider going to a wartorn country. Anyway, their website is: www.transasia2005.zoomshare.com

I missed my flight out of Kuching due to drinking too much and chasing tail. Karen, if I remember, lived in Gibraltar (mental note to surprise her if ever I go to Gib), but we got too pissed and it all went up in a ball of chalk. I got back to my apartment at 04.30 having trawled every hell hole in Kuching, and finally agreeing there really wasn’t anywhere else to go which involved bars. I awoke fully clothed at 10.30, approximately the same time my plane was departing for Singapore. Oh dear.. Now, Kuching isn’t necessarily described by many as a air traffickers hub of activity and it took me roughly 10 hours to filter my battered shell of a body back to Singapore, via Kuala Lumpur. So lucky to even get off Kuching. To this day i’m not really sure how I did it, but remember refusing to move off the baggage loading area of a check in desk and being frogmarched over the counter into a type of interrogation room. Clearly my fuelled breath gave away my sorry predicamnt, and a few fags later chatting about football I have won over the growing masses over intruiged serice staff. It was, however, a horrible hunbling experience- one that I wouldn’t recommend to anyone. But onwards and upwards- I managed to catch my flight out of Singapore to Amsterdam by the scruff of my neck and then it was coolness all the way.

Met up with the two Dave’s in amsterdam, won money at the Casino and the rest was a blur, as they say.

I looked dreadful when I arrived back in Jersey.I’m sure customs didn’t go near more from the fact that I resembled someone with Avian Flu, than someone who’d partied for 2 nights in Amsterdam. In any event, I had too much luggage on me, and the thought that any customs officer wanting to freely sift through a bag of decrepit stinking clothes post Camboida and Borneo probably frightened the life out of me. I mean, the embarrassment..me, the 7th Earl of .. I smelt, to be fair…but the memories..

And so I sit at home, me and the parrot, smiling to myself and recalling my Bornean adventure that nearly went horribly wrong. Funny really. I’d go back any day, but first there will be other places.

Anyway, let’s skip this and move onto more enjoyable subject matter.

The temples at Angkor Wat are certainly the most amazing set of temples, architecture, call it what you want- that I have ever seen. They piss on Borabador in Java. Nasty comment, but that’s the only way I feel I can portray the chasm of difference; the sheer size, intricacy and scope of the elaborate temple network. Even related to more modern day wonders, such as say St Marks Square in Venice, St Pauls Cathederal in London, or even the pyramids of Egypt, it is beyond comprehension how a race could sculpture a series of temples so huge, over 1000 years ago. How they still stand, the intricacy of detail that still exists and latterly the restoration work that has promoted them into the public eye, as well as protected them from further abuse is mind boggling.

You hear and talk to local Khmers about the 1970’s and 80’s- the Pol Pot era, and it is very much in their minds what atrocities went on. Most have stories to tell, or missing family members. You have to remember that under the regime, over 3 million people were brutally and mercilessly tortured raped and killed. Pol’s basic aim, engineered through an impossible romanticised version of communism was to return Cambodia, home of the Khmer, to the glories and spoils that had once existed 1000 years ago. Then they had fought war after war with their neighbours and fourished. So to provide the people with strength to fight, bouyed with the germanic model of growth prior to the second world war, food for the fighters had to be in plentiful supply, hence the reason Pol ordered everyone back into the rice fields. All foreign trade was curtailed and counterplot soon vapourised due to any minor rebellion being snuffed fairly immediately. The irony was that the spoils of the land, i.e. rice, was then sold to other countries and the vast wealth gathered from this elaborate exercise went to high ranking regime plutocrats. Cambodia soon collapsed into turmoil, the sick face of the world’s famine charities- a victim of greed and persecution. My reason for mentioning this was the temples. Pol Pot romanticised that Cambodia could be that powerful again. In history, the most powerful civilisations in the East around 950 ad were China and Cambodia, under the Khmer empire. He was of course a flawed and fairly sick meglomaniac living off power and wealth brought about through aggression and almost murderingan entire race or people. Quite bizarre.

I have no doubt that in a few years, Cambodia, if it isn’t all ready, will be a mecca for the backpacker- where they will undoubtedly attach it on to any trail through S E Asia. Currently, vietnam and Laos are somewhat vogue- Cambodia will follow. The level of building here in Siem Reap can be witnessed first hand. Speaking to pub owners, property prices have quadruplued in lass than 2 years. It’s been a pleaasure to come here, and no doubt, at some stage I will return. Just glad I saw it before it gets too out of hand with the backpacker brigade. The scum of the earth.

Jonny B, I believe, had a pretty good time in HK. We were out mostly every evening, but didn’t really hit it heavy until the weekend. As it happened, most of my big meetings were towards the end of my visit, and thus there was no way that I could jeopardise business sign up. If I was in bed for 1ish, I was fine in the morning.

I was acutely aware upon JB’s arrival of the deteriation of body weight- he looked a damn sight lighter than his previous 21 stone jersey frame. He had actually plummeted to 16- my weight. However, the Silvermine buffet was a good medium to begin rebuilding his bulk after dietting on noodles and rice for the previous 6 weeks in China. His plate on that first night reminded me of Richard Dreyfus in his front room during Close Encounters of the Third Kind…but food rather than mud and branches.. Jonnys arms had wilted in China and I believe he took emotional umbrage when I remarked that his arms were chicken-like. Not even turkey-like. They were perculiarly small, wilted and out of proportion. Sorry Jon- don’t mean to harp on, but when one hits a raw nerve, isn’t it very English to continue mentioning it?

There were, on reflection, many highlights which I am sure will be laughed at when we get back to Jersey towards the end of November. For, sadly, it will be November when I see Jonny again. As for Olen and Evan, it will be next year. Damn shame, but i’ll explain the rationale further down..

I suppose the best day was the rugby on the saturday, as it transpired it was almost a free night (until after midnight, in any event). I somehow pulled a muscle in the morning playing tennis, and thus ran (walked/hobbled) touch whilst JB impressed and was even mentioned in dispatches as a very useful player. Can’t remember the exact wording- I sent JB the article. No doubt he will chersh the words. Despite his weak aarms, even I thought he played well, and there were even glimmers of tackles atvthe first defensive line. Never easy playing small Japanese, but victory was guaranteed as early as half time. Anyway, how to influence a rugby team on first inspection. As a result of the hype, we were cordially invited to a free buffet/drinks do for a player (Mine Mark) leaving to work in the Cayman. The Hong Kong club in all its glitzy glory. How the empire still treads the quality of days bygone- in some circles at least. Free eveything. Fine wines, beers from around the world- after China I could see JB’s face open with delight.. great. Stumbled out of there at about 11ish and hit Wanchai before we started making fools of ourselves.

Now Wanchai for those that don’t know is an illustrious place in HK where most of the action goes on- where the pubs/clubs/neon lights are, although to be fair, these are also intermingled with a number of ropey old venues charging considerably more than one should part with. However, for entertainment, live music and honest boozers, Wanchai proliferates with atmosphere on a saturday night and, I feel, offers the best night out in HK. As alluded to just now, prices are ridiculous and nothing stacks up to the quality of Macau. Beggers can’t be choosers though, and when in Rome, with JB in tow, merry from sport and drink, one siezes on the opportunity to enjoy oneself. But living in Mui Wo, it is of primary importance to ensure that the 3pm boat home is not missed. When it is, things can go quickly awry. And I think i’ll leave it at that…

I’m in Singapore now. Staying at the Shangri-La Hotel just off Orchard Road. I’ve had a fabulous week (as in the welsh “fabulous”..) as the weather has been hot hot hot. Attended a very rewarding STEP conference for a few days and met some excellent contacts during various networking opportunities. Again, as always at these types of conferences, I attract characters that stand out in a crowd- the loud, the strange, the ridiculously shy, the far too tall, surely the only ever eskimo trustee in the world. I must be odd person magnetic. But I wouldn’t want to change anything. Incidentally, I spotted my first albino chinese person walking down the street yesterday. I should have taken his picture, but i’m sure he’d be non-receptive to the proposition of gweilo photoman snapping away. He looked good though- I should have at least turned and followed for a while- perhaps engaged him in conversation..

I’ve made a balls up regarding meeting JB in China. As it happens, not only is it a hindu festival next week (deepawali?) but Hari Raya (muslim) and thus flights out of Singapore to almost every South East Asian worthwhile destination are chocker. So, my options have been severly limited, to an extent that the only flights out to China are actually via Bangkok (overnight stay) on 2nd Nov, to Cheng Du. Then I would have to arrange an internal flight down to Guelin. With every wil in the world the earliest I could get there would be probably 4th November, given the fly times. Equally, on the way back, the same is true. Buggering about in Airports and overnight stays in travel lodges etc. Just not my cup of tea at this stage, especially as I need to fly from CD on the morning of 11th and spend a day at Bangkok a/p. Consequently, even if I was to do the journey, it would leave me 6 real days in Guelin.

Alternatively, I have been offered a week in Cambodia at Ankor Wat and a week in Borneo jungle trekking. Same price. Sorry Jonny- I have to be somewhat greedy here and stick with the latter. I know i’ll be back in HK pretty soon, and thus further opportunities will arise- especially if we can arrange a teaching job for JB at the same time. However, there’ll be no more Sugar-Woodying if that’s the case, by the way!

So Ankor Wat it is. I leave Monday. Flights booked. Hotel reserved. Insurance sorted. Visa on arrival. Photos stashed. US$ bundled up. Not sure what to expect from the trip. No doubt Ankor Wat is said to be one of the 8 wonders of the world, but to what extent one can stay interested for an entire week without getting pagoda’d out, we’ll see. Cambodia is one of the poorest countries, so I expect little, other than rudimentary safety at a western hotel. There’s a whole blog of do’s and don’ts attached. Don’t drink water, don’t eat fruit, don’t wander off designated paths etc. Make that a list of don’ts. Think Pol Pot minefield(ed) the entire country. Glad I don’t sleep walk.

Got my camera at the ready and waiting to snap away. Be prepared for many temple shots and I would shove them on this site if only I could fathom out how to do it. Olen? Borneo sounds good fun as well. There’;s apparently a jungle retreat one can stay in and trek from both during the day and at night. Fascinating i’m sure. What study?

This is thursday..

When things seem so obvious, when you think you’ve cracked your research, boxed things off, reasoned and rationalised , life and subsequent events appear to turn around and hit you round the chops with a gnarled and fetid piece of emaciated turd. I’ve just had one of those moments. A quick e-mail and i’m reeling, clambering at the base of a gigantic mountain, balancing delicately suddenly at its peak . When the very fabric of belief you were holding on to, hoping that eventually nostalgic logic and memories would turn things around and stuff would work out in the long run, reality deals its hand, and whilst for the last 9 years the cards have been kind, all of a sudden I have jokers in abundance. I’m all crumpled and lost in the vortex, the whirrling pit of ones worst fears- the stark truth of my situation repetetively kicking at my groin, gout-striken, dobey itches my mind, my stomach’s partying and I have nothing to add…nowhere to go, nothing to do, nowt to hide.

Anyway, not wanting to get tied in knots, I experience that lucid sensation for several minutes, store it and move on. For I am strong.

My next chapter is upon me and so reluctantly, but with calm understanding and resilience I turn the page. And it is good.

I have a week and a half left in HK. Playing Rugby against Valley Falcons on Saturday. Confirmed. Jonny B arrives monday I think, for a week. Confirmed. Need to sort him out a pit by the window.Mental note no.2. I look forward to his company and a few nights out. He’s been on the silk road in north west China for a couple of months I believe- I may be wrong. He rattled off a number of places and I gave the impression I may have known where he was talking about. He’ll have to draw me a (them there) map (so he will). I also look forward to seeing his photos- he’s adventurous and disciplined in a manner only seasoned westerners travelling in China get when taking photos of people that are camera shy. Not a hint of awkwardness or invasion. Personally I have 5 shots of me holding the camera at myself, in various stages of insobriety…late in the darkness of the night, hidden, suspect, dancing in the shadows…and in all the time i’ve been here. Pitiful really. Mental note no.3.

I will rebuild, forge alliances, conquer again. For I am strong.

P x

The Silvermine Bay Hotel is really cool. Mui Wo is like a holiday resort- well it is in fact. The hotel is recommended by Lonely Planet as The place to stay in HK, so the clientele tend to be fairly young and normally limit their stay to say 5 nights, being in the main, backpackers. This makes for a nice mix and there’s been some very nice friends i’ve got to know from sitting outside the front of the hotel, staring out at the wonderful aqautic vista of the island of Cheung Chau perched on the horizon, as the gentle tidal glassy waters lap up the white golden beach to the doorstep. Quite a setting.Of course, no study has been achieved thus far. Talking of which, managed an A in Managerial Economics and a c+ in Financial Management. Chuffed. Last semester and the hardest challenge awaits.

It’s been hot this weekend. In fact saturday was in the 90’s and probably the worst day to bugger about playing rugby. But, that’s what I did. It nearly killed me. I lost the power of speech for a good hour after the final whistle. I was sweating faster than I could drink water.I’m playing for the Sequins, a very social bunch of guys with a truly international flavour. Majority are over 35 and there’s no training proposition, so I fit in quite well. We won 38 to 10. The standard is very good. Most of the team have played a good standard and just enjoy the run out. For example, the no8 used to play for Natal- quite a number have been capped for HK. So, there I was on saturday, perched on the terrace of this fantastic pitch after our game, drinking with the boys. The pitch is inside Happy Valley race track- it’s an amazing backdrop. Just talking about the pitch for a second, it’s like an astro turf that’s bouncy and doesn’t scuff or carpet burn when you fall.I’ve registered now, so i’ll play every week from now on until I leave. My body is sore all over. Possibly the most i’ve ached for ages. I have a nasty cut on my forehead, which doesn’t look great, but I look on it as a talking point, rather than a negative.

Went to a nightclub with a girl called Dawn, known as prawn, on saturday night. Left at 5.30 and danced all night. Had a fantastic time- brilliant DJ, and that’s coming from me. Took me a good hour to relax fully, given the high propensity of benders and perhaps the addition of Paddy on the rocks, but relax I did and it was brilliant.Dawn, known as prawn, was great fun..She gave me her key to her flat in case we got seperated given that i’d missed the last boat back to Mui Wo (3 am), but when I got outside, I foolishly sat on a bench and pathetically awoke at 7.30 with a full street of people. Caught the boat back and lay by the pool, before going to lunch with Steve followed by the pub to watch the race meeting card at Sha Tin. Broke even, although to my dismay, I could have made a fortune on a race where I went against my gut feeling, and if I had placed a Quinella place (2 out of 3 horses, each way) as I was going to I would have made enough to live off until I leave here. The odds on the 2 horses that came in would have eaned me about HKD30k off a HKD50 bet. I came away with HKD600 instead. Such is life, but I learnt my lesson. Met a nice couple of Steve’s friends tonight- a new york couple and ate fresh fish and prawns wokked-up Cantonese style with chilli and garlic. Superb meal looking out to sea and a wonderful red sunset.I’ll be twitching tonight mind.

Still not sure what i’m going to do with my 2 weeks at the beginning on November. Tempted to go to either Vietnam or Laos. However, if I can get a cheap flight, i’m tempted with New Zealand. Bali, after yesterday, no doubt will be cheap, but i’ve been there a few times and personally i’d like to try somewhere i’ve not been to. There’s potential with Taman Negarra, the jungle in north east Malaysia. That’s meant to be superb. Jonny B is travelling around China still, so I might hook up with him.Jonny, give me a ring and we can discuss further. I finish work on 31st August and then fly out of Singapore for Amsterdam on 13th November. It’s those 2 weeks that I need to fill.

I think I might grow a moustache.

I’ve got a lot to do this week. I was going to go to Mon Kok (yes, I know, another good name) to buy a camera, but have instead been informed that Wanchai is the place to go. I need to buy a sim card for works mobile phone. I need to study. I need to write up about 15 meeting notes. I’ll be busy with loads of meetings. Meeting Dawn/Prawn tomorrow for lunch, Brad wednesday night and quizzing it thursday with Olivia. Playing rugby saturday, on a junk boat trip in the New Territories sunday. Average week in the life of the social elite. After all, what do they say, it’s all about the work/life balance.Loving it and feeling good about myself for the first time in a long time.

This is rather a small communique, but i’m tired and I need to get some sleep before I wake up around 3ish and start to think about crap for the rest of the night, or until say 5.30, when I might eventually drift off into the deepest and best ever sleep, only for the alarm to feck it all up at 7. Sounds as if i’m talking from experience…

Percy, real name Ching, was most gratifying and absorbing in conversational terms, he should have been at the confernence- a speaker perhaps- a nodding simpleton of an accomplice not only to my act of rebuke, but as a sure fire courier of contraband cigarettes. Indeed, I have to add, upon engagement, a sage on the subject of general low-life “musts” and “must nots”, as he peddled his wears (reduced price mind..special price..) to the lower level esculator belt lounge bar where I was typically poised volubely accounting stories of the west during break time over half a dozen cigarettes. Clearly, that’s something i’ll have to deal with. I must attract it. I love it!

I have to stop this bullshit also. As is evidenced in my writing technique, I get sidetracked. No result from the exam as such-they like the suspense of the arrangement. Hopefully in a few weeks i’ll get some feedback. Last semester has brought with it Portfolio Theory and Strategic Management. I understand these to be the toughest modules, although I can clearly see the end of the tunnel now, or is that the light at the end of the tunnel..I prefer the former..so close.

Finally, I have to thank Olen for all his help in setting up this website for me. He is a marvelous man, together with Evan, and I hope to see both of them fairly soon. They are the Cheng Du contingent- guys I met through Jonny B- all English teachers in China. Their blog pages are attached to the list at the side of my website and are very much worth a read.

Mark was clearly the worst of the bunch- mind, having beaten the system by smuggling the vodka through a tight security blanket, via a convoluted body back pack and overcoming air-pockets, I would have celebrated in a similar manner. It’s a dangerous game.

Sang Bohemian Rhapsody for another time in my life. Could you eer count them all? Arm in arm. Homo et homo. Little beats those moments, well, at the time perhaps..

Off to lunch…Hoo ha