Tits out Tuesday

I just spent the week in Darwin.

In Darwin there is a pub that proudly hosts Tits Out Tuesday. Our flight arrived JUST IN TIME!

As tempting as TOT was, we chose to go to the beach instead.

So Amanda has been living in Darwin for the past six months and through some bizarre miracle, Lara, Clare and I were all ready and willing to visit at the same time.

Clare made the journey from Alice Springs to Darwin by road. If you’re not Australian you might want to look at a map so you can add the appropriate “phwoar, what a massive, hot, desert-y road trip” noises. Lara and I jumped on a plane and arrived a few hours and a very confusing time difference later.

But we did arrive with just enough time to get the beach for sunset. Lara and I brought almond croissants from Melbourne and Amanda had the Darwin mangoes ready to go.

More lovely Darwin moments to share later.

Peace Sticks Everywhere

Found by Simone in Pentwater, Michigan:

Who can resist a peace stick?

What a week

Last week was odd. Almost every member of the family was sick at one point, like sick enough to stay in bed for a day, someone went to the hospital and another one called an ambulance. Gee, more drama than one week needs.

My fancy new phone was stolen too.

There was a tsunami in Samoa, flooding in the Philippines, an earthquake in Indonesia. My amazing Aceh housemate’s house was destroyed by the earthquake, she and her husband are OK. A facebook update from a common friend confirmed she was OK, a follow up email from her gave me a bit more detail, and then I learnt that she’d lost her house via a newspaper article in Melbourne (her story starts in the 4th last paragraph). The newspaper also confirmed that she is pregnant. I hope she doesn’t mind that the newspaper told me before she got the chance. She’d alluded to it in her email but wanted to tell me ‘in person’ via a skype call.

Happy news about pregnancy aside, it got to a point where I lost count of how many sets of “bad things happen in threes” I was up to.

I just followed a link to an article on Twitter which coincidentally and very surprisingly mentions another friend in the midst of earthquake recovery. We chatted on skype on Friday as he waited in a UK airport to be flown out to Padang. Now I know he’s arrived and at work.

Last week was also a really fun week. Em came to stay in Rushworth while she was on school holidays, so we did some gardening, baked banana bread and played Connect 4. Then Siobhan, Abby and Chloe joined us and we stayed indoors doing nice indoor things while it seemed to rain for a few days. Most of us slept Saturday away as we waded through a nasty virus. I slept through my 10 year school reunion. I don’t recall ever having a week that was so quiet and so eventful at the same time.

My friends’ blogs that don’t exist

Some of my friends who read and comment on this blog have their own blogs. Like Meags.

But some of my friends don’t have blogs when they probably should.

For example:

Josh. He has a lot to say and, if you read the comments to my blog, you would know that his comments are usually better written, more thoughtful and much funnier than my original posts. Josh uses facebook notes to good effect, but I think his audience could be much wider.

David. The need for David to start his own blog has been discussed in the comments, but I think David is scared to unlock his shining blog potential. I think I’m reading a self help book about that right now! I think you need to find your North Star, realise your own soul limitations, stop using negative self-talk and wiggle your right toe.

Rowan. Ro will contribute to my next mega blogging project, but she should also be channeling her energy into a dog blog and, unlike the rest of us with our silly rambling blogs, she might even get an audience!

Beck. I’m pretty sure the material for a blog is already being written or at least concocted in Beck’s brain. This blog would probably cover everything from organisational management to work-life balance and, like Rowan’s dog blog, would probably also get an audience.

Readers who are exempt from this blog push:

Lara. One of the few people I know who is any good at keeping a regular journal. Unlike some people I know (ahem…Sarah) I don’t think Lara would be motivated by a desire to share every dull thought she’s ever had with the world (but you can prove me wrong if you like Lara).

Ben. Already has a blog. Doesn’t bloody post on it.

The last of the Photikans

So I did a rubbish job of reporting on my last trip to Australia. I didn’t take many photos while I was at home (I was too busy sleeping), and because my “reports” of travel are just strings of photos with captions I don’t have much to work with.

So just to make it feel like I’ve met the minimum reporting requirements here are a few random photos from my trip and we will just call it even, OK?

The Night of Jess and Beck’s Double-birthday Extravaganza

Lara at the European after Jess and Beck's birthday

I would add some photos from the party but it’s hard to pick my favourite one out of 500 photos of 17 drunk people trying to squeeze into one shot. I might just create a hall of fame. That reminds me, did I mention the party? In case I didn’t…Jess turned 30 and Beck turned 40 and it was a ridiculously funny party. There were even chocolate cupcakes with pink icing…so we smashed them in each other’s faces. Obvs.

Museum Day

I took heaps of photos the day Meaghan, Clare, Ryan, Miles and I went to the museum.

Skeletosaurus

Ryan in the museum playground

Fountain in Carlton Gardens

Ryan resting by the fountain

Miles exploring the garden

Clare and Meaghan walking through the gardens to the tram

Ollie and Liam turn 1!

The other time I took my camera out was another lovely Melbourne day out. Ollie and Liam’s first birthday at the Children’s Farm and Convent.

Sarah tries to get a smile out of Ollie...Ollie is not impressed

Chloe and Rueben (this is one photo out of a very funny series)

Nanna, Liam and Ollie

Done! that’s a load off my shoulders…

Holidays! And Indian Food!

Holidays start later today! I’m at work with my very heavy suitcase and I’m charging up the pod readying myself for departure. SO excited about this trip! I woke up at 5.30am I was so excited!

Last night, instead of working until a-million-o’clock or devoting unnecessary amounts of time to packing, the lovely Khun Rae invited me and some colleagues over for REAL INDIAN FOOD! This invitation came about because intern Sara and I eat Indian food at the canteen most days. One day at lunch we were speculating about where to get the best Indian food in Bangkok so we asked Khun Rae, who is about 15 generations Thai-Indian. Her answer: “My house!” So we set a date for dinner.

Khun Rae lives far away from the office. The other day it took her FOUR HOURS to get to work! But last night, with Nut’s car and the traffic on our side we were there in 45 mins! Bangkok, you make no sense sometimes.

Khun Rae knew what we were all about, so there was food on the table almost as soon as we arrived.

Close up please…

Augggghhhhhhhhhhhhh, the appetizers were so damn tasty. I forget what the first dish was called but I think it’s my favourite food in the world. Seriously! The second dish, Samosas. Home made. You’re jealous.

And this is what my plate looked like a short time later! Hellooooo deliciousness. Yes, I ate too much, and yes my table manners could have been better – but the other guests were similarly afflicted with food lust so it was OK. Best moment of the night: Nut sees a delicious dish and starts loading up his plate: “Ohhhhhhhh I LOVE this!! I LOVE Indian food!”. Khun Rae: “Nut, it’s a Thai curry”.

The star of the evening was Khun Rae’s son, Ankit. This photo makes him look like a sweet and charming little boy. That’s part of his sneaky  game plan. We know the truth…

Nut being tortured by Ankit. He only beat up on boys. He respectfully screamed at the girls. Cutest moment was when Khun Rae said something to Ankit in Hindi and he went from running around manic circles to dead quiet. “What did you say Rae?” “I told him that if he doesn’t behave I won’t invite people from the office ever again” Awww, he loved us!

Birthday dinner at Longtable

Last Tuesday Lara and I decided to declare the State of Emergency “Over” or perhaps “not something we care about anymore” and went out for a night-before-my-birthday/Lara’s-last-night-in-town dinner. Keen to take advantage of the vertical strengths of Bangkok we went to Longtable on the 25th floor of some building over near Asok BTS.

Bangkok skyline - the view from our table

Sarah

Lara

Lobster, papay salad, fried rice and morning glory. Even more delicious than it looks!

The city of Bangkok was lit up behind us but my clever camera holding means you can't really see it.

Seeing the Bangkok Sites with Lara -UPDATED new photos

Lara is visiting Bangkok this week and with the good fortune of some well placed public holidays and a less hectic work load than usual we’ve been getting around the city to see the sites.

The first few days of Lara’s visit included a lot of cafe-sitting so I’ll spare you those photos (there are many) and jump into more exciting images (mostly temples – yesterday was a temply kind of day).

We started off with a giant gold Buddha.

Because we’re so fond of tall fellas, we moved onto this guy at Wat Po.

Wat Po was a busy place yesterday as everyone was preparing for Songkran.

Looks like secret monks business going on here.

After Wat Po we wandered over to Wat Arun. This was the view from the ferry on the way across the river.

On the grounds of Wat Arun, there was yet more Songkran preparation. And a very cute sign for the toilets.

Wat Arun behind a tree.

I have no explanation for the next picture.

After visiting Wat Arun we headed back across the river to Amorosa, the bar overlooking Wat Arun.

Which reminds me…

Another view from the top from earlier this week, looking down on the city from Sky Train Bar, Victory Monument.

No really…where is Sarah?

Work is a bit nuts lately so I’ve had no time to post. I just got back from a few days in Jakarta where I had very little internet access (why is it so hard to use internet at business hotels?). The craziness continues for the next few weeks, but here are a few photos from the last little while demonstrating that life is not all work and no play.

Jess playing Eskimo. This booth was advertising a new toothpaste. It was temperature controlled and smelled minty fresh!

Yupa at 6.30am on a Sunday. Waiting for the train to Kanchanaburi...that never came. We all went back to bed.

On the way home from work

Performers from Nias at CFAN in Jakarta

Look at this guy's cheek!

Quiz time: mysteries uncovered

Last week I posted this photo:

and asked the question:

Is “the Sushis” as depicted in this photograph made up of

a) one man who brushes his hair differently? or

b) two different men?

Two people believed it was two different men, and Bejnamin made a joke about Caucasians thinking Asians all look the same.

Now would be the time to tell you the answer, but the problem is that I DON’T KNOW! My friend Sushi who is depicted in the photo insists that it’s two photos of him. I haven’t seen him in a few years, but I can recognise him as the guy on the right. But the guy on the left? I have never seen him in my life! I am sure they are not the same person, but Sushi insists.

Is he pulling my leg?