Exciting news

There is a whole lot that I could write about the last three days that I have been home. I could happily write about how much I have become aware of the smells of Australia, like Eucalyptus when you pass some trees, or the smell of ozone floating up from a hot road when the rain starts to fall, but such thoughts, like the smells themselves, just evaporate tonight.
There is lots of stuff to write about stuff happening at church, my new role as the youth minister, and all of the parish movements over the last 6 months, but for a rare change, my thoughts about Church can wait till tomorrow.
Even telling stories about the new car that I bought on Saturday & will be picking up tomorrow can wait till later.
The pages I could dedicate to excitement I have at looking back at 6 months of photos, or the volumes I could write about how my heart aches when I see my niece Charlotte smile at me? It all pales into insignificance. Stories to be filed away for another day, or possibly forgotten all together!
What could make this happen to Tim today?
Cate, one of my oldest & bestest friends, and her awesome husband Dan told me that they/she are pregnant!
Congrats Cate & Dan! Awesome news!

Cate & I on the day of her wedding!

Charlotte & I yesterday morning.

Back so soon

I wont bore you with the little details of my last day in Bangkok. The basics of it were only having 3 hours of sleep the night before, dodgy breakfast because it was really bust at 9:30am, having a new suit delivered at 11, and running into my old mate Doogie at the airport.
My 9 hour flight “flew” by itself. Definately aided by “I Heart Huckabees” and “Napoleon Dynamite” (you’re right Mic, I don’t really dig it). I had my first bad meal with QANTAS for breakfast though. Everything had either Pineapple of milk in it, so I had to survive on Orange juice.
I didn’t have to worry too much about not eating on the plane, because, after struggling through the usual convoluted Australian entr process, my parents picked me up & the first stop was a cafe for breakfast! We went to “Xenos” in Crows Nest. We all used to live near there only 5 short years ago, so Mum & Dad could share in the wierdness of being gone, but now being back.
Half an hour later I had already found the car I’m hoping to buy (We’ll find out today), and I had fallen in love in a major way! I had already met her when she was a baby, but to have my 6 month old Niece Charlotte in my arms again was unbelievable! I don’t think I can put into words the joy I feel in my heart when I see my nieces and nephews.
Well now it is 6:22am on the Saturday morning. I woke at 5:20 & got the feeling that that was the only sleep I was going to get. I’m loving being back to summer. After Edinburgh’s windy days & frosty nights, it is good times to have dinner out in the cabana (sp?) and then go for a swim with my little bro Phil. I was worried about feeling sad to have my big adventure over. I certainly do miss quite a few people in Scotland, and if I weren’t living in OZ, then Scotland would be my No.1 choice, but I have to say, rather than feeling sad, I am excited at the opportunities that lie before me for the next year and beyond!
No end to the blog for me. Time overseas is always exciting, but when you have an awesome family, gorgeous nieces and nephew & the worlds best friends, who could blame a man for being more excited about coming home?

Fun & Frustration

Well Bangkok really is just like the title of this post. There is lots of fun stuff to do & see & some nice little bargains to find, but at the same time, everyone and I mean EVERYONE wants to rip you off. I am pretty sure I have been taken for a ride on several different (and sometimes elaborate) occasions, but to a certain extent, there is nothing you can do….
I am one of those guys who likes to quietly browse, so to make me really happy in a shop, all I need is for someone to let me know that they are there for my questions & then just leave me to my shopping. It doesn’t work that way in Bangkok. Every street has people grabbing at you. If you make eye contact with someone, they are likely to be a Tuk Tuk driver who will follow you for 3 blocks,tell you that you are going in the wrong direction & then try & cut you off with their vehicle (it actually happened to me).
I think I am feeling a little like I did in Hong Kong a couple of years ago. It has been a long 6 months & I am looking forward to going home, so I am just not that interested. Couple this with not having someone here with me to share the experience & I am pretty much over Bangkok!
Of course, at the same time, it is all worth it! After many years of waiting & looking, I finally found and bought a “Calvin & Hobbes” T-shirt.
Simple things….

Time has come to an end

6 Months later, many friends gained, one girlfriend lost, 10 countries visited (and one more to go), and not enough greek-language study done!
It has been a pretty awesome six months. I have really enjoyed myself here in Edinburgh & everywhere I have been in Scotland & Europe. I fly out to London & then on to Bangkok this evening. I met an Aussie guy in a pub the other night & he offered to take me with him to Phuket for a week to help rebuild a mates house, but I just don’t think I will have the time, even if QANTAS would change over my ticket, so it looks like I will be home by Friday morning.
So much I could say & so many pictures to post that I don’t think I will even start. It’s been a pleasure.
I hope to have internet access in Thailand, otherwise, I will catch you people this Friday!

Black, White & Crazy Colours

OK, my question for the day is whether or not people actually care if I write a small explanation underneath my photos. I read a lot of photo blogs & I appear to be one of the few who actuallly explians what he is posting. Mystery, or History? You decide!

Chillin’ in a Ping-Pong club. Berlin

Carlton Hill, Edinburgh.

The North Bridge, Edinburgh.

Formatting

Firstly, I am sick of my five photo format. I figure that most of the people who are really interested are going to get to see my slide show of my trip, so I think I am going to go the ‘random photo’ option & just put stuff up higgledy-piggledy. If nothing else, it will mean that I get to publish some Christmas/New Years stuff without having to get through Berlin, Budapest, Krakow, and Prague first.
Secondly, this gives me the time to tell of two crazy little occurrences in the last couple of days. Two days ago, I was looking through one of the touristy shops on the Royal Mile, looking for some souvenirs that I could bring home, when, like the “Sword of Damocles” a heavy iron sword dropped from on high, past my face & hitting my arm!
Thank God that it didn’t hit higher on my arm and break it, or even land on my head, where, at 5 or more kilos, I am sure it would have at least knocked me out. As it happened, all I got was a little scratch on my hand. The positive side of things is that I had the confirmation that my reflexes aren’t too bad after all, as I actually manage to flip my hand around & catch the sword before it hit the ground.
I think the owners of the shop were happy that I laughed it off before leaving, rather than making an issue of the potentially deadly decoration…
Last night I went out to see “House of Flying Daggers”, which to be honest, I don’t really recommend. Afterwards I headed out to a pub with Caroline & Chris (a Swede & a Liverpuddlian, then met up with Wes (a South African) before heading to another Pub. When the pub we were at closed at 3, I felt like doing something else, and somehow, half an hour later, Wes, Caroline & I were climbing up the Salisbury Crags in the pitch dark & screaming wind.
Edinburgh is lovely in the day & absolutely beautiful at night!
OK, well I didn’t get to bed till about 5 something, so I am a little tired now. I think it is time to retire back to bed.
Oh, and if anyone gets a chance, or if it is even still out in Australia, go and see “I Heart Huckabees”, which hast to be the best movie I have seen in a year!
On to the photos.

Caroline & my gingerbread house.

The Castle at Christmas time.

New Years Eve fireworks.