Missing the Joy of Waiting
It's all very well me putting in an order* to wiggle at 00:44 on Tuesday and finding that it had arrived at Chaplaincy by 09:00 on Wednesday, but it does kind of take the joy out of waiting.

* a new chain and rear cassette (11-23) for my bike, bike light set for Su and some high-grip winter tires for us both.
[22-10-08]

Community Garden Development
This weekend I've been completing development of a new flower bed at the back of the garden. Up until now it was just a mess of brambles, holly and bay seedlings, roots, ivy and thousands of bluebell bulbs. I rescued the bulbs (and two ferns that I've transplanted to a darker spot) but ripped out the rest (that will form the SCM bonfire). I then laid the original border stones as a back wall and simply cut the grass to from the front edge.

The soil was not in too bad a state, just a bit dry from the ivy roots everywhere. I've sieved quite a bit to reduce the stone content and given it some soil improper. Then popped the bluebell bulbs back in along with some crocuses for the spring. Finally I transplanted the most successful fuschia from in front of the rockery to the corner of the bed and raked the soil nice and level.

It now looks splendid. I'll sow some mustard seeds to act as ground cover 'til spring when I can divide and move my fabulous rudbecia into the bed along with some cosmos.
[20-10-08]

A Weekend Home
I'm just on the train back to Southampton following a lovely break at home in Cheltenham. It was lovely to spend time with my parents and simply relax at home. I was able to help with copping the hazel tree and found a mini seedling from it to bring back to the Kitchener Garden.

Just this afternoon, Mum and I went to the Cheltenham Literature Festival to hear a talk by Jonathan F? on the history of China. It was quite an interesting talk (OK, so Mum nodded off, but it was hot in there), but I wasn't overly impressed by his presentation style. After promising not to blast us with facts and figures, he spent the whole talk doing just that. Not in a bad way if you knew roughly what he was on about, but I think it would have been off putting had you come from a novice understanding. He mentioned that this was his thesis subject and I feel he's lost touch a little with the base level (warning to me). What annoyed me was not his style per-se, but rather the way it made everyone we spoke to afterwards say what a brilliant speaker he was. The false "I didn't understand that so it must have been good" response. It was good, but some basic maps of the place would have helped understanding.

His most interesting point was from questions, where he noted the astonishing rise in the basic standard of living for so many Chinese. Sure there remains massive poverty, but the Party has been successful in lifting the lives of many many millions. And as such there would be great sadness were the Party to fall.
[13-10-08]

Awesome Colours
I'm on the train up to Birmingham today for an SCM Away Day, and the colours wizzing past outside the train are so vibrant. The weather these past few weeks has made up for the rubbish summer - clearly autumn is the new summer - and today the sun is bright and the air crisp. The green of the fields is contrasting wondefully with the early autumn yellows and oranges. Sure it might not rival the richness of Maine, but I do love autumnal England. It really is something to inspire.
[11-10-08]

Korean Poo - t.m.i. Warning
I simply have to tell you that during my time in Korea I had the most fabulous poos ever. It wasn't untill a couple of weeks in that I realised how things had improved both in terms of length and speed of delivery. The reason I was so keenly aware was down to the inability of Asian loos to flush toilet paper. This means you get cristal clear view at point-of-flush, a nice post busniess inspection.

I'm putting it down to the diet of fabulous rice-based meals (mostly bi-bim-bap [mixed rice] and kim-bap [rice rolls a bit like sushi]) with a multitude of fresh vegetables in an array of side dishes. I believe it was these side dishes that did the busniess. Order any dish from the menu (even the blandest thing) and between 3 and 13 side dishes arrive that you didn't order. They're free and can be re-filled at will, and are largely a range of differently preserved vegetables. Pickled beetroot is the nearest Brittish equivilent, only these are tasty and very spicy and don't turn your wee red. I'm not sure quite how it works, but the spicy sour vegetable goodness really got my innerds working nicely.

And I mean massive, these battle ships (boys will get that analogy) were frequently over a foot long, and maintained that length every day. And gone were the days of pusshing. These subs wooshed straight out. Sadly it didn't last. Pretty much as soon as I borded the plane home my bowels ceased up to their usual infrequency. (Actually, this might have been their usual auto-responce to air travel).

I've heard that people somewhere in Sub-Saharan Africa have the best diets. This is based on their poo quanity, which is massive and fiberous. I'm pretty sure I could have riveled theirs.
[24-09-08]

Republicans - Barely Believeable
I was listening to Up All Night on BBC Radio 5 Live last night which was being broadcast from the Republican party conference. I listened to some of the speaches, including Bush's but what really brought me to near laughter/tears/fear was this quote by one of those being interviewed (a British Conservative) by the BBC presenter about McCain's choice of Palin as his running mate.

"... his choice of Palin, member of the NRA, mother of five, working mother, her stand on Pro-Life. All those things are important to Republicans...

I'm sorry. NRA - the National Rifle Association and Pro-Life. So she is in favour of everyone being allowed to own a gun - that weapon [n. An instrument of attack] which is designed to KILL PEOPLE - and also pro life - i.e. totally AGAINST killing unborn feotouses.

Is it me or does anyone else see something amiss here. It terrifies me that these people are allowed to rule a country. It terrifies me more that they call themsleves Christians.
[03-09-08]

So Much to Write
I really have been neglecting this blog for too long. After coming back from Korea I've been on the downhill with my thesis and things are finally on the finishing straight. I'm aiming to have my completed draft altogether by the end of nexy week. So all you who have offered to read it, get ready... From then on it's just a case of tinkering with it to make it better - an odd spelling here, a graph re-allignment there, a tweak to that table, a whole section to rewite, some grammer to correct - just the small stuff you understand. After corrections from my Supervisor (no doubt there will be thousands) it will all be over. Finally. Praise the Lord I can return to life in the real world. And a job, which starts (I believe) in mid-september.

So for the time being this site will remain a little quite. I'll try and get a few things up about my time in Korea and more recently Greeneblt. But untill then please bear with me. And I think you for all your support.
[03-09-08]

Union Flag
On the BBC Olympics broadcast I've been very much enjoying the cycling. Not simply because we're winning them all, but it's somthing I think I could do quite well at (no way near this standard of course). I've particulary enjoye the sprint races, they're so tence with cunning tactics and sudden finishes.

One of the odd things is the commentators refering to the `Union Flag'. I thought it was called the Union Jack? My housemate Christian suggest that it's sexist to refer to it as that beacuse there's no Union Jill. I like that.
[19-08-08]

Glorious England
I've been back just under a week now after my travels through Seoul and South Korea. The day we arrived home it was raining, in fact it was hailing as we landed, but a couple of the days have been simply glorious. Today, Sunday, was one of them. While not as warm as Thursday or Friday, the brightness and clean fresh air was filling my with some of the uplifting joys of Britain.

Today it's been great to get out into the garden and harvest some of the seed heads that have been ripening while I've been away. I've gathered quite a stash of Sweet William seeds that I can sow next year. My vegetable patch is looking good too. The peas are mostly over, but the beans are coming thick and fast. There are a number of new spinach plants springing up and my sweetcorn are brilliant. I've only got six shoots, but some have a couple of cobs beggining to emerge - I've grown sweetcorn!

Sadly my squashes are not doing so fantastically. There are a few flowers, but not that many, and certainly no fruits emerging yet. I'm taking solace in hearing that other people are experienceing the same thing, perhaps it's just too early yet. But we've got some nice caugettes coming along, so I'm still hopeful, just need some proper warm sunny days to give them a lift.

So while there's always that end of the holiday blues, it feels really good to be back and I feel much more positive about Britain and Southampton in general.
[17-08-08]

After The Ceremony
Unfortunately after watching the olympic ceremony I joined most of the hostel who were going out for a birthday bash at the local karioke bar. Lots of been flowed and some soju and I was a little smashed by sunrise, and thowing up with a hangover migrane in the morning and afternoon (finally while on the undeground).

The underground I was taking north out of Seoul to visit a suspected impact crater I'd spotted on Google Earth (and I'd brought a vessle in case I threw up again). After a failed attempt at climbing the ridge feature I was targeting and ending up in a military camp (I suck my hands in the air and made a quick backtrack) I finally found a proper path up the mountain. Climbing up things always helps with my headaches and it began to dissapate as I reached a little rocky vantage point to enjoy the setting sun.

I didn't get to the top and I didn't find any of the shatter cones I was looking for (evidence of meteorite impact), but it turns out I was right in thinking that's what it is. I headed down in the growing darkenss to find some dinner. I stopped by what I thought was a restaurant but turned out to be a pottery cafe serving only meat. The owner and to girls rushed out to say hello. I explained I was a veggie looking for bibimbap, and they imediatly offered to take me to the local restaurant (one of the girls works on a forign exchange program and spoke excellent English).

The meal was fantastic with hundreds of side dishes, pancake and soup. Afterwads they invited me back for tea which the owner performed with full ceromonial honours. It was beautiful and served in her own hand made ceramics. Then she gave me a little tea cup and ofered me a lift back to the station. So totally welcoming, it was really lovely and such a wonderful ending afer a disasterous morning.

The cafe is called ToWoo but the website is all in Korean.
[09-08-08]

Beijing Wow
Tonight of the first time I actually watched an Olympic opening ceremony, and what a one to pick. Being in Korea we are only an hour out, so it heppened at the comfortable time of 9pm, but unfortunatly the TV was in Koren so I couldn't understand any of the comentary.

It was so very China. Mass people. The drumming must have been awesome live - so many people in time with each other. Then the scroll painting which was quite nice, but the blocks moving up and down were cool. And the olympic rings were nice. And those footprints coming up from Tiananmen square - awesome! I liked the globe thing too, but it reminded me of my reasearch...
[08-08-08]

Shanghai Changes
Apart from the surfleet of new high rise buildings, some other I noticed were the lack of spitting, cleaner streets, mega tv-screens everywhere, British high street shops [:(], general friendliness of the people, ease of public transport navigation, lovely tiny tea shops, the back streets of the bund, hawkers (everywhere).

A great time was had by all.
[24-07-08]

Half Asian
Asians say that westeners smell of cheese. I think I must have become half Asian as I think I smell of cheese too. It's not pretty. Damn this hot weather and sweatty back.
[24-07-08]

China Four Years On
I've been in Shanghai for the last three days and have really enjoyed my stay. I do love China - it's just so easy to get around and so wonderfully cheap, simply brilliant! The reason for my trip here was to meet up with my family who were all here for a family gathering. It was quite strange meeting up on the other side of the world, all arriving in different directions at different times. But it's been great to have a mini family holiday and also to meet the parents of my soon-to-be sister-in-law :)

This is my second time to Shanghai and this time I've had a much more positive experience of the place. Lastime was more of a whistel stop tour, while this time I've been living here in a back street youth hostel with street food and locals to meet and talk to. Everyone is very friendly and I've had some great conversations during my stay.

The city has changed a bit since I was here last. The number of shiny sky scrapers has more than doubled and there's still new stuff going up every which way. The Bund is still a dissapointment, but it was interesting to hear that when Mum first visited 20 odd years ago, they were the tallest buldings around. Now they've been dwarfed and so blend in much better.
[23-07-08]

In Flight Seoul to Shanghai
I'm on board a Shanghai Airlines flight from Seoul to Shanghai. Quite frankly there is very little to report regarding the flight itself. The meal was soso - rice with some praws on top, cold peas and sweetcorn, an odd cream/sponge dessert and some melon slices. The inflight entertainment is poor - TV's mounted in the seeling, no sound, mostly showing adverts. I had a Carling with the meal.

I'm going to China for the next four days to meet up with the rest of my family which will be in Shanghai then. On Wednesday we're going to be meeting with my brothers fiance's family. I'm really looking forward to the expereince, though I don't know quite waht to expect. Cabin announcement to shut off electonics - bye!
[20-07-08]

The Fall of the BBC
That is it, the BBC as it was is finished. No longer can they say: "due to the unique way it is funded, by you the viewers". Oh no. Now it is run on advertising.

This morning, sitting in my youth hostel in Seoul, Korea, I logged onto the BBC and saw a link to a new Hydrogen Powered Car. I clicked the link and found the video clip. Below the video window I saw what looked like a harmless little box with a link to Facebook in it. But to my horror I read the words ADVERTISEMENT emblazoned above it.

Then to my further shock and horror as the video played (without sound as I had muted my laptop) I became aware that I was not watching the film about a hydrogen car I had expected but rather an advert about a new Nokia phone. What the...

I guess this was bound to happen. Advertising is the new currency as Google has shown us, but I surely wasn't ready to see it on the beeb.

BBC - RIP - 16 July 2008

Footnote:
Take a look at the BBC's own policy on advertising.
Ahh! Turns out I only see adverts because I'm viewing the BBC from outside the UK. Read their FAQ.

Korea
I have arrived in Seoul, Korea. The place is big hot and steamy, and wonderfully Asian. Many of the smells are familiar to me from China, but it's now mixed with the aroma of kimchi and bean paste. The food (much of the above mentioned kimchi and bean-paste) is lovely, really splendid tofu with lots of mushrooms and pickled vegetables. Of course there is loads of meat, but plenty for us veggies around.

Seoul itself seems quite nice and not the oppressive sprawling bland metropolis I had been lead to expect. Though that might have something to do with the constant haze in the atmosphere which prevents one seeing that one is not actually able to see the edge of it. The best bit of the views is that it's surrounded by mountains, so even if Seoul does stretch beyond the distance, it doesn't really matter as the mountains give a view outside (even if that outside is surrounded by more of Seoul and, as such, inside).

There is also loads of parks and palaces to visit and the back streets are humming with activity and street-food. The recently reclaimed river is a lovely break from suburbia and the shopping malls provide welcome relief form the heat.
[16-07-08]

Nick is: In Dubai
Just before 7pm local time today I landed at Dubai airport after a rather nice Emirates flight from Heathrow after a fun tube ride from Victoria, after a reasonable bus ride from Sheffield Meadowhall, after a quick train ride from Grindleford (via Sheffield Central), after a very lovely wedding of my cousin (now Sarah Duggan), after a smooth drive up from Bristol (with my Bro and his Fiancé), after a working train ride from Southampton Central after a now much more expensive bus trip from my Home in Southampton.

I breezed through customs and was stamped freely into Dubai and then met up with my housemate Jason, his cousin and his mother. It was so lovely to have a welcome party and I was overjoyed to be shown right around Dubai. First we went to a little old market, then across the creek on these crazy tiny wooden boats to a restaurant with a view. On route we walked through this working harbour where boats bound for India (the sort you see on a Michael Palin adventure) were being crane loaded overhead. There is not red-tape or over protective safety enforcement here - I love it!

Back across the river and we drove to a cool vegetarian restaurant. The meal was lovely, good Indian food eating with hands, great. But unfortunately while there we unfortunately came across the down side of the lacking safety rules - Jason's mum's car (along with most of the people in the restaurant) got booked for a totally no reason at all. It seems the 'police' do it here for kicks (and money). After dinner we drove right around the really tall buildings including the tallest in the world, which was disturbingly massive. We also saw Jason's school and a quadrant of Protestant churches before heading back to the airport.

That's where I'm now sat, bum numbing on the marble floor while I type. Thankfully there are 3-pin sockets and a free wireless service. Most excellent. But the terminal here is stupendous, but a bit full of shops and people. Plus I've just seen my flight come up and I realise that it's right down the other end the place - a 20 minute walk away. Best get going. Next stop Seoul and my Kim Suyeon.
[13-07-08]

Chines Food Made Easy
I just caught the first episode of the new BBC series "Chinese Food Made Easy" on the iPlayer. I don't tend to watch cookery programs as the food is usually all too British, bakey and meat-with-two-veg-ish. But a series on Chinese cooking caught my fancy. I had a bit of an issue with the 'made easy' part, but I was willing to give it a go.

The presenter Ching-He Huang, was quite effervescent and evidently excited by her cooking, but not too over the top. The food she cooked was definitely quick and simple - just the sort of thing anyone could do at home. What I found most annoying was that one of the dishes she presented was then shown being re-made by a member of the public (well, the British female rowing team captain). I guess the point was to show how really anyone can cook this stuff, but what I would have preferred is simply to see more cooking.

What I really liked was Ching He's style of teaching, and the reason is that it's how I teach my friends Chinese cooking. I'm not one for recipe books (reading not being a strong point of mine) and when I cook Chinese, or show someone else, I love to be vague about quantities and measures, to encourage others to make it up and experiment. A "get some garlic, chop it up a bit and shove it in" approach. I like that.

So while there were some actual recipes presented in the program, the focus was on the theory, and that's what I think is most important. Don't try and re-create the exact dish, you'll never manage it, rather have a go and make something of your own which is fantastic. It was really quite interesting to find a program saying the same things as me, especially seeing as how I'm not Chinese (and so occasionally feel a bit of a fraud).

And that was the encouragement I felt, that what I call 'Chinese' really is just that and not just some western take. Indeed I share Ching He's near contempt for Chinese takeaways - the real fraudulent westernised Chinese. I felt further encouraged when I ticked all the boxes regarding what ingredients to store and what not to (msg, grr), and what wok to own (amen to the cheapest steel non-non-stick), and also the tiny bits of Chinese philosophy I like to apply to my cooking; it was all in there.

So with that I might be energised to take a look back through the Chinese cooking section of this site and flesh it out a bit.
[07-07-08]

For One Night Only
Su arrived back on Friday morning, packed slept, then headed off at 10 am on Saturday. A flying visit between international conferences. But in that short time we were able to go out for a date. First to the Namaste south Indian restaurant in town, then to see Prince Caspian at Harbour Lights. We also tried a little cycle on the tandem, but decided to opt for individual bikes instead. I'm now going o miss her as she's in Korea for the second conference. But I'm most proud of her and I'm looking forward to seeing her at Incheon airport in Seoul in a week or so.
[05-07-08]

Back on the BBC (Radio Solent)
I've just had a phone call from BBC Radio Solent wondering if I could be interviewed on their morning show tomorrow. Of course, what fun! So if you're up by half nine tomorrow morning then do tune in to:

And here's a link for Lewis to my Barefoot Blog
[02-07-08]

Studentville: Small Room Solutions
If you're moving to a new house this week and find that you've been landed with the small runt of a bedroom then panic not, I have a couple of tips to make your life better.

Firstly build shelving...
[01-07-08]