It's just a jump to the left.....

Whilst we're admiring totalitarian regimes with a penchant for collective activity, seems timely to pay homage to that which all should aspire to - I give you the 60th birthday celebrations of North Korea.....

Five gold rings!!!!!

Oh blimey there's only three days to go to the Olympics and for the first time ever I'll be living in the same country that they're taking place in and how exciting is that!!!! WAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, naturally, a lot of attention has been focused on what this means for China, and how they will handle the scrutiny that will come with having the Olympic circus turn up to town and rampage through Beijing. I, for one, hope that it goes well for them. The arguments about whether or not the games should be politicised are completely fatuous (the games always have been, surely?) but the sight of the Western press pack circling round clearly hoping for some juicy scandal to blast over their front page puts my teeth on edge. Leave the Chinese alone for God's sake!!! Let them have their coming out party in style, and don't give ammo to those who would want them to clamp down yet further in terms of freedom of speech and openness by going for the cheap shot of a lurid headline. Tomorrow's chip wrapper after all.......

Anyway, amongst all the hullabaloo, I'd almost forgotten that I should be whipping myself up into a nationalistic fervour about the UK's medal prospects. They are slim, granted, and not in exactly mainstream sports, but I think I may have found my top tottie for the games to concentrate my attention on for the next couple of weeks.

All day, and all of the night.....

OK, I admit, the unrelenting sun, sheer efficiency and super smooth service were beginning to work their hallucinogenic magic on me, were it not for one thing.....

Singapore celebrates its 43rd birthday on August 9th. Happy Birthday etc. One of the highlights of this is the National Day Parade, preparations for which are running non-stop outside my (luxury) bedroom window.

The parade itself is being celebrated on the largest steel floating platform anywhere, ever (or something) which I've read somewhere is capable of supporting the weight of 4 tanks (not to forget now, that Singapore still has National Service, and presumably, a well appointed army and navy with all the latest gadgets). The light show, music and choreographed water display look great, and obviously I took a particular interest in the men marching round in uniform/riding motorbikes and so on that were practising on Wednesday.

No, the bit that's getting my hackles up, and reminding me of dim distant Orwellian novels, is the singing. Right now, as I type, it's a poppy song with the key lyric "One nation, Singapore!!!" and yesterday I grinned and bore what I think might be the national pledge- truly ominous... In preparation, you can learn the lyrics to this year's songs here

Sing, sing a song, make it simple, to last your whole life long!!!!!

Singapore. Singabore. Disneyland with the death penalty.

Before moving to Hong Kong, I thought it and Singapore were same same. City states, in Asia, ex colonies, financial/business hubs. National pastime = shopping. What could differentiate??

Having now a touch of experience, I know. I've grown to treat trips to Singapore with a mixture of dread and leaden anticipation. Dread as my time is usually accounted for before I land, and I have no time to myself, leaden anticipation as this place can be so, so dull....This time my feelings were heightened as the full enormity of the trip (10 whole days!!!) came on the back of the freedom, exhilaration and sheer beauty of Mongolia. A panicky email to friends to recommend "things to do" whilst in Singapore ensued - I was seriously worried that I might actually die of boredom whilst here...

And then, in the manner of most things, the cards fell in a very different way and I began to appreciate its charms....Aided by a limo pick up from the airport (seamless), a stay in an amazing hotel and then the fortuitous appearance of many friends over the weekend makes me wonder what all the fuss was about....

And if I only could, I'd be running up that hill....

hello all

back, rested and refreshed from a sojourn of reflecting on life and stuff in the wilds of mongolia (there's just so much of it - it certainly impresses the smallness of us WRT everything else....)

Anyway, back to more profane matters - in the ongoing, informal competition for who has the most bonkers ex, I give you a bone fide story about a guy that a very good friend of mine had a thankfully brief liaison with some time ago.....

And then a steppe to the right.....

I am typing this at 12 15 in HK airport. I have been here for 5 hours. Luckily, I have lounge access so I have been enjoying the hospitality of the Cathay lounge (my, I get value for money from Cathay in all sorts of ways :-) )

The reason I'm stuck here is that there is unseasonable weather in Beijing which is preventing my flight from taking off. From Beijing I will be going to Mongolia. Mongolia has also been hit by torrential rain. By rights, Mongolia should be one of the driest places on the planet if records are anything to go by. However, it has been struck by 4 catastrophic climate events within 10 years

WTF is going on?? This is profoundly depressing. And no matter how much free cab sav I pour down my neck, or how many South Africans I befriend at the bar, this just isn't right....

And so my jolly to Mongolia (also somewhat blighted by the recent riots ) starts in a less than auspicious manner.

And you may find yourself.....

My current favourite blog (one that's written by an anonymous blogger not a friend :-) ) is Hemlock's diary, written by a Company Gweilo, i.e. a foreigner based in one of the big hongs out here. Check him out at for a very particular view on the Big Lychee