The World of Ying & Brad

Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and Scotney Castle

2010-07-03T22:27:00.001+01:00

We decided to head down to Kent for a country drive since it was such a lovely day.

We drove just over an hour to get to Tonbridge (not to be confused with Tunbridge Wells).

Tonbridge has a nice old castle ruin that we had a wander around before heading off to Tunbridge Wells.

Tunbridge Wells was founded around some iron rich natural springs back in the 1700's and "taking the waters" soon became a trend for the dandies and how dee doos of English society.

There is a lovely pedestrian mall called the Pantiles with shops, cafes etc. We stopped for lunch at a cafe and listened to music from a country & western group. There was a whole bunch of yanks promoting 4th July independence day (I don't really understand why considering it was a war with England that they are celebrating, but hey, the yanks are a strange lot).

After lunch we decided to head over to Scotney Castle. This is a National Trust managed property that was bequeathed when Mrs Betty Hussey died in 2006. Everything was handed over lock stock & barrel leaving furniture, art works, clothing and all manner of personal effects - and 1 cat still lives there.

It was £10 each to go to the house and gardens, so we decided to splurge and get an annual National Trust membership for the 2 of us for £80. This gives you free access to all 300 National Trust properties - so we figure that within a few weeks we will have covered the cost of our investment.

The new house was built in 1836 from stone quarried from the back yard. The house sits on impressive gardens that have 2 major highlights:

1) The quarry used for the house was converted into a lovely garden which accentuates the fall of the land,

2) The old castle - a stunning old building on an island in a lake for protection. Now in partial ruin it is a delightful building in a stunning setting.

See the full gallery on posterous

We ended up spending quite a few hours just enjoying the day (26 degrees and mostly sunny - believe it or not) in the beautiful gardens.

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Covent Gardens to Hyde Park

2010-05-18T21:58:00.000+01:00

On Saturday just gone we took the train into town and made our way to Covent Garden to take a look at the market there and then to have a walk across London to Hyde Park.

The market was not as big as we expected, but the setting of it with the cobble stone piazza style square with the lovely market halls in the middle was much nicer than we expected. We had a wander around and had an early lunch some fancy beef (from a rare breed of cow that wanders the rolling lush green hills of Devonshire and gets massaged every day) on a ciabatta with greens, It was pretty tasty.

After lunch & a wander we headed up to Monmouth Street to see if we could find the original Monmouth coffee shop. Luckily we did (thanks to my fancy navigation in my phone).

This store was a lot smaller than the one at Borough Market, but really had a great buzz about it, and of course the coffee was great. I love the simplicity of the decor, the no nonsense feel of it and the real `earthiness' you get from the wood, the smell of the coffee and the grungy hipster dudes and dudettes serving you and yelling out to each other through the never ended hubub.

From there we sauntered down to Picadilly Circus and headed east to Hyde Park.

We popped into this quaint commercial art gallery called Hauser Wirth - 196A Picadillym London, W1S 4AX. They had an exhibition on of art from a woman called Bharti Kher. She had some really interesting stuff, but the highlight was without a doubt a whole room full of massive mirrors with identical, but amazing, intricate frames. Each mirror was broken in some way but was covered in stick on felt dots. Having an entire room of these mirrors on a white background was quite striking. We were lucky to be the only ones in the room when we arrived up stairs, so the impact of the vision really was amazing.

This one could be straight out of a horror film like "The Ring":

The gallery was pretty cool, spread out over 4 floors but with each room containing just one installation. The basement was a bit weird - full on industrial with large circuit board cupboards, exposed cabling and really low light - complete with an usher reading a book by torch light to set off the mood. The only art downstairs was some big mechanical that looked like a Tim Burton inspired super sized mix master.

Hhm, too many beers at lunch?

From there we wandered through Green Park and saw lots of Elephants. These elephants are to be seen everyone in London at the moment as part of the London Elephant Parade - 250 elephants are painted by local artists & celebrities to raise money for Asiatic elephant conservation. There are some really cool ones around. You can even download the route map and walk around to see all 250+ of them if you have the inclination!

We escaped the elephants and went through the Wellington arch and paid our respects at the Kiwi & Aussie war memorials. The Aussie one was a masterpiece in design terms, it is a huge stone structure with water running down the front. What you see from a distance is the large engraved names of many historic battles fought by Australian troops (Kokoda, Tobruk, Okinawa etc). But it isn't until you get closer that you realise that the entire wall is engraved with names, not soldiers names as you usually expect, but the 23,844 towns in which they were born. It really is a wonderful monument to those that died in WWI & WWII.
They have a great website too - http://www.awmlondon.gov.au/

After that we headed into Hyde Park proper - had a wander around, Ying was disappointed that there were no speakers at the speakers corner, but the highlights were this enormous pink tent for a charity walk - http://www.walkthewalk.org/Home

and a really cool horse head statue up near Marble Arch

By then we were pretty shagged and went home for tea a bit of a lay down.

So a good day out all up. You can see the full gallery of pics here.

Check Out my QR Code Signature & Contact Details

2010-05-17T08:47:00.001+01:00

QR Code of my business card.

Posted via email from The World of Brad and Ying

Art Connoisseurs? Not us! A trip to Tate Modern

2010-05-02T17:39:00.002+01:00

The wind, the rain and the general unpleasantness of today made it an `indoor' day.

Being the weekend we wanted to actually go out and do something, so decided that we would head over to the Tate Modern (just near the London Bridge train station) for a dose of culture and nice wander around.

The Tate Modern itself is pretty spectacular comprising of a huge space reclaimed from an old power station. The mind boggles now at a power station like that being built on the banks of the Thames looking directly across at St. Paul's Cathedral - particularly as it sat empty from 1981 to 2000 when the Tate Modern moved in.

Apart from the building, the space and the location we were pretty underwhelmed at the art. Now neither Ying nor I are experts in art, but I just have to say that this modern art is a bit odd.

It seems to me that these artists are just not part of the fabric of reality - it seems everything is over analysed and just a little too `interpretive'.

Take a look at these examples:

Sticks with Ribbon

What's this one mean - no idea but it looks like the start of a good bonfire.

Greek Nude with Pile of Clothes

Now Ying reckons this is means that your naked body is wonderful and that you don't need clothes. I said it was representative of a material society where it is easier to dispose of your clothes than to wash them.

Either way - it's a naked statue with a pile of clothes - not really art is it?

There were a couple that I liked, this one is definitely my style:

This is pretty big at about 4m wide, the entire thing is painted in dots. I could see that on the lounge room wall no worries.

Then this one was really good - this bloke took photos of himself getting buried in the dirt and you can see in the sequence that he slowly disappears - but what is really great is that with German TV, over 9 days during a prime time TV show they showed one of the photos each day for 2 seconds - no announcements, not information - just a guy slowly sinking into the ground over 9 days. That is quality art in my book.

So it was a fun day out exploring, but I think that we will be happier looking at the art in the British Gallery and places where the art has a bit more realism (is there a comic museum I wonder - that would keep me entertained for awhile).

Dulwich Farmers Market at Dulwich College

2010-04-25T18:59:00.002+01:00

Today we took a walk down to the beautiful Dulwich College to the farmers market.

On the way there we went through Dulwich Park and enjoyed the lovely flowers still blooming, lots of white & pink blossoms in the trees.

Ying and the blossoms at Queen Mary's Gate Dulwich Park.

Dulwich College Main Building

I wasn't that fussed about the farmers market to be honest, I just wanted an excuse to be able to walk around the college which is made up of these absolutely gorgeous buildings with amazing ornate finishings and details. In the above pic, each window archway for example has a stone carved head, probably of a former head master. The buildings were lovely.

Dulwich College is set on quite large grounds firmly butting up against Dulwich Wood, and Dulwich and Sydenham Hill Golf Course - check it out on the map here. It is a boarding school for boys from age 7 - 18.

It has large sports grounds which gives it a really sense of grandeur and of being in the country.

This is the cricket pitch and club house at the college.

They have a small farmers market at the school (we aren't sure of the frequency - probably monthly). Not too much there, but some nice breads, olives and meats.

Stalls under the school clock tower.

Sun shining on the college and the market.

Looked like a little chapel with a wedding going on.

On the way home we ducked back through Dulwich Park and found a section where there are 4 ping pong tables available to be used. They are made of concrete with steel nets, very sturdy.

We'll be looking to get some ping pong paddles & balls now for a bit of a friendly game (any challengers?).

And a spring walk wouldn't be complete with some pics of lovely flowers in the park - so here are my 2 choice ones.

In front of an old gate keepers cottage.

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Look! Up in the Sky - it's Empty

2010-04-17T18:14:00.001+01:00

The weather this week has been amazing - nice long sunny days, clear blue skies and spectacular red sunsets.

One noticeable difference for the later part of this week to other blue sky days is the total absence of the usually criss crosses of vapour trails (contrails) left by jet air craft ferrying people across Europe.

We aren't seeing any of this for a while.

But courtesy of the Icelandic volcanic eruption of Eyjafjallajokull Volcano (nope I can't pronounce it either - but you can hear it here) no aircraft can fly in pretty much most of the UK. Airports have been closed for 3 days and it looks like the volcano is still erupting and spilling ash & gas out into the UK airspace - insert Iceland joke here (at least they are back to exporting something, they didn't cripple the UK with their dodgy banks but they'll get us this time etc).

The ash is also causing spectacular sunsets bursting with red & orange and really setting the evenings on fire. We are seeing colours that could be similar to those immortalised by JMW Turner back in 1815 when he painted many scenes with amazingly vivid colours attributed to the ash that was in the sky from a volcanic eruption of that year.

Chichester Canal by JWM Turner.

I love this painting and I think that it captures a magically sunset to a greater degree that a photograph.

So enjoy the crystal blue skies - you may never see them again (unless you are back in Oz in the outback!).

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Daffodils in Spring

2010-04-17T17:34:00.001+01:00

A lovely part of London in the early spring is the sudden awakening of millions of daffodils. They literally pop up everywhere, some (like the photo) are planted, but many just seem to appear in random places providing a lovely splash of colour after the drab winter.

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Driving on Tower Bridge

2010-04-05T20:59:00.001+01:00

I recently had to drive across London and unwittingly ended up driving over Tower Bridge (at the royal speed of 20MPH) and couldn't resist snapping a few pics as I was rather excited.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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We are now officially Londoners!

2010-04-05T20:40:00.000+01:00

So we made the move from Guildford to East Dulwich over the Easter long weekend and can now officially say we are Londoners!!

The move was pretty easy - as you expect when you have virtually nothing to move, we did a trip on Thursday with the little Peugot full of clothes, then again on Friday when we went to clean the house at Guildford. We have to go back this Thursday to do the `check out'. One of Ying's friends is going to come around and pick up my desk, luckily he has a big 4WD and will be in Guildford and lives in Forest Hill ( next door suburb to East Dulwich).

We are loving the new flat as it is much more homely that Guildford with proper rooms, a lounge, a nice big kitchen, a good sized bedroom and an office for me. Also a sofa bed for those of you wishing to come visit.

We did a trip to Ikea today and got some chairs, an office chair and a bookshelf (no bits left over - good as gold!).

So now we are at home and looking happy to be settled for some time (believe it or not :)

If you haven't got our address or phone number, then shoot us an e-mail.

I'll post some pics soon.

Moving to London In Less Than 2 Weeks

2010-03-23T10:39:00.001Z

After living in the beautiful Guildford for 8 months, we have decided to move closer to London so that we can have easier access to London to enjoy the london urban life. It will also make it easier to catch up with friends and meet new people.

So with our usual style, we found this lovely 2 bedroom flat in East Dulwich on our first day of hunting. Since we'd done the research on locations and knew where we want to be, it wasn't hard to make a decision once we saw the lovely flat, especially it comes fully furnished.

We are very impressed by the number of parks around us considering it's only 5 miles from the heart of London. The local landmark Horniman Park and Museum is only 2 minutes walk on the East side; to the west is the nice big Dulwich Park; to the North lies the Pecham Rye Park and to the South we've got the ancient Sydenham Hill forest.

Horniman Museum

The local East Dulwich High Street is very lively and has great vibe, with a lot of shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants lining on both sides. The more posh Dulwich village is also within walking distance.

In less than 2 weeks, we'll be moving in and start a new life once again! We can't wait to explore the local parks and pubs and be part of the local community. Evidently the local online community forum is one of the liveliest in the UK, at least that's where we found our flat!

Looks like winter is over

2010-03-15T14:29:00.000Z

Today it is sunny and 13 degrees - and I walked up to High Street without a beanie - the first time in about 5 months - so it looks like winter might be over.

Here is some blue sky to prove it:

St. Martha on the Hill - Guildford

Taken yesterday on a walk up our favourite hill to St. Martha's Church.

World's Smallest Cadillac - In London - in 1913!

2010-03-13T17:20:00.003Z

Found this really funny old video of a tiny Cadillac driving through London in 1913. What a brilliant little piece, just look at the traffic even back then.

It is also great just looking at the old double decker buses running and the way the people were dressed - even the kids wore suits and hats.

Plus it all ends with some high quality silent film slap stick.

Bargains at Guildford Farmers Market

2010-03-13T17:17:00.000Z

Every Friday & Saturday on North Street Guildford (runs parallel to High Street) there is a farmers market with stalls of fresh fruit & veg, local produce, cakes and flowers.

We tend to go there in the afternoon on the Saturday because they are trying to sell everything they can, so they have lots of specials for a pound, it is quite fun to hear the different stalls all yelling out "Everything in a bag only a pound" or "2 pineapples only a pound, fresh & lovely, come & get em before their gone" etc. The loudest of them all is a girl of about 20 - she is funny and always draws a crowd for her £1 bags of goodies.

You can get some seriously good deals - check out the bag of bananas we got for £1:

24 Bananas only a pound

We also got these satsumas for a pound and the 4 avocados for a pound.

All up we spend about £5 and get enough fruit & veg for the week. Bargain.

The New Forest, Hampshire

2010-03-07T18:04:00.004Z

Yesterday Sue, Alex & Zoe were going to come around for a Guildford trip but couldn't make it - so we decided to take a day out exploring.

Ying suggested a trip down to the New Forest in Hampshire. The New Forest is the smallest of the national parks in the UK.

It was originally founded as a park by William the Conqueror in 1079, so it's not really a new forest in my opinion.

You can read a bit about The New Forest here.

It is different from an Australian National Park in the sense that it was full of towns, roads, ponies, cattle and loggers. But I guess they are trying to preserve the historical context of it as a working common that is pretty much unchanged by the millennia that has passed since being founded as the private hunting domain of of William.

It was a beautiful place with quaint towns, ponies wandering the streets, wide expanses of heath and actual forest.

The ponies are a special feature of the New Forest and are actual a recognised breed and are all actually owned by the commoners - read about the ponies here.

Highlights were the main town of Lyndhurst. This was a lovely town with a really cute high street, lots of interesting shops (like going to those places like Bowral & Katoomba). The shop that made the biggest statement about the town was their only car dealership just at the start of high street - Ferrari's and Maserati's. I guess thee New Forest commoner is not so common anymore.

After a Cornish pasty in Lyndhurst we drove to a parking place a few miles out of town and hand a walk in the forest. Probably not the best time of year as the trees were all bare and the ground was very soggy, but we walked for about 2 hours and enjoyed the quiet and fresh air.

After the walk we drove around to Beaulieu - a gorgeous little town with a beautiful old manor house, a ruined abbey and ponies wandering the roads. We didn't have long to stay there, but will definitely be back in summer to do some camping and further exploring.

Beaulieu has a French name (coming from William the Conqueror's time) but now has a very distinctly English pronunciation - bew-lew. Here is how to say it: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=beaulieu (speakers on).

Anyway Beaulieu also houses the National Motor Museum which is supposed to house the biggest collection of vintage cars in the word.

After Beaulieu, we popped into Buckler's Hard for a butchers, but found you had to actually pay to get into the village - serious. With time short we gave it a miss, but this was an important ship building area with the close proximity of logging from the New Forest supporting the industry there. It was one of the ship building towns that supported Nelson's ship building program.

From there we took the one & half hour drive back home.

Very much a beautiful part of the country and we look forward to doing some camping there in summer.

Dad suggests a book called The Forest by Edward Rutherfurd which is one of those historically based novels that follows life in the forest over the last 1,000 years. I haven't read it yet, but will do so soon.

Ponies resting in the open just near Lyndhurst

Brad and a beautiful old moss covered tree in The New Forest

Ying modelling on a great fallen tree.

Brad re-living the dragon riding scene from Harry Potter

Just a Few Tickets

2010-02-15T09:34:00.001Z

I had a 2 day trip up to Blackpool on Thursday & Friday last week going exclusively by train.

Left home at 5.30am on Thursday and got picked at 10.30am at Poulton - so with changes & waiting times, about the same as if I had driven. I did have the luxury of a first class ride on Virgin trains. In first class you get tea & coffee for free plus free use of the wireless internet and they have power points so you can plug in the laptop. So this 2 hours from London to Preston was much better than driving - I could actually get some work done.

Virgin have a funny pricing policy - when I booked my tickets, the first class ticket was only £4 more than standard, and for the return trip, first class was cheaper than standard - go figure!

All up in the 2 days of train trips I had a total of 12 train tickets (not to mention the Oyster card trips on the Underground) and 1 Oyster card receipt.

All up a good trip - but tiring.

Pyjama-Wearing Crackdown in the UK

2010-01-29T13:40:00.002Z

I thought only the Shanghainese wear Pyjamas in public. But that's not the case, it's apparently quite a universal scene!

A welsh woman was kicked out Tesco supermarket because she was wearing her PJs. Here is what she has to say: "“I’ve got lovely pairs of pyjamas, with bears and penguins on them. I’ve worn my best ones today, just so I look tidy,”

Tesco should give her credit for wearing her very best PJs shopping in their supermarket :)

With the upcoming 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, PJs are also being one of the crackdown targets by the government. Just like crackdown on spitting in Beijing before the Olympics, I"m sure PJs will come back sooner than their disappearance.

Here is the link to the article on TimesOnLine about the PJs crackdown: the article

Best Political Cartoon Ever

2010-01-14T22:26:00.002Z

He speaks the truth.......

iPlayer - Free TV Viewing in UK

2010-01-14T22:03:00.003Z

As previously mentioned, the UK still clings to the wastefully outdated TV License regime. So what is a law abiding citizen to do when they want to watch something on telly - like Doctor Who - but they don't have a license (or a telly for that matter)?

Simple - head on over to the BBC iPlayer. This has a majority of the TV shows and movies available to watch after the live broadcast that you can watch on demand for up to 7 days after the original broadcast.

So why can you watch that without a license? well, in the TV Licensing law it says that you must have a license to watch TV programmes `as they are being shown' - in other words - Live to air.

To get around the licensing rules, you just watch it a bit later on iPlayer, which is more convenient anyway because you watch it when you want to - and you don't need a TV License - the BBC say so on their iPlayer site.

Channel 4 (not BBC 4) even have a version as well called 4oD (4 on Demand).

The picture quality is really good as is the sound when streaming - if you have a slow or patchy internet connection, you can even download the TV shows and watch them later in the new iPlayer Desktop whether you are connected to the net or not.

So bugger the telly and the license - watch iPlayer for free!

Posted via email from The World of Brad and Ying

The Great UK Freeze Begins to Thaw

2010-01-14T14:58:00.003Z

I woke up this morning about 6am to the sound of some rain on the windows, "that", I thought to myself "is the end of the snow".

Sure enough once the sun was up enough to shed some light, you could clearly see that the tyre grooves in the compacted snow & ice were showing the road surface.

At lunch time Ying & I had a walk up the street and stepping on what had been deep, firm, dry snow was now soft and very wet slush. Everywhere you walk your feet slip as chunks of semi solid ice give way under foot. Ying saw a young lad of about 6 go for a tumble.

Without gum boots (wellies as they are known here) your feet are wet very soon.

With the temperatures expected to get as high as 6 degrees tomorrow and the following 2 days, we shall soon have no snow left, but plenty of water flowing into the Thames water system.

At least life will get back to normal and the fair weather flyers from Gatwick can get back to normal.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from The World of Brad and Ying

We Got Stood Up

2010-01-13T17:57:00.001Z

At 5am this morning we woke up to some 3cm fresh snow - bad sign! Having fully booked and packed, we left for the airport regardless.

We managed to arrive at the Gatwick south terminal at 7:15am. The security check was the smoothest journey ever as there was surprisingly no queue! Our flight was due 9am to Athens, so all was good at that point.

As soon as arriving on the other side of custom, we found ourselves join the other thousands of passengers whose flights have been delayed due to the "disruption" of the weather condition. We sat down and soon heard some flights already got cancelled. But ours was still delayed according to the big board. We were happy to wait for a while as long as we could still go.

We turned on the laptop to do some work whilst waiting for updates. 3 hours later, the news arrived - all the Easyjet flights scheduled before 11:30am were cancelled! So that was it, no holiday for us after all.

We heard Gatwick airport was to remain close until 4pm. Thousands of passengers travel plan was ruined, we were not alone. Easyjet offered its passengers either transfer to another available flight free of charge or a full refund. We took the latter choice, but it took us a while to confirm that our return leg will also be subject to refund. Hurray! Though we have no idea when the refund will reach us.

Next we went on to cancel car park booking and Athens hotel booking. We didn't expect to get any refund from either of them according to their terms and conditions. But good luck must be with us, after we explaining what happened, the hotel decided to charge us nothing (Hotel Cecil - will certainly stay with them next time) and the car park only charged us one day rate! God bless them for being nice and understanding!

I celebrated this "failed" holiday by clearing the snow in the front of the house with a heavy shovel!

Book a Seat for Your Wedding Cake

2010-01-11T17:41:00.001Z

Looking to see if our flight to Athens was going to be cancelled due to the snow or not, we looked up the Easyjet Flight Check Status and very surprised to see that people who were looking to see if their flight was cancelled were also searching for seats for their wedding cakes!?

Posted via email from The World of Brad and Ying

Will England's Inability to Deal With Snow Damage Tourism?

2010-01-10T16:30:00.001Z

The impact of the snow & ice in the UK over the past will have a pretty big cost in terms of lost productivity, but judging from some websites and stories I've seen recently, the impact will also be on tourism as the world looks at the incompetence of authorities here in dealing with a week of ice & snow.

We are pretty much as far north as any other country (except Iceland & Greenland), so you would pretty much expect that snow happens. The government, local government and the private sector have all shown themselves ill-prepared and complacent. It seems odd to be so unprepared as it was this time last year that the same thing happened.

Winter happens every year - maybe the government should plan for it before there are too many more people with stories like this one.

Posted via email from The World of Brad and Ying

Guildford to Godalming Walk Along River Wey

2010-01-10T15:30:00.000Z

Late September last year we did a walk from Guildford to Godalming along the towpath of the river Wey. It's a very popular walk, which goes on for 5 miles one way.

The river Wey goes through the town centre of Guildford. This is the starting point of the walk.

Some open space is just 5 meters down the river where we used to work in summer when we first arrived as there was very good mobile phone signal. We thought that was the best office we've ever had.

Quite often the river is busy with activities.

This is one of those signs along the towpath in case you get lost.

We went through a few locks, watching how people open and close locks to let water in and out so that the boats can go past.

Lunch break:

The river keeps meandering quietly, a railway bridge ahead near the town Shalford.

Narrow canal boats parking on the river.

Near Godalming, we deserve a break:

After 3 hours walk, we arrived at Godalming. We were planning to catch the train back to Guildford, but train service was cancelled that day, we caught a bus instead.

Cool Igloo and Snow Man

2010-01-10T12:07:00.000Z

Why You Don't Drive on Icy Roads

2010-01-10T09:38:00.003Z

With the theme of the big winter freeze and icy roads everywhere, here is a lesson on why not to drive in extreme icy conditions - and also why bailing out of a moving car is not such a good idea!

The video was sent through by my serial comedy supplier - Uncle Robin - who is a conduit for all the comedy on the internet.

Quaint Old English Traditions - Poms Still Living in 1752

2010-01-09T10:49:00.001Z

The English - steeped in ancient tradition so that even in 2010 it can feel like you are living in 1752!

One thing that I found annoying when we first started out here in Britain was pulling in to a giant Tesco or Sainsbury with a big Open 24 Hours sign out the front on a Sunday afternoon to do some shopping. We would walk up to the doors at say 4.15pm only to see a sign hanging - "Closed due to Sunday trading restrictions".

By law shops may only trade for 6 hours between the times of 10am & 6pm - most choose to trade between 10am & 4pm, as such a defacto time has been set for 10 - 4 to be the Sunday trading hours.

Like most Western countries, this was born from the old Christian "thou shalt not work on a Sunday because you must go to church" rules. But in a modern, multicultural society like the UK isn't that a bit old and out of touch?

Reading this article on Wikipedia it states that Sunday shopping wasn't even permissible at all until 1994! So much for a modern, market driven economy.

I don't go to church and I feel that if I want to do my grocery shopping at 5pm on a Sunday and that the grocery store wants to be open at 5pm on a Sunday then we should have the right to do so.

At least in Australia when Woolies or Coles have a sign that says `Open until 10pm everyday' it is actually open until 10pm - yes people, even on a Sunday!

The other one I find particularly odd is the fact that the tax year begins on the 6th April and ends on the 5th April !? What is that about.

Not in tune with a calendar year - hey why even bother and make it tune with a calendar month?

Imagine doing your tax returns and needing to calculate interest paid, monthly statements won't help - you need a daily breakdown for the month of April.

Apparently it all has to do with the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar in 1752. It all boils down to the fact that the rest of Europe changed to the more accurate Gregorian calendar in 1582 and England not until 1752. This brought all the dates out of alignment. When the treasury wanted to change the dates to bring everything into alignment the landlords who thought they would miss out on 11 days worth income and banks who thought they would miss out on interest payments rebelled against it and stuck to their own time frames and bugger the rest of the population.

So 250 years later we still abide by the same rules applied by a small section section of society who rebelled against the rules.

Quaint - yes, but effective - I think not. Time to get with the 21st century HMRC.

You can read more about it on these sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiscal_year#United_Kingdom

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/faqs/general.htm#7

http://www.accountingweb.co.uk/item/136288

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Ying's First Snow Angel

2010-01-08T08:46:00.001Z

Ying made her first snow angel in the snow the other day just in the park near our place.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from The World of Brad and Ying

Guildford High Street in the News

2010-01-07T07:48:00.002Z

Ying & I went for a walk in the snow to high street yesterday and saw a film crew parked at the top of the hill, we assumed they were doing a story on the snow, and we were right.

The video in this story has the opening shot and the closing few seconds showing Guildford High Street in the the snow (you can't miss the lovely old clock hanging out over the street).

There wasn't much snow built up in the high street due to the warmth of the shops, people, cars & buildings - but getting to High Street was a challenge.

Posted via email from The World of Brad and Ying

Snowed Again - 15cm So Far - Still Coming

2010-01-06T16:36:00.001Z

Ever since last night thick snow flakes have been falling. It's said UK hasn't seen so much snow in 30 years. Today most schools are shut and up to 40% people are off work. We saw cars keep slipping on the snowy road, looking dangerous. It's better staying at home in this kind of days... unless you are a doctor - we saw one trying to get to work on her skis on TV.

Guildford Castle ground is locked, but we managed to take some photos from outside of the gates.

Inspired by the children in their laundry basket skiing down the hill, Brad was trying skiing with his sneakers.

My mini snow man:

Zoe & Us

2010-01-05T17:19:00.006Z

How cosy do we look with baby Zoe?

A New Pair of Merell - Sign of Luck?

2010-01-02T12:01:00.001Z

I have been looking for a new pair of bush walking shoes for a while and couldn't find any until today. The pair of Merell in the photo is £39.99 - discounted from its original £64.99. I saved £25!

This is not the end of the story. On boxing day we went to the same shop and saw this same design Merell, but they only had size 4, which was one size smaller for me.

Today, on the 2nd day of New Year, we went to the same shop again and there they were, size 5, just waiting for me! These same shoes are £64.99 in another 2 shoe shops 50 meters down the road.

Is it a sign of luck for the New Year? Very much I believe. The right size shoes and £25 discount! I love 2010!

Where to Send Our Kids to School

2010-01-01T22:02:00.000Z

"...the students learn at their own pace in a supportive environment. The school is run democratically, with the students having as much say in how the school is run as the staff. Decisions are made by voting in a weekly school meeting, where matters ranging from what colour the new carpets should be, to the employment of new staff. The school offers a full range of subjects, and attendance to lessons is negotiated, not compulsory. The school also educates students on a larger range than most schools, and gives students choice in what they can learn. Their interests form a large part of what is offered in the curriculum..."

That is a description to Sands School, an independent school which provides alternative education to kids aging 11-18. It sounds ideal to me and I would very much like my future children to go to that kind of school.

Pity there is only one in the UK at the moment. Not sure if there is any similar ones in other countries.

It's time to have a revolution for traditional education for kids, I reckon.

The Nanny State

2010-01-01T08:49:00.001Z

Both in Australia & here in the UK people talk about living in a nanny state where rules and laws are brought in for the `protection' of the public.

I can't see yet which country is more of a nanny state as they both seem pretty bad, but have different standards.

The most odd thing in the UK though is that you cannot have a power point or a switch in a bathroom so that you don't electrocute yourself! So you either have a pull cord to turn the light on and where the switch is recessed in the ceiling, or you have the switch outside the bathroom. If you want to blow dry your hair in front of the bathroom mirror - then get a long extension cord!

On the flip side, In the UK I see lots of playgrounds with jungle gyms and even long flying foxes - these were banned years ago and would never be allowed in Australia for the safety of the kiddies.

Looks like both sides of the ocean have their own nanny rules.

Posted via email from The World of Brad and Ying

Salmon Fish

2009-12-28T16:11:00.000Z

Salmon is one of the few things that are cheaper in the UK than in Australia. The average price is £8.8 per kg. Normally a piece of salmon steak for £2.50 is good enough to feed both of us. Today while doing our normal weekly food shopping, we noticed that they were selling whole salmon fish for half price! That means only £4.4 per kg. The deal is too good to miss, we didn't hesitate and bought a whole salmon straight away. Here it is:

The whole fish is 2.1 kg and cost us about £9.50 - that's about 20 Australia dollars.

After quickly watching a Youtube video of how to chop salmon, Brad dissembled the fish into several pieces - 12 decent salmon steaks plus the head and some other small cuts! That will give us at least 8 meals! What a bargain! We love salmon.

The Difference a Day Makes

2009-12-27T11:12:00.001Z

High street Guildford on Christmas Day then Boxing Day.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from The World of Brad and Ying

German Style Christmas Market

2009-12-25T17:48:00.002Z

Evidently German Style Christmas Markets are very popular in the UK and Europe. One weekend of mid December, we visited one in Winchester , 45 minutes drive from Guildford. The market was set in the Inner Close of the magnificent 1000 years old Gothic Style Cathedral of Winchester and was made of over 90 beautiful wooden chalets selling all sorts of nice gifts and foods.

Despite of the rain and cold, people were in high spirit and the air was filled with the aroma of gluhwein and roasted chestnuts. We certainly had a great time exploring the gifts and the different European foods.

We are planning to explore some more Christmas markets next year, maybe the Hyde Park one, the Leeds one and the Lincoln Christmas market...

Christmas Lunch

2009-12-25T15:25:00.001Z

Very untraditional, we had Oxtail Stew for Christmas lunch this year. We found a recipe on the Internet and simply followed it. Despite the length of time it took to cook, it was a quite easy recipe. And above all, it was very tasty! Here is photo of our lunch table:

It may not look that appealing, but the taste was a 1000 times better than how it looks. The sweet potatoes and parsnips were melt inside the stew and only the potatoes and the oxtail survived the 3.5 hours oven "torture".

For desert, we are going to have Belgian Chocolate Pudding. Too full to have it now, we can only show you the packaging (can't open it yet).

Happy Christmas!

P.S.: Guildford felt like a ghost town today as there were hardly anyone on the streets. The ever crowded High Steet was deserted - giving us a great opportunity to look around properly without having to concentrating dodging people.

Our Shared Basement Cat - Tommy

2009-12-23T14:35:00.003Z

Tommy is a shared cat in our neibourghhood. His other names are "Jack", "Shadow" and more... He used to belong to some students living around the corner, but was left alone when those students moved out. He was called Jack by those students and also by the lady across the road who often feeds him.

"Shadow" is another affectionate name given by the people living in this neighborhood as Tommy simply loves chasing people and walks with them like a shadow as far as possible.

We didn't know Tommy's other names when we discovered him not long after we moved in. He always walks up to us as soon as he spots us, with his tail up high in the air, he says hello. He enjoys a good rub and returns with "purrrrr".

Tommy doesn't belong to anyone now; he is a shared cat in our neibourghhood. Lots of his admirers (including Brad) feeds him and he sleeps with the lady and her family across the road in cold nights.

Tommy likes to sit on our car where the engine is straight after Brad pulls in from a trip. He sits there until the engine goes cold. I'm tempted to buy a big superman coat for Tommy as his Christmas present - mainly to keep him warm in such cold days. But Brad doesn't think he'll appreciate it. Maybe we'll just feed him some chicken instead..

James Bond goes Green

2009-12-22T07:56:00.001Z

James Bond's signature car the Aston Martin has gone green with a low CO2 output, 2 door city car.

The Cygnet is the size of a Smart Car For2 and is based on the Toyota iQ platform, but with some very Aston stylings.

With just 72kW output, the little 1.3l engine is not likely to help Bond outrun the bad guys, but at least he'll find a parking spot when he has to visit M.

At least it is closer the price range I can dream about :)

Article here.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from The World of Brad and Ying

Wey River, Guildford in Winter

2009-12-21T08:56:00.001Z

The snow fell again on Saturday night and with very cold conditions all day Sunday created very icy roads & footpaths.

Ying & I planned on driving to hills for a walk, but after getting petrol up the road decided on going home and walking to the river.

It's a good thing that we did because the icy was really bad, we had to hold on to each other and anything else we could going down the hill to High street because of the ice. Once on High street it was pretty fine.

The river was very still, small amounts of ice & snow remained on the grass and foot paths but the grass was still a vibrant green nd pushed its way through the snow.

We walked along the river a little way and then just stood for a few minutes in the glory of the sun, warming us up and feeling lovely on the face.

On the way back we came across a Porche that had skidded on the ice into the gutter and couldn't get out, there were already three people pushing, so I jumped in to help try and push it up the hill a little so that it could turn & get back on the road. The ice was amazing and afforded absolutely no traction to car or shoe. Eventually we pushed (slid) the front end around to point down the street ( I took a slide at one point) - part of the winter fun.

Here is the river Wey at Guildford in winter - taken with my Nokia N95:

Posted via email from The World of Brad and Ying

Guildford Snow Part 2

2009-12-19T18:27:00.002Z

We awoke yesterday morning to a blanket of snow on the ground and cars.

After a nice warming bowl of porridge we decided to have a quick walk before work on the Surrey Hills area near us of Newlands Corner to see what it looks like in the winter snow compared to the usual lush green that we are accustomed to.

As we drove up to Newlands Corner we marvelled at the snow on the roads, the fences, the cars and houses. Once we were there we breathed in the morning crispness and were amazed at the difference between the white wash we saw and the usual green.

It was beautifully cold and crisp with that freshness about the air that only snow can bring.

Here is the view from the hill:

Ying decided a snow ball fight was in order:

Here are some more pics - fingers crossed for a white Christmas.

The bottom few pics are from sILENT pOND.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from The World of Brad and Ying

Guildford Snow - December 09

2009-12-18T08:01:00.001Z

On Wednesday we had snow for most of the day, it was lovely to watch it fall and build up on the trees and grass. After lunch we went for a walk up the street and took these photos of Guildford in snow.

It snowed quite a bit last night, so we are going to have a look at the Surrey Hills this morning to see them covered with snow. Not much chance of a white Christmas the weather man is saying - but we will enjoy it today

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from bradandying's posterous

TV Licensing - Poor Use of Resources

2009-12-16T08:28:00.001Z

A funny thing in the UK (quaint old world charm maybe?) is that they still have TV Licenses.

Now I totally understand that channels such as the BBC need to be funded by the public, no qualms there, but the problem that I have is actual licensing model and the way that it is enforced.

We don't have a TV here. When we first moved in we got a letter from the TV Licensing saying the house was unlicensed and we better get a license or they will fine us £1,000. We rang to say that we don't have a TV and were told that someone would come and check. How is that for intrusive - we can expect someone to come to our house at anytime to check - I asked if they will check in our cupboards and under the bed!

So we then got another 3 letters from them - each of them very rude and condescending - I rang another time to say we don't have a TV.

Finally we got the letter shown below which annoyed me greatly. So I figured if they can be rude & condescending, then I can too, and I rang up to complain about. At least the woman I spoke to this time was pleasant enough and told me that she would stop sending out the letters.

My problem is with the TV licensing model - it seems ridiculous that a huge organisation like that should exist to extract money from the public for TV funding when you could have a public funding model to pay for it.

I see massive waste with the TV Licensing board - how much money is spent from their income on sending our rude letters, how much on staff who check if you have a TV, not to mention the detection equipment, software and the bureaucracy managing it all.

Imagine how many more millions of pounds can be funnelled into the BBC if the TV Licensing board didn't exist.

In Australia back as far as 1974 the government abolished TV Licensing because of the universality of TV (just about everyone had one) so it was seen more of a public funding issue.

If you are going to keep the licensing model, then at least be pleasant about it - the aggressive & threatening tone doesn't endear you to the buying public.

Posted via email from bradandying's posterous

Netley Abbey in Southampton

2009-12-15T08:46:00.001Z

The weekend before last we took a drive down to Southampton and had a walk around the old city wall and also went up to the ruins of an old Abbey - Netley Abbey.

Netley Abbey was built in 1200's and was a lovely Abbey with a big church. Henry the VIII had it decommissioned in 1536 and gave it to a friend and politician who turned it into a mansion.

In 1704 the new owners decided that it was an unfashionable house and had it pulled apart to use as building materials. Luckily for us (not so for the poor chap) but a worker was killed during the recovery and all work was halted.

It is now a `romantic ruin' with the shell of the building and the church providing a very photogenic location. Jane Austen visited and Netley Abbey is said to be the setting of Northanger Abbey.

If you get down to Southampton - make the effort to visit Netley Abbey - we loved it - moody, quiet and just so picturesque.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from bradandying's posterous

Winter Walk in the Surrey Hills

2009-12-14T07:27:00.010Z

Saturday was to be a warm (6 degrees) day with no rain, so we decided to take a walk up to St. Martha on the hill, a lovely stone church at the top of a hill in the Surrey Hills.

The Surrey Hills is officially "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty" which is like some parkland reserve similar to national parks but still retain human use like some farming, housing etc.

We drive up to Newlands Corner and then walk across the lovely open fields taking in the view across the rolling hills, the patchwork colours of the English hills with their infinite shades of green, the reds & browns of the winter trees and filter sun. This section is extremely popular for dog walkers, we see dozens of people each time here with their dogs running around like mad - big open spaces & a ball or stick makes for happy dogs.

After the open fields we skirt a farm along a bridle track and spot the busy squirrels trying to find that last bit of pre winter food. Then we start to climb up St. Martha's hill which is fairly gentle, but just stunning. The tracks are winding all throughout the hill making their way through thick forests of dead ferns and wintery trees whose leaves carpet the ground providing a nice spongey walkway. The air is cold & fresh and has a delightful earthy smell to it.

When you get to the top of the hill there is a great view of the surrounding country side and the lovely old church.

The view the sandy trail as you head up to St. Martha on the hill.

St. Martha on the hill.

Ying enjoying the walk in the ferns

Norwich Cathedral

2009-11-15T08:10:00.004Z

Last weekend we went up to Norwich Cathedral - it has the second highest spire in the UK and one of the longest naves. It is a truly spectacular building.

One of the great aspects of the Cathedral is the fact that it is sitting in a 44 acre walled town within Norwich city. The whole effect is like that of a giant cloister with the cathedral as the centre piece.

The cathedral has been in place since 1096 and is a masterpiece of Norman architecture.

After wandering around the walled cathedral town we stumbled upon a lovely old church call St. George Tombland. We had a lovely little tour by someone there who pointed out the history of the church. It has a magnificent wooden ceiling untouched by fire and some fantastic ornate carvings of angels. Parts of the church date from the 13 century.

Norwich itself is a lovely city with some great pedestrian shopping streets.

We stayed at the Premier Inn near the train station which was great, it had a fantastic modern restaurant that was half pub half restaurant - but with very private seating, not crowded at all.

All up, Norwich was a great visit.

Now in Guildford - England

2009-11-01T17:54:00.003Z

It has been awhile since we updated here and there have been many changes since living in Manly.

From Manly we moved to Everton Hills in the northern suburbs of Brisbane. We bought a lovely house there with a backyard and trees - we were living the suburban life.

In Feb '09 we brought the digital pen business into the Acorn Software business (makers of simPRO).

Then in June '09 we moved to the UK to open up a simPRO UK office. We have been doing that since July.

We are based in the lovely town of Guildford, about 1 hour south of London.

So now that we are back on the grid, we will do some regular updates.

Digital Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword

2007-10-14T07:23:00.001+01:00

The answer to the question "Is the pen mightier than the sword?" is a resounding yes if you take a look at this - www.simpromobile.co.uk

Flexicar - Car Share now in Manly

2007-03-01T09:26:00.000Z

Flexicar is a great concept where instead of owning a car, you car share.

By becoming a member, you get access to a fleet of cars around Sydney and Melbourne. They are primarily in the inner city suburbs and Sydney's inner west - but now - they are also in Manly.

It is a pretty simple process, you become a member, pay a plan amount, get a smart card then book online and drive away!

After you book online, simply walk up to your booked car, swipe your smart card across the windscreen and the doors unlock and off you go.

The cars are mostly smart cars - so they are pretty cute - and easy to park.

Rates are extremely affordable - starting from only $12 per hour!

So if you live in Manly, and you are looking for a car or access to a second car - check out Flexicar.

Dragon Boat Festival Races - Sydney

2007-02-26T11:35:00.000Z

This weekend my mum was in town as part of the dragon boat festival races in Darling Harbour.

The festival is part of the Chinese New Year Festival and is a high light of the Australian Dragon Boat Racing series.

Mum's team is the Port Macquarie Flamin Dames - they are a masters (over 40) women's sports team. She got into by support the Dragons Abreast racing club which is for breast cancer survivors.

Mum's Team Powering In To The Finish

It was a fun day out enjoying the beauty of Sydney's Darling Harbour and the sunshine! These kids even enjoyed the sight of a huge jellyfish floating under the boardwalk:

The Future of Advertising

2007-02-12T11:19:00.000Z

Is this the future of advertising?

Li Xin, a Chinese Kungfu practicer, shows the back of his head for advertising in Nanjing, East China‘s Jiangsu Province. The four red Chinese characters say "Advertisement, For Rent. "

Maybe I can sell some skin on the back of my old bald noggin!! Any Bidders?

Birds Eye View of Manly

2007-01-29T11:52:00.000Z

Here is a great view of the important parts of Manly from Google Earth.

Click Image to Enlarge.

Circled is our house, you can also see the swimming enclosure on the harbour side (where we do a lot of swimming), you can see manly wharf and even Manly surf beach.

Everything you need in few hundred meters walk!

Australia Day 2007

2007-01-26T11:44:00.000Z

Happy Australia Day!

Today is Australia Day, and Ying and I decided to spend the day in the city doing the Australia day usuals.

We caught the ferry at 10.15am and headed into town. The ticket queue for Manly ferry was very busy and we almost missed getting on it, the gates literally came down on our heels. Tourist Tip: On public holidays and weekends - get to the ferry early to get your tickets!!

We walked up Macquarie Street and enjoyed looking at the old cars as part of the annual NRMA Motorfest. The thing that worried me was that I saw a Ford Cortina there, just the same as one that I used to own - how can that be vintage - am I getting old?
We then went and sat in the edge of the botanical gardens on our picnic blanket and enjoyed the fresh air and the people going past. Whilst there I put an Australian flag tattoo on Ying's arm:

I had a tattoo put on my neck by Ying - but the goose put it on upside down:
After removing that one and applying a new tattoo, we had a wander around the botanical gardens then headed into Hyde Park where all the action is. For the first time Triple J were broadcasting the hottest 100 as part of the official Australi Day celebration. They had a big screen set up and the DJs doing a live broadcast.

We had some lunch there in Hyde Park - yummy Turkish Gozleme - sat in the shade under one of the beautiful Moreton Bay Fig trees.

After lunch we took a look around the old mint which is now home to the Historic Houses Trust. It is a beuatiful old building and they have done an extrodinary job with the rennovation and integration of the old and new - its really beautiful.

We then headed down to the Rocks and watched some live music, including a really cool human beat box dude. We then went down and sat on the grass by the harbour and watched the boats moving on the choppy harbour. After a few hours in the sun we wandered back through the Rocks and started to watch a street performer. She turned out to be a contorsionist!

After standing watching for a couple of minutes, I got dragged up to help her! She was going to squeeze into a 16" perspex box. I had to hold it securely so it didn't tip over as she got in. Believe it or not she bent herself into some bizarre ways and squeezed in - very impressive.

After that we hoped on the ferry and came back home.

Another fun Australia Day!

A Drive to Hunter Valley

2006-12-15T01:02:00.000Z

We took a drive to Hunter Valley last weekend. There we had a great time in Maitland one of Australia’s most historic colonial towns.

Festival of Sydney Funnies

2006-12-14T09:08:00.000Z

One of the great things about living in Sydney is the annual Festival of Sydney. This year since we are back in Sydney we are keen to go to some events (there are many free and many paid events). One show that Ying wanted to see was La Clique, on the website it said that it was sold out but to ring up and check.
So I rang up the booking hotline and the polite guy asked how he could help me - I told him that I wanted to see if there were any tickets to La Clique left. He asked my name, and thinking that was so he could make the booking and do the credit card transaction, I gave him my legal name - Stewart. He then proceeded to say "Sorry Stewart, all the tickets are sold out!".
So he wanted to get my name just so that he could be polite intelling me that I can't get what I wanted!

Huskisson Camping Trip

2006-11-28T22:46:00.000Z

A couple of weeks ago we went camping at Huskisson - a place down the South in Shoalhaven area - three hours drive from Sydney. There we found the whitest beach in the world - Hyams Beach. I am always obssessed with white sand beaches - when I booked the camping site, I didn't even know the world's whitest beach is there! I have to say: Like energy attracts like energy.

Apart from playing badminton, swimming, surfing, sunbathing, watching sunset, listening to birds' singing, we sat there all night watching a gang of possums robbing us of our bread and capsicum. After no food was left, they started to lick our dinner plates and frying pan! As small as they are, they can eat six times of food that I can.

Manly From My Window

2006-11-28T22:17:00.000Z

Another Pair of Flying Visitors

2006-10-26T07:33:00.000+01:00

We had another flying couple visiting us right at the minute I was writing about the Rainbow Lorikeets couple - what a coincidence.

I was actually trying to download the Rainbow Lorikeets images I took this morning when a Cockatoo landed where the Lorikeets couple snacked this morning. One second later, another Cockatoo joined the first one - another pair of lovers.

They both looked into the window inquisitively like investigators on duty. They didn't look shy or show any sign of fear at all.

Cockatoos can live up to 60 years and also mate for life;I"m wondering if that visiting couple is newly wed or grandma and grandpa.

Our Flying Visitors Dropped By This Morning

2006-10-26T04:26:00.000+01:00

That Rainbow Lorikeets couple came back to visit this morning - well, I'm not exactly sure if they are the same pair as last time, but they seemed to know that food is available here on our window sill.

Curious and expecting, they looked into the window. So I opened the window and handed them some sun flower seeds and sultana. They happily enjoyed the snacks.

Next some amazing thing happened: they began to kiss each other - French kisses. They must have counted "1, 2, 3 start" in their own language because they turned to each other simultaneously and stick each other's tougue into the partner's mouth at the same time. (Maybe there is a more practical reason t: they were sharing food.)

I realized these Lorikeets couple are just like human couples - helping and supporting each other.

When they were resting on the window after the kissing, another pair of Rainbow Lorikeets flew towards the window. Suddenly I could hear warning and cursing noises - the original couple was flapping their wings trying to scare the other couple away, defending their exclusive food territory. The female (I guess) intruder left after a few rounds, standing on neighbor's window watching the battle whilst the male intruder was very persistant, constantly teasing the defedant couple.

I was so amused that I forgot feeding any of them. So after a while the original couple realized that they were fighting for nothing, they suddenly took off. Now the intruder couple were left to enjoy the whole territory. They picked some leftover seeds from the window sill but turned away from the sultana I handed over - they obviously have different taste from their cousins.

I know that King Parrots mate for life, but I'm not sure if Rainbow Lorikeets are the same. They do live in pairs though.

Proof That Our Kids Will Be Good Looking

2006-10-24T13:43:00.000+01:00

In this (several years old) article, a professor at UCLA concluded that biracial people are `percieved' to be more attractive than uniracial people.

Its all based on the struggle of the enzymes produced by genes as they compete to dominate. Anyway, it all adds up to the fact that our kids will be more attractive than average, looking at Ying I would already guess that anyway.

Flying Visitors

2006-10-24T11:07:00.000+01:00

One of the great things about living in Manly is the fact that we are surrounded by nature. Compared to our time in Shanghai, we feel that we are really again part of the wonderful and beautiful natural world.

This afternoon while sitting looking out the window, a pair of Rainbow Lorikeets flew up and landed on the window sill and started looking in the window. They were very curious about what was going on inside. We just happedned to have a packet of trail mix on the desk, so I stuck my hand out the window and hand fed them some sultanas. Ying then had a go and had them eating off her dainty little fingers.

They are a beautiful bird, and showed absolutely no sign of fear as I opened the window and stuck my hand out towards them.

We love Manly!

PEOPLE COME INTO YOUR LIFE FOR A REASON

2006-10-24T05:44:00.000+01:00

A friend sent me this article. It is an interesting read:

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.

When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.


When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a

need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a

difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you

physically, emotionally or spiritually.

They may seem like a godsend and they are.

They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,

this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an

end.

Sometimes they die.

Sometimes they walk away.

Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire

fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been

answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has

come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace

or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done.

They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.

Believe it,it is real.

But only for a season!

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must

build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job

is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned

to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.

It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Thank you for being a part of my life, whether you were a reason, a

season or a lifetime.

Love is a Temporary Madness

2006-10-21T06:04:00.000+01:00

I love the poem Margie read at our wedding ceremony. It is from "Captain Corellii Mandolin".

"Love is a temporary madness.
It erupts like volcanoes and then subsides.
When it subsides you have to make a decision.
You have to work out whether your roots
are so entwined together that it is inconcievable
that you should ever part. Because this is
what love is.
Any fool can be "in love".
In the beginning love is madness and promises
fuelled by lust and dreams.
Love itself is what is left over when
being "in love" has burned away.
It is the roots that join together
beneath the soil, making the tree solid
after the blossoms have fallen for the reason."

A Full Moon Rising From the Ocean

2006-10-07T11:14:00.001+01:00

A large round golden "plate" was rising from the ocean, in front of the window. Today is the 16th of August according to the Chinese lunar calendar. Yesterday was the "mooncake" festival - Mid-Autumn Festival (the official name). So yesterday the moon was supposed to be full. But as the saying goes "the moon is fuller the second day (of the 15th)".

That is why we are having such a surreal moon tonight - spectecular.

Brad bought some mooncakes from China town - they are in a cute tin box. We celebrated the festival by the traditional way - eating mooncakes.

Yesterday of 12 years ago, I was under military training as part of the first-month university entrance training; that night we went to watch some show in the stadium on the campus, but I didn't enjoy the show because I was too homesick. I ended up having a walk on the campus with the girls in my dormitary room - we were all in tears while looking at the full moon - we knew that somewhere at the other end our families were missing us too. I cried quite badly that night.

12 years later, today again further away from hometown, but I don't feel homesick this time because I'm sitting in front of the window of my own home. After 12 years away from home traveling, I have established my own home - with Brad. A week from now we will get married - our individual worlds will be offcially joined together.

So this blog is built to celebrate and record our new life.