How do you pack a bag for a whole year? I mean, when you go on holiday for 2 weeks, it's easy to work it out... I need x amount of boxers, x amount of socks etc. But a year?! It's all very confusing. Not to mention the fact that I'm visiting about 13 different countries with totally different climates... One minute I'm on the beach, the next I'm at the everest base camp in the Himalayas.... mmmm, I dunno. I've bought a ridiculous amount of things since I began to plan this trip. Those who have been following my blog from the start will be shocked to know that i have bought yet another backpack!! I know I know, I have about 6 already, but I just had an urge. I think maybe I have an addiction to buying backpacks. It's like the male equivalent of being addicted to buying handbags....

Anyway, I still have the dilemma of which bag to actually take.... Anyway, I wont bore you with any more talk of bags. I watched "Jay and Silent Bob strike back" last night on VCD. It really is a bloody funny movie. Very silly, but very entertaining nonetheless. Lots of stoner humour.

One positive thing that has come out of this pointless war we are about to have, is that is has given students a kick up the backside, and finally they are protesting about things that matter again, instead of sitting around and moaning about the price of beer whilst getting stoned in front of 'Countdown'. I read in the paper today that students in Wales are staging a huge "Weapons Inspection" at an RAF (Royal Air Force) base in the area. They plan to turn up at the gates of the base, and demand entry to carry out important weapons inspections. :) Good on em. A similar thing is planned for a US military base in the north of England. I've been thinking about getting a T-Shirt printed for my travels to advertise my opposition to this war, but I'm having trouble coming up with a logo that definitely won't be misinterpreted by non-English speaking muslims/Iraqis/opponents to war. It would be a shame if I was wearing a T-Shirt saying "Don't Bomb Iraq!" and ended up getting strung up by a bunch of angry locals just cos they didn't understand the word "don't"! ;) I think something a bit more visual might be better. Maybe involving Tony Blair sucking Bush's dick whilst Bush Grins insanely, finger hovering over the red button, with a huge array of Weapons of Mass destruction behind him. Then underneath I could have the quote from bush himself: "We cannot have a situation, where the world's worst leaders, are in control of the worlds most dangerous weapons"..... ;)
Anyone got any other ideas? Anyone wanna design this T-Shirt for me? I need it in the next few days... :) Ahmad, i reckon you could do a good one, you're good at characatures....

anyways, enough about that, it's too depressing. Have just been chatting with my gf on the phone. I miss her lots. I also miss Singapore. I also miss miss singapore. hehe. I miss Roti Prata, and Nasi Briyani, and Korean barbecue. I miss all my students. I miss being the boss and being able to tell ppl what to do all the time. haha! I miss having my own apartment where I can wander round in my underwear all day. I miss being warm ALL the time. However, there are lots of things that are very refreshing for me back here in the UK. The humour, the friendliness of strangers, the common understanding of irony and sarcasm, the very clever political satire on the tv, the amazing clouds and blue skies, the endless space and greenness of everything, closeness of my family, the pubs, the open fires...... If it wasn't for this war i could almost say that I'm proud to be British! Actually, fuck it, I AM proud to be british, because the british ppl aren't being represented by their goverment, so being britsh no longer has anything to do with the actions of the British Goverment. I'm starting to understand how difficult it must be for Americans, who are universally hated because of the actions of their Government. It sux.

Anyway, I'm sorry to go all political on your asses, but at the moment I'm really doing very little, except sit around and read the papers and watch tv!

that's all for now folks!

Here's a little pic of my house taken from the field behind it. Mine is the one about 3 from the right...

Hello friends and strangers!

well, I've done it! I've finally booked my flights and insurance! I didn't quite get the flights I wanted, but hey, who am I to complain, i'm going around the world and not working for a whole year! Ha! Sorry, didn't mean to gloat, I promise to send everyone a postcard, maybe. Well, what do I have to tell you all today? Well, I've just been to a Homeopath to try and get a remedy for my ongoing prostate problem (yes, I know only old men have problems with their prostate, but I'm special, ok?!). Anyway, I've never been to a homeopath before, and I have to say it was quite an interesting experience. First she asked my about the condition, how long I've had it etc, which seemed fairly normal. Then she started asking about my childhood, my dreams, my relationship with my father, my attitude towards life, and just about everything else about me you can think of! It was just like seeing a therapist! And I have to say, I can see where the attraction lies and why so many americans spend half their time moaning to therpists! There really is something very theraputic about revealing intimate secrets about your inner psyche to a total stranger, safe in the knowlege that they are sworn to secrecy by law! hehe. Anyway, aparantly this information will help her to come up with a remedy specifically tailored to my own constitution. Magic!

On a different note, I went to a classical orchestral performance last night. Aren't i cultured! It was actually quite good, although I have to admit, after about 20 mins I started to go into a semi conscious state and had to be careful I didn't nod off and head-butt the well dressed gentleman sat in front of me. It starred a famous pianist from South Korea! he looked very familiar actually... I think maybe he also plays football for the national team....

I'm currently writing this on my own PC, which arrived home a few days ago after it's voyage across the oceans. It's such bliss to be able to click on a button and actually see it work within the same hour! ahhhhhh. So anyway, I'm not flying into Delhi anymore, cos it's all booked up. Now I'm flying into Mumbai and then heading down to Goa to lie on the beach for a while till i get myself together.... These last few weeks of doing nothing have realy tired me out, I need a rest. :)

I learned a disgusting fact the other day. If you had spent 15 million pounds every day since the birth of Christ, you still wouldn't have spent as much as the americans have spent on "Defence" since the start of the cold war. God Damn! Their defence budget is counted in "Trillions"! I don't even know what a "trillion" is! Is it more or less than a "squillion"? In a world where half the countries have an average GDP per head of less than US$500, that really takes the piss! Oh well, who am I to preach, I'm about to take full advantage of this fact by spending my (hard earned) first world cash in as many third world countries as possible. But at least the money goes into their economies i guess... The British Goverment are no better mind you. We have serious social problems, underfunded health service, education, etc, and yet with the money we spend in one day of just sending our warships to the Gulf, we could solve practically all out problems. Why do you think the swiss are so comfortable? It's cos they never get invoved in any of our stupid bloody wars! Very sensible in my opinion. :) Anyway, here's a little pic of our mini protest in town the other day. :)

Oops! Sorry, forgot to write for ages again....

Well, I've got marginally closer to organising my trip. I still haven't booked the ticket yet, but I have finally found an insurance company that will cover me in indonesia! It's so ridiculous that most of the insurance deals refuse to cover me there. I mean it's not even as if I'm asking them to cover me against war/terrorist risk, I'm just asking for health insurance. I fail to see how the Bali bombing or any of the mini battles going on there could affect my general health. I mean, if I get a stomach bug in Sumatra, is it actually the fault of an Al Queda cell which infected my food?? Stupid bloody paper pushers! Anyway, the company that will cover me is the one that covers all the journalists who go into war zones and stuff and is twice as expensive!! Bloody stupid if you ask me! Oh well, ours not to reason why, ours just to pay the money....

I went to a peace vigil against the war on Iraq today in my little town of hereford. There was quite a good turnout really. It was organised by the Quakers (an eccentric yet groovy religion based on being nice to each other in a very sensible manner and not bothering anyone else ever under any circumstances). The only thing that made it a bit annoying was that it was a 'silent' vigil, meaning I had to stand with my placcard and not speak for an hour. I have to say I would have prefered one of the demonstrations where you get to chant loud slogans and march about the place acting important, but i think it had the desired effect anyway. :) But will it help? Who knows. It seems to me that my 'democratic' government has forgotten what democracy means, and is treating public opinion as a mere annoyance rather than as something that should influence their decisions. Bush is determined to have a war now, mainly I think, beacause he said he would and he's too embarressed to back down. Not to mention of course the fact that after the war (if he wins of course) he will control the biggest oil reserves in the world....

The situation here is odd to say the least. The press are against a war. The public (60%) are against a war. London has seen the biggest anti war rallys EVER in our history, and yet the government seems to completely ignore all of this. I don't know what to think anymore. All I know is that if we do go to war, there's going to be a lot of dead ppl on both sides, and there's also going to be a LOT of very pissed of muslims who will be far more likely to be recruited by militant and fanatical groups such as Al Queda. Ultimately this war on terror is going to increase the amount of global terrorism against the west rather than defeat it.

god damn politicians!!! :)

on a lighter note, I'm going to the pub in a minute and my girlfriend's just come online! :) see ya!

Hello people!

well, I'm back. My pal Ahmad has just started writing his blog again, so he's inspired me to get writing....
Since I last wrote, my baby has been and gone (obviously I'm referring to my gf here. If I had a real baby I promise i would keep it longer than 3 weeks). While she was here we did the whole Xmas thing, then went down to london to be tourists. London was cool. In fact it was more than cool, it was bloody freezing. Oh, and it pissed it down with rain the whole time.... But it was all good. We stayed in a big posh hotel for free (being a celebrity has it's advantages! and having a gf in the travel industry helps as well.....) and went to a few london sights.

We went to 'Bodyworlds' which was very interesting/disturbing/sick/twisted. If you've not heard of it, it's an exhibition by this controversial german guy who's famous for doing the first live autopsy on tv! It's a huge display of real dead people with their skin removed, revealing all the muscles, veins, tendons etc. The corpses are also posed in positions that are supposed to demonstrate some particular medical piece of info. Well, I can understand how the corpse posed as a basketball player dribbling a ball demonstrated various muscle groups, but I'm still not convinced what the Harry Potteresque 'corpse on a broomstich with big glasses and muscles splayed out behind him like tassles in the wind' pose was trying to demonstrate!!! :o I'm serious!

Anyway, check it out for youselves at www.bodyworlds.com

So, when am I off on my travels? mmm, good question. I still haven't bought my flights yet. I'm having trouble deciding on the places I'm going. Also, I think it's partly cos I'm scared of setting a date to leave. I feel like I'm not really ready yet, but at the end of the day I've just gotta chuck a load of stuff in a bag and get on a plane! As long as i have a passport and a stack of cash....

I watched 'Human Traffic' last night. If you want to see a very accurate portrayal of british club culture, then watch this movie. Mind you, It'll be sooo banned in singapore so you might have to look around a bit... anyway, I'm gonna go now!

laters.