Hello all
Well it only took me 30minutes to figure out how to create a new post today as somehow everything on this site is in chinese - another skill added to the basket of this trips learnings - how to guess which button to press to save (so as not to write the same piece 20 times hmm....)!!!
Anyway, as per usual I do have to have the last word, its in my nature. Although Ian has captured pretty much most of our trip I just have to add two minor incidents from yesterday.
Throughout these travels Ian and I (and the boys to some extend) have got into a very structured way of packing and venturing out on various tourist trips without too much trouble. Ofcourse at some point we were bound to let down our guards and trip up a bit : On a taxi ride to the Suntec mall 5th tower (great for shopping) we (Ian) managed to forget the pushchair when leaving. This left us with the beautiful alternative of logging not one but two complaining boys around for what was originally to be a nice 2 hour shopping trip including a toy as reward for the boys at the end into a 20 minute dash to Toys R Us for a quick bribery tour to stop the moaning, wailing, screaming, kicking....yes 4 months with mor and daddy has turned them into some monster tantrum behavioural creatures - limited options for corrective measures (go to your room...hmm) and too many bribes we think may be the reasons!!! Anyhow, we decided that it was a matter of life and death getting the pram back, especially for the much dreaded 3hours in the airport tonight and so we managed to phone every taxi company in town, apart from the one we drove with of course!! Needless to say it was a nice surprise this morning at breakfast when the portier announced that the pram had found its way back to the hotel and us . There were cheers of joy as we could now venture out to a nice big temple with only one boy complaining at any one point and off to the Singapore Zoo which is fantastic for the rest of the afternoon.
Oh, I almost forgot, yesterday when we went to this lovely food stall, Ian being the brave man that he is (although he has never touched a snake - well ok....) had to try lots of different food. He got himself some lovely sweet and sour pork...or so he thought, mentioning to me that it was a little bony..hmmmm Lets ask the lady what this really is - Chicken feet!!!!
And so the adventures of the Hughsie family ends, the real world kicks in and off we go to work our ar... off ones again - until the next time one of us comes up with a bright idea to make life just a little bit better!!!!
Tuesday, 25 September 2007
Monday, 24 September 2007
Final day...via China
Well it's the final day, we're in Little India in Singapore, and the screen on the free-to-use PC is in Chinese. Basically sums up our experiences. Travelling around the world, meeting different people from different cultures but ultimately communicating in English.
We're staying at what was Singapore's first modern hotel, built in the 70's and now looking a little jaded. But, it has prime location in Little India overlooking the Sultan's Mosque and every so often you can hear the call to prayers as wafts of exotic smells drift over you.
We've had a surprising 2 days here. After leaving Borneo, Marie and I were a bit deflated as we knew we were heading back to the UK. But, on Sunday we took a long walk through Little India. We headed past the mosque as Sunday prayers were ending and into a huge Muslim street festival and hundreds of people enjoying the street food and music. We then wondered into the heart of the district into thousands of Indian's (we presume celebrating Ramadan) - past all the Bollywood music shops, curry houses, tea shops, fruit stalls - all the colour of sub-continent India. We passed into Thieves Market - basically a bizarre "bring what you want" market - stalls selling single shoes, broken sunglasses, worn underpants (well not quite, but the smells were exotic!!). After eating, the taxi driver explained that we'd walked through one of the most dangerous parts of Singapore were tourists were easy pray! Thankfully, I was wearing a bright pink Toulouse rugby shirt so no problems there!
On Monday, we took a "Duck Tour" of Singapore - an amphibious bus ride - partly on the road and partly in the river. It's always a great way to see a City, around on a boat, gently drifting along, waving at kids bathing in the river, pondering life's complexities in different cultures...only to hear the tour guide shouting into his mike, "Yo, can I get a yee-ha from the English...hey, give me 5". Apart from that, very good. Ate some of the best food so far a Singaporean food village (steamed dumplings...yum) and then had the evening in Chinatown where the Full Moon festival is about to happen so the whole place was lit up in full Oriental splendor.
The highlight of the trip then occurred. From out of the distance, amongst the hundreds of people came a familiar but otherwise terrifying noise, "Boys, boys, boys, just waiting for the good times"...aahhh, Euro-pop blasting out from some ghetto blaster. Then through the crowed comes a huge rickshaw with a mad-goggle eyed driver. "Hey, you wont best ride of yor live" he shouted to me in Chinese pigeon English. Never one to deny a young man a dance to gay Euro pop we said yes. Marie, madly into the photo opportunity and me thinking about the bumpy ride! So, we quite literally squeezed into the disco-rickshaw and Lee, our driver, drove us around the district with his Euro-trash pop sounds blaring out. Not looking too out-of-place amongst hundreds of people, cars, hawkers, etc...we drove around to the tunes of BigFun, Donna Sumner, Gloria Gaynor (you've never lived unless you're in the middle of 5-lane Orchard Road, on a rickshaw with "I will survive" pumping out. The boys were in fits of laughter with each other - Seba waving and shouting out in mock-Chinese accent "Hello Ladies" and Oscar with one finger in his ear and the other hand pretending to scratch DJ - don't ask - its all part of his education! Good old Lee though for the not-intending-to-be-funny-but-was comment - when I asked what his job was like, above the 3rd playing of "Boys, boys' boys..." he said it was "Hard on his bum" - I could have died.
So, we're on the plane back to UK tonight. We're all ready for the off but really wish we could stay for another month or so. Marie is amazed we've done so much, I'm amazed we're been around the world. From the USA, to New Zealand, Oz, Malaysia we've met some great people, seen some amazing sites, spent almost 110 days together, 24hrs a day, and have come out a lot better on the other side.
I'm sure Marie will finish the blog off (last-word syndrome, and all that) but for me we've shown the boys' that people live different lives and understanding that will make them better people. We've seen that the environment means different things to people and if you're poor then forget thinking globally. For us as a family, we can survive on our own resources and wits, and if you mention Manchester United to anyone who serves alcohol you get one free beer (it's a fact - try it).
We're staying at what was Singapore's first modern hotel, built in the 70's and now looking a little jaded. But, it has prime location in Little India overlooking the Sultan's Mosque and every so often you can hear the call to prayers as wafts of exotic smells drift over you.
We've had a surprising 2 days here. After leaving Borneo, Marie and I were a bit deflated as we knew we were heading back to the UK. But, on Sunday we took a long walk through Little India. We headed past the mosque as Sunday prayers were ending and into a huge Muslim street festival and hundreds of people enjoying the street food and music. We then wondered into the heart of the district into thousands of Indian's (we presume celebrating Ramadan) - past all the Bollywood music shops, curry houses, tea shops, fruit stalls - all the colour of sub-continent India. We passed into Thieves Market - basically a bizarre "bring what you want" market - stalls selling single shoes, broken sunglasses, worn underpants (well not quite, but the smells were exotic!!). After eating, the taxi driver explained that we'd walked through one of the most dangerous parts of Singapore were tourists were easy pray! Thankfully, I was wearing a bright pink Toulouse rugby shirt so no problems there!
On Monday, we took a "Duck Tour" of Singapore - an amphibious bus ride - partly on the road and partly in the river. It's always a great way to see a City, around on a boat, gently drifting along, waving at kids bathing in the river, pondering life's complexities in different cultures...only to hear the tour guide shouting into his mike, "Yo, can I get a yee-ha from the English...hey, give me 5". Apart from that, very good. Ate some of the best food so far a Singaporean food village (steamed dumplings...yum) and then had the evening in Chinatown where the Full Moon festival is about to happen so the whole place was lit up in full Oriental splendor.
The highlight of the trip then occurred. From out of the distance, amongst the hundreds of people came a familiar but otherwise terrifying noise, "Boys, boys, boys, just waiting for the good times"...aahhh, Euro-pop blasting out from some ghetto blaster. Then through the crowed comes a huge rickshaw with a mad-goggle eyed driver. "Hey, you wont best ride of yor live" he shouted to me in Chinese pigeon English. Never one to deny a young man a dance to gay Euro pop we said yes. Marie, madly into the photo opportunity and me thinking about the bumpy ride! So, we quite literally squeezed into the disco-rickshaw and Lee, our driver, drove us around the district with his Euro-trash pop sounds blaring out. Not looking too out-of-place amongst hundreds of people, cars, hawkers, etc...we drove around to the tunes of BigFun, Donna Sumner, Gloria Gaynor (you've never lived unless you're in the middle of 5-lane Orchard Road, on a rickshaw with "I will survive" pumping out. The boys were in fits of laughter with each other - Seba waving and shouting out in mock-Chinese accent "Hello Ladies" and Oscar with one finger in his ear and the other hand pretending to scratch DJ - don't ask - its all part of his education! Good old Lee though for the not-intending-to-be-funny-but-was comment - when I asked what his job was like, above the 3rd playing of "Boys, boys' boys..." he said it was "Hard on his bum" - I could have died.
So, we're on the plane back to UK tonight. We're all ready for the off but really wish we could stay for another month or so. Marie is amazed we've done so much, I'm amazed we're been around the world. From the USA, to New Zealand, Oz, Malaysia we've met some great people, seen some amazing sites, spent almost 110 days together, 24hrs a day, and have come out a lot better on the other side.
I'm sure Marie will finish the blog off (last-word syndrome, and all that) but for me we've shown the boys' that people live different lives and understanding that will make them better people. We've seen that the environment means different things to people and if you're poor then forget thinking globally. For us as a family, we can survive on our own resources and wits, and if you mention Manchester United to anyone who serves alcohol you get one free beer (it's a fact - try it).
Wednesday, 19 September 2007
We're on a slow boat in Borneo
Latest news...large wind blows down telecommunication system. Also, Co-op Bank halts credit transactions due to fraud possibility. Yes, after several attempts to withdraw money in Borneo's capital city I discover that my bank has frozen my cards. Once I managed to get through to them, I discover that crossing over into Borneo has triggered their automatic fraud alarm - obviously an issue for a British person daring to leave the EU. It seems that Borneo is a hotbed for c/card fraud...which is a shame cause we like to use our cards with dodgy back street traders...for a dare I like to leave it with them for 24hrs to see how much they can spend.
We've succumbed to the boredom at this resort and booked some of their in-house activities. The boy's have been to Kids Club...you send them there looking remotely normal and they come back with faces painted like tigers or with tattoos all over them (thankfully this mutilation is free), Marie's permanently booked in at the Spa and I'm off to see some wrecks on a diving trip. Th weather has been a bit cloudy but still in the mid-30's and we've tempted the boys' with more Indian spices.
Our big discovery in the last few days' is how surreal modern cartoons are. For those who know, check our Lilo and Stitch - what the hell is going on there? Another one is Girl Spies - Spice Girls meets Charlies Angels. The premise being teenage girl super-heros who also like fashion and music - early conditioning for the little ones!
The other huge annoyance is Malaysian TV has 2 big vices. Firstly, it syndicates American TV, especially the Disney Channel (almost a homage to corporatism) and it is now pushing High School Musical 2 - including various Malay/Chinese remix versions of the songs.We know all the lyrics to the "Music in Me" - agghhhhhhhhh!
Secondly, home-made Malaysian TV soaps doesn't mind showing pretty graphic violence (bizarre for a Muslim country - perhaps it is the good v evil axis). So, we can leave the boys watching a children's soap opera about some homely-looking little girl detectives, come back into the room to find the little girl detectives tied up and being threatened by a masked man with a knife! It's not so much the image but the hours worth of questions it generates from 2 inquisitive minds. How do you explain in a rational way about naughty men. Seba has begun to associate naughty men with Madeline McCann - and so the growing up begins.
We've succumbed to the boredom at this resort and booked some of their in-house activities. The boy's have been to Kids Club...you send them there looking remotely normal and they come back with faces painted like tigers or with tattoos all over them (thankfully this mutilation is free), Marie's permanently booked in at the Spa and I'm off to see some wrecks on a diving trip. Th weather has been a bit cloudy but still in the mid-30's and we've tempted the boys' with more Indian spices.
Our big discovery in the last few days' is how surreal modern cartoons are. For those who know, check our Lilo and Stitch - what the hell is going on there? Another one is Girl Spies - Spice Girls meets Charlies Angels. The premise being teenage girl super-heros who also like fashion and music - early conditioning for the little ones!
The other huge annoyance is Malaysian TV has 2 big vices. Firstly, it syndicates American TV, especially the Disney Channel (almost a homage to corporatism) and it is now pushing High School Musical 2 - including various Malay/Chinese remix versions of the songs.We know all the lyrics to the "Music in Me" - agghhhhhhhhh!
Secondly, home-made Malaysian TV soaps doesn't mind showing pretty graphic violence (bizarre for a Muslim country - perhaps it is the good v evil axis). So, we can leave the boys watching a children's soap opera about some homely-looking little girl detectives, come back into the room to find the little girl detectives tied up and being threatened by a masked man with a knife! It's not so much the image but the hours worth of questions it generates from 2 inquisitive minds. How do you explain in a rational way about naughty men. Seba has begun to associate naughty men with Madeline McCann - and so the growing up begins.
Friday, 14 September 2007
5 star action in Borneo
They reckon that nearly 20% of Borneo is still "undiscovered". In 2000, on one of their most popular tourist destination, Mount Kinabalu, they found 20 new species of plants. With that in mind, we booked into the Shangri La Rasa Ria resort - a 400 bedroom, Euro style, self-contained resort in the north of Sabah, Borneo.
Quite a come-down from our 2weeks at Sibu living in a beach hut. Here, large King size beds, air-con, 6 restaurants (2 need shirt and slacks!), 5 swimming pools and a 60acre nature reserve.
To be honest, its' not our cup of tea (of which they have at least a dozen varieties). But for the boys' they have the pool and all the other bits that come with this sort of place.
1st day spent at the pool and waving a little yellow flag to attract the attention of the staff to bring us more drinks as we can't be arsed to get up!
Only other news is Marie has an interview on the week we get back to Denmark. I on the other hand, have a telephone interview in Borneo. Global village! British person in Borneo having a telephone interview with a Danish company! It's a crazy postmodern world we live in!
Quite a come-down from our 2weeks at Sibu living in a beach hut. Here, large King size beds, air-con, 6 restaurants (2 need shirt and slacks!), 5 swimming pools and a 60acre nature reserve.
To be honest, its' not our cup of tea (of which they have at least a dozen varieties). But for the boys' they have the pool and all the other bits that come with this sort of place.
1st day spent at the pool and waving a little yellow flag to attract the attention of the staff to bring us more drinks as we can't be arsed to get up!
Only other news is Marie has an interview on the week we get back to Denmark. I on the other hand, have a telephone interview in Borneo. Global village! British person in Borneo having a telephone interview with a Danish company! It's a crazy postmodern world we live in!
Being blogged by the misses...things we missed off...
This one's a list. The reason being it's a reminder for us...
- Ecca in Brisbane - like a trade show but open to the public for which they get charged the pleasure to buy all the give-aways that Big Brands need to use as the promotional item is no longer for sale, but the place is huge, right in the centre of town and is popular as hell.
- get drunk in Brisbane Valley and then lose your drinking buddies and forget where you're living, thankfully some navigation courses got me back
- eating steak at Brekky Creek - a Queensland institution and a very civilised way to begin a days' boozin with the main man, Declan
- making a wedding video - yes, Marie's sister got married in Sept so we made a small video on our journey which they played (to great applause) at the wedding. There's a very funny bit of Seba and Oscar surfing on the beach at Noosa which then turns into a comical fight - one for the family only
- Marie touched a snake (and I don't mean the one in my trousers, fenarr) - another phobia mildly conquered, she touched a 3m python at Ecca. Even Seba and Oscar had a feel
- Marie snorkeled - not really liking the head under position (and I don't mean the .....), she had a go at snorkeling and got into the coral and small marine life. Helps being on a very small Malaysian island in the warm South China Sea
- Seba and Oscar swimming and head under the water - both wanting to follow in their Dad's footsteps are now throwing their armbands away with gay abandon and diving into water. They think its' great but for Marie and myself we never take our eyes' off them
- Blond and blue eyes - don't visit Asia! - Chinese custom dictates that small blond haired children are a good omen so Oscar (who's hair is now blond from all the sun) is constantly being patted on the head. I'm thinking we could sell some of his hair on Chinese Ebay!
- pissed on the head by a lizard - one of the joys of sleeping on an island in a beach hut, woken up at 2am with lizard poo and pee on me. One of us laughed and the other one didn't!
- sandflies - silent killers - nothing stops these blighters!
- seeing Sting-Rays on my diving course - crikey! why would you ever won't to touch them...
- super-strength Mohittos - you only have the one night on those buggers! but I did manage to complete my final dive course! did I mention the 94% score on the exam?
- Ecca in Brisbane - like a trade show but open to the public for which they get charged the pleasure to buy all the give-aways that Big Brands need to use as the promotional item is no longer for sale, but the place is huge, right in the centre of town and is popular as hell.
- get drunk in Brisbane Valley and then lose your drinking buddies and forget where you're living, thankfully some navigation courses got me back
- eating steak at Brekky Creek - a Queensland institution and a very civilised way to begin a days' boozin with the main man, Declan
- making a wedding video - yes, Marie's sister got married in Sept so we made a small video on our journey which they played (to great applause) at the wedding. There's a very funny bit of Seba and Oscar surfing on the beach at Noosa which then turns into a comical fight - one for the family only
- Marie touched a snake (and I don't mean the one in my trousers, fenarr) - another phobia mildly conquered, she touched a 3m python at Ecca. Even Seba and Oscar had a feel
- Marie snorkeled - not really liking the head under position (and I don't mean the .....), she had a go at snorkeling and got into the coral and small marine life. Helps being on a very small Malaysian island in the warm South China Sea
- Seba and Oscar swimming and head under the water - both wanting to follow in their Dad's footsteps are now throwing their armbands away with gay abandon and diving into water. They think its' great but for Marie and myself we never take our eyes' off them
- Blond and blue eyes - don't visit Asia! - Chinese custom dictates that small blond haired children are a good omen so Oscar (who's hair is now blond from all the sun) is constantly being patted on the head. I'm thinking we could sell some of his hair on Chinese Ebay!
- pissed on the head by a lizard - one of the joys of sleeping on an island in a beach hut, woken up at 2am with lizard poo and pee on me. One of us laughed and the other one didn't!
- sandflies - silent killers - nothing stops these blighters!
- seeing Sting-Rays on my diving course - crikey! why would you ever won't to touch them...
- super-strength Mohittos - you only have the one night on those buggers! but I did manage to complete my final dive course! did I mention the 94% score on the exam?
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
Malaysia...Singapore to Pulu Sibu
After the excess of Oz (it was hard just chillin out) we flew 13hrs into steamy Singapore. Our plans in Malaysia was to use Singapore as the gateway into Malaysia and Borneo. We've spent a day in Singapore just basically walking and sweating. Took the boys' into Chinatown and visited a temple and then ate some tasty food at a hawker stand...street food under cover. Humidity is in the 90s and the temp is 35 degrees. Nice. Marie has fallen for the Singapore Sling - not the famous drink you can get at Raffles Hotel but the air-conditioned shops which tempt you with supposed bargains. Already, we've had the "But I really need a new handbag" routine.
You either love Singapore or you don't. The contrasts are everywhere. Modern business district filled with ex-pat rich kids next to typical Malay hawker stalls and sari shops. We're in the "love it" camp. From Singapore you can get to Malaysia, Indonesia, Borneo, China, Thailand all within an hour or so. The place is clean, efficient, crime-free (allegedly) and a big melting pot of cultures.
But, we were on our way to an island off the southern coast of Malaysia called Pulau Sibu. We were collected by car and driven across the border into Malaysia. Only less than 5miles from Singapore, the border crossing takes you into typical Asian settings. Dense jungles, massive palm-tree plantations, noisy, colourful Malay towns. A 4hr drive and we arrive at a run-down jetty to be speed-boated over to the island on a 30min boat trip. Seba and Oscar hung on for real life as we sped over waves beginning to rise as a tropical down-pour begins.
Pulau Sibu is your run-of-the-mill tropical island! Golden beaches, crystal clear waters, lush jungle and equatorial climate. We arrive at the thatched-roof, open planned bar area to be shown to our hut. The Sea Gypsy Village has about 30 huts. Each hut is a wooden, thatched building with cold water shower, fan and....that's it. Beach at the front, jungle at the back. Everywhere, coconut trees. Still, what was there to complain about. Within minutes, we kicked off our shoes and hit the beach. The place was deserted as we looked along a mile of golden sand and out to a horizon of blue water and half-a-dozen other islands.
We spent the next 14 days on the beach, in the water, dodging falling coconuts, listening to tress falling down in the jungle and avoiding sand-flies. But, we were royally looked after!! The team of young Oz/UK/Danish workers made our stay truly unforgettable. Obviously, Seba and Oscar charmed everyone but the place was dream like. The boys' did some snorkeling - wearing life jackets and snorkel kits (even Marie had a go for the 1st time and fell in love with watching coral and fish), took them fishing on a boat (Seba caught 2 and Oscar got bored - but they both drove a speedboat), Ian completed his diving course (and ran out of air after an 18m dive and had to complete some emergency air sharing), boys' collected shells and painted t-shirts.
We met some great people. A lot of ex-pats who told us all about life in Singapore, some families with small children, a lovely Danish girl called Louisa (our new young friend), a Norwegian family living in Denmark (Ian's new football/drinking/music buddy).
We had the island mostly to ourselves. At most, one weekend had a few ex-pat families turn up for 2/3 days but we were never more than 10 people. We got to know the staff, the boys' fascinated the Malaysian boat boy's (in Asia, blond, blue eyed children are a good luck symbols so they created quite a storm). At the end of our time, both of them were going up to the bar to order an apple juice or some water and generally having the time of their lives. We left yesterday, which was sad but we've made some great new friends.
Tomorrow we fly over to Borneo to stay at the north-east tip of Borneo in a "splash-out" 5 star resort before heading back to Europe at the end of the month.
You either love Singapore or you don't. The contrasts are everywhere. Modern business district filled with ex-pat rich kids next to typical Malay hawker stalls and sari shops. We're in the "love it" camp. From Singapore you can get to Malaysia, Indonesia, Borneo, China, Thailand all within an hour or so. The place is clean, efficient, crime-free (allegedly) and a big melting pot of cultures.
But, we were on our way to an island off the southern coast of Malaysia called Pulau Sibu. We were collected by car and driven across the border into Malaysia. Only less than 5miles from Singapore, the border crossing takes you into typical Asian settings. Dense jungles, massive palm-tree plantations, noisy, colourful Malay towns. A 4hr drive and we arrive at a run-down jetty to be speed-boated over to the island on a 30min boat trip. Seba and Oscar hung on for real life as we sped over waves beginning to rise as a tropical down-pour begins.
Pulau Sibu is your run-of-the-mill tropical island! Golden beaches, crystal clear waters, lush jungle and equatorial climate. We arrive at the thatched-roof, open planned bar area to be shown to our hut. The Sea Gypsy Village has about 30 huts. Each hut is a wooden, thatched building with cold water shower, fan and....that's it. Beach at the front, jungle at the back. Everywhere, coconut trees. Still, what was there to complain about. Within minutes, we kicked off our shoes and hit the beach. The place was deserted as we looked along a mile of golden sand and out to a horizon of blue water and half-a-dozen other islands.
We spent the next 14 days on the beach, in the water, dodging falling coconuts, listening to tress falling down in the jungle and avoiding sand-flies. But, we were royally looked after!! The team of young Oz/UK/Danish workers made our stay truly unforgettable. Obviously, Seba and Oscar charmed everyone but the place was dream like. The boys' did some snorkeling - wearing life jackets and snorkel kits (even Marie had a go for the 1st time and fell in love with watching coral and fish), took them fishing on a boat (Seba caught 2 and Oscar got bored - but they both drove a speedboat), Ian completed his diving course (and ran out of air after an 18m dive and had to complete some emergency air sharing), boys' collected shells and painted t-shirts.
We met some great people. A lot of ex-pats who told us all about life in Singapore, some families with small children, a lovely Danish girl called Louisa (our new young friend), a Norwegian family living in Denmark (Ian's new football/drinking/music buddy).
We had the island mostly to ourselves. At most, one weekend had a few ex-pat families turn up for 2/3 days but we were never more than 10 people. We got to know the staff, the boys' fascinated the Malaysian boat boy's (in Asia, blond, blue eyed children are a good luck symbols so they created quite a storm). At the end of our time, both of them were going up to the bar to order an apple juice or some water and generally having the time of their lives. We left yesterday, which was sad but we've made some great new friends.
Tomorrow we fly over to Borneo to stay at the north-east tip of Borneo in a "splash-out" 5 star resort before heading back to Europe at the end of the month.
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