Happy Australia Day

An American decided to write a book about famous churches around the world.

So he bought a plane ticket and took a trip to Orlando, thinking that he would start by working his way across the USA from South to North.

On his first day he was inside a church taking photographs when he noticed a golden telephone mounted on the wall with a sign that read '$10,000 per call'.

The American, being intrigued, asked a priest who was strolling by what the telephone was used for.

The priest replied that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 you could talk to God.

The American thanked the priest and went along his way.

Next stop was in Atlanta. There, at a very large cathedral, he saw the same golden telephone with the same sign under it.

He wondered if this was the same kind of telephone he saw in Orlando and he asked a nearby nun what its purpose was.

She told him that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 he could talk to God.

'O.K., thank you,' said the American.

He then travelled all across America, Europe, England, Japan,New Zealand. In every church he saw the same golden telephone with the same '$US10,000 per call' sign under it.

The American, decided to travel to Australia to see if Australians had the same phone.

He arrived at the Gold Coast, in Australia and again, in the first church he entered, there was the same golden telephone, but this time the sign under it read '40 cents per call.'

The American was surprised so he asked the priest about the sign. 'Father, I've travelled all over the world and I've seen this same golden telephone in many churches. I'm told that it is a direct line to Heaven, but in all of them price was $10,000 per call.

Why is it so cheap here?'

The priest smiled and answered, 'You're in Australia now, son - it's a local call'.

What an Embarrassment!

Kevin 747 has done it again! Our globe-trotting Prime Minister (Kevin 747), who likes to step out onto the world stage at every opportunity and tell the rest of the world how to run everything from their economy to their health system, has recently embarrassed us yet again and in so doing, has come out with the most insensitive remarks to our soldiers in Afganistan.

Not content with turning up and wishing them all well and letting them know they have the support of those back home ... which they do, he then goes on to tell how he dislikes funerals ..."I have been to too many funerals and I don't like going," he said. "But when we say goodbye to one of our own, the nation is united in a common purpose." Yeah right. Just the thing that front line troops need to hear!

Rudd thinks he is a world Statesman... he is a bloody embarrassment.

R.I.P General Aviation in Sydney

I know airports in and around cities in Australia brings out the NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) set, but the airports were there before most if not all the current residents moved in so they knew the score. They have set up groups to try and lobby the politicians to close the airports and it seems they have been successful.

Already Hoxton Park airport has been closed and the bulldozers have moved in to make way for more industry.

The news today that the owners of Bankstown Airport (a well known merchant bank) have raised the rents for aviation organisations and closed several pilot training schools spells the death-knell of general aviation is Australia. It is another nail in the coffin and sad to say, it was the Howard Government who started the systematic dismantling of GA in this country. Successive ministers oversaw the rape of a once proud and viable industry.

What makes this all the more hypocritical is how the politicians of all flavours like to trot out the Charles Kingsford-Smith stories, the Lawrence Hargraves flights and how Australia was a pioneer in world aviation. We were once, but a farmer posing as an incompetent transport minister destroyed any future for general and light aviation in Australia.

The Plan

You gotta love Robin Williams......Even if he's nuts! Leave it to Robin Williams to come up with the perfect plan. What we need now is for our UN Ambassador to stand up and repeat this message.

Robin Williams' plan...(Hard to argue with this logic!)

'I see a lot of people yelling for peace but I have not heard of a plan for peace. So, here's one plan.'

1) 'The US will apologize to the world for our 'interference' in their affairs, past & present. You know, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Tojo, Noriega, Milosevic, Hussein, and the rest of those 'good 'ole' boys', we will never 'interfere' again.

2) We will withdraw our troops from all over the world, starting with Germany , South Korea , the Middle East , and the Philippines . They don't want us there. We would station troops at our borders. No one allowed sneaking through holes in the fence.

3) All illegal aliens have 90 days to get their affairs together and leave We'll give them a free trip home. After 90 days the remainder will be gathered up and deported immediately, regardless of whom or where they are. They're illegal!!! France will welcome them.

4) All future visitors will be thoroughly checked and limited to 90 days unless given a special permit!!!! No one from a terrorist nation will be allowed in. If you don't like it there, change it yourself and don't hide here. Asylum would never be available to anyone. We don't need any more cab drivers or 7-11 cashiers.

5) No foreign 'students' over age 21. The older ones are the bombers. If they don't attend classes, they get a 'D' and it's back home baby.

6) The US will make a strong effort to become self-sufficient energy wise. This will include developing nonpolluting sources of energy but will require a temporary drilling of oil in the Alaskan wilderness. The caribou will have to cope for a while

7) Offer Saudi Arabia and other oil producing countries $10 a barrel for their oil. If they don't like it, we go someplace else. They can go somewhere else to sell their production. (About a week of the wells filling up the storage sites would be enough.)

8) If there is a famine or other natural catastrophe in the world, we will not 'interfere.' They can pray to Allah or whomever, for seeds, rain, cement or whatever they need. Besides most of what we give them is stolen or given to the army. The people who need it most get very little, if anything.

9) Ship the UN Headquarters to an isolated island someplace. We don't need the spies and fair weather friends here. Besides, the building would make a good homeless shelter or lockup for illegal aliens.

10) All Americans must go to charm and beauty school. That way, no one can call us 'Ugly Americans' any longer. The Language we speak is ENGLISH..learn it...or LEAVE...Now, isn't that a winner of a plan?

'The Statue of Liberty is no longer saying 'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses.' She's got a baseball bat and she's yelling, 'you want a piece of me?' '

It's a tough life!

Sydney Harbour By Night
Originally uploaded by Just1Thing

When Liz and I stayed at Traders Hotel in KL back in June it was a return to our favourite hotel in the world. We'd stayed there during our trip to Malaysia in May 2007 and we vowed we'd go back.

Last June we stayed there with my sisters Wendy and Jan and that's a whole other story. But because we'd stayed for 5 days, we scored a free night at any Shangri-La Hotel anywhere in the world.

Well we chose the Shangri-La in Sydney and we enjoyed a wonderful night looking out on the best city view in the world.

They Will Be Missed

People are born and people die every day. To families and friends, both events are of great significance and emotion... one of joy and the other of grief. But then there are famous people who die and their passing is felt world-wide. Recently the world lost two of it's great artists, each as different as could ever be.

Richard Wright, founding member and keyboard player from Pink Floyd recently passed away from cancer. His music was the sound of a generation and he was a part of one of the most influential groups of all time. In a hundred years people will still listen to Pink Floyd and marvel at the genius of Richard Wright, Syd Barrett, David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Roger Waters.

At the other end of the scale we also lost comedian, philosopher and irreverent social commentator George Carlin. George was funny but he also had a take on life and religion which appeals to many in it's simplicity and logic. It works for me.

Both will be very much missed.

A Short Take on the Financial Crisis

In a nutshell.... here's what's happened.... according to Brian Yap (yeweni).

1. A person in the great depression decided the government should lend money to those who the banks would not.
2. A person many years later decided to sell these loans to the banks.
3. A banker many years later decided to guarantee these loans.
4. Many people many years later discovered that there was a reason why it was the government making these loans and why the banks would not.

The Magic of Paris

I don't know about you, but over the past 2 weeks the Spam folder of my Gmail has been inundated with Paris Hilton messages. All Spam of course and almost all of them not fit for publication but the subject of one this morning caught my eye ... "Paris Hilton Refuses to Write a Book Until She Has Read One". More than a grain of truth I would have thought!

The Sweet Smell of Spring

The Sweet Smell of Spring
Originally uploaded by Just1Thing

For me, the first sign of Spring is the intoxicating scent of those little beauties of nature, Freesias. I've been picking them every year since I was a kid at Newport where they grew in abundance amongst the low scrub behind Bungan Beach and on the headlands.

They live for a few weeks, until the heat of the day gets to much and they wilt and die until they bloom again in a years time.

Out here they grow in the lower Blue Mountains around Glenbrook and this year they are very late blooming. Still, winter is hanging on this year so maybe we are in for a late show of colour and heavy scented evenings.

Anyway, here are the first ones for this season.

A Good Read

I must thank Judy for her kind comment regarding my recently found espresso-making ability. Not only is she my Mother-in-Law but she's a good sport and a thoroughly good sort (I know where Liz gets her good looks and other fine qualities from)! Anyway, enough crawling ... !

I've always been an avid reader and so much so that I could not go to sleep at night unless I had put a few pages behind me. And my literary tastes run to almost anything but I draw the line at comics and Mills and Boon! But my long love affair with India and South-East Asia has resulted in more than a few books about that part of the world and the people who live there. So here is a small collection of what I am currently reading and recommend....

The Jungle is Neutral by F. Spencer Chapman. The true story of the guerilla warfare against the Japanese in Malaya. A page-turning account of one of the most interesting periods and places of WWII.

The War of the Running Dogs by Noel Barber. After WWII the communists tried to take over Malaya. They called it an Emergency ... it was war and the pre-cursor to the Vietnam conflict.

An Eastern Port by Julian Davison. Wonderful recollections of Malaya and Singapore during the 1950s and 60s. Sprinkled with excerpts from Conrad, Orwell and other SE-Asian lovers it is a treat to read.

Maybe not everyone's cup of tea, but you could do worse. If you love that part of the world you will love these books.

Tangerine Dream

I may be an old fart but a lot of the music these days leaves me shaking my head ... I guess much the same as my dear old Dad felt back in the 1960s. But one of my favourite bands of those heady days is German Electronic band Tangerine Dream.

Some of their stuff is downright crap ... but when they shine they take you to places you've never been. Anyway, I've joined up with the Tangerine Dream Fan Zone on Facebook and they have a Tangerine Dream Podcast at the link below. All good wholesome stuff... there that should discourage the rappers and scramble-heads.

Get a hold of their live album Quichotte, stick on some headphones and strap yourself in for a treat.

The Daily Grind

The title suggests that we're really back to normal... that is, wake up, go to work, back to sleep and so it goes. But "Daily Grind" around here is the wonderful Morgan's Coffee hit we brew every morning using our Sunbeam EM6900 Espresso machine.

We bit the bullet and bought this marvel of domestic engineering back in December last year and there's not a day goes by that we don't grind some Morgan's Cafe Verde beans and brew up a couple of cups of out-of-this-world espresso. Forget Starbucks and Gloria Jeans, this is the real thing and what makes our brew special, is that we buy the freshly roasted beans every week from Morgans and that's the secret, fresh beans. The beans you buy in Woolies etc are stale and not worth it.

So, if you are passing, drop in and we'll throw on the barista stuff and brew you a cup of pure gold.

Hargraves Sunset

Hargraves Sunset
Originally uploaded by Just1Thing

Home Again....

At the end of the day
Originally uploaded by Just1Thing

It's been a couple of weeks since we arrived back home and the cold Sydney winter is something we're still getting used to. Those warm balmy days in Malaysia are now fading into pleasant memories as we look for wood to feed the fire.

I love the Blue Mountains as you know and it's been a while, so when the weather turned colder than cold I just had to head up to my favourite spot at Hargraves Lookout near Blackheath and try to capture the stunning winter sunsets.

I must have taken about 100 shots but only 2 worth keeping. It was freezing of course and as I was rugged up in my trusty DrizaBone coat I relished the biting southwest winds as I watched to sun dip below the distant hills. The next day they had snow out there!

Not So Fast...!!!

I should have known, when at the beginning of this trip and we were delayed almost a day, that things would go wrong.

This morning wew turned up at the checkin counters, which were packed to overflowing, only to be told that our flight at 9am was delayed until 9:45am. Not a big deal, but then we were aksed if we would consider catching the flight at 10pm and in return we would get upgraded to Business Class, be accomodated for the day at the Pan Pacific with all expenses paid for plus 400 ringit ($130) cash each for spending money.

Who could give up the chance to fly Business Class AND the cash for more shopping appealed to Liz.

So here we are, hanging around until 10pm tonight when we'll fly home in comfort. A minor delay but worth it for better seats... we can even lie down!

The End of the Adventure

After the indulgence of the Eastern and Oriental in Georgetown it was a bit of a come-down to arrive at the Holiday Inn Batu Ferringhi which is on the northern end of Penang Island. Nevertheless, the Holiday Inn was pretty spectacular in it's own way... we've been spoiled.

Jan and Alan had checked out of Ali's Guest House as it was a bit rough even for them. Jan ventured aloft in one of the Para-Sails towed by a speedboat but the most adventurous we could manage was a foot massage. In the evening we hit the crowded and noisy Long Beach Food Market for a sampling of the local fare. The Malaysians love their food and after our few weeks of enforced spartan eating we felt like cutting loose so we ordered large bottles of Tiger beer and an assortment of local dishes. Nothing too rich and it all went down well.

Next day Jan and Alan left early for their Sarawak Trek and we hung around the main beach and got in a bit of shopping (Liz reckons she hasn't enough junk already and wanted to support the local traders) and sightseeing.

It all becomes a bit of a blur when one day blends into the next but we managed a visit to a genuine Malay Fishing Village where we found a seafood restaurant for lunch. It was run by a Chinese-Malay man who proudly showed us the fresh prawns and crabs, still swimming in tanks, and guided us as to the local delicacies bought that morning from the local fishermen. No risk is saying the best seafood we've ever tasted and as it was quiet, we had a chance to talk to the chef and the locals, always a nice experience.

Then it was up into the hills of Penang to Batik Pualau and the durian plantations. Durian, the "King of Fruit" which smells like a toilet, grow on large trees in the mountains and fall to the ground when ripe. It was Durian season so our driver stopped at a roadside stall in the cool of the hills and we (well Liz and I anyway) cracked open a durian and tasted the heavely pods which taste a little like custard apples but a lot sweeter. Truly the "King of Fruit" despite the smell.

Charlie and I finished our last full day with some stunning photos of the small coves and fishing villages around the island and to top it off the sunset was something to behold. As the big red ball of the sun sank to the horizon of the Straits of Melacca, we clicked away madly hoping to catch the perfect shot.

Then it was off to our favourite Penang eatery, the Sunset Bistro, complete with pet monkey and Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo, to indulge in some good old fish and chips and watch the remains of the day at Batu Ferringhi.

Our last day and a short drive to Penang Airport with a stop at Penang White Coffee on the way but we check in and find our Air Asia flight is delayed by 90 minutes. Not happy campers as our gate is the last one and a long walk. Then when we arrive at the LCCT (Low Cost Carrier Terminal) at KL, our A320 parks miles from the arrivals hall and yes, another long walk! Liz asks about a taxi to out hotel and is quoted 67 ringits (about $25) but I opt for a bus which costs only 4 ringit! Taxi drivers are the same the world over!

We finally arrived at KL International and the Pan Pacific Hotel which is right at the International airport. God knows how, but we are upgraded to a Deluxe Room complete with Lounge with free drinks and snacks ... and still Charlie wanted to go to dinner ... and it's all very swish. Liz has gone off to explore the Pearl shops in the hotel ... she is addicted to shopping I am convinced ... while we guys check our email and finalise things before we head of tomorrow morning.

We are up tomorrow (Sunday) at 5:30am and then check-in at 7am for our flight MH141 which departs KL at 9:00am. Our expected arrival in Sydney is 6:50pm so Tip and Heidi will be there to pick us up. Liz has chartered an Airbus A380 (larger than a jumbo) to carry all her shopping stuff!

Anyway, it's been an interesting 3 weeks and all to suddenly it will be back to the grind and we'll wonder where it all went. We'll post the last set of photos shortly.

To all who've followed our travels, thanks for coming along for the ride.

E&O - Eastern, Oriental and Fabulous

Our room is the Bay Window top right.

Tonight is our last night at the E&O in Georgetown Penang and we'll be sorry to leave this once-in-a-lifetime hotel. It is sheer indulgence and a long way from the rough and ready of India. And to be honest, when I booked our room I had no idea it would be so good.

The restaurants in this hotel are something to experience and our first night here we indulged in the buffet, complete with fresh lobster, yabbies, prawns and other tasty delights. I overdid it of course and my India bugs are still in residence so I had another "no food" day and just coming good today.


The view from our room

Jan and Alan arrived from KL yesterday and they checked into their digs around the other side of the island at Batu Ferringhi. Apparently they are not impressed ... cold showers, noisy and very basic ... a long way from the 27th floor at Traders in KL. So this morning they moved to the Holiday Inn where we will be staying from tomorrow. It must have been a dive because Jan and Alan are seasoned trekers.

We all met yesterday afternoon and wandered around the back streets of Georgetown, Little India and Chinatown. It's a fascinating place but the description of Penang as "The Pearl of the Orient" is very appropriate. There is a mix of Malays, Chinese, Indians and a host of other Asian races all intermingled and all with their own unique culture. As the time approached 5pm, the street hawkers, for which penang is famous, began opening their mobile kitchens ready to cook up some of the best food in the world. Unforunately my guts were still personna non gratia so we settled for the buffet at the E&O. Maybe we'll do Gurney Drive tonight and sample some of the local food.


The pool area.

Liz has gone of shopping ... yes, again ... and Charlie and I visited the Kek Loc Si Buddhist temple, the largest is South East Asia. An amazing place but we reckon the Nan Tien temple down at Wollongong is better. Still it is a must see for any visitor. This afternoon is rest time, the heat here combined with the humidity is a killer so we'll have a siesta and tackle it again this evening.

The Big Surprise!

One of the reasons for this trip was to meet Wendy and Nick on the homeward leg of their world tour with their friends Jan and Barrie Billet. It had been discussed months before they left Australia 11 weeks ago and in the meantime, younger sister Jan and her husband Alan decided to join us in KL and surprise Wendy and Nick.

So Jan and Alan are on their way to KL, unbeknown to Wendy and Nick, and in the meantime we are still crook from the bugs we caught in India. By the second day in KL we'd had enough so we contacted the staff at Traders and asked them to organise a doctor. Barely an hour later a doctor and nurse turned up at our room and we were pleasantly surprised to know that he had lived in India for 7 years and knew exactly what the problem was. Most likely a bug caught from water, despite the fact we'd been meticulous with our bottled water and hygiene. So a collection of pills and tablets were prescribed and we hoped to feel better which we did by the end of the day. At least we could venture further afield and not have to worry about being caught short. Oh the joys of travel!

Jan and Alan arrived in KL on the 3rd and we met them for dinner at Madame Kwong's restaurant in the Suria KLCC centre for some real Asian food at last. Wendy and Nick were arriving the next day so we planned the surprise and then the girls got shopping in KL ... no shoe or clothing store was out of bounds! Meanwhile the guys wait around and watch the world go by. We then visited the Fish Doctor where tiny fish nibble your feet and legs ... an amazing experience ... and we all even had a full massage.



Wendy and Nick's flight didn't arrive until late so we headed to Jalan Alor, where the night street hawkers set up after sundown and the street becomes one large crowded restaurant with plastic tables and chairs set up in the roadway and touts vying for business. We had a sumptuous collection of Asian dishes drowned with bottles of Tiger beer ... a wonderful feast!

Back at Traders for the surprise we patiently waited for Wendy and Nick who duly arrived with the Billets for check-in at 11pm. We invited them to our room for drinks and Charlie called for "Room Service", secretly calling Jan and Alan's room. Shortly afterwards a knock at the door and as I had the video camera in hand I asked Wendy to answer it. The big surprise went down a treat and Wendy was completely stunned as Jan and Alan stood at the door. We all then headed to the Skybar which was in full swing and we caught up until the early hours. This had been the first time we'd all been together since Mim died back in February. A great time indeed.



We had the next day with all of them and we hit the shops and finalised our packing of parcels for sending back home. This was nightmare! We were quoted 250 ringit to send one kilo home by DHL. That's $85 Australian per kilo and we had 22 kilos! So we'd have to organise to send by regular postage and as it was Saturday it became a messy exercise. Anyway we left it in the capable hands of Russell and Vivienne from Traders. Crossed fingers it all gets back home!

Sunday am saw us at the old KL railway station which is now the bus terminal. We had a comfortable 5 hour trip north to Penang where we checked into the famous Eastern and Oriental Hotel. In a word ... WOW! On arriving we are handed cool drinks and cold towels to freshen up... and that's while we are at the reception desk! Then our butler Andrew leads us to our room. We are in the Noel Coward - Somerset Maugham Wing. As the door opens we are greeted not with your usual one room hotel room but a long dark hallway. Down the hall on the left Andrew opens the first set of doors to reveal an enormous bathroom, marble tiled floors and a wash basin either end, one for ladies one for gents.

Next it's another set of doors ... this is the change room ... racks either side for ladies and gents and a make-up mirror and seat down the end. Then it's the main room with two double beds, and finally to the drawing room with lounge, desk, TV and bay windows which open out onto a view of the Straits of Malacca. This is the stuff of legend and everything is just like it was on the old days when the likes of Mary Pickford, Orson Welles, Rudyard Kipling, Noel Coward, Somerset Maugham and Rita Hayworth stayed here. We discover that our room is one of the largest so who knows, maybe one of the famous people actually stayed here.

This hotel is unbelievable and I'll post photos soon enough but suffice to say ... we've never experienced anything like it anywhere before. Our butler is on call 24 hours a day and the restaurants and food are amazing. We even ventured down to the 1885 Rooms for afternoon tea of cucumber sandwiches and Darjeeling tea before heading to Sarkies Corner for an amazing dinner. Fresh cooked lobster and every type of seafood you've ever seen plus the usual indulgences like roast duck and thick steaks of Australian Wyagu beef. Maybe I overdid it a little after eating so little for so long, as my stomach is complaining again this morning so it's wait and see.

Just under a week to go and Wendy and Nick are heading home after 11 weeks and Jan and Alan join us here in Penang today. We're hoping to try some of the local food later today ... known as the best in Malaysia, but we'll see.

Goodbye India... and the Brammadesam Village Photos

We spent an easy last day in Chennai with a little shopping at Spencer Plaza, Chennai's answer to Westfield Parramatta. Well, they try but it's really like the Parklea Markets on a Sunday afternoon. Still, Liz and Charlie managed to do some damage and came away with another suitcase full of "I just had to have it at the price.." items. I settled for a plastic model of a Chennai Taxi ... one dollar.

Bala had arranged a late check out so we rested until 6pm when we headed to the Mainstreet bistro for some light refreshments and then it weas time to go. Just as we boarded the taxi we were fortunate enough to meet the CEO of the Residency Towers Hotel, a Mr Rupe Chadda, to whom I had written regarding Bala and his excellent service. He was most charming and he thanked us for staying and wished us well. It's nice to meet the people at the top and personally praise the work of their staff. And really, everyone at Residency Towers was wonderful and made our stay memorable.

But it was time to venture out into the Indian traffic for the trip to the airport, some one hour away. Even at 7pm on a Monday night the roads are gridlocked with honking horns, buses, bke, trucks and of course the ever present buffalo carts... all trying to get who knows where. And the streets still full of people and the little shops and carts doing brisk business feeding some of the one billion hungry Indians.

Ian and I experienced Indian airports on our last trip and we'd had enough of the over eager security and officials. Yesterday was no different and it was 3 or 4 security checks and Liz got a pat-down in the ladies section. This is one part of India I wont miss.

Our 10pm flight was on time but no opportunity to get comfortable in some empty seats down the back ... the flight was full and added to the cramped seats, two or three young kids started performing just before take-off. I thought Charlie was gonna make them play outside but we managed to get through the 4 hour flight, with a missed apoproach into KLIA due to thunderstorms and then a short wait for our VIP train to the city.

The KLIA Express train takes 28 minutes and is a marvel of comfort and efficiency... definitely the way to get from th airport to central KL. Our limo was waiting and whicked us through a waking KL to our favourite hotel, Traders where we were greeted and shown to our Executive Park View room with a magnificent view of KLCC Park and the Petronus Towers. Even though he was tired, I think Charlie was impressed.

As KL awoke to a new day, we settled down for some much needed sleep and we awoke at 12:30pm to a hot and sunny KL day with the city lookig magnificent. Clean and sparkling and very much different to India. Still, as Liz and I say, "It's all an adventure."

After a delicious lunch in the Gobo restaurant where we see some of the staff who were here when Liz and I stayed here May last year, we're now in the KLCC Centre oppsite the hotel ... and it makes Westfield Parramatta look like the Parklea Markets on a bad day!

So here are the promised photos of our wonderful day with Bala and his family at their village Brammadesam in Tamil Nadu South India.

An Amazing Experience

It is a hot and steamy Monday morning in Chennai and we fly out for KL tonight at 10pm. We have found the Spencer Plaza Shopping Centre and Liz has gone missing. I reckon she's had withdrawal since she hasn't been near a regular shopping centre for almost 10 days! We'll need the Chennai CSI and Forensic Police to find her in amongst the smart Gucci and other upmarket shops.

What an amazing day yesterday. I mentioned my friend Bala who is now a Front Office Supervisor at the Residency Towers Hotel. He has gone out of his way to make everything perfect for us and we are very grateful to him for making our stay in Chennai so special. But he wanted for us to meet his family so we eagerly ventured out on Sunday and headed south towards Pondicherry, the old French city on the coast south of Chennai.

The traffic was of course bedlam and to make it more interesting, there is a fuel strike so we stopped at every gas station, joined a queue and filled up with maybe 5 litres at a time. I kep thinking, how would we get back at night if it got worse! Still, we managed ok and some 4 hours later we arrived at the town of Auroville where there is an international community and an ashram. All very serene and interesting but bloody hot under the banyan trees.

Soon after we again headed south and then towards to coast, all the way passing through small Indian villages complete with oxen, donkeys, dogs, cows, pigs, kids, goats, beggars, holy men ... you name it ... the whole of India was in every village. I had the impression from Bala's description of where his folks lived that it was in the city of Pondicherry but we were a little surprised when our taxi pulled up in the main street of a small village. Yes... dogs, cows, bullocks, beggars etc. and thatched huts, dirt floors ... your typical Indian village scene.

The main road was undergoing repairs so we could not access the dirt road to his house so we had to travel back through the back blocks and come in the back way. Wow! This was an amazing experience ... it seemed that we were going to meet a real Indian family in a real Indian village and, what's more, we'd been invited for lunch!

Soon enough we arrived outside a mud-brick house and there waiting patiently at the front door was Bala's Mum, Dad, Grand-father, Uncles, Sisters, Brothers, Cousins, Aunts and half the village kids. This was the real thing alright! We felt like royalty as we stepped out of the taxi and were immediately surrounded by kids, with the adults rousing on them and telling them to give us some room to move.

Bala's parents could not speak any English, none of them could, but they welcomed us to their home and we sat in the small living room and Bala acted as interpreter. The home was spotless and had few adornments but these were simple country folk and they had no need for luxuries.

I think Liz and Charlie and I were a little unsure about lunch but soon after we were ushered to another room where a small low table had been placed with some chairs for us. Then Bala's uncle arrived, he was the village Holy Man, complete with all the face markings and trappings ... we were stunned to say the least as he welcomed us and we thanked him for inviting us to the village. (I'll post the photos of all of this when I can).

The it was time for lunch, the moment of truth for our sensitive Western sensibilities. Bala's mother placed three large banana leaves on the table and then spooned out boiled rice and mutton and chicken curries. Bala instructed us on how to mis it all together and then use the fingers (right hand only!) to eat the meal, as they do every day. I think they were all a little confused when we each took our Travelan tablets and used Wet-Ones before eating. But we all managed to finish the delicious food, with the whole family watching on and obviously getting a laugh from our novice attempts to pick up a lump of rice with some meat and try to place it in our mouth, without spilling most of it on the Banana Leaf. It was a hoot and a lot of fun.

Then it was time for family photos and a look around the village with the village kids in tow and jockying for photo shoots. We then watched Bala's mother fold the Banana Leaves we had used and take them across the road and drop then for the village dogs to clean up. Not to worry about the bones in the scraps, they ate the lot. Toka would have had to be taken to the Vet and would have cost $500 after such an episode!

Before long it was time to say goodbye and they whole family gathered to wish us well and thank us for visiting them. We looked around the village. It was very very basic, dusty and without hot showers and western toilets and all the trappings of our lifestyle back home. But the people were the same as simple friendly country folk everywhere. We didn't need to speak the same language ... our simple sign language and gestures said it all. Everyone had a good day and it was as much an experience for them as it was for us. It was a highlight of the trip.

We then headed for Pondicherry and Bala had organised for us to have a hotel room for an hour in a local hotel where we could freshen up and importantly, Liz could use the Western bathroom. None of us has mastered the Indian custom of squatting yet! Bala has gone out of his way to accomodate us in every way. He's not just a nice guy from the hotel... we consider him a friend and his family is proud of him and the success he has enjoyed. Remember, he started out as a kid in that small village.

It was getting late and a long 140 km drive back to Chennai. If you ever thought driving in India was an adventure in terror during the day ... try it at night! I can safely confess to being totally terrified for 2 hours as we overtook vehicles with no room to spare, had trucks and buses and motorcycles and cars heading straight for us and all you could see was a blaze of headlights and all the time praying to whatever gods were active to protect us and deliver us from evil ... or the madness of Indian drivers. But our intrepid driver Vijay delivered us in one piece, albeit trembling and incoherent! I am recommending him for a CAMS Licence and I'll enter him in the F1 and Dakar Rally. (Ian... this was MUCH worse than our experiences here in September 2006!)

So, Charlie has bought some new shoes, and Liz is apparently ready to head back to the hotel ... she must have spent the whole holiday budget already! They both send their love. I'll post the photos when we get to KL. In the meantime, thanks to all for your emails and news from home. Next eposide will be from KL tomorrow.