Notes from Kuala Lumpur

Thursday: The Monorail is the best way to see the city at night.

Friday: I'm watching a Magic show in a Chinese Temple.

New Tang Dynasty TV interviewed me about the Mooncake Festival and lantern and Dragon parade. I'm big in the PRC

"NTDTV, Jong Ju Chie Qwy Law* from Kuala Lumpur!"

*Happy mooncake Festival!

I'm crap at Mandarin tones.

In the market I feel so wanted and popular. Everyone wants to be my friend...

Saturday Night: "You have beautiful Blue eyes".
And you have a beautiful Adam's Apple.
Should have guessed from the name "Thai Bar".

Sunday: I don't need a laptop, I don't I don't!
I already have a laptop, I do I do!

Couchsurfing is great. If I hadn't met met Tj, Celine, Frank and Shah, Kuala Lumpur would not be nearly as good.

Must NOT buy any ridiculously cheap VERY shiny electronics!

Kuching

Monday 17th to Thursday 20th September 2007

They take the "Cat City" thing pretty seriously in Kuching. All of the roundabouts have statues of Giant Cats, that look like they are about to jump out and try to take over the city. And a lot of people don't even think that's how it's supposed to be translated!

Apart from the cats, there were two main attractions to keep me busy while I waited to fly to Kuala Lumpur. One was the largest flower in the world.

it's supposed to smell like a decomposing corpse to attract flies...

The other was an Orang Utang Rehabilitation centre

I'd been to the larger one in Sabah with Erin, but was happy to go to and support this one with my entrance fee.

There wouldn't have been that much else to see there, but I happened to arrive at the beginning of the Chinese Moon Cake Festival.

Good stuff lads! Thanks for timing it so well.

More photos can be found here

Brunei

Friday 14th to Monday 17th September 2007

Rhokia and Charles had warned me: Brunei is incredibly dull. Luckily for me though, I wasn't there alone. Casey reminded me of couchsurfing.

I was back in Miri, and not feeling the best. Spending a month traveling with Erin had done it. It was the first time I had traveled with someone full time, instead of just meeting people for some of the way, and it had been AMAZING. So good in fact, that I wondered if I really wanted to keep going on my own. I would have seriously considered going home were it not for a phone call to a fellow Jet. It was the kick I needed. The next day I crossed the border into Brunei, met up with another couchsurfer, and had an absolute blast.

Brunei really is quite boring, but watching the Bourne Ultimatum with my host, and drinking fabulous red wine, made it worth while. Oh yeah, and the hitchhiking

"This is my Mom, she doesn't speak any English."
"Oh okay."
"Do you have a girlfriend in Brunei?"
"Em, no, I don't..."
"I could be your girlfriend in Brunei"
Eye opening.

For some more photos, click here.

Bario

2nd to the 12th September 2007

I met Nancy at the airport with a young French couple and Dutch girl. I’d forgotten that she had said she’d be on the flight when I met her a few days before. The others hadn’t really organised accommodation, so we all decided to stay at her place. We got on the tiny plane, and Sebastien immediately started to sweat. He doesn’t like small planes, and the sight of Nancy opening a Bible for some light reading just as the turbulence was at its worst did not help!

I was enjoying the view, when it happened. I had my camera ready, had the view in sight, and then nothing.

The top of the camera just flashed Err99.

It had been working perfectly that morning, and now, as soon as I had left the tiny city of Miri, with it’s malls, and camera shops, it stopped working. Actually, not only had it stopped working, but I had just received the Canon version of the "Blue Screen of Death".

I spent a day trying to figure it out, swopping parts back and forth with the Dutch girl who had just bought a smaller Canon. It was the lens. Using the one payphone (A satellite phone it turns out) I called the Canon agents, and realised I had to wait until I got to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore before I could get it checked out. I got it to work on some of the fully manual settings, but the aperture is now locked in place at the highest degree, so enough light is only reaching the sensor on the brightest of days. Even then, sometimes it just doesn't work.

Luckily I had a two year old disposable camera with me as a back up. Apart from that mini personal disaster, Bario was great. The four of us went by the “road” during the day to another village, stayed at a homestay, where the Diesel generator seemed to be switched on more for the personal karaoke machine that the lights. A load of people from the other houses came around after dinner. Not to see us though, but to watch Pirates of the Carribbean 3.

Sebastien didn’t feel comfortable with English, which was great practice for me! We had an English-free zone for a few days with French and some very feeble attempts to speak the local Kelabit language.

The way back to Bario was through the jungle proper with the son of our host as our guide. Leeches suck. And there were lots of them. And cursing in French at the blood sucking bastards is entirely more satisfying. The French couple and Dutch girl left, and I stayed close to Barrio for a while, trying to sort out the camera, wandering around the area, and hiding from the rain in a shed with the migrant rice pickers from Indonesia
Then on to Indonesia!

You probably can't make it out, but that's the border marker there between Petrus and I.
I wasn't going to do it. I was cursing my decision not to bring my boots (The ones I "borrowed from Dad 5 years ago") but there was only one way to find out if it would be possible with runners, and within an hour of setting out it didn't matter anymore.

I met Petrus at Nancy's house, when we got back form the other village. It was his house we had stayed in, and he had recently just brought a group of English Gap year kids to Kalimantan, the Indonesian state on Borneo, so I asked him if he'd like to go again. We had just left his village when we reached the first stream, and the water came up to my knees. I looked down at my shoes, at the water above where the top of my boots would have been, and sighed.

We met two teachers from Brunei, and Englishman named Charles and a local named Rhokia, and got them to join us when their own plans were washed out by the rain, camped out in the jungle one night, and spent another above a shop in Kalimantan. Then back across the border,


and on to Ba Kelalan, where I thought I would be heading back to Miri right away.

Instead, I got to talking with some people on a confidence building mission with the International Tropical Timber Organisation. When they saw how interested I was, they invited me to join them back in Bario, and when we arrived, everyone thought I was a member of the NGO. There was a reception, Pineapples, flowers, dancing, music, the works!
I seem to have shown some knowledge in Micro-hydro power, so now I have to see how feasible 14 generators would be for the outlying villages. It's all part of their confidence building measures. The logging company is promising a road to this isolated community. That would greatly reduce the price of everything that is now currently flown in. The community is split 50 50 on whether to allow the logging. A couple of generators might tip it the right way.

For loads more photos, Click here.

Miri

I'm in Miri for now waiting for one of the semi-regular flights in tiny twin otter planes, that frequently get cancelled due to the weather: Apparently it rains quite often, and heavily, in the rainforest. Or so they claim...

After Erin left Kota Kinabalu, it became clear that if I wanted to get to Bario any time soon, I would have to go from Miri in Sarawak. The flights from Kota Kinabalu are even less reliable. So onward to Miri, just on the other side of Brunei from KK. Malaysia was celebrating it’s 50th year of Independence (One Brit commented “It doesn’t count if we gave it back without a fight”) and Miri was to be the focal point of celebrations in the State of Sarawak, so I didn’t mind so much that I would have to stay there for a few days waiting for my flight.

I was very curious about what the party would be like. In Sabah, there was a suspiciously large number of flags everywhere. It seemed that they were the result of a government campaign, rather than an outpouring of nationalistic fervour. This seemed more plausible after conversations with the locals, all of whom were unhappy with the way the government operated, and many of whom felt there was nothing to celebrate: being a part of Malaysia was not what the people in Sabah I spoke with considered “independence”. Culturally, they felt very distant from their Muslim King.

In Miri then by contrast, I first noticed the relative lack of flags. But the boys going around town on their scooters, horns blaring out tunes, made me hopeful for some kind of party atmosphere. So as the clock counted down the hours to midnight, I joined the crowds gathering at the town's open air amphitheatre where a stage was set up.


I was very surprised. Everyone seemed to be waiting around, very bored, as different acts took to the stage. I heard the MC starting to chant “Merdeka!” (Independence!) at the top of his lungs, but the response he hoped for never came. The first four rows cried back, and no one else. Maybe everyone else was just trying to act cool.

Then the Prime Minister arrived, apparently. I was told by a local that he was walking beside me, but I couldn’t figure out which of the men in colourful shirts he was supposed to be. A security was, well, they let ME walk beside him. Come on guys! I lived in japan. Clearly I'm a Ninja!

Everyone else from the Hostel decided to call it a night, but I stayed out until the fireworks at midnight, which turned out to be a damp squid. Back to the Hostel I went, a little deflated, and feeling very sorry for the MC.

Updates

I think I've finally got this thing up to date. Good thing too, considering that I'm heading to Bario tomorrow. I've booked a one way ticket, adn the date of my return, and thus more updates, depends on the weather. If you're reading this, and think it a bit sparse, I've put comments on most of the photographs here so going through those will probably be more interesting than reading these posts.

And that goes for the older posts such as the Naked man festival and India.

Mom and Dad, You can get to those by clicking "older posts" link at the very bottom of this page. Start at the bottom then and make your way up. Then click back at the top left of the screen. If that doesn't work, click on these links for the main posts.

India1
India2
Naked Man
Fish Market
Nachi Fire festival

or click on this link to see the albums

http://picasaweb.google.com/DavidlMorrison/

More Toitles!

On Monday we took the same bus back to Sandakan that we had taken down, and just like before, it broke down. The cabin once more filled with steam from the radiator, and we pulled over to hose down the bus. I think they have it factored into the time table at this point.

The next morning we headed for the protected Turtle nesting grounds off the coast. The island serves as a hatchery for both Green Turtles and Hawksbills, so there are turtles crawling onto the beaches year round. Luckily for them, there is a curfew on tourists being allowed onto the beaches after sun down.

We sat in the office for a few hours that night until the Ranger spotted a nesting mother, and then went out to watch as the eggs were collected and deposited in the hatchery. Then back to the beach to let loose that night's hatchlings.

We got up at 5 next morning to watch the sunrise over the Ocean, and found two Green turtles blocking our path. Keeping a respectful distance, made a wide arc around them, and watched as they dragged themselves back to the more comfortable seas.

It was back to Kota Kinablu then to do sweet f-all, and relax. That was the plan, but instead we trekked through the rainforest on the island some shite show called Survivor was filmed on, and had a bath in the mud volcanoe. That was actualy quite nice. Not as warm as you'd think though. Erin's flight back to Tokyo was at midnight on Sunday, so left the island early that morning and spent the day in Kota Kinabalu stocking up on bras, as they had a good brand on sale there, and the ones in Japan are shit quality, apparently.

Click here for some photos of the hatchlings, amongst other things.

Sipidan

We'd heard so much about this island. From some that it's one of the top 5 dive sites in the world, and from others that it's on of the top 10. Either way, it was the best diving I've ever done. We spent a week in the town of Semporna with Scuab Junkies, taking the boat out every day, and coming back knackered every evening. It was brilliant!

Erin did her open water course, while I did the Advanced course, and we met up on the fourth day as dive buddies.

The other sites had more life than I hgad seen before, even in Thaialnd, but it was at Sipidan that I was blown away by the sheer density of aquatic life. In every direction there were fishes darting in and out of the coral, with Turtles joining the scene, gliding gracefully above.

As I looked over to the side, I think everyone could hear me exclaim as I saw my first shark in the gloom.

But there were more to come. Sipidan was an incredible diving experience. I could go on and on about everythign we saw. Instead, click here if you want to see more.

Are you America's next top model?

"No, I'm sorry, I'm not. Are you Malaysia's next top model?"

"Emmmm... Yes, I am!"

And so the interrogation from the teenage girls continued.

That was Saturday night and and we were staying with a family in a small village of Orang Sungei, "People of the River", who of course, as well as boats, also had dodgy satellite dishes. Electricity was for two hours a day though in certain buildings. Our main guides were some local kids with ridiculously good English who put on a show for us that night.

The "traditional" dance, was only as old as Malaysian state and I assumed it would be some type of plastic tourist show, so I was pleasantly surprised to see the boys and their friends in front of us on the jetty making mistakes, forgetting their steps: clearly just having some fun.

We arrived at that village from further up the Kinabatangan river, after spending 4 wonderful days at Uncle Tans jungle camp. Resort it is not, but I found the presence of a mat on a raised wooden surface, a mosquito net, and something resembling a Chinese prison cell as accommodation, to be far more luxurious that what I had prepared myself for. And the cacophony at night to be very soothing.

That place is wonderful. The local lads who work as guides all have some mild levels of insanity, with an infectious enthusiasm. They organise treks through the jungle at night and during the day, and rides of dinky boats up and down the river in the morning, afternoon, and after dark, where all the cool kids in the wildlife world hang out. Erin and I were lucky every time we went out and the amount of wildlife we saw was almost overwhelming.
Orang Utangs: We saw them up close at the Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre (they do good work, the centre that is...) but, of course, seeing a Mother and juvenile eating in the trees right above your head is a different story. Probiscus Monkeys, Long Tailed Macaques invading the camp at all hours trying to steal...everything! Horn-Bills, Kingfishers aaaaannnndddd CROCS! Yeah! They really do look a hell of a lot like logs...

Before heading back to the city, we stoppped off at the Gumantang Caves, and saw where the Bird's nests are harvested (now controlled with quotas) for Bird's Nest soup. Apparently the nest is made from some kind of scum that lies on the surface of the river. It's supposed to taste very good. I'll have to let you know later...

Important information I learned in the Malaysian Rain forest:

The most expensive coffee beans in the world are those that are first eaten by the nocturnal, and very rare, Civet cat, shat out, and THEN collected by the Coffee bean.....farmers...

Adult Male Orang-Utangs look very happy when they are peeing from trees onto unsuspecting trekkers and have ENORMOUS bladders. Mountains of Guano smell like... spores... Best not to breathe too deeply.

Tarantulas eat their young if they can't get a bird.

Long tailed Macaques are loveable BASTARDS who will one day figure out how to take a photo with the digital cameras they steal before they smash them on the ground. Some also have an unfortunate coke habit

Irish people are everywhere: I met two people from DCU who knew Ailbhe, Ross, Bernard, etc. etc. Bloody hell.

Oh, and I had great fun surprising Casey. We'd talked about our travel plans before leaving Japan, and realising how similar they were assumed that we'd just bump into each other in Laos or somewhere along the line. There she was walking towards me through the forest, and as she passed,

"Hi Casey"

"OH MY GOD!"

Yeah, I wonder who else is arsing around this corner of the world.

Click here to see the rest of the pictures, mine and Erin's.

On more serious note. The trip down the river was also a great eye opener into the destruction caused by Palm Oil. It was horrible. From any elevated position on Borneo, for as far as the eye can see, Palm Oil plantations have replaced the rainforest. I spent a lot of my time with the locals asking them about their thoughts on the plantations. The opinions were universal. Corporations are granted concessions to transform Virgin rainforest into plantations. Local people do not benefit economically from the plantations, and in fact their livelihoods suffer as fish stocks are depleted as general river health worsens, and much valued revenue from Eco-tourism fades. And the effect it has on other wildlife is even worse. Orang Utangs WILL be extinct in the wild within two decades at most because of the use of Palm Oil products to wash hands, instead of soup. The Rhino will be extinct in even less time as all attempts to breed them in captivity have failed. The list goes on and on, and is even worse in Indonesian Borneo. Google Earth it.

Palm Oil is not a sustainable biofuel, and will not help in cutting CO2 emmissions. Promoting the vast destruction of rainforest, and with it destruction of habitat, will only decrease biodiversity, increase CO2 levels over all, and destroy possibilities for sustainable economic growth in these developing countries. Like many other things, deciding whether to promote this or not begins at the Supermarket.

Mt. Kinabalu

I arrived in Sabah from Osaka on Friday afternoon, and met Erin who had arrived the day before. We had a nice look around the capital, Kota Kinabalu, and a nearby island, but were there for somethign else. We wanted to take on Mt. Kinabalu. Fuji was 3775m, and this was 4095m, so no worries. Well, maybe one. We didn't have accomadation booked at the final way point, and staying there is mandatory. Climbers rest for a few hours, and then tackle the summit that night to arrive just before sunrise.

We spent a day looking around the park at the base, which was had a really nice Botanical garden, and got permission from the ranger to climb to the final way point with the condition that if there was not even floor space for us, we would come back down. We agreed, and off we went with our guide (mandatory), a cheery local young man who much preferred getting paid to chat with us while exercising than working in a factory in Singapore.

On the way up, we were passed by a japanese woman in trainign for the race taking place the next week. She passed us again on her way back down before we had even made the station. The porters also put us to shame, carrying what looked like appliances on their backs!

We arrived at the final way point, but no joy. Even all of the floor space had been taken up, so it looked like we would have to go back down without reaching the summit.

Off we went, thiundering up the mountain, before our lungs reminded us that the air was a good bit thinner...

The dealine came and went, our guide was waiting behind, so onward and upward with two random Malay guys who trying the same thing. We got to the top and had the tiny summit all to ourselves. I took out my flute to celebrate by playing "Mary had a little lamb", but it was not to be. No matter how hard I blew, I couldn't get enough air through the flute to make the tiniest of sounds.

All the practice for nought. Should have taken up the violin...

With the sun swiftly setting, we raced down the mountain, getting past the second ranger station before dark. Out came the headlamps, and on came the sore knees. Our legs were in bits for the whole of the next week!

Click here to see more photos.

Last Random Snaphot

Sniff.

The final collecion of random photos that I've taken with my Mobile Phone, forgotten about, and then discovered on it's memory card months later. Click here for more.

Packing

It's getting late, and I'm going through a going through a very special old box in my apartment: a box of letters. I spent some time sitting on my couch re-reading them, some sent almost 2 years ago. I'm glad I did. I wasn't sure what I should keep, but I know I must keep them all.

At the impersonal level, if someone should ever care to write something about me, they would be an invaluable source. Far more informative than any e-mail, many of them have that feeling of intimacy that only a pen scratching into paper can reveal.

At the personal level, they are gateways to memories of old emotions. Emotions felt again, fleetingly, as I'm transported back to their time. I don't forget what happened after, or how those emotions changed, but that does not stop me from enjoying them for that moment. And so, I shall keep them all, adding to their box as the years pass, and reading them again when I'm feeling forgetful.

How they live in To-ki-yo

The 20th of July was my last proper day of work, giving me nearly two weeks before I headed off of Malaysia. What to do? Time to see those sites in Tokyo I kept missing. Before that was Shirahama for Pete's final House Party before heading home to NY. Three years of living in a massive house near Shirahama Beach had made it the ideal location, and now that chapter was coming to a close.

The next day I headed to the beach again to go underwater. It had been almost a year since I had dived, and I needed to get back in the water to refresh my memory before starting any advanced courses. Nothing much to see, bad conditions, but I felt a lot more confident about the coming trip.

Onward to Tokyo for some sightseeing with Erin. And to pick up a supply of crazy Malaria pills for the next few months: The Head of the International Clinic was a brilliant octogenarian Russian who entertained me tales of patients gone by, mostly musicians passing through the Hotels, and thought more of his photo of himself and Michael Jackson than he did of the one with Jacques Chirac.

The Tsukiji fish market is massive, serves the Tokyo area, and is best seen in all is chaotic glory just after the sun rise. We chanced our arm on New Years Day, and of course it was closed, so this time we sleep in he cheapest option in Tokyo (A very comfortable "love hotel"{charges by the hour}) and made our bleary-eyed way there.

It wasn't as crazy as I had hoped, but by Japanese standards, it made a good attempt.

I enjoyed wandering through it, seeing the different stages my Maguro goes through before entering my belly.

Then on to the justifiably controversial Yasukini War Shrine.

I'd heard so many terrible tales of how the Shrine blatantly lies about atrocities committed by he Japanese forces in China and elsewhere, I felt I needed to see it for myself before I could really believe it. I was angry. But not near as angry as a Korean may feel. I told the Vice-principal in my main school of my plans the week before. His reply was "Most Japanese don't like that place." Fortunately that seems true. Unfortunately, the Government and Department of Education don't fall into that category.

More from the fish market and Shrine here.

Typhoon Falls

One of the last events before I leave Japan, and a left over from last years to do list; the Nachi Fire festival took place last weekend..... Despite the Typhoon!

12 50kg torches were carried up and down the steps from the Nachi waterfall, as Sake was spat into the flames to make them rage. I got down as close as I could and had to retreat from the heat as they went by. You see more of it here. It happened to be the last long weekend we had before people began to head home, so Saturday night involved taking advantage of the fact the Kate and Lily's apartment building is completely empty but for them. Beaching and onsening on Sunday, follow by a far more subdued party that night involving Teams "The Game of Life" (There were three on our team, so of course we had to be the polygamist family) and chocolate cake. Then swimming at a beautiful, but Typhoon gorged waterfall the next day.

Operatic Seisiún

Yesterday, Takeshi and Veronique told me of a Japanese Opera singer who would be jamming with them today after work. I arrived a little late, and could hear a note held aloft for longer than I thought possible, as I approached.

Not 4m away from a flawless soprano, the power of her voice felt like a blast wave about to throw me out onto the street; striking the head and ear drums like beautiful cascading brick walls.

The others accompanied her with Indian string instruments, falling swimming goggles, Werthers Originals dancing around inside a spinning hat, a two year old speaking Fra-panese, and an An-pan-man guitar.

Eastern Extremes

A catalogue of disturbing political trends in our partners to the East. The day power was due to pass to the second Dail, some TDs were secretly armed. Reading the article reminded me of our own Civil War spun lack of Politcal centre. Different times yes, with shirts of every colour, so I hope and trust that it will not take as long as it took us.

Booked

Just two months left now. My employer has to provide me with a one-way ticket home. They are going to to that, and then I am going to cash it in with their knowledge. They are not concerend, so long as they can point to a flight number in their records and say that they fulfilled their contractual obligations.

My real flight is booked, and that's for Malaysia. And yes, the American lady will be accompanying me there. She'll then be returningto Japan for another year of work at the end of August while I start travelling home slowly. Actually, she was staying with me for a week, all last week. There's loads of hiking and other things to do around here so there was plenty to do if she ever got bored while I was working. And I learned how to play Scrabble.

278 points the first time playing. Apparently that makes me an expert. I won't say what she got except that, clearly, so is she...

Okay, here goes

The photos for when I was working with the NGO can be found here

http://picasaweb.google.com/DavidlMorrison/India

and the ones from the little bit of traveling around I did can be found here

http://picasaweb.google.com/DavidlMorrison/Delhi

I'm really happy I went, and it's one of those things that made staying in Japan for a second year worth while. I know that sounds odd, but if I had not been in Japan, I don't know ifI would have ever gone to India and done something like it.

The people we were working with were so appreciative and happy, it was very humbling. We were working in a village of Untouchables, or Dalits, but specifically working with the 10 poorest widows in the village, who, being widows, were the most at risk of exploitation, and who are ostracised the most by traditional Hindu society and the caste system. What was startling was how much they varied in age, with one being younger than some of the people in our group, including myself: Accidents killing more than old age where we were.

The most obvious thing that we were doing was helping to construct small houses for the 10 women and their familes. But that had started before our arrival and continued afterwards as well. The main point was that we were seen to be there, working with the ostracised and maybe changing some people's minds. Actually, the founder of the NGO, a local Indian man named Ravi, made it clear to us that that was the main point. The NGO group we wereworking with is called Building Communities, and he chose the title very deliberately.

Another aspect was that our presence, as had happened in the past and with us as well, would act as a catalyst, forcing the local provincial government to act. The problems are not with the law per se. The problems include that the people are not aware of their rights, the opportunities available to them, and the responsibilities that the local governemnt has to them: something we were also there to inform them about. When a bunch of foreigners showed up and started working, there was suddenly a lot more movementon local issues. Also, the fact that India was having a heat wave, that Indians in Delhi were getting heat stroke, that it was 45 degrees at midday where we were, and that we were still working up until the afternoon, hopefully had an effect on the attitudes that people had towards the women with whom we were working.

I, and I think everyone else in the group, was very happy with the work we did, and felt that our presence had made some difference. We're still in contact with Ravi, who has a Ph.d. in Human Rights and works mainly to in that field , and get updates about how things are progressing. There's a report with everything in even more detail I can send you if you like.

I got sick on two occasions, both times being the plumbing. The first time I was fine. I stayed back for the day and went out the next morning. The second time was when I was traveling afterward. It was much more severe than before and I doubted that I would be on my feet and running around for a few days, so I admitted myself into hospital. A few hours later, I was back on my feet and travelling, with some help from anti-biotics, IV drips, and other drugs. Not fun, but I only missed half a day really. That actualy happened after seeing the Taj Mahal, so I only missed the other sites in that city, Agra.

Then it was on to Jaipur, and on the train back up to Delhi. The train was a good experience itself as I got talking to a lot of people, or more accurately, they got talking to me. I'd heard about Indian trains and meeting people before, so I had to take at least one.

Then it was back to Japan, and some sleep.

And heated Toilet seats

India


I have so much to tell about India. In fact, I have too much to tell, and no idea where to begin.


I know you want to see photos now though, so Click here for the first part of the trip, when I was working with Building Communities.


And then click here for the photos from travelling around the "Golden Triangle" for a few days afterward. I've put comments on most of the photos, so I think it might make more sense to go to the albums and read those.

Drift, Drift, Drift!

I've started singing a new song from Teriyaki Boyz' Buddhist cousins.

"I wonder if they know,
how they live in Ki-Yo-To,
if you've seen it then you mean it, then you know you have to go.

SLOW AND ZEN LIKE!

Sweep, Sweep, Sweep!"

Coming soon to Music Station (Japanese pop music TV show).