AOB July and August 2005

Michael Owen is moving to Newcastle United - on a four year contract. I guess he will get one year in the Premiership and then I hope he likes Championship football ! Still it would be fun to see him at Watford next year.

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I find I am wearing my reading glasses more than I want to ! I spend to much time either reading or on the Computer. The distance vision is now remarkable good. The eyes lose a little clarity around dusk and in poor light.

29 August 2005

Hurricane Katrina - Katrina and the Waves? There are 9,000 people taking shelter in New Orleans Superdome - people that cannot evacuate New Orleans. But the roof of the stadium is peeling off. These people have nowhere else to go other than to take the best cover they can in the stadium. Very bleak indeed.

This was meant to be the safe place to put people.

This is a huge storm.

On an economic level it has driven oil prices over US$70 a barrel.

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I was walking around Suan Lum night bazaar last night. It could be one of these really nice places to go; but in typical Thai fashion they get it wrong. There is so much traffic hurtling around the market that it looks like Siam.

This is madness. Someone will get hurt. Taxis, trucks and motorcycles coming in every direction.

This would be the perfect place to be a walking zone only. There is plenty of parking; there is access from the subway and taxis can drop off people at the different entrances.

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The CNN storm coverage is wild - they have reporters and camera crews covering the hurricane. The winds are up to 130mph or 140mph. Everyone else has evacuated or taken cover. CNN - your hurricane headquarters !!

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We even have a sympathetic storm in BKK. Thunder and lightening !

24 August 2005

There was a guy with a white stick walking on the pavement from the U Chu Liang Building (where the Lasik surgery is located) towards Chateau Potash at lunchtime today. It must be terrifying being blind and trying to navigate along Bangkok's sidewalks...people are generous and helpful here but the sidewalks are a disgrace and the traffic wont care for a white stick - indeed it might be an incentive to accelerate.

One of my colleagues, the nicest and gentlest of people, was driving me to a meeting a few weeks ago. In front of us two ladies boldly ventured out onto one of Bangkok's few pedestrian crossings. My colleague immediately floored the accelerator and breathing fire took aim at these hapless folk who fled to safety.

22 August 2005

I am having Lasik surgery on both eyes later this week - so no more contact lenses - ever ! Though I will likely still need reading glasses for close up work.

The Lasik surgery requires that you take an HIV blood test - strange thoughts go through your head - what if??? However unlikely it may be.

Anyway I can happily confirm that my blood is red and that I am in good health. The nurse who took my blood at BNH had the nicest eyes. I never had the time to tell her.

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Busy week and a busy weekend. I hope that my reader is feeling ignored.

One of the most striking things about being back in Bangkok after almost three weeks away is just how bad the air is. It is heavy and polluted. It cannot be healthy. The WHO estimates that air pollution annually kills 500,000 people in Asia - and what is anyone doing about it. Not a lot.

"Air pollution in major Southeast Asian and Chinese cities ranks among the worst in the world and contributes to the deaths of an estimated 500,000 people each year, said Michal Krzyzanowski, an air-quality specialist at the WHO's European Center for Environment and Health in Bonn, Germany."

In Singapore and Malaysia they misleading call the air pollution a "haze." It is not a haze - it is a smog. And it is back with a vengeance this year; the worst since 1997.

15 August 2005

In case you cannot get enough cricket today try this:

http://www.stickcricket.com/game.php

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Today is the 60th anniversary of Japan's World War II surrender. China Daily said that "only with an honest attitude toward history can a nation win reconciliation and then integrate into the global community," Sadly I doubt anyone at China Daily recognises the irony of their remarks.

12 August 2005

Back In BKK. As we landed on runway 21L at BKK last night BA10 was lining up on 21R ready to go. It was exactly that flight that we had left on 17 days previously.

Eight flights in 17 days was a lot of flying.

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I am glad I left London last Sunday - it is remarkable that a group of grumpy baggage handlers can bring a major global airline to a standstill and strand some 70,000 passengers. Given that I think BA is a dreadful airline....maybe they are getting what is due to them.

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Coming soon to you on DVD:

Pre-order: The Greatest Test - Edgbaston 2005 DVD

10 August 2005

I am in lovely, sunny Vancouver. Although leaving today for hit humid polluted rainy Bangkok !

Has been a hectic few days. Flew from Rome to London; it was so good to be able to watch the cricket on tv ! Then London to Toronto; dreadful, truly dreadful flight on BA. I am in the middle of three seats at the back of the plane. The man in the aisle seat was big enough to want both my armrest and half of my seat.

I had such a migraine by the time I got to Toronto. And then BA lost one of our bags - it was coming on the next flight. So that means filling out paperwork and being grilled by a jerk in customs. What is it about the customs uniform that grants its wearer the right to behave without any respect or courtesy. Welcome to Canada indeed.

One night in Toronto and up early for a 8.25am Harmony Airways flight to Vancouver. Trouble is we did not leave until 11.40am. Harmony tries hard; but they must be hurting. Probably the next Canadian airline to join the list of many failures ! I hope I am wrong...but.....

6 August 2005

The French authorities are pointing fingers at Toronto airport as the blame game starts for the Air France crash. The captain has sole responsibility for deciding whether it is safe to land. The plane landed half way down the runway. A go around would have been sensible.

5 August 2005

There is a men's fragrance from Ferrari on sale in Rome. Question is does it smell of petrol fumes or burning rubber !?

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Much better trip back to Stansted - Rome's Ciampino airport may be the home of the LCC's but it is comfortable enough.

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No consistency on Ryanair. Out of Paris every bag (even carry on bags) was being weighed and every dollar (euro) extracted for excess baggage.

Out of Rome you could check in anything !

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I enjoyed Rome; an easy city to walk around (which is good news as the subway system is limited and ugly). Plenty to see; reasonably priced; which means less than Paris.

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I cannot log onto the Internet in our London hotel....so I guess no updates this weekend. Sorry ! Funny how I am now so attached to the internet (and this site) that I feel lost without it !

4 August 2005

Winner of the best named restaurant in Paris award: the owner is probably a real pain in the......

3 August 2005

Big storm in Rome this morning; I guess the rain was needed; but was it really needed during the two days that I am in Rome.

After the rain went it was a lovely reasonably sunny day; not too warm. A good day for exploring.

Rome has much to like; walking around the city centre is a time warp. But it is a time warp surrounded by tourists not by Romans. A bit like wandering around a large museum.

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The big question for the Air France pilot who crashed his A340 in Toronto yesterday is what he was doing trying to land in a thunderstorm. Hamilton and Montreal are both easy diversions.

309 passengers and crew escaped with little more than bruises. They are very lucky. They probably should not have been placed in such danger. The CVR will be very revealing.

How come the co-pilot was flying in what must have been very doubtful weather conditions? In a "code-red" storm I want the captain to be flying - he is meant to have the experience and greater know-how.

31 July 2005

Are the French really about to enter space !?

30 July 2005

The journey to the city could put you off Paris. Don't let it. I have not been here for 13 years and I had forgotten what a lovely city Paris is. The only catch is that I am here with my eight year old. This is a city that is made for walking and exploring. And eight year olds are not so fond of long walks !

29 July 2005

Paris: welcome to the third world. It is no wonder that Paris had no chance of winning the 2012 Olympics. Arriving in Paris is such a nightmare that you want to turn around and leave !

For a new and modern airport Terminal One at Charles de Gaulle is a shocker. It was built to take passengers off a DC3 not a modern airliner.

Then there is the bus to the RER station for trains to Paris. Then there is the mile long queue of grumpies waiting to try and buy a train ticket.

27 July 2005

Its 8am in England and there is a rabbit sitting in the back garden. He will be soaked - it is wet and very miserable this morning.

I don't see many rabbits from my apartment in Bangkok. A twelve hour flight, a four hour drive and I am in a different world !

As I write this I am looking out over the estuary at Newton Ferrers. On the hills opposite above Noss Mayo there are cattle crazing as they cling to the sloping hills. The two villages are linked by a Causeway that is only available when the tide is out. Newton Ferrers has a small co-op shop, a post office, a pharmacy and the Dolphin pub. This is as far from the modern world as you can get in England.

The real world is still there; mobile phones and tv bring reality too close.

24 July 2005

The final of the FCCT Star Alliance Matchplay was played yesterday (at long last!). In a battle of Roberts I won 4 and 2.....four up with two to play.

Giving away 15 shots I remembered to play well when I needed to; playing of the back tees at Subraphreuk on a wet and rainy day was certainly in my favour.

It would be nice if there was a glamourous around the world air ticket as a prize ! But I am probably being woefully optimistic !

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I was sad to see that Air Asia has done a sponsorship deal with Manchester United. Thai Air Asia are committed to painting one of their airplanes in Man Yoo colours.....how dreadful.

20 July 2005

Have been suffering a 'flu attack since the weekend. Not at my brightest or best !

Talking about singalongs in the car there is a lead story in The Nation today that says "motorists who enjoy a sing-along while driving tend to concentrate more and fall asleep less than their silent counterparts." I knew there was a reason.

17 July 2005

A slightly strange weekend in Pattaya - you can read all about it on the Today news page. An easy drive there and back listening to music from Santana to Pavarotti to Robbie Williams to Sandie Shaw. Whatever happened to the bare footed Sandie Shaw? "Always something there to remind me" was a great song. I think my first crush was on her - I was probably about 9 at the time.

Golf at Phoenix was good - but very very hot. All pars and bogies. Nothing better or worse. Just too many three puts on their big greens.

11 July 2004

Breakfast this morning in the Marriott Garden Cafe in Pattaya. I had forgotten how noisy Hong Kong people can be. They have to shout at eachother over breakfast, shout at their offspring, shout at the staff and shout at the people at the most distant table.

Then because they are all shouting they have to shout even louder to be heard.

While not shouting they are stocking up at the buffet. The challenge is to eat as much food as possible in the shortest possible time to get the biggest and fastest return on their baht !

Most presumably do not need to eat another meal all day.

Pattaya, even on a sunny weekend is now quiet. It is the low season. But the beach at Kho Larn (by public boat or speedboat) is a nice place for a lounger by the beach, some seafood and a cold beer.

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Am off to the local Lasik surgery center tomorrow so that they can decide after 4 hours of tests whether or not I am a good candidate for laser eye surgery!

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The weekend golf report: I played like a donkey at Subraphreuk on a lovely Friday morning. But the round took just over 3 hours and was very enjoyable.

On Saturday I was 5 over par after 14 holes at Muang Kaew and I finished 16 over after going 9-4-8-6 on the four finishing holes including four balls in the water. I simply lost concentration; there were reasons - which I shall spare my dear reader.

7 July 2005

Now I know I was delighted to see London win the 2012 Olympic bid - but I am not sure I would want to hug either David Beckham or Ken Livingstone, which must be why they ended up hugging eachother.

4 July 2005

Off to Au Bon Pain in the U Chu Liang building for my lunchtime bagel and a low fat cappuccino. Sorry, we have sold out of low fat milk they say.

But the cafe is 10 yards from a 7-11. And yes 7-11 always has low fat milk. So I went and bought a bottle for Au Bon Pain; of course they refused to use it to make the coffee. Instead one of the staff will probably take it home.

It only takes a little initiative to make the difference between we do not give a rat's ass and great service.

Meanwhile the cafe manager stood there totally bemused that he had any responsibility for anything that happened around him.

3 July 2005

'Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity, it is an act of justice,' said Nelson Mandela at yesterday's Live8 concerts.

Twenty years ago, at the time of Live Aid, Nelson Mandela was still in prison. The world does change.

After yesterday, people will know, and continue to know, things about Africa: in the way they once learnt to know and worry about racism and global war and sexual prejudice.

This may not apply in Thailand - I suspect 95% of people on the streets in Bangkok would struggle to name an African country or even to find the continent on a map. But this was not really a concert demanding the attention or action of Asian countries; it was a concert for the rich west to salve their combined consciences and do something meaningful and long lasting.

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Anyone who is missing my golf reports should know that I my golf of Friday and Saturday was poor. My brain and body are totally disconnected. Too much clutter in my head.