Apr 30th 2011 - We are eternally grateful (Day 75)

   Heading out to Bali tonight, so took Kratos to the park to get some exercise in, then picked up some lunch to take home.
While I was buying the food, the wife took this photo in the car. So technically the credit goes out to her for this one.

   This little guy has been my favorite Toy Story character ever since it first appeared. It's not only their extreme cuteness or innocence, but how they were grateful of things people do for them, wouldn't it be nice if we had more people like that around.

Apr 29th 2011 - Royally partying (Day 74)

   Today was the royal wedding and I came home from work to find the wife on the couch watching the live broadcast. To prepare for the occasion we had picked up some commemorative cookies and beer while we were in the UK.

   Kratos got amongst the celebrations and sends his best wishes to the newlyweds. Not to mention how incredibly cute he looks next to the giant tin box.

Apr 28th 2011 - Crash (Day 73)

   So part of the reason why I'm so behind on the blog is

A: I'm a total slacker!

B: My laptop crashed!

   "A" really isn't much of an excuse but it's true, but as for "B", well, I was updating firmware on a couple of things on the laptop and then after a restart, it decided to seize all functions except a creepy warning sound. So I spend the whole night plus the next day frantically trying to get it back on. Unfortunately still had to reinstall everything and now I'm back to basic functions on my laptop. Time to do some real catching up.

Apr 27th 2011 - Big Head (Day 72)

   Took the car in for the 30k service today to my regular garage up in the hills of GuiShan. There resides several Formosan mountain dog, to be honest I didn't know they had proper English names until I wiki-ed it, as we normally just call them Taiwanese indigenous dogs.

   This here is DaTou, which translates to big head, literally too as he does have a pretty big head to body ratio. Although he can looks intimidating, he's a real softy when you play with him. The best part is whenever I go up, he's always there to greet me.

Apr 26th 2011 - Risk (Day 71)

   Took Kratos for his usual night time stroll around the neighborhood, and it's around the time when all the snails in the bushes decides to come out as well.

   Saw these two little fellas racing along the pavement to get from one bush to another, a question popped into my head "Why do snails cross the road?". They risk being stomped on or being picked off by predators, is it instinct or need I will never know. All I know is that many of us take risks in life so we can move onto better pasture, and strive for a better self.

Apr 25th 2011 - Sick, Again.. (Day 70)

   My immune system hasn't been in their best state so far this year. The number of times I've been sick already has surpassed the total for last year. Even though it was just a cough it was enough to put me off work.

   Ended up drinking this "Liquid brown mixture" to help cure my cough, note it's got opium in it. Amazingly, it stopped the cough pretty much immediately. Unfortunately the smell of it wasn't the most pleasant and even Kratos shied away when i presented it to him. 

Apr 24th 2011 - Determined (Day 69)

Had another go at the park with the frisbee today and I think Kratos really getting a hang if it.

Snapped some interesting photos of him catching the frisbee, some of him completely airborne but completely missing the catch, some of him sliding on the ground in an attempt to chase the frisbee as it's rolling on the ground. But this was my favorite of the day, it really showed how determined he was after it. 

Apr 23rd 2011 - Big Bird (Day 68)

   Flew to the capital of South Korea today and parked next to this mighty big bird, the Airbus 380. Next to it our 737 looked like David next to Goliath.

   The airport facility and infrastructure here is pure brilliance, everything is well organized and coordinated. it is no wonder Korea has elevated itself in the world market over the past decade. It's definitely something a country need to aspire to.

Apr 22nd 2011 - Frisbee Trial (Day 67)

   Kratos loves ball, we bought a frisbee for him overseas however to see if it is an alternative to ball catching. At first he wasn't quite sure what to do with it, but then soon figured out catching it in flight can be quite the fun.

   What made it even more fun was his ability to bring it right back to us without ever taught him so. Frisbee was a success and we'll be out and about more often with it while the summer approaches.

Apr 21st 2011 - Midnight express (Day 66)

   For those that are wondering, RCTP is Taipei, and VTCC would be ChingMai in Northern Thailand. This used to be a pretty good flight, leaving not too early in the morning and returning just in time for dinner. Then it was changed to lunchtime departure so we can get home to bed.

   Now it is a horror flight with departure at night and arriving back at 4:30 in the morning. Luckily the crew was great and the night turned out to be not so horrible at all. The hardest part of it all was actually getting home and trying to sleep in the morning with a dog stealing your bed spot.

  

Apr 20th 2011 - Hawt (Day 65)

   Early start plus emotionally laden day meant I really needed a boost in the evening. The wife came back and we thought it'll be good to make up the day a little.
 
   So we set out to the hot pot restaurant across the park and got us some revitalizing ingredients. Wife had the healthy vegetarian soup while I went for the Mongolian herb soup base. Add some meat, veges and voila, my day was all better.

Apr 19th 2011 - School (Day 64)

   Few times a year we get dragged into these ground schools to be told what's good and what's not. Watching the same powerpoint show with minor changed is like watching reruns of Shortland Street (NZ tv drama) only less interesting.

   Luckily, the lecturers were engaging enough to keep our attentions focused. Nothing against learning of course, except someone somewhere thought having childishly unfunny material was a good idea, may not be a good idea at all, or maybe my sense of humor doesn't fit this crowd.

Apr 18th 2011 - This way (Day 63)

   Started walking the stairs up to our apartment instead of the elevator recently, unless absolutely necessary of course. Reason I'm doing this is to lose some of the excess baggage I've loaded onto body ever since plane meals and lack of exercise became best of friends.

   It is reassuring to know that on every level, is a sign that points you in the right direction, in case of anything. Wouldn't it be nice if we can have a sign in our life that point the way.

Apr 17th 2011 - How time flies... (Day 62)

   Went to my elementary school friend's wedding reception today, had some fabulous food and caught up with some friends I haven't seen in 18 years.

   How quickly time has passed I thought, I still vividly remember the time we were all playing together, running amok in the school fields. After moving to New Zealand, I've lost contact with so many of them, and it's great seeing them again, and thanks to modern technology, will be staying in touch from now on.

   It is amazing how quickly time goes by without noticing, and this is maybe why I'm doing this, so i can look back, and remember.

Apr 16th 2011 - Going up? (Day 61)

   I go up and down the elevator daily in our apartment, but never do I really look up and observe, since it's always such a quick trip, or just because the ceiling of an elevator never seems to be that interesting.

   Randomly looked up today and actually found it looking strangely like a film reel, so here it is. It's funny how things we take for granted, can surprise us in the most unique way.

Apr 15th 2011 - BREAKFAST (Day 60)

   One of the perks of flying to Hiroshima, other than the hot springs, is that for five hundred yen, crew can get a breakfast like this. (Or if I'm lucky and one of the crew don't want to use their meal voucher ^.^ )

   It's classic Japanese served with rice, egg rolls, grilled fish, salad, pickles and miso soup. Getting up at 5:30 in the morning is totally worth this.

Apr 14th 2011 - Layover (Day 59)

  So second day back to work, finally got to do some real work and flew with our Japanese captain to Hiroshima.

  I've lost count the number of times I've been in this particular hotel, except I'm in the same room every time. Which made me wonder if this room is ever occupied other by anyone else but our company crew?! ..... hmmmm!!

Apr 13th 2011 - Home cooking (Day 58)

   First day back at work, and it had nothing to do with actually working. Just sat in meeting rooms and nodding my head.
Not quite what I had in mind to kick my back into working mode.

   After getting home though, wife has cooked up something really interesting, a fusion between east and west. Steamed rice and lightly boiled broccoli covered in Cornish cheddar cheese sauce. Served with patties made with beef mince and tofu. You definitely won't find that in a recipe book.

Apr 12th 2011 - Back at it (Day 57)

   So we were away from our dog for ten days, and my brother and sister in-law was kind enough to look after him for the time.

   The first day back in the house, he was acting a lot quieter than usual. That quickly changed after a night of sleep, he was back to his bouncy playful self, and here he was playing with the wife on the new toy we got him all the way from UK.

   Seems like we weren't the only ones that needed adjusting, he's had to go through the same process to.

Apr 11th 2011 - Snacking (Day 56)

   After ten days of potato as main diet, my stomach has decided to rebel against me, that and trying to get over a jet lag does not make a very happy combination.

   What could be better than some simple Taiwanese marinated snacks, a glass of sweet bubbly and some TV to fight off this awkward feeling.

  

Apr 10th 2011 - Unpack n Unwind (Day 55)

   Finally arrived home after over a day of travelling. First was the seven plus bus ride, followed by near seven hour wait. Flight from London to Taipei together was just over thirteen hours.

   Time to unload the loot from our journey, and gather our thoughts, fight the jet lag, and prepare for the routine......

Apr 9th 2011 - Flying.. again (Day 54)

   After the horror bus ride, we had to wait almost seven hours in Heathrow airport before hopping ourselves onto our cozy economy seats.

   Thankfully the Cathay 747's seats are superb, with large screen with on demand entertainment and ample leg room, which made the near twelve hour journey much more enjoyable.

Apr 8th 2011 - Farewell (Day 53)

   Last night in southern England, just before hopping on the 7+ hour nightmare bus ride into London.

   It was so nice having family members there seeing us off. Thank you for taking care of us, thank you for the tremendous hospitality, and we will be back soon!

Apr 7th 2011 - Island (Day 52)

This, is St.Michael's Mount.

My second castle visit, and it certainly was another spectacular one.

Off the southern coast, it is accessible on foot in lower tides. 

Walking along the path and climbing up towards the castle was quite the experience, 

cannot imagine how unique it would be to be living in such a place (Still a lived in castle).

Apr 6th 2011 - Local flavor (Day 51)

Mevagissey, yet another port stop in my tour. 

A scenic and relaxing place where I enjoyed some local ice cream and a hot Cornish pasty.

Certainly an ideal spot for post retirement enjoyment and relaxation, might have to start planning! 

Apr 5th 2011 - Trail (Day 50)

   Walked along the Camel trail today, a whole five and a half miles worth. Haven't walked that far in a very long time, but it felt great afterwards, especially with the nice weather, clean air, and some beautiful sights along the way. 

Apr 4th 2011 - Heritage (Day 49)

The castle of Pendennis, one of many firsts on this trip. 

This is my first ever castle experience, located in Falmouth, south of the British isle, was built in 1540 by Henry VIII. It was so special standing on such history, knowing for almost five hundred years, people of all kinds have lived and worked in the area, the thought of the ages past is mind blowing.

Apr 3rd 2011 - Differences (Day 48)

   Every country has their own rules, laws, and of course signs. While walking along the old streets with the wife, I came across some pretty unique road signs.

   This clearly being one of them, because the roads here are so narrow, road bumps are installed to prevent speeding, which of course made amusing conversations between me and the wife!

Apr 2nd 2011 - In wonderland (Day 47)

While watching the latest Alice in Wonderland last year with the family, the wife pointed out how one of the scene looked really familiar to her. So after some research, turned out it was shot near her home town.

Had the chance today to go and see the site for myself, it wasn't quite like in the movies, obviously with a lot of post production and special effects. However, it was as beautiful as I could have ever imagined.

Apr 1st 2011 - Ben (Day 46)

After arriving at Heathrow, had a few hours to kill. So we decided to catch the tube into town to

 have a good look at what London is all about. 

Got off at Westminster and was immediately greeted by sights I've only seen in books and movies. 

Its awe inspiring and with a sense of disbelieve that I'm actually standing next to historic culture and heritage.