Spring blossom Hello Tom. What a beautiful description and photos of the Spring you enjoyed this year the blossom and the mountains and the chance to get out and enjoy it all !! lucky you !! Reading it I almost felt I was also there living it with you. I suppose it has been very much hotter since back in the city . We have had some hot weather here - very enjoyable. We were waiting for a drop of rain after a while but it waited for the school holidays. I visited the farm this afternoon and the flowers enjoyed a shower while I was there and it sent the workers away from their renovations-indoors for a "cuppa' Being unable to sleep I am writing this in the small hours!! hope you remain well Bye for now . love Granniexx
I'll try... Thanks for the comments and for following the blog. True, pedestrian crossings are probably not a healthy thing to obsesses about, however, it is something which one has to contend with on a daily basis... Glad to hear you're keeping up with your fitness training; alas Beijing's air has somewhat deterred me! Tom
Enjoy it while you can Dear Tom,
Looks great, although I am slightly worried by your interest in pedestrian crossings. I heard on the radio this morning that there are currently 150 airports under construction across China so let's hope a few more Chinese carry on playing Mah Jong and forget about the urbanisation.
The mountains look good. I've just got back from a triathlon in the Alpes, perhaps you could start a triathlon out there and I will come and join you. China Trisis.
All the best,
Chris Claire,
jack, Macs and Oli
WOW! Hi Tom, Your photos and writing are amazing and I have really enjoyed looking through it. I thought Al was incredibly brave to stand on the ice or daft! The scenery is outstanding! Thank you. Do hope to see you when you return from China.
Mary xx
bits and pieces around Shanghai Greetings Tom !! hope you are feeling well now . was browsing your Blog and the amazing photos of the buildings and contrasting pieces of architecture . When the pictures of those beautiful Chrysanthemums at Hanzhou reminded
The sun never sets.... You can take the boy out of England but you'll never take England out of the boy. Loved your comment about bourgeois privileges. I had very similar experiences in India but beware ugly crowds, it works both ways. Get that linen suit on and tell those Boxers how it's going to be.
You certainly seem to be getting around, see you sometime.
Chris
Journeys in an unusually colourful landscape Well you have been busy !! I thought you had gone to China to do some work. But you seem to be enjoying your journeys through the countryside-- nice work if you can get it--as the saying goes.The photos are fantastic and Bo lo mi the yellow fruit looked really challenging. I look forward to hearing of your next experiences and wish you the best of good health all the way. Love as always G.xxxx
Wanderings What a lovely name for a spot to visit ! Fragrant I would really like to follow in your footsteps Tom. You make it sound so very interesting .Hope you have a happy new year of the Tiger with many new vistas to tempt us to want to join you in visiting. Much love Grannie xxxx
Spatial Beast So you've finally made it! Been casually keeping up with your travels over the last month - an incredible journey mate!
I see you are looking increasingly wise and Buddist nowadays - love it. Good to see you caught up with Neal, looks like he's lovin life as usual, kareoke et all.....
When are you going to finally start doing some work anyway mate. You've left me and Bryn sweating our sheets, struggling to buy a loaf of bread these days and you're off galavanting around the world preaching as you go. I can't afford to shave, there is a housing development planned on the allottment and David Cameron is closing in.
Keep it real.
The enigma that is Vince is back.
Grit, dodgy ads & insults True most of my photos are from the touristy sights. Any particular variety of grit you're after? Unfortunately I don't have administration over the advertising content on this page; so I'm not sure on that one. Perhaps it's related to some cookies from other websites you've been browsing?
Shanghai surprise Can you stand a bit closer when you are taking pictures, they are all a bit distant. You are obviously looking at the good bits of China. Let's see some grit.
I was thinking of China the other day as someone has invited me to Hong Kong. Not sure I can justify the carbon.
I take it you didn't put the google ads for chinese girls that appeared at the bottom of this post.
Perhaps a way of paying off your student loan? If you borrowed one of your dad's Fedoras you would make quite a passable pimp.
That's enough insults,
Chris
well how are you today ?? Hello Tom Glad I have finally caught up with you . Great to see you are making good use of your time., am enjoying reading all about it. Perhaps if the two friends from Cornwall have been drawn to you by mutual ancestors it must have been by instinct or Karma or something. Will look forward to more again soon. Take care. Love and a big hug. Grannie xxx
Ahh... Thanks for filling us in. I suppose that was all a bit before my time Unc? The Buena Vista Social Club rings a bell, though in a strictly musical context.
Wheel tappers and shunters social club Have you nver heard of the Wheel tappers and shunter social club? It was a cover in post-revolutionary russia for the secret service. State informants posed as railway workers to root out counter-revolutionaries and secret card schools.
transgressors would later be engaged in conversation and mugged. To get their belongings back transgressors would have to ' join the wheel tappers and shunters club'. Club members were reported to have risen to the highest echelons of the soviet state system.
During the Cuban revolution cane cutters shouted: Socialismo o meutre pero no calidad de miembro de wheel tappers and shunters social club.' In the castro era a similar organisation became known as the Buena Vista Social Club.
Ask Tom to look in his metalergy books. Hit a cracked wheel and it makes a dull thud, hit a good one and it rings.
You and your pal Stalin Hey T
Good to see you made it to Latvia. Good architectural activity in getting straight onto a guide. DD would be impressed! I'll probe you for some architectural knowledge once you're back in 'Blighty', im sure by then you'll be an expert on Eastern European architecture.
Anyway trust you are keeping well, keep on blogging dude.
Peace out dredge
hi tom Hi Tom,
We didn't realise you were off travelling again. Been away ourselves- to the less exotic Bolton where Chris did his full Ironman. It was pretty harsh and he's declared he never wants to do another.Jack wisely opted out of the 14 hour Ironman cheer-athon, and went to Sonisphere festival instead.Look forward to some more reports and pics- don't forget to look us up if you need a place to stay when you get back to London. Lol ClaireX
Chinese whispers Dear Tom,
Sounds great but I can't see your pictures. Try and get a trip on a junk out into the South China see. That's my most abiding memory of my stay in HK. When the big container ships go by you'll pooh your pants.
Chris
gd to hear from you Great to hear of your latest travels Tom-thanks for the blogs.Chris says he went on a boat trip from Hong Kong harbour a few months ago, but it was a load of old junk!X
??? Theres something about you in a suit, with a guitar, on Mt Doom that just doesnt seem to make sense!!
Looks pretty awesome, saw all Dads pics today and loving the Romph impressions in the Hot Water Valley...."ILL NOT HAVE YOU CALL US LITTLE!!"
Hope the work is going well too
Cheers
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Keeping your end up Dear Tom,
It looks like you are seeing a fair bit of the landscape while you are over there.
I liked the shot of the lakeside party. Glad to see you are teaching these colonials a thing or two about elegance and style.
looks great! Another great report Tom-wish we were there!The surroundings look absolutely fantastic and just underline our wish to visit one day.Sounds like you're making the most of the trip.Love CCJMOX
Doreen
non-member comment
Spring blossom
Hello Tom. What a beautiful description and photos of the Spring you enjoyed this year the blossom and the mountains and the chance to get out and enjoy it all !! lucky you !! Reading it I almost felt I was also there living it with you. I suppose it has been very much hotter since back in the city . We have had some hot weather here - very enjoyable. We were waiting for a drop of rain after a while but it waited for the school holidays. I visited the farm this afternoon and the flowers enjoyed a shower while I was there and it sent the workers away from their renovations-indoors for a "cuppa' Being unable to sleep I am writing this in the small hours!! hope you remain well Bye for now . love Granniexx