And now, the end is near, and so I face the final curtain...

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After almost four months in South Asia, I've now left Thailand to return to Mumbai for a brief stopover (read= shopping session) before I jet back to the Emerald Isle tomorrow. My apologies for the lack of blog updates of late, this is partly due to having been immersed in work (uh-huh), partly due to innate laziness (more likely) and partly so I'll have something to talk to you about next time I see you - as you know, I do like to talk. So, whether I should see you in a few short days back in Dublinia, or whether more moons shall pass until our reacquaintance, please indulge me a few minutes to blather on about:

• drinking games in stunning Railay, accessible only by near-death-experience long-tail boat
  
• a quick glimpse into fascinating and tragic Burma, with surprisingly yummy food and FABULOUS beer
  
• unbelievably funky and cheap shopping in Bangkok
  
• gazing up at the world's tallest building in the Blade Runner-esque Kuala Lumpur
  
• indulging in unhealthy doses of Western consumerism in Koh Samui
  
• feeling too old for Koh Pha Ngan
  
• braving sharks and barracuda to find nemo in Koh Tao
  
• going into rehab with elephants and monkeys in the unlikely Phuket jungle
  

I've also been doing a bit of writing for an online magazine called VagaBlond, whose niche is 'stylish travel, food & wine' - things which I like quite a lot - so feel free to check out my ramblings here, (though please forgive the regular self-plagiarism - there's only so much creativity I can muster on a hot day).

From tomorrow, Thursday 6th, Dave and I will re-embrace our homeland for a few days, before the move to Bradford begins, where I'll start my Masters and Dave will keep going with the book. If any of you are in or near Dubbo, give me a shout on my old Irish mobile number and we can have some extortionately priced pints. Anyone in the UK - after a few months in Bradford, I may be in need of an excuse to get away for the weekend, so please drop me a line. Or, if you were adventurous, I've heard it's not that grim up north, so do come visit. To anyone anywhere else in this little world, it may be a while before I have a chance to see you, but that doesn't mean you are ever far from my thoughts.

So, with a heavy heart, a heavier backpack and a colossal credit card bill, I bid you all adieu, until we meet again. Kisses, dahlings x

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