Christmas, Penang 2010

 We spent Christmas with Chris at his place in Times Square, Penang.  Very nice place,  but very quiet.

 We both followed Ranu's very full instructions on how to put the roast together.  This year it is a pork roll,

 Nicely laid table all ready to go!!

Have to say, it was delicious.  Thanks Ranu.

Jenny and other travels.

Florence with Ruth.  T'was a spring visit, hence the warm attire.  This photo was taken up the Domo dome.  what a climb that was. 

Athens.  A roof top bar looking out to the Acropolis.  Beautiful sunset too.  We had been to Crete for  three weeks and were on the way home.  I love Crete.  We had hired a car and stayed in various places in the west of the island.  Never did make it back to cover the East of the island.

Continental Morgan Holidays.

The first Morgan trip.  This was also the first holiday we had together on our own, without Anna or Polly.  We took a ferry from Poole, Dorset, to Cherbourg in Normandy and then drove down into Brittany.  I had only just managed to finish rebuilding the car the week before we left Stafford, so I was a bit on tender hooks as to whether we would avoid a breakdown.  Wondering if I had cocked up more like.  It was a brilliant holiday.  Only one mishap.  The clutch cable snapped.  Luck I had brought a spare cable!!  In fact,  I seem to remember we had more spares than luggage.  Another photo I just love.

The second trip was to the Loire Valley.  Three weeks driving the length of the Loire, visiting the chateaus, dining well and sampling the red , of course.  Excellent.  We stayed in top places.  The Morgan in question, just visible in the background, was now a lovely red +4.  Jenny hadn't been a massive fan of the marque but she loved this one.  When we decided to upgrade from a 4/ 4 to a +4,  this was the first car we viewed.  She decided, not me,  that this was the one!!!!  The whole three weeks was topless driving.  Cann't beat it.

And so for the third trip,  Lake Garda in Northern Italy and then on south intoTuscany.  We had taken  the over night car-train from Brussels to Milan.  This was the start of a 6 week holiday in Northern but most of the time was spent in Tuscan Italy.  San Gimignano was our ultimate destination.  It has to be done.  Top off,  driving on those brilliant winding roads across the hills of Tuscany in a car with a bit of grunt.

Jenny and the kids.

Spring 1985.  We came back from Singapore for a holiday and so that Jenny could attend some job interviews for our return to live in the UK at the end of the year.  This pic was taken in the hills above Cheltenham.  We had driven there in the 'flat rad' Morgan.  Jenny and I in the front,  the 4 kids in the back, I think.  Or did we take 2 cars? Anna, Emma, Dylan and Polly.  Cannot remember why Sarah wasn't with us.

Early one this.  Taking Polly down from the  Batu Caves, north of Kuala Lumpur.  Must have been 1983.  We were driving back from Penang,  where we had spent a few days holiday thanks to Jenny winning a draw on our receipt when we bought a video player.  Or was it in Changmai?  Love this picture.

Five Years.

On the 22nd of this month, December 2010,  it will be 5 years since Jenny died. She comes to my mind every day

This photo was taken in Barcellona, I think. Not having the original slides,  having to rely on memory.  We did so much travelling after Jenny took early retirement.  One city looks much like another in the photos.

Soup - Pumpkin with honey.

A little different this one.

Ingredients for 2 servings.

1. 150/200 g of finely chopped onions.
2. 1 small carrot, chopped.
3. 1 stick of celery, chopped.
4. 100/150 g of chopped pumpkin. (minus skin of course!!)
5. enough olive oil to cover pan bottom.
6. 1 table spoon of honey
7. 300 ml of veggie stock (half a cube in hot water)
8. Salt and pepper

About the ingredients.
As a general rule, the ingredients fill to the brim one of your soup bowls + the onion. With this soup you can add a bit of more honey if you want a really sweet soup.  Additionally, if you would like a bit of a creamer flavour,  add a little butter.  Only a little mind,  as you can really taste the butter and nothing else if you put in too much.  As always, on the second occasion making the soup,  vary the proportions to get a mix you prefer.

Method
Sweat the onions in the olive oil, as before, etc.  Pour in the stock and add the chopped pumpkin, carrot, celery and honey. Simmer till soft, 10 mins or so. Liquidise.

Gek's studio @ Relau 11-03.

Gek is up and painting.   Work on the apartment is still not finished but is ready to receive it's first guests as well as providing a studio for Gek.  Actually,  it is more a restoration than a refurbishment.  You never know, Relau Indah Condo might become a heritage site in the distant future.  It does have some unique features.

That is the way to do it.

 Our new MM2H home not only has no Television,  but also NO cupboards or drawers.  Not a single one, anywhere.

 So we have gotten innovative, using redundant window grilles.

We use bags.  Neat, yes.  We thought we might float the idea past IKEA as a new concept in modern living.

The Chinese Corner in MM2H home.

We have a Chinese themed corner.

Shophouse has a new home.

The Singapore Peranakan Museum has taken the shophouse to use in their educational programs.  Made up!!!!

Malaysia My 2nd Home.

Well,  our first home really.  Very cool.

The Bridge.

Penang Bridge in the early morning.  Next week we relocate to Penang.

Australia post script.

 The Oz trippers,  Sandie and Harry,

Gek and David.  The faces behind the cameras,

Gek on the bald rock.

Film - Social Network

Amazing how messy the creative process can be.  Or rather,  making the creation into a success.  Given Mark's character,  it is even more amazing that he recognised the ideas value.  Or did he?  Anyway,  the time flew by, so 4/5 for a gripping effort at recording recent history.

Book - My Malayan Life

A very interesting mixture of fact and fiction - a life of a British colonialist during the 1950 Emergency. Made more interesting by the endorsements of senior British officials at the time Frederick is writing about, and references to historical figures such as John Davies and Chin Peng. A Cannot-put-down-read and a very filmic book, given the interesting sex life of the main character, Ferdach.

Silat

Silat, a SE Asia form of martial arts. This demonstration is highly choreographed.....given the knives, a good idea.

The venue was the street below our Penang window. A little bit hard to fall on. Tough guys these.

Second eagle nesting.

At a different nest this time. Not sure but I think it is a Grey Headed Sea eagle. the nest is further away than before This time there are 2 chicks which can just about be made out in this photograph. By the size and colour of the chick, they were days old when the photo was taken on the 30/10/10.

SW Australia - Last word to the Birds.

And not forgetting our hilarious friend.

Perth Courts and Arcades

Perth has a number of these shopping walk throughs.

And then there is London Court.

Complete with Dick and his cat.

Kings Park

With just shy of 300 steps, Jacab's Ladder is not the easier way to get into the park. But we did it munching on an ice cream. Easy peasy.

The botanic garden part of the park is sectioned into flora from all parts of the state. This is the Boab tree , a prized specimen in the park. These trees can live for over 1500 years and may have an ancestry stretching back 65 million years. Makes humans look like fly by nighters.

The double helix tower is a fitting sculpture for the park, given the diversity and difference of the life here.

Another monument to death. Underneath the obelisk are walls covered with the names of those who set off from Albany and didn't make it home.

That lady again. She is in Penang as well you know.

12th October.

The day of the Bali Bombings. A memorial to the victims has been set up in Kings Park and on each aniversary friends and relatives gather at dawn to remember. Very moving in such a setting.

64th in Perth

The second day in Perth was my 64th. Opened my present from Sock Hoon and enjoyed a cup of Fremantle coffee before,

having a full English breakfast at the London Court Cafe. That I enjoyed. Real bacon and eggs. The whole thing.

After breakfast, drove to Fremantle to drop off the hire car and return to Perth on a river cruise.

Beautiful day to be on the river.

These are the only high rise in Perth. The rest of the city is distinctly low rise, with most buildings being single storey. Couldn't be more different than Singapore.

The return to Perth

Another accomodation triumph. We travelled back to Perth from Albany in one day, taking 6 hours to cover the 400 + km. A good driving road which you have to yourself most of the time. Gek enjoyed to the max bowling along!! And another room with a view. New Esplanade Hotel over looking the Swan River.

Window view. The tower houses the St Martin in the Field's bells that were gifted to Perth by St Martin's on the city's bi-centennial. A surreal experience hearing the bells as you step on to the boat quay.