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And we’re off!
Posted by daveb on July 25th, 2007
We always knew that driving away from the flat for the last time would be a bit weird. Our plans to tour Britain before going further afield would mean that there would be no airport, harbour or train station; as is usually associated with a Big Trip. Rather, we’d just pack a few bags into the car and drive for a bit.
And that’s exactly how it went. The tenants arrived, and with a shake of the hands we jumped into Goj (our car) and began to drive what looked like our well-known route Croydon. No great shakes there. Then, Shirley (our SatNav) directed us down a road which we seldom go — towards Epsom, Surrey, to stay with our friends Scott, Elaine and Lee.
Granted, staying in an enormous Surrey house complete with swimming pool and Aston Martin is hardly roughing-it from day one but really we need a little time somewhere comfortable to uncoil from the move-out from Crystal Palace.
So what did we do on our very first night of our world tour? Did we go and sight-see every tourist attraction within a fifty mile radius? Did we hit the local town and crawl from pub-to-pub? Did we at least sit down with our hosts and enjoy an evening of fine wine and good conversation? In fact, we did none of these. Within moments of arriving Squiffy went straight to bed, leaving me to stare out of the window for a while.
Thanks very much to Scott and Elaine for their hospitality!
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A tale of two nurses
Posted by daveb on July 23rd, 2007
I’m not in the medical trade. Far from it. I really don’t know the first thing about the game. But I do know this: There are two types of nurse; ones who can inject vaccines (and take blood) and ones who cannot.
The nurse–who shall remain nameless–at my local GP’s surgery is unfortunately a classic example of the latter type. After misspelling much of my information into the NHS computer (apparently, I’ve got a ‘bad thump’), Nurse Nameless offered to provide me with a Hepatitus A booster ‘free-of-charge’, on the country. Very good. I explained that I used to have a fear of needles and that I had recently worked hard to overcome my fear, so let’s go gently, so as not to undo that good work.
Nameless showed me the box in which the fresh juice was being chilled and I distracted my mind with admiration for the whiteness of his laboratory coat as he prepared the pointing device for an outing. He turned towards me, took two steps with weapon-arm raised. Then I think he tripped and fell on me. I say that because I’d never before received an injection quite like it. The needle went in the very top of my shoulder with a 45 degree downwards stab towards my armpit. It went deep and I can’t be sure that I didn’t see the steel drill-bit flex under the awkward motion too. The plunger was pressed by momentum, aided by a clumsy ‘thump’. Nurse Nameless pushed himself off me, taking his hypodermic with him in exchange for a cotton ball and some medicinal duct tape. I was quite angry with my experience and at Nameless for giving me the impression that he simply didn’t know what he was doing and certainly didn’t care. And he hurt my arm.
Contrast the above with the remainder of my vaccinations, carried out at the Nomad Travel clinic in Victoria by the admirable Nurse Clare (‘Boo’ to some, I gather). Here’s a real person, that is not only able to administer [relatively] painless injections with consummate ease, but is also both friendly and engaging. Crucially for me, instead of wiping my nervous, would-be sweaty palms into my jeans for the entire train ride to central London each time, I actually looked forward to meeting Nurse Clare to get my jabs! Plus, she called me ‘hardcore’ for having four shots in one arm at once — which left me feeling a bit Alpha.
I’ve now completed my course of starter travel vaccinations, and have taken jabs to help me to deal with Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio, Hepatitis A & B, Typhoid, Meningitis A, C, W & Y, Rabies, Tick Borne Encephalitis, Yellow Fever and Enrique Iglesias.
I’m also hundreds of pounds poorer. Still, you can’t put a price on health. Believe me, I’ve experienced second-hand what Amoebiasis with dash of acute Dehydration will do to a person in a second-world hospital that isn’t perhaps quite up to the same standards as an NHS offering. There’s no money in the world that I wouldn’t have paid to get us both out of that green, sticky situation when the shit hit the pan.
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Farewell my sweet, Italian chicken baguette
Posted by daveb on July 21st, 2007
So long sweet, sweet Italian chicken. Goodbye crisp lettuce leaves. Adios fresh cucumber and tomato slices. Au revoir squidgy baguette.
For today, I ate what will likely be my last Sergio’s Italian chicken baguette for at least twelve months.
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Making sure there is still a world for us to explore
Posted by Squiffy on July 18th, 2007
I’m so excited about our plans to explore the world. But for how long will we be able to see all that there is to see now?
I’m certainly not an eco-warrior and I don’t even consider myself to be particularly green. However, I am becoming increasingly concerned about our throwaway ethos here in the UK and two things have nudged me into writing this post:
- Firstly, like Dave, I found that when I rummaged through belongings to pack them I had a large amount of ‘tat’ and/or cheap ‘throwaway’ items (mainly Primark tops and handbags). Some of these things I didn’t really need or value and certainly didn’t see them as treasured possessions. Just because they’re cheap doesn’t mean I should have bought more.
- Secondly, I’ve just sat through an hour length BBC documentary on our obsession with consumerism, and in particular buying things cheaply, then throwing them away to buy ‘updated versions’ etc.
The part of the documentary that really got me was the sight of hundreds of old monitors and TVs wich had been dumped. There are 60 million people in this country. If every one of them decides to buy a flat screen TV over the next few years, there’s going to be a lot of dumped televisions.
The reason for this post is just to share with you the ways that Dave and I have discovered to ‘dump’ our unwanted things in ways which are slightly better for our planet than just sticking them in landfill. I’m sure most of you web/green savvy people will be aware of the options, but just to remind you, here are some ideas which focus mainy on recycling or reusing:
- Good old charity shops. They will take your clothes/books/cds/household items and if the they think they can’t sell them, they can send them to recycling centres.
- If you think your clothes or shoes aren’t really in good enough condition to sell, many places (including supermarkets) have ‘clothes banks’ where, as a last resort, clothes are reused for rags or sold to people who reuse the material to make other items.
- Consider taking books, especially specialist one, to your local library. Whereas charity shops may not be able to sell these kinds of books, we found our library was happy to have them. And more people can benefit from borrowing them!
- Often we consider selling our old items such as TVs, hifis, matresses, furniture etc. Even though we no longer want them we think others might be prepared to pay a nominal fee for them. But with products available so cheaply, people want second hand things for nothing. If you’re feeling generous and can’t be bothered with the hassle of ebaying something for £2.34, Freecycle is a great option. How it works: you join your local group online (there are groups in most areas) and when you have something you want to get rid of, you advertise it on the web site. People who are interested then call/email you and you can arrange for them to collect it. And in my experience I’ve found they’re very grateful. You’ve got a clear conscious for recycling unwanted goods and they have the items they’ve been after for nothing. Everyone’s happy. You can list almost anything on there….tonight’s selection includes a piano and styrofoam peanuts for packing! The gumtree web site is also a good way to find a new home for things. Post an advert under ‘freebies’ and you’re pretty likely to relocate your item. And if you’re feeling lucky, you could always try selling it on the gumtree…I’ve had some success in the past with clothes and accessories.
- New laws that came into effect on July 1st require distributors and producers to make arrangements for recycling appliances and gadgets – even if sold or made by other companies. This means that when you buy a DVD player for example, the retailer is obliged to take your old video player and dispose of it in a certain way. Make sure you exercise this right where possible to avoid putting old electrical equipment in landfill. Click here for more info and advice on what happens to electrical equipment and what you can do to help.
- On a more creative and fun note you can have a swap party. Last year I got my girl friends together and asked them to bring any of their unwanted items to trade with each other. After consuming a chocolate fondue and a few beers my guests swapped hip hats for trendy tops, travel books for novels and dance mats for handbags. It’s a great and ethical way to ‘shop’ without spending money!
Don’t forget, not only can you give things away using these methods, often you can obtain things that you want from others, including costly items sometimes; on the gumtree this evening someone was offering a 6 month old washing machine due to a house move. On freecycle and the gumtree you can ask for items that you need and charity shops often have suprisingly good items for sale. I had to exercise restraint when I saw I nice handbag whilst dropping off donations! Buying second hand is so much better all round, and we still fulfill our desire to treat ourselves and have ‘new’ things. I’m not saying that I could do this for everything by any means, but even the occasional item would make a difference.
Please do share with us any others ideas you have for recycling/reusing/reducing consumerism by adding a comment. And continue to enjoy exploring our world.
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Boosting stuff into storage
Posted by daveb on July 17th, 2007
We’re boosting our stuff into parental storage in Leicester and Newport right now. Normal service will resume towards the end of the week. (daveb gets to play the angry white van man for a few days.)
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Beware glowing balls
Posted by daveb on July 13th, 2007
We’re sorting through our possessions into piles: Take travelling, keep but store, sell, donate to charity store, recycle and, worst case, put into landfill (which we actively try to avoid). I’ve not found it that difficult to sort things into piles. Certainly far less of the mental tug-of-war and the “should I, shouldn’t I?” in-head conversations than I had expected.
What has blown me sideways however, is the sheer amount of… um, what’s the word… cack, that I have accrued over the last few years of my life.
You’ll no doubt know me as a reasonable guy with a fairly rounded personality and of good humour. So can anyone please explain to me why on earth I would, twelve months ago, spend £10 of my hard-earned cash on three rechargable decorative multi-coloured glowing balls from B&Q DIY store, when all I went there to get was a length of skirting board? Furthermore, after showing my bemused girlfriend my glowing balls, I then filed them in drawer two of my two-drawer bedside table, for them never to see the light of day (or night) again.
I just sorted through the rest of my bedside table into the aforementioned piles. Not a single item has made it into the ‘take’ or ‘keep’ pile. Worse still; this story continues throughout my packing experience. There is something quite sinister going on here and I am beginning to open my eyes and recognise that I am the consumer that I so hate. My glowing balls will go to charity, rather than landfill but it begs me to ask myself the important question: “Why did I buy them in the first place?”
I have made a little pact with myself that, in the future, I shall think carefully three times about everything I buy. This rampant consumerism is killing our planet and benefits no-one, save the men in the business of manufacturing decorative multi-coloured glowing balls. One of my favourite quotes (and songs, and films):
“The things you own, own you.”
(Between Angels and Insects, Infest, Papa Roach.
Lyrics inspired by Fight Club.)
Have you got any glowing balls that you’d like to share with the world? (Use the comments section.) Isn’t it time that you got rid of your glowing balls too?
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Rats! I just buried a £50 note.
Posted by daveb on July 12th, 2007
Two days ago, I posted a Gumtree.com advert for an old computer that I no longer need and have been lugging from house to house as I move around London. I gave it a couple of days to sell and, this morning, took the ‘pooter down to my local recycling centre.
No sooner than I had got home, the phone rang with a meek voice offering to pay me for the PC. Doh! Win some, lose some, I suppose.
Here’s hoping for better luck with my laser printer and Hi-fi.
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What I’m going to miss
Posted by daveb on July 12th, 2007
Family and friends aside — who I’m obviously going to miss dearly — there are a number of things that are dear to me and that I reckon I will miss as we travel. Thought that I’d take a moment here to list them for posterity.
My Oskimo slippers all the way from sunny South Africa, surely the finest export from that part of the world? We don’t really do the shoe-thing indoors and sometimes bare feet just make you feel quite naked. Slip on the Oskimos and you’ll believe that you’re standing on a couple of sheep who will walk you around the house. Goodbye, my sweets!
My camel mug from Abu Dhabi that my sister gave me for my 30th birthday. A fairly new entrant into my list of most cherished things, although every bit as deserving as the others. It holds an oversized cup of tea or coffee and the handle has clearly been engineered to exactly fit the top two fingers of my right hand. So long camel mug, see you in the UAE!
The Bookseller Crow on the Hill in Crystal Palace. Probably South London’s finest independent bookseller. I have spent many a happy Saturday afternoon browsing through the beautifully mixed bag of imported books, annoying the hell out of Squiffy who simply wanted to go home to eat lunch at lunchtime two hours ago.
Sergio’s Delicatessen is unquestionably the finest food store in Crystal Palace (and famous too!). Over the last year and a half of living here, I would conservatively estimate that I’ve eaten twice my bodyweight in Italian chicken baguettes and vegetable samosas prepared by the hands of the great Sergio Gozales and family. (I’m only sad that Caesor was not working when I took the photo — sorry buddy!) Adios my favourite family food — you are an institution and, upon my return, I will make a beeline for your coffee.
“Look at that view, Chicken.” As we walk from our home to the triangle of shops in The Palace, that view never fails to pass me by unnoticed. As the old regional postcards used to say, we’re “380ft above the Thames and therefore out of the valley of the fog” (London). This photo doesn’t really do it justice at all. Ok, maybe you’ve got to be there yourself.
Some people smoke.
Some people drink.
I shred.
The Sonicare Elite Pro ‘tuthbrush’ (alright, toothbrush). You may think that spending a hundred quid on a toothbrush is utter madness. You’d be right. That is, until you try it. There’s toothbrushes and there’s the Sonicare Elite Pro: Just like there’s earphones and there’s custom-moulded, noise isolating, reference quality Etymotic ER-4P earphones. Happily, I’ll be taking the Etymotics with me, but the toothbrush is a step too far for a backpacker. Can you imagine the green-eyed looks of fellow hostel-room sharers as they fruitlessly compare the size and effectiveness of their toothbrush with mine? :-)
My rig. As the gormless stars of MTV Cribs usually say as they usher the cameras into their celebrity bedrooms: “This is where the magic happens”. How on earth am I going to survive writing this blog at, worst case, an underfunded cybercafe that is on the trailing edge of technology, fighting Microsoft Windows to work how computers should work? It’s going to be a real test of my technomettle.
My World Map , lovingly framed by none other than The Squifter herself for my birthday last year. I was so overwhelmed with genuine surprise and pleasure at receiving such a thoughtful gift that I cried five times. Nobody ever made me a map before.
My Barbapapa oh-so-squeezy beanbag cushions have been a great comfort to both Squiffy and I over the last twelve months or so. Initially sighted in Iceland, I fell in love with them immediately and had to have them — although not at the inflated Icelandic price! Rather, a feisty eBaying session turned up this set of four in Holland. They calmly waited for their turn on the sofa whilst SQ tried this cushion and that cushion to fend off these cartoon heroes.
After a while, SQ fell helpless to their charm and eventually agreed to let them sit with us on the couch. Needless to say, as soon as her head hit the soft, yet supportive mould of Barbapapa goodness the deal was done and they have stayed by our side forever since. Sorry guys, you’ve got to go away now — sniff — adios amigos!
Awww. The blue one looks so sad. *sniff*
What would you would miss if you were going away for a while? (Share, share — leave us a comment!)
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Silence please!
Posted by Squiffy on July 11th, 2007
Continued from Buddha & Breakfast…
As I and one of the other retreatants were browsing the weekend’s itinerary, we noticed worriedly that the plans for the evening included ‘chanting’ and ‘silence over night’. After dinner we all went to the shrine room to learn the second form of Buddhist meditation known as ‘Cultivation of Loving Kindness’, which is all about appreciating yourself and those around you. The meditation was preceeded by the promised chanting, which I found slightly amusing but nice all the same, and many others said it really relaxed them.
After the meditation it was time for bed and we all agreed with the plans not to speak until after meditation and breakfast the next morning. I thought it would be really difficult, but actually it takes away a lot of the pressure to ‘make small talk’ and it’s still possible to communicate with nods and smiles. After meditation and breakfast we again met in groups to discuss our experiences and Buddhism more generally.
I like the fact that there isn’t a God and rather than praying for things to happen for you, you have the means to go out and do things for yourself. As well as living in the present, their motto for everything seems to be ‘just try it out, have a go and see what it’s like for you’. A motto which I can apply well to travelling. After lunch we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. It was quite difficult to leave such a peaceful, supportive and non-judgemental atmosphere. I can whole heartedly recommend Rivendell to anyone wanting to find out about meditation or Buddhism, or anyone wishing to escape a busy stressful life for a weekend in the country with great people and no modern distractions.
I learnt a lot about relaxing and not worrying about the future and I’m looking forward (if that’s allowed!) to learning more about Buddhism when I’m in Asia. For those who would like a quick intro, I’ve just bought the book Buddhism: Plain and Simple and it seems to be pretty good.
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Buddha & Breakfast
Posted by Squiffy on July 10th, 2007
…the alternative B+B
I’m a planner. Always have been, always will be. Or so I thought, until my recent, and rather pleasant, encounter with Buddhism.
Our decision not to plan our travels in any detail is hard for a planner. What will I have to organise and worry about? What if this, what if that? Well, that’s where Buddha comes to the rescue.
Last weekend I attended a Buddist retreat in Sussex, with the hope that by learning the art of meditation I could learn to settle my over active mind planning mind. And what a lovely experience I had.
I arrived at the retreat on Friday evening, somewhat apprehensive and expecting to be greeted by orange clad monks with shaved heads all chanting ‘ohm’, and a group of hippies in search of enlightenment. Happily, my narrow mind was wrong and I was warmly welcomed by the retreat leaders (members of the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order so no orange required), and 20 other non-hippie, down to earth individuals. Most reported that they were to escape from their busy lives for a while. Note: Many of them were fellow Londoners.
The retreat is set in a big old victorian house in beautiful grounds, where it was so quiet and peaceful. After introducing ourselves we had supper together and then went to the shrine room to learn the ‘mindfulness of breathing’ meditation. We soon learnt that posture is all important when meditating and I quickly decided that I was more comfortable sitting in a chair than on cushions on the floor, although the full lotus wasn’t a requirement. Many of my fellow retreatants persevered. The leader talked us through relaxing our bodies and concentrating on breathing, as we tried to let other thoughts just come and go. One of the main teachings of Buddhism is to ‘be in the present’, to experience living now, rather than in the past of the future. This struck a cord with many people, including myself; I am ‘happiest’ 2 weeks to a month in the future. Although I found the meditation extremely difficult, frequently wondering how long we had left and opening my eyes to see if others were finding it easier, it did help me to concentrate on the present and to stop planning and worrying about the next few weeks. I left the shrine room feeling tired but calmer and… I guess more peaceful.
On Saturday morning we were awoken at 7am by a tinkling bell and went straight to the shrine room for our pre-breakfast meditation. Still sleepy and worried that my tummy would rumble without food, it was hard to relax and at times I found it quite frustrating. However, I did again leave the room feeling what I would describe as clamer or quieter. Over a breakfast of delicious vegan porridge I learnt that most people were experiencing some difficulties with the meditation. In our busy world, we do not often sit for 25 mins in silence and it can be uncomfortable at first. After breakfast we met in small groups to discuss our experiences so far. We talked about our difficulties and frustrations but our group leader was so patient and calming we all felt better after sharing our thoughts. It was then time for lunch and an afternoon of free time.
To be continued tomorrow…
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