Five more travel tips from some guy who uses planes sometimes

Recently, I've got to admit that I haven't been as focused as I have been (and that's saying something - Ed) which has meant that I've sort of been floating through my days and have been quite distracted.  In addition, I've spent a lot of time going through the various events of my life, trying to thing about what it means and where it's going.  This doesn't exactly make for a productive Robbie but I have been trying!  It doesn't really help that I saw a potential future me yesterday, which didn't exactly please me.  However, to try and combat this (as it doesn't make good reading), I found a Trapeze School!  What better way to get rid of troubles and woes than flying gracefully through the air as people cheer!  Though it's more likely to be fall into a net as people laugh and point... 

The only issue is that it's in New York but that leads nicely into my next point: my next adventure!  Yes, I have decided that this October (if I can get leave from work), I will be heading to Canada to see my old friend Matt and my new friend Brandi!  In addition, as I'm going to be in the general area, I figured I may as well visit the US for a short period as well...maybe drop in and see a few other friends whilst I'm at it...literally if I do the trapeze training!  Imagine that on my CV!  So, hopefully that is something I can focus on and get out of this haze.  In honour of this, I figured I would give another five tips for travelling.

Five more travel tips from some guy who uses planes sometimes 

Now, I'm sure there will be similar tips around the internet but these are just things I've learned on my travels, so hopefully they will be useful to you as well!

1. Technology is your friend
   Yes, indeed it is.  Even if you're one of these people who can't tell an iPhone from a igloo, it can still be of great help (maybe just ask a tech savvy friend to help).  These days, everyone has a smart phone which can help but, if you travel a lot, I highly recommend purchasing a tablet with a keyboard attachment.  This means that it can function like a laptop whilst taking up much less space and weight.  Plus, for shorter trips, you can leave the keyboard behind.  Plus with skype and emails, having some form of technology can mean that you can keep in touch with everyone you need to, whether it's with a tablet, smart phone or laptop (or anything else that may exist).  I know the idea of holidays means that you're supposed to be getting away but it doesn't hurt either to be reachable!  Plus, on flights with limited entertainment, having a tablet can me you can have your favourite book, music and television show.
   
2. Sleep is your frienemy
   Now, this is aimed at those people who are travelling far and whose sleep patterns may end up somewhat disturbed due to time differences.  Sleep can be a double edged sword when travelling and what I've found is that the best thing to do is to try and get a few (only a few) hours of sleep at a time that reflects your destinations night, even if that means staying up longer than you planned.  This has helped me reset my body clock to ensure that I sync up with my destination quicker.  I learned this after my first trip home after moving, where I ended up shattered at 9pm every night and waking up at 6am.  This didn't exactly make for a great holiday, so the next time I got a few hours sleep after staying up until it was night in the UK.  By doing this, I was able to function a lot better and gain back a normal sleep pattern.  Additionally, if you end up sleeping for your entire flight, you'll just mess up your sleep schedule even more (though I do realise people often need to sleep on planes)
    
3. Plans can help
   This is aimed more at those with a long stop-over between flights.  For me, I've found that having a loose plan/routine really helps pass the time during those eight hour stops, and to keep me from wandering around in a daze especially when I'm just getting off the plane at 2am.  For example, when I'm flying back to the UK, I normally:
   
   
   • Get off the plane etc (as it would be awkward if I didn't)
   • Get something to eat
   • Do any shopping I need to do 
   • Grab a coffee
   • Sleep for a few hours (when it's the night in the UK)
   • Have a muffin for breakfast
    
   Now, I know that to some people, a plan is the devil and I'm not suggesting you sit there and plan your time minute by minute but for me, it gives me something to look forward to during the long stop in Dubai.  Additionally, it breaks up a very long wait into several smaller time periods, making it less daunting.
   
   
4. Rock yourself to sleep
   Airports are noisy places, even at night.  People walking and talking; vehicles driving; and announcements being made all add to the disturbance which is kind of annoying as, for the most part, you want to sleep at night.  To help reduce being disturbed by your surroundings, what I usually do is put my iPod on as I try to sleep (at a low level) and set my phone alarm for 30 minutes.  What this does is two-fold.  First of all, by having my iPod on, it creates a white noise that begins to drown out the noise around me and helps me sleep.  Secondly, by having my alarm set, it removes the worry that I may oversleep and miss my flight.
   
5. Smile!
   It doesn't hurt to smile and be polite to people as you travel!  It may make the difference between a good trip and a great trip for either yourself or a stranger.  Just remember that whilst you've been sitting down for seven hours on a flight at night, the flight attendant has been working that entire time or when you're asked to go through the scanners, the officer has been patting down a hundred other people.  Just make sure you don't thank the guy who pats you down...they don't appreciate that.

Pick of the Week

Final Fantasy 3 - Now, the reaso I'm picking this is because you can now download it for tablets now.  In true Final fantasy form, this is an epic sprawling adventure that puts you in charge of a group of adventurers trying to save the world!  Along the way, you get to meet some eccentric characters, listen to some ear-achingly good music and explore a world full of wonders.  Now that it's been rereleased as well, your treated to new jobs and new graphics as well!  Great for that morning commute!

Music of the Week

Thanks to Michael for this one: The Coup - Guillotine.  Now, I'm more familiar with Boots Riley from Street Sweeper Social Club but The Coup are a great listen and politically motivated as well.  So enjoy!

Well, that's it for this week!  Next week, I'll show you how to turn an ordinary vacuum cleaner into a jet pack! Or not.  I'll decide later.

Project Atoll Update 3 - Here We Go Again

So, in the past year or so, a whole load of my friends have been getting married; starting serious relationships; getting pregnant and having children; celebrating anniversaries; and buying houses.  What have I been doing?  Befriending a street dog whom I’ve named Heimdal (as he is normally found at my front gate).  Not sure if I should be viewing this as an awesome use of my time and start high-fiving strangers in the street or if I should be curled up on my couch listening to ‘Whitesnake – Here I go again’ whilst sobbing into a bottle of vodka.  Doesn’t help that last night I had a rather touching dream where a girl who shall not be named and I lay down to watch the stars underneath a blanket whilst holding hands...  

You’re trying to work out if I’m talking about you, aren’t you (ahahahahahahahahahahaha - Ed)?  On the other hand, I found a recipe for bacon jam so it kind of evens out.  The recipe is here.

Anyway, I’ve got to admit, not much has happened to me over the past couple of weeks (certainly not much that is positive, and I don’t really want to sit and write posts about that) so I think now is a good time for a Project Atoll – Those Paths We Walk update, as I haven’t done one in a while.  The biggest news is that I have now broken the 10,000 word mark for the storyline.  It’s been a long time coming but I finally made it past that milestone.  However, I’m still not at the script stage just yet but I am getting closer.  As I mentioned in my last update, I’ve been expanding my overview by adding in key events and small descriptions of each event to create a more detailed view of what’s happening and this is what I am still working on but I’ve only got 2 months left to expand (out of 7, which is the timescale of the movie).  Once I’ve completed this stage, I will have a quick run through, adding a couple of non-essential scenes that I want in and then it will be scripting!  Once that has started, I can begin to add a page or two of script into the blog as well.

The second piece of news is that I’ve decided on the name of Rinoa’s band (for which she is the drummer).  The name of her band is going to be ‘Summer Days, Monsoon Nights’ which I think reflects the storyline quite well and is in honour of my recent trip to Hong Kong.  Now, the band is actually a key part of the story, so I don’t want to reveal too much about it but I can reveal the following:

1. The band is made up of two guitarists who are twins and a bassist who claims to be quiet and moody (and dresses as such) but who doesn’t shut up (as well as Rinoa).  The actual characters will be revealed soon.  
2. You also find out that Rinoa used to sneak out of her parents house when she was underage to play with the band in club during a scene in an aviary.

So that's it for this week: just a short update until the script is started.


Pick of the Week

Man of Steel - I finally got to see this on Friday night and I was blown away by it.  Now, I'm not the biggest fan of Superman but the film was incredibly well done.  First of all, Henry Cavill was a great choice for taking up the 'tights and cape' and really does Clark/Kal justice.  I genuinely felt that he was searching for a place in the world and had accepted his isolation, plus you can see him grow as he accepts his responsibilities.  This combined with a good, well told storyline (great use of flashbacks and music helps a lot with this) and great (but followable) action makes for a great relaunch of the franchise.


Music of the Week

Ok, I came across this last night and it caught my attention, so I give you Combichrist - This is my Rifle.  Enjoy!

So, a short post this week but it does what I needed it to do!  Now then, if you excuse me, I need to attempt making pancakes again...wish me luck. 

Long Hong Kong Weekend Part 3 - Adult Supervision Required

First of all, as it is Fathers Day, I would like to wish my dad a very happy Fathers Day.  Over the years, he has guided me, advised me and helped me and, on top of this, has been an excellent travelling companion several times.  Although I may not always show it very well, I just want to thank you and say how much I've appreciated how you've always been there to assist me or to pick me up when I've been down.  You've been a rock to me and you have been the best father anyone could have hoped for.  It may not be a picture that I can dedicate to you but I can dedicate my final Hong Kong post to you.

The Grand Finale

And so to the last Hong Kong post…and now it was time for a bus journey!  Rock and roll!  For my last full day, I had opted to spend my morning in Stanley Bay, for both the market and for the beer bay.  After an hour of winding roads and beautiful countryside (nothing on Nepali winding roads but that’s something else entirely) I arrived at the beautiful bay and set out for some breakfast.  Finding a nice little café on the bay front, I settled in for a simple sandwich and some Earl Grey.

After being British, it was off to the market to pick up some lychee tea that I bought last time.  As I made my way through the winding, covered paths filled with souvenirs and people, I may have tripped and accidently bought two pictures and a tea set as I fell.  It was a complete accident, I swear.  Although I do like the market, it doesn’t quite have the same atmosphere of the Ladies Market but it’s still good to walk through and have a look at some of the more unusual gifts (Katana anyone?).

Having had my fill of the shops and having bought what I was looking for, I then headed to the bar that my family and I had visited before.  Now, this is a great place: interior covered with notes from happy customers (and I mean almost every inch); outdoor barstools by a window ledge so you can sit outside and still order easily (with a view of the bay); good music; and the friendliest owner you could want!  So I sat down on a stool, ordered a pint of Tsing tao and relaxed, whilst watching the world idle by.  It was a great hour of my life.  Now, I realise this doesn't make for good blog reading so I'll just fast-forward to the next part.

Temple time!  Just before leaving Stanley Bay, I decided to check out two temples in the area, the first being slightly more accessibile than the other.  The first one, Tin Hau Temple was in the middle of a large courtyard and is a massive concrete box guarded by two mythical creatures at the entrance (to ward off evil spirits).  

Now, Tin Hau is dedicated to the god of the sea and the inside of the temple was gaudily decorated, in complete contrast to the outside and is well worth a wander round, especially as it won't take you much longer than ten minutes.  Now, normally I would avoid taking pictures of the inside of a temple/church (unless permitted via sign etc) and I had no intention of doing so but, as I was putting my camera away, a kindly official said it was ok for me to take pictures, so here you go.

Now, the second temple, the tiny Pak Tai, was a little more difficult to access.  Following a winding trail along the hill and covered by a leafy canopy, I arrived at the tiny temple, complete with ancient well, perched on the cliff edge overlooking the sea.  Due to the slight surprise of the guard stationed, I gathered not many people had been visiting recently.

Picking up some provisions on the way to the bus, including more tea (I'm a fiend), I headed to my next destination, Time Square.  Now, whilst I actually quite enjoyed looking around this neon-lit, bustling area of shops, it wasn't why I was here.  Nope, I had decided to spent my last afternoon in Hong Kong watching Star Trek: Into Darkness!  I regret nothing.  After lunch and some ice cream, I headed to the cinema and rocked my seat for around 2 hours of epic space adventures.  Brilliant film.

After the film, it was getting late so I headed back to the hotel for a shower and to get changed into my finest clothing.  Why?   I was off to the cheapest Michelin star restaurant I had ever seen.  I came across it as I stumbled about lost on the first day and had decided I would have my dinner here on the final night and what a dinner it was.  Golden Prawns in a tangerine sauce with fungi stuffed bamboo pithe accompanied by a glass of house red, rounded off with a pot of monkey picked tea.  It was heaven on a plate and the prawns where absolutely massive.  The best bit?  It only cost me about £20 for the entire thing which is cheap, especially in Hong Kong.  To finish my night, I headed to a rooftop bar in the same building for another glass of wine as I overlooked the harbour at night.

With the final day upon me, I still had several hours to kill so I checked out of my hotel and headed off to the Hong Kong Museum of Art, having a croissant for breakfast as I went.  You may not believe it but I'm actually a fan of art, though it does tend to err towards the traditional style of art rather than modern art (e.g. sitting 40 bowls of water in a square does not equal art to me.  It equals potential mess).  Now then, this has a mixture of modern art and traditional art (for lack of the proper terminology), so I did have a look through both but spent my time with the traditional.  Also, if you go on Wednesday it's free so that's a good day to go.  So, I spent my morning over five floors looking at classical Chinese art scrolls, many of which are hundreds of years old.  I really enjoyed my time browsing the different works of art and different styles and would recommend it to most.

After the art museum, it was time to head to Ten Feet Tall.  No, this isn't some sort of elaborate growth station, it was a beauty parlour and the site of my first ever massage!  After the no-go of my Pokhara massage, I had found this place which did a good deal on a combo legs and head/neck/arms massage so I opted for this as my first.  Now, I've already spoke about how I found the idea of being massaged slightly odd, so I won't go into it again but it did not help when I was asked to wear paper shorts.  I NEED AN ADULT.  I was not prepared for this but I managed to get over it and everything went fine, relaxing me to the point I almost fell asleep.  That is, until I had a little panic over the fact my legs had oil on them and I was getting on a plane that afternoon...imagine if I was patted down and I was sticky.  This was sorted, thankfully, by my legs getting washed.  Altogether, it was actually a really nice experience for my first massage and it was a good way to say goodbye to Hong Kong.  Indeed, after a quick lunch, it was time for me to head to the airport.  And that's for my trip to Hong Kong...back to the drawing boards next week!

Pick of the Week

Cogs, Cakes and Swordsticks - Would you like a gin sir?  Why thank you, my good man!  Aghast, there seems to be a fire in the library!  Oh my, I know, I'll sort it by...HITTING YOU WITH THIS LAMP.  That's probably the best way to describe this tabletop RPG.  Based in a steampunk world, this Tabletop RPG is designed to be simple enough to be played in a teashop (and I can vouch it is) without losing any immersiveness.  My friends and I played over skype and it was really easy to follow the story, create a character and play whilst still having a great storyline that allowed you to make any decisions you really wanted.  As such, I ended up with a lamp-hitting con man who had a penchant for gin.  If you like or want a to try out Tabletop RPGs and like a little bit of eccentricity in your life, then this is for you!  Now then, would anyone like to buy a rolex?


Music of the Week

Ok, the song of the week is one I've linked on my Facebook and is the end song to Devil Survivor 2: Song Riders - Be.  A great song, especially as background music during revealing scenes due to it's slow, building nature.

Well, that's enough from me.  I need to think about what I'm going to be writing about next week, so better get started now!

Long Hong Kong Weekend Part 2 - Tea, Trams and sensory deprivation???

Before we dive right back into Day 2 and Day 3 of my Long Hong Kong Weekend, I'd just like to congratulate Michael and Cara who just ran 31.5 miles to raise money for Unicef!  Well done to the both of you: you are a great example to the rest of us!  Now then, onwards to the next part of LHKW!


Day 2

Slightly later than planned (damn you Lan Kwai Fong), I got up and tried to find somewhere for breakfast and settled for a full looking cafeteria a couple of streets away, where I had a sweet roll and a coffee.  Now, a sweet roll is basically a toasted roll with condensed milk.  Healthy...and delicious.  Making my way to the MTR, I headed to my first stop of the day: the Hong Kong Museum of History.  Before I talk about that, I really want to rave about the Hong Kong electronic payment system: the Octopus Card.  Now, this is a card that you load up with a sum of money and it can be used in a huge amount of place: multiple shops, the entire MTR systems, buses, ferries, etc!  The coup de grâce?  You don't even need to take it out your wallet/purse!  You just hold it to the scanner and it registers it.  Love it.  So, back to the museum.  Starting from the formation of Hong Kong island, travelling through pre-history to the present day, this is an interative and informative museum that is well worth the ten HK dollar (about 80p).  Wandering the 8 (large) sections of the museum, you get a detailed insight into the daily life and culture of all the people who have lived in Hong Kong, from the early hunter - fishers to the invasion of Japan to the present day.  To put it bluntly, this is museum that gets it right.  My only issue is that a couple of sections are haphazardly arranged but that's just a personel preference.  Note that you need a two to three hours to see this properly and I would recommend taking some water.

After the museum, it was time for a little bit of film, this time in the form of the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars.  Again, somewhat bluntly, this is a Hollywood clone but, as a fan of Chinese film, it was pretty fun to see.  Set against the stunning harbour back drop, it was a pleasant walk, checking out all the stars and trying to find the ones that I actually recognise.  Then, I came across the Bruce Lee statue which was just the cherry on top.  A quick lunch and then it was time to head to my next venue.

Dialogue in the Dark.  Dialogue in the Dark was my next stop and, perhaps, one of the most unusual things I have ever done.  Why?  Simply because as part of this experience, I was blind for 75 minutes.  DITD is an 'experience exhibit' which is trying to raise awareness about being visually impaired.  It first caught my attention the first time I visited Hong Kong but I never got to check it out.  This time, I decided to try it out and I'm glad I did.  The idea is that the participant is 'officially' blind for 75 minutes and you are required to participate in what would normally be seen as mundane activities e.g. going to the market or walking through a park but, as you are aware, you are blind so it's significantly less mundane.  Plus, all the tours are led by the visually impaired, so it's a great opportunity for them as well. 

As I arrived, my mind was racing at how they would blind me. Blindfold?  Dark room?  Squirting lemon juice in my eyes?  As it turned out, it would a dark room and I mean dark.  You couldn't see your hands right in front of you nor do your eyes ever adjust.  You are (very) effectively blind.  After being handed my white cane and after entering the first room, I'll admit that I felt a little panicked: I had to navigate through a series of rooms with seven other people with nothing but a cane and my hands to guide me.  How in the hell could I do this?  Thankfully, it turned out there was a guide named Susan to help us through the darkness, using her voice.  As she spoke to us and guided us, we traversed a variety of different rooms e.g. a park, a road and a boat (all areas native to Hong Kong) and learned to use our canes, ears and hands.  We also bought beverages from a bar whilst blind as well.  It's hard for me to describe what it was like in those rooms but I can say, I have a huge amount of respect for people who have to live like this on a daily basis.  You really do take for granted having sight and without it, even just sitting can be an entirely different scenario.

After emerging, quite literally, into the light, it was time for the Ladies Market (not just for ladies, I might add).  Now, the Ladies Market is a series of pedestrian streets covered in a variety of market stalls selling a huge variety of counterfeit items and it's a huge treat for the senses just wandering through all the different items such as tea sets, T-shirts and umbrellas with gun handles, and with flashing lights, shouting voices and bustling people.  As usual, be careful with what you buy as they can be dodgy and there is the usual no returns rule.  Ignoring this, I bought a t-shirt that turned out to be too small for me but it does give me a target to reach in term of losing weight!  In between each of the pedestrian streets are regular streets where you can pick up a quick and cheap bite to eat, e.g. the wonton noodle soup that I had for dinner followed by the eggettes (some sort of spongey, eggy small cake thing) and a mango juice.  Now, this is the kind of place where locals go to eat and give you a great view of local life.  This actually led to one of my more awkward dining moments as I entered the very local eatery and was sat at the same table as a very pretty young lady who did not seem happy at my arrival.  Cue me trying to eat as 'properly' and as 'gentlemanly' as possible, all the whilst giggling into my noodles as they kept falling off my spoon (it seems like the polite way of eating noodles in Hong Kong is by using your chopsticks to pile them on your spoon).  To finish off my day, I then headed back to Lan Kwai Fong for a couple of beers and some blogging before going back to bed.

Day 3

Much like a bat out of hell, such as Meatloaf sang about, Day 3 screamed up at me and it was time to head off to Ngong Ping, a temple attraction set up in the hills.  Getting up and grabbing a bbq pork bun (sweet mother of god these are delicious) and some water, I jumped into the MTR and headed for the cable car that would take me over the sea and up to Ngong Ping.  Eventually arriving (it was a long and windy trip), I stepped out into the clouds and entered the 'village'...a disney-esque street lined with restaurants and tourist shops.  Grabbing a coffee, I then continued to walk along the road and caught a glimpse of the giant Buddha sitting in the lotus position covered in clouds, which is the main attraction (for me at least).  I continued until I came across the entrance...a very long set of steps up a hill.  Quietly weeping and cursing, I crawled my way up and was rewarded with an unfettered view of the statue as the clouds were temporarily dispersed by the wind.  Inside was a short musuem which wasn't hugely impressive: it was much more impressive to wander around the outside in the clouds.  It gave it a much more mystical feel to it, being able to wander in a literal haze as you travelled around this symbol.

After decending down the statue and picking up my coffee (I had to leave it behind), I went for a short walk to a place called The Wisdom Path.  Set against a hill and in the shape of an infinity sign, the wisdom path was made up of a series of large pillars with a buddhist sutra carved into them.  Again, I couldn't have picked a better day to arrive, as the pillars were shrouded in a haunting fog cloud which just added a little bit of extra atmosphere as I wandered around infinity.  I'm not exactly the most spiritual guy in the world but this was quite touching for me: a mixture of the setting and the atmosphere, combined with the message of peace and 'emptiness'.

After trying to gain a little bit of wisdom (it's about time you got some - Ed), I then headed back albiet a little muddier and headed to a small temple nearby where I purchased some incense and burned it in one of their burners, making my prayer to whomever or whatever may be listening.  When in Rome eh?

Finally reaching back to the little tourist village, I headed to the 'Walking with Buddha' intereactive exhibit which was made up of two cartoons telling the story of the Buddha and then a small section where you insert a leaf into another object, make a prayer then walk through a fake forest with buddhist mantras inserted throughout.  Although it was an interesting enough experience, I really feel that children would appreciate it a lot more but it came with my ticket, so I couldn't complain.  Finally, it was lunch time which turners into a carnivores dream and allowed me to tick two foods off my 'to try' list for a decent price (especially for such a touristy area).  Yes, I was able to tear into a 'special coffee' (it has condensed milk in it), a bowl of rice and a large helping of Chinese style Roast Pork and Roast duck for around £10.  Delicious and good value!  I then jumped on the cable car and headed for my next appointment and one that I was particularly looking forward to: The Tea Tasting.

Now then, the Tea Tasting was something I found online that was held at the Lock Cha tea house in Hong Kong Park for free.  As it was free, I didn't know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was.  Just a shame I was wet from playing about in a fountain but it was worth it.

As I entered, I was greeted by a quaint but luxury interior that was dominated by a massive table in the middle, with a complete tea set on it, alongside several bowls of tea.  I was sat down at it and then, after staring at the massive shelf filled with tea, the others arrived and we started.  Now then, I'm a huge fan of all kinds of tea and always thought I knew a thing or two about it.  Boy, was I wrong. Over the hour, our tea master explained for us how to properly prepare, brew and serve the six different types of tea (Black, White, Red, Green, Greenish and Yellow).  She was hugely energetic, very involved and very gentle when performing the tea pouring.  I was genuinely blown away by how good this was, especially as it was free.  I learned how to use different tea pots; the temperatures different tea should be served at; and even about tea being used for decoration (flower tea).  If you're interested in trying different tea and learning about serving tea, please check this out.  It was the highlight of the trip for me.  

After buying some tea that most would probably assume was too expensive, I then rushed to my final port of call: the Peak Tram.  Now then, I had timed this perfectly as I wanted to get a view of the city during the day and during the night, so I had timed it to arrive just before sunset.  Rushing up the stairs as time was running out (I've rarely hated slow walkers more), I managed to make it in time for a few day pictures that were only slightly ruined by the cloud cover.  Having managed to get my urgent pictures before time ran out, I was able to spend a little time perusing the shops (where I bought a picture of Hong Kong) and have a quick snack whilst I waited for it to get dark.  Once again, I was able to tick off another two items from my 'to try' list.  This time, it was Hong Kong Toast (toast with peanut butter and condensed milk) and a drink nicknamed Ying Yang...this was a mixture of tea and coffee.  It wasn't bad (quite heady) but I don't think I'll make a habit of drinking it.  Finally, once dark, I was able to get some ok shots of the Hong Kong skyline at night but I think I may need to upgrade my camera soon, as I have trouble getting decent moving pictures and night pictures.

Heading down the tram, after a long day, it was back to the hotel for a shower and off for dinner at the restaurant I had really wanted to try (can't remember the name right now) but I was a little disappointed by the roast pork and roast goose that I had (though that may have been because it was the 2nd time that day I had roast pork).  A couple of uneventful drinks at a bar and then it was time for bed!  The final couple of days next week!


Pick of the Week

Attack on Titan - Humanity is trapped within a walled compound, designed to keep away the titans that appeared centuries ago: warped giants who seem to be intent on humanities destruction.  This was fine until a giant armoured titan appeared one day and destroyed the wall.  The story follows Eren and his friends as they train and become soldiers to fight off the titans, despite being completely out matched as well as examining their relationships and history.  This is one of the best animes I've seen in a while and certainly one of the darkest.  It isn't afraid to show raw emotion or kill of the characters but it doesn't do it in a gratuitous way.  It's well planned out and keeps you on the edge of your seat as it develops, as you have no idea what is going to happen and it often shows the characters at the edge of despair, with little hope.  As the trailer say 'the world is cruel'.  Watch this now, you won't regret it.


Music of the Week

Going a little old school this week with System of a Down - Mr Jack.  One of my favourite songs of theirs and one I had the luck of seeing live!

So, that's it for me next week!  The finale of Hong Kong will be next week, so tune in for that.  I realise that I've spread it over a few weeks but I've wanted to try expanding what I write a little bit, especially in regards to travel, so here is hoping it's turned out well!