Well, that is not quite accurate. This morning I went off with one of my hosts to the botanical garden where we had a pleasant lunch and then strolled around through all the different Australian ecosystems, from a small, red outback bit to various eucalyptus/gum tree forests, to a ravine which was a rainforest. Extremely […]
Antipodean wedding party
Last night was the wedding. I say last night, but more like all of yesterday and into the early hours. Quite the endurance test but that’s the nature of weddings. With any luch I won’t have to attend very many more of these, certainly not stay for the whole thing. The day started off unfortunately. […]
American wedding party
I am one of only the two relatives of the bride who made it to Australia. The other is my aunt’s elderly aunt who looks and behaves like Lady Catherine de Burgh, so I find her quite funny, though her actual relatives chafe. She has decided she likes me, as she came into my room […]
Escape to the city
This morning I took the metro into the city to meet someone for brunch. It was in Surry Hills, near the train station. Nice to get out and at least somewhat by myself, and a very great relief to have brunch, as I have eaten nothing but biryani and haleem (and yesterday’s cake) since Sunday. […]
Birthday butcher
It was someone’s birthday today and a small group of us went out to have coffee and cake. Despite the renowned coffees of Australia, it was fairly mediocre coffee, and an ok cake, accessed through a miserable mall and a walk along a big road. I was a bit surprised that we went there, but […]
Antipodean wedding party
Here I am, in Sydney. I arrived last night, after a flight from Singapore in which a chorus of children cried throughout all eight hours. I particularly felt for a man with a long-suffering expression who had, in the seat behind him, a screaming toddler, and in the seat in front of him, a shouting […]
A walk in the park
This morning I rose fairly early and went to the Botanic Garden to meet someone from Metafilter. It’s always odd meeting someone one has only ever seen online, at least partly as one can’t really judge their size. One person I mey last year, whom I’d known for years but only online, turned out to […]
Too much snacking
Another very pleasant day, albeit another one in which I didn’t do nearly as much work as I needed to. In the morning, the Bodhisattva and I went off for kaya toast and soft boiled egg, followed by coffee. All extremely nice. The cafe was one the GF and I had been to on our […]
Unwanted visitor
Much as I love coming to Singapore, it doesn’t much love me back – I always get hauled aside for extra screening for some reason. Anyway, I was eventually let through. The day was spent travelling – it started well, with a tuktuk journey to the airport, followed by an easy flight to KLIA2 where […]
On this day in 1659/1660
Samuel Pepys wrote: ‘Indeed it was past imagination, both the greatness and the suddenness of it’ as he walked through London with ‘all the bells in all the churches’ a-ringing as the rump parliament was dissolved. An entry I remember from the last time it came through my feedreader. I have been reading Pepys’ diary […]