Tim's Journal, May to July 2005

Welcome to Tim's Journal, where you get the opportunity to read all the amazing (alias boring) stuff I've been up to lately. In reality, I'll probably be the only person to ever read this, but if you do care to have a look, enjoy! Following are my entries in Tim's Journal from May to July 2005.

2nd May 2005 - Belgium,
The first long weekend in May marked the kick-off of Sal & my European travels outside Great Britain. I do not disagree with the many advisors, Bruges is not-to-be-missed. It is truly a charming part of the world.

Why must a short break have a early start? The whole point is to take a break, yet we torture ourselves by squeezing each second of the minutes available. The 5am mini-cab to Waterloo for the Eurostar was just the perfect start to a long week...

What is Belgium known for? Beer, chocolate and mussels. We tried more than a few flavoursome beverages and scrumptious chocolates ... two out of three aint bad! By the time I remembered Belgium is famous for mussels, our last meal in the country was being served. Oh well, a decent excuse to go back ;-)

Speaking of beer, I must have tried more than a few dozen beers since leaving Aus, yet have not found one I truly love. I guess it is like shoes: Footlocker sell plenty, but you must have patience to find one to drink from ...
Click here for the Belgium page. Or Click here for the Belgium Photo Album.

Early May 2005 - Kingdom of Heaven
Kingdom of Heaven is a very good movie. Some bits could have been better, but terrific all the same. Better than Alexandria & Troy, not as good as Braveheart or Gladiator. Star Wars, Episode III is released soon ... Yippy!

Mid May 2005 - Andy & Nay back, Warnie gets his maiden tonne and travel plan, plan, planning
It used to be Chinese; then it was Mexican and Thai; now it is Indian. Hungry and can't be bothered cooking or just want to spend some time together over a meal? Well, there are no end to Yummy Indian Restaurants here. [Well, perhaps it is the shit second rate Asian food (Oriental to Poms).]

Warnie got his maiden first class tonne the other day. Brilliant. Considering his batting average for the previous 25 tests is 30% better than his career (bowling average is better, too), I secretly hope that he'll manage to get himself a Test tonne. Not only is he up there for most ducks in Tests, he is considerably ahead of the next placed run scorer without a century. Would be a shame to finish a career which brought leg spin back to modern day cricket (with a little help from Abdul Qader Khan). [Incidentally, a workmate's son plays for Somerset - hopefully I can get down to a game and possible meet one or two (internationals Smith, Jayasuriya & Andy Caddick are in the team, with Punter the former captain).

Good to see Andy and Nay again. On a night that saw me on the Red Stripe (the not so special beer that I prefer), we went out for drinkies with the visiting pair on their way to Dublin. Can they overcome the mighty city that broke the Skyman?`

Sal & I have enjoyed planning our upcoming trips. Looking at many possibilities for weekend getaways - Amsterdam, Ireland., Prague, Scotland and there even discussion over a Paris/French wine tour or a spot in Africa. No cement mixed yet, the wheelbarrow is heading towards the hose.

In terms of larger trips, Sal has already collected a planet of information on where to use up all our annual leave days. Possibly looking at a couple of two week trips to regions of Europe: the first being Spain, Portugal and Morocco (wow – never heard of someone doing that route! Lol – just about the most common around, but we're not here for originality!); and then next an exploration of Greece through to Croatia. No chance of having any annual leave days after that!

We had a late celebration for Sal’s birthday. Two dozen of us went to dinner at Fez, Fulham, for a night of terror and Morocan/Medaterranian cuisine.

Candice and Nat came down again on one weekend. We went walking along the Thames towards Tower Hill (East), had lunch and a couple of drinks. Sal & I have walked west of Hammersmith, but not as far as Richmond which the fairest part of the river (something Joe & Juzz informed us over a pub lunch a couple of weeks back).

Star Wars Episode III is awesome! The best of the new three and is close to competing with the originals which are top 10 all time on my rankings. So good we have seen it twice.

1st Jun 2005 – Ireland
Over the last long weekend in May, Sal & I took an extra 2.5 annual leave days and ventured off to Ireland. We collected Cam & Luke (arrived in Dublin hours before us), Nay & Andy (who live there now), 2 cars, a map and headed dead west. We had a brilliant time and already trying to plan to see more of the south and North Ireland ...
Click here for the Ireland page. Or Click here for the Ireland Photo Album.

12th Jun 2005 – Kew Gardens, Joe's Birthday, First cricket match on foreign soil and some news regarding Mr & Mrs Anderson
Saturday saw Sal & I venture to Kew Gardens, one of the more pretty escapes in London. Click here for Kew Garden photos

That night we walked straight from there to Juzz and Joe's place for some beers to celebrate the big fella's birthday. We never made it to the pub like we planned.

On Sunday, I joined Dave's cricket team for a bit of fun. Dave arranged for enough players made up of the 1st and 2nds and other ring-ins to hold a match at his club. It was a low scoring affair, with our team winning by one wicket. I cannot say I helped with the run chase, but I managed to take 3 catches (one ripper in Silly mid-off that has an accompanying bruise) and a wicket. Regardless of my contributions, it was fantastic to just get out on the field again. The best part was the turf wicket. My only previous chance on a wicket other than concrete was playing for Dutch's Gordon side and it was unfortunately rained out. Click here for photos of the ground

Unbelievable news on the Anderson front! Congratulations my friend. Sal & I hope to be home for a visit close to the arrival and you have our best wishes that things run smoothly.

20th Jun 2005 – Scotland
How would I describe Scotland? Green, lush, mirrored lochs, sheer mountains, misty mornings and the odd Moo & Bah (supposedly the noises cows and sheep make respectively).

The getaway started with the joy of surprising Sal with our true destination, not Stratford Upon Avon, as I had lead her to believe. The secret was as well kept as ...
... Click here for the Scotland page , or click here for the Scotland photo album

22nd Jun 2005 – Wimbledon
There are many things an Australian living in London must do:

• Drink at Slug & Lettuce, Walkabout and Redback.
• Live in South West London
• Celebrate Australian holidays (eg Australia Day) as if it's something Australians actual do in Australia.
• Repeat "Mind the Gap" when announced at train stations.
• Constantly wear an Australian jersey, doesn't matter what team, nor if you ever followed the sport.

and ...
• ... Go to Wimbledon.

Wimbledon was easy, convenient, well run, electric atmosphere and worth the visit. Out of our house friends, we all went bar Dave. I joined the queue last and late, working back as usual and risked being denied entry when the gates shut at 8pm. Ironically, I lined up for the least amount of time and got in the complex shortly after the others.

I haven't really watched much since we had that "bandwagon" email flooding a few years back. Lol. The girls and I watched Rusedski get beaten by Yohansson on Centre court (£5 is a bargain!). A good game that my limited knowledge can not really comment on.

It was interesting to witness an English player get defeated (better get used to it for the Ashes). Like most things, it is so different live (I have not seen quality above Bos/Dutch V Ando/Gregos live). I was disappointed to experience a crowd beyond just home player favouritism, but blatant rudeness and lack of appreciation for the sport that they have come to see. Double faults were cheered and some sensational tennis from Yohansson was not given a fraction of the praise it deserved. Obviously, these people were not fans of tennis, but mere puppets clouded by their life of poor media and miserable lack of vision. These fans have a title - the English. This narrow-mindedness is a trait that is incorporated into most facets of life in London.

I am fired up for an Australian victory today (cricket). Gonna have a laugh being arrogant AND modest (as Australia were always going to win the ODI comp) when all the English will be fuming and embarrassed considering the way they have carried on like prats over the last 2 weeks. I think they forget that Australia had the Poms on the ropes in the last ODI. Their media is a joke and it's going to be hilarious to see who they turn on when they lose today's game and then the final. Carn Haydos and Punter!

30th Jun 2005 – The Share House Perhaps Shares a Little More Than Expected
Sal arrived home from work to discover the house a absolute mess - thieves had broken in.

Hans & Daisy were robbed 2 Cameras, disc player, stereo, etc.. Poor Dave! They stole his camera and a couple of hundred pounds. These were just possessions and Dave wasn't too bothered - however, he lost the worst item possible! Something irreplaceable. His hatrick ball! Very unfortunate.

Sal and I were lucky as they did not find the only possession I may have cared about, my camera. Although, I did back up all my photos so we would only have lost time and suffered inconvenience as the insurance company replaced it (typically, Sal & I were the only ones in the house with insurance and lost nothing). They did steal a couple of old shitty mobile phones and my pocket PC (which was a gift from my boss, Kenton, so not too fussed). Otherwise, no loss besides having to clean up and deal with new locks. There's more important things in life to worry about!

2nd July 2005 – ODI Natwest Final (Cricket)
What a match for Sal's initiation!

Punter said it was just about the perfect competitive ODI match to watch. He was not wrong!

It does not get too much more exciting than a tied one day international final. Especially between two nations engaged in a futile battle for mental advantage before entering the 2005 Ashes which is clearly stacked in Australia's favour - typical media hype! I have gone off ODI cricket in recent years, finding it lacking in much of the mental battles that is associated to the longer form of the sport. Like so many, I switch off in the middle overs. This is something Twenty 20 cricket is aimed to surmount. I won't share my negative view of this extremely shortened view of cricket, however, should it attract more money and fans to the sport then it cannot be a bad thing.

This final was a day for the fast bowlers. We saw some sensational spells from Harmison, Lee and McGrath. The quicker boys were just about unplayable.

7th July 2005 – A London Olympics, the G8 Summit and Horrific Bombings
On Thursday 7th July 2005, the day after Britain learned London received the Olympics, the day the world’s eyes turned to the G8 summit in the UK, terrorists detonated various explosions in key locations of London’s transport system.

Sal & I, our London friends, including everyone in the house, are fine.

Hans was sick in bed and did not know what was going on when he received mine (and others') texts checking life status. That was Step One of our reaction. Are family and friends OK? I spent half my day replying to emails, texts and phone calls letting people know we’re sweet. The other half was spent collating information and feeding the hunger of curiosity.

Sally was a short distance behind the Aldgate/Liverpool train that exploded. Luckily, Sal bypassed getting on the first train to arrive at our station as it was too packed (that would have been much closer if not The One that copped it). [The best similar story I have heard is the guy that got off the bus, for absolutely no reason, one stop before it was ruined by that destructive explosive can opener!] Sal was trapped in the train for over an hour and arrived to the office in time for the shutdown of Aldgate. All buildings were closed in surrounding blocks. No one in, no one out. She spent the next few hours watching the TV, surfing internet updates and observing police going nuts with official cop tape and coordination on the streets outside (she works across from the station).

All forms of transport within Central London were closed almost immediately. Most employers let their staff leave mid-afternoon. Sal managed to get home with some 3 hours walking and a [her first] boat ride on the Thames as a free ferry service was provided. Some of the other house mates did some walking, too. I work out in zone 6, which is like working in Blacktown compared to the Sydney CBD, so I was not affected more than getting a work mate drive me home.

The next day, all is well now in Sunny London. Transport recovered sensationally. My planning and preparation to not be in work was all for naught. Emergency services and transport were well prepared and have recovered far quicker than expected. Well done.

This seems to happen to major western cities regularly (once every 6-12 months or so) and to some people in some countries this is just day to day life. Unfortunately, terrorism and attacks such as this are something we will need to accept and prepare for. It should not be, but to deny it is futile. Like London before Thursday, it is just a matter of time before tragedy comes to Australia. Sadly, unlike in London, there won’t be a hundred-thousand-to-one chance of knowing someone hurt or killed when it happens in Aus.

It was a surreal and fascinating experience actually being in the city when it occurred. The hunger for information and discussion was immense. You can relate to the pictures on the telly or the front page of the Sun. I was there on Monday. I will stop there on the weekend. I actually used to go via Edgware Road and would have been on one of those platforms half an hour before had I not found a faster morning route.

The media has restrained themselves well, remaining factual and hardly sensational. It may just be the first time ever for the Poms! ;-)

Things are well on the way to returning to norm. It will be interesting as more accurate death/injured figures, ownership and reaction unfold. Blair’s speech was strong. He must have been nervous – he’s probably been dreading giving it for years! Thank the gods he didn’t pull out the “we’ll catch them dead or alive” line. Plenty more news forthcoming.

What aggravates me off is the timing. The amount of African people (mainly children) that will die because of these attacks infuriates me. Forget 100 Londoners; thousands, hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions will meet their end in Africa which may have been avoided due to further G8 action. Undoubtedly, the decisions from G8 summit will disappoint and they were always going to because you simply can’t click your fingers and solve the issue. However, what angers me is the reason and distraction that these attacks will present the G8 figureheads. Bush has already mitigated the US effort before the summit by stating that he will not increase US aid or wipe debts to those countries not governed freely. Lets rule out half the field before we start! This just presents more fuel and ability to flood or distract the media from the more important news that 6 billion people need to hear.

How much will this terrorist act assist in reducing what G8 will do to save lives in Africa?

12th July 2005 – The Phantom of the Opera
I gave it a go and confirmed that opera is not entirely for me. This show is probably the least traditional yet glorified and modernised enough that perhaps I could enjoy. Hmmm ... I do not regret seeing it, however, I will not rush back, nor will I hurry to more traditional opera. I suspect I may enjoy an exhibition of brilliantly trained and talented singers rather than a glorified sound track, bright lights and brief story. I could not sit through a terribly long session of opera, but may appreciate a fine voice or two which is good as Sal loved it.

17th July 2005 – Cornwell, Beaches and Sun
I had a meeting with two clients down south in the Cornwell and Devon area. Fittingly, I was at the top of the country during the week, in Scarborough, and down the bottom a couple of days later. In what is becoming a habit, Sal & I stayed for the weekend. I understand now why Fiona's mum ranks Cornwell her favourite place on the planet. [She is nuts! ;-) nah, it's enchanting]

We drove down to Plymouth after work on Thursday night. On a weekend that birthed home sickness, Plymouth was the pinnacle. Modern, sunny, wide streets, malls, summer fashion and beer gardens.

Following the coast south from there, we stayed in a tiny fishing village on Friday night. Kenton recommended this breathtaking spot and I'm glad I remembered the name Mevagissy. Navigating tiny streets surrounded by sheer cliffs was sheer delight. The long missed scent of ocean floating the sea breeze the perfect sauce for fresh fish and chips. A brilliant night spent sipping beer and wine an the pub overlooking the harbour.

From Mevagissy, we continued south to Lands End via St Michaels Mount (we're looking forward to seeing her bigger sister in France). Lands End is where we put an end to our beach draught. It was nice to see shirtless lads, bikini clad chicks and to feel the sun on my skin, sand between my toes and salt water evaporating under beaming sun rays.

The final night we spent in Newquay. This is a picturesque place and again we enjoyed afternoon beers upon the cliffs while the day's last sun light evacuated the beaches.
click here for the South West England Trip 2 photo album

18th July 2005 – A Gveric Child is born!
Craig and Jo's son was born this weekend!

Unlike my arrival at work lately, the stork was a bit early for Jo and Craig. Due in August, Joseph decided he could not miss the Ashes and that's perfectly understandable. He's a little fella, but like his father would say - "size does not matter". With time, he'll grow. Which parent will he take after? Barrel chested and balding, or slim figured and smiling?

Congratulations to the Gveric / Pye's ;-)

20th July 2005 – Vegemite Tales
The best live humour I have seen. What a fantastically funny production. If you are Australian, have lived in a share house or in London, you will undoubtedly love this show. Hilarious.

Vegemite Tales is a small production running from Hammersmith (next suburb) in the heart of Down-Under land. A bloke that used to be in Home and Away stars in this small cast. Visiting many issues that plague the young traveler, it is fantastic entertainment providing the audience topics to discuss for weeks. It certainly what Sarah, Fi, Liz, Caz, Amanada, Sal & I did after we left.

We even managed to get a terrific photo on the set (see right)!

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You can email me at tjcrouch@hotmail.com