Yesterday was the 8th anniversary of the Album of Suzhou which is a group of people who wished to promote Suzhou and introduce it to the expats that were living there.

Eight years ago I was part of the initial group led by Patrick that participated in getting it off the ground. There were many people back then both locals and foreigners that took part and enjoyed exploring this amazing city which is a cultural centre spanning 2500 years.

The AOS has gone from strength to strength and now in its 8th year the celebration is quite the spectacle.

I felt privileged to be part of this and it allowed me to get to know many people and also many hidden gems.

If you ever get a chance to visit China then you need to come here for a few days.

When I lived there I had a great time, and if Covid hadn’t come along there is a good chance that I might still be there. Life was simple yet fulfilling and part of that has to be because of the Album of Suzhou that gave me purpose and a sense of wonder of what can be achieved over the millenia when man is not killing each other.

I also wrote this poem about Suzhou,

People write about Suzhou all the time,
But never seem to do it in rhyme,
So I thought what the hell Ill give it a go,
And so here we are Ill be done in a mo.

There are gardens a plenty for all to see,
The Master of Nets, The Lingering Garden and the Couples Retreat To name but three,
We have Tiger Hill and Jinji Hu,
But you might still discover something new.
It has character and history,
It has longevity and mystery,
It has beauty and culture,
It has canals and boats,
Around the old city there is a wonderful moat,

The food is tasty but a little too sweet,
So I will add some chilly and eat some meat.
I like to walk the old streets and the lanes of the past,
I like it here because the pace of life is not too fast,
There are over 6 million people, but you would not know it,
So lets keep it to ourselves we dont want to blow it.

At night the city is reborn in the light,
New life has been given and its a wondrous sight,
The colours abound and the buildings look new,
The canals are exquisite, many colours and hue,

So to one and all this is Suzhou for me,
Oh and dont forget to come here and drink the tea,
The tea is expensive, the tea is divine,
And always remember if you have the time,
To come to Suzhou to look and explore,
Cause everyday you will find more and more.

Master of Nets Garden with audio

It’s a wet start to summer, the Bremer River is in spate which is always a concern. It’s metres from the height that would cause me problems, however it has risen very quickly because the rain hasn’t stopped for two days. Mid week I could see the sand bar in the middle of the river at King Edwards Parade and today it would be under maybe seven or eight metres of water.

It’s good to get out in the fresh air even though the sweat is running down the shuch o’me arse but I’d rather have that than being stuck inside for another day. I’m out on the bike and the humidity is so high that the sweat is running into my eyes.

I dropped off my library book and then went for a slow ride via the cafe so that I could get a blueberry Danish and coffee, my excuse is that I need fuel for the way home.

The drainage in the garden coped well with the rain but I think I can improve a few areas which I will work on either today if I can be bothered or tackle it during the week when the sun returns.

I’m not working tomorrow, well not as I write this because the school run I’ve been doing finished on Friday, mind you I might pick up a bit here and there over the coming weeks.

This is the beginning of two months of a break which is not good for the finances but good for the soul.

My Trusty Steed is 26 years old this year as of September that is and so far I have given her a few presents. The first was a service including oil change and a full medical check-up.

A few issues were found , one main one was the replacement of the belt tensioner which keeps the pressure on the serpentine belt that snakes through the power steering, alternator etc. I got a call half way through the day to tell me that when they were removing the radiator to access this that the radiator shit itself, I was furious but had no choice but to replace it and we came to a compromise over the cost and I got new upper and lower hoses fitted as well. To be honest the radiator is years old and I do not remember replacing it so it could be the original one and the car is running a lot cooler which is good because the weather is getting rather hot.

On the way home the other night the battery warning light came on a few minutes from home and then I lost the power steering, can’t believe just how difficult it is to turn a corner with no assisted steering. When I got home I looked under the bonnet and the drive belt had come loose somehow and my first thought was that the tensioner had shit itself but as it turns out it was another wee thing that had shit itself.

So yesterday I called the RACQ tow truck and took the car to the mechanic and he diagnosed the problem in seconds, it seems that the Harmonic Balancer had a meltdown and this is why the belt became dislodged. He told me yesterday that it might be Monday before he could get round to it and so I was very surprised when he called me late yesterday afternoon to say she was ready but alas I was still working but thankfully we got reunited this morning.

I had to use the train to get home yesterday and the this morning going to work and the bus home again and I forgot just how much time you waste having to rely on public transport, my car is a necessity and life would be very difficult and very uncomfortable without it.

I know that there are a few other wee things that must be done because she is getting on and some parts are original and wear and tear does take its toll over the years and that is why I try to maintain my Trusty Steed because I would be lost without her.

Another couple of weeks have gone and I’m not sure what I have been up to. Yesterday I went out on the bike for a jaunt and stopped off at Jasper Coffee to have a double shot Latte which was very good indeed and gave me the energy I needed to get back home.

The route I took yesterday was not really difficult but there were a few hills that got the heart rate up there and I could have passed by the café but I think this will be part of the Sunday routine from now on. The coffee was really good and I managed to sneak in a couple of biscuits but maybe next week I’ll opt for one of the delicious looking Danish Pastry’s that were on offer.

Last week it just rained and rained and so the garden is happy and I got a few plants to put in which I will do tomorrow. I cut the grass yesterday and that was quite the challenge, with all that rain the catcher was filling up really quickly and it was so heavy and I nearly filled the large rubbish bin so I have left the lid open to let the moisture escape and lighten the load. Oh I did buy a new electric whipper snipper which I must admit is way better than it’s petrol rival that I have, no skint knuckles or damaged fingers getting this to fire up…..all you need to do is press a button and it is quiet.

Been doing a bit more planning for next year, a bit more research on where to go and I shortened my trip by one week, I think one month is sufficient.

The school holidays begin this weekend, although I might still get the odd hire driving job over the break and I am hoping to get started on a few jobs around the house. I need to finish the insulation on the eaves of the house and I am still wanting to insulate the garage wall as it gets blasted by the rising sun. I’ve tested the air-conditioning in the “Rumpus Room” which is just marvellous. Because it is already so much cooler than upstairs it does not have to work that hard to stay cool and because it is more open it just feels so much better. I’m not sure if I mentioned before but I am going to knock out an internal wall between one of the bedrooms and living room to make it more open plan. I don’t need three bedrooms. My builder is coming in the morning to give me some advice and so if all goes well I’ll get started next week hopefully, although the electrician can’t get here until a few weeks later and so I am hoping I can work around this small detail.

Lunch date with friends today, it’s been a year since we have all managed to be together. We live scattered to the four winds and so each time we meet one of us chooses the location, today Wayne chose a small restaurant in Pimpama which for me is a quite the hike but it’s always worth it.

My Tandoori chicken dish was delicious, only complaint was that the humidity was way too high but unfortunately we have no control over that.

I haven’t been to this part of the coast in ages and I cannot believe just how built up it has become, each time I venture down here it only reinforces my thoughts on this place.. I hate it. It’s so busy, so glad I left it 20 years ago.

Peter, the guy on the right gave up his day job to pursue an acting career which so far has worked out well for him. He has appeared in a few local dramas and bit parts in major films and has recently returned from his native Cambodia after filming and directing an action movie called Bullet Storm and he knows that when he goes to the Oscars he needs to bring the entourage 🤗

I did a bike ride on Saturday morning, didn’t go too far. The heat and humidity this week has been dreadful and as we speak there is a massive thunderstorm which is shaking the house and I’m hoping that it will clear the air and reduce the temperature.

Oh and I bought a new VPN, NordVPN which seems to be working a lot better than Surfshark which I have had for two years or so. NordVPN runs well on my phone as well as the computer, it’s a bit more expensive but I think after using it for a day I’m glad I got this instead of Surfshark. Highly recommend it if you want to be more secure online.

Another month gone and closer to my travels. Only 25 working days till the holidays and then I can get on with doing a few things around the house. My travels however are a few weeks later.

The broo has left me alone in the meantime because I’m doing steady work and I’ll be supported through the holidays, although I’m trying to find work for the school holidays to boost the travel fund.

Great book by the way, began the second in the series today and highly recommend it.

I’ve had a lazy week, I’ve worked around the garden, read my books and drove the bus. At times the bus is a chore and I really wish I didn’t have to do it but as I’ve said before”It is a means to an end”

The weekend is almost gone. Saturday I went for a walk and listened to a podcast and then came back and spent some time researching Indonesia, I booked another hotel but I don’t want to do anymore of that because I really want to travel on more of a whim during this trip but sometimes I need the certainty.

Today I got on the bike but didn’t manage to complete the route I wanted to do, I’d say that I fell short by about 10km or so but 20km in the headwind got stronger and my energy was being sapped very quickly and so I headed home.

After twenty years or so I finally met up with Marie and her husband Dave, well I’ve never met Dave before, but it’s been over twenty years since Marie and I last met in Greenock.

I remember the night vividly even although I was very drunk. We had gone to a nightclub with friends and late in the evening I needed some fresh air and so I asked the bouncer if it was OK to step outside for ten minutes and he said “Sure”….. Then he wouldn’t let me back in and so I had to stay outside in the rain for quite some time until Marie came looking for me, she had no idea where I had gone.

And so yesterday Dave and Marie were at Brisbane Airport on there way back to Auckland after being on a cruise to PNG and I was lucky to catch up with them there. It didn’t feel as if twenty years had passed, we hugged and it felt as if I only saw her yesterday.

I’m hoping that I can go and visit them in September next year.

We sat for hours and hours and the time just flew by, great afternoon.

Sunday

This morning I was knackered, so I had a lazy morning and then went out on the bike for an hour…. I would have loved to go for a long run but I just didn’t have the energy so I’ll try to get out during the week.

Not much happened after this, although I did retire to the hammock for an hour or so which was magic. I need another lazy day but I’ll be up at crack of dawn in the morn to go to work.

I managed to find a new route this morning and even travelled some new territory, it was good to go exploring for a change.

I left about 8am, I’d been up for a while but wanted to let breakfast settle. I took two bottles of water today, it’s going to be a long ride. Once committed you have no options.

It wasn’t too hot and even throughout it didn’t seem too hot although the sweat was running off me. I went through an area called Ripley, a densely built up area with tiny houses on some streets and then utter monstrositys tucked in using every inch of their land. Horrible place to live, and it’s not cheap.

Managed just over 30km today and felt OK when I got back, not too many hills this time. Mind you there were a few difficult sections.

At this time of the year the Jacaranda are out in full bloom and all over the city there are fine beautiful examples. When the petals fall they carpet the ground with stunning colour.

I took this video the other day along Brisbane Terrace when coming back with the bus, hence the reason for the bumpy playback and noise.