Brexit

I’m very happy to be outside of the UK at this time, because if I had to live and breathe Brexit it I would go fucking mad. I am absolutely disgusted at the way things have panned out over the last two years.  For the first time in many years the government have actually had to make a decision and as it can be seen they do not have the capacity to do so. So much infighting and selfish behaviour have left the UK in such a weak position and we are also the laughing-stock of the world. Up until now we have had Trump to take most of the limelight but the UK has once more managed to come through and now sits at number one.

When the vote was first announced no MP thought that the British public would have voted the way they did and they have tried every conceivable method over the last two years to thwart the process. It was never the MP’s job to decide whether we left the EU because that had already been decided by the people. They had one simple task and that was to organise the withdrawal from the EU in an orderly manner, no more and no less and of course that means being able to negotiate as a government with the EU to get the best possible deal after we leave this club.

Last night I listened to radio 4 and heard one MP saying that even although her constituents had voted leave, she could not represent that decision because she feels that they have made a mistake. This is the tragedy of Brexit right here. The majority of MP’s do not want to leave the EU and so they have just fucked around for the last two years blaming the opposition and creating firestorms and I hate to say it , but Fake news.

I believe we should leave the EU; I have never been fan of it. I don’t like how they can control some decisions that are made in our country. Like Germany, our economy has to prop up other members of the community and we seem to get shafted in return. We never adopted the Euro because we never wanted to stay from the beginning and we have always had reservations. Now I know that if you want to travel to the EU you might have to get a visa, big deal it’s what you have to do in many situations. So many things will happen after we leave, the grass will change colour and the cows will produce sour milk and pigs won’t fly. The UK will be doomed and we will never be the same again, however I think that this is a great opportunity for us to grow in the direction that we choose. It’s just like leaving home: the first few months will be difficult until you buy all the bits you need, like a new kettle, a cup, tea bags, sugar, a bed, you know all the things that get you back to what you consider a normal life. But just think you will then be able to stay up late because you make the house rules, not some clown in a far off land that doesn’t like you anyway. You can talk to whoever you want and go to any supermarket and not have someone tell you that you can’t go there. Freedom is always scary but it’s worth the effort in the long run. In two or three years the UK will be a better place and if the MP’s had done their jobs correctly the prospect of a thriving Britain would have been achieved in a shorter length of time.

MP’s get paid a shit load of money, they do not do their jobs properly, in any other business model they would have been replaced by folk that could do the job. But once you are in it seems that it is a job for life even if you get caught fiddling your expenses and stealing from the people of the UK you will keep your job. They leech from the people, the lose touch with the people and live in a fantasy land that is the Houses of Parliament.

So what happens now? Well Teresa May has decided to fall on her sword which I think is an admirable thing to do. I obviously don’t have all the facts and but I have heard many stories via BBC Radio 4 over the last two years to give me an  idea that at least she seems to be taking it seriously whilst others around just mock her instead of trying to help. To be the head of state, the head of a government that will not help but try to hinder every option placed in front of them is disgusting. Both sides of politics seem to be completely unworthy to be sat in such privileged positions and use public money to fund their lifestyles.

In China more than one person has said to me that, “Westerners are so lucky to have governments that are not corrupt, because we have a lot of corruption in China” I have to break it to them gently that the west is very corrupt, we just use more subtle methods to deliver the bribe. Since the start of the century the amount of money made by western democracies through unnecessary wars and the like is astronomical. America is a war machine and again I was disgusted when the UK or more so Tony Blair joined the fight even although the whole world knew it was wrong. A few people have benefited and many more have suffered due to greed. Brexit is no different. The top of the food chain might lose money here and the status quo will be upended and this is why Brexit is a mess. Sabotage by a few influential has left the country in this state and of course nothing will happen to them because that’s just the way life is, democracy in action…………..

Off to Shanghai

Yesterday I left early to go to Shanghai with Amy and colleagues. Amy runs her own travel company and she was having a travel seminar and she had asked myself and a few other expats to come and talk about our experiences living in Suzhou. Many people come to Suzhou and go to the same places that are listed in the guide books and often miss out on other very good less popular attractions. There are many places to visit in Suzhou and it just depends on what you wish to do and because the transport is so good here it is easy to get from A to B. If you are game to engage with the available apps then you can become quite independent in your exploration and you will realise that there is no need for a guide unless you really want to get into the nitty-gritty of the history and culture.

I’ve lived here for over two years and I know this city very well and I’ve been fortunate to have been given many guided tours and so I have soaked up a lot of information along the way. Many years ago when I was travelling through Cambodia I decided to jump on a boat and head down the Mekong river to Vietnam and it was a great two-day trip. On board there were another 3 couples and two of them had the lonely planet guide-book and as we were travelling down the river they were avidly reading this book and seeing what they would do at the next stop, what restaurant served the best spring rolls and where to get the best latte. I’ve never been a guide-book person and unless there is a must see attraction I very rarely use them. I will do research before I leave and you always have Google as your friend when you travel just in case you can’t find anywhere. But I read somewhere many moons ago that this particular traveller did not use these guide books because if you turn up at one of the places listed then you will find every Tom Dick and Harriet has done the same and if it so happens that the writer of the guide-book did not like a particular place then they will often get no custom from the tourist. My rule of thumb when I travel is to eat where the locals eat and if I see any foreigners in a restaurant then I will give it a wide berth and so the guide book for me is mostly useless. Because I usually research my travels I have a fair idea of where I will go and what I will see and when I arrive I will ask the locals where they think is worth seeing. So yesterday myself and others were telling our stories about Suzhou from a personal point of view, what we thought was interesting and some places discussed you will not find in those pesky guide books.

 

It was a bit unfortunate that many people did not turn up to the event after Amy and here team went to such lengths to make it a very special day. The event was held in the Equatorial Hotel in Shanghai not far from the Jing’an park and temple. It’s a very posh hotel and we had a lovely lunch there before everything kicked off. There were also Kunqu Opera singers there and some arts and crafts and so it was a pity that only about half of the invited guests turned up. However I think everyone enjoyed the day and it was good to mingle and meet some new folk. There was one American girl there that was rather refreshing, she apologised for being American which was a very unusual opening statement. There was a girl from Iran and an Indian girl who had studied at Strathclyde University in Glasgow and so it was interesting chatting to her and of course she was quite fluent in Glaswegian.

We had driven to Shanghai and it had been an early start and so I was not long out of bed after I returned home. It was definitely Whacky Races on the way there and back, but we did arrive home in one piece.

Back to the park

The sun has shone all this week and I have not gone to the park  due to this injury on my side but this morning I decided to grin and bear it and head back. I did a few exercises to test the pain threshold and manged to push through. It was good to finally get back to it. I was beginning to feel like a beached whale not having the opportunity to burn off some calories, but instead just stuff me face each day. I just hope that I don’t wake up in the morning crippled once more by pain………………

SBS

I’ve passed this building many times and never really looked at it or knew what it was all about. It’s supposed to be a pair of boots. One boot is the Hilton Hotel and the other is the Suzhou Broadcasting Service, which is the local TV station. I came here to today to catch up with a couple of friends and also to meet a Suzhou celebrity that needs to have some English lessons. Melody is a host on many of the programs produced by SBS but as I do not watch local TV I’m none the wiser.

Maybe one day I might actually appear on TV, this could be my new career as a roving reporter for SBS in Suzhou or where ever the wish to send me. An interesting day indeed.

The girl to my right is the SBS host Melody…………..

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Tender

Well me ribs are still a bit sore but at least I can move a bit easier, well I can at the moment. I went to the park again today and I tried a few exercises to see if I can go back to my regular morning thing but I think I will have to give it a bit more time. I just hope I haven’t set the healing process back too much.

But enough of this, let’s talk about Brexit, I mean what a shambles. I listened to the news this morning and I felt very sorry for poor Teresa May. She has been in the firing line since day one and even although she did not side with the Brexit decision she has at least tried to make an effort to continue with it. They said this morning that the parliament does not want to leave, the rich folk that control the UK do not want to leave the EU and of course they have put so many obstacles in the way of the Brexit process. Instead of working for the will of the British people they have as usual done what they do best and that is to look after themselves. At every twist and turn they just shout at each other and blame each other for this and that when it’s got nothing to do with the parliament., all they have to do is to act in the best interests of the British people and not themselves. So many distractions, so many bullshit stories, smoke screens just to thwart this process. If they had actually worked together as a cohesive entity and fought for the UK we might be leaving with a deal and a platform that will set the UK up for the future, but instead it is going to go through many rough years before it will achieve a good result.

Fear of change is one thing stopping the process, and of course greed. I could not vote for Brexit because I haven’t lived in the UK for may years but I would have given the chance. But now it seems that it would not have made a difference, so much for democracy.

Better the devil you know and yet they will complain about that devil.

Procrastination is the death knell of the west…………………..oh and the underlying corruption and greed, I forgot to mention that too.

Me ribs

So I went to the gym the other day with Sissi to see her trainer and to ask him about how to get a better posture. He gave me, what can only be described as a cross between a Thai massage and a workout. However one of the moves was for me to lie on my front while he pushed quickly down on my back. After the first push I felt this jab of pain in my right side, he pushed again….Fuck that’s sore so no more.

I woke up the next morning feeling ok, although my side was a little sore. Months before I had bruised my ribs and this training session had brought the problem back. However I decided to go to the park because the sun was shining. I tried to do a few exercises such as pull ups but could not. It felt like a knife was being pushed into my chest.

I came home and had a shower and then did some work on the computer. After about an hour the pain was terrible. The slightest movement caused the knife to come back with a vengeance. It was crippling. I had to go out and get a few things and even walking down the street was an effort. The bus ride wasn’t fun either. As I sat in the bus arms crossed holding my chest I then realised what I had to do and I went and got a bandage to wrap around my chest.

On my return to the house Sissi was home and she was able to help me wrap it round my body. I could finally move without the stabbing pains shooting through the right side of my chest. And so I will have to take it easy for the next week or so until I can recover from this.

I can’t believe just how debilitating this injury is. One minute no problems and then you move your body a fraction and the knife is plunged into your chest once more. The bandages are really very tight and so I think I will have to forgo having a shower today and keep them on for at least a day to see if they can help.

It’s a pain………….

This morning I went to the park for my daily exercise and also for my sanity. It’s good to clear the mind and get the blood flowing, however it’s still a little brisk. Often when I return my left arm gives me jip and this is due to an altercation I had with a Mark 1 green Ford Escort estate on my way to school, circa 1974. However my back was also giving me hard time too.

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We lived in Corseford and I used to go to Johnstone High school. I’d leave the house as late as possible so that I could get to school just as the bell was ringing and most of the time this worked out just fine. But on this particular morning the shit hit the fan.

To get to Johnstone High we had to cross the busy Beith Road which was relatively easy if you crossed at the school gate, but of course that’s for big Jessie’s, and so we would cross the road a few hundred yards further up the road just to be different. So on this particular morning I was running late and I had to get across the road and so I decided that after the double Decker went past, I would sprint across, however I did not see the Green M registered Mark 1 Escort, until about a second before it hit me and the next thing I know I’m flying. I rolled over the bonnet and landed on the ground and quickly recovered my composure and headed on up to school as if nothing had happened. I have a vague recollection of the driver shouting at me but I have no idea what he was saying but I got that he impression that he was extremely pissed off with me and I couldn’t understand why because he was the one that hit me after all.

Mark 1 Ford Escort Estate
This one is a little older than the one that hit me. This is an H reg and the one that got me was an M reg.

I don’t remember having any blood on me, I’m not sure if I banged my head but I’m sure I must have because before the accident I was pretty clever, I’m sure of that…………. and so I think it was more than my dignity that suffered on that day. Someone was with me as I walked up to the school and I’m saying don’t tell anyone about this, but of course I did not really have a choice in the matter. When I finally arrived at school I think I was going into shock and I was taken to see one of the teachers and they were told about my flying adventure that I had had on the way there.

It’s all a bit hazy from here on in. I was sent home and the doctor was called to check me over and he gave some wonderful drugs that put me to sleep for about 24 hours or so. I woke up and thought,”That was a crazy dream”, but then I tried to move and the pain set in. I was battered and bruised but I had been extremely lucky that I hadn’t broken anything.

The driver even came to the house to make sure that I was ok and he of course was pretty shaken by what had happened. This is not something that I could understand then but I do now……….

However as the years have gone on I feel that there was more damage done than meets the eye. For example if I put any weight on it, you know like if you are having coitus, or doing some push ups, my arm would shake………….it’s a bit embarrassing.

If I picked up something there would be pain in my arm. The left side of my back gets so tight and sore and then it sends the pain up the left side of my neck to me skull. A good massage can give me relief from the pain in my back but only for a short time. It feels like there is a knot just below my shoulder-blade being twisted tighter and tighter to the point where it may split. So I have suffered some kind of nerve damage and it has been a problem from time to time.

The pain I now get in my left arm is sometimes like a fire inside and at other times just an ache, but I will not stop doing my exercise in the morning. I do reduce the intensity of the work out depending on the level of pain, but this morning the knot has appeared below my shoulder-blade and when I came home I asked Sissi to massage it a bit which helped but then after about 30 mins the knot begins to tighten once more. A combination of old war wounds and old age I’m afraid, but I will continue to do my morning jaunt to the park and adjust the workout based on the level of discomfort.

Years later I began to drive the double Decker buses and I even did the school run to my old school. Other kids have been killed on this busy Beith Road and so I guess that I’m one of the lucky ones on that day and maybe just maybe someone was looking out for me………………..

Nanjing Museum

I met Lydia at Suzhou Train Station just before eight in the morn because we were going to Nanjing for the day so that we could visit the Nanjing Museum which is one of the biggest and important in China. It takes just over an hour and a half to reach Nanjing from Suzhou on the high speed train, it’s around 215 km.

It was a cold and rainy day and shortly after arriving we got some hot food, spicy potatoes and dumplings to keep us going.

The museum is vast and so we did not get to see everything. Some sections have an English translation but you can always hire an audio translator to help guide you. I think you could easily spend a day in here but I would recommend taking lunch with you because the cafe is not so good. some of the exhibits are exquisite, especially some of the jewelry, but I enjoyed looking at the bronze ware, such as the two models below of the horse and carriage and the ox pulling the cart.

Mind you there were a couple of dodgy exhibits which were just rocks claiming to be tools.

There was one mechanism that sets the ancient Chinese tech at the forefront of design and ingenuity and that is the trigger mechanism for the crossbow which they developed many moons ago.

It’s an amazing piece of mechanical design.

Age Matters

A poem for the Bremer forum

 

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My bones are weary, my skin is old,

This is not what I expected although I was told,

Age spots and wrinkles, fingers looking curled,

My long flowing locks disappeared to the another world

Other bits sag, they creak and they groan,

But don’t worry; it doesn’t matter if you moan,

“Cause nobody will listen to you anyway, ‘because they’re as deaf as a post,

You can’t see them no more ‘because your bifocals are lost,

The morphing of the body, sometimes it’s a success,

But that cosmetic surgery can turn into a mess,

With our pursuit of perfection, to maintain that Dorian reflection,

It costs thousands and thousands to become so superficial,

And become tabloid fodder and to look artificial,

Instead I say “go gracefully and accept Mother Nature”,

Accept yourself, look at your image and love what you see,

And if the others don’t like it I’m sure you agree,

You can say, fuck off……………..

 

 

 

 

The first step is the hardest, believe in yourself …