Mike Wrathall in the UK... and Samoa

2011: A Summary

2012-01-07T01:05:00.000-08:00

It's been 12 months since I last posted, so this is well overdue. This edition is a summary of the year 2011. It charts the return to Australia of our family from nearly three years in Samoa.

November-December 2010: A new job
OK, November to December 2010 is not 2011, but it's worth mentioning that I started a new job during this period. We flew into Sydney and straight down to Canberra on the afternoon of 10 November to spend time with Heather's family. The next morning I had a telephone interview with the NSW Office of Water. I was offered the job of Senior Natural Resources Officer (Surface Water) and by 13 December I had started. It certainly didn't take long to be shaken out of Pacific time...

By this time, Heather was 30 weeks pregnant, which only slightly curtailed our adventurous spirit. I participated in the the Triple Triathlon with the Dixon family team (they generously gave me the relatively easy 13km final run leg). We also enjoyed some relaxation time with family Dixon in Katoomba between Christmas and New Year - Australia certainly has its fair share of beautiful places...

In Sydney, we stayed at my parent's house until their three-bedroom townhouse in Balgowlah became available to rent. It was on New Years Eve 2010-11 that we moved in and spent out first night as an independent family in Australia.

January-February 2011: New school and new life

January to February 2011 was always going to be big period for us. Isabel would begin high school in late-January and Heather was due to give birth on 5 February. Isabel also had her 13th birthday on 28 January (which turned out to be her first day at school!) and things would begin to pick up at my work.

Isabel began high school directly into Year 8 (second year) due to the differences in the schooling system in Samoa. She managed to get a place at Monte Sant Angelo college in North Sydney, a Catholic girls school. Rather than adopt the standard curriculum for schools in NSW, they use the International Baccalaureate Middle Years program for years 7 to 10 and then give students the choice of either the IB or the NSW Higher School Certificate for years 11 to 12.

Language learning is given a high priority, with Isabel choosing to study German. The school has an international and social justice focus, which matches well with our recent experiences working in development in Samoa. A friend of ours who teaches music there had recommended the school and so far we are really happy with it. Isabel quickly made new friends who seem to be very kind, generous and fun.

The other big event was, of course, Heather's growing bump. We had hoped that baby 'Kanoot' would delay its arrival until after Isabel's birthday and first week at school. Heather however didn't want to wait much longer than that! Kanoot's timing could hardly have been better.

At 5:25pm on Thursday 3 February 2011, a healthy baby girl was born to us. At 4.08kg and 56cm long, she was bigger than expected. It wasn't long before we named her Ava Marie Wrathall. At 9:30am the next morning, Heather discharged herself from hospital to spend time with our new daughter and sister in the comfort of our own home.

Of course, the subsequent few days were the hottest of the summer, with temperatures peaking at 41.5C on 5 February. My parent's air conditioned house came in handy that day...

March-August 2011: More firsts and the 100km Trailwalker

The majority of this period was dominated by Ava's rapid growth and Heather's incredible endurance. It was exciting to see this dependent and sleepy little baby develop into an active and engaging child. During this period, Ava's curiosity and happy demeanor became more and more evident. She began rolling over after 9 weeks, sitting up unassisted at 4.5 months and doing an amusing commando crawl just before 6 months. As expected, us parents thought she was the most beautiful and advanced of the children we knew!

At the same time as caring for a demanding child, Heather was busily training and organising a team for the Oxfam Trailwalker in Sydney on 26-28 August 2011. This 100km event is undertaken by teams of four and is one of those extreme physical challenges that doubles as a fundraiser. Heather coordinated a group of women for regular weekend training walks in the months after giving birth. It was a pretty significant undertaking, but one that Heather thrived on and was supremely motivated by. The team achieved the feat in just over 30 hours and raised almost $4,000.

At the end of June, we also managed to take a week off to have a holiday in Fiji. My parents had previously arranged a trip to Lord Howe Island in January 2011 which we couldn't take due to Heather's late-term pregnancy (although Isabel had an amazing time there!). We were able to redeem the unused flights for a trip to Fiji and had a relaxed international holiday at a budget we could almost afford.

Ava loved the stimulation of a different environment and being able to crawl around with minimal clothing. Isabel enjoyed chillaxing alongside and within the warm pool water while Heather and I managed to do a bit of exploring further afield.

A particularly memorable experience was climbing up a steep, remote mountain to the north of Nadi with a local village guide. Heather once again demonstrated her endurance by reached the summit carrying Ava in a baby carrier the entire way up.

September-December 2011: New house and Heather's new job

The event that dominated the last part of 2011 was buying and moving in to our new home. We'd been looking at houses on and off for most of the year without much success. When Isabel and Heather first saw this house they both fell in love with it... along with dozens of other people.

We persevered through a prolonged contractual process, eventually made a low offer and amazingly it was accepted! We moved in on 6 November and continue to be amazed at how great a place God has blessed us with.

It has a beautiful leafy backyard, with an in-ground pool and a sizable grassy area in the vacant block next door. The kitchen-dining-living area is open plan and ideal for entertaining. We occupy three of the bedrooms while a vacant guestroom with ensuite is perfect for visitors. We're already trying to be hospitable and love sharing this space with others.

The other significant happening during this time was Heather's new part-time job with Relationships Australia. She started in December and is working on a community development program addressing areas of social need in the Pittwater area of the Northern Beaches. The job has flexible working hours, is reasonably close to home, and is alongside some passionate and competent colleagues in what seems to be a meaningful role.

As usual, she already manages to exceed in balancing the multifaceted and demanding areas of work and family. I am very blessed.

We're Back!

2010-11-13T14:21:00.000-08:00

Heather, Isabel, Kanoot (as our baby is affectionately known) and I arrived back in Australia last week, one month earlier than originally planned. We left in a bit of a rush because of concerns over Heather's health. She's had a tough run of it in the six months of her pregnancy with various sicknesses and ailments. Fortunately, as far as we know, the baby seems to be doing well.

Now that we're back, I've just started to reflect on our almost three years in Samoa. I drafted an article (that may or may not be published) for the Engineers Australia magazine. The article is reproduced below and I hope you'll find it an interesting account of life (with a work focus) in Samoa.

A Long Samoan Honeymoon

In March 2008, I ventured to the Pacific Island paradise of Samoa. It was a 12-month placement as a Hydrology Engineer with the Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD) program. Little did I know that almost three years later I’d still be there... as a rural water supply technical adviser... married... and with a child on the way.

It started out as a short tropical adventure. I’d been working in Scotland for two years and by the second winter I was in need of some sunshine. With five years engineering consultancy experience under my belt, I felt it was time to utilise those skills in a developing world context. I hadn’t planned on Samoa, but with my ‘bronzed Aussie look’ slowly fading, who was I to second guess such a providential assignment?

1. Volunteering with the Samoan Government

I was to work with the Water Resources Division (WRD) of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, a division that had only been established in 2006. The WRD was set up to lead the Samoan Government’s management of the nation’s water resources, and I was tasked with developing their ability to undertake hydrological monitoring and assessment. My counterpart was responsible for two other office-based staff and up to ten field staff.

I had been prepared to undertake the tasks specified in the work plan, such as providing training on flood risk analysis, establishing a yield assessment program and specifying sustainable water extraction rates. However, it soon became clear that there were other more pressing issues.

2. More Pressing Issues
Firstly, the existing hydrological monitoring network was very small. The Division operated only three river flow monitoring stations and five rain gauges throughout the whole country, with no water quality monitoring program or groundwater monitoring boreholes. The national hydrometric network had lacked long-term funding support, after the initial injection of funds in the 1970s saw up to twenty flow stations and thirteen rain gauges in operation.

Secondly, the data that was collected was of poor quality. Field measurements were often sloppy, very little information was documented, and large amounts of data was lost due to equipment malfunction or poor filing. Once in the office, data was neither centrally collected, nor registered and checked.

Thirdly, the majority of historical data had been destroyed during the major cyclones that hit Samoa in 1990 and 1991. What remained of the hard copy historical data was left gathering dust in filing cabinets, vulnerable to any future natural disasters.

And finally, there was little awareness amongst staff of the value of hydrological data and the purpose behind their monitoring. The Division didn’t really know their clients, and their clients hardly knew them!

3. Time for Action

So, with the help of regional partners from the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) and the European Union-funded Water Sector Support Program (WaSSP), we began to develop the Division. Field equipment provision and short-term intensive training support from SOPAC kick-started the improvement of data collection. We began weekly training sessions on Fridays to consolidate the learning in previous weeks. We installed a number of new monitoring sites at locations agreed to by key stakeholders and donor partners. We began processing the large amounts of historical flow and rainfall data, even initiating a monthly competition to provide incentives for the most productive and accurate digitisers. Soon, the team had developed patterns of operating that could be documented and collated into an operation manual.

By the end of twelve months, I had written the Division’s first Data Management Manual, specifying the procedures for managing the increasingly large amounts of hydrological data being collected. We had registered, digitised and checked all of the available historical data, adding it to the now well-established national hydrological database. We had conducted several in-house training sessions on the value of hydrological data, the principles of data management, and the basics of GIS mapping. We were also now collaborating with the Electric Power Corporation on the long-term monitoring of potential hydropower sites. Oh yeah... I’d also just proposed to my girlfriend Heather: an AusAID posted officer I’d met six months earlier!

4. Time for Change

For several reasons then, I extended my placement as an Australian volunteer in Samoa. At eighteen months, I was married and honeymooning in Thailand and Laos when I received an email urging me to consider working for the Independent Water Schemes Association (IWSA). The WRD was at that stage operating fourteen river flow monitoring stations, fourteen rain gauges, ten routine water quality monitoring sites and three newly-constructed groundwater monitoring boreholes. Considering the benefits of stepping back from such a hands-on role with the WRD, and the needs of the newly-established and very small IWSA, I agreed to a part-time arrangement: three days with IWSA and two days with WRD.

At two years in Samoa, I was providing technical advice to village-managed water supply schemes while offering occasional support to the WRD’s hydrological monitoring program. While at the IWSA, I was fortunate enough to oversee the upgrade of five rural water supply schemes and finalise the conceptual designs for another thirteen schemes. Also at that time were the final consultations for Samoa’s Water Services Policy, of which I was able to provide input. I could hardly believe I’d found a job where I could both work on valuable grass-roots projects while also having access to national policy discussion!

5. Time to Leave
But like most good things, it had to come to an end. Heather’s posting was due to finish in early-2011, around the same time our baby is due. We agreed that late-2010 was a good time for us to come home.

So we’ve only just said goodbye to Samoa. It was a much longer and more rewarding honeymoon than I’d expected. Yes, international development work can be hard and slow. I was very fortunate though to be placed in a well-supported (and well-funded) setting where, after almost three years, I have seen measurable progress. It has been satisfying to see some tangible development of the water sector in Samoa. In the big picture, I played quite a small role. Nevertheless, I hope my contribution has made some sort of positive impact in the long-term. I think that’s one of the main reasons I became an engineer.

Latest News on the Home Front...

2010-08-03T13:58:00.000-07:00

Two Weddings and No Funerals

2010-07-10T22:58:00.000-07:00

My latest 2.5-week adventure to Australia in June was to celebrate the weddings of two great friends of mine: high school friend Dzung (pronounced ‘Yoong’) and HSC Study Camp friend Tim. Fortunately for me, I could combine the two events in one flight from Samoa (what an environmentally conscious move... :-)

I arrived in Sydney on Friday afternoon, met Dzung and his fiancée Ruth for a combined Bucks/Hens BBQ on Saturday at lunch, and celebrated their wedding the next day. We almost didn’t make it – had Ruth not separated Dzung and I chatting religion and philosophy for hours on Saturday night...

1. Dzung & Ruth: a beautifully personalised masterpiece
Dzung and Ruth have been together for about 4.5 years, and are very well suited to each other. It was a pleasure to see them publicly declaring their individually prepared vows in a beautifully personalised ceremony. Set on a stunning outlook over the cliffs of Stanwell Tops, just south of Sydney, Dzung’s romantic masterpiece came together like the delicately interwoven strands of a great tapestry. Those floods of tears pouring over Dzung’s cheeks at Ruth’s graceful entrance were a sight to behold (for some amazing photos of the day, check out http://www.vlblog.net/wedding-at-tumbling-waters-retreat-stanwell-tops-crystal-palace/). For those pivotal moments etched into our memories for a lifetime, this was one moment to stake a memory flag (especially for Dzung: my big flag was almost 12 months ago but it’s still fresh)!

During the lunch, I was able to share a few of my impressions of Dzung: his fine intellect, his high standards, his irrepressible romantic tendencies, his strength, his near-metrosexuality, and his deep thinking. I likened Dzung’s question-posing abilities to one of the great question-askers: Jesus. A dialogue between the two of them could go something like this…

Dzung: Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
Jesus: Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.
D: Upon what basis do you claim that God alone is good?
J: Do you doubt the Biblical record?

D: Why are you so confident in an unscientific source?
J: …Why are you wearing a pink t-shirt?

The Vietnamese banquet later that night was certainly an entertaining cultural experience. The food was the main highlight (there’s no Vietnamese food in Samoa), though our MC/singer/entertainer had to be a close second. I’m not sure what was funnier… his attempts to work the crowd over the top of techno music, his spontaneous bursting into song, or his fluoro happy pants with chain-link sides. There were also a number of other memorable features… An hour’s worth of photos of the ‘happy’ couple with all the wedding guests in front of their personalized wall of rotating chandelier-disco-light. Their own karaoke-style video on loop as we entered… any Celine Dion song could have fitted seamlessly over the top. Dzung and Ruth were very good-hearted about it all and we really enjoyed ourselves.

2. Tim & Heidi-Jane: a musically-infused celebration

Tim has the wonderful inclination to invest heavily in his close friends, and the lead-up to his wedding certainly demonstrated this.

I was fortunate enough to share a spa and beers with him while watching NSW be destroyed by Queensland in the second State of Origin. Along with his mates, we spent a full day playing sport, eating and socializing for his Bucks Party, and watched Australia painfully draw with Ghana in the Soccer World Cup. We shared a meal with the rest of the bridal party after the wedding rehearsal – no sporting events involved. And the boys in the bridal party spent the night before the wedding drinking a fine selection of beers, playing pool, relaxing in the spa, toasting marshmallows, watching sport, and smoking cigars by the fire. Hmmmm… it’s amazing that we managed to wake up the next morning at all. Yet Tim awoke excitedly and before I was even out of bed, he was dressed… in my shirt.

The wedding itself was a musically-infused celebration, with both Tim and Heidi-Jane demonstrating their ample talent in song-writing, recording and conducting. It also contained the marks of Tim’s cheeky humour, by projecting the groomsmen’s hypothetical thoughts onto the screen in the final seconds before the processional…

I had the privilege of preaching at the church service from 1 John 4, looking at love: God-style. When there are so many conflicting messages about love in the public arena, I focused on the type of love God demonstrated through Jesus. I think Tim and HJ both possess the type of love that mirrors God’s love, and this should enable them to cultivate a strong relationship for a lifetime. With the amount of enthusiastic support demonstrated by their friends and family, they have the ingredients for a great marriage. They certainly got off to a great start.

Injury-Induced Bonding

2010-05-08T18:54:00.000-07:00

Brother Will in Samoa for a week. An opportunity for great fun and adventure with a close friend, right? Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves... Throw a torn ankle ligament into the mix. Crutches. Now these adventurous plans don’t look so promising.

Yep, my injury meant we couldn’t cycle around the island of Savaii or explore the more remote parts of Samoa. Instead, we consigned ourselves to reading, chatting and watching sport. Not quite the holiday us active young males were expected.

This (negative?) experience brought to light a question I had been concerned about for some time:

Is the quality of my close relationships contingent upon a shared interest (in Will’s case, physical activity)?

Testing Ground
This is an aspect of relationships I’ve noticed most between males (especially involving sport), and one I have been aware of in myself. Being a sporty person, I have invested heavily in others who also enjoy sports. Of course it’s natural that I’d have this shared interest as the basis of the friendship (at least initially), which I’d see as perfectly acceptable. However, for more significant relationships, I’d expect greater depth to grow to the extent that if the shared interest were removed, there would still be closeness and mutual value from that friendship. Will’s week in Samoa proved an interesting testing ground...

Glory, Girl, Money
He arrived in Samoa at 12:30am and was on the cricket field at 2:00pm for the second annual Samoan ANZAC Day Twenty20 Cricket Match between Australians and New Zealanders in Samoa. The noticeably more serious Aussie cricketers, led by our cricket-tragic High Commissioner, were first to bat. Will was opening batsman. I was consigned to the scorers role. I watched my brother dominate proceedings to the admiration of the High Commissioner (who freely made job offers mid-pitch). 19 runs with the bat and 2 vital wickets with the ball, he was almost in line for man-of-the-match, in a fairly one-sided affair... He took the glory that could have been mine!

Fortunately enough, despite my injury, we were able to do some exploring: a couple of waterfalls, a couple of walks, the volcanic Sua Ocean Trench and one of our favourite beaches. Though for half of these adventures, I was left while Will accompanied Heather to the more inaccessible parts... He took the girl that is mine (not really, but it reads better that way)!

Heather, Will and I took the opportunity to reflect and discuss a discussion booklet produced by World Vision New Zealand on ‘Living Simply’. It raised questions about our materialistic culture and its compatibility with Christianity. Even living in Samoa, we’ve not been immune to the drug to excessively consume, upgrade and indulge. It was interesting to note that wherever ‘Consumerism’ has flourished, religion/spirituality (of all types) has been squeezed out. We’ve been prompted to reflect on how our lifestyle and spending choices have wide impacts, to ourselves and others... By introducing this discussion, he took away my right to spend my own money with impunity!

My injury took away the physical element of my relationship with Will. As a result, he got the glory and the girl. He also stripped away any sense of pride towards materialistic success. This could easily have led to conflict had our relationship been based only on shared interest. However, conflict was only evident in our discussions on the ethical dimension of military intervention.

Firm Foundation
On the contrary, this experience only served to deepen my relationship with Will... We had ample time to share the big issues of life with each other... He could spend quality time with my two special ladies in our natural habitat... And this confirmed that our relationship was built not on our shared interest in physical activity, but on a much firmer foundation. I hope all my significant relationships are built on a similarly firm foundation, sore ankle or not.

Grandma's Nod of Approval

2010-02-02T23:34:00.000-08:00

It’s a family tradition that my mother’s mother, Marie (or Marnie to me), spends her birthday on an island paradise. However, Samoa is not usually on the itinerary. This year though, for her 84th birthday, Marnie did it. For five days, she accompanied my mum, Jill, for an adventure on a new island paradise.

As assistant chaperone to Isabel on the flight over, Marnie gushed with positivity and optimism for this novel experience. And why not? She got to celebrate her birthday, 22nd January 2010, twice!

Despite the late night and beyond the creature-comforts of Aggie Greys Hotel, she joined us for an evening on Salamumu Beach at Samoana ‘Resort’. The relatively basic accommodation and rock hard pawpaw at breakfast did not dim her excitement, and while she decided not to brave the hammocks for fear of involuntary entrapment, she was thoroughly enthusiastic about this slightly more authentic Samoan experience.

We cut our beachside getaway short to head back to Apia so I could play in an Australia day cricket match against a Samoan team. Despite being billed as one of Samoa’s best batsmen, I fell short of all expectations by getting out first ball! Since we’d agreed to give grace to those out first ball, I was given a second chance. I promptly got out second ball as well!! To a guy in his 60s…Yet, Marnie was still complimentary.

Church on Sunday was followed by a driving tour of the tsunami-affected areas, in the rain. Jill and Marnie planned to piece together bits of our family history, prompted again undoubtedly by their visit to the Robert Louis Stephenson museum the following day. His writings and influence are certainly an inspiration.

The wild, windy and wet weather kept me busy at work, but I finished the evening sick in bed. Four days travelling with my 84-year-old grandmother and I was the one flat on my back...! Maybe she’s still got a few things to teach me… Oh, to have a similar exuberance at her age… Fortunately, my Samoan life (and my wife) received her nod of approval.

Next year though, it’ll be back to Marnie’s original island paradise, Lord Howe Island. Come 22nd January 2011, I can only imagine the compliments that are to gush forth…

Relaxed Christmas Break in Australia

2010-02-02T23:18:00.000-08:00

Rather than go into the intimate details of our 3-week trip to Sydney and Canberra, here’s a highlights package…

Date Night 1: a surprise meal at the Park Hyatt in the Rocks, complete with stroll over the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Christmas Day: started with surfing, progressed to family present-opening (Isabel did particularly well!), church and a relatively small family gathering at our place. While it was low-key, unlike some of the Christmas lights we’d seen the night before, it was still special.

Hang-gliding: not really an adrenalin-charged extreme adventure, but enjoyable nonetheless. Heather, Will and I casually walked off the cliffs at Stanwell Park (south of Sydney), accompanied by a guide and a hang-glider. Perfect summer conditions made the whole day out with the family, including picnic lunch on Austinmer Beach, a definite highlight.

‘Wicked’ Musical: spontaneously purchased matinee (1pm) tickets for the extreme back corner of the Capitol Theatre in Sydney was inspired. One of the best musicals Heather, Isabel and I have seen, with its clever take on the ‘Wizard of Oz’ story exploring the nature of good and evil.

New Years Eve: an afternoon picnic on the grassy slopes near Fairlight Beach, with 9pm fireworks off Manly Cove, followed by midnight fireworks on the roof of the family home.

Food, food, food: unsurprisingly, food was a highlight, both in Sydney with my family and also in Canberra with Heather’s family. Mmmm… cheese… Heather and Isabel made an amazing gingerbread house. We even had food thrown at us, tepanyaki-style…

Bella Fella time: quality Mike-Isabel bonding time was had at Cockington Green. We were wide-eyed at the intricate miniature scenes and later gorged ourselves on food and lollies (don’t worry, a salad was also on the menu!).

Date Night 2: two lots of flowers (one purchased, one home-made by Isabel) greeted Heather at the door. I was there too. Beautiful food and company once again…

Chillaxing: between family-bonding time, shopping and eating, there was plenty of chilling and relaxation time. Interesting reading and mesmerising TV (Russell on ‘Survivor’ and yet another great escape in the Sydney cricket test)!

Earthquake and Tsunami

2009-09-30T00:38:00.000-07:00

For those wanting to know about the earthquake and tsunami in Samoa, we're all fine, but the situation in Samoa is pretty serious. A magnitude 8.3 earthquake occurred at about 7am this morning, approx 200km from Samoa, triggering a tsunami that affected mainly the southern side of the islands. We were just waking up at the time and it was quite vigorous and lasted a long time (about 1-1.5 minutes). Apparently there is massive amounts of damage to the south of Upolu (the main island) but there doesn't seem to be as much where we are in the capital Apia (in the north). There was approximately 15 minutes between the earthquake and when the tsunami hit. From the reports from eyewitnesses, it seems like the wave was pretty large (~2-3m). There was also another tsunami warning issued later in the day, but it looks as though that was a false alarm.

We've been at home most of the day and just listening to reports on the radio, but unfortunately the local radio stations are all in Samoan language only! Heather has been heavily involved in the response, especially with Australian citizens here. It's already been a long day for her and it looks like it could be a long night as well, with supplies and personnel being flown in from Australia arriving this evening.

We'd appreciate your prayers in regards to the people who have lost loved ones, for the recovery effort (both immediate and long-term) and also more specifically for Heather in her role.

Thailand & Laos Honeymoon: 9th August – 30th August 2009

2009-09-30T00:05:00.000-07:00

After our wedding day (see previous blog entry), Heather and I spent three weeks in Thailand and Laos for our honeymoon, hoping for a healthy mix of relaxation and adventure. To start with, we flew to Phuket and stayed for 5 days at a private beach resort away from the main tourist mayhem. We had our own private outdoor jacuzzi, delicious room service meals, shared gym, pool, lovely views over the water, and were treated to amazing complementary buffet breakfasts every day. We’d originally planned to spend the full 5 days chillaxing about in the resort, but once we discovered the scooter hire place across the road, the lure of adventure became too strong.

We soon ended up at chaotic Patong Beach, replete with its sea of banana lounges and myriad of sellers of every description. Heather had her hair braided very swiftly and cheaply there, but we were soon exploring elsewhere. While it’s an experience we’re glad to have tried once, we were happy not to repeat it… The following evening we stumbled upon another intriguing once-only experience: ‘Fantasea’. This cheesy extravaganza boasted light shows, music, dancing, singing, animal shows, fireworks, etc, etc, etc. The show itself was preceded by a buffet meal in its 4000-seat food hall… Every associated attraction was over-the-top and tacky, but mostly quite amusing and entertaining. It was sad to see two amazingly powerful (and rare) white tigers being kept in a lifeless and tiny enclosure. The performing elephants were impressive; hopefully they were treated a little better than some of the other animals we saw there.

We also booked a boat and sea kayaking tour to the limestone islands east of Phuket. Even though this was meant to be the quiet season, it still felt as though we were in a factory-line procession of tour groups. We were ushered here and there, waiting in line, observing boat after boat being led through the same caves and past the same cliffs. The scenery was pretty amazing, though the experience was tempered by the ‘lemming effect’.

After Phuket, we made our way north towards Chiang Mai via Bangkok by bus and sleeper train. We spent a few hours exploring Bangkok on foot. Then… assured of an amazing tuk-tuk deal, we agreed to jump in and explore the major attractions for 10 baht (AUD$0.40) each. While it started well, we soon began to realise that we were being directed towards suit makers and jewellery stores rather than tourist attractions. Our tuk-tuk driver ‘Nong’ became irritated at our lack of interest in these shopper’s delights. It turns out that they’d be given petrol vouchers if we spent enough time inside one of these accredited stores. However, we weren’t playing along! So, by the time we reached the next Buddhist temple, he dropped us off, picked up some other passengers and we never saw him again… We felt like we’d been ripped off! When we thought about it for a moment though, it actually worked out well for us – we explored more of Bangkok than we could ever have managed on foot… for free.

After our second sleeper train, we arrived in Chiang Mai to a pristine guesthouse and ultra-friendly owner and his wife… The highlights here were scootering, night marketing and elephant riding. We scootered up the nearby mountains to an elaborate Buddhist temple and the Royal residence and gardens, but got a flat tyre on the way up! One of the guys wanted to charge us an extravagant amount to call for help, but we didn’t have enough cash on us. Just when we thought we were really stuck, a much more helpful man called the guesthouse owner for us and they arranged a replacement bike. We were on our way again in an hour.

That night, we explored row after row of market stalls selling a massive range of crafts, clothes and food. It was quite a draining process by the end of it, but we managed to return with our arms full and only AUD$35 lighter in the pocket.

The following day, we joined some local mahouts (elephant trainers) for some bareback elephant riding. We were trained in the six main commands, fed the elephants to develop rapport with them, and then began our practical training. Heather and I were then assigned to our elephant for our trail riding: a slow plodder! We took turns at being the driver (sitting on the neck behind the ears) or the passenger (sitting on the back). These incredibly powerful animals were quite tricky to get moving, and while it wasn’t so much an exhilarating experience, they certainly commanded respect. The highlight for us was washing the elephants, who relished the chance to cool down at the end of their walk.

Our next adventure was the Gibbon Experience, located in the Bokeo Nature Reserve in the rainforests of north-eastern Laos. From the Laotian border, it was a 1.5hour drive, followed by a short boat trip, 1-hour walk, half-hour off-road adventure and another 40-minute walk to reach the zip-line network. We were given our harnesses, a few instructions and some directions before launching ourselves onto these canopy lifelines. It was immensely freeing to be flying along these steel wires way above pristine forest and deep ravines. We were given a lot of latitude to test out these different routes for ourselves – unlike the highly safety-conscious Western tourist operators. We stayed two nights in different treehouses, only accessible by zip-line. They were surprisingly luxurious, with mattresses, mosquito nets, showers, sinks and squat toilets (holes)! Food was provided by the local guides, who also took us on early morning walks to search for gibbons. The mornings began in beautiful cool mist. The stillness was disturbed on our first morning walk by the highly energetic and varied gibbon calls. We followed the sound through the dense forest, and fortunately Heather managed to get a brief glimpse of a quickly retreating gibbon. Surprisingly enough, there were very few other wildlife sightings on the trip, besides a bright green snake, a bounding lorus, a wide variety of butterflies and various oversized insects. The experience itself was wonderful, and for the nine of us in our group, it’ll be memorable for its beauty, excitement and speedy trekking.

Rather than opting for either the excruciatingly long slow boat trip down the Mekong River or the prohibitively dangerous fast boat, we flew by plane to the more densely populated parts of Laos. The five days we spent in the French-influenced town of Luang Prabang were some of the most relaxed and pleasant of our trip. We stayed in beautifully designed wooden bungalows beside the river and treated ourselves to French wine, cheese, baguettes and rambutans. How luxurious… We also embarked on some adventures, including mountain-biking to the milky waters of the Tad Sae Waterfalls, kayaking down the Mekong River to Pak Ou Buddhist caves, and climbing up to the top of Phousi hill in the centre of town. We had some amazing meals and also enjoyed the night markets, which were much smaller than Chiang Mai but probably better quality on average. This was definitely a place worth spending some time in.

On the way down towards Thailand, we decided to stop at the small tourist town of Vang Vieng, on the southern end of the mountainous northern region. Set in a beautiful riverside location and fronting onto striking limestone cliffs, this a popular stopping-off point for tourists between Luang Prabang and the capital, Vientiane. A favourite past-time for tourists is floating down the river on inflatable tubes, stopping off at various riverside bars for drinks, revelry and water swings. We opted instead for a kayaking trip that also included tubing through a partially water-filled cave. It turned out to be such a great option, given that we were also able to experience the riverside bars and water swings without being swamped by the teaming tourist hordes.

Our honeymoon finished with a long trip down to Phuket Airport, broken only by a short rendezvous in Bangkok again for a Thai cooking course. Overall, it was a wonderful experience and we were impressed with how well tourists are catered for: efficient transport, delicious meals, varied accommodation, and great value for money. We particularly enjoyed the mountainous northern regions of Thailand and Laos.

Given the excitement of the wedding, honeymoon and Heather’s sister’s wedding in Canberra soon after, it’s been tough to readjust to life back in Samoa. However, now that we’ve set up the house and are settled back at work, we’re starting to get back into more usual routines. Hopefully we’ll set-up some healthy patterns as Heather, Isabel and I begin life as a little family.

Wedding Day

2009-09-08T00:54:00.000-07:00

Wedding Ceremony of
Heather Dixon & Michael Wrathall
1:30pm, Saturday 8 August 2009
St Paul’s Anglican Church, Seaforth

What a day of celebration! Woo yeah… :)

While the preparation had not always been smooth, the final product was very special. Here is a brief summary of the day’s events.

The ceremony itself was held in the church that our family has grown up in – a fitting place since it has shaped me so much. Although having been overseas for much of the last 3.5 years, it was touching for me to observe so many familiar faces in the congregation: from friends I’d grown up with to the elderlies who’d held me as a baby…

Heather looked absolutely stunning (as you can see) and though I was struggling to hold myself together soon before she arrived, a few words & prayers from the best man later, and I was able to enjoy her exceedingly graceful entrance. The opening hymn, a fast-paced version of ‘To God be the Glory’ really set the tone. Heather was dancing in the front pew and I half-stifled a ‘woooh!’ at the end. I can see why they have rousing music to start off big sporting contests: I almost felt ready to launch myself into a rugby match…

Our church minister Colin reflected on the Bible readings (Psalm 127 and Romans 12:9-18), comparing the qualities in the Romans passage with their opposites. It’s summarised in the following link... It’s a tough list of qualities to act upon wholeheartedly, but a great challenge worth committing a lifetime to…

My friend Snowy and Heather’s friend Sarah prayed for us. If we’re to embark on a wholehearted relationship ‘til death do us part’, I think it’s so important to have our Maker involved and to follow his design instructions for us. It’s also reassuring to know that we’re not alone in this journey, with both God’s presence amongst us and the support of family and friends.

I also needed to say a quick prayer myself to still my nerves for the next part of the service: my special song for Heather. Of all the things I was most nervous about in the lead-up to the wedding, this topped the list. However, I also knew that this could be the opportunity to do something memorable and personal. Having rehearsed this the night before with my groomsmen, I was feeling a little more confident than earlier in the week. Once the song began, my nerves settled and it ended up exceeding my expectations. Though Heather didn’t raise a tear, I could tell she was moved. It was also great that the humour was appreciated and that many in the congregation were able to make out the (slightly convoluted) words. You can watch the song on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCaixo4gtgA, or read the words typed out in full below:

Precious Gem: Heather’s Song
It’s not that you’re especially kind
Though servant hearts like yours are hard to find
And though your motherly credentials are assured
For now this evidence can be ignored

And though you've an enviable pedigree
And this fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree
You may be doing iron mans til you’re 63
Or scrambling up cliffs that intimidate me

And though your outward beauty is slow to fade
You topped the class in sixth grade
You may exceed a photo’s expectation
Or smash a harried Bible examination

What matters is that I love you
and you love me (x2)

You’re my precious gem
A gift sent from heaven (x2)

You may be nimble like a mountain goat
Or a novelist when it comes to special post-it notes
And though you’re a typing tyro on email
If that’s all you were our marriage would be doomed to fail

You may bake a mean banana bread, though you wouldn’t boast
We’d all be content with some peanut butter on toast
Lucky for me you’re a proficient trunt completer
But even if you weren’t I’d still have got down on one knee for you

What matters is that I love you
and you love me (x2)
What matters is that He loves you
and He loves me

You’re my precious gem
A gift sent from heaven (x4)

[Adlib] + [whistles] + [final chorus x2]

Up until this point, we still weren’t technically married. We’d planned to build the expectation towards the main event and finish with a climax. We were also hoping to strike a balance between being serious and being fun – I think we found something that worked well for us. The vows were an amalgamation of the two Anglican Church order of marriage services. We take seriously the promises we made in public that day. It’s important to us that they’re public because we’re accountable now! Hopefully we’ll keep striving to live up to those promises…

We exited the church to ‘O Happy Day’ and were treated to a light afternoon tea in the hall. Unfortunately a cold change had arrived the previous evening (after two weeks of mild, still and clear weather) so it was too windblown to be held in the garden outside. We’d decorated the hall in our dark blue/silver theme and arranged a saxophone quartet to provide music. Unbeknown to most, they’d done an arrangement of ‘All My Life’ by K-Ci & JoJo, which was the song I sang on karaoke when I first met Heather. The words to the song were quite prophetic: “All my life I prayed for someone like you, and I thank God that I finally found you…”

We hardly had any time to enjoy the afternoon tea, squeezed between signing the registry and photo sessions. After all, we had to ready ourselves to clamber up a tree in full wedding regalia for an obligatory ‘mountain goat’ photo… Following photos and a short break at home to warm up (!), we joined the reception at Clonny’s restaurant (literally down the hill from home) after sunset. With 90 of us squeezed into a relatively small space, heating was hardly required, and neither was music (which we’d forgotten: I don’t think anyone really even noticed)! My uni mate Mick did a great job as MC and once speeches began, we were mostly on-schedule. Almost 1.5 hours of speeches later… and we’d run out of time. No bridal waltz, no dancing, no music…! I wouldn’t have changed it though: the speeches were wonderful.

Terry (Heather’s dad) offered a potted history of Heather’s life, while Jill (my mum) spontaneously shared her joy at the answered prayers of Heather’s friend Christine. Kristie (Heather’s friend and bridesmaid) spoke poignantly of their shared experiences, while Will (my brother and best man) humorously and eloquently recounted brotherly memories as the underdog. My cheeks were sore and eyes moist from extreme laughter and tears. I’m sure there were many in that room with similar physical infirmities. Heather and I had just to express our excitement and gratitude to those involved in shaping us and sharing this special day.

It certainly felt like the day rushed past, as many had warned us. So many people; so little quality time. In the lead-up, we had questioned whether all the energy required for the preparation of a large wedding would really be worth it. In retrospect, we were agreed that it was worthwhile. Preparation perspective was still important though: the small details that didn’t quite go to plan were insignificant compared to the overwhelming sense of celebration.

It’s been a great start to married life. I suspect that the majority of our lives together will not be quite as exciting. Hopefully this short-term happiness will be accompanied by another, deeper joy that can only come in the context of a lifelong, committed relationship. It might not be such a blog-able event, but is perhaps more important. I’m looking forward to this next challenge of developing a strong marriage and family. Woo yeah…

Wedding Bells

2009-02-10T11:38:00.000-08:00

My volunteer experience over the last 11 months in Samoa has been extremely enjoyable and fulsome, but nothing could compare to the events of Saturday, 7th February 2009...

Having been sick for the previous 2 weeks, Heather was looking forward to this day; finally able to break loose from the confines of the house for something adventurous. Since her damaged car had been mostly fixed (that’s another story) and Isabel was enjoying some sliding rock action with some of our other volunteer friends, the stage was set for something big.

We’d agreed on a wide-ranging Treasure Hunt, or Trunt as the Dixon’s like to call it, to test both her physical and mental capacities. I’d spent a good portion of the previous week designing the activity, which involved a series of ten clues and associated physical challenges that would be revealed upon the successful completion of the task set for each location. The Trunt began at 2:00pm in the afternoon and continued for six hours into the evening, ranging throughout the southern part of the island of Upolu. It focussed on the locations that had been especially memorable or significant for us over the last 6 months.

Some of the physical challenges involved somersaults into the water, handstands, being buried in sand, patting a dog (no mean feat here!), rock skimming and cartwheeling into the water. By the time we reached the final clue/challenge, the sun had well and truly set, and it was time for some dinner.

Following our carbohydrate-filled pizza/pasta, we entered stage 2 of the Trunt, which involved locations in and around the house and included clues from obscure Bible passages. Being the intelligent lass that she is, she moved quickly through this stage, only momentarily pausing at the washing basket clue which she comedically passed over numerous times. At the final clue, Heather received a poem that had been carefully crafted by yours truly. The end of the 17th and final verse instructed her:
Venture through the sliding door
Where something sensational awaits you…

She had been craving chocolate all day and was hoping/expecting that I would surprise her with a large chocolate feast. When she ventured outside through the sliding door, she was instead greeted with flowers arranged to spell “WARRY ME”… or that’s what she thought. It wasn’t until I got down on one knee that Heather realised the W was actually an M!

It was then that I popped the question. Before deciding, she had to check if I was sure (and also that I wasn’t playing a very insensitive joke on her). When she realised I was seriously certain, she responded with a polite “Yes, please”.

I had made a specially decorated origami box to house the ring, which was in fact a shell that had previously been stuck on her finger during one of our beach adventures. Well… it was meant to be that one but I chose the wrong shell! It actually looks nicer though and I think she got the right idea... :-)

Heather was completely surprised by the whole thing. She hadn’t expected a proposal until after we’d returned from Australia. Suffice to say, she is ecstatically happy. We haven’t made any concrete plans yet, though the wedding will be in Australia later this year. Our three-week trip to Canberra and Sydney will be a great opportunity to meet our prospective in-laws and Aussie friends and to pick up a proper engagement ring! Hopefully by then the reality of our engaged status will have begun to sink in.

Birthdays and Other End-of-Year Celebrations

2008-12-27T11:59:00.000-08:00

Late in November, I celebrated my 29th birthday alongside my German and French mates Christof and Arnauld. Held at Christof’s Colonial mansion, a beautiful white colonial-style house up the hill from Apia, we hosted a diverse mix of Antipodeans, Europeans, and Samoans. We managed to source a karaoke machine and coupled with a ‘karaoke stars’ dress-up theme, we saw some stirring performances. Most noticeable were Christof and Arnauld’s shameless cross-dressing, our Bee Gees version of “Stayin’ Alive” and an a capella version of “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls.

Consistent with the general news that leaks out from the Samoan Australian volunteer community, December has seen a surge in social activities. Adding to the usual social events, there are the many and varied work Christmas parties. These events are usually better prepared than every other work-related function. The Samoans seem to take particular pride in ensuring a super-indulgent feast for these occasions. I recently attended the meticulously scripted Australian High Commission Christmas Party, and Heather and I managed to win the prizes for the Best Karaoke Duo and the Best Dancing Couple. She can definitely take most of the credit for the dancing award…

For Christmas, many of us headed to one of our favourite beaches, Vavau, on the south of the island. We had an informal Church Service there on Christmas morning, which feature a Samoanised Nativity Skit. In between Christmas and the New Year, a group of 16 travelled around the island of Savaii over 3-4 days, half of us by bike. It’s something I did earlier in the year, but was such a highlight that we tried it again. This time though, we cycled the other way around the island. Memorable moments included an amazingly beautiful secluded black-sand beach, being treated to a Samoan feast of coconut crabs and relaxing in our favourite deep freshwater pool and waterfall.

For New Years Eve, we camped for free under a make-shift marquee at one of the nicest resorts in Samoa. It was a comparatively relaxed event, with plenty of chillout time in the hammocks and the beachside saltwater pool.

As the end of the year draws near, my thoughts have turned to future plans. So, I have now decided to stay in Samoa a little longer, working in the same position as I’m currently in. There isn’t yet concrete confirmation, but it’s likely I’ll be working as a VIDA volunteer for at least another year. The water industry here is moving in the right direction and I feel able to assist in that process. The work is satisfying and my colleagues are mostly young and keen. The lifestyle here is wonderful and the work-life balance is very manageable. My relationship with Heather is growing brilliantly, and I look forward to the masses of quality-time that this environment allows.

On a slightly more sombre note, quite a number of volunteers have recently left or will soon be leaving. I suppose this is the nature of volunteering. Many foreigners only stay for short-term assignments. I’ll have to get used to the process of forming new relationships and farewelling other friends. My intake have been a tremendous group of people with enthusiasm, a wide array of talents and high ideals. It’ll be sad to see many of them go in the coming months…

A Couple of Twists and Turns

2008-10-30T17:11:00.000-07:00

The last two months have taken a couple of twists and turns, for the better and for the worse…but mostly towards the better. Firstly, this period of time has been dominated by illnesses and injuries:
- I was hospitalised for a viral infection that hit me very hard for 24 hours and then decided suddenly that it’d had enough excitement for one person (my compassionate housemates found my curled-up fingers to be quite amusing);
- I gashed my foot while swimming in a crater lake. Four weeks later and this is still in the process of healing;
- A dry cough has been a companion of mine for three months now, and not even two courses of antibiotics and regular lime and garlic drinks can shake it;
- Stomach knots, lack of appetite and regular toilet visits have interspersed the latest week, which given my previous incidents, has been a relatively minor inconvenience.
Nevertheless, my spirits are still high, and I look forward to soon developing a resistance to all forms of tropical disease and pestilence.

The second turn has come from an unexpected source, in the form of an Australian diplomat. No, I haven’t been requested to leave the country or invited to be ASIO’s Samoan informant (though naturally I couldn’t tell you even if I was), but I could well be detained in Samoa slightly longer than originally planned. Her name is Heather and she’s been posted to Samoa with AusAid for 2-3 years. For the last two months, we’ve been engaged in more personal diplomatic relations, though it’s yet to be confirmed whether this is linked in any way to my sickness. Her dengue fever and tonsillitis are considered unrelated. I can reveal that the current status is considered to be very positive and the accompanying photo is attached. In order to preserve Australia’s close ties with Samoa however, further comment is withheld at this present time.

One other happening worth mentioning is the trip of my good friend Tim Harris. We spent almost two weeks exploring four of the Samoan islands; relaxing, snorkelling, chatting to both tourists and locals, hanging out with the Australian volunteer community and (as is our custom) tasting the iced chocolate. Some of the highlights included playing touch footy and cricket on the beach with a couple of local kids, an incredibly welcoming meal from a family in Savaii, hermit crabs on Namua Island, interesting chats with tourists on our first few days and a walk/swim at an upland crater lake. It was also a wonderful opportunity to relax and reflect on the last 6 months or so with a close mate. Great memories!

The Simple Life as a Volunteer

2008-08-07T12:59:00.001-07:00

Volunteering in a ‘developing’ country is meant to be hard, isn’t it? …Living in basic conditions, overwhelmed by needy people, cultural isolation and chaotic schedules, jumping from one disaster to the next. Five months down the track and this hasn’t defined my experience.

Firstly, Samoa could hardly be classed as ‘developing’. There are very few people who struggle for food and have nowhere to sleep. Fruit and vegetables grow almost anywhere and more than 80% of the land is customary-owned (family inheritance). The informal social security networks practiced for decades are very effective. Family networks only rarely allow one of their own to be outcast. I’ve witnessed much more obvious signs of poverty in Sydney.

Secondly, a simple life means that, if anything, life is less chaotic. Walking to work each morning for 25 minutes is much less stressful than negotiating traffic. No TV and a simple radio (with Radio National 24/7) frees up hours each evening and provides quality news and discussion each morning. Relationally-focussed people care more about you than what you can do. A strong Australian volunteer community based within 15 minutes of each other is a vibrant link to a familiar social, sporting and cultural network. While we may lack the luxuries of hot showers, fresh milk and a quiet neighbourhood, these are only small inconveniences. Daily life is simple, but good.

There are, in fact, other luxuries that can be appreciated more fully. Cultural activities like Independence Day celebrations, fire knife twirling and canoe racing haven’t yet lost their novel appeal. The outdoor/beach lifestyle enjoyed by many Australians is still very much a feature of life in Samoa, however the heat limits this mostly to the mornings and evenings. The serenity of weekend trips to beachfront fales… only 40 minutes drive away.

I recently acted as tour guide for my parents and uncle and aunty who were looking for a relaxing Pacific Island retreat. Armed with a hire car, some small gifts and a bit of local knowledge we explored the two main islands of Upolu and Savaii, as well as the road-less and dog-less (!) island of Manono. Memorable moments often involved the generous welcome of local villagers and the excited faces of kids being presented with a tennis ball. One particular moment stood out… relaxing on a balcony over the water, watching the sunset while local kids played rugby in the shallow water beneath. Priceless.

So life in Samoa is pretty good – better than I thought for a volunteer. Some aspects of work can be frustrating... I recently introduced a competition to motivate the casual staff to be more productive while in the office. With beers on the line, it’s amazing how efficient they can be! I hope that my task-oriented approach won’t rid them entirely of their contented and care-free attitude. Maybe there’s something we can both learn.

2008-06-13T12:43:00.000-07:00

Cycling Trip around Savaii

On the Mother’s Day long weekend (Friday 9th – Monday 12th May), a group of ten people, mostly Aussie volunteers, travelled with our bikes to Savaii, the largest of the Samoan islands. What a wonderful weekend we had! We spent three days cycling around this strikingly volcanic place, still bearing the remnants of three volcanic eruptions at the turn of last century.

1. Preparations
It started (and ended) slowly. Getting hold of a bike was a mission in itself. They aren’t readily available to hire because Samoans are notorious for bringing them back in pieces. Fortunately, I made a very good contact – an Aussie named Steve who married a Samoan and has lived here for twenty years. His bike repairer had an old, old bike I could borrow… for a reasonable price: 50 tala (AUD$22) I was told. When I met him though, the price had gone up… to 400 tala ($AUD176)! For 4 days hire, this was ridiculous. “200 tala”, he suggested as a compromise, but I refused. “100?” I wouldn’t budge. I was ready to walk away until he reluctantly agreed to 50. He had been determined to rip-off a palagi (I assume to buy an expensive Mother’s Day gift!), but he couldn’t get his way. I felt a little bit sorry for him, but only for a moment or two.

The plan was to arrive by ferry on the Friday night, sleep the first night, before beginning three days of cycling until Monday evening, where we would catch another ferry back to the main island of Upolu. The first (Saturday) and third (Mondays) days were approximately 50km long, while the second day (Sunday) was 80-100km long, depending on whether you took the shortcut or not. I was determined not to take any shortcuts, particularly since Steve had assured us that it was one of the most beautiful spots on the island. Our accommodation had been booked ahead at various coastal fales: they proved to be absolutely beautiful.

2. Day One

The first place we stayed at in Saleleloga had been wonderfully integrated into the coastal, rainforest environment. The fales were scattered along the coastline and dotted within the virgin forest, with tracks weaving their way past angular tree trunks and under wooden overpasses. The jetty jutted out 3 or 4 metres above beautifully still water among a series of little coves which were lined with overhanging greenery. The tropical warm water was interspersed with desperately cold patches where freshwater springs containing the cool mountain water burst to the surface. The food and the staff were wonderful, particularly when they agreed to have breakfast ready for us at 5:30am before our dawn set-off.

The highlights of day one were swimming in the still freshwater pool of Olemoe Falls (which were fed not from the waterfall, but from underground springs), and Alofaaga Blowholes, the (self-proclaimed) best blowholes in the Pacific, if not the world. Even though the sea was calm when we visited, the wave power against this rugged, volcanic coastline was still awe-inspiring. I’d heard of instances where people had been killed by getting too close to these, at times, unpredictable forces of nature. However, I was a little more concerned with the local Samoan lady who told me how she was not yet married, that she loved me, and that the gift of a drinking coconut was proof of her love. Had we not identified a massive hole in my rear tyre, we would have left much sooner!

3. Day Two
The second night was equally picturesque. Our accommodation was located beneath two towering trees and fronted a long white-sand beach. The lady who ran the place enlisted the help of her granddaughter and grandson, who were surprisingly capable and mature hosts. Those of our group who had set off ahead had spent the afternoon chilled out in the dining fale, while others (including myself) had taken our time to explore other places along the journey. This was to be a consistent pattern for Steve and I, one which would make for a very long Day Two...

I had said that I was determined not to take any shortcuts, but on the second morning I was already very sore. It wasn’t looking good. Fortunately, Steve had packed some foam for the bike seat, but this only reduced the pain slightly. Not long into the ride, I began chatting with a local kid who was also on a bike, and he invited me to his family home. I accepted his offer, and was soon sitting cross-legged with his parents eating egg sandwiches and drinking kokosamoa (a hot chocolate drink). Fortunately, the only two people trailing me, Steve and Saju (also the only non-volunteers in our group), saw me and decided to join our little gathering. We ended up being given a whole 2-litre bottle of kokosamoa, which was a tremendous source of energy for our trip. The drink stayed warm because of the heat, which was quite intense between the hours of 10am – 4pm.

The three of us took almost every detour we could find – our first shortcut saw us trudging along a sandy road at the local village church’s instruction. After a painfully slow walk up the steep hill out of that village, we enjoyed a fantastic downhill to the remote and idyllic world of Faleolupo. We spent two hours lazing amongst brilliant white sand, palm trees and fresh local food. This was also the final location on the planet to see the end of the previous millennium, a celebration that far exceeded the modest expectations of Samoa’s tourism authorities. We could have spent the whole day there, but after swimming and eating, we knew we had to move on.

The next major highlight was the slightly more developed town of Vaisala, whose hotel balcony overlooked an aqua-blue beach perfect for lazing about and paddling. The three of us enjoyed some well-earned cold drinks and valuable shade. Unfortunately, Saju’s knee was playing up, and since it was already 3pm with a further 2-3 hours of cycling to go, he decided to be picked up by our support vehicle. After a quick swim, Steve and I continued to cycle/walk in what was the largest incline and hottest section of the ride.

Despite our rapidly reducing hours of daylight, we still managed two stops to chat to some more of Steve’s mates. We even enjoyed Sa with a local family: fifteen minutes of family time in the evening devoted to singing, prayer and reflection. By the time we made it to Manase, our third stop, we’d been riding for half an hour in the dark, dodging pedestrians out for their evening stroll. We had time enough to grab a drink and a meal and have a chat to a few Antipodean medical students on placement, before collapsing for a well-earned rest.

4. Day Three
The final day was comparably relaxed – a flat, coastal ride in wet conditions through more lava flow territory. The lagoon on our left would have appeared more beautiful on a clear day: a good reason to come back another time. The highlights were visiting a village built on the rim of a volcanic crater, and stroking a turtle tethered at one of the coastal fales (after telling them they shouldn’t be catching these vulnerable turtles for the sake of the tourists)! We returned to Salaleloga in time for the 12 o’clock ferry, but first managed a quick bite to eat at the place we stayed on Friday night. Once all the people and cars were squeezed onto the ferry, we set-off and I soon headed for the comfort of the passenger seat of Ben’s support vehicle. Within minutes, I was asleep.

It had been a draining few days, but tremendously rewarding. We had seen some stunning scenery, met some very generous and hospitable people, and developed strong bonds with the other survivors of ‘Cycle Savaii’. Even in such a tired state, part of me still longed to go back again. A month or so later, the desire is still there. There may well be a sequel…

2008-06-09T13:50:00.000-07:00

Work Perspectives
Finally, I’ve got around to writing another blog post, having just finished my correspondence course subject on the “Theology of Mission” (quite appropriate given Samoa’s missionary history). In this instalment, I’ll be discussing my initial impressions of work...

1. My Role
The main reason why I’m in Samoa is to work as a Hydrology Engineer. Two years ago, the Samoan Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) established a Water Resources Division (WRD) to manage all of Samoa’s water resources. Their primary roles are to:
(1) monitor and assess the key surface and ground water sources;
(2) improve protected catchments and water quality through education and catchment management techniques; and
(3) formulate and enforce water-related policy and legislation.
I’ve been drafted in mainly to help with role (1), but also to build up the Division in general. It’s a pretty good deal for them: they get me for free, and can do with me what they like… within reason. In reality, I’m already working harder than most of the staff would feel comfortable with, and this is the most chilled-out I’ve been since I graduated. Keep in mind that this is a Government department in a Pacific Island – I never anticipated a particularly stressed out work environment!

2. Impressions
Having said that, compared to many other workplaces in Samoa, they’re a pretty keen and positive group. I’ve joined the team at a time when their day-to-day roles are now quite well defined, but there is still a lot of scope to try new things and develop in different directions. Any bad habits haven’t yet been deeply ingrained and they expect that I will be providing additional guidance and training.

Yet I am not the only one involved in this process. They seem to have a massive number of outside consultants involved in short-term activities. For half of my first two months, we were accompanied by international experts who provided specialised training. While this short-term training is usually very good, there may not be enough attention given to putting it into practice, meaning that much of the benefit is lost.

One of my most important roles is to ensure that the training isn’t wasted, and that any recommendations are implemented before the next “mission”. I’m also making sure that their flow and rainfall measurements are accurate, stored properly and backed up, which has been a problem in the past. I recently completed the first draft of a Data Management Manual, which details the processes that should be followed to ensure data integrity. It’s such a fundamental task, because everything else in the WRD depends on it.

3. Lightbulb Moment
Last week, I was involved in a “lightbulb moment”. A colleague was trying to understand groundwater and had only become more confused after speaking to the hydro-geology specialist from Holland. She had also just spoken to a Samoan expert and was really enthusiastic after learning from his experience, but still a little uncertain. When she spoke to me about how she understood a borehole to work, it became clear that she thought that Samoa was literally a floating island. I explained that we were standing on soil and rock, and that water was only found in the gaps between the particles. Suddenly the penny dropped and all this background learning became clear. It was really satisfying to be part of an epiphany moment like that. Hopefully there'll be more of those moments to come...

2008-04-07T14:24:00.000-07:00

First weeks...

After a flight cancellation and a 3 hour delay, the twelve of us AYADs arrived at Apia Airport in Samoa… a sleep-deprived day and half late.

Orientation
We were soon whisked off to a town centre hotel and then out to the tropical paradise of Lalomanu; supposedly one of the best ways to be eased into the Samoan way-of-life. Lalomanu is a popular beachside retreat boasting pristine white beaches, overhanging palm trees, some of the best snorkelling on the island and traditional Samoan fales (huts with no walls) lining the shore. If you’re imagining Pacific Island tourist brochures right now, you’re on the right track.

We met some of the AYADs from the previous intake between snorkeling, throwing balls and frisbees, eating food, playing beach cricket, chilling out and chatting. We were treated to some energetic Samoan dancing on the Saturday evening. I could hardly believe how they managed to keep such natural smiles on their faces while exerting so much energy. I couldn’t help but smile myself. ;)

Week One: House + Easter
Unlike the Samoan dancers, our first week was very chilled out, but this is Fa’a Samoa – the Samoan way. The greatest achievement is that I’ve found a place to stay… It’s a two storey, wood-paneled house on the main road to the east of Apia, opposite a sports complex and only 25 minutes walk to the town centre. I’m sharing with two ladies and another guy, all Australian volunteers. They’re great fun to live with and they love to cook! Since Samoa is warm and humid, the house has open slatted windows on all sides, covered with the all-important fly screens. It’s great for encouraging the cool breeze, but terrible for sound-proofing. The backyard is shared with two other households (Samoan properties don’t have many fences, though the Australian High Commission is a notable exception!), and we are treated to the at-times comedic antics of a host of farmyard animals. This is great fun during the day, especially when the dogs start chasing the pigs around the house. At nightfall though, the ‘zombie dog’ packs take over (bring a rock if walking at night!). By 5:00am, it’s the roosters that decide to announce themselves. Fortunately the subwoofer-enhanced buses don’t start until 6:00am, though some of the utes are just as loud. Let’s just say that it’s tough to get an uninterrupted night’s sleep.

The first week climaxed at Easter, which is a pretty big deal in Samoa. I attended Apia Protestant Church; the closest English-speaking Protestant Church to my house. On Good Friday morning, I read all the gospel accounts of Jesus’ final days, and was struck by the blatant injustice of his trial before the Jewish leaders. I walked into church and heard beautiful Samoan voices singing of Jesus’ greatness in the song “Above All”: the contrast was particularly impacting. Since attending this church over the last few weeks, I have regularly been inspired by their music and drama, as well as the fire-in-the-belly preaching of the minister.

Week Two: Language Classes
Our second week was defined by language classes. The highlight was attending a traditional kava ceremony at the National University of Samoa, where honoured guests (in this case, from Otago University) were welcomed with words of great Samoan oratory. One of our language teachers was the leading speaker, and she relayed to us palagis (foreigners) how she, with good humour, had to silence the responding speaker due to a technicality in her Samoan chiefly status. I’m learning that hierarchy is a visible and important part of the Samoan social structure.

To summarise other notable tidbits of my experience so far, us volunteers have learnt how to prepare coconut cream, to cook fresh seafood in an umu (slow-cooking underground oven) and to slide down waterfalls on our hands and feet. To burn off the excess of sugary, fatty foods, I’ve been either running, paddling, playing touch or ultimate frisbee every day other than Sundays, which is a day for church and Sa (prayerful rest).

Week Three: Work
I’ve just finished my first week at work at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE). In my next blogpost, I’ll reflect with more detail on this… suffice to say, my skills will be well suited to this role.

First Impressions
Defining first impressions of Samoa? Family, church, rugby, smiles, party buses, coconuts, ‘zombie dogs’, palm trees, pigs, roosters, heavy rain, voluminous clouds, rainforest, steep mountains, crowded ute trays, iafataga (skirt)-wearing bicycle-riding police, “It’s too late to apologise”, afternoon naps, super warm seawater, thongs, right-hand drive debate, sun, taxis, singing, Vailima (locally-brewed) beer, foreign aid, malo (hi)!

2008-03-12T16:28:00.000-07:00

Great Expectations for Samoa

In less than 30 hours I will begin 12 months as an Australian Youth Ambassador for Development (AYAD) in Apia, the capital of Samoa. On Friday, March 14, I'll be flying out to work as a hydrology engineer in the Water Resources division of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Meteorology.

To begin the Samoan version of my blog/journal, I though it'd be best to start with some expectations for the coming year. Then, when I finish my final post, I'll compare these expectations with what actually eventuated 12 months down the track.

So... will it be an extended summer holiday in a Pacific Island paradise or a hellish ride of misplaced hopes and derailed plans??

Hopefully neither. I wouldn't be satisfied with either a self-indulgent life of luxury or a mistake-ridden car crash in slow motion. My expectations for life in Samoa are...

1. Personal challenge. Having being forced to be a decision-maker while adapting to life in Scotland in recent years, I imagine that Fa'a Samoa ("the Samoan way") will have its own set of unique personal challenges. The things I'm most likely to find difficult are:

(i) the slower pace of life;

(ii) cultural Christianity (especially any unrepentant hypocrisy);

(iii) the humidity;

(iv) learning the language;

(v) balancing work, study, relationships (in Samoa & overseas), church, sport and relaxation.

2. Work goals. To be honest, I have very modest expectations about what can be achieved in 12 months. I imagine this to be the best I could hope for:

(i) improved coverage of flow gauges in rivers near major towns/villages;

(ii) slightly better trained young employees in yield assessment and water resource monitoring;

(iii) improved staff capacity, in quality and/or quantity;

(iv) greater protection of water catchment areas through public awareness.

3. Relationships

I have increasingly realised the importance of a strong network of relationships, and this will be particularly evident in Samoa. I hope to:

(i) develop the respect and trust of locals in all the social circles within which I am engaged;

(ii) minimise the cultural barriers to communication while being strong in my own identity;

(iii) prioritise key friendships in Samoa, without neglecting important relationships overseas.

4. Spiritual. Faith in God is on the agenda in Samoa, and I hope my own journey will be challenged and strengthened by being immersed in this culture. Specifically:

(i) compare what is being spoken and practised by Samoan Christians to my own expectations/ traditions and enable that to transform my expression of faith;

(ii) understand God's heart in the Samoan context and speaking out boldly but gently;

(iii) be engaged in positive social action, especially within the activity of the churches.

Since 2001, I have been hoping to work in a developing world context. This Samoan experience will have a large bearing on whether to continue on this trajectory. Hopefully there will be growing clarity on whether this is a path best suited to my skills, desires and priorities. Through the process of journalling, these factors may very well be revealed...

2007-07-14T00:53:00.000-07:00

Intriguing India and an Aussie Wedding Week

There is one major advantage for an Australian living on the other side of the world: every other country on the way home is on-route. This is one reason why another family wedding back in Australia (the second in six months) gave me a rather convenient excuse to pop in to India.

There were other reasons too: I have become increasingly intrigued by India, with its colour and diversity, its cricketing dependency and its culinary delights. Also of particular work-related interest is the acute challenges of water management in such a rapidly urbanising society. There were two other convenient excuses: my friend and West of Scotland cricket team-mate, Barrington (Barry) Rowland hails from Bangalore, and my ex-church minister and his wife also live in India.

While the trip itself was convenient, the timing was awkward: I left a painfully short Scottish summer for a monsoonal India and wintery Australia, my makeshift tour guide Barry was stuck in Scotland while I would hang out with his family whom I'd never met, and I would have to fork out for yet another flight back to Australia. Despite all this, the trip would certainly prove to be worthwhile.

On Friday 22 June, I flew out of Glasgow 3 hours late due to typically poor British weather, and subsequently missed my connecting flight out of London Heathrow. After standing patiently for hours in a number of different queues, I was fortunate enough to be booked on a direct flight to Mumbai the next morning which was due to arrive only 2 hours after my original flight. I arrived safely in Mumbai in time for a domestic flight to Bangalore... unfortunately, my luggage did not. This didn't arrive until Tuesday. In future, it's unlikely that I'll fly British Airways, and even less likely that I'll fly via London Heathrow if it can avoided.

The domestic flight out of Mumbai was also delayed by about 2 hours due to heavy monsoonal rains (proper rain, not any of this wet mist they get in the motherland). Barry's father had patiently waited for 3 hours at the airport. This was typical of his hospitality and generosity for the four days I spent in Bangalore. I was treated very well. The first picture shows Barry's parents, his cousin and his friend alongside me. The second picture shows a colleague who was my chaperone while I was in Bangalore, pictured in front of Barry's house.

I arrived on a Sunday and was hoping to visit a church service in the evening. I checked out the church next door to my hotel, but instead was pointed on to the nearby Sacred Heart Catholic church. Once around the corner, I saw thousands of people crowding the street in some sort of procession. In the midst of this swarming mass of politely-dressed Indians was a flowery mobile stage, upon which sat a priest (apparently visiting from Manchester) who was being showered with petals by four angelic-looking children. The procession progressively moved and then paused at variation stations along the route, where there would be either a blessing by the priest, tacky Christian keyboard music played and/or sung by a number of competing and cringe-worthy musicians, or there were some prayers being recited.

We were a major traffic hazard, although somehow vehicles managed to squeeze past the edges of the group, assisted by occasionally-animated police officers. When we finally returned to the church premises some 1.5 hours later, we were herded into an open air quadrangle. The surrounding buildings were replete with hanging neon lighting and the dirt floor also doubled as basketball courts. The formalities of the short service were lost on me, although I managed to have a good chat with one of the local guys there who had grown up in the church. I had, he told me, stumbled upon the annual Sacred Heart Feast, celebrated on this day by Sacred Heart churches around the world. This procession was the culmination of the 10-day feast. I'm not sure how this compared to other such events, but apart from being impressed at the crowds that were drawn and my chat with this congregation member, there appeared to be little there that commended Jesus to the general public. Still, spirituality seems to be much more in the public sphere in India.

My four days in Bangalore seemed to go particularly quickly. I was treated to a range of Indian foods, both from high quality restaurants and street vendors. I experienced the noises (car horns and Muslim prayers at 4:45am), the smells (spices or dead animals), the traffic (10 minute wait to cross one road), the spirituality (Hindu temples and religious processions), the TV (Bollywood!), the wildlife (cows lining the median strip), dodgy rickshaw drivers (bargaining for every last rupee), the affluence (palaces and 7-star hotels) and the poverty (beggars with disabilities).

On a day trip by bus to Mysore, I saw some glimpses of rural India and tourist India. I was impressed by the quality of sandalwood and silk products and the persistent salesmanship of the roving sellers who swarmed to the westerners! The ancient Hindu temples had stood the test of time, although the associated merchandise was awful: one man gave me a flower upon entry to "offer" to the god, and when I returned with a flower still in my hand he demanded that I pay him money to receive a blessing... I gave him the flower instead and said that I knew how to get a blessing for free! One amusing highlight was a motorised water fountain with lights and movements choreographed to a range of popular Indian and Western music.

From the chaos of the city of Bangalore, whose population has doubled to over 6.5 million people in the last 2-3 years due to the economic prosperity offered by the IT industry, I flew to Pune, a relatively tame satellite city to Mumbai containing only 4.5 million people. My ex-church minister and his wife, Graham and Heather Simpson, hosted me at the Bible Seminary where Graham teaches. Being closer to the coast, Pune experienced more monsoon rains than Bangalore, and there was hardly a moment where God's tears were stemmed. This enforced time off with my temporarily surrogate parents turned out to be a blessing in disguise, knowing that my week in Australia would be non-stop action. Other than being transfixed by books on Everest climb attempts, I was also invited to share how my faith impacts on my working life to about 200 residential students at morning chapel, and was able to watch the Wallabies beat the All Blacks in the first Bledisloe Cup rugby match.

Fortunately enough, there happened to be an Indian couple at the Bible Seminary who were also heading to Australia from Mumbai on the same flight as me. So, we squeezed five of us (including driver and compulsory relative) plus our luggage in a medium-sized hatchback for the 3.5 hour drive to the airport.

My Indian experience was overwhelmingly positive, although too brief. I was undoubtably protected from many of the potential pitfalls due to the experience of my local contacts. I found it to be noisy, busy, spicy, traffic congestionising, mildly chaotic, unsanitised, more openly spiritual, containing social class extremes and diverse. In many ways I found it refreshing, but in the longer term, it could be frustrating and draining. I would like to go back...

As expected, Australia was an entirely different proposition. I had a week to catch up with the comings and goings of family and some close friends, as well as to prepare for the wedding. This time, contrary to the last time that I was MC at a wedding, I would make sure to prepare well before the wedding day!

On the Thursday, I was fortunate to be able to head up to Katoomba for a day with mate Tim Harris, and we were treated to a surprisingly tranquil walk down the Giant Staircase and through the valley to Leura, just before the heavens opened. He also pulled off organising a sensational HSC Study Camp 10-year reunion that evening, which saw seven original 1997 campers converge on a cafe in Parramatta. On Friday evening, I also managed to surprise my mate Snowy at his 25th birthday party.

The wedding day on Saturday was absolutely stunning. Sunny, cool, clear blue sky, with virtually no wind: a perfect winter's day. I left the surprisingly calm but definitely tardy bridal party to find the church almost full with 15 minutes to go. At 10:50am, 20 minutes late, it was standing room only, and the bridal party were ready. And what an impressive sight they were. The pools of water rapidly filling my lower eyelids soon overtopped my woefully inadequate optical floodgates. The rest of my family were the same. Must be a genetic thing...

The service itself was top quality and really appropriate. It was clear that Kat and Pete were special to many of the people in the congregation, and that their family and friends were willing to support them in the public promises they were making. I was impressed by the genuine words spoken by their school principal, with whom both Kat and Pete have an impressively close and mutually respectful relationship. Our minister Colin expressed clearly what they were promising, although Kat less so... she struggled to get her vows out due to her highly emotional state!

After the usual photos and hasty conversations over morning tea, we were whisked off to The Mirage restaurant at Newport, overlooking the tranquil waters of the Pittwater. We were welcomed by a string quartet from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and treated ourselves to champagne and wine on the outside balcony overlooking the water. The setting and the food were immaculate. During dessert, there were speeches from both dads, the best man, maid of honour and Pete and Kat. They were all very impressive and complementary. It was a little bit disturbing to hear from the best man Mikey that Pete had previously bet and lost my sister over a game of cards... twice!

My brothers Josh and Will were MCs at the reception. Josh was particularly laid back and funny, despite his lack of preparation. Must be a natural. I'm not sure if he gets it from his father...

So the happy couple spend 10 days in Fiji before moving into their flat in Randwick. It was an exceptional start to their married life. I only hope and pray that the rest of their marriage can continue to be a great blessing. I didn't get my 20-rupee blessing in India, but the wedding was a blessing far more profound than what money can buy. With good hearts, wise heads and God's guidance, I'm sure their bound to be a vending machine of unlimited blessings!

2007-05-29T04:27:00.000-07:00

Shoulder Surgery Recovery

It's been far too long since I last posted an entry on my blog; partly due to the lack of photographable events to show off, and partly due to the fact that most of my spare time has been devoted to study (a correspondence course subject on the Old Testament).

The last five months from January to May 2007 have been dominated by a dislocated shoulder, which resulted in surgery and a slow recovery. I got tackled from behind while playing rugby in early February and my collar bone got pulled away from my AC joint. There's a couple of photos on http://picasaweb.google.com/michaelwrathall if you're curious. After two months in a sling and another 2 months of physio, I'm about 95% there: don't have the final range of movement and still a bit weak, but fine for most things.

I've been back playing cricket the last three weeks as captain of the second XI team at West of Scotland CC. My first game back was a dream start: I got my highest score of 122 (off just 96 balls) and we easily won the game. We won the next game and narrowly lost last Saturday, but it's the best start to our cricket season for a team that normally starts very slowly!

In the last few months, I've been fortunate enough to have a few visitors:

- Aussie mates Tim Harris and Steve Kopandy: I visited them along with mutual friend Dave Whitehead (and his growing family) in Berlin for a weekend, and then they popped in to Glasgow for an evening of fun and frivolity.

- A flying visit from fellow study camper Asheetha Chacko, who's been living in London.

- Justin and Susannah Ware: Aussie friends also living in London who popped in for a few days and treated me to some amazing home cooking!

- Harry and Sarah Weld-Forester: the not-so-newly weds popped up from Exeter and joined a group of others including Aussie school friend Amy Nancarrow to go for a walk (and a swim) at Glen Coe.

I also have a new flatmate - an Aussie from the Blue Mountains of Sydney. He's a friend of a friend from the cricket club and has been settling into Glaswegian life by working as much as possible! He works in hospitality, so our hours don't cross over terribly much, but we've been getting on pretty well.

I'll be heading over to India for a week from June 22 to visit Bangalore and Pune on the way back to Australia for my sister's wedding on July 7. I'm looking forward to seeing family and friends again, even if it is only for a week this time. With our family's second wedding within 6 months, this is becoming a bit of a habit!

2007-01-21T05:42:00.000-08:00

Parties, Biking, Aussie Celebrations and a Wedding

This blog really should be split into at least two or three entries with the number of bloggable events that have occurred in the last three months. For your ease of reading, they'll be grouped under the four headings above. If you're only interested in one or two events, feel free to just skip to them. Alternatively, if you want the whole story, they've been broken into manageable chapters for your reading pleasure. So... enjoy! Unfortunately, I couldn't upload any more than one photo, so for photos, check out http://picasaweb.google.com/michaelwrathall.

1. Parties

The end of the year seems to be the time when sleeping patterns are thrown into disarray by the sheer number of social engagements that crowd a given November or December weekend. 2006 was no different, with its inevitable concoction of Christmas parties that every social club and his dog decide to throw together. Two particular parties stand out for me (probably because they're the only two I've got photos for)!

Peter's International Student Flat Parties have garnered an enviable reputation for their longevity, cultural diversity and personal space invasiveness. The latest fancy dress party in November had an 'h' theme, to incorporate Peter's mildly disturbing fascination with dressing up (or should it be down) as David Hasselhoff. Fellow flatmates Paul, Eilidh and Mira dressed up as convincing renditions of Hitler, the Queen of Hearts and a housewife, respectively. I went as Homer, of the Greek poet variety, and spent half the night rearranging my rapidly unravelling table cloth. When people began scaling the walls of the hall and fixing themselves near the ceiling, I knew it was almost time to get some sleep.

Some weeks later on the night before my birthday, Peter, Paul and I headed through to Edinburgh for a dinner and ceilidh, for which I'd been keenly anticipating. The night started slowly, and we left Glasgow almost 2 hours late. We arrived to finish off the scraps from dinner and eventually headed towards the ceilidh by 10:00pm. By the time we reached the entrance to the church, we soon realised that the £7 tickets we'd purchased were no more than a donation (to a good cause, I'm assured), because the band had already begun to pack up! We ended up seeing the night through back at the flat and celebrated my 27th with some wine and whisky in the wee hours of the morning.

My official party was a lunchtime affair on Sunday at my flat. No dressing up was required, although it would have been difficult to avoid embarrassment. We played party games... including pass the parcel, guess the number of lollies in the cheap plastic container, pin the cricket ball on the aussie cricketer, as well as the After Eight dinner mint challenge relay, where we raced to slide a chocolate mint from our foreheads to our mouths without using hands. There were plenty of laughs, melted chocolate faces and leftover food!

2. Biking
Having accumulated some additional holidays from work that needed to be claimed before the end of the year, my work colleague Mark and I decided to head down south and test our skills on some mountain bike trails. A few days before I was due to head back to Australia, we drove past Dumfries to the Mabie Phoenix trail: a 17km red-graded mix of natural and man-made trails in and around hilly pine forest. We couldn't have picked a better day - the sun was shining, the air was crisp and still, and we had the trails all to ourselves.

There were plenty of long climbs that certainly tested our lack of fitness, being desk-bound at work for hours on end. The views were beautiful and the fast single-tracks were well worth the climb. I came over the handle bars just once when my front wheel lost traction on a sweeping rocky bend, while Mark almost came unstuck after a steep decent into a fast flowing stream. We tested our skills on a couple of the black-graded options, but we failed to negotiate the slippery conditions on all bar one of the routes.

At the end of the day, we had a couple of hours to investigate the double-diamond black run called the Dark Side, which has a reputation for its technical difficulty. It didn't take us long to realise we were way out of our depths. It was hundreds of metres of North Shore trails (raised wooden platforms) that got as thin as 10cm and weaved up and around the countryside at almost every conceivable angle. We were content with walking alongside. I couldn't even manage short, simple sections of it for fear that I'd come off the edge. It climaxed with the gap jump: about 3m high and at least a metre gap before the sloped landing platform... another option to which I happily conceded defeat.

3. Aussie Celebrations
On December 21, after spending a few days chilling out with my Aussie friend from Paris Natalie, we headed to Edinburgh where I attempted to jump on a plane to London Heathrow. Unfortunately, London had been shrouded in fog, and only long-haul departures were running from the airport. My flight from London to Sydney was due to leave that night; the problem was that I couldn't get to London in time. In the end, I flew out the next day, having stayed the night in London, but I missed out on Steve's bucks party. At least Christmas wasn't spent in transit and my body was saved from paintball-induced discolouration.

Christmas church services and Christmas Day lunch at home were all very enjoyable, being able to share some highlights of the year with friends and relatives. Will and I headed up north that night to visit my godparents in Copacabana, the Flatt family further north up the Central Coast, and our grandma at her farm near Taree. We enjoyed watching the Aussie cricketers embarrass the Poms, read books, cleared weeds in the back paddock, and played the obligatory game or two of backyard cricket. The slower pace of life and the natural wildlife, ranging from wallabies to ducklings and rosellas, was a refreshing change to the rush of the city.

For New Years Eve, Will and a group of friends headed down to Bradleys Head on Sydney Harbour, with direct views to the Harbour Bridge and the fireworks display. We parked ourselves in a sheltered spot for the day and were the most well fed, musical and celebratory group in our little area.

New Years Day involved a trip to Luna Park, for some good old fashioned fun with Katrina's fiance and his friends and relatives. Unfortunately, the evening was soured by an accident on one of the rides that involved an ambulance being called in.

For a couple of days, I visited the Scripture Union Family Mission (SUFM) down south in Gerringong, where I'd been a team member for the previous 4 years. It was like I'd never left, and it didn't take long to get involved in the activities. The talk I gave at the church service was directly relevant to at least one person there; a lady there has since given church another chance.

4. Wedding
The week leading up to the wedding went much more quickly than expected. I really loved catching up with friends, eating at outdoor cafes and soaking up the Aussie sun. The holiday lifestyle during an Australian summer is pretty hard to beat.

As part of the bridal party on wedding day, I had the onerous job of making sure I looked presentable before the cameras and smile at the right times. In the end, it was slightly more complex: the girls had choreographed a dance routine for us at the reception, and us guys had arranged a Matrix-style entrance to the wedding ceremony. The groomsman entrance was quite a nice touch (Steve's idea), and the minutes of practice throwing our sunglasses without looking really paid off...

The service was beautiful, and the bridesmaids in their electric blue dresses and the bride in a simple white wedding gown were stunning. I must confess, I shed a few tears when my sister Katrina walked down the aisle, much to Steve's disgust, who had been instructed specifically not to let any tears fall from his welling eyelids! It was a joyful occasion, and we were reminded from the Bible passage in 1 John 4 that we mirror God's undeserved love because he first loved us; not only in a romantic way, but sacrificially.

The reception at Cronulla RSL overlooked the beach on a sunny but blustery summer's day. The speeches were overwhelmingly positive, and it shows how right their dating relationship has been and how their marriage relationship has started in the best of circumstances. Steve committed the most humorous and obvious blunder of the day. When describing how he met Tash, he was previously keen on a girl whom one of his mates was also interested in. Instead of saying how inappropriate it would be for him to ask her out, he expressed how inappropriate it would be to ask HIM out. I'm impressed at Steve's boldness that he would leave it to his wedding day to finally publicise his gay phase...!

With Steve and Tash honeymooning on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, I flew out soon after for the slightly less exotic Glasgow winter. The memories and the suntan gained in those few weeks in Australia should hopefully last many moons.

2006-11-03T10:17:00.000-08:00

A Highland Long Weekend
If you only had 3 days in Scotland, what would you do to capture the essence of Scottish life? This was the dilemma faced by my school friend Dzung (pronoung Yoong) and I, as we planned his whirlwind tourist jaunt in the last weekend of October.

Typically, October is the wettest month in one of the wettest countries in the world, yet we still decided to venture north into the rugged and unpredictable Scottish highlands. What defines the beauty and history of Scotland better than the stark munros and stone castles of the north-western highlands? On a wet, windy and miserable Friday, we headed north and made ourselves familiar with the hire car as we weaved our way through narrow, picturesque roads.

We passed by the western shores of Loch Lomond, spent some chilly moments bounded by striking mountains in the stunning Glen Coe and were treated to a very civilised lunch on the shores of Loch Leven. What was meant to be a quick pitstop in Fort William turned into a more substantial visit, as we tried some of the local Scotch Whisky at Ben Nevis Distillery (which didn't agree with Dzung's palate!) and wandered through the ruins of a local castle. Since the eery grey of daylight would soon turn to the pitch black of night, we continued on towards the Isle of Skye, past the photogenic Eilean Donan Castle (left) and over the road bridge to Scotland's most popular highland island.

By dusk we'd reached Portree, the largest town on the island, and settled into an immaculate Bed & Breakfast overlooking the water. We headed into town where the local culinery selection was limited but adequate. We chatted briefly to an Aussie from Darwin and also sampled the local music of a young rock band at the liveliest pub we could find.

The next morning we rose to a beautiful sight: the wind and rain has stopped and the sky cleared enough to reveal an array of natural colours that had been dulled by the clouds of the previous evening. The weather forecasts had all predicted wind and rain, so to see sunshine and blue sky was an unexpected blessing. Dzung and I went into overdrive with our cameras, making the most of our digital cameras.

The rare appearance of the sun inspired us to go for a walk up to the jagged rocks of the Old Man of Storr, north of Portree. Before we began, the blue sky revealed the peaks of the near vertical towers of rock, shown to the left. By the time we began journeying through the pine forest at the base, the wasps of cloud had already began to coalesce at the mountain top. Fortunately for us, the clouds didn't immediately produce any rain, so we were able to enjoy the scramble around unstable rocky slopes without getting drenched.

The coastal scenery further up the northern peninsula made watching the road a bit of a bore - it took us much longer than expected. The folded rock sheets of Kilt Rock and the shafts of sunlight through clouds over Uig were the main highlights. By the afternoon, a steady drizzle had beset Skye, so that Dunvegan Castle on the west coast was barely visible even from a nearby vantage point.

As the day quickly slipped away from us, we decided to head back to the mainland and aim for Aviemore near the Cairngorm Mountains that night. We were waylaid somewhat by colourful sunsets (one of Dzung's photographic duties) and hitchhikers lining the road. One of our backseat vagabonds happened to be an environmental scientist from Australia - she's now a potential employee for the company I work for!

We passed Loch Ness in the dark and made it as far as Inverness before stopping for the night. After checking into a B&B with super-soft beds, we were treated to a delightful Indian meal overlooking the full-flowing River Ness. A trip to Scotland wouldn't be complete without a ceilidh (pronounced 'kaylee'), and we visited a local pub with live music where I participated in an ad hoc rendition of 'Strip the Willow', alongside a fairy and pirate dressed up for Halloween.

An extra hour that night asleep in the comfy beds was definitely needed, knowing that we would head straight down to Edinburgh for our final day. We passed through Aviemore and got a taste for the grandeur of the mountainous surrounds, but didn't have a chance to stop and soak in the atmosphere.

When we reached Edinburgh, we powered up Arthur's Seat and appreciated the panorama (alongside hundreds of others) on an unseasonally bright Autumn day. It was a shame that we could only spend a couple of hours in the nation's capital, but when you've only got three days...

That night, Dzung met some friends from church for 'tea', which had been surreptitiously planned as a surprise belated birthday party. Anna and Rosie designed a generous celebration replete with party hats and all 27 candles on the cake. We had great fun stretching our minds and sharing funny YouTube videos. By the way, what three letters can be put at the start and at the end of the following letters to produce a commonly used word: _ _ _ ergro _ _ _ ?

In other news, I will be back in Australia between December 23 and January 15. For you Aussies out there, I'm looking forward to sharing a sunny Christmas and New Year with you!

2006-10-01T04:14:00.000-07:00

A soccer career was never part of the long-term plans, but according to some (possibly deluded!) souls in my company, it's something that should now be thrown into the mix. "Why?", you might ask...

It all started when I heard about the annual Carl Bro (my company's) soccer competition, which was in Dublin this year. It sounded like a great way to visit Ireland and get to know other people from work, both from the Glasgow office and from other offices throughout the UK, Ireland, Sweden and Denmark. I also thought I could pick up some of the soccer skills developed in the highly competitive arena at church youth group!

I went along to one of the practice games, and proceeded to watch most of the game from the sideline, thinking arrogantly to myself that I could do better than half the guys on the field. When I finally did get my chance, with 15 minutes to go, I was an embarrassment to myself and to my country (who'd done so admirably in the World Cup). What looked so easy from the sideline, I made to look quite tricky. At that point, my Dublin experience seemed destined to be as a travelling supporter, rather than a player.
That was until I was approached by the captain to ask if I wanted to play in goals. The previous goalie had to pull out because of a wedding, and I was undoubtably the most useless player on the park. I agreed to give it a go.

In the 1.5 practice games, I let through 8 goals (two of them were particularly embarrassing). Not an impressive record... However, my place in the side was assured when our other goalie let through 6 goals in one half! My position had been confirmed by default.

Many of our touring party of about 30 soon got into the more 'social' aspects of the tour before even boarding the plane. Our Glasgow players and supporters would most often be found at the bar, and certainly lived up to their reputation as the biggest drinkers going around (although there was quite a bit of competition for the title).

After getting to know the 'opposition' at one of the old, traditional pubs in Dublin on the Friday night, the soccer began the following morning with a game against the favourites for the title from Leeds. We surprised ourselves at our competitiveness, and were narrowly beaten 1-0 from a goal that resulted from an unfortunate defensive error.

We then played the hosts from Ireland, who had a previous 'player of the tournament' in their ranks. Our first half was horrendous (maybe we were distracted by having to play in skins), and it was only a few fortuitous saves that kept the score at 0-0. The second half was an improvement, although the deadlock was broken from a corner that sailed straight over my outstretched arm and into the top back corner of the net untouched! Apparently this 'player' knew we had an Aussie in goals who didn't have much of a clue... To our delight however, we managed a return goal with 5 minutes left, and the scores finished at 1-1.

Our final group game was against a second-string Swedish team, who we knew we had to beat convincingly if we had any chance of going through. With the score 10-0 at half time, we knew we'd given ourselves a chance (I even came inside the opposition's box for the corners), but even the 12-0 victory wasn't enough, and we were content to play off in the 'losers' shield.

Tired legs and ill-disciplined passing let us down against Denmark, and we lost 2-0 late on Saturday evening (most of the guys were probably hoping to already be at the pub - in fact, some of them had already gone, and had to come back for the game). A free buffet meal and open bar that night meant that many of our team were rather out-of-sorts for our final game against Ireland (again) the next day.

We were struggling to field a team, as were our Irish counterparts, so we agreed on a gentlemanly penalty shoot-out. Since I was one of the few hangover-less people in our side, the guys had confidence in 'The Cat', which I had affectionately become known. We were down 1-2 early on in the shoot-out, but the decisive moment came when I got my revenge on the 'player' and saved his left-footed shot to my right. Maybe he would have had more success from the corner spot... One other confident save, and we managed to sneak through 4-3.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable tournament, and apart from the soccer, I particularly relished the chance to meet people from throughout Europe. It's also amazing what sport can do for gaining respect amongst my (particularly male) colleagues from the office.

So... I have been asked to contact 'football' clubs in Glasgow having let through a more respectable 4 goals in 4 games. A few moments of consideration later, and I couldn't bring myself to do it. What could be worse than choosing to stand outside in a freezing Scottish winter, with glory or shame held on such a knife edge. I'd prefer to be bashed up on a rugby field!

Having said that, I just played my first rugby game (at fullback, surprisingly enough) and we had our only victory of the season so far, 8-0. I'm very stiff and sore at the moment. Nevertheless, it was the right decision... The Cat won't be let out of the bag again til next year.

2006-08-25T10:34:00.000-07:00

I can't say mountaineering has traditionally been a common past-time of mine.... but when the Scottish highlands are as beautiful as they are, and two of my most visited friends are mountaineering tragics, it's difficult to avoid. It wasn't ice climbing this time, but the longest rock climb up the tallest mountain in the United Kingdom - Tower Ridge on Ben Nevis.

The touring party included good friend Peter "you can always sleep when you die" MacKenzie, his brother John "just give me a mountain and I'll climb it" MacKenzie, and John's friend Nicky "I'd prefer a rope thanks".

We had to get up early and were running on about 4 hours sleep following one of Peter's infamous parties the previous night. The anticipation of such a challenge overwhelmed any thoughts of tiredness. My level of preparation was typified by the fact that I forgot to bring a shirt... and shorts. Fortunately, the MacKenzie boys were far more prepared, and I now know the versatility of a white business shirt!

The journey itself was mostly a scramble up loose rock, squeezing between a steep crevasse or two, tip-toing along ledges, with the occasional steep and exposed climb to really test us novices. Mum, you'll be pleased to know that we used ropes in the two most dangerous bits, so I was never at serious risk of falling (at least not in the really tough spots)...

We began in fairly clear skies, but about halfway through the climb the clouds closed in on the mountain, and light rain made the rocks slippery and climbing became a little more tricky. There was one particular spot where there was a sheer drop on either side of a ridge about one metre wide, known as Tower Gap. Spectacular if you like that sort of thing, but I was fairly anxious, particularly since the rain had started to settle in by this stage. You can see Tower Gap in the photo alongside.

At one spot, we stopped for lunch, surrounded by thick cloud. As we started eating, the outline of the cliff faces slowly emerged out of the mist, like a faintly forming silhouette. Two minutes later, the clouds had lifted to the extent that we could see the entire valley stretched out below us. It was a beautiful, albeit brief, moment of clarity. For the rest of the climb we was shrouded in a thickly damp haze.

In the end, following a tricky little climb after Tower Gap, the summit arrived more quickly than expected. We were greeted by masses of tourists who had walked up the far more leisurely tourist route. There were people of almost all ages, some had taken their dogs, one girl was wearing beach sandels... We however, felt far more satisfied, having conquered the peak on our hands and knees up a "difficult" (the official classification of this particular ridge) mountain climb. I was both proud and relieved, thankful that I was accompanied by Nicky who was humble enough to ask for ropes in those nerve-wracking spots. A great first encounter with Ben Nevis.

This adventure certainly didn't dim my enthusiasm for more wild trips, so on a Tuesday night, five of us (including our fearless church minister DM) camped the night on a tiny island in Loch Lomond. Tarbet Island is only 100m off the western shore and is essentially a rocky outcrop the size of two tennis courts. We drove up after work, inflated our two boats, and paddled out just before sunset. DM had conjured up a fire by the time the rest of us arrived, and the two rainbow trout we'd been offered by a couple of guys on shore were soon cooking over the fire.

For Peter and Richard, it didn't take long before they were scaling trees and drumming up support for a late night swim in the still, murky waters. Charlie and I were eventually persuaded, but none of lasted too long in the chilly waters when we knew that a fire awaited our return. After a damp night, we were up at 6am and back at work by 9:00, which was a mildly disorienting experience. About mid morning, Peter and I began to feel the effects of the slightly uncooked fish of the previous night, although I didn't regret one mouthful. Freshly cooked fish, even if it is a bit raw, is a rare delight.

On one final note, The Edinburgh (International/Fringe/Book/Politics) Festival of the last few weeks has also been a highlight. I managed to get to a couple of comedies and "The Screwtape Letters" by CS Lewis performed as a play. Each of them was high class, and the number of other cultural events and social activities was immense. I'm amazed they can fit so much into such a compact city, but I guess it's why the place is totally transformed during August.

2006-07-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

For any sports fans out there, it's an exciting time right at the moment... the soccer world cup is coming to a climax, Wimbledon has begun, and the world tug-of-war championships will soon be on in the Netherlands (a few sleepless nights there, I'm sure). I was fortunate enough to taste some of the world cup action in Germany over the last couple of weeks, and hopefully after this blog I will have left many of you diehard fans who couldn't make it to Germany drooling. (I apologise to those who have no interest in the Australian team, because this is rather one-eyed).
When Australia played Japan on June 12, I was still in Scotland at work, in a meeting, knowing that the Aussies were down 1-0. At this stage, I was contemplating how fruitless my trip to Germany would be if Australia lost, given that Brazil and Croatia were likely to be even more difficult opposition. For me and the lucky Aussies who had tickets, the first World Cup finals appearance in 32 years, starting with the come-from-behind 3-1 victory over Japan, was to be a particularly memorable experience.

Filled with optimism after the opening game, I arrived in Munich a few days before Australia were due to play Brazil, and I was amazed at the patriotism and excitement in the city (particularly from the noisy Brazilian fans). So I went out a bought the biggest Aussie flag I could find. I had heard about the heat in Germany, and I soon realised that my thick, long-sleeved Aussie jersey was not conducive to the conditions (although it'll be great for the rugby match between Australia and Scotland in November).

I stayed with Lok Man, a generous high school friend who has been living in Munich for about 6 months. We drove down to Lake Walchensee, south of Munich in the Alps, and climbed a picturesque mountain overlooking the lake. We managed to catch up with some of the other North Sydney Boys from the class of 1997 over a 1L stein (or a 'mass'), although it would take until the final group game (Australia vs Croatia) for us to realise that there were probably about 15 of us taking a similar route, following the Aussie team around Germany.

Some of the NSB group had tickets to all the group games, but for those of us, like me, who weren't so organised (or lucky), we could go to the official 'fan fest' areas where they would show the games on a large screen or three. In Munich, for Australia vs Brazil, the fan fest area was hardly capable of holding the masses of supporters in yellow and gold. Lok Man and I managed to find our way into the main area during the Japan vs Croatia match, although the heat and the crowds made it almost unbearable. A thoughtful attendant started spraying us with water before the match, although he was probably a bit too enthusiastic and most of us ended up absolutely soaked and frantically trying to protect our cameras and mobile phones. Some people tried an alternative method and started jumping into the nearby lake.

I thought Australia were brave in their 2-0 loss, even with Brazil not performing at their peak. The highlight for me though was the samba moves and rhythmic beats of the Brazilian fans, who seemed to use any excuse to party. Before heading to Stuttgart, I travelling down south again to the Neuschwanstein Castle, made famous by Disney. Although it was 6 hours of travel by train and bus, it was worth it to experience the magical castle amidst towering moutains and cascading waterfalls.

The expectation in Stuttgart was probably more evident than the previous game, given that this would decide who would progress to the next round. Although there were tens of thousands of Aussies travelling with the team, we were severely outnumbered by the Croatians, many of whom live permanently in Stuttgart. At the Fan Fest, which was significantly larger than in Munich, we would have been outnumbered by at least 5-to-1. There was one particularly vocal section of Aussie fans, which we promptly joined, and it was a game where both sets of fans had the opportunity to take turns in seeing who could cheer the loudest. It was such a see-sawing contest, with high levels of drama and excitement, that I was starting to wonder if our small contingent of Aussies could cope with the hoards of angry Croatian fans if we got through... However, we were pleasantly surprised at their gracious response, and other than being showered by some beer, we were left unscathed, and very jubilant (both at the result and at our safety)!

The word was that 1500 tickets were due to be released for the round of 16 match against Italy by Football Federation Australia, at a soon-to-be designated location in Stuttgart. By 9:00am on Saturday morning, Australian fans would be told of the ticket sales outlet via the FFA website, and would be allocated on a first come-first served basis. Our group tried to second-guess the FFA, and lined up near the stadium, only be tipped off at 8:55am that 300 people plus media were already congregated at a hotel in the city! Having piled eight people into the one car, we raced into the city, only to be greeted with massive queues, and some other equally panicked Aussies. We needn't have worried, because 4 hours later we had passes in our hands, and there will still plenty of other joyous fans behind us with tickets as well.

Before heading to Kaiserslauten for the game, three of us travelled an hour south of Stuttgart to a music festival that evening, and saw brilliant performances from 'Live', 'Ben Harper' and 'Muse'. We camped the night in rather crowded and noisy conditions, but got on-side with the Germans alongside us, once they'd had a few beers...

The small town of Kaiserslauten (partly made up of American troops based there) was bursting with people on the day of the game. The town centre was like a human carpark, and the walk up the hill to the stadium took far longer than it should have. We were fortunate enough to be part of a huge group of Aussie fans, almost exclusive dressed in green and gold, and willing to fully participate in the singing and cheering. We happened to be sitting nearby Ken Sutcliffe - it's encouraging to know that average punters like us have access to similar seats to sports commentator legends like old sexy eyes himself!

The stadium itself is fairly well enclosed, so the noise we generated was amplified even more than in some of the larger arenas. We were generating plenty of sound thoughout the entire game, which I think Australia controlled for the most part - the Italian fans seemed to have far less to cheer about. We were looking forward to an extra half an hour of extra-time, where it seemed almost guaranteed that Australia's fitness would see them score a decisive goal, when the unthinkable happened... a dodgy penalty in the box with 10 seconds to go. It even looked a little dubious from our vantage point on the other side of the stadium. The Australian contingent stood silent for the first time in the match. There was still a glimmer of hope that goal keeper Mark Schwarzer could pull off a save like in the Uruguay qualifier, but the shot was far too good. It was very disappointing that such a great World Cup campaign by the Aussies was brought to an end so suddenly and controversally. Nevertheless, the team had exceeded most people's expectations, and they responded to the defeat in a gracious way.

I flew out of Munich the following day, and was back at work in Glasgow the day after that, so my German rendeszvous was over just as quickly as the soccer team's exit. The whole experience was quite surreal, but I was particularly impressed that there was such passionate support for the teams, yet there was no major violence or bitterness. This will probably be the last major trip I'll be able to make between now and the end of the year, where I'll be taking three weeks off for my brother Steve's wedding in Sydney in January. From now on, it'll be short weekend trips in and around Glasgow, so future blogs may not be so 'exotic'. Some of my Scottish friends may object to the assertion that Scotland isn't exotic, particularly during summer, but if I stumble upon exotic locations in Scotland, I will keep you posted!!

2006-06-04T04:43:00.000-07:00

Blog number 2, and I've finally got some photos to share of the wedding for which I was best man on April 8.. so this'll be the main focus of this blog (all the girls will be particularly pleased!)

Harry is a great friend of mine and we spent a lot of time together at Edinburgh University in 2000-2001, and stayed in touch ever since. He's an enthusiastic, positive and Godly guy, who met his (now wife) Sarah on the plains of Tanzania while Scottish dancing!

They got married in a beautiful service in Sarah's home town between Durham and Newcastle. The weather was amazing - it was literally four seasons in one day, and when the bridal party arrived, massive snow flakes were falling! Sarah had always wanted to have a white wedding... The Bible reading was also particularly appropriate - part way through the Bible reading, the congregation started laughing, because Psalm 148:8 was so appropriate (you'll have to check it out yourself).

Being the best man, I had charge of the rings, and as a surprise I covered the box in bright green fur and showed it to the whole congregation, some who were amused, while the rest were undoubtably bemused. Harry is a bit of a clown (he does juggling and rides a unicycle for kids parties) and he has a box also covered in brightly coloured fur with all his juggling gear in it. He thought the ring stunt was brilliant.

I was quite nervous in the lead-up to the best man speech, particularly since there were 176 guests, I was the 3rd and final speaker, and it was in a huge hall with no microphones and I had a sore throat and had been recovering from a cold that week. It ended up going really well, got plenty of laughs, and a lot of positive feedback. I presented Sarah with a massive wooden spoon to use on Harry if he's naughty - Harry used to get hit on the bum with a wooden spoon if he was naughty, but his mum kept on breaking them on his backside!

The whole event, with the family dinner on the night before and the bucks night before that, made it a very tiring affair, but it was all worthwhile. The happy couple were in Paris for one night before travelling to Tunisia for 10 days. They're happily settled down in Exeter, but still haven't used the BBQ I got them as a wedding present...

In other news, I have been working as part of the river engineering team at the consulting engineering company 'Carl Bro' on a flood prevention scheme. I finished the draft report at 4:55pm on Friday, which was a big relief! From next week, I will be working on secondment for Scottish Water for 2-3 months near Edinburgh, which will mean an extra 2.5 hours travel each day (at the moment, I live right next door to work). I'll be working in a team of six, determining what implications a new European Union water directive has for the use of water in Scotland. It sounds like very interesting work.

The photo above shows a group of friends that I had over for dinner. It includes my flatmate Mike, my friend Peter (who a knew from Edinburgh Uni 5 years ago), two of Peter's flatmates and another friend. By the way, all of them (apart from Mike) tried my cooking, and they're all still alive to tell the tale. Peter has been sick for the last week or so, but I'm sure it's unrelated...!

My flatmate Mike and I have been getting along well. We're meeting a lot of each other's friends and introducing each other to new things (he now knows a bit more about cricket, and I've been able to see some of the more scenic parts of Glasgow with him). He's an Aberdonian, but he's breaking the mould of their traditionally cold receptions...

I don't think I'll buy a car while I'm here, so I've been getting around by bicycle most of the time. I bought this bicycle new for £140 and it has been a well-used investment. I've already cycled to Edinburgh from Glasgow (all 60 miles) along the canal, which was amazing. Since then, I have invested in some bike pants, because the last couple of hours were agony!! I have explored quite a bit of Glasgow, and I'm planning to cycle north to Loch Lomond on Thursday night after work. It should take about 3 hours, but since the sun doesn't set until about 10pm, I should still have plenty of time to see the scenery in daylight.

Today I went with Mike and his friend Jo just north of Glasgow, to Mugdock Country Park and we had a beautiful day exploring the historic ruins of two castles - Craigend Castle used to be a zoo that suffered from 4 years of poor weather, forcing it to shut and go into disrepair! Mugdock Castle was the second most important castle in Scotland in the 17th Century behind Stirling Castle, but it is now just a shell of its former self. On the way, I managed to get friendly with some highland cows, and clamber alongside some of the kids on the obstacle course. True to the Aussie reputation, I showed no shame... or fear!

2006-05-01T13:04:00.000-07:00

...Into my fourth week in Glasgow, and I've got myself a job, a flat, a flatmate, a church, a laptop, a (borrowed) mobile, a bike, a cricket team and a slowly growing list of social engagements. It's been a tough journey to get to this stage:

The authorities in the UK have tightened their criteria for overseas arrivals. I even had to apply to the cricket authorities to allow me to play since I haven't lived in an EU country for at least 8 months. After all the other complications I'd experienced from banks, flat hunting, mobile phone companies, computer companies, airlines, a national insurance application and setting up things at work, all I could do was laugh!

It's been two months since I left Australia, and the first month was probably the most interesting - I travelled through Hawaii, Santiago (in the Dominican Republic), Boston, New York and Paris, before arriving in Edinburgh. I spent one week in Edinburgh catching up with old friends, four days in Glasgow finding a flat (and being disappointed by banks!), one week in Exeter with Harry and Sarah in pre-wedding organisation, a few days as best man in wedding festivities, and then a settled life in Glasgow in a new job.

Here are a few photos that summarise my trip to date:
When I was in Hawaii, I spent time with my friend (Ben's girlfriend) Ruth. She graciously allowed me to use her car, so I had the opportunity to cruise around Oahu in a convertible. The picture to the left was taken on the North Shore, near Pipeline. As you can see, the surf wasn't particularly big, and the weather wasn't particularly sunny (it rained virtually every day), but it was still an amazing experience. The island has a vast amount of natural beauty given it's small size.

One day, Ruth and I decided to climb up Koko Crater, in the south-east of the island. We'd driven past it previously, and I decided we should climb it. It took us a while to find our way up, and it was pretty tiring trekking up hundreds of stairs, but the view was worth it! It had been raining that morning, and there was a rainbow out to sea that you can see in the picture below. The crater itself was quite steeply sided, and when we stood near the edge, the wind was almost strong enough to blow you over.

During most days, Ruth had to work, so I discovered some of the island's sights on my own, like the Bishop Museum of Hawaiian culture, Pearl Harbour, and Diamond Head crater. Fortunately she had a couple of days off, where she acted as tour guide. We got lost in one of the largest mazes in the world, saw a free movie on the sands of Waikiki Beach 'March of the Penguins' (quite ironic, given the location), and drank cocktails on the beachfront (see photo below).

While the Hawaiian experience was not quite as sunny as expected, it was much more cosmopolitan and urbanised than anticipated. It was valuable having a car, and sensational to have a great companion like Ruth.

I then flew to the Dominican Republic to visit my sponsor child, also called Michael. Knowing very little Spanish, it was quite difficult to communicate with the locals, but I was fortunate to have a 'Compassion' representative who acted as a chaperone and translator when I visited the school project and my sponsor child's family.

I visited the school that has been set-up entirely through donations and a whole lot of volunteer labour. The local church is supportive of the project, although there is still only half the resources required to keep each student there for a full day. Instead, they go for a half-day and spend the rest of the day at home helping the family. There are constraints mainly on the size of the school, but also in the number of teachers. When I visited the family, I was struck by the joy and appreciation shown by Michael's parents. They had hoped that I would come and visit, and were so glad to speak with me in person.

They rent a very small house near the school, mainly funded by the father's job in construction. He had recently become a Christian, largely as a result of working with Christians on the building of the school. Michael's two younger brothers were very cute and loved getting attention, while Michael himself is quite shy but a good kid. He wants to be a professional baseballer, but if he doesn't make it, he'd love to be a civil engineer! Given his size (for a 12-year-old), he must do OK on the baseball field. It was a privilege to share this time with the family and to see the project first-hand. It has motivated me even more to support, write to them and pray for them.

My next stop was Boston, where I spent time with my school friend Liang, who is studying at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was very hospitable, and we explored some of the more cultured aspects of American society - Harvard, MIT, trendy eateries, a classical string quartet performance, the JFK museum and a student comedy revue. Boston seems like a very liveable city and Liang seems to have a great set-up. He also introduced me to blogging and skype. If it wasn't for him, you might not be reading this blog! While I was in the area, I decided to pop into New York for a couple of days.

New York is certainly a happening place. I felt as though if I wasn't in New York, then I was missing something. I did an ultra-quick tour, visiting the Statue of Liberty, the World Trade Centre, Central Park, the American Natural History Museum, the Empire State Building, Grand Central Station, the UN building, the Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met), the Rockefeller Centre, and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Obviously, in two days, I hardly did any of them justice!

From New York to Paris, and I spent 5 days with Nat who is nannying there. I really enjoyed hanging out with her, and she certainly appreciated a familiar face. Her apartment is in an incredible location - alongside the Champs Elysees and in view of the Eiffel Tower. I visited both the Louvre and the Musee D'Orsay, two of the places I missed out on during my previous visit to Paris five years earlier. We attended a Saturday evening church service at Sacre Coeur, spent a day at the Palace of Versailles, visited the Lukins family (pictured), ate snails, crepes, croissants & baguettes, and went to her local English-speaking church service. It was great to spend time with Nat, and I can understand how difficult it must be for her, with far more language and cultural difficulties than I have in Scotland.

The day after I arrived in Scotland, I went ice-climbing with my Edinburgh uni friend Tom and his flatmate Laura. There was amazing snow up in the Cairngorm mountains, and we actually experienced a whiteout at the top, and were forced to navigate by map and compass. I struggled with the cold, but it was a satisfying journey.

I might finish my blog here, because my camera broke while ice-climbing, and I haven't taken any photos since. Hopefully I'll have another camera at some stage in the near future, and I will post some photos of the wedding (and a more detailed description) shortly.