“Cannstatter Wasen: prepare for overcrowded trains, delays and maladjusted people” – that message was showing on train departure displays at main station last weekend. The comedian in charge got into trouble with his superiors. Personally I think he should have gotten a commendation but there is no arguing with the wimps in charge of political […]
000
Aussies are relaxed, that includes the ambulance. Last night one of the girls in the hostel stumbled down a step and broke her ankle. We called 000 expecting to get quick help. The phone call took a long time and the operator was asking the same questions repeatedly (we had a native speaker on the […]
102 Days Nepal
The old lady horks forcefully and then spits a ball of phlegm unerringly into the gutter a few steps away. It is one of the many sights and sounds I had to get used to in Nepal, the country of mountains and endless dust. Life in Nepal is not comfortable, it is a developing country. […]
The Spanish Capital
We didn’t start off on the best foot, the trip to Madrid and I. Having boarded the flight and waiting for departure, the captain announced “the stairs damaged the door and we need to check whether the plane is safe to fly”. Not what I want to hear. At all. With a mere hour delay […]
Need for Speed Mandalay Edition
I forgot my passport, that’s a first. I realise it when staff at the bus company ask for it. I run outside but the driver who brought me from the guesthouse has already left. It’s 8:25, it’s a 25 minute ride to the guesthouse and the bus leaves at 9:00. The guesthouse doesn’t have a […]
Thai Monks get high
Every now and then I had a chat with monks in SEA and never before have I come across religious persons so easy to get along with. They are curious, friendly and never made the slightest attempt to push their beliefs on me. Being a monk is not a life-long commitment, many young men leave […]