Well, at the risk of sounding like the wonderful Miranda Hart, hello to you dear reader. It's been a very long time but here I am again. I think the last post from me was about the gardening I had done while living at my friend's house in Australia. A lot has changed since then. In case you don't know, I recently moved back to Hong Kong to take up a new job. After being back in Australia for three years, with only six months of full time work, it became apparent to me that it was in my best interests to return HK. So here I am with a new job, living in a new suburb (and loving that) and catching up with lots of friends. Thanks to the wonderful skype, I've also been able to stay in touch with friends at home and all over the world. My dad, at 84 next week, is about to become a new user of skype; but I digress.

The new job has very much been so far so good. Something I am very grateful for. I now feel I will be in HK until I retire. May that be sooner rather than later!!!  LOL. As I write, Hong Kong is experiencing huge protests in favor of full democracy. I'm even wearing one of their yellow ribbons to show my support for their actions. My sincere hope is that it will remain peaceful and that the goals of the protesters will be met, but up against Beijing, who knows how this thing will end. May it be peaceful and not in vain.

So here I am, settling in, applying for credit cards, re-adjusting to the hot humid weather, but at the same time being somewhere that is so totally familiar to me. After all, I did live here for eight years in the past. Not much has changed, public transport is still fantastic in this city. Food is still fantastic in this city, and I know I will put on weight over the next twelve months as a result. A new phone and Kindle are on the agenda, as is a trip home at Christmas time which is costing me an arm and a leg and another arm, but hey, it's only money and you only live once.

And another thing. Friends on facebook will have noticed a post from me recently about the death of Australia Network; something many expats took full advantage of. Well, thank goodness for our ABC, which has stepped in with a new service. Australia Plus began broadcasting when Australia Network ceased last Sunday night. But the really great thing is, if no one had told me, I would have thought no change had been made at all. The all new Australia Plus is broadcasting all  the great content that Australia Network used to.

So, there is is. Thank you for reading my ranting and raving! Hopefully I will be back to updating this blog on a regular basis again.

Something to feel good about

For only the second time in my life, I went to the football last Saturday night. It was the Melbourne Essendon game. My much loved sister in law is an Essendon supporter, but I’ll forgive her for that! I have been, for all of my life, a Melbourne supporter, even though I’ve now only been to two games in my forty four years on this planet. The game was neck and neck throughout the four quarters, proving to be an exciting spectacle to behold. Given Melbourne’s recent efforts, I was convinced that we would lose but that it would be a fun night out anyway. Not sure what the other forty-seven thousand people who were also there thought, but that’s how I felt.

Well, surprise surprise, we did win, not by much, only six points in the end. It was with gusto that I belted out the club song along with all the other Melbourne supporters, feeling very excited and happy that finally we had had a win; the first for the season I might add.

Feeling very happy we began to leave the ground when a strange thought entered my head. And a very happy and feeling of luck kind of thought it was too. I realised that I had been sitting watching the game surrounded by supporters of both teams, not just one team, and there was no trouble, no fighting or cross words, just everyone all together enjoying the game regardless of which team they were barracking for.

In many parts of the world today, the supporters of the opposing teams would be separated by police and high fences, such is the need given the violence that has broken out and continues to break out when these groups of supporters mix. No such requirement was needed last Saturday night at the MCG. People were there to enjoy themselves, regardless of which of the two teams would ultimately triumph!

And I just thought that was something we could be proud of and feel good about. Well, that’s my rant and rave for this time.

Thank you, plus garden update

Thanks everyone for the support given to my blog over the last few months. I didn’t really know what I was doing when I started. All I wanted was a catalyst to get me writing. I know I still have a long way to go. What really excites me, however, is the fact the people I don’t know, in places I’ve never been to, are actually reading the blog and leaving comments. I find this very exciting and encouraging.

And now for something completely different! Another little project I’ve been working on recently, apart from this blog, is getting my little garden started at the house where I am now living. After spending nearly two hours digging stones out of the dirt that the previous people had buried them under, I’ve now completed stage one. Please see the photo below. As you can see, like this blog, I still have a long way to go.  But it’s better to actually try and do something instead of just sitting around talking about it. Hopefully in the future, among other rant and rave postings, I can post more pictures to update you of the progress being made.

As always, please feel free to disagree with me, or agree if you like, by leaving a comment.

Sometimes I shake my head and wonder.....

People, are you all aware that every time you use the self service check out at the supermarket, you are putting someone else out of a job. And the supermarket doesn't even give you a discount for having to do all the work! Do we really want increased taxes to pay the welfare for all these people who will soon be out of work? When you are next in the supermarket, demand to be served by a human be...ing and send a message to the greedy bosses who only want to increase profits and raise the share price no matter what the consequences will be to their soon to be former employees. Thank you. Written and authorised by Don Davies on behalf of himself and the "l can't believe some of the stupid things l've seen since returning to my homeland" party.

Please feel free to comment.

The gift of really useful giving

As many of you already know, this is the first Christmas that I will spend with my family and in my homeland after living overseas for the past eight years. As I am now forty three years old, I feel that anything I could need or want, I already have. Christmas, as we all know, is a season when people spend tons of money buying presents for others, which is lovely, but let’s be honest here, how many times have we been given a gift that we really didn’t want or need? Now, please don’t think that I am ungrateful for all the gifts people have given me over the years, but as I get older, I seem to need these things less and less. Recently I asked my father what we now do in my family with regards to giving Christmas gifts. He told me that, apart from the children, we no longer give gifts to each other but rather donate money to charity instead. As someone who already has just about everything he already wants, material possessions that is, I thought this is a great idea, and will help the needy as well. But for my family this is nothing new. Several years ago, my brother and sister in law, gave me a goat for my Christmas gift. I don’t actually have the goat with me as I really don’t think the dog would appreciate the competition! Rather, the goat went to a poor village in a third world country, where it is really needed and would be greatly appreciated, apart from the obvious fact that it would also provide milk, and eventually, food for many in that village.

The other day I received a few early Christmas gifts from some friends of mine who were not yet aware of my new practise of donating to charity instead of buying presents. I want to state quite clearly that I was touched and grateful for their thoughtfulness and kindness, and yes the bottle of red will be well and truly enjoyed by me. Whilst feeling slightly embarrassed by their generosity, I quickly explained my new Christmas practise to them, and thankfully I haven’t lost their friendship, I hope!

We human beings, that is, those of us lucky enough to be living in first world countries, create so much waste every day. Now I don’t want to spoil anyone’s Christmas day and celebrating because, believe me, I’ll be celebrating and overeating with the best of them. However, with all the waste we create, wouldn’t be good to perhaps try and redirect some of that to those in real need this Christmas?

I guess the point I’m trying to make is that shouldn’t those of us who already have so much be looking out for those who have so little? I love sitting down to Christmas dinner and eating all that lovely food, but what about the millions of people around the world who have no food? And of course it’s not just food that these people need. Perhaps we could give the gift of decent medical attention, and education in the ways of self sustainability so that they would no longer need to rely on our charity. Imagine that, a world where everyone has enough to eat, proper medical care, and a decent education so that the standard of living would be constantly improving, for all people. A recent survey found that many Australians would be happy to donate to charity this Christmas, rather than receiving a gift that was really of no use to them. Don’t get me wrong, it’s lovely for people to be thoughtful enough and to take the time to buy a present for someone else. As I write this, however, I can look around my house and see so much stuff that I don’t really need; nice to have, but do I really need it? And yes, I know some of you will say to me, well Don, do you really need six hundred plus DVD, and now blu ray discs? The answer, of course, is no I don’t. So I am as guilty as the next person, however I’m not saying to give up the Christmas tradition of giving gifts, just to spare a thought for those with nothing and perhaps to direct some of your giving towards them. I, by my own reckoning, have far too much. Therefore, if all my friends and family donate to a charity the money they would have spent on a Christmas present for me, then from my point of view, that would make it the best Christmas ever.

Merry Christmas everyone, and I wish you all health and happiness in 2012! And by the way, as the name of this blog suggests, please feel free to disagree with me. Comments most welcome.

Another rant and rave when I should be doing something more productive

Assumption, expectation and romantic idealism, can seriously stuff up your day and piss off your friends at the same time! Trust me, I know. I was an expat for just over eight years. During that time there were many occasions when I fell into the trap of going on about how fantastic my home country is. Being my own worst judge, I sometimes found myself in the unfortunate position of continuing on for far too long, labouring a silly and ultimately pointless point, and  some times actually being told to shut up by friends, who were really only trying to protect me from myself! It’s funny how you can assume something will be one way, or completed in a certain way, only to find out later that it is or happens completely differently in reality. Recent experiences have forced me to reconsider the assumptions, expectations and romantic ideals I have about the land of my birth. The most annoying and current experience is all my worldly possessions still being held by customs, even though they were shipped before my departure to enable them to be here before my arrival! Their excuse at customs, according to the shipping company which is my only point of contact, is that there is a backlog and this is their busiest time of the year. Having been told that the process normally takes ten to fifteen days, I’m feeling that seven weeks is just a wee bit inefficient, don’t you? I have been continually told by the shipping company that customs cannot be pushed and that I just have to wait. I assumed that they were telling the truth about it taking ten to fifteen days. I had the expectation that I would be in my house enjoying all my belongings weeks ago. And finally, I let myself get sucked in by romantic idealism that the grass is always greener, or rather things actually get done when people say they will be! Patience has never been one of my strong points. I am the most impatient person I know, stemming from the fact that I arrived (was born) before the doctor did, and have been impatient ever since. So imagine how I must be feeling about this now seven weeks and counting delay. I’m trying very hard to maintain my optimism, but it’s getting harder and harder to do so.

Have you, dear reader, ever had an experience similar to this? Please comment and share. I should add at this point, that what I have just written about pales into insignificance compared to many other people and what they have had to put up with. The people of New Zealand and the bad run with natural disasters they have had this year. The people of Thailand with the flood, or Libya or anywhere else there is conflict or suffering. It’s all relative, I know, but..... I miss my bed, books, CD and DVD collection, sofa, and all the other basic things we all take for granted each and every day, even though I know a very large proportion of the world’s population don’t even have clean water to drink, let alone be able to enjoy the things I’ve just listed.

Trying to keep it real here, so really want to read your comments.

 

More posts coming soon

Sorry everyone, but I've been rather busy moving countries!! I promise I will post something soon, when I'm finally settled.

Cheers

Don