England - back to the land of terrace houses, hedges and

We made it safely from Yerevan to Coventry. The budget airline from Yerevan to Dubai wouldn't allow us to check Tom's cot - a blessing in disguise once we arrived in Dubai to a 10h stopover due to delays. A car picked us up at London Heathrow and dropped us at our hotel in Coventry.

I will admit to a bit of culture shock due to the difference in hotels and just to hear the Midlands accent again. Plus Tom is not nearly so successful as a connector, his fair hair and blue eyes not as rare.

A swim in the indoor pool before dinner was enjoyed by all of us and helped us push back the 3h time difference.

Spring has sprung - Yerevan

Today showed all the promising signs of spring and summer setting in. Girls in skirts and dresses, water in the fountains and beautiful sun shining weather.

After lunch we (I) had every intention of visiting the portrait gallery. We set off with scooter down the central promenade where the fountains were freshly filled and running. At the top we met a little girl called Rita, of a similar age, who was fascinated first by Tom (kissing his hands and then pinning him for cuddles and kisses on his cheek) and then by his scooter. Tom shared very well until hunger hit and then Rita headed off too.

By that stage it was too late to cross the road to the gallery as it was time to head towards Tom's haircut appointment. This was a kids specific hairdresser - perfectly set up. Tom was in a car, had an option of watching cartoons or fish, or playing with the helicopter he had taken in with him. He was perfectly still to start with and stayed pretty still the whole time. The hairdresser was excellent: engaging, quick, aware of what might scare. The experience cost us 2000AMD ($6 AUD) and recommended children's hairdressers to me for the immediate future.

The largest Armenian church

Today Tom and I visited St Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, the largest cathedral of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the world.

While not the largest church I have been in, it's still a reasonable size with a very high ceiling. They were partway through a service and had managed to fill it with incense. We stayed for about 45 min. The altar was surrounded by flowers and it was periodically behind a curtain like it was a stage. All the women in the congregation had their heads covered with a shawl, sometimes beautiful and sheer, sometimes what looked like a bit of old curtain. I observed one woman share a shawl at the front of the queue so that she could receive communion. The choir at the back of the church was beautiful. Throughout the service it didn't seem to matter too much of you were sitting or standing. Quite a few people were standing or kneeling up the front in the central aisle.

Something else we had observed was clarified by Artur yesterday. Most of the trees by the side of the road have a painted white base. We even saw them slapping the hot, smelly, white concoction on with brush brushes. My guess was road markers. It's actually a pesticide to keep climbing bugs off the trees.

The Garni temple and Geghard monastery

A quick visit to the Vernissage market again this morning before meeting Artur, his daughter Aida, her son Daniel and her fiance Roman.

Artur takes US consulate visitors on tours through Armenia and has been key in Praemium setting up an office in Armenia.

We headed up the mountain, past the rich peoples' summer houses (that are meant to be only 20sq, but are more like 100), to a viewing area with a view of Mt Ararat (currently on the Turkish side of the border). The scale of this mountain has to be seen to be believed. It towers over the country and, once you are out of the valleys, is an almost constant presence. We were talking about it on the way back and felt that it looked like a painting rather than real life.

On up through the mountain we came to Garni. At a time when pagan temples were being levelled and Christian churches built over the top, the Armenian king preserved one at his summer residence and built the church next door. Restored numerous times, this is what we visited. A group of 4 women in traditional dress were singing in the temple while we were there and the acoustics were beautiful. Artur bought us local sweets and pastries from a vendor out the front - delicious.

Next stop was the Geghard monastery, built into the rock of the mountain. Three chapels in particular were carved out of the rock. One, a spring runs through year round. The second, a double room with both pagan animals and Christian crosses. The third, on a second level to the second, has acoustics that make one monk sound like many. It's a gorgeous sound. The rock is beautifully carved in each of these rooms, as well as the adjoining, added chapels. Little prayer rooms were also carved from the rock in other areas. Artur mentioned that a lot of the original religious practises still persist to this day, including animal sacrifice.

The superstition that landing a rock in a niche on the outside rock face grants you a wish had us all busy for a while having a go. Tom managed to land one on his own hat, while Lee got one in but forgot to wish - maybe it was to land one in.

A late lunch of Armenian BBQ and fresh lavash bread was delicious. We saw the bread being made in the traditional way by two old women. They rolled and stretched the dough very thin then slapped it into the site of a deep fire well to cook for about 5 seconds, very cool. 

While eating we overlooked the river valley and on the opposing cliff face Artur pointed out a cave and series of man made rooms that he had camped in as a young man. He described the rooms as perfectly square, with stone furniture. The first room you could light a fire and all the smoke would stream out. I'd like to climb up for a look one day. These were a long way up the cliff and I was impressed they were even accessible.

Some of the houses we viewed on the way it was hard to tell if they were partway through construction, as far as they were going to get, lived in or abandoned. Even houses right next to each other - one had glass across the balcony, fully rendered and painted, while the next had gaping holes at either end of the roof.

The journey through the rolling green mountains was beautiful. Many people just stop in a field for a picnic. Unfortunately though, for maybe this reason, the whole hillside is covered in rubbish - bottles, wrappers, everything. The hillside sparkles with plastic.

Tom's cold is still knocking him around. He didn't get consistent sleep while we were touring around as he'd be wide awake as soon as we stopped. This meant he zonked out early tonight, saying he had enough book and it was milk and bed time.

Vernissage market and remembering

This morning, with Lee's help, I was determined to visit some tourist attractions. We started at the Vernissage market. As promised in the reviews, it had everything! Puppies, china, glassware, silverware, musical instruments, science glassware and all the tools to conduct surgery at home, carved wood, carved stone, jewellery, carpets, paintings, second hand clothing, new clothing, embroidered linen, old war medals, religious pictures, cognac bottle and glass holders and magnets.

After a snooze and lunch we headed to the memorial for the Armenian genocide. Between 1 and 1.5 million people were killed by the Ottoman Empire during and after World War I. Able bodied men were massacred or forced into labour, then women, children, elderly and infirm were marched into the Syrian desert without food or water, with periodic rape, robbery and massacre. It sounds horrific and this year marks the 100th anniversary of its beginning. Some countries do not yet recognise it as genocide.

We didn't make it into the museum, but we were impressed by the monument and flame surrounded by flowers.

A haircut and what I should be wearing

Today I had my hair cut. It was uneventful. Tom sat sleepily in the pram, barely accosted. I showed a picture of what I wanted. I had my hair washed, cut and blow dried. I paid $8.

If I were to generalise what young ladies are wearing here it would be skin tight pants (jeans or leather) with heeled boots (ankle or knee high) with a black leather jacket. Their brunette/black hair is long and their faces all made up. I think the only part of my outfit that fits is that I am wearing jeans.

I had planned on going out for dinner with the team last night. However, I fell asleep at 7.30 and Lee couldn't wake me. Hence, no update from me yesterday.

Finding a Doctor - Wed 1 Apr - Yerevan

Today's lesson was in the medical system here in Yerevan. Various sources quote excellent, groundbreaking procedures, but some basic supplies as missing. When I asked how to get to a doctor, I was directed to a hospital, so I decided to look into it a little more. Of the two hospitals recommended for foreigners, the hotel staff recommended the one straight up the hill from the Children's railway! A new-ish building, the receptionist directed me up the stairs to the second floor. Tom, who no longer walks up flights of stairs, was carried. Luckily for me, I remembered the naming convention is '1' for the ground floor. The second level receptionist directed me to rooms 239 and 240. Walking along the hospital corridor I passed medical rooms for Urology, Orthopaedic surgeons, Physiotherapists, and eventually found General Physicians. Parking myself and Tom in a chair in front of the door to 240, I observed what the process appeared to be. New patient arrives, opens the door (sometimes knocks first), looks in, closes door, takes a seat in the hallway. (I would hate to be having any kind of personal examination!) As far as I could tell, the doctors were always busy. Soon after arriving, the patients thinned out and I was able to work out I was the only one waiting to see the general practitioners. That did not seem to stop other people from being seen first. I would like to think I'm a fast learner. However, I managed to wait a full hour to be seen by a doctor and then it was, "I just want to know if I'm in the right place, I've been waiting an hour to see a doctor". The appropriately arrogant response was, "They call me a Doctor". He proceeded to rule out a bacterial infection, asked me three times what antibiotics I had used already, and prescribed Vitamin C, some 'disinfectant' tablets to put under my tongue and some Paracetemol as required. Tom was also deemed healthy enough to "Please don't give him anything". In seeing Tom in his singlet, "You need to rug him up". This is the next thing I don't understand. Sure, the thermometer is saying 13 degrees, but moving around in the sun, I'm sweating in a sleeveless shirt. I already have Tom in a singlet and long sleeve shirt while inside most of the time (his got wet washing his hands a moment earlier, so he wanted it off). And speaking of inside, their heating is ridiculous. I don't understand how they are wearing jackets outside, let alone inside. Anyway, I then took my slip of paper to the Cashier in Room 262, who directed me to Registration (near reception) who created me as a patient in their system, moved me to the next station to get my bit of paper back with a number on it, which I then took to the cashier to pay AMD8000 (~22AUD). I left the hospital without filling the script and feeling a degree of sheepishness. The good news is, my body can fight infection! In other news, Tom was only given one 'candy' today, by the cashier. The culture toward children seems completely different. I don't see children anywhere away from their parents. They are always holding a hand or in a pram. I've already mentioned the complete lack of playgrounds - I don't know where these kids get to move. When Tom fell off his scooter today in a crowd (not a bad one, just tipped sideways), although Lee was already bending down, another man had ditched his shopping to lift Tom up. There is real concern for their physical well-being, but not their personal space, nor their sugar intake. Tom is constantly being helped to do things that he can do on his own. Which frustrates him. I wonder whether his independence is nature or nuture. We try to safeguard against a bad injury, but allow him to learn and try on his own. I wonder how he'd be different if brought up here from birth..

Children's railway - d4 Yerevan

Today saw us wave goodbye to Dad, then climb into a taxi ourselves. A short drive away we were climbing down the stairs into the valley that houses the children's railway.

That it's not yet summer was both a blessing and a curse. The curse: that we didn't get to explore the gorgeous looking river valley that the track runs through. The blessing: that we spent 3h ON the train.

Most of our time was spent changing seats and saying toot toot every time we sat down. There was also a brief amount of little red caboose reenactment (bump, push), hide and seek, eating, spinning, and digger and dump truck.

Another blessing: the amusement park half way down the hill was closed. The curse: so were the toilets.

Back at the hotel, Tom was asking for his bed and sleep - a very welcome change.

The afternoon saw us limited to the hotel room with a series of misunderstandings. Hoping to fix my sinus infection, a doctor was ordered to my hotel room. By 5pm I was very frustrated to find it had been cancelled, so Tom and I head out for dinner, got lost, then waited for Dad to come find/save us.

I forgot Tom's hat in the rush to get outside so the hand grabbing, hair rustling, tickling, cheek touching, kisses, lifting up continued. I just want him to be able to eat his dinner and for people to listen when he says no and pulls away.

A walk through the park from the office - d3 Yerevan

An exhausting day for Mum as Lee and mates were back to work. We caught a lift to his work so that we could find it should we need to, then walked back to the hotel in time for lunch and a sleep (nearly 2km).

There are parks everywhere throughout the well designed city. Many are not well tended, but that may be because winter is just finishing. I can only imagine this place in summer - there are ponds and water fountains everywhere! None are in use now as the water would likely freeze overnight. All the parks are filled with closed carnival rides - pure agony for a nearly 2 year old in search of a play ground.

We joined some elder citizens at their outside exercise equipment which I classified as playground.

Tom continues his reign as resident 'angel'. Being handed candy by strangers, asked his name and touched all the time. Unfortunately he is starting to expect it after just 3 days. I shudder in expectation of landing in England in 2 weeks.

Massive stack on his scooter today: down a ramp and smack face first into a wall, fall off and crack back of head onto tile floor. Mum is still recovering. Tom seems fine after initial impact.

With rain forecast all day, we were lucky to not have a drop on us, despite a hail storm about 4.30pm, we even had sunshine.

Landed safe in Yerevan, Armenia

Landed safe in Yerevan Armenia. The main colours are grey and green. Green grass covering grey soil. On the outskirts near the airport it's all communist housing blocks that look like commission housing or like 2-3 storey blocky things that are falling down. However, we're staying at a hotel close to the centre. The centre is all grand buildings in pink stone and water fountains.

Tom was really good during the flight from Melbourne to Dubai (14h), sleeping on Lee maybe 8h. And really good while 'wait our turn' for most of the day. Made some friends while waiting for the Yerevan flight by sharing his car and chasing the friend's balloon. He was also a main attraction heading to Yerevan for his 'beautiful eyes' and blond hair. Plus he's all cute.

Second flight was a bit of a shock as it was the budget airline partner, so no food and no entertainment and no special treatment for parents - Tom decided he wouldn't sleep that leg - luckily it was only 3h. (I was counting down.)

Most people surprised we are heading for work because there is very little at the moment. Met a graphic artist getting on the plane who lives in Dubai to work, but would move in an instant if work in Armenia.

Home from dinner and all exhausted. Tom fell asleep before his food even arrived. Waiter provided chairs so that Lee could eat.

Photos failing to upload, sorry.

Day 2 in Yerevan, Armenia

Today was Sunday, although you wouldn't guess it from the number of workers.

The hotel is on the corner at an intersection and our room is on the corner of the hotel so we have a great view from our wrap around balcony. Two of the three other corners are building sites, both of which were in action today, and one is still going now at 7:30pm - more than 12h.

All the shops too were open, with hours like 9am-8pm. I am guessing it's an indication of the economy that working hours like that in a shop 7 days a week is necessary.

Today was Palm Sunday, so we saw lots of people in their Sunday best heading to church. The women and girls were wearing vine wreaths on their head and many people were carrying branches of cherry blossom buds.

Tom was a superstar everywhere we went, with people trying to touch him and kiss him, tousle his hair, pinch his cheek, press his nose. He was the only naturally blond person we saw all day. He is curious about and enjoying the attention, but not loving the strangers who grab him. There was one older lady who grabbed him either side of the head and laid a bunch of kisses on him, as soon as he was released he was out the door without looking back.

Luckily he hasn't been picked up for riding his scooter everywhere. He's very attached to it and is now steering around corners (thank goodness). We went past a local square where you can hire bikes and electric cars. It appears that most families can't afford bikes, so you hire one to learn on.

Based on the popularity and childhood fear of dogs at the park, they are also rare.

A big day today. It will be different tomorrow when Lee and the other men head to work. They'll be able to walk a bit faster for one!

London Day trips

London Day trips

Below is a collection of ideas about places you might like to visit.  I have put together groups of places in the same vicinity where you might choose to spend a day.  Look up a few places to see what you might like.  I have listed opening times while we are there and prices just to give an indication.  Sometimes buying online or as a concession card holder will be cheaper.

St Paul’s Cathedral, Millenium Bridge, Tate Modern, The Globe (Shakespeare’s theatre), Borough markets, London Glassblowing

From 20120807 Junior Tour - England Pretour

St Pauls (£15 to go to top, cheaper online, otherwise free; 8:30am-4:00pm Mon-Sat)

- Beautiful cathedral

- Survived both World Wars when everything around it was destroyed

- Information Centre here is a great place for picking up a free map!

Millenium Bridge (free)

- Pedestrian bridge running between St Paul’s and Tate Modern

- It’s just a bridge

Tate Modern (10am-10pm Sun; 10am-6pm Mon-Thu)

- Modern art gallery

- Large sections free, top sections will have special (paid) galleries

The Globe (£13.50 for tour, various hours; to see a show, from £5 for matinee standing)

- The relocated, open-air theatre that Shakespeare wrote for

- Has tours and Shakespearian Shows

Borough Markets (10am-5pm Sun-Fri)

- PICKPOCKETS

- An excellent place to find a fresh lunch and maybe some other (eating) treats. Eg. cheese, olives, bread, cakes

London Glassblowing http://www.londonglassblowing.co.uk/ (10am-6pm Mon-Sat)

- I have spent literally hours (at least 6) watching them create glass sculptures and vases in their workshop behind their gallery.

- I love this place.

- It’s in Bermondsey which is previously a industry/warehouse-type area and is now a centre for design (very hipster)

Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Monument, Bank of England

Basically all within the Square Mile of the City of London.  The walls of the Tower of London mark a corner of the square mile that was once a walled city.  You can see traces of the wall throughout the city.  The wall was built up at different times with whatever came to hand.  The City of London (even now) has a different police force to the rest of London.  This might be one reason why Jack the Ripper got away - all he had to do was cross the road and he was in a different jurisdiction.

Tower Bridge (free)

- This is the one in all the post-cards

- It does open to let boats through occasionally, you can find when here:

Tower of London (£20.90, cheaper online; 9/10am-5pm)

- Allow at least half a day

- See the Crown Jewels

- See various versions of Henry VIII’s armour

- Free tours by the guards that live there (Yeoman Warders).

Monument to the Fire of London (£3; 9:30am-5:30pm)

- If laid down, the tip of the gold monument reaches the origin of the fire

- Can climb the steps to the top for a view of the city, Thames, Tower Bridge

Bank of England

- Has a free museum taking through the history of the bank, explains inflation (yawn), and shows the first bank notes

- If you think it won’t interest you, you’re probably right

- Still kinda nice to walk in this direction/get lost in the myriad of roads of Central London (the square mile)

Buckingham Palace, Changing of the Guard, Mounting of the Guard, 10 Downing St, Trafalgar Square, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery

Buckingham Palace (depends on which bit you want to see)

- I’ve never been in

Changing of the Guard

- I’ve never been, apparently there are lots of people and you have to wait around to get a half decent spot

Mounting of the Guard

- Apparently much better than Changing of the Guard

- I’ve never seen

10 Downing St

- Where the Prime Minister lives - all you can really see are some police guards outside a gate

Trafalgar Square

- Fountains, Giant lion statues, and a guy at the top of a pedestal (Nelson’s column) in the middle of a busy cross-roads that lots of red buses and black taxis go around

National Gallery (free; 10am-6pm)

- Lots of famous paintings in a beautiful setting

- Next to Trafalgar Square

National Portrait Gallery (free; 10am-6pm)

- Portraits of the who’s who in British history

- Next to National Gallery

Windsor

Transport

Catch the train (~£23; ~1h each way) to Windsor & Eton Riverside. (The Olympic rowing is out this way, so will affect the timetable - check out http://www.getaheadofthegames.com/travelinaffectedareas/windsor-and-eton.html for details)

To Do

- Visit Windsor Castle (£17, 10am-5pm) - at least half a day - to see amazingly decorated rooms, the most amazing dollhouse, a changing of the guard, a gorgeous church where the Knights of the Order of the Garter sit

- The Long Walk - a long street with park and trees either side. The Queen goes in and out of this entrance to Windsor Castle - this is where I saw her!

- Walk along the riverside with all the houseboats and ducks

I liked Windsor Castle better than the Tower of London - there was just so much more.  It was sumptuous and I could see why this is where the Queen likes to spend her time.

The Monopoly Board

- You know the streets

Shopping: Oxford St, Hamleys, Harrods

Oxford St

- A street full of mainstream shops - usually packed

Hamleys (188-196 Regent St  London, UK W1B 5BT)

- A 6 storey toy shop (fun!)

- Hard to walk out empty-handed

Harrods (87-135 Brompton Road  London SW1X 7XL)

- Expensive and known world-wide

TKMax

- Big name brands at cheap prices.  Usually quality, but need to search a bit.

Primark

- Really cheap

And plenty of others

Southbank, The Eye, Houses of Parliament (Big Ben), Westminster Abbey

Southbank

- Really nice to walk along the Thames

- often a festival atmosphere

The Eye

- Expensive to ride but fun to see

Houses of Parliament and the tower containing Big Ben

- Cool to see

Westminster Abbey (£16; 9:30am-3:30pm Mon-Tues)

- Beautiful

- History of coronations and weddings

Other Great Starting Places:

Walking Tours

http://www.walks.com/

These go everywhere, fairly cheaply, departing at a variety of times.  I am keen to go on the Harry Potter tour and can recommend the Jack the Ripper tour.

Hop-on-Hop-off buses

There are two main companies. They are comparable on price, quality and route.

The Big Red Bus

The Original London Tour Bus

Free Stuff!

There are free museums and galleries all over the place.  You can access all the permanent galleries for free (there are boxes for donations, but no obligation) and there are often featured shows for a price.

The National Gallery - some of the Big Name Painters of all time on display

The National Portrait Gallery - a history of Who’s Who in (mostly English) history

The V&A (Victoria and Albert) - Design Gallery (sculpture, paintings, jewellery, costumes...)

The Tate Modern - modern art

The British Museum - full of colonial plunder including Egyptian mummies

The Wellcome Museum - some weird stuff - science and art museum combined

The Natural History Museum - haven’t been, but heard good stuff

The London Museum - takes you through a history of how it was to live in the London area, from the point when it was only animals

Olympic Events

Women’s Marathon (Sunday 5th 11am)

Lookup Wikipedia for the route which has a start leg, followed by three loops of the same course passing sites such as: Trafalgar Square, St Paul’s Cathedral, Bank of England, Tower of London, The Monument, along the Thames opposite The Eye, Big Ben and Houses of Parliament.

Men’s Triathlon (Tuesday 7th 11:30am)

The 1.5 km swim, 40 km cycle and 10 km run will take place in Hyde Park, one of the eight Royal Parks of London. The swim will take place in the Serpentine which will have a pontoon constructed to act as the start. The cycle will involve athletes leaving the park via Queen Mother's Gate, travelling through Wellington Arch, down Constitution Hill and on to Birdcage Walk in front of Buckingham Palace before returning to the park to complete the event with a four lap run around the Serpentine.

A temporary 3000-capacity seating area will be constructed in the park in June 2012 and a three-metre high temporary fence will surround the events.

WUGC Day 1, Sunday 8th July

While it was the first day of play for all other Ultimate divisions, Women’s Masters don’t start until Tuesday.  We used the morning as an opportunity to train together again.  We brushed up on our connections and zone defenses, an intriguing site for the neighbouring soccer players, not to mention the sumo school or cage of monkeys.

The afternoon was free time, with the majority of players choosing to head to the fields.  First stop the Australian Mixed team (Barramundis) beat both Germany (17-10) and Finland (17-1).  The Australian Men’s Masters (Wombats) got up over the USA (16-13) – described as an entertaining game due to the characters involved.  The Women’s team (Firetails) followed up their showcase game with a win against Singapore (17-5).  The Open team (Dingoes) “beat up the Frogs” (17-8).

As I was flying straight back to Australia after the final game of the tournament, I joined up with Liz and Lu to explore the area.  We each had already found some lunch at a local street market where you could buy fresh seafood and grill it yourself over hot coals in buckets on each table, a band singing Engrish onstage.

Going in search of a temple that Liz had spotted from her hotel room, we came across a park where hundreds of kids were waiting to play, were playing or had just played.  The boys were there for baseball on the lushest grass I had seen and the girls for a version of basketball.  The boys were really cute all in their matching, complete baseball outfits, but the three of us were most intrigued by the girls’ game.  Played on gravel in the steaming heat, there were no basketball rings.  Instead, at each end, there was a stool that one of the players would stand on, and around them, a semi-circle that a defender would stand in.  It appeared that every other aspect of the game was the same, but to score, a team would throw the ball to their teammate on the stool to catch.  As is fitting for an Australian, we cheered for the underdog.  This team fielded one of two girls who were a head shorter than everyone else, looked 6 where the others were 8 and who ended up standing near their own goal daydreaming.

The park was an oasis in a very industrial area.  The whole family was out and we dubbed the playground a ninja training ground given the amount of balancing equipment.  Leaving there with a hundred photos of Japanese kids, we felt like our stereotype of the Japanese was reversed.

Our search for the temple aborted, we headed back to the local market, only to find it had been packed up, then back to the hotel to form our next plan.  A tourist map supplied the answers – we headed to the Nintoku-ryo Tumulus (Emperor Nintoku's burial mound) and Daisen Park to visit a tea house.  A couple of trains later, we found the Tumulus, really only visible from the air, it’s a giant keyhole shaped mound covered in greenery, surrounded by a moat, more greenery and another moat.

We headed to the tea house in nearby Daisen park, only to find it closed.  The park itself was probably a more authentic Japanese experience and it was full of people.  We stopped to watch a couple of games Shoji (Japanese chess).  One of the elderly men in particular took an interest in us and we tried to converse.  He asked us where we were from (Australia), whether we were students (no), how old we were (30 – really? Asking a woman how old she is?), whether we were married (after showing them my ring, he then examined both Liz and Lu’s hands) and whether we had children (no).  To start with I thought he was trying to pick us up, but on reflection, I think he was just curious about our culture and expectations for women in general.

The rest of our afternoon passed with a quiet sit by the lake, praising the ingenious fishermen, laughing at the groups of giddy lap dogs and their owners, learning some Japanese phrases, respect for an elderly man's high knee hill runs, taking photos of tiny kittens and a wander through the serenity of the park.


We met the rest of the team in Namba (there is more than one information centre..) for dinner - a delicious combination of food including a highlight Shamba(?) where you cook your own food in a giant pot of boiling stock.  From there, an exploration of the river and some icecream for dessert.


Unfortunately, all my images from this day were corrupted - it's a good thing I have such a good memory.

The Chalk

Being a Terry Pratchett fan, my travels around England have borne asurprising resemblance to the Disc World. A big clue is Ankh-Morpork,a boiling hotpot of races and species that are totally independent of their homeland, yet retain their prejudices as a badge of belonging.

The City Watch (akin to the City of London which has a separate police force to the rest of London), The Patrician (just like the Mayor of the City of London - acting independently of any monarchy), the Guilds, the river is brown sludge (pick any city really) and it is every man for themselves (again, any big city).

Today, taking advantage of a long weekend, I found myself in The Chalk. Following the advice of a random blog, I caught the train to Eastbourne to walk along the coastline. I had to laugh at the station's byline: Eastbourne station - the sunshine coast - as the only place that was in sun was the clouds above. Just like our trip to Brighton, the day light was not so much sunshine as cloud and glare.
On a tight schedule I powered through the town, along the beach and onto the path. One of the best things as a traveller in England is the number of public access areas through farms. This particular path had white cliffs that dropped straight down to the water below. In places it looked like bites had been taken off the edge, where the ground just disappeared. I passed a couple of lighthouses (one that featured in a Harry Potter movie), Beachy Head (the highest chalk sea cliff in the UK), and over the seven sisters (a section of seven hills on the cliff edge).

Features in common with Terry Pratchett's The Chalk were the sheep, the shepherds hut, the mounds (as I imagine them) where the Kelda and Wee Free men abide and, quite literally, the chalk - I picked up a piece to prove it. Obvious exclusions in this Chalk were the Wee Free men - which based on accent, booze drinking and propensity for fighting made me think it was in Scotland. So maybe I'm completely wrong about it being The Chalk.

The whole area was commonly used for smuggling to and from the continent since the 17th century when import/export charges were introduced.  Originally it was for the export of wool direct from the area, but later became a base for the import of various contraband by smuggling gangs.
 

I was lucky in that it didn't rain on me, although it misted its hardest, and the sun even came out for a couple of minutes to give me my best shot of the day.

I finished my walk at Exceat amongst a bunch of families exploring the beach, caught the bus back to Eastbourne, and the train back to Clapham Junction in time for tea.

European Ultimate Frisbee Championships

Spent some more time on the right side of the road this weekend. In Loret de Mar for the European Ultimate Frisbee Championships, followed by Barcelona for a look around. I have written a post for a travel-writing competition and so can't put it up here until I know I've lost. I will post it then. Briefly, I had a good time and my team, Iceni, won bronze.
And again - photos coming soon.

Estonia visit and families

This weekend we visited Lee's Estonian relatives. We had an excellent time meeting, exploring, playing and staying with them. Mostly, we spent time with Mari-Ann's cousin Riina, and her family. They are a very close family and it set me to wondering what elements create a close family.
Was it the fact that in the 400 years of Estonia's history, only in the last 19 years have they had independence? (With a false start in 1920) So they appreciate freedom and the important things in life?
Was it a strong (vocal?) matriarch? Riina is a strong woman.
Was it living in close proximity? All four of Riina's children live in Tartu, or within 10km.
Is it having young kids in the family? Riina has grandchildren between 3 (I think) and 18 (over the weekend).

If I step back from my own family, who I believe are fairly close, it starts with values. Family values that family is important and spending time with family is important. Feeling loved and close meant spending quality time with each other.

It just so happens that I come from a family with a strong matriarch, so I can't be sure whether this is a necessary part or not. I wonder how much you have to actually like each other. Raised by the same parents does guarantee some of the same beliefs and values, but as we grow up, different experiences are bound to shape the people we become. Perhaps a strong matriarch can remind us of those initial values and bring us together. (I imagine a strong patriarch could be similar.)

Australia is a long way from 400 years of oppression. But I hope it will not trivialize it too much to relate this to hardship. For us, hardship was mostly borne by our parents. In my opinion, financial insecurity had the greatest impact. We never lacked the essentials, and we weren't distracted by an endless supply of toys.

As for geography, I don't think our family can really claim proximity - mostly because of me. I'm in London, my sister in Perth, brothers in Geraldton and parents in Mingenew. Closeness in geography doesn't always guarantee frequent contact. It does make it easier though. Perhaps I should revise proximity to frequent contact then. I feel close to my family through fairly frequent Skype calls - although now I have a job (Yay!) that may change (oh).

Young kids have brought our family together. My brothers both have kids and there's a joy in spending time with them and watching them learn and grow. There's a newness to it - each new development is a discovery, an achievement, a delight, and these new developments are so quick and frequent - I don't want to miss a thing. They just grow up so fast!

Whatever it is that guarantees a close and loving family, I hope that we can do that with our own family.

Riina's family:

• Eero, and girlfriend Edi. Eero also has 2 older kids.
• Urmo, wife Merje, twins Emma and Ekke.
• Kaari, husband Egert, son Eik Martin, and daughter Mia Laura. (Lots of games of Sabateur)
• Karina (~16 years old)
• and German exchange student Freya.

Photos coming soon.

Some Estonian words we learnt
Please - Palun (p/balloon)
Thankyou - Tänan (danun)
Thanks - Aitah (aeta)
Hello - Tere (t/der-re)
Goodbye - Nagamiste (Nah-ga-meast)

Airport staff

I feel sorry for airport staff. So often they must be asked the most basic of questions fifty times a day.

"Where is gate 12?"
"Follow that gigantic sign over there that indicates all gates between 1 and 20."
"Is this the way to gate 12?"
"Yes. Keep following those big signs."
"Is this gate 12?"
"Yes. Do I need it stamped on my forehead?"

On my return flight from Boston, I checked on to my international flight myself. Both my passport and my luggage was confirmed/tagged by a floating staff member. This approach was much faster and staff efficient compared to the current Australian setup for domestic flights. Perhaps it is just a matter of time.

Iceni and Boston

Quite out of the blue and a welcome surprise was an invitation to join the London-based team, Iceni, for worlds in Prague and a tournament in Boston the following weekend. After my initial surprise I jumped at the chance to join a local team heading to worlds. We pulled out the
stops and although we won't have the TV we wanted for a while, I went to Boston for 4 days.
This was an amazing experience and my first US tournament with UPA rules.

I found Boston very clean, open and safe. I spent most of Friday wandering along the Freedom Trail, a tourist route of historic sites, and nowhere along the line did I feel at risk, even when I left the trail. It may be the city, it may be just where I went, but my impression is that Americans (or at least Bostonians) are very patriotic. Everywhere there are American flags and one guy, after asking where I was from said, "We showed those Brits". Admittedly, he was one of the costumed tour guides along the Freedom Trail and the comment was probably in character.

Photos of Freedom Trail coming soon.

On top of that, the Americans I came across were also very friendly and courteous. I chatted to one couple at the airport gate, as well as a 16 year old heading to be a leader at a summer camp. On the plane I sat next to a friendly Bostonian who liked to be out on the water - a keen fisherman who had just been on a European cruise. He described how the GFC had resulted in a massive reduction in his work as a painter/ wallpaperer and meant he had to sell his house. There were also moments I witnessed such as, a guy scanned a train ticket for an elderly woman. It was just nice and people were comfortable talking to strangers.

The tournament was on Saturday and Sunday. Iceni did not win a game. However, our purpose was to gel as a team and practise our plays against multiple, tough oppostion in preparation for worlds, which we achieved.
My personal perspective for the team is:
- we need to work to set our own intensity and standard of play independent of the opposition
- we are struggling to find the balance between structure and organic play
- the idea of each player taking responsibility on the field is used, but I'm not sure that people understand what that means
- our initiation of pull play can and should be much faster and could use the opportunity to make ground
Although I was disappointed with how I personally finished the tournament, with unforced throwing errors, I believe I played well overall. I'm really excited to be joining a really fun group of players and look forward to getting to know them more both on and off the pitch.

Information for Visitors

Alright, 

I thought I would post this here so I wasn't sending the same email to everyone who is coming to visit.

Our Address: Flat 2, Crescent Court, Park Hill, London, SW4 8HR (Map)
Information for people not used to UK addressing: Crescent Court is the name of the building not the street. The street you enter our place off is Rodenhurst Road and its on the corner of Park Hill and Rodenhurst Rd

Travel in London

I have been here for a while now and have used the public transport system almost entirely to get around. The first thing to get to make travel on the tube and buses easy is to get an Oyster card (http://www.visitlondon.com/travel/oyster/), you will be able to buy this at the airport, and it seems that you might be able to buy it online before you arrive.

On the tube you need to touch on and off and the fare is calculated based on where you have travelled. On the bus it is a flat 1.20 fare. There is also a National Rail, which goes all round England, but it also has to be used to get to some areas of London, the Oyster card works the same as on the tube on the National Rail.

Travel to our place from Heathrow

The closest tube station is Clapham Common and the bus that will get you the closest is the 137.

There are a bunch of different ways to get to my place from the airport. The easiest and cheapest way is to take the tube, here are the steps.

Tube Only

Heathrow - Take the Picadilly Line towards Cockfosters, change at Green Park

Green Park - Take the Victoria Line towards Brixton, change at Stockwell

Stockwell - Take the Northern Line towards Mordon, get off at Clapham Common

Walk from Clapham common to our place (Clapham Common to Our place Map) Bout 15 mins

National Rail, Tube and Bus

Heathrow - Take the National Rail Heathrow Express towards Paddington

Paddington - Walk from the Paddington National Rail Station to the Paddington Tube Station, take the Circle Line towards High Street Kensington, get off at Sloane Square

Sloane Square - Take the Bus 137 from stop C, get off at Clarence Avenue/Kins Avenue Stop

Walk from the bus stop to our place (Bus Stop to our Place Map) bout 3 minutes

Tube and Bus

Heathrow - Take the Picadilly Line towards Cockfosters, get off at Knightsbridge Station

Knightsbridge - Take the Bus 137 from stop KK, get off at Clarence Avenue/Kins Avenue Stop

Taxi

Take a taxi to our place

That is all I am going to post for now, put in the comments any other information you want us to provide.

Cheers