Völker des gutenmorgens - Willkommen zu einer neuen Woche.
Dad pleased that you are back in Europa safe & sound. How much longer do you anticipate your Nigerian visits? I get nervous when ex-pats get kidnapped but then trying to get money out of David Ling is no easy feat so I shouldnt be that worried should I !
My weekend wasnt nearly as interesting as oil workers under siege rather fortunately. Friday night was spent watching Wimbledon in the local sports bar with Donna Lancaster the female equivalent of Des Lynham. What that girl doesnt know about sport isnt worth knowing. It`s a rather onerous task trying to find out where she lacks knowledge, managing to engage whole groups of pub regulars with her sporting trivia. Often to the extent that she end`s up hosting debates over the finer attributes of European football.
However Louise after 3 beers & no dinner decided it was time to bail out so demanded a cab to take her home. Donna (6 ft tall with hollow legs) laughed at my pathetic drinking capacity but took pity on me and shared the ride home. I seem to have a strange obsession whereby as soon as I set foot inside a cab, driver willing we talk about politics many a (dangerous?) journey back has been spent chatting with Lebanese & Iraqi cabbies regards current climes. On the way back from hospital a few months ago one driver parked outside my house for half an hour & refused to leave until we finished - my palms were getting sweaty & I knew it was time to leave before I got myself into trouble. Perhaps time to nip this in the bud!
The weather was pretty awful over the weekend, I shouldnt complain as its fantastic for Melbourne, stopped me playing golf though! They are on stage 3a at the moment, where the overall level has increased to 32.5 % and away from the level 4 trigger of 29.3%. On a day trip to Ballarat on Saturday it was great to see that Lake Wendouree which I visited during the summer (see pics) is finally starting to look a little healthier!
Stopped to visit the cheesecake shop on the way back which was worth the visit to Ballarat by itself...and as Depeche Mode say `I just can`t get enough`. If they had these shops in every suburb it would be very dangerous indeed to a lady.
Not sure whether they would be enough water however at Lake Wendouree for the new species discovered over the weekend of half-squid, half-octopus specimen found off Keahole Point on the Big Island in Hawaii. http://starbulletin.com/2007/07/05/news/story03.html
Watched an interesting film on Saturday evening called Jesus Camp .A documentary about a Pentecostal summer camp for children (Its Modus Operandi) who spend their summers learning & practicing their prophetic gifts & indoctrination of taking back America for Christ!! . Hilarious but extremely concerning given that already 25% of Americas population are Evangelical Christians, many of whom hold important jobs within the White House.
There`s an assortment of three & four year olds tottering around with red sticky tape across their mouths the Pro-Life slogan adorned to it, clutching plastic foetus in their chubby hands. Alongside these were rappers chanting lyrics of `JC is in da house...who`s in the house? Jesus Christ is in da house`. Nice.
For me it was a simple re-iteration of the fruit-loops which inhabit the White House.
Interesting though when speaking to Mum last night she tells me that great-gran built a pentecostal church in Barry(south wales) & was an avid Evangelicalist. She spent her childhood amongst happy-clappers.... I do remember as a child visiting the tin-hut roofed church & being mesmerised by the tambourine wielding God`s Army. I blame the Murphy`s!
Nice to see Welshman Geraint Thomas made a great start to the Tour de France yesterday, hes lying 43rd overall go on my son!!
more pics to follow