Wanderlust

Saturday, September 08, 2001

10:36 AM >
In BALI now. Arived on Friday morning and took a taksi the three hours to the beach in LOVINA on North Bali. Its normal taking taksi's for such distances in INDO as they're sooo cheap. This journey cost us around IEP20/NLG50. Its strange having nothing - actually deciding to have nothing - to do! Very relaxed now, even after just 2 days. Looks like it'll be off to UBUD mid next week and then of course off to AUCKLAND on Saturday night 11pm.

Lovina has been much more tourist-filled than we had expected and it's more or less constant hassle on the beach ("you look picture, buy now, maybe later, maybe toborrow?" "you like sarong? - one more maybe, maybe later?") Its quite the irony that everyone we've spoken to (travellers) including ourselves reckon that we'd be interested in the lovely items if it wasn't 4 the hassle.

The hotel we're staying in is very posh for the area. We're in a little bungalow of our own with it's own little veranda at the back overlooking the beach. It cost IEP12.50/NLG30! I know. And thats the posh place. We've actually stayed in a place that cost a quater of that, up in the mtns.

Well' its late now. Got to go catch the last action of the evening b4 hitting the sack. Talk to you all soon. (good to see this site and the updates are working now - stay tuned for the latest)
[posted by David O'Coimin]

Thursday, September 06, 2001

7:58 AM > JOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA - 1255PM THURSDAY 06 SEPTEMBER 2001

Hey all,
A week and a half since the wedding and its all still buzzing through our heads at spare moments. Spare moments however, it has to be said are few and far between at the moment. We went from marriage organisation chaos to travel chaos and have only recently, in a precious relaxed lucid moment decided to cool it and ease into a more chilled vacation mode.

We have managed to see and get to most of what it was attracted us to Java in the first place so I suppose now is the time to cool it. We just arrived back into Jogjakarta today from a couple of days in the mountains and visiting the temples of Borobodur and Prambanan and we've just now arranged a flight 4 2moro to bring us straight to Bali, instead of the ardurous full day trip by train, ferry and bus. Besides, the flight cost less than 40 quid per person.

So after a week (which has seemed much longer) of hectic activity we're heading for the beach and North BALI. We should be there by 2moro evening (we're only 5hrs ahead by the way).

Indonesia, despite our expectations, has still shocked us with its poverty - the closeness of the filthy rich to the desparately stinking poor eeking out a living by the side of the major chaotic fumefilled dusty roadways, collecting rubbish, living in tin shacks on top of each other. Jakarta depressed us no end. I DONT Know how I'd ever manage India (respect Roy). The countryside it must be said, while still poos, probably as poor, hasn't been as difficult. Perhaps its the presence of luscious green and the wonderous paddy fields (Irish man named them?) that takes the edge off but the houses, shacks, whatever do seem better kept, better tended to and people seem happier. Staying in a REALLY really posh hotel while in JAKARTA probably didnt help with the comparisons. It was one I'd booked at a discount on the net and it turned out to be seriously posh, like 5 star. And there were we, our bags a day behind us and only scruffy travelling rags to wear day and night. Very posh. The only white people in the city it seemed too, so sorry guys, I think we let you all down...

Gotogonow.
Write again from NZ probably.
Slamat Jalan (bye) all.
~d&j
[posted by David O'Coimin]

Friday, August 10, 2001

1:49 PM > I've installed this little bugger so you'll be able to identify a 'boring football bit' before reading it. Dedicated to my readers, I am, I tell you.
[posted by David O'Coimin]

1:12 PM > It gets better - I reckon I've seen this one even...
The penalty pass> Sometimes just winning gets a little boring. Sometimes, as Johan Cruyff discovered in December 1982, it’s nice to spice things up a little. Cruyff was playing for an Ajax team who were unbeatable in domestic football. When Amsterdam’s finest thrashed PEC 5-0, Cruyff decided to have a little fun with a penalty. Instead of shooting past the keeper, the great man rolled the ball forwards and to his left, where a team-mate had run on to the pass. As the keeper closed down his angles, the ball was passed back to Cruyff, who rolled it into the empty net. There was no offside, the ball had rolled forward – there was no reason to disallow the goal. Although Ajax had practised the move in training, it wasn’t their invention – that honour goes to Rik Coppens of Belgium, who used it in a 1965 international against Iceland.
[posted by David O'Coimin]

1:08 PM > Can you picture it?
The ten-man shuffle> It’s legal, it’s effective, so why don’t more teams try a strategy Derby County used in an FA Cup second round game against Lincoln in February 1902? After a scoreless first half, Derby emerged for the second determined to take hold of the game. How? By keeping possession at all costs. As soon as they kicked off after the break, all Derby’s outfield players surrounded the ball and shuffled up-field, preventing their opponents getting a look-in. The ball was always within playing distance, so there was no obstruction, and Derby were able to shuffle all the way to the Lincoln goal, whereupon Ben Warren shot home the first goal of a hat-trick (Derby duly won 3-1). (only three ??? - doc)
[posted by David O'Coimin]

Thursday, August 09, 2001

2:57 PM > It seems that there are only ever three things at the root of so many of these scary stories. Human nature is a given and cant be changed. Its just what it is. Unfortunately that is in general vulnerable, its maleable, it craves acceptance and it seeks out the mass. What its capable of as a mass is frightening. The other two are simple and so complex. One is Religion, and the other is Religion. That is not a type-o.
[posted by David O'Coimin]

2:19 PM >

Tremendous game and a great atmosphere in a pub divided evenly by colour between the green and red, and equally by volume - until the end that is. Celtic had beaten Ajax in the ArenA and on the way home even the metro's were alive, packed with a green & white squirming singing mass.
[posted by David O'Coimin]

2:11 PM > Streeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesss!!!!!
[posted by David O'Coimin]

Wednesday, August 01, 2001

6:06 PM > We thought it would never happen.
God knows we've waited long enough.
After a summer of moving around, shifting plants, uprooting the decking, waiting, more waiting - having originally asked for the work to be done in FEBRUARY!!! and the work having eventually started in APRIL!!!! - the balcony is ours again. For the last month of summer. Oh sorry, whats that? Summer is cancelled this year after August 1.
[posted by David O'Coimin]

Friday, July 27, 2001

10:11 AM > Well it was long awaited, much heralded and eagerly anticipated. Did it live up to it? "Pegguy Arphexad made a fine point blank save when Gonzalez broke clear on 62 minutes, with Liverpool still unable to create a meaningful chance at the other end, with the crowd reduced to slow handclapping and paper dart throwing."
This, however, should not be read as disrespect to some seriously expert paper dart throwing and construction mind you. I managed to get my hands on one of the less successful efforts (in not reaching the pitch). It struck my ear. The wonder of technical know-how I encountered left me shaking my head and murttering "typical Holland". Long and sleek with a straight rip doubled back through the body to form the tail - I could imagine the concorde engineers jealous sideways glances. And this baby had the commercial benefit of all-over advertising. One effort managed, on the swell of massive crowd support, to penetrate the senter circle. It seemed to glide forever and the anticipation in the crowd grew and grew until that glorious touchdown. I will never forget it.

The football? What football?

Okay admittedly, there was some football. AC Milan beat Ajax one nil in the first match and looked leagues better. Liverpool beat Valencia by the same score in the second match and were flattered by the result. The goals came almost 4 painfully drawn out hopeful hours apart, AC scoring after 10 minutes and Litmanen for Ajax, to rapturous support from the home crowd for their darling of '95 when he led Ajax all over europe to two European Finals, after 85 minutes.

A couple of players caught the eye with their sheer class, strength or commitment, or lack of either. Ajax two new signings Zlatan & Mido were exciting with the ball at their feet but of the two only Mido seemed interested enough and capable of winning the ball and only he provided anything for his team mates to feed off. The little van der Vaart belies his size and looks fresh throughout, his movement and play were more consistent with what Milan were doing throughout. Arveladze was poo. Took too long over everything and didn't do himself any favours in his attempts to find a move away from Ajax. For Ac Milan there were few who didn't stand out. Its odd the details that stick-out though when seeing players in the flesh (a word that instant brings Dr Lector to mind for me every time) for the first time. Shevchenco is not as long as he appears, Bierhof contradicted himself - while looking more like a body builder with muscles that should have hindered,he tore about the park with hare-like speed. Serginio looked and played brazillian - and that before I realised he was. Carew for Valencia was a monster, a greek god like stonecarving of a man. He was unbudgeable, even in the air. I think he won every ball which came within a 5 meter radius around him AND did something good with each and every one.

...to be continued (once I've gotten some work done)

[posted by David O'Coimin]

Friday, July 20, 2001

10:41 AM > Okay, at 8am this morning it was Hep A & B combined in the opposite arm to Wednesdays injection. Expectations are of fever, nausia, headaches, shooting pains, swelling, redness and other fun symptoms which we're already experiencing from the previous needles. There was one piece of great news at the docs this morning however - very important as we have to have another round of injections 1 week before the wedding - that round can be injected in our asses. Either cheek I presume!
[posted by David O'Coimin]

Wednesday, July 18, 2001

2:41 PM > Three injections for Dyptheria, Tetanus & Polio - three injections for Hepatitus A & B and pills for Typhoid;

It started today and we're both brave boy & girl as we sit in work with throbbing arms and lickle plasters covering our massive wounds. That needle went in a good metre if it went in an inch I tell ye. What hurt the most though was definitely the cost > over 750 guilders for the lot (IEP 300 quid) with only 200 guilders back from our health insurance. Tight gits!
[posted by David O'Coimin]

Monday, July 09, 2001

9:57 AM >
They're up and running.
My eternal embarrassment is complete.
Go there >
[posted by David O'Coimin]

Wednesday, June 27, 2001

9:40 AM > Back from the brink!
Metro, train, Fly fly fly, wait (2hrs), drive (2hrs), 'hello' (jax mam), sleep, wake, eat, drive (5hrs), hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, hello (thats all jacks family) drink, eat, drive some more, see norwich @ night, sleep, wake, eat, drive (5hrs), eat, sleep, wake, eat, bye, drive (2.5hrs), Fly fly fly, wait, bags, shop, train strike, crowded train to CS, Metro... ah, home!
Great weekend though!
[posted by David O'Coimin]

Tuesday, June 19, 2001

10:15 AM > What is with these guys?:

"The US is blocking EC proposals to get cheap drugs into developing countries. Advisers to bush, who has already refused to ratify the Kyoto Treaty on global warming (!) are objecting to the EC's moves to relax trade agreements on intellectual property rights. These rights prevent poor countries from buying drugs to combat HIV, tuberculosis and malaria."

Incredible. Baby Star Wars, no to Kyoto, countless other similar worrying decisions and stand-points... and now this. Is this man the anti-christ for the rest of the world? An American friend called bush the "best of a bad lot" just after the rediculous elections (more people actually voted for Gore - just not in important enough places) - does he still hold the same opinion or is my problem an exclusively outside the US worry?
[posted by David O'Coimin]