Holding Hands with 4000 (ish) pink people

On Friday the co-pilot and I joined and aticipated 4000 (actual nubers 1032) people to form a giant human "pink ribbon" at the Emirates Golf Course to raise awareness of breast cancer and the slowly bake in the sun until we too were pink:



I'd liek to say it was lots of fun and the world record attempt was achieved but really it wasn't, the morning was a little dull with lots of waiting around for 2988 people to fail to turn up.....but it was for a good cause at the end of the day so what can you say.
 


But they did at least have a bouncy castle......even if the rules do state that mums HAVE to go on with their kids.......apparently.........honest

 

Cluster Map Guest Book

I have added the cluster map application to the side of this blog. I initially added it as it looked cool over on grumpy goats blog, and I am now glad I did because it is VERY cool and amazed me how far and wide people have visited this humble little blog from.

I then got even more curious to perhaps know who all these people are there fore I thought I'd add a little guest book. So, if you visit this site it would be cool if you left a comment linked t this blog entry jsut perhaps letting me know who you are and where you are.

Thanks

YBOD

For Your Saftey

I spotted the following notice in the "hotel" room while staying at the Mucky Beach Hotel in Fujairah:

Watch out Mums to be, I bet you don't realize you were suffering from an abnormality where there is a significant probability of unconsciousness now do you.  And as for the at horseplay in the water, one presumes this is a reference to water polo.

Shag Pile Rug

Anybody who has been to the Wakka Mansion will be familiar with resident catawaha and his tendency to great all visitors with a rendition of his entire volcabulary of "howls and yowls" and then continue to do so for the rest of the evening.

Well, this has begun to drive the co-pilot and I to distraction, especially when it continues until 4am with no respite.  This added to his eagerness to escape the mansion and head out into the great blue yonder we wondered if he perhaps hadn't had the snip as feline friends had lead us to believe.  These suspicions where further triggered when we were watching TV one night and the delightful fella started getting very jiggy with his sheep skin rug he sleeps on......and I don't mean he started dancing Will Smith style if you know what I mean.  It wasn't a pretty sight.



Anyway, we took him to the vets wh gave him a full examination which ended with the vet grabbing Sam's family jewels (or lack there of as it transpired) and concluding that he had certainly "been done" and there was no explanation for his noise.  Only that maybe he was just a talker.

Now the really strange thing is htat since having his balls grabbed by the vet he has been nearly silent at home since........and its been two days now. So I have decided that if I hear another late night peep out of him in future I shall be grabbing him by the balls and asking him very politely to stop!!

Hong Kong Movement

The other thing I loved about Hong Kong was its frenetic streets and busy crowds, and while the co-pilot was off looking around the many shops around the Time Square area (and there are plenty, I can assure you) I found myself a spot and switched out of A and into S.......



and of course there are more where they came from.....

Hong Kong Horizontal

As much as I really love the 3:1 vertical there were some occasions where the shots just worked better in the horizontal, and as Dave said on a photography course I went on "it's digital, its costs you nothing to take a few extra the other way around and see how they look"

And so here are a few of the horizontals:













Again, more shots can be found in the Picasa Album

So let that be a challenge.

Following the Hong Kong Vertical post I received the following comment from the Grumpy Goat:

"The boons of tower-cranes don't lend themselves to a narrow portrait aspect ratio. So let that be a challenge."

Well, not wanting to be one to back down from a direct challenge I had to trawl the old photo collection, and this is what I came up with:

.........

Well, I could hardly let that one go could I?

Hong Kong Vertical

With the closed in nature of Hong Kong with its narrow streets and high sheer buildings I was inspired by the work of Horst Hamann and his "New York Vertical".  I decided to spend a few days adopting the 3:1 aspect ratio Horst uses to try and capture the verticality of Hong Kong.  Here are a few of my shots, let me know what you think:

      

       

The full set can be found in my Picasa Album.

Hong Kong - Phewee!!

With Ramadan drawing to an end and the Eid Break approaching I had nothign planned to make the most of the extra long weekend/holiday when I got an email from those nice chaps over at Skywards about all the wonderful things I could do with my Skywards Points.

I decided to put a few thousand of the old airmile (or skywards miles) to good
use and surprise the co-pilot with a last minute trip to Hong Kong!! And with her ladyships birthday just around the corner it seemed an ideal chance to kill two birds with one stone....

In summary we did the Star Ferry, Hollywood Road,
Curios markets, and the Northwest of the island, a few Malls - Harbour
city, timesquare and IFC (concession to the co-pilot), cable cars,
Giant Budda, Causeway Bay area, night markets, parks (Kawloon and
Charter) and miles and miles and miles of walking.

Only thing we regretted missing was heading up the peak for the view but we decided to
leave it on the first day and then the rest of the time the visibility
was crap so we skipped it hoping the next day was better...and it just
got worse. Still, after Dubai, the rain was brilliant.


Hong Kong was fantastic, I love the feel of the place (although I

am told it used to be better in the 'good old days'). Its seems as
safe and relaxed as Dubai but with the added advantage of history,
character, topography, landmarks, interesting shopping, cool bars,
friendly people, places to walk and.......well, in fact.......its
everything Dubai wishes it was but fails to be. Loved it.

Rather than bore you with a long recount of everything we did I
thought it better to just upload the pictures with a few notes against
each for those who are interested. I have split the shots up in to
groups of similar style, theme etc. Enjoy.

The Omnivore's Hundred

This is taken from The Grumpy Goat, who took it from someone who took it from someone else:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Add comments to taste
5) Optional extra: Post a comment at Very Good Taste

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea No but I have eaten nettles as a dare, its wasn't good.
3. Huevos rancheros - What the??
4. Steak tartare Only if it came well done
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding Straight from the fridge, or fried, and even à la thermidor.
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush-?????
11. Calamari
12. Pho - ?????
13. PB&J (peanut butter & jelly) sandwich Yes, and i will NEVER EVER do it again.  Peanut butter is satan's own seeman!!
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart and paid 7 quid for the pleasure outside the globe in London
16. Epoisses ??????.
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes My dad made many a wine from things other than grape - not all were a success
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries Yep, and as a kid even peed on them to make sure they didn't have any dog wee on them.  The logic worked when I was seven
23. Foie gras In Mezzaneen at the Habtour grand - over priced duck paste butties if you ask me
24. Rice and beans Staple diet of students - with baked beans that is.
25. Brawn Tried it; hated it - agree with Goat on this one
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper - is this some kind of Dandruff from north of the border?
27. Dulce de leche - Thought this was an Italian opera singer
28. Oysters
29. Baklava - Why would I eat a winter hat
30. Bagna càuda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl No way, it has Clam's in it
33. Salted lassi I prefer it sweet.
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea It was ok bit over rated in my book - I prefer jam and butter
38. Vodka jelly - It was messy
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail (Soup).
41. Curried goat A speciality of Ravies in Dubai.....not good
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk Not that great
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth costing £60/$120 or more Yep, and loved it......but then I had just skinny dipped in Loch Ness on my birthday in April......Bbbbrrrrrr
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut YUMMY!!!
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi - Bless you
53. Abalone
54. Paneer.
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal Bes hang over cure known to man
56. Spaetzle - No idea what it is, but anything that sounds like splitting has to be good
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV Possibly......the memory is a bit vague
59. Poutine No idea, thought he was the Russian leader
60. Carob chips ???
61. S’mores - Is this the name for seconds, "There's S'more if you want it"?
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin - As goat says, only mixed with Morphin - Which according to my grandad was the cure for anything.
64. Currywurst
65. Durian ?????
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets ????
68. Haggis And neeps and tatties too. Washed down with whisky.
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini In Tehran at a new year celebration - Didn't appreciate its cost and spooned it on a cream cracker nice and thick and then threw it away as it tasted vile - Oh well
73. Louche absinthe Is this the drink?  If so see 58 - probably
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu - ????
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong yeah but found it a bit dry until you put the water on it.
80. Bellini - ?????
81. Tom yum Is that a tasty fairy tale midget?
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky - Yellow fighting Hamster?
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant If you are paying
85. Kobe beef and it was GOOOOOOOOOOD
86. Hare There was once one in my soup, so they gave me a free replacement
87. Goulash
88. Flowers Dandilions, daffodills and roses - all dares
89. Horse Yep, and it was crap (like most french food)
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam Straight from the tin, or fried, or deep fried in batter ex chip-shop Oh yes!!
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano - ????
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee - Does it taste that much different to Nestecafe?
100. Snake but was offered it in Hong Kong last week at a street stall - wierd

Additional from Keefie:
101. Deep-fried Mars Bar Oh yeah, scolding hot if eaten too fresh

Additional from the Goat:
102. Kangaroo yeah, sort of tough beef - over rated


Additional from YBOD
103.  Pepperoni, Bannana and Pineapple Pizza - yes, all together - its the only pizza worth eating!!

48 out of 103 - Clearly I am not nearly Goatboys culinary equal!!