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I think I might create a new blog and keep it private, just so I can express how annoyed I am and get it over with.

A friend from Kenya

Still thinking of a name

Breathe

The business and the stress and annoying people and early dusks and busy streets.

Breathe...

The field season from the 4WD

It's been busy.

It feels a tad unfair to keep saying that, but it's true. It's no excuse in itself, but it's definitely a reason. When I'm back from a field trip, or even simply tired from a long day at work, I simply have to get lost.

Lost in bad TV, in eating junk food, in playing games online. Yes, very unhealthy and unproductive – and that's the worst part. It took me long enough to start doing something actively, but even riding my bicycle has become quite hard with all the bad weather, as well as some technical issues.

Excuses, I know – but let me slide for a bit longer...

I spent most of the day yesterday lazing around and eating. Yes, eating. I had to pay my parent back, so I was down to my last 12 dollars for almost 10 days. As you can imagine, it turned out into a daily going-through-drawers-looking-for-coins ritual. But I survived.

Preparing cottage cheese with sour cream, spring onions, radishes and garlic, including fresh bread, made me think of Croatia. Well, Bosnia in fact, but you know what I mean. Being that Saturdays are usually the busiest on Skype, I used the time to talk to family and friends.

There's a lot of planning ahead: first of all, I'm going to Croatia for my annual leave in August, so there's a lot of excited people with ideas in their minds. Exciting as hell, as I'll only have three weeks and I don't even want to lose an hour I don't need to. On the other hand, it's hard to organise things from half a world away, but luckily the people are awesome, so they're coming up with options.

Secondly, my sister is going to be coming over for a visit in December/January, which will be exciting. I don't really go out as much as I'd like (and should), so it'll take some more preparing and planning to go to some nice places. That'll hopefully get me out of the house as well. She's working on booking a flight, applying for a visa etc.

Exciting times.

I also talked to my mum, who asked me if the time's running fast. It took me a couple of seconds to analyse that, after which I realised that it actually isn't. The last nine months just flew past, but the time has slowed down in a way – of course, only in my head – let's not get philosophical.


The next couple of weeks is going to be busy. I spent the last week on a very long, but fun survey. We went down to an area where I haven't previously been, so it was exciting to see emus, kangaroos, a snake (scary!), drive over sand dunes, revving through the sand etc.

The next week is going to keep me busy at the office; finishing up my report, preparing for the upcoming survey, and then reports following after that. I'll need a couple of weeks to wrap up all of that, which will make it mid July and it'll almost be time for my annual. Yay!

Oh, and I got myself a new phone – a smartphone – so I'll hopefully be able to update on the go easier. Another yay!

Here's a couple of photos from the last trip (it's very hard to choose), so take a look at what it's like (hover with your mouse to see the description text), have a nice Sunday and simply enjoy...

Good morning!

Show in the crazy

It's about to begin.

The season.

It's that crazy time of the year in the organisation, which I partially got to experience last year when I started.

The white-board calendar is packed. You can't fit a full stop in there. I've got three trips coming up before the end of the month, and I'm not even as busy as others are.

Last call...

But that's just the way it goes.

Instead of people walking past your office, you hear a whoosh. Casual how-was-your-weekend chat is reduced to a quick grin, not even long enough to hold as we pass each other in the hallway.

The printers are bustling, the phones are ringing, all the meeting rooms are occupied. You see heads sticking out of cubicles, and you scan them, hoping that at least some of the people you need to talk to are among them.

As the day passes, it doesn't get any quieter and calmer. The clock ticking only makes it livelier – and crazier. I almost-run into someone at least five times a day. Sometimes I feel like making tid-tid-tid noises while walking around the office. I don't know exactly how stealthy the people in my office are (and why), but it definitely is food for thought.

Yesterday was spiced up by a couple of drink after work. A couple of major things have already been finalised, and everyone very well deserved it.

It's nice to chat to people about something other than work – although that happens rarely. People are so involved that no one can actually let it go. Don't get me wrong – it'll be funny stories, crazy situations, wild trips and similar – but it'll still be about work.

Being that I basically couldn't find the time to take a day off (as I planned), it was a nice break from the reality, especially after we went to a BYO Vietnamese restaurant (BYOs are restaurants where you Bring Your Own drinks), laughed about embarrassing situations, talked about future plans, discussed thing you don't discuss at the dinner table, went through my backpack and flashed half of the restaurant with my boxers etc.

All-daily stuff. Nothing unusual. Kahem.

So yeah, today is Saturday – and the only day of my weekend. I'm flying out again tomorrow, and to a crazy one. A big project, a crazy company, an intense situation, wild environment.

As soon as I finalised all the preparations and made my peace with it, I got a couple of good lucks from people, including the boss, some managers etc.

If you pull this one off well, you're going all the way up. Wear big boots [followed by a growing-taller gesture].

I guess we'll see what happens.

Bush

Things

Some things change, and some stay the same.

I'm still tired. I sleep, I eat, I take my vitamins - and I'm still tired.

People change. The forget about you. They find new friends. They take the easy way out.
People don't change.

Assholes keep kicking people to the side of the road.
Those on the side of the road struggle even more.

The quiet ones lose their chance because there's a screeching vulture circling above.
And even though they're horrible, ugly birds, there's  still a fricken ornithologist who will say they're majestic.

I know, it makes no sense.

And it definitely doesn't make it right.

Back. Alive.

That should suffice.

Field season

The field season is on. See you, well... the next time I see you...

Birthday snapshots

The fridge is filled up all right

My first batch of home-made hummus

And it's done!

Chopping up chives

My summery salad: cottage cheese, sour cream, garlic, cucumber, salt, pepper, chives, a pinch of red paprika - refreshing and tasty!

More yummy alcoholic presies - gotta love it!

Enough wine?

Re-growing spring onion after I chopped up the green parts into the salad

Nobody loves no one

Is it possible to only play this once?

Find of the month

I just wish we'd all repeat this in our minds a bit more often...

That cockamamie feeling inside

Sometimes I hate myself for the feelings I'm experiencing.

Jealously is definitely the first one on the list. It annoys the hell out of me.

It comes from the back, stabs you between the shoulderblades, bangs the dagger with its clenched fists until it comes out through your chest with your spine, heart, lung and pride dripping from its blade.

Such a useless emotion, and yet it wrecks my inner peace (or however little of it I have) and makes me restless.

It's based on surreal inner monologues and scenes that only a disturbed mind can come up with. Don't get me wrong - it might all be true. But, so what?!

It's not going to change anything, and it's definitely not going to make anyone feel better.

It makes me think how I want to be a better person and not dislike more people.
It makes me want to be nicer to people, especially the ones that annoy the hell out of me.
It makes me try to do the best I can, even when I don't feel like I can actually do it.

These are all ideas, but I guess one has to make something positive out of the negative.

It still just pisses me off. Turn it off!

Australia's South West - Teaser

Here's a couple of photos from my Easter break trip down south...

I'll try to do some writing up later on, preferably once I finish Myanmar off.
:checks his watch and the calendar and rolls eyes:

Fatigué et extasié

I'm so tired. And so happy we've got a long weekend ahead.

Lunch break

Living online

I just received the first online-shopping home-delivery order in my life.

Being that living here pretty much requires owning a car, sorting out larger amounts of groceries can prove to be quite tricky. When I go to the store, I'm pretty much limited by whatever can fit in my backpack, and even then I have to make sure I don't tip over on my bicycle.

A couple of people told me they do the same, especially because you don't have to deal with lines, people and whatnot. I piled up on milk, toilet paper, cleaning stuff, cans and all the stuff that takes up a lot of space. This way, next time I have to go get groceris, I can only get bread, veggies, fruit and other perishables.

Sounds good to me!

Aside from feeling pretty lazy, I have to admit I also feel quite satisfied.

Out of this world - the Shwe Dagon Pagoda

I think the time is here when I need to start posting about my Myanmar trip. I'll start off with one of the most amazing places in the country, the mind-blowing Shwe Dagon Pagoda.

And landing and a taxi ride to the wrong hotel, we dropped off our luggage and headed toward the Shwe Dagon Pagona. The hotel is conveniently located right next to it, so we used to opportunity to check it out in night time, with all that gold glistening under the lights.

It was Peasant's Day, so the temple was packed with families coming to pray and light incense sticks, and to thank for the (hopefully) fruitful year. People are walking around the Pagoda, with numerous smaller temples along the circular route and the small alley ways branching out, incense sticks all around, sounds of bells in the distance, groups of pilgrims chanting, singing, praying...

That place is mind blowing indeed. Just thinking about how it was built, how people decorated it all (and how long it took them), what it means to people, being the most sacred temple for Buddhist in Myanmar and worldwide...

To mention only some of the details regarding the Pagoda, it is probably the one zedi or stupa you want to check out. It's been around for approximately 2500 years, and is comprised of the main zedi and 82 other buildings. It's been built on the place that contained Buddha relics, including eight of his hairs. Over the years the zedi has grown to 99 m tall and has reportedly accumulated more than 53 metric tonnes of gold leaves.

The ancient Burmese dug a hole on a hill near Dagon, built a tomb and covered it with a golden plate. Several stupas made from different materials were erected on top of it one by one - golden, silver, tin, copper, lead, marble, iron, and brick. The main zedi is made completely out of gold, with another 5000 diamonds and 2000 gemstones covering its surface. It's no wonder it has been repeatedly plundered and that some parts of it are missing.

It was just overwhelming at times, so I had to take a sit and soak it all in. Going around the Paya with all those people gives you an incredible feeling of being part of the whole thing. You take a photo of a cathedral or a Hindu temple, but that's pretty much as far as it goes. Listening to all the changing, smelling all the incense, being part of the human flood - it really sound reasonable for it to be life changing.

Even with people chattering, I felt at peace. The ambience is just mesmerising, making you think about yourself, your life, your purpose, your goals, your ideas, your thoughts... It's actually a bit scary and feels as if someone's looking straight into your soul...

There are several entrances into this pagoda. We took one that seemed the most convenient, and convenient it was. And yes, those are escalators.

Besides the Shwe Dagon Pagoda, there is so many more temples around it, so you can make a circular round and visit temples along the way.

Only a couple of numerous Buddha statues around the temple. Buddha is, of course, worshipped in many temples, where people come and pray. I'm not sure how come some are more visited than others, but it might be something similar to patrons - each family worships a specific one and prays to it as the protector.

The tip of the Shwe Dagon Pagoda, said to be the most sacred pagoda, because it contains relics of four Buddhas within: the staff of Kakusandha, the water filter of Koṇāgamana, a piece of the robe of Kassapa and eight strands of hair from Gautama, the historical Buddha.

The pagoda is partially made of gold plates, covered in gold donated by monarch and later on added by devotees. The top is tipped by a 15 g diamond.

One of my favorite shots, especially because it's quite hard to get the shy monks into a photo.

Travelling to Myanmar, you're supposed to be aware of your manners. You're not supposed to touch a monk's robes, touch anybody on the head (being it's regarded as the most sacred part of the body) and, among many others, sit with your feet sticking out.

That's why everybody tucks away their feet while sitting on the floor, praying, eating and similar. It's a bit hard to get used to (even though they have similar rules in India), especially when you're as bony as me and sitting down on marble.

Bling bling, isn't it? The details are amazing, but the surface of the whole thing even more.