I don’t make a habit of talking to strangers, especially in hot tubs. But this chance meeting turned out to be a happy, albeit a little creepy, coincidence: I had met a sports massage tutor and was invited along with the promise of a free treatment. I was dubious, but then I do like free…
The Cyborg
Imagine a life without colour. A sky devoid of blue, a monochrome city, a dish served in shades of grey. A few weeks ago, I listened to a talk by Neil Harbisson. Looking at him, I soon realised that he was another eccentric speaker (see my post on Alain Robert). For one thing, he had…
A wildlife encounter
Susan the albino water buffalo greeted us by promptly crapping herself, and the knee high mud we were in suddenly seemed more suspect. The large swell of her stomach announced her pregnancy, but with six months remaining she was destined to balloon much further. The early monsoon rain had washed the mud from her pink…
What not to say at work
Anyone who knows me will know that my mouth operates at about double the speed of my brain. I stumble over sentences, get the proverbs all wrong and babble in intervals that never fail to cut off the person speaking. This made for some embarrassing slips at my new job. Enjoy. 1. Made up sayings…
Floods and floating markets
The white rose dumplings are proudly plonked in front of me, the herb-filled parcels steaming above a bed of serrated carrot leaves. On a day like this, there isn’t much to do but sample the local food. Looking out to the road I see a cyclist wobbling as sparks of water fly from his tyres,…
Familiarising fast
Moving back to London was daunting after my stint in Asia. Just as I was busy settling back into autumnal Suffolk, enjoying food that wasn’t coated in fish sauce and remembering how to drive, I was launched back up to the capital for interviews. This was an uncomfortable experience for a few reasons. Number one,…
Cameo role
Let me introduce you to Fred. Like any aspiring actor he seeks every opportunity to launch his career. His ‘big break’ could be just around the corner, so he is always prepared and groomed to perfection. His dedication knows no limits and every morning you will find him bounding along the beach, studying other dogs…
Would you give away your DNA?
While I was waiting to be interviewed this week, I picked up the Telegraph in an attempt to look casual. After flicking through a few pages, this article caught my attention: ‘Volunteers sought for ‘open access’ genome project‘. The Personal Genome Project (PGP-UK) aims to recruit 100,000 British volunteers to donate their full genome and…
6 things I didn’t write in my postcard home
When you’re backpacking around other countries, things are bound to go wrong occasionally. Here’s a list of things that happened in my travels around SE Asia that I didn’t tell my folks back home: 1. Bed bugs – the ultimate backpacker’s nightmare. After years of staying in hostels and playing bed roulette, the little beasts…
Temple Trade
The girl in purple with a hovering peaked cap peers out from behind the pillar as Tom tries to shoot the stone gate. He grumbles impatiently – it’s a futile task trying to take authentic pictures without people when there are so many visitors like us traipsing about. Even this smaller temple, Banteay Kdei, magnetises…
Ferns and forest 