So today, being 2019 AFL GF Day, and yeah, those frigging awful Tigers did it again. Glad I didn't watch it. But sitting around with the kids having a can or two and flicking through photos - largely due to the impending passing of a key family member (Mooey).
I have had on my To-Do list for some years now, the goal of organising all my photos. This has been a goal that has been with me for a decade or more. I remember way back when in about 2007, living in Hamilton in Brisbane, when I decided to finally digitise all the hundreds of hardcopy photos I had. I was so glad to get that done, but far out was it expensive! At that time anyway. Not sure what it would be like now. But I did it, and am damn glad I did.
Today I had even more of a thought. It occurred to me that I have been flicking through albums and largely picking a few from each, and then making a post about that. So maybe that can be the basis of my blog-based memoir? Each photo grouping or folder can represent a chapter in my own history. I like it. Sounds like a good idea!
Looking at the literally frigging hundreds of folders I have containing photos, this is not going to be an easy task. Perhaps that is why I have not yet fully attempted it. Frankly, I can't see that happening right now either as the internet is SO crap here. OMG it is frustrating! Plus, being the digital age, we have SO many more photos now than we used to, and it is so easy to keep them all. Yikes, I have just seen all the caps-words I have just written. I am in danger of becoming a millennial! Haha, not really.
Anyway, so looking through the various folders, it's funny how children play such a major part. Before I had kids, folders were grouped into either decades, years or specific events. Post-children, you can have folders of 1000 or more photos of the same frigging day almost. I know they are all special and yes I cherish every memory of every moment with my three kids, but really, I don't need 40 photos of essentially the same moment, with perhaps an eyebrow moving between frames.
So there you go, mission granted. I won't call this part 1 or anything, not at this time. I want to evolve this part of the journey as it itself sees fit, and as parts feel like they belong in the narrative, I will include them. So watch this space. I have some awesome stuff to share....
Monday, 30 September 2019
Pissed Post Revisited
6th January 2017. Sitting at my desk in our house on Arramagong Street, Barooga NSW.
That was my last Pissed Post. Not that I haven't imbibed since then (I wish). But I haven't had cause to write about it specifically.
Reading that post today, wow. How far we have come. And yet how far we have not. We are still penny pinching. We are still living one day to the next. I am still struggling, but yet still loving being a father and a husband who is home each and every night.
I may not be perfect, but in terms of how I see my life progressing - this is perfection for me. We need to keep this family together, pure and simple. It's not easy getting a new job right now, but I'll be damned if I'm going to accept FIFO. Even if the 4/3 roster is appealing. That is going to be a last resort.
It ain't easy to type with a hazy head.
6th January 2017 to 30th September 2019. 2.75 years hence. A lot of water under the bridge, but the challenges remain the same.
Have I yet more to learn on this topic that until now has evaded me? Darcel would likely say yes. My most ardent supporter, my teacher, my mentor, my friend. But I suspect she is a little hazy-eyed too. And yeah, there's the part where I think she is bat-shit crazy about all this past-life, reason-for-being, who-you-really-are stuff. Or maybe my soul is just too immature to accept it.
We'll see. I wrote a significant amount of preparatory work on my interview for this coming Wednesday. I think I am putting my absolute best foot forward. I am wary of being too optimistic, but I do believe the tide is turning....
That was my last Pissed Post. Not that I haven't imbibed since then (I wish). But I haven't had cause to write about it specifically.
Reading that post today, wow. How far we have come. And yet how far we have not. We are still penny pinching. We are still living one day to the next. I am still struggling, but yet still loving being a father and a husband who is home each and every night.
I may not be perfect, but in terms of how I see my life progressing - this is perfection for me. We need to keep this family together, pure and simple. It's not easy getting a new job right now, but I'll be damned if I'm going to accept FIFO. Even if the 4/3 roster is appealing. That is going to be a last resort.
It ain't easy to type with a hazy head.
6th January 2017 to 30th September 2019. 2.75 years hence. A lot of water under the bridge, but the challenges remain the same.
Have I yet more to learn on this topic that until now has evaded me? Darcel would likely say yes. My most ardent supporter, my teacher, my mentor, my friend. But I suspect she is a little hazy-eyed too. And yeah, there's the part where I think she is bat-shit crazy about all this past-life, reason-for-being, who-you-really-are stuff. Or maybe my soul is just too immature to accept it.
We'll see. I wrote a significant amount of preparatory work on my interview for this coming Wednesday. I think I am putting my absolute best foot forward. I am wary of being too optimistic, but I do believe the tide is turning....
My Family History - Part 4 - My Early Life Snapshot
This is an interesting one. Interesting because I'm not sure where it starts and where it ends. Clearly it all really start on December 10, 1972 in Manly Public Hospital. However, the real deal only began not long before I kicked off my jet-setting ways and flew over to Hong Kong in 1979. But we'll wind it back a notch or two and see where we go from there.
The reason I say I'm not sure where it starts and where it ends is that before HK, I don't really have a whole lot of memories. The picture above for example, is part of a well-known story in Brown folklore. It went along the lines of Uncle John (Dad's best friend John Wheeler, who tragically died in a car accident that also severely hurt my dad) telling me one Christmas that all the presents under the tree were for me. I am hoping it wasn't in reference to the above picture specifically, as there is only one damn present there! Plus this photo was in our place, and I was only one (1973) - I recognise the carpet and furniture - whereas I am fairly sure the story eventuated from Uncle John and Aunty Kath's place. Which year is unsure, but I suspect 1976 or 1977. Not sure which year the accident was, so I could be wrong...
Ok, so perhaps my management of my story-telling timeline in conjunction with my photo presentation, could be better. But I'm sure you appreciate how it can be - pulling poignant family photos out of the relevant album, and pairing them with specific memories that match the ongoing narrative. Well, when one is a mid-40's, alcohol-riddled old bugger like me, trying to pull together the throes of what happened in the 1970's? Well, even though I was too young for pot or LSD, let's just say, my brain still doesn't have a particularly great recollection of all those events, at least in terms of subsequent occurrences.
Wow, so I've written a whole paragraph without even referencing the above photo. Point frigging made I say! That photo is of me, as I suspect a 2yo, being held by my ever-so-manly dad, probably on Manly beach, or somewhere close to it. So much manliness! It's interesting to note how I am holding my right arm - to this day I am inclined to pose like that sometimes. It almost appears pensive, but as a 2yo, of what? Certainly the facial expressions give nothing away. But yes, I can recognise myself in that photo, simply from how I hold myself. To the photo itself, well those were the days weren't they? Beach-side weekend afternoons with family. Love it.
Apart from these photos - of which I have no memory myself - I only have a couple of brief synaptic glimpses into that part of my history. One being sitting in the garden either in Peacock Parade or Hakea Avenue and seeing what to me was a monstrous spider walking across the leaf litter on the ground towards me playing wherever I was. Not sure how that episode ended, but I am assuming it ended well for me! The other memory is of being in a fairly large coastal house - pretty sure it was Aunty Kath's again - and perhaps after Uncle John had died. Like the garden memory, it is only a brief glimpse, but nevertheless, it is there.
So this next photo takes us into the period of 1979-1985. I am merely flicking through my abridged family digital album at this point, and thus missing a whole lot of fucking content in the process. So I am not sure how to continue - I think I will keep this post going as is, but as per cousin Phil's memoir, well a whole lot more detail will need to emerge on the HK years, combined with the Sing' years, as frankly they were the years that largely made me who I am today.
The above photo is somewhere in HK, no doubt at one of my dad's construction sites. I suspect it was too early to be Tsing Yi Island, so maybe Shau Kei Wan, which I believe was one of his earliest sites. I remember Dad taking me with him early one morning, like 2 or 3am, for a very important concrete pour. This wasn't that occasion (it happened many years later when I was older), but this was still a great time for us as father and son. I remember I would sometimes accompany him to work on a Saturday morning - he did half-days often - and he would take me for lunch after. Often to a local noodle shop or a curry house. Whatever it was, it was cheap and damn good!
In this photo I don't recognise the fellow on the left. Hold that. I DO recognise him, I just can't for the life of me think of his name. The fellow on the right was Fung. There was a story about Fung, but I can't remember it. I do remember him being one of Dad's most trusted workers though, He and Bor Jai. Bor Jai being the fellow who'd turn up to work with a can of San Miguel with a straw in it, and then complain that it was soft drink when questioned! Haha, now that is hilarious. Just imagining it at a W.A. minesite makes me giggle. Most safety officers would have a conniption fit!
This next photo brings back great memories. No, hold that thought. I have no memory of this whatsoever. But, seeing it gives me warm feelings - me and Dad doing stuff together. We're in Penang in 1982, on my very first non-family-visit-oriented holiday. We stayed at the Golden Sands resort, which is still there to this day, and it was grand. We actually met a family there - The Cartons - who I believe my mum was still in touch with until very recently, and whilst I don't really remember any details, when I see the photos it makes me feel happy. This issue will be discussed at length in due course I'm sure, but when my dad died in 2001, one of the key things I felt was that I had really missed an opportunity. I was too busy being me, and growing up and living my life, to appreciate my father, and to understand just how proud he was of me. It's kind of sad. No, it's very sad. Being an immature, emotionally under-developed person until you hit your mid-30's has got knobs on it frankly. Especially when you have always felt so very mature and very in-touch with everything. Except perhaps, some of the things that matter most.
Rest in Peace my dear father. I value you now.
Now this last photo encapsulates Hong Kong life for us back in the early 80's. I was a young whipper-snapper at KJS and then KGV, and Dad was busy building the colony's underground rail system. Mum, on the other hand, was trying her hand at what to me was a (no pun intended) foreign concept - English conversation.
I imagine she charged very little. I don't know much about it, but she had fairly regular clients, from local Chinese ladies to spouses of Japanese expatriates. The photo above relates to the latter. Mum was teaching conversation to a Japanese lady who lived upstairs in our apartment building at 90 Waterloo Road. One night we were invited to dinner up there. We were served a part of Japanese cuisine that I am certain I have not had since - sukiyaki - it's their version of a Chinese steamboat really, with a basic host soup that one cooks a whole variety of meats and vegetables in. Frankly it was one of the most yummy things I had ever eaten at that point, so I am seriously amazed I have not had it since! I also have memories of having a raw egg in the bowl in front of me, which I assume was cooked by the boiling hot broth from the pot.
So by the looks of this post and the associated photos, I suspect this Early Life recounting is to do with birth up to end-of-HK only, as in 1985. That's when we moved to Singapore. That's when life took me in some truly incredible directions - both ways, I might add. More to follow on that.
Footnote: This post is Part 4, but interestingly, about three other draft posts were initially Part 4. I came up with a host of ideas to begin with, but as my memories and effort put into this blog evolved, this became more of a logical fourth post to deliver. So there.
PPS: Or Footnote 2, not sure of the semantics! I want to point out that this missive in no way entails the entirety of my life between 1979 and 1985. It is really a series of snapshots, relating to the photos. Hey, that makes awesome sense. Fuck it, I am going to rename this post to reference it as a snapshot. So then I can go back to HK and talk about KJS or KGV or anything else without appearing to be a complete muppet.
The reason I say I'm not sure where it starts and where it ends is that before HK, I don't really have a whole lot of memories. The picture above for example, is part of a well-known story in Brown folklore. It went along the lines of Uncle John (Dad's best friend John Wheeler, who tragically died in a car accident that also severely hurt my dad) telling me one Christmas that all the presents under the tree were for me. I am hoping it wasn't in reference to the above picture specifically, as there is only one damn present there! Plus this photo was in our place, and I was only one (1973) - I recognise the carpet and furniture - whereas I am fairly sure the story eventuated from Uncle John and Aunty Kath's place. Which year is unsure, but I suspect 1976 or 1977. Not sure which year the accident was, so I could be wrong...
Ok, so perhaps my management of my story-telling timeline in conjunction with my photo presentation, could be better. But I'm sure you appreciate how it can be - pulling poignant family photos out of the relevant album, and pairing them with specific memories that match the ongoing narrative. Well, when one is a mid-40's, alcohol-riddled old bugger like me, trying to pull together the throes of what happened in the 1970's? Well, even though I was too young for pot or LSD, let's just say, my brain still doesn't have a particularly great recollection of all those events, at least in terms of subsequent occurrences.
Wow, so I've written a whole paragraph without even referencing the above photo. Point frigging made I say! That photo is of me, as I suspect a 2yo, being held by my ever-so-manly dad, probably on Manly beach, or somewhere close to it. So much manliness! It's interesting to note how I am holding my right arm - to this day I am inclined to pose like that sometimes. It almost appears pensive, but as a 2yo, of what? Certainly the facial expressions give nothing away. But yes, I can recognise myself in that photo, simply from how I hold myself. To the photo itself, well those were the days weren't they? Beach-side weekend afternoons with family. Love it.
Apart from these photos - of which I have no memory myself - I only have a couple of brief synaptic glimpses into that part of my history. One being sitting in the garden either in Peacock Parade or Hakea Avenue and seeing what to me was a monstrous spider walking across the leaf litter on the ground towards me playing wherever I was. Not sure how that episode ended, but I am assuming it ended well for me! The other memory is of being in a fairly large coastal house - pretty sure it was Aunty Kath's again - and perhaps after Uncle John had died. Like the garden memory, it is only a brief glimpse, but nevertheless, it is there.
So this next photo takes us into the period of 1979-1985. I am merely flicking through my abridged family digital album at this point, and thus missing a whole lot of fucking content in the process. So I am not sure how to continue - I think I will keep this post going as is, but as per cousin Phil's memoir, well a whole lot more detail will need to emerge on the HK years, combined with the Sing' years, as frankly they were the years that largely made me who I am today.
The above photo is somewhere in HK, no doubt at one of my dad's construction sites. I suspect it was too early to be Tsing Yi Island, so maybe Shau Kei Wan, which I believe was one of his earliest sites. I remember Dad taking me with him early one morning, like 2 or 3am, for a very important concrete pour. This wasn't that occasion (it happened many years later when I was older), but this was still a great time for us as father and son. I remember I would sometimes accompany him to work on a Saturday morning - he did half-days often - and he would take me for lunch after. Often to a local noodle shop or a curry house. Whatever it was, it was cheap and damn good!
In this photo I don't recognise the fellow on the left. Hold that. I DO recognise him, I just can't for the life of me think of his name. The fellow on the right was Fung. There was a story about Fung, but I can't remember it. I do remember him being one of Dad's most trusted workers though, He and Bor Jai. Bor Jai being the fellow who'd turn up to work with a can of San Miguel with a straw in it, and then complain that it was soft drink when questioned! Haha, now that is hilarious. Just imagining it at a W.A. minesite makes me giggle. Most safety officers would have a conniption fit!
This next photo brings back great memories. No, hold that thought. I have no memory of this whatsoever. But, seeing it gives me warm feelings - me and Dad doing stuff together. We're in Penang in 1982, on my very first non-family-visit-oriented holiday. We stayed at the Golden Sands resort, which is still there to this day, and it was grand. We actually met a family there - The Cartons - who I believe my mum was still in touch with until very recently, and whilst I don't really remember any details, when I see the photos it makes me feel happy. This issue will be discussed at length in due course I'm sure, but when my dad died in 2001, one of the key things I felt was that I had really missed an opportunity. I was too busy being me, and growing up and living my life, to appreciate my father, and to understand just how proud he was of me. It's kind of sad. No, it's very sad. Being an immature, emotionally under-developed person until you hit your mid-30's has got knobs on it frankly. Especially when you have always felt so very mature and very in-touch with everything. Except perhaps, some of the things that matter most.
Rest in Peace my dear father. I value you now.
Now this last photo encapsulates Hong Kong life for us back in the early 80's. I was a young whipper-snapper at KJS and then KGV, and Dad was busy building the colony's underground rail system. Mum, on the other hand, was trying her hand at what to me was a (no pun intended) foreign concept - English conversation.
I imagine she charged very little. I don't know much about it, but she had fairly regular clients, from local Chinese ladies to spouses of Japanese expatriates. The photo above relates to the latter. Mum was teaching conversation to a Japanese lady who lived upstairs in our apartment building at 90 Waterloo Road. One night we were invited to dinner up there. We were served a part of Japanese cuisine that I am certain I have not had since - sukiyaki - it's their version of a Chinese steamboat really, with a basic host soup that one cooks a whole variety of meats and vegetables in. Frankly it was one of the most yummy things I had ever eaten at that point, so I am seriously amazed I have not had it since! I also have memories of having a raw egg in the bowl in front of me, which I assume was cooked by the boiling hot broth from the pot.
So by the looks of this post and the associated photos, I suspect this Early Life recounting is to do with birth up to end-of-HK only, as in 1985. That's when we moved to Singapore. That's when life took me in some truly incredible directions - both ways, I might add. More to follow on that.
Footnote: This post is Part 4, but interestingly, about three other draft posts were initially Part 4. I came up with a host of ideas to begin with, but as my memories and effort put into this blog evolved, this became more of a logical fourth post to deliver. So there.
PPS: Or Footnote 2, not sure of the semantics! I want to point out that this missive in no way entails the entirety of my life between 1979 and 1985. It is really a series of snapshots, relating to the photos. Hey, that makes awesome sense. Fuck it, I am going to rename this post to reference it as a snapshot. So then I can go back to HK and talk about KJS or KGV or anything else without appearing to be a complete muppet.
Sunday, 29 September 2019
Awesome YouTube Channels
It's funny how things evolve over the years. When I first started watching YouTube a few years ago I was all over channels like Downunder Bricks and Drew Durnil, for Lego and gaming. I have stuck with DUB, but only just to be honest. The content just isn't the same as it once was, an frankly I have moved on from Lego a bit too. Plus DD used to be funny and cool with his Civ6 all-in battles, but now he just dribbles and makes funny faces most of the time. So much so I recently unsubscribed. I also used to yum up everything Secureteam10 put out, but again, the quality of the content has waned over the years, so I really don't follow it anymore.
I like to think I'm a bit more of a sophisticated YouTube consumer these days. Nah not really, it's just that my tastes have changed. I have always loved exploring and finding interesting things, as well as history and food. Throw in a bit of paranormal and alternate history, and there you go. So here is a list of the 10 channels I follow the most these days, and what is so interesting about them;
Simon Wilson - this guy has come out of nowhere in the last year, with his popularity surging incredibly. He has a super personality, is amazing with people, and does some truly remarkable things while travelling. He sets himself challenges, such as the 7 Wonders in 7 Days below. What got me in though, was his (continuing) No Money challenge series, where he visits cities and has to survive with no bookings and no money. Sure, some people might consider the sneaking into hotel breakfasts and faking Maccas purchases that were filled incorrectly so he gets a free burger, as mildly criminal, but it is compelling viewing. I highly recommend it.
PJ's Coin Capers - I'll say this upfront. If you are not into coins, then skip this one. But if you are, even only fleetingly, this channel rocks. I have collected coins in some way, shape or form for years, but until PJ introduced the hobby of noodling to me, I never realised how much fun coin collecting can be. Noodling is looking through circulating coins for those that have higher than face value. In a country like Australia, with a huge number of different coins minted each year, the interest in what can be found in your shop change or in bulk from the bank, is amazing! And PJ is professional, interesting and very good at shooting videos. Highly recommended.
Mark Felton Productions - this guy has one of the very best channels on YouTube, hands down. Remember when The History Channel used to actually be about history? Then somehow Ancient Aliens and Pawnstars took over and history was forgotten. Well fear not, go to YouTube, find Mark's channel, subscribe, and breath a sigh of relief, while you watch amazing history. Focusing mainly on WW2, but with many other snippets (such as below), Mark eloquently describes many events that are not generally covered on mainstream history media, and does so in a very informative, well-researched, and entertaining manner. Absolutely brilliant channel!
Cointector Australia - these guys, Paul and Troy, are bloody hilarious! Victoria-based, and focusing on treasure hunting rather than gold, they find some superb locations and some brilliant coins and relics. They do so with humour, character and in a very entertaining manner. I love watching them! Paul's classic line "I'm loving myself sick!" whenever he finds a decent coin, absolutely cracks me up! They have decent metal-detecting and camera gear, and shoot some very good videos. They're also very knowledgeable about what they find.
Aquachigger - Beau was one of the first people I ever watched on YouTube, along with the crowd mentioned at the top of this post. The fact that I still watch him frequently is testament to the quality of his content. He makes adventuring, treasure hunting and nature videos, all in the US. Many of them are set in colonial or civil war areas, and some of the things he finds and places he goes are incredible. He is a quality human being, tells a wonderful story, and is a pleasure to watch.
WW2HistoryHunter - wow, this channel is absolutely super. I have watched many videos of metal detecting, treasure hunting and exploring historical sites in general, and a lot of them produce superb content. But this one is special. This guy is humble, amazingly well-informed and researched, and finds some absolutely incredible relics of WW2. He tells the story from the perspective of history, not Axis or Allies, and that adds real humanity to the lives of the people who populated the various locations he explores, even if they were on the wrong side. As a half-German myself, I do understand what that means. Someone may well have worn a Nazi uniform, but that very, very much does not mean he/she was a Nazi at heart. Life is not that simple. But this channel is, and does it effectively. I love watching these "small adventures"!
Greg's Kitchen - when I first started watching Greg, it was almost morbid curiousity, as I found him really weird and a bit over the top. But I soon realised he addresses food at a level that I can seriously relate to, and has a face and personality that were born for the camera. I find him funny, interesting, ridiculous and camp in equal amounts. But I very, very much enjoy watching his videos! He does both reviews and his own recipes. Keep 'em coming at me Greg!
Simply Dumpling - Mike Chen is a food and travel vlogger. He makes some incredible videos of all kinds of cuisines in all kinds of places, from the highest class, right down to the junkiest of junk foods. He loves it all! He has a wonderful personality for the job and a never-ending appetite. Watching him eat is kind of like food porn! But I rate his opinion, have something in common with his appetite, and enjoy his videos. Keep it up Mikey!
Exploring With Josh - Josh's channel is also one of my originals. Like Aquachigger, I keep on watching him because he produces seriously good stuff. He explores abandoned places, like old amusement parks, mansions, bases, airports etc. Some of the places he gets to are incredible, and he and his team do it respectfully, which I like. They don't damage or take anything, they respect other people's property and they tell the story of the places they visit with real meaning. I enjoy watching his work. I believe he is going to get his on TV show soon!
So that's nine channels. Deciding on the 10th is proving to be bloody difficult! There are many that I enjoy, some that are more unique than others, but in their way, they all fit in. So I'm just going to go with the channel that I'd be most likely to sit down and watch a video on right now, assuming the kids would leave me alone for more than 30 seconds that is. Here goes....
Actually, I went a different way. I picked out 32 channels that I subscribe to and watch at least sometimes, and randomly pitted them against each other like a tennis tournament. That way I would need to pick one against another until there was only one left, which would become #10! The final was between Just Jay, a metal detecting channel, and Nicola White, a mud-larking channel. I enjoy both, but I must admit I watch more of Jay, so he becomes #10!
Just Jay Detecting - Jay is a Tasmanian, who does all sorts of detecting hunts, finding a host of coins and other interesting stuff. He is humble, got a good personality, and balances his videos well, between finds and hunting. He also throws in a bit of light-hearted entertainment in there, which is very amusing! A good one to watch if you like metal detecting channels.
I like to think I'm a bit more of a sophisticated YouTube consumer these days. Nah not really, it's just that my tastes have changed. I have always loved exploring and finding interesting things, as well as history and food. Throw in a bit of paranormal and alternate history, and there you go. So here is a list of the 10 channels I follow the most these days, and what is so interesting about them;
Simon Wilson - this guy has come out of nowhere in the last year, with his popularity surging incredibly. He has a super personality, is amazing with people, and does some truly remarkable things while travelling. He sets himself challenges, such as the 7 Wonders in 7 Days below. What got me in though, was his (continuing) No Money challenge series, where he visits cities and has to survive with no bookings and no money. Sure, some people might consider the sneaking into hotel breakfasts and faking Maccas purchases that were filled incorrectly so he gets a free burger, as mildly criminal, but it is compelling viewing. I highly recommend it.
PJ's Coin Capers - I'll say this upfront. If you are not into coins, then skip this one. But if you are, even only fleetingly, this channel rocks. I have collected coins in some way, shape or form for years, but until PJ introduced the hobby of noodling to me, I never realised how much fun coin collecting can be. Noodling is looking through circulating coins for those that have higher than face value. In a country like Australia, with a huge number of different coins minted each year, the interest in what can be found in your shop change or in bulk from the bank, is amazing! And PJ is professional, interesting and very good at shooting videos. Highly recommended.
Mark Felton Productions - this guy has one of the very best channels on YouTube, hands down. Remember when The History Channel used to actually be about history? Then somehow Ancient Aliens and Pawnstars took over and history was forgotten. Well fear not, go to YouTube, find Mark's channel, subscribe, and breath a sigh of relief, while you watch amazing history. Focusing mainly on WW2, but with many other snippets (such as below), Mark eloquently describes many events that are not generally covered on mainstream history media, and does so in a very informative, well-researched, and entertaining manner. Absolutely brilliant channel!
Cointector Australia - these guys, Paul and Troy, are bloody hilarious! Victoria-based, and focusing on treasure hunting rather than gold, they find some superb locations and some brilliant coins and relics. They do so with humour, character and in a very entertaining manner. I love watching them! Paul's classic line "I'm loving myself sick!" whenever he finds a decent coin, absolutely cracks me up! They have decent metal-detecting and camera gear, and shoot some very good videos. They're also very knowledgeable about what they find.
Aquachigger - Beau was one of the first people I ever watched on YouTube, along with the crowd mentioned at the top of this post. The fact that I still watch him frequently is testament to the quality of his content. He makes adventuring, treasure hunting and nature videos, all in the US. Many of them are set in colonial or civil war areas, and some of the things he finds and places he goes are incredible. He is a quality human being, tells a wonderful story, and is a pleasure to watch.
WW2HistoryHunter - wow, this channel is absolutely super. I have watched many videos of metal detecting, treasure hunting and exploring historical sites in general, and a lot of them produce superb content. But this one is special. This guy is humble, amazingly well-informed and researched, and finds some absolutely incredible relics of WW2. He tells the story from the perspective of history, not Axis or Allies, and that adds real humanity to the lives of the people who populated the various locations he explores, even if they were on the wrong side. As a half-German myself, I do understand what that means. Someone may well have worn a Nazi uniform, but that very, very much does not mean he/she was a Nazi at heart. Life is not that simple. But this channel is, and does it effectively. I love watching these "small adventures"!
Greg's Kitchen - when I first started watching Greg, it was almost morbid curiousity, as I found him really weird and a bit over the top. But I soon realised he addresses food at a level that I can seriously relate to, and has a face and personality that were born for the camera. I find him funny, interesting, ridiculous and camp in equal amounts. But I very, very much enjoy watching his videos! He does both reviews and his own recipes. Keep 'em coming at me Greg!
Simply Dumpling - Mike Chen is a food and travel vlogger. He makes some incredible videos of all kinds of cuisines in all kinds of places, from the highest class, right down to the junkiest of junk foods. He loves it all! He has a wonderful personality for the job and a never-ending appetite. Watching him eat is kind of like food porn! But I rate his opinion, have something in common with his appetite, and enjoy his videos. Keep it up Mikey!
Exploring With Josh - Josh's channel is also one of my originals. Like Aquachigger, I keep on watching him because he produces seriously good stuff. He explores abandoned places, like old amusement parks, mansions, bases, airports etc. Some of the places he gets to are incredible, and he and his team do it respectfully, which I like. They don't damage or take anything, they respect other people's property and they tell the story of the places they visit with real meaning. I enjoy watching his work. I believe he is going to get his on TV show soon!
So that's nine channels. Deciding on the 10th is proving to be bloody difficult! There are many that I enjoy, some that are more unique than others, but in their way, they all fit in. So I'm just going to go with the channel that I'd be most likely to sit down and watch a video on right now, assuming the kids would leave me alone for more than 30 seconds that is. Here goes....
Actually, I went a different way. I picked out 32 channels that I subscribe to and watch at least sometimes, and randomly pitted them against each other like a tennis tournament. That way I would need to pick one against another until there was only one left, which would become #10! The final was between Just Jay, a metal detecting channel, and Nicola White, a mud-larking channel. I enjoy both, but I must admit I watch more of Jay, so he becomes #10!
Just Jay Detecting - Jay is a Tasmanian, who does all sorts of detecting hunts, finding a host of coins and other interesting stuff. He is humble, got a good personality, and balances his videos well, between finds and hunting. He also throws in a bit of light-hearted entertainment in there, which is very amusing! A good one to watch if you like metal detecting channels.
Obviously there are so many channels it's not funny, and I imagine I have yet to discover 100's that I would love! But these ten are where I'm at right now. Anyone who reads this, let me know if you check any out!
Mum's Recipes
When I was a kid, as I imagine is the case for most of us, Mum's cooking was the be-all-and-end-all of food. I waxed and waned a bit with certain cuisines when I was under 10, but from then on, I was a food mass processing unit, particularly at the family dinner table.
The turning point came one day when we were visiting Uncle Bob's place in Tomakin, in southern NSW. He had cooked a spaghetti bolognese, a food apparently I wouldn't eat at home, at least not without moaning. I don't remember a lot of details but apparently I yummed Uncle's Bob's all up, singing its praises as I went. This did not go down well with my dad, who I remember saying "WTF, your mum's is so much better than this, yet you won't eat it!". Or words to that effect. I believe that was a bit of a changing point in me. From then on, I ate everything - except brussel sprouts, damn them to hell - and became more adventurous. That's when I also started to realise just how good a cook my dear mother was, and still is of course.
Mum's cooking career began with her marriage. She tells me that Dad gifted her two books on their wedding day - one a French cookbook and the other a Chinese one. I have never seen nor heard of the French one, nor have any recollections of Mum cooking French food. So I suspect that the Chinese one took centre stage fairly quickly, although I doubt Mum needed it for too long! Regardless, her prowess with European cooking styles is equally as good as her Asian - frankly, any meal to be had that is prepared by my mum is a foodie's delight!
So when I left home at the tender age of 18 (just turned), knowing how I felt about my food, Mum prepared a book of my favourite recipes for me. I have it still to this day. In fact I suspect it's the only possession still in my keeping from that age, which says something both about me, and the quality of the contents of said book. Here it is below:
I didn't get to use it a whole lot in Melbourne in my uni days. Mainly because I had no money, and also because I was boarding with my cousins in Y1 and 2 and thus didn't cook much. I do seem to recall cooking chicken wings for them and their friends one night though.
Anyhow, it more came into its own in my third and fourth years of university, particularly when I was living at my girlfriends house. Her parents, and dad in particular, raved about the chicken wings dish, and still did years and years later when I saw them. I have tried all the recipes over the years, with varying success. But I still prefer the version I get whenever I venture home of course. Dear old Ma still has it!
I'm not going to post all the recipes here, but I've selected a few key ones. Feel free to try it out yourself!
Curried Chicken Wings - The All-Time Classic
Footnote: You really do need to use McCormick's garlic salt if you can get it - none of the others I've found quite produce the same result.
Next recipe on the list is one of my all-time favourite Chinese dishes, har lok. It's essentially prawns fried in a tomato-ey sauce, which is just superb. Love it!
Lastly, I thought I'd include one of Ma's European recipes. It's simple (she tried to keep them all simple for me) but absolutely delicious!
I'm sure we all have similar memories of our mum's cooking as I do. I know Mum also has a big folder of other recipes she has written from when she ran a very popular Chinese cooking class in Cobram way-back-when. Next time I'm home I might scan some and post a few of the crackers!
The turning point came one day when we were visiting Uncle Bob's place in Tomakin, in southern NSW. He had cooked a spaghetti bolognese, a food apparently I wouldn't eat at home, at least not without moaning. I don't remember a lot of details but apparently I yummed Uncle's Bob's all up, singing its praises as I went. This did not go down well with my dad, who I remember saying "WTF, your mum's is so much better than this, yet you won't eat it!". Or words to that effect. I believe that was a bit of a changing point in me. From then on, I ate everything - except brussel sprouts, damn them to hell - and became more adventurous. That's when I also started to realise just how good a cook my dear mother was, and still is of course.
Mum's cooking career began with her marriage. She tells me that Dad gifted her two books on their wedding day - one a French cookbook and the other a Chinese one. I have never seen nor heard of the French one, nor have any recollections of Mum cooking French food. So I suspect that the Chinese one took centre stage fairly quickly, although I doubt Mum needed it for too long! Regardless, her prowess with European cooking styles is equally as good as her Asian - frankly, any meal to be had that is prepared by my mum is a foodie's delight!
So when I left home at the tender age of 18 (just turned), knowing how I felt about my food, Mum prepared a book of my favourite recipes for me. I have it still to this day. In fact I suspect it's the only possession still in my keeping from that age, which says something both about me, and the quality of the contents of said book. Here it is below:
I didn't get to use it a whole lot in Melbourne in my uni days. Mainly because I had no money, and also because I was boarding with my cousins in Y1 and 2 and thus didn't cook much. I do seem to recall cooking chicken wings for them and their friends one night though.
Anyhow, it more came into its own in my third and fourth years of university, particularly when I was living at my girlfriends house. Her parents, and dad in particular, raved about the chicken wings dish, and still did years and years later when I saw them. I have tried all the recipes over the years, with varying success. But I still prefer the version I get whenever I venture home of course. Dear old Ma still has it!
I'm not going to post all the recipes here, but I've selected a few key ones. Feel free to try it out yourself!
Curried Chicken Wings - The All-Time Classic
Footnote: You really do need to use McCormick's garlic salt if you can get it - none of the others I've found quite produce the same result.
Next recipe on the list is one of my all-time favourite Chinese dishes, har lok. It's essentially prawns fried in a tomato-ey sauce, which is just superb. Love it!
Lastly, I thought I'd include one of Ma's European recipes. It's simple (she tried to keep them all simple for me) but absolutely delicious!
I'm sure we all have similar memories of our mum's cooking as I do. I know Mum also has a big folder of other recipes she has written from when she ran a very popular Chinese cooking class in Cobram way-back-when. Next time I'm home I might scan some and post a few of the crackers!
Saturday, 28 September 2019
Mooshu
So today, wifey was messaging with my sister and found out that my Mum's cat Moo Shoe, or Mooey to us, is going to be put down on Monday. Poor Mooie, he is very, very old, well over 20 years old, which is ancient for a cat. He is showing his age too. He has always been a bit crippled, but he is now deaf, a bit incontinent, and a lot cranky.
But he has been Mum's companion since Dad passed back in 2001, and he has been invaluable in his companionship to her. He pines when she is away, moans in the most awful manner when he wants to complain, is picky with his eating habits, and loves nothing more than to sleep on her head. But he is a wonderful cat. He limps around and will come sit at your feet, staring wistfully at you, and then suddenly jumping into your lap. He has so much hair that when you visit Mum's, you can't help but come away covered in it - even if you didn't touch him!
Mooey with Lala and B a few years ago. He once belted her I think, when she was a bit rough, but otherwise was very patient with the kids. Mum will be very sad about his passing, although I know she'll be relieved to know his suffering has come to an end. I'm glad my sister is there with Mum to console her.
RIP Mooey, you've been a great cat, and a welcome part of our family. I will miss not seeing you next time I visit Mum's when we go back to Oz.
Footnote: Just swapping texts with Ma and she spells his name as Mooshu. So that is where we go from here. What a cat. Cantankerous old bugger, but beloved companion and family member all the same. Will miss seeing you next time at Ma's old friend.
Thursday, 26 September 2019
Punt - September 2019
We're approaching Melbourne Cup season, the G1 action is already heating up, both in Sydney and Melbourne. I love horse racing - I know a lot of people abhor it because of perceived cruelty to the horses, but it is an amazing spectacle, and one of the few ways one can apply science to gambling in the hope of gaining a winning edge.
This so-called edge is something I have been pursuing for some years now. I have rated 1000's of races, using a host of different approaches. Some have been simple, others as convoluted as hell. Yet none have provided long-term success. That may partially be because I have not had the patience to see them through perhaps, I am not sure.Most recently, I have been advocating an approach that looked at favourites (may as well use the will of the masses to weed out the no-hopers) and then cut that down based on a few key criteria, as well as nous and judgement. It all sounds good in theory, but once again, was a little inconsistent for my liking, despite some grand performances.
Enter Practical Punting magazine. I get this e-mag monthly. It largely advertises its own products, but also frequently has some great info on what other punters are doing - particularly the successful ones.
I read an article on an interview with a group of successful professional or semi-pro punters, and how they make their selections. One person stood out in particular, as he back clear-cut favourites. However, different to me, he only bets on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or non-metro Wednesday meetings. I was basically trying to pursue the opposite of this - with some success, but not consistently enough. Now that I think of it, I think his point has merit - there are a lot of factors that determine why favourites get beaten more often than not. One of these has got to be the class and form of the other horses. In metro meetings,trainers aim their best horses there, for the top prize money and ratings. But for the punter, frequently the returns are no different to lesser races elsewhere.
So figuring that favourites that match key criteria in non-metro meetings might just be less likely to be rolled by some unknown, I figured this was worth a trundle. Today it resulted in one selection only. It won at $1.40. Now to make money at $1.40, one needs a hell of a good strike rate. But I think it was a bit low today. I am not sure why Tue/Thu are the days of choice. I might run a trial based on all days of the week for non-metro, and see how we go. Watch this space....
This so-called edge is something I have been pursuing for some years now. I have rated 1000's of races, using a host of different approaches. Some have been simple, others as convoluted as hell. Yet none have provided long-term success. That may partially be because I have not had the patience to see them through perhaps, I am not sure.Most recently, I have been advocating an approach that looked at favourites (may as well use the will of the masses to weed out the no-hopers) and then cut that down based on a few key criteria, as well as nous and judgement. It all sounds good in theory, but once again, was a little inconsistent for my liking, despite some grand performances.
Enter Practical Punting magazine. I get this e-mag monthly. It largely advertises its own products, but also frequently has some great info on what other punters are doing - particularly the successful ones.
I read an article on an interview with a group of successful professional or semi-pro punters, and how they make their selections. One person stood out in particular, as he back clear-cut favourites. However, different to me, he only bets on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or non-metro Wednesday meetings. I was basically trying to pursue the opposite of this - with some success, but not consistently enough. Now that I think of it, I think his point has merit - there are a lot of factors that determine why favourites get beaten more often than not. One of these has got to be the class and form of the other horses. In metro meetings,trainers aim their best horses there, for the top prize money and ratings. But for the punter, frequently the returns are no different to lesser races elsewhere.
So figuring that favourites that match key criteria in non-metro meetings might just be less likely to be rolled by some unknown, I figured this was worth a trundle. Today it resulted in one selection only. It won at $1.40. Now to make money at $1.40, one needs a hell of a good strike rate. But I think it was a bit low today. I am not sure why Tue/Thu are the days of choice. I might run a trial based on all days of the week for non-metro, and see how we go. Watch this space....
Steven Brust
I was going to write a letter to Steven Brust to tell him this story, but it's important to me personally, so I'll just blog about it and then send him the link. If he has the time or inclination, he can check it out. If that sounds self-serving, perhaps it is. But seeing as this blog is some kind of a journal for me as well as a place to rant while drunk, I kind of like the idea of recording this missive here...
Steven Brust is hands-down, the most important author in my life. I was almost going to use the word influential, but I'm not sure that's accurate. Influential hints at something that in some way has caused my life to change. Whilst Brust's books have certainly given me a lot of pleasure, other than forcing my hand at the bookstore (because when a new one comes out I simply must have it, particularly if it's a Taltos book), I can't say that his prose has been life-changing. Then again, when one can indulge in a bit of escapism, particularly the satirical wit and convoluted plot-making that Vlad Taltos indulges in from time to time, the reset button that allows one to hit sometimes probably does have a positive influence.
If you're interested in Brust's work, or his rants and observations on the world, check out his website.
Dream Cafe
This site has been around for years, and evolved with the net, particularly in terms of blog sophistication. It used to be pretty simple, but is now a great site, with plenty of content, and it would appear, a pretty easy way to get in touch with the man himself.
My Brust journey began way back in 1992, when I was in my second year at university in Melbourne. As is the case with many uni students, I was a pauper in those days. Barely enough income to put a roof over my head, put my body in a train most days, and a few packets of instant noodles in my gut. Once in a while I'd be able to throw a carton of beer into the mix, but then I'd have to starve for a few days. Such was life back then.
Anyway, due to my financial situation, I almost exclusively shopped for books in Melbourne's many second-hand bookstores. Second hand stores, particularly back then, were amazing places to visit. Musty old books lined huge shelves from floor to ceiling, with many stacks piled up in corners. These days the fun police would probably quote some fire hazard law and force the store owners to tidy things up a bit. This really retracts from the atmosphere in a good second-hand bookstore, as finding a decent read amongst the piles of haphazardly arranged tomes is an adventure in itself.
So I was in one of these stores one day, looking for something new. And I came across this:
I was thrilled with this book. I still have it today, and it's even more dog-eared than it was the day I bought it. It's actually an omnibus of Brust's first three Vlad Taltos books, although for some unknown reason, instead of being in the sequential order 1,2,3, it goes 2,1,3. There is probably a literary reason for this, or maybe just a cock-up?
Footnote: Not sure why that suddenly became underlined, I certainly never changed the formatting. My lack of technical blogging skills perhaps, which would also explain why I can't fucking get this paragraph to not be blue and am now re-writing it. Still, I guess it draws attention to itself, so perhaps that's not a bad thing. But I digress - the real reason for this footnote is that this post should have happened a year or more ago, but I could simply not find reference to the above omnibus, at least not with this picture on the front cover! I was thrilled today to find it finally, having done another search on a whim. So there you are!
So thus began my Brust journey. I have enjoyed all his books so far, but particularly the Taltos series. The Phoenix Guards series and Freedom & Necessity also get very honourable mentions. As do all of them really, he really has tried his hand at a wide variety of genres. But as for Taltos, if you enjoy a bit of fantasy, with plenty of humour and sarcasm thrown in, all set in a fascinating world, then please, give him a go. You won't regret it.
Shut-up Loiosh.
Wednesday, 25 September 2019
My Family History - Part 3 - Uncle Bob & Aunty Mo
I am sitting here at my desk, typing away at my various six draft blog posts that I have going on at the moment. One of the posts is about family, and I was having a fleeting thought about Uncle Bob. Then my boy's iPad starting saying "legendary, legendary!", and I stopped. When it comes to legendary in our family, there is nobody that surpasses Uncle Bob. At least not in the food department. There are numerous stories that abound regarding Bob's exploits at the dinner table. One such I will recount below:
I remember Dad telling me one day they were aboard a boat in Hong Kong harbour or perhaps off the coast in Repulse Bay. Not sure about the exact details, but I think it was something to do with Granddad Bob (Dad and Bob's father, and my grandfather that alas I never met - one of the major drawbacks about being a late-born accident). Anyway, it was a Sunday, and being British, time for a roast beef lunch with all the trimmings. I am assuming that there would have been at least eight adults (my parents, Bob and Mo, Ted and Jan, plus the grandparents), plus say the same number of kids. Whichever way you look at it, a lot of people. So no doubt the roast was enormous, perhaps more than one, plus a boatload of potatoes, onions, carrots, gravy, etc. Maybe even a bit of Yorkshire pud for good measure!
This photo is of my Dad (left), Uncle Bob and his dear wife Aunty Mo at a banquet in Hong Kong. I am sure this was in my lifetime, so must have been in the early 80's. Dad's collar attests to that! Still, if anyone in the family reading this has a take on that, please comment. I can recognise the cigarettes Dad was smoking - Silk Cut - and of course the customary end-of-banquet fried rice, just in case someone hadn't had enough to eat. Those two aspects tell me this was in HK. Dad was no doubt having a crack before Bob employed his usual ensure-there-is-no-wastage technique haha!
Anyway, back to the Uncle Bob story. Being a big family affair, everyone took turns and grabbed some roast, veggies and gravy etc, before sitting down to eat. According to Dad, being a big buffet style meal, most took a modest portion, with the intent of going back for more. Uncle Bob patiently and magnanimously waited for everyone to serve themselves. He then asked to the crowd-in-general words along the lines of "has everyone got their meal?" - frankly I can't remember all the specifics, but I do remember being spell-bound by Dad's re-telling of the story, even after the 100th time. Having received a response to the affirmative from everyone present, Bob then took a plate, and - moving slowly, but as deliberately and unstopping as the movement of continental crust - proceeded to serve himself.
First of all, he built a moat. For the construction of this castle, some external protection was required. So he ringed his plate with all the remaining roast potatoes. He then filled the void with the remaining meat and other veggies, before drowning the whole thing in gravy. He then took his customary position - he frequently pulled up a chair at the buffet table itself - and polished off the remainder of the repast.
This was the most detailed story I knew of , but cousin Phil tells a few in his writings, and my brother Peter also has many a story to tell. Mate if you end up reading this and care to comment below any of your memories, I'd love to read them. I know of one, of the all-night mah-jong sessions in the old days, prior to Bob giving up on his vices (and kudos to him for being able to!) . Apparently he could consume untold quantities of noodle soup, pausing only to raise the empty bowl and utter the word "again" to the wait staff. All the while no doubt, while holding his side and moaning. Dear old Bob was one of those fellows who seemed to be dying for the best part of 40 years. I don't mean to sound critical - I loved old Bob and he was a true character and gentleman.
I'll write this last section with Uncle Bob in mind, but frankly it relates to the Brown family as a whole. Dad used to describe family yum cha lunches in Dixon Street Sydney, or in Hong Kong itself, as massive affairs. Those were the days when all baskets were served courtesy of a trolley. And when the Brown family was in town, well I am told it often resembled Custer's Last Stand. The Browns in the middle, surrounded by circling yum cha trolleys! Empty baskets piled metre-high around the table. I still indulge in yum cha these days, with my beautiful family, but it is a lot more circumspect. I kind of hold a torch to those old days, and hope if we meet in the next life, I can partake with the Browns, and have an epic yum cha, of Custer proportions!
Had to include this pic - dear old Uncle Bob with my Dad and Aunty Kath! I think was early 90's vintage, or sometime in the 90's anyway. Aunty Kath is still around, the last of that generation. I'll write more about her and the rest of my Dad's generation, in another post.
Now, this post would be incomplete without a reference - and a very fond one at that - to Aunty Mo. She was Uncle Bob's wife, and is in the photo at the top of this post. She was Macanese I believe - part Portuguese and part Chinese. A beautiful woman, both inwardly and outwardly. Alas I only have a few memories of her, from when we visited from HK in the early 80's and stayed with them in Tomakin, on the NSW southern coast.
The main memory I have of Aunty Mo is her telling me scary stories. If my memory is correct, she basically recounted seeing either the first Friday The 13th movie or the first Halloween movie, I'm not sure. But I remember sitting at her feet in the Tomakin house, while she recounted stories. She has a husky, deep and kind of whispery voice that made me spellbound. I loved her stories and I loved the time she put aside for me, even with such a household full of people. I only have a few memories of you Aunty Mo, and your legendary husband Uncle Bob, but you shall both live on forever in our hearts.
I remember Dad telling me one day they were aboard a boat in Hong Kong harbour or perhaps off the coast in Repulse Bay. Not sure about the exact details, but I think it was something to do with Granddad Bob (Dad and Bob's father, and my grandfather that alas I never met - one of the major drawbacks about being a late-born accident). Anyway, it was a Sunday, and being British, time for a roast beef lunch with all the trimmings. I am assuming that there would have been at least eight adults (my parents, Bob and Mo, Ted and Jan, plus the grandparents), plus say the same number of kids. Whichever way you look at it, a lot of people. So no doubt the roast was enormous, perhaps more than one, plus a boatload of potatoes, onions, carrots, gravy, etc. Maybe even a bit of Yorkshire pud for good measure!
This photo is of my Dad (left), Uncle Bob and his dear wife Aunty Mo at a banquet in Hong Kong. I am sure this was in my lifetime, so must have been in the early 80's. Dad's collar attests to that! Still, if anyone in the family reading this has a take on that, please comment. I can recognise the cigarettes Dad was smoking - Silk Cut - and of course the customary end-of-banquet fried rice, just in case someone hadn't had enough to eat. Those two aspects tell me this was in HK. Dad was no doubt having a crack before Bob employed his usual ensure-there-is-no-wastage technique haha!
Anyway, back to the Uncle Bob story. Being a big family affair, everyone took turns and grabbed some roast, veggies and gravy etc, before sitting down to eat. According to Dad, being a big buffet style meal, most took a modest portion, with the intent of going back for more. Uncle Bob patiently and magnanimously waited for everyone to serve themselves. He then asked to the crowd-in-general words along the lines of "has everyone got their meal?" - frankly I can't remember all the specifics, but I do remember being spell-bound by Dad's re-telling of the story, even after the 100th time. Having received a response to the affirmative from everyone present, Bob then took a plate, and - moving slowly, but as deliberately and unstopping as the movement of continental crust - proceeded to serve himself.
First of all, he built a moat. For the construction of this castle, some external protection was required. So he ringed his plate with all the remaining roast potatoes. He then filled the void with the remaining meat and other veggies, before drowning the whole thing in gravy. He then took his customary position - he frequently pulled up a chair at the buffet table itself - and polished off the remainder of the repast.
This was the most detailed story I knew of , but cousin Phil tells a few in his writings, and my brother Peter also has many a story to tell. Mate if you end up reading this and care to comment below any of your memories, I'd love to read them. I know of one, of the all-night mah-jong sessions in the old days, prior to Bob giving up on his vices (and kudos to him for being able to!) . Apparently he could consume untold quantities of noodle soup, pausing only to raise the empty bowl and utter the word "again" to the wait staff. All the while no doubt, while holding his side and moaning. Dear old Bob was one of those fellows who seemed to be dying for the best part of 40 years. I don't mean to sound critical - I loved old Bob and he was a true character and gentleman.
I'll write this last section with Uncle Bob in mind, but frankly it relates to the Brown family as a whole. Dad used to describe family yum cha lunches in Dixon Street Sydney, or in Hong Kong itself, as massive affairs. Those were the days when all baskets were served courtesy of a trolley. And when the Brown family was in town, well I am told it often resembled Custer's Last Stand. The Browns in the middle, surrounded by circling yum cha trolleys! Empty baskets piled metre-high around the table. I still indulge in yum cha these days, with my beautiful family, but it is a lot more circumspect. I kind of hold a torch to those old days, and hope if we meet in the next life, I can partake with the Browns, and have an epic yum cha, of Custer proportions!
Had to include this pic - dear old Uncle Bob with my Dad and Aunty Kath! I think was early 90's vintage, or sometime in the 90's anyway. Aunty Kath is still around, the last of that generation. I'll write more about her and the rest of my Dad's generation, in another post.
Now, this post would be incomplete without a reference - and a very fond one at that - to Aunty Mo. She was Uncle Bob's wife, and is in the photo at the top of this post. She was Macanese I believe - part Portuguese and part Chinese. A beautiful woman, both inwardly and outwardly. Alas I only have a few memories of her, from when we visited from HK in the early 80's and stayed with them in Tomakin, on the NSW southern coast.
The main memory I have of Aunty Mo is her telling me scary stories. If my memory is correct, she basically recounted seeing either the first Friday The 13th movie or the first Halloween movie, I'm not sure. But I remember sitting at her feet in the Tomakin house, while she recounted stories. She has a husky, deep and kind of whispery voice that made me spellbound. I loved her stories and I loved the time she put aside for me, even with such a household full of people. I only have a few memories of you Aunty Mo, and your legendary husband Uncle Bob, but you shall both live on forever in our hearts.
Monday, 23 September 2019
Treasure Hunting Malaysia - Part 1
So, while we're on the subject of all things metal - yes, in case you missed a previous episode, I recently discovered that a key common denominator in my life is metal. Be it career, collecting, treasure hunting, investing or simply an interest in nature. So metal is now a key theme for me to follow. I love metal. It's shiny, it's hard, it's valuable, it's beautiful.
I digress, so yeah while we're on the subject of metal, let's talk about what I can do right now, given that I am currently unemployed, and thus can't indulge much. What I can indulge in is research, and planning for what I am going to do once I get a job and am feeling a bit more confident about our finances.
There's a long and interesting history here in Malaysia. There has been influence from the Arabs, from the Portuguese, the Dutch, and most recently the British. Well, colonial interest anyway. You can also throw in the Japanese occupation during WW2. Plus the local history itself. All told then, there are a good 500 years of historical events involving many different groups that have left some kind of imprint behind. I know the indigenous culture and history stretches much further back, but that influence is a little more subtle and more culturally ingrained, rather than specifically leading to relics and treasure, as is my current bent.
So I have compiled a list of locations I'd like to go here in KL/Selangor while we're here, if time, finances and other commitments allow. Starting with where we are currently living:
Sungai Pelek
This is where we are staying at the moment, in my wife's parents house. At face value, one wouldn't think there was much to check out here. But, it turns out there was some significant action here both in WW2 and also in what they call The Emergency, a communist incursion in the 50's. Apparently there was a local fellow by the name of Mr Lim Yee Ko, who helped some trapped British soldiers evade the invading Japanese, and then escape. I might go check out the local library to see if there is any reference to that there, particularly any maps of possible British military camps / outposts etc.
1. Sungai Pelek township.
2. Pantai Sepang Putra, the suburb we live in, kind of separate to the main town.
3. Bagan Lalang, the main beach in the area, replete with resorts and a few restaurants.
4. An interesting looking beach to the west, behind the main palm oil plantations in the area.
5. A pretty big looking industrial zone - I think I saw a large ship moored here from the beach.
6. A series of smaller townships, that I had no idea existed.
As stated earlier, I'll need to do some local research to find out if there are any particular spots of significance (like old British barracks) in the SP town itself. Our suburb is a new development, so I doubt much here. The beach though, is a big drawcard for locals, so if I can get hold of a detector, it'd be a good spot to look for coins. Same with the western beach - I am going to go have a look soon. These palm oil plantations were likely rubber in the old days, and likely British owned at that time. So there could be some decent detecting to be done, or even fossicking around old buildings etc. The industrial zone and suburbs to the east I simply did not know were there, so am keen to go have a sticky-beak soon. Of course most treasure hunting potential is going to have to wait until I get a metal detector, but I am keen to explore more around here for interest sakes only as well!
Sepang
Sepang is a bit more inland of SP, so not sure what we'll find here. First off the bat though is the F1 Track, not that Malaysia hosts a GP any more. However, they did do so for years, and I imagine there are 1000's of coins / relics to be found, particularly around the carparks etc. I doubt I could ever get anywhere near the public viewing areas with a detector, but on the perimeters? Perhaps! Worth further thought and a sneaky peak anyway, but this one is probably only worth pursuing with a detector in hand!
Here's a map of the F1 circuit, courtesy of www.wonderfulmalaysia.com. The outer carparks are the areas I would check out if I get the chance. As suspected, further investigation of Sepang generally, yielded little result. As it happens, Sepang is the youngest district in Selangor as of now, so I don't think there's much to be gained from digging deeper there. Not while there are many other, bigger targets to focus on.
Kuala Lumpur
KL has been the key place in Malaysia for a long, long time. It is also an Asian capital city, and has been hugely developed over the last few decades in particular. So on the one hand, there are an enormous amount of target locations for hunting lost treasure. But on the other hand, many of these places - perhaps most - have been buried under skyscrapers, highways, shopping malls, apartment blocks, etc. So I suspect KL is one of those places that one needs to be pretty astute about when it comes to considering target areas for relics and the like. I have no doubt there are hundreds of areas to be found, but for now, I have come up with a short-list of initial target areas, which is where I shall being, given the opportunity to do so!
Courtesy of the Star newspaper comes an image that is not that easy to find, but actually all too common in central KL. More towards the KLCC and Ampang areas, are dozens of examples of colonial era homes. Some of these are now embassies or ambassador residences. But many of them are abandoned. Near the Pearl condo close to KLCC and on or near Persiaran Ampang are several dozen of these places. I assume they are there, waiting for someone to want to build a condo in the area, and pay sky-high prices for them. Many look like they have been abandoned for decades! Imagine the wealth of finds to be sources from their grounds?
Padang Merbok is an old rugby ground on Jalan Parlimen. Thanks to Robert Steiner for the photo. From some maps I have seen, it seem that this ground persists from the old British days. So I reckon, whilst it is along a main road, and is still frequently used, it should present a wonderful target for old coins and potentially relics. Especially from the British period. I have walked past this place many, many times. In fact on an old walking post when we lived in KL, I took a sweaty picture on the side of the road here. It's quite expansive, with enough space to encompass two or three full sports grounds, plus the requisite infrastructure. Detecting here would need to be done carefully and perhaps very quietly, but I believe it would yield awesome results.
Third on the initial KL list is Lake Gardens. This is an expansive area in central KL, encompassing the Lake Club, numerous gardens, bird park, etc. Looking at historic maps of KL, this place has persisted since the early days. That means it's a prime target for metal detecting. With the Heritage Act and also I believe the likely poor attitude towards private treasure hunting here - especially in public places - well, one will have to be cautious. But much as with the earlier examples, I imagine the treasures here, and the stories they can tell, will be priceless......
Port Dickson
http://great-railway-journeys-malaysia.weebly.com/port-dickson-railway.html
This website is awesome! We live not far from Port Dickson at the moment, and based on what I read about this old rail line there, it's absolutely worth investigating further and maybe doing some detecting once I get a detector.
There are also a lot of beach areas in PD (don't these Malaysians love their acronyms? PD, KL, KK, PJ, to name a few. So I suspect some beach hunting would yield rewards. Local coins are not worth much, with notes here going all the way down to RM1 (~30c Aussie). But who knows, those beaches have been there forever, so depending on how much the coastline has changed (sand movements etc) and how much it has been hunted previously, it might yield some historical finds, and maybe some relics or jewelry.
Garrett
The metal detector I am most keen to buy is the Garrett AT Pro. I have seen thousands of YouTube videos of metal detecting, and a host of different detectors used. For gold hunting, I might go a different way, but for coins / treasure / general metal, I suspect this one is pretty close to the pick of the bunch. Plus their pointer, scoop and other gear are bloody good. It appears there is a dealer here in Malaysia, so again, depending on how things pan out, we might grab one here, otherwise it'll be wherever we end up next.
Local Law
Hmm, interesting. I have only found a couple of references on this, but it would appear that any relic found belongs to the government, according to a new 2005 law. I suspect coins and such would be ok, but probably only if they are circulating coins. If you found a British silver or gold coin for example, or an historical relic, you'd need to be careful. I think I'll just leave that there. Be aware of what you publicise!
Down The Track
If there's some longevity here there might even be decent detecting weekends to be had at places like Cameron (although likely not much old ground left here), Frasers Hill, Penang, Slim River (scene of major WW2 battle between Brits and Japs), Malacca and no doubt a host of others. Lipis for example, has a colonial house at the top of a hill behind the Centrepoint Hotel, that used to be the centre for colonial affairs in the area. There's a good chance of relics to be found there.
The long and short of it is that while it may be difficult to find a lot of locations here, I think the potential for some amazing finds is high. Plus it's a great place to start! Let's hope I get a job soon. Haha, if I get one in Oz though, I might end up not having time or opportunity here. Oh well, we'll take it as it comes.
Sunday, 22 September 2019
Tough
Yeah it's a bit tough at the moment.
I know finding a new job takes time, particularly when one is being fairly picky, as I am still trying to be. But from time to time I get a bit shitty with the situation.
Is any of the reason I am currently unemployed my fault? Well, perhaps a little. I mean I wanted out of Kupang, and I made no attempt to hide that fact. When it happened, after the initial shock, I was glad. I was like "this is what I wanted anyway". And that is true.
However I could have been a little more circumspect I imagine. Actually no screw that. I didn't do anything wrong. My last meeting with the board had me pitted against our main local shareholder's main man. They were maneuvering, as they always do, and I shot him down in flames. Our Chairman sought me afterward and told me I'd done a great job. Three days later I no longer had a contract. I suspect our CEO had different ideas to the Chairman. But then again, the CEO was always about sucking up to anyone who might give him money.
Ok ok, no need to rehash this shit. The bottom line is I may have contributed towards getting out a little earlier than planned, but the end result was the same. I now need to focus on moving forward. There are a number of really interesting roles out there, at least a couple of which I have interviewed for (with headhunter anyway) and appear to have done well in. So we'll see. We're ok here for some time yet. I just need to stay focused on the job at hand, stay positive and stay loving and supportive to those around me. That very much includes myself!
Actually, that's not that hard to do, I just need to let off steam sometimes. I come on here to do that, because largely I'm here to talk to myself, or the ether, or my grown-up kids if they ever dig up this old blog down the track. Wasn't it Malcolm Fraser who said life wasn't meant to be easy? Well he was correct. It's not easy at the moment, but hey, it's not exactly hardship living either. So I won't complain. Chin up and keep on keeping on old boy.
The returns will come soon. Just think about those impressions again and make sure you're putting your best foot forward. You owe it to yourself to do that.
Footnote: Since I wrote this slightly frustrated and perturbed post, I have secured three interviews. Looking up a bit...
I know finding a new job takes time, particularly when one is being fairly picky, as I am still trying to be. But from time to time I get a bit shitty with the situation.
Is any of the reason I am currently unemployed my fault? Well, perhaps a little. I mean I wanted out of Kupang, and I made no attempt to hide that fact. When it happened, after the initial shock, I was glad. I was like "this is what I wanted anyway". And that is true.
However I could have been a little more circumspect I imagine. Actually no screw that. I didn't do anything wrong. My last meeting with the board had me pitted against our main local shareholder's main man. They were maneuvering, as they always do, and I shot him down in flames. Our Chairman sought me afterward and told me I'd done a great job. Three days later I no longer had a contract. I suspect our CEO had different ideas to the Chairman. But then again, the CEO was always about sucking up to anyone who might give him money.
Ok ok, no need to rehash this shit. The bottom line is I may have contributed towards getting out a little earlier than planned, but the end result was the same. I now need to focus on moving forward. There are a number of really interesting roles out there, at least a couple of which I have interviewed for (with headhunter anyway) and appear to have done well in. So we'll see. We're ok here for some time yet. I just need to stay focused on the job at hand, stay positive and stay loving and supportive to those around me. That very much includes myself!
Actually, that's not that hard to do, I just need to let off steam sometimes. I come on here to do that, because largely I'm here to talk to myself, or the ether, or my grown-up kids if they ever dig up this old blog down the track. Wasn't it Malcolm Fraser who said life wasn't meant to be easy? Well he was correct. It's not easy at the moment, but hey, it's not exactly hardship living either. So I won't complain. Chin up and keep on keeping on old boy.
The returns will come soon. Just think about those impressions again and make sure you're putting your best foot forward. You owe it to yourself to do that.
Footnote: Since I wrote this slightly frustrated and perturbed post, I have secured three interviews. Looking up a bit...
Sunday, 15 September 2019
My Family History - Part 2 - Kowloon Walled City
So here we are, next episode in the family history saga. From the ages of 6 to 13, I lived in Hong Kong with my parents (initially with my sister too). We stayed in an apartment on Waterloo Road, in a suburb now known as Kadoorie Hill (Kadoorie being the name of one of the more famous families in HK during the post-war British era. Quite possibly today too, for that matter! But for some reason I always thought we lived in Kowloon City. At least adjacent to it anyway, as the Kowloon City markets were always a shopping destination of my mum's when we lived there. I remember her wondering why the chicken sellers always made a point of picking up the live chook and showing her its anus. I guess if it was clean that was a sign of a healthy chicken? Who knows! These markets were also the place where one could see fish filleted but still alive - as in one fillet had been removed, and the organs and spine etc were still in place, and the fish's mouth was still opening and closing. I guess it was a way of demonstrating freshness, but oh boy, I always felt for those fish. I hope they didn't feel too much pain. These days, animal activists would be up in arms over such a thing. And whilst I often disagree with those kinds of people, in this case I think I would be with them - it's too inhumane a practice. Whether or not it persists, I am not sure.
Another key thing I remember about living at 90 Waterloo Rd was the hospital next door. Right next to us at ground level was a clinic - a chest clinic I believe - with a nice garden area directly across from our balcony. I have a memory of my brother Peter buying one of those ball and mitt things that's all velcro, and us going over there for a catching session. At the end of the garden was a wall, at the end of which was a small gap with a low wall you could step over. Do that and you were in the car-park of the fairly major hospital complex that sprawled around the corner past Waterloo Rd and then up the hill.
My mate Martin and I would occasionally wander up there and nose about. There was a time soon after the original Ghostbusters came out (the third cinema experience for me, after Charlotte's Web and Star Wars) where we wandered around with backpacks and broomsticks, pretending we were wielding those energy things they had in the movie to catch ghosts. But a key day that sticks in my mind is going up to the very top and sneaking in past the fence. It soon became clear to us that this was an area for mentally disabled patients, as we quickly ran into a fellow who went ballistic and screamed at us, while gesticulating wildly. We panicked and ran to the edge of the facility and scaled the fence. It was atop a fairly sizeable hill, but luckilly for us there was a storm-water drain down the side of it. Full of leaves and mud as it was, but that did not deter us, as we were convinced we were about to be assaulted. One foot forward, one tucked up under the bum, and down we slid. It was all quite well done as I remember. I imagine I came home in a dreadful state, but fortunately I don't have any recollection of Mum's reaction to that!
This post actually started as one all about the Kowloon Walled City (hence the post name) but I figured I may as well turn it into a family history post. So there will be more on my time in HK at a later time. I decided to turn this into a family history post because hey, we used to live just down the road from the walled city, and I remember Dad pointing it out to me as a kid. We ventured to the fringes of it, but never inside.
I may never have made it inside the walled city before it was demolished in the 90's, but a significant thing happened just prior to that, which would imprint this den of iniquity forever into my mind - the movie Bloodsport.
Well, before anyone starts, just remember that Cantonese cinema in general is a B Movie experience, because that's how they like it. Over-acting and all! And at that time, it was a freaking awesome movie. To be honest, it still is. I love it for many reasons, most of all because it was made in HK, not long after we had left, so many of the places and 100% of the culture portrayed in the film, were very close to my heart. I believe it was likely one of the very first collaborations between HK and western cinema, at least post-Bruce Lee.
There is another reason this was meaningful to me - more now than then, although I suspect subconsciously it resonated at that time too. That reason is closeness to my Dad. He was never much of a hands-on father, and frankly I didn't have a whole lot in common with him as a child. I don't think that's his fault, I believe it was largely a product of culture at the time. Ironically and sadly, my life now would be so interesting to him, both as a miner and an expat, but alas our relationship exists now only in my heart and mind. Still, it's meaningful to me and I am a better person because of these experiences I had as a child. I have no doubt about that.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kowloon_Walled_City is a good spot to find out some stuff about the walled city. The site related to the book City of Darkness (one of the images below is from that) is also freakin' awesome. I'll talk about my cousin Phil and his book in another post, but my take on the walled city is this - Hong Kong was always a place where anyone could make their mark, anyone could become a rich man. I think the walled city was a reflection of that. When HK was a British colony, well they couldn't just let all these underworld activities flourish on the streets, but in a contained, almost restricted area - from the inside out, not the outside in, depending on your perspective - it worked. Hong Kong is an incredible place because it represents such diversity, because it displays such history, because it embraces many cultures and allows them to flourish together. Quite simply, there is no place on Earth like it. The last couple of photos show just how unreal the walled city was. A citadel within a city state.
Mum and I in our kitchen at 90 Waterloo Rd circa 1980
Another key thing I remember about living at 90 Waterloo Rd was the hospital next door. Right next to us at ground level was a clinic - a chest clinic I believe - with a nice garden area directly across from our balcony. I have a memory of my brother Peter buying one of those ball and mitt things that's all velcro, and us going over there for a catching session. At the end of the garden was a wall, at the end of which was a small gap with a low wall you could step over. Do that and you were in the car-park of the fairly major hospital complex that sprawled around the corner past Waterloo Rd and then up the hill.
My mate Martin and I would occasionally wander up there and nose about. There was a time soon after the original Ghostbusters came out (the third cinema experience for me, after Charlotte's Web and Star Wars) where we wandered around with backpacks and broomsticks, pretending we were wielding those energy things they had in the movie to catch ghosts. But a key day that sticks in my mind is going up to the very top and sneaking in past the fence. It soon became clear to us that this was an area for mentally disabled patients, as we quickly ran into a fellow who went ballistic and screamed at us, while gesticulating wildly. We panicked and ran to the edge of the facility and scaled the fence. It was atop a fairly sizeable hill, but luckilly for us there was a storm-water drain down the side of it. Full of leaves and mud as it was, but that did not deter us, as we were convinced we were about to be assaulted. One foot forward, one tucked up under the bum, and down we slid. It was all quite well done as I remember. I imagine I came home in a dreadful state, but fortunately I don't have any recollection of Mum's reaction to that!
This post actually started as one all about the Kowloon Walled City (hence the post name) but I figured I may as well turn it into a family history post. So there will be more on my time in HK at a later time. I decided to turn this into a family history post because hey, we used to live just down the road from the walled city, and I remember Dad pointing it out to me as a kid. We ventured to the fringes of it, but never inside.
I may never have made it inside the walled city before it was demolished in the 90's, but a significant thing happened just prior to that, which would imprint this den of iniquity forever into my mind - the movie Bloodsport.
Image from IMDb.com page on the movie
Well, before anyone starts, just remember that Cantonese cinema in general is a B Movie experience, because that's how they like it. Over-acting and all! And at that time, it was a freaking awesome movie. To be honest, it still is. I love it for many reasons, most of all because it was made in HK, not long after we had left, so many of the places and 100% of the culture portrayed in the film, were very close to my heart. I believe it was likely one of the very first collaborations between HK and western cinema, at least post-Bruce Lee.
There is another reason this was meaningful to me - more now than then, although I suspect subconsciously it resonated at that time too. That reason is closeness to my Dad. He was never much of a hands-on father, and frankly I didn't have a whole lot in common with him as a child. I don't think that's his fault, I believe it was largely a product of culture at the time. Ironically and sadly, my life now would be so interesting to him, both as a miner and an expat, but alas our relationship exists now only in my heart and mind. Still, it's meaningful to me and I am a better person because of these experiences I had as a child. I have no doubt about that.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kowloon_Walled_City is a good spot to find out some stuff about the walled city. The site related to the book City of Darkness (one of the images below is from that) is also freakin' awesome. I'll talk about my cousin Phil and his book in another post, but my take on the walled city is this - Hong Kong was always a place where anyone could make their mark, anyone could become a rich man. I think the walled city was a reflection of that. When HK was a British colony, well they couldn't just let all these underworld activities flourish on the streets, but in a contained, almost restricted area - from the inside out, not the outside in, depending on your perspective - it worked. Hong Kong is an incredible place because it represents such diversity, because it displays such history, because it embraces many cultures and allows them to flourish together. Quite simply, there is no place on Earth like it. The last couple of photos show just how unreal the walled city was. A citadel within a city state.
Image from Wikipedia article on Kowloon Walled City
Image courtesy of City of Darkness: Revisited
Saturday, 14 September 2019
Retiring Early - Part 1
So this is a topic my lovely wife and I talk about occasionally. It's something I would absolutely LOVE to do. Imagine not having to work anymore. Well at least not work my arse off anymore.
Work Optional
I fully intend to buy this book and check it out. She says for her and her partner, they retired once they had 36x their annual income saved. They were both on 6 figure salaries and had no kids. Well duh, frankly I think it would be fairly easy to do if that was the case. So in my situation, having 3 kids and with my wife alas not getting paid for the super job she does in looking after all of us and our home, we're going to need a whole lot more. But how much? Well, as Tanja Hester says, you've got to put together a realistic budget of what you'll need going forward and work from there. So here goes.
House - I think we need to spend about 25k on our house to renovate and modernise it. That will need to be done prior to any possible retirement consideration.
Rates - Assuming we maintain 2 houses, we're talking about 5k per year, including rates and some small allowance for increases.
Insurance - House and contents insurance on both places is going to be about 2k per year.
Healthcare - I will NEVER have private health cover again, it's one of the biggest scams in Australian history if you ask me. What a total waste of money for 95% of people, 95% of the time. But, I think it wise to consider that we should have at least 5k put aside for medical costs that may not be covered by Medicare.
Car - Hmm, not sure about this one. I think it best to pay cash upfront, so let's say 25k.
Utilities - Australian electricity prices. Fark. Let's say we aim for 5k per year.
Maintenance - Hard to estimate and shouldn't be so bad once reno's are done. Still, I think 2k per year is a good amount.
Fuel - A tank per week, so 3k per year.
Groceries - 12k per year.
Booze - Don't judge ok, 5k per year. We like a beer :)
Kids - Wow this one is hard to estimate. It will obviously also change as they get older and eventually head out into the world on their own. I'd say up to age of 10, 1.5k per year each, 11-18, 3k per year each. I'm not sure if that covers it, but hopefully it does.
Holidays - Thumb suck here, but aiming for 10k per year, less frequently and lower standard when with kids, and more frequently and higher standard when without. I think 10k should cover both bases.
Stuff - The wife and I both have our interests. I'd say 5k per year should cover us.
Contingency - I'll put 10% on top of all variable costs.
Debts - If we're talking right now, well mortgage and CC is about 225k all-told. So I'll need to budget paying that off at a reasonable rate, as well as factoring in the retirement side of things. We also need to have a life while all this is happening too, so it might be easier said than done.
Hmm, so we have lump-sum requirements of 55k, plus yearly requirements of 53.5k right now. With contingency we're talking 60k lump and 60k variable to round it out. I've read a similar 60k number before for retirees, so I think that may be reasonable. I need to do some research into Centrelink to find out what our pension is likely to be, plus factor in super returns and hopefully a surplus from the rental property.
First of course, is the need to pay off the mortgage. So we'll do some modelling and get back to you.
Another option for me to think about is that once we have enough of the one-off items ticked off and a reasonable nest-egg behind us, perhaps full retirement is not necessarilly first cab off the rank - I'd be quite happy to do a few shifts at the pub or something like that per week, to earn that way.
Work Optional
I fully intend to buy this book and check it out. She says for her and her partner, they retired once they had 36x their annual income saved. They were both on 6 figure salaries and had no kids. Well duh, frankly I think it would be fairly easy to do if that was the case. So in my situation, having 3 kids and with my wife alas not getting paid for the super job she does in looking after all of us and our home, we're going to need a whole lot more. But how much? Well, as Tanja Hester says, you've got to put together a realistic budget of what you'll need going forward and work from there. So here goes.
House - I think we need to spend about 25k on our house to renovate and modernise it. That will need to be done prior to any possible retirement consideration.
Rates - Assuming we maintain 2 houses, we're talking about 5k per year, including rates and some small allowance for increases.
Insurance - House and contents insurance on both places is going to be about 2k per year.
Healthcare - I will NEVER have private health cover again, it's one of the biggest scams in Australian history if you ask me. What a total waste of money for 95% of people, 95% of the time. But, I think it wise to consider that we should have at least 5k put aside for medical costs that may not be covered by Medicare.
Car - Hmm, not sure about this one. I think it best to pay cash upfront, so let's say 25k.
Utilities - Australian electricity prices. Fark. Let's say we aim for 5k per year.
Maintenance - Hard to estimate and shouldn't be so bad once reno's are done. Still, I think 2k per year is a good amount.
Fuel - A tank per week, so 3k per year.
Groceries - 12k per year.
Booze - Don't judge ok, 5k per year. We like a beer :)
Kids - Wow this one is hard to estimate. It will obviously also change as they get older and eventually head out into the world on their own. I'd say up to age of 10, 1.5k per year each, 11-18, 3k per year each. I'm not sure if that covers it, but hopefully it does.
Holidays - Thumb suck here, but aiming for 10k per year, less frequently and lower standard when with kids, and more frequently and higher standard when without. I think 10k should cover both bases.
Stuff - The wife and I both have our interests. I'd say 5k per year should cover us.
Contingency - I'll put 10% on top of all variable costs.
Debts - If we're talking right now, well mortgage and CC is about 225k all-told. So I'll need to budget paying that off at a reasonable rate, as well as factoring in the retirement side of things. We also need to have a life while all this is happening too, so it might be easier said than done.
Hmm, so we have lump-sum requirements of 55k, plus yearly requirements of 53.5k right now. With contingency we're talking 60k lump and 60k variable to round it out. I've read a similar 60k number before for retirees, so I think that may be reasonable. I need to do some research into Centrelink to find out what our pension is likely to be, plus factor in super returns and hopefully a surplus from the rental property.
First of course, is the need to pay off the mortgage. So we'll do some modelling and get back to you.
Another option for me to think about is that once we have enough of the one-off items ticked off and a reasonable nest-egg behind us, perhaps full retirement is not necessarilly first cab off the rank - I'd be quite happy to do a few shifts at the pub or something like that per week, to earn that way.
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