YouTube - Revisited

So it has been almost five years since I did my first YT post, reflecting on what I was watching at the time. Then, in mid-2020, YT as my main form of consumption for entertainment was fairly new. YT itself had been around for about 10 years already, steadily growing all the while. But it was really covid, and those couple of years of a lot of people being at home, that saw this kind of content sky-rocket. Myself, well I don't really feel that I have changed much in that time, apart from perhaps being a bit more retirement-centric, so it will be interesting to see how my YT habits have changed over the last 5 years. Actually, one aspect of YT that has been a significant change is the advent of Shorts - that is 0-2 minute short videos, I guess something akin to TikTok (never seen this app), as an alternative to longer-form content. I certainly consume a lot of these nowadays. 

So much so, that when I tried to download my YT consumption to compare to the list I compiled some years ago, it was difficult, as that list was SO much longer now. Not because I spend more time on YT, but because there are so many Shorts that I watch. 

So I think it's best to look at the old list, and see who on it is still around, at least in terms of my interest. Here goes:

Wow, that's quite a change. Half of them I never watch anymore, either because my interests have matured somewhat, or because some hobbies (coins and metal detecting) are no longer of much interest to me. Simon Wilson is the only one that I still keenly watch every time he posts. I would watch more Planet Weird, as I like their content and style, but their videos are all well over an hour long, which is just hard for me to commit to these days. This look at my old top list made me wonder just how much my viewing habits have changed. Here are some genre stat's:

Bear in mind this is mostly long-form content. I do still watch movies and TV stuff, but pretty much all in shorts now. No real surprises here, with sport, food and travel dominating. The newby in the list is financial, as I am more and more interested in retirement as time goes on. Let's see what my new Top 10 looks like:

Now Strictly Dumpling is an old-timer, and I'm surprised he wasn't in my original Top10. Like Simon Wilson, he is one of the few I continue to watch from years ago. I love his content, as he eats everything; restaurants, buffets, street food, and convenience store food. I do like the travel crowd, especially those who are in or close to the retirement group, as that really resonates with me. Sport of course, remains a big part of life, especially soccer and cricket, and in the last year I have developed a taste for the scary stuff - not the nonsense ghost hunting crap, but the real clips of people encountering all sorts of things in life, nature, exploration, whatever. It makes for compelling viewing!

Special mention to many others, like Potato McWhiskey, Ghib Ojisan, Hikelopedia, and many more. YT is an entertaining and endlessly fascinating source of information, and has utterly replaced TV for me. Plus a couple of streaming services here and there of course.

In Hoi An, I Stand Up. It's Good!

Haha, this little phrase has stuck with me for a very long time.

In 1997, I went to Vietnam with my mate Coops. At that time, I was living in Kalgoorlie, and working at the Superpit. I wouldn't say I had become Aussie-fied, but I was well on the way. It had been almost 10 years since we left Singapore, and I loved the idea of visiting Asia again.

I'll talk about the trip as a whole in another post, but this one is about a part of it, a time that sparked a phrase that has stayed with me for 28 years since - "In Hoi An, I stand up, it's good!". Haha, I still chuckle, even all these years later.

You see, I was still a bit wet behind the ears in those days. Plus Vietnam had only recently opened up to the western world again, and as such, there weren't a whole lot of people there who spoke English. At that time anyway. So it was a little bit of culture shock for me, and I was out of my comfort zone, especially on the Hanoi part of the trip. I was a chubs in those days and frankly a bit of a slob, so I felt very self-conscious in the tour group I was with, when I went to Halong Bay. This was after feeling equally self-conscious on the trip to the Mekong Delta with a pair of English ladies and a group of handsome Germans. But on the Halong Bay trip, especially on the way back, I was befriended by a Danish couple - Annette and Steen. The photo below is them (2nd and 4th) and another English couple I met, eating at a French restaurant in Hanoi.

It was funny, eating quality French food in Vietnam, but I guess it makes sense, it having been a French colony and all. The owner of this place had clearly been there for decades, which was something I saw a bit of while there. It was very under-developed, very different in terms of culture, and in hindsight, a wonderful experience. The photo below is Annette and I (Steen took the photo) having street noodles for breakfast.

I developed a friendship with them, due to their kindness, calmness, and openness. They didn't speak a whole lot of English, but enough to communicate. We got to know each other mostly on the bus back from Halong Bay. I had initially agreed to get a train south with this other English guy, but I didn't really like him, so when I started chatting with the Danes, I decided to stick with them instead. We spent a day wandering around Hanoi, visiting the various war museums. They weren't much to look at, and mostly looked like piles of US gear that they had captured, including many various helmets. It was sobering though, and a terrible reminder of the wastefulness of war. 

One of the things I had in common with Steen though, was a love of football (soccer). He was a rabid Manchester United fan, and loved telling me about the various matches he had recently watched. ManU were, in those days, quite dominant after all. On one particular occasion he was trying to tell me that he had got up in the middle of the night to watch a game on TV. As his English was sketchy (far better than my non-existent Danish mind you), instead of saying he got up, he would say, "I stand up". I suspect the whole description ran into a few more than just one sentence, but what has stuck with me all these years, is "In Hoi An, I stand up. It's good!". Haha, Steen was a funny and lovely guy. The two days I spent with him and Annette were a real highlight of the trip for me, and one of the few times I have truly ventured outside my comfort zone and met other people while travelling. Another was at the cricket world cup in Sri Lanka, which I have also posted about. I really should get back to Vietnam for another look one day, as it has changed so much since 1997.

Career Options

I said I wasn't going to start another blog post until I dealt with the 30 draft posts I have. But right now I am in a spot where I need to write to help me make sense of where I'm at. I have not put actual company names for privacy reasons, and to allow me the freedom to say whatever I want. Whilst no fucker reads my blog, I do realise that it is in the public realm, so thus I must be cautious. Anyway, here goes with my current thinking:

Option 1 - Stay put. Look, this is the safe option. I am pretty secure in this role for sure, although days like today make me wonder. My boss spent most of our meeting this afternoon, to discuss department structure, twitching, and lost his shit more than once. He often struggles with logic, grabs things and holds onto them like a rabid dog, even if they are nonsensical, and gets angry when challenged. I have had my ups and downs with this man over many years now, but right now we are at about rock bottom. And after 6 years, I am tired. Tired of many things, but in particular, tired of dealing with his shit. Yes, working here gives me plenty of freedom, yes this company is growing, and investing in new and improved ways of doing things, and yes I am at the centre of much of that. But without any appraisals, personal KPI's, feedback of any kind, and this year, without even a fucking increment letter (did get the increment, but that's not the point), the management part of my boss towards me simply does not exist. Yes, that allows me to fly under the radar somewhat. Yes, the mentoring program, the KPI reporting my team is developing, and yes the new quarries we are going to be running, all makes for interesting work, and the ability for me to spread my wings in a safe environment. But there is so much about this place that shits me. Not just my boss, but at least 2 of the other GM's are fucking useless, and don't get managed either. We have no strategy, and there are a lot of fuckwits. There are also a lot of good people, and as I wrote a few months ago, I do have good patches. I don't get paid a lot, and bonuses have mostly been shite, but I do get paid reasonably. This life suits my family too. So it's an up-in-the-air proposition right now.

Option 2 - BBM. This is the local option, the mining company that would allow us to stay put in Echuca, while giving me a new job, and hopefully a new lease on life. I was hell bent on this a year ago, kind of last time my boss shat me to tears. I approached them, so the fact that it has dragged on is not their fault. Still, they showed interest, real interest, and even with a management change, as the company moves from exploration and permitting to development, they are still interested in me. For a while, I was uncertain, as a lot seemed to hinge on fucking community and government relations, which frankly is the worst part of what I do now. But talking to one of the directors the other day, I got much more of a sense of the technical work involved, the challenges, and the value of this project. It really did put a spring in my step and made me much more positive about these guys. Getting back into mining would allow me to really use my full set of skills, and hopefully, being GM for such a project - assuming we can make it succeed - could be very lucrative for me. I am heading down to meet the new CEO in December, and I hope an offer will soon follow. If it makes sense, then I think this option becomes top seed in the tournament of Dave's Career Future.

Option 3 - Kuching. This is that new mob in Borneo, trying to start up a gold mine. Like BBM, I reached out to them rather than vice versa, and they were very interested in me. Probably mostly because I was a statutory mine manager in Malaysia in the past, and these kind of relations are very important in this part of the world. But fuck me, you couldn't script the BS that has gone on internally with this crowd in the past year. They have sacked the board, essentially sued their major shareholder, and had their mining lease lapse. I am told that when that is granted again (they expect this will happen, but of course they will say that), then they will need someone to lead the BFS project, permitting, and then get the mine going. We all know that my heart is in Malaysia, so the option of going back again is bloody appealing to me. However, this job reeks of risky start-up, and frankly I am still somewhat tainted by the residual odour of ASN, AYN and GMC - the other start-ups I have been involved in over my career that ended up being a shit-fight. I am not going to tell Kuching to go away, but I think it is a severe long-shot and even with an offer, I'd be hesitant, without a lot of reassurance.

Option 4 - Gua Musang. This is the option that I left in 2016, after they hadn't paid me for 6 months. They still owe me 60 grand. Because of that, and because I still harbour the desire to return to Malaysia to live, I have periodically contacted my old boss, who is still the MD, to see what's up. Each and every time, he says funding is imminent and he expects someone to sign up for $400 million this week. EACH AND EVERY FUCKING TIME! I must be a fool for still talking to him. He must be a fool for still believing this. The fucker must be in his 70's by now, so surely isn't going to keep pushing this barrow. Look, I'm going to contact him as per my calendar appointment in a few weeks, which will be a month after his last promises. If it remains the same old story, then I think we won't worry about it anymore, and put this one to bed permanently. In reality, this has been the case for years, but while the website is still up, and the company emails, plus the JR BS, I guess there remains a flicker of hope.

Option 5 - Keep looking elsewhere. This one, I am not sure about, as I feel the need to commit to something, not just keep flitting around the edges. Most mining work is FIFO these days. There are options, but options that would require us to move. I am not against that, but a) no capital cities, b) no Vic/NSW/SA, and c) no FIFO. North Queensland I could do, WA I would consider, Darwin I would consider. Expat life, I would consider. I have been "considering" roles in these areas on and off, for a few years now, with little to show for it in terms of potential options. Yeah the Greece thing was interesting for the 5 seconds it was around, as was the Dubai thing. But the reality is options for me, with the criteria I have in mind, are not as widespread as perhaps they once were. Maybe this will change again, but what has changed is me - I am now on the road to retirement. I also need to carefully consider what is best for my family.

The Conclusion - So much like what happened a few years ago, when I was also thinking about leaving my current job, I think I need to get past the next offer, and if it is not forthcoming, or at least to the degree that makes me think jumping ship is worthwhile, I need to buckle down and recommit to my current job. So we'll see what happens next, but I suspect Option 2 is the leading option. If it doesn't happen though, I think we'll just stay put. Watch this space... 

Today's Walk - Cairns

So back in March / April of this year, we took a family trip to Cairns. There is another blog post about that trip, so check it out. But one of the good things about this holiday, and generally most holidays that we go on, is the amount of walking we did. In a week, I did over 75,000 steps, which is about double what I usually manage. Much of it was wandering around Cairns itself, as our hotel was a good 10 minutes walk from the action. The graphic below is a typical example of what we did, so most days saw us doing 5km or more, especially with all the zig-zagging.

As per the trip post, the lagoon was a highlight, and if we go back, I reckon we'll be staying close-by to that. The yum cha was great, as was the city in general. We enjoyed exploring, but would do the reef differently next time. 

Cairns is very much a walkable city. Yes, in a couple of spots there are vagrants hanging around, so keep your wits about you, but in general it felt very safe. The kids loved the outdoor activities, the food and the big mall right in town. We had a blast on this trip, and I would be able to make numerous excellent regular walks here, if we ever lived there. It is on the Seek list, but not a probable destination, as it's more of a FIFO hub than a residential one. Still, I'd happily holiday here again.

My Career - Part 4 - Murrin (2002 - 2004)

The low-point in my life occurred during this period.

Ok, perhaps the second low-point, if we wish to be specific.

Then again, given the first one occurred when I was 14, and an impressionable teenager, perhaps I can be forgiven for my transgressions then. It is fair to say that the experience I had being found out to be a thief and general liar back in 1988, hit home hard. It also changed me for the better, at least for a long period of time. At Murrin, I needed to be reset again. It happens I guess.

So yeah, after all the, we're back to the low-point in my life occurring during this period.

I look back now and wonder why. Why did I leave Tarmoola in 2002? I guess because I was running away, and in damage control without realising it. In 2000-2001 I took most of a year off work to watch my father slowly die in front of his family. Whilst there is no denying how painful that was in periods, and even more so at the end, I had figured that once he had moved onto the next life, and I had returned to work, I would kind of pick up where I had left off.

I was seriously fucking wrong.

I left Tarmoola to follow Bruce, which is always a good thing. Murrin (MM) was a nickel laterite / cobalt operation, a good ten years old by then, but still not quite finished ironing out its teething problems, largely in processing. The equipment they used there was serious shit - massive acid plant to make sulphuric acid, and enormous autoclaves to treat the laterite ore and extract the metal. Plus it was an unusual set-up in the mine. Instead of the normal 1 or 2 pits, this place had about 100, with say 4-5 going at any one time. It was spread over a big area too. Check out the website if you're interested.

https://www.minara.com.au/

So yeah, mine planning was a big thing here at Murrin. While I was there, Bruce got me to put together a capital proposal to install Wenco on our fleet. Wenco is a GPS-based production monitoring system. I am not sure how it compares to other offerings these days, but back in the late 90's and early 2000's, it was ground-breaking (and therefore bloody expensive) technology. It really helped in terms of keeping an eye on production, and ensuring that diggers were well-supported with enough trucks, and that their hourly BCM rate was on the money. I chuckle when I think back to this, as in those days, capital proposals were a new thing for me - I could state the technology, the costs, and the benefits in terms of data and therefore decision-making. What I couldn't do was put it in terms of financial benefit. So instead I used terms such as "the will of the people", to gauge the benefits. My boss, Bruce, thought this was hilarious, and got me to stick to the facts. Needless to say, we got it through, and soon Wenco was up and running at MM. I even employed Luke from Tarmoola to manage it for me. 

Speaking of Tarmoola, soon we had numerous Tarmoola-ites there. Yvette and Gully were already there, Luke as I mentioned. I also hired Adam and Hugh into mine planning, which was a big boon for me. Seriously good guys and good at their jobs. The photo below is Bruce in the centre, with Hugh and me alongside him.

So yeah, apart from capital projects, I was mainly in charge of production. I started as an engineer, and was soon promoted to Production Superintendent, the same role I finished at when I was at my previous job in Tarmoola. I think I built the team well, although not all the supervisors working for me were as motivated as they should have been. I remember a young guy, Fieldy, who was one of the real up and comers, and unsurprisingly, he has done tremendously well in his career since. The challenge was the varying distance from the numerous pits we worked, back to the plant. Bruce soon had them building blend fingers, instead of pit-based stockpiles. Blend fingers were something he introduced in Tarmoola, and they did very well. The premise being that you build a single stockpile in a rectangle shape, along the length, from your various ore sources. When finished (and you had to work out the optimum size of these things, bus usually anywhere from 2-4 weeks of feed) you reclaimed them from the side, so perpendicular to the build direction. This meant that for the whole life of the feeding of the blend finger, you delivered to the plant, the same consistent blend of ores. Consistent feed allowed the plant to reach steady-state, in terms of throughput, dosing of chemicals, retention time, and recovery. I have used this approach at numerous locations since, and always with great success. Thanks Bruce!

So yeah, mine planning was a challenge. We were constantly updating schedules, and at one point, I was working almost throughout the night, trying to come up with the best ones. In the end the senior planning engineer did, which was no surprise really. I was ok with that. But it was in that time that other weaknesses crept in, both in and out of work. I was single in those days. Hey no surprise really, I was a fat, drinking and smoking Aussie guy, shy and lacking in personal confidence. Plus I was very naïve, so I never flourished in relationships. The only really successful one I had had to that point was with Lucette, and I think she dumped me because I was enjoying the excesses the mining life could provide too much. From then (1995) up to Murrin (2003 at this point), I had a couple of flings, and yeah, visited sex workers a few times. Hey, don't judge too harshly, it is what it is, and I am trying to paint the picture of my life here. I had weaknesses, made some bad judgement calls, and lived to excess. But this period, after Dad passed, until probably about 2006, saw me living on the edge. More on this to come.

The photo below is from their website, and shows a typical view of a pit wall. The brown stuff on top is iron laterite and is just waste / overburden. The whiter stuff below is the clay. I can't tell which one it is from this photo, as it has been a lot of years now, but that's the stuff that hosts the nickel laterite.

So yeah, MM was challenging, but rewarding, in that I got to contribute to a lot of good initiatives, including a vastly improved grading and remuneration system for the operators, which I was very proud of. I was working a 5:2, 4:3, 9:5 roster for the last year I was there. It was good from the point of view of regular breaks, but as a single man, a 9:5 would have been better for me. I was well-respected, doing a good job of team-building, delivering mining, planning and operational improvements, and having a finger in many pies around the business. I was still immature though, as referenced by Bruce cracking it with me one day for making disrespectful remarks in front of others. Bruce was my friend yes, but at work he was my boss first. I was also in a senior role, and needed to act professionally. I didn't always see the distinction, and that was part of my downfall. Frankly, I didn't see the importance of that distinction until much later in life, and in some ways, I have never fully made that transition. But I guess that's who I am.

Life in Perth also changed for me somewhat over the course of the MM years. I started living with Kero in North Perth - I had moved in with him while at Tarmoola. It was a good house and in a great location, but Kero and I fell out in the end. Partially his fault, partially mine. I escaped his place with Yvette's help one weekend, moving into a shitty 1-bedroom place down on the Esplanade in Perth city. It was a great location, but an aged building. I am pretty sure it has since made way for modern condos. I was down on the Esplanade when I visited Perth last year, but didn't think to check it out. I stayed at that place for about 6 months I think, and then Adam said he was looking for a place, so we ended up sharing a beautiful modern 2-bedder just around the corner from the Esplanade, and within 50m of the Terrace. So a super spot! I have many fond memories of this time; watching the Olympics with Adam, watching the Bledisloe Cup around the corner at Fenian's with Adam, yum cha in Northbridge with Luke, lots of great friendship memories.

But of course, these will always be tainted by the other memories of this time. You see, I became somewhat addicted to strippers, and other forms of adult entertainment. I was always shy, fat, and low in confidence. I know now that I could have found a relationship if I looked in the right places. Alas, look there I did not. Instead I spent all my money on other activities, which was so dumb. I also got into online porn too, even at work. That's why I eventually had to leave MM, as I got caught. It was bloody embarrassing, for Bruce too I'm sure, and a severe wake-up call for me. It was beyond embarrassment though, and actually pretty humiliating. I didn't really fully wake up for a while though, but it seemed to be the right time to not only leave MM (not my choice that one) but also leave W.A. and look for a new beginning. I found that beginning in Gladstone, Queensland, at the East End Mine....

Dave vs. Work

 I saw this the other day:

I also saw this one....

This is the conundrum I am in. I feel like work is unfairly biased, in terms of how much of my fucking life it consumes. Perhaps at one point in time, when I was career-centric, this would be ok. But now, it is all about either family, or my own personal interests (none of which involve being a GM Quarries I assure you!!!). 

So yeah, I feel like so much of my "good time", as in the time where I am clear-minded, productive, and feeling good, is taken up by my job. But then again, getting mentally geared-up for work does get me into that mindset too. After all, for those who have followed this blog, you would know that I have been seeking the path to productivity and planning enlightenment for years now. With my new tools, I feel I have found that to a degree, as well as the passion projects I have at work. So maybe I would still feel that career-mindfulness if I only had those projects to focus on, instead of the other BS. 

But it's the second 9GAG post that really hit a nerve. I have, for some years now, been thinking about leaving my job. But the truth is, or at least I suspect it is, that I don't necessarily want to leave my job in order to get a different and/or better one. It's that I don't actually want to work at all. I want to fucking retire man! I want my time to be my own. I don't want to have to baby-sit these stupid cunts that work for me (don't get me wrong, many of them are super people, but there are a handful that shit me to fucking tears). I don't want to have to deal with my megalomaniac, immature, freaking hopeless boss. Yes he has good attributes, but managing people or being a leader are not amongst them. So this is why I want to leave my job. But, I also get a lot of freedom in this job, and in some ways, I do get job satisfaction. I am not paid at the top end, far from it, but I am paid reasonably well. Hence the thought that I would leave only if the new role was significantly better for me financially. That comes with risk though. Risk that the company might go bust, as has happened to me before. Risk that my new boss might also be a wanker, that has happened before too. And risk that the new job and new working environment might not offer me the same amount of freedom that I have now. I need to assess those risks, balanced with whatever the offer conditions are, against what I have now. A small incentive for staying is also the fact that I am eligible for long-service leave as of the end of this year. If I am still in my current role, I am absolutely going to take it too.

So yeah, thanks 9GAG, once again you have captured the essence of what is going on, and stated it in a meme. The biggest problem with finding another job is I don't want one.

Melbourne Visit - Jan' 2025

This last trip to Melbourne was one of our better ones - mainly because we all had a fair bit of fun, minus any dramas. Past causes of dramas are numerous, but I take responsibility, due to my angsty driving. But I have been working hard to turn over a new leaf of late, both with behaviour and reduced alcohol consumption, and it paid dividends. We all had a great time, but especially the boys I think. We stayed in an area close to the MCG, where we were going to the cricket. It was also close to Jolimont Park, and a 120 minute walk back into the city.

The walking aspect was generally good, with nice weather and some interesting sights to see, especially when we walked through the tennis precinct. It was actually the week leading up to the Australian Open, so there was a lot of activity. We could walk that way, or on the main road, through inner-city suburbia, which was kind of cool.

The first night we had a bit of a false start, as I tried doing the Menulog thing, but it failed miserably. In country locations I pretty much have a 80%+ strike rate on deliveries and getting what I ordered. In the metro areas though, it's more like 50%. And believe you me, it's damn inconvenient when you wait for an hour, only to have the fuckers not turn up. I did get a refund eventually, but it annoyed me no end. Anyway, we ended up walking into the city, finding a pub, and having a beer and a decent pub meal. Again, this is a good learning experience for me, as we were all in good spirits despite the inconvenience and late hour - this is as a result of removing angst from the equation. 

The kids enjoyed the change of scenery I think, and of course everyone always likes the chance to visit some malls, enjoy some Boost juice, some good food, and update their wardrobes. The tennis precinct walk definitely more fun for the kids, with some park areas and a few things to do, other than just the cold, hard concrete paths. 

The place we stayed at was pretty decent, with a couple of bedrooms, giving everyone some space and privacy. No on-site food though, so I had to go wandering a few times to look for 7-11 and the like. The pool wasn't bad, although the hot tub was broken and the whole place was a bit overgrown. This led to the pool itself being a bit dirty, but the kids definitely made the most of it, and enjoyed the experience. We were there for a couple of full days, and generally spent half of them walking around and the other half by the pool.

The main event for the boys and I was, of course, the BBL! I had never been to a T20 match of any kind before, and not to the MCG for a couple of decades. It was either an ODI or a footy match back in my uni days when I was last there. I have been to Marvel in more recent years, again for footy, but the G is always a great place to visit, and I love watching cricket here.

It wasn't a full house, but a decent enough crowd. The boys got some merch and snacks, and we enjoyed the game. There were a couple of internationals playing, such as Maxwell and Duckett, and both put on a decent display. It was very convenient that it only took 10 minutes to walk back to our accommodation after the game, as we were all tuckered out by then.

So yeah, a bit of relaxing, a bit of swimming, a bit of shopping and enjoying the city sights, and it was a decent trip for us. I'd happily stay in this location again, although I reckon next time we will go back to Glen Waverley. Next trip to this part of the world though, is also to a BBL game, but in Geelong. I think it will be nice to have a good look around that city too.

Overall, this was probably the best city-stay we have had in a while, because it did not involve any fighting or dramas. I need to make sure I keep that calmness up, as it really does make an impact on the whole experience, and everyone as a group. Food highlight for me for the trip was probably Marrybrown, a Malaysian fast food franchise, that I got some of in Melbourne Central. The ayam goreng was excellent, and their NL was bloody good too. For the kids, they enjoyed the shopping and the pool, and of course the cricket. I think wifey enjoyed herself too, which always makes me happy. I love our family getaways!

A Chef's Tour, Penang

Wow! 

Headbanger Eats

I watched this YouTube video the other day, and was seriously impressed. I simply have to go do this next time I'm in Penang. Headbanger Eats is a funny channel. This is an Indian guy, who doesn't like spicy food, and eats western as much as he eats local. Plus he plays in a heavy metal band. Very much a non-stereotypical person! I like him though, his humility, directness, and approach to food and life. So when he went on a Penang holiday, of course I was interested in following his travels. The Penang Plates tour looked magnificent, with a nice blend of tastes, cultures and food categories. I would leave a link here, but found many different ones, so if it's something that interests you, do your own research and have a go.

Actually, food tours have been an interest of mine for a while. Probably mainly inspired by Bourdain and his travels, where locals would take him around to find authentic and memorable local eats. I loved this aspect of his shows, and his eagerness to sample it all. I'd love to do this in KL, Hong Kong, Singapore, Jakarta, and many other places - likely all Asian to be honest, as that is where my heart lies.

I don't know that this is something to do with the boys, as they (B anyway) are just not that adventurous. But with wifey and Lala, absolutely. We're thinking a Bali escape in 2026, so maybe a food tour could be the go as part of it? Let me go do some investigation....

Wow, there are dozens of them and some look absolutely amazing! I think I'm onto something here. Put the boys in the kids club, take the girls out for a half-day adventure, and have a blast sampling local cuisine that we may well not have had before. Yes, this is a must for the next trip! Plus the site getyourguide.com looks like it caters to many different interests. I think for a 10-12 day trip, yes relaxing and resort time is where it's at, but inter-dispersed with some cool tours and other activities too methinks. Let's do this! 

Toilet Tennis - See Other Wall

So a couple of years ago I ventured to Melbourne for the day to go see my specialist. I had been seeing this guy since early 2020, Prof. Ali, and he is a skilled and good-natured medical professional. The thing is, I had seen him everywhere except his rooms up to that point. I was initially referred to him as he was a visiting haematologist to Echuca (I have/had hemochromatosis it seems), and that's where we had our first consult. Y2 was in the height of covid, so it was a phone consult from my bedroom at home. Y3 was also a phone consult, this time pulled over on the road just out of Jerilderie, on my way home from Milbrae. So finally, in Y4, I went down to Melbs and to his rooms. 

As it happens, he is in the hospital district, which is just to the north of the CBD, and very near my old stomping grounds at RMIT. I deliberately arrived early, with a view to having a wander around my old uni, and into the city to look for some food. For some time now, I have been following a group of Malaysians who post of various food offerings around the city. Some I have tried myself - largely around Box Hill and Glen Waverly, but so far not in the city. This day, I figured, I could try to fix that. But first, after parking, to RMIT.

I have posted about my old uni a number of times before, so won't go into too much detail, but as I approached, I was looking for the old Building 4 entrance, and knew that my destination was the trusty Building 12, Level 12. I did enter thought B4, and was immediately brought back to a formative moment in my young life - my brief romance with Sandii. Ah yes, how fucking naïve I was in those days :) You see the inside of the B4 entrance has an area where people could just sit around, as in the photo.

I think back in 1992 it was just dingy old couches, not the modern, sterile (yet coloured) benches of today. But I remember this room well. I used it only once in my time at Rimmit (how we pronounced RMIT in a tongue-in-cheek way). Of course, as a young, impressionable man, immersing myself, as I was, in what I thought was the cool Aussie culture (I now know it to be nonsense bullshit, but fortunately for me it didn't do too much damage), I spent a lot of time at the pub. Good old Mac's Hotel was just around the corner from B12, and as well as the office crowd, catered to us students. In my first and second years, you could get a hot lunch for $5, which was a full plate of food and a pot of beer. It was awesome! It speaks to how poor I was in those days that I could only afford that once a pay or even once a month. In those days I was on AusStudy, and it only paid me $200 per fortnight. Rent and board cost half, transport about a quarter, so I realistically had $25 a week to live off (board did include some meals). 

Anyway, back to the B4 lobby story. At Mac's, the old publican was Crosby, and the bar staff were Ros and Bev, two middle-aged ladies with cracking wit. Bev's daughter Sandii also worked there. Sandii and I hit it off, and even dated for a short while. It never went anywhere though. She was one of the classic gals who loves the bad boy. I think I was too wet-behind-the-ears for her frankly. But one night we went out for drinks, and ended up staying out all night long. That was the night where I was introduced to beers with a shot of red cordial in them. I even saw a retro-drink in a bottleshop recently where someone was obviously trying to recreate that vibe. It sweetened the beer and made it yummier. But the danger is it became too easy to drink! Anyway, we had a great night out (I couldn't imagine even staying up to midnight these days, let alone all night!) and ended up on the couches at B4, to chill and wait for the uni to properly open so I could go to class, and her to work. We made out on those couches, and it was a fond memory for a love-struck, inexperienced and very naïve young man. I caught up with Sandii in Perth once, many years later, but we have since lost touch. Maybe one day I'll try to find her to say hi again, but probably not. Nice memory, long time ago.

Ok, so that takes us to B12 itself, a short walk through on Level 4, to find the lift:

There is quite a bit of change since I was last there in 1994. The lecture theatres, well at least some of them, have been turned into large open social areas, as shown above. Spacious, using the original layout of the decked areas, and with big plate glass windows. I only saw one lecture theatre that appeared to still be that, so I wonder how they cater to all the lecture needs these days? I imagine it has something to do with fewer numbers and more of an online presence, perhaps a combination of the two.

Back in the day, my department was the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering. IT was that engineering degree that I did, and I am proud of it! But after 1995, the popularity of the course waned, and eventually it was swallowed into the Civil Engineering department. These days it still exists, but as below, as Geospatial Science. No engineering anymore. I am one of the last Geological Engineers, at least from RMIT anyway.

So finally we come to the titular theme of this post. The humble B12L12 toilets. One thing that amazed me was that after all these years, and with what feels like the entire place having been renovated almost beyond recognition for an early 90's alumni like myself, the toilets themselves remain the same. The black granite style walls are the same as they always were, and judging by the residue of whitewash evident on some, the graffiti of young, opinionated uni students still persists. Although on this day, none was there to see.

I actually came into the toilet, one for a pee, and two, to relive a funny old memory. Back in the day, either though greater tolerance for freedom of speech, lack of funding for cleaning, or who knows what else, these walls were perpetually covered in liquid paper comments. Some not so nice, referring to the number of foreign students on campus, others taking the mickey out of a lecturer - you name it, it was there. But the one that always made me giggle was the line "toilet tennis - see other wall", that was scribed on both sides of the cubicle. Of course, what that resulted in was one looking from left to right, and back again, much like what a spectator in the crowd at a tennis match does.

Ah, RMIT. Lot of good old memories of what life was like before it became complicated. I loved learning here, I loved finding myself as a young adult and independent person for the first time here. I loved the field trips - Snowy's, Broken Hill are the standouts - and I loved the people there. Many good old friends, like Clint and Simon, both of whom I am still in touch with, albeit irregularly. And the lecturers. Phil, Graeme, Martand, and of course Paulino. Paulino was from Brazil, and spoke with a heavy accent. He taught us geology-related software, in what was the burgeoning age of computers. One of his favourite sayings when it came to coding, was "Shit in, shit out." I will never forget that little gem. Thanks for the memories Rimmit.

Axis & Allies

The other day I was flicking through my photos, looking for something, and saw a few snaps I had taken of my 50th anniversary edition of the classic board game, Axis & Allies, which I sold sometime last year. It gave me a quick sense of nostalgia, for what is likely my favourite board game of all time. Alas, one that I have not played for decades, as it takes a certain kind of person to both enjoy and commit to a gaming experience that can take all day to play. I have had many games of A&A over the years that have gone for eight hours or more. I discovered it back in Cobram, sometime around 1989 I think, likely with Andrew White, one of the nerd community that I hung around with sometimes. I had a variety of friends during that period of my life, none of whom I am still in regular contact with unfortunately, although I have bumped into a couple of them periodically. That is another story! Here are a couple of photos of both the classic A&A box and board.

The thing with A&A is that whilst the luck of the dice does play a significant part, understanding the dynamics, being able to predict other players, and getting the balance right of where to spend your cash, where to attack and where to defend, is not easy. It's especially good to play with 3-4 people, so that you get a whole lot of different flavours to the game. 

After the Cobram experiences, there was a bit of a hiatus. I don't recall playing at uni, but I definitely do recall playing with Brunty, an old uni friend, who I spent some time with in Kalgoorlie too. I am pretty sure that is where we played. I don't recall much about that, other than the famous Brunty rage quit, when he had rolled 80 out of 100 1's. If you know, you know. Poor bugger, his massive tank attack, that should have steamrolled me, failed spectacularly! Kind of like history really. I think of that with a grin, as it was funny, but I do also feel a little bad. Not because of the game, but because I didn't do very well by Brunty at one point, and whilst not deliberate, I did take advantage of him, and for that I am sorry. Alas our friendship never really recovered after that. As I am currently experiencing in a relationship much closer to home, actions speak louder than words, and even if my intentions were never bad, what I say, do, and sometimes not say and not do, can be very impactful. It's easy for me to say I'm sorry and get over it, but I can't expect others to feel the same way.

Anyway, I digress. Back to A&A. Of course, as is my wont, I went overboard. I loved A&A so much that when they started releasing other versions (Europe, The Pacific etc.) I bought them all, and don't think I ever played a single game with any of them! At one point I had about six versions of the game. I loved it so much, it was such a fun interlude. Setting up the pieces, either trying to mimic or rewrite history, and yes, even sometimes enjoying playing the bad guy, and doing what the fuckers should have, if they weren't so up themselves. Fortunately for history and freedom, they were. So yeah, all those versions. I don't think I ever played the game again, not on the board anyway. I ended up donating all of them, literally hundreds of bucks worth of games. But that's ok. Assuming there is any karma to be won through the donation of goods, well I have given away many housefuls of stuff over the years - on one occasion at least, it literally was an entire houseful, including bike, golf clubs, and all the rest.  

But the A&A story does not end here, not even close! Many years later - I think the donation of the collection was in the early 2000's - I was living in Asia, and saw online a copy of the 50th anniversary edition for sale, as per the photos below. I snapped it up. It was the base game, but with playable China, Italy and a few others, plus new units. I was STOKED for this game! 

I held onto it for a lot of years and took it around the world with us as we travelled from Malaysia, to Australia, back to Malaysia, back to Australia, to Indonesia, and then once again, back to Australia. I opened it a few times, marvelled at the many pieces and the awesome-looking 3-piece board, but ultimately, never played it. The kids were too young, wifey not interested in this kind of game, and my friends in later life, well the games they liked to play did not involve dice. So I sold it online a year or so ago, and got my money back. Sad that I never played it, but as time goes on, I am more and more coming to realise that life goes by in waves - some aspects stick with us, but others are prevalent for a time, and then fade away.

But the story is still not over! There is the online version of the game. There was a PC game back in the 90's that was fun, but with lame AI and SO easy to beat. Then someone came up with a free online version of A&A that was very customisable. That was awesome. AI still not great, but better, and with the opportunity for many more spots on the board, expanded rules, etc. I loved it, but with lame graphics, it got dated pretty quickly, and eventually faded away too.

So imagine my UTTER DELIGHT when Steam announced a new PC version of the game a couple of years ago. I was SO excited and bought it immediately. And look, the game looks smart and whilst the AI is not good still, playing other people online is bloody challenging and makes for a great experience. The problem is the interface. Not only is the dice-rolling maddeningly rigged, the amphibious assault part of the game is near impossible to manage, and so damn frustrating. I tried this game a whole heap of times, but always ended up with the same issues, and in the end had to give it away. It is just not a well-designed game I am afraid, and has been sent to the scrap heap. Like Brunty, that was my rage quit!

Will A&A have a final comeback, worthy of more investment and time from me? Frankly, I think WW2 gaming is slowly dying away, so I doubt it. But I hold out hope, as I have many fond memories of this game from earlier in life, and would love to give it one more go.

Mal Paper

So, I have been using a productivity planning tool for a while now. It's from Mal Paper, and is called a Daily Goal Setter. It's an A5 softcover book, as shown below. I had it for ages before I opened it, and then again had it for ages before I used it. 

I actually started using it because the hand-drawn checklists that I was inspired to do by Bhavna, this person on LinkedIn, whilst thought-provoking, was becoming a drag, and I really wasn't finding it that insightful or prompting. You can see a summary I did after a few months of it below and then a later example of a weekly checklist below that. Yes there is something to be said for writing up your own in this manner, but I found that too much of a drag, and it ended up being a tick and flick exercise.

But, I did find the idea of having a tool to help me plan and reflect useful, so I went back to Mal Paper. I loved the feel of the book; the leather cover, the thick glossy paper, the various sections laid out for goal setting, planning etc. Plus the opportunity for reflection, and a bit of inspiration with quotes from various historical people. I had been using a simple notebook and filling up the 13 lines on each page with daily to-do's, but this was so much more than that. Finish off a day, then a week, then a month, really gave me a sense of accomplishment, and helped me focus. Here is an example of the daily sheets below:

My only complaint about Mal Paper is that there aren't enough weeks to go with the number of days provided. It looks like this is meant to be a 6-month thing, and perhaps me doing the weekend in one sheet instead of two is not helping, but I'll need to be mindful of that going forward. I may even count all of it up front next time and give feedback to the makers.

As I have been on this To-Do List holy grail journey for so long, I have tried EVERYTHING. I have bought that many fucking projects on Kickstarter it isn't funny. And you know what? They are all shit. So I don't need bells, whistles, AI and all the rest of it, I just need a nice simple notebook, that prompts me, lets me write, and gives me the opportunity to reflect. Still, in finding Mal Paper, I also ordered another similar goal-setting book from a joint called Panda Planner. Theirs looked nice too. So before I ordered another Mal, I thought I'd best look at Panda, and was actually quite willing to give it a go for 6 months, and see how the two compare. But upon looking at it more closely, I wasn't sure, so decided to do a comparison:

So there you go. At the end of it, I just like the way the Mal book feels far more, and feel Panda is too focussed on categorising things, such that there is not enough space to get one's thoughts down on paper. So I ended up going with Mal again. This time I got a bundle, which includes a year of the planner (2 books). I also tried something different, called My Five Year Story. 

This one is really interesting. Each page has space - about 5 lines - for jotting down thoughts, events, happenings - on the same day, but over five years. So when I started it was October 17 2025. So each day I will write down, on a new page, what happens that day. Then, on October 17 2026, I will eventually get back to the same page as Day #1 again, and write that day's stuff down. Over five years, it really gives a chance to reflect on one's journey, on a daily basis. They also have a habit tracker book, which is currently sold out, but one I want to try too. So for now at least, I feel that my To-Do Crusade is over. I am using Mal, I am using my Excel timesheet, I am somewhat using Microsoft To-Do, and between all of it, I think I am on track. Of course, what this newly found planning ability is not doing is helping me manage my weaknesses, especially my tendency to anger, which is currently a problem. I hope I get another opportunity to recover from this. I don't deserve it, but I hope I do.

I Used To Love Australian Culture - Now I Hate It

I am truly worried about what Australian culture is doing to my boys. Yes, much of what they learn comes from the home and family environment, but so much also comes from school, friends and the internet. Plus, and this is the kicker for me currently, the local footy club.

Yep, the same old culture that existed when I was a teenager, having first come over from Singapore in 1988, is still there - bragging about drinking, laughing about violence, and treating women poorly. To be honest, I haven't seen any of the last one in recent years, but statistics say that violence against women in this country is rampant, and an absolute scourge on our society. Alcohol-fuelled violence is a key part of that, and drinking is deeply embedded in what in means to be a "true blue Aussie".

The other day I was having a conversation with one of the other GM's about the culture of Carlton FC. To me, that is where the club is failing. I don't know exactly what about the culture is wrong, but it seems that it is not truly a team environment, and people aren't fully invested in it. There are power-brokers behind the scenes, and too much individualism. As the old saying goes, a champion team will always beat a team of champions, and that is the situation Carlton finds itself in. This GM agreed with me, and said when he played, it wasn't enough that I had to beat you, I had to hurt you too. This was the guy that hip-and-shouldered me at a meeting a year ago when we had disagreed about something at work. So that's his solution to problem-solving - violence, or physical intimidation at the very least. That's a part of this culture I see a lot of, and really don't like it. The worst part is that he can't see that this is a problem.

You know, I like a drink as much as the next bloke. These days it's less and less, as decades of overdoing it have taken their toll on my body. Plus I don't like being drunk anymore. I like feeling clear-headed, and wanting to do stuff. When drinking, it often becomes just about the drinking, and actually being a contributing, active person, kind of goes out the window. It is that for me anyway.

Another example is an experience I had at a very popular local barber recently. I was there with my 1-year old son, waiting for a haircut. It was the day of the barbers last ever footy game, and he had a few friends in the shop talking to him about it. All he could talk about was how he was going to king-hit the opposition, and basically be a thug. They all thought it was hilarious, and egged him on. How it ended, I do not know, but I do know that kind of thing does happen. Maybe I should have called him out on the spot, but I guess I'm a bit of a coward in that regard. Maybe a keyboard warrior. God I hope not. I did talk to B about it though, and explained why that kind of behaviour and even those kinds of thoughts, are very dangerous in our society. I do believe it is that kind of machoism and glorification of violence, that, when combined with alcohol (and often when not) lead to bad situations, and I imagine are often at the root of our domestic violence problem.

I may be wrong, but I don't think so. All I know is that when I was an impressionable teen, I thought these kinds of guys were cool, and couldn't wait to get into the drinking culture. I could never join the physical side of it, because I can't deal with that. I naturally shy away from hard physical contact. I do have a temper though, and yes, it does cause damage in my life, even recently. We all have our failings, but when the society we're in glorifies the kind of talk and behaviour that can lead to violence, I think we have a problem. I just don't want my kids to grow up thinking this kind of behaviour is ok.

George Bernard Shaw

George Bernard Shaw was no ordinary man. He remains the only person ever to win both the Nobel Prize in Literature and an Academy Award (Oscar) — a thinker whose words still echo with striking relevance.

When he received the Nobel Prize, he wryly described it as “a gesture of appreciation for not publishing anything that year.” That’s classic Shaw — merging biting humour with brutal honesty.

Here are just a few of his thought-provoking gems:

"My way of joking is to tell the truth. That’s the funniest joke in the world."

"The secret of success is to offend as many people as possible."

"We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future."

"You see things; and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?'"

"If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange apples, each of us still has one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange them, each of us now has two ideas."

Shaw was not just a playwright — he was a mirror to society, a critic of conformity, and a craftsman of bold, unapologetic thought.

His message? Don’t just live — create, question, laugh, disrupt, and most importantly, think.

Some thought-provoking stuff there. I found that post on FB, hope nobody nails me for copyright, but I don't think so. I am not so much into most of what old Georgy was quoted on, but one did ring a bell with me - the apples and ideas quote. It's another way of showing the importance of constantly learning. I am in my 50's now, and almost at the apex of my career I think (not that I am at the top, but I am about as far as I want to go). I am not interested in religion, spirituality, learning a new trade, any of that. I am only so interested in ancient history these days, and find reading books not as easy as it used to be. But I don't want my mind to stagnate, especially as I am trying to adapt myself towards retirement. The mind needs to be exercised, kept busy, and for me, kept productive. That's when I feel the best, when I feel like I am making good use of my time. Otherwise, I tend towards self-destructive behaviours a little too much. I am ok with a bit, but not as a default situation. I am hoping this blog will be part of that - giving me purpose, and helping me record my story for my kids.

Continuous Improvement

This week I went to Melbourne for a couple of days, to do a 1-day course on Continuous Improvement at work. 

In some ways, it was a little lame. Lame because I was in a room with people from completely different industries to me. So much so, I almost left, fearing that I was going to waste my day. But the interesting aspect of this was that as much as all these people were very different, I could relate to many of the issues and needs they had - regardless of their industry. So in many way, the diversity in the room was actually a positive thing to build on, not a negative one to dilute focus and meaning. It's an interesting observation and one I will do well to remember.

CI, in its own right, is pretty cool. I love the idea of constantly looking for that next 1%'er (hey even the next 10%'er frankly). It's also a good mindset to have for one's team, where we are always looking for ways to optimise what we do. I feel that at work we have become a bit too set in our ways in some respects. It's that age-old thing, where we always looked for price and volume for improvements, whereas I am always looking for reduced costs or increased efficiency for improvements. That's where the long-term and more meaningful change is to be found. 

So we now have our KPI reporting system up and running. I need Ash to start doing some real analysis of the outputs, and some benchmarking, so we can see what sites do well, and where others may see opportunities for improvement. In a role where I have constantly questioned myself about what value I add, seeing as I am not a quarry processing expert, it is the structural, reporting and analytical tools that have given me the most satisfaction - and the best way to be impactful. These are the kinds of things that make me happy in my work, not in dealing with political BS, government BS, or frankly, any other kind of BS!

Liver Issues

Well, yesterday I got the news that I am suffering from the early stages of cirrhosis of the liver. Fortunately not at the drastic stage, where transplant is the only way forward, but still a pretty stern wake-up call. And one that is really not that surprising, although the news still did impact me somewhat. 

I love the clarity that comes with an alcohol-free mind. Yes, the buzz of one that is juiced up is also nice, but only for the sake of fun, and only ever very short-term. I do have that memory of sitting outside Healy Mac's at Changkat in KL, drinking pints of Tiger, smoking cigarettes, enjoying the warmth and ambience, and watching the cricket world cup on the big screen. I have many good memories of life, but for some reason that is one that resonates with me. The ciggies part is mostly circumstantial I think - I really don't miss that habit at all, and don't revel in the smell of them when I happen to wander past someone who is smoking. But the cold beer, the good sport, and the great location, well they all give me a great sense of nostalgia. 

More and more though, I find that drinking is inconsistent with happiness and clarity. I don't drink to excess anymore, so really don't suffer from hangovers - thankfully. But even with my reduced drinking, I feel that when I do it, it is to the exclusion of almost everything else of merit. That is a poignant and very useful observation I feel. But I still find that at least a few days per week, I am looking for a boozy drink later in the day, for whatever reason. That is the change I need to make - to not use booze as a crutch. Yes, it can alleviate stress and the like, but the problem is it alleviates everything, including conscious and considered thought - at least for me. I am enjoying being more present at home generally than I have been in the past sometimes. But I need to take that a step further, both for my mental clarity, and also, of course, for my physical wellbeing. 

10 Random Moments From Our Family’s History

Haha, I was going through my files looking for something just now, and found a Word doc that I made in 2019, with the title of this post. I had picked 10 random photos from our huge database of unorganised family memories, put a description to them, and made a file out of it. The kids were too young to appreciate it back then, so I thought I'd repost it here. Here goes:

 This first photo comes from way back in 1982, when Daddy was only 10 years old! I was in Penang in Malaysia (we have been there too – remember the pool with the sand in it and the water slides into the pool?). I was there with Grandma and Grandpa. In the photo I am on a water ski with Grandpa. It was my first real holiday. We stayed at a hotel called The Golden Sands. It’s still there in Penang too, all these years later. I’ll show you when we go back there. I wish you had got to meet Grandpa; he would have loved you kids all so much.

The next photo comes from 2012. Look who’s the newborn! Sophie was a very happy baby and is sitting here looking very pleased, knowing she is going to eat soon! This photo was taken in out apartment in Seni Mont Kiara in Malaysia, where we were living at the time.

This photo was taken in 2000, at my brother Peter’s old house in Numurkah, not too far from where Grandma and Aunty V live. This is my other brother Michael, who sadly passed away last year. You guys met him many times when he came to visit us in Barooga. He was a funny guy and we miss him a lot.

This goes way, way back to 1992! Daddy was in university then, which is the school you go to after high school, if you want to get a degree. It was hard work, but my friends and I tried to have a lot of fun too. Here we are, hiking at a place called Wilson’s Promontory, south of Melbourne. It is a national park, which means it is protected from people building things there and is still very much a wilderness. We hiked through the forest and across the hills so we could camp on a secluded beach. It was a lot of fun! The only scary part was when Daddy almost stepped on a snake!

This was back in 2010, not long after Mummy and Daddy first met each other, and before we had any kids. We went to a really nice restaurant called Lafite and had lots of yummy food and drinks. We were living in Malaysia then, but not in KL. We were living where Daddy worked, in a town called Kuala Lipis. We just came down to KL for the weekends. Look how young and pretty Mummy and Daddy look, before we had kids, hahaha!

In 2012, Daddy went to a conference in a place called London (where Grandpa was born, far far away). The conference itself was not so much fun, but Daddy also got to go to a very amazing place, called Highgate Cemetary.

In this cemetary, which is a place they bury dead people, it dates back to the 1700’s and 1800’s. A long time ago. When the place wad full and there was no more room, they just locked the gate and left it, for almost 100 years! When someone finally came to have a look, nature had reclaimed much of it, kind of like the photo here. It was all overgrown. So having all these grave stones sticking out of the weeds, grass and trees, makes the place kind of spooky! I hope I can take you all to visit it one day! During the day time of course!

This photo is from early 2016, when we were living in Damansara Heights in Malaysia and Sophie and Daniel were going to My Little Home school. Can you guess who the newborn baby is?

This is another newborn baby, but not in 2016, this was back in late 2013. He is being held by Por Por. It’s not Sophie and it’s not Alex, so who is it?

This was back in 2012. Little Sophie could sit up now and was busy enjoying her noodles for breakfast. Looks like it was with ham and eggs too, how yummy!

 
Now the story moves to 2014, when we were on a holiday to Australia. It was very cold at the time. We went driving down to a place called Bendigo, and here Dan Boy had his first ever visit to a playground! Looks like he’s having fun too!