Mick's World Tour

Put that shit on eBay

Check this out;

Click here to go to eBay Page

Yep, I used to play footy for Balmain........

Actually it is my uncle, but fun nonetheless.

Bid it up for!!

Fertiliser required

This is my mate John's destktop pic - I love it.

On a seperate note, I visited Westminster Abbey yesterday and a sign there used the letter 'z' instead of the letter 's' for "No unauthorized Street Vendors". Since when has that been the English convention, not American?

Stranger Danger

I didn't post it at the time, because I just didn't want to worry anyone and wanted to forget about it, but I was scammed and robbed in Africa, back in Jan. I wrote it up as a warning on my African Volunteer blog - click here.

Bono or Danil

I realised whilst watching some U2 videos in Africa (?) that Bono looks quite a bit like a combination of two friends of mine.

You be the judge...

       

     

Pale

Just for the record, since I'll be pale again when I get back to oz, here is some proof that 4 mths in Africa has slightly changed my skin to off white.

This is my arm and Caty's arm.

This is Todd and mine, who once hassled me for being so pale...

Fav Pic

I love this pic.

June and Nate.

I found it while looking for a good pic of my good friend Rani as it was her birthday yesterday.

I was very sad to find I didn't have a good, one, just group ones like this one. I must rectify this. RMR do you have any? Please email me.....

It was also my mums birthday. :¬) A very good day indeed.

I don't have a good pic of my mum either, which also must be rectified. This is a family christmas shot from a couple of years ago. Even Todd was allowed to have a beer, Ryan too...

Last two weeks

OK, so I'm almost home, so I'm not showing anyone the really nice photos from now on. So here are some interesting/different pics.

Katherine, Raina, Sarah with the evil Gin that we drunk along with two bottles of Konyagi we drank on the last big night out (nice idea to finish it Mike). Thanks to Raina, Sarah, Chris, Katherine and Mike for lasting the night and joining me in the car park of La Fiesta at 3am. Big thanks to Katherine for stopping that car so we could go home.

Christoff and Maro, the boys from Kijenge Mwanama. Thanks for the back flips Christoff and good luck being president Maro.

Mike fixing the bus/oven with duct tape. The second worse bus trip on our adwenture.

Breakfast on Tiwi Beach (far away inside) near Mombassa. Spring Break 2005!!! - 'You're going to Mombassa'

Da boys on da train to Nairobbery (Nairobi). Kevin with his gangster sign and cheesey grin.

Kevin, Raina and Mike in Kampala after rafting the Nile. Kampala certainly rivals Arusha for comedy shirts. My 'Hit the Road Jack' shirt from Raina (thanks) was given as a bribe (unsuccessfully) to a Kenyan official to get Kevin and I on the roof to take photos of Nairobbery after hours. Mike is pulling his 'We're goin' to Mombassa, yeah!!' face.

My breakfast at Murchinson Falls after chimp tracking and before Nile Cruise. Omlette on the left and Chipati on the right. (If you're reading this, I miss you chipati, please return my calls)

In Kisumu, Kenya, with Kevin putting Keyan Cane into a water bottle, and adding a squirt of ribena (Kevin loves Ribena) just to ensure my last night in Africa is a drunken mess. This was after beers at the beach resort (along with another lost game of pool), a bottle of Safari Gin at the bar across the road which included a free bar fight between a huge guy and a small guy, and then a conversation with a guard named Cameroon who likes the Cameroon soccer team. What a way to go......

"Goodbye Africa. And goodbye Scarecrow, I'll miss you most of all..."

Huge thanks to all the crew in Arusha who made my adwenture and adWenture with a capital W.

:)

Finally, one of my lasting images of Tanzania. The gate to Mama Happy's place. I'll be back one day.

-

P.S. Some pics and journal entries from Mike - http://www.trekshare.com/members/khavul/

With me

On my first day back from Africa I have spent a lot of (lazy) time thinking about not being in Africa. I missed my friends. I missed the people. I missed the life. I miss the language (although I did 'Pole Sana' a lady who tripped on the tube. And I certainly missed the warmth.

It only hit me, and only ever hits me, after the fact. After I've left. I think is good. I don't spend/waste time somewhere brooding over the fact that it is going to end soon. I just enjoy it and brood later.

So today I drank from the tap of life, ate from the cereal bowl of joy and showered without flip-flops on with serenity. But I missed Africa. I thought about how I've gone and won't be back soon. I really felt that I'd left Africa and it was a long way away.

Then I met Innocent. He serves at the local Marks and Spencer. I nearly walked away, but the name was a give away. I asked him where he came from and he said Uganda. We chatted for only 30 seconds, but as I left he said 'asante, kwa heri' and I said 'tutaonana badaaye'. We both smiled and I walked away. I kept smiling the whole way home.

[Insert Cheese]

It made me feel really good because I realised that Africa would be with me wherever I went, and knowing how way leads onto way.... [sigh]

More thanking is required, but thank you to everyone who made my life in Africa possible. Thank you.

I'd love to hear from the crew in Arusha, keep in touch.

More to come.....

3 Bowls

I am in London and safe and sound. Last two weeks in Kenya and Uganda. Full update soon. I've finished my third bowl of cereal and loving it. Also drinking from the tap.

Ahhh, the joys.

I miss Africa.

Memory Lane

Some of my favourite blog postings from my blog over the past 18 months.... if I do say so myself!

August 2003;
http://wheel.blogs.com/binary/2003/08/qantas_dont_lik.html  - Am I the only one not happy with Qantas for this? Qantas changing I still call Australia home to suit themselves.

September 2003;
http://wheel.blogs.com/binary/2003/09/when_is_nude_no.html - Go Ceals! Skinnydipping is nude??

October 2003;
http://wheel.blogs.com/binary/2003/10/trip_north_the_.html - George, Mei Lin and Mick up the coast.

November 2003;
http://wheel.blogs.com/binary/2003/11/controlz.html - Wouldn't it be nice to use Control+Z everywhere.

December 2003;
http://wheel.blogs.com/binary/2003/12/robbie_williams.html - That was great fun! Robbie Williams and Michal together at last.

December 2003;
http://wheel.blogs.com/binary/2003/12/poetry_in_motio.html - Quick thinking poetry.

Jan 2004;
http://wheel.blogs.com/binary/2004/01/geek_test.html - Me a nerd? Never! The geek test is always right. I'm more nerdy than Phil and Rob - very proud!

Feb 2004:
http://wheel.blogs.com/binary/2004/02/todays_funanima.html - London Still!! Tube animals.

March 2004:
http://wheel.blogs.com/binary/2004/03/me_julie.html - Nice work June and Pete. Michael Thatcher.

March 2004:
http://wheel.blogs.com/binary/2004/03/ginger_kids.html - The most commented posting ever - nearly a year old!! Brilliant work. Thanks for the lead Tab. I'm still can't believe how many people don't understand that it is a joke.

March 2004;
http://wheel.blogs.com/binary/2004/03/freedom_in_chin.html - The irony and the ceramic. Freedom goods made in China. Not that they are not free, but you know.

April 2004;
http://wheel.blogs.com/binary/2004/04/only_in.html - The world we live in and some crazy pics.

May 2004;
http://wheel.blogs.com/binary/2004/05/little_golden_b.html - For the kid in all of us, especially Roald Dahl.

June 2004;
http://wheel.blogs.com/binary/2004/06/garage_sale.html - My old furniture - if anyone knows where it is, please give me an update.

And then I took off to see the world. But that is another story.......