08/04/2010 by Russell.

One day left in blighty, am about to set sail (fly really) to the ends of the earth (globe which has no end) on a voyage of  discovery.  I am about to embark on football coaching for 14 weeks in South Africa, based in Port Elizabeth.  I am the only over aged numpty on this programme, everyone else are 20-25 or so.  I am the grandad.  Although there are 26 on the range of activities (cricket, rugby, netball coaching, orphanage volunteering) only 5 of us are completing the 12 weeks footy.

My jobs list before departure has been a mixed bag - I haven’t completed the decorating,  I have got my India visa, but not China.  I am outside 6 months of arrival, so thats something i will have to arrange on the road, somewhere.  I have sold my car : ( but to compound things only yesterday, my bank card has split along the chip - problem there, how do i get money out?

What to look forward to? certainly the world cup, England, Germany, Portugal, Ivory Coast come to town, but tickets are hellishly expensive, the cheapest ticket I can apply for is $160 to the Portugal vs Ivory Coast game.  How do locals afford that? A festival of football, is an expensive affair, plus you are only entitled to 7 tickets for the tournament, and have to pick up your tickets in person only.  I am sure some tickets will be available to chancers like me.

I hope to whale watch in Cape Town as well as climb Table Top Mountain and visit Robben Island.  Above all I am worried about travelling on my own from PE to CapeTown, security and all that…

From here I am off to Delhi belly in India, got my Immodium, by the bucket load, got re-hydration tablets and ‘deet’ spray and roll on! will abandon ‘Sure deodorant’ for the month. My arse is ging to suffer, but guess it comes with the sanitation and water.  Still had my Typhoid booster to combat this along with Hep A and Hep B jabs.  also got my anti bacterial wipes to clean my cutlery and plate lol! - Taj Mahal, Jaipur, Jodhpur await.

Bangkok offers mysery and golden buddha’s, people tell me it stinks and is smelly, well, I’ll head for the beach then.

Cambodia offers malaria, I have 10 days to get thru this with my tablet supply to get to Vietnam.  if you saw BBC’s ‘Top Gear’ you will have seen some of the spectacular coastline, absolutely unspoilt in Vietnam.  I thought how beautiful, when I watched the programme, I would love to see that, and here i am 2 years later on the brink of seeing all this.

From here I am going to catch a train from Hanoi - yes you can - into China, where my destination will be the Terracotta army in Xian.  That is something which I am very excited about.  You read these things asa kid, you see the pic of Prince Charles face to face with them, and it makes you think about the incredulity of it all.  Then Hong Kong, before going to Australia.  I cannot believe my luck, good or bad, as its an Ashes Cricket series. Wow!  This is where i hope to rendezvous with at least one family member.

Well I guess this compensates United not making the Champions League Final in Ronny’s backyard.

So am off to pack and stuff…you can find a dedicated travel blog at http://www.getjealous.com/rustycarno

So keep watching and reading my progress…

Love to Barry ( he started ‘rustycarno’) love to all my U15 footballers (Chesham Strides) love to Brenda (Dads old girlfriend) love to Kevin (and family) for the miles we have travelled to United, love to Simon Standish (top bloke) love to some great work colleagues, love to BB for undiminshed support without whom this wouldn’t happen, and above all love to Captain, Phillip, Emily and Gregory without whom life would be untolerable.

sa

Posted in Barry, BB, South Africa, ben Standish, Emily, kids, Greg, Kirsten, Phillip | 1 Comment »

12/11/2009 by Russell.

Well the clock keeps ticking, birthdays come and go (Emily17, Phillip 23), life goes on.

As well you may know, my 50th birthday was a raucus event…well,,it was a quiet 50th spent on the M6 travelling to my friend Barry’s gaff near Crewe with his family.  Bless, they stayed up to blow the candles out.

Typically, he was the only person who raised a cup of cheer with me.  Greg had a great time on his mower and on the wii with Jo.

At last number 1 is now cmpleted for rent, well no-one is renting yet, but its costing me money all the time now, am expecting the local authority to drop a council tax bill through the letterbox.  All decorated, all carpeted and burglar alarmed, who could resit? seems that no-one is ready to go to number 1, its been on the market a fortnight now.

As for the boys, the season is up and down, hammer Amersham 15-2 and lose 9-5 the next week.  However, I must say it’s rare to be awarded two penalties in a match for two weeks running, which Greg has despatched for two successive weeks. Well done. Ben is flying in scoring, but hpefully we have a little gem in Rob who has joined us, more pace in attack.

Now where’s me glasses. £220 later, 1 week later and my new proper reading glasses have been lost in the car? Wearing them on the bridge of my nose, I go to 5 a side footy, only for them to have disappeared….need a brain as well.

Hey ho - counselling is steady…….

Solicitors bills for house is an ongoing cost along with everything else.  No worries Greg got his apple computer which is splendiferous.

Now we are on with Spitfire making - thanks to James May.

Posted in Chesterfield, Barry, chesham strides, Wingerworth, Greg, Uncategorised | No Comments »

12/08/2009 by Russell.

Ah well number 1 beckons once more, electrician, house clearance, and a carpet man, all coming to give me final quotes or when they can complete the jobs to hand.  More importantly the garden is getting back in control once more.  I have my machete and garden fork to hand, ready for the battle ahead.

I  am coming towards the end of my 4 week holiday, so need to blitz as much as I can whilst time is available.  The football season is upon us, Chesham Strides, u15s, I wonder how many players I will get? I have the new South Africa Worls Cup Ball for our matches, chuffed with that, we will have the best ball in the division.

Somehow the professional football season doesn’t excite me as in previous years, I don’t think its the Ronaldo effect, just lack of drive and interest, albeit I read the papers online everyday to keep in touch.

Some birthday wishes to be announced:

Barry on 9th August, hope it was a good day last Sunday

Peter on 11th August, hope he enjoyed his day too, so greetings to you both.  I hope each family sang happy Birthday to youoooo! and the cake was shared by many.

I am also off to see United for the first match of the season, ho hum - will our new number 7 score? Will he be as sharp as this swordfish in the Aquarium, Oddysseum, Montpellier, sorry about camera shake as fish do move around!

Posted in Peter, Montpellier, Barry, Man Utd | No Comments »

09/06/2009 by Russell.

Thanks to Barry I have, he’s rekindled my thoughts of photography.  I used to have filters, tripods and stuff for my olf SLR, now with the advent of digital SLR, there is every opportunity to develop even a better crop of pics.  I have downloaded Elements 7 for a 30 day trial and here are a few of my early fiddlings, more vivid, more colour, more sharpness, and more realism to the shots.  In Vegas and the Grand Canyon, the light is very bright, so have increased the contrast to remove the glare.

Just click on each pic to see full size

For this photo, have added a blue Sky and toned down the glare from the Sphinx, it was far too washed out before…

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Joshua tree cropped and green ehanced and given greater definition

Tint of sunset enhanced whilst reducing the spikey Joshua tree washed out from the flash photography

Increased contrast and deepened the contrast of the rock formatio in the foreground.  The greenery against the river enhanced

The sky has been increased in its hue. Looking over a sunset on Lake Mead, Nr Las Vegas.

Posted in USA, Photoshop, Barry, Emily, Greg | No Comments »