05/01/2012 by Russell.

Christmas and Into 2012 with a quiet night…

Christmas came and went very quickly, luckily Christmas fell over the weekend, otherwise it would have work everyday at the schools here.

Fortunately, we three wise comrades (Tom, Tam, and me) set off for Ninh Binh very early Christmas eve, we set of for the 7.30am bus. Arriving at 7.23am, only to discover the erstwhile bus driver had decided to head off before 7.30am…I shouted, I hissed and booed at the woman behind the counter, she looked back with a shrug as if to say its our fault, no apology for the driver leaving early, well we are in pantomime season. We even took my huge Christmas cake with us on the journey in a box, presented to me by my students at Tran Phu, it was beautifully decorated.

Undeterred, Tam enquired where another bus could be caught, and so we had a 10 minute trek to another street, only this time it was to be 2 buses for out 100km journey.

At least we were heading out of Hai Phong for a short break. 3 hours later we were off the bus, being tapped up by a moto driver for a hotel from $3 a night. Off we followed the salesman on his moto for a quarter of a mile walking at a brisk pace. No snow, no icicles, no Widow Twanky, just another lookalike city in Vietnam.

Our hotel down a side street was full of Europeans, how did they find this place, the new Queen Hotel? After a quick break, we decided to head off with a hired driver to sea the wonders of Ninh Binh.

First stop a historic King Le(surname) Emperors Palace site, full of school children on day trips and tourists in the cool but clear blue skies, it had a chill in the air, which made me think of Christmasses past. I of course was the centre of attention with my floppy Father Christmas hat and had to pose for photographs with the locals.

Lunch was not befitting Scrooge, very expensive, so much so Scrooge would have choked on the soup alone, costing $12 and the goat meat costing a similar amount, boy did Christmas arrive all in one day for the restaurant owner.

Following a hearty lunch we took to the peace and quiet of the waters, a boat rowed by a woman (they do all the manual work here) she rowed away with her feet like a proper Santa’s helper. The tour took in 9 caves, on the clearest water amongst limestone outcrops (like Ha Long Bay). Very tranquil and felt the peace and quiet of Christmas and the Christian spirit of Jesus on the 2 hour trip. Peaceful in December, perhaps rather more busy in Summer, but you have to make the effort to get to Ninh Binh, it is not many people’s itineries who visit Vietnam, but it soon will be.

After this trip, rather cream crackered, but more waters to float on and hills to climb, ancient temples to see, but the clock was ticking. We took another baot trip, before we retired back to the hotel for a short nap and sharing a Christmas drink with the hotel’s proprierters…what was missing was mince pies, sherry, Slade, Band Aid, but there was soccer on tv…you can’t escape the Premiership reruns out here.

Christmas eve was further enjoyed with a short walk to the Catholic church nearby. It was very busy with a huge screen showing some Catholic dignatory on the screen, beautiful lights, a tree and everyone semed to want to see, the whole town of Ninh Binh on moto’s had turned up..but did they know it was more than Father Christmas? It was a religious festival? who is Jesus? We had an little BBQ at our table for warmth and cooked pork and beef for dinner.

Christmas Day and we were off to Cuc Phuong National Park, some 60km away. An early Breakfast, and a driver for another $25.

Upon arrival we took a hike to the 1,000 year old tree, Tam in flip flops, me and Tom in regular footwear and we were accompanied by German George on our visit.

In the afternoon after a visit to the Monkey sanctuary, funded by many leading Zoo’s we headed back to Ninh Binh and our 3 hour journey.

Boxing day – normal working day, teaching, but, the week ahd a little surprise in store. I had been giving private lessons to Viinh (22yrs Old) who was leaving for the UK to do a Masters course at Birmingham University. His parents treated Tam and I to a slap up meal (well that’s what you used read in the Sparky comic, cica 1970’s)

we had 4 Lobster (expensive), Hai Sam (soup – translated to sea cucumber) ($400 a kilogram), wine a bottle of 12 year old Chivas regal whisky…in other words the works, all very delicious…so I did get a Christmas dinner of sorts.

The new year….passed off with Tom, his woman of the hour, her friend and Vinh and his wife (our landlord), we scoffed some crab and soup -Karaoke, and a roof top cafe for midnight….no Big Ben, no balloons, streamers, or party music, just techno pop, and when the moment arrived, the DJ played ‘Happy New Year’ a tchno version of Abba’s song…a few quick steps on the dance floor and off to bed.

New Years Day? Well you go to a wedding of course….off we three trotted to a wedding, drank some beer, karaoke and ate some more food.

And so what does 2011 leave behind?

Some recent sad losses?, Harry Morgan (aka Sherman Potter in M*A*S*H), Gary Speed (why?), Colonel Gadaffi, Osama Bin Laden, Kim jung Il, Jane Russell, Joe Frazier, Neil Young (MCFC scorer of FA cup winning goal 1969), Michael Jackson, Clarence Clemons (E street Band), Russian Ice Hockey team in September plane crash…and finally John, the husband of my great work colleague Freda Richardson also passed away..so many.

What will 2012 bring?

Hopefully the greatest sporting event - the Olympics - will be a triumph for London and Great Britain, pity I will not be a part of it, I really wanted to say I went to the stadium to watch at least one event, but its all too much, good luck to the ticket holders for an event to treasure.

A Man City league triumph? A Real Madrid Champions League win? Usain Bolt centre stage? An economic recovery or collapse of the Euro?

China government to buy into Apple? Terry Wogan to host Strictly come Dancing? Who knows and that is the beauty of the future..

A final Happy new year to Emily, Gregory, Phillip, Kirsten, ex-work colleagues Rob Fletcher, Geoff Nicholson, John Malamatenios, Anne Waring, not forgetting Basil and Pete and David Opperman…and Enid Skelhorn, inseperable part of my life many years ago..

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30/05/2011 by Russell.

“I took month-long vacations in the stratosphere and you know it’s really hard to hold your breath.

I swear I lost everything I ever loved or feared, I was the cosmic kid in full costume dress

Well, my feet they finally took root in the earth but I got me a nice little place in the stars

And I swear I found the key to the universe in the engine of an old parked car

I hid in the mother breast of the crowd but when they said “Pull down” I pulled up
Ooh-ooh growin’ up. Ooh-ooh growin’ up”

Bruce Springsteen

Emily and Gregory

Life - kids and all that - both are sitting their school exams, A levels and GCSE’s respectively, takes me back to the long summer of ‘76.   Life was ahead of me and my best friend Barry, all we wanted was girls and sport, simple days.  We managed the sport quite easily, we played football, tennis, golf, and probably subutteo, mixed with snooker.  The girls were around us, so halcyon days, as they say.

Now it is the turn of Emily and Gregory to go through their school rite of passage, completing exams and looking ahead to what life has in store for them.

As for me ‘Growin’ up’ - it took me 12,000 miles of travelling to work out what I wanted in life to finally grow up.  I sincerely hope that it doesn’t take as long for these two to work it out.  Maybe I am retarded, or have always wanted the elixir of youth.  My father once said candidly, he never wanted to grow up as such, and yet he was always a sensble and responsible father, a father whom I couldn’t ask of any more as an inspiration and guiding hand for my development.  I on the other hand have let my children down, a guilt which I have at last come to terms with and apart from the obvious regret of leaving them behind when I fled the family nest and all the heartache it created, I have at last seemed to reconcile with my demons to some extent and have a purpose.

That is something to which I would never wish on anyone else.

However, I now have a purpose to living again, a true focus, one which imbues me with confidence and optimism.  I will secure my future with Tam in vietnam.

What about Emily and Gregory? how can I do this to them?  frankly, I cannot wait for the odd weekend visits in the future  from Emily and Gregory, they are ‘Growin Up’ and have less demands on their old man.  A parental guide? stability, well over the past 5 years I haven’t exactly been the best parent to guide them.  I would have loved to be there more often for Emily, she may have felt ignored, and I too similarly felt the same.  We are cast from the same mould.  She is a lovely girl (well she is my daughter), She has lovely friends and has had a great school life, and now this Autumn will embark on a teaching degree to be a sports teacher.  How can she? when she didn’t even know the mother of all games was taking place at Wembley between Barca and United?  She will be a good teacher, she is very athletic, and she will succeed.  She can take to most sports in an instant, and I believe she can dance well too.

Gregory - has switched - for whatever reason -to at last see football as the ‘beautiful game’ - maybe living without me and talking to new found friends he realises football does offer him an alternative interest than the X-box.  He suddenly knows about players and teams, and is reading about footy!  Am in shock, I thought it would never happen, after all this time the penny has dropped on what a great game it is.  He still practices his skills, and is a very technical footballer, I just wish he could see that himself, once he does, there will be no stopping him.  All his team-mates see him as the one with the extra skill, the one with a creative thought and has the ability to execute all manner of skills with the ball.  Greg just ‘Believe’ .

So as Greg opicks up the baton for footy, I appear to be the one who runs out on them again by leaving and planning to go to Vietnam.  The bottom line is, ‘life is an opportunity‘ so I am going to grab mine in Chu Lai with Tam.  I cannot wait for life to pass me by any longer, the last 5 years have whizzed by, and I stood still.  No more, my travels ensured I understood that my time is to live again, and that I will do with Tam.  Warts and all.

My family extends to 2 - Greg and Emily.  That cannot change, but what can change is the way we live life, and to that end, who’s to say Emily won’t end up living in the US, or Australia, or Gregory somewhere. Already Phillip (not seen for 2 years) is in Johannesburg.  Why should I wait in England? Life is for living, happiness is out there and I found mine in Vietnam, no more misery, have suffered enough

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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 | Print | 1 Comment »

29/01/2009 by Russell.

What a day, my father had a great send off. over 100 people turned out to say farewell to my father, and I am grateful for those who came along. Imet and chatted to people from my village -Wingerworth - whom I hadn’t seen in years and years. Don of Lydgate farm (now a housing estate), Peter Normans father, John Radford (father of Andrew) and many others who I can’t even remember.  But also, was a bit of a family re-union, seeing some cousins I hadn’t seen since the 1970’s -wow! what a lovely time, then there was Peter, Ian, Karen And Suzanne, the children of Jean and the late Brian Young, wonderful to see them.

Of course it was great to see such friends as Kevin and Anne make the journey from Buckinghamshire to attend the funeral - friends indeed.

A sad but joyous day for seeing so many acquintances, and of course great thanks to Barry and Peter for coming along from Congleton. What a lucky person to have such comrades in arms. Over the past year I have felt alone and it is only now I have found that i do have friends, I have felt this way because of what trauma I have created for the family unit.

Love to Phillip, Kirsten, Emily, and Gregory  and Christine, the day would have been soulless without you there to share his day.  Also Brenda suffered enough with my father, just hope she can get out on the Moors soon.

On the day, i thought I would never make the speech and Barry was there to talk it through, (see post below) courage, or fortitude, i don’t know - but it all flowed as i wanted to remember my father, it was his last stand in the public eye, so I wanted it to count.  God what do you do now your parents have both died? it certainly is a strange experience, they have been there, always there, but now its not a family of three,  it’s a family of just 1………..

So long Dad, enjoy your reunion with Mum

On a positive note, 26th January  also a date when Bruce released his latest CD, what better accompanyment to drive home with eh?

Posted in Buckinghamshire, Wingerworth, Kirsten, Emily, Leslie Preston, Grandad, dad, Phillip, Greg, Uncategorised | Print | No Comments »

01/12/2008 by Russell.

Cor blimey!

Its all downhill to Christmas, have already seen snow and ice, which is a bit of a rareity before Christmas.
Whats been happenin?

Been to London, HRH was out, had to pull my blog on my tv appearance on Eggheads.  The prog is to be aired in March 2009,  suffice to say I played like a turnip and apart from that I contravened my confidentiality statement..can see me on  facebook though lol!

My boys team have only won twice this season, and we are losing 8-6, or 7-5, 0r 6-4, we are so close to many victories, but can’t turn such performances into wins.

Greg is now so keen on shooting he’s off to joing the army cadets - oh my goodness, we had to go ‘cherche’  a bullet down Portobello Road market.  So we came up with an AK47 round. (Not live), and found Banksy pic for Emily’s boyfriend.

Not seen much of United this season, have seen Champions League and an odd league game, so hopefully will get across to see them play Sunderland with Bazil.

My Dad, is now in his third month in a Nursing Home in Clay cross, to be honest it smells, they have had a change of ownership, and it really isn’t my cup of tea, but for my Dad its the safest place for him with all his bladder-kidney-legs-cancer etc.  He is making a fist of it.  It is like a death camp, except no-one knows when the executioner will arrive. No-one leaves except my dad on his zimmer to get out and about.  He has to be out, there is no social interaction, no-one able to be communicate or share a game of cards or even Uno.

he puts on a brave face, Brenda  had to regain her sanity, but my dad wouldn’t be where he is now without Brenda’s efforts. i am just a visitor into his life.

Phillip is out there doing stuff when he can, been to Amsterdam on busines already..but does Accountancy grab him?

Then there is me, work, work and a flipin knee ligament injury for 3 weeks. Hobble hobble, no 5 a -side i guess until after Christmas..bck to where I started.

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25/09/2008 by Russell.

Not written for a while, must get in the swing of things. I really don’t know who’s reading this blurb.

Kirsten successfully passed her driving test at the end of August, and have got her some wheels - diesel peugeot 106 to scoot about in.  I know nothing other than she has a boyfriend went to Greece and probably got drunk in Bournemouth recently.

Our boys football season is under way, lost our first match with only 9 men - wasn’t planned, but got back to winning ways with a 5-4 victory against Gerrards Cross.  We play Aylesbury this Sunday, could be quite a game.  Gregory is one of the few who can pick out a pass, which is pleasing.

What am I doing tonight? birthday treats are not on the agenda. I am working this evening (why me eh?) but no worries, getting long in the tooth to worry about the years whistling by.

Still trekking up to Old Trafford, not been a great start, have only seen them play once so far.

On a much sadder note, have had to arrange for my father to go into a nursing home in Clay Cross, Derbyshire. Cancer, kidney what will it be? he is being awfully brave and is coping whatever mother nature puts in his way with admirable courage.  This will be a strong fight against the odds over the coming months. If I have an aim for him it would be to reach his 80th birthday in December.  I am up and down every weekend to visit him and take him out when he is well enough.  Even more galling emily and kirsten will not share his birthday as they will be in Switzerland.

Phillip was awarded a 2:1 for his degree at Manchester, got the photograph and nowt else.  He is working at ICI in Slough which is a great start for him and hope he finds his feet there.

Greetings received from Peter today and Captain, wonder whats on the doorstep when I get back?

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