Joe Blogs

Although we didn't get down to "Fish Sauce" island at the Southern tip of Vietnam, we managed to enjoy a broad ranges of experiences in this Country.

View Vietnam Holiday in a larger map

This entry was posted on January 2, 2012 at 6:59 PM and has received 35 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

We went from Da Nang by plane to Hanoi and spent an afternoon and night in Hanoi in the old quarter which is comprised of narrow streets filled with shops, history and backpacker service industries like hotels, tour companies and nightlife options along with a variety of eating establishments.

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This entry was posted on December 22, 2011 at 8:52 PM and has received 43 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

The Vietnam journey continues. We are currently in Nha Trang which is the Gold Coast of Vietnam. A lazy day today recovering from a small bug.

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This entry was posted on December 13, 2011 at 11:35 PM and has received 61 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

Arrived in Ho Chi Minh city last night at 9:40pm on a fairly packed jetstar flight from Darwin. Airport is very clean and at that time of night very empty.

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This entry was posted on December 8, 2011 at 12:04 PM and has received 84 views. There are currently 1 comments. Print this entry.

 Just a short recording to present a couple of facts about Vietnam.

This entry was posted on December 5, 2011 at 4:20 PM and has received 60 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry. Download attachment.

 I was making chilli sauce yesterday with three quarters of a blender full of fresh chilli from the garden, fresh garlic and basil (also from the garden), red grapefruit, three tablespoons of black pepper along with a few other ingredients...

I blended this semi lethal concoction until I had achieved a pourable consistency, removed the lid off the blender to observer the quiet chemical reaction of gases slowly bubbling to the surface reminding me of the mud pools at Rotorua, but fortunately not with the same smell.

With glass receptacles ready and my trusty funnel ready I started pouring the seething liquid into bottle number one.

Because I had so much sauce I chose a large bottle, inserted the funnel and began pouring and that's when it happened!

Not one, but two splashes of this sauce splashed off the edge of the funnel and went directly into both my eyes. The pain was immediate, intense and blinding. In one hand I held the bottle and the other the blender jug. Through the pain I had to get both the bottle and blender jug with a slightly unstable base to the edge of the sink to make sure not a drop of this precious sauce that I had taken ages to prepare was lost.

Even if I could use my hands to wash my eyes, I had been destemming over 100 hot chillies and we know that without about a dozen washes, contact with sensitive areas also leads to an immediate reaction.

Having secured the sauce, I blindly stumbled upstairs and into the shower which I used as a massive eye wash.

I need to add that I was not stoically silent through this... Helen thought there was a wounded buffalo lumbering through the house although Joe took it all in his stride and simply stepped aside.

Eyes washed and pain subsiding; I looked in the mirror to see two of the reddest eyes staring back at me... It's fair to say they looked like the eyes of a person participating in a herbal experiment at Woodstock.

So now I know what it is like to be on the wrong side of a riot cordon in Europe when the capsicum spray is deployed...

But most importantly - how was the sauce?

Needs more salt...

This entry was posted on November 14, 2011 at 8:33 AM and has received 45 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

 Like a lot of other folks on 11/11/11 I was at work and I did pause briefly at 11 o'clock. I am fortunate enough to have a great view out my window and one part of that view is the cenotaph where our Anzac and Remembrance Day memorials are held.

From my vantage point I took a few pictures of the wreath laying ceremony and the poinciana tree in the foreground of the photograph with it's carpet of red frames the base of the shot with what could be mistaken for a field of poppies, the floral symbol of this day.

From 2011-11-11

Lest We Forget 

This entry was posted on November 13, 2011 at 7:03 AM and has received 51 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

I think I will just let the video do the talking...

This entry was posted on November 7, 2011 at 1:34 PM and has received 63 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

Karate

Firstly Joe participated in a karate competition at the end of September which looked at three major areas – individual forms which are the sets of movements they learn, group or team demonstrations and finally sparring. One of my long time work colleagues won a trophy and will represent her region and to prove how small Darwin is, seated behind her were two other colleagues from my workplace at Berrimah farm. Alongside Natalie, the other recipient is the son of a current work colleague. Joe received a bronze and silver medal for his efforts and a great experience.

From 2011-09-24 Click hyperlink to view album

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This entry was posted on October 17, 2011 at 8:00 AM and has received 55 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

I didn't post the YouTube playlists for last weeks games so here they are along with yesterday's games which both the U12 and U14 teams won.

U12 TV Jets -  http://www.sportingpulse.com/team_info.cgi?id=16007683&client=1-166-73536-0-0&compID=184329&a=LADDER

U14 TV Jets - http://www.sportingpulse.com/team_info.cgi?id=16007666&client=1-166-73536-184329-16007683&compID=184338&a=LADDER

Under 12 Div 2 Boys 10 September 2011

Under 12 Div 2 Boys 17 September 2011

Under 14 Div 2 Boys 3 September 2011

Under 14 Div 2 Boys 17 September 2011

This entry was posted on September 18, 2011 at 9:54 AM and has received 118 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.