HAPPY NEW YEAR for 2011

Happy New Year to everyone.

I'll be skiing in Hakuba in Japan - where they just had 1 metre of fresh powder snow in the last few days.

Toodle-pip !

CHRISTMAS DAY

Brady & Nicola brought their puppy Hugo round in the morning.

Madeleine, Paula & Nicola were very pleased to discover 'Tiffany's' blue boxes

Lunar Eclipse.

Went up to Mt. Cootha last night to watch the moon rise over Brisbane.

Unfortunately there was low cloud on the horizon so we didn't get a view of the eclipse until the moon was quite high in the sky.

This was the only shot I got that was reasonable and showed the dull red glow.

RESULT !

Younger son Jake, finished school and turned 18 within the last couple of weeks - got his results today.

He scored an 'OP 1' which puts him in the top 4% of school-leavers in Queensland.

He's hoping to do Medicine at the University of Queensland next year. Offers come out in January.

L'Affaire Assange

The Friends of Voltaire publicised the principle that “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”.

Even though Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson strongly agreed with this principle it would seem that current American politicians seek only retribution on Assange.

A pity also to see that our very own Julia Gillard has cast an Australian citizen to the wolves.

It remains to be seen whether or not 'Girl With a Dragon Tattoo' is a true reflection of the Swedish legal system.

We live in interesting times!

December already!

So all downhill until Christmas.

The weather in the UK has been all snow & ice but here in Queensland we've had unrelenting rain for a couple of weeks. There has been severe flooding out west and in NSW but we still have our heads above water in Brisbane.

Weekend before last we had dinner at Baguette restaurant for Jake's 18th birthday. Splendid evening.


Then last Friday, the Wesley Anaesthetic Group's annual Secretary's Lunch hosted by the board.
This was at Drift restaurant on the river.

Here I am with colleagues Liz & Kay.


And here, some of our lovely secretaries, Jaime, Monique & Mel.


MUCH Veuve Cliquot was drunk this day!

20th November 2010

It was 20 years ago today - 20th November 1990 - that I arrived in Australia.

It was 6 weeks after the Berlin Wall came down. Margaret Thatcher was in charge over there and Bob Hawke was the PM here.

Nicola was 2½ and Madeleine was 8 months old.

It has been a fabulous time.

If the next 20 years are only half as interesting it'll still be too much.

Thanks for having me Oz.

My last BGS Speech Day.

To South Bank for the Brisbane Grammar School Speech Day.

Jake is leaving this week and cleaned up 4 prizes including Dux of English.

His pile of books was handed over by Noel Pearson - who delivered an excellent speech (unlike the headmaster!)

EDGE OF COLOUR - GLIMMER VIDEOCLIP

Excellent video by Brisbane band. The boy half is John Teh who is a doctor I work with at the Wesley Hospital. Their EP is on iTunes.

Seven weeks 'til Skiing

Heading back to Hakuba in Japan for 10 full days on the piste ! Yippee

The Wonderful World of Anaesthesia.

BIG DAY OUT 2011.

Stayed up 'til the witching hour of midnight when the tickets went on sale for the Gold Coast gig. They sold out on-line in 7 minutes!

Luckily Jake & I were on our computers and managed to get enough tickets. Phew.

Good line-up includes ;

Tool, Rammstein, Iggy & the Stooges, M.I.A., John Butler Trio, Grinderman, Bloody Beetroots, Wolfmother, Lupe Fiasco, Deftones, The Black Keys, Birds of Tokyo, Primal Scream, LCD Soundsystem, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Die Antwoord, Angus & Julia Stone, Plan B, Booka Shade, Bliss N Eso, The Naked & Famous, Pnau, and many more.

Should be a VERY Big Day Out - January 23rd.

New Toy! - camera this time

My trusty Canon video camera is giving up the ghost so I did some homework and invested in this little number.

It's a Sanyo Xacti waterproof - so good for skiing and trekking. It can go underwater to 3 metres so good for snorkelling too.

Jake's 'Formal' - Brisbane Grammar School 2010

To the Brisbane Convention Centre for the 'Pre' Formal.
Jake & Grace.

Having paid an astronomically large sum of money to the Grammar Schools for 4 lots of school fees x 5 years I was told that they were only serving soft drinks at the Pre and I'd have to go downstairs to another bar to get myself a glass of something!

Fortunately a lot of parents regrouped at 'Era' restaurant where thirsts were quenched.

Fri. 3rd Sept. The 'Valentino Retrospective' at GOMA

To the Brisbane Gallery of Modern Art to see the collection of Valentino designs.

It was very impressive. Superb art, almost sculpture - plus the social cachet of who had been wearing these pieces.

Sat 21st Aug. Wedding of Chris Burgess & Lissie Castrisos

Chris, son of Jenny & John Burgess, married Lissie in the Boys Grammar Chapel.
A splendid day with lots of friends. This is John before the red wine stained the shirt.
Jenny with her parents.

Mon. 16th Aug. Back to Cusco & the Sacred Valley

The train back to Cusco and it's Spanish colonial architecture.The following morning, a tour of the Sacred Valley and various sites including the massive Inca fortress of Sacsahuaman.

Place del Armes. Cusco.
Then, next morning, the 36 hour journey back to Brisbane.

Sun 15th Aug. A climb up Huaynu Picchu

A 4.30 am start to get to the gate for the climb up the very pointy Huaynu Picchu.

Against all my better principles I'd given in and bought myself a Peruvian style cap.
The track and stairways were very narrow. This gives no idea of the hundreds of feet of drop to one side.
There were even Inca tunnels to negotiate.
At the summit we were unable to see the ruins below because of the cloud.
A very satisfying climb so time for coffee then lunchime pizza and a jug of sangria.

Sat 14th Aug. To MACHU PICCHU

What a spectacular place.My guide, Ronald, spent over 2 hours taking me round the ruins. Photo opportunities everywhere.


I met up with John at lunch and we made a plan for more Pisco Sours and a climb of Huaynu Picchu next morning.
Evening meal was the traditional baked Guinea Pig ! Very tasty actually.
Pisco Sour time with my mentor and supplier.

Fri. 13th Aug. Flight to Cusco. 3,310 m.

To the central Peruvian city of Cusco - centre of the Inca Empire.

At over 10,000 ft people feel the altitude. The chemist shops sell spray cans of oxygen!!!! Clearly no understanding of respiratory physiology.

Thur. 12th Aug. Arequipa.

Last full day of conference. One of the keynote speakers was Dr. John B. West, doyen of respiratory physiology texts. Still going strong at 82!

In the afternoon, a walk around the old convent of Santa Catalina - venue for the conference banquet in the evening.

Great fun at the dinner. I sat with Neeraj and David Hillebrandt. John brought along a fine bottle of 20 year old scotch to celebrate the end of proceedings. Spot of trouble finding my way back to the hotel!

Wed. 11th Aug. To Colca Canyon to see the Condors.

John & myself up at 2.00 am. for the 120 km. bus ride over a 4,900 m. pass to Colca Canyon.
A stop on the way to take the tourist photographs.
At a spot called 'Cruz del Condor' we spent almost an hour watching these birds with their 2 metre wing-span.