Pinikir Travels

Chucked in Pool

2009-11-05T00:23:28Z

Hello one and all! i'm remarkably cheerful for a person who can't get near her nano for another two days.

I spent the night in a fantastic hostel called Backpackers at the Bay. Quiz, sing a long and I got dumped into the pool! It is such a fun place to stay.

I am going sailing around the whitsunday islands for the next two nights, see you on the other side

Nano and Fraser Island

2009-11-04T00:18:17Z

Fraser Island is a paradise. The whole island is made of sand, the lakes are crystal clear and the sand is white. I could have stayed there a lot longer. I even got to see a dingo there!

6210 / 50000
(12.42%)

Nano is going relatively well. My MC is wiggling around and doing his own thing so I decided to post the first bit to please him.

Chapter One

There, that was the last of the boxes filled. Alex stood in the centre of his university bedroom, his home for the last three years while his mom closed the lid on the last box and his dad bundled it out into the already over flowing car.

“Is there anything left here that you want to do here dear? Anyone you still want to say goodbye to?” Alex’s mom asked timidly. A confident business woman she was very much out of her depth standing in her crisp business suit in the midst of the scruffy surroundings.

Alex shook his head. Despite the fact he would never walk or stagger back into these student halls, he had no need to reminisce especially with his parents around and as for his friends. Graduation and the ‘summer holidays’ were going to be one long party. Goodbyes were a far off thing to him (although he had plans for a few goodbye sessions with Anna).

“Nah, let’s get out of here before dad blows his top with impatience,” Alex said casually. His face turned to expression of horror when after a moment of rustling his mum produced the dreaded family camera. “Aw mum please, anything but that.”

But she wasn’t paying any attention to his pleas. “Just one,” she said briskly, adding pleadingly, “It’s the last one I will get and soon you won’t even be at home...”

Alex rolled his eyes as his mother trailed off and turned to make for the door before any lingering housemate could catch the scene. However there was a large and very imposing obstacle in the way in the shape of his dad who had a ‘you’d better do as you are told ‘look firmly on his face. No one argued with his dad, even the drunken louts on his dad’s beat quickly learnt after being punched down into the pavement not to mess with him.

“Fine,” Alex snapped quietly and stalked over to the window that just fit between his single bed and one measly desk. It was all he could do to maintain the fixed smile as the camera was rotated through various angles and the zoom adjusted countless times just to produce two snaps that probably weren’t going to look too good with the light coming in from the window.

It was an eternity before they were finally on the road. There were the last minute toilet stops, final sweeps for belongings - which produced one lone sock. To top it all of Alex's parents took the time to make small talk when they handed the key in. It was all calculated to drive Alex nuts as he was looking forward to getting home quickly to join the lads at the bar for a drinking session. If he was late, they wouldn't wait for him and he would have to endure the rest of the night being on a completely different level of drunkenness to his friends. Always the way to ruin a good night out.

Alex squirmed in the back seat as they were caught by the third red light. A couple of small boxes beside him groaned in protest, raising the attention of his father from the lofty position of the driving seat.

"Are you okay back there son?" he asked and joked, "Do you need the toilet again already."

"I'm just sick of sitting still," Alex muttered with some truth.

"If you had your driver's license you could have driven yourself back," his dad pointed out. It was still a bone of contention that Alex had never taken up on his birthday present of driving lessons in the past four years. They were all heartedly sick of carting Alex everywhere. "You'll be getting out for a leg stretch soon enough, your mother and I are going to treat you to lunch at Joe's." "

What?!" Alex exploded ungratefully. "But I am not hungry, I just want to get home." He couldn't tell his parents why as he tried to keep the illusion up that he wasn't a drinker and was the model student. On that note he was a little worried about how well his exams had gone. For all the boasting that Alex had done to his parents on how well he had been doing during his English Literature with English Language degree he hadn't always been exactly truthful with the figures. Thankfully on the final year marks counted and he had enough for a pass from the Christmas exams. He supposed that he -should- have worked harder during the last term and got the 2.1 that he was capable with. However with one thing and another - so many twenty-first birthdays, drinking sessions, poker he hadn't really got around to studying. There was always a chance he had still done really well, since he knew he had a good brain anyway and had done very well winging the exams.

"Shouldn't that be thank you?" Alex's dad asked frowning into the rear view mirror at his son's outburst. "Your mother has selected your favourite restaurant for you."

"It isn't my favourite any more," Alex grumbled under his breath. "I just want to get home."

"You should be more grateful," his father retorted. "Whether it is your favourite restaurant or not we are going to stop there. Your mother and I have been looking forward to this all week. Surely your friends can spare you for a couple of hours."

Alex said nothing to this. But he did wish suddenly that he could drive so he could set the damn pace. It had always seemed like a good idea not to learn so that on a night out he would never have to stay sober to give the rest of the group the lift home. He was rather proud of the logic and never had a problem sponging off his friends. While he got his phone out of his pocket and began to text his friends the sad news he didn't notice his father scrutinising him with a narrow view as the roared down the motorway.

It wasn't long before Alex heard some of the source of his dad's displeasure. They were all seated in a booth at Joe's, Alex's parents sitting across the table from him. The drinks and food orders had been dispensed with quickly. They all had their favourites after being there many times during Alex’s time at university. Alex’s father started it while his mother as always leant her quiet support, or in Alex’s mind was just to cowardly to stand up to him when he decided to speak his mind.

He began genially enough, smiling and resting his head on his hands to look across the table at Alex. "Well son," he began, "We're proud of you for finishing university. Of course we still need to see what your results are but," he paused and cleared his throat. "Now is the time to start thinking about your future. Unless," he raised a sardonic eyebrow, "You've already made some plans. It would be a great relief to your mother and me."

Alex kept his face carefully blank. Oh he knew how to bluff alright and he was going to go full steam ahead. He hadn't thought much beyond the summer and maybe, if he must have a job, being a cool bartender for the next couple of months. So what he came out with was the first thing that came into his head. "I have thought about it dad," he said with an exaggerated sigh. "But you see it's difficult. My degree doesn't lead on to an automatic job. And you know how I love writing...well I've been writing a novel."

"Oh have you indeed," his father said with disbelief. "And why is this the first time we are hearing about it?"

"I didn't want to say anything while it was still an idea germinating," Alex said modestly. "But I've written loads now. I just need some time to finish it and then send it to a publisher...."
"And sponge off us I suppose," his father interrupted. "No. This won't do Alex. No matter how good the book is. You need a job and a future."

"Oh no, I don't need to stay at home," Alex said wandering into inspiration. "It's a story set around the world....I was thinking of travelling, you know to make my descriptions more realistic. I need to save money first..."

"Dear," his mother was looking at his father. "Do you think we could help him out if this is what he really wants?"

His father, George contained his laughter. He could just picture his son stuck in grotty hostels rather than the five star hotels the family were usually used to. "We'll see. He needs to draw up a plan first and," he added significantly, "Save some money to show us you are in real earnest.”
"I will," Alex promised inwardly congratulating himself with this plan as the dinner came to the table.
*********
When they reached the house Alex leapt out of the car. He barely took in their modern, detached four bedroom house as he was busily taking his phone out again to text his friends. "I'm going out to meet Tim," he said without looking up. "I'll unpack the car later."
"You will unpack the car now," George corrected. "I have to go out myself in an hour to the station and I can't be carting your stuff there and back. It won't be safe for one thing."
"But I've already told Tim that I am coming," Alex objected scowling. He hated it when people interrupted his plans of the way things should be done. He looked at his implacable father who only said, "It won't take you a second to text him again. Visiting him can easily wait. You don't need to waste all your time over there with computer games."

Alex ungraciously sent the text 'Fucking dad, laying down the law, will get out later if can' and turned back to the car. He almost felt bad when he saw that his petite mum was already struggling with a box of his kitchen utensils into the house. "I'll get that mom..." he began and raced forward. All he got shoved into his hands was the house keys which he quickly took.

As soon as the door was open there was a fierce yowling from the inside and Birdie their cat came out to cause chaos, threading in and out of his and his mother's legs, purring all the way to welcome them home. "Get out of it," he muttered to the tabby creature as he went in and headed to the kitchen. Before he started any work he definitely needed a cold drink. By the time he had the ice out of the freezer and the diet coke poured and it slowly drunk, three of the boxes were already into the house. Alex dragged his feet to go out and bring the other ones in.

At the car he paused indecisively, sizing up the boxes and finally seized on the smallest and lightest one, made up of a quarter of his cd collection. By the time he had chosen a spot for it in his room, his parents had managed to bring the rest of the bags in. Alex didn’t feel in the slightest bit guilty, it was their fault for wanting it done quickly after all.

“Can I go –now-?” he demanded when he came downstairs, leaving his room as one mad pile of boxes that were threatening to topple at any second. It was already grating on him that now he was back in his parents’ house he had to at least give the appearance of asking for permission to do anything and the lies that he would have to invent to keep his social scene anything like up to scratch.

George nodded his head once and meant to say something but Alex was already half way up the stairs. Alex got himself showered and dressed in record time and came back down the stairs in black jeans and a dark green polo neck. He checked his wallet before he slid it into his pocket. It was quite slender, there wasn’t much cash in it. As soon as cash was put into his wallet, he had it spent. The debt levels he would have racked up would have been enough to make any bank manager faint if it hadn’t been for one shiny card in his wallet. Alex had an account that his parents paid into every month so that he could enjoy his time and study hard without worrying about work. They never raised questions if he asked for more during the month.

Still Alex didn’t think there was any harm in tapping his mum for a little more cash so he would have some on hand for the taxis. And out of the two of his parents, he knew the best to tap. Right now it would be his mum while his dad was too irritable after the long drive. He approached her in the kitchen where she had finally sat down to a cup of tea.

“Hello dear,” she said with a smile, “Your father is just leaving. He was about to offer you a lift.”

“That won’t be necessary mum,” Alex returned, “I’m meeting Tim at the park and since that is the operate direction from the police station dad would be late for work. I’ll get the bus but could I have some money for the taxi back. I don’t know how late I’ll be and I don’t want either of you coming out late.” He headed out the door five minutes later with forty pounds folded into his wallet.

****
“I’ll get the next round,” Alex said standing up rather drunkenly. “See that girl over there, she’s been eyeing me up, I might as well take advantage of it.”

“Just don’t take all night about our drinks,” Tim joked. He was lolling back in his seat with his arm around his on and off girlfriend Tiffany. “Have the decency to bring the drinks back to the table before you take her out back and cop a feel.”

“Ugh,” Tiff commented, whacking, or at least trying to whack Tim on the arm and missing it completely in her drunkenness. Her arm landed instead against the table. “I would dump you if you treated me like that.”

“I would never dream of it,” Tim reassured her while he winked at Alex. At least someone was guaranteed some good sex that night. Whether he had wanted to or not, he had heard them before in the halls at uni. It was always loud and passionate. It had even survived the drunken kisses and flirts that were usually the kiss of death at uni.

Alex left them snogging. It was just mildly gross to see a public display of affection. The only time they were acceptable when he was involved in them and this was rare. He did have some sense of romance. He joined the masses at the bar where the red headed girl stood, leaning his thigh lightly against hers in the packed crowd. “Four Carlings and a G and T,” he called the barman before turning to look at the girl.

She was already looking at him, not batting her eyelashes or anything ridiculous but smiling just for him. “Hi,” she said, the American accent sounding so out of place in the Northampshire bar. “I’m Rachel and new in town. I don’t suppose you’d buy me a local beer?”

Alex nodded his head and added her drink to his order when the barman brought the first two drinks back. "I'm Alex," he said and added with a sardonic smile, "You aren't from around these parts."

"You're wrong there," Rachel said pushing her fringe back from her face, setting her silver bracelets on her wrist jangling. "Least ways only partly. My great grandpa was from around here. I was doing a family tree for extra credit and got so interested in this place that I just had to visit this cute little spot. I'm on my holidays."

She sounded so proud of it that Alex nearly laughed in her face. But he bit his tongue, she had a good looking body and would make a refreshing change from Anna who was absent and would continue to be for at least the next few days until she got over the Swine Flu. He wasn't going to wait around that long. Sure she would probably here all about it from a dozen people in the bar the next time she came in but he could handle her spitfire temper with a few apologises whispered low against her ear. She would shiver and then...He broke off that particular day dream.

"I'll be back as soon as I've delivered these drinks over to my friends to keep them occupied," he said smoothly, "Don't go running off now you have a drink."

"I won't," she promised, burying her nose in the beer and taking a few deep gulps. Her breasts came into clear view and that made Alex hurry to deposit the drinks.

As the night wore on Alex bought all of Rachel's drinks. She was becoming almost insensible with drink and was talking and laughing loudly. Alex had been able to rest a hand on her leg without her complaining for the past ten minutes even when he moved it slowly up her thigh.
"Alex, man," Tim had come up beside them with Tiff grasping onto his arm to keep upright in her four inch heels. "Coming back to mine for the night? Bring her along if you like."

"Great," Alex said, pulling Rachel to her feet, whispering in her ear. "I am going to take you somewhere private, it's just a little too loud in here don't you think?"

"Oh yes," she agreed instantly, melting in against his side. "I'd go anywhere with you."
Alex missed that warning sign as they passed out of the pub and into the taxi.

***
Alex woke up to a girl screaming, he groaned, whatever hour it was, it was far too early for someone to be making such a hideous amount of noise. He slowly opened his eyes. "Shit," he murmured. Rachel was naked and on her feet looking down at him with horror and fear. He looked down at his own body, it was also naked and the throw over that usually hung over the couch was just a little sticky. "Stop screaming," he told her. "I'm not going to do anything to you."

Rachel backed away from him, reaching blindly for her clothes. She felt for them with her hands while she kept her eyes fixed on Alex. When he made a move to get up to help she screamed again, drawing Tim and Tiff out of his bedroom, both of them showed signs of hastily thrown on clothes.

"What's going on?" Tim asked blearily taking in the scene. "You are going to wake up all the neighbours if you carry on at this rate."

"Good," Rachel shouted, trembling. "Everyone should know he's ...he's a filthy rapist!"

"Alex?" Tim checked for conformation, dumbfounded. He didn't look at his best friend. "Tiff help Rachel get her clothes. Listen to me Rachel, you came back perfectly willing last night and sounded more than happy with the sex while you were at it."

"I...I don't remember," Rachel said pressing a hand to her forehead. "Nothing...all I did was go in for a drink and he took advantage of me."

"I didn't," Alex protested.

"Look kiddo," Tiff began even though there couldn't have been more than a year between the two girls. "Maybe you made a mistake. You can't put that on Alex. I've known him for years and even if he's a bit fickle with girls he's never been violent towards one. You're better off getting your clothes on and getting back to where ever you are staying and not saying a word more to anyone about it. I don't think the police would be exactly sympathetic if they heard your report. You were asking for sex and you got it. Deal." She abruptly shoved the rest of the clothes into Rachel's arms. "The bathroom is over there, shower if you like." She looked up at Tim. "I'll be in the bedroom, hurry up and sort this mess out."

It left three people standing there staring, no one had a word to say. Rachel finally slipped quickly passed them and into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her and clicking the lock audibly into place. Tim shook his head, "You sure know how to choose them, mate. I sure hope she doesn't make a fuss. You know Tiff and I will back you up if she does."

"Thanks," Alex said dully and nothing more was said until Rachel emerged and said quietly, "I'm going to my hotel....could someone call me a taxi please?"

When the taxi driver came, Alex paid the fee in advance and considered he had got off lightly. If his parents had found out. He would have been a criminal, locked up, where good looking people like himself would get into trouble. He turned to Tiff back in the living room. "Thanks for saying that for me."

"Don't," Tiff said sitting on the edge of the couch. "I don't want to hear it. The girl's messed up whatever happened last night. I should have been comforting her." She looked up at the two boys. "You wouldn't understand...but Tim thinks if something like that had happened to me..."

Tim cut her off with a kiss. "I wouldn't let it," he said gently before looking up at Alex. "And you had better get yourself home."

Chapter Two

Thanks to the early hour that Rachel had commenced her screaming, Alex found himself walking into his house at the ungodly hour of 8 am on a Saturday morning. Usually Saturday mornings was one of those myths reserved for the outdoorsy people while he slept the night before off. His head was pounding and his stomach was rolling, he really needed to get back to sleep before he heaved it all over the hallway.
"ALEX!" his mother came out of the kitchen looking highly relieved. "George he's okay. Nothing's happened to him."

Alex stared dumbfounded at her. "Of course nothing happened to me, I spent the night over at Tim's."
"But you didn't call to let us know and you didn't answer your phone, we were so worried."

Alex pulled his phone out of his pocket and unlocked the keys. There were thirteen missed calls. "Mum," he said gently, "I'm sorry but you shouldn't have worried. I've spent three years at uni without having to call you to let you know every night what I am up to. Seriously I didn't think it would be a big deal staying out. It shouldn't be anyway. I'm twenty-one."

"And we are your parents," George said, emerging from the bathroom, tying his dressing gown. "For your mother's peace of mind you will drop us a text and let us know." He raised a hand to forestall Alex's protests. "While you want to live under this roof, you will. When you move out into your own place or you are travelling you can do exactly what you want and no one will be able to stop you."

There was nothing Alex could do but glare in response. "I can't wait until I am out of here," he said a little vindictively. "I want to lead my own life."

George snorted with laughter, "I can't wait to see you handle all the responsibility that comes with it. You don't have a clue son. Some day you won't dodge the bullet and we will see how strong you are." He laughed silently as Alex bristled. It was going to be a very interesting month.

“Then you don’t know me at all,” Alex retorted much like his fourteen year old self said many times when he first wanted to learn to the play the guitar. Except he wasn’t stamping his foot or going out and slamming the door this time. “I’ve lived away from home and survived.”

“With your mum’s cooking going with you, us paying for you and you laundry being done for you. If that is what you think like is you haven’t learned to live.”

Alex’s glare was in danger of becoming permanent. He turned and stalked upstairs to his room with his father’s laughter ringing in his ears. Tossing his washed clothes off his bed, he lay down and stared up at the ceiling. The bedroom was rather plane, clearly decorated with a mother’s idea of colour and only two posters of bands he liked up on the walls. Anything that would have given a clue to his personality was still tucked away in the boxes.

When his phone began buzzing, announcing the arrival of a new text message, Alex put his phone on silent and shut his eyes. He wasn’t ready to face Anna yet, he needed to think. There wasn’t much likelihood that the American girl was going to do anything. Why, he thought, she doesn’t even know where I live nor does she have my name or number. However he began to create a situation in his head where she did trace him down through the bar. The police came knocking at his door and Tim and Tiffany scared by the police didn’t tell the same story. He could see his dad yelling, and handing him over, condemning him without hearing his side of the story. It probably was a good idea to get away just in case any rumours started. In fact he finished with a smile, it would be a good idea to go away travelling so people would miss him instead of regarding him with suspicion. With this rather pleasant finish after the illogical leaps, he dozed off.

*****
“Wake up.”

Alex felt a weight descend on his chest and snapped his eyes open and found himself staring into the boobs and then the face of his girlfriend Anna. There were worse ways to wake up. He groaned, “What are you doing here?”

Anna rolled her eyes. “It’s four o’clock in the afternoon,” she announced. “You were supposed to meet me –three- hours ago remember? I did what you asked and didn’t bother you all week or text you so you could enjoy your last week at uni while I worked away in the bar now you blow me off. I can’t begin to tell you how pissed off I am; I am so close to dumping you right now.” Her cool grey eyes were actually blazing and her blonde her bounced, threatening to bounce right out of its ponytail. Amid all her fury that was directed solely at him in a very concentrated and what should have been scary way, Alex definitely found to time to find her very beautiful.

“Sorry,” he said automatically to placate her before she had a chance to build up to another rant. He knew just how much she liked to hear him say that. Gently he took hold of her bare tanned arms ad gently removed her sitting form from his chest and on to the bed. Able to breathe again he put his arm around her shoulder, his hand very clsoe to her breast. “I went out last night to catch up with Tim and Tiff, and I didn’t exactly get much sleep…”

“I can guess why you didn’t get much sleep,” Anna retorted darkly, who knew all Alex’s excuses for his behaviour having heard them on and off the last two years. “You absolute wanker! One more night and you could fucking have had me. Who was she some glamour model?”

Alex didn’t plan to defend himself, he knew she deserved better than that. However he had had a bad enough time hadn’t he and didn’t he deserve his girlfriend’s sympathy rather than having her going on? “It wasn’t like that Anna,” he said a pained expression crossing his face. “Okay there was this American girl at the bar and she was all alone. When I went up to get around of drinks she came on to me. Listen, it’s important,” he said gripping Anna’s wrists when she made a move to get up and storm out of the room. “This isn’t one of my typical stories. You really need to hear this, please. You see yeah, I was attracted and stuff did happen and we left the pub together with Tiff and Tim. But when she sobered up, you know hat she did? She called RAPE. Can you believe it? I’d never even kiss a girl who wasn’t willing.I was shocked, and crashed out and slept on Tim’s couch. Got back here a couple of hours ago…they will back the story up.”

Anna had stopped struggling half way through the story and her glare had softened by the end of it into sympathy and concern. For all of Alex’s infidelity and lies, even he wasn’t so much of a coward about facing her that he would lie about someone calling rape. Still…she would be checking in with Tim just to make a hundred percent sure, and when Alex was over the shock of the experience, she was definitely going to have a word with him about his infidelity. She was sick of it but she still loved him. “Are you okay?” she asked, turning in to lean against him and hug his chest. When he didn’t immediately respond, she reached up the three inches of their height difference to press a kiss against his lips.

Alex was quite happy to accept the kiss greedily, pleased with the distraction. Swiftly he enfolded her into his arms, drawing her properly against him while he leant back against the bed. His tongue slid into her mouth and his hands began to rove. As soon as his tongue entered her mouth, Anna made a streneous effort to pull away with a rueful, amused expression of disgust.

“If you want a make out session, perhaps you had better wash your teeth –thoroughly-, you taste of stale beer. And a shower while you are at or you are getting nowhere near me again today.”

“On it,” Alex laughed, getting up good naturedly and made for the door that made to the ensuite. In the door way he paused and looked back. “Oh and Anna? I swear to you, no more random girls. Seriously, I’ve learnt my lesson this time, there are way to many psychos out there.” He really meant what he had said and he had meant it before but he was just so easily distracted. However he didn’t want to experience anyone else crying rape on him again.

Anna believed him, a slow grin crossed over her face and she looked happy for the first time tha day. It was a good sign that he was maturing and respecting her. From her position on the bed the view of the cardboard boxes began to annoy her and knowing she would be helping out Alex, she got off the bed and ripped the selotape off the first box. She was a big believer in star signs and fate, and it seemed fate was giving her a sign when the first item out of the box was a picture frame. The frame contain ed a picture of the holiday in Spain they had taken toget the previous summer. They were standing in the surf with their arms around each other, beaming ath the camera and raising a glass of beer each. That had been a fantastic day, and the night had been even better. When they had been sitting very drunk at the beach bar they had kidded around that they should get married there the next day (so they could get free drinks and have a real excuse for a party). Anna had never forgotten that memory and had recently been musing over it. The musings were leading to a question that she felt she needed to ask Alex and soon or she would burst from suspense.

Carefully she set the frame down on his bedside table where he would be able to see it when he woke up in the morning and returned to rapidly emptying the box. Having been in his room at home and at uni, she knew exactly where he liked most personal things, and other items like text books had their logical places on the book shelves. Spurred on by the quickness of the process, she turned eagerly to a second random box. She only had time to get half of the tape removed before Alex returned from the bathroom, wearing nothing more than a red and white stripey bath towel.

Alex glanced over at what she was doing before he picked his way across the room to remove some fresh clothes from his draws. “Leave them Anna,” he suggested feeling a pick of guilt that she felt the need to do them when he would get around to them eventually. “I don’t want to waste the afternoon with us going through all my mess. I’ll do it tomorrow while your parents have you chained to the church.”

“They won’t be able to do that for much longer,” Anna said washpishly. “As soon as I move out from home they won’t be able to make me. I won’t be going ever again and I won’t have to pretend I give a damn about how the church elders say I must live my life.”

“You go girl,” Alex said with an infectious grin. He had always been pissed off that Anna was completely booked out for a whole day of the weekend. With two church services, morning and evening and the meetings that took place after, Alex was lucky to even get a text from her. It would be so good when Anna, like him didn’t factor chruch into their plans. “We’ll be able to meet at the pub for a good lunch and a couple of beers then.”

Anna was inexplicably pleased with this response even though she wasn’t that keen on the idea of the pub on Sundays with nothing to watch there but the footie. It gave her a smooth link into the idea she had been contemplating Alex since the last month or so of his uni. “When I leave home, and it will be soon now the bar job has been mad permanent, I was hoping you would untangle yourself from your parents’ apron strings and move out too and live with me. I’ve been looking up some one bedroom properties online and they aren’t that expensive. We can get them for about five hundred in the city and if we both had jobs we could definitely afford it.”

Alex looked blankly at Anna while she loked expectantly back at him. He had begun panicing the moment she said to move in and had barely heard another detail. It all stunk of commitment. A whole future stretched out before his eyes, right up to old age. He saw himself moving in with Anna, gettingg a job to pay the bills, saving money to buy a house rather than saving for annual holidays to places like Ibiza…then an engagement ring appeared in his mind and he shuddered, trying to block out the wedding, the children, and growing old with only Anna there. He didn’t want it to come true, he wasn’t ready for commitment!

With the amazing clarity that came when a person was no longer enamoured with their partner, he –really- looked at Anna. She was on the chubby side, he could see fat bulging at the top of her jeans, her lips were too thin, her hair looked more like string than anything alive. Even when he remembered her laugh it sounded like a hyeena. He couldn’t remember what he had seen in her to begin with.

“Hmmm,” was all he said allowed when the silence began t stretch. He was busing working out in his head how to dump her for good. Of course he didn’t want to hurt her so he wanted to do it in the gentlist way possible nor did he want her saying all kinds of things behind his back, like letting the word get out about the rape call. That would be absolutely disasterous.

“You aren’t interested,” Anna said, her face falling with disappointment, making her look even more like a toad Alex thought.

“No, no,” Alex protested instantly, “ Sorry I was busy working out how I can make it work. Listen, can we meet up tonight and give me the afternoon to work on my parents ? “

The kiss that Anna gave him in response was slippery and the hug was too tight. Alex was glad when it ended and she left his bedroom. He really needed to get out of the country and go travelling now. The sooner the better.

First day of Nano

2009-11-01T12:26:00Z

4013 / 50000
(8.03%)

Not bad for the first day. However Alex my MC is determinedly pushing the plot in his own direction now and I am not sure where he is taking me. I know were I am taking him tomorrow though. He is coming with me in a notebook on to a boat and from there to a island made out of sand. I'm sure I'll find some time to deal with him

Nano

2009-10-31T07:02:28Z

I've 6 hours to go until it starts! This year I'm in the first flush of people starting. Eek! I've got some mild panic and a vague plan. I'll be writing on buses, planes and trains from midnight. I'm moving up the coast from Sydney to Brisbane. Australia is awesome but anyway if people want to add me for the year click on below!

As much as I am looking forward to New Zealand, Syndey has stolen something from me and demands I love it. For the next two weeks I am writing in between seeing:

Fraiser Island
Sailing around Whitsundays
Great Barrier Reef and Rainforest
Hiking and Camping at Ayers Rock!

I think I may be a little busy for the next while!

Random Travelling Facts

2009-10-26T04:30:05Z

Can't believe it but I am off to Australia in less than 7 hours! I'm leaving Indochina behind with sadness.

Anyway some randomly gained knowledge:

McDonalds can and will do delivery to the bedroom hotel door!
The biggest pest in a hotel is an army of mini ants, they get into -everything-
There are no limits to the amount of mosquito bites you can get in one hour
Elephant riding rocks!
You can become a Buddhist monk/nun for any length of time (even one day!)
Vietnam is much cheaper than Thailand for dvds
Thai massages kill at the time but after wow you feel sooooo good.
Australia ETAs take about 1hr 20 mins to get, not minutes

Tubing - the most dangerous thing I've ever done

2009-10-17T06:48:54Z

Getting in a giant tractor tire sized ring and floating down the river sounds really relaxing doesn't it? Now add in on this 2km stretch bars 50m a part, dirt cheap drinks, free shots, 'happy' drinks, zip lines on rackety wooden structures and no railings between the bar and the water and sharp rocks in the shallower bits.

Everyone knows somebody here who has ended up in hospital as a result. There are no safety precautions.

Even I'm bruised and I'm really stiff, all I had was three drinks. I adored playing mud volleyball, everyone was covered in mud because it was impossible to stand up and there were large hoses to clean off with afterwards. I did 6 zip lines, all really high and a slide that tossed you out over the river. Don't see any company back home letting me try that. I did lose my grip once and went down suddenly from a great height. The relief that avoided the rocks by a meter.

Yeah, much as I love tubing, I'm not trying it in that kind of environment again

What I will put up with to get to the internet

2009-10-09T14:04:45Z

I'm in Capba Island just off Halong Bay for the night and tonight's hotel is minus internet access, woe is me! It's meant venturing into the local internet cafe. Instead of being packed out with tourists which I would have sworn during the day made up the population, I am completely surrounded by local kids. The noise level is horrendous and the ones not using a computer keep standing right behind me and my roommate, practically leaning against our shoulders.

So with little room to move I can't do my picture post. Instead I will tell you what my Vietnamese fortune teller saw for me:

The very first thing she said was that I Would marry a -straight- man in two years time (she was very fierce and firm about that!). He's going to be two years older and I am going to meet him in eight months time. It did creep me out that she said he would be American because I will be in America in 10 months time at the absolute latest. Erm I'll have two kids and live a long happy life.

Mine was a bit bog standard but out of a group of ten, mine was the only one that didn't have something ominous in it.

Lovely random analysis post

2009-10-05T09:50:27Z

Travelling is good for the brain. I've been able to analyse a lot of the past twelve or so months briefly and put them into one hell of perspective.

I wasted a good deal of the year, I should have been away travelling much sooner rather than hanging onto delusions of jobs and friendship. The year looking back was both one of the best and the most miserable. Housemate when I look back was a taker and kept taking, with rare honesty. I would say for definite her girlfriend was more straight forward and truthful. I will never share with a couple in a small house again when there is no room to escape to own space. But until the last months I think we at least kept a measurement of friendship up. I will say then that after the spitefulness that went on for me there was no way I'll be looking them up (even if I -was- owed an email over final money payments) unless there is a miracle of something like time travel and I don't expect them to look me up because I can frankly say I was quite a bitch in that year and didn't know when to stop.

Okay that was a pile of unspecifics but heck I don't think anyone would really believe the full story of the year or really want to know it.

Safe to say though since I came back from England, remet friends and got new ones, and started travelling, the world looks so much brighter. I'm not day dreaming about huge stuff anymore. I'm enjoying each moment as it comes, having the odd bitch, meeting new people, becoming a lot more decisive and looking for things to do instead of sitting around a lot on the internet waiting for them to happen.

Next post: typhoon aftermath and new clothes

I've done some pretty cool and strange things....

2009-10-01T09:28:05Z

We went to visit the tunnels in Vietnam on Monday, the result I got to fire a M16 five times and managed to hit a still target once. It was a pretty exciting and very loud experience!

and today I jumped on the back of a motorcycle and trusted someone to navigate me around the roads. The roads are hair raising there seems to be no laws but I ended up loving it!

Oh and toilets here are referred to as 'Happy Houses', I am slightly weirded out

Fandomness and Travelling

2009-09-27T07:07:03Z

Love Stephen Fry's tweet: Doctor's gone leaving an anti-inflammatory and some Vicodin - which Gregory House is not getting his mitts on....

Watched the first episode of season 2 of Merlin this morning, my room mate looked rather bizarred out to finding me laughing and awhing. I'm begining to think fandom people don't do long year travels. Hoping someone is going to prove me wrong on that!

There is a sad lack of Tuk tuks in Vietnam. It's back to regular taxis and one person seat bike things which are infinitely more expensive than Cambodia. This mean exploring on foot this morning for a bit and didn't get a huge amount covered (that could be because we got sidetracked by coffee....goooooood coffee)

We've done a little clothes shopping. I was looking at the designs and taking photos to make them up later because then the clothes will fit (XL is like S at home) and will be at least half the price. I think I've got about a week before I get to enjoy that fun in Hoi An.

A new country

2009-09-26T16:48:25Z

Hello Vietnam!

I'm camped out in a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, occasionally singing songs from Miss Saigon to myself (and Doctor Doolittle, My Fair Lady and Singing in the Rain with a friend in the group).

Anyways I has had a few cocktails (we all did the buy 2 get one free and the measures are strong) since it is the group's last night together which is pretty sad really, we've all got on and had a laugh.

There are three others besides me staying on besides me for Vietnam and we are going to be joined by 12 new people! I am feeling shy already. Large groups and I don't mix. Oh well it will be interesting.

Nothing to report on Vietnam itself yet, we travelled for most of the day and only had time to walk around the market before dinner.

The Killing Fields

2009-09-25T10:15:11Z

I've been dreading going to see s21 and the Killing Fields ever since I came to Cambodia but I also knew it was something I needed to face and remember.

I guess I should toss a little history in here, I'm skirting around war and things here because O really can't face reading details right now. . In the 1970s the Khmer Rouge came to power in Cambodia. They wanted a Communist state and rounded up all politicians, teachers, policeman, lawyers who worked under the former government, any one really who weren't farmers or workers, to be put to death so no one could protest the changes.

S21 one was of the prisons many of these people were first taken to. They were tortured there to get more information on where other intellects and their families might be hiding. You see if there was an intellect in the family, they killed the whole family babies and all to destroy the evil root. They were kept in small cells, shackled....tortured with anything like axes, bamboo, pinchers, holding their head under smelly water.

Of the 70 000 prisoners who went into s21 only 7 made it out alive and that was because the leaders there didn't have time to execute them before they fled when the Vietnamese came in. Every single other prisoner was taken to the Killing Fields.

They have opened over 80 of the 147 mass graves at the site we visited. Over 8000 bodies were unearthed in the, at that site. Some soldiers who were killed for knowing too much and they were beheaded...babies....whose heads had been bashed off a tree that we were shown. Women, men kids...

On the path we walked their clothes and bones and teeth still show in the mud.

I'm glad I've seen to remember and to tell on to people.

The people of Cambodia remember and when they speak they grow so sad and their grief shows and yet...they try to be a happy people.

It really is a special country.

There will be photos...a few. I'll create a filter when I can post them if people can't bear to see.

More on the kids and beauty pampering

2009-09-23T11:43:37Z

On the way to the beach I visited an NGO that works with kids. They teach them to paint and sell their pictures for them. The kids get half the money the picture is sold for directly, and the other half is given to the centre to ensure the money is spent correctly on the kids. I bought a painting and five postcards. I'm willing to send four of those so drop a comment if you want one, I think I have most everyone's addresses now!

A usual throng of kids joined us as soon as we set foot on the beach today, along with two adults who were there to do threading on us (I had under arms and eyebrows done but sidetracking here). The girl who wants to be a tour guide was there and I gave in and got a funky little hairband from her and she pressed another free bracelet on me.

The kids seemed to multiply as the older kids noticed there was a group and herded the younger ones towards a likely source of money. Result, very crowded sun beds and plenty of giggles. Everyone else bought one thing off them during the course of the afternoon but there was a real sense of connection when we ordered a pizza for lunch.

We started on the pizza and looked at the kids. They didn't even seem interested in staring at our food. So we tentatively offered a couple of slices of pizza for them to share. My favourite was the first to make a move and she said with a puzzled smile,

'thank you but we don't know how to eat it'

Kids who have never had pizza. Well we set that to rights, showing them to use their hands and where we start on a slice of pizza. They broke three slices up among them. I'm never going to forget their faces as they took their first bites. Some smiled, some looked cautious and some pulled faces. Over all they decided it was different but not really for them.

When I can upload pictures, I will share three of the kids with you.

When I left the beach I braved two things - I left my ipod in for new songs to be uploaded and got my hair cut.

The ipod place said they could upload songs without deleting old songs (as long as there was space of course). They had a huge book of music, tv and films and I waded my way through it for close to an hour. I opted to try 13 albums all really recent to make sure it worked. It cost me $12. When I picked my ipod up an hour later all the songs were there complete with album art work and so was my old music. So happy with the result, and they've even installed in the ipod how to transfer the music to my computer without losing it. I was most impressed. I think I will get more added tomorrow.

The hair cut was fun and cheap. It cost me $5. It is all trimmed into a neat shape and straightened. After 5 weeks of no hair dryer and straighteners it feels amazingly good. Now if only hair cuts where cheap like this every where.

Sihanoukville, Cambodia

2009-09-23T04:02:41Z

Meet the current bane of my life as much as I pity them. As soon as you set foot on the beach they swarm around you, trying to get you to buy bracelets and fruit. Now ignoring them doesn't get them to go away they keep pawing at you, saying how much they need the money. The worst bit is you can't really buy from them, if you buy one thing from one, then all the others demand that you buy something from them. And while one dollar isn't a lot of money, fifteen dollars is!

It does tug at the heart strings though. There was one lovely fifteen year old who wants to be a tour guide and from her height and bone structure she barely looked twelve to me. She sells all day long and goes to school for four hours in the evening. School costs 25 dollars a month and a good day of selling only gets her $5-10. Apparently she is lucky if this happens two days a week and any money she makes also needs to help support her family. I felt so sorry for her and yet there was nothing I could really do to help.

New Food Source

2009-09-22T10:58:53Z

I have eaten snake ladies and gentleman.

It doesn't taste that bad, kind of salty and bland but it is incredible hard to eat. Snakes have so many tiny bones that you kind of have to worry a bit of meat off with your teeth and proceed cautiously around in a circle.

Also been doing some rather cool snorkeling by an island. Got rather burnt but the coral was really cool and some one did have an underwater camera which we all got to play with so photos will come on that once I can steal her memory card.

From Cambodia with love

2009-09-21T12:14:05Z

Slow internet = no photos and shortish posts, sorry everyone!

Anyway, I am completely in my element in Cambodia. It is an incredible country and one filled with contrasts. When I crossed over the boarder, my immediate reaction after seeing the first wooden shacks and less than smooth roads was wow this is a sad country. My opinion has reformed slightly, the standard of living they have makes me sad but the people are so warm and friendly.

Out of the main towns most people get their electricity from small generators or car batteries which only last a couple of days at a time before they need to be recharged. Kids beg or make bracelets and sell postcards so they can afford school and yet they never stop smiling even when you aren't buying from them and are just happy to have a chat with you.

I've been in the last couple of days:

Visiting a floating village
Saw Angkor Wat
Gone biking around an island
Swam at the base of a waterfall
Spent $9 on the beach and got - pedicure, nail polish done, a ride on a banana boat and a cocktail and many free bracelets from the kids who were as fascinated by my one hand as I was with them.

Ladyboys

2009-09-15T09:18:44Z

I know Bangkok isn't all about the Ladyboys but hey I'm there and I love them!

I arrived at my hostel at midnight rather tired and already bamboozled by currency. 55 Baht to the pound and even when I do it as 50 my mind isn't really wrapping itself around it. I don't -think- I got ripped off by the taxi driver on the way from the airport.

The one coherent thing I really remember that night was that the bed was uber comfortable and big. Quite a change after China!

Anyhows first thing I did the next morning was book Calypso for the next night. Ladyboys cabaret pictures below the cut

I have managed to do the historical stuff too and now I've grabbed my new room mate, who is stuck with me for the next 12 days all the way through Cambodia.

The Travel BLog has had an update, just Hong Kong to do and it is up to date

Typhoon and Supernatural

2009-09-10T12:58:48Z

We've got a level 3 Typhoon warning outisde which is mildly exciting! It's very gusty and I am looking forward to my brief stroll to McDs and back.

Can someone link me to a download for the new Supernatural ep? I'm screening comments so you can! I really want it and yeah I don't think I can wait a year to see it.

I'm fairly sure I'm in a new country

2009-09-09T13:01:44Z

What does everyone classify Hong Kong as now adays? I went through customs and had my passport checked and the check for swine flu so I'd claim a new country. Okay there is Hong Kong island but Hong Kong also has its mainland area Kowloon which is where I am staying and most of everything takes place, so I guess it could be a province of China? My Geography lessons really didn't prepare me for this.

Anyways I've swapped the compartive comfort of my tour accomodation for my pitstop hostel. It's in a tall dirty building a couple of floors up and a cat looking distinctly like Munkustrapp has just walked passed mewing loudly, I don't think he was welcoming me here. My room is a box. There are sleazy men around and I am thinking the bathroom, tiny and frosted with no proper lock is just right for a Pyscho remake. Yeah I'm an idiot with an over active imagination.

So my list of where I've gone and where pictures will be following for tomorrow are - Beijing - Great Wall - Xi'an - Shanghai - Yangshou - Longji Terraces

Until I leave Hong Kong on Saturday I definitely have regular internet access.

Greetings from Yangshou

2009-09-04T12:01:37Z

Hello again everyone, the Travel Blog is updated again, finishing of the Xi'an adventures and bringing you up to date with Shanghai.

I'm currently in the backpackers paradise of Yangshou after 25 hours train journey from Shanghai. I've been really busy for the past couple of days, I've done so many things.

I've learnt tai chi, calligraphy, Chinese cooking and kayaking, as well as attending a light show! It will definitely be a long photo post to sum these up (when I next find an hour to spare for the computer!)

I promised pictures

2009-08-27T09:28:52Z

I have an immediate sense of suspicion that both lj and dreamwidth crashed when I tried to add photos so I am going to have to pass you over to my Travel Blog to view the pictures.

The second day in Xi'an has been just as fun as everything else. I adored the Warriors. No wonder they are called the eighth wonder of the world. I hadn't realised they hadn't been discovered until 1974.

There are cracks starting to show in the group. I seem to be one of the few (there are ten) of us sleeping well. There has been a great deal of lethargy today. Where we would have packed a lot more in before, we only achieved the Warriors today. I am hoping someone will come with me to see the musical fountain tonight.

There is another over night train tomorrow night that last 16 hours that is taking us to Shanghai. I can't wait to see the acrobats there.

Hailing you from China

2009-08-26T08:56:03Z

Missing me yet? I don't suppose it has been that long really but it feels like an age for me. Seven days ago I set off from the airport and what an adventure it has been since then. I've spent three days in Beijing exploring the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City, the Olympic stadium and above all exploring the food! I am in complete food heaven.

The Great Wall is incredible. We went to Sumatai, the much less touristy section. Of course this is with good reason, it is tough walking over steep terrain, up and down dips. A lot of these bits were broken stairs and of varying heights so it really put muscles and blanace to the test. A gluton for punishment I got up alone at three the next morning to climb in the pitch black with my wind up torch to catch the sunrise. Of course I didn't realise what terrible surface and slippery bits I had managed until the way donw. I think I would rather never have known.

I then had my first experience of an overnight train. A small compartment with 6 beds two bunkbeds), they were narrow and not the most comofretable things ever but fun. We were all so tired we got the giggles and it went on for ages.

Xi'an is less pretty than Beijing, so far. I've walked the city walls and I am struck by the poverty of the houses in the inside of the walls compared to the more opulant high rises on the outside.

But what has remained constant is the stares. There are very few white people to be seen anywhere and people are taking photos of us to show their familes.

For those interested sites like facebook, twitter and photobucket are well and truly blocked here! I'll be back tomorrow after the Terracotta Warriors with photos and a much more detailed up date.

Hello All

2009-08-19T14:26:15Z

I'm in London waiting for the long haul flight to Beijing. Termninal 5 is great for expensive shops and long queues for security but hopeless for internet (5 computers!)

I've had a random contact for Beijing from a guy who runs a children's charity over there, and upon overhearing I was going presented me with the charity business card in case I get into any trouble. You really do have to love random acts of kindness.

Postcards and Last Min Preparations

2009-08-17T22:48:47Z

Postcard wants continue HERE

More badges were procurred with the aid of mirasymphony and keeperofdestiny, I will take a photo of the finished bag tomorrow, it will be a work of art.

Speaking of mirasymphony, the wonderful best friend has agreed to be my online keeper, she will have my passwords etc in case anything happens to me so you will be kept up to date. Not that anything should happen but I don't want to jinx it by not taking precautions.

Tomorrow will be my last set of posts from the house what a scary thought! I'm sure while I'm in Heathrow airport on Wednesday I will feel the need to dive on but after that goodness knows when I'll see internets (what a scary thought!)

So the last minute preparations are running from - going for a wax, making sure I know time zones and currency conversions to making sure I finish off the Fellowship of the Ring before I go.

Small Coins

2009-08-16T18:21:30Z

Since the death of the 1p chews, 1p, 2p, 5p and 10p coins have lost all value to me. I toss them into a tin box and ignore their existence for periods of time. Today was one of the days I decided to remember there existence and tumbled all the coins out on to the floor. After much sorting I have unearthed them into bags to the tune of 45 pounds.

That will be a couple of days of living or a ride in hot air balloon in NZ or a full day cooking course in Vietnam