thanks for the update calanen.
Sounds like it is a great trip, well done.

I'll be in Hong Kong next week as well.

Islamists need to remember that they are in Anglo-Saxon territory and are only allowed to disseminate their diarrhea at the good graces of their Anglo-Saxon hosts.

And, rent cheaper in London than in Sydney? Come on now, that is not true. Maybe prices descended with the bursting of the real estate bubble, but I still find that hard to believe.

abu_rashid wrote on Aug 20^th, 2009 at 3:21pm:


So telling people about an overseas holiday is 'bragging' now. Gee you are a sad negative person. Everything has to be gloomy and serious and jihad against the whole world. Pitiful.

Don't tend to get beaten up very often, or, indeed ever.

On to Jamaica now, visiting friends again. Its a dangerous, dangerous place. If not for my friends here, I would not come. The weather is great and its a tropical paradise, but its full of wannabee gangsters modelled on the American LA gangs, carrying AKs and shooting up the place. Great pity, its a lot like many african countries that are just one big gunfight.

More to the point about Jamaica being dangerous, today in Kingston four police officers have been killed assasination style. Gunmen on motorbikes are shooting police officers on the beat, and the army has been called out to man checkpoints. A curfew has been imposed in certain suburbs, nobody moving around after 5pm enforced by the military.

I took a video on my cellphone of the loud and hairraising journey in a Jamaican taxi, which I will upload to youtube or liveleak when I get back. Along the way though, some locals noticed me filming and took umbrage to this, assailing the fortress like hotel demanding 'payment' for being filmed. 'Tourist must pay for film man!' they shouted through the heavily fortified gate. The guards told them to go or they'd get the cops, and they scattered.

Everyone sees a white man as the saviour, the man with the money, the man with opportunity, the man with contacts. I even had a youngish girl in a shopping centre ask me where the best restaurant to get 'beef patties' was nearby. I said 'There is a store about 100 yards up the road who has beef patties, and they say they are good, but I don't know.' She said thanks, and I said 'Why did you ask me though?' she said 'Because you be a white man, and the white man have all de answers.'

If only.

But the biggest problem here are the wannabee gangsters. There is also a lot of people who are very jaded and angry at their lot in life. Conversely, there are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. They are generally more friendly once the realise that I am neither American nor British.

Spent a fantastic time in San Diego. Very warm weather, round 30 degrees. People are very friendly here. No crime to speak of, at all.

Saw a number of bands, including Public Enemy at Street Scene, which is an outdoor fair. No aggression or problems at the street fair, despite alcohol and large numbers of young people.

Nice to see you back Calanen and glad you had a good time. Put some photos up and if Helian starts tormenting you - we'll stick up for you.