JMCheung.co.uk

Don't call me baby

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:49:00 +0000

Why don't we have nice summer weather like we should?

Having recently been over to Austria for the Euros I can safely say Britain is in no way European! It is still cold here, wet and really expensive.

I don't like filling up my car these days, it feels like I'm literally burning my money. I guess I could try cycling...

So whilst the economy is struggling, household costs soar and the weather isn't playing nicely I'm still happy to stay up north. Manchester is treating me fine, as is my job, and my friends and family.

Things are pleasantly rosey, for once.

Held to Ranson

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 16:19:00 +0000

Coventry's escape from administration is surely a positive thing. Sisu's takeover of the club, spear-headed by the former footballer Ray Ranson, has prevented the club from declaring bankruptcy and from incurring a 10 point deduction which would see them unceremoniously drop into the relegation zone.

Coupled with the ability to hold onto the manager and some players come January, it must be a blessing for the club. The deal has saved us from certain relegation and given us a small amount of hope, a possible future.

Sadly, since the 2-1 home defeat in the league cup to West Ham, our reward for overcoming the current Premiership champions, Man Utd, I haven't seen us perform on the field particularly well. There was the 4-2 away to West Brom. But nothing tells me we can compete even for the play-offs.

The latest home defeat to Palace was pretty miserable. Nothing in the first half, though the opposition weren't special, and I'd be surprised if they made the top 8. Again, we only get into gear when we go a goal down and that's just not good enough. For this City fan, I am grateful for the takeover, but not optimistic that without some signings to bolster the defence and midfield, we can achieve Ray's target and reach the promised land.

Manchester United 0-2 Coventry City

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 22:12:00 +0000

A truly memorable night at Old Trafford for the Sky Blue Army as Coventry caused a League Cup upset and destroyed the Premiership champions in the Theatre of Dreams.

Sadly, having sold out our away allocation (11,500 seats), I had to sit in the North West stand with the prawn sandwich eaters and endure the passionless atmosphere. Nonetheless we had a great view, heard the Coventry fans outsing the United ones, and witnessed a truly great performance.

City started brightly and didn't seem unnerved at the big occassion in front of 75,000 fans. Isaac Osbourne won every ball that came near him, Leon Best held up the ball well and had a chance to put us ahead but lashed over from just outside the area.

United were slow off the block and their team, costing over £50m, rarely threatened. Nani was woeful having one shot almost hit the corner flag! The Brazilian, Anderson looked better taking time in possession and making some clever passes but never threatening the away end.

Coventry, meanwhile, passed the ball well and waited patiently for an opening, and after 27 minutes received their just reward. Best received the ball on the right running goalwards and made a slide rule pass to Michael Doyle. His cross from the left was low and hard finding none other but the Maltese international Michael Mifsud who slid in from close range.

It was a great goal and I found it very hard to contain my joy sat with all those reds. The East stand errupted and I knew we had a game on our hands. Surely United's response would be swift and decisive. But it was Coventry who threatened to score just a minute later when Robbie Simpson, making his first start of the season chased a ball out wide on the right and crossed in for Mifsud again. His back-heel was an audacious effort and hit the far post - the keeper would have had no chance.

The home side were toothless in attack and were almost made to pay again when Simpson received the ball only to shoot over Kuszczak's bar. I was in shock, one goal up at Old Trafford with chances going spare!

In the second half Alex Ferguson rang the changes bringing on Wes Brown and Michael Carrick for some of his inexperienced youngsters. Evidently, the team Sir Alex played was not good enough to win the league cup as he had predicted in his pre-match comments and he was forced to act.

Andy Marshall was forced into a fine save by Dong as his shot looked to be heading into the top corner, but thankfully his fingerstips reached the ball. Coventry defended well, something quite surprising given they conceded 8 in the previous 3 matches. A 4-1 defeat at Portman Rd, 1-1 at Palace and a 3-0 home drubbing at the hands of Bristol.

Iain Dowie's post-match comments at Ipswich were unconvincing.. "We had a defensive blip" - or two, or three! In this match, he was proved right as Sky Blue back line looked organised, worked hard and played effectively. Other than Osbourne's contribution, Elliot Ward's return to the fold was a relief. A first start for Ben Turner seem not to phase him and Borrowdale seemed fairly comfortable too.

Coventry finished off Man United in the 70th minute with a defensive clearance ending up on the left wing. Mifsud's electrifying pace was too much for United as he latched onto the ball, beat a man, played it infield to Jay Tabb. His touch found Mifsud who fired high into the net. 2-0! Game over.

This was an awesome night and gives Coventry fans hope. Twenty years ago we won our last silverware at Wembley - I won't make any predictions for this season but this kind of performance can only give us heart for the rest of the season. Following 5 years of division one football we may have finally found a manager who can get the best out of his players. It's early days yet, but the Sky Blues can be proud. Especially this one who lives in Manchester and can recall this moment for many years to come.

The New Football Season

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 12:52:00 +0000

It's a great feeling. The optimism, the excitement and the hype. Today is the start of the football season 2007/08 and it's time for my predictions.

Firstly, the Premiership. No-one can deny Manchester United achieved an impressive feat by taking the title from Chelsea last season. Cristiano Ronaldo's contribution to United was tremendous throughout. On top of that, injuries to Cech and Terry, made the title defence increasingly difficult.

I can't see either finishing outside of the top two, with Arsenal joining them to complete the top three. I'm going to back United this season based on their summer signings (Hargreaves, Nani, Anderson) and my geographical bias. Surely Tevez will make their strike force the best in the country.

Liverpool have bought, but I'd argue unwisely. Torres won't settle into English football quickly, remember Morientes, but Benayoun should be a great signing. I continue to doubt Benitez in the league; tactically inconsistent and they lack the continual class of United or Chelsea.

My tips for relegation would be Derby, Reading and possibly a team who have been floating about for a while, like Wigan, Boro or Fulham. I suspect Sunderland and Birmingham will survive and other teams will struggle.

Coventry City, my beloved Sky Blues, start the season with many a new face. Having watched one pre-season friendly and read up on the others I believe we have a stronger squad than last season, particularly in the attacking third. Leon Best, Julian Gray and Robbie Simpson join Leon McKenzie, Michael Mifsud, Dele Adebola and Kevin Kyle from whom a worthy partnership could be forged and ought to be formidable in The Championship.

Arjan de Zeeuw comes in at the back and has been made skipper. A seemingly shrewd move by Iain Dowie. Gary Borrowdale has come in strengthen the defence and Michael Hughes joins the midfield. If our new comers settle in, and the promising talents of Jay Tabb et al deliver, there is no reason why we can't make the play-offs!

As such, our promotion/play-off rivals will be Wolves, Southampton, West Brom, Leicester, Cardiff, and Charlton. Not sure how Watford will adapt to life back down in the first division, but they shouldn't struggle with the parachute payments. So, enough said for now. Come on you Sky Blues and make me proud this season!

Robots In Diguise

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 22:59:00 +0000

The long-awaited Transformers movie was indeed worth the wait! The action scenes and computer generated imagery were unbelievably great to watch and quite realistic. I'd really recommend watching it for anyone who used to be a fan of the animated series or even for someone who has never seen it before but enjoys sci-fi action films.

In brief, the story is about a robot race from a distant galaxy whose war has stepped onto the path of Planet Earth. The Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, and the Decepticons, led by Megatron, are looking for the All Spark... an object with the ability to generate robots and potentially destroy the human race.

With the help of the grandson of an Antarctic explorer and the US Air Force, the Autobots fight to protect Earth and take down the Decepticons who have suddenly invaded.

The Deathly Hallows

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 11:12:00 +0000

Ok, so if you've still not read the latest and final book in the Harry Potter series I'd stop reading this post right now - It will spoil it for you!

What an unbelievable ending to the story. I don't think anyone would have guessed any of the stuff about Snape. Obviously, we knew there was a reason why Dumbledore trusted him but of all of the possible explanations!

There was quite a lot to take in from the whole Horcruxes and Hallows thing but it still made for a great ending. Who would have thought Harry was a Horcrux? The whole mission to destroy them seemed impossible, even as the story unfolded it seemed less likely that they could defeat Voldemort. But as all good stories go, there is a twist and a turn for good.

Having also seen the Order of the Phoenix at the cinema recently I can only imagine how good the next two films will be. How will they manage to keep the ratings down to 12A?? The Battle of Hogwarts and, in particular, the final showdown between Harry and Voldemorte will be something to look forward to. It's all over, phew!

The Order Of The Phoenix

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 22:10:00 +0000

Watched it last night at the Odeon in iMax. It even had about 20 minutes of 3D at the end with the fight scenes at the Ministry of Magic. Really enjoyed it.

He-who-must-not-be-named is truly back in style although the film does focus mostly on Harry's development. I actually do prefer the movie of The Goblet of Fire, but this is still an enjoyable watch nonetheless, and an important installment in unravelling this seven story plot. What do they call that anyway, its no trilogy!

Bring on The Deathly Hallows... 21st July!!!!

Diesel regulation valve replacement

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 00:41:00 +0000

If your Mazda 6 (mine's a 2 litre TD) experiences the following, then I'd suggest replacing the fuel regulation valve: -

engine cutting out or stalling when slowing down
fluctuating idle
no faults stored on the computer

For a while, it was a difficult problem to isolate and the dealers, who want to make a killing out of you, will tell you to replace the fuel pump. That will only cost you between £1,000 and £1,500 so I opted for the cheaper option of replacing the fuel regulation valve.

It cost me £190 in total, thankfully covered by warranty, but the part is approximately £130. The fuel system is Denso and the guy who did the work for me was PJ Jones in Stretford, Manchester. Hope this helps someone out there ;)

Freakish Weather Flattens House Built On ****

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 23:00:00 +0000

Things change a lot in my life. Finding myself out of a job is not uncommon, and this time, I'm strangely finding it a time of peace, rather than storm. The above headline spoke to me as I drove home today. I know that it is not in vain and I trust in Him who is able to deliver me.

I'm full of excitement as I journey down life's unpredictable path, knowing God has it all planned out. Whatever happens in life doesn't compare to what has happened outside of it. The show must go on.

At World's End

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Sun, 27 May 2007 21:25:00 +0000

Actually, that's just the name of the latest installment of the Pirate's film, not how I feel, or a reflection of the current situation, whichever way you look at it - now that would be melodramatic!

The film wasn't so good in my opinion. Too many complications in the story line to make it enjoyable. Action scenes were nice but I preferred the 2nd film.

Life has been going swimmingly. Nothing to report. I am reasonably happy with things. No mid-life crisis in sight. Glad its bank holiday tomorrow. Had the chance to visit the homeland. Folks are well. Sister is good. Cov is still here. What else can you ask for?!

Spring back in the step

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 22:59:00 +0000

I don't know how many times you'll hear this said in life, but I'll say it once for now - Skegness was great! Taking advantage of the Good Friday and Easter Monday break is fantastic as I only took two days off work but had six days off. We drove down in our packs and arrived at different points in the day at the caravan park. Thankfully the weather held up all week and made for a more relaxing stay.

Each day we'd get up (some of us), and head for the Big Top, basically a large marquee with a capacity of several thousand people, at around 10am where we heard the message - based on this year's theme of One People. A guy called Jeff Lucas did a good job of this; i was particularly able to relate to his genuine and down to earth say of saying things. Overall it made you feel like Christianity wasn't such a weird thing after all.

After this, we'd either go to listen to a seminar and/or meet up for lunch. The afternoon was nice and chilled as we'd do what we wanted - there were lots of options provided by Butlins including the water chutes and swimming pool.

In the evening, thanks to a pre-planned rota, we'd cook for each other and then go off to a big worship session, also held at the big top. Thinking about it all, it was all very tiring - but equally refreshing. Just hoping not to come down to earth with a bang afterwards ;)

All The King's Men

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 23:47:00 +0000

I've just watched this film with my housemate and would say I enjoyed it. Once you get over the Southern accents applied by Sean Penn, Jude Law and Kate Winslet you can appreciate the storyline. As the story develops and the plot thickens you are challenged to work out where everything fits in and who the goodies and baddies are. Anyway, worth a watch in my opinion, but its not for light viewing!

Another film I watched recently was Amazing Grace - the captivating story of William Wilberforce and the long road to the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. You really should watch this one as its both educational and inspirational. One man's struggle that changed things for good; it makes me want to save the world.

Next week I'm off to Skeggy and Spring Harvest. I'm truly looking forward to this, as it should be (another) well deserved break and a time of refreshment. Last time I went was when I was a student, so perhaps this time I will be able to afford some of the books and CDs. I'm hoping to get a spiritual boost of sorts and enjoy getting closer to some of the people who will be there. Bring on the Easter break.

You probably think this song is about you

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 16:41:00 +0000

A quick post for the fans. City are currently winning 4-1 against Barnsley. 4 wins and 2 draws from 6 games under Iain Dowie - incredible! Let's keep it up Sky Blues. It is exciting following a team who can win games. Michael Mifsud and Jay Tabb sound amazing. Hopefully I'll be up to see them at Hillsborough.

Oh, and for the technically-minded, my latest I.C.E. project is in my Mazda 6. Here are some useful links [1, Rekse] [2, Mazda6Tech] for those who need help in this area. I've managed to get my 6 CD changer out. Look out for the pictures, I'll be uploading them soon ;)

Turn and face the stranger

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 18:38:00 +0000

In the last month I have: - a) been to Barcelona, b) woken up in the morning and c) moved to Chorlton! It is a transitional stage in the life of Juan Hombre.

Barcelona was wonderful, I can't believe that when we set off from John Lennon it was actually snowing and the wind was blowing ferociously. In sunny Spain, it was truly pleasant, easily managing double figures on the centigrade scale... I would have wished to stay longer. The food was nice, the city was big and the football was sexy.

Chorlton is also nice (nonetheless incomparable to Barcelona!). It has a different feel to Didsbury and Withington, where I've lived in the last 2 years. The flat is minutes walk away from the high street and you could easily find a dozen or so bars or restaurants within a half mile radius. My flat mate, hailing from major fishing port, moves in tonight.

Another place to write about, and possibly the least glamorous is good old Cov. Concerning the football team, I only wish to express my happiness at the appointment of Iain Dowie. Although resources are still limited, I feel that the former Oldham, Crystal Palace and Charlton boss can get more out of the current squad of players we have available.

Meanwhile, Real Coventry sit nicely on top of V.75. To finish there would be some achievement, but again, training and development has always been my long-term goal.

The Return of the King

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 00:17:00 +0000

These last few weeks have been eventful to say the least. Anything can happen in three days. I'm back in Manchester working at an electrical servicing company and am staying with some very nice people for the time being - the food is great and the lodging is luxurious; I'm being treated like a King!

Tomorrow we have some appointments to look at flats and are hopeful to find something. I guess the more I think about it, the more I'd like to buy as renting isn't cheap. Especially if I'm back for good - I don't want to be paying rent for the next 5 years of my life.

Speaking of which.. I've just turned the quarter century milestone! Life flies by ever so quickly but I do hope the next 25, God-willing, turn out to be as exciting as the last 25. Thanks for the surprise party Vic, and Marlon for hosting it. Until I recognised four cars parked outside I was still unsuspecting ;)

Since my last post City have indeed sacked the manager and are still losing. I don't know what the answer and I fear the dreaded 'R' word :(

Plan B

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 23:56:00 +0000

We're already well into the new year, time has flown by and its probably time to make a blog entry, so here goes...

It was a tough time over Christmas with my grandad passing away; we recently held a funeral which was attended by over a hundred people including close family members. He did a lot for me and my family so I am grateful for his contribution to the life I have. He worked hard, encouraged us to study hard and made sacrifices for his children and us, his grand children. We will miss him.

New Year was spent back up in my flat in Manc. On NY Eve, a few of us went down to watch Mike's band, Plan B, perform in a pub in a dodgy part of South Manchester. After that, we welcomed in 2007 back at the flat with drinks, nibbles and party games. I won't go into too much detail, suffice to say it was a fun night (we finished at 4:30am) and I was aching in the morning and well into the afternoon.

As I'm currently back in Coventry, I was looking forward to seeing some form of Sky Blue revival. Sadly, I cannot see that happening under the current manager. Having gone to see the 4-2 home defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace, I really do think its time for us to part company. We're not playing good football.

Deeper underground

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 16:46:00 +0000

As I made my way down the M6 towards Bristol this weekend for a reunion, I would not have been able to foresee what Gadsby had in store for us - his 'friends'.

It started off well enough, with the exception of Aalok being foolish and arriving late per usual. The journey south was 3hrs 15mins, which was a lot quicker than I expected. Perhaps the guys who look after the M6, M5 and M4 deserve some praise. Friday night was fine, Nilo even made the gathering and the four of us caught up, as Andy's new wife made startling discoveries about us and his past.

On the Saturday we awoke early for our adventure. If you've ever done caving before you'll know its about going underground in pitch blackness, depending on a small head lamp for light, crawling, writhing and wriggling through rock, stones and puddle, trying your very best to stay standing where the caves allow you to, and trying to move forward where the heights don't allow you to even crawl. It's a truly remarkable experience.

If you've not done this before I'd try and avoid a film called The Descent! It was hard work, and I don't mind the bruises and aches so much, but I wouldn't recommend it to you claustrophobes or achluophobes. You should have seen Kanwar, he couldn't quite believe his luck!

After getting cleaned up we spent some time recovering and then prepared for world domination. I must admit, I've actually been playing Risk quite frequently of late, with newly found players up here in Manc. But this legendary version of Capital Risk is quite something. Obviously, I won, but Aalok did try his utmost to stop me. Unlucky boys, better luck next time.

On the Sunday, I'd already planned to visit my sister in Bath and popped over in the afternoon and lunched at Nandos! It was good to catch up and check out her hood down there. As a surprise I also popped into my friend from uni, Tim. I didn't expect him to be living a couple of roads down from my sister but it was fun reminiscing. Overall, I had a tiring, but great weekend.

Casino Royale - A Full House

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 23:22:00 +0000

Last night I watched the latest James Bond film, Casino Royale, and thought it was good fun. It is certainly different to those of the Brosnan era, with a new 007, Daniel Craig, but being directed by the man behind GoldenEye, Martin Campbell.

The story itself is intriguing and you don't lose interest in the plot as it develops. Another strength of the film are the gripping action scenes which are as good as any from a Bond film. The scene in which Bond chases and kills a bomber into an embassy is fantastic. Craig himself did a good job with what he had.

But the Bond of old, had never relied so much on his physical prowess as this one did. There were fewer gadgets and more brawn-driven victories. Whereas Brosnan, Moore and Connery were suave and measured in any situation, Craig is aggresive and emotional. Could this be to do with his character development? Overall I think Daniel Craig did a good job as 007 but will be even better in faster, more action packed sequels.

The 21st Bond movie does have its weaknesses. It was too long and drawn out, the chief factor being the love scenes or dialogue between Bond and Lynd. I want more action! I rate this film as a 7 out of 10. Better than a flush, but worse than a four of a kind.

How the cookie crumbles

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 13:45:00 +0000

Today, for the 2nd time this year, it pains me to announce I'm retiring from my football career.

Injuries have plagued me for months and I've decided to take a break indefinitely. I'm going to the chiropractor today and have a physio appointment in December. The main problem has been my knee (upper gastrocnemius medial), but issues with hips, wrists and back have accumulated over time. Hopefully these problems will be resolved and I can come out of retirement again!

While The Sky Is Blue

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 00:01:00 +0000

This one is going to be purely about football and Coventry City Football Club so you can stop reading here if you have no interest in the subject!

Supporting this team is probably not good for your health, neither is supporting most football teams in reality. Not everyone can finish 1st, win the cup or gain promotion. This is certainly the case for the Sky Blues. I think whoever you support, it is vital that you are realistic about your team's capabilities or potential. This can affect your attitude to the results you achieve.

As a Coventry fan I can say that I was happy we finished 8th in the Championship last season (2005/06). The manager, Micky Adams, undoubtedly did well. He made some useful signings and got us playing effective, match-winning football. Now for various reasons, most notably the sale of our best attacking player - Gary McSheffrey, we have not yet started to play as well as we did last year. Personally, I think our greatest problem is goal-scoring and consistency.

Seeing as we lost our third game in a row I can understand frustration that comes from following this team. But what I feel is important, is that we need to put this result and our predicament in context. Coventry got relegated from the Premierhip in 2000/01 and since then, have not looked like achieving promotion. Financially, the club are still in tens of millions of debt and the club's main assets - the players, aren't the best in the league, but are arguably good enough to finish in the top 10 of the league.

My point is this, although its great to be optimistic and desire success for the team you support, you must remain realistic. I think if we finished in the top ten this season that would be good, but to finish in the top eight would be great. If you're whinging about the manager now, I think you need to wait, at least until Christmas before making a judgement. Nothing happens straight away, I'm not defending the team or the performances, but everybody needs time. This is only Adam's 2nd season in charge and at times, you need to keep the faith. Look at Alex Ferguson; if he was sacked after a slow start to the season Manchester United would not have won their last nine league titles. So please guys, keep the faith. Play Up Sky Blues!

Un pièce du gâteau

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 22:51:00 +0000

Victory was in the air on Sunday as I won the bake off competition against Jen! I was astounded as it was only my second ever attempt at a cake, and my first ever chocolate one. Some asked me what the secret ingredient was... I say, "all you need is love".

Just had a break from Manchester and journeyed home to watch City beat Colchester 2-1 at home. It was a game lacking in quality, but the result was right. I'm not convinced by the Kyle/John partnership but McKenzie was certainly a positive to take from the game. Robert Page was solid in defence, good to have Duffy back!

Next up is Barnsley away. If Aalok can get his act together we should be watching it together! Oh, I bumped into Nilo today when I did some shopping back home. Thanks for the fish (and chips), it was much appreciated my friend.

Something for the weekend

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 10:57:00 +0000

Free-lancing has been keeping me busy these last few weeks. I'm really enjoying the free time and being able to do the stuff I've been putting off.

One of these is sorting out my I.C.E. (in car entertainment). I'm getting a brand new Sony CD/mp3/DAB head unit for my Yaris. Take a look under Car Audio for a summary of my latest exploits. Self installation is saving me at least £80 and buying the head unit online is saving me £80 also. Empire Direct seem to have very competitive prices for car stereos and other electrical equipment.

City won at the weekend so I'm chuffed. I really do hope they finish above Everton in their respective leagues this season. A certain sportsman's bet depends on it! Our next fixture at Wolves is a tough one but we have to get a result to keep in touch with the contenders. We're currently ten points off top and in 11th place.

Closing Time

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 22:46:00 +0000

Please forgive my lack of reflection; things have been busy!

I've decided to move on from my job doing web development. Currently I have nothing lined up , but I think I'm looking forward to a new challenge and the next chapter of my life as it unfolds. Hopefully I'll find some work in Manchester, perhaps temping or freelancing until I find the right job. Obvioiusly, I'll keep you guys updated!

The Sky Blues are continually and increasingly a frustration in my life; we can't seem to win away from home, and more recently, have started to lose at home. It doesn't bode well for the rest of the season. The question for the season was always 'how do we replace McSheffrey?', and sadly I'm not convinced that we can.

Time to reflect

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Sun, 27 Aug 2006 00:06:00 +0000

Now I'm back and have had time to recover I'll start to make some blog entries relating to my trip. For your interest I've also uploaded some of my digital pix - Enjoy!

Back for good?

noreply@blogger.com (jmcheung) — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 23:35:00 +0000

After 24 hours of travel I am thoroughly knackered. Right now I wouldn't mind not stepping onto an airplane for a year. Manchester to London to Addis Ababa to Lusaka to Chingola and back. Those are the places I've visited in the past three weeks or so.

Zambia was great; my trip there has been an eye-opener and a big experience. One thing it has taught me is that we have a lot here in the UK. Everything is easier. Clean water is widely available, places are quicker to get to, food can be cooked with little thought or preparation. It is just a completely different world out there.

Something else I've learnt.. my future does not lie in brick-laying.