Ok, well off to visit my friend in Edinburgh. Up at an unmerciful hour but within five minutes of arriving, it was all worth it!!
I walked into the baggage area and there were men walking through the terminal in kilts - without irony! I just couldn't stop giggling. Must look up a kilt this weekend. Would be rude not to. ;)

Then made my way to the coach. Onto the bus stumbled a Welsh Hen party. Stileto boots and pink fuzzy cowboy hats were the required outfit. They were flung around the coach as they struggle with their massive cases.

Brilliant! Loving this trip so much already.

Make my way towards the Castle. I start listening to Scottish people on the street. I suddenly realise that I do not comprehend what they are saying. I am straining my ears to the point where the straining is reflected on my face reveiling a slightly constipated look. This is going to be interesting.

So, at the Castle, I begin wandering around. It is freezing out. Edinburgh is much colder than London but I didn't expect the bite! Brr! Going to need to get gloves and possibly thermal underwear.

As I make my way through the various exhibits, which are top notch, I decide to note a couple of the overheard statments.

Woman leaving a women's lavatory, "so many stairs around here!"

One woman remarking in the Scottish Honours exhibit, "At Disneyland..."

Just after the cannon is fired to mark One O'clock, "I didn't expect that big a bang". Documenter's note: It is a cannon!! What did you expect?!

After all that, walked down the Royal Mile to the end and went inside the Scottish Parliamentary Building. You can go in and sit in the gallery when they are in session. I did. It was fantastic. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was smaller than I thought which from the gallry made it feel very intimate. I thought the debate was great and I liked that Five o'clock the vote was called. Very efficient.

The day is not over but I have to say, based on so far's results, Edingburgh wins!!

I, like everyone, have been following the events in Burma/Myanmar. I am sympathetic towards the Monks, Nuns and civilian demonstrators. I truly hope that they stay safe while making their political statements and that the world offers them proper support - not just words!

Photo from the BBC website

The deadline for the Maoists to leave Government unless their 22-point demands are met is tomorrow.
All CPN (Maoist) affilated groups will be marching through Kathmandu tomorrow marking the start of their "strong agitation" programme. Unless some resolution is reached today (closed door talks are being held). It is likely that things may become a little more volatile in KTM and Nepal generally.

Well, last night I was on-line and a very old friend came on. About ten years ago at my first job after University, part of my responsibility was managing an internship programme for inner-city High School students. Most of these kids moved to the US as children or teenagers. Not only did they need to adapt to the language and the culture but often they were under heavy amounts of pressure to succeed from their families.

One in particular that I recruited, was the loveliest guy. A really genuine person who was torn between just being a normal seventeen year old and having to be the future bread winner for the entire family. He was hard working, funny and sweet. I found myself often joking with him and trying to cheer him up.

He came onto messenger last night and we chatted. He just found out that his wife is pregnant with their first child. I am so pleased for him. He has come such a long way. He still has the pressure of the world on his shoulders. Like he said last night, 'I am 28 but feel about 40', but I know that he will be fine. Just as I knew back then.

I am so lucky to have met and played some small role in his life as his boss and mentor. I know that I got a lot out of it. I know he did too.

Ahoy!

All right, me hearties.
'tis international Talk Like a Pirate Day on Wednesday, September 19th. Ya know what needs to be done. Ye must speak as a salty dog on this day and must avoid any land lubbering talk. I dare ya!!

here be the link if ya need tips on pirate speak. I realise ye may not be as fluent as me. Yarr!

Captain Bessy Bonnie

roisin murphy 'let me know'

This video is amazing and really makes me smile. It is Roisin Murphy from Moloko.

Feel really overly emotional and depressed lately and I feel that I really cannot talk to my friends about it. Maybe I should try to make an appointment with my therapist to talk about things again. Just tired of feeling so lonely.

I really shouldn't be sitting at my desk once again on the verge of tears.

Hang Drum and Violin 2

This is a video of my friend, David, impromptu jamming in Amsterdam. He is the violinist. He said that he had just gotten off the train and hadn't even found a place to stay. (Notice the bags behind him.) This made me so happy!!

This is so Awesome!!
Progressive decoration for your walls. Start with a grid of printed letters, and add circles around words as you find them. This wordsearch-inspired wallcovering is created by 5.5 designers.

I really love this idea.

Dream about Teeth
Okay, I had dream last night about my teeth or one tooth in particular. I had a dream that one, of my teeth, was pierced. In the dream, it was unusual but not unheard of for people to get their teeth pierced, and wear tooth studs or rings.

Although my tooth was pierced, very few people knew that it was done because it was higher on my tooth and only visible when I had a big smile. I recall thinking that it was an alternative items such as when some pierces their eyebrows or gets a tattoo.

I unscrewed the piercing and there was food trapped around the hole and on the jewelry. I was my tooth and the jewelry. My tooth was black around the edges of the piercing. I had been thinking about removing the jewelry because I wasn't sure if I wanted it anymore, but having seen this new development, contemplated keeping it because of the shame of the black.

I wasn't really sure what this dream meant and went looking on the internet for a possible answer.

Below is a interpretation from a dream website of what teeth might mean:
One theory is that dreams about your teeth reflect your anxiety about your appearance and how others perceive you. Sadly, we live in a world where good looks are valued highly and your teeth play an important role in conveying that image. Teeth are used in the game of flirtations, whether it be a dazzling and gleaming smile or affectionate necking. These dreams may stem from a fear of your sexual impotence or the consequences of getting old. Teeth are an important feature of our attractiveness and presentation to others. Everybody worries about how they appear to others. Caring about our appearance is natural and healthy.�

Another rationalization for these falling teeth dream may be rooted in your fear of being embarrassed or making a fool of yourself in some specific situation. These dreams are an over-exaggeration of your worries and anxiety.�

Teeth are used to bite, tear, chew and gnaw. In this regard, teeth represent power. And the loss of teeth in your dream may be from a sense of powerlessness. Are you lacking power in some current situation? Perhaps you are having difficulties expressing yourself or getting your point across. You feel frustrated when your voice is not being heard. You may be experiencing feelings of inferiority and a lack of self-confidence in some situation or relationship in your life. This dream is an indication that you need to be more assertive and believe in the value of your own opinion.

Hmmmm...don't know if that is what is going on in my head or not. But it may be.

UN Sends Text Messages Alerting Iraqis in Syria to Food Program

The United Nations has sent about 10,000 text messages on mobile phones to help inform Iraqi refugees in Syria that an international food distribution program for them begins tomorrow.

The UN Refugee Agency and the World Food Program will initially distribute enough rations to feed 33,000 Iraqis in Syria and about 50,000 by the end of the year, the UN said today in a statement. The UN agencies have pledged about $4.14 million to provide food for the next four months.

Syria has struggled to keep up with the surge of refugees from neighboring Iraq since violence increased there in May 2006, said World Food Program spokeswoman Brenda Barton.

``There are refugees that used to cross, but host families were able to take care of them,'' Barton said in a telephone interview from Rome. While the UN began providing some refugee food aid in Syria in March, the program that begins tomorrow will feed ``significantly more'' Iraqis than before, she said.

This is the first large-scale text message campaign to provide information about a humanitarian assistance program, said World Food Program spokesman Khaled Mansouri, speaking in a telephone interview from Cairo. ``This is a technology that will be used more and more in the future.''

Text messages to mobile phones are one of the most effective ways to communicate with communities of refugees who may not have stable addresses, the UN said.

The food will be distributed to families from a Red Crescent warehouse in Damascus and will be delivered by trucks to refugees located outside the city. The packages will include a variety of foods including rice, lentils, sugar, cheese, canned meat and fish, cracked wheat, tomato paste, pasta, beans, oil, tea and jam.

About 2 million Iraqis have fled their country since U.S.- led invasion began in 2003, and an additional 60,000 are leaving each month, according to the UN. The Syrian government estimates that about 1.4 million Iraqis have arrived there in the last three years. The World Food Program has estimated that about 50,000 of the Iraqis in Syria need food aid.