:SEA The World: Thailand

SEA of LOVE

PART II

I've been planning a Sea of Love Part II for some time.. but for one reason or another it just hasn't eventuated... In fact I think most of my Part II's have not eventuated... I wonder if it is as I use my favourite images in the Part I or that somehow the enthusiasm gets lost after the first attempt.. I read somewhere once that you should never verbalize what you intend to create as it takes the momentum out of the doing so.. as if all one's creative energy is lost in the telling.. Well not sure about that however I do seem to have had a mental block with this Part II.. Partly due to indecision what to write about.. I always have a few mishaps during my travels.. Which are annoying at the time.. but make for interesting stories back home.. So today I think I'll tell you about my fews crazy hours at Bangkok airport .. waiting to return home..

JUST ANOTHER DAY AT THE AIRPORT

We'd just flown in from Phuket and were making our way to the International flight to Sydney.. Now when I say 'We' I mean 'Me' and other passengers who just happened to be on the same flight.. In the slow slow line waiting to be checked by customs, I struck up a conversation with another aussie... When it was his turn to be checked the customs officer got into a bit of a flap as I went through separately... 'Your Wife' .. 'Your Wife' they kept yelling.. 'Your Wife .. Come Back' !!! Thankfully the guy explained he didn't know me.. and I was let go.. phew.. wonder what he did to cause such ruckus!!

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Well the shoe was on the other foot a little bit later... You see in my boredom of the two hour wait.. I had found myself at an Oxygen Massage Bar.. Ever experienced one of these?? Well it is a seated neck and shoulder thai massage.. but.. with pure oxygen pumped through your nasal cavity during the process.. Well!!! I was off like a kite !!! Felt like I was deliriously drunk.. Skipping [I mean walking] around the airport smiling and giggling to myself.. and yes that was getting me a bit of attention.. At some point I ran into that aussie guy from customs.. attempted to find out what all the hoo ha was about.. but in my oxygen altered state he was pretty keen to steer clear of me.. haha I don't blame him ... Bangkok airport really is somewhere one should at least try and act normal.

SMUGGLING CONTRABAND

Not long after it was time to go through yet another check point before boarding the flight to Sydney .. This time they were checking passengers with one of those electronic monitoring wand thingies ... The official asked me to stand on a box so she could scan me for anything naughty .. I did .. Next minute in front of anyone who happened to be watching.. [just a few hundred people].. She grabs me on the stomach,... shakes it around a bit and asks in a thunderous voice .. "WHAT IS THIS?' .. Uhhhmm .. I reply just as thunderously.. "MY FAT'!! hahahaha.. .It took giving her a visual of said fat to satisfy her I was not smuggling anything onboard... Once again.. in front of anyone who cared to be watching!!! I'd like to say people weren't snickering during the nine hour flight home!! hahaha Happily I made it home safely... with a slight oxygen hangover.. The moral: Beware of Oxygen Bars and Flaunting Your Fat.

[click on the icon for more SEA The World posts]

[For more Phuket shots .. click here]

So I am a little behind in visiting and emails.. I've been feeling a bit fluey.. Nothing a bit of oxygen wouldn't fix.. And last night we had a huge electrical storm... It knocked out 'MAC in the box' once and I wasn't game to try for a second time.. Apparently we are under threat of severe storm warnings for tonight also!!! Crazy spring weather..

'Have A Fabulous Week Everyone'

IMAGE SOURCE:

Text, Photography & Altered Image Artwork by Being Ruby©

Location: Phuket: 'Palm Trees': View from Evason Resort & Spa

'Others': Day trip on Pang Nga Bay

Why I'm Nuts!! [Part1]

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Is this Flippin' Annoying?

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It's Making Me Nuts!!!

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Every Tuesday afternoon.. rain . hail or shine.. my neighbour warms up his piano accordion and off he goes!!! Now... I could imagine myself in some delightful village in France.. or perhaps a Parisian Cafe.. sipping on cafe au lait and watching the children ride the merry go round... little child laden ponies bobbing up and down... melted ice cream swirling through their brightly coloured manes.. .. balloons gaily bobbing in tune!!

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BUT ... After 10 mins of 'Da Diddie Di Di' I'm pretty much over it ... Three Hours every Tuesday!!! blaaaaaaah!!!.. And all just a few steps from my window ... so think super sonic sound waves!! and repetition as you have never known.. He only knows one song!! No.. that's not true.. Last week's feverish gardening exercise coincided with the Tuesday Delight... It didn't take me long to know the tune by heart.. in frustration i sang along.. loudly.. hahaha.. This caused an immediate reaction of tune change.. but it wasn't to last .... we were soon back to 'Da Diddie Di Di'... Actually it all reminds me of the Gilmore Girls episode when Lorelai auditions the zydeco band for her wedding,. Anyone remember that episode??? the band just keeps playing and playing and playing and playing and plaaaaaaaaaying ... you get the picture!

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Another Tuesday event here in Australia is the Melbourne Cup Horse Race .. Run annually, the first Tuesday in November it is called 'The Race That Stops The Nation' ... people everywhere put down their pens.. move away from their computer screens and tune in for the three minute race. Even non-gamblers take a punt.. It is probably the biggest gambling day in our year.. and perhaps the only time everyone stops and pays attention.

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... But NOT Mr Piano Accordion Man ..

No The Race That Stops The Nation ... Will not stop him!!!

He's still going.. I could go out there and record it for you??

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OK back to the Guessing Game and Mystery Prize

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Pick Miss Bitter Betty

[here]

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As I'm still feeling nuts.. I think I'll leave it up a few more days and have decided the prize will be your choice of either a B&W or colour print of my Fly Boys below .. Patzo like me!.. Nuts and Noisy ... but far preferable to the The Piano Accordion Man. Although.. If you wanted him instead it could be arranged for a small fee..

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... That's all for now ...

I'm very busy.. I must go stuff some toilet paper in my ears!!

Should I leave you with more of his song??

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No... Why should you suffer!!

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IMAGE SOURCE:

All text, photography and artwork by Being Ruby©

SONG: By Mr Piano Accordion Man [dont' blame me!!]

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... He's STILL Going!!! ...

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To The Moon Alice: Oct 2009 [& Black & White Sunday]

I hesitate to miss another Black & White Sunday in lieu of my Full Moon Post, so I am combining the two. I also have some more oddities & mishaps to share.

This image was taken at the last full moon but too late for my post. Once again I took to the balcony, camera wrapped tightly round my wrist and leant over into the abyss to take this shot of the moon hovering over the now leafless and creepy looking Jacaranda Tree. It’s only 2 floors up, but feels like the abyss, in the dark, with the bats flying around.. YES.. bats!! eeek! Do you think they know Halloween is coming?

I also have some colour & sepia versions of this shot, but for now, here she is in Black & White, Bella La Luna;

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So nature seems to have a mind of it’s own this last week or two. The bats are new and have taken up residence in the tree out the front. We do get bats around this area due to the nearby parks but they usually don’t stay so close to human activity. Nor do they usually swoop so low or do flyby’s when you are sitting on the balcony. Every night they get a little closer. It’s giving me the creeps. I'd post some photos of them if they didn't move so fast!

And if bats aren’t your thing, then there is always the wasps. YEP.. must be a nest somewhere close as the wasps keep dive bombing me when I am out on the balcony in the daylight hours enjoying a magazine and coffee. Poor House Beautiful took a beating trying to fend of the wasp as it kept coming at me.. There was a lot of ‘hand flinging, hissy fitting’ going on trying to get back in and close the door. I’ve taken to sitting out there with the coffee in one hand and insecticide in the other. Not a nice way to treat nature.. but nature’s getting dangerous. It came at me again today, but this time I substituted House Beautiful for the more weighty tome of Vogue Living in my defence.

But wait there’s more. Last week we had a Red Bellied Black snake out the front of our office building [did I tell you about the snake already? I can’t remember]. Now this is Sydney CBD folks, not the usual place to find a venomous snake. The Police and Wildlife Rescue were called but couldn’t get it to come out from where it hid with all the commotion. Turns out the following weekend, shopkeepers saw the snake come out and stop traffic as it crossed the road. And ‘Why Did The Snake Cross The Road?’ … to get to the Blood Bank of course.. ha ha Someone suggested I park my car out the front of work the other night when I was working late. I don’t think so!!

There you have it, my latest Full Moon Madness.. and all strange but true stories! Welcome to Sydney and the world of Ruby!!

Pop over to see other Black & White Sunday participants Hosted by

‘Anne Marie of Na-Da Farm Life’

IMAGE SOURCE: Image by me [being Ruby]

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UPDATED: YES I am reposting Sunday's post. Just until I have a chance to put something else up. The Aliens abducted the post subsequent to this one. Something about confiscating evidence! And to all who had commented .. Thanks a bunch!!! The general concensus was Aliens!!

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SYDNEY: After the BIG RED

Hey everyone… sorry I haven’t posted Wednesday’s Venice post, nor come to visit all your lovely blogs, but been fighting the RED Dust Monster.

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I’ve never been ‘big’ on the colour RED.. now more than ever. I now seem to have RED dust covered decor throughout my home. RED car… RED Clothes… RED dishes in the dish rack.. RED Floors… and RED Head!! Well not quite that bad… but actually sort of!! RED PC… it is all over my PC and probably inside it too!!! There is a fine layer of red dust everywhere and unfortunately on the night the dust storm rolled in.. I had the fan of my air conditioning unit on, so it is full of Red dust and so is my living room.. and kitchen.. and bathroom.. and some even in the bedrooms and I’m pretty sure in my lungs!! Been coughing all night..and have a MONSTER headache. [Godzilla size headache!] Need sleep!!

You’ve probably heard about the RED Dust Storm Sydney encountered yesterday. Well here are the pics! [this image was doing the rounds of our office yesterday. Godzilla is not real.. but the rest is!]

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I awoke yesterday to a weird yellow glow. Thought the world was on fire!! Strange light I have only seen once before when Sydney experienced it’s worst bushfire season. The dust storm was accompanied by gale force winds, so driving to work yesterday was a treat!! Branches falling on the road in front of me, somewhat deserted streets, and weird eerie yellow glow to everything and the roads covered with brown/red dirt! Just layered with it… strange but true!!

I don’t think there is a clean car in Sydney. Yesterday, for the first time I saw Sydneysiders wearing face masks. We’re a tough lot in Sydney and don’t usually bother with that sort of thing. They didn’t wear them for the Avian Flu, nor for the Swine Flu.. but the BIG Red… face masks everywhere [except the smokers who took it in their stride… just another day!]

Today is back to normal, somewhat! Just the big cleanup now. I hadn’t realised my fan function on the air conditioner was sucking in external air.. until I took a look at the unit and filter.. OMG.. covered in red dust.. was breathing it in all night which accounts for the cough I have now.

Now this is NOT a pretty post! [as you can see by Godzilla above]. Thought you might enjoy these images I took of before and after cleaning the air filters in the air conditioner.

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Before Cleaning

After Cleaning [sort of]

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The only UP side is I seem to have ESP!! ha ha I bought a new PC and scanner 3 months ago and have NEVER unpacked them.. Even I cannot understand my hesitation… until now!! Thank goodness. The PC is right under the air conditioning unit that has been blowing the RED stuff all night!! Strangely I have even been putting off getting a new TV.. remember me posting I have no green on my TV? .. well I certainly have RED on it now… another bonus for procrastination!! Also been procrastinating about buying a new car!! Another Bonus!! Well I think I need some more sleep… Will catch up with posts and comments very soon!! Thank you to those sweet ppl who have left comments and emails of concern! You are too sweet!!

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RED Julie

PS Sorry this is such an ugly post.. someone has to report the Ugly news!!

My Week In Review: [or Calamity Julie with a tag]

I’ve had one of those weeks. Some days I seem to attract disaster, but this week was a doozy.

[wanted surrender - this will do]

This is how my week went;

Last Weekend - Set myself on fire filling a candle lighter – burnt clothing not me - Lucky

Monday - Broke a tooth eating salad (extra hard bacon bits!!) – Not lucky

Tuesday - Stabbed my finger on a scone (extra sharp bacon bits!!) - Strange

Wednesday - Got hit by an automated garage door (why?)

Thursday –
- Had emergency temporary filling and will need a crown - $$$

- Temporary filling fell out whilst waiting to pay

- Had another emergency temporary filling

- Discovered had misplaced my purse whilst waiting to pay

- Walk back to car in rain, find purse

- walk back to dentist in rain, pay $$$

- Leave dentist cross road – oops forgot umbrella

Friday – bee in car whilst driving in peak hour

Still alive – but workmates are worried

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY: The wonderful Cate at 'Ella And Baba' tagged me to play '6 uninteresting things that make me happy'. Considering my week they are;

1. Still have hair

2. Still have other teeth

3. Still have fingers

4. No broken bones

5. Found Purse

6. Didn't crash car

I am suppose to pass this on to 6 other bloggers. However, given the recent flood of tagging, I will do as others have done and offer it up to anyone who would like to play? Don't be shy ... you know you want to!

Meanwhile, go and give Cate a visit. Her blog is a haven for beautiful, stylish posts brimming with gorgeous images and so worthy of your visit.

I particularly like her 'Blue Posts'.