Finally, I have my J1 Visa application filled in, my deposits and embassy fee paid and my excitement bottle filled! After months of deliberation, I have scratched my proverbial foot.

The hardest choice was where to go, and after a lot of thinking, and considering I have already had a taste of the big, slightly dirty, apple, I have decided on California. Where in Cali you say? Nope, not O.C (An Toe-See) but San Diego.

…they namedit San Diego, which of course in German means a whale’s vagina

My Bags are not quite packed yet, but preparations are in order and savings have begun. And I will finally get to open a US bank account. I would like to thank all those at USIT for their incredible support with the J1and genuine passion for their customers too

More information as I get it. And hopefully my brief visit to China last year will not go against me in my interview. Thanks for watching.

Just want to wish all my readers, (RSS subscribers…you know who you are) friends, family and people I have met all along my travels, a very very happy holiday season and a wonderful new year.

My adventure continues in the new year, (If you can call it that) and the site will have a brand new engine behind it, WordPress 2.0. I have waited a long time for it, and a few more days wont hurt. I will also be spending a week spell checking my posts over the past year.(Those Asian keyboards are at fault, not me!).All destinations have now been confirmed and I will update you with my 2006 shortlist very shortly.(And God knows my plans should change as usual!) Have a great Christmas and super 2006!

London! (In a tubs accent). So we got our flight OK and after not one hitch we made our way to Stansted, blah blah, on the train and arrived somewhere in the middle of London.

Out of the “East end” exit for novelty purposes and we were on our way. Wandering around for a while waiting and killing time, we finally got a phone call from Rosin (Antos Aunt who we were supposed to be staying at). Read the full story

In exactly one hour I leave for London. Feel strange, even though its such a short time. I still find time to post this! No, I can’t stay away from Jessica

So anyway, I’ll keep you all updated. Girls, behave yizzerselves Saturday night!

Buh Buy.

I woke this morning to a letter being shoved in my face. “Your ticket came!”. Finally, after weeks of dossing around on EBay I managed to secure myself a ticket to see League Of Gentlemen live in London with the Poontang and the Bean.

Major rave up the weekend, and of course the sightseeing. Can’t forget the sightseeing.

Although this is my second time in London, it will be the first time outside the airport actually IN London. Fun and games are likely to ensue. Just knowing I will be on a jetplane this Friday is enough to ease the Travel Virus.

Not that anyone reads this, but watch this space. I finally get to add some photos again!

What is it about the travel bug? Is really a bug or a phycological retardation? Why doesn’t it go away?

Usually, problems, maladies, guilt, etc. they ALL go away after time. This one gets worse. And it’s finally consumed me. Plans are in motion. In motion.

I would just like to wish Mike over at UnRealTravels who is off on a new adventure all the best and a safe journey.

Mike has been a huge help to me dishing out invaluable advice while I was on my first solo adventure. I hope you have as much fun as I did Mike. God Speed.

On another note, I have decided to continue my adventure this March with hopefully a trip up to Iceland (If I can get a flight less than two grand!). Watch this space.

OK. I am finally home. Finally. The trip certainly was an adventure and I have so many people to thank for the help and support along the way…. but thats another story.

As promised, all wordpress help and mods I performed, especially on the design and integration with bbpress will be dealt with on my other site.

Pop on over and take a look. Its all free!

Well, after finally arriving here, and meeting a LOT of people in my hostel and MAYBE going to DINGDONGS in Harlem (It is safe).

The Hostel is EXCELLENT despite the bad reviews on the Internet. The yanks are too fussy. I suppose, I stayed in some shitholes, so this is LUXURY for me. I have blankets AND hot water and everyone is pretty cool. Everyone is like….

So anyway, here and out with Shanon. We helped Ellie with her bags (Its her first day travelling and shes off to camp America as a camp leader). The poor girl, shes from NZ and she was like a scared little girl. We took her bags to the Subway and then to Port Authority bus station and sent her on her merry little way.

Now me and Shanon are in the biggest Internet cafe I have ever seen somewhere west of 40th. (I’m well up on my lingo already)

Went for some coffee and bagels earlier and strolled around the downtown area. WOW. I love and hate this city.

Have to go now and …hmmm go flake about in Central Park. Or Maybe grab a Mocha in Central Perk. OR… I wonder if Samantha Jones is still around

Photos next update!

OK, I have FINALLY arrived in The Big Apple! Its so refreshing to have Internet access too! And WOOOOO is it fast!

Anyway, my journey from hell started in Yangon when my flight to Bangkok was cancelled. So I had to wait around for 6 hours to get another one and that is NOT a fun airport to be waiting around in. I was “Randomly” searched twice while waiting. Hmmm…Why? They also took the memory card from my camera and looked at all my (Or lack of) photos from Burma. Anyway…moving swiftly on…..

Arrived barely safe in Bangkok. Had to wait another 4 hours in Bangkok Airport for my flight. My Journey and last day in Thailand would NOT be complete without me loosing my phone. And thats what I did. Oh well.

Oh, Guess what…when it was time to check in, I was picked for a random open luggage check. Why? Don’t know! Anyway, after 30 mins of trying to get my tickets changed, I got checked in and was finally on my way. But wait….it Wouldn’t be right if I wasn’t….you guessed it… randomly picked for a “Routine random search” on BOARDING! . Upon my search, I asked…Why? The lady who initiated the bag check said that “I looked like a guy with an English passport she saw earlier”. Hmmmm. Interesting.

The journey from Bangkok to Sydney was SUPPOSED to be 9 hours BUT some poor lady had a heart attack or stroke or something and we had to stop off in Indonesia (Jakarta) for 2 hours. (At least I can say i was there!).

Arrived in Sydney after the 11 hour journey from Bangkok only to have realized that I lost my Bank and Credit cards (Still had my passport). Turns out I left them on the plane and I realized in time for someone to go get them. Another 6 hour wait in Sydney…

I tried to get out to see the bridge and Opera House, but at immigration I was stopped by police and told I needed a visa to leave the terminal. Whoops. The guys were cool and they liked my passport picture so much they took a photocopy and put it up on their noticeboard. Had a good laugh, and at least I made a mark SOMEWHERE in OZ!

Anyway, after the 6 hour wait was over, I was on my way to Los Angeles… but not without….U.S sanctioned searches. EVERYONE got this, not just me. All my lighters and matches were removed and I had my SHOES searched. The 13 hour journey across the dateline went without a hitch (Well…with the movie Hitch actually) all thanks to a rake load of valium, my new best friends on flights.

Arriving in LA was almost FRIGHTENING. Had to take my bag off the plane and have it RECHECKED to get to New York, fair enough. WOW, after getting my fingerprints taken and mug shots done (Smiling ones of course ) I got out into LA for a smoke. Nice place but then came the RE-CHECK in disaster where they wouldn’t check my bag in because BA already checked my bag through to NY. Weird. Anyway, after that was sorted came the fun…

Going through the boarding gates of LA I walked through the machine thingy. BEEP. Took off EVERYTHING metal and went through again….. BEEP. “Male at four!” was screamed and over came some pretty rough looking black dudes with magic wands.

I was made take off my Sweater and shoes and socks. BEEP BEEP BEEP What the F%&K ?!?!

I was then taken to a “room” where i was asked to take off my shirt. OK, fine. I’m cool dawg, I’m cool

The BEEPING was going off in my “Nut area” so I was a little hmmmm surprised to say the least.

“Sir, I am now going to touch your front and i must stress that this is with the back of my hand and is for security reasons only, do you understand?”

“Yo Dawg, I say you I cool!”

After being nicely patted down, I was asked to remove my jeans. So I did. Wanded again. No beep.

The guy took up my jeans and rooted through the pockets again. He pulled out a little ball of the cigarette foil you take out when you open a new box of smokes.

“OK sir, thats fine”.

“So I no longer a security threat to yo mo fo country of the ‘FREE’ dawg?”

“No sir, please take your items and continue on, we are very busy…oh and stop talking like that”.

***True story.

Anyway, another 2 hour wait in LA airport and I was on my way to NEW YORK CITY! Finally. Got the same seat and got stuck beside a REALLY STINKY SWEATY SMELLY DIRTY SMELLY and above all SMELLY American. So I refered to my old friends and went to sleep.

After being woken up prior to decent, I could see New York. YEAY! The flight in was great and … well, it was nice to look out the window is all.

Landed in NYC and got very few checks. I was free to go. FINALLY

Called Sarah, let her know I was here and met the guy who won “Late night poker” on Channel four last year. “The Poet”.

Got the airtrain the wrong way but finally made it to the NYC subway. MAN, it is EXACTLY like in the movies. Its FILTHY and old and New Yorkers are rude, obnoxious and VERY VERY overweight. Oh, and did I mention….. REALLY STUPID. Its like, how did these people make it so far in life?

Met a Canadian guy on the subway that offered me to come out with him and his girlfriend and her friends the next day for beers cos he was only visiting here and he wanted a GUY to speak to. I agreed.

Got off the subway at 42nd and I needed to stop to breath. WOW. My first glimpse of New York. Walked over to Time Square. Its MUCH bigger than it looks in photos and on Friday night, it was BUSY and while I was stopped looking up in AWE, I got my first welcome to NYC. A Shove to the side and a “Move it along fat ass!”. Am I really fat?

Look Meg, theres a guy touching his crotch… Oh I love this city…SO ALIVE!

***Lois Griffin

Went for a beer ($10 a pop!) and then proceeded to look for a hostel.

Made my way up to 106th west of CP and found a place. Jazz on the park hostel. REALLY cool. Only 2 beds left and a Canadian girl arrived at the same time as me so we got them. The queue behind was pretty long and everyone behind was turned away. Ill Start a new post.