Travelogue
Liverpool FC - Above Us Only Sky - 7 November 2010
The plaque at Liverpool’s airport contains an apt excerpt from the eponymous John Lennon’s song Imagine, ‘Above us only sky’. In that football mad city, England’s most successful club side, Liverpool, the red half of Merseyside, is currently suffering its worst start to a season in decades. Liverpudlians (colloquially known as “Scousers”) are as famous for their humour as they are for their football fervour and knowledge. Beneath the lyrical quote someone had handwritten “And below us only Wolves and West Ham”. Once mighty Liverpool are enduring their worst start to a season in 50 years and find themselves for the first time in 26 years, in the bottom three, the relegation zone, though are unlikely to stay there for long. Last week’s win at Bolton, only their third for the season, saw them move up the table. Proud supporters of a proud club could now be described as troubled fans of a troubled club. Up to the game at Bolton, Liverpool had only won twice this year in the Premiership and drawn six, and no club had drawn games more this season so far. At the end of the Bolton match Liverpool fans before launching into the Kop anthem, extolled the virtues of Anfield Road, the home of the club. It was of little comfort to them then, that Bolton had not beaten Liverpool in over four years. Liverpool recently appointed 62-year-old Roy Hodgson as the club’s first English manager in over a decade replacing his predecessor
Korea - The North, the South and the Moon - 31 October 2010
Korea is two lands with a penchant for the greatest choreographed spectacles on Earth, big industries and the world’s largest weddings, all divided by the world’s most heavily fortified military zone and one of only two last vestiges of the Cold War. The Korean people appear polar opposites divided politically, militarily and
Nullifying the Opposition - 18 October 2010
According to the game’s commentators, rugby league is apparently all about banana kicks and nullifying the physicality of the opposition, or something like that.The Rugby League Four-Nations is about to take place in Australia and New Zealand from October until November 2010 featuring the host nations, England, and the 2009 Pacific Cup
It's The News But Not As We Know It - 11 October 2010
The media in Britain covers the whole spectrum from the ridiculous to the sublime, whereas New Zealand just has, well, the mediocre. At the recent annual television media awards, Television New Zealand (TVNZ) News beat the competition to be named news channel of the year for New Zealand in a competition of two, well, three –
Let the Games Begin - 3 October 2010
The Commonwealth Games are here. Terrorism, racism, burning effigies, exploitation, poverty, masses of security and, oh yeah, then there’s the sport.The XIX Commonwealth Games are about to get underway in the Indian capital, New Delhi, but not without more than it’s share of problems associated with hosting multinational sporting events.
Driving in New Zealand - 1 September 2010
Never mind the traffic in Ho Chi Minh City or murderous roads in Bolivia, driving in New Zealand can be just as lethal. New statistics show New Zealand road deaths are among the highest in the world per capita, alongside Cambodia, Malaysia, Lithuania and Slovenia.Per capita, Kiwi road deaths last year were the ninth highest, with 8.9
Boca Juniors - The Chocolate Box and the Cake Tin - 24 August 20
The Wellington Phoenix football team has only been around for a handful of years playing against teams from Australia in the Hyundai-sponsored A-League. For a team with a mix skilled squad they recently managed a remarkable feat, beating a team with one of the greatest pedigrees, Boca Juniors from Argentina. Granted Boca
Ayutthaya - Venice of the East - 12 August 2010
Ayutthaya (or Ayuthaya, or even Ayodhaya. No matter how you spell it, its pronounced ah-you-tah-ya.) was the former royal capital of Siam from the mid-fourteenth century until the late eighteenth century. You wouldn’t know it to visit it, but the city is more-or-less an island bisected by a myriad of canals. Located an
Luang Prabang - The Jewel of Laos and UXO - 19 July 2010
Luang Prabang, the jewel of Laos, a UNESCO heritage site, situated at the confluence of the Mekong and Kham rivers is home to 32 pagodas, and famous chill out place for overseas visitors. Once the capital of Lane Xang, the Kingdom of a Million Elephants, Luang Prabang is the old royal city of Laos. The peaceful town beside the Mekong
