Well I have had a fantastic trip to Australia so far. I have really, really enjoyed catching up with all the family. Everyone seems well, happy and settled- very nice to see. I just came back from a visit to Sydney yesterday where I stayed in my cousin Zoe's new house- very cute, I was (almost) jealous.

Here are a few pictures. I have to admit I have been a bit lazy on the photo taking front....but here are a few anyway to get you started.


All the family.


The newest addition to the family Charlie James (my cousin's son). Charlie's middle name is after me, or so his mother told me!

Some pictures of one of my most perfect days in England. Warm sun, cool breeze and fifty happy sheep- what more could a boy in his prime want? What a lucky country I live in.

Wow. What an afternoon. I just finished a protest in aid of stopping the proposed abattoir. Dominic and I were both completely paranoid that no one would show up to a protest he (and a small group of other people) had organised.

We arrived half an hour early and there were already about twenty people on the field getting ready to protest. We were satisfied with that, but we had absolutely no idea what was coming. More and more people kept flooding through the gates until we had (unbelievably) around 300 protesters all up against this monstrous development. There were babies to great grandmothers all on that one field beside the A140 for a common reason- to protect our countryside and protect our childrens' futures.

I was incredibly moved. Moved by the unbelievable sense of community. Everyone standing on that field genuinely cared for this country and more importantly, they genuinely cared about each other. No one was there for themselves protesting, everyone was there for each other.

I am so proud of my baby for organising such an incredible event. Dominic spoke so well today and touched, moved and inspired literally hundreds of people. I was a very proud boyfriend.

Perhaps Suffolk isn't all Tory biggots after all.

x

PS. I was photographer today, so here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure.

In God's Hands

There are some days when I feel so disillusioned by people, by bureaucracy and by British society I get virtually beside myself. I am reminded of how humans, as a species, are literally the cockroaches of the earth- only cockroaches don't do nearly so much damage.

In case some of you haven't had a chance to listen to the voices of hundreds of Mid-Suffolk residents, there is a good chance that an enormous abattoir and meat processing plant will be passed by Mid Suffolk Council. Apparently there could be an 'over-riding need' for a development in beautiful untouched countryside. This abattoir will end the lives of 150,000 pigs, 25,000 sheep and 13,000 cattle a year- all for human consumption. The development will be 8,400 square metres with an effluent pool around the size of an olympic swimming pool (containing the blood and excrement of these animals which will be slaughtered).



The fact that nearly 200,000 animals will be slaughtered just yards away from a home committed to vegetarianism and sustainable agriculture literally brings me to tears. These 200,000 animals a year equate (in numbers) to the 200,000 deaths during the Bosnian genocide between 1992-1995. I am beside myself that it is likely a mass murder of epic proportions will happen on the site I walk my dog each morning.

And for what overriding need? So little Johny can pig out at McDonalds on beef burgers three times a week, only to die of a heart attack at age 42? I just don't get it. I know many, many vegetarians who live on a vegetarian diet. They are heathy, energetic and, most importantly, live their lives without murder and suffering. There is no need to eat meat, and certainly no overriding need.



So the four hundred odd residents of Yaxley and Eye have written our letters and have made our voices heard. If you haven't had a chance to write, please visit the website www.stopeyeabattoir.com and write a brief email (links on the website and reasons to object- apparently the vegetarian argument isn't relevant). It doesn't matter where you are from, what link you have to Suffolk (if any), whether you are a friend or a family member of mine- your emails can really make a difference now.

The fate of this abattoir is in the hands of us, and God.

'No wise man ever wished to be younger.' -Jonathan Swift

Well it really has been the most magical, special weekend of my life. Thank you so much to all those people who made turning 21 such an event- I really wasn't expecting to have such a great weekend!

A big 'thank you' to you, Junie, for my lovely photo album and beautiful card! It made me realise how much time and effort you put into my birthday cake each year as I was growing up! To Dominic for my amazingly generous gifts and the lovely hotel we stayed in on Saturday night in Kensington, to Sid and Anne for the wondeful photography gift (so generous), to mum and dad for my flight (thank you so, so, so much- you are the absolute best), to Peter for the great digital camera which is going to get so much use over in China and to Brunswick for the framed photo of himself....he is so vain, like his daddy.

I feel truly blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful friends and family, I felt really moved by everyone's cards, gifts and birthday wishes.


x

'If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.' -Anne Bradstreet

Well, here I am two days before my 21st birthday. I thought it is probably as good a time as any to update my very neglected blog (over a month since I last edited the poor thing).



So my flight back home to Australia and then on to China has all been booked. I will be in Australia on the 10th of July and will probably go down to Sydney, hang around Brisbane, and go down to Byron/Lismore for a few days too. Those of my Aussie friends, get in touch, I would love to catch up with you! I am so excited about my trip to China now. I feel a little bit like I am running around in circles with the whole language-learning-with-no-practical-experience thing. I am just so ready to get over there and start speaking Chinese!



I am going to Hong Kong first and visiting my old homestay Glenda Tang. She is lovely and georgeous in every way- and I can't wait to see her. She stayed with my family about seven years ago. We have kept in touch (albeit with sporadic emails) and it will just be so nice to see her again. The last time we saw her was when we went to Hong Kong....she was so excited to see us. I am really looking forward to it.



I am then catching the train up through China. Going to a few places along the way. Most excitingly, I have a couple of days in Shanghai where I am planning to visit Susannah (http://susannahinshanghai.blogspot.com). She is an American exchange student who studied at SOAS for the first semester. She has moved onto Shanghai now. It will be wonderful to see her, too.



Then I will get to Beijing. I will be spending the next 9-10 months of my life in this city, so there will be lots to adjust to! I need to find a house to live, find my university, suss out the transport, suss out the food, learn the language (well, properly, at least). It is all going to take a lot of time and probably a few years off my life, but I'm up for the challenge! It is all just so exciting...I can't wait.



It was the first really warm day of the year today (for those of you who MAY misinterpret 'really warm' this = 25 degrees). I ended up heading down to Regents Park with my flatmates Eva and Alex (who moves out on Saturday). We played with a frisby, did some study, had a frappacino each....it was such a lovely relaxing afternoon. I hope the next few months have lots of warm, clear days like today in stall.



Here are some pictures. All courtesy of Eva (my adorable German flatmate).

For those of you who are reading this after my birthday, don't fret, you were with me in spirit...awwhhh

Love to all

Jamie.

'Communism is the death of the soul. It is the organization of total conformity--in short, of tyranny--and it is committed to making tyranny universal'. -Adlai Stevenson



Budapest is a city like no other I have been to. Some stucco fronted buildings will be newly renovated but will be juxtaposed beside black, but obviously grand buildings, scarred with boarded up windows and graffiti. But underneath the many soot covered buildings is a society clearly desperate to break through; desperate for the whole world to see its beauty and understand its vibrant yet brutal history.



Everything that is wrong with communism can still be seen in the present day Budapest, despite the communist regime ending more than fifteen years ago. Communism not only rips the soul from a living being turning an individual into an unthinking, mindless cell, but destroys the soul of a city too. This city's soul is only now coming back to Budapest. Art, once again, is beginning to proudly hang on the walls of the city's public galleries, and the buildings are gradually being restored. But most importantly, the people seem happy.



As a student to SOAS, I am made familiar with left wing thought on a daily basis. Although I can occassionally understand their perspectives, I can still not understand how anyone can still support a social engineering experiment which killed over 100,000,000 men, women, and children, not to mention the near 30,000,000 of its subjects that died in its often aggressive wars and the rebellions it provoked.



Budapest is a beautiful city, which will only become more beautiful as its communist past becomes a more and more distant memory. I have no doubt we have a lot to see from this country in years to come and very much look forward to visiting it again.

Take care

Jamie.