Hi Folks,

Yes I’m back from the other side of the world and hopefully brimming full of ideas! Well, yes I am actually. I’m busy writing up my article about it already, a commissioned article with pics. We had a fantastic time. I was inspired by Singapore and the year of the dragon images – a year of prosperity and abundance – yeah, give me some of that. Here are the dragons, perhaps the gold is the prosperity and the red is abundance?

I did think about writing up my blog during travels but afraid that the relatives and sights kept us too busy. And yes, I did find plenty of help with my book research too, all too boxes of photos, letters, receipts etc to sift through, not to mention all the library books I waded my way through but so exciting. Now I’m reading up on a few novels to fill in some fictional background. Currently reading my way through New Zealand author Barbara Ewing’s acount of some of the first travellers to NZ.

Only thing that saddened me on such a wonderful trip amongst such beautiful scenery was the sight of Christchurch one year on from its earthquake. Largely forgotten by the world its centre still lies in ruins – the red zone – with its shops reinvented in shipping containers and almost daily quakes which we felt. The worst thing is reading through a book I bought there called ‘Trapped’ with the experiences of the survivors and those they lost littering its pages. Sobering reading. Makes me more aware than ever how we need to cherish each day and our loved ones all the more.

I’ll write more of my experiences soon. Thanks for reading.