tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116799262009-07-15T12:26:38.915+10:00Life and times of a keen Himalayan trekker.momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-44478695671646624672009-07-15T12:17:00.002+10:002009-07-15T12:26:38.929+10:00

I am an advocate of public transport, so you would think I would be all for the new Eastern Busway but I'm not. Sure, it will reduce the travelling time for people commuting to the city from Redlands Shire by quite a considerable amount of time, but at what cost? It's not the people of Redlands who are paying the biggest price, but those of us living in the inner-city. The busway is going to

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-26980437234556798092009-07-11T15:16:00.002+10:002009-07-11T15:32:13.461+10:00

I've just signed up to Twitter and am finding it fun. I originally did it so I could find out how it worked so that I could write an article about it for my work blog. I wanted to write about Twitter as a useful tool for staff to use to keep in touch with what various politicians and government departments were doing. So now I have my own account - www.twitter.com/elldeelosang - and I have eleven

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-28645738695986378952009-06-15T13:22:00.007+10:002009-06-15T13:37:21.814+10:00

Last month we spent a weekend up at Hervey Bay. Here are some of the photos I took of that weekend.

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-54759361972473244252009-06-06T15:07:00.004+10:002009-06-06T15:27:12.184+10:00

My cheque from the government's stimulus package finally arrived and Smithy and I immediately rushed out and bought tins of paint to give the house a bit of a makeover. The front hallway, bathroom and toilet are all finished and Smithy's now got stuck into the kitchen. She's tackling it half the room at a time, so the big hutch has been emptied and moved onto the back deck. All its contents are

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-91780619280324278152009-01-15T19:18:00.003+10:002009-01-15T19:54:45.905+10:00

How often do you turn on the telly, see someone famous and say "Ooh, I've met him"? My interest in the series 'Long Way Down' has been piqued ever since I met Charlie Boorman last May. The 29th May, to be exact. Which, for those of you unfamiliar with Everest history was the date on which, 55 years earlier, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay climbed the famous mountain. I was at Tengboche

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-68094243518945621342009-01-13T17:21:00.002+10:002009-01-13T17:32:58.393+10:00

So, one of my favourite shows, Temptation, is back on telly and I'm on the wrong side of the screen! I'm waiting for my call-up after auditioning way back in March last year. Several hundred people turned up to take their chances, filling a lecture theatre at QUT. We had to sit a 50-question exam, in which each question was read out twice and we had to write the answer down on the sheet provided.

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-57663129877503480442008-10-23T13:41:00.003+10:002008-10-28T12:43:59.682+10:00

I was reading an article in the newspaper the other day about a woman responding to the Rudd government's stimulus package. She was saying that "working families" had been forgotten in the package ie she hadn't got anything from it. The article said that she and her husband's annual income was between $140,000 and $160,000 a year. They were paying off $2000 a month on their mortgage and a further

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-15926228510024330232008-10-19T09:50:00.002+10:002008-10-19T10:05:31.221+10:00

I've just finished watching the first two episodes of a brilliant new series, First Australians, airing on SBS. I missed seeing the first episode on TV because it clashed with *cough* Australian Idol. Happily for me, SBS has made the series available on its website, so I spent yesterday afternoon watching it.The series traces the history of contemporary Australia from the perspective of its first

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-129533247845019102008-08-24T10:20:00.002+10:002008-08-24T11:34:03.335+10:00

Faked firework displays, a kid miming to another little girl's voice and now it seems the Chinese have pulled off the biggest fake of all - taking the Olympic torch to the summit of Mount Everest, or Chomolungma as it is known to Tibetans.A Nepalese blogger, blogdai broke the story after some careful research and has concluded that the summit bid was faked. The conclusions are based on:no

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-50399995921115188132008-07-15T13:59:00.003+10:002008-07-18T16:09:33.522+10:00

Our garden is filled with birds. Rainbow lorikeets feast on flowering gum blossoms, noisy mynahs squabble in the pink cassia, chasing off blue-faced honeyeaters. Crested pigeons whirr into the blood swampwood, currawongs warble in the leopardwood while grey and pied butcherbirds sit on the latticework of our front verandah, serenading us with their song. Crows, ibis and magpies all visit and most

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-90217290438208539372008-04-29T13:43:00.002+10:002008-04-29T14:02:19.937+10:00

Smithy and I went to see k d lang in concert at QPAC last night. She's here promoting her new album, Watershed (which is No 1 in Australia). The concert was fantastic. k d just gets better and better. Her voice is awesome and her vocal control stunning. And she's funny and interacts with the audience really well - giving and taking presents, shaking people's hands, cracking jokes. It's a

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-32626852114146524492008-03-22T12:20:00.003+10:002008-03-22T12:35:04.810+10:00

The recent events in Tibet have focussed the world's attention on China's continuing brutal occupation of Tibet and its people. China is in the spotlight like never before because of the upcoming Olympic Games. Whilst I've always held that the Games should never have been awarded to Beijing, it's been a fantastic opportunity to highlight the Tibet issue. It's time the international community,

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-48784452458126155452008-01-14T09:41:00.000+10:002008-01-14T10:13:13.515+10:00

Sir Edmund Hillary died on Friday 11 January 2008, aged 88. WIth him goes another piece of Everest history. Yet his name will live on for generations - not so much for being one of the first to climb Mount Everest - but for the legacy he has built in the villages that sit in Everest's shadow. Sir Ed's achievement is remarkable because he used his fame to enrich others, not himself. He dedicated

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-71557977272547806462008-01-02T19:41:00.000+10:002008-01-02T20:02:17.130+10:00

So another year begins. The old one finished in quite a spectacular fashion as a tropical depression took up residence just off the coast, causing near-cyclonic winds and whipping the sea into a frenzy. Torrential rain bucketed down forcing the cancellation of fireworks shows on both the Sunshine and Gold Coasts. Smithy and I were up at the Sunshine Coast to see the new year in with friends. We

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-62175627314781155332007-10-31T13:15:00.000+10:002007-10-31T13:25:53.741+10:00

Telly on a Wednesday night just does not get better than this! First off, Cold Case with the delectable Lily. Tonight we find out if she survives the shooting from last episode. She must do! They wouldn't kill her off. Would they.....? Then at 9.30pm the premiere of The Librarians on the ABC. I can't wait! Finally, a show about me! Well, not just me - all us wonderful librarians out there. Once

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-79879650905283921162007-10-30T12:58:00.000+10:002007-10-30T14:20:52.051+10:00

Today is my birthday and I get to spend it at work - in my little windowless library. Not nearly as much fun as last year's birthday. For those of you who read my other blog http://allmorainisterminal.blogspot.com/, you'll know that this time last year I was trekking in Nepal. I woke up in Besi Sahar, spent half the day on a bus travelling to Pokhara, and then had pizza and birthday cake for

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-13208547315568284412007-09-28T13:30:00.001+10:002007-09-28T13:36:22.871+10:00

Help GetUp screen their Climate Clever-er ad during the AFL Grand Final by making a donation to www.getup.org.auSee the ad here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W90bfVeNhY

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-73262715942956474872007-09-03T15:28:00.000+10:002007-09-03T15:39:10.539+10:00

Smithy's been away for about a month now, and has been keeping me up to date with her adventures with lots of emails. Having read what she's been up to so far, I'm not so sure she should be allowed out by herself anymore.On the trip out to the Galapagos Islands, she had to sit up all night to make sure her semi-conscious, seasick cabin-mate didn't suffocate on her own vomit.In Santiago, just

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-22638826622519317442007-08-08T18:06:00.000+10:002007-08-08T18:42:59.844+10:00

Today marks one year to go until the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Organisations around the world are using the occasion to highlight Tibet's plight. Let's keep the pressure on China regarding its continuing occupation of Tibet and its appalling human rights record.Protesters unfurled a banner on the Great Wall http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-30946117023727505632007-08-05T14:30:00.000+10:002007-08-05T14:41:48.833+10:00

Smithy flew out this morning to begin her 9-week South American adventure, leaving me home alone for all that time. Just as well I have two jobs to keep me occupied - I won't have too much time to miss her. It will be very strange without her. Apart from a 3-day trip to New Zealand that she did back in 2004, we have not been apart in the 5 1/2 years we've been together. At least I will be able to

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-76670528135467442092007-07-02T14:52:00.000+10:002007-07-02T16:02:47.963+10:00

Yesterday Smithy and I entered in our fourth Gold Coast Half Marathon. We usually use the 21 and a bit kilometre race as training for our Himalayan treks. We only ever walk the half marathon - never run it - and our goal this year was to break the 3 hour barrier. In 2003 we did it in 3 hours 3 mins, in 2004 we did it in 3:05 and last year in 3:03, so we've been close. And we went at what we

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-34161351772126576642007-06-18T12:56:00.000+10:002007-06-18T13:25:02.046+10:00

In our house mainly. Of course, we have the usual geckos living behind the picture frames. They chase each other across the walls and squabble on the ceiling but for the most part are no bother at all. Except for the odd occasion when one falls off the ceiling and onto one of us or, with a loud splat, onto the floor. They sprawl there for a moment or two with a stunned look on their faces, then

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-1156560468430143262006-08-26T12:44:00.000+10:002006-08-26T12:47:48.440+10:00

Yep! That's right, the Very Big Adventure is finally upon us and we will be flying out on Wednesday 30th August. Yihaaa! From now on, I'll be using my other blog http://allmoraineisterminal.blogspot.com, so please check in at that one to read about the VBA. See ya!

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-1154925990688320382006-08-07T14:19:00.000+10:002006-08-07T14:46:30.763+10:00

Please meet Ani Dharma and Ruby Rinpoche - the newest members of our family. Ani Dharma is a brand new 2006 Hyundai 3-door Hatch Accent and Ruby Rinpoche is a brand new Subaru Forester. We wanted to get 'Yak' and 'Yeti' number plates but 'Yeti' was taken so went instead for 'Yak 60' and 'Yak 47' for our birth years. Aren't they gorgeous?

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679926.post-1154743537649473892006-08-05T11:55:00.000+10:002006-08-05T12:05:37.663+10:00

25! Yes, just 25 more sleeps to go before Smithy and I fly off for our Very Big Adventure (VBA)! After months and months and months of talking, dreaming and planning, it's hard to believe it's almost upon us. And boy are we ready! Got the visas, had the vaccinations, bought the travellers cheques, packed and weighed the suitcases - and yes! we're within our 30km limit - organised our journals,

momohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03785050870029110219noreply@blogger.com0