Saturday 1st

LONDON (Apr 1, 1996 08:51 a.m. EST) - Britain's Queen Elizabeth launched her own Internet site, Russia's military developed diamond-studded grenades for nouveau-riche gangsters and Belgians were told the summer time change had been cancelled.

Gullible Britons learned that Walt Disney has purchased Hadrian's Wall, built by the Romans to separate Scotland from England, and that style-conscious Princess Diana had taken to flying economy class.

Germans read that passengers on Lufthansa airline could soon be seated next to a potential lover as the airline's booking system develops a sideline in computer dating.

They were just some of the elaborate spoof stories with which the world's media celebrated April Fool's day.

 The only person to catch me out this year was Nick who directed me to this site. 

Sunday 2nd

Attempted to bake the cake I had promised to do after loosing that bet to Rachel last month... what a disaster!

Also updated the Sahotas web site with some Flash animation. https://www.transum.org/sahotas

Tuesday 4th

And some more food thoughts:

- "The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later you're hungry again" (George Miller). 

- "It's important to watch what you eat. Otherwise, how are you going to get it into your mouth?" (Matt Diamond). 

- "I'll bet what motivated the British to colonise so much of the world is that they were just looking for a decent meal" (Martha Harrison). 

- "Just the other day in the Underground, I enjoyed the pleasure of offering my seat to three ladies" (G.K. Chesterton). 

- "Great restaurants are, of course, nothing but mouth-brothels. There is no point in going to them if one intends to keep one's belt buckled" (Frederic Raphael). 

- "In Mexico we have a word for sushi: Bait" (Jose Simon). 

- "To eat well in England, you should have breakfast three times a day" (W. Somerset Maugham). 

- "The best number for a dinner party is two - myself and a good head waiter" (Nubar Gulbenkian). 

- " If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, talks like a duck, it probably needs a little more time in the microwave" (Lori Dowdy). 

- "People are more opposed to fur than leather because rich ladies are easier to harass than bikers" (bumper sticker). 

Wednesday 5th

Though today was the last day of school it was a very sad day for all of us. We found out that a Year 10 pupil had died in school yesterday afternoon. He'd had a heart attack and though some teachers had performed CPR, he was dead before they could get him to hospital.

Thursday 6th

First day of the school Easter holidays, a public holiday, but still busy taking seven Year 13 students to a Maths competition between the International schools in Bangkok

 

7th - 16th April Java is 661 miles (1,064 km) long from east to west and ranges in width from about 60 miles (100 km) at its centre to more than 100 miles (160 km) near each end. A longitudinal mountain chain, surmounted by many volcanoes, runs east to west along the island's spine and is flanked by limestone ridges and lowlands. Java is highly volcanic, yet...                                         ... I traveled from the west to the east of the island, ending up catching a ferry to the famous island of Bali for a couple of days on the beach there. he he he he he; Map ...We got up at 3:30am and completed our climb to the top of active volcano, Mt Bromo. Here is a view looking into the crater from the rim. This picture was taken just after we had witnessed the spectacular sunrise and near freezing temperatures... Click Here for the full story of the trip.

Monday 17th

Back home after the adventure. The rainy season has started here with vengeance, and my house is leaking!

It's a public holiday here in Thailand.

Thanks to Purdy for these strange signs from Malaysia. Click on the button at the lower right corner of the photograph:

 

Tuesday 18th

I received an email from Bob, George's technician at the school he works at in New Jersey.

George was hospitalized last week with massive blood clots in his lungs. He was in intensive care for several days. He is now in a regular room in Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ. He will probably be in the hospital the rest of this week. If you want to call him, he has a phone in his room.

Any of the diary readers who know George and want to give him a ring, I can let you have the number if you email me.

Wednesday 19th

I had all good intentions to write up an account of my trip to Indonesia but time is just disappearing so fast these days. Does time pass quicker when you get older?

There is one little incident that I'll tell you about:

Just as we got on the ferry in Java, bound for Bali, I was approached by a very young boy (7 or 8 years old) who offered to clean my shoes. I could see he had a tin of polish the same colour as my shoes so I asked him "how much?"

One thousand rupiah was his reply. This was worth just less than 10p so I agreed. 

As he set to work one of his friends joined to help him. they made a very good job of cleaning my shoes. By the time they had finished four other boys of various ages were standing round watching. When it came time for me to pay the first boy held out his hand and demanded ten thousand rupiah. I of course refused to pay this and gave him only the one thousand previously agreed upon. He and his friends got very angry but on seeing that I wouldn't give in they stormed off cursing at me in Indonesian.

travelers beware.

Thursday 20th

Having sat at this computer for the last two days solid I can appreciate this view of evolution:

Friday 21st

Tran Towers, a mathematical quest, is what I've been writing for these last few days. Click here to try a trial version of it. (Your browser should support Flash 4).

Saturday 22nd

Have also been spending some time updating the Sahotas web site. It's at http://www.thesahotas.com (Your browser should support Flash 4).  Nick's computer won't load "Tran Towers" ... Let me know if The Sahotas site works Nick.

Wow Johnny Payton has got email (at last). Got a very frustrated message from him this morning... think he must be having computer problems.

Surjit phoned this morning at 5:45am !! He thought we were six hours behind and not six hours ahead!

Sunday 23rd

Went for a cycle ride this afternoon. 5 minutes to the river, 4 baht ferry crossing, then it's like you're in another country. Swamp land and forest with elevated walkways. Village life so close to Bangkok city.

Monday 24th

Aha! ... Shep's done it.. The first person to get through Tran Towers,

Tuesday 25th

I found out that some pupils at school had set up a web page in memory of the boy who tragically died at the end of last term. It's at http://www.bipin-danvani.8m.com/index.html

Wednesday 26th

A BRITISH woman was killed and her sister and father seriously wounded when they were attacked by a performing elephant in Thailand.

Andrea Taylor, 20, who was sitting with her family in the front row at the show, was gored repeatedly in the stomach by the bull elephant's tusks. Miss Taylor's sister, Helen, 23, suffered serious abdominal injuries and their father, Geoffrey, had surgery for leg wounds. Mr Taylor, 51, learned of his daughter's death after his operation at the Bangkok-Pattaya Hospital. His surviving daughter, who is in intensive care, has yet to be told for fear that it slows her recovery.
Electronic Telegraph

Full Story Click here

Thursday 27th

Hey Andy's got email access again. It went with his promotion at work

Just to let you know I got another promotion. iam now the Manager of  training in our sales dept. oh the ink is all thick...oh its ok now. So Iam a big boss now and with the title come the usual perks. New Rover 75, Holiday appartment, 6 weeks hols, and a whore for weekends. Only kidding.............its a Rover 45.

Friday 28th

At last I have had time to write up my trip to Indonesia... See 7th - 16th April diary entry above.

Saturday 29th April - Monday 1st May

Long weekend holiday... Hired a car big enough to fit in two bikes and went cycling with friends in Khao Yai, a national park 3 hours drive from here. Here's the resort we stayed at, Khao Loy, excellent swimming pool and only £12 a night.