Finally an update!

Yes, I am still alive and well. It has been more than a month now since my last update and I apologies... to myself, because I think there are not that many people reading this apart from the people I am in regular contact with anyhow, so it does not really matter that much. At the moment I am really hyped that about the fact that I will finally get a TV tomorrow ... and an X-Box ... and loads of games ... and cows! No, well from the start now:

The first weekend of February I went back to Hamburg and had a grand time being back there. I did not do terribly much, but I got myself a new-old suit (new-old because it is my favourite suit of which I had lost the pants /that is "pair of trousers" for you AE/BE enthusiasts/ while I was in working in Singapore... don't ask... - anyhow, I got myself new pants for that suit, only to mess them up as soon as I got back to London). Moreover, I stayed with my Mum and Juergen, had gorgeous home-cooked food, met some of my friends, my dad and my half-brother and went for my customary steak-dinner at the Block House restaurant at Hoheluft. With Nicolai I had a grand old gaming session like we both didn't have in ages. He got himself an Xbox and that got me hooked again. With Pizza, chocolate, winegums, beer and more Cola than we could possibly consume, we played until 6AM in the morning.

Because my friend Tobi, whom I hadn't seen in ages, even before he disappeared into the Ghanese jungle called me up that he would be in London for a number of hours on Saturday morning, I decided that I would start my trip to Brussels on the second February weekend a little later in the afternoon. However, due to the usual London train-troubles we only got to speak on the phone. Still, it was good to hear from him and if I get the chance, I will make sure to visit him as a bushpilot in Africa next time. :-)

Anyhow, as I have said: the next weekend, I went over to Belgium and had a great time there with Pat, Liz and Maki. Bruges was just beautiful and the amount of food I consumed while in Brussels will stay with me for quite a long time, I fear. Waffles, Chocolates (Pralines), Mussels and - I hate to admit, but - Belgian beer! It was fantastic. Moreover, we stayed at the Bristol Stephanie Hotel, which was very nice. Definitely recommended!

Upon arriving back in London Waterloo on Monday after lunch, I went immediately back to work. So the third weekend came and went, but since I didn't travel nor otherwise spent time and money pleasurably, I remembered how hooked I had gotten on the video games, while at Nicolai's place in Hamburg, so I decided to get myself the first video-game console in my life from Ebay (kinda ironic since I used to work for Square...). I finally found my way, after nearly 20 years from the fiddly PC-installations, to the world of video games.

So that's why I will hopefully take delivery of a spanking 28" widescreen TV and an XBox with some goodies tomorrow (which I will have to get upgraded this weekend or next). It should be noted hereby that I have not owned a TV since working in Japan in 2002 and never in the UK (for good reasons, too - I should probably get myself a digital settop box as well).

Okay enough lunch-break ranting from me.

Cheers,