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Support Movember, Get the Story! Trials & Tea Ceremonies Giveaways.
Support Movember, Get the Story! Trials & Tea Ceremonies Giveaways. I got a phone call from the doctor’s office Could I come in and see him regarding my biopsy results? I don’t mind telling you that driving over to the hospital was grave. The doctor shook my hand, we both sat down and he opened his notes. “No cancer in the samples, Basho”. He looked up and saw my face; he could have told me that on the phone! “Not everyone is getting good news today,” he said quietly, looking me directly in the eye. I left that room with solemnity. I walked past the half-dozen or so men sat outside and noted hands clutched in those of their loved ones, noted their affected nonchalance that was not reflected in their eyes, and I walked on out. I got good news on that day. Many of those [...]
Critical Praise for “Trials & Tea Ceremonies”
A hilarious and heartfelt journey for anyone who has ever wondered: "Is this it?" What happens when the life you've built no longer feels like your own? That's exactly what Basho and his wife Cesca felt. So, they walked away from their jobs, packed their lives into two bulging backpacks, and embarked on a year-long, life-altering journey across the globe. Their story, Critics are loving it: "An engaging and compelling travelogue with a vital and strong emphasis on connection and experience over ticking off the bucket list." — Lovereading.co.uk "A richly written, unexpectedly profound journey. The book highlights how travel can add richly to the meaning of one's life." — Mike Richards, bestselling author of The Travelling Ape "For a hearty dose of mind, body, spirit, travel, and Zen in remarkable places, pick up Basho's musings and take yourself somewhere magical—wherever you are." — Goran Powell, bestselling author of Waking Dragons "This [...]
Announcing my new book: Trials & Tea Ceremonies: Misadventures in Far Away Places.
A hilarious and heartfelt journey for anyone who has ever wondered: "Is this it?" What happens when the life you've built no longer feels like your own? For Basho, turning thirty felt less like a milestone and more like "a splinter in the mind." A series of personal crises convinced him and his partner, Cesca, to make a radical choice. They walked away from their careers, put their lives in storage, and set off on a year-long, unscripted adventure across a dozen countries to answer one question: Is there a better way to live? Their path takes them from the rugged shores of Australia to the spiritual heart of India and the serene temples of Japan. But between the moments of transcendent beauty, a deeper, wilder journey unfolds. They must face down spitting alpacas, chaotic farm hosts, a terrifying encounter with the world’s largest spider in a Laotian toilet, [...]
“Morgan” – Digital Watercolour
"Morgan" by Basho Painted in Rebelle 3.
The Hidden Context in some Great Movies
I love the cinema and movies. I also make films myself. What stared as a simple passion for the action and adventure in films has become a life long urge to understand what the filmmaker, [...]
Basho rewrites: Rime of the Frostmaiden – Defeating Auril, DM’s guide and ending
**Caution: this post contains spoilers for Rime of the Frostmaiden!** When I was a child, I had no one to play Dungeons & Dragons with. Now, I am 46 and play with my own children. Yes - I [...]
Beijing and the Great Wall – Our final days in China
"So," said Cesca loudly and clearly, just as I was drinking from a water bottle, "What's all this about China and Tiananmen Square?" I almost did a spit take. "Quiet!" I said and I looked around, wiping water running [...]
Yaks for tea and Tibetan Temples. Living the high life in Shangri-la
"You have to imagine," said the man in broken English, "that this..." he gestured his hands at the view in front of us, "big lake... flood wide and deep... great water!" He broke into a wide toothy smile.
Varanasi City of Gods – Special Edition
How does it make one feel to be in one of the most “holy” cities in the world?
Basho’s bonus modules: Rime of the Frostmaiden – an Adventure with Pirates
When I was a child, I had no one to play Dungeons & Dragons with. Now, I am 45 and play with my own children. Yes - I built my own players! Our players: the piplins! [...]
The Storm King’s Thunder and the Dragon’s Bane
There follows the campaign we have played all through the 2020 lockdown. It has helped us all resist the mental anguish of the COVID virus, recover from the infection itself and be a beacon of bright enjoyment for all. Truly the great value of this magical game cannot be overstated when played with attentive and imaginative children. So, I present the chronicle of my son, my daughter and my wife playing their first campaign after the starter set, Storm King's Thunder!
Things Will Change – a Basho travel film
Things Will Change A travel film exploring humanity's journey through history, touching on themes of faith, nature, technological advancement, and the essence of human connection. The film is divided into four chapters, each reflecting on [...]
The day I met the Buddha, and killed him
Delhi. Many people say they have “done” Delhi, but in all honesty they haven’t. They have perhaps done the tourist parts of New Delhi, or maybe spent some time in an Ashram there – which amounts [...]
Kyoto, Nara, Himeji, green tea and finding inner peace
I have written before about travellers wanting a point to it all, to travelling. In part this is perhaps seen as them wanting to justify the vast cost of travel; to have a point for spending all that money, [...]
Children of the Red Rose
**Caution this post contains spoilers for Children of the Red Rose!** When I was a child, I had no one to play Dungeons and Dragons with, it being the 80’s and the game not being popular here in the [...]
“The Backroad to Bures”
"The Backroad to Bures" by Basho AI image upscaled from 2019. It would make a lovely computer background.
“Countryside walk” – Digital Watercolour
"Countryside walk" by Basho Painted in Rebelle 3.
Basho rewrites: Rime of the Frostmaiden – Destruction’s Light.
**Caution this post contains spoilers for Destruction's Light!** When I was a child, I had no one to play Dungeons & Dragons with. Now, I am 45 and play with my own children. Yes - I built my [...]
Remembering Catherine
"Remembering Catherine" by Basho Today, on the anniversary of her passing, I present a new painting; a present for my mother in law. This digital portrait was painted in Rebelle 5 Pro.
Chan Buddhism, Daoism and Zen – Journey through the East
Writing an article about Zen is almost a contradiction in terms. That is unless I simply leave the rest of it blank... Just a finger, pointing to the moon… But, I don't want to do that! At its basic [...]
Waterdeep: Dragon Heist | Dungeons & Dragons
**Caution this post contains spoilers for WDH!** My players (9-year-old children, my wife and her 70+-year-old mother) just completed Waterdeep: Dragon Heist, and there follows my write up of the adventure. The piplins! [...]
The Purpose of Travel – Now Published!
We often take arriving at the destination to be the purpose of travel. Taken in this way the journey itself is not the point, rather it is the serious business of transporting our bodies from one place to another. Getting [...]
Mount Wudang and the Meaning of Life
In China, Daoist temples atop mountains are so numerous that there must be something about these high places that answers a longing for cliff edges and being above the clouds. A simplistic analysis of this, one using that most ignoble [...]
A Wild Sheep Chase
**Caution this post contains spoilers for The Wild Sheep Chase!** When I was a child, I had no one to play Dungeons and Dragons with, it being the 80’s and the game not being popular here in the United [...]
You’re the Pretender – a Tier 1 tribute
A loving tribute to 5 years of Tier 1 Military Simulations events. They say that it is only when you lose something that you realise the value it had. That emotional wrench requires a loss of access. Not that [...]
And so I went for a walk…
"And so I went for a walk..." by Basho Painted by hand onto a Microsoft Surface Studio 2 in the software "Rebelle" using a digital stylus. This is near the village of "Mount Bures, Suffolk, UK" [...]
OMEGA Speedmaster Professional “Moonwatch” review
THE SPEEDMASTER PROFESSIONAL MOONWATCH. For well over half a century, the OMEGA Speedmaster has witnessed events that have tested the limits of physical endurance and human courage, including the first manned lunar landing in July of 1969 and every one of NASA’s piloted missions since March of 1965.
AIRSOFT: Longmoor Weekend Review
This weekend the Dark Angels attended the Longmoor FIBUA village near Liphook owned and used by the M.O.D.
Basho and Cesca visit Bangalore, and kind of wish they hadn’t
Bangalore is a strange place because it is just like cities at home. Almost slap bang in the middle of [...]
Laos P.D.R. – Mekong meanderings
“Life is a musical thing and you’re supposed to sing or dance along the way"
Christopher Ward Kingfisher Diver-Pro review
What makes a man’s watch? It seems to me that the big names in male watches are struggling to sell their brands. Unfortunately this has led to truly hideous watches that have all the hallmarks of a marketing department struggling with not only reality, but also a sense of the times. The times are hard.
Band of Delta-Alpha : A Basho Film
The Ground Zero Weekender is the biggest yearly event on the UK Airsoft calendar.
James’ Travel Packing
What do you need for a year long adventure? Don’t ask me, it’s my first time! Nevertheless, I am taking [...]
Malaysia: Melaka to Kuala Lumpur
Our first port of call in Malaysia was the UNESCO town of Melaka, which is nestled on the west coast of the peninsula below Kuala lumpur. The journey from Singapore to the town was uneventful being mainly two good roads (the 1 and the 5), but I was feeling an increasingly vivid sense of excitement about truly getting into SEA and taking that first footsteps on our journey.
Kyoto, Nara, Himeji, green tea and finding inner peace
I have written before about travellers wanting a point to it all, to travelling. In part this is perhaps [...]
Kick Ass Movie Review : Basho has a problem with this one
Kick Ass is a film that draws a line in the dirt and invites you to place yourself on one [...]
Basho’s Roast Lamb Shoulder Recipe
This is a recipe based on one by the great Jamie Oliver and the original is available online at his [...]
OMEGA Speedmaster Professional “Moonwatch” review
THE SPEEDMASTER PROFESSIONAL MOONWATCH. For well over half a century, the OMEGA Speedmaster has witnessed events that have tested the limits of physical endurance and human courage, including the first manned lunar landing in July of 1969 and every one of NASA’s piloted missions since March of 1965.
Varkala & Holi : Kerala part two
Varkala is a very popular tourist destination with western travellers. Similar to Goa in many respects, it is a large [...]
Fitness DVD Reviews – Insanity with Shaun T
This is the first in a series of reviews of the top home workout DVDs, starting with Insanity.
The Men Who Stare at Goats
Parapsychology Special Forces and the War on Terror
Lets go tubing! A Basho Film
"Lets go tubing!" This video highlights the crazy day my friends and I had while tubing the legendary Mekong river in Vang Veng, Laos, South East Asia in November 2008.
BASHOCAM! Longmoor November 2007
Footage taken on my gun mounted video camera of the day's play on the second day of this fantastic event.
Sunshine DVD movie review
Do you recognise the following quotes? "I have seen things you people wouldn't believe." "This is Ripley, last survivor of [...]
Hong Kong City Blues – Special Edition
This is a “Special Edition” of my Hong Kong at night film. The beautiful skyline of [...]
