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Vietnam – Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh city
Vietnam was always on our list of countries to visit, but I must admit to having been slightly nervous about it. Not because it was Communist or “different” from home- by then, Cesca and I had been through all sorts of strange cultures including Muslim nations, Eastern Block style Communist havens and even Australia. What was actually getting us nervous was the constant reports from our friends about the Vietnamese unfriendliness. Time and time again people, who had already been through Vietnam, would display a sort of nervous laugh and glance at each other before answering our questions. This was exacerbating our reaction to another incident right back before we even left English shores.
Four Shades Of Black – Karate Book Review
A review of a Karate book by one of my martial arts masters on the topic of Goju Ryu
“CHOJUN – A NOVEL” Review: The real Mr. Miyagi
It is said that you can only truly know someone by fighting them, for in the stress of combat the [...]
Tier 1 Military Simulation – JAWBREAKER and BLACKHEART DVD release
Shot entirely on location at CopeHill Down. The main feature is 37 minutes of the best milsim ever undertaken in the UK! I had an inside track on the “serial” events, a first person perspective on the role play and took part in all the big actions – including the capture of the objective for the US team. All cut together with music and professionally coloured, this is a great film of how deep milsim can go.
Tropic Thunder Review
**WARNING** Mild spoilers ahead, nothing that isn’t all over the press. Tropic Thunder has to go down as the film [...]
Vietnam: Cu Chi, the Mekong and Nha Trang
We meet with the crazy Cao Dai!
The Zen Gardens, Our First Days in Kyoto
The bullet train pulled smoothly and serenely into the station, totally belying the speed it had demonstrated when blistering through [...]
Pebble Smart Watch Review – More than just potential?
No recent product launch has grasped the Zeitgeist as much as the Pebble watch. It represents a perfect storm of [...]
New Basho Artwork
Dear all, A couple of weeks, Cesca and I went to a very strange cafe. It was a cafe where [...]
Charity Airsoft Event – Write Up
On Sunday, my airsofting brothers and I held an airsoft event on behalf of the little kids at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital. Many people gave up their time and gave across their money for the event, including the Electrowerkz site owner's, marshals, medics and players. The net result was a combined donation of £1816.68 to the charity.
Bangkok and the Railway of Death
Many people speak of trekking in the north of Thailand, but such over-popular options are not the flavour we go [...]
An Island Nation
Existence by virtue of land and sea
This Is India Podcast (part 2)
Welcome back! This is the second podcast in the This Is India collection. It tells of Cesca and my [...]
Northland: Part Two
Basho and Cesca meet Tane Mahuta - The God of the Forest
Death Proof
Deathproof is another movie from QT that speaks of his private obsessions; deep things that are really a part of his psyche...
Arriving in Japan
I have always looked at maps of the world and wondered if they skew perspective. America appears massive while Australia [...]
A Basho Film: Sydney Harbour!
Thanks for all the fantastic feedback on the last Basho Film! Here is the latest, I present Sydney Harbour! http://www.youtube.com/v/4EZr9_RgwS8 [...]
Tier 1 Military Simulation – Operation SNAKEBITE writeup
I stood alone in the pre-dawn of the morning and the silence of the surrounding forest was punctuated only by the hooting of owls and the snoring of AQT players as they serenaded the coming sun. I was taking my turn on watch and the firebase was so dark that I couldn’t really see my way to walk around the inside of the perimeter. It was a large base by airsoft standards, about 70 meters long and 20 wide, with several small wooden buildings, huts and fire positions all surrounded by steel barrels acting as the wall between the players and the trees beyond. Every few steps I raised the NVG scope to my left eye and took a look into the gloomy and misty darkness. Through the NVG there were only dark shapes with blurry outlines, suggestive of men among the trees, but these didn’t move so I took them to be bushes. Nevertheless, I gripped my rifle tightly in my right hand.
Life Stories 2 : Strange Happenings
This one is legendary. When I was fresh out of University I moved down to live with my then girlfriend (now wife) Francesca in Southampton,England...