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Author - graham

Late Traveller and facilitator looking forward to sharing my travel journey as I backpack around South East Asia and maybe the world.

The Tracks of my years

April 19, 20235 min read

Ken Bruce

Anyone familiar with BBC Radio 2 will realise the significance of the title of this post.

Legendary DJ Ken Bruce, a stalwart of Radio 2, has presented the mid-morning slot for as long as I can remember. Every weekday from 9.30 am until 12 noon, he has entertained us with his dry Scottish wit.

He introduces excellent music, a classic quiz in PopMaster, and every week a celebrity comes on to introduce the tracks of their years.

Songs that mean something to them, iconic or obscure, but generally with a story that somehow impacted their lives.

I was in Cambodia at the time, and I sometimes like to listen to Ken on catch-up. What came next was a shock.

With the news last month that after nearly 31 years doing the same show, Ken Bruce will move on and leave Radio 2 in March 2023, I figured it was high time to list my own songs.

On his show, they introduce two songs per day for a week. 10 in total. How hard can it be? I asked myself.

So, here we go. I will put a YouTube link to the songs in case anyone has never heard them!

I struggled to limit it to 10 songs as my life has many memorable moments in some way, good or bad. But below are the final ones, with an understandably added bonus track because of its powerful meaning and impact.

My tracks.

“Galveston” by Glen Campbell. This song is one of the first I ever remember hearing. Every Sunday morning, my parents wouldn’t be working, and together we would listen to records; artists like ABBA, Neil Diamond, Glen Campbell, Elvis, and Neil Sedaka, among many others, were blasting out of the stereo. This one has stuck with me for a long time and has become a memorable song from my childhood.

“St. Elmos Fire” by John Parr, this song was at the start of my teenage years and one of 4 records I first purchased with my pocket money. All 7-inch singles were the popular choice. I didn’t realise at the time it was from a film of the same name starring most of the Brat Pack from Hollywood. After learning about it a few years later, it became a firm favourite movie growing up during those troubled teenage years we all face.

“Something Inside So Strong” by Labi Siffre was my first understanding of a bigger world and the destruction people can do to each other. Used as a symbol against apartheid in South Africa, it made me want to learn and understand more about what was happening in the world. Still, to this day, I feel emotional when I hear this track.

“Wicked Game” by Chris Issac was my first song related to love. My first (what I thought was true love) and first heartbreak. Now I listen and understand the lyrics, but at the time I never did.

“Om Shanti Om” by Gandharvas. The song and the film, for me, are among the best Bollywood can produce. Shah Rukh Khan is excellent, and Deepika Padukone is a beauty to behold. It always makes me want to dance and sing at the top of my voice (when I am alone)

“Anyone Who Knows Love” by Irma Thomas. I discovered this song whilst watching a fictional series about life in Singapore in the 1960s. The catchy love theme has become one of my favourite easy-listening songs. What a woman Irma Thomas was.

“Momma’s Prayers” by JP Cooper (feat. Stormzy) has amazing vocals and a great collaboration between two very talented singer-songwriters.

“The Good Part” by AJR was given to me by a volunteer on the farm where I worked whilst in Cambodia, and I loved not only the lyrics but also the band’s style.

“Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon will be my wedding song for sure. It reminds me of my beautiful girlfriend, who I love dearly, and we always smile when this comes on the radio. I need to teach her the dance moves!

“Buy Dirt” by Jordan Davis (feat Luke Bryan) is a fantastic country song that certainly resonates with my time in life. Travelling has been a pleasure, and I didn’t think I would want to stop doing it alone. However, finding that special person and having a child will change your perspective every time. This is a favourite that my son and I like to listen to together.

Bonus Track

Whilst that is the ten I have chosen, I couldn’t ignore this one as well. Back in the 80s, it made such an impact not only on my life but on the world. Helped pave the way for celebrities to get involved and help charities and people around the world suffering.

To this day, it is played everywhere at Christmas and should be remembered for the much-needed help it gave to the famine in Africa. Can you remember where you were when Live Aid was aired?

“Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by Band Aid. In my opinion, Bob Geldof and Midge Ure wrote a masterpiece and organised one of the biggest and best concerts in music history.

2023

January 9, 20231 min read

Between two places

So another New Year to celebrate since I started this nomadic life back in 2017

Currently back in the UK for Xmas and New Year to spend with Mum, but so looking forward to returning to Asia.

This year it is all about family. Much-awaited meetings with my adopted sisters from Thailand and Cambodia, along with my sister in the UK visiting Asia to see what all the fuss is about.

But also, my son and girlfriend will be coming to stay with me in Cambodia for a year. We will enrol him at a new school and are looking forward to seeing if I can finally put some firm roots down in Asia.

If it works, shipping my personal possessions to Asia may finally mean settling down after half a century on planet Earth.

To buy land in the heart of nature, building a traditional house surrounded by water. A place to grow food, keep fish, and raise my son to be kind and respectful of people, animals, nature, and the environment doesn’t seem like a bad New Year’s resolution to try and keep.

Samal, Philippines

November 7, 20221 min read

Just off the coast of Davao, the Capital city of Mindanao, the Southernmost island of the Philippines archipeligo lies a beautiful little island called Samal.

It was named after the first people to inhabit the island, the Sama-Bajau people, who are the dominant ethnic group on Tawi- Tawi an island province in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao

Known as the Island Garden City of Samal, and you can see why.

Beautiful beaches and a lovely clear sea surround much of the island, you can find many beautiful places to swim, sunbathe and eat some of the delicious seafood on offer.

Amazingly friendly little fellows

I visited for a day with some friends, and what a lovely little island. Very relaxed and far away from the busy city of Davao.

Further inland, you have forests, lovely green lush vegetation and an array of fruit trees and plants. If you love nature, then it is definitely a place you should visit.

August 2022

October 1, 20221 min read

This month back to The Philippines.

I loved Davao City and enjoyed the apartment I stayed in at Camella Northpoint, so I thought I would go back and experience the Kadayawan Festival, which will be the first time it has been in person since the pandemic. I think it has had two years of just being online only.

The 37th Kadayawan Festival in Davao

It was a great few days, that allowed me to experience some fantastic food and music.

One of the beautiful beaches on the Island of Samal.

I also visited the Island Garden City off the coast otherwise, known as Samal.

Arriving in downtown Managagoy.

After that, I visited two of the municipalities of the province of Surigao del Sur called Bislig and Linlig, where I visited a little town called Managagoy (Bislig) and a village called Mandus in Linlig, where I met some nice people who are the extended family of my girlfriend.

Finally arriving in Mandus

June 2022

October 1, 20222 min read

New place, new beginnings

So finding a real gem in Kampot proved to be easier than first thought. This lovely little house was the 9th one we viewed, and both decided it was perfect for what we needed.

Space upstairs for Jason, my fellow nomad from Canada, to share the costs but still have our own space.

Downstairs for me because it means having a kitchen to practice my Asian cooking.

Having a few friends around and our first cooked meal

A Good Year?

The purpose of this year is to explore the authentic side of Cambodia and the Khmer lifestyle. Ultimately, I will know if it’s a place I can call home for the rest of my life. Learning more about the culture and daily life.

But, also how seasons impact having a home and garden here is important as well.

We have a long rainy season ahead of us, which is changing so much because of climate change. This year the dry season had long weeks of consistent rainy spells as well, which affected crops and livelihoods.

Moving here and deciding to live here means understanding the consequences of these changes and how they impact what I want to do.

I love Cambodia for lots of reasons, not least the people and the food. But the question is can I cope with the long rainy season where you are limited in what you can do?

Being used to rainy seasons in England, the added benefit here is the place has warmth, but equally, it can be spoiled by mosquitoes, insects, power outages etc. After all, It is still a developing country.

Coping with the dry season where you can reach 40 degrees and the high humidity is easier, and I have acclimatised myself to working in the heat. So, the question is whether or not I will cope with the rains daily.

We shall see in 12 months.

Airbnb

August 10, 20223 min read

This time I tried renting an apartment through Airbnb.

It is useful to point out that having had two years of limited travel, with most Airbnb hosts having had no customers, expectations were not high.

There wasn’t a huge choice either.

So, perhaps a lot of hosts were being cautious.

After all, they would have to pay for extra cleaning after each rental and possibly have a gap between bookings due to whatever covid policy/restrictions were imposed in that country.

However, I was pleasantly surprised. Nice clean apartment with plenty of room.

The price I think, was fair, I may have been able to get it cheaper, but at the time of booking, the Philippines had only been open for ten days.

TIP OF THE POST

With Airbnb a lot of places give discount if you stay longer, make sure you benefit. I initially booked for 13 days and they only give you a weekly discount rate, so I lost out and only benefited by one week. Pays to plan well. 🙂

I stayed in an apartment hosted by Chen. https://abnb.me/zbyEcR4n6pb

Situated in Nottingham Building at Camella North Point ( quite apt as the last two years I have been living in Nottingham, England.)

For me, the beauty of this place was that it had a pool. Open most days from 7 am until 9 pm, it gave me somewhere to escape from the midday sun and exercise.

Central to most things, local shopping malls are within a walk or taxi ride. I found a great laundry place opposite the entrance and plenty of convenience stores within walking distance.

Finding a friendly, reliable taxi driver is one thing I try to do in every place I stay. Look after them and engage with them, and it’s worth it.

They will show you places you might not find and the places you must be careful visiting.

Also, as I like to return to places, it’s nice to have a person you can call.

Trust me, taxi or tuk-tuk drivers know where the best places are to eat.

Did You Know?

Airbedandbreakfast was formed in 2008 by roommates who decided to put an air bed on their apartment floor and open a bed and breakfast. I guess to earn money. Shortened to Airbnb, it does not own any property but makes a commission on every transaction.