wedding

In July I married Becky.
It was a great day, the weather held up
and we felt like it was more than we could have hoped for or deserved.

Last week in India

Back in Delhi now,
the trip is winding down,
heading to Mumbai on Monday and then home the day after.
Time has flown.

Going on a day trip to the Taj Mahal tomorrow,
you have to, right?
so i'll prob stick some more photos up of that.

The photos are mostly from Jammia mosque in Delhi,
went for a shave a face massage today,
was quite the experience!
I'm not so sure my face will ever recover...

Kashmir

I'm just back from ten days in Kashmir.




Really Kashmir is just one big valley wedged in between
the top of India and the very West of Pakistan.
Most of Kashmir is controlled by India and that is where we were.

It is a very beautiful place,
we were staying a houseboat on lake Dal in a valley surrounded by snow capped mountains, a world away from the hustle bustle of Delhi and Mumbai.
Every morning we got a shicara across the lake to Srinagar (capital of Kashmir).

As could be expected the people were really friendly,
they were quite distinct from the rest of Indians we met,
fair skin and blue eyes were common, they spoke their own language of Kasmiri
and used many Arabic phrases common in Muslim areas.

All in all a really unique place.

Delhi Belly...

I've been in Delhi for the past two and a bit weeks,
Delhi is the capital and it's in the North.
The train here took a handy 24hrs, but it was fun!

I was bed bound for a few days,
the dreaded "delhi belly",
the joy of being awake at 4 in the morning puking in a bucket while clinging to the toilet!
but I'm all well now
and have returned to my most very vibrant self!

I've had the chance to do lots of great stuff here,
play loads of cricket with street kids,
go to crazy weddings, being exposed to 43 degree heat!
I really was not designed for this weather!

Tomorrow it's off to Kashmir for 10 days,
where the climate will be alot cooler (on account of being in the himalayas!)
We're staying a houseboat of all places,
can't wait.

Mumbai....

Mumbai is a great place.
the smells, the colours, the noise, the food,
amazing.

nearly twenty million people in a relatively small area,
needless to say the place is a bit crowded!

probably not the most relaxing place in the world...
but so far I've loved it.

The Shankill

So I'm now living just off the top of the Shankill road, in West Belfast.
The house I'm living on is actually divided by the 'peacewall',
that is the front of the house is catholic and the back half is for prods!









I've got over my fear of people hearing my accent as I walk down the shankill everyday.
It's got a lovely village atmosphere, and real character.
That said my Irish jersey is staying safely in my drawer......

Belfast

I thought seen as I was on the move again I would restart this blog of mine.
Well since I've last posted I've gotten engaged and moved to Belfast.

I'm living and working in the West inner-city
which has been described as divided and deprived.
This reputation does a disservice to the place though.
My first impressions are really positive,
it seems a place with alot of heart.

Where I live and work, although very close together, are divided by a "peace wall" which separates the Shankill and Falls communities.
Sound familiar?

Anyway, the blog is back.