Memorial Day Weekend Memorial Day is held on the last Monday in May to remember the men and women who lost their lives while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union soldiers who died in the Civil War. Nowadays Memorial Day honors all Americans who have lost their lives in the line of duty in all wars. Sarah and I spent the long weekend with Leslie and Gr...

ANZAC Day @ Pearl Harbor Sarah and I visited Pearl Harbor for a tour of the USS Arizona Memorial, the USS Bowfin Submarine and the USS Missouri Battleship. The attacks on Pearl Harbor remain as one of the most significant events in the history of the United States. What started out as an oridinary Sunday on the island of Oahu, quickly turned tragic, as two waves of Japanese fighter planes bombed and destroyed the peaceful harbor where the U.S. Pacific Fleet w...

Greetings from the shores of sunny Oahu, Hawaii. I flew from San Francisco to 'The Big Island'. The plane was delayed by half an hour which was going to make for a tight transfer to Honolulu. I asked the flight attendant whether this was going to be a problem. She laughed quietly and guessed that this was my first time to Hawaii. 'You'll be fine. You'll see what I mean when we land." The plane touched down and we taxi'd to the terminal. I was sitting in an ai...

San Fran, Mt. Tam, Santa Cruz and Monterey I'm having a great time in the U.S. Home is in Greenbrae, Marin County - an amazing blend of waterways and mountain vistas. It's a 20 minute walk to Larkspur ferry wharf for a pleasant 30 minute trip to Pier One - City Central. And it's a 20 minute jog to the base of Mt. Tamalpais for some of the most enjoyable hiking, jogging and riding that I've done. I hear there's heaps to do in San Francisco proper but I'm happy...

Change of plans... Have you ever spent a few days with someone from another country and flippantly thrown out a "you're welcome to crash at my place for a few days if you're ever over my way" offer? - hoping. nay, expecting that they'll never take you up on the offer. Let this be a lesson to you. Don't ever - I mean ever - offer this to a bloke who has an open diary... as I do! It seems that I'm a likeable fella. I've scored a few invites to catch up in Los A...