I googled my name and these photos came up. This is my late grandmother’s house and the house my father (Dr. Juanito Aya-ay) grew up in. He still does missionary medicine every year there in the back of this house in the “newer” section he built. Whoever you are, you are a great photographer. I have lots of pictures of this place of my own, but none capture it like you did. Thanks.
James Aya-ay

I’ve since received another comment from someone else in the family! See the them here. No news yet on the photo of the Doc with his sign, but I’ll keep you posted.

500g rolled oats
100g almonds, roughly chopped
A few handfuls of sunflower seeds
Some dried cranberries
A small pot of clear honey

1. Mix the dry ingredients (not the cranberries) together in a bowl.
2. Warm the honey till it’s nice and runny. Do this in a bowl if your housemates are worried that you will melt the plastic bear.
3. Stir the honey into the dry ingredients.
4. Spread the mixture onto a baking tray and bake in the oven at 180 C until golden. Stir occasionally.
5. Allow to cool and mix in cranberries.

Gorgeous with ice cold milk or yoghurt, with or without additional fresh fruit!

Philippines: Collecting coconuts involves a bad-ass machete and bare feet.

Australia: Collecting coconuts involves a hard hat, climbing harness, rappel gear and a lot of orange cones.

I’m back in Townsville again after six months living in the Philippines.

Australia seems… sterile. It’s weird walking around town and there being so few people, so little hustle and bustle, no-one bumping into me or trying to sell me anything. Even though there’s some kind of biker festival on this weekend, there are remarkably few motorbikes on the road, and I haven’t seen a single rooster.

The sea is cold. Hot showers are amazing (I’m having at least two a day).

I’m gradually readjusting to the different noises. At first it seemed eerily quiet at night without roosters and motorbikes - if I listen carefully I can hear the sea from my bed. Then in the early hours of the morning the possums start creeping around in the trees and scampering across the roof. Over breakfast I’m squawked at by lorikeets.

I loved the Philippines, but it’s nice to be back too.

The photo is from a trip up Mount Stuart with Housemate Tom, to take photos of the sunset (a new rule is that all new housemates must have Nikon mount lenses). On a clear day the view is amazing… you can see right up to the Palm Islands. I wasn’t really happy with any of the ‘proper’ photos, but some of the behind the scenes shots were fun.

Somewhere, Al Gore is laughing a great big ‘I told you so’ laugh.

(More names for the wind can be found here)