Maurice Greenham
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August already!
Next month I turn 76 – another year gone in seemingly no time at all. How is it possible for nine months to pass so quickly? A cursory analysis – January saw adventures and misadventures in far flung parts of the world. In February, I was back in the thick of it from the moment…
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Intercultural Communication Course
Whilst visiting Cebu City …the oldest city and first capital of the Philippines…I was approached by an eager, enthusiastic group of students keen to involve me in their survey. When I questioned the purpose of their survey, they showed me their identification badges and explained it was for a university project. Naturally, I was happy…
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Easter 2017
Well I managed to get through Holy Week without any serious harm. Four Services and a Funeral plus a Singing Group practice on Wednesday night – all went well. This is largely thanks to the maintenance work put in by our organ tuners and the return of sufficient power to the working parts of the…
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Philippines – Cebu
Cebu was my final destination and brought some unexpected pleasures. It seems I missed Sinulog, the biggest event of the year. The Sinulog-Santo Niño Festival is an annual cultural and religious festival held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City, and is the centre of the Santo Niño Catholic celebrations in the Philippines. However,…
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Philippines – Manila
According to ‘experts’ jet lag is less terrible when flying west because that direction adds hours to our days, giving our bodies more time to adjust. For me, it’s quite the opposite. Maybe it is because I am returning home from summer warmth to dark,cold winter, or my circadian cycles are wired in the wrong direction.…
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Auckland
2009 was the last time I visited New Zealand…so it was a bit like a home-coming reunion to meet up with old friends in a country I fell in love with at first sight in 2004. Like Rome, Auckland is a city built on hills…and consequently somewhat of a challenge for my injured leg. Bruce,…
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Melbourne
Last year the Melbourne Vintage Men’s Group made me a lifetime honorary member. In fact it is they who gave me inspiration and encouragement to develop the LGBT Older People’s Group in North Staffordshire. So there is a feeling of mutual respect. Because of my injured leg, I felt it unwise to meet up with…
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Hoi An
Arriving at Da Nang airport in the daylight allowed me to see the huge commercial developments taking place on the coast…including a complete Sheraton Resort. It would seem that foreign countries are investing in Vietnam. I wonder how many of them will contribute to upgrading the transport infrastructure as the traffic on roads increases. Thankfully,…
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2017 Birmingham – Ho Chi Minh City
Sunday 1st January 2017 saw me at the English Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was a warm sunny day; the cathedral was packed. The mass setting sounded familiar, so I was able to join in following the plasma screens on both sides of the nave. There was a…
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End of Year 2016
Well my bags are packed…I’m ready to go. The taxi’s booked to take me to the station…though I’ve had no joy trying to check in online. But hopefully…as the song says…I’ll soon be leaving on a jet-plane. In my case, however, I do know when I’m coming back…even if all has not gone to plan.…
Maurice Greenham 