Arcticterntalk.org

The blog of a travelling psychiatrist and football lover. Who happens to be a halfway decent photographer. Takes a cynical view of the world

Archive for the tag “Sri Lanka”

The Swans of Painshill Park


Swan at Painshill Park. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Swan at Painshill Park. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Swan at Painshill Park. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Swan at Painshill Park. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

messy Swan at Painshill Park. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

messy Swan at Painshill Park. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

The Hersham Caterpillar


There is only one real car park in Hersham and this is where this caterpillar decided to try and cross, luckily saved from a squashing demise by the good eyesight of a 15 year old. Rescued and placed on a leaf. These humble I Phone photos try and capture the brave if impulsive caterpillar.

Hersham Caterpillar

Hersham Caterpillar

Hersham Caterpillar

Hersham Caterpillar

What is going on at Brentford and what is needed right now


After the farcical events of the last month we need to briefly recap.

  1. We employed an unknown manager and he has been sacked after 8 games.
  2. The results were not the issue but other factors which have not been specified.
  3. Mitigating factors include an unforseen series of injuries
  4. The new manager given the role till the end of the season does not want the job permanently.
  5. Brentford are heading for the relegation places, potentially this saturday.

What has gone wrong? Last season the fans were all together as a unit. Crowds were growing. The ground was sold out most games. Away travelling fans increased in numbers. This season that is all in reverse with 126 fans travelling to Middlesboro for a midweek game. My own view is this. The results have been poor but the performances poorer. A definite lack of tempo compared to last season ( this translates in my language to lack of effort), lack of leadership on the field. Would any away fan during the game be able to spot who the captain was? The quality of the play has been poor. The new players have mostly failed to be as good as the departing ones and certainly not better. And the defence has got worse, and frankly it was bad last year. Brentford are regularly conceding two or more goals each game.

So we need this

  1. A clear statement from the board about the long term managerial situation
  2. A statement from Matthew Benham regarding these matters, his plans and an explanation for what has happened
  3. A new captain on the field.
  4. A new defensive coach
  5. A far higher tempo to the play
  6. some stability for the next 6 months such that we can avoid relegation.

Anyone who thinks we are immune from relegation please think again. We have beaten only two of the poorest sides in the division so far and lost to sides that frankly are mediocre. But importantly we need to see something from the players. management team and board that we as fans can identify as an explanation for what has happened. We need to be able to get behind the team again and give them support. This is not easy when we have no clue what is going on.

Putting out the fires at Griffin Park?

Putting out the fires at Griffin Park?

Putting out the fires at Griffin Park?

Putting out the fires at Griffin Park?

The sun going down on Brentford dreams?

The sun going down on Brentford dreams?

Supermoon 2015 In Sequence.


Supermoon 2015 UK Copyright Chris Bushe

Supermoon 2015 UK Copyright Chris Bushe

Supermoon 2015 UK Copyright Chris Bushe

Supermoon 2015 UK Copyright Chris Bushe

Craterseclipse 3eclipse 4eclipse 6eclipse8red moon 2Red Moon

The Last Redcurrants of 2015 from UK


One single plant has produced around £100 worth of redcurrants this year. I was somewhat amazed to find a few more the other day at the tail end of September. Tasted amazing. Thoroughly recommend a redcurrant plant for 2016.

Redcurrants from surrey

Redcurrants from surrey

Redcurrants from surrey

Redcurrants from surrey

Redcurrants from surrey

Redcurrants from surrey

Redcurrants from surrey

Redcurrants from surrey

Redcurrants from surrey

Redcurrants from surrey

World Food Photos. Like food, like photographs of food


Just a various eclectic mix of food photos taken in various locations. Nothing special. Just enjoy and be hungry.

phboto 1

Coconut Tart

Coconut Tart

CourgettesCustard Cream. Copyright Chris BusheCottage Pie. Smallest and worst cottage pie in the world. served Dalmahoy MarriottSea BassChicken and Asparagus, with courgettes and roast potatoesOrange and Arctic char with an "air"Pan Fried Cod and Broccolipbbhotophotod 5Nonsuch Park CafeNonsuch Park CafeBoat BreadNonsuch Park CafeGhost AlePineappleCopyright Chris BusheSri Lankan FruitCopyright Chris BusheSri Lankan FruitCopyright Chris BusheHerb Crusted Chicken Breast. A rarity .Copyright Chris BusheChicken and Asparagus. Copyright Chris BusheBanana and Coconut Tart. Copyright Chris Bushe 2014image

Sliders and Beef Wellingtons

Sliders and Beef Wellingtons

photo 1

Customer accidentally leaves £6000 tip at Nando’s


This story amused me for many reasons not least because leaving a tip is actually very complex on most PIN machines and we are increasingly asked if we want to. i once left 22p as a tip by simply getting the units wrong. The whole thing is getting a little ridiculous though as the other day in the pub ordering at the bar routine drinks and paying by credit card, I was asked if I wanted to leave a tip on the machine……..

The chicken dinner below is Sri Lanka and not Nando’s by the way!

http://www.itv.com/news/2015-01-02/customer-accidentally-leaves-6-000-tip-at-nandos/

Herb Crusted Chicken Breast. A rarity .Copyright Chris Bushe

Sri Lanka – Memories of a Tsunami Survivor and photographs of Then and Now. Hotel Citrus Hikkaduwa


One of the more interesting characters I met in Sri Lanka was the man who looked after the poolside and his main role was to give out beach towels and beds to those who asked him. A highly intelligent man who kept and read many of the magazines left behind by the hotel guests. He was pleasant and helpful as are most Sri Lankans. He told me one day his Tsunami story. He was on duty that day and heard the eerie silence that preceded the Tsunami. He saw the waves coming and ran, so was luckier than most, and ran around 2 kilometres to collect his wife and family and then went up in the mountains, where he stayed for 6 days. No one knew what was happening, there was very little in the way of effective communications there and his memory when they came down from the mountain was dead bodies floating in the sea, lots of dead bodies.  In any other country this guy could do most jobs, but here he is doing a job way below his intellectual capacity.

The before and after photos are from the Tsunami museum at Telewatta and the ones I took, so approximately 10 years apart but the differences are eerily small.

IMG_0057IMG_9673c IMG_0058 IMG_9673cIMG_0059  IMG_0062 IMG_0063 IMG_0064 IMG_0069 IMG_0071 IMG_0077  IMG_0080 IMG_0085

Sri Lanka. Images of a Beautiful Country


There are few reasons not to choose to go to Sri Lanka. Whatever one wants from a holiday can be found there. Here are a few images I took on a visit there in July 2014. Please enjoy and encourage others to visit this wonderful country. There are photos here of photos from the Tsunami museum.

Best best2  best4     image    IMG_0007 IMG_0008 IMG_0012 IMG_0014 IMG_0017     IMG_0024 IMG_0025      IMG_0039  IMG_0043    IMG_0051 IMG_0052 IMG_0053 IMG_0054 IMG_0055 IMG_0057 IMG_0058 IMG_0059 IMG_0061 IMG_0062 IMG_0063 IMG_0064 IMG_0069  IMG_0077  IMG_0080 IMG_0085  IMG_0089      IMG_0100        IMG_0137 IMG_3736 IMG_3779 IMG_3798 IMG_3969 IMG_4020 IMG_4021 IMG_4157 IMG_4190 IMG_4244 IMG_4247   IMG_9602 IMG_9602f  IMG_9605 IMG_9606 IMG_9607        IMG_9628 IMG_9629 IMG_9630      IMG_9640 IMG_9641 IMG_9648 IMG_9657 IMG_9660  IMG_9660zx   IMG_9663 IMG_9664  IMG_9670 IMG_9671 IMG_9672 IMG_9673  IMG_9699   IMG_9712   IMG_9719  IMG_9748     IMG_9761 IMG_9765 IMG_9769  IMG_9789 IMG_9796 IMG_9797  IMG_9805 IMG_9806   IMG_9810    IMG_9817 IMG_9819  IMG_9832   IMG_9866              IMG_9906      IMG_9928    IMG_9946   IMG_9953    IMG_9964c IMG_9965  IMG_9980  IMG_9983  IMG_9986 IMG_9987 IMG_9989 IMG_9991 IMG_9992 IMG_9993  IMG_9996   Marvan  sunset Tsunamia Painting

Tsunami Photo Museum Telewatta Sri Lanka


On Dec 26th in 2004 the Tsunami hit different Asian countries including Sri Lanka. Very many lives were lost, at least 40,000 and because records are not so excellent there numbers may well be higher. Sri Lanka in fact was the second worst country that was hit. Since then the country had had a resurgence with a second international airport recently completed in the south and the start of a motorway system embedded in the country, meaning what was previously a 5 hour trip from Colombo Airport to the south is far nearer two hours now.

What however many people remain unaware of is that there is a museum devoted to the Tsunami. From the outside it does not look like a museum, in fact it looks remarkably like a ramshackle house that was hit by the Tsunami in the Pareliya area just back from the coast. This is exactly what it is, a house ruined that has been left essentially damaged but turned into a small museum that houses photographs, paintings and stories of how local people built up their lives from scratch. There is free entry and one can leave donations in a small box.

The aim of the museum is to keep the stories alive for future generations and show people what actually happened.

When I visited in August 2014 it has to be one of the most emotional places I can recall visiting.

The museum is almost opposite the National Tsunami Monument near Pareliya junction ( where around 2000 people on a train lost their lives that morning), and is on the main road traveling north out of Hikkaduwa around 4 km or 9 km south of ambalangoda.

Their website is

tsunami-photo-museum-srilanka.blogspot.com

Further information can be got on info@kunstkoffer.nl

Below are a selection of photos I took of the photos in the museum, I challenge anyone not to find these things quite emotional.

photo 1-1    photo 2-2 photo 2  photo 3-2 photo 3 photo 4-1 photo 4-2  photo 5-1 photo 5-2

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