Tag: lifestyle

Fire Boat Festival (Lai Heua Fai), marking the End of Buddhist Lent on October 7, 2025. Coinciding with the full moon of the 11th lunar month

Laos: Rainy Season Retreat Comes to an End for Buddhist Monks! (13.11.2025)

Beyond the spiritual rituals, the festival grounds came alive with vibrant activity as local vendors showcased a wide array of goods, ranging from traditional foods and drinks to handmade crafts, clothing, and household items. The lively marketplace added a festive touch, transforming the event into not just a religious celebration, but also a vibrant community gathering.

Well-organized and secure, the event provided a safe and joyful environment for all attendees. It stood as a testament to Laos’ rich cultural heritage, while also promoting environmental consciousness and community unity.

As the glowing boats drifted peacefully down the Mekong and candlelight danced in the night breeze, the Fire Boat Festival once again proved to be a captivating blend of faith, folklore, and festivity—a timeless tradition that continues to illuminate the hearts of those who take part, year after year.

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A Great Educational Place - Paignton Zoo - Where We First Saw an Indian Lion!

UK: Devon’s Paignton Zoo Up for Sale! (2.10.2025)

My parents moved to Torquay in early 2002. We had visited Torquay on and off over the years – but only for the odd day-trip. Of course, Paignton Zoo had been there since 1923 – and most of us had visited at least once prior to that time – usually with school trips or days-out, etc. What was new was Living Coast (paid for by the founders of Paignton Zoo) – which opened on a beach not far from where my parents had settled. This possessed African Penguins and was marine-based. All my three children – Sue-Ling, Mei-An, and Kai-Lin spent hours of fun at Living Coast primarily because it was so close and relatively cheap to visit. A family ticket was about £20 or so – but a family could visit again free as many times as possible in the next week! This meant that we only visited the Zoo every so often – with one drawback being its size and the fact it is hilly with no public transport on site. Nevertheless, Living Coast only lastly around 17-years (closing in 2020 during Covid-19) – but the Zoo is currently 102-years old! The rise of racism in the area – with local hotels giving free holidays to BNP members and one hosting a UKIP Conference (Nigel Farage was given a Police Escort to the Livermead Cliff Hotel) – led to racial attacks rocketing and the once booming Japanese tourism trade coming to an abrupt halt. Racism toward tourists and visitors has destroyed the local economy – but the locals will still support these ideas and attitudes.

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Rockingham Castle - Battlements!

Rutland: Visiting Rockingham Castle! (29.7.2025)

Despite visiting Duddington (in Northants) regularly since 2009, we had never seen any signs for “Rockingham” – and wondered where this place was. Furthermore, whereas King Henry VIII used to frequent “Nonsuch” (in Sutton and Cheam – where we live) – I am told that King John (1166-1216) of Magna Carta fame, used to spend his leisure time staying at Rockingham Castle – which is near Rockingham village. He used to hunt in the local woods. Apparently, Henry VIII granted the castle (the Norman version of which is currently over 950-years old) to the Watson family (it was leased to Edward Watson in 1544). Prior to this, the general area the castle is now constructed upon possessed a Roman (a coin production industry) – and then a Saxon (Lord Bovi) – presence. The locale of Rockingham (probably the nearby village) is mentioned in the 1066 Doomsday Book – with the castle proper being built between 1066-1071.

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The Tyranny Has Arrived in Sutton!

Sutton: The Dreaded 20mph Local Government Scam Has Hit Our Street! (17.7.2025)

Indeed, a number of local groups have challenged this ridiculous policy in Court and won – so perhaps Sutton Council (and the cabal that controls it) is “waiting” for an official legal confrontation. The problem is that in this affluent area (we are not affluent – and are here by accident) the locals will put up with their freedom being taken away – providing it is done through a gentle “chipping” away process. A little freedom disappears here, no resistance, a little freedom is taken away there, no resistance. The over-all effect is that large swathes of hard-earned freedoms just “disappear” overnight! Enough is enough – Sutton should secede from the UK!

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Reds Under the Beds!

Cuba: Soviet “Operation Anadyr” [1962] – and Red Army Casualties! (25.2.2025)

On a more practical level, the 50,000 Soviet military and civilian personnel that were sent to Cuba, when preparing for the deployment, where issued with fur-hats, balaclavas, and skies, etc, together with arctic equipment – to fool the US Intelligence community. Instead of traversing to the cold north-east – the Soviet Red Army was in fact deploying to the tropical south-east. Following the 1956 betrayal of Joseph Stalin by Nikita Khrushchev (playing to the Western and Trotskyite hatred of genuine Marxist-Leninism) – the authentic Socialist processes and institutions of the USSR were robust and possessed strength in-depth. The destruction of the 1917 October Revolution in the USSR would take just 36-years to achieve (1956-1991). In the 1960s it was the USSR that aided Cuba and not Socialist China (Mao Zedong had condemned Khrushchev and upheld the good reputation of Joseph Stalin) – a stance which led to the Sino-Soviet Split (1956-1991). Cuba could have requested help from China – but chose not to at the time. A position condemned by numerous Maoist groups – such as the Workers’ Institute in the UK.

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