SMBC

A great tip from SMBC for those too... polite to do the right thing:

Of course it won't work if the other person is way smarter than you are. As is usually the case, of course.

Food: One08

It goes to show how limitless the food options in London are when I get to check out yet another unvisited hotel restaurant. One08 is the name (clever, as it sits at 108 Marylebone Lane), with The Marylebone Hotel being the enclosure this time around.

The place was dark (in a good way) and intimate, with us getting a perfectly sized round table for five. For the Muslim there weren't many options on the already limited menu; between us we exhausted the starter options and we had to ask the chef to adapt the beer battered fish and chips; they were happy to do this and the grilled version of the dish wasn't too bad.

We were using a Top Table offer to get 50% off our food bill, and it all came to around £16 a head which was fair enough value, but not so much had we paid full whack. On this basis the place gets a recommendation I suppose, but if you have to book a place then you're better off going elsewhere.

But in this instance the story doesn't quite end there. After pointing out a piece of bacon that was found in one of our otherwise vegetarian salads, we were well looked after when it came to paying the bill. It's probably bad form to say exactly how we were made to feel better, but they did pull out the stops to do so and that very quickly. It's not the kind of service I'm used to seeing, and although it could be argued that it shouldn't have happened in the first place it's impressive that they made the effort to correct their mistake - enough at least for me to note it here and send a thank you email afterwards.

SMBC

It seems the world is waking up to cynicism and curmudgeonry:

Ahhh when did contentment, self worth and security become so boring?

The Annual Inevitably Cynical "I Hate Valentine's" Post

A very, very easy one this year:

All true, yet I'm still struggling to think which category I fall into. And no, that isn't an invitation to comment.

Book: The Game, Neil Strauss

I am far from being a player. Of course making such a statement myself is problematic on so many levels, but I couldn't think of any other way to open this review. The thing is that as a single guy who is looking for a partner and who happens to occasionally and rarely talk to members of the opposite sex (shut up at the back) it's impossible not to relate to at least some aspects of what goes on in a book about a guy who is dealing with his own issues with women. Of course, that could just be the nature of self-help books (even though, technically, this is less self-help and more a commentary on self-help): to be read in a way that will get the reader to personalise and relate. Which is even more ironic and meta considering that's exactly the skill being talked about within. Phew. Let's talk about the book itself for a minute shall we?

The book traces the origin, development and conclusions of a master pick-up artist in the making, Neil Strauss, also known as Style. He begins lamenting his lack of skills with attracting women, blaming in part the lack of exposure to them during his younger years (yes, sounds familiar I know). He decides to tackle this problem academically; by striving to define and quantify what was wrong in order to create specific solutions to overcome them: routines, scripts, tactics and strategy. On the way he also chronicles the rise of a community that grows around these ideas and processes, cumulating in multiple businesses, geographical centres and even academies containing them. I'll say it now - the book itself is quite trashy in terms of writing style, but the sheer content more than makes up for that.

But back to me. Despite not being a player (I am yet to figure out if that's by choice or not), I have to say I was quite surprised by how familiar some of the techniques described in the book were. Not in a sleazy or manipulative way of course, but in a more organic and correlative one. There were a fair few times when I would think "xxx totally does that!" or "that's what I see yyy doing all the time!" and perhaps even a "but... I do that too!" at times. In broad terms this book is actually about social relations, and for those who are socially apt naturally or after development it's both a little disconcerting and validating to see behaviours put down and packaged as strategy or script. The fact is that there is a reason why popular people are popular and if I have even an ounce of that stuff myself, reading it in black and white did allow me to trace back why that might be. And no, I won't tell you which exact techniques I recognised.

Essentially as a person socialises and matures and gains experience they begin to realise what works and what doesn't. Things like Social Awareness, Perception and Emotional Intelligence are all things that can develop over time both organically or academically, but it's only those who have that will know how to efficiently and quickly both build and destroy relationships. I'm not sure how far in that journey I am, but even right now I'm writing this post in a way that I know will give a certain impression to readers; and I know that even admitting as much is a part of that plan.

Leaving aside the context of pick-up, I do think the book makes a pretty good and fun commentary on social relations. It tells us how straightforward this process can be, but also how nothing of value comes for free. Just being told that both sides of the coin exist is a valuable lesson in itself and for that alone the book gains a recommendation.

Film: Race 2

Ah Race. A good five years after the first film and we actually get given a sequel. Is it really possible to build on the "should be bad but is rather good" character of the previous instalment?

Well it seems so and in exactly the same way. We still have the ludicrous premise, the hammy acting and awful, awful special effects. And we still have irrelevant distractions, the half naked guys and enough twists to make the guys behind us in the cinema want to discuss it out loud during the show.

But then we also have the comedy, the tripping plot, the half naked chicks (Deepika yay!) and the fun - oh my the fun - all proving that a film can be way more charming than the sum of it's bad parts. And that's all that's important in Bollywood really. So yes, even though it makes me feel oh so dirty doing so, Race 2 gets a cheerful recommendation from me.

Link of the Day

How to pick a wife if you want to have kids

Purely for completion of course. You can read my thoughts on Penelope's corresponding post here, and what I said then still applies to the above too.

Film: Django Unchained

I wouldn't say I'm a Tarantino fan. I mean, sure, I really like many (most? all?) of his films, and I love how he manages to keep his audience on his toes too. I just don't think he's Amazing with a capital A.

That said I did think Django was pretty brilliant. As was the case with Kill Bill, the beauty was in its simplicity - there was no ambiguity here, we all knew who the good and bad guys were, what everyone wanted and how they were going to get it. The acting was solid, the dialogue sublime and I even appreciated the soundtrack.

The whole movie was so easy to watch, it was easy to forget how long you were sitting there for - this despite the many opportunities there were to end the film early.

Recommended!

Valentino: Master of Couture

Yes, that's right: this was an exhibition on fashion. And leaving aside my general disinterest in the topic, I actually reserve a special sneer for Valentino, the jeans of whom were such a big deal way back in school and college. Looking back I'm glad I wasn't another rude boy statistic who owned a pair.

On the other hand I do like to expose myself to new things, particularly those outside of my comfort zone. And there's no doubt that fashion has a relevance in society and culture whether I like it or not, so when I had the opportunity to check out an exhibition on one of the world's biggest designers, I thought it would be interesting enough to check out.

And it was for a bit. The first 5% of the exhibition is a display of various letters, invitations, sketches and memorabilia from the life of Valentino, all evidence of a world apart from that of our own, where a dress or party could be a life changing event. The final 5% was a collection of various media demonstrating how some examples of designer clothes were made - you know, fancy pleats and bows and flowers and the like.

The bulk of the exhibition (90% for those of you who really don't like maths) was on the catwalk, a collection of over 150 dresses created by Valentino. It was all a bit overwhelming actually, although I was surprised (or perhaps not) by how few I actually liked the look of. I suppose then I prefer the more boring, conventional and square look - and since that's an explicit opinion I've only formed after seeing what else was available, I guess even for me there was some value for coming here today.

Overall I would have preferred a bit more about Valentino's development - perhaps twice or even three times what was actually presented - but I suppose those who know fashion more intimately would have gotten exactly that through the medium of wardrobe. But exhibitions like these are supposed to be a little more accessible than that, otherwise there's a danger of them just becoming gratification; in this case fashion porn.

So then in general terms I can't really recommend this one, and that not just because I'm not interested in the topic being covered. But then again, those who will enjoy this will already know that they will anyway.

Food: Burger and Lobster

I'll be the first to admit that I got sucked in by the almost constant mentions this place has gotten both in the media and amongst friends. It's pretty much exploded on the scene over the past few months, even with people who never talk about food. But despite these constant attention I never really knew what it was - until this week I thought it was called Lobster Burger, a place where you could buy, well, a lobster burger.

But no, it's actually called Burger and Lobster - a name that must come first in the "does what it says on the tin" category of restaurants. You see the premise here is very simple: you sit down, order one of three options on a verbal menu (a burger, a lobster and a lobster roll), and pay a fixed cost per meal of £20 (plus the now standard 12.5% service). All three meals come with some (very awesome) chips and a salad. Drinks are separate, and your server may tell you if there's any dessert available, but other than that this is it. Oh and the burgers are beef, by the way.

Gimmicky as it sounds, I have to say that it works. Due to the nature of our party, beef burgers were not an option, but the lobster was pretty good in spite and perhaps even because of the hard work you need getting into it, and while the cold lobster roll was a nice easy option, it tasted good enough.

Food aside, the place was decent and clean, with good service (I can only imagine the efficiency of a kitchen that only serves three dishes). And adding it all up, I would say that 20 quid is a decent price to pay for the lobster, if slightly too much for the roll.

A final note on trying out the place though - apparently the place gets very busy, leaving waiting lists of up to two hours at peak times. They also generally don't take reservations, although the Soho branch does for groups larger than six. In that sense we were quite lucky today as we got in with zero wait at around 1:30pm, so fortunately I'm unable to comment on whether it would be worth the wait or not. Other than that, the place is recommended.

Book: A Feast for Crows, George R.R. Martin

Part four, and I have to admit things have started to slow down somewhat. The reasons why are not apparent till the end, but explanation or no there is no doubt that the series is starting to drag a little.

This is, of course, a shame, but on the bright side "dragging" in the world of Ice and Fire still puts this leagues ahead of anything else, and so my recommendation to read it still stands. Roll on part five.

Indexed

A warning to all those still looking for chairs:

But what about the sunken cost?

SMBC

I know many reading will nod in agreement to this:

But seriously folks, for me it's simply just the left hand side. No lies.

Food: JW Steakhouse

For the sake of transparency I'm going to have to qualify this review from the start. Tonight's meal was the most expensive I've ever had to pay for. Those who know me will already know how much of my judgement this will affect, and I will be the first to admit that it has.

But it's experiences (for that must be what such a price buys) that tell you a lot about yourself - what you appreciate and value in life. I'll never see the value in designer labels or fancy jewellery but will easily spend on travel for instance. And although I've never claimed to be a foodie, today I can say with certainty that I'm not. I also know now that I am not a steak person - if the best steak in London doesn't do it for me, then none will. On the other hand I am able to appreciate why others might like a slab of meat, and I will also admit to have thoroughly enjoyed and seen value in meals that would have cost more than this one today.

Enough philosophy though, let's get to the food. The menu was straightforward enough: we pre-ordered our halal steaks a few days in advance, with myself teaming up with another to split an Angus Rib-Eye and American New York Strip - we had no idea which to choose so we hedged our bets. This was lucky, as I definitely preferred the accessibility of the Strip to the chewy gristle of the Rib-Eye, even though I would acknowledge that the latter tasted better.

Starters and sides were standard enough, and not worth mentioning explicitly, barring the table bread which was all kinds of awesome. A special note does go to the cheesecake, which might just be the one thing I go back for (although the place does apparently do a decent fish and chips too).

The atmosphere, table configuration and service all confirm the theory that after a certain cost it's the experience you pay for and all were pretty much top notch, although also on par with other places I've been to but of a fraction of the price.

Which brings me to the final bill. The evening cost an incredible (perhaps just to me and the student on the table) £55 per head, of which the steak alone was £35-40 depending on the cut chosen. If this is how much a decent steak costs, I can see why the consumption of red meat can indeed lead to heart attacks.

Which leaves me in a pretty interesting position here at the end of this review. Of course on principle there is no way I can give JW Steakhouse a general recommendation. But if someone with more money than sense did ask me if I knew of a top-end steakhouse that would offer halal meat, then JW will always have to be the first I suggest to them.

Mughal India: Art, Culture and Empire

The British Library is currently hosting an exhibition on the Art and Culture that arose during the reign of the Mughal Empire across the sub-continent. This alone made it an inevitable visit, but I must admit that I was pretty surprised by the scope of the whole thing once I arrived.

The sheer number of items on display was pretty overwhelming. Around 90% of the material were, unsurprisingly maybe, books or pages, while the remainder consisted of artefacts, photos and painted art. Even the two hours or so we were there wasn't quite enough to soak it all in.

As someone who is largely ignorant of the history of India of that time I found it pretty eye-opening. I didn't realise how relatively recent the last of the Mughals was around, and neither did I know how deep and wide their governance was during the initial incline and peek of their time over India.

The exhibition was set up pretty well, with various sections covering a different aspect of Mughal life, and another in the middle tracing the life of each and every one of the Mughal emperors - you could just about imagine how the whole epic unfolded. Everything was also very well curated and I found myself spending as much time reading about each item as I did looking at the item itself. Most of my many revelations came from the information boxes under each exhibit.

Rich, interesting and quite rewarding, the Mughal India exhibition at the British Library is running till the 2nd of April, and I definitely think it's worth a look.

Video of the Day

Ah, but we all knew this already, right?



And yes, I did laugh out loud at the last line. Ta to Mash for the link.

Link of the Day

How to pick a husband if you want to have kids

Yes yes, I know I promised never to post articles like these any more - and to be fair there have been at least ten of Penelope's articles that I've forced myself not to link to lest I be mistakenly taken for a misogynist brute who has nothing but criticism for his fellow sisters. And anyway, with women like Penelope saying the same thing in a much better way (read: with a woman's voice) I don't really need to.

But I just had to refer to one of her most recent posts, since it's such a big theme in my own interactions with women (read: rishta - please excuse the euphemism this one time). Now don't get me wrong - I've said it before and I'll say it again: I am fully and unequivocally behind the right of a woman to choose what they want from life, perhaps even more so than that of a man. It's just that my need of a certain type of wife stems from who I happen to be; and I certainly hope that who I happen to be fulfils the needs of the certain type of wife I marry. There are no universal answers here.

However there is also a need for a lot of people (women, men and yes possibly even me) to be aware of who they are and what they want. Now it's easy to dismiss Penelope as loon who applies theoretical statistics to the incompatible science of relationships, but (at the most) anecdotally and (at the very least) in terms of fairness and justice and simply what makes sense, I would say there's a bit of weight in what she says.

Perhaps once we acknowledge that we can't have it all, we might actually realise that we don't actually want it anyway?

Film: Wreck-It Ralph

There's not much to say here that you won't already know about this movie. Blah blah Disney, yada yada feel-good, great animation, lots of laughs - even the 3D was pretty stunning. We had the staple and solid plot, clear good and bad guys (despite the premise of the film) and the same rush of emotion and tears toward the end. So yes, standard. It was recommend before I even watched it really.

BUT! The sheer level of fan-service and videogame trivia/porn in this film elevates Wreck-It Ralph well above all those other awesome animations. The way they were included and brought together, some playing more of a part than others, gave an indication of just how much care went into avoiding tramping on all the memories the parents of the audience (because let's face it, who else is going to recognise Q*bert?). It was pretty amazing to see.

For most people this will be a great film. For those who grew up in the 80's and 90's playing videogames, this will be something far better.

Food: Taste of Pakistan

I have to say, the gall of naming a Pakistani restaurant "Taste of Pakistan" alone is pretty compelling. Only a place with culinary balls would go there, so before even entering we knew this place would either be great, or bad. The fact that it was packed (enough for the mere two of us to be almost turned away) said a lot.

But I'm glad we finally got to sit down. The premise here is pretty straightforward - a basic menu, generous portions and good food all add up to a solid experience and there aren't many gimmicks here.

Well okay there might be - but it is a good one. The flagship item on the menu has to be the Chapli Kabab deal, with three of the plate sized slabs being served with a hanging naan, all for a tenner. If we had known better we would have stopped there, but we also ordered the Chicken Karahi for the sake of variety. A jug of Mango Lassi rounded the meal up.

The meal came to around a tenner a head, but as I say we did overorder a little. As for a recommendation? Well I now know where I'll be grabbing dinner every time I'm early for an airport run - heck I might start heading out early just so I have an excuse to eat there again.

Food: The Parlour

Who'd have thought that The Parlour - the default location for all our after-work-drinks do's - also had space to eat? Well at least I didn't until tonight.

What's more surprising is how much of a contrast it is from the much larger bar area, with its intimate yet open and breezy layout. Of course since we were there on a non-working Saturday the place was quite dead; this may have contributed to the sense of ease we had while enjoying our meal. I don't think it would have been as relaxed on a weekday.

The food itself was solid. I went for Fish Pie, which although was generous in size wasn't too much on taste. Still, it left me curious enough: the range in the menu does leave room for other dishes to perhaps be better.

At £15 per head for a shared starter and mains it wasn't too bad for the money either. So yes a decent enough place, just make sure you only head there for a Saturday night.

Film: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

How can anyone think more LOTR a bad thing? Of course all good must come to an end, and the last chapter of the epic (was it really in 2003? Ten years ago?) did make us all want more. Lucky then that there's a whole lot of Middle earth left to cover, including the most awesome The Hobbit prelude.

The thing is, of course, that The Hobbit is a pretty small book. It's certainly not weighty enough to create a triple bill from. And yet this is exactly what we're being given, the size supplemented by stories from other books, and even some scenes plucked from thin air.

Is this a bad thing? Well no, because it is essentially more LOTR greatness, and the more of that we have the better. The acting is sublime, the effects amazing and the sense of scale awe-inspiring. Even the runtime didn't feel like the just-under-three-hours we were all dreading.

But the thing is that this just isn't The Hobbit, and for those who hold this book dear to them (which I'm not saying applies to me), the sense of lost purity might be a little jarring - particularly seeing how good a job was done of the LOTR films.

So as long as the film can be considered more a The Hobbit Remix, I thought it was pretty wonderful. Recommended.

Constellations

The twist in this two-man play is that the same story is told not once, not twice, but multiple times, with scenes being played out over and over again with a variance in characters, as well as non linearly, with us flipping back and forth through time. Oh and look, one of the characters happens to be a Quantum Physics geek.

These two manipulated dimensions have different effects on the play. The first is on the metaphysical; to emphasise which events and situations the characters are going through are universally fundamental and which are vacuous - this is similar to how some religious people reconcile destiny and willpower, that some important things are inevitable and others are flexible.

The second dimension is pure theatrical play, telling us the conclusion of the story so we can more effectively feel the journey toward it.

The simple stage with minimal background and props underlines the strong performances and production values of Constellations, while the running time of around 70 minutes seems just about right (although if I'm honest the gimmick did wane a bit toward the end). All in all it was different enough to be enjoyable.

Film: Silver Linings Playbook

A kooky, almost indie-feeling romcom here, with Bradley Cooper playing a guy struggling to deal with his recently diagnosed bi-polar condition. There he meets Jennifer Lawrence (who actually turns out to be quite likeable in this film), who is suffering through her own issues and once this common ground context is established, the rest of the film almost plays out automatically.

But it is well acted, and solidly put together - I would say that it felt a little too long yet I'm not quite sure where they could have trimmed the fat. A feel good movie different enough to be enjoyable too, it just about gets a recommendation from me.

Food: Vanilla Black

Some restaurants are more about the experience than the food. Some may describe this as pretentious, but I think it's fair enough provided you know what you enjoy about eating out.

Take Vanilla Black for instance. Even the name oozes class. The fact that it's a fancy vegetarian restaurant adds to the certain sense of elitism that hangs about the place. And fancy it definitely is - I have to admit I was a little amused when the first thing I was asked was what name the booking I didn't make was under, particularly since the place was empty when we got there.

My other eyebrow was raised when presented with the menu. Perhaps my understanding of a la carte is wrong (very possible) but a fixed price for 2-3 courses is anything but. That's okay though - I don't actually mind set menus when they're genuine options, but what was weird was how there was no other choice of how to order. What was even cheekier was how they gave the dessert menu as a possible course after we had picked our starters and mains.

But apart from these "logistical" issues I thought Vanilla Black was pretty good. The food was decent enough - although I do think I may have picked the wrong things for myself on the whole there were some weird and wonderful tastes and textures hitting our taste buds. The place was clean cut and roomy and decorated in a classic but sophisticated style, more state homely than otherwise and the service was top notch.

Which brings us to the damage. At thirty quid per head for the two courses (we stuck to tap water), I thought it was way too expensive for what it was, and I've eaten better vegetarian for much less in many other places. Essentially, it really wasn't worth it.

So yes, a really nice place and one I would recommend for a very special occasion purely for the experience; and yet not somewhere I see myself going back to any time soon.

Film: Seven Psychopaths

I'm sure there's some kind of self referencing commentary on film-making that a real film reviewer would pick up on while watching Seven Psychopaths. I didn't quite get it myself, choosing instead to enjoy the randomness and fun instead.

It certainly is random. We have vigilantism, dog-napping, cancer, Quakers and even Vietnamese priests making an appearance. And yet it all makes a weird kind of sense.

At most, I can call this a decent timepass; as I mentioned there's probably a deeper message I'm missing that would have unlocked even more reward... but as it stands Seven Psychos is worth a DVD recommendation at least.

Light from the Middle East

The Victoria and Albert Museum is currently hosting a collection of photos originating from the Middle East. In fact it seems that the theme of the exhibition is more about photography (meta-photography?) than geography, and in the main it's all very modern arty and manipulated stuff. This is no bad thing albeit of a certain taste, but for those who are less adventurous and more traditional about the medium there's enough regular photography to keep interest.

Which brings me on to my picks of the exhibition. Tal Shochat's Trees were quite nice, and Hassan Hajjaj's take on fashion poignant for a cynic like me. Sadegh Tirafkan's 'Human Tapestry' was impressive from it's scale and finally I liked Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige's take on Beirut, somewhere I really want to visit one day.

The exhibition itself is well laid out, with plenty of information around the photos to keep you engaged and inline with the story being told. The whole thing is free and will take only 45 minutes to cover, so if you do check it out make sure you have supplementary plans (like checking out the museum proper). However you manage it, it's definitely worth checking out.

SMBC

People often look at me funny when I rant and lament about how acceptable the need for public validation has become (I mean I can sense you all doing it right now). But sometimes it takes an insightful comic to pass a message, like the one below.

I would ask you to pass this to all your mates, but I suspect you'd resort to Facebook to do it.

Vietnam-Cambodia, Day Fifteen: Going Home

It turns out that a 4:30pm flight is pretty convenient. It gave us the whole day to mop up the remaining parts of Phnom Penh - the morning was spent checking out various palaces, monuments, temples and wats. It didn't take us too long to cover the basics (which loosely translates to "Shak was done being a tourist"), and after taking the requisite number of pictures (here) we headed back to the hotel to meet up with the rest of the party.

The final attraction we wanted to see was the Russian Market, partly to buy but mainly to soak up the local vibe, and our now host of Phnom Penh was generous enough to oblige taking us. We dipped in and out of the market - sometimes even haggling for items we did or didn't need - while picking up various bits of street food to keep us going. It was a fun way to spend our remaining moments; we finally ended up in a quaint little cafe for a lovely pre flight lunch.

And that was pretty much it for us. After picking up our luggage from the hotel and saying our goodbyes to our new friend we headed to the airport for the long flight back.

It's funny: I was feeling pretty reluctant in the preceding few weeks before this holiday and I did fly with a higher than normal level of trepidation two weeks ago. But here on the other side I am happy to admit that I was totally wrong about how this trip would turn out - whether it was my prejudice or just age that made me cautious I don't know. But what I am sure about is that both Vietnam and Cambodia are amazing places to visit, and more so the way we did so - and the pretty impossible amount we packed in - made the whole thing that much better.

Vietnam-Cambodia, Day Fourteen: Phnom Penh

The single handiest tip I can give anyone planning on checking out Phnom Penh is to secure a tuk-tuk and driver for whole days rather than on an ad hoc basis. We managed to do pretty well (I think), paying $15 for one to take the two of us around for the whole day, particularly since we would later ask him to take us of the beaten tourist path.

But for the most part tourists we were. Our first stop was the nearby school-turned-prison-turned-killing station-turned-Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (photos), a scarring insight into the conditions met by the people of Cambodia under the governance of the Khmer Rouge. Yes, it certainly was more culture porn, but the educational effect was definitely there too and the whole thing was very sad.

As we approached noon, we asked our driver to take us to a mosque we had the address of. Noor-ul-Ihsan was as regular as a mosque could be, and apart from the Cambodian language that the Friday sermon was delivered in the experience was strikingly similar to what we would find elsewhere in Asia.

And it was just as hospitable too. We got to talking to some Bangladeshi expats who were kind enough to even treat us to a wonderful home cooked lunch while we did our ummah thing. As is always the case, and indeed one of the reasons I insist on adhering to Jummah while travelling, it was brilliant to meet people living in the country we were spending time in.

The afternoon was spent visiting The Choeung Ek Genocidal Center, otherwise known as The Killing Fields. This was an area where political prisoners (many from Tuol Sleng) were taken to be killed en masse. The place definitely had more of a memorial vibe to it than that of a preservation one, but there were also clear reminders of the atrocities committed there. After the museum this morning the whole day served to be pretty poignant (photos).

After meeting with the other half of our travel party (who had decided to stay on at Koh Rong for another day), we headed to the river side for a hang and dinner with another expat we had met on the island. It was a fitting way to spend our last evening in Phnom Penh, Cambodia... and our holiday as a whole.

And just for the laughs, a couple of us went for a five dollar massage at a seedy place across from our hotel. It was worth much less than what we paid, but it had to be done.

Vietnam-Cambodia, Day Thirteen: Broken Hearts

The wonderful thing about living on a desert island is how disconnected you are. In this particular context I mean there was no plane, bus or boat to catch this morning and so no alarms set to wake us up. Bliss.

Well potentially anyway. Of course my eyes automatically opened at 6am; this was probably a good thing though seeing how short we were on time here. After catching Fajr prayer I headed straight to the beach where another guest had just finished their morning yoga.

Even though we initially felt disappointed to have had to come to this side of the island, it turned out to be a major blessing in disguise. Even though Tui Beach was relatively isolated, the beach around the Broken Heart Guest House (or BHGH) where we were staying was absolutely sublime and pretty much untouched. An amazing walk on the beach and swim later and it was time for breakfast.

The rest of our time there consisted of us chilling at the beach bar and swimming in the sea in turns. At some point we also had to have lunch, and eventually it became time to leave. We caught a smaller boat to take us back to Tui Beach, and then a bigger boat to take us back to Sihanoukville. That journey wasn't too fun: it was proper stormy (we're talking Lost kind of thing here) and the seas were quite choppy; I ended up napping with a Cambodian family in the cabin. I'm not sure how long the journey took, but when I opened my eyes the seas were much calmer and we were pulling into Sihanoukville. We managed to catch our bus okay and we arrived at Phnom Penh by midnight.

Koh Rong was pretty amazing, and the last two days (or was it more? I've lost count) was wonderfully adventurous and ad hoc. That all said, I'm still tossing up whether it was all actually worth it. The photos I took during my stay are here.