Siem Reap

Hello Gentle Readers

After 1 night in Phnom Penh we made our way back, on a PassApp taxi, to the international airport and our 40 minute flight to Siem Reap.

The airport had a Krispy Kreme concession and despite Robert dropping his on the floor we had a nice donut with very sweet icing each. Lena even suggested that we buy a big box and take them back to China.

The flight was short and as we flew over the Cambodian countryside we could see lots of flooded paddy fields. It was quite a sight.

We landed in Siem Reap and were met by a driver from our hotel. We had assumed they would send a car. Imagine our surprise when it turned out we were travelling to the hotel in a motorcycle pulled Tuk Tuk a bit like this one.

After what seemed like an eternity of bumpy roads and being overtaken by crazy other roaf users we arrived at out hotel.

The Angkor Angel Boutique Villa is more impressive than the hotel we stayed in in Pnomh Penh. It has a small, clean pool and the food was great. Plus, only $1 for a gin and tonic....kerching.

Anyway we are gonna have a very lazy day today. Tomorrow we are going to see Angkor Wat....its gonna be a very cool Christmas

#siemreap #krispykreme #passapp #angkorangelboutiquevilla #angkorwat #tuktuk

Phnom Penh

Hello Gentle Readers

It has been a while since I posted anything new. There are many reasons for this. The biggest being the fact that at work I got promoted and I wanted to spend my home time with Robert and Lena and not face down in my phone writing about stuff.

I have not given up on the blog though just taking a bit of a break. Stay tuned.

Anyway, as you know I like to post about our travels and for Christmas this year we are in Cambodia. We flew here from Guangzhou in just under 2 hours 30 minutes and are staying in the Mekong Dragon Boutique Hotel....for one night.

Tomorrow we head to Siem Reap and the Wonder of the World Angkor Wat.

Stay tuned for pictures

#phnompenh #cambodia #mekondragonboutiquehotel

Beijing

Sorry Gentle Readers. I have not been on for a while. My new job is taking a lot of my time and I still need to spend time with Lena and Robert.

A few weeks ago we went to Beijing and here are some of the photos.

We both agreed that although people in Beijing seem more friendly. The pollution would make it horrible to live there.

We did go to the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, Temple of Heaven and Tiannanmen Square though.

Here are the pics....enjoy.

#beijing #greatwallofchina

700 not out

Well Gentle readers here we go again. Another landmark for "A Scotsman in ...." to celebrate.

700 posts seems like a lot. There are probably millions of blogs that have more than that but to me and Lena, 700 blog posts in 3 and a half years  seems a lot.

Next week, Lena, Robert and I are off travelling again. This time we are heading to Beijing and we honestly cannot wait to see The Great Wall, Tiannanmen Square and the Forbidden City.

Keep reading folks they are some big changes coming.

#700 #bigchanges #beijing

Lena's sweet stuff

Robert loves Chocolate

Hello Gentle Readers its been a while. Work has been hard so I have been really trying to spend as much time as possible with the family while I can and that means that blogging sometimes has to take a back seat.

My wife Lena is an wonderful baker and she has been making bread and cakes quite a lot lately. Today she tried, for the first time ever; chocolate candies and cereal bars.

The smells coming from the kitchen were driving Robert and I crazy as chocolate was melted and honey, fruit and nuts were roasted.

Here is the recipe for the chocolate candies.

Ingredients
100g dark cooking chocolate
25g mixed nuts/fruit
1 tbsp sugar

Method

Melt the chocolate and mix through the sugar.

Pour the chocolate into molds so they are half full. Carefully place the fruit/nuts into the chocolate and then top it up so the mold is full.

Allow the chocolate to cool for 20 minutes or so then place in the freezer.

If that wasn't enough Lena also made some cereal bars.

Ingredients

250g muesli
50g oatmeal
6 tbsp honey
100g dark cooking chocolate

Method

Pour the muesli, oatmeal and honey into a frying pan and mix it on a low heat. Grate some of the chocolate into the muesli and stir well.

When the honey and muesli have become sticky and gloopy pour it into a shallow dish with grease proof paper inside.

Flatten it out until it is filling the dish and drizzle the melted chocolate on top. Allow it to cool before placing in the freezer.

Lena is a great wife and mum and Robert and I want to enjoy her sweet treats forever.

#lenassweetstuff #recipes #chococandy #chocomueslibars

F...f...f...f...fifty....oh f***

Greetings Gentle Readers.

Today is one of those days. A landmark in a life. A day to stop and reflect about what life is all about and think about the future.

Yes, today I turn 50.

50 isnt so bad....is it?

I was talking to Lena last night, while i was still in my 40's about how old is old and how old I actually feel.

When I was 18....50 was old...

When I was 21...50 was old....

When I turned 30 I went a bit crazy and had a hard time.

When I turned 40 I gtumpily accepted the fact.

Now I turned 50 I understand that age is just a number. I have an 8 year old son and a 35 year old wife who keep me young.

I work with teenagers so I have the values and outlook of a much younger man.

Happy Birthday to me

When i was 18, 50 was old. Now I am 50, 18 is stupid.


#happybirthday #50

Lena's "Outer Space" Cupcakes

Mmm Gentle Readers, Lena has got her baking bug back and she went all Jackson Pollock on her cupcakes. The reason for this is I bought us some nice looking donuts for dessert and it turns out they were red bean donuts...yuck. Lena wanted sweet stuff she could actually eat.

Van Gogh's "Starry Night"

Just goes to show what some food colouring can do and they taste awesome.

Ingredients
4 eggs
180g sugar or honey
150g flour
Food colouring
 Also you could add nuts/dried fruit.

Method

Break the eggs into a bowl and add the sugar. Use a hand mixer and mix until it has expanded by 6 to 8 times.
Add the flour and carefully mix using a spoon. Lena suggests that you do this quietly.
When it is mixed you can add the fruit/nuts/food colouring and mix.

Spoon the mixture into cupcake molds and bake in the oven at 180-200 for 15-20 minutes.

Robert loves cupcakes...

...but not red bean donut

#recipe #multicolourcupcakes

One year in China

Hello Gentle Readers.

A little over a year ago Lena, Robert and I arrived in China to start our new adventure.
What a year it has been.

The school has been really supportive and I have been promoted to Middle School and IGCSE coordinator.
Lena has started her teacher training.
Robert has recieved an excellemt school report and has settled in well and has made friends.

We have travelled to Australia, Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong with flying visits to Malaysia and Vietnam and we intend to do much more in the next year.

China has been good to us and we hope this will continue. We have made a lot of good friends and we hope to make some more

I will continue to blog about our life here and I hope you will continue to read it.


#guangzhou #oneyearinchina

Today in History: August 11th

Hello there Gentle Readers. Its time to get oiled up with 299 men and face the hordes of history while wearing the bloody loin cloth of time.

3114BC: The Mayan long calendar begins. It predicted the end of the world in 2012.

480BC: The Spartan King Leonidas dies during the Battle of Thermopylae.

1897: Childrens author Enid Blyton is born.

1920: The Latvian-Soviet peace treaty is signed.

1929: Babe Ruth becomes the first Baseball player to hit 500 home runs.

1984: While preparing for his weekly radio broadcast, Ronald Reagan jokes that "We begin bombing in 5 minutes."

2014: Actor and comedian Robin Williams commits suicide.

#robinwilliams #ronaldreagan #baberuth #latvia #enidblyton #leonidas #mayancalendar #august11 #todayinhistory

Robert's Latvia

Hey Gentle Readers. Robert has been having fun in Latvia over the last few days. Here are some photos.

#latvia #robert