Wednesday 29 November 2017

Jean's health

This blog is dedicated to the above subject. Refer to our earlier blog dated a couple of weeks week ago.
For those who know her well, maybe this should come as no surprise, but her reputation for invincibility should not be taken with complacency. NO-ONE IS INVINCIBLE.
It has been a source of considerable concern to us of late, but in typical style she has kept the earlier results of her lung X-rays and CT - scan on the back burner. These showed a large mass on her left lung which could have been anything, but a subsequent CT - Scan decreased the chances of anything like a tumour - without completely debunking the possibility.
Anyway, all of the above took place in Penang at the Island Hospital 4 weeks ago. Since then she has been aggressively pursuing various treatment options on Langkawi Is.,including physiotherapy which involved aggressive "cupping" of the chest and back to dislodge anything there. Then there was Dr. Din, the acupuncturist. We have known him for at least 3 years now and always have had a very high regard for him. He has given her several treatments with encouraging results. He recommended onion juice which Jean, with her accustomed aplomb, took to with relish. Never mind that Jim hates onions - can't stand them in any form in fact - despite the fact that  he was involved in exporting the damn things from NZ to Japan and Europe in the 1970's. That is another long and painful story.
And last, but by no means least, is that she was lent a nebuliser by friends (an Aussie/Swedish couple - Drew and Kat) on "Malmuirie". She has been using this with Colloidal Silver as a mist infusion and it certainly has helped greatly. We'll be getting our own soon because the results are impressive.
4 days ago she had another X-ray here on Langkawi. The doctor on Penang had suggested that Jean fly there for another X-ray and even a period of hospitalisation for observation. However, Jean was having none of that. Happily the current X-ray shows that the mass has completely disappeared which appeared to have vindicated her natural treatments, albeit including a 7 day treatment of antibiotics. So, we, and she in particular, are of course ecstatic at the latest result.   
That she has achieved it, is in no small measure due to her single-minded determination and pursuit of all available options. The X-ray may be clear, but the symptoms are still persisting, albeit at a much lower level. So, now it's hopefully just a matter of continuing the various treatments and she'll be 100%.
Cheers and lotsaluv from us..............
Jim and Jean
   

Monday 20 November 2017

Recent blog

Hi again,
We should have included a reference to www.khakispecs.com which is a blog written by an Englishman (Hugh Steadman) living in NZ, on political subjects. It seems well researched and educated. In particular I was interested in the reference to the NZ taxpayers' money that has been given to the Clinton Foundation via the Clinton Foundation's Health Access Initiative. This is a thinly veiled slush fund and the deal was no doubt cooked up between Key and Obama on the Honolulu golf course. In fact Key's effect on NZ has been described by an Arabic saying - "abu samm barid" - which means cold poison. This is something you imbibe over a period without noticing any ill-effects - until you wake up one day to find that you are dead!
Steadman is a Sandhurst graduate who saw the light and emigrated to NZ where he lives in Marlborough. Key orchestrated a donation to the CF of 7.7 million NZD with a further 5.5 million to be paid during this and next year. The Clinton Foundation has been so widely discredited that this is an absolute scandal. It's all ben done through the MFAT.
This has been John Key all over and when Trump came to power his dreams of world domination together with Obama and David Cameron turned to ashes and he resigned. Pure and simple. Read the blogsite - it's informative and inspirational.
Cheers again,
Jim and Jean


Sunday 19 November 2017

Langkawi musings ahead of leaving Malaysia and SE Asia for good

Hi,
We hope this finds everyone in the pink.
The above subject line fills us with a deal of sadness, but now having had 3 and a half years so far of living between Langkawi/Penang and southern Thailand, we feel it's time to call time and move on. We cannot sell a yacht built with love and integrity such as "Tiare Taporo III" in SE Asia - all buyers seem to be interested in here is the latest plastic fantastic - and at giveaway prices. Well, that's symbolic of the world these days and all we can say is  - GOOD LUCK!!! The world is going to hell in a hand basket and we are most definitely NOT interested in being part of that.
So, as we have indicated in the past, we have taken the opportunity to arrange to ship her to the Mediterranean in 4 months time where hopefully there is a more mature appreciation of the finer things in life. She is a 12 ton Gauntlet (Gauntlets were designed in Lymington, southern England) in 1934) and a number of them would have been part of the "Little Ships" rescue of the British Army at Dunkirk in 1940. "Tiare Taporo III" was built in Wellington, NZ between 1947 and 1978 - 31 years of creating. She was originally launched as "Reflections of Wellington" at Evans Bay, Wellington and then later during an extensive refit during 2008/09 in Whangarei, NZ, the decision was made by the present owner to change the name to "Tiare Taporo III" after the owner's great grandfather's island trading schooner built in Auckland, NZ in 1913. Hopefully there is much more interest in classic timber built vessels in Europe and that any increased interest translates to a sale. 
So, that's another potted history which will probably interest no-one, but anyone who wants to be part of NZ's maritime history can always be part of our recent history and adventures by accessing www.tiaretaporo3.blogspot.com
If she doesn't sell for a time, then we can always live and sail on board in the Med. and over winter in cheaper marinas than RLYC at Langkawi - and certainly cheaper than Thailand. During the northern winters we'd be in Colombia and it's far closer to the Med. than Asia.
Since we returned from Colombia on October 18th. where we intend to create our ultimate retirement home, we have received advice that all the legal initiatives that we began during our recent stay there have now been confirmed and are now a "done deal". That is hugely re-assuring for us and now makes our concentration on getting TT3 to the Mediterranean so much less mentally complicated.
Life on Langkawi remains pretty much as before - alternating between benign acceptance of the bureaucratic status quo and a quiet fury at the hypocrisy that drives the sad racist society of Malaysia. Just one example  - previously one could only buy 5 bottles of liquor per month per passport. But Jim went into a shop and bought 3 bottles and there was no mention of a passport. Then went back the same day and bought one more - same thing. They've projected over 30 million tourists over the coming year when current tourist numbers are declining around 20 million. No explanation for this "increase" - just more of the same government propaganda. Add to that the sheer theft by senior government figures of the funds "invested" in the state run sovereign investment fund - 1MDB - to the tune of at least 3.5 BILLION US DOLLARS and perhaps you get the picture. This theft was being locally investigated, but that has all been shut down, mainly by sacking the previous Attorney General and replacing him with a compliant yes-man. Meanwhile, the local population generally is left lamenting. But you cannot say anything publicly because then you would go to jail for a long time on sedition charges.
The central Bank Negara is now talking the value of the Ringgit up by hinting at interest rate increases in the near future. As a result the Kiwi dollar has gone from MYR 3.10 to MYR 2.83 at last count - a reduction of 8.7%. Although the recent rise in the price of oil and an overall decline in the Kiwi has something to do with that, the main reason would seem to be political so that they can claim how well the local economy is doing ahead of the elections next year. Whether interest rates actually do rise in the near future is highly debatable, but the general populace will be placated. Then it will be business as usual again after the election. Maybe we're very cynical!!  
We have also become aware of at least one yacht owner's difficulties with Malaysian Immigration and this echoes the comment made to Jim when asking whether he had been given the expected 90 days on arrival after coming back from Colombia. The immigration official at Kuala Lumpur International asked why 90 days was needed. The fact that we have a yacht in Malaysia and that as long as it remains here we spend money in Malaysia doesn't seem to register. DUH!!! But all of this underlies a deeper concern at the direction Malaysia seems to be taking against foreigners and just reinforces our decision to leave permanently.
As part of our preparations for sailing to Thailand and shipping to Europe, we decided to go to Penang to have medical checkups at the Island Hospital. We have to say that the medical system here is definitely one good thing about Malaysia - albeit considerably more expensive than India - but cheaper than Thailand!! We both saw a gastro-enterologist and all seemed fine but when Jean consulted Dr. Leow Chai Hooi - a respiratory medical specialist - for her persistent deep seated cough, we had quite a scare, which is not yet fully put to bed. An X-ray revealed that her left lung was approximately 30% obscured by a whitish mass. This could be an accumulation of mucous or something else we would rather not think about. It certainly explained her recent feelings of tiredness as she was simply not getting enough oxygen. Anyway, Dr. Leow suggested a CT Scan which might explain some more. It allayed our fears somewhat by showing that there was no external tumour, but there is still the possibility of a small internal one. The only way to check this was by way of a Bronchoscopy where a camera is inserted in the nose and then down into the lung, but even this is unable to absolutely say for sure that there is no tumour as it cannot penetrate the finer airways of the lung - which are like a spider's web, so because of this further inconclusiveness, Jean decided against this procedure. So the tentative conclusion at this stage is that  there is no tumour and that it is necessary to have treatment to dislodge the mucous which appears to have been there for a long time. The specialist recommended physiotherapy and we have luckily found a good physio here on Langkawi. So far she has had two treatments which she is very happy with. She has also been having acupuncture treatment with Dr. Din who we know very well and he simply said that a teaspoon of onion juice 3 times daily plus apple cider vinegar would dissolve and remove the mucous. Jean, being Jean is taking all three treatments in order to aggressively treat the situation and hopefully get back to 100% health. Fingers crossed.
Just as a final comment on the Malaysian health system - the visits to the gastro-enterologist and the respiratory specialist including the X-rays and CT Scan all happened within 2 days of our arrival in Penang. Imagine getting that as quickly in the NZ health system!! You just go to any of the big hospitals and say which specialist you want to see - and it all happens. We had an appointment of sorts but it wasn't really necessary. 
For us one bright recent happening in the world has been the election of a new NZ Government. The old government had been in power for 9 years and had simply run out of ideas. Albeit that they had been competent managers of the economy, although it has to be said that their so-called financial surpluses were achieved by seriously running down various branches of public services. NZ has a MMP electoral system - this stands for Mixed Member Proportional and is very similar to that of Germany. Unlike the system NZ used to have (similar to the US in fact where it is possible for a government can be elected with a minority of total votes), MMP is much fairer and representative of voters' wishes. So, although the old governing party actually received the most votes of any single party, it was possible under MMP for a coalition of 3 different parties to form a government. So, we have Labour, NZ First and the Green Party in power with a 2 seat majority in Parliament. Winston Peters, the NZ First leader is Foreign Minister and deputy Prime Minister with a bright 37 year old female Prime Minister - Jacinda Adern -  who has made an impressive debut on the world stage during recent meetings in Asia to resurrect the Trans Pacific Partnership without the USA. The main sticking point in the past with TPP has been the proposed ability of corporations to sue individual governments and to effectively prevent those governments from acting in a sovereign capacity. Apparently these clauses have been dealt with to an acceptable level (which wouldn't have happened with the previous government), but the detail remains to be seen. Together, Adern and Peters will make a great team with Peters' 40 years experience and Adern's youth, energy and political acumen.
Following on from the above digression (!) -
We are slowly getting the yacht into shape for the trip north to Thailand in January. New windlass deck switch and now some minor repairs to the dinghy transom. We also want to check the engine alignment. There is a local mechanic who can come on board and do this while afloat and in fact this is the only time that alignment should be checked. He has just in fact been on board and all is well. We had a bag over the propeller while we were away in Colombia in order to prevent growth and had that removed the other day as well as giving the bottom a clean. Started the 54 year old engine after about 4 months of lying idle and it started perfectly - as it always does. So, we're going to be busy over the next 6 months or so. Then there will be:
the sail north to Thailand in January - about 120 miles. We plan to clear in to Krabi and then later go across to Phuket via Phang Nga Bay which is a very scenic trip with all the karst limestone islands and their seemingly impossible silhouettes. It's very shallow going across though so one has to watch the tides and depths.
Then stripping EVERYTHING off the deck including all the sails and biminis to prepare for the shipment. We are just hoping that the passage isn't too arduous for the old girl because at times in the Red Sea you can get sand laden headwinds of up to 50 knots which combined with the ship's speed, could mean 70 knots across the deck. So, we're hoping that she won't be in too much of a mess on arrival at Genoa. At least the total passage time is only 3 weeks from Phuket to Genoa.
Then, providing all the foregoing has gone well, we think at this stage that we'd fly to Frankfurt for Jean to be reunited with Josie, who was Jean's Filipina Amah in Hong Hong in the late eighties. Jean was later instrumental in getting her out of HK to Canada and a new life. Long story. Anyway, Josie married a German, Reinhart, who was a school principal in Germany and has lived happily ever since. They have one son, Reinhart Jnr. Jean and Josie were great friends in HK in those days and it will be a great reunion after over 30 years since they last saw each other. And Jim wants to go to the Daimler Benz Museum at Sindelfingen! There he can ooh and ah over 540K's and 770K's and all sorts in between.
After that we would meet the ship in Genoa and then the long process of cleaning and re-rigging ready for a passage south to Sicily or Tunisia where we would plan to over winter while we go back to Colombia. There are direct flights from Madrid to Medellin.
So, like all plans of mice and men, these are subject to change but that's Plan A at the moment.
Finally another digression and a word about President Trump. As we've said before, regardless of whether you like him or agree with some or none of the things he is trying to do, we are convinced that he is trying to act in America's interests. He receives no salary and all he seems to get are constant brickbats from people who should know better and who should be pursuing bipartisan approaches to all the problems besetting their country. We do wish that he wouldn't Tweet so much though! However, he has inherited massive problems from previous administrations which began with Nixon when he took the US dollar off the gold standard. Then under Obama's 2 terms the national debt doubled from 10 trillion to 20 trillion dollars and we've seen the spectre of "quantitative easing" - a very clever euphemism if ever there was one! And of course the previous policy of trying to appease North Korea has led directly to the present impasse with Kim Jong-Un. Not to mention Iran and the sale of uranium to Russia. This latter is possibly linked to illegal baksheesh to the Clinton Foundation. Then there are all the sexual inuendos which kept surfacing during the campaign with no proof whatsoever. What about Bill Clinton? He used the US Secret Service as a pimp organization and that was before the Lewinsky affair.  
Trump even has his own party, the GOP, turning against him for what they perceive as short term political gain. We may well as non Americans be criticised for having opinions on American politics, but we believe that, such is the world-wide significance of US trade and foreign policy, everyone in the world is entitled to an opinion. Anyway, we reckon that if there is much more of the present shenanigans, he should turn his back on the GOP and form the America First Party (a la NZ First). He could invite those Republican (GOP) and Democratic lawmakers who were prepared to swear loyalty to join and then make up the numbers from outside the present political structure. We think they would sweep the board and the GOP would be consigned to history where they belong. And so finally would the Washington Swamp!!! That would be soooo refreshing.
Well, that's enough of a rant and diatribe from us! We hope everyone is well.
With love and all best wishes from us for Christmas and the New Year.......................
Jim and Jean
s.v. Tiare Taporo III
RLYC
Langkawi
Malaysia


   



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