Well I was going to be concerned for you Dewi, but then I remembered that Sabah is the Land Below the Wind, so I thought that may also count for giant waves. Plus, it is in the Pacific, not the Indian Ocean.

Whereas myself, I was in Egypt, and people in Somalia were affected. That's not very far away you know. I didn't get any SOS calls. Yes thank you, I'm very well. About to board a train to some dead end town, in the hope of a connecting bus to join a camel train and journey to an oasis in the western desert. Yup, the Sahara, I think. No one calls it that here.

I found that wishing a Happy New Year to shopkeepers in tourist-town Luxor is a good way to get them inviting you into their shop and showing you all sorts of wonderful products at very reasonable prices.

Hope the celebrations wherever you are stationed were raucous, hope Krissy's knee is doing well (can someone tell her knee I said Hi and can chat anytime), hope Jimmy's heart is mendable, hope Izzy is not allergic to bees and that Richard gives up on the self-fellation.

Much love peeps,
Ali