It is hot. Very hot. Everyday.

I am back. This time with the paperwork settled and doing the "boring civilian" thing...
It's strange to work at the one place where hearts start racing just by the whiff of fuel and not be actively involved in polluting the air from the top...

It does feel like I am going at Mach 3, and at the same time it feels like I am doing Mach 0... It's weird.

BUT it's all good. Life's horrible busy and it's not a bad thing!

Until next time, happy landings!

It has been half an eternity since I have posted.
One million things have happened. Well, I suppose that would depend on how you look at it.

To keep things on the bright side, let me give you a quick run down on things.

Three months ago I left Eternal Summer with the purpose of setting things straight: paperwork.
I ought to write an ode to paperwork. Since I am well aware of my horrible writing skills, I will just stick with having a cold one and cheering to "paperwork".

Good news is, that the paperwork is out of the way, and I am half way to Eternal Summer. Half way? Well, sort of... Right this instant I am stuck in Pyramid Land waiting for the next ship to leave. I say stuck, because my ship is delayed. Yes, ladies and gentleman, two hours of delay. Add to that, that my waiting time was already going to be a good 5 hours.
It reminds me of that one movie where the main character is stuck in a terminal. The only consolation is that I know when I will leave again (but always keeping in mind that it can change any minute...).

With all this time on my hands to waste, I thought that it would be a good time to update.

I have spent three months at home.
Yes people, I have a home. It has taken me an eternity, but I have finally found a home. A place to come back to and have that sense of belonging. And let me tell you: it is a hell of a good feeling!

But I digress...
After weighing my options thoroughly in regards to my career, I have made a choice, which is also why I am going back to Eternal Summer. It will only be short term. It is a step towards a drivers' life. A drivers' life you ask?

Let me explain.
A hitchhikers' life is all about hitchhiking. Yesterday you woke up in Luan, today in Eternal summer and in between you have jumped ship a million times.
A drivers' life is all about stability. Well, I have to admit that there will not be too much stability, but there is certainly a lot more than as a hitchhiker.

This coming year is going to be... I don't even know how it is going to be and how I am going to manage. All I know that it is going to happen.

The time for a change is near. And I will be going at Mach 3 in order to make sure that nothing is going to stop me. I am going to make 2011 mine. My year.

And until then, I will sit around, waiting for the delayed ship to finally leave the port and take me to my next destination.

Until next time, happy landings!

Some more pictures to describe my favorite workplace. These were taken during the cloud seeding missions.

It's been half an eternity since I have last written. Well, at least it feels like that.

Sadly, nothing much has changed around here.

Ok, ok, so nothing much has changed in regards to my paperwork.

Work-wise something great has happened.

My current boss, lets call him Mr One, has set up a flying gig for me with Mr Two. Mr Two is a hangar neighbor from the office. He is also a close friend of Mr One.
Anyway, to keep things short, Mr Two has a hitchhiker's operation company and has offered me to fly for him.
Over the past two weeks (or is it three already?), I have been sitting as a safety hitchhiker on this beauty.



Right now we are the rainmaker for the southern state.
I have to say that it is a very unique and interesting operation, and it is quite adventurous as well. We are basically busting through clouds, releasing some salt-based mixture with the hopes that shortly after it will rain.





The crew is fantastic and I am really loving that place.

Thankfully Mr One is just as keen as I am in getting me up in the air, so there are no conflicts of interests in regards to my regular work schedule.

That's all for now.

Until next time, happy landings!

Another Chinese year has come and gone. The year of the tiger has begun and I do have some catching up to do.

For about three weeks now I have had the chance to return a favor. I am currently a consultant to an aviation engineering training center. I have been asked to help create an English assessment for the aviation engineers and give some feedback on how to improve the current hitchhikers' English proficiency tests.

As for the hitchhiker position, well, let's just say that I am still waiting on paperwork.

For the third time within the past year I have had to hitch a ride on a land-ship to cross the border and come back. If this is not the last time that I am obligated to do it, then I will pack and change universe... again.

That's all for now.

Until next time, happy landings!

Last weekend Thaipusam. In twelve days it's CNY. Of course all these celebrations include the appropriate amount of days off . Don't these people ever work?

This just in ladies and gentlemen!

Last night's dinner tried to hide in the garbage compartment.
The courageous guards managed to catch it and dispatch it.





No need to worry. I had shrimps and rice for dinner.

Until next time!

I have finally managed to do the required hours and passed the practical exam during the past month.
The downside of this is that nothing has been done by the office rats.

It seems that all the hard work of chasing the hours may have been in vain. In other words I may have to redo all the hours and the practical exam.

Apparently the paperwork had not been filed and it has been sitting on someone's desk for all of 7 months now. No paperwork no worky-worky.

So I am back at step zero.

My flying and teaching skills are going to hell, BUT I am getting better at playing PC games. Thank goodness for that!
I will let you know when I have the first nervous ticks due to too much playing.

Until next time!

I passed the written exam. Now I have to do five hours of flight training in this thing.



Legally, you may call it aircraft. For those who are know-it-alls: VLA (Very Light Aircraft).

It is the first time I have flown an airplane with a canard. (The canards are the wannabe wings on the front) I am not very sure whether I like it or not.

The biggest downside is the lack of compartments. It has a "hat shelf" which fits a hat (and more important accesories like the fuel drainer and fuel dip) and that's it. No place to put the knee board, or a small water bottle, or even the checklist! One would think that I should be able to use the "hat shelf", but I can't. The shelf is behind the seats and zipped closed (or else the things will fall on our head), which makes it impossible to access during flight.

Hopefully I get to love cherish befriend it over the next flights. After all I am going to have to teach in that.

Until next time,

Happy landings!

When I first left the western galaxies I knew that I could not take certain things with me. The eastern galaxies are a bit different and so are the inhabitants. One would think I was not going to have too many problems adjusting.
Well, I have reached a point where I can honestly admit: I am not meant to work and live in these parts.

Many moons ago I left the one place that has become home to me, just to end up in a distant and different universe. Sadly I have not made any advancements in regards to work. I passed examinations, waited many more moons for a flight test and then found out that no one in the company knew what was going on. Mind you, I had to start calling the office on a daily basis to get following answer: We are sorry, but the government body wants you to start the process again.

WTF? So I started to ring up everyone who has been involved and it has paid off. After much complaining to my own boss, the boss's boss (via a family friend) and telling my boss that I wanted the information yesterday, I got what I demanded.
I have to pass another written examination and then I can do the flight test.
Ain't that just bloody great?! It occurs to them now that I have not completed the requirements?!

Today I played the boss. I know its unimaginable to tell your own boss what needs to be done, but I did, and now I even have an appointment for the exam. It will take place next week. It does not leave me any time to study (nor do I have the books for the subject), but I have reached a point where, in order to speed up the process, I will just wing it.

I think from now on I will harass my boss until this whole ordeal is over and I can finally be out there doing the thing I do best.

Until next time!