Hi there,

Wow, mid-year already!

* I've had my head down lately drafting the first few chapters of 'SCARECROW', a combination of military history and travelogue. Writing military history is heavy going because you're continually flicking back through reference books to see whether General So-and-So was a General already in 1941 or, if not, what rank he was and when did that change? But still, the story is the main thing and, boy, is it an amazing story of the POWs in Southeast Asia.

There's been lots of interest from the media already on this title -- stories in the Sunday Times magazine, North Shore Times, Advance Magazine (Thailand), Soldier Magazine (UK), Asia Pacific Harrier, and an interview on 6PR (Western Australia). Stay tuned, too, for some special interest themed tours I'll be leading through Southeast Asia.

* I've also been squeezing in promo duties for my travelogue,'GONE TROPPO'. This is in the Top 10 best-sellers at Changi Airport, Singapore already (phew, it's selling!) and is getting some brilliant reviews. This will be launching in other markets progressively.

* I spoke at the See Change Festival in Jervis Bay in early June, talking about the concept of Paradise, plus a few fun stories about colourful characters I'd met on the the road in the Tropics. I finished off with a rousing rendition -- on ukulele! -- of the Paul Kelly song, Summer Rain. I was also honoured to open artist Tracy Verdugo's vibrant ethnic exhibition, Stimulus.

* Some friends of mine had books published recently, which I was happy to have a small hand in. Sophie York's 'Angels of Aceh' is a compelling oral history on the Aussie medical relief effort immediately post-Tsunami. And Joy Greedy's Singapore-based novel, 'In the Shade of the Tembusu Tree' makes me yearn for the languid lifestyle of the Tropics that I left behind almost eight years ago.

Other books I've really enjoyed reading lately: Treasure Islands by Pamela Stephenson, Hippie Hippie Shake by Richard Neville, Bangkok 8 by Richard Burdett, The Bridge at Parit Sulong by Lynette Ramsay Silver, and Spooling Through by all-round good bloke Tim Bowden.

* My son Justin qualified for his scuba diving ticket. He did a shark dive at Sea World, and we're off to the Philippines at Christmas for some diving.

* Next, big, big, BIG news: I don't know how to tell you this ... but, um, I, er, sold my motorbike Mia Noi (the Mistress). That's right. In a classic case of love at first seat, I traded her in on The Hyena, a BMW 1200 c.c. touring bike. It doesn't have the same snarly growl, but gee it goes well and I look forward to taking it around Oz, Indochina, and perhaps South America sometime.

That's it for me. Till next time, cheers!

                                           Stu.