Dalai Lama

[Govangirl]

Ionns, have you ever watched that Hitchcock film, 'Strangers on a Train?' Beware.

Hugh, are you needing sponsorship?

[ionnsaigh]

Ionns, have you ever watched that Hitchcock film, 'Strangers on a Train?' Beware.

Hugh, are you needing sponsorship?

No I can't remember seeing the movie - however it reminds me of an amusing story of a train journey in Dostoevsky Russia.
In order to do it justice - I will try digging it out.
hugh,The Morning Star are willing to provide hard biscuits - if both of us go and plant a red flag on top of the world.
President Bush and Gordon Brown have yet to get back. Have you planned any of the journey yet - remember I bag the window seat -and the top bunk.
Oh and by the way - I like lassies merr than boys.

[daftdog]

Get the Ozbus fae London and just get off in Nepal and hitch over the border into Tibet lads Then if you survive that, catch it on the way back

[hugh]

Glad to hear that, Ionns., don't want any of that Hitchcock stuff...the journey was metaphorical . If I really wanted to go to a war zone I'd visit Easterhouse. But I'm assuming you assumed I'd made an assumption? What assumption do you assume I made?

[ionnsaigh]

Glad to hear that, Ionns., don't want any of that Hitchcock stuff...the journey was metaphorical . If I really wanted to go to a war zone I'd visit Easterhouse. But I'm assuming you assumed I'd made an assumption? What assumption do you assume I made?

I made the following assumption - that you made an assumption that I would be opposed to Tibetan independence. I thought " i've got the bugger noo ". He has jumped tae a conclusion and missed the boat. I thought that you thought -that my love for China had blinded my judgement. Beijing to Lhasa:

By Train:

Beijing-Lhasa is 4,064 km, of which 1,110 km are over the newly-built Qinghai-Tibet railway

Train T27 will start from Beijing West Railway Station at 21:30 and arrive at Lhasa Railway Station at 20:58 on the third day after 47 hours and 28 minutes' running.

Train T28 will depart from Lhasa Railway Station at 8:00 am. and arrive in Beijing west at 8:00 am. on the third day with a 48-hour-trip.

From-----To


Distance (km)


Hard Seat Price


Hard Sleeper (Bottom Berth) Price


Soft Sleeper (Bottom Berth) Price
Beijing West-Lhasa

4,064


389 Yuan (US$49)


813 Yuan (US$102)


1,262 Yuan (US$158) Oh and fare is free if you are under a certain height - that's Communism for you.

[ionnsaigh]

Terrible tragedy unfolding in China.

[Govangirl]

Terrible tragedy unfolding in China.

Yes Ionns, truly a disaster.
My husband had a Chinese visitor colleague at work today and when he was out at lunch with him his family finally got through to him to say everyone in the family were fine. It was quite emotional.

He was also telling him about another disaster looming. The Chinese government are extremely worried about the Olympics and Tibet and they fear that only a limited number of visitors will come due to the bad press. As they have spent billions, the losses will be astronomical and inevitably will fall on the taxpayer. Businesses will also suffer. He was actually saying that although he is very aware of the secrecy and need to control their people, he and many others are reaping the financial benefits. When he went to University 25 years ago, he recalls always being starving hungry and working many jobs to survive. His son is just about to go himself this year and he has no financial worries at all, just buying his first car too. He says the people in the countryside will vote for any government that will keep them out of poverty.

[ionnsaigh]

Govangirl,
Yes it's absolutely appalling - as the scale of the disaster will become increasingly evident over the coming days and weeks ahead. My initial horror has been slightly tempered - by what appears to be the quick response of the authorities. The whole thing is shocking - at this juncture - one wonders how appropriate to continue - on what has become a tongue and cheek thread. What do you - or others think?.

[hugh]

I was thinking along the same lines. There are unimaginable, horrific events happening in the world that we simply can't find words to adequately describe. We just don't have the reference points in our own lives to remotely compare with the lot of some others. And, yeah, it kind of puts the tittle-tattle we churn out into some kind of perspective.
The motley will continue, but sometimes you have to pause and think.

[ionnsaigh]

Well said hugh - you knew hugh - hugh you knew.