Happy new year, 2005 brings a new look to cumbers.com, I promise a year of more photographs, this is my new years' resolution. Christmas was great, especially as A Ying was here from Malaysia for a month, but unfortunately she had to go backon 31st to prepare for her teaching course due to start on the 5th of January in Miri. She will study for 9 months and then be a qualified chinese teacher. I hope I will visit Malaysia again soon, or that she comes back soon, it will depend where I do my PhD next year., in the USA or in the UK.

Christmas eve was spent in Taylors in watford with a bunch of old school friends, then christmas with the family at home and then upto Hull to visit Mo and Harry from Jazz club, Harry is now in a hospice but was looking very content, Mo is coping well. Hakmet, Ziad and Kasim are doing well in Hull and so are Jamae and Kathie in Leeds who we visitited afterwards, before taking the train back to Edinburgh and welcoming 7 more people (from various countries and exchange programs) for Hogmannay in Edinburgh.

Of course it is very sad to hear of the tsunami deaths in South East Asia, Penang cancelled it's new year celebrations due to the 50 or so death's on Batu Furengi but this pales to the numbers reported dead in Sumatra, Indonesia. In my opinion, another reminder of how powerful nature can be, and how we should be looking to space for other future homes for humanity as soon as possible. er.. happy new year again, John.