for December 2008.
BEST VIEWED IN FULL SCREEN

Welcome to the umpteenth edition of my blog.
Having run out of anything interesting to say in a general sense I am now constrained to using these pages to merely update those odd hardy souls who give a monkey's about what I get up to.... and I love you all for that!

This being the last day of the old year, it marks the completion of three years as an ex-pat. In 2005 I had no real idea as to how the next three would pan out, I guess I hoped they would turn out to be something like they actually did. I've managed to avoid things like death (but not taxes), serious health problems, poverty, loneliness and expulsion whilst gaining things like a home, a new family, a bunch of friends and some heavy-duty sunshine.

Last month saw the completion of the house project. Houses and decor are never really finished but we had a plan when we bought this old place back at the start of 2007 and, unlike many of those people on TV, we've finished only a couple of months late and well inside the budget. The last major job was the facade which included 10cm thick insulation underneath the new outer skin. The pics (below) show the end results. We both lack the artistic foresight to see if the colours and designs will work so we had this mind's-eye picture of the white walls and grey corner stones. I'm happy with the end result although I'm not sure the roof cut-out (left pic) around to top floor balcony really works? It does mean we can sun-bathe there in privacy (I know what you're thinking) so I'll be satisfied that it is a victory of function over form. All in all, the house inner dimensions are about 310m² spread out over nine rooms, three bathrooms, three hallways and a kitchen. Let's hope the insulation does the business over the winter months.

The car has now passed it's 3rd birthday and requires an MOT. The option of importing it into Croatia remains an unlikely choice in that I've have to pay 25% import duty (on their estimation of it's value) and then 22% VAT (which I've already paid once) on top of that. So now I use it as an excuse to drive back to the UK and store up on tea bags, marmite etc as well as having myself a little adventure. My first trip back took place in December.

I got to drive across Europe in the rain, see Leyton Orient lose in the rain, get an MOT, see a few people, catch a stinking cold (all in the rain) and then drive back in the drizzle. Hmmm.

As always, my thanks and gratitude go to the Simmses in Southend and the Peppers in Barkingside for the very cheap board and lodgings plus the organisational stuff they always do for me. OH! while I remember, I now know that English cooking is the best in the world. Maybe not a poplular view among our foreign friends but there you have the Fisch verdict.
It was great to hook up with the family without someone having to be buried. A special word here of encouragement to cousin Frank who's spine is making life a bit of a trial, let's hope the body mechanics do their stuff well. I'll not name all the people in the photo (left), if you don't know them then their names will mean bugger all. Unlike the Pepper's new butler (right pic) who is currently resident in the garage in order to attain just the right musty aroma to compliment his bone-chilling appearance and blood curdling voice. Standing next to "him" was not a pleasant experience, quite unnerving in fact. Mind you, he had to stand next to me!

It's Christmas Eve ('Sveti Stjepan' here) again which means only one thing! Carp. Yes folks, the annual cook-out in freezing temperatures happened again as various cuts of carp (heads, tails, fins etc) were boiled up in a huge pot (rynegla) and served up straight from the pot. That's it (right pic) with the as-yet un-cooked fish bits and again (left pic) in the centre of the table. The assembled group does not include me or various ankle biters who all have something urgent to attend to. The dish is served with a special kind of pasta which, to me, is a contradiction in terms, but Marika (front-right) insists it can only be prepared at home. Silva (front left) was thus bludgened out of the idea of going to Konzum to buy a packet of ready-made.

It was nice to hook up with Seka (centre) and Maja (2nd from right) on Christmas day for a traditional turkey dinner. These two helped me a great deal when I first arrived in Croatia so I shall forever be in their debt. Marika made the trip from their house without needing a lift. This is evidence that her new hip and various other skeletal repairs are coming along nicely. It's been a long haul for her and Dragec but now things look a lot better.

This (right pic) is Stalin. Our latest of about five stray cats. Stalin still lives with us on the grounds that people think black cats are unlucky which means it's very hard to find a home for one. Animals here have to be registered and have a little passport style booklet. Having been given clear instructions that "Stalin" was not an option for his registration I have declared him to be "puss-puss". People here, when they call a cat will say "mitz-mitz" so "puss-puss" seems to be a good English translation. The girl in the registration office laughed and now knows me not as 'that Englishman' but more as the owner of puss-puss. One makes one's mark where one can.

Stop press

It snowed on Christmas day but was gone in an hour or two. So far, that's it.
It's currently averaging about -7^oC during the day and -10 at night. Will the gas keep coming?
My visa expires in February 2009 and cannot be renewed, AFAIK, until August. That'll be interesting although we do have a plan.
Gordon Brown is screwing me left, right and centre. No interest on savings and the pound sinking like the Titanic. Perfect!
Indonesia, French Alps, Slovenian Alps, Hong Kong are all likely to be seen during the next few months.

Happy New Year everyone!

For the latest updates, go to pf500.com and hit the 'Fisch's BLOG' button.