Working Northern Irishman *

Well it's now almost the end of May 2011. The Travelling Northern Irishman has been working hard for the last four months, here in Parramatta, Australia. Being the only Northern Irishman in an Irish Pub in Australia, owned by Lebanese certainly is something I enjoy. I've been working 5,6 and 7 day weeks to save up for the next adventure (or more than likely pay off my debts!). There's a photo of me and local lady, co worker and friend Laura O'Keefe on the bar together recently.

BUT now it's time for a holiday! I'm off to Singapore and Hong Kong for a week. Singapore is just a handy wee night stop over, which co-incides nicely with the chance to meet cousin Chris by fluke! Chris Scott and I spent manys a day together in child hood, and indeed at one point we both lived in the same city (London). But in the last 10 years I've seen him just twice. He now lives in Singapore and it will be nice to catch up with him there on a night, my second visit to the city, country and island that is Singapore.

After that is a date with destiny to see my jaded Hong Kong Princess, the delightful, worldly new love of my life, Miss Yu Pan Yu. Known to me and others as Panny, I met her in Antarctica, invited her for "tea" in Uruguay and have since met up with her when she visited me in Australia. Now I'm off to Hong Kong, a new country and city for me! To stay with her in Kowloon.

Before that I will be working a few more shifts, witnessing the closure of the local Border's bookshop here with all books at 70% off or more.

My main blog and website, "Don't Stop Living" is still a wee bit behind the times, as I have so many travel stories to update it with,you can keep more up to date with me on there incidentally: http://jonnyscottblair.blogspot.com 

I have other plans for my Northern Irish only stories, having just written and appeared in a book released in November 2010 (called Albania to America, with Belfast in Between, written by Northern Ireland comrade, gentleman and lunatic Shaun Schofield) and another recent football magazine appearance for Happy Days back in my homeland of Northern Ireland.

So I'll be a travelling buck eejit again, but in the meantime, check out my MAIN BLOG DON'T STOP LIVING, before my Bangorian heart melts in the heat of a condensed Hong Kong sunset. I may not be in Australia's Parramatta (the view from near my flat pictured there) forever you know, it may well be time to move on yet again...


Alas, Bruce Springsteen was partly right, but it's not just glory days that pass you by...
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Irlanda Do Norte - A Welcome To Brasil

In December 2010 I made it across the border into Brazil. I went from Argentina to Brazil on a bus across the bridge. There were two border points.

Argentina colours part of bridge.

Brazil colours part of bridge.

Me at the Brazil border point.

I went to Foz Do Iguacu to view the enormous and famous Iguazu Falls from the Brazilian side.

On the way in, I was pleasantly surprised to see my country appear on my entry ticket (in Portuguese!). I told the lady I was from Northern Ireland, I told her Irlanda Do Norte in Portuguese.

Me by the entrance with my Northern Ireland flag.

Me by one of the many waterfalls with my Northern Ireland flag.

And the Northern Ireland shirt! If you read this and want to help the travelling Northern Irishman find his stolen World Cup tickets please visit these sites and contact me: DHL have stolen World Cup tickets FIFA have stolen World Cup tickets