Dear All,

There comes a time when we all hang up the rucksack. Mine is hanging from a peg in Singapore with a few war wounds and a whole lot more character than when it was first unwrapped, brand spanking new last Christmas. Whilst this may not be faithful Grivel's final resting place, he has been swapped for a handbag and a suitcase-with-wheels; in the same way, my flip flops are now ballet flats, my wooden pendant like appendages, pearls, my chrysalis, wings. Or not, as the case may be somewhat more accurately described. My failure to sprout wings in the last 11 days since blogging (apologies, screaming fan base!) can be matched only by my failure to fulfill that other lifetime ambition or mine, to grow a tail. Needless to say, I have finished backpaking, I am safe in Singapore with Barbara and family, and have taken a short break from developing socialist tendancies to worship at an altogether more capitalist alter in celebration of becoming a Grumpy Old Woman (or turning 19...).

Further apologies, dear reader. I appear to be drifting ever further from the point (like a ship without anchor following the wrong star with a pirate captain with wanderlust) and can offer you only one possibile explanation... the last week and a half since I left you agog revisiting Kuala Lumpur has been so filled with drama, excitement and high adventure that I am trying my hardest to put off recounting such tails of merriment and wonder. It may even be longer than that, my dears, as I never gave you the full heads up with regard to parrots on bicycles and lounging drinking bad coffee in Starsucks... sadly fans, you'll have to wait a bit longer.

...until the new page loads. The Rucksack Years are over, folks, it's time for http://greenteaandpearls.blogspot.com Green Tea and Pearls.

Love to All, as ever,

Pxx