When the Wind blew their homes!

Have you virtually started to think about reselling your home or perhaps renting it out particularly in the new global economy?

To a certain extent It may sounds easy for some to land on a genuine hunt yet the reality is often far adverse from the image that most have in their minds...

Ten tips to have on the lookout are vitally crucial when considering such a decision.

Anti social behaviour from neighbours can really deter potential house buyers and is becoming a controversial and much disputed subject amongst property dealers.

Multiple regression analysis revealed that the Illegal house improvement, property negligence and bad taste in workmanship can almost take up to 10% off your perspective deal; I always wondered why my grandparents never managed to sell their home; when I think about the eerie exterior and the grime garden they had it does now make a sense!!!

Taken together, these findings suggest that haunted houses, pet owners and the good school nearby continue to be ultra-red... I shan’t worry about this for now as I am a stone broke!!

Is Syria innocent....?

Syria’s latest unrest lies behind a sheer of ambiguity and far from telling the truth to what is going on behind the scenes.

The exaggeration of the western media has made it impossible to believe the real situation on the streets of Syria.
I personally don’t support the slightest ongoing purport of the BBC and many other international news agencies. It sounds surreal the way these TV stations portray to the world. An image that is almost far beyond believing with probably 25 percent credibility to it.

The conspiracy goes like this, America alongside Israel are trying their best to topple Bashar Al Assad for supporting Iran and Hizbullah. Decades of long dispute over supporting the Lebanese militia and smuggling arm weapons to Lebanon and Gaza. No wonder it is time for them to take the opportunity to brain wash the public and convince them of their rights of freedom, having seen the topple of two Arab leaders so far including the yet to be (Muammar Al Gaddafi ).

Freedom - by all means - is a supreme thing to have, the right to express and live is unbeatable of course, yet in a country where the majority of the population are Muslims, thus leaving you with no doubt other than that the Christian minority will be wiped put in the event of an extremist ruling.

Currently Christians count for nearly 10% of almost 20 million inhabitants. They merely have the freedom to practise their religion, live freely and peacefully, unlike the situation in Iraq and Egypt, where Christians are always in danger and at the brink of extinction.
They are immigrating abroad leaving their original cradle of Christianity behind for those unmerciful beasts.

Wondering through the Mongolian Desert +++ Part 3

As I expected, it started to snow. After one hour of watching the snow falls I felt quite shattered and surrendered for rest, I was worn out yet so content. I always enjoyed sleeping onboard the trains whenever I had the chance to travel. Somehow it gave me a sense of ecstasy.

Although the compartment where I was sitting wasn’t terribly warm, yet my big fur coat and woollen cloths made it cosy enough. And as I laid my head on the window I could feel the train’s jolting back and forth, yet that didn’t hamper me from sleeping.

I was circumnavigating in a deep dream when I was awaken by the ticket inspector, which was so annoying. He endorsed my ticket by hole puncturing as I handed it to him then he gave it back to me. I put it back in my pocket and closed my eyes again.

"It was going to be a very long journey", I said, therefore it was unfeasible to sleep all the way through, and so I opted for reading instead and go to sleep when it gets darker. I grabbed my guide book and started reading, simultaneously visualising myself already in those places.

After hours of reading my eyes were no longer able to operate, it was almost 4pm when the night closed in its curtains, lights of the nearby cities illuminated in the darkness and chimneys were whiffing their white smoke up in the sky.

How I envied those people sitting in their cosy homes by the fire place watching the snow fall!!!

Wondering through the Mongolian Desert +++ Part 2

As I made way my towards Moscow’s central railway station, nippy winds blew past my face giving me the shivers of a cold winter. I must hurry and get my ticket as there was only one train a day that departs at midday. My rusty Russian made it difficult to communicate with the tickets vendor who spoke no English! Finally, having shown him my destination on the map, I presumed he understood, though I hoped he wasn’t selling me a ticket to China!

My Russian reading skills was better than conversation so I was able to read Mongolia on my ticket as I held it tightly in my hand, then hurried to platform 4 where the Trans-Mongolian train departs from.

I stood alongside the platform waiting for the train to arrive, the station seemed deserted. A few meters from me stood an old lady with beady eyes and a big black fur coat on, she looked in her 70s, though it was difficult to predict peoples’ ages in Russia as they all looked young due to the freezing temperatures all year round.

She stared at me as I examined my surroundings, I shook my head as a sign of hello however she shrugged and averted her eyes. “How rude”! I said.

A big round and tarnished old clock adorned the station’s platform wall; it has probably occupied it since the Soviet Union era! It was almost 11.50 and the train was not there yet, I started to get worried yet I surmised that punctuality meant little in this land perhaps.

Contemplative moments about my journey struck my head at two minutes to twelve when a massive noisy black train showed up. It was a big sigh of relief. I briskly grabbed my bag and was ready to board. The train was half empty; I guessed those passengers boarded from the previous city, I made sure to sit by the window so I wouldn't miss any of the stupendous scenery on the way to Mongolia.

Finally the train sounded its dying horn and left the station, I sat in a separate compartment observing the snow which literally covered every patch of the ground as the train moved forward, trees and houses were all lily-white. It was getting a little blurry as I could see the thick fog descending... It was probably going to snow, I murmured.

Wondering through the Mongolian Desert +++ Part 1

It was January 1999 when I spent weeks of planning for my journey to the Gobi desert in Mongolia. Trying to set challenging objectives and stuff to explore in a far and cold land was not that easy, I could imagine the vast landscapes of the Gobi, the snowcapped mountains of Bayan-Ölgi and the dramatic gorges and sparkling lakes of Khövsgöl and the cry of an eagle sprinkled in the felt homes of the nomad .

Buddhist temples, mysterious ruins, abundant wildlife and legendary hospitality top it all off with a conqueror who started with nothing and ended up changing history.

Asia’s coldest desert (Gobi) covers parts of northern and northwestern China, and of southern Mongolia. The desert basins of the Gobi are bounded by the Altai Mountains and the grasslands and steppes of Mongolia on the north, by the Hexi corridor and Tibetan Plateau to the southwest.

Deserts have always been my fondest places. In my childhood I enjoyed playing with sand a lot and being in empty and vast spaces, yet that was nothing in comparison to this fresh and real adventure!

Having read how bitterly cold the climate can be, I made sure that my big fur coat was packed first! I remembered that I also needed my waterproof jacket and a good walking boots, plus tons of thin layers of woollen clothing. I dreaded to look again in my guide book especially in the climate section where it said that average winter minimals are a frigid -40 °C, nevertheless that hasn’t changed my determination and passion to discover new places.

At that time, there were no direct flights to Mongolia, therefore I had to fly to Russia and catch the Trans-Mongolian train from Moscow, which makes it a particularly exhilarating entry into the country!

Dalanzadgad was my destination, where I was to carry on my journey on the back of a Mongolian Wild donkey to the next village, spend the night over at one of the Nomad Ger tent) which is made of Bactrian Camel’s skin, then heading to the desert the next day. I was so thrilled and impatient to do this incredible voyage!

Desperate to flee / India Part 3

I was drenched in sweat! God knows what colour my face was?!

“So here you are; our curious guest!” Ojal said, hands akimbo!

I was lost for words and didn’t know how I was going to face this dilemma! I hastily pushed her aside and hurried at the speed of light!

Ojal was shouting “I will get you back, you bastard…”

As I reached the top, I had no choice but to pull the partition towards the entrance and block it completely to impede them from catching me.

I instantly grabbed my suitecase and stormed out of the house, not knowing where to go or what to do!

It was pretty dark, echoed hooting owls and barking dogs in the near distance daunted me even further.

I whimpered “What shall I do?!”

I could vaguely remember my way, threading through empty and uneven roads, which gave me the impression of no end!


At any moment, I could be eaten by a fierce animal; with their echoes kept ringing in my ears!

All of a sudden I tripped over not realising why or how, but having felt a thin rope around my legs then I knew it was a trap!
I guess I was off the main road and perhaps entered some sort of sacred or forbidden territory!

Shortly after, two men were at the scene trying to rob me. Alas they were not interested in my suite case, they wanted me! At the beginning they were mumbling in Hindi but when they realised I didn’t look Indian, then they started to communicate in broken English!

One of them held a machete and the other continued to twist the rope he used to entrap me!

One of them said, “You make noise, I take your head”.

I could hardly see their faces as they were covered with a dark cloth!

What am I supposed to do? Give in to those bastards or try to defend myself, but I had no means to a weapon whatsoever! Oh dear Lord, please help me!!!

Lost in India Part 2

As the night fall came to an end, I felt quite shattered after the long journey and the excitement I had earlier! I surrendered to the overwhelming drowsiness and I called it a day!

As I lay on the big chunky Victorian bed; that probably once belonged to some British aristocrats, which I presumed Ojal has inherited upon the victorious Independence in 1947!!!

Humidity is penetrating my body rapidly so I decided to put the fan on. A piercing squeak emerged as I switched it on; God knows when they last used it!

I switched the light off and hopped on the bed, as the fan started to roll I felt something falling and clinging to the bed sheet. A moment later I felt that object was moving, I immediately jumped up and put the light on, it was a scorpion, not only one but three!!!

I couldn’t believe my eyes! “This is a joke; There must be a riddle behind this” I opened the door slightly to detect any movement , I heard a soft whispering coming from the hallway, it sounded like Ojal's voice talking to someone who had such a husky and irritating voice!

My instinct told me there must be a plot behind this. Soon the whispering had faded and I decided to go further in exploring this mysterious house!

As I walked through the vintage kitchen; A huge print of a War scene occupied the main wall, on the other side there was another picture of exotic fruits scattered on a small plate! Nothing seemed too suspicious, not until I had a glance at a wooden partition that separated the rest of the kitchen!

Trying to pull it aside I noticed there was a staircase, which seemed to be an eternal cave to hell. A red and velvet colour curtain covered the entrance, the light was on, I took off my slippers and descended slowly, it was about 50 steps or so; made from stone, “It must have been a cave definitely” I told myself.

As I reached the end, a soft rather weird sawing sound emerged in the background! “Could it be a carpentry workshop?” Curiosity killed me and gave me the urge to storm into the room, however I had to be patient and not spoil the moment!

As I peeped through the rotten wooden door I saw the man who perhaps was the same one upstairs, he was sawing something, however the vision wasn't clear as his back was facing the door!

I kept gazing through to see what was happening or trying to discover what was he doing?! There were many cupboards inside, a long table which he was working on, tools lied here and there! Suddenly he turned round to fetch something! My body froze as I witnessed the image of a dead corpse lying on the table!!!

For a moment or so I had this paralysing sensation which made me unable to move! Millions of thoughts pounded my head saying" Am I going to end up here!!" "Are they murdering tourists to get their organs?!!!"

My heart was beating rapidly with fear, "I just want to get out of here" I said.

As I turned round trying to make my way up, I was hampered by the unpredictable presence of Ojal behind!!!