Thursday, December 29, 2011

It's CHRISTMAS

I love Christmas especially this year as I have my girlfriend.

Like last year I got a video from Santa (It doesn't stay for very long on the website hence the photo), and he said I was naughty but that I would see more of my friends next year. Notice Santa is also wearing a red vest.


Then Miranda and I also created our own Christmas Card to say Merry Christmas to All our friends


Protected By Miracle Security

You know I am a top secret member of Miracle Security, and one of their jobs is to protect people.

My keeper Mogens is very conscientious about this and it includes a range of protective clothing.

First their came T shirts, personally I think the wording is placed where it is so that he can look at ladies without being told off.

Then came the underwear, apparently if you have sex wearing this range of underwear you won't get pregnant and I can promise you Miranda is not, so they work.



Mogens sent some underwear to the Silversurfers who were not sure what they were meant to do with them, but always up for a laugh, they gave it their best.




Let's hope we are as much fun when we reach their age :-)

Not really Appreciated in Your Own Back Yard

I don't know if it is a British Thing, but I am not really appreciated in the UK. At UKOUG I don't really come out much but I do love the ACE Dinner, I get to be with my friends from all over the world and I love it.

This year started as ever with Debra getting ready for her week in Birmingham and I had brought Lille Stanley with me, as well as Miranda, so things were looking good.



My mate James was there and I hadn't seen him since his wedding so he was quick to put me on. I like James even if his eyes are very scary.

Then at the Masquerade Ball, I danced a lot with Björn Bröhl from Germany.




 
I was really happy, even if Debra did try out those new heels on me. And my friend Edelweiss from Uruguay was also visiting.

Playing in Perth

I've already written about my new friends in Perth, I wanted to do that straight away. However we were in perth for the conference and I ahd a bit of fun there as well. First of all they knew I was coming and even better than a red carpet they layed on ACE tiling.


Then my mate Chris Muir introduced me to some of his friendly green pigs.

Star Attraction in Auckland

Don't tell him, but I have a soft spot for OracleBase (Tim). I know I am a very important person, but I also know I am a Vest. Tim also collects clothes from OTN and conferences around the world, but he looks after them well he loves to do his washing.

Anyway Tim was on the OTN tour as well and in Auckland I was asked to be part of the evening entertainment. Debra took me up on stage and was asked to choose others to join her. I whispered we should get Tim involved as he can sometimes be shy.


It was some kind of mystery murder pantomime thing, and we all learnt so much about Tim, but I am a real gentleman and won't tell. (I can't swear that Debra will keep quiet, one rum and she spills all).

Reaching New Heights

Debra is a complete coward. I try to make her try new things, and I have done well these last few years, The Carick A Rede rope bridge, the diving, and here in Auckland I persuaded her to climb the bridge.


The bridge is wider than Sydney but not as high, but for Debra it was high enough.


Meeting Up With Old Friends

I went to New Zealand 2 years ago, and met an old friend of Debra's Cindy. This time before the conference, Cindy came up to Auckland with her family and we had a great day at the zoo.

I finally got hands although the left one looks a bit wierd.
 

 
I also found a baby dragon who wanted to play, I almost decided that dragons were quite fun.

And then I met his mum! Oops

A Special Visitor for Stanley

When we arrived in Manila everyone was excited, there was to be a special visitor and for once it wasn't actually me, it was a visitor for me.



I as you know am from Vietnam, but we didn't have time to visit.
















So my President, the President of Vietnam came to visit me, Stanley the original ACE Director.









Terrorist Threat in Manila

I travel a lot, every airport has different rules and it really annoys me that they are not consistent, but Manila in the Philippines really takes the biscuit.

They have terrorism in The Philippines and have to be very careful about bombs, I understand that, I live in Belfast, I am used to sniffer dogs and having bags searched but in Manila, it when one step further. Snuggling in Debra's hand luggage this was the conversation between Debra, the security lady and gentleman at the airport x ray machine.

lady:      Please madam I need to talk to you about your hand luggage
debra:   What is the problem?
lady:      You have bomb making material in your bag
debra:    No I don't
lady:      Yes you do
debra:    No I don't
lady, showing debra a card with a list of bomb making materials:  
              Yes you do and it is one of these
debra:  I don't have any of these items
lady:     Yes you do
debra    No I don't
lady:     According to the x-ray you have duct tape in your bag
debra:    No I don't
lady:     Yes you do
debra:    No I don't
lady:     Please open your bag
debra opens her bag and the lady picks up a large roll of something
 lady       Is this not duct tape?
debra (trying not to laugh)
              No, this is not duct tape
lady:      Yes it is
debra     No it isn't
lady:      Then what is it?
debra (loosing the battle)
               It is stickers
lady:       Stickers, what are stickers?
debra, gives the lady an 'I love Stanley' sticker from the roll, the lady is still not convinced
lady         Are you sure this is not duct tape?
debra:     Definitely
lady consulting her colleague
                Does this look like duct tape to you?
man:        I don't know, what is it?
debra:     Stickers
lady         What do you do with stickers?
debra:      Stick them on things
At this point Debra's colleague Ronald has to walk away, he can't keep a straight face, Lady starts sticking stickers on the x-ray machine, her colleague, the wall, and after about 12 stickers
                Are you sure this is not duct tape?

debra:      Yes I am sure
lady:        Who is Stanley?
debra, laughing and giving her a card
                 Stanley is the original ACE Director


Eventually she lets us go, and we walk off leaving two very confused people at security, and rather a lot of Stanley Stickers on display.









Home in Hong Kong?

I know I told you I am from Vietnam but when I went to Hong Kong I thought it was home.  I am such a star they even named the ferry after me.


















I made a few friends, the one on the left is the Keep Hong Kong Tidy icon and on the right a permanent guest at my hotel.




Everywhere I went there were places named after me.






And the buses take you there.




I understand that although I am Vietnamese I am something of a local hero here.

Behaving in Beijing

Having sucessfully avoided the tank driver in Tokyo, I journeyed onto Beijing, which I expected to be much more fun. Then I was told that Tinanmen Square was actually famous for its tanks and soldiers, so then I was really worried. However this was the only soldier I saw in the square so not sure what all the fuss was about.

There were signs of military and in the Forbidden City I did see this military crest, but more scary than the soldiers was this old man who seemed to be quite imortant.

There seemed to be a lot of dragons in Beijing but they were not very frightening, I have slain dragons before, they are no match for me.
 Finally no trip to China would be complete without a visit to the Great Wall of China, and I was no exception, although not being allowed to climb it seemed a bit odd to me.

China was OK but their great fire wall stopped me tweeting or using facebook, or even updating this blog.

Tank Terror in Tokyo


I was really excited, I love Tokyo I have been before about two years ago but Debra didn't really show me around so this time with keeper Mogens on hand I was very sure I would have a good time.









However I had a real shock when I arrived, yes Mogens was there but he had bought more Danes, including the Tank Driver. I was scared. However I soon discovered the Tank Driver didn't have his tank with him and didn't drink anything stronger than Starbucks, so I was Ok.

 
I also met up with my old friend 'Dog', and we drank a little more than the old Tankie.


We left Tokyo earlier than the others and I really didn't want to leave, but we had an appointment in China, and at least that would be free of tanks...........

Met some weird person at the airport but they were not very talkative.http://www.wtfistheacevest.com/2011/07/new-friend-dog.html

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Almost Home

I am from Vietnam, I know this because it says so on my label, but I don't remember Vietnam and would love to go visit. So when Debra went on a trip to Asia I was quite excited. We didn't actually get to Vietnam, but they did come to visit me, but more about that later.

This is where we went:


Everyone Loves Stanley



You might think that I love myself, but to be honest, everyone loves me. I have stickers that say I Love Stanley and they are in great demand, here are just a few examples of people who love me.







On the left is Scott Spendolini and my old friend Alex Gorbachev on the right. These stickers are very popular.

A Romantic at Heart

Miranda is shy, as I said before she doesnt say much so I thought the best way to impress her was without words. Just before we left San Francisco, and yes I bought her home with me, I made a little film with her, to show just how much she meant to me.

Catching up with great friends

Of course my favourite part of OOW is the catching up with friends and none is as special as Juggy.




I am the ACE Program mascot and Juggy is the same for the Java community and we meet last January. We did hope to catch up in Brazil where Juggy lives and I visited in the summer but it didn't work out, so that made it even more special.

What else happened in San Francisco

OOW is one of those annual holidays where I get to meet up with all my ACE friends.  it is also one of the few places I can guarentee seeing my 3 keepers together.


Debra looks a bit wierd here, but the headscarf was something Alex had given out for us to get signed at the bloggers meetup.



Here I am at the bloggers meetup, that is arranged by my great friend Alex Gorbachev or rather by Vanessa, who meet me for the first time. She was really nice and took a special liking to me but I am already taken.



After the conference I went sightseeing down at the pier, visited my friends the sea lions and then was really excited as the Fleet was in.