Pete's Write

So I'm a big movie buff, and visiting places where movies I watched were filmed is a big deal..  So when a work opportunity came to visit Lanzou in Gansu Province came, a little light bulb lit up and I thought, New Dragon Gate Inn! One of my favorite shows from the 90s was filmed in Dun Huang and I can work something in to visit it! This was one of the first HK movies to be filmed in China and what a location! Plus, I get to overload on Lanzhou La Mian (兰州拉面), another one of my favorite stuff. And the further I research, the more interesting the sites over there. Now getting over to Lanzhou is no mean feat, requiring two flights last over 10 hours with stops in between and more driving and flying to reach the remote sites. There will also be extreme heat, dry searing conditions especially I have to go during the height of summer for the work part. If you think the two week spell of rainless conditions is hot, try 40c heat standing in the desert barefoot…. Our first stop after the l...

The attraction of having your own pool can be great, the icing on the cake to complete that landed home. But do beware of the costs. Firstly to construct a pool it can cost upwards of 100-200k, the more custom or irregular it is, the more it costs. Access to the land, the effort in digging also costs. If you really want a long lasting pool, use rebar and concrete, with many layers of waterproofing. It may cost more, but it will last. Think of how to site the equipment, eg the pumps, the piping, the outlets, the sump etc, and work with an experienced contractor to fulfil your dreams.  Understand how much noise it generates, so you can see how close you wish to site it to your home.  Remember to account for some landscaping around it, be it decking, granite or even trees. But remember trees can dump a lot of leaves into the pool giving you more work.  Use reliable parts, and good piping, valves etc so you don't end up with repairs sooner than you think. Having a nice counte...

So my MIL's trusty Corolla recently began to give her issues, so they went to explore some car options whilst pondering on whether to repair or change. The current climate of high COE is quite prohibitive, but electric vehicles (EV)s have emerged as an up and coming possibility. The government is certainly pushing the whole concept of clean cars very hard. However one needs to deep dive into the pros and cons beyond the idea of clean energy that they are selling, especially in a country where cars cost four or five times what they would in other countries.  You can read about my concerns in a previous post:  ( https://peteswrite.blogspot.com/2024/01/why-my-next-car-is-unlikely-to-be.html )  So let's talk about the BYD Atto. This car has taken the local car scene by storm, offering a very attractive pricing, good space and more in a rather attractive package. Exterior The car is quite modern, using a SUV styling but not so high as to make the hip point too daunting for the...

Had a bit of time, so I'm putting together the places I went and tried  Introduction Perth in general Perth City is quite small, but Western Australia is huge, so be specific on where you want to go and what you want. Traveling distances out of Perth City are massive so account for the traveling time. Eg a day trip to Margaret River is ill-advised. Weather, if you're going soon, it's warm in the day, but gets cool at night. Bear in mind, Australia is like that in general, once the sun goes out, the temperature can drop by more than 10 degrees. Food Be prepared to spend 18-30 Aus$ a meal. Or pack sandwiches and such to save. Or stay home. You can't really scrimp too much and enjoy. The good news is that the currency is smaller than ours, so there's a discount. And don't try to smuggle food or any organic material, they are really strict. Declare and pack in clear bags. Usually dried stuff with English labels eg baby food and medicine are fine. Eat local stuff lik...

So it's based on a true story, and it has a rather formulaic plot which goes by the numbers, but who cares?  Underdog stories, sports stories and the odd ball ones based on a true event always gets to me, and this one is no exception. The director is an award winning one, the main star is also a big one, and he is supported by far lesser known ones who do not feel out of place and bring to life the story of how American Samoa picked themselves up from the worse defeat in football history and helped not only themselves, but also the coach brought in to help them get over this losing streak. It's funny, cheerful and yes, predictable in some ways, but it is also inspirational and gives you that lift and that was what it did for me. You do not need to a football fan to get this, yeah it's football, not soccer mates..  If you need a pick me up, this one will really do it for you, and whilst it may not win any Oscars, it has a heart warming story that will make your day. Recommen...