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Monday, February 24, 2014

P H I L O S O P H Y - Quote d'Jour

"Remember Peter, with great power comes great responsibility"



- Uncle Ben imparts some words of wisdom to Peter Parker regarding how to be a good spider.




Saturday, February 22, 2014

Koh Lanta Revisited - Attack of the Fanzibear

During our trip to Thailand last year, I was minding my own business one day on a secluded beach on the west coast of Koh Lanta, quietly pondering the mechanics of the universe, when suddenly I was jolted from my thoughts by the unannounced arrival of a cavorting Fanzibear!


The Fanzibear (pictured above) is a balletic, pixie-like creature who hunts it's prey on overcast days at isolated tropical beaches. I have to confess, I was a little frightened.

I tried to escape on my invisible flying chair,


but to no avail,


the Fanzibear caught me :)

Surf Report - Gracetown WA

Well it was pumping along the Big Rock/Cobbles stretch this morning. 3-5ft surf (head-head-n-a-half height) groomed by 10knot northeasterly winds.

All the waves on the stretch were working to some degree. Not epic but consistent and there were a few gems.

Surfing WA had a state round on at Big Rock, with a few big names, like Jack Robinson, showing up to tear the bag out of it.

Colin Barnett's shark burly program is in full swing out the back of these breaks now and, I'm not Doctor Proximity, but those baited hooks look pretty damn close to me! If Col was trying to instill peace of mind in WA ocean-goers, it ain't working! I felt a lot safer without a string of bloodied baited hooks out the back!

Swell is forecast to drop slightly tomorrow to 1.5m, with moderate-light SE winds. Swell magnets will be on! Enjoy! :D



Photos top-to-bottom: 1. My friend Jules building a home for his family 2. Competitor in yellow jersey looks into the eye of a tasty left at Big Rock 3. WA Fisheries boat out the back checking the shark drum lines

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Teflon Story Board Explained:

Dear reader,

Just thought I'd drop a quick note on how the story system works at Teflon. I've been putting episodes of stories up as standard posts, but if you find you've missed some episodes and would like to read the story from the start, just click on the relevant story tab in the menu bar near the top of the page and you're away! If there is anything else you've missed and would like to have a squiz at, all posts can be found in the drop-down archives at the bottom of the page.


Enjoy!



Love Murldog xx

S T O R I E S - the search for funny - episode 3

...........Last time, on the search for funny....


........Okay, I’ve got it sorted now. I get so engrossed in the writing I just don’t even realise I’m doing it. Enough about that. I’m here on a mission so I’m going to see if there is anything humorous on this here plane. First I’ll need my ninth beer. Following the embarrassment of recent events, I figure if I throw a few back I can retro-fit my apparent loopiness as simple drunkenness in the memories of those aboard, thereby becoming “the party guy” rather than “the crazy guy”. It’s worth a shot.....


- Aaaand, continuance initiated:



Sep 15

I’m still in prison. The Portugese policia have no sense of humour. Nor do the hosties on Japanese Airlines flight 666. And they certainly don’t understand the concept of “the party guy” and how anything he does while under the influence can easily be laughed off with a simple-yet-endearing “you’re an idiot”.
Free food and water here though.


Sep 16

I’m out of prison. Spoke to my embassy, threw some money around and now I’m free. I now find myself in a charming little coastal village called Ericeira. I like it, so I’ve booked myself into The Gay Pelican, a local backpackers, the name of which, I am told, harks back to days past when gay meant happy, it probably still does for some. Which reminds me, here’s a true story from my childhood in WA. I attended a primary school in a small suburb called Eaton.

Established in the 70’s the school song proudly proclaimed that “Eaton children are so gay, as they work rest and play, Eeeeeaton our schoooool.” Needless to say, those of us who participated in interschool carnivals in the 80’s were not served well by our innocent-yet-proud declaration of gaiety in this not-so-liberal-minded corner of the world. In 1986 the song was amended and the students are no longer gay.





- CHAPTER DEUX -





Sep 19

It’s Friday. I’ve been out of jail for three days and really am enjoying my new-found freedom. Doing time really changes your perspective on things. I didn’t get institutionalised. Strong in mind.

I met an Irish girl this morning. ‘Are you finished with the toaster?’ she politely asked. ‘No’ I politely replied, ‘but you can use it’ I said with a smile. Very nice of me. She thought so too and joined me for brekky. She was intrigued by the notion of a search for funny and found the whole concept to be hilarious in itself.
Her name is Penny and she’s a waitress back in Ireland where she has left her boyfriend to travel for two months. She hasn’t “left” her boyfriend. He simply remains in Donegal patiently awaiting her return.

There are some friendly travellers here at the backpackers, though Penny is my favourite. She’s quite funny and has a glint in her eye that tells me she knows more than I do. She can’t be trusted. Tonight a few of us are heading out for a bit of a knees-up.


Sep 20

What a night! Big night on the sauce, starting with a few Westmalle Tripels on the porch here at O Pelicano, followed by a swag of La Trappe Quadrupels at A Cabeca de Cavalo, before stumbling into O Unicornio Frustrado to sample Samuel Smith’s Taddy Porter. Only Penny, the French lass Marie, the Swiss fella Matteas, and myself made it to that bar on the beach of which the name escapes me. This is where things got funny and just a little bit bizarre.

The funny bit relates to this old Portugese piss-head I got chatting to when we first arrived. He seemed a bit loopy, a bit alcoholic and a little bit fun too. He was short, round and wore a holey old grey jumper with faded green cords and fingerless woolly black mittens. He looked like Bill Oddie and I’m not entirely convinced that he wasn’t. His English was better than my Portugese and he laughed hard with wheezy diaphragmal intensity and slapped his thigh a lot when I informed him of my mission. He continued to laugh as the conversation progressed and slapped something different every time a new bout erupted – the bar, my back, you name it. His squinty green eyes were watery with glee. Then he huddled us up and said “Hey! You guys wanna see sometin’ really funny? Huh? You wanna laugh like me?” His eyes darted excitedly around the group. “Watch this”. And with that, the crazy old short drunk round fella proceeded to tickle me! And in no short measure! He keeps saying “tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle” as I try to fend him off with efforts rendered weak and ineffective through laughing too hard. Tears are streaming down my cheeks. Penny is in hysterics as she tries to drag him off me.
“Tickle him!” I manage to squeal through a larynx seized with laughter. Her tickle efforts render the man completely defenceless. He drops to the ground wriggling and writhing in a mad giggle-fest; this 58 year old stranger. Good times 

The bizarre bit happened when I woke up this morning, and this really has me intrigued. In my rear dancing pants pocket was a mysterious message scrawled on a beer mat:

“What you seek exists, I know
In a place where it doth ne’er snow
A clue for you it be in France
I hope this beer mat fits in your pants”
Ph: 0405 509 238



It’s probably nothing.




.........to be continued.....(para ser continuada).....

Friday, February 14, 2014

Q U A L I T Y J O U R N A L I S M - ePISODE 1

Today, Feb 14, 2014 - Channel Nine News Australia Online:


Referring to the disruptive eruption of Mt. Kelud (Gunung Kelud) today in Indonesia, this was Channel Nine's opening gambit, in big letters..:



- "Flights from Australia to Bali, Jakarta and Phuket have been cancelled after a volcanic eruption on the Indonesian island of Jakarta..."


Now, I'm not Doctor Geography, but last time I checked, Jakarta was a city on the island of Java.

Reading on, however, I realised it was obviously a test, the great spirit of the Kerry Packer attempting to determine whether your viewership be worthy with a few simple spelling tests. Did you get "tomoroow" actually means "tomorrow" (as in the day after today), and "Surbaya" actually means "Surabaya", a major city in east Java?

But hey, they're just starting out. Give 'em a chance ;D



- T-flo Management, keeping it real (by using a catch phrase devised by peoples else in a distant land whom we've never really got to know personally). Let's try it again - Teflon Management, attempting to cast a light on the intelligence and spelling errors of a major Australian news network. Yes! Enjoy :D






P H I L O S O P H Y - Quote d'Jour

"Fool a man once, shame on.................. you?



fool a man twice, ..............shame ............shame...




afooledmancantbefooledagain!"




- George Dubya. - Dazzling us with his scalpel-like intellect prior to his re-election. It's a funny old world :)

Surf Report - Yallingup - WA

First surf back in Oz and it was...not flash. I slept in, caught the sea breeze and surfed 2-3ft mush in very cold "summer" waters at Yallingup Mainbreak. My own fault - coulda had fun waves at one of a number of swell magnets earlier in the morning when the winds were more favourable. Still nice to get wet though, and refreshing after Bali's wet season plastic bag fiesta :)

Rabbits left had a coupla little fun ones with only one guy out late morning. And Shallows had a few fun looking waves in the 2-4ft range, with a crowd of around 15 spread over 2 peaks.

Swell similar tomorrow and slightly smaller Sunday, so looks like a weekend for the swell magnets. Winds varying from SE to SW, so u might have to do a bit of manouevring between aspects to get the best of it.

Good luck! :D

Beautiful mushy Yallingup :)

And, not today, not Yallingup, not summer :)

Monday, February 10, 2014

P H I L O S O P H Y - Quote d'Jour

"It is folly for a (human) to pray to the gods for that which (they have) the power to obtain by (themselves)"



- Epicurus (341-270BC)



NB - The overuse of brackets and paraphrasing here is in response to the patricentric bent of the initial text. Teflon is all about equality :)

Friday, February 07, 2014

T R A V E L - Thailand - The Third and Final Leg - Phuket, Koh Tao, Bangkok




PHUKET


After 4 nights on Koh Phi Phi Don we jumped on a boat once again and set sail (motored) for the renowned diving island of Koh Tao, via Phuket.

I didn't hold high hopes for Phuket, being such an established tourist destination I figured it would be over-run with foreigners cavorting about in hi-vis "I love Phuket" singlets. Fortunately for us, however, we managed to avoid all that and Phuket ended up being a most enjoyable little surprise package.

First night we just grabbed a room in a random village (for which I know not the name) where not a tourist was to be seen. Very refreshing after four days of quite the opposite at Phi Phi Don.

Our trusty dog-eared Lonely Planet piqued our interest, and subsequently determined our movements, in the direction of old Phuket Town. We spent our second day and night there and it didn't disappoint.

Phuket Town, once a trading hub for seafaring merchants from as far as Portugal, and as nearby as China and surrounding parts of South East Asia, is rich in charm and history. The architecture is an interesting blend of classic European and Chinese styles, and the streets are littered with funky little cafes, bars and restaurants.
Fani and I were fortunate enough to be there on a Saturday night when a nearby main road was closed to accommodate a quirky night market, bustling with good vibes and delicious food.

One of the refreshing things about Phuket Town (depending on your perspective) is that it doesn't attract a throng of rowdy young revellers (I'm getting old), but a more relaxed and considerate local crowd.


Photos from top-to-bottom: 1-3. Fanzi checkin' out the streets in Phuket Town's CBD. 4. The sign writer tried, bless him, but just could not get a grasp on the spelling of "Murldog". 5. Colourful buildings may cause happiness. 6. Glastnost


But that was it for us and Phuket Island - 2 nights and we were out of there! Next stop, Koh Tao.



KOH TAO

5 hours on a bus, 4 hours in limbo, and 3 hours on a boat saw us traverse Thailand from west to east to be politely dumped on that most alluring diving locale that is Koh Tao.
Situated in the Gulf of Thailand, the island of Koh Tao ("Koh" means island, so I guess it's really the island of Tao..) has the enviable reputation of being one of the cheapest (around AUD$300) and best (due to agreeable bathymetry, lack of swell and a plethora of ATM's) destinations for learning scuba in the world. Unfortunately for us, as cheap as it was, our budget didn't allow for any scuba or freediving courses. Instead, we wiled the days away swimming, snorkelling, kayaking and trekking on this idyllic little gem.

It is very touristy here now, especially on the west coast, but it's not too hard to escape the crowd by going for a little wander across the island. An intra-island wander if you will. The steep hill that separates east from west seems to keep the crowd down. Fani and I did one such walk and found this fantastic little bar (Coco View Bar) perched high on a hill overlooking Koh Tao's east coast, where we rehydrated with coconut water and lemonade and laughed and remembered the time when we used to work ;D Sorry. We're working now. Nearly.


Photos from top to bottom: 1. Fanzi - One long haul from Phuket to Koh Tao and the tiger begins to emerge from within. Just 2 hours to go..:) 2-3. Views from right to left along Koh Tao's west coast. 4. A local fisherman perfecting the art of casting a net with the power of the mind. 5. Looking back to shore from the water. 6. Security at the plant was tight.. 7. After scaling the steep hill to reach the east coast we were rewarded with magnificent views.. 8..and a well-deserved coconut at Coco View Bar :) 9. The east coast's rocky goodness.


After 8 very enjoyable days relaxing (with a hint of frolicking) on Koh Tao, it was time for us to pull up stumps and begin our long journey back to Bali, via Bangkok.

We spent our second last night in Khao San, which is always fun, albeit extremely busy, and the final night, December 18th, where it all began in Don Muang, at our personal favourite "48Ville" Hotel, sampling some of Thailand's finest from the stupendous street stalls in the area.


Even a bright green and purple room for our last night in Don Muang couldn't keep Fanzi awake ;D


The following morning we were up at 3am and off to Don Muang International Airport for our return flight to Denpasar, Bali. We were heading back to our home and the fantastic surf and lifestyle of Bali, but it had been an unforgettable trip to Thailand for us. Beautiful islands, amazing food, and the purchase of the greatest tee-shirt of all time. A good trip :)


The End



Thursday, February 06, 2014

S U R F - Kelly Wins Pipe. Again.

Well this is going to be a somewhat incoherent babble about the fact that in the early hours of this morning (WA time - twas yesterday afternoon in Hawaii) the Kelly Slater just won the prestigious Volcom Pipe Pro at pumping 10-12ft Pipe. Referring to Kelly as "the" was no mistake. Yes it de-humanises him, but that's for very good reason. It's now blatantly clear, and has been for some time, that the Kelly is not human. Yes, there will be naysayers, not many, but a few, but I'm a scientist, and I know a non-anthropological entity when I see it!

About 25 years ago the surfing world was in shock when KS arrived with his fancy moves and bar-setting performances. He won his six world titles, retired for three years, and the world said "well done. not bad. best yet I guess. next.. " And we thought "nexts" were coming. There were Shanes, Tajs, Andys and Joels, but they couldn't do it. Then there were Jordys, Danes, John-Johns and Medinas, but they couldn't do it either. In the year 2014, the man that owned the world of competitive surfing in 1992 is still doing it!! And not "just" doing it, but SMOKING them, all of them.

After Kelly had won his sixth world title in 1998, sports fans everywhere were comparing him to mainstream's greats - your Alis, Jordans, Armstrongs (not anymore), and Phelps (later, probly hadn't been born then). But now, 15 years, 5 world titles and a quagzillion incredible victories in epic waves later, Kelly Slater has 11 world titles (narrowly missing his 12th last year to Mick Fanning, and about another five from previous years due to broken feet and ribs and the like), and at the age of 42 has just won his second consecutive Pipe event this Hawaiian winter against the world's best, at EPIC Pipe. WTF!! OMG!! If you say my claims of inhumanity are false, I say "show me the evidence!"

That is all.


Highlights of this year's Volcom Pipe Pro can be viewed at www.volcompipepro.com


Enjoy!!



Le Froj

Sunday, February 02, 2014

Teflon Phase 3 - Back to WA

Hello and welcome to Phase 3 of the Teflon journey thus far.

As the title suggests, Teflon headquarters has now relocated to the beautiful South West of Western Australia, so surf reports will now generally be from around the Yallingup - Margaret River region, and, hopefully, I'll be more focussed and dedicated and churn out more science, travel, stories and "other" stuff than ever before!

So strap yourself in, forget book club, quit your indoor soccer team and apologise to your mother coz this phase is gonna be a doozy!!


Hope u like it :)



Kind regards,


Murlfrog,


Editor, writer, cleaner, driver, kettle boiler-in-chief,


Teflon Endeavours Incorpserated



Your intrepid reporter on assignment in The Ments, hangin' on by his toe nails. We work hard here. Anything to get the story :) Photos by the mighty Joey Melroy