The irreplaceable Tobs

I'm sure I'll think of much more to write on Toby over time, I'm not yet at the point where I've gathered all my favourite quotes and moments, I'll do that in due course. We had such a great time together. The guys are doing grand, they're getting special treatment in KK. Pizzas, trips to town, iced Milo courtesy of Raleigh.... total luxury. I've had time out today which has been great and Vicci and I spent much of the afternoon talking about Toby and life in Coffee Bean, it was much needed. I've uploaded some pics of him. Take a look. http://www.flickr.com/photos/10618273@N00/sets/72157600139139333/detail/

I am thinking of everyone in the village who have just blown me away with their support. I am looking forward to going back and seeing them all although I know it will upset me a lot. Toby loved the guys, he loved the ecolodge and the Kinabatangan. I'll make sure you see why once I have plenty time to sort my pics. Toby's Mum and Dad and Emily, his girlfriend, are never far from my thoughts. He was 29 just 5 days before he died. We had a great birthday evening for him, he was so against us celebrating it and we arranged it all in secret. And he enjoyed it, the grumpy sod.

Not sure what the title of this should be

The last few days have been very surreal and it's hard to know what to write - I don't want to use this to talk about the accident and the aftermath, I really want to use it to talk about how wonderful Toby was and how much I respected and trusted him and how much of a laugh we had. I've got no time just now, I have to get back to the group, but I'll write more tomorrow.

Surviving

Back in KK for a couple of nights to pick up the third and final group, I can't believe it's all going so quickly. No internet access in the back of beyond, hence the lack of news. Thanks for the mails, they are making my changeover, I miss all my lovely friends. Highlights so far: the boat ride to work in the morning, getting a cuddle from a lovely lady orang-utan, adopting Martin the monitor lizard as our camp pet, Toby (my fellow project manager) streaking through the woods for a dare, mud sliding down the river bank in the pouring rain, drinking iced Milo after work, sunset over the Kinabatangan river, playing forfeits with some crazy Malaysian guys, doing a mini ceilidh with the locals for my birthday. Which was a bit hot and sweaty but there you go, it was fun. Lowlights: infected mozzie bites, dreadful toothache, crackers and peanut butter for lunch every day, sweltering heat, never being clean and generally feeling like an androgynous being as opposed to a woman. I painted my toenails today and am in as full make-up as I can manage. It is bliss! Back in the land of tinternet proper sometime after the middle of May so will sort out pics then. For some reason I'm grappling with a Norwegian version of blogger. In Malaysia? Not sure what's going on.....