Celebrating Michal's 40th birthday

Michal had his 40th birthday while Gavin and I were overseas. So we had a surprise birthday for him last night at Anusha and Ashesh. It was a lovely evening. I love our group so much.

 

What a legend Michal is

Memorable moments: The Khumbu Siren

In 2023, a group of us—including Russell, Gavin, and Rajesh—set out for Everest Base Camp. It’s a brutal trek under the best conditions, but Russell started the journey with a stubborn throat infection. By the time we hit the higher altitudes, it had mutated into the dreaded "Khumbu cough," and it was, without exaggeration, the most extraordinary sound I have ever heard emerge from a human being.

It didn't just sound like a cough; it was a multi-stage acoustic event. It would start as a low, ominous rumble in his chest, then rapidly accelerate in pitch until it hit a high-velocity, uncontrollable wail. To the rest of us, it sounded like the melancholic mating call of a cross-eyed yeti searching for a lost love in a blizzard.

The hike was grueling. For days, we pushed through thin air and steep terrain—conditions that would break most healthy people, let alone someone whose lungs were performing a one-man opera. Yet, Russell was a legend. He remained cheerful and relentlessly adventurous, refusing to let the "Siren" in his chest dampen his spirits.

We, however, were not quite as legendary.

While we genuinely loved Russell, we were also as brutal as the mountain itself. We became so fascinated by the mechanics of the Khumbu Siren that we turned it into a competitive sport. Every time we reached a particularly steep precipice with a good echo acoustic, or a quiet moment of reflection, one of us would drop a perfectly timed one-liner.

Russell, unable to help himself, would start to giggle, which would immediately trigger the wail, echoing off the Himalayan peaks while we stood by, shamelessly scoring points for the "Best Trigger."

It was terrible, really. But as we climbed higher into the clouds, it became the soundtrack of our journey—a mix of thin air, gasping laughter, and the most ridiculous cough in the history of mountaineering. Russell eventually made it to Base Camp, proving that while the mountain is tough, it’s nothing compared to a man who can survive both a chest infection and the "kindness" of his best friends.

Camping at Bents Basis

A wonderful camping weekend with the boys. Bents Basin has the biggest water hole in NSW so the swimming was glorious. It rained hard during the night but I was all cosy in my spacious new tent.

Mardi Gras

I went to the Mardi Gras with Gavin, Rajesh and Rajesh's new girlfriend. Gavin and I dressed up in tights!  It was very crowded so we didn't stay too long, then met Tania and some of her friends in King's Cross.

Butter chicken dinner at Gavin and Tania

 A delicious dinner cooked by Tania. We then strolled to the new Fish Market for ice cream. I had cherry ice cream shake that was to die for.

Michal and his famous baguette!!

Gavin's book launch at Dymocks book store

Gavin has written another book, this time partnering with Dr Mark Williams, a neuroscientist. The book is about limiting the time kids spend on their devices and the dangers of social media for the developing brain. The book is already number one on the book charts!  Our friend Jack, who is a teacher, did a fabulous job of facilitating a talk between Gavin and Mark by asking great questions. After the launch, we all went to the pub to celebrate the milestone.

The whole team together again