Open Writing

...America, being the vast country it is, tends to engender tourism. You could travel the highways and byways for a lifetime and never have to make the same journey twice. If you’re a community seeking to boost the local economy with tourist dollars, the trick is to find a way to attract the sightseers and keep them in town...

John Merchant tells of some ofr the ideas which towns have employed to persuade travellers to tarry a while - from hallas of fame to strawberry festivals.

To read more of John's sparkling columns please visit http://www.openwriting.com/cgi-bin/mt-search.cgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=john+merchant

And do visit his Web site
http://home.comcast.net/~jwmerchant/site/

Continue reading "Don't Have A Tourist Attraction? Create One" »

Written by John Merchant - Published at 12:28 PM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of sleeping on a most uncomfortable "bed''.

Continue reading "Asleep On A Motorcycle" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:14 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of an unruly incident at the Riverside Bar.

To read more of Steve's entertaining biography please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/around_the_sun/

Continue reading "Riverside Madness" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of an all-round "battle-scarred'' good guy.

Continue reading "Who Can Forget Ted?" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of another risk to life and limb while running a hotel in Cambodia.

Continue reading "Just Another Fire" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of an unwelcomed customer in the Temple bar.

Continue reading "“They Love Me In Cambodia”" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells if a man who paid a heavy price for being foolish.

Continue reading "The Lost Money Belt" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of a Jekyll and Hyde character.

Continue reading "Jekyll And Hyde" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of the man who promised the Earth.

Continue reading "The Biggest Bullshit Artist Of Them All" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 10:02 AM | Permalink

It's amazing what a man can be fined for by a policeman intent on pocketing soem cash, as Steve Harrison reveals.

Continue reading "The Camouflage Trousers" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of a DJ who managed to turn his life around.

Continue reading "The DJ With The Wrong Moves" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of a job he wished he had never undertaken.

Continue reading "The Demanding Dutchman" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of staff problems in Phnom Penh.

Continue reading "My Mother Says I Should Continue To Work Here" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison recalls the day he was involved in a scene which brought back memories of England's grumpiest hotel manager.

Continue reading "My Basil Fawlty Impersonation" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 10:02 AM | Permalink

Alan Pack was searching for the music of 'Swing me in the moonlight' when I came across an Open Writing page (April, 2007) concerning the song. This was the only reference he could find to the song on the Net.

Gill Besant was asking if anyone had come across the song which she learnt from her father.

"I also got it from my father but the words that I knew were slightly different from the ones she quoted,'' says Alan.

Continue reading "Swing Me In The Moonlight Again" »

Written by Peter Hinchliffe - Published at 07:58 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of an ill-fated kebab business in Phnom Penh.

Continue reading "The Kebab Guy" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of the effect that Phnom Penh had on a couple of university students.

Continue reading "Skinny And Tall" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells how Willie the Hulk avoided a ride to nowhere.

To read earlier chapters of Steve's astonishing life story please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/around_the_sun/

Continue reading "Willie The Incredible Hulk" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison comes off second best in a confontation with a former employee.

Continue reading "So Much For Security Guys" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison pays tribute to his perfect doctor.

To read earlier chapters of Steve's life story please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/around_the_sun/

Continue reading "Dr Gloria" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of almost unbearable pain.

Continue reading "Me And My Dislocated Arm" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 10:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of a scary encounter in his Phnom Phen bar.

Continue reading "The Man With The Scar" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:02 AM | Permalink

...Our security guard was kicking and punching the younger guy, who was crawling on all-fours. The violence was extraordinary. And all this was taking place outside our front door....

But why was the younger guy getting kicked?

Steve Harrison recalls another extraordinary incident from his time in Camboia.

Continue reading "Motordup Madness" »

Written by Steve Harrtison Steve Harrison - Published at 09:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of a hefty barman who could almost drink his own weight in alcohol.

Continue reading "The Barman On The Brink Of Hell" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of an Englishmen who threw his money away in Cambodia.

Continue reading "Mark’s Marriage To Kunita" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 10:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of the horrible Nigel, whose "marriage'' was not what it was reported to be.

Continue reading "The Kidnapper" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 10:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of a lesson in how to fire a gun.

Continue reading "How To Fire A Glock" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison recalls a night of acute pain.

Continue reading "Getting Really Stoned" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:02 AM | Permalink

Listening to the Rolling Stones brings Steve Harrison to metaphysical thought.

Continue reading "A Rolling Stones Fan" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells a modern parable.

Continue reading "Rescuing Starfish" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 10:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison points to the best way to live a life.

Continue reading "A Walk In My Library" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells the cautionary tale of a man who set a drinking record.

Continue reading "The Liver Is Evil And Has To Be Punished" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison counts himself lucky in the richness of his experiences.

Continue reading "Close Encounters Of The Deadly Kind" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison has his hotel purified by Buddhist monks.

Continue reading "Cooperation With The Buddha" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of the sorry conclusion to a reported robbery.

Continue reading "Co-operation With The Police" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:02 AM | Permalink

Following an alleged robbery, Steve Harrison and his security man Declan carry out a night-time search of a Cambodian hotel.

Continue reading "Master Keys And Loaded Guns" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 10:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of a hot and hectic night in a Cambodian hotel.

Continue reading "Ancient Oriental Wisdom" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 10:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison is overwhelmed by the temples at Angkor Wat.

Continue reading "Angkor Wat" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison found that Cambodia was no match for Vietnam.

Continue reading "Growing Up In The Kindergarden Of God" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:58 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of a violent night in a Cambodian hotel.

Continue reading "Hard Head" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison has a violent encounter with a Cambodian street.

Continue reading "The Heart Of Darkness" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:02 AM | Permalink

A father threating to kill his son, an AK47 rifle, oceans of Gold whisky... Steve Harrison tells of just another day in old Cambodia.

Continue reading "A Hot Night In Cambodian" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison became involved in a mad venture in Cambodia.

Continue reading "Plans That Go Astray" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison compares attitudes to life in the East and the West.

Continue reading "The Weakest Link" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison makes a detailed case as to why he should rule the world.

Continue reading "If I Ruled The World" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison muses on the best kind of fame.

Continue reading "Thoughts On Fame – From Vietnam" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of a nigbhtmare taxi journey.

Continue reading "600 Kilometers Of Near-Death" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:02 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison falls in love with Vietnam.

Continue reading "In Vietnam" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:02 AM | Permalink

Sreve Harrison tells of the most honest man in the world.

Continue reading "Illustrated Man" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:01 AM | Permalink

Success and happiness are all in the mind, says Steve Harrison.

Continue reading "Mirror Man" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:01 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison has a vision of the end day.

Continue reading "Every Event In My Life" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:01 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of hours of stress and apprehension at Manchester Airport the month after the Twin Towers attack.

Continue reading "Twanging Nerves" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:01 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison soon finds that long distance flights are one long bore.

Continue reading "Earth Bound" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:01 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison goes flying through the air with the greatest of unease.

Continue reading "Broken Bones" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 10:01 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison goes flying through the air with the greatest of unease.

Continue reading "Broken Bones" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 10:01 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison finds himself living in a campter van.

Continue reading "From Mansions To Mobile Homes" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:01 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison goes flying on the high trapeze.

Continue reading "Trapeze Star" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 10:12 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison begins to recover from his traumatic divorce.

Continue reading "The Rose Of Australia" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:01 AM | Permalink

Newly-divorced Steve Harrison learns a shocking truth.

Continue reading "Where The Torture Never Stops" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:01 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison goes through the pain of a marriage break-up.

Continue reading "The Anguish Continues" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:01 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison faces up to a day of humiliation and mental anguish.

Continue reading "Humiliation" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:01 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison rues the day he turned down the opportunity to become a millionaire.

Continue reading "Turning My Back On Millions Of Dollars" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 10:01 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison's marriage reaches a dramatic crisis point.

Continue reading "Marriage Disappointment" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 08:01 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison decides to say goodbye to modern medicine.

Continue reading "Natural Healing" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 10:01 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison finds married life far from satisfactory.

Continue reading "Married Life" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:01 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison meets with great success on his return to Australia.

Continue reading "Natural Talent" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:01 AM | Permalink

After a seemingly endless bureaucratic delay, Steve Harrison manages to return to Australia.

Continue reading "A Boomerang Always Comes Back" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:01 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison falls in love with an Apple Mac.

Continue reading "Chalk And Cheese" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Stephen Harrison tells of a day of shame.

Continue reading "Mum And The Million Dollars" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 10:10 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison faces up to Hell's Angels on a lonely Texas road.

Continue reading "A Meeting With The Angels Of Hell" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:12 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison takes over a church in the quiet little Texas town of Valley Mills.

Continue reading "Fire And Brimstone" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 10:10 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison meets an angel - then encounters an insoluble and life-changing dilema.

Continue reading "Meeting A Real Angel" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:12 AM | Permalink

...There I was, sitting in a park in Delhi, enjoying the day, when a man wearing a fishing hat approached me. In the hat band were metal probes and implements. I had no idea what I was about to experience...

Steve Harrison went into the park to relax - and ended up on tenterhooks.

Continue reading "Ears And Snakes" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 10:10 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of the day he arrived in India - a day that still makes him glad to be alive.

Continue reading "Hijacked Flight" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 10:10 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison and his team head off to India to do missionary work for six weeks - but there is a disasterous stop-over in London.

Continue reading "Bed And Breakfast" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:12 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison never expected hard manual labour when he enrolled in a preaching school.

Continue reading "Sunset School Of Preaching" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:12 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison arrives in Lubbock, Texas, to begin his studies at a preaching school - and he is in for a surprise.

Continue reading "A Man On A Mission" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison decides to leave Australia to study at a preaching school in Texas.

Continue reading "Study In Texas" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison is baptised in the midnight hour.

Continue reading "Baptism" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells how he found another soul mate on his lonely Christian path.

Continue reading "Meeting Another Hungry Soul" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison pays the saddest of sad return visits to his homeland.

Continue reading "Dad's Funeral" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:12 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison begins to read the Bible and is soon faced with a huge conflict between his work and his growing belief.

Continue reading "Reading The Bible" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

A knife was brandished when Steve Harrison finally got around to telling his girlfriend Jacquie that he was going to leave her.

Continue reading "Leaving Jacquie" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 10:10 AM | Permalink

...I travelled to work every day by ferry across the emerald green waters of Sydney harbour. Work was a breeze. At weekends I lounged by the seaside on Balmoral beach. Naturally I attended the compulsory barbeques...

Steve Harrison arrives in Australia.

Continue reading "The Lucky Country" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison goes swimming in the sea off Bali and encounteres his worst nightmare.

Continue reading "Swimming With A Shark" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 11:22 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison recalls a traumatic walk with his father.

Continue reading "Say Goodbye You May Never See Them Again" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 10:10 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison sees the light and turns his back on the deadly weed.

Continue reading "Weed Kicking" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 10:10 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison and his girlfriend Jacquie find themselves caught up in a fight to end all fights.

Continue reading "The Angels Brawl" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 11:22 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison heads north to Sonoma, California.

Continue reading "Go North Young Man" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 11:24 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of escaping from the clutches of the Scientologists and the Moonies.

Continue reading "Settling Into The American Dream" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 11:22 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison's arrival in the United States heralded experiences in the first 48 hours which were more bizarre than a fiction writer could have invented.

Continue reading "Arriving In The USA" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 10:10 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison does a spot of grape picking in southern France.

Continue reading "Grape Harvest" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:12 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison is dragooned into duty as a street artist.

Continue reading "Money Changers In Morocco" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 12:12 PM | Permalink

Steve Harrison sets out to drive from England to South Africa in a van which should not have been used for a journey to the local supermarket.

Continue reading "Driving To South Africa" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:14 AM | Permalink

...I was alone. I spoke aloud. "If you are real, show me a sign. Show me you exist.''

No sooner were the words out of my mouth than there was a huge flash of lightning, the biggest I had ever seen...

Steve Harrison tells of a night to remember.

Continue reading "A Sign From God" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison signs on the dole and meets the girl who was to be his companion for seven years.

Continue reading "Meeting Jacquie" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison eats magic mushrooms, and survives a nightmare.

Continue reading "Magic Mushrooms" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison turns into a new evangelist on visits to a pub.

Continue reading "Public Speaking" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of a dream that has haunted him for years.

Continue reading "The Dream" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison, having been abandoned by the girl he loved, went through a turbulent and frightening time.

Continue reading "Suicidal Tendencies" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison falls in love for the first time - and hitches his way to Portugal to be with the girl of his dreams.

Continue reading "Falling In Love" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison spends a night in jail after a madcap drinking bout.

Continue reading "A Night In Jail" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison goes hitch-hiking in France, his first trip broad.

Continue reading "Locked In A Car" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison buys his first car - and his life becomes even more hectic.

Continue reading "A Ford Anglia" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison, while still in his teens, managed to get a job as a barman at England's leading entertainment club.

Continue reading "Spotlights And Fame" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of mad days when he and two friends became regular drug takers.

Continue reading "Acid Trips" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison, in his wilder days, sampled LSD.

Continue reading "LSD - Just Which Hole Did That Rabbit Run Down" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison recalls beery, fun-filled nights at the local hop.

Continue reading "Saturday Night At The Cricket Club Hop" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison is stirred to the depths of his being by the words of a North American Indian chief.

Continue reading "Life-Changing Words" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison discovers the cloudy world of alcohol.

Continue reading "Lager And Lime" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

...So there I was at twelve thousand feet, and it was my turn to jump...

Steve Harrison swallows his nerves to attempt a parachute jump.

Continue reading "Parachute Jump" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison "sneaks in by the side door'' to begin a career as an artist, designing adverts.

Continue reading "My First Job" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:12 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison finds that he is not considered to be grammar school material.

Continue reading "A Sleeveless Blazer" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison recalls the day a two-letter word brought his dreams crashing down.

Continue reading "Incredibly Shy" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells in glorious style of a father-son relationship.

For more of Steve's vivid life story please click on Around The Sun in the menu on this page.

Continue reading "Dad Made Me A Mechanic" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:12 AM | Permalink

...Mum stood by the window, gazing upwards. "Come see the spacemen land on the Moon,'' we said. "I can see the Moon,'' she replied "and nothing is happening. I don't believe a word they're saying.''

One day I peeked over her shoulder as she was trying to complete a crossword puzzle. The clue was "extinct animal''. Mum had written Elephant...

Steve Harrison pays tribute to his wonderful mum.

Continue reading "A Lovely Old Bird" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison recalls the day he learned to ride a motorbike and had a close encounter with a hedge.

Continue reading "An Uncaged "Tiger''" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:12 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells a tale that may make you wince.

Continue reading "Dangerous Games" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison recalls a winter's eve when he was taught a painful lesson.

Continue reading "A Kick Up The Backside" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison joins the stern 5 am world of work.

For earlier episodes of Steve's story please click on Around The Sun in the menu on this page.

Continue reading "Who Needs Roller Skates?" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison recalls the simple life-enhancing joy of bath nights when he was a boy.

Continue reading "Bath Nights" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of growing up in austere times.

Continue reading "I Never Knew We Were Poor" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison dreams of a peaceful place.

Continue reading "Those Aliens Will Return" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison confesses that it doesn’t pay to be too cocky when you’re out on those ski slopes.

Continue reading "Broken Bones" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:22 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison shares some of his childhood memories - not all of them happy ones.

Continue reading "Early Days" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:12 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of a nervous day at Manchester airport in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist acts which destroyed the New York Trade Centre.

Continue reading "Flight To Nowhere" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 10:10 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison questions his own watery reality.

Continue reading "Either This Life Is Very Dreamlike Or This Dream Is very Lifelike" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:12 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison learns a beautiful truth.

Continue reading "Learning To Be Responsible" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:12 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison glimpses Heaven in the innocence and scent of his baby daughter.

Continue reading "Heaven Scent" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells a sad tale about a heavy-handed farmer.

Continue reading "A Sad Day For Chickens" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:22 AM | Permalink

Has it ever occurred to you that common sense isn’t all that common. Steve Harrison tells a cautionary tale.

Continue reading "Listen Up" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

In the best tradition of Jonathan Swift, the satirist who wrote Gulliver’s Travels, Steve Harrison suggests a shocking solution to a terrible problem that is afflicting Cambodia.

Continue reading "The Perfect Landmine Clearance Solution" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells a parable for all time.

Continue reading "Saving Starfish" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:32 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells how he kicked the smoking habit with the very best help available.

Continue reading "The Dreaded Weed" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison tells of a somber days when he lost the two guiding lights of his life.

Continue reading "The Grim Reaper" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison writes of deep and significant matters.

Continue reading "The Key To Truth" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

So if you had to choose a staple food to feed the world would it be potatoes or rice? Steve Harrison considers an important question.

Continue reading "Food For Thought" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison recalls the day when his family started to regard him as a brain box.

Continue reading "Quiz Challenge" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison finds peace and self-awareness in the harsh reality of a market in Vietnam.

Continue reading "Thoughts On Pride And Death" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:34 AM | Permalink

In straight-from-the-heart words Steve Harrison expresses the total joy of being the father of a beautiful infant – even when sleep becomes a distant memory during the long night watches.

Continue reading "Precious Infant" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:24 AM | Permalink

Are computers servants, or would-be dictators? Steve Harrison considers the issue.

Continue reading "Computer Dangers" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:34 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison proved to himself that sometimes fire lighting can be too successful.

Continue reading "Pyromania" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:22 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison presents the philosophical thoughts of a running man.

For more of Steve’s columns please click on Around The Sun in the menu on this page.

Continue reading "Running Man" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:22 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison envies those who instantly fall aslep to enjoy sweet dreams.

Continue reading "Sweet Dreams" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:34 AM | Permalink

An imaginary walk across Sydney harbour bridge brings a clear and contended perspective on life to Steve Harrison.

For more of Steve’s heart-felt columns please click on Around The Sun in the menu on this page.

Continue reading "Passing Before Your Eyes" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:58 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison says that if you do go home again you will never find what you are looking for.

Continue reading "Lost Innocence" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:18 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison chats to a man with horns.

Continue reading "Illustrated Man" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:32 AM | Permalink

The arrival of a baby daughter has convinced Steve Harrison that he may regain Peter Pan’s secret of eternal youth.

Continue reading "Peter Pan" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:24 AM | Permalink

New dad Steve Harrison wrestles with the smelly problem of nappy changing before coming up with the ideal solution.

Continue reading "The Perfect Nappy" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 11:12 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison recalls a morning when he was lost in wonderment while waiting for the ferry boat to Sydney.

Continue reading "A Moment Of Bliss" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 10:10 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison is enchantedby a very special baby with fair skin, straight nose, double eyelids, cupid lips, fair hair, bright blue eyes - and a Vietnamese mother.

Continue reading "My Little Baby" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:12 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison, writing with gusto and bubbling humour, concludes his four-part guide to the roads, and their users, in Vietnam and Cambodia.

Continue reading "4 - Rules Of The Road In Asia" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 10:10 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison takes us on another hair-raising journey into the psyche of Vietnamese drivers and motorcycle riders.

Just remember, the aim when negotiating Eastern roads is to increase your heart rate. That’s good exercise!

Continue reading "3 - Rules Of The Road In Asia" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 09:12 AM | Permalink

Driving and crossing the road in Vietnam require nerves of steel and a sharp awareness of the odds, as Steve Harrison reveals in the second of his seriously humorous article about the rules of the road in the East.

Continue reading "2 - Rules Of The Road In Asia" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Westerners who risk life and limb in Asia need to understand a whole new attitude to life, as Steve Harrison reveals.

This is the first of four choice articles by Steve on the dangers of travelling around in Asia.

Continue reading "1 - Rules Of The Road In Asia" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 11:10 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison contemplates the nature and reality of Heaven.

Continue reading "Heaven" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 07:56 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison recalls a family tragedy and muses on the way things have worked out in his life.

Continue reading "The Perfect Life" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 11:34 AM | Permalink

If you ever drink Vietnamese snake wine it’s best not to look inside the bottle, as Steve Harrison reveals.

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Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 11:22 AM | Permalink

Steve Harrison’s baby daughter was born at the tale-end of a typhoon which devastated Vietnam this month. Read his account of the night Rachel arrived – and be deeply moved.

Steve, no newcomer to Open Writing, will now be writing a regular column which will appear on Mondays in Open Writing. These will be filed under the title Around The Sun.

Continue reading "Peace Baby" »

Written by Steve Harrison - Published at 12:32 PM | Permalink