James and I enjoyed our beachside holiday at Jomtien in Thailand, where a friend generously lent us his apartment.



Most of the time we went for an early-morning swim or lazed the day away under a beach umbrella. Simple local food was the order of the day, washed down with Australian wine that we took with us.

Despite the action by so-called Red shirt protesters in Bangkok, we were confident of being safe, as our plan was to miss the city all together by traveling directly from the international airport to the coast. The number of tourist arrivals to Thailand through Bangkok has fallen sharply, but visitors to Phuket have not been deterred.

We saw the scenes on TV and in the papers, but there are others better able to comment on the protests and their aftermath, for instance by Richard Bernstein, or Seth Mydans. Reading Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit's A History of Thailand (2nd edn, Cambridge Uni Pr, 2009 - 0521759153) made it plain to me that the present disharmony has roots deep in Thailand's social, political and economic history.



This is the personal flag of HM Bhumibol Adulyadej, King Rama IX. On earlier visits to Thailand, I saw it displayed everywhere as a symbol of personal loyalty to the monarch. This time, I noticed that it was much less common. During the recent crisis, the King was notably silent, even as the 60th anniversary of his coronation was celebrated. Although he is deeply respected, confidence in the King's ability to have any influence on Thailand's near future seems to have declined.

And yes, it was hot. The newspaper reported record high temperatures in early May—up to around 40°C in Bangkok. But the killer was the humidity of up to 80%. We were comfortable enough, with sea breezes most days, but the sea water was actually hot at times and usually felt like a warm bath.

More and more I discover that long flights are not good for me. It is taking more than a week to recover from the agony of sitting in a half-up, half-down airline seat for ten hours. The Qantas food and service on our return journey was a step up from the cardboard food and poorly timed service offered by BA on our forward journey. Even the simple leaflet that Qantas offered, with menus and a timeline showing what-would-happen-when, helped to make the experience less intolerable.

not too much is on holiday. There may be a Twitter update or three (see left of page).

With a Litany adapted from Psalm 150 and a commissioning prayer, the refurbished Hill, Norman and Beard organ at St Philip's church was recommissioned on St Philip's Day, 1 May 2010, in a service that featured some glorious music.

CAMRA launched its 2010 program, joining the St. Philip's singers for the Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo in B-flat major (Little Organ Mass) by Joseph Haydn. (The organ pictured on the left is the one for which Haydn wrote the mass.)

For the gift of music and song
We praise you, O God, in your sanctuary
For notes and rhythm and varieties of expression.
We praise you, O God, in your mighty firmament!
For our ancestors in the faith, who invested in music for future generations
We praise you, O God, for your mighty deeds!
For all those who have offered their musical gifts in this space,
We praise you, O God, with trumpet sounds!
For the inspiration and joy that music brings to our worship
We praise you, O God, with tambourine and dance!
For those who with great artistry and expertise, brought our organ back to life
We praise you, O God, with strings and pipes!
For those who invested in repairs and renovation,
We praise you, O God, with clanging cymbals, with loud clashing cymbals!
For the music that will be produced through these pipes and keyboard for many generations to come,
We praise you, O God, with every breath that we take, with every song that we sing, with all that we are.
We praise you, O God. Amen.

Eternal God, our praises join with the songs of heavenly choirs and the music of the universe.
We thank you for this organ, to enjoy, to make music for your glory and praise. Its refurbishment speaks to us of your faithfulness.
We recommission this organ and rededicate it to you.
May it be yours, not ours, to use as you will.
Through its music and the skill of those who play it, may we, and all who hear it, experience your beauty, and come to love you more and more.
May our music making express a heartfelt commitment to your worship and glory as a testimony of your creative and redeeming love .
As we rededicate this organ to your worship, we pledge ourselves again to your service, here, in our community and in our daily lives.
In the power of your Holy Spirit keep us in this promise through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.