The Psychic Scone

Sleep in the Park - Where's Zeb?

We (Ken Gordon and Zeb Ahmed) signed up to sleep outside on Sat 9th December in Edinburgh along with a lot of other people to raise money for SocialBite to help eradicate homelessness in Scotland. Details of how to join us and sponsor us are at the bottom of this page. We are making a series of podcasts about our experience to help get sponsors and to raise awareness for the event. In this episode, Ken looks for Zeb. Every door he opens (like an advent calendar) has something written on it and takes him somewhere strange. Will he find Zeb? Will you guess which movie he watched last night that starred Matt Damon? Are you Sleeping the Park and have advice and a story to share? Get in touch using the contact box on this page or through our twitter accounts https://twitter.com/glencharnoch and https://twitter.com/zebunsia And please sponsor us or anyone you know who is Sleeping in the Park using these links. You will be mentioned in our next episode and be doing something positive for homeless people in Scotland. http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/kennethgordon http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/zebunisa-ahmed- If you are wondering if our goal is achievable, read this Heriot-Watt University report: http://ow.ly/Zmp630gwuw2 And join us on 9th December by signing up to Sleep in the Park. www.sleepinthepark.co.uk

Sleep in The Park - Vaseline your nose? Really?

We (Ken Gordon and Zeb Ahmed) signed up to sleep outside on Sat 9th December in Edinburgh along with a lot of other people to raise money for SocialBite to help eradicate homelessness in Scotland. Details of how to join us and sponsor us are at the bottom of this page. We are making a series of podcasts about our experience to help get sponsors and to raise awareness for the event. In this episode, we just purchased sleeping bags and mats and found a cafe to sit and gather our thoughts, talk about sponsorship so far (not good) and the fact that we need advice. Are you Sleeping the Park and have advice and a story to share? Get in touch using the contact box on this page or through our twitter accounts https://twitter.com/glencharnoch and https://twitter.com/zebunsia And please sponsor us using these links. You will be mentioned in our next episode and be doing something positive for homeless people in Scotland. http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/kennethgordon http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/zebunisa-ahmed- In this podcast we talked about Josh Littlejohn's TEDxGlasgow talk where he described the origins of SocialBite, it is an amazing story and it is here: https://youtu.be/WZgChfLJD8Q If you are wondering if our goal is achievable, read this Heriot-Watt University report: http://ow.ly/Zmp630gwuw2 And join us on 9th December by signing up to Sleep in the Park. www.sleepinthepark.co.uk Thank you for listening. Next episode coming soon!

Sleep in The Park - Zeb's secret plan to keep warm

We (Ken Gordon and Zeb Ahmed) signed up to sleep out on a cold winters night on Sat 9th December in Edinburgh along with 8998 other people. We need sponsors. The money raised will be focused on eradicating homelessness in Scotland within a 5 year period. And it can be done, read this Heriot-Watt University report http://ow.ly/Zmp630gwuw2 We decided to make a series of podcasts to help raise funds. In this episode, we realise the enormity of the challenge and Zeb reveals her secret strategy to keep warm on the night. Ken meantime has no sponsors ... other than Zeb. Yikes! Please sponsor us using these links: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/kennethgordon http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/zebunisa-ahmed- Why? You'll be helping eradicate homelessness and you will get a mention in our next show and be famous. And join us in helping eradicate homelessness by signing up to Sleep in the Park. www.sleepinthepark.co.uk

Episode 9 My Dad's Kilt Went to China Omnibus edition

Welcome to all of the eight episodes of “My Dad’s Kilt went to China” together in one omnibus edition. I was lucky enough to go to China at the end of last year and from the moment I landed and the plane taxied at Beijing airport to returning to the same airport to return to Scotland, I recorded sounds and noted my adventures. These included watching firemen in chains, business banquet etiquette and KFC, the ladies of perpetual Jasmine tea and their mystical ways. Precision meetings and meals and a lonely invisible lady singing in the darkness on the banks of the Hai river. I experienced smog, the benefits of having sequential translation (and a snooze for lunch), a trip into the city on the Tianjin city Metro where I saw fake Apple stores and real Starbucks. Insomnia fogged by mind like the thick morning smog as I pondered the amazing ambition and openness of my young Chinese colleagues and their chosen English names. The fastest train I have ever been on took me to Beijing where tall flats were synchronously cleaned and contained the graceful morning Tai Chi (or Chi-Gong) groups in the freezing cold. My conversion to Chinese breakfast (trying to suck yoghurt through a straw) and a bit of speed sight-seeing in the freezing cold took in the Forbidden City, a rickshaw scam artist some fantastic food in the Wangfujing food street and a menu misunderstanding in a restaurant called RBT.   I managed to compress a lot into a few days. The resources I used were the kindle versions of the Lonely Planet Guide to beijing, Lonely Planet guide to Tianjin & Hebei, China Road by Rob Gifford and the Android Apps : CamDictionary and China Subway . A big thanks to all my colleagues and in particular Simon Poulsen, who helped me notice 100% more than I would have on my own. What of the kilt? It was worn only once. Did it all end there? No. My willingness to find out more about Chinese culture led to more experiences.  All original sounds were recorded on my Samsung Galaxy S3. Thank you for listening. What did I get wrong? Let me know.

Episode 8 - My Dad's kilt went to China - Being in Blade Runner

Heading to the airport i had time to reflect on how much I had experienced and how interesting everything was. One of my final conversations was with a Swedish engineer who hates working in China. I managed to compress a lot into a few days. The resources I used were the kindle versions of the Lonely Planet Guide to beijing, Lonely Planet guide to Tianjin & Hebei, China Road by Rob Gifford and the Android Apps : CamDictionary and China Subway . A big thanks to all my colleagues and in particular Simon Poulsen, who helped me notice 100% more than I would have on my own. What of the kilt? It was worn only once.   My China photos are here. Did it all end there? No. My willingness to find out more about Chinese culture led to more experiences.    Watch out for about more "things Chinese" in the next podcast.