Welcome! We are glad you were able to make it.

Bec and Ben have been contemplating the pros and cons of bringing another weblog into the world for some time, and we always deferred. The reasons for now taking that defining step of registering a blog site have been part peer pressure, part a need for better communication with family and friends and part political events in our part of the world - you see, we just experienced our first ever "coup-d-e'tat".

As you most likely know this occurred in Thailand where we have been holidaying for Pchum Ben. The Thai's excel at many things and orchestrating near seamless changes in power is certainly one of these. We had been in more remote parts of the North West and only discovered the coup had taken place whilst watching BBC World over breakfast - a whole 24 hours after tanks moved in on Bangkok (we had come down from the mountains like hill-billies).

Aside from TV news there was little (in english language format especially) that would indicate anything had changed. I'm not sure the military in our neck of the woods had "got the memo" on the first day - but it could explain why we were not allowed to get too close to the border with Myanmar.

In a nutshell, it is for stories like these that we have created our blog. We will not guarantee all entries to involve political intrigue and tales of power wrenched from the hands of unscrupulous individuals, however we will attempt to make every entry interesting in its own way and when it is not include a photo, or two if needed.

So what is the name all about you ask? - Calling Code Brown? - this was really Bec's idea, after initially thinking it a little crass I have come around (I'm not a crass person Benjamin :) - Bec). Code Brown is a term in our social circle for sudden and sometimes violent bowel movements that can and will occur to individuals who reside in areas where populations of nasty bacteria are above recommended levels. Code Brown's can also be categorised, much like cyclones, into Category A, B and C anal events depending on their severity. I need not go on as this blog is not intended as a forum for toilet humor or the daily happenings of our colons (unless there happens to be a coup in that neck of the woods).

We plan nothing grand with this blog - it will be a sporadic update of our lives (well the more eventful parts at least) and a forum to share any music or art that we may wish to inflict on you. I like the blog for this reason - we put it out there and if you ever think "what are those guys up to" you can log on and find out. Much better than impersonal group emails, which we weren't that great at sending anyway.

Enjoy. Benjamin & Rebecca - Chiang Mai September 2006.

(is that kind of sign off appropriate for a blog?)