David and Holly's engagement party and Star Wars as never seen before

Congratulations to David and Holly! Jon and I drove to Berkshire for their engagement party last weekend. It was nice to have an excuse for a country drive. The biggest bonus for me though, was spending some time with Nathania and Shaneia. I don't see much of the girls these days so it was fun for all of us.

It's kind of trippy for me to see David almost married though. I mean, I've known him pretty much all his life. And is it me or is everyone getting married or pregnant all of a sudden? Cue mid-life crisis!!!

On a lighter note... Jon and I stopped in the very glamorous town of Bracknell after the party to catch the One Man Star Wars Trilogy. Is there anything tripier than grabbing a drink in the theatre bar before a show and running into Darth Vader and Imperial stormtroopers there?!

Another pretty place in England I've ignored for too long!

I'm always saying I'd never live anywhere else in the UK but London, but I have just fallen in love with Cambridge and want to cheat on London! Jon had a job interview in Cambridgeshire the other day so I took the day off and drove him there, happy to have an excuse to take the day off and have a day out in a town I haven't visited in far too long. I'm really glad I did. I had forgotten how lovely it is there. We had beautiful weather so we walked around and took a guided punting tour around the river, had a nice pub lunch, and later had dinner in a place with a river view. The place reminded me a little of Brugges, with all the water, its cobblestoned streets (and dangerous cyclists!) and lovely buildings.

Mind you, it was probably nicer at this time because it wasn't yet full of students!

Berlin

Jon and I were in Berlin for the weekend, visiting with his friends from home, Frank and Krista. What a great city! It's a fun place, lots to see and do, cheap to eat and get around, and of course has such a rich and interesting history. We had a great time. And we had the best tour guides too. As they both grew up there, Frank and Krista had interesting tales of West Berlin, before and after the wall came down. It was like walking around with our very own history books!!

LBS Summer Ball 2006

Always looking for excuses to dress up and behave badly, I was delighted when the London Business School Summer Ball rolled around again! This years theme was Venetian Masked Ball. Jon and I went along with David and a good time was had by all. It wasn't quite as good a crowd as we'd have liked this year but we had a...ball!

Where am I?... In the village!

Okay, those of you who can proudly say they have little knowledge of obscure cult TV will probably not get that reference at all. But the geeks among you will! It refers to the 60s cult show The Prisoner. Who has ever heard of Portmeirion Village? Probably only the same people who have heard of the show, which is a damn shame as it is an amazing place.

That is where Jon and I spent his birthday this year. It's right by Snowdonia National Park and is an 80 year old site developed by a conservationist who bought this piece of land which at the time was wilderness, and built the village from old rescued buildings. The style is somewhat eclectic and unique but the whole place is just beautiful. http://www.portmeirion-village.com/en/index.php

Being a fan of The Prisoner, Jon had been wanting to go there for some time. It was my birthday gift to him and I was of course pandering to the cult TV geek in him but was more than pleasantly surprised, it was a really lovely place that's definitely a hidden treasure and well worth visiting. It was a long long drive into deepest Wales but worth it. We had a fun weekend exploring and relaxing there. The village itself is very charming but there is also something of a beach, lots of woodland trails and lovely hotels.
We had to move rooms during our stay but were given a very nice suite in the castell (that's the Welsh, and not just a shocking mis-spelling, I'll have you know!) where we languished in luxury for our last night.




Again, only Prisoner fans will get this picture. Those of you who have no idea what this is about and may be concerned, please don't worry. Jon made it home safely and was not really consumed by a giant balloon!

Life goes on... gently

Hey everyone, and apologies for the short absence. This is my first entry since my mum passed away a month ago and it feels like a lot longer. Most of you already know about it, and I want to thank you all for your support and kind thoughts, and the cards, messages, gifts, phone calls etc that I have received. I'm sorry I haven't been able to talk to everyone individually as of yet but I am back in circulation now and hope to do so soon.

As you can imagine it has been quite a month. I took 2 weeks off work and am thankful that I have an understanding boss and wonderful colleagues who have been nothing but kind. I was ready to go back though, I needed to settle back into routine and keep busy. I spent the first week off arranging the funeral and all the other paperwork that nobody ever talks about. It's been an education. The funeral process, I'm glad to say, went very smoothly, which helped. We found a nice cemetery and had a very nice ceremony a week later. There was a good attendance, the chapel was full. Unfortunately, most of Mum's family couldn't make it as nobody could fly in at short notice, but my cousin May and Mum's God-daughter were there and the chapel was full of her friends. I have had so many lovely messages from people far and wide who have known her over the years and it is amazing to know how loved she was and how many people she touched throughout her life. I know she will be so greatly missed.

It's been something of a rollercoaster and I know it will be this way for a while. It's hardest on my dad, but he doesn't talk about it much so there is little I can do except be there for him. The grief comes and goes in waves and most of the time it is extremely sudden and triggered by the most unexpected things. Half the time it doesn't even seem real and I forget that it's even happened. The support of friends is definitely the best medicine. I am so grateful to have Jon too, he has really come through for me during this tough time. He was there at my side all the days my mum was in the hospital offering comfort to me and my dad, he was there with us when she passed away, and held my hand throughout the funeral. And since then he seems to have just learned to accept that there will be the occasional random fit of tears and irrational behaviour from time to time! He also seems to have perfected a technique of distracting me to take my mind off things if I get sad, it's quite a gift. I suspect he does it in other situations too though, if I bore him talking too much! I'm trying to spare him somewhat though, as I don't want to burden him too much with it. I'm just glad he's here.

So things are going back to somewhat-normal now. I am busy at work, which is a good thing right now. I've also been quite busy outside of work, including a few trips and events to look forward to. It's Jon's birthday next week so we're off to Portmeirion (in north Wales) this weekend. I'll be back here soon with the usual ramblings! Speak to you all soon!

Ciao tutto!

Amo l'Italia! Amo Torino! I'm back from a lovely few days in Turin with Jon. It was a much anticipated trip back to Italy for both of us and we had a great time. Turin is a lovely little city which unfairly has a reputation as an industrial town. Don't believe the rumours though, it's very scenic but because of its reputation is still largely unspoilt by tourism which makes it a) a very nice place to visit, and b) still cheap to get to! It is also a chocolate capital, if you need any more persuading to go there! We did have to brave a Ryanair cattle experience but we managed to get there and back relatively unscathed! We got a great hotel in a good location and spent 4 lovely days relaxing and exploring the city on foot. There's great architecture, great food, great people, great shopping, gelaterias every few doors and did I mention chocolate?! The only thing we didn't get to do unfortunately, is head out of the city into the mountains. We had to admire them from a distance and walked up a couple of pretty steep hills in tribute!

It is of course, also the resting place of the mysterious Turin shroud. http://www.shroudstory.com/ You can't actually see it though, it is always either somewhere being tested, or buried deep inside some vault behind bulletproof glass. I believe the next possible viewing will be in about 25 years. There is a replica in the cathedral though, so we had a quick looksy. I'd been there before in 2000 and possibly seen the real thing but I can't be sure, it's possible I imagined it all and Sophie who I was with then has equally fuzzy recollection.

It also has a cool movie museum, the Mole Antonelli, which is a must. Not so much for the museum itself but for the building. Its dome makes it stand out as a landmark for the city. It opened in 2000 and I was there just a few months before it opened and disappointed I didn't get to see it, so of course it was top of my list of things to do on my return trip there this time.Inside in the centre is a panoramic lift that takes you from the ground floor right up into the dome where you can go out on an outdoor observation deck with amazing views of the city and its surrounding mountains. You're beginning to sense a theme in my travel stories aren't you? I am rather partial to tall buildings with views and all the better if there is a thrilling journey up! The ride up is great, although I'm sure it's a little hairy if you don't like heights. You go past the various levels of the museum and up into the hollow and very pretty dome, it's pretty awesome.

Turin is also a river town, the Po runs through it and as well as being very pleasant to look at, is also a hotspot for nightlife. We were sorry we weren't there in the summer when it's really bustling. We did head down there a couple of times and had a drink in an outdoor bar right on the river one night but it was still a bit chilly and a lot of places hadn't begun their season yet, but it was easy to picture how lively it will be when everything has opened up. Still, it was a really nice place to walk around in the daytime.

A highly recommended destination!

Jon's one year anniversary

Can any of you believe he's been here a year already?! And what a year it's been. It's flown by hasn't it? He seems to be settled in and enjoying his time here. And his accent has got decidedly dodgy!!!

It was a pretty low key celebration, I'm afraid I didn't do right by Jon and didn't get organised enough to plan anything great. But the actual day (16th April for those of you with a head for dates, unlike I, who had to look it up!) was Easter Sunday this year so we happened to have a nice four day weekend. We drove down to Hastings on the coast to visit our friend Nik who has just bought a flat down there. The weather was uncooperative so some of our plans were rained out but we had fun just hanging out with Nik and having him show us around the area. This included Old Town Hastings (Most memorable sight? A house shaped like a wedge of cheese, I kid you not! It is even marked 'the piece of cheese cottage' in case you were at all confused.) and the village of Rye. One of the highlights of Rye was a visit to a cute old fashioned sweetshop, a place with one counter, a friendly sweetie-man and shelves lined with row upon row of jars filled with sweets. It was lovely and nostalgic for me but I was disappointed to find you can no longer buy sweets by the quarter, but now by a metric 100g - just seems wrong somehow!

Anyway, I digress! After our sugar high and crash, we said goodbye to our very lovely host and headed back to London on the Sunday. We stopped at a pub for lunch on the way back, the John's Cross Inn near a tiny hamlet, the name of which escapes me now. We seem to be touring the UK by pubs! Which reminds me, I forgot to mention the bizarre sight in one of the pubs in Old Hastings, two mummified cats and a rat in a glass box, some legend about a witch! You'll have to ask Jon or Nik for the full story, I was too grossed out yet mesmerised to stop staring at it and pay attention!! Anyway, we had a nice Sunday lunch at this little pub on the road, a nice traditional old English pub which boasts the smallest dining room in the UK, a very low ceiling which Jon couldn't stand up straight under, and a very nice friendly landlord.




The real celebration was a couple of days later, at Vertigo 42, with two of Jon's flatmates, Steven and Justin. Vertigo 42, for those of you who don't know it, is a Champagne bar at the top of the old Natwest Tower, a tall and slightly strange structure in the middle of the City. It's on the 42nd floor and offers great views of London. Extravagant, and most definitely a special occasion place, we were looking for an excuse to go there! It was great, we sipped Champagne and cocktails and watched the sunset over London. Very appropriate for the occasion no?



And all the best to Jon for the year to come in London!

New York!

I'm afraid I couldn't think of a more catchy title for this post, so I settled for simplicity! Well, I finally got to return to one of my favourite places and talked Jon into coming with me! Well, hardly! He didn't need too much persuasion, he had only ever been there as a child and was looking forward to his first trip there as an adult. I had no complaints from him at all, he loved it and we had a wonderful time.

We were there for 5 days. We stayed in a cheap and cheerful hotel just off Times Square (and opposite the hotel Lauri and I stayed in the first time I was there years ago) and enjoyed being in the hectic heart of the city. I was so excited to be there, I could barely contain myself. Jon was impressed with how huge the place is, "I mean, it makes London look small!" It really is impressive, I always manage to forget just how big it is and how awesome the buildings are. We packed a lot in. I also took the subway for the first time which was exciting for me. And I promised myself I wouldn't do too much shopping, but we were both seduced by the retail demon and several pairs of shoes and jeans later... let's just say getting the suitcase shut when packing to come home was a joint effort involving the throwing of one's full body weight onto the case!

Aside from that we did a lot of the sites. We were lucky with the weather and had a couple of glorious days. We did attempt to do the Ellis Island thing one day but the promise of a three hour wait for the ferry was off-putting enough. This isn't Disneyland you know! We figured Ms Liberty wasn't going anywhere soon so we turned on our heels with a "No thank you!" and went with plan B! We walked the Brooklyn Bridge (although not all the way across), did the Empire State building, took a walk through Central Park, and walked until our feet almost bled - it is a very big city to walk the length of! On one of the days we met up with relatives of mine from Malaysia, who I hadn't seen in a few years, which was a highlight of the trip for me. We all went and rode the Staten Island Ferry, went to Wall Street and Rockefeller Centre together.

That evening Jon and I went to Top of the Rock, the observation deck at the Rockefeller Centre. After an extremely fun lift (elevator in American!) ride up to the top there are a couple of outdoor areas with fantastic views of the city. It was pretty cold out there at the time but well worth it. I highly recommend it as a less crowded and less in-your-face-touristy alternative to the Empire State Building.

We also ate some excellent meals. We had our fill of bagels and smoothies and hearty American breakfasts, and all the other great things NYC had to offer. We both managed to forget how huge American portions are and overordered a lot! We met up with my friends Ari and Mandy one evening, who came up from New Jersey to have dinner with us. Another exciting meeting for me as I haven't seen them since I was last there three and a half years ago. They took us to Carmine's, an Italian restaurant which is something of a NY institution! It's a "family style" restaurant and let me tell you, I have never seen so much food on one table for four in my entire life, it was almost horrifying!! We didn't even make a dent in it! And this was me, hungry, and already drunk on cocktails since we'd had to wait over an hour for a table! It was hard for me to even look at pasta for a little while after that.

It was a great trip, and as well as Jon's first adult visit to the Big Apple, it was also his first time back to the US since he moved to London. Speaking of which, that was almost a year ago, we'll be celebrating his one year anniversary in a couple of weeks. More on that later.

Happy St Patrick's Day!!

The Cotswolds

I don't get out of London enough! Jon and I went away again last weekend, for a quick jaunt around the Cotswolds and once again I was amazed at how much I love the English countryside yet never see it!

We stayed in this beautiful hotel just outside Cheltenham, an old 15th Century manor house called the Hotel De La Bere, after the family who owned it. It was really gorgeous, everything creeked and rattled but had so much charm. We ate in the dining hall with stained glass windows and scary looking family portraits looking over you, and had a room up a narrow stairway in the tower which made me feel spooked out and Rapunzel-like all at the same time!

We spent the weekend driving the "Romantic Road", a route through the scenic Cotswolds (although I guess it's pretty much all scenic). It took us through lots of cute little towns and villages and parts of the hilly countryside with spectacular views. Jon drove the whole weekend, he's getting to be quite nifty behind the wheel now. It's almost like he's always driven on the wrong side of the road!! We were quite lucky with the weather and although it was cold it was clear enough to appreciate the views and imagine how even more stunning it would be in the summer when everything is green and lush instead of varying shades of yellow and brown. I also forget how friendly people are outside of the city too. We stopped and walked around a few of the villages, which was a bit like walking back through time, and ate good pub lunches by roaring log fires.

Our next trip will have a slightly different feel to it. We're heading off to the Big Apple in a couple of weeks and I am very excited about it. I'll be back with more on that!