Eye on London

I can't believe that I am more than halfway through my trip to visit P and time is just racing by. It's been great to see him and the weather has been wonderful.

We went on the Eye on Sunday and here are a few photos:


Monday was a Bank Holiday so P had the day off. We went out to Bromley to see some good friends of mine. Their two little girls are cuuuuute! The oldest one at three looks just like mummy (who's German) and the one-year-old looks like daddy (who is Chinese). They made us lobster noodles and we spent the afternoon quaffing champagne and stuffing pavlova with cream and berries down our gobs. Tough life!

On the down side (isn't there always one?), I found that two of my cashmere sweaters which P had put in his closet had been eaten by moths! On closer inspection, I discovered that the rug by the front door had been chomped on, as had his flatmate's coats hanging next to it! I spent yesterday cleaning the flat from top to bottom and P helped me do the bathroom when he came back from work.

I am a bit of a neat freak but the apartment was not the cleanest. I don't know how people can live like this. I don't blame P as he has only been here for a few weeks, but his flatmate really needs to find out what a Hoover is and how to use it!

Anyway, I guess it gives me something to whinge about and now I have something else to hold over P's head hee hee.

Today I had lunch with one of the guys from our London office, then met P for coffee afterwards. Things in the city are not cheap, with a plate of fish and chips for £6, that is $18! I'm used to noodles for one pound, which are tasty and a whole lot healthier. I also notice that there are a lot of fat people here, so they must be making a lot of money as food is so expensive.

Anyway, I only have two full days left here, so I will make the best of them and enjoy my vacation. The next few months will be flat out with the move and the wedding and I will be glad when I'm more settled.

Until the next entry, bye bye from London!

Saving Money and Spending It Again

In a bid to save P $700 on my flight to Brringland, I trawled the www for a cheap deal. Having found a return ticket for $1,343 (vs a direct flight on Small Island Airways for over $2,100) on my desired dates, I was overjoyed.

Alas, my happiness was but a fleeting. In my excitement, I forgot to do the most important thing of all: read the fine print! I had misread the itinerary and thought I would only have one stopover on a Neighbouring Small Island. It was only after I'd paid for the ticket that I realized that there would be an additional stopover in Oil Country and that the 12-hour direct flight would take me over 24-hours of door-to-door travel!

However, when a friend asked what I would do if I had the choice of sitting at an airport whiling away the hours or sitting at my desk at work, I suddenly found myself optimistic again. It's amazing how effective a reality check can be!

With the upcoming wedding and moving into my new apartment next month, P and I need to save as much money as we can.

He is helping me with my mortgage (I am so glad I took a chance on this 'beachcomber' ha ha) but I still have so much to pay for. Besides furniture and appliances, I also have to shell out for curtains, lights and an unexpected cost: wooden decking to convert my planter into a small balcony. Tell me all you seasoned home owners, will the surprises ever end?!

Nevertheless, I am still very happy and now that I've had a few days to get used to the idea of my new home, I am really getting excited. Or more so than I was before, if that is possible.

I now find myself sitting in the flat that P has rented with the opera singer in the middle of London. I was so jetlagged yesterday but feel much better after a good night's sleep. It looks to be a lovely day today (if a touch overcast) and we are heading to the London Eye, and then lunch with my ex-hubby after.

Tomorrow, we are going to Bromley to spend the afternoon with some other close friends.

So watch this space for photos and more updates!

I Got the Keys!!

As of today, I am officially the proud owner (okay 20%) of a lovely little flat in the city!!

I plan on moving in mid-September, although there is a lot to do in the meantime. Wow, home ownership, what a great feeling!!

My Dad: Current Media Darling

It seems that I can’t turn around without seeing my dad in the media these days!

1. I was at work yesterday when our pantry lady came up to me with the Chinese newspaper and said, “Isn’t this your dad?” Lo and behold, there he was, this time was carrying his bicycle with a big grin on his face!

I’m not sure exactly what the article says, as my Mandarin sucks oranges, but I’m sure it is along the lines of what an amazing 70-year-old he is to have cycled 900km in a week, etc!

2. This morning, another colleague who is also a good friend, said to me, “Hey, is this your dad in the newspaper again?” And there he was, featured in the file photo for a reader’s letter in the same paper that had published his photo at the weekend!

3. Next week, he will be interviewed on a prime time morning news programme along with two other senior citizens. I will miss it as I’ll be in Brrrringland, but I’m sure I’ll catch a recording of it at some point.

I don’t even have to make a dinner appointment to see him anymore as he is ubiquitous! Everywhere I look, there he is!!

Not Bad for an Old Coot!

Although my dad and I don't always get along, we figure it's because we are so similar. He has told me on many occasions that I am 'just like him'. Sometimes, I see his impatience e.g. with cars on the road and his reaction in comments and/or hand gestures and I think to myself, "Oh my god, that is me!". Scary!

One positive trait we do share though, is that when we set our minds to something, we go for it 100%. Right now, I am into scrapbooking and have thrown myself totally into this hobby. As for my dad, it is his cycling.

Since the beginning of this year, he has trained hard for a 900km ride from the top end of our neighbouring country down to our small island. The ride was scheduled for the second week of August. He cycled almost everyday and trained with his group regularly. He even had overnight sessions over a few Saturdays, causing him to miss P's and my engagement dinner! Now that is commitment.

Anyway, I was in my scrapbook class yesterday morning when I received a text from a friend asking me if it was my dad in the newspaper. None of my classmates had the paper but one of them spotted a customer in the scrapbook shop who did, so I accosted the guy who gladly gave his copy to me!

There on page 4 was my old man in all his glory (newspaper article attached in email). It was a very cool pic of him crossing the finish line after the week-long race. At almost 70, he was the oldest member of the entire group of 40+ people. They cycled between 100 - 150km every single day. Not something I would voluntarily choose to do, but undeniably impressive anyway. He is incredibly fit and I must say that I felt a frisson of pride when I saw the article.

Well done, Dad!