Happy birthday

Happy birthday dad.
I'm thinking of you.

Dingwall

Soon. Soon there will be Dingbridge, Dingtown and Dingcounty. Mwahahaha.

Mwahahahahahahahahaha.

Paris

Almost two months overdue but here it is. A post about Paris, the city of love and romance... if you think rain is sexy. My first Eurostar journey was quite sexy and smooth though, didn't even realise I was going into a tunnel under the sea. Not to mention the speed. I got from London to Paris within the same time frame it takes me to go home from work, every day. Bitching.

I've been underground since disembarking from the train at Gare du Nord, and this is the first sight of the city that greeted me coming out from the Metro. Arc du Triomphe. I wasn't as thrilled with the monument as I was with the fact that I'd be staying in such a posh part of town, woohoo!

Evidence of how much my man and I love our books. Not a moment to waste!

Obligatory act-cute pose before I get too old for it. Shuddup if you're gonna say I have already breached said threshold. It's not easy filtering out pictures to post here that aren't already on Facebook. I don't want to repeat my pictures. Yes it's my blog and I can change the subject whenever I feel like it.

I was a bit let down by Champs-Elysees to be honest. I expected Regent Street x3 with the glitter and glamorous high-so people prancing about but got a run down Bintang Walk instead.

The Louvre is HUGE. Since we underestimated the walking distance to the museum from our hotel through Champs-Elysees, I was already quite tired and grumpy by the time we got there. And the stifling heat didn't help, especially at the entrance (glass pyramid that look very high-tech and nice in the picture)... my eyeballs nearly combusted.

It's a shame we couldn't cover the entire museum even though we paid for the damn tickets. We were just too... sleepy. Totally shouldn't stay up till 2 in the morning drinking coffee and chatting with Peter's colleagues. We chose to just do the hall housing Mona Lisa, took some pictures and then left (very wisely by Metro this time) and slept till dinnertime. Sorry-lah dear Louvre, didn't do you justice this time. But your exhibit, the Mona Lisa is a bit cheating also. So small in real life! And wassup with the barriers and guards preventing us from taking a decent picture, eh?

Energised from the well-deserved nap and yumyum-in-the-tumtum from a really nice and proper French dinner, we got adventurous and walked again in search of Eiffel Tower. We reckoned chances of us not finding it would be very low, after all, it's a tower. Just look up, right?

See what good food can do to the Ogress. Even if the boyfriend cannot take a proper night-time picture to save his life. But I still love him to bits-lah. He's paying for the tripod AND shoulder the responsibility of lugging it around though.

Apple flavour Minute Maid! I have never encountered one before this. And I must say, Minute Maids taste better out of tetrapaks. Drinking them from the can reminded me painfully of tap water in London. Metallica!

Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the peak of Montmarte. It's totally the Batu Caves of Paris - the amount of steps one has to climb can kill the faint-hearted. Although there wasn't any peril of monkeys trying to grab your food/jewellery, there were many African dudes lolling around the foot of the hill trying to tie bits of string on your hand and then extort you for money. Equally annoying.

The sound effects that totally completed the whole ethereal, serene feel to the place. Very apt for a cathedral on top of a hill overlooking the whole Paris, doncha think? If you could ignore the meddling, peddling string-sellers (you can see one in action in this picture on the left), that is. And the anxiety of pigeons shitting on your head.

Our cosy hotel, with endless supply of Minute Maids right across the road. And free wifi. The boyfriend would probably throw a tantrum when he sees a half nekkid picture of him here for the world to see but it's not like he reads my blog... so... ssshhhh. And yeah we have two beds. Cannot meh?

The Notre Dame. We weren't feeling very churchey so opted out from paying to have a look inside. In retrospect I should have climbed up the tower and check out the bell and gargoyles. Oh well.

The Thinker at Musee Rodin. Big big garden adorned with clusters of statues. I like.

*cough*

Oooooh *cough cough* (hands swiping at cobwebs) look at the amount of dust gathering here. Have I been gone that long?

Time for some spring (autumn!) cleaning. Like, literally. Because my room has been invaded by bed bugs again I suspect. The two bites on my chin and neck itch like a mother. Grrrrr. But my room doesn't feel that dirty. Thanks to the carpet with magical properties. It's amazing how stuff can fall on it and they magically disappear from sight and mind. I have lost earrings, hair rubberbands, and my prized big big cut toenail into that field of magic.

See for yourself. Can tell where my pyjama bottoms end and where the carpet begins? Yeah I live in a Victorian hotel lobby.

When I can afford to rent my own flat next time, first thing I will make sure is... no carpets on floor. At least then I don't have to cry over spilt milk. Can just mop it up.

Gastric

At times like these I'm glad that my boss and I share the same gastric/stomache ulcer trauma. I'm having the mother of all gastric attacks (could it be because of the damn organic banana I had for breakfast? I knew I should stick to cheap-ass normal ones planted by slaves and fertilised by 100 different chemicals) and his Omeprazole saves the day.

I'm back from Paris but I have no time to elaborate yet. Will do so during the weekend, promise! Right now I have more scheming to do.

junk mail

Sometimes I don't groan aloud when I get junk mail. Sometimes they even make my day. Ah the knowledge I could gain...

van persie

My hero. He has a certain sissiness to him (the way he dribbles?) that I cannot describe but a damn sharp shooter! Will he help win the cup?

retail therapy

This morning I woke up to a massive attack (only my wife Andrea would get this I suppose - since it's her favourite music) of headache again. Could be from all the merciless cold wind at Hyde Park yesterday. Or the bucket of KFC we shared at night before crashing into fitful slumber and waking up half dying from our parched throats. Their tagline here should be "it's drowsy, thirsty and finger lickin' good!" although I'll lick two fingers less because they serve baked beans here as a side rather than mashed potatoes. How can!

Anyway in my throes of headachey anguish, I lost my senses and went out to do grocery only to come home with...

BUT thank goodness I haven't lost my good senses enough to lighten my wallet with heels or stilettos or wedges that I'd probably wear once and then rear spiders at a corner of the hallway.

The pair of black trainers is so comfy I wanna rub the softness all over my face and purr. Mr Aldo I love you!

And this is my first ever pair of flats so shuddup I don't wanna hear about how bling it is and how am I going to wear it out and what with... because I also dunno.

1st anniversary

Nothing marks my one-year-in-London milestone quite historically as the London Naked Bike Ride. Last year's took place the second day I set foot in this country. I went with Bel. This year, I managed to convince Andrea, Simon (who told me about this event last year), Omar and Rafael to tag along.

Rafael stole my camera and disappeared into the crowd to take pictures with the wimmin (taking off his top as camouflage). I was quite pissed because I missed plenty of opportunities for my own pictures. One of which an interesting specimen wearing Borat's swimming costume in red. Damn.

Omar prefer his au naturel. I roll my eyes and huff but actually admire their courage to go "excuse me, can I take a picture with you?" because I secretly want to take pictures with hot naked guys too. Boo... maybe next year. I'm slowly improving ok. Last year I didn't even dare to take any frontal pictures.

All too soon, the whistle sounded and... they're off! My party followed suit. Damn cold day... poor shriveled cyclists. I'm sure their passion and dedication keep them warm, though. As well as other cyclists. And pure adrenaline.

Me no guts can only take picture of myself. Loh. Next time someone be nice and offer to shove me into the crowd for a quick snap ok?

flat white

Today I received the most beautiful two words from the Bossman for the entire month.

"Flat White?"

He was out following up on a project we have in Soho. And he remembers.

"Ok. Will have you microwave" he texted back after I "Yay"ed him.

So 6 hours later and I'm still caffeinated from the BEST coffee in London, although the receipt of said coffee was an hour later and lukewarm with a suspicious spring oniony aftertaste.

So I have reflux from shotgunning my cuppa that burns right up my throat like the damn Olympic torch but I'm still happy clappy boppy buzzy because I had Flat White!

What a fine match

What a superb match (not this guy's fluke goal, but still) it was. Now I don't have to be forced to support Holland because of someone's Dutch heritage, I do so willingly because they ARE good and deserve to win.

Goedzo, jongens!

damn sad

I have had no inspiration to blog at all. For such a long time. I wonder if working in a company called Inspirations does that to you. Or the daily 3-hour battle with the nefarious energy-sucking vampire called London Underground.

Moving forward...

Okay, first backwards a little. Summary of the past months starting from the most recent.

No. I haven't gotten this fat during my hiatus. Or pregnant. Although it's fun to scare you reader(s?) a bit.

Anyway one week after this picture was taken...

Baby Sep came into the world. He is so super mega adorable! I can't believe I have to wait until July to see/touch/pinch/bully Baby Sep. Barely a week old and he can smile like this!

I envious. I want.

(and Peter freaks out)

Other than my birthday, May was a month of strawbies. I finally fulfilled my wish of plucking strawbies in a real strawbie farm. Outside Peter's family house. Which were then turned into pie. Fruit of labour indeed!

I want lotsa strawbies outside my house also.

(and Peter freaks out again)

April was a month of Eryn. Finally she's here. In London. And she brought me many presents, the most memorable being bedbugs. I really hope the scars would fade in time.

I actually miss having a room-mate now that she's found her own place.

snow

Just when I thought the weather is turning warmer and I look like an idiot wearing winter jacket and sweating waterfalls inside... it snowed again this morning.

So much has happened over the last month I don't know where to start.

But I have recovered from the meanest bitch of a flu of the century. Until the cough came back yesterday that is...

snow

The second day of spring, and I saw snow. For 5 minutes.

monday

Mondays are never good. Today has been a day of... complaints.

Early morning complaint from housemate about rubbish being strewn about outside the house and not properly binned. Not mine, I said. Then another complaint about why wasn't I responsible enough to find out whose those were and deal with them.

Then colleagues complained about the lack of choices for lunch-food around the office. And why Tesco has to be shut and renovated for one whole week. And Planet Organic labelled walnut bread as white bread and we had to pay extra for the walnuts.

Afternoon complaint from the boyfriend about illegible fontsize and fontcolour in our new fledgling of a blog. But I can't change the font colour, it'll clash with the whole theme of the template! No, I'm not bolding the words either. It'd be like screaming the post out. Haggle haggle. I finally settled to increasing the font size by numero uno. Now, to figure out how to actually do it...

phooey

Wow, has it been that long, my ardent blog readers? Hello? Hi? Right. My online diary for myself then. I don't know why I don't write, it's not like I'm hopelessly addicted to Facebook or anything.

I know why. My creative writing juiced have dried up. The right side of my brain is about as shriveled as a toe that's been in the sea for 12 hours. So what's been the highlight of the past month of my absence? Chinese New Year back in Malaysia, of course.

Brought the boyfriend back to help with the festive cooking preparations (proved to be a good worker too with minimal complaints and needs) and meet the clan(s). Pioneering the list of boyfriends I actually brought home, I think the reception was alright. Phew.

Met up with more high school friends that I had in previous years because two special people had birthdays that fell during CNY this year and everyone gathered to celebrate. Happy birthday Val and Eryn! And, what's up with the strange fascination the boyfriend has with my armpit? That or he's kind enough to avoid a frontal of my face with that enormous zit (welcome home present from the tropics!)...

And then we went to Phuket and the works, Phi Phi Ley, Phi Phi Don (Maya Bay), James Bond Island, Khai Island etc. This is the place we stopped for lunch at Phi Phi Don. The water made me itchy and goosebumpy like no other. Magical.

This is the skimpiest you'd ever see me in. Count it your lucky day (to not be visually polluted with other more ogressy body parts). I saw lady tourists from China (quite a huge number of them around Phuket actually) wear colourful singlets inside their one-piece swimwear. Tsk tsk. It's much cooler when you wear it outside *flashback to high school, underdeveloped years*...

*squeal* My boyfriend is sooooo S-E-X-Y!!! Aiyo and so cute... *giggle*

The next morning, we discovered that we have yet to achieve the tan we wanted to return to Europe with, so it was hardcore 2 solid hours under the sun with MP3s and my book (ah the message he wrote within makes me smile every time).

I felt totally conned (hmm didn't I use this phrase already in my last post) by the elephant ride. I was expecting an hour of National Park rainforest exploration on top of an elephant, stopping every once in a while for her (it has to be a her and don't ask me why) to nibble on leaves and/or swat at bushes. Instead we got an hour under the blistering sun (no canopy here) in a man made uphill-downhill (poor elephants) elephant track. Upsetifying!

Valentine's dinner at a French restaurant in Bangkok made up for earlier disappointments! I wished I've ordered foie gras though. I want foie gras! But the 9-course dinner was nice. Peter had veal and I had a tuna steak as mains.

Last Malaysian meal before boarding the plane. Is this why I was so gassy?

conned!

I've been so conned. Winter in London is rain. And rain. And delayed London Underground services and buses with timetables of the KL buses - none. More rain. Black nose boogers. And more rain.

Whatever happened to snow-covered footpaths and fluffy flakes in my hair (not the dandruffy kind)?

I'm returning to Malaysia-lah!





















... for two weeks. I still love London and all she has to offer. Unless, of course, snow covers London when I'm back in Malaysia and melts when I'm back in London.

Then I shall HULKRAGE.

greetings

Happy New Year to my faithful blog readers! Yes, the three of you should know who you are. I am now back at work, and "at" is the most apt description because it denotes physical presence and not necessarily mental. The final few days of holidays I couldn't wait to get into work with renewed vigour, but now that I am at it my engines seem to have iced over in the numbing cold. Thaw, dammit, thaw. Or else the Bossman will have my skin when he's back.

My new year celebration was a nice and cosy one, surrounded by loved one(s) and fluffy pets and 3 different boardgames (intellectual innit) at Jos and Marjanne's in Heeze (a small town south of Eindhoven). The fireworks at midnight were surprisingly Chinese New Year-ish too, with neighbours all standing outside on the streets greeting each other and the smell of gunpowder in the air...

Had a very auntifying New Year's Day walking the dog in the nearby woods for 5km. My toes are still blistered. But good company always make up for physical discomfort. Come see more pictures!

What's your celebration like?