Away from home...

Well can you relate the title to something?

Yes??

Good. Then you know what I am going to talk about.

The story is about a gal who was somehow influenced by teh advert and assigned the card as a "travel expenses card". Well, loyalty to the bank which she has been using from the age of 10; where all her "ang pow" and reward-for-straight-As money went to.

She even asked her husband to apply for a card for himself.

She is well rewarded. So damn well rewarded and frustrated that she filled the "contact us" form with complaints.

For her action, she was rewarded. She knew the website was safe. As soon as she click submit, the whole complaint disappeared. Website says that she has been there too long.

Smart isnt it? There was no warning that she had been there too long, until she clicked "submit" for her complaints. The website automatically detected that it is a malicious email directed at those idiots at the call centre who made her make multiple long distance calls and gave her wrong instructions again and again.

Perhaps it is time to call it all off.

Hubby already gave up after those 40-minute long phone calls about charges which were supposed to be waived but was never waived, e-statements which are suuposed to be sent but never appears. Long distance relationship. Poor. This is a global bank with a local focus. No wonder they cannot maintain long distance relationships with clients who need to travel.

Meanwhile, the citibank people will be terribly happy that we are chargingso much to our cards these few months. they will be even happier after my friday shopping spree and copenhagen trip. Meanwhile the people at that stupid bank will continue to suspect that we never left the spore all along cos they are no £££ and Euros charged to it. Nah, I wont let them earn the exchange rate!!!!

See.. customers do know who to reward, and who to whack!!!

work... copenhagen... and that cottage

We had a meeting about the trip today, and we all vetoed sending in the stuff by courier Damn Ex!!! . M, the only guy in the team, will have to carry all the heavy stuff. haha... He was muttering about "equality". He obviously realised that he is bullied by gals who are not scared of spiders at all. He was amazed than none of us were scared of creepy crawlies, and only scared of stuff which fly.. like a bumble bee. Tough gals, we are. Today A slammed the whole stupid Broth*r printer, that it finally cooperates, and stop eating up our papers. Tough gals kick ass and go places.

Just found out that I will have about 3 hours of time to myself on saturday. what should I do? I have not read up about copenhagen yet!

Do I go to the lakes? Hang around and enjoy the music festival? One thing is for sure, i have to walk a lot and take public transport only occasionally as it is not cheap there either? I obviously have not much money to spend, since my pay have not arrived, and I already have to buy more "presentable" clothes that can stand the winter chill this Friday. Friday will be my shopping day :).

I was chilled to death yesterday on my way to work, 13C. Today was about 8C, and I used my cheap but trusty pseudo jacket. Cheap is good when you see "youths" aka gangster around some corner.

It probably wont rain this saturday, but the temperature will be a chilly 9-11C. Cold. Coat needed. Raincoat?Umbrella?

Took a quick glance at a touristy website...

Of all places, Rosenborg Castle seems most interesting, simply because I have not visited an european style castle before. But will the flowers still be there? Or should I go to the Tivoli garden?
I am not sure. Somehow not in mood to play.

Well, no point planning. I might end up sleeping in the hotel room. Sore throat. Bad mood. And i think teh flu is getting worse.

Lets just hope that this nasty flu goes away, and I will have a peaceful trip.

Oh yeah. I fell in love with a cottage, the first time I walked pass it. Yesterday, I noticed that they put up a "for sale" notice!!!! If only I got the £££, I will go and buy it straight away. The area is just so nice!!! Imagine, there are a few B&Bs around here, in these cottage-y houses. People actually come here as "tourist"? Well, that should not be suprising. If one day I move away from UK, and come back to London for a visit, I will probably stay in those B&Bs here. Beats those high class, lifeless hotels nearer to Heathrow. Bleah.

I love the cottage so much that I wondered if I could buy it and turn it into a B&B? That should help to pay the mortage isnt it??? Hmm. What will happen to my day job then? May be I should make it an "ambition" to run an B&B. Haha.. British B&B which serves nasi lemak.

Resolution of the day.........NO more PR*MARK tights!!! They cant last more than a few washing with the ultra rough way I wear them. Buy the 60d, and it is not warm enough when you are outdoors, but damn sweaty (yucks) when you are indoors. 40d is totally hopeless against the cold, even under your pants, but still too warm indoors. Got to spend £££ and get those M&S stuff with high tech sounding materials that is supposed to make sure you are not too warm and too cold. Expensive, but those 2 pairs I bought last autumn is still going totally strong!!! The 2 pairs of knee highs are still sticking at the knees levels :). A gal had got to do what a gal to to do--- buy quality tights! I swear the make legs look slimmer :)

P/S to check out shoes in copenhagen. Danes make good shoes.

no to 0870!!!

Hate those 0870 numbers.

I think this is one of the most ridiculous aspect in the British system, apart of from the £500 fees to transfer a copy of your visa from your old, ie expired passport to a new passport. Just another copy of sticker costs £500!! No way. I could get a brand new designer handbag to carry both my old and new passports in style:P, duh...

That said, the www.saynoto0870.com is heavens. Saved me bundles from call companies to change my address. I rewarded them by supporting their cause through generous visits to their advertisers website. Hahahaa.... there is a site-(belonging to some politicians) somewhere that says those advertisers deserve this for making us pay for 0870 numbers. FOr once I agree with those politicians(another ridiculous aspect of British life).

cold long winter walks

we have shifted..

and I am now braving myself to cold long winter walks.. to work.

Can it sound any more exciting?
Nope. The only motivation is figuring out how much I earn per hour x 3, and also remembering the bills that need to be paid now that we shifted.

The walk takes more than 1/2 hour each way, pass cottages, B&Bs... charming little houses of varying sizes and occupied by people with various level of wealth. At one section of the road, you could smell, £££, looking at the Jags and Mercs park at the roadside, driveway. At one section, you see smaller single storey cottages, with bicycles (students?, environmentalists?), or some battered car.

In short, this area seemed peaceful. Laidback. Nice. Village feel with all the mod cons.
If you keep on looking, you could almost fool yourself that you are a tourist and not walking to work :) Lovely. I could retire here, and choose my dinners from the three take outs- one Indian, one chinese and one fish and chip. Heathrow 15-20 minutes away, and London 40 mins away by car.

But.... the weather is getting colder, and it is really difficult to dress appropriately to walk more than 1/2 hour. Wear a coat, and you would sweat. No coat, and you will definitely shiver, esp when wind blows. And what happens when it rains? Gosh. I need BOOTS!!!!!

I have already caught my first round of winter flu bug, thanks to the stupid guy on the bus last week. That idiot was coughing at my face!!! I should have slapped him for these few days of misery. If i dont get well by this weekend, my copenhagen will be spoiled.

Non coherent babbling.. as usual.

I am drugged. thanks to that flu .........

Happy birthday to me....

A year older…

Excited… because

• I managed to persuade/coerce/threaten hubby to take me to the theatre. This will be my first one in London, and his first musical ever. Yeah, he is a musical virgin unless you count Chicago and Moulin Rouge-the movies.
• there is still more than 1/2 of my life left. Still have many changes to get really really rich. (just joking)
  

Sad… because it is obvious age is catching up.

• Run around a bit, and it will take sometime to recover.
• Forget to put enough moisturiser and eye-creams, and fine (and no so fine) lines would appear around my eyes overnight!! Gosh. Scary!!!!!
• My hands really need to have lotions slapped on them (which I STILL don’t put-too lazy), it looks really dry now.
• My neck started to get “grovy” L

Peaceful…because almost ½ my life have passed… the days ahead showed my more predictable? Unlike the younger days, I know what I want, what I really really want, and no longer waste time and energy wondering what should I do, which path to take etc etc. Energy is now spent living the moment...and going towards the direction I want.

Thankful…my parents are still with me J, naggy and noisy as ever. I hope they will be naggy and noisy for yearSSSSSS to come. My sister and brother turned out fine, no signs of turning into hooligans. Hubby is a fine specimen too J. Hopefully with some “training”, he will understand the importance of REALLY celebrating each other’s birthdays and CELEBRATE, anniversaries,festivals etc etc. Life is really short. If we do not celebrate whenever we can, things will just whizzz past….. and then to the grave or that “burner” we go.

…………Happy birthday to me………

Life is short… and a less of it is left for me… Celebrate… celebrate… it. Celebrate life and make it beautiful.

Birthday celebration?

Hubby booked a dinner and theatre- watching Les' Mis :D

Do you think he will suprise me with a gift? Well... he just told me no gift:(

Cake? No cake this year:( unless you count the cupcakes which I made for myself this morning for breakfast. Next year, I hope to get a cake as well :) . ....what a blatant hint

Craving for good food

I got cravings for good food. I got to try this list ........


Japanese Foood
Misato
Ten Ten Tei (name is hilarious in certain chinese dialects:))
Koi (Paris Hilton went there in a dress that only covered her niples and lower parts of her breast)

Indian- something from Bricklane
Khan at westbourne grove

Others?

The Cow

Thames walk

Would you believe it that after almost 1 full year in London, I have not done the Thames walk?

Nope.

I have not been to the Borough Market, Tate Modern or that Shakespeare Globe thing?

So, yesterday, I bullied/threatened/persuaded hubby to go with me.

We went to the Borough Market at Southwark which is famous by its variety of stuff and plenty of samplings. Honestly, I think that it is overrated. True, it has those wild mushrooms and organic vege range that is quite hard to find elsewhere, but th other stuff are pretty usual, and can be found in most supermarkets.

The samplings are mostly from the cheese stalls.

My hubby thought that we faced discriminations. Noticed a few times that these people had been busy handling out samples, but when it is our turn, and we walk forward, they turned away and did not offer the samples which they have to all the whites before us!

Racial discrimination? or..... mere co-incidence?? It happened in about 3 stalls.

I am not sure, but was quite certain it was.

Well, but then again, I notice a few 2 different Chinese gals(no, not from china. I suspect they are from the spore!!!! ) who did disgusting things.

• One happily "sampled" a fruit from a basket which was meant for sale after happily pinching and wondering aloud what it was when the stall holder look away. Desperate.
• Another happily flipped and squeezed people's stuff and then quite shamelessly take repeated helpings of samples without even a "thank you".

Do they despise us and discrimnate against us because of our behaviour of because of our race??

Sigh................

After parting with £3 to buy a few pieces of hand made chocolate truffles (YUMMM), we took the Thames walk towards the TATE.

We walked past the CLINK. yeah. The CLINK was the most "notorious" prison and is now a money making tourist attraction, and the origins to the phrase of "going to the clink". :)
I did not bother to go in. Bad aura around the area-sadness, darkness which had not been entirely shed off. I was happy to walk off quickly.

The Tate Modern building had a middle tower/finger sticking out, and probably the ugliest museum building in London. From far, it looks like a brown fist with a middle finger stuck out. I complained to hubby that my mind had been irreversibly damaged by that Mr Brown and his Code.

There was a big crowd at the Tate, and a long queue for the "slides". I did not have guts to try. Did not want to make headlines-

"woman stuck in the Tate's slides. Art piece damaged."

The art pieces in the Tate, as expected of "modern art", were rather "thought provoking", with lots of opportunities for the "fertile mind" to run wild. Enough said.

The day would have been perfect if it ended with a show or two at Covent garden, but yours truly had PMS. Crampy legs, crappy mood. So.. off we went to Chinatown to buy groceries (what else), and go home.

Damn hungry when I reached home. Had gastric pain. And the two As were purposely doing a slow motion with their dinner.

I saw the smirk on that stupid A's face as he cut his cucumber it slow motion(It was a real cucumber, I wished it was the other one). I was too tired to fight. Otherwise, I would bring out a pan and start heating my sambal belacan, and make them run out of the kitchen!!! Hahaha....

I only had dinner about 2 hours later, when they are done with it. And that time, was was rolled over with stomach pain, and no longer felt hungry. Poor me... sob sob

shall I get excited ?

Shall I get a little bit more excited?
Another city! Copenhagen :)

Dont know why. I guess I just dread travelling for work sooo much that I actually dread it ..

Seeing your boss/colleague for more than 14 hours a day for 6 continuous day hardly sounds FUN, even though they seem like nice people. In that 6 days, I wonder how much time I will get to slip off and walk around a bit on my own.

Pluss..........I might not even received my first pay yet when I go there? No $$$$$$$$$. GOt to depend on my credit cards to survive. Stressed.

What kind of people J and M are? Will they ever visit markets- my favourite haunt in all new places I go to?

Or are they like my ex-colleagues who would want to sample "famous" places. In their dictionary, "famous" = expensive and "brag"able.

Yucks. Those places are hardly FUN.

I can imagine their idea of "unforgetable night" in London = rent a limo and go around Picaddily circus, and make themselves a circus act. That "Ane" ex-boss of mine is that sort of person I imagine him, rolling down the limo's window and smoke a cigar, announcing to the world "I arrived". Yuckssssssssssss....

Well, I think it is time I get rid of my travel trauma from yesteryears and get back to be my own self- a gal who loves to go places. Time to borrow those guides and pick up a few Danish (words, not guys, although the guys are cute and TALL though).

My first coat, and my first UK job

Cunning shopper..,.Who?Me?

The past week or so was spent desperately getting a working wardrobe. Yeah, the past week or so, which means I bought things before the mid-season sales started!!! I was really reluctant to buy, as I knew teh sales would start 1-2 weeks later. Darn.

But luckily, I learned to be more cunning, or rather.. bitchy?? I am afriad I am learning to be the later one. Uh oh.

I bought a white blouse which I thought was PLAIN but quite nicely cut from M&S for £25. It is a bit ex for a blouse which look like that. I cant help bvut convert to SGD--- 75!!!

But like I said, I am kinda getting shrewed/bitchy whatever, thanks to observing women bring bag loads of clothes for refund. Nah, I am not so LOW as to wear the clothes on with the tags on and then ask for refund. That is was too LOW. I rather wear rags than do that. I just left the tags on, and wash it a day or two before I was going to wear it.

....And before I got a chance to wear that blouse, the sales started. So... I send it back for refund!!! As I paid with credit card, it was not cash refund, but a refund in voucher. So, I can take my £25 voucher to buy stuff at discounted rate now!!! Hehehe.... Hubby have not found out about it- I wonder what is his reaction when he reads this entry.

Hahah.. he better realise I am not so innocent/gullible/goody goody anymore... I am BAD!!

The first COAT............
BTW, I settled on the BLACK one from Dorothy Perkins. :)

This is the FIRST coat in my life!!! £60. Relatively cheap for a coat. But when during sales, it will cost only 1/2 of this!!!
The photo they supplied is a size 8 coat-which did not reflect how it would look like on me. So I EXPANDED the photo above Horizontally......... to get the size 14 effect. Size 14 is a bit tight on me, and will be really tight in middle of winter if I pile on more layers. I think I will not be able to button and freeze to death. So, this kind of reminds/threatens me to lose some weight for freeze to death. I got two more weeks to do so before going to Copenhagen.

FIRST week at work.............
Bless those Brits! The press "log off" at 5.00pm SHARP!! By 5.02, bags are packed, and by 5.05pm, they are at the car-park. Haha!! Needless to say, I love them to pieces.

Compare this to my previous office. Even in those rare 1 or 2 days i magically finished off at 430 pm, I still hanged around, pretended to look busy and only left at 6:30pm (officially to work till 530pm) Even then, people still gave me the "woah, so early??" As if, it is normal/expected of me to leave at 9pm every day? Work now is 830 to 5:00pm. -7.5 hours per day. people dont come late,but they dont leave late. Brilliant!

Things went quite well, although the travel kills me-both in terms of cost and time. On my first day, I took the usual route, and spent almost £10 on it. Then, I took the bus, and saved. Spent £3 on my third day at work, but I was dead tired.

oh ya Copenhagen. ... I am going off end of the month for 6 days!!!

woah ahahahaha.... for work though, which means it is damned stressful. Well, boss is nice, and since Matt (my colleague, a 6 feet 4 inch guy) and I have not been to Copenhagen, she sent us there one day early, so that we could hang around and "play tourist" a bit before slaving it out. Yipee...

This is the first time I ever had got to go one day early and got my hotel paid... haha...
Damn the stupid ex-boss who made me take the 7 am flight out and 11pm flight in. Inhuman!!

.. and I need to shop.. for really decent clothes for that 5 day meeting. 5 sets of really decent clothes... £££££££... before i even get my pay. Damn broke.

Laptop, hard disks, all at home!!!

Hubby asked me whether i want to take along his laptop. I said "no need, I am going shopping after lunch. No time to use."

Guess what, he left by portable hard disk, my life line at home too!!!! Darn!!! And I cant leave his office to go home, because he left his handphone here before going off for something somwhere, and I cant find/contact him. I cant runaway with his drawers all unlocked. All the important stuff are there.....Sigh.. that is the problem of sharing a house with others, and having bedroom doors with no lock. None of the drawers at home has a lock too. So, all important documents/valuables are all in his office. Maybe we are paranoid, but we dont trust that "painter". BTW, they advertised themselves as "professional couple".

"Puuuuiiiiiiiiiiiiii...!!!" I know this is rude of me, but I was woken up again with his daily throat and bronchial exercise.... which cumulate with a big lump of saliva/phlegm whatever shooting out of the balcony. I tell you, I think he can beat any of those "China" uncle who unfortunately have the sputum spitting image still stuck to them with his PuUUIIIIIIIIIIIiii. If he is in the kitchen, he shoots it into the sink. Same... loud. Darn. What is his gf aka as that doctor doing? If my hubby do this, I will slit his throat to spare him the need to clear it anymore.

Well, I do sound agressive. Bad mood. What to do... I am damn stressed. Nothing is done this morning. My afternoon shopping plan in an empty street on a cold blustery afternoon (wind speed predicted to be 40-60mph!!!!) may not be possible if I got to stay back to do it...

Thus.. I sneak off 10 minutes to let of my pent off frustration. I am frsutratated, therefore, I blog!!!

Autumn is here, laptop is dead

The autumn is here.

YOu know it when the trees are no longer bright dark green, but have shades of yellow. And ME---- I start to dig out my tights and nylon stockings. Tights for colder days, nylon stokings- which I HATED-are God sent when it is too warm to wear tights, eg when you spend most of the time in a room which is H-E-A-T-E-D. I still dont udnersdtand why the central heatings here had such high temps. May be it is the same logic why the air cond in Singapore is set at such low temp that people in offices need sweaters. Un-environmentally friendly!!!!

The temperature now is starting to go crazy, dipping... dipping. I think it dipped about 1-2 C per week since I got here. Now-single digit in some nights. Soon, frosts will appear in the mornings, and roads will be slippery.

I am glad that I came back early, or else it will be quite difficult to adapt.

I am already starting my "winter habits"- drinking loads of hot beverage. Actually the main reason i drink is because i made those hot teas, just to inhale the steam. The air feels so dry, that my nose is not feeling very comfortable, especially when I am at home and did not keep the heater on. With those housemates, especially that IDIOT guy who has a habit of checking the gas and electricity meter the moment he reaches home and change out of his "painter" garments, and make remarks about how "warm" the house it, I try not to on the heater when I am alone at home. I put on a sweater instead. The results? I am warm, but my nose suffers from cold dry air. Anyway, the ordeal will be over soon, when i MOVE!!! :D We will have our own studio, our own place! Yay....

Oh yeah, I got to drink more water, as the mouth feels dry.. and bad breath will happen if you dont. I notice people here smell in winter. BO and MO. Dry mouth and infrequent bathing............Yucks..............BAD...........................

Yesterday my laptop died. The fan is spoiled. There is nothing I can do about it at the moment. Ordered a new fan. Will take 3-4 days to reach. Well, to tell the truth, I feel damn crushed. Suay. I wonder if my life is jinxed!!!!!! But what can i do now,but put forward my shoppping trips? ?? {yeah, you might wonder how I got mood to shop, but there is nothing else i could really do! Why fret??}

I want to shop. I need a new coat. Well, I dont have those proper coats that are stylish enough to wear to work. I really wish I am taller, as short people look like dumplings in those coats. Children are different of course, they look so cuuuttteeee.. But short and fat people look like a ball. Round.

I found one which has a nice cutting from Dorothy Perkins-£60. Saw it last week, but hesistated beacuse it did not have a high wool content, and I was hoping for some discounts. Yesterday, I wanted to buy it when I walked past Oxford Street, because it was so chilly, and I felt so down after my fan died. Guess what, they sold out!!!!!! Now i know 14 is the most popular size. Sizes 14-16 are sold out for black colour! Shall I settle for the red one? I know I still look quite cute in the bright red one, hehee...... but I cant resist thinking that I look like "hong pao" in it. So, it is no no. I got to look more sophicated for my work. :P Cant let my new colleagues know that I have such a crazy side yet. I got to look professional, and damn serious. Haiz....

Darn. So.... I wll have to search other places for it. Hopefully, I will find it in one of the less popular shops.

enough of rambling.... oh yeah, Phi will come in December!!! :D