This is the coldest year in London since the past few years we are here. Other than a few crazy days of 20C in April, it has been below average.
At this time of the year in the past few years, asparagus would have come and gone. Now, the PYO farms are not even open!! Aw!
He looks really tired....
and probably helpless. 'cos his ministers told him "You have got one year".
Does that sound familiar? He told Blair similar stuff last year. Wow, how quickly the ministers learned from him. They are now using the same trick?
(This is how he looked before becoming PM. Being PM uglify you.)
Why on earth do we need to suffer because some people's income is not guaranteed?? No sympathy for the tube workers who are on strike!
One of the best "festivals" in London- described as "Architecture in the Flesh" is the Open House London (www.openhouse.org.uk) event. I think they had something similar last year, but this year's sounds really exciting as many buildings are opening their doors for the public to visit- FREE!!! I don't think i want to miss out on the good fun of snooping around "private" buildings. Some of the places are those which you will normally have to "pay" eg kensington palace. However, you may need to email and reserve a place- info could be found on the website.
Meet up with EC on Thursday, and we attacked La Tasca for dinner. To our pleasant surprise, there was an eat all you could promotions for a tenner per person.
We were rather "weak", and therefore could only polish about 9 tapas dishes- most of it vege based like salads and aubergine. Hmmm... Hope to go there another day, more prepared, and break the "record". Hubby said that the highest number he ever heard was 52 plates for 4 blokes! Wow...
I like the Ealing branch of La Tasca because the food is yummy, the atmosphere is great, and the sangria is fantastic. All the waiters are Spanish! This is a place where reservation is a wise idea, especially if you have a party of 4 or more.
Windsor is the perfect day trip from London. We went to Windsor to celebrate hubby's birthday.
Lunch at a pub called Three Tuns, just at the foot of the castle. The food was good. I think this was the first pub i came across which served really authentic mashed potatoes! Most, if not almost all pubs serve reconstituted mash: those powder which you get from the supermarket, and add hot milk+ butter.
The pub is in a narrow lane, near an "attraction" called the The Crooked House.
Just look at the "scandalous" history. I wonder if it had to be closed because the other Charles also used it to meet "his flower".
"In 1687, because of an acrimonious land dispute, the council ordered this first Market Cross House to be demolished. The building that survives now is what was rebuilt soon after. It acquired its famous tilt after being restructured in 1718 with unseasoned green oak. There is a secret passage to Windsor Castle, now blocked, from its basement. This is reputed to have been used both for the illicit meetings between King Charles & his mistress, Nell Gwyn & for taking provisions to the castle kitchens."The entrance where you part with your money:
After lunch, we went to Virginia Waters and the Valley Gardens of the Windsor Great Park. That was rather disappointing as the some of the spring flowers are not in bloom yet, while the calendulas are already past their prime! This has been as strange year, as some cherry trees have lost all their blooms, while the others are just starting to bloom. We went to Hammersmith yesterday and was shocked to see rows of cheery trees in full bloom. Isnt that part supposed to be warmer than places that are not in central London?Yesterday I joined a gym, as a spy.
Today I went there to exercise-did 1/2 hour of excercise(burnt 180 calories), and perhaps 1/2 hour of cooling down. The problem is, they have a cafe brewing Starbucks coffee overlooking a lake with nice sofas for reading and I can spend an afternoon reading there. I saw people enjoying their afternoon tea there and a woman sitting at a corner table with a pile of papers/books. She looked like she was doing research or mugging for exams. I think I can join them here next week!
What is the calorie content of a cup of Cappucino, tall? What if I get hungry and get a biscoti? The carrot cakes looked good too. Aw... no no no. That would be bad for my wallet and my waist!
I actually miss the level of "service" in singapore and malaysia, can you believe it?? The service in the retail sector is fantastic; returns exchanges, try ons without those sales girl acting like you are a beggar. However once you are out of the retail sector and dealing with the more gentle older people, eg- those around 20 gym staff, you can vomit blood.
Being a spy, I have to come in contact with them to assess the service. Now, I dont know how to fill up the forms. Hammer them too much, and I may suffer consequences, as I think I like the club and may remain a member after the spying mission. How?
I also found a nice place doing Decleor facials, giving 20% discounts until mid april. Decleor any good? Heard that they dont use machines or do extraction. Hmm... I think I miss extractions.
High Wycombe is prettier and had a lot more shopping than I expected!
We decided to have a driving cum mystery shopping day, to destress, and picked high wycombe! We passed by this town a many time on our way to and from oxford, and i noticed that this "town" has 2 exits, and looks really pretty at night with the lights.
High Wycombe is really hilly, and like many English towns, have a love for round about-s. Not long after coming out of M40, we were greeted with 3 linked roundabouts! Nuts.
It is a pity that the the cherry trees are at the end of the blooms, otherwise some stretches of road would be really impressive. We drove along A40 to Oxford, pass some farms-horses, cows, sheep etc. It was a really pretty drive, with daffodils lining the roads and blooming cherry tress along some stretches. there was a steep slope which is >14degrees, and I made a mental note to drive here once I get a convertible! Hahaha...
We decided to visit Hell fire Caves-a long series of tunnel which is supposedly haunted. Too bad, due to some electricity problems, it was closed when we visited. Anyway, we still had fun walking on the hill and burn off some of the calories we piled on during our pub meals, before going back to another meal and some shopping :D. I think I will make it a point to shop in High Wycombe next time. Good shopping town, cheap parking!
We were somewhere in Soho, one of the narrow lanes.
We were looking for a parking space.
We saw space! But, damn, there was a car in front of us-also looking for a parking space.
Car changed mind. We were happy-move to the lot.
Something did not look right with the few guys in front of us. The way they walk? Are they fighting? Gays? Weird. And wait, why did they car gave up? We have been driving for almost 1 hour looking for space!
Ah!!!.. these are.[guess]
We wanted to move a way, but could not. These people were talking/arguing??? on the street, blocking us.
Then I saw a black man-smartly dressed. Wore a brown jacket, with cap. I would believe if he says he is a Hollywood star. He walked towards us, towards some of the guys.
Then, while he was quickly walking pass, his hand touched one of the guys' hand.
And I saw fingers moved. Something white.
Guess what? Check my post label for clue.
This is the first time I have seen it. It spoils my blog theme today-which is supposed to be my first drive into/in LONDON!!!
Moral of the story? Venture into back lanes carefully.
This is the first time I have ever made peanut cookies on my own. Ok, it is the first time I make cookie, unless you count the ready made cookie MIX from betty crocker.
As usual, I look for recipes with least ingredients and steps.
tried the recipe obtained from masak masak
Peanut Cookies
150 grams toasted peanuts, finely grinded
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
150 grams plain flour
125 grams icing sugar
4 to 4 1/2 ounces of cooking oil (sunflower)
1 small egg yolk
Pinch of salt
The snowmen and snowwomen of the neighbourhood!
Almost everyone told me they made a snowmen or snowomen. When I went back to the office the next day, a really huge snowmen of about a human's actual height was still standing in the field nearby :) Unfortunately, no photograph was taken because I did not have a camera![ slap myself]
This one is my favourite...
It almost looked wise from the side view....
Those patches of grass was created by me, not some higher beings or creatures from other planets. I decided to roll the snow into snowballs to make my snowwoman. That was fast!
These photos are taken around my home. They were taken in the afternoon, where some snow had already melted, and therefore not so thick.
And guess what, my bones told me that!
I woke up at 5 plus am, with my bones aching all over. I felt DAMN!!! It is acting up again. But then I realised, it is that type of feeling when it snowed last year.
Believed me or not, I actually got myself out of the bed, go the the window, and pull up the blind.
Taaaa daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Since I slept at 2+ am, could not believe my eyes! I saw things flying past the street lights. And Blink blink.. rub rub eyes.. gosh! The houses in front are covered with something, the trees look fat.. and wait a minute! It is SNOWING!!!! And I yelled to hubby
Yeah, that is the street light which alerted me of things "flying past"..." I was so tempted to go out, but gave up the idea as I was dead tired.
Another photo from my window.....
These are my favourites..................love the reflections on the water...
Today is all about the wind, the storm.
I went to work late, as I did not feel like walking 30 minutes in strong wind and rain. The wind was shockingly strong this morning, that I felt "pushed" back by it. I think that was probably the milder part of the morning. Once I arrived in the office, the wind just picked up.
From the office window, I got distracted with the sound of the wind and also the sound of the sheds in the allotments cracking. The nicest shed, the most posh of it all; white metal type, was blown off and flattened. No kidding. We watches as the wind uprooted the shed, and see it slowly crumbled and finally flattened. To our surprise, the wooden "poor" looking sheds which looked like they were put together with scraps of wood were alright! Sounds like something from the 3 little pig.
yeah, I see first hand how people can try to sabotage your progress. tactics used including
-asking irrelevant question
-drawing you into endless "discussions"
-challenging every decision or suggestion and force you to defend it
-do anything under the sun to waste your time
-back stab you in front of boss
Yeah. some bloody idiot attempted all these moves. Stupid idiot. Why would he waste so much time picking on a "part-time" worker whose main aim in life is to SEE her hubby climb the corporate ladder while she check out the bargains, places to pick strawberries and new countries to roam? (aka tai tai) He is after all the boss's golden boy, and it is soooo sooo obvious that he gets preferential treatment all the time!
I am taking the crap as a compliment.
Retaliation?
nah. A tai tai's main concern would be how many lines on her face. Anything that cause wrinkles are to be avoided.
That picture was stolen from Bisoumoi's blog.
It was much much more foggy at my place, and I bet much more cold as well. It has got to be the coldest morning I had to be outside, and walked to work. By the time I arrived, my thighs and calves were NUMB with cold, despite my usual tights, pants and coat. I know that sounds not a lot, but tights have been practically enough for me to survive the previous winter. I was not standing still, mind you, I was walking really really fast.
The morning seemed so surreal. The cars were frozen with a thick layer of ice. The fields, roofs and trees' twigs were white. There were even ice on the path, and ice forming on the roof of my colleagues' cars (who probably arrived 1/2 hour earlier). I wanted very much to flip out my handphone to take a photo, but chickened out. My mind was still fresh with the image of SH's chilblains!!! Now I fully believe that central London could me many more degrees warmer than the outskirts.
Hmmm. shall I brave the cold this weekend to go out?? I could watch a nice Christmas musical, meet some friends, buy my tang yuans, and have been promised juicy gossips by a guy who usually does not gossip. Which means, if he is gossiping, that it got to be worth gossiping... hmmmm...
Argh.. tomorrow is going to be colder than today. sigh. Another day of walking in near 0 temperature. Maximum day temperature is only 2C. On Friday, max temp =2C, min temp =-1C.
What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be shopping in Tesco?
"...Exclusive London department store, Harrods, sacked its Santa after complaints that he racially abused an Asian family and made unpleasant remarks about their daughter, a London Evening newspaper reported Wednesday. The store's Father Christmas shocked shoppers with his outburst on Monday, the report said.Haiz... why are there people like this? Offending people without provocation? Although I suspect that the "victim" is Ah Neh( I got most problems from them!), I still think that no one deserved this unprovoked. I have two incidents lately, and really thought that these people need to be taught a good lesson.
When Santa saw an Asian couple and their children, he reportedly blurted out: "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be shopping in Tesco?" - a British supermarket chain.
As the furious family turned to leave the Knightsbridge store, he made suggestive comments about the couple's teenage daughter, asking her to come and sit on his knee."
Yeah. I did it again.
This time to a big company. The company which is supposed to give me one loyalty point for not taking plastic bag.
Most of the time, I dont take plastic bags. My two pints of milk and loaf of bread were perfect dumbells (esp the milk!), I could imagine my arms getting slimmer as I swing them on my way home. Slim and safe. No one will attack a woman walking like that with 2 pints of milk in her hands.
BUT they never gave me a single point! One evening I was curious and asked them, "How come I did not receive a green point? I have never received any so far" in a very friendly way when I got my receipt at the till.
Damn ah neh. Dunno why he must offend me.
Told me, " I dont know! If you want your point you can call customer service"... that kind of challenging looking, like it will be stupid to spend money to call for 1 point which worth is 1 cent. Do I look that cheapskate??
He picked the wrong person. By now, after 1 year here, I know these ah neh style. Not the first time.Whether the locals like you or not, they are always polite enough not to make you feel that you are discriminated. But ah neh in London, but not central London is one kind (Oxford street types are ok). Plus I was really pissed off that this is supposed to be for the environment, there is a big campaign about it, and yet here in my local stores they don't give you what was promised.
So I sent an email to their customer service (email is free)..
"... blah blah blah
..blah blah blah..
....Your staff told me to call you if i want my points. Do I really have to call you to get that 1 point or find out whether I can get my G***n point? I have figured out it will be much cheaper to text to the papers, to check if I am the only person not receiving the points or others have the same experience too".
I received their apologies. Now I get my points when I dun take plastic bag. Why can't they just be nicer in the first place?
Today I got another experience, another ah neh. All I wanted is to take home 1 form to apply for a credit card from the pile there. Not only he did not allow it, he also asked sarcastically whether i am above 18. As I have been in good mood but in a hurry, I was still polite and friendly. I just wanted to grab a form and go!
"Of course", I said.
From my short reply to his insult,he probably thought that I cant speak English. I am easy to bully, or probably the new cleaner on the block. I was wearing sports shoes due to my ankle pains, and an old blouse ( thanks to the mould). I am easy to bully, or probably the new cleaner on the block. To add insult to the injury, he tried to lecture me about there is something called "Data Protection Act", and implied that if I take home the form, I would fill in other people's details, and commit fraud!!In my fury, and my hurry, I just put back the form and walked off.
Hmmm. I am not sure if I want to complain, because
1) I sensed a racist discrimination in they way he spoke to me-enough to get him in shit
2) By trying to make me fill up the form and return immediately, he tried to coerce me to sign up for a financial product on the spot, not allowing me sufficient time to consider it, or go through the information which is necessary to make informed judgment-enough to get his whole team in shit
3) The way he said about the danger letting me bring a credit card application from is indirectly insulting my character, and i suspect this is a form of discrimination-even more shit.
Saw what happened to the Harrods' Santa?
Asked " asian couple" : "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be shopping in Tesco?" SACKED.
I never want people to lose their job, and wouldn't want my complain to cost someone their rice bowl. Too vicious. But I want to teach that chap not to be mean to a woman, just because she is not exactly of a SYT age. Because she gave you a 2 word friendly answer to your sarcasm about her age, it does not mean she cant speak enough English to retort you or is the cleaner of the university. Like I told my brother over msn, you want to bully people also think of the location you are at.
So shall i complain of or not?
Went for a sunday roast at the local pub as part of a mystery shopping assignment. Yummy! I think I start to like roast pork-western style. This pub-George and Dragon (Ok, there are lots of George and Dragons all over England) has very decent pricing. £3.95 for a sunday roast meal- with two generous slices of pork/beef/turkey, baked potatoes, parsnips, carrots and green peas. Also included were Yorkshire pudding and some meatball like stuffing.
Although we were disappointed that they only served ONE type of food ie Sunday roast, we had no more complains after tasting the food. I loved the parsnips and the baked potatoes! The baked potatoes where so nicely browned and was crunchy outside, soft inside. And the parsnips-I never knew they could be so good! My best parsnips so far were the ones I made last winter (yeah, winter =parsnips), which was baked with ginger beer and some oyster sauce. (Creative cooking!!!)
No desserts. Disappointed.
Disappointment ended when I ordered the Baileys in Chocolate cup! It is really a bit too much to drink liqueur in broad day light with lunch, but the advertisements with Baileys in the chocolate cup tempted me! I loved Baileys-esp if they are in Haagen-Daas. It was a really small portion served in a small piece of paper-like those for making cupcakes :) Yummy. Got to sip and snip the chocolate delicately. heavens!
But the real heaven started when I ventured to the stores nearby. You cant prevent your self from going in and showing some support when the shops all have a sign "Stop Tesco from killing the town". Awww!!! Half of me says-show support, at least browse. Half of me wondered, if you are good, how can tesco threaten you??
I was in for the best shock in my life.....
And while walking home, giggling like a mad woman, and kicking myself for not discovering these places earlier...I congratulated myself as THE shopping queen!! The £1 books and this bagful of stuff sealed my status. hahaha. At the rate this is going, my colleague who bought 30 pairs of shoes in 2 weeks got to start sucking me up for tips. :D
I have lots of stuff going on these few days, but I am just too tired to put everything down. The nice trip to the Cotswolds etc etc etc.
But the weekend away was just a temporary respite. Once we got back we got a warm and mouldy welcome. Cough cough cough, sneeze sneeze sneeze. Itchy eyes, itchy nose, and even itchy skin i think. It is a tiring, and perhaps losing battle against the mould. After all those super kiasu super concentrated sodium bicarbonate and bleach, new discolorations reappeared. On Monday morning, when we opened our cupboard-we are greeted with moldy belts and it even attacked my hubby's down jacket! So we threw away the belts, and rushed his down jacket to the dry cleaner. On the way there, I saw the sign-those big yellow boards that they put on roadsides to appeal for witnesses---"MURDER".
Murder on my street????
I was shocked, but too preoccupied with coughing to think about it.
When I reach my office, everyone asked me how was my weekend, and I said, great, lovely, sunny weather etc etc. But I obviously did not look convincing at all- with all that red eyes and wet nose. I looked more like a battered wife i guess.
After apologising to everyone for my terrible and tunderous sneezing, I try to settle at my seat. Horror!!!! White patches on my Zara jacket!!!! Can you believe it???
I was so worried that the mould problem would get worse while we are away, and decided to leave my fav jacket in office, thinking that it would be a safer place, but the jacket was not spared!!! Now the jacket is sitting in my kitchen, marinated with tea tree oil. My whole flat is being marinated with tea tree oil, which I rushed to buy right after work. I finished 10 ml of tea tree oil in a night. I am going to smell like a bleeding tea tree, and my pimples will all retreat.
I left work at 7 pm plus last night, not keen to come back to a moldy house, and sneeze sneeze sneeze. I had to take a longer route as the short cut is closed, and thoughts of the murder reappeared in my head. I wondered how and why it happened .Was someone knifed on the street? Was it robbery? Did I see anything? It was right outside my window, damn! I imagine myself at the witness stand. Did I see, hear anything over the past month or so? No. did not notice any thing except that the police had closed off the road on a saturday, and there was a night with bright flashing siren lights that I thought was ambulance and hubby thought were police cars with road blocks. Of course, the thought that hubby uses that bus-stop metres away from the murder sign was unsettling. The fact that I was walking home in a very dark night, almost past a murder spot was totally depressing. Murder and mould ............. what have I got myself into? Damned flat!
Yesterday night was spent cleaning and cleaning as soon as I reached home. I repeated the same thing again.
Murder and mould probably clouded my thoughts so much that I forgot to mention that I got a great bargain of a bagful of books for £1! Uxbridge is still lovely, despite the murder and mould I am facing.
My ma and my pa should not know that murder was less than 50 m from where her daughter lives and walk pass every day, and that her darling son in law has to wait for a bus so nearby. Ma will really panic. My London is just getting more and more exciting. The old flat was on a street where a woman was dragged to a side street and sexually assaulted. Hubby was robbed and assaulted on his way back. And now this.. murder on my street. As careful as we do in going for peaceful areas, these things still happen around us. Sigh........
Oh, did I mention that I just Googled for the news of the murder? The victim was a Chinese woman, owner of a local takeaway. She must have suffered kicking and stamping for more than 15 minutes... brutally murdered. Four youths have been arrested, but RELEASED on bail!!! Now I remember I saw a gang of 4 youths yesterday on my way back, while wondering about the murder. I really got to be extra careful.
