2 November 2006
I'm quite proud of myself. I had a conversation almost entirely in Mandarin with the attendant at the gym today. She's from Tientsin and engaged me in complicated talk about where I'm from, how long have I been here, how long I've been learning Chinese, who else is from Malaysia/Singapore at the gym.. blah, blah, blah. And I did alright. Well, she seemed to understand me and said 'Fei chang hao' a lot.
My Chinese teacher seems to like me. She invited me to go swimming sometime, even though I constructed a sentence using the word 'never' which was, "I never go swimming in winter".
I've found a great website called Think Geek. I think I'll buy the T-shirt that says, "No, I won't fix your computer." and wear it prominently in front of all the people who regularly ask me to sort out their PCs. I kinda like the one with the molecule for chillies on it too. I'm proud to be a geek...
My Chinese teacher seems to like me. She invited me to go swimming sometime, even though I constructed a sentence using the word 'never' which was, "I never go swimming in winter".
I've found a great website called Think Geek. I think I'll buy the T-shirt that says, "No, I won't fix your computer." and wear it prominently in front of all the people who regularly ask me to sort out their PCs. I kinda like the one with the molecule for chillies on it too. I'm proud to be a geek...
23 May 2006
Rainy HK day
Last day of Hong Kong. Am staying at sis' place which is up in the clouds. We have only caught fleeting glimpses of Hong Kong through the mist all weekend. It's rained almost the whole time. Somehow we've managed to catch the only three days that HK has had rain in ages and it's going to be sunny tomorrow when we've gone.
Spent most of Sunday playing with the kids. L's piano is pretty good and we played some duets. Played a lot of Monopoly with S and L until even they got bored.
Yesterday we shopped till we dropped. HK and Kowloon were absolutely heaving despite the torrential rain. I don't remember there being quite so many people the last few times I've come. What with all the rain and shoving, it was really quite unpleasant but it was all made up by getting lots of good booty. Managed to get two pairs of Merrells for about a third cheaper than in London and there was heaps more choice. Nice sandally ones for the summer, so my toes can be free and trainers to replace the smelly, tatty ones I've had for the last 5 years.
Then Shanghai Tang for nice pressies. Nice shop, still expensive in Hong Kong (though not as much as London). Bought a new Mahjong thing (don't know how we'll get it to Malaysia as it's bigger than the suitcase), Seven Swords on VCD (not bootleg), hand warmer things (for wintery days at home) and went to Yau Ma Tei for BB's army gear stuff.
Got back to N & C's, pooped, to yummy roti canai, leftover mutton curry and homemade spinach curry and daal. Mmmm!
Spent most of Sunday playing with the kids. L's piano is pretty good and we played some duets. Played a lot of Monopoly with S and L until even they got bored.
Yesterday we shopped till we dropped. HK and Kowloon were absolutely heaving despite the torrential rain. I don't remember there being quite so many people the last few times I've come. What with all the rain and shoving, it was really quite unpleasant but it was all made up by getting lots of good booty. Managed to get two pairs of Merrells for about a third cheaper than in London and there was heaps more choice. Nice sandally ones for the summer, so my toes can be free and trainers to replace the smelly, tatty ones I've had for the last 5 years.
Then Shanghai Tang for nice pressies. Nice shop, still expensive in Hong Kong (though not as much as London). Bought a new Mahjong thing (don't know how we'll get it to Malaysia as it's bigger than the suitcase), Seven Swords on VCD (not bootleg), hand warmer things (for wintery days at home) and went to Yau Ma Tei for BB's army gear stuff.
Got back to N & C's, pooped, to yummy roti canai, leftover mutton curry and homemade spinach curry and daal. Mmmm!
Labels: food, shopping, travel
16 May 2006
One Utama
I love shopping in Malaysia! We went to a shopping mall that I've never ever been to before. It's even bigger than the Megamall! There's a sort of rainforesty bit and apparently the biggest indoor rock climbing facility in Asia.
1 Utama is huge. We spent 3 hours there and still managed to miss a whole section. Bought 3 T-shirts for less than GBP12, two of them discounted by 50% and 30%. It's just great and if it wasn't for my bad ankle I'd have probably bought a whole heap more.
We ate at a place called Dragon-i that specialises in hand pulled noodles and other mainland Chinese staples (dumplings and the like). One of the chefs there holds the world record for the number of noodles he can pull in a minute. It's quite cool cos you can watch them pulling said noodles as you eat.
On to shopping malls new tomorrow.
Had a 10 course Chinese meal for Ma's birthday. We were struggling rather as there were only 5 of us and the meal was for 6 people. Started with 1/2 a suckling pig, went onto Shark's Fin soup (against our better judgement), abalone, Chinese mushrooms and siu pak choi, prawns cooked in two ways (chill and salt/sweet chilli), huge giant steamed garoupa, tasty curry leaf/oatmeal crabs, pineapple fried rice, boiled papaya & snow fungus sweet soup and Chinese pastries (char siu so & coconut/pandan jelly). We pretty much gave up when we got to the crab - there was a lot to put in a doggy bag. The good thing is that we won't have to eat out/cook for several days.
1 Utama is huge. We spent 3 hours there and still managed to miss a whole section. Bought 3 T-shirts for less than GBP12, two of them discounted by 50% and 30%. It's just great and if it wasn't for my bad ankle I'd have probably bought a whole heap more.
We ate at a place called Dragon-i that specialises in hand pulled noodles and other mainland Chinese staples (dumplings and the like). One of the chefs there holds the world record for the number of noodles he can pull in a minute. It's quite cool cos you can watch them pulling said noodles as you eat.
On to shopping malls new tomorrow.
Had a 10 course Chinese meal for Ma's birthday. We were struggling rather as there were only 5 of us and the meal was for 6 people. Started with 1/2 a suckling pig, went onto Shark's Fin soup (against our better judgement), abalone, Chinese mushrooms and siu pak choi, prawns cooked in two ways (chill and salt/sweet chilli), huge giant steamed garoupa, tasty curry leaf/oatmeal crabs, pineapple fried rice, boiled papaya & snow fungus sweet soup and Chinese pastries (char siu so & coconut/pandan jelly). We pretty much gave up when we got to the crab - there was a lot to put in a doggy bag. The good thing is that we won't have to eat out/cook for several days.
Labels: food, restaurants, shopping
21 April 2006
Oh my god, I'm so tired. Both Es were off today so I almost singlehandedly packed up everything else in the office. M-A packed 2 crates. I packed 30. Then I unpacked about 20 when we got to the new office before falling back into my chair in a stupor. At the same time fielded queries about the move, telephones, projectors, printers, meeting rooms, unpaid invoices, last minute hotel bookings, diary appointments, conference calls, blah, blah, blah...
I was going to try and see Mack and Mabel but decided to flake out at home instead. I've just had some of the rather tasty Easter egg that I bought BB last weekend from Hope & Greenwood (East Dulwich's own special sweetie shop). We queued for half an hour to get the egg which is very good dark chocolate filled with a select assortment of pick-your-own dark chocolate creams, truffles and weird things. Also, a sherbert lolly, as BB is rather partial to them. The chocolate flavours include chilli, geranium, violet and lavender - although there are some normal ones like mint, lime, orange, champagne & coffee.
Actually, having said that we did almost nothing over Easter weekend, we did go to the local light shop and buy me a great bedside lamp which doesn't have a switch. Instead, you can touch the base anywhere and it will come on, then you touch it again to make it brighter, again to make it brighter still and then, once more, to turn it off. It's fun. And cheap. For London. It's very clever, it only works with the touch of a living thing and is no good if you prod it with a stick or a glove or something.
We also bought a sonic mouse repeller as Mickey has been appearing rather too frequently. It seems to work, but unfortunately, doesn't go through walls so we have to keep all the doors open which rather lets the draughts blow through.
I was going to try and see Mack and Mabel but decided to flake out at home instead. I've just had some of the rather tasty Easter egg that I bought BB last weekend from Hope & Greenwood (East Dulwich's own special sweetie shop). We queued for half an hour to get the egg which is very good dark chocolate filled with a select assortment of pick-your-own dark chocolate creams, truffles and weird things. Also, a sherbert lolly, as BB is rather partial to them. The chocolate flavours include chilli, geranium, violet and lavender - although there are some normal ones like mint, lime, orange, champagne & coffee.
Actually, having said that we did almost nothing over Easter weekend, we did go to the local light shop and buy me a great bedside lamp which doesn't have a switch. Instead, you can touch the base anywhere and it will come on, then you touch it again to make it brighter, again to make it brighter still and then, once more, to turn it off. It's fun. And cheap. For London. It's very clever, it only works with the touch of a living thing and is no good if you prod it with a stick or a glove or something.
We also bought a sonic mouse repeller as Mickey has been appearing rather too frequently. It seems to work, but unfortunately, doesn't go through walls so we have to keep all the doors open which rather lets the draughts blow through.
Labels: east dulwich, food, shopping, work
14 December 2005
My agent has resurfaced mysteriously and is full of hot air about how they thought they'd paid me ages ago and how they haven't answered their phone for 3 weeks because they are in the middle of moving and how the cheque will be in the post by end of the week. I'm not holding my breath. I am encouraged by the fact that I've managed to call them two times in a row though.
Have just got a voicereel edited together and it sounds alright. Now all I need is someone decent to flog my wares, so to speak.
Am very happy because I have managed to track down that dress I wanted. Hurrah! The shop that was holding it for me rang up to see if they could sell it to someone else. Are they mad? After hounding the manufacturer in Denmark, the UK distributor and every single shop that might sell the dress in the UK - they want to give away my dress? Sheesh. Not that I'm obssessive or anything.
Have just got a voicereel edited together and it sounds alright. Now all I need is someone decent to flog my wares, so to speak.
Am very happy because I have managed to track down that dress I wanted. Hurrah! The shop that was holding it for me rang up to see if they could sell it to someone else. Are they mad? After hounding the manufacturer in Denmark, the UK distributor and every single shop that might sell the dress in the UK - they want to give away my dress? Sheesh. Not that I'm obssessive or anything.
27 November 2005
Yet another homeware shop has opened up on Lordship Lane. This one is called Roullier White. It's so brand spanking new (opened yesterday) that it doesn't even have a mention on the world wide web. It's amazing how many variations on the nice and quirky things for the house theme you can have. East Dulwich is full of them. Roullier White sells contemporary smart porcelain China, books on the 101 ways to survive life theme, old fashioned toys, classic kitchenware, quality Egyptian cotton bedlinen and 'vintage' knick-knacks for the home. They probably need more variety/quantity of stock in the run-up to Christmas - but altogether a very nice shop.
Still haven't made it into the organic butcher's due to queues out the door.
The area is exploding onwards and upwards. Notice the ex-Haart site is already being turned into something new. Had a wander round Dr Boo (new girly shop next to Hope & Greenwood) and had a good browse through all the modern woman's girly stuff. Shop smells a bit funny though considering it's full of sweet-smelling emollients.
Now if only someone would open a really good Chinese or Malaysian caff and a SE Asian supermarket (and if I didn't have to earn a living) I would never have to set foot outside of East Dulwich ever again.
Am quite excited by the new Malaysian that's opening in S Ken though.
Still haven't made it into the organic butcher's due to queues out the door.
The area is exploding onwards and upwards. Notice the ex-Haart site is already being turned into something new. Had a wander round Dr Boo (new girly shop next to Hope & Greenwood) and had a good browse through all the modern woman's girly stuff. Shop smells a bit funny though considering it's full of sweet-smelling emollients.
Now if only someone would open a really good Chinese or Malaysian caff and a SE Asian supermarket (and if I didn't have to earn a living) I would never have to set foot outside of East Dulwich ever again.
Am quite excited by the new Malaysian that's opening in S Ken though.
Labels: east dulwich, shopping
