Monthly Archives: May 2009

tennis in the sunshine

Posted on May 31, 2009 by | 1 Comment

When the sun comes out in London all manner of things happen. The most miraculous is the number of people who remove their clothes – at any opportunity, in parks, on buses, in pubs. These crazy people morph, from Belugas basking on green grass, who turn into little lobsters. Freshly boiled alive in the sunshine!

So tomorrow I am certain that the working population of london will be happy, predicating sweltering summer months to come. Yippee! 

Today having wandered about doing not too much in the sunshine. I met a friend to play a little bit of tennis. The best we managed was 7 hits in a row. Not bad I say, and really who cares when it was glorious and sunny. There are plans afoot for some doubles later in the week, which will probably enable us to get to a rally well beyond 10 even!

Life is completely different when the sun comes out – it makes London or anywhere I think a great place to live and be.

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something about the 09

Posted on May 31, 2009 by | 1 Comment

There is something about the 09 for anniversaries in this country.

Cambridge University is 800 years old, Selfridges is 100 years old, Marks & Sparks is 125 years old. And today Big Ben is 150 years old.

So I am wondering whether there is something about years with a 9. The Chinese think it is good and positive number, associated with the Dragon, Ramadan occurs in month 9, in Norse Mythology some fella hung himself for 9 days to seek the secret of the Runes.

So it is certainly a number that has featured in all sorts of important moments in history, in mythology and quite probably coincidence!

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shopping like a man

Posted on May 25, 2009 by | 3 Comments

I love shopping – it is the girls equilivant of contact sports, and pies at the footy. I had a lovely time shopping with my Mum and have now had my cousin come and stay. More shopping – lovely. However, in the last 2 days I have been shopping like a man. So not buying myself, but helping some one else navigate the London shopping scene.

This doesn’t mean that I have not enjoyed the experience it has just made me understand why there are seats in the changing rooms that are super comfy. It has also made me sympathetic to the extreme patience men must possess to go out with their sister, mother, girlfirend, friend or wife looking at jeans, tops, shoes, childrens wear……..the never ending choice, and the never ending shops. And in the UK the never ending repeating of shops – here a Zara, there a Zara, her a Whistles, there a Whistles -  all with a slightly different range! And all requiring a full investigation.

It has been great fun shopping till I drop, quite literally. With different people you explore different nooks and crannies of the London shopping experience. You chat to different sales assistants – all of whom appear passionate about a T-shirt, shirt or dress. Full of advice about the right colour leggings to wear it with, the style of jeans that suit or which shoe fits which season best.

I now have a new found respect for men who shop with women. It truly is an act of great kindness to their friend or partner and I must say thank goodness for the comfy chair!

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party

Posted on May 19, 2009 by | Leave a comment

God what a weekend. Graduation was not only the 30minutes in the Senate House but started in the pub on Friday and ended in a cafe on Sunday.

It was so lovely to see all of the wonderful people that make up the MBA again. And in such amazing form. To see those people come in the door, for a lazy friday night drink was brilliant. More importantly there was the fun of meeting each others family and friends.It was great, excellent and wonderful to have my own parents there just for me.

I most certainly did not bounce out of bed the next morning……The party continued on the Saturday night with what was another wonderful party. All dressed up again in Cambridge.

It is sad now it is over. It is really up to us all, to keep in touch – there is no fixed moment in time for us to get together again.

So I guess the party for now is over.

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graduation

Posted on May 19, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Graduating is always an amazing thing. It is that very public process that celebrates all of your efforts, trials and tribulations. It is a chance to see friends again (yep mighty hangover on Friday), and it gives you a chance to show your family about the amazing place you had a moment in which to live!

Last weekend I had the absolute pleasure of graduating from the very wonderful Cambridge University.  It was excellent. All robed up, being presented to a kindly man while holding anothers finger (odd but true), kneeling on a red stool, arms out stretched while latin is spoken. Up, bow and I am now a cantab! Cool!

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commuting

Posted on May 12, 2009 by | 2 Comments

God why do they do it? Loads of people in the UK commute hours from the ‘commuter belt’ to the larger cities. For the last few mornings I have been pretending to be one….

It is like musical chairs. People know exactly where to stand on the platform, so that when the doors open they can dash for the few vacant seats. It is just like that mad 6 year olds dash for the one remaining pillow in muscial chairs. Thankfully my tube skills came in handy and I have not had to sit on the floor…..phew..

I just can’t imagine doing it every morning. It is a huge chunk of time from your day. In summer this is fine, but in winter on those short, dark days grim, yuck and I return to why? Being in the green belt, the small little village, the bigger house. It just can’t be worth spending hours a day on the train.

Plus it is tiring.

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brrrooommmm

Posted on May 8, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Picked up a car this afternoon.

It was quite good fun zipping about London – a completely different view really when you are behind the wheel. Although I think I managed to turn left at 5.57pm, so now I have to figure out whether I owe someone a vast amount of money for 3 minutes!  Won’t be doing that again!!

However, the reason for the left hand turn was to fill the boot up with all those pesky heavy heavy heavy things! Bottles of water, multipack tomatoes, bottles of wine! Excellent. So all welcome for a drink at my place in the next few weeks.

Anyway, It is a touch worrying that I have to work out how to get to Heathrow tomorrow but I suspect I will get there in the end. Hopefully Mum won’t be waiting for too long!!

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Grad…. its coming

Posted on May 7, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Graduation ….. its coming. It is hard to believe that so many months have past since we all parted ways. However, hopefully we will all be set to relive the madness, this time with parents and families in tow!

We graduate from our various colleges on Saturday the 16th. There are a number of things planned – pub nights, dinners and drinks. We even have an inspection of the ‘graduation’ outfit by the college – so it will be just like school… but grown up!

There seems to be a slow dribble of classmates and family arriving in the UK. Mum is half way – having overcome swine flu and fear of flying to come along. She arrives on Saturday for two weeks which will be lovely fun. Dad is coming in a few days before – for a tough 5 day visit.

It will be so lovely to have them both there when I graduate but for them to meet my friends, to see where I live is just as important to me.

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another year older

Posted on May 4, 2009 by | Leave a comment

I had the most lovely birthday picnic yesterday. The UK weather gods and goddesses were kind. The sun shone. The clouds stayed away and everyone brought champagne! Yippee!

Birthdays are funny things; more and more they make me think about the year past and the year to come. Maybe it is because with each year there will be less in front and more behind!

I can’t believe that I am older – I mean how does it happen?

There are signs that we all willfully ignore; wrinkles, sensible undies, anti gravity stockings, early nights, ‘new’ fashion seems some how old and pondering the meaning of life more often than when you were 21. But really how does time fly by so very fast and the sense that nothing has changed all happen at once.

I remember reading many years ago that elderly people look in the mirror and always get a little shock that their face is older, not the same shape, colour as when they were young. Suddenly I can understand where this piece of research was headed! I caught myself the other day pulling the skin taught – to remove the ‘fine lines’ that are firmly planted about my eyes. No miracle cream is going to sort that out.

How does this happen? When does it start? And more importantly how do I get it to stop!!

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who would ‘ave thought

Posted on May 2, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Last night was one of those odd, by accident big nights. I went out with some friends from work. We started in a bodgy old man pub and ended up in a Fish’n chips with three bottles of champagne! Mushy peas and bubbles gourmet treat!

It was a funny night. Such odd topics as; what type of car are you? Acknowledging the trauma of moving cities and having to find a hairdresser that you can trust! Somehow funny funny after a few drinks!

Anyway, by some odd feat I seem to have woken up this morning without a hangover. Yippeee!

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