Waz is no longer a festival virgin :)
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Summer festivities
LOOK, we all still have our jackets on! It's still bl00dy cold for Summer!!!
Waz is no longer a festival virgin :)
Waz is no longer a festival virgin :)
Heartbroken
Love is like a pair of worn-in sneakers. If they hurt the first time, you persist, wear them in, and make them fit. The pain and blisters eventually fade away...
Or some sh*t like that. Tricked you, sneakers aren't meant to hurt in the first place :P But these ones did! Gawd, they looked good, but they killed and I bled. But I won the battle, and wore them to death. Literally. That's my sock poking out of the toe.
The holes don't actually bother me, they've been there for yonks. I would've kept these sneakers if it wasn't for all that mud! After O2 on the weekend, my shoes were filthy. I'm way too lazy to scrub mud off my shoes :) Introducing my new loves:
Waaah, so clean, white and shiny! :D Unemployment does funny things to me, it makes me spend money I shouldn't be spending :P But even my own Mother was telling me to buy new shoes, so I guess the expense is justified ;) Hrm, wonder if I can claim these as part of Squid Overlords' uniform expenses...
Or some sh*t like that. Tricked you, sneakers aren't meant to hurt in the first place :P But these ones did! Gawd, they looked good, but they killed and I bled. But I won the battle, and wore them to death. Literally. That's my sock poking out of the toe.
The holes don't actually bother me, they've been there for yonks. I would've kept these sneakers if it wasn't for all that mud! After O2 on the weekend, my shoes were filthy. I'm way too lazy to scrub mud off my shoes :) Introducing my new loves:
Waaah, so clean, white and shiny! :D Unemployment does funny things to me, it makes me spend money I shouldn't be spending :P But even my own Mother was telling me to buy new shoes, so I guess the expense is justified ;) Hrm, wonder if I can claim these as part of Squid Overlords' uniform expenses...
Saturday, June 16, 2007
"We are ONE"
Pierre, I will never forgive you for not inviting me to Faithless in Sydnery. How could you? Fck me. I'm now more in love with Faithless than the Chemical Brothers. Thank gawd I'm unemployed and was able to make it to the O2 Wireless Festival on Friday. It was a last minute decision, and after some scrounging around, I even managed to score SH a ticket for 20 squids. Pretty good deal considering I paid 40 squids for my own ticket!
I'm quickly finding out I've been missing out on a lot when it comes to live gigs. I've always been a fan of Faithless, just never seen them live. To be really Engrish, "I'm GUTTED that I didn't see them when they were in Sydnery!" *grin* We made it pretty close to the front of the Main Stage, and it was practically a mosh pit. Loads of fun, and the vibe was great :)
I also saw Kelis bring the boys to the yard with her milkshake :)
After 4 hours of festival goodness, I headed off to meet T&W at Fix for more dancing. Imagine my surprise when J&D were there too! *lol* But I quickly set them straight, and sent them off packing with their cousins to the more RnB friendly, Cafe de Paris. By that stage, I was also well and truly pickled by multiple Smirnoffs and mojitos :P And I still made it to Pacha! Can you believe Pacha is only the third club I've been to in Rondon? Gawd, I poked a guy right in the eyeball on the dancefloor *cringe* At 3am, SH and I left the club (after she had finished beating up the bouncers), had a late night falafel pita with chips, and headed home.
20 hours later, it's time to do it all over again with Daft Punk back at the O2 Wireless Festival :) Only it's raining at the moment :(
I'm quickly finding out I've been missing out on a lot when it comes to live gigs. I've always been a fan of Faithless, just never seen them live. To be really Engrish, "I'm GUTTED that I didn't see them when they were in Sydnery!" *grin* We made it pretty close to the front of the Main Stage, and it was practically a mosh pit. Loads of fun, and the vibe was great :)
I also saw Kelis bring the boys to the yard with her milkshake :)
After 4 hours of festival goodness, I headed off to meet T&W at Fix for more dancing. Imagine my surprise when J&D were there too! *lol* But I quickly set them straight, and sent them off packing with their cousins to the more RnB friendly, Cafe de Paris. By that stage, I was also well and truly pickled by multiple Smirnoffs and mojitos :P And I still made it to Pacha! Can you believe Pacha is only the third club I've been to in Rondon? Gawd, I poked a guy right in the eyeball on the dancefloor *cringe* At 3am, SH and I left the club (after she had finished beating up the bouncers), had a late night falafel pita with chips, and headed home.
20 hours later, it's time to do it all over again with Daft Punk back at the O2 Wireless Festival :) Only it's raining at the moment :(
Friday, June 15, 2007
Laying cables
I was walking around, waiting for Niffies today, when I spotted this:
WC1 is Rondon's first female only luxury toilet! Right opposite Selfridges. Since they were having a sale (1 squid entry as opposed to the usual 5 squids!), and I really needed to go anyway, and Niffies was nowhere to be found, I decided to splurge and go in luxury. What was it like?
Meh. You get a giant toilet bowl. A giant sink with motion sensor. Nothing really _worth_ paying for. Where's the luxury? Where's the heated seat? Where's the soft music piping in while I do my business? Or the plasma to keep me entertained with the latest celeb news? So much potential unrealised. There's really nothing that luxurious about a giant bowl. Unless one has a giant ass.
WC1 is Rondon's first female only luxury toilet! Right opposite Selfridges. Since they were having a sale (1 squid entry as opposed to the usual 5 squids!), and I really needed to go anyway, and Niffies was nowhere to be found, I decided to splurge and go in luxury. What was it like?
Meh. You get a giant toilet bowl. A giant sink with motion sensor. Nothing really _worth_ paying for. Where's the luxury? Where's the heated seat? Where's the soft music piping in while I do my business? Or the plasma to keep me entertained with the latest celeb news? So much potential unrealised. There's really nothing that luxurious about a giant bowl. Unless one has a giant ass.
Well, I made the most out of my spent squid and did a #1 AND a #2 :D
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Mostest hilariousness
OMG. Plan 9 from Outer Space! YOU MUST WATCH.
I thought for once, instead of searching for the mostest awesomeness movie, I'd watch the most worstestess movie ever made. I first heard Plan 9 mentioned in a Seinfeld episode years ago. I didn't even realise it was a real movie back then. Recently, I came across this wikipedia entry, listing the worst films ever. I picked Plan 9 because it had won a Golden Turkey Award (this is another brilliant list).
I don't even know how to describe Plan 9's genre. Is it horror because of the zombies? (Or are they actually vampires? Or even, zombie vampires?! *lol*) Or is it sci-fi because of the "aliens"? Doesn't this paragraph alone make you want to watch the movie already? ;) Line after line, and scene after scene in this movie, made me burst out in laughter. I haven't had this much fun with a movie in a long time! It opens with the following lines:
"Greetings my friends. We are all interested in the future for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives... And remember future events such as these, will affect you, in the future."
*LMAO*
I thought for once, instead of searching for the mostest awesomeness movie, I'd watch the most worstestess movie ever made. I first heard Plan 9 mentioned in a Seinfeld episode years ago. I didn't even realise it was a real movie back then. Recently, I came across this wikipedia entry, listing the worst films ever. I picked Plan 9 because it had won a Golden Turkey Award (this is another brilliant list).
I don't even know how to describe Plan 9's genre. Is it horror because of the zombies? (Or are they actually vampires? Or even, zombie vampires?! *lol*) Or is it sci-fi because of the "aliens"? Doesn't this paragraph alone make you want to watch the movie already? ;) Line after line, and scene after scene in this movie, made me burst out in laughter. I haven't had this much fun with a movie in a long time! It opens with the following lines:
"Greetings my friends. We are all interested in the future for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives... And remember future events such as these, will affect you, in the future."
*LMAO*
The movie is just filled with dialogue like this. Other choice lines:
- "The ever beautiful flower she had planted, with her own hands, became nothing more than the lost roses of her cheeks."
- Stewardess: "What in the world...", Pilot: "That's nothing from this world."
Worst UFO ever, even the string's still visible! *grin*
- "Your space commander has returned from earth."
- "It's been absolutely impossible to work through these earth creatures. Their soul is, too controlled."
Please please please, watch this movie :)
- "The ever beautiful flower she had planted, with her own hands, became nothing more than the lost roses of her cheeks."
- Stewardess: "What in the world...", Pilot: "That's nothing from this world."
Worst UFO ever, even the string's still visible! *grin*
- "Your space commander has returned from earth."
- "It's been absolutely impossible to work through these earth creatures. Their soul is, too controlled."
(Worst aliens ever)
Most random zombie vampire scene ever
My favourite line, "Because all you of earth, are IDIOTS!!" *grin* It's not just the dialogue that's bad. Take a look at this:
Worst set design for a cockpit ever
Most random zombie vampire scene ever
Please please please, watch this movie :)
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Things change
I spent some "quality" (read: high maintenance) time with Babsy today *grin* As Babsy caught up on a previous post on my blog, she turned to me and quipped, "I remember when you hated Rondon".
It's true. There was a time when I first arrived, when I ticked off every month that passed by as a survival milestone. Things were just so _hard_. Alone, starting a new life in an unfamiliar city, getting a job, living out of a suitcase, finding a home. I even broke off a "friendship" when the one person I knew who could help me out, turned her back on me. When times are tough, you really find out who your true friends are. There were such down times, when all I thought was, "Wtf am I doing here?". At one stage, I was bawling my eyes out on the phone to my big brother. The one person I could talk to in my family who would understand. I hated it here, yet if I left, was I a failure? He told me I had nothing to worry about, that if I was unhappy, I should just come home. It wasn't failure, I'd tried it and there was nothing wrong with finding out it wasn't right for me. He told me to set a deadline and to come home.
The thing is, almost everyone who moves here goes through the same pains and self-doubts. We've all done the couch surfing, and the penny pinching. We've all struggled, it's like an initiation. I think part of the problem was, I never had to struggle so hard for anything I wanted before. All my life, I've pretty much easily achieved everything that I've set out to accomplish. Did well in school. Went to university on a scholarship. Joined a prestigious consulting company (hah!). Travelled the world. Earnt enough to live an easy lifestyle. So it was a hard kick to the guts when the one thing I had such high expectations for, and had always dreamed of doing, almost became the biggest disaster in my personal life.
I set a deadline, and it came and went. I don't know what changed, but at about the 8 month mark of my stay in Rondon, I finally felt life was normal again. I stopped being sad. I finally understood when people said they loved Rondon because there was always something to do. So to those that have just moved here, and to those that are about to leave Sydnery, my advice is to give your new city at least a year to win you over. It gets better, and a lot less scarier. It really does. I don't hate Rondon anymore, and each month flies by without a sigh of relief from me :)
It's true. There was a time when I first arrived, when I ticked off every month that passed by as a survival milestone. Things were just so _hard_. Alone, starting a new life in an unfamiliar city, getting a job, living out of a suitcase, finding a home. I even broke off a "friendship" when the one person I knew who could help me out, turned her back on me. When times are tough, you really find out who your true friends are. There were such down times, when all I thought was, "Wtf am I doing here?". At one stage, I was bawling my eyes out on the phone to my big brother. The one person I could talk to in my family who would understand. I hated it here, yet if I left, was I a failure? He told me I had nothing to worry about, that if I was unhappy, I should just come home. It wasn't failure, I'd tried it and there was nothing wrong with finding out it wasn't right for me. He told me to set a deadline and to come home.
The thing is, almost everyone who moves here goes through the same pains and self-doubts. We've all done the couch surfing, and the penny pinching. We've all struggled, it's like an initiation. I think part of the problem was, I never had to struggle so hard for anything I wanted before. All my life, I've pretty much easily achieved everything that I've set out to accomplish. Did well in school. Went to university on a scholarship. Joined a prestigious consulting company (hah!). Travelled the world. Earnt enough to live an easy lifestyle. So it was a hard kick to the guts when the one thing I had such high expectations for, and had always dreamed of doing, almost became the biggest disaster in my personal life.
I set a deadline, and it came and went. I don't know what changed, but at about the 8 month mark of my stay in Rondon, I finally felt life was normal again. I stopped being sad. I finally understood when people said they loved Rondon because there was always something to do. So to those that have just moved here, and to those that are about to leave Sydnery, my advice is to give your new city at least a year to win you over. It gets better, and a lot less scarier. It really does. I don't hate Rondon anymore, and each month flies by without a sigh of relief from me :)
What does...
... a delivery of 24 pies look like? This girl definitely ain't going hungry for awhile :)
Thanks J&D for doing the order. It's chicken and mushroom pie for lunch today ;)
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Home again
It's a funny feeling. Since I got back from Sydnery about... 8+ weeks ago (shite!), I've been either working or travelling. Haven't really had the chance to settle back in to routine. So coming back from Ibiza and being unemployed, is... AMAZING *grin* I'm sure this feeling won't last. In fact, I'm sure the feeling declines at the same rate as my savings :P For the moment, I just love the freedom and love just being in Rondon. It's like being a first time tourist again.
So in the past 5 days, I've managed to cram in:
- Checking out the new Whole Foods Market store with T&W - finally, a produce heaven in Rondon;
- Surreal Things at the V&A;
- Trip to Billingsgate fish markets for 2kg of prawns and razor clams;
- Chilli crab at Sus' place *YUMMO*
- Homemade laksa (FINALLY! I had time to crack open the laksa paste tub);
- Portobello markets. I always find myself back at the Coffee Plant people watching...
So in the past 5 days, I've managed to cram in:
- Checking out the new Whole Foods Market store with T&W - finally, a produce heaven in Rondon;
- Surreal Things at the V&A;
- Trip to Billingsgate fish markets for 2kg of prawns and razor clams;
- Chilli crab at Sus' place *YUMMO*
- Homemade laksa (FINALLY! I had time to crack open the laksa paste tub);
- Portobello markets. I always find myself back at the Coffee Plant people watching...
Mountain of chilli crabs!
Friday, June 08, 2007
Recovery
Well, kinda. Only in the sense that I was drinking and dancing lots, but this time, at a beach...
I did try to chillax and catch some rays on a deckchair, but it was too hard. The music was great and it was impossible to ignore. Bora Bora is like an after party beach bar. Wrong place for recovery. Every so often a plane flies over us and a cheer breaks out from the mob. If it's an incoming, we all knew what those people on the plane had ahead of them. The party's just getting started. If it's an outgoing, we all felt for the poor bastards who've had to leave the island.
16 hours later, as I was passing out on a deckchair back at Bora Bora after another clubbing marathon, a girl approaches me and squats down for a whispered conversation.
Girl: "I saw you dance the other day."
Me: "Err, okay..."
Girl: "You looked really cool. And I was wondering..."
Me thinking: Maybe I'm about to get invited to a VIP party!
Girl: "... if you would like my spare drugs because I'm going home today."
*lol* Okay, so maybe, I dance a little retardedly :) I obviously attract attention.
Thank you Babe, for showing me Ibiza Uncovered ;) It definitely had a lot less drunken Chavs than I expected. I'm no longer an Ibiza virgin, and I have a great tan to show for it.
I did try to chillax and catch some rays on a deckchair, but it was too hard. The music was great and it was impossible to ignore. Bora Bora is like an after party beach bar. Wrong place for recovery. Every so often a plane flies over us and a cheer breaks out from the mob. If it's an incoming, we all knew what those people on the plane had ahead of them. The party's just getting started. If it's an outgoing, we all felt for the poor bastards who've had to leave the island.
Girl: "I saw you dance the other day."
Me: "Err, okay..."
Girl: "You looked really cool. And I was wondering..."
Me thinking: Maybe I'm about to get invited to a VIP party!
Girl: "... if you would like my spare drugs because I'm going home today."
*lol* Okay, so maybe, I dance a little retardedly :) I obviously attract attention.
Thank you Babe, for showing me Ibiza Uncovered ;) It definitely had a lot less drunken Chavs than I expected. I'm no longer an Ibiza virgin, and I have a great tan to show for it.
AdF, you're next to be initiated! Bring on your 30th!
Lost in Space...
Literally.
It's so silly! I've been clubbing so many times before. I've been to festivals with tens of thousands of people before. I've _never_ ever been lost. Never. Until I got to Space. This place is a maze of areas. I kept entering the same rooms, doing the same rounds and frustratingly finding the same exits or entrances. It's an experience more traumatic than it sounds. Each room was packed. At my height, air is scarce, the view is of elbows, and do you really think Spaniards take a "cutesy" (*gag*) oriental saying, "hola!" seriously? I have no idea why, but the sight of me brought a lot of smiles to faces everywhere I went. And a lot of head patting. I can't comprehend the head patting. Am I really that exotic in Spain? Actually, at one point, I pulled out my good ol' Australiana pasaporte to prove that I wasn't Japonés or Chino :)
While waiting for a friend, I made the mistake of showing off my "prowess" at the language to a random guy standing by the cigarette machine. The next thing I know, the guy is making gestures downstairs at his "pollo", and telling me it's "mucho grande". Amazingly, I bumped into him later on when I was lost, and he was kind enough to pull me through the crowd in the room. And I didn't even have to touch his pollo in return :P
After 10 hours of clubbing, I was tired. Knackered beyond belief. So I headed home at the o'so-late hour of 1am. Only to find 2 out of 3 of my flatmates already crashed out in bed :) The final flatmate arrived home at 11am!
(Tada - hot stewardesses in tight skimpy outfits!)
While waiting for a friend, I made the mistake of showing off my "prowess" at the language to a random guy standing by the cigarette machine. The next thing I know, the guy is making gestures downstairs at his "pollo", and telling me it's "mucho grande". Amazingly, I bumped into him later on when I was lost, and he was kind enough to pull me through the crowd in the room. And I didn't even have to touch his pollo in return :P
More boobies!
After 10 hours of clubbing, I was tired. Knackered beyond belief. So I headed home at the o'so-late hour of 1am. Only to find 2 out of 3 of my flatmates already crashed out in bed :) The final flatmate arrived home at 11am!
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Losing my virginity
I arrive at the airport, and start drinking all by my lonesome. The bar crowd starts to build up. All of a sudden, I'm meeting random party-goers, and the group just gets bigger and bigger. As far as I'm aware, I'm 1 out of 2 Ibiza virgins in that group. It's an experience. It starts off with the party plane. It's a plane full of people with one destination in mind - the Space opening party in Ibiza. _Everyone_ I spoke to was going to be there. By the time we board the plane, everyone's buzzing with excitement and liquoring up. iPods are plugged in and pumping out music. A glass of champers gets delivered up the aisle to me :) The only thing missing are the tight lycra stewardess outfits. Don't worry, that comes later ;)
Surprisingly, everyone resisted the urge to go out when we arrived at 1am. Instead, we had an early Friday night and saved ourselves for this the next day:
I don't know when in my life it happened, but I seem to have reached the point where I can afford to lie around all day on a luxury yacht, tanning myself on deck, drinking sangria and watching as champagne gets sprayed onto nekid boobies. Yes, nekid boobies. Okay, fine, it was cheap champagne. But still - there were nekid boobies on my boat.
We sailed to Formentera and spent the day drinking. I would've swam more if there weren't soo many jellyfishies in the sea :( You know, I haven't felt this warm since January 2006. Seriously.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Ignorance isn't bliss
It. Was. GREAT.
I was one level up and had soo much dancing space with a perfect view. Tons of people were packed on the dancefloor below. To think I was ready and willing to give up on the Chemical Brothers, all because I had never heard them before. It wasn't just the music that was good, the accompanying background visuals were pretty awesome too. I had so much fun :) I'm so glad I stayed.
All these years, I've been missing out on the Chemical Brothers. Ignorance isn't bliss at all. And I can't believe I forgot my camera :(
Oooh, and I finally had myself a Hache burger from Camden! I ordered a Sicilian, which was a Prime Beef steak, topped with Parma ham, and melted buffala mozerella cheese. On a fresh ciabatta bun. MMMmmm, YUMMO. I had to wait 20 mins for it, but I chowed it down in less than 10 :) The place was packed. Not sure if it's worth 8+ squids, but it's definitely one of the better burgers I've had. I'll be back, with friends.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Beenikster long weekend
All I remember is, I beat T in a race to finish a litre of Long Island Ice Tea - pwn3d!!! :P
And okay, the last picture at the bottom right corner is actually from Helsinki :)
And okay, the last picture at the bottom right corner is actually from Helsinki :)
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Ooh la la!
Where to start? With the flight delay, tons of angry people waiting to start their long weekend, the 2 gate changes (3 for J&D), or Ryanair's craptacularly traumatic landing?
I can definitely recommend a visit to Chateau Chenonceau, it's soo pretty.
Bordeaux is a great city. The city's people have invested tons of money into restoring its beauty and making it a place you'll enjoy staying in. Funnily enough, I came home with 2 bottles of Sauternes instead of any Bordeaux reds. Mmmm... sweet dessert wine... Despite the never ending fat raindrops which seemed determined to ruin our long weekend, we saw quite a bit of the region, drank, ate and slept a lot. Well, the passengers slept a lot *grin* My advise is to never get your driver's licence in order to avoid ever being the designated driver on road trips :P We spent Sunday walking around Bordeaux and St Emillion.
Or the visit to my future home and gardens? :)
Bordeaux is a great city. The city's people have invested tons of money into restoring its beauty and making it a place you'll enjoy staying in. Funnily enough, I came home with 2 bottles of Sauternes instead of any Bordeaux reds. Mmmm... sweet dessert wine... Despite the never ending fat raindrops which seemed determined to ruin our long weekend, we saw quite a bit of the region, drank, ate and slept a lot. Well, the passengers slept a lot *grin* My advise is to never get your driver's licence in order to avoid ever being the designated driver on road trips :P We spent Sunday walking around Bordeaux and St Emillion.
Napoleon commissioned the bridge, but I don't think he lived to see it completed...
I guess the best part for me was the cognac tasting in Cognac :) I'm definitely not a connoisseur, but somehow I was convinced by D to splash out on tasting X.O, the Paradis and the Richard Hennessy cognacs. D makes a great salesman :) But I'm glad I did taste all three. It's not often I get to say I drank something that was 200 years old *grin* It was definitely wasted on me though :P The only thing I could discern was that each tasted smoother than the previous. Did I like the taste? Err, not particularly... it burns. Sorry!
Random cognac factoids:
- Although Hennessy cognac has been around for a very long time, not many Frenchies drink it. Err, mainly because it's not French. Hennessy is Irish :)
- In 1971, Hennessy merged with Moet et Chandon. In 1987, the group then merged with Louis Vuitton, to create the largest luxury goods business: LVMH.
- Cognac is made from a blend of various eau-de-vie (colourless brandy). 12 kgs of grapes makes one 1 litre bottle of eau-de-vie.
- VS stands for Very Special, and requires the youngest brandy to be aged for at least 2 years.
- VSOP stands for Very Special Old Pale, and requires the youngest brandy to be aged for at least 4 years.
- X.O stands for Extra Old, and requires the youngest brandy to be aged for at least 6 years.
- Richard Hennessy is named after the founder of Hennessy Cognac. The blends are aged between 45 and 200 years old. A 700ml bottle will set you back EU$1281.25.
- The ultimate job at Hennessy, has to be the Cellar Master. It's his duty to take inventory of all the blends in Hennessy's 45 cognac houses. He has to TASTE every different blend, and decide if the brandies need a new barrel, or if it needs to be mixed with other blends, or if the blends are ready. He has a team of six Tasters, but The Man, has the final say.
Lastly, there's the Ellipse. This one's not for plebs. At a price of EU$3000+, it's made from 7 different blends chosen by 7 generations of Cellar Masters. Each Cellar Master picked his favourite eau-de-vie for this special cognac. Only 100 bottles were made, and even the bottle itself is a work of art. Although, you can't really tell from my crap picture *grin*
- Although Hennessy cognac has been around for a very long time, not many Frenchies drink it. Err, mainly because it's not French. Hennessy is Irish :)
- In 1971, Hennessy merged with Moet et Chandon. In 1987, the group then merged with Louis Vuitton, to create the largest luxury goods business: LVMH.
- Cognac is made from a blend of various eau-de-vie (colourless brandy). 12 kgs of grapes makes one 1 litre bottle of eau-de-vie.
- VS stands for Very Special, and requires the youngest brandy to be aged for at least 2 years.
- VSOP stands for Very Special Old Pale, and requires the youngest brandy to be aged for at least 4 years.
- X.O stands for Extra Old, and requires the youngest brandy to be aged for at least 6 years.
- Richard Hennessy is named after the founder of Hennessy Cognac. The blends are aged between 45 and 200 years old. A 700ml bottle will set you back EU$1281.25.
- The ultimate job at Hennessy, has to be the Cellar Master. It's his duty to take inventory of all the blends in Hennessy's 45 cognac houses. He has to TASTE every different blend, and decide if the brandies need a new barrel, or if it needs to be mixed with other blends, or if the blends are ready. He has a team of six Tasters, but The Man, has the final say.
Lastly, there's the Ellipse. This one's not for plebs. At a price of EU$3000+, it's made from 7 different blends chosen by 7 generations of Cellar Masters. Each Cellar Master picked his favourite eau-de-vie for this special cognac. Only 100 bottles were made, and even the bottle itself is a work of art. Although, you can't really tell from my crap picture *grin*
Monday, May 21, 2007
Size matters?
Vigeland sculpture park. I expected lots of sculptures in a park. However, I didn't expect to be greeted by a 14 metre tall phallic symbol. Can you spot it?
How about now?
My, my, my. It's _soo_ massive *grin* A man gets an entire park to showcase his work, and he makes the centrepiece a grand... you know. So typical :P
How about now?
I miss Rondon
It sounds like a silly thing to say. But part of the reason I haven't had much to blog about lately, is cause I haven't really spent any decent time in Rondon! Every weekend, since I've been back from Sydnery, I've "gone gallivanting" (to use my Mother's words). First it was Amsterdam for Queen's Day. Then it was Tallinn and Helsinki with the household crew for the first long weekend in May. After that it was back to Delft for U&W's Dutch wedding celebration. And I just spent last weekend in Oslo. This coming weekend is in Bordeaux. And the weekend after that is Ibiza!!
It all seemed like a great idea at the time I was planning these trips. Errr... maybe I was a little overzealous in my planning. Now, I just want one weekend in Rondon to chill out... To go to Borough Markets for some chorizo. To go to Camden to eat a Hache burger. To buy some groceries for the week. To go to Bar Italia or Flat White for a weekend caffeine hit. To stroll around familiar ground. To do my laundry!
I've done 9 cities in 5 months this year... I'm looking forward to a restful weekend that doesn't involve a 3am wake up call to catch the airport bus.
Do I sound spoilt? ;)
It all seemed like a great idea at the time I was planning these trips. Errr... maybe I was a little overzealous in my planning. Now, I just want one weekend in Rondon to chill out... To go to Borough Markets for some chorizo. To go to Camden to eat a Hache burger. To buy some groceries for the week. To go to Bar Italia or Flat White for a weekend caffeine hit. To stroll around familiar ground. To do my laundry!
I've done 9 cities in 5 months this year... I'm looking forward to a restful weekend that doesn't involve a 3am wake up call to catch the airport bus.
Do I sound spoilt? ;)
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Making girls cry
Remember that speech I blogged for Ula & Wilco? I had a chance to say it last weekend at their Dutch wedding party :) I made Ula teary *grin* YES! Mission accomplished! Although, poor Wilco, he had already read my speech here and it was all old news to him. So I've tweaked the speech I blogged to match most of what I said that night, if you want to read it again.
I was even invited to speak at someone else's wedding that night! *lol*
And once again, I went home with a girl after the wedding. Hrm. At least this time it was separate beds ;)
I was even invited to speak at someone else's wedding that night! *lol*
And once again, I went home with a girl after the wedding. Hrm. At least this time it was separate beds ;)
Friday, May 11, 2007
Tom
Tom's the guy that sells the Big Issue at Marylebone station. Well, I think his name's Tom, I hope I heard right. For the past few weeks, he's been standing there, every morning, as grumpy Rondoners walk past him without a glance. "BIG ISSUE! No? Have a good day Maam/Sir!" and Tom means it.
Lately, I get up every morning, and lie in bed thinking, "I really don't want to go to work today". I hide under my duvet (C, are you proud I didn't say "doona"? :) ) until the very last moment. When it's 8.05am, I know I have to get my butt into gear. I sit at my desk and I count down the hours. When it hits 4:30pm, I'm counting down the minutes till 5pm. When I get home, I'm reluctant to talk about work because it's been sh*tty. You'll notice I don't usually blog about work either.
Tom sees people get off the trains every morning. He says they look grumpy, some of them hate their jobs, hate coming into Rondon, and hate their incomes. Basically, he sees people like me. I stand in the bus lines when it's too cold/wet to walk to work, earphones plugged in, with a frown for the long day ahead. So Tom's trying to bring a smile to people's faces every morning. Strangely, it works :) I watch Tom at work, and he's got soo much enthusiasm for selling the Big Issue, that it made me smile. Heck, I bought one and I haven't read it yet.
This morning, I got Tom a latte, and had a chat. Here's a guy, down on his luck, making a living out of selling the Big Issue. He's homeless, and he wants to save up for his own place. Considering he only gets 80p out of every £1.50 magazine he sells, it's going to take him awhile.
Yet, he's the most optimistic person I've met in a long time. There's no lesson here. I just hope I don't have to lose it all in order to have Tom's optimism in life. I've seen a lot of things in life. I've moved to Rondon. I've had opportunities my parents and other kids in my extended family didn't. What exactly does it take for me to be happy or content?
Lately, I get up every morning, and lie in bed thinking, "I really don't want to go to work today". I hide under my duvet (C, are you proud I didn't say "doona"? :) ) until the very last moment. When it's 8.05am, I know I have to get my butt into gear. I sit at my desk and I count down the hours. When it hits 4:30pm, I'm counting down the minutes till 5pm. When I get home, I'm reluctant to talk about work because it's been sh*tty. You'll notice I don't usually blog about work either.
Tom sees people get off the trains every morning. He says they look grumpy, some of them hate their jobs, hate coming into Rondon, and hate their incomes. Basically, he sees people like me. I stand in the bus lines when it's too cold/wet to walk to work, earphones plugged in, with a frown for the long day ahead. So Tom's trying to bring a smile to people's faces every morning. Strangely, it works :) I watch Tom at work, and he's got soo much enthusiasm for selling the Big Issue, that it made me smile. Heck, I bought one and I haven't read it yet.
This morning, I got Tom a latte, and had a chat. Here's a guy, down on his luck, making a living out of selling the Big Issue. He's homeless, and he wants to save up for his own place. Considering he only gets 80p out of every £1.50 magazine he sells, it's going to take him awhile.
Yet, he's the most optimistic person I've met in a long time. There's no lesson here. I just hope I don't have to lose it all in order to have Tom's optimism in life. I've seen a lot of things in life. I've moved to Rondon. I've had opportunities my parents and other kids in my extended family didn't. What exactly does it take for me to be happy or content?
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Marriage?
I thought I was off the hook. I'm the youngest of three kids. My eldest brother is married. He and his wife recently had a baby girl. So when I called my Mum for a chat on Monday, I never expected to have this conversation with her:
Mum: "You're getting close to 30, my dear."
Me: "I know. So what?"
Mum: "It's time you got married."
Me: "WHAT?!?"
Mum: "Do you want me to matchmake for you?"
Me: "WHAT?!?!? Who have you been talking to??"
Mum: "If you have a husband, you won't have time to go gallivanting."
Me: "MUM! You already have one grandkid to play with!"
So, I'm closer to 30. That apparently means I have to get married. Mygawd, the thought of my Mother picking someone for me... *shudder* It's weird actually. Last year, it was all about weddings. The majority of my friends got hitched. This year, it's beginning to be all about babies. Friends are starting to talk about getting the right healthcare with obstetrician cover. In the meantime, I've been spending my money on holidays, tattoos, clubs, and err, teeth whitening (*dazzle* *dazzle*). Weddings, mortgages, babies... Last thing on my mind. I'm a little selfish at the moment. Not ready to settle. Love my freedom. Rah rah rah.
In order to get my Mother's mind off marrying me to a random stranger, I'm switching the focus to my bachelor brother :P Anyone out there looking for a very eligible 32 year old bachelor? Has good looks (well, he's got the same genes as me). Loves to cook Italian. Go on, make my Mother happy :)
Missy Wan, don't think you're going to win the bet so easily :P
Mum: "You're getting close to 30, my dear."
Me: "I know. So what?"
Mum: "It's time you got married."
Me: "WHAT?!?"
Mum: "Do you want me to matchmake for you?"
Me: "WHAT?!?!? Who have you been talking to??"
Mum: "If you have a husband, you won't have time to go gallivanting."
Me: "MUM! You already have one grandkid to play with!"
So, I'm closer to 30. That apparently means I have to get married. Mygawd, the thought of my Mother picking someone for me... *shudder* It's weird actually. Last year, it was all about weddings. The majority of my friends got hitched. This year, it's beginning to be all about babies. Friends are starting to talk about getting the right healthcare with obstetrician cover. In the meantime, I've been spending my money on holidays, tattoos, clubs, and err, teeth whitening (*dazzle* *dazzle*). Weddings, mortgages, babies... Last thing on my mind. I'm a little selfish at the moment. Not ready to settle. Love my freedom. Rah rah rah.
In order to get my Mother's mind off marrying me to a random stranger, I'm switching the focus to my bachelor brother :P Anyone out there looking for a very eligible 32 year old bachelor? Has good looks (well, he's got the same genes as me). Loves to cook Italian. Go on, make my Mother happy :)
Missy Wan, don't think you're going to win the bet so easily :P
Friday, May 04, 2007
IIITCHYYY
This is seriously an endurance test. Gawd... I don't know what's worse, the pain for 4.5 hours, or the itchiness that's been going on for the past 48 hours. Can't scratch or the ink comes off. The skin's starting to scab and peel. It's interesting to see the colour beneath the peel. I'm feeling reptilian. I'm also getting extremely paranoid. I keep staring at my butt, and for the first time in a loooong time, I've noticed something -
OMG. Look at all that CELLULITE O_o
It's been that long since I looked closely at my buttocks...
So, here's what I know about tattoo care (which, to be honest, isn't much):
- Tattoos apparently like warm water. So shower with extremely warm water.
- Don't aim the water directly at the tattoo. Don't soak in hot tubs or baths. Showers only. Water will lift the scab.
- Use a mild soap.
- I moisturise twice a day. Once in the morning and once at night. Use a lotion with no fragrance. My tattooist recommended Vaseline Intensive Care. I've also used Nivea before, on my dragon, and that turned out well.
See how it goes, eh?
OMG. Look at all that CELLULITE O_o
It's been that long since I looked closely at my buttocks...
So, here's what I know about tattoo care (which, to be honest, isn't much):
- Tattoos apparently like warm water. So shower with extremely warm water.
- Don't aim the water directly at the tattoo. Don't soak in hot tubs or baths. Showers only. Water will lift the scab.
- Use a mild soap.
- I moisturise twice a day. Once in the morning and once at night. Use a lotion with no fragrance. My tattooist recommended Vaseline Intensive Care. I've also used Nivea before, on my dragon, and that turned out well.
See how it goes, eh?
PS to Joh: I never knew you had a tattoo!!! I didn't get around to asking you about it last night! You've been hiding it!
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