Friday, April 27, 2007

Pretty Animal Pictures

Hello again folks. Been very good the past few days and updated the blog – tonight’s’ entry is about the ‘Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year’ exhibition at the ‘Natural History Museum’ that I visited today/yesterday. I went to the exhibition last year and as it was so good I went again this year, here is a selected few photos that I particularly liked: ‘Human Encounter’ (http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/temporary-exhibitions/wpy/OnlineGallery/Photo.jsp?photo=2151); ‘Coconut Crab Going Up’ (http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/temporary-exhibitions/wpy/OnlineGallery/Photo.jsp?photo=2155); ‘Turtle Grooming’ (http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/temporary-exhibitions/wpy/OnlineGallery/Photo.jsp?photo=2174); and my favourite is the ‘Rival Kings’ (http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/temporary-exhibitions/wpy/OnlineGallery/Photo.jsp?photo=2169), the photographer, Andy Rouse also did the ‘Surfing Gentoo’ (http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/news/2005/sept/news_6624.html) in last years’ exhibition, which I also liked very much.

Before arriving at the museum, I had managed to get myself lost in Baker Street as I took the right bus but going in the wrong direction! Hehehe

Luckily I was early so could afford losing half an hour to find the same bus route but going the right direction this time – even got there early! Getting lost once a day is not bad, but I managed to get myself lost behind Leicester Square when I was trying to get home... I blame all those tourists getting in my way and distracting me!

That’s all folks.

Helen

Thursday, April 26, 2007

#Neighbours, everybody needs good Neighbours...#

News bulletin: (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6595591.stm) The BBC wants to axe ‘Neighbours’ from their schedule! Speaking as a long devoted fan (cried when Dee died, shouted at Karl for cheating on Susan with Issy, and not to mention all those talented stars who launched their careers because of the show), it is wrong to axe the show :’(

Moving it to another channel is just not the same, I used to watch ‘Home & Away’ on ITV but once it moved to FIVE, it somehow just didn’t bode well with me and haven’t watched a single episode since.

Neighbours’ was like my personal alarm clock when I was a student – wake up just in time to sing along to the theme in the afternoon and getting out of bed once its finished! As you may know, I am planning to return to college in September, I was relying on some stability and ‘Neighbours’ was just that!

When Caf was in Australia last year, she visited the Melbourne Museum which was allowed to have the kitchen from 26 Ramsey Street as this particular set was destroyed in a fire in a 1999 storyline. She has kindly allowed me to publish them here, ‘Thank you Caf’ mwah!


Please BBC don’t take away ‘Neighbours’ away from all the students across the land!

Helen

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

No rest for the wicked ;)

Tuesday 6th March
Let’s start the blog with talks about my baby cousin, Daniel’s first birthday party right at the beginning of March up in Northampton.

Daniel looks like he will grow up into quite a heart breaker if the picture is anything to go by! Sleeves rolled up, wind in his (baby) hair… very cool indeed. Please don’t get me wrong, I am in no way getting broody but spending a whole afternoon babysitting the little tyke was quite fun – well watching Lee and Steven playing with him was rather entertaining for me and Ping. LOL

Had a gorgeous meal and Kripsy Kreme (it’s a traditional now) to follow brought by Trees this time, as I was too lazy to pop over to Canary Wharf before meeting Ping up for the long car ride up.

My uncle, Martin was proudly showing everyone his golf (silver) trophy even though we all took the mick out of him – it was ‘only’ a silver trophy and it didn’t even have his name engraved on it...

Monday 12th
Started my first proper day at work and managed to break a photo frame whilst framing over 50 certificates to long services of staff! Oops

Have been quite busy with work and even had to go in on my days off to help – all work and no play was making me quite lethargic but once I got used to it and plan myself properly to balance it all out... I think I have got it sorted now, as you will see in the following entries ;)

Friday 16 th
On to more exciting update – I had to go up to Reading to do some filming for the National Rail Network for their promotional video… spent most of the day drinking tea and eating sandwiches whilst I waited for my turn in front on the cameras! LOL

The presenter was Andrea Oliver who is currently presenting the new BBC2 show on Wednesday nights with Neneh Cherry about food.

I managed to get home to catch the ‘Vicar of Dibley’ sketch for Comic Relief… Richard Armitage only appeared briefly at the start and the end but it was worth the wait! Still gorgeous, mwah!!!

Saturday 17 th
Saint Patrick’s Day! Went to see a mini Banksy (http://www.banksy.co.uk/) exhibition in South Kensington – I have heard of the artist and seen a few of his artwork but not actually ‘looked’ at them. At the exhibition, there were only a selected few pieces and they were all quite amusing, a few of my favourites were the ones with the smiley faces, e.g. instead of the Grim Reaper, it was the Grin Reaper.

After a bit of culture it was off to Convent Garden for a bit of food! As it was St Patrick’s Day there were stalls set up around selling products mainly cheese and bread. I was very surprised that there was no Guinness stalls. I have only ever tried Guinness a few years ago in the Guinness factory in Ireland and I do recall I only managed a sip. I was determined to have another go at the black stuff – I’ll try something at least twice before dismissing it completely! Anyway no Guinness at Covent Garden but later that night I went out for a family meal as everyone (Trees and Duong, my folks along with Sally, and then there is me and Lee) was too lazy to cook. I got my Guinness at last but not being a drinker I could only managed to drink half of my half pint!

Slightly tipsy and stuffed with food, I went straight home to bed.

Sunday 18 th
Hope everyone treated their mothers the way they deserved to be treated! I got my mother into the kitchen to clean razor clams before getting her to thinly slice all the meat for our open hot pot at Trees and Duongs! LOL

At first we wanted to take our mum out for dim sum but Lee had to work and it’s always so busy at our local restaurant that we decided to eat at home instead. It was a dreary day and the thought of a family all eating over a hot pot laughing and singing on the karaoke sounded much better than spending an hour or two in a place where you can’t take your time to enjoy the company as well as your food.

Tuesday 20 th
I had to work late as the company I work for was taking on new clients and wants us lowly employees to try out their pilot scheme… I was sent all the way to Gillingham and didn’t get to go home until after 8pm!

I didn’t mind if Gillingham had been wheelchair friendly but it wasn’t! The only place that was accessible to eat was MacDonald’s! I had a cold so was told to stay clear of poultry so I had to order the filet o fish as there was nothing else available for me to eat. I was so busy that I had to do my paperwork whilst trying to eat my burger :(

Friday 23 th
It was my dear friend, Hiro’s birth on Sunday but her generous mum whisked her away for the weekend to Paris so I only got to meet her up that night for a late birthday dinner. Shirin arranged the night but got sick so she had to cancel at the last minute. So there I was running 30 minutes late to the restaurant (‘Black & Blue’ behind Selfridges) leaving Hiro on her own and when I arrived there was a bottle of champagne on ice waiting for us courteous of the owner who is a family friend of Hiro. Both of us don’t really drink and it took us all night (over 4 hours) and we still didn’t manage to finish the bottle off! I still had a cold and surprisingly this cold, my appetite didn’t increase ten-fold as it usually does! I had problem eating my 3 course meal even though everything was lovely – especially the foia grai with toast and jam… I am salivating as I write this up! LOL

Saturday 24 th
I had to work throughout the weekend trying to meet my company’s new client’s pilot scheme quota… I was sent to Chelmsford where again I had to work throughout my lunch doing more paperwork… the weather was so dreary that it depressed me even more! Hahaha

Luckily I managed to finish everything and was back home by early evening.

Sunday 25 th
Did anyone over slept and forgot that the time goes forward after midnight? I was really good and changed all my clocks around 10pm before I forgot!

This time I found myself working in Windsor… the sun was out and the place was gorgeous. I didn’t mind working through lunch and even managed to check out some shops and treated myself to a nice shirt! I really hope my company sends me there again as I would definitely like to go back there and walk around the castle and try out all the tea shops – did order a ‘Windsor Cream Tea’ at the ‘Chocolate Theatre Coffee Shop’ but they forgot my scones and only had a cup of tea :(

Tuesday 27 th
It has been a while since I went to the theatre. That night I attended the Wilton’s Music Hall to watch the ‘Taming of the Shrew’ by Shakespeare and who should turn up to watch the same performance?! Ben Mills from X-Factor! I wanted to get my photo taken but was too self-conscience and let it past… hehehe

It transpired that he knew someone from the cast so I don’t think he would have appreciated being harassed when he was out enjoying him self. It is hard to judge when you should or shouldn’t approach someone…

Wednesday 28th
I was just about to dash out my place when the post woman arrived with my letter from the College of Law… I got my place! Yay!!! LOL

The day just got better and better – after my morning meeting I met up with Trees to go to Lakeside to try out more bridesmaid dresses and found 2… one was a short bandue which looked sweet and the other was a halter neck which was very nice but it showed a bit too much cleavage which I was not keen on for a family event like this! LOL

Trees was planning to drag me along to a bridal shop in Ashford, or was the shop called Ashford?! Well, I don’t have to go anymore so I get the whole weekend off! It has been so long since I get a lie in…

Going back to last night, it was Lee’s turn to treat dinner and we (Trees, Duong, lee and me) went to ‘Frankie’s and Benny’s’ somewhere near the North Circular roundabout. Having not really eaten all day I devoured my lamb shank which amazed everyone, would have ordered dessert too but was getting really tired (it was coming up to 10pm) so I opted to go home instead… with Lee’s direction and the Blackwall Tunnel it could take us up to an hour to get home.

Tuesday 3rd April
Was making my home from work and got a call from my parents about free food in Northampton, Martin’s restaurant... not a girl to turn down free food, I made the hour and a bit car journey to the restaurant.

Turned up for dinner with no idea why Martin invited us all to come up, it could be a mixture of reasons I have concluded – 1) for Martin to show off another silver golf trophy, 2) a chance to meet a girl my grandparents want to set up with my cousin, Phoon, 3) because of Ching Ming (a Chinese festival on the 5th). There take your pick as no one has made it clear for me?! Hahaha

Saturday 7th
Wanted to go along to see the Cambridge-v-Oxford Boat Race but no one wants to go with me so I took myself to the National Gallery and saw the Renoir Landscape exhibition instead! I really enjoyed it – wondered around the gallery with the audio guide. I love galleries, I can happily spend the whole afternoon there myself and take my time in front of pieces I like (‘The Jardin d’Essai, Algiers 1881’ and ‘Garden in the rue Cortot, Montmartre 1876’) without being rushed.

Monday 9th
Bank Holiday/Easter Monday. Was planning to work that day, but the day was too nice so I accepted a friend’s invitation to Churchill’s resident, Chartwell. It’s a National Trust property so the disability access was limited – had to roll down a particular steep grass hill squealing like a girl which amused the spectators as well as my friend I am sure ;)

Coincidently, my mum was visiting a similar landscape in Oxford that day so I met her up for dinner along with Lee and Sally as we were all too hungry to go home to cook.

Friday 13th
I used to love Friday the 13th, love sitting in front of the TV watching horror movies with the lights off and no one at home... unfortunately I had to work and this time I was sent to Harpenden. Spent most of the day travelling and waiting around trains stations and didn’t get home until late in the evening... zzz

Oh, and I almost missed my deadline for sending off my acceptance letter to the College of Law! Had to send it by special delivery on Wednesday to make sure it arrived on Friday!

Sunday 15th
The guys had to go to Bluewater for their morning suit fitting – they need to watch their waistline as the suits just fit! Hehehe

Monday 16th
Was just leaving work, about a metre away from the front door before I got roped into translating for a friend of the family about her son’s secondary school placement for September... that’s not all, just as we all sat down to discuss the matter with the school admission officer the fire alarm went off! I really do not think you can make things up like this – I am always found to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, don’t think so?! Ok, the next day (Tuesday 17th) I was making my way into work this time and a fight between 2 female motorists broke out behind me and when a passer-by comes to drag one of the ladies away, he backs me into the wall and nearly tripped over me! Made it into work to only to be sent downstairs (from the 3rd floor) onto the ground floor (work on my own in a large room with no reception so I cant even phone people up to chat :( ) as the fire drill the day before highlighted the fact that no one is trained to help me evacuate if a real fire broke out!

Sunday 22nd
Nearly got suffocated on the Jubilee line with all the people trying to get to the starting line of the Marathon! I was meeting Caf at London Bridge, as we were going to the Shakespeare’s masked procession from Southwark Cathedral to The Globe.

It was a beautiful day and everyone made an effort with their masks (picture of Venetian ladies by Caf). The route we took was quite scenic too... but those cobbles were a nightmare! I had to place the mask on the top of my head just so I can see the cobbles and try to dodge them! I was a fair few meters behind the whole procession – told Caf, if we were to do this again next year, I will just meet her at The Globe!

Ok, that’s it, that’s what I have been up to the last few weeks... need a rest now... zzz
Helen