SHOTS OF LIFE...

Finally! Couple of snapshots from last weekend's wanderings. Was good fun but exhausting trying to figure out how to get the dang photos and captions up using the old Blogger. I think you'll still have to zoom in a bit to see of the captions... Sorry lah. Ah well. Still learning. First couple of shots was Pete going at it in Chinatown. Then we hit Graze at Rochester Park for an absolutely brilliant meal (see previous post for our recommendations). Ended the night with Pete's virgin foray into St James. It was a blast. Anyways Tell us what you think! More updates from life to come... Promise.

NEW WEEK, NEW LOOK....

So as you can tell, we spent a bit of our weekend coming up with a fresh look for the ole' blog, with a new specially customised masthead designed by non other than Boy Wonder Williams. It looks a bit cleaner I think. Bits of it will change more drastically as I start taking out some elements and adding new ones. Do let us know what you think. What you hate, what you like. At least we'll know that the effort means something to someone out there! But at least I am inspired now to put a bit more effort to it. I am still desperately trying to get my head around html and all the labelling stuff. I will. Erm, eventually. One of the things we were trying to experiment with was the photos/layout, but there's been a bit of the glitch with the files, so hopefully that will eventually sort itself out. Meanwhile, here's a taste of Pete's Chinatown adventure earlier in the week. He snapped it at one of the Chinese temples. Its one of those things they use to burn paper offerings I think: And since we're still on the topic of Boy Wonder, realise that I never posted the page that Pete won the SND award for. Here it is with the citation. I'm not sure how it will look sizewise, but I have to say its one of my (many) favourite pages he has done. How can I not gloat? Oh, we also discovered a FABULOUS place this weekend. Erm, okay, discovered is the wrong word because Carl and YP pointed us to it (thanks guys!) - Graze at Rochester Park. I hear the Sunday brunch is brilliant, but we ended up there for Sunday dinner instead. No regrets though. The setting is amazing, food superb and service excellent. Actually don't have a bad thing to say about it except that the prices on the wine list are kinda saucy. But this is Singapore, where bars get off charging the world for alcohol. Still, we were very satisfied. The lounge at the end of the restaurant was showing old black n white films, which was a nice touch. Would be a great event venue. Menu recommendations: The stacked eggplant as a starter was absolutely brilliant. I had the avocado cheese salad thingy that I cannot for the life of me remember the real name off which I polished off completely. It was that good. I had the whole baby fish with sambal (bit chicken rice type chilli, but not bad) as a main and Pete had the pork chops, which were huge and really well barbequed and still juicy on the plate (from Pete: Fantastic criss cross and golden on the outside, but juicy on the inside). We were both quiet for long enough for anyone to know they were both amazing, though the mass potatos were a bit humm. But Pete's Irish, so potatos not done perfect are always already questionable. Was too full for desert but the menu looked out of this planet (note to self: do not eat before going to Graze again). We topped off the night with Pete's virgin foray to St James Power Station. Bellini Room was closed, which was a bummer, but we got in a few at Movida, which was all salsa, and Powerhouse, which was playing, well, the more upbeat stuff. Caught up with a couple of friends and my one of my fav cuz', which was loads of fun. Will definitely be back there sooner than we think. Oh, in other news. We are now proud owners of a *drumroll* grilled sandwich maker. Don't laugh. I swear I have always, always loved grilled ham n cheese sandwiches, something for which Pete has a weakness for too. Mum use to make fabulous ones in a silver-and-grey one that has since gone rusty (it is, I suspect, older than I am). Anyways, while we were out today, there was one that was simply too sweet to resist. It makes grilled and toasted sandwiches, toasted pastries and grills veges, sorta like a BBQ. Of course, the first thing I did when we came home from dinner was suggest we make ham n cheese toasties for supper. My hips will never forgive me, but it was oh soooooo good for the soul. Tomorrow morning, BLT toasties for Pete, Nat and me. Might as well cash in when enthusiasm is able to triumph over morning-time grumpiness. Heck, it may even make us feel a wee bit better about being at work. Art

FINALLY... PUTTING A CORK IN IT....

Now that I am finally seeing straight again, here comes the update on our lives etc etc etc. Both of us came back from Thailand only to be stuck down simulataneously by some horrid respiratory thing that caused near-mayhem. I reckon it had was what had already started creeping up on me before Bangkok, but apparently it was misdiagnosed, which means the first four days of antibiotics was pointless. I came back sicker than I was. Needless to say, I think Pete might have proceeded to catch it from me. It was pretty tragic. Both bedside tables filled with mounds of antibiotics, cold, cough, throat and what not else medication, with whoever was feeling less awful than the other doing the refills for water, making dry toast etc. Not the most fun. That said, at least we were able to climb the walls together. Ah well. At least we're both beginning to feel a little better, and even managed to get the final instalment of pictures from Ireland (sigh, don't laugh la. It's been a mad couple of months) off the ground. These are the final snapshots of Cork and some... when I caught my first fish (almost!). I was kinda distracted when the fella took my fly and, sigh, he got away (really!). Either way, fell head over heels for fly fishing and Pete n Dave promise no less than two straight days of it in the summer. I cannot wait. I think it took both boys completely by surprise how I took to it like a, erm, fish. haha. I guess they figured it was a boy thing... When I outfish them in the summer, then they'll know! Muahahaha! Now, all I have to do is get used to being in the boat and throwing out my line without hooking someone's head/coat/line. Pete says I am actually half decent despite (and he didn't even add "for a girl"!!). It was amazing being back in Cork. Have to say, I am actually starting to think of it as a second home. Was kinda strange how I remembered where everything was and could just about navigate around myself. I guess some places just grow on you real quickly. Wish we had more time there though. Oh, realise in hindsight that some bits of the Birmingham video might seemed to not have had a head or a tail. Sorry, my state of mind was on the way out of the door when we threw together that post. The initial shots are of Warwick Castle, which is down the road from where Gwen lives, and the life-like statues/bears etc are part of the Madam Tussaud exhibit. It was pretty amazing. My heart almost forced itself up my throat once though, when what I thought was a statue suddenly turned around and asked if I was having a nice day! Could have died. Turned out to be one of the favourite tricks of one of the curators. We also checked out the Rose and Crown near Warwick, where Gwen works part time and does the flowers for. Also managed to pack in a trip to the Cotswalds, and a trip down to the Royal Shaespeare Company and the church where the good man (who apparently was, incidentally, bi/gay) is buried. It was pretty amazing being there, not least so I could tell the man to his face, erm, grave, how annoying some parts of As You Like It are. It was great, despite, like Cork, having spread ourselves a little too thin this time. Felt like we were perpetually on planes and packing. Next time we promise ourselves more time to breathe and settle down. Plus, it will be the summer, which will be great. Seeing the Emerald Isle in a different light and all that. Plus, fishing! I swear, the time will not fly (pun fully intended) quickly enough.... Love, Art

FLIGHTLESS IN FRICKING ASIA...

Sorry for the radio silence. Just back from a work/supposed-to-have-been-short-holiday thing in Bangkok. Bushwhacked. Explains why you have not yet seen the promised photos from Ireland/England which now seems forever and a half ago. Sorry. In other news, Bangkok did not quite go as, well, planned. Got there, worked my butt off, and got the stories done. Never saw the outside of the UN building or the hotel room, but ate nothing but Thai food and managed to get a decent number of stories off before Sunday morning when the man was meant to get in so we could have a nice two-plus days together. Meant. To. Get. In. In what felt like a horrible mish mash of Tom Hanks films, here's what actually happened. He got off work at 2am Saturday, and since he had to leave for the airport about 3 or so hours later, decided he would simply stay up.... So there was poor ole Pete, sleep deprived after a harrowing week. Anyway. So the boy gets to the airport, checks in, goes through the usual waiting-for-a-flight motions. Gets to the gate. Gets on the plane. The plane - Thai Airways, no less - leaves the terminal, taxis to the runaway, starts down it with an (apparently) awful, air-leaking kinda sound before it ends up turning around, with the pilot announcing that the plane ain't going nowhere thanks to "hydraulic failure".... @*(&*(&(^$)(*#%(*((*)(#$ So the boy and other passengers that have connections from Doha to Munich to catch get spat back out, when they are told (I am not kidding) that Biz class will get put on SQ, and the rest have to "fend for yourselves, or wait for our next available flight". which turns out to the half a blinking day later. According to Pete, it was nothing short of mayhem, with the airline not even offering a dang meal coupon to them. Either way, he waited around, and got updates that ranged from "it will take an hour and a half to fix the plane", to "we are bringing in a plane and it will take four hours". He tries to see if there are other flights, but no, nothing. Flights are full. Argh. The boy was, of course, as grumpy as someone who is stuck at an airport because their plane has "hydraulic blinking failure", and I decide to try and see if he can just go home and crash, and I'll come back instead, since I am sick anyway - but no, no dang flights are available for that day from Bangkok. He's stuck in the terminal and can't get to BKK. I'm stuck in a hotel can't get to Singers. The plane, as it were, can't get nowhere. At least not while its dripping all kinds of shite onto the tarmac. Double argh. So what was meant to have been a three day break for us, turned out to be a one-long-nap and one-busy day. Sigh. Ah well. The trip had its (few, but pleasant) moments. Deciding on the Hyatt Club proved to be a great idea - great location, brilliant service. Pete finally managed to get in close to 5pm (which put an end to the Chatuchak idea). We had a short nap and then hit the lounge for sunset cocktails before hitting Suan Lom Night Market to shop a bit. Ended up getting Thai street food in an Italian restaurant after (don't ask) and then both conceded defeat and went back to the hotel to chill and see who'd crash first. Had a nice lie in the next day and chilled at the hotel before hitting some of the swanky shops in the vicinity. Then we had a lovely Thai-Chinese meal in this really cute streetside restaurant that was amazing, thanks to Satwant (thanks babe!) and did a wee bit of shopping in Silom, before parking off for a few drinks at a bar with a live (lip synching) band. It was, coincidentally, right across from a strip bar called, aptly, Supergirls. Decided against going in for the show, but did get shown the extensive "menu". Will resist going into details on what is, decidedly, meant to be a NC16 blog, but they involved ping pong balls, flame throwng and the creative opening of beer bottles. You know the sort. Eventually ended up finally at a pool hall when I got my ass royally whipped on the table by lasses in five inch heels and two inch skirts. After three games I think my ego was sufficiently bruised to concede defeat and head back. It wasn't quite the usual Bangkok getaway. No endless shopping. No cheap massages. Still, it was nice. I think even if all you do is chill, sleep and wake, there is definitely something therapeutic about doing it somewhere other than home, when the cell phone isn't ringing/beeping off the hook and you're not going to bump into any one you know. Looking forward to our next PROPER break though. Art Ps: Yes, the rest 0f the vacation photos from Ireland will come now. So let's kick it off with Birmingham. Enjoy. Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com