Adventure

In January of 2002 I followed V to this country, him already a student here and me a new bride. I arrived on a wet and dark evening, the drizzle and wind just the first of many winters worth. The delight of seeing my newly minted husband meant that dragging my one samsonite with it's prescribed 23 kgs on the tube to our tiny studio an hour away went unnoticed.

After a decade which has seen us live as tenants, change multiple jobs, buy a n apartment, make it our home, have a child and build a circle of acquaintances, friends and friends who are family, we are off on a new and much sought after adventure.

We move to the sunnier climes of Singapore in a month. The many material things that constitute our home are being packed as I write this.

I have a lot more to write about our move. Watch this space.

All the wives

While V had a day of Olympic tennis the kid and I stayed home to clean and polish and play and cook. We had a very busy Saturday.

Still trying to get through my resolution of de-cluttering (get over it already 30in2005, I hear you say), we decided to tackle the books once the polishing was done!

Children's books first - managed to separate about 20 books that he has outgrown. Mine were a bit harder to deal with because I already gave away 120 books over December and January.

At first glance it seemed like I had pruned enough. But as I went through my bookshelves with a stricter eye I have myself a new rule. I would only keep a book that I had re-read or had every intention to do so. If only to find one line or page that meant something to me. A quick read of the book jackets would have to be enough to stir my memory of the story and tell me if I wanted to keep it. So that is what I did. With so many books to go through it took it's time and I have only managed to get through about half. And so far about 20 books have made their way to our hallway, sitting bravely in a pile waiting for new homes, new readers.

Interestingly I found a pile of books with each title including the word wife or wives. Took a picture (I'm getting better at this documenting of my mundane life) - here it is. Any guesses as to which ones I'm keeping and which I'm giving away? (a: top one, b c d e below it).

Haberdashery 2

I am so technologically challenged that I couldn't edit to add some pictures and text to my last post. Hence the new post.

I wish I had more nimble fingers and a creative mind. I have to resort to just browsing this twee little shop and enjoying the colours and simple order and higgledy piggledy ness of things in it - wierd how it manages to be both.

I've discovered how much I love independent shops. And even when I don't need anything I find myself buying something small just to support that effort.

Today my friend and I bought some large wooden letters to be painted by our kids on the next day in. The £1.50 for each will in fact buy us at least 20 minutes of activity, sticking, painting and talking about the alphabet with small whiny children while we lament the wind and rain. Some things are priceless.

Hello Olympics - 15

Amazing fireworks. Sorry about my rubbish camera phone - they were incredibly close and clear and spectacular but look fuzzy in the pictures.

It's been a remarkable opening ceremony for something so hotly anticipated. Unlike the previous perfectly choreographed opening at Beijing this was choreographed to seem more characterful and quirky. They got a lot in and it was incredible how much fun the participants looked like they were having.

We drank champagne and skipped between the TV and terrace to watch the bits inside the stadium and the changing lights and fireworks visible from where we stood. We ate and drank and chatted and critiqued and laughed and praised and sang/ hummed/ played at guessing songs.

About to go to bed now, the adrenaline rush from the excitement of the evening means I shall read till I unwind. If I haven't said it before I'll say it now - we are so incredibly lucky to have witnessed this. I love my London life.

Hello Olympics - 14

Torchbearers x 7 young athletes nominated by 7 Olympians. Brilliant idea. Gorgeous cauldron.

Hello Olympics - 13

Fireworks! I love my house!

Hello Olympics - 12

Ussain! Rockstar athlete!

Hello Olympics -11

India!

Hello Olympics - 10

Reflections of the tragic events of 7/7, the day after the Olympics were awarded to London 7 years ago.

Hello olympics - 9

The hilarious Rowan Atkinson - simply the best face ever!

Hello Olympics - 8

Mary Poppins.

Hello Olympics - 7

The NHS!

Hello Olympics - 6

James bond and the queen.

And the lights as Daniel Craig parachutes down.

Hello Olympics - 5

The rings.

Hello Olympics - 4

Industrial revolution. And feminism at the Olympics.

Hello Olympics - 3

Dinner is served.

Hello Olympics - 2

All the amazing yachts and super yachts in the dock by us. The buzz of people and machinery and adrenaline is palpable in the air.

Hello Olympics - 1

It's time! And we have a fab view from our home. We have friends round, snacks, champagne and a hearty if simple meal. Here goes:

This is the sky as the red arrows have gone by.

Haberdashery

One of the loveliest things about London - also one of the things that is rapidly disappearing - is the number of independent shops.

I'm not one for sewing or knitting (two pastimes oft pressed upon our summer vacations) but I absolutely love looking at the colours and orderliness of a haberdashers. The last one I went to was in John Lewis in Oxford street and that was about 9 years ago, in pursuit of white ribbons for a campaign I was involved in.

Wandered into the lovely Papillion in Greenwich days after it opened. It's an adorable little shop full of colour and creative ideas and managed by it's talented owner for most of the day. It has skeins of wool, ribbon, thread and fabric, all the accompaniments to create things from knotting and knitting needles to kits. It was a cheerful interlude on the way to the park, and I even bought some wooden letters to do a craft project with my son.

Don't know that I'll take up cross stitch again but I know where to look if I do.

Papillion: 90 College Approach, Greenwich SE10 9HY

An east end Saturday night

Went out for dinner with friends last night. Stuck to the bit of London I love most. Excellent meal at Upstairs at the Ten Bells. The buttermilk chicken with pine salt was divine and I could have gladly eaten those moreish bites all night.

Not the largest portions (and me, I am partial to comforting large bowls of food) but beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. Shabby chic with creaky old stairs and a high ceilinged room above the noisy pub. Very lovely attentive waiters and an ambience perfect for an evening out. Don't know that I would go back seeing as there is much more of London unexplored. But I would definitely recommend this to try.