Lost!

We were in a hurry that day. It was raining hard outside Harvey Nicks and I just managed to hail a cab, got everyone in and pushed the pram in. It was not until much later when the little one asked "Where's Tigger?" did we realised that Tigger was lost.

Tigger had been with us since the little one was about 1+. Besides being a toy, he was an occasionable bed companion, been with us for a few trips and took over many disguises when she is playing. I never thought she is very much attached to him ~ she never really insisted to have Tigger for bedtime nor requested to have him specially. How wrong was I!

When she realised Tigger was lost, the waterworks started. I think it is coupled with being so tired after rushing around the whole day and the horrible thoughts of Tigger being LOST and ALONE. She cried and cried and no amount of cajoling, kisses and cuddles can abate her tears. It was heart-rending hearing her say "Tigger really misses me. Tigger is all alone. I miss Tigger"

Went to the place we stopped the cab to look around, called the cab company in the off-chance it might be there and even resort to half fib by telling that Tigger is looking after another little girl with no toys. No, it didn't work.

We went home and the little one insisted that we make a "Lost" poster. I never knew so many details of Tigger were in her head. Here is the poster, which we hung outside our front door :

the curly tail, the stripes, the little tuft of black at the end of the tail. Even Tigger's funny ears. It's all there. She carefully wrote her name and burst into tears again. In a broken voice, she whispered she wants to kiss Tigger so that's why there is a lipstick mark just there.

We went to the Disney store the next day and yes, I got her another Tigger. It is a little bigger than the old one and I said since she is a big girl, she needed a bigger Tigger. She was pleased with the new one and the Cinderella cushion that I bought as well but until now, if she is feeling a little sad, she would crawled onto my lap and whisper "I miss my old Tigger..."

I'm still alive....

....except I am totally consumed with my Malay blog. It's like greeting a long lost lover - my love affair with Bahasa Melayu. From crooning old Malay songs to watching old Malay movies, I'm doing them all now.

What an irony! I was so entwined with my Malay culture when I was growing up - taking part in endless cultural activity after another - be it traditional malay dance, dikir barat, Malay debate. Straight into hostel at Uni, I was the only Malay girl in the whole place. I hardly listen to Malay radio, Malay tv programmes bore me and I just noticed how thin and insubstantial Berita Harian looks besides the other national papers. Malay films of that era with all their slapstick and low production values grated my nerves. Imagine this ~ a scene in one of the Malay programmes.. one doctor telling his patient's husband "Isteri awak mendapat tonsilitis - Barah tekak" (Your wife has got tonsilities i.e. throat cancer).

I got sick of the misconception some have of Malays and I was sick of some of the world views held by some Malays. In other words, I became alienated. Don't get me wrong ~ it's not like I am ashamed of being Malay. It's just become a minor part of me. And when I started my travels here to London, it became dormant. Other than speaking Malay and craving malay food, I speak and breathe English.

It was not a big thing - just two of my old friends encouraging me to write in Malay. A tiny spark that rekindled my love in my heritage. It spawned my malay blog and for quite a while, I'm totally obsessed; seeking malay songs on youtube, finding out who is Mawi, caring about siti nurhaliza's wedding and finally in a long long while, I decided to foray to the wilderness and bought two new Malay films . One was not bad at all and the other was totally enjoyable.

So forgive me, my dear sriperwira blog. It is not that I have forgotten you. :)

Happy National Day, Singapore!

The last time I celebrated National Day in Singapore was some seven years ago. I knew I would be away the year after and had bagged seats to watch the NDP at the Stadium. The best bit is always the fireworks at the end. There's something magical about fireworks.

Nothing much happened at the Singapore High Commission in London for National Day. No open house or celebration. Maybe just a dinner for invited guests only. So here's my bit to celebrate National Day. Also on talkingcock.com, they revisited an old National Day special "60 Signs You are a True Singaporean"

Blogging in Malay

My two cyber frens IU and Nani had roped me in to blog in Malay. Now why i never thought of that. Brain workout out now - hard to blog in malay, have to translate my thoughts. what kind of malay am I?

Our last day in Paris

We checked out early on our last day to Paris. After leaving our bags at concierge, we made our way to Galeries Lafayette and Printemps; two names which were famous in Singapore at one point but sadly now defunct. These two rivals are very much alive in Paris with lavish stores along . Galeries Lafayette has a dedicated Home section in a separate building on the road opposite to its main building. It is stores like this that made me wish I have my own flat! Gorgeous quirky furnishings including bright coloured 50’s style electric fans and over-the-top wooden frames in bright pink and acid green.

We bought lunches from Galeries Lafayette’s and ate our lunch off the steps of Opera Garnier, the opera house made famous by Phantom of the Opera. A quick bus ride and we were at the South Bank, on our way to Notre Dame.


Notre Dame

It was another hot, hot day. Notre Dame’s forecourt was awashed with tourists like us. Nevetheless, the way it rears up the sky is impressive in the afternoon sun. For a fee, you can climb up to the top where the gargoyles are. I had fun telling the little one about the gargoyles – that they are for funnelling rain water and since the noise it makes sounds like they are gargling, that’s why they are called gargoyles! We sat in the shade in the restive rear court. In this heat, with the wind blowing from the River Seine and a Jazz band busking at the background, it was easy to nod off to sleep.

After half an hour rest, we walked through the narrow lanes towards the metro with a pitstop at Berthillon, Paris’ best icecream. The queues for Berthillon’s icecream is long as always. We still think Amorino is the best icecream in Paris but it is so refreshining to have a cold sorbet in this heat.

We went back to the hotel, collect our bags and since we have about two hours, we sat at Leon, at Plaza de la Republique. I was extremely surprised that we did not discover this place sooner. They serve mussels and frites!! Yum yum! what could be a better finish to our Paris holiday than to guzzle mussels and fries? It is distinctly Brussels food but I don’t care. We ordered a large pot of mixed seafood with squid, prawns and mussels to share. The mussels were small, tender and absolutely delicious!

Before long, it was time to go to Gare Du Nord and head back to London. It has been a wonderful trip and I want to go back to Paris again.

Maison La Duree

*Photo Credit : www.laduree.fr

I emerged from the Louvre, blinking in the bright afternoon sun. Our next stop would be a walk up the Champ Elysee, towards the Arch de Triomphe. Champ Elysee is very much a tourist spot now although not as bad as Oxford Circus in London. There are still some smart boutiques about like Louis Vuitton.

It was an unbearably hot afternoon and we took care to walk in the shady side of the street. Nearer to the Arch, I found what I was looking for – La Maison La Duree! The infamous tea room which sells the most delectable pastries and macaroons. NYF once bought me a whole box from Paris and I cannot forget the taste ever since.

The pistachio walls outside with its elegant confections on display hides a huge queue for its famous macaroons. I joined the queue with some 50 people before me. The inside was all gilt and glass, muted colours and light. Very posh!


The interior of La Duree

Only a few people buy their delectable pastries – most people in the queue are for the macaroons. And what macaroons they are! Not the coconut hard biscuit type but small light round biscuits sandwiched together with a specially flavoured filling. The colours and the flavours they came in are amazing – ranging from black for liquorice to light pink for apricot ginger to chocolate to mango. There are 14 flavours altogether.

30 minutes later, it was my turn and I asked for one in each flavour. Emerged from the dim interior triumphant and showed Jenol, MH and little one the light green box, with its beautifully tied ribbon. Each small delight is 1.30 euros ($2.60!) so we sat down to savour them.



Jenol tried to find an equivalent in terms of taste and in his limited praise said “Macam Suji lah!”… Oh no darling, it is nowhere like suji! Not in its lovely colour, the delicate biscuit which is crunchy at the first bite but gets chewy as you bite into the filling. The whole box was demolished in about 5 minutes with Jenol saying “Ni apa resepi ni? kalau bukak kedai kat Singapore, mesti laku.”

It was not until I did a search on the internet that I found LaDuree has a branch at Harrods but at £24 for 18 pcs, it must be for very special occasions only. Apparently according to NYF, Bakerzin in Singapore might sell something similar but I cannot vouch for it. So if anyone wants to be in my good books, they’ll know what to do. Harrods do delivery. hehehehe

Paris : 15 June 2006

I simply love Paris. It was so beautiful when we were here in Sept 2002, when little one was only 9 months old. It was also a short trip then and I’ve missed many “must do” like visiting Louvre, Musee D’Orsay and Versailles. Unfortunately, we would technically have only 2.1/2 days for this trip so I am determined to squeeze as much in as possible.

We walked down towards Rue Rivoli and had the most delicious Italian gelato on the way. It is from Amorino and is very similar to the ones they sell in Odono’s in U.K. and that shop in Takashimaya basement. However, for a small cone, Odonos only let us have one flavour but here, oh la la! They scraped one flavour in the middle and artfully arranged the other flavour like petals around the rim of the cone. It looks like a little flower – a cool and delicious little flower which we devoured in less than 5 minutes. Thus refreshed, we walked to the bus stop along Rue Rivoli for no. 69.

We had taken this service before all the way to Champ de Mars where Eiffel Tower is. Along the way, the bus will stop by the middle of the road, execute a 90 deg left turn and squeeze through Entrance Rivoli of the Louvre, which are columns about 2m. wide. Look left as the bus enter through the columns and you will see the inner courtyard of the Louvre with I.M Pei’s glass Pyramid. The first time I saw it the sun was shining bright and the Louvre lighted up in gorgeous honeycomb gold with the glass pyramid glittering in the sun.

The bus terminated service before we could get to Champ de Mars so we walked the rest of the way. It was some 30min. later before we are staring up at the Iron Lady herself, La Tour Eiffel. From the distance, it looks slender and elegant but when you are right underneath it, with its four pillars astride, you would realise how huge the tower is.


You don't realise how massive the Eiffel Tower is until you are right underneath her!


The Eiffel Tower again.



The last visit we had opted to go all the way up – not recommended really since the queues for the lifts to ascend are horrible. I’ve never waited so long for a lift before. Best to just go up to the first floor where not only can you walk round the perimeter and see the whole of Paris, you can dine at the restaurant, buy souvenirs, watch good historical films of the tower at Cine Eiffel and also send a postcard from La Poste, complete with Tour Eiffel postmark.

Jenol, being a lift engineer, was absolutely fascinated with all the pulleys and mechanism working the lifts. The lift goes in a slope up each foot of the Eiffel Tower and at the bottom of each lift, they actually have a wooden guy to depict how the lifts were operated in the olden days. We decided to go down the steps rather than wait for the lift. I didn’t realise how high up we were, even on the first floor, until I looked down. Gayat you! Had to keep my eyes on the horizon to calm my nerves. By the time, we arrived back it was getting rather chilly so we headed straight back to the hotel to look for food and rest

Paris : 16 June 2006

After a hasty breakfast of tarte pommes (apple tart lah..), we are off to Montmatre. I missed this one from the last trip; only managed to see it from a distance. We alighted at Anvers and followed the crowd. Before long, you can see the magnificient Basilique du Sacre Coeur (Basilic of the Sacred Heart). It stands on the highest point in Paris, all arches and domes, gleaming white against a perfect blue sky.


The Basilic of the Sacred Heart (Sacre Couer), all gleaming white domes and turrets piercing the blue sky.

You can walk up the steep steps or opt for the funicular. It’s another queue for the funicular but thankfully it is a very short journey. The view of Paris from the steps of Sacre Coueur is better than from Eiffel Tower. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining brightly. An old man played a violin and with the muted sounds of the carousel, you feel as if you are on the set of Amelie.

We walked down via the steps, stopped by the discount stores for cheap tshirts and turned right towards Pigalle and Moulin Rouge. It is the red light district with neon lights, girls in suggestive poses with bits coyly covered and almost every other shop screamed Sex.


The Art Deco sign of the Metropolitan, Paris' underground trains, framing the infamous Moulin Rouge. Perhaps a leeetle more glamorous at night, no?

We stopped to take a photo of the famous Moulin Rouge before taking the metro to Palais du Royal – Musee Louvre. In the bright afternoon sun, it does not look remotely sexy or seedy although I cannot vouch for how it looks at night. It is definitely longer than the infamous Red Light district in Amsterdam although Amsterdam would still be special because of its “beckoning” windows. Hmm.. bila lah Geylang RLD boleh jadi tourist attraction?

Musee Louvre

It is a little known fact that the entrance via the metro station, at the Galerie du Caroussel is much quicker route into the Louvre than the entrance from the pyramid. Yes, finally I get to go to the Louvre! MH and Jenol are not too interested to look at paintings but there are enough shops, cafes and restaurant at the lower ground floor to occupy them while I went inside.

They have installed automatic ticket machines which had cut down the queues dramatically. I bought mine at the Tabac (tobacconist) just outside. (lagi no queue) There is a lovely shop selling art books for kids and pretty antique-style French gowns. Would love to get one for the little one cos she would look like a princess but at 125 euros? I don’t think MH will be amused. I spotted a Post Office! Quickly dashed in, bought a Mona Lisa postcard and mailed it back to U.K.


Underneath I.M Pei's iconic glass pyramid. The column on the left has a platform that acts like a lift for buggies and wheelchairs

From the post office, you walked through to the Inverse Pyramid with it’s miniature pyramid underneath it, made famous by The Da Vinci Code. Follow the crowd and there you are, underneath the big glass pyramid with the three entrances to each wing. The old style buildings outside looked superb framed through the controversial pyramid.

Of course, like 90% of the tourists there, I was looking for Mona Lisa so I headed towards the Denon Wing. The way to this beautiful lady is very well signposted with paper images of her along the way. If you miss the signposts, just followed the crowd. Almost all of them were paying homage to the great painting.

If you turn into Galerie Daru, over the heads of the throng of people, in all its glory, the Winged Victory of Samothrace. It is placed so dramatically by the upward climbing stairs that with its outstretched wings and wind-whipped clothes, it looked like it is about to take flight.


The famed Winged Victory of Samothrace


From another angle. Isn't she beautiful?

According to the guides, it is a sculpture of Nike (Victory) from the Hellenistic period, dated 208 BC, which made it over 2000 years old. Found off the island of Samothrace, it was perhaps sculpted to celebrate a famous naval victory. I simply marvelled at the beatiful way its garments were sculpted. You can almost feel the sea winds whipping away at its clothes, feel the wetness from the sea sprays and smell the briny sea.


My pathetic attempt of immortalising the Mona Lisa. She smiles just for you

Follow the crowd towards the Italian Paintings and there she is. La Gioconda. The one with the mysterious smile. Mona Lisa herself. The crowds are kept back with a divider and she sits secure behind a darkened bulletproof glass. The sign which the guard desperately waved at the crowd said “No photography” but I could not resist She sits shyly with her folded arms, a thin black veil over her head, with her knowing smile. Perhaps smiling with mirth at the miling throng before her, paying homage to her beauty and her secrets. .

No wonder she is smiling – the antics of the people crowded in front of her is enough to make anyone smile. An old couple spent a long time in front of her, not even giving anyone behind them a chance to take a look. A few people pushed to the front, took one look and then turned away with a “Is that all? What is the fuss all about?”. A young mother carrying a baby in her arms bypassed the divider and went really close to the photo. Another put her hand out, perhaps to cover one side of the face and then tried covering the other. The funny thing is another girl followed her example as well. A few loud Americans including one who said “Whassamadder with these people? Can’t they read no photographs?”

As for me, I stood there staring at the masterpiece. She is more beautiful in the “flesh” than the dozens reproductions I’ve seen; definitely more beautiful than the cheap 1 euro postcard I’ve bought. The darkened glass serves to throw shadows on that exquisitely painted face. With her veiled eyes and her secret smile, I felt that she is looking right through me and that we are sharing a private joke. For a moment, I felt that she is smiling just for me. I had tears in my eyes and moved away before I could be caught blubbing in front of this extraordinary painting. No wonder Leonardo Da Vinci said she is his finest work.


My favourite angle of Eros and Psyche. Eros looks like so light - like he is about to take flight.


A gentle cradle


..and kiss...

Away from the Mona Lisa, the Louvre is much quieter and more reflective. Oh the treasures they have in there! There is Venus de Milo, another iconic artwork of the lady without arms. I feel she is not as dynamic as the Winged Victory but it is unusual how she was sculpted with a twisting torso. My favourite sculpture is the statue of Eros and Psyche (above). I love the gentle way he cradles the sleeping Psyche and the tenderness in their entwined arms.


The lavish Napoleon apartments


Details on one of the chandeliers

I went to the Napoleon apartments over at the Richelieu wings. Gorgoeous deep burgundy colours on the walls with dripping chandaliers. The windows are drawn close and the colours are muted in the dark – of course they were trying to protect these precious furnishings from the bleaching effects of the sun. On the way here, I bypassed the large format painting of Napoleon’s coronation with Napoleon placing a crown on a kneeling Josephine. With their sumptous ermine trimmed scarlet robes, with diamonds dripping from their clothes, they would not looked out of place in the Louvre.

Disneyland Paris - 13 June 2006

When you wish upon a star….

In my childhood years, I’m often glued to the tv, watching Mickey Mouse Club and it was my fervent wish to go to Disneyland, the happiest place on earth. Disneyland Paris is near to us now and several years ago, I was in Paris but I always wanted to go to the one in Florida. However, spotted a really sweet deal in the papers and after a hurried consultation with hubby and Jenol, we are off to Parc Disneyland.

It was such an early start, catching the underground to Waterloo for the Eurostar. The little one is beyond excitement. We had done a sticker chart thingy for her where if she does well, she get a sticker and when it reaches the top, we will go to Disneyland. It is very effective!! Many a tantrum had been averted with threats to remove a sticker.

After arriving at Gare du Nord, we changed to the RER train to Val d’Europe. The Hotel Elysee where we would be staying for 2 nights is absolutely fab! A very good 3-star with spacious rooms and right across a shopping mall and factory outlet. We should have really taken the day easy; perhaps as a rest day before tackling Disneyland but we were far too excited!

There is a free shuttle service to Disneyland. I excitedly pointed out the large Mickey Mouse ears in the distance to the little one and before long we are at the gates of Disneyland. Went through the ticket barrier and we found ourselves on Main Street USA. It was 3.30pm (about 30min. away from the Disney Parade) and already people were plonking themselves by the rope barrier.

We dashed into one of the stores and grabbed a Minnie Mouse hat (complete with ears and bow) for the little one and stood by the rope barrier. Mickey Mouse himself was driven past in a little golf buggy. I waved till my arm was about to fall off and had tears in my eyes. Dahsyat you! 15 minutes later, music blared out of the speakers and the first float, Steamboat Willie complete with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and the whole gang passed by. It was amazing! One after another, each Disney character pass by in gorgeous floats – Cinderella with her prince in a pumpkin coach, Belle with the huge glowering Beast, Princess Aurora with her price and the Maleficient dragon, Ariel the little mermaid; they were all there.


Details on the Aladdin's float as seen during the Parade.


Dumbo's train in the Parade


Alaadin and Jasmine on the magic carpet


First in the Parade, Steamboat Willie! (Mickey Mouse first appearance as a cartoon)



Hmm.. who cannot guess what is this float about?


Beast and Lumiere, the talking candlestick who speaks with an outrageous French accent.


Another of the Beauty and the Beast float with Belle standing on top of a cake


After the parade, we went to Fantasyland. The Sleeping Beauty castle is as beautiful as in the pictures and it was a gateway to more kiddies ride. Despite the searing heat, the queues are phenomenal. We went on the carousel and Dumbo, the flying elephant. By the time, little one and I were done with Dumbo, it was time to wake up Jenol and MH.

The queue to It’s a Small World is definitely more manageable.I had been telling the little one about this ride; that there are dancing dolls and they are all singing. Even sang the song to her a few times. So she was raring to go. I was expecting some tacky ride and was pleasantly surprised. Yes, there are dancing dolls and wooden cutouts but all so very well done. The lighting and the animation were all first class and I could go on again.


A Thai representation in Disneyland's It's a Small World. I love the shadow puppet.


And of London with the Tower Bridge, Beefeaters and double decker bus


Here's another of the It's a Small World ride

Instead we went on the Disney Railroad Train, just to get our bearings for tomorrow all-day trip. The train went round to the five lands and I was pointing out the rides that we would take tomorrow to the little one. We squeezed in a few more sightseeing on foot and a quick recce at the shops before MH pleaded exhaustion and we had to go home.

Disneyland Paris - Day 2

Photo credit : Disneylandparis.fr

The day started well with none of yesterday’s energy-draining heat. After a good breakfast at the hotel, we clambered onto the free shuttle service and alighted at Disneyland. I was dismayed at the sight of throngs of people at the gate but it was only a bottleneck due to security checks.

The first thing I saw was Chip n Dale characters, posing for photogaraphs. Excitedly rushed there, dukung the little one and MH took a quick snap. The characters are all out in full force. Goofy was next but he was totally swarmed with kids. Still managed to get a photo after some strategic manouvering. Got one with Pluto too. Those poor people in the costumes must be swearing silently. I was looking out for Princesses for little one to take a photo with but only found Mary Poppins.

Left them searching for more photo opportunities while I dashed to Discoveryland for the Fastpasses and the elusive tickets to the live Lion King show. Fastpass is such a terrific idea. You slip in your pass and they print out a Fastpass with a time slot for you to return back to the ride. When you returned, you go on the fast queue through. I took fastpasses for the three most popular rides before heading off to Videopolis to get the Lion King tickets. They start giving tickets out after high demand and you can only get them at 11.00am. Thank goodness I managed to bag tickets for the 2.00pm shows.

Met the rest at Discoveryland after my frantic dash and we had 30min. to browse through the shops before our first Fastpass. In the shop, MH found my dream hat. I had been looking for that silly Goofy hat with floppy ears and teeth. Looked through the park yesterday with no success and hooray, we finally found it. I had that hat on for the rest of the day and MH cannot talk to me without laughing.

We went on Buzz Lightyear LaserBlast which is the newest ride in the park. The animatronics for Buzz is astonishing and we had fun blasting the aliens. Little one was tearful and was scared of all the nois though. She ended up sitting at the bottom of the ride with her face in my lap. Poor sayang!

After Buzz, it was time for Star Tours which is really Star Wars. It is probably renamed because of copyright issues. We “boarded” a space vehicle, which according to the story, was heading towards the exit but due to malfunction, went through restricted area. It was a simulation ride with a big screen and it felt like we were flying through space. What with all the tumbling and X-wing fighters flying past. We even went to hyperdrive. In the screen, you see the hyperdrive with the stars streaming past you (like Han Solo’s Millenium Falcon) and the seats went inertia like you are going really fast. The effect was mind-blowing! We passed the Death Planet and went to one of the grooves, just like Luke Skywalker did, but was sucked out at the last minute and landed back to where we started, just narrowly missing a fuel tank.

Space Mission was next. MH went on the Orbitron queue with little one instead while Jenol and I went onto the Fastpass queue. From the outside, it doesn’t look like much. Just a ride with a fast trajectory but how wrong were we! The ride started slow enough but the trajectory elicit a scream from both of us. Inside the dome, it was pitch black. I can’t see a thing except felt lots of juddering and swoops. Neon lights exploded with whirls and galaxies above us which are quite beautiful but I am glad to land safely on terra firma.

MH was still in the Orbitron queue so I went to get lunch. Oh my goodness! It must be the slowest queue ever and they are just serving burgers. and the prices are just too expensive for bad quality food. Managed to get four Kids meals which have huge servings anyway. Blotted down our food before heading for the Lion King show.

We managed to bag seats near the stage although it was too far to the right of the stage. It is a condensed version of the live musical playing in London but no less amazing. At the start, a whole curtain of water fell at the back like a huge waterfall and we were transported to deepest Africa. Timon and Pumba were two costumed characters with Pumba just metres next to us. The singing and dancing was spot-on and we left wanting more.

After the show, we traipsed across to Adventureland. Thunder Mountain Fastpass was not working and the queue is 55min. so we went to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril. It is an outdoor rollercoaster ride with one 360 deg. loop. It was a short ride and good but not as scary as Nemesis or Oblivion at Thorpe Park. Now that had 10 loops! A few last minute shopping with me mulling over which t-shirts to buy for whom and we hopped over to Walt Disney Studio next door.

Walt Disney Studios - Paris 2006

*I post these terbalik so we can get a full read through*

After the jam-packed Disney park, Walt Disney Studios seems empty. It is rather nice really. Queues to the rides are only about 5 – 10 minutes apart but the emptiness made the place less buzzy, somehow.

I let MH and Jenol went on the Armageddon Simulation tour which is really a Behind the Scenes tour. It took a long time so little one and I shared a pizza. They ran out Mickey Mouse shaped ones unfortunately. I thought the souvenirs are much better priced here and grabbed a pair of drinking glasses. They even had a fake long hair complete with bandana hat which looks very Mat Rock – probably a nod to the Rock N Roller coaster Ride with Aerosmith available in the park.

Finally persuaded MH to go on the ride. They came out 20 minutes later, grinning widely. I went on with Jenol and it was totally out of this world! Definitely the best ride of the day. Each seat has about five speakers and once the rollercoaster rolled into position, it immediately blasted off. It was dark but not as dark as Space Mountain. You can actually see the tracks looping. Lightbulbs flashed, neon lights goes on and off, you go through a large neon circle, turn loops and sudden drops and all the while with rock music blaring in your ears. Fantastic!

After buying the obligatory photo shoot and getting more t-shirts, we said bye-bye to Disneyland. It has been quite a trip and we wanted to come back again.


Practical Tips for Disneyland

*Scour newspapers for deals. They sometimes have great deals like kids travel free. For ours, it is £55 per person for a two-night stay (2 day Hopper pass included. The pass itself is worth £68 per pax). Book Eurostar early enough and you can get a return for £59.

*Water is 2 euros per bottle. Best to bring a water bottle since they have drink fountains around the park. Food in the park itself is expensive and horrid. There is a better choice of McDonalds, Rainforest Café, Planet Hollywood and even a Kebab shop at Disney Village.

*Good websites for Disneyland Paris is http://homepages.which.net/~ian/ and http://www.dlpuog.co.uk/

World Cup : Spain v Tunisia 19 June 2006

Check out that two mamat singapore at the left hand corner of the photo. Jenol is in yellow and MH is next to him Photo : Courtesy of BBC.co.uk


World Cup 2006
Stuttgart, Germany
Monday, 19 June 2006
Spain 3 - Tunisia 1

This posting is out of sequence. I meant to do the write-up of Paris first but that will take time. It is such a lifelong dream of every football fan to go to the World Cup. My hubby and friends had been talking of going to the World Cup for yonks! First France 1998, then Japan/Korea 2002 and finally Germany 2006. With Jenol already planning a trip to Europe this year and with us being so close to Germany, it seems a crime not to try and go to the World Cup.

The trip took a long time to plan with us registering on fifaworldcup. com for their ticket ballots. Tickets to the matches are hard to come by - only 33% are opened to the public for purchase. With millions going for only thousands of tickets, finally landing a Spain v Tunisia Group Match tickets was like winning the lottery. I remembered MH (my hubby) getting a call from Jenol in the middle of Kensington Park and him whooping for joy. Alamak ingat dapat tiket for the final, rupanye group match je... jadik lah...

So it was another early morning start for both of them on Monday, 19 June to fly in to Stuttgart. I have prepared a big file of their 9-day jaunt to Germany and Amsterdam. They were excitedly packing their bags with football shirts, cup noodles, sleeping bag, chilli sauce for Jenol and even two Singaporean flags (courtesy of Jenol's RC member friend). It won't be a luxury trip in Germany - I've booked them into Fan Camps which are the cheapest accommodation at 12 euros per night.

I received excited phone calls every step of the way, from landing at Stuttgart airport, to train station, to their campsite at Fan Camp Stuttgart and finally to the Stadium. MH was excitedly telling me how they are at the Spanish fan's end, just behind the goalpost and they had hung up their Singaporean flags. Lots of people though it was Tunisia flag and must think "Ini mamat Tunisia sudah sesat masuk Spain" and they had loads of photos taken.

In show of solidarity, I did watched the match to see whether I could spot them on TV. Just as they were playing Spain's national anthem, they did some fan shots and yes, I can make out the Singapore flag with Jenol in his bright yellow Brazil tshirt. Hooray!! and when they did a replay of Tunisia's goal, the Singapore flag was seen at the back.

Spain was lagging behind 1-0 to Tunisia at the first half. Second half was a different story with an opportunistic kick from team captain, Raul, a goal from young Torres (Man U & Chelsea are already arguing about him) and a penalty shoot from Torres. All the goals (including Tunisia's) were at MH and Jenol's goal end so it must have been pretty sweet.

Jenol's Jam-Packed Jaunt to Europe

My husband has been all smiles last week by the virtue that his old classmate from his days in VS, is finally here. It will be his penultimate Europe trip with jaunts into Paris, a five day sojourn to Germany complete with World Cup ticket (yes!yes!), a down-time few days in chilled out Amsterdam before flying into Liverpool to pay homage to Anfield, Goodison Park and Old Trafford. Manalah mat tu tak happy?

We kicked off with a whirlwind tour of London, on the hottest day of the year here. Even Jenol was surprised how hot it is here. 32º C! and unlike Singapore, no aircon shopping malls! Even our car has manual aircon i.e. bukak tingkap.

We started with a drive around Park Lane and Mayfair (which I affectionately call the Monopoly tour), passed the statue of Boudicea on Hyde Park roundabout, down Green Park where we passed the first ever Hard Rock Café in the world, passed Piccadilly Circus where statue of Eros stood. It is once said that if you sat there long enough, everyone in the world will pass by.

We turned off and passed theatre where Phantom of the Opera is still playing. I remember being mad about it in JC – finally watched it with YF after all those fan years and was slightly miffed at how cheesy it was. Still very watchable though.

We swung past Trafalgar Square with its lions. Lord Admiral Nelson is still being renovated, pass 10 Downing Street and down to Westminster Palace and Big Ben. Parked nearby St. James tube station and walked to Westminster Abbey (which is closed because of Sunday mass).

From the abbey, Westminster Palace with its House of Lords and House of Commons is a mere few steps away. I once went on the inside tour and was amazed at the difference between the gold and glitz of the House of Lords and the brown and green utilitarian look at the House of Commons. Who says there is no more class barriers in U.K.? Apparently, members of the Commonwealth nation sent gifts to U.K. and yes, I managed to check out Singapore’s gift which is a table and some chairs. How pragmatic but that’s Singapore for you.

We walked across the bridge to gawp at the London Eye. It was far too hot to stand in the queue. Jenol kept saying that it hardly moves but on closer inspection, you can see that it does. 30min. just to do one revolution!

After taking a few photos with Dali’s elephant and the London Eye pod on the background, we backtracked towards St. James Park. It was definitely much more pleasant to walk in the shade of the trees by the lake. When it is so hot like this, I often forget how cold it can get in London. Thank goodness for the shady trees in St. James park. It was so lovely to get out of the sun for a while and we walked down to Buckingham Palace with the strains of a marching band in the background.

Buckingham Palace was teeming with tourists, eager to get an eyeful of the Changing of the Guards. We decided that a quick peek is enough. Constitution Hill is bedecked with flags and we were in the middle of the rehearsal for next week's Trooping of the Colours for the Queen's birthday. Needless to say, the marching bands were very good; probably better than what we get at National Day Parades although I do miss hearing the commands in Malay.

Talking about Malay, we decided it was far too hot to traipse around London so we headed back to the car and took a well-deserved lunch at Mawar.

Bila nak balik?

Just received an email from an old mate and the "soalan cepu mas" came out again. "Bila nak balik?" and I answered "maybe in 2 years time". hmmm.. been saying that for the last six years. hahahahaa.. dah takde value lagi lah that answer. Dah syiok sangat ke aku kat London ni?

I am adamant that we were to go back for the little one to start school but that means going back next year and we are nowhere near ready! There is still too many places I wanted to go to from here. It is just so easy to get bog down with work and even with the generous holidays they give here (27 days! compared to 14 days in Singapore), we never find the time and the funds to go. Especially now that little one is starting proper school in September.

Nevertheless, managed to squeeze in a quick trip to Amsterdam with Anita while she was here on her maiden Europe trip. Having Anita here was fun, fun, fun! I wish more of my kakis can make the trip to London.

It was a long awaited amd long planned trip. No need to bore people with the zillions of emails that pinged back and forth between Anita and me but on 21st April, she finally appeared in the flesh! I must say the first words I spoke to her was "Anita! your hair so straight!" and then " I can't believe you are here!!" and then "I don't remember you being shorter than me". Good friend ah...

Although the joy of having a good fren over was interrupted by her "stalker", we recouped back the fun during the 3-day trip to Amsterdam. I had been there before with husband and child. Big mistake to bring child! You can't go into all the interesting (read : sex) shops. It was just us girls this time round and what a riot we had! Definitely something to be repeated in the future.

Rock tetap Rock!

Photo credit : Grand Brilliance

Art passed us "Rock", a film that came out in late 2005. Like all things that had to travel the distance here, like Berita Harian, Gila-Gila comics and Malay films, it would be basi for me to talk about this but whateverlah... I just watch it what...

M and I had such a laugh watching the film. Wah!! seluar ketat, rambut gondrong, posing rabak and all that high pitch wailing. tak tahan aku. It is not the most fantastic film. Editing could be tighter. It started well but somehow grew wearisome about 3/4 way through. That 3D animation bird which was meant to be amateurish was just too dire for words, the vomiting scene was slapstick and what with all the minahs hanging around at the end?

Nevertheless, we enjoyed it, especially during the second sitting when we can forward the boring bits. Loved the spoof music video Rimba Bara did for BPR "Keunggulan Cinta". How 80s Malay Rock is that? The fake drumming on imaginary drums, the posing next to kapalterbang at some museum, posing by rail tracks. Only thing missing is singing by air terjun. hahahaha.

Loved the death metal band "Malaikat Maut". Wahhh.. garang beb! bila they all masuk je, keluar asap smoke machine. nampak macam garang tapi tak menang je, terus nangis. lepas tu, the main singer sold out and auditioned for Rimba Bara. Dia nyanyi Taman Rashyidah Utama lah. mana lah tak cair? terus no more death metal, pakai seluar merah ketat pulak.

Loved the desperate measures they took - sampai habis PVC kerusi bas they all kebas! brown PVC boleh apa - nampak macam leather

Loved the taglines "Ini untuk Rockers aje. R.O.K.E.R...rockers". "Alah, dia nak datang sini pun kena tukar tiga bas", "Dia ingat kita ni band kerja kahwin ke?", "Band ini memang berpengalaman, dah biasa main kat expo, funfair, keja orang kahwin dan juga menjadi juara...badminton".

Overall, OK lah. can watch and reminisce about the old days. I was singing the songs for days.. altogether now. Keunggulan Cinta, dari sinar mata, yang bergelora.........

Alhambra, Granada 2006

“Give the blind beggar a few alms, my dear
For it is hard to be blind in Granada”

Such was the loveliness of Granada that these immortal words were spoken. The last bastion of Islamic hold in Europe, Granada is a city of melancholy, of sorrow and loss. I would debate against the claim that it is the fairest city in Europe. The traffic, construction work and graffiti in the central areas are certainly blights on this otherwise lovely place. However, walk around the white walls houses of the Albayzin in the quiet afternoon with the Alhambra rising proud opposite and the muezzin calling out the azan for zuhur prayers, you can feel all the serenity and beauty that prompt those words.



We took a mini-bus from Plaza Nueva which took us up the narrow lanes of Albayzin. Instead of coming off at Mirador St Nicholas with its famous view of Alhambra, we mistakenly set down a few stops before. It was all not in vain though. We walked up slowly on the cobbled streets; houses with high gates and fences to the left and the right of us.

The famous view of the Alhambra was elusive until we finally came to El Huerto De Juan Ranas. The door was open for a delivery and we found that is a restaurant, just opening for the day. A step through the door and the fabulous Alhambra spread out before us. The restaurant was right by the edge of the hill opposite Alhambra that we not only have a breathtaking view of the famous Alhambra, we also have the Albayzin spread beneath our feet.

The other time we went exploring round the Albayzin, we went up Calle Elvira. The alleys off the main road look increasingly like Morroccan souks with shops selling the ubiquitous shishas in rainbow colours, tea sets, leather slippers, pouffes, kaftans and scarves. I especially like all the teterias – small shops serving all manner of teas (from camomile to mandarin tea), couscous with lamb or chicken tagines and all types of freshly squeezed fruit juices. The comfy scattered cushions and the dim lighting certainly add to the cosiness of it all. I could happily spend the whole day there but the lure of shopping is far too hard to resist.


No trip to Granada is complete without visiting the jewel itself, Alhambra. I cannot explain the awe I felt as I walked on the ancient streets of Alhambra. The fact is I felt so humble under such grandeur and beauty. It is not the grandeur of jewels and gold but of the weight of such history behind it. No doubt it would have witnessed tragedy and sorrow within its wall but all that paled beside the sheer artistry of workmen many centuries ago.

The Alhambra suffered great destruction after the fall of the Islamic empire but I am glad that it is being appreciated now for being an architectural and artistic wonder. Extensive conservation had started on the site some years back and is still going on. Perhaps if more people were to visit this, they would realise that Islam is not all about terrorist and extremism but it also bred beauty and serenity, as many of my sisters and brother and I know it.

From the ticket gates, you walk through an avenue of cypress trees before reaching the main hub. The Alcazaba will be on your right and the Nasyrid Palaces on your left. The contrast between the military Alcazaba and the elegant Nasyrid palaces is evident. The Alcazaba was the main fortress, built to protect with its strong walls and robust towers. Climb the steep stairs up the two towers and you will be rewarded by spectacular views of Granada.

In the Nasyrid Palaces, you will come the famous Patio de Los Leones “Courtyard of the Lions”. The presence of the brooding lions fountain is a curiosity since animals are not depicted in Islamic art. The contrast between the stocky burly lions against the slender, graceful columns, all 124 of them is remarkable and serves only to enhance each other.

I especially love the graceful fretwork on the arches between the columns. They were beautifully crafted and even if they were made from humble materials like plaster, they withstood the test of time.











The interiors are as richly decorated with delicate carvings of Quranic verses and Arabic poetry. How long would have it taken to complete this amazing ceiling? In other rooms, colourful paintings on skins adorned the ceilings. These depict the Nasyrid Kings during meetings with their subjects. While we were there, these were still being conserved.

The rooms on the outer walls has full length windows overlooking the Albayzin. Despite the fabulous views, it is thought that these windows are often covered in thick materials and the floor strewn with precious carpets and cushions. The walls are again delicately carved and colourfully tiled in geometric patterns.




The Generalife is a short stroll away. It was once used as a fruit and vegetable orchard to meet the needs of this small city but has been converted to a beautiful garden. The summer palace of the Nasyrid kings is situated here as well. I cannot quite see what is the difference and why would this be a summer residence until I walked up to the Patio de la Acequia. Turn a corner and you are right smack in a beautiful garden with jets of water streaming in arches as far as the eye could see. A moment ago you will not have heard the soothing gentle murmur of water and now the sound wraps comfortingly around you.

The gentle murmur continues as you visit one garden after another – all adorned with fountains, streams and in the Escalera de Agua “Stairway of the Water”, the water flows down the grooves fashioned in the banisters.

On the way out of the Generalife, you’ll pass by the side of the Alhambra with shady trees, flowering blooms and comfy benches for you to sit and contemplate the beauty of Sierra Nevada in the distance. And finally, you will walk between two rows of trees with interwoven branches that form a pleasing tunnel of green over your head.

I am not skilled enough to capture the essence of this place in prose or in photography. The photos are my poor attempts to capture the beauty of this place but if you have to chance to go, please do so. I am so thankful I could be here

Practical Tips for Granada :

• We flew from Stansted to Granada airport. Bus service to Granada is just outside the Arrivals and takes 30min to the city centre. There is a tourist information counter at baggage collection - make sure you take a map there. Otherwise, there is another tourist information counter at Plaza Nueva

• Granada has a selection of budget hotels and cheap hostels but it is well worth it to book a self-catering apartment. Another option is to stay in a villa outside Granada and do a day visit to the more interesting spots in the city. For apartment rental, go to www.granadainfo.com which is a fab website on all things Granada

• There are plenty of places to eat but if you do want to cook and need to stock up, it is well worth going to El Campo, a hypermarket about 20 min. by taxi from the city centre (about 5 euros). Otherwise, there is a good supermarket (more expensive) at the basement of El Corte Ingles at Accera del Darro. Almost every McD or BK we see has a small kids playground to entertain the small ones.

• Siesta time is truly alive here - shops will close for a few hours during lunch but will re-open at around 4 or 5pm till 8pm. You will see big family gatherings at lunch spots like McD or BK

Practical Tips for Alhambra

Book your tickets online at www.alhambratickets.com. They limit the number of visitors a day and it is better to pre-book your ticket, then to queue up on the day itself.

Set aside a whole day for Alhambra and wear comfy shoes. The place is huge and you will be walking and climbing lots. You can climb up the hill although a better option is to take the mini-buses from Plaza Nueva which will drop you directly in front of Alhambra. On the way back, it is a nice stroll down the hill.

The food choices are very limited so it is best to bring a picnic. Have a wonderful time.

Sierra Nevada 2006

“I want to see lots of snow!” said my sis-in-law. And because of that, we dragged ourselves out of our comfy beds at 3.00am to catch the 7.00am flight to Granada from Stanstead. It was February school holidays and ski trips to the more famous ski resorts in France and Austria were shockingly expensive. However, we discovered Sierra Nevada, the southernmost ski resort in the West Europe.

It was another early start the next day as we caught the snow bus from Granada bus terminus to Sierra Nevada. Somehow, it reminded me of catching Express Rakyat service to Malaysia. The terminus was already buzzing at that early hour with Spanish waiters busy serving hungry commuters, us included. As recommended by the guidebook, I ordered churros con chocolate and for the princely sum of 1.60 euros, we got a huge plate of fried donut strips sprinkled with sugar and a cup of the thickest hot chocolate I’ve ever seen.

The hour-long bus trip up to Sierra Nevada was hair-raising. I was so relieved that we did not opt to go by car as initially planned. I don’t think M can hold his nerve driving while staring down at the deep valleys and negotiating those hairpin bends. Before long, the landscape started to look like Narnia – white blanket of snow on the ground and icicles dripping from fir trees.









The ski resort, Pradollano, was 2100 above sea level. Colourful concrete buildings housing ski apartment and five-star hotels hugged the mountain side while the centre are choc-a-bloc with ski rental shops and cafés. After settling the little one at the crèche, the boys and sis-in-law headed to the Taquilles to get their lift pass and then off to get snowboards and boots.




Queues for the Borreguiles gondola were snaking round the block but thankfully, it was rapid. The ride up was awesome – we saw skiers and snowboarders coming skilfully down the slope, passed what looked like a grandstand perhaps for when Sierra Nevada staged the 1996 World Ski Championships, before we get off at Borreguiles which is an additional 700m above sea level.

The snow was blinding. We are officially above the tree-line and 2800m above sea-level. If Westin Stamford is above 226m tall, we are about 12x the height of that hotel. The clouds looked very close indeed. Not far is the chair lift to the Veleta peak which at 3100m high is one of the highest peaks in Spain. So high is that peak that on a clear day, you can look out and see the sea and the Atlas mountains in Morrocco from there. My all-time favourite photo of Granada is of skiers on a chair lift with the clouds underneath their feet.

While the boys and sis-in-law were having their snowboard lessons, I was people-watching. It was certainly a busy resort with many novice skiers taking lessons. I will never forget seeing groups of small children (about 3 – 5 years old) in their snowsuits and bibs, carrying their tiny skis. With their skis on, they followed their instructors in a single file with their arms outstretched at their sides like colourful little birds.

Lunch was a quick bite of tortilla bocadillo – Spanish omelette sandwich between fresh baguette. After a few more hours skidding and sliding on the snow, they called it a day. *Tak tahan jatuh lah bob..somemore at that altitude, cepat penat. Anyway, they all happy to posing with snowboard. Hehehe..*


We fetched the little one from the crèche and as promised, tried to build a snowman. The snow was too fresh and loose that it was hard to compact them to the requisite snowman shape. However, she was happy with a small one. She had more fun sliding down the banks of snow and shaking the fir trees so that the snow rained down.

The clouds descended lower and before long it started to snow really hard. We retreated to the Telecabina restaurant for more churros and hot chocolate while waiting for the bus back. It was a huge scramble for the last bus back to Granada. Snow fell down hard that visibility was really poor. The bus had to inch itself down the mountain behind a huge jam. It was a three hour journey back down to Granada instead of the usual one. As for me, I was too tired and was fast asleep in the bus until we reached Granada

Practical Tips for Sierra Nevada

Transport - it is a straightforward drive up to Sierra Nevada but if you don't fancy tackling the hairpin bends, take the bus instead. The bus leaves from the Granada Bus Terminal - it is best to check times beforehand (both to and from Sierra Nevada) since there are only a few trips a day.

Accommodation - Pradollano itself is an expensive place to stay for the night. It might be better to stay at hotels on the way up to the resort or else, stay in Granada.

Families - Sierra Nevada is a good place for kids to learn skiing. It is well worth checking out the availability of English speaking instructors. For those too young to ski, there is a good creche where you can leave them to play happily. It is important to book ahead and they can only accept cash or bank transfer.

Check out www.sierranevadaski.co.uk which is a fab English site for Sierra Nevada

Metro is Singapore...

Although Metro is down only to four stores nationwide, in it’s heyday, it was THE place to shop.

I was about 10 or 12 years old when Far East Plaza opened. It was probably the run-up during the Hari Raya since we only get new “going out” clothes then. I remember disembarking from CCS bus no. 3 and marvelling at the tall shopping centre with its glass elevators, shooting up and down. . Metro took up all the basement area and I was gobsmacked by all the fancy toys on display. And the clothes! How fabulous are they? Definitely more atas than Top100!

When I was in RGS, Far East Plaza was a 15 minute walk away. Afternoons are spent, squealing “So cute!!!!” at the myriad soft toys, looking through the Eva Peroni hairclips or browsing all the clothes rails. I wasn’t brave enough to try them on though. It was also such an IN thing to have an engraved pen done at Metro with the cheapest pen at about $8. After enough walking about, we would sit down at Long John Silver. Then they served a wonderful battered fish sandwich, big enough to share and wonderful battered fishballs (sadly, no longer) which taste great with chilli sauce. Either that or it would be First Muslim Noodle House. So I did felt a pang of sadness when they were closing down Metro at Far East Plaza. We tried to go to First Muslim as well about 2 years back but that was no longer there as well.

Why do I have such fond memories of Metro? My first ever proper paid job was as a Sales Assistant at Metro Paragon at the tender age of 17. For a princely sum of $3.25 an hour and dressed in a white and red stripy uniform, I manned the changing room at Ladies Contemporary, hung all the clothes back on the rails, check stock and when it is Christmas Season, I was posted at the Gift Wrapping Counter.

Now that was a revelation. If you ever need proof how kiasu Singaporeans are, try telling them they have free gift wrapping. Wahhh!! The lines snaked around the block. Only small item like a bar of soap, they request 10 pieces of wrapping paper. I faced for the first time a fierce female boss, shoplifters and what to be a first, seeing a woman smoked. How scandalous!

It was peak shopping season and I worked all hours (I was trying to get over a heartache too but that is a different story). Hours after hours of cutting, sticking cellotape and ribbon whilst Milli Vanilli blamed it on the rain and Kylie Minogue put your hand on your heart and tell me it’s all over. I still go “argghhh!” whenever I overhear that Kylie song.

Coincidentally IU also worked for Metro but at Metro Marina. Sorry ah..i prefer Metro Paragon, purely for their luxurious toilets. hahahaahah

Cardiff

Cardiff will hold many memories for us. Man was lucky enough to get a 6-mth contract working with a post production house so barely two weeks after we arrived in U.K., we had to pack our bags and moved to Cardiff

Although it is the capital of Wales, Cardiff is nowhere as cosmopolitan as London. Its town centre is probably smaller than Toa Payoh Central and they only had one building with an escalator. People would expressed surprise that we spoke English so well and Man was actually asked since he was from Singapore, why he did not look like a Chinese. Nevertheless, it was new and exciting for us and it is in Cardiff that we experienced many firsts.

We had a lovely one bed apartment at Windsor Quay. Finally, our own place! No more hotel rooms or bunking over at our friends’ place. The first thing we did when we moved in is to cook and ate with our hands. Nothing tasted better! We also bought our first ever car – a rusty Ford Fiesta which did not pass its inspection a few months later. We were very fond of it since it took us on many adventures and it survived several trips to and from London (a three hour journey each way).

We celebrated the millennium in Cardiff in the midst of Ramadan. Due to the time difference, friends back home called us up when we were trying to break our fasts. They were shouting “Happy New Year! Happy New Year!” “Apa Happy New Year? Ni nak buka puasa ni!”

On weekends, we would pore over the map and try to drive somewhere. Sometimes we went to Caerphilly Castle, which means driving up this steep hill and coming down the other way. We would sometimes stop at the crest of the hill and take a short walk. You can see the remains of Caerphilly Castle, built circa 1200 (some 800 years old) and you can also see the clouds casting shadows on the land beneath. Surrounded by a moat and with its growth of duckweed and cat’s tails, Caerphilly Castle is such a romantic spot. One of its towers leans more than the Tower of Pisa.

Man loved going to Cosmeston Lake. It used to be a quarry but is now filled up into a beautiful lake, complete with swans and seagulls. We would drop by Asda (big supermarket), buy a loaf of 15p bread and go to Cosmeton Lake to feed the swans. In winter days when there are not very many visitors, the swans and the ducks would swarm around us, even tugging our coats if they think we missed them.

The Rugby World Cup came to Wales in 1999 and it was pandemonium. At work, no one can concentrate when Wales was playing. The streets would be a sea of red, with supporters dressed in their Wales jersey and painting green dragons on their faces. They had the brand spanking new Millenium Stadium for the occasion as well, which is right in the middle of town. The final was between Australia and France and the opposing teams were very good natured with Australian supporters brandishing blown-up inflatable kangaroos and French supporters with garlands of onions and berets.

It was in Cardiff that I saw my first snow. It felt miraculous! I was walking back home and suddenly noticed the rain falling looked really peculiar. Man called me “It’s snowing! It’s snowing!” Apparently he went outside and did a twirl with his arms outstretched. Until now, if it ever snow, he would call me up like an excited boy. That night when he came home, we immediately rushed down to make a snowman. The snow wasn’t very thick but by scooping all the snow on top of the car, we managed to make a tiny snowman, almost halfway up our knees. We threw snowballs at one another which was surprisingly painful and walked down to the river to see the water freezing into ice.

Of course, I will never forget Cardiff because one hot day in August, Man and I were married. It was a very simple affair. We were married by this lovely imam in a Yemeni mosque, surrounded by a few friends. Kane came all the way from London, standing 3 hours on the train to and fro, my sister and her soon-to-be husband were there all the way from Singapore and my friends from work. It was perfect. After the short ceremony where both Man and I were crying buckets, we went to have something to eat and went bowling.

I went back to work on Monday. Like she always did, Morag politely asked me “What did you do over the weekend?” I looked at her in amusement and said “I got married.”