I am a confessed shopoholic. I do love shopping. In fact it is the best way to cheer me up when I am having a bad time.
My favourite shops are Marks and Spencer www.marksandspencer.com, Debenhams www.debenhams.com and Clarks shoes www.clarks.co.uk . I always manage to get something from those shops especially during the sales. I also like Boots www.boots.co.uk. I sometimes try to analyse why I like this activity so much. I am not too keen on food shopping though. Going to the supermarket is a real chore as far as I am concerned and I avoid it like the plague when I am hungry.
Anyway, going back to my past time, shopping fills my brain with endorphins. It gives me a kick. Well that’s my theory and I am sticking to it. Maybe it is better than comfort eating. I do work up an appetite after a brisk walk up and down the High Street!
When I was young and totally broke I used to window shop a lot just to keep me abreast of what’s out there. It also provided entertainment for me and my friends as there were no iPods, Xboxes, mobile phones or even PCs to keep us amused. I used to imagine myself wearing the clothes and shoes on the mannequin!
Today it still provides me with the same entertainment value. The difference is I can buy the small stuff but I am still restricted with the big price tags! I am not that broke, my dreams just got bigger!
The one downside is I hate going to shops with people who have no clue about the intricacies of shopping. I mean they stand there like lemons or are just too difficult to please—excuse me, what’s the point of this activity? Some people really put me off. Luckily my husband and I share the same interest and he knows how to shop.
I just hope I do not lose my love for shopping. Will I still be the same when I am old and decrepit? It is too painful to contemplate.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Hedonistic Pursuits
Peter and I went to London over the weekend for some R&R. We stayed with my old friend Chicoy Enerio—and boy was that a good plan!
The road travel was fine—we stopped for lunch at Stonehenge—but we hit traffic on the M3, crawled our way on the M25 and just a bit of bother on the M4. By the time we reached London we were ready to get down to business of R&R.
We concentrated on Leicester Square, near SoHo. The West End was as vibrant as I remembered it to be. We went to a Chinese restaurant (where else?) and proceeded to order food. Everything tasted perfect! I never realised how much I missed oriental food! After dinner we went shopping for oriental condiments in the various shops dotted around the square. We then sat outside a bistro near on the square and watched people go by. It was like watching the United Nations walk by. You have black, white and everyone in between walking past. You wouldn’t think we live in a world of wars and hatred because everything looked so “together”. I always felt that London was the centre of the universe. People all over seem to converge in this place.
The following day we did the rounds with the major Oriental supermarkets. The two men were very good with it. They helped me look around and choose some items. It was great to be able to stock up on condiments and ingredients. I guess Peter will be the main beneficiary of this shopping spree. I will be able to cook up oriental dishes. We ate at a Japanese sushi bar. Yummy to the nth degree. It was absolutely fabulous! We enjoyed it so much we ate at another Japanese restaurant that night and that was even better. I thought I died and went to food heaven.
We also managed to go to Hampton Court that day. What a palace! I bet King Henry VIII (yes the one with many wives) built the place with a mind for posterity so people talk about him after he’s gone and there’s no question about that.
Sunday we spent at Kew Gardens. I love this because it maps the historical evolution of gardening in the British Isles. Fascinating history. We walked for miles and we were so tired in the end. But that didn’t stop us from eating Thai food that night which meant we went back to Central London to test out Chicoy’s regular place and again it was superb!
We had a lot of laughs along the way and Chicoy’s generosity was overwhelming. One thing that really impressed me was his ability to park in the middle of London without parking—and in a reserved parking bay even! It helps to be a diplomat. Peter and I enjoyed every minute of it.
We also took advantage of the steam and sauna facilities in his apartment. I prefer the steam bath and if I was aware of these I could have brought my swimming costume so we could have availed of the Jacuzzi. Hmmm, maybe next time.
The road travel was fine—we stopped for lunch at Stonehenge—but we hit traffic on the M3, crawled our way on the M25 and just a bit of bother on the M4. By the time we reached London we were ready to get down to business of R&R.
We concentrated on Leicester Square, near SoHo. The West End was as vibrant as I remembered it to be. We went to a Chinese restaurant (where else?) and proceeded to order food. Everything tasted perfect! I never realised how much I missed oriental food! After dinner we went shopping for oriental condiments in the various shops dotted around the square. We then sat outside a bistro near on the square and watched people go by. It was like watching the United Nations walk by. You have black, white and everyone in between walking past. You wouldn’t think we live in a world of wars and hatred because everything looked so “together”. I always felt that London was the centre of the universe. People all over seem to converge in this place.
The following day we did the rounds with the major Oriental supermarkets. The two men were very good with it. They helped me look around and choose some items. It was great to be able to stock up on condiments and ingredients. I guess Peter will be the main beneficiary of this shopping spree. I will be able to cook up oriental dishes. We ate at a Japanese sushi bar. Yummy to the nth degree. It was absolutely fabulous! We enjoyed it so much we ate at another Japanese restaurant that night and that was even better. I thought I died and went to food heaven.
We also managed to go to Hampton Court that day. What a palace! I bet King Henry VIII (yes the one with many wives) built the place with a mind for posterity so people talk about him after he’s gone and there’s no question about that.
Sunday we spent at Kew Gardens. I love this because it maps the historical evolution of gardening in the British Isles. Fascinating history. We walked for miles and we were so tired in the end. But that didn’t stop us from eating Thai food that night which meant we went back to Central London to test out Chicoy’s regular place and again it was superb!
We had a lot of laughs along the way and Chicoy’s generosity was overwhelming. One thing that really impressed me was his ability to park in the middle of London without parking—and in a reserved parking bay even! It helps to be a diplomat. Peter and I enjoyed every minute of it.
We also took advantage of the steam and sauna facilities in his apartment. I prefer the steam bath and if I was aware of these I could have brought my swimming costume so we could have availed of the Jacuzzi. Hmmm, maybe next time.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Weekend breaks
I've been taking days off here and there during the University's Summer break. Come October I will swamped with work. That's the only downside about working in the University system. I am not allowed to take holidays during term time, which is a 10 week period and we have three terms in one academic year.
Anyway, last Friday Peter and I visited Longleat www.longleat.co.uk in Wiltshire. Back in the ‘60s the Marquess of Bath (Lord Bath) decided to transform his 100 acre land into a safari park. He was very big in conservation as well. Anyway, the animals flourished and he now has the biggest safari park outside Africa. The gardens are in immaculate condition as well but the wildlife park was very good. The animals looked healthy. This wasn’t a zoo because the animals roam wild under the watchful eyes of park keepers. People drive past these huge gates—similar to the one in the movie Jurassic Park. People weren’t allowed to leave their vehicles. It took us over an hour to see the different animals. There were rhinos, camels, tigers, lions, wolves, oryx, flamingos, rhesus monkeys (very cheeky!), vultures, wild buffaloes etc.
However, the one thing I enjoyed was Longleat House. It was open to the public but we weren’t allowed to take photos inside. You would have loved it. The place was steep in history complete with armours, ancient tapestry, paintings and the rooms—they were stupendous—even bigger than the ones shown in the movies. The Marquess still lives on site in his private quarters but one wing of the house was open to the public. The house goes back during Charles I. I do love history. Maybe if I was younger I would major in history—English history perhaps.
Peter and I will be spending this weekend in London with my old chum Chicoy. We'll be visiting Kew Gardens www.rgbkew.org.uk and I can't wait!
Anyway, last Friday Peter and I visited Longleat www.longleat.co.uk in Wiltshire. Back in the ‘60s the Marquess of Bath (Lord Bath) decided to transform his 100 acre land into a safari park. He was very big in conservation as well. Anyway, the animals flourished and he now has the biggest safari park outside Africa. The gardens are in immaculate condition as well but the wildlife park was very good. The animals looked healthy. This wasn’t a zoo because the animals roam wild under the watchful eyes of park keepers. People drive past these huge gates—similar to the one in the movie Jurassic Park. People weren’t allowed to leave their vehicles. It took us over an hour to see the different animals. There were rhinos, camels, tigers, lions, wolves, oryx, flamingos, rhesus monkeys (very cheeky!), vultures, wild buffaloes etc.
However, the one thing I enjoyed was Longleat House. It was open to the public but we weren’t allowed to take photos inside. You would have loved it. The place was steep in history complete with armours, ancient tapestry, paintings and the rooms—they were stupendous—even bigger than the ones shown in the movies. The Marquess still lives on site in his private quarters but one wing of the house was open to the public. The house goes back during Charles I. I do love history. Maybe if I was younger I would major in history—English history perhaps.
Peter and I will be spending this weekend in London with my old chum Chicoy. We'll be visiting Kew Gardens www.rgbkew.org.uk and I can't wait!
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