Kom Ombo temple is dedicated to Sobek so it has a small area of mummified crocodiles. It also contains the only known Egyptian calendar so Islam was translating the seasons and the number of days worship needed for each festival while pointing at the symbols on this calendar. If any tourist went there without a guide, they would have missed it and just thought it another pretty pattern. It was amazing and so good to have that kind of knowledge behind the visits!
This evening we had the option of seeing Philae Island from a boat ride but we opted out. All this heat is beginning to tire us out and we came here to relax!!
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Edfu Temple
I can’t believe how damn hot it is here! I’m wearing sunblock, sitting in the shade, and I’m still getting a tingly feeling on my arms and legs. I think Reuben is turning a darker shade of brown…
We paid up for our excursions, which we thought were included but it was a misreading of the brochure. We’re going to all the temples except Abu Simbel and Philae and are passing on the day trip to Aswan dam and the Unfinished Obelisk. Maybe another time. Both require a 4am wake up call and a police escort for a 3 hour trip through the burning desert! Uhm, no thanks! We’re on honeymoon and would like some lie-ins please without worrying about being hijacked!!
So first trip is to Edfu Temple. It is gorgeous and our Egyptologist guide, Islam, points out all the interesting carvings and explains the myths and history behind the temple’s origins. He also recites the story of Isis, Osiris, Nephthys and Seth which was a better translation than I remember reading about in my mythology books. It was very hot though, even for 5pm. This area of Egypt is about 40-45C most days, and the lower temperature is while standing in the shade! Oh yes, I was suffering!! Back on the boat we sailed towards Kom Ombo ready for our early morning tour at the temple there.
We paid up for our excursions, which we thought were included but it was a misreading of the brochure. We’re going to all the temples except Abu Simbel and Philae and are passing on the day trip to Aswan dam and the Unfinished Obelisk. Maybe another time. Both require a 4am wake up call and a police escort for a 3 hour trip through the burning desert! Uhm, no thanks! We’re on honeymoon and would like some lie-ins please without worrying about being hijacked!!
So first trip is to Edfu Temple. It is gorgeous and our Egyptologist guide, Islam, points out all the interesting carvings and explains the myths and history behind the temple’s origins. He also recites the story of Isis, Osiris, Nephthys and Seth which was a better translation than I remember reading about in my mythology books. It was very hot though, even for 5pm. This area of Egypt is about 40-45C most days, and the lower temperature is while standing in the shade! Oh yes, I was suffering!! Back on the boat we sailed towards Kom Ombo ready for our early morning tour at the temple there.
Monday, July 07, 2008
The Orchid
We got to the airport okay but the airline gave us seats ‘together’ which was with an aisle between us. I wonder what word they use when you sit without a large gap between you… The food was nasty. Some undercooked scrambled egg, a sausage that tasted of about 40% meat and some very squidgy mushrooms. My stomach flipped and I nearly threw up from the smell. However when Reuben told me on the plane we were going on a cruise for the first week I nearly had a hernia. I’ve always wanted to go on a cruise, and a cruise in Egypt is just incredible! I can’t wait…
The cruise ship is the Orchid and is fairly average as cruise ships go. It has a good number of staff running the laundry, room service, engine room, bar, restaurant and kitchen, and reception. The waiting staff are hilarious! “Egyptian?” they ask Reuben.
“No, guess where I’m from!” he challenges.
“India? Africa?”
“Mauritius!”
“Where?”
(This was to continue for the rest of the holiday!)
Anyway they teach us some Arabic words. ‘Aalikyum asalam’ means ‘hello’, ‘chokran’ means ‘thank you’, ‘laa’ means ‘no’ and ‘baksheesh’ means ‘money’. Seriously, these are all the words you need!!! When you get hassled by the street traders you just say ‘laa baksheesh’ or just ‘laa laa laa’ (no-no-no!). Easy peasy!
The food is okay. They must think we eat roast beef every day because that’s all they seem to serve. Oh and there are always roasted or boiled potatoes. I’m avoiding raw veg, fruit, salads and dairy. So I can have the grilled veg but not the cheese omelette. My tea and coffee will be black. The only dairy I will have is a smidgen of milk with my cereal!
The travel rep briefs us on Egyptian customs so we don’t offend people, and warns us about the aforementioned street traders. There are also special tourist police in white uniforms at all tourist attractions in case we get in trouble and need help. We were also told about taxi drivers and how unless you are firm and specifically say where you want to go, they will take you to meet their family and will be obliged to buy things from all their shops!
The cruise ship is the Orchid and is fairly average as cruise ships go. It has a good number of staff running the laundry, room service, engine room, bar, restaurant and kitchen, and reception. The waiting staff are hilarious! “Egyptian?” they ask Reuben.
“No, guess where I’m from!” he challenges.
“India? Africa?”
“Mauritius!”
“Where?”
(This was to continue for the rest of the holiday!)
Anyway they teach us some Arabic words. ‘Aalikyum asalam’ means ‘hello’, ‘chokran’ means ‘thank you’, ‘laa’ means ‘no’ and ‘baksheesh’ means ‘money’. Seriously, these are all the words you need!!! When you get hassled by the street traders you just say ‘laa baksheesh’ or just ‘laa laa laa’ (no-no-no!). Easy peasy!
The food is okay. They must think we eat roast beef every day because that’s all they seem to serve. Oh and there are always roasted or boiled potatoes. I’m avoiding raw veg, fruit, salads and dairy. So I can have the grilled veg but not the cheese omelette. My tea and coffee will be black. The only dairy I will have is a smidgen of milk with my cereal!
The travel rep briefs us on Egyptian customs so we don’t offend people, and warns us about the aforementioned street traders. There are also special tourist police in white uniforms at all tourist attractions in case we get in trouble and need help. We were also told about taxi drivers and how unless you are firm and specifically say where you want to go, they will take you to meet their family and will be obliged to buy things from all their shops!
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Gatwick Worth Hotel
The hotel we stayed in at Gatwick is horrible. All the eateries are shut by the time we get there and it is all very gloomy. The TV reception is bad and the vending machine is extortionate. Need a holiday right now!
Saturday, July 05, 2008
The aftermath
People are calling me ‘Mrs’ and I hate it already. ‘Mrs’ implies that I’m old. I’m not. I’m 29. so I might be ‘Ms’ for the time being. Reuben and I were second down for breakfast; Pamela and David have beaten us to the top spot! We don’t look too worse for wear in our t-shirts and jeans, but I have popped my tiara back on for a bit of post-bridal glamour! We get the remaining guests to sign our guestbook which we forgot to get out yesterday, and see everyone off with our table decorations clutched in their arms! Amanda and Steve help us pack the car and take it all to our flat, and laugh as Reuben struggles to carry me over the threshold without pulling a back muscle!
After they left we returned the suits and then started to pack for our honeymoon. All I know is that its in Egypt for two weeks, nothing else. I don’t even know where in Egypt so I can’t read up on it beforehand. Its all very exciting though!
After they left we returned the suits and then started to pack for our honeymoon. All I know is that its in Egypt for two weeks, nothing else. I don’t even know where in Egypt so I can’t read up on it beforehand. Its all very exciting though!
Friday, July 04, 2008
The Big Day
I got hardly any sleep last night. I was too excited. It was like being a kid and going to Disneyland. We all had breakfast kindly brought, prepared and cooked by Amanda – salmon and scrambled egg on muffins with strawberries and raspberries. After our filling breakfast we all showered/washed, dressed and got ready to move to the hotel.
We arrived in two cars and waited around in the reception for a while until the room was ready. Our hairdressers arrived while we were waiting and we all went up to the room together, laden with dresses, shoes, headpieces, makeup, suitcases… I had one hairdresser while Tara and Amanda had another – my hair took much longer to straighten then curl into place! I then did my makeup and waited around until the last minute to put my dress on. During this time Anna panicked about the buttonholes not arriving yet, Debbie phoned about missing a train and being late, Nanny’s room was not on the ground floor, and several rooms were in a state of not being ready or cleaned in time for people to check in and get changed. Oh, and I worried that the bathroom lights had been left on and could Steve go check? Poor old Tara and Amanda were running up and down the hotel seeing people and fetching things, it was mad!
Finally 2.30pm rolled by and Amanda tied me up into my dress. 3pm on the dot John the photographer arrived and things got rolling. We did a number of poses and Dad was called up for some shots too. John then left to take some photos of people arriving and I started to pace. My stomach tightens a little with nerves and Amanda does a last-minute tightening of the dress! Finally Iain came up to say everyone was ready and we started going downstairs.
Dad is patiently waiting by the doors that lead into the gardens. Yes, we are getting married outside in the gazebo (which is a permanent structure so the marriage is legal!). There are lots of people here. Lots and lots of people. I don’t think I know some of them. The music starts and Tara and Amanda start walking. And then Dad and I start walking. And I start to feel a bit choked up as its all fitting into place and finally (finally!) happening! Only 15 months of planning…!
I reach the gazebo and Reuben is standing there, looking a little nervous himself, and is just gorgeous in his morning suit! I somehow manage to get inside the gazebo and the music stops. Then the ceremony starts. Jenny’s poem was excellent and Sabina’s reading was really well done too. I did sniffle a little bit but only because I couldn’t actually believe that someone as wonderful as Reuben was actually getting married to me!!
Once the ceremony was over and the bans signed, it was drinks and snacks while speaking with everyone who came. John was stalking me so there are lots of photos with me with funny expressions on my face as I’m yakking away. Then the group photos started. And then Reuben and I went out the back to have our own photos done. And then we did mock-cake-cutting and champagne toasting. My face really started to ache from all the smiling involved!
We then went out and started a receiving line into the reception hall for the meal. This way we get to say ‘hello’ to everyone at least once! It was during this time that my dress tore. I’d greeted off the last lot of people and suddenly there was this ripping sound and my train was on the floor with the hook hanging by a single thread. I was mortified!
But no time to waste. I rip the hook off its thread and hold on to it as Reuben and I enter the reception room. We cut the cake for real in front of lots of flashing cameras. It was like being at a film premiere! We then sit down and my dad did his ‘father of the bride’ speech, which was very good. Reuben then made his ‘thank you’ speech and Jeshen did a hilarious ‘best man’ speech. Definitely one of the better ones I’ve heard!
Then finally we eat! Salmon and prawn roulade followed by lamb and veg for the meat eaters, and melon trio followed by celeriac and goats cheese rosti for the veggies. All the food was excellent and people made the most of the table wine! While wedding cake and coffee was being served, Reuben and I visited some tables to chat with people some more. I was then whisked off by Tara and Pete to get my hook sewn back onto my dress so I could have my train up for the dancing. Pete spent a good five minutes concentrating very hard on my buttocks while sewing the hook! No, seriously, he did a fantastic job. Some people trod on the train afterwards and the hook still held! I was very impressed.
Hook sewn and shoes cleaned to the best of anyone’s ability, I rushed back to the reception hall to find Kev’s very impressive disco set-up. Very large speakers were booming out music and powerful purple light beams were shooting around the room. I double check the music order and ask for a nice white spotlight! And then Reuben and I dance to my fave song, Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong. We had Heatwave’s Always and Forever afterwards and our parents and Tara and Pete danced along to that too.
And then the Indian music came on. All of Reuben’s side were jiggling away for ages so I asked for a bit of Western stuff. Suddenly, they all sat down and my side were dancing instead! It was a bit funny actually. But the dancing went on until about 2am so everyone had a good time!! I had a few drinks and got to dance with some people I hadn’t seen in ages.
Admittedly we went to bed about 12:45 because my dress was killing me by that point, but the party was definitely still going strong after we left. We got upstairs and Reuben started to untie me. I had red lines all the way down my torso where the dress had been holding me in all day. I even thought I had some minor bruising at first but it ended up just being heat patches where my skin couldn’t breathe.
But it was a great day. I remember every single second and wanted to do it all over again!!
We arrived in two cars and waited around in the reception for a while until the room was ready. Our hairdressers arrived while we were waiting and we all went up to the room together, laden with dresses, shoes, headpieces, makeup, suitcases… I had one hairdresser while Tara and Amanda had another – my hair took much longer to straighten then curl into place! I then did my makeup and waited around until the last minute to put my dress on. During this time Anna panicked about the buttonholes not arriving yet, Debbie phoned about missing a train and being late, Nanny’s room was not on the ground floor, and several rooms were in a state of not being ready or cleaned in time for people to check in and get changed. Oh, and I worried that the bathroom lights had been left on and could Steve go check? Poor old Tara and Amanda were running up and down the hotel seeing people and fetching things, it was mad!
Finally 2.30pm rolled by and Amanda tied me up into my dress. 3pm on the dot John the photographer arrived and things got rolling. We did a number of poses and Dad was called up for some shots too. John then left to take some photos of people arriving and I started to pace. My stomach tightens a little with nerves and Amanda does a last-minute tightening of the dress! Finally Iain came up to say everyone was ready and we started going downstairs.
Dad is patiently waiting by the doors that lead into the gardens. Yes, we are getting married outside in the gazebo (which is a permanent structure so the marriage is legal!). There are lots of people here. Lots and lots of people. I don’t think I know some of them. The music starts and Tara and Amanda start walking. And then Dad and I start walking. And I start to feel a bit choked up as its all fitting into place and finally (finally!) happening! Only 15 months of planning…!
I reach the gazebo and Reuben is standing there, looking a little nervous himself, and is just gorgeous in his morning suit! I somehow manage to get inside the gazebo and the music stops. Then the ceremony starts. Jenny’s poem was excellent and Sabina’s reading was really well done too. I did sniffle a little bit but only because I couldn’t actually believe that someone as wonderful as Reuben was actually getting married to me!!
Once the ceremony was over and the bans signed, it was drinks and snacks while speaking with everyone who came. John was stalking me so there are lots of photos with me with funny expressions on my face as I’m yakking away. Then the group photos started. And then Reuben and I went out the back to have our own photos done. And then we did mock-cake-cutting and champagne toasting. My face really started to ache from all the smiling involved!
We then went out and started a receiving line into the reception hall for the meal. This way we get to say ‘hello’ to everyone at least once! It was during this time that my dress tore. I’d greeted off the last lot of people and suddenly there was this ripping sound and my train was on the floor with the hook hanging by a single thread. I was mortified!
But no time to waste. I rip the hook off its thread and hold on to it as Reuben and I enter the reception room. We cut the cake for real in front of lots of flashing cameras. It was like being at a film premiere! We then sit down and my dad did his ‘father of the bride’ speech, which was very good. Reuben then made his ‘thank you’ speech and Jeshen did a hilarious ‘best man’ speech. Definitely one of the better ones I’ve heard!
Then finally we eat! Salmon and prawn roulade followed by lamb and veg for the meat eaters, and melon trio followed by celeriac and goats cheese rosti for the veggies. All the food was excellent and people made the most of the table wine! While wedding cake and coffee was being served, Reuben and I visited some tables to chat with people some more. I was then whisked off by Tara and Pete to get my hook sewn back onto my dress so I could have my train up for the dancing. Pete spent a good five minutes concentrating very hard on my buttocks while sewing the hook! No, seriously, he did a fantastic job. Some people trod on the train afterwards and the hook still held! I was very impressed.
Hook sewn and shoes cleaned to the best of anyone’s ability, I rushed back to the reception hall to find Kev’s very impressive disco set-up. Very large speakers were booming out music and powerful purple light beams were shooting around the room. I double check the music order and ask for a nice white spotlight! And then Reuben and I dance to my fave song, Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong. We had Heatwave’s Always and Forever afterwards and our parents and Tara and Pete danced along to that too.
And then the Indian music came on. All of Reuben’s side were jiggling away for ages so I asked for a bit of Western stuff. Suddenly, they all sat down and my side were dancing instead! It was a bit funny actually. But the dancing went on until about 2am so everyone had a good time!! I had a few drinks and got to dance with some people I hadn’t seen in ages.
Admittedly we went to bed about 12:45 because my dress was killing me by that point, but the party was definitely still going strong after we left. We got upstairs and Reuben started to untie me. I had red lines all the way down my torso where the dress had been holding me in all day. I even thought I had some minor bruising at first but it ended up just being heat patches where my skin couldn’t breathe.
But it was a great day. I remember every single second and wanted to do it all over again!!
Thursday, July 03, 2008
One more day to go…
Reuben is going to work today but I have a day off. The first thing I do is drive to Hoddesdon and pick up my wedding dress. It is a beautiful full-length Amanda Wyatt strapless ivory dress with beading and ruching to one side. It is stunning! At home I hung it up in the spare room to air and straighten any creases. I then texted Reuben to say that if he came home while I was out he was forbidden to enter the spare room!!
I went out again and went to a small nail place in ‘old’ Cheshunt to have a French manicure. The women in there just spoke to each other in their own Oriental language and didn’t say a word to me other than ‘What you want?’ and ‘£8 please’. It was a good job though and was otherwise a pleasant experience.
I rushed home and was just in time to great Melissa and Jenny back from their rambles in York. We had a chat and went through their photos. Reuben came home and had an armful of stuff people at his office had given him – a banner, cards and vouchers. He then went off to deliver the hired suits to everyone and stay at his parents’ for the night. I gave him a mock-stern warning to turn up the next day and then we all got ready for our girly night in. I had pizza, wine and romantic slush. Anna, Amanda and Tara all arrived and Melissa grabs ‘Slipper and the Rose’ and starts to watch it. I don’t think she realised it was a 3hr musical… Halfway through and after lots of fast forwarding we plumped for ‘Love Actually’ instead!
I insist on an early night – don’t want too many eye bags – so beds were inflated and goodnights were said over Jenny’s singing ‘Get Me To The Church On Time’.
I went out again and went to a small nail place in ‘old’ Cheshunt to have a French manicure. The women in there just spoke to each other in their own Oriental language and didn’t say a word to me other than ‘What you want?’ and ‘£8 please’. It was a good job though and was otherwise a pleasant experience.
I rushed home and was just in time to great Melissa and Jenny back from their rambles in York. We had a chat and went through their photos. Reuben came home and had an armful of stuff people at his office had given him – a banner, cards and vouchers. He then went off to deliver the hired suits to everyone and stay at his parents’ for the night. I gave him a mock-stern warning to turn up the next day and then we all got ready for our girly night in. I had pizza, wine and romantic slush. Anna, Amanda and Tara all arrived and Melissa grabs ‘Slipper and the Rose’ and starts to watch it. I don’t think she realised it was a 3hr musical… Halfway through and after lots of fast forwarding we plumped for ‘Love Actually’ instead!
I insist on an early night – don’t want too many eye bags – so beds were inflated and goodnights were said over Jenny’s singing ‘Get Me To The Church On Time’.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Hen night!
So I survived my hen night!
Jane, Tara and Amanda arrived at mine and we feasted on very strong Cosmos and champagne with Archers! Fired up and raring to go, we all bundled into Pete’s and Reuben’s cars, as they had offered to drive us there and pick us up afterwards. It took ages to get there, to the point where we were still 45 mins away and the others had already arrived!
When we finally got there the salsa lesson was just starting so we rushed down the stairs, did some quick introductions, and let the dancing begin! As an obvious hen, wearing sash and flashing tiara (which hurt my head so I took it off), I was pushed onto the stage with another reluctant hen and we did the basic steps for any salsa dance (and back and forth, and back and forth, and to the bar, and forth, and turn turn turn…).
After the lesson we sat down and had wine/beer and nachos, followed by very bland fajitas. I make mine with lots more spice! We were then offered chocolate cake or tequila shots. What a silly question! So we had tequila shots! Well, when I say ‘we’ I mean that Tara, Amanda and myself had one and then I ended up having another two as other people didn’t want theirs. That was followed by another two. And then we ordered strawberry daiquiris – my favourite! A few daiquiris later we were all twirling around on the dance floor. No chance of dancing alone in this place. The guys edged the dance floor, looking for women to dance with and rapidly twirling round and round to the quick tempo of the live band. I was constantly plagued by men wanting to be ‘my last’ (eww!) and one just didn’t quite get the concept that I was about to get married…
“You have boyfriend?” he yells above the band, in an accent.
“Yes,” I yell back, “I’m getting married in six days.”
“No, I be your boyfriend!”
“No,” I say more slowly, “getting married in six days” and hold up fingers to demonstrate ‘six’.
“No,” he says again, “I be your boyfriend.”
“Naff off!”
I managed to escape eventually! And then I felt a bit drunk. And I was pounced on by another man and twirled around so much I thought I was going to fall over. And then he tried to flip me back over his leg and I tumbled into two chairs and a table. Everyone suddenly rushed over and I inspect a large bruise on my arm. I then decide I’ve had enough and want to go home.
I remember my sisters arriving and some of my friends leaving early. I remember crying though I don’t know what the hell about. I don’t remember much between that and waking up the next morning with still enough alcohol inside me to stop me driving for the rest of the day. Yes, a good night!!
Jane, Tara and Amanda arrived at mine and we feasted on very strong Cosmos and champagne with Archers! Fired up and raring to go, we all bundled into Pete’s and Reuben’s cars, as they had offered to drive us there and pick us up afterwards. It took ages to get there, to the point where we were still 45 mins away and the others had already arrived!
When we finally got there the salsa lesson was just starting so we rushed down the stairs, did some quick introductions, and let the dancing begin! As an obvious hen, wearing sash and flashing tiara (which hurt my head so I took it off), I was pushed onto the stage with another reluctant hen and we did the basic steps for any salsa dance (and back and forth, and back and forth, and to the bar, and forth, and turn turn turn…).
After the lesson we sat down and had wine/beer and nachos, followed by very bland fajitas. I make mine with lots more spice! We were then offered chocolate cake or tequila shots. What a silly question! So we had tequila shots! Well, when I say ‘we’ I mean that Tara, Amanda and myself had one and then I ended up having another two as other people didn’t want theirs. That was followed by another two. And then we ordered strawberry daiquiris – my favourite! A few daiquiris later we were all twirling around on the dance floor. No chance of dancing alone in this place. The guys edged the dance floor, looking for women to dance with and rapidly twirling round and round to the quick tempo of the live band. I was constantly plagued by men wanting to be ‘my last’ (eww!) and one just didn’t quite get the concept that I was about to get married…
“You have boyfriend?” he yells above the band, in an accent.
“Yes,” I yell back, “I’m getting married in six days.”
“No, I be your boyfriend!”
“No,” I say more slowly, “getting married in six days” and hold up fingers to demonstrate ‘six’.
“No,” he says again, “I be your boyfriend.”
“Naff off!”
I managed to escape eventually! And then I felt a bit drunk. And I was pounced on by another man and twirled around so much I thought I was going to fall over. And then he tried to flip me back over his leg and I tumbled into two chairs and a table. Everyone suddenly rushed over and I inspect a large bruise on my arm. I then decide I’ve had enough and want to go home.
I remember my sisters arriving and some of my friends leaving early. I remember crying though I don’t know what the hell about. I don’t remember much between that and waking up the next morning with still enough alcohol inside me to stop me driving for the rest of the day. Yes, a good night!!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Waiting...
I'm very excited... 10 days to go!!! And only another 2 before my friends are here!! Can't wait...!!
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Hen night
My wonderful maid of honour has booked my hen night and I am so very excited. A trip down the Thames on a boat while chugging down a load of Cosmos sounded so very glitzy and glamourous but unfortunately the event organisers cancelled. So instead we've opted for a cool and sexy Salsa night, together with a dance lesson, tapas and hot Latino waiters. What more could a gal want...?!
Friday, June 06, 2008
Beauty trials
I booked a hair and makeup trial a few weeks back and no-one turned up. I was kinda mad because I'd dragged Amanda and Tara down to my place fairly early in the morning (for a Saturday anyway). Then I found out that the woman who was meant to come was in a car accident; broken arm, broken leg, etc. I felt awful. But I got a nice compensation package worth £210 so it wasn't all a tragedy... Extra on top of what I booked was an airbrush foundation and false lashes. Jammy!
So I rebooked for today at Tara's to make it easier for everyone involved. 10 minutes early a young girl looking no more than 18 arrived and I was happy that it wasn't an older person who would have a fixed idea of how to dress my hair and stuff. We had a good natter between us and we had our make up sprayed on and our hair tonged, back-combed and pinned. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed being fussed over! Then Tara and Amanda changed into their outfits with jewellery and shoes and it all looked so pretty and elegant. I'm so very excited!!!!
Reuben arrived later in the evening to add a bit of male company for Pete (!) and we all went out for an Indian which was very good food. I didn't drink (designated driver) but because we ate late everyone else's beer went straight to their heads!!! It was a fun night and we got home absolutely knackered! It's been a long week...
So I rebooked for today at Tara's to make it easier for everyone involved. 10 minutes early a young girl looking no more than 18 arrived and I was happy that it wasn't an older person who would have a fixed idea of how to dress my hair and stuff. We had a good natter between us and we had our make up sprayed on and our hair tonged, back-combed and pinned. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed being fussed over! Then Tara and Amanda changed into their outfits with jewellery and shoes and it all looked so pretty and elegant. I'm so very excited!!!!
Reuben arrived later in the evening to add a bit of male company for Pete (!) and we all went out for an Indian which was very good food. I didn't drink (designated driver) but because we ate late everyone else's beer went straight to their heads!!! It was a fun night and we got home absolutely knackered! It's been a long week...
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Indy 4
Anna emailed me at work today and asked if I wanted to go see the new Indy film. Sure, why not? So 7.30pm Reuben and I arrive at the cinema in the hope that we didn't need pre-booked tickets. Not a soul! We are like the first people there! By the time the film started the cinema was still only half-full. Maybe its just been too long since the last Indy film was made...
Anyway, the film storyline is a bit silly and the ending was a bit cop-out but it was cool nonetheless and I enjoyed it. Harrison Ford hasn't lost any of his charisma and they tackle the age issue fairly early on in the film. And there were blink-and-you-miss-it references to the earlier films which was really cool. I have to admit its kinda helped having all the films repeated on TV in the run-up to the film's release. It was a nice little reminder of how good the films are.
Reuben wants to go again. When he goes I'll go see Sex and the City. :)
Anyway, the film storyline is a bit silly and the ending was a bit cop-out but it was cool nonetheless and I enjoyed it. Harrison Ford hasn't lost any of his charisma and they tackle the age issue fairly early on in the film. And there were blink-and-you-miss-it references to the earlier films which was really cool. I have to admit its kinda helped having all the films repeated on TV in the run-up to the film's release. It was a nice little reminder of how good the films are.
Reuben wants to go again. When he goes I'll go see Sex and the City. :)
Monday, April 21, 2008
Drip, drip, drop little April shower...
Yeah, I know April is notorious for rain (yesterday's thunderstorm was awesome) but please! A bit of warmth for 2008 wouldn't go amiss. I'm still wearing my winter 3/4 length coat to work. I even got my boots resoled the other day just because its still too cold to wear my shoes. With all the hype surrounding global warming I would expect temperatures to exceed 15C by now...
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Mice for lunch
So apparently we have mice in the office and it’s a result of people eating at their desks. So could we please eat elsewhere? Sure, just tell me and I’ll go. Let me just give you a few pointers first:
1. Work is inside an industrial depot in east of Tottenham with no canteen
2. The park at the front is notorious for mugging, pervs and drug dealing
3. The nearest eateries are a 10min walk and have a Burger King, Pizza Hut and KFC (not good for the calorie conscious… or any type of conscious if you eat junk for lunch every working day)
4. The high street is 10min walk in the other direction, notorious for mugging, stabbings, shootings and drug dealing
5. … Well, other than my car there isn’t anywhere else to eat. Guess I’m staying at my desk.
1. Work is inside an industrial depot in east of Tottenham with no canteen
2. The park at the front is notorious for mugging, pervs and drug dealing
3. The nearest eateries are a 10min walk and have a Burger King, Pizza Hut and KFC (not good for the calorie conscious… or any type of conscious if you eat junk for lunch every working day)
4. The high street is 10min walk in the other direction, notorious for mugging, stabbings, shootings and drug dealing
5. … Well, other than my car there isn’t anywhere else to eat. Guess I’m staying at my desk.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Crafts by Clare
I have just spent the last 2 days making wedding invitations. I never want to make another card again! At least they’re pretty. And everything is done and dusted now so all we have to do is wait for the reply cards to come flooding in and we can do a table plan. Then we just wait for the big day!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
British Summer Time...?
The clocks went forward at 2am this morning for the start of British Summer Time. Summer is officially here! And outside it is snowing. Yep, you read correctly, it is snowing.
Reuben is in Manchester watching Liverpool v Man Utd. My cousin got free tickets for an executive box, someone dropped out, and would Reuben like a 3-course meal and a chance to watch his fave team for free? Well, there’s a no-brainer!
Reuben said, “Man Utd won 3-0. At least the food was good…”
Reuben is in Manchester watching Liverpool v Man Utd. My cousin got free tickets for an executive box, someone dropped out, and would Reuben like a 3-course meal and a chance to watch his fave team for free? Well, there’s a no-brainer!
Reuben said, “Man Utd won 3-0. At least the food was good…”
Friday, March 07, 2008
Wanna V?
V festival tickets went on sale today. I had 3 browsers all set up ready to buy and when 10am came around, whichever opened first would be the place I bought from. 10.01am and the whole thing crashed. Panicking I open them up again to find two have busy servers and cannot access the page. Nargh! Gigs and Tours has miraculously stayed open but tickets are selling fast. It’s now 10.06 and all weekend and red camping tickets are sold out. I email Anna and ask her if she wants to buy yellow camping tickets (don’t necessarily have to camp!). They sell out before she gets back to me.
I phone Reuben. “How do you fancy Staffordshire?”
Pause. “You really want to go?” Pause. “Yeah it sounds alright...”
I immediately book 3 tickets for Weston Park.
So we’re off to Staffordshire this summer!! Should be good, possibly less crowded and full of nicer people than the Essex chavs we always come across in Hylands Park. Chelmsford is the venue all the radio stations mass book so they can give out tickets during the weeks leading up to the festival. No-one mass books Staffordshire.
Lineup for now: Muse, The Prodigy, Squeeze, Kaiser Chiefs, Kings of Leon, Chemical Brothers, Scouting for Girls, Amy Macdonald, Newton Faulkner, The Hoosiers, Amy Winehouse, The Pigeons, Girls Aloud, Duffy, The Verve…
I phone Reuben. “How do you fancy Staffordshire?”
Pause. “You really want to go?” Pause. “Yeah it sounds alright...”
I immediately book 3 tickets for Weston Park.
So we’re off to Staffordshire this summer!! Should be good, possibly less crowded and full of nicer people than the Essex chavs we always come across in Hylands Park. Chelmsford is the venue all the radio stations mass book so they can give out tickets during the weeks leading up to the festival. No-one mass books Staffordshire.
Lineup for now: Muse, The Prodigy, Squeeze, Kaiser Chiefs, Kings of Leon, Chemical Brothers, Scouting for Girls, Amy Macdonald, Newton Faulkner, The Hoosiers, Amy Winehouse, The Pigeons, Girls Aloud, Duffy, The Verve…
Monday, March 03, 2008
Florist
The florist flunked out. We went to get a quote 3 weeks ago and she still hasn’t sent us the quote. I phoned a few times and we went into the shop twice but she keeps fobbing us off with excuses…“We close early so we’re busy at the moment”… “It’s Mothers Day weekend so we’re on a tight schedule”… I don’t care. I told her so. Details have repeatedly been left. We’ve decided not to go with her. If she’s like this over a simple quotation who knows what she might be like on the day…?
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Jaysen
So Reuben is in Mauritius suddenly because his cousin died over there. Actually his cousin died in The Seychelles but he is from Mauritius and was working in La Digue for a year. Anyways he drowned while swimming in the sea (it is cyclone season so it was maybe a bit foolish to be there in the first place) and Reuben is going over for the funeral.
I feel lonely at home. Everything is too quiet. It is nice to be able to watch the TV without him yakking on the phone though…!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Green Street
Reuben’s mum, dad, sister, aunt and I went to East Ham today to go sari shopping. Amanda needs a sari for her wedding in August and I need one as a pressie from my future in-laws. Green St in East Ham is amazing. Every shop is a sari shop, a jewellery shop or a shoe/accessory shop. The colours, embroidery, beading, fabrics… It was dazzling and gorgeous!
Anyway Amanda got a gorgeous cream one with gold embroidery and gold and red beading and I got a baby blue one with silver beads and crystals.
Then we went browsing for shoes. The shoes were far more elegant than regular shoes and have crystals on the straps and engraving on the heels. They are all mostly either flat ballerina shoes or skyscraper high heels. I’m waiting till my sari has been made before I go crazy and buy every shoe in my size…!!
PS Reuben said I couldn’t have any more shoes. Surely another 3-4 pairs wouldn’t hurt…?
Anyway Amanda got a gorgeous cream one with gold embroidery and gold and red beading and I got a baby blue one with silver beads and crystals.
Then we went browsing for shoes. The shoes were far more elegant than regular shoes and have crystals on the straps and engraving on the heels. They are all mostly either flat ballerina shoes or skyscraper high heels. I’m waiting till my sari has been made before I go crazy and buy every shoe in my size…!!
PS Reuben said I couldn’t have any more shoes. Surely another 3-4 pairs wouldn’t hurt…?
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