Don't lose your head

Just returned from a week's holiday in Kota Kinabalu. I had no idea that it was right next door to Brunei and counts Indonesia as a neighbour. At one stage this part of Malaysia was known as British Borneo and was probably best known (at least among the Brits) for its headhunters and rubber plantations. That part of its history was sadly not on display where we were staying (although one of A's activities in the Kids Club was learning how to use a blowpipe...). There was however plenty of beaches, rain forest and the odd orangutan. Some friends P. and M. were also staying at the same hotel and on the Saturday I was lured out to do some whitewater rafting. Excellent fun despite falling in and swallowing my own body weight in river water. The rest of the holliday was very relaxing A. and V. taking full advantage of the pool facilities (swimming variety) - V.'s first time in the water and their Mother taking advantage of the Spa. V. also took the opportunity to take her first proper steps (the subject of a separate post). A terrific week away but now back to the grindstone. Singapore on business next week so some more high humidity and high temperatures - HK is pleasantly balmy at the moment..

Win a few....

So the World Cup dream did not quite come to pass. After again confounding their critics and beating the French, England finally came unstuck against the Springboks. I watched the game with 20/30 other Englishman at a hotel in the middle of the Borneo (as was) rainforest at 3am in the morning. Fairly subdued gathering except for England's "try". The day was notable for V. taking her first proper steps thus emulating her brother 4 years ago who actually choose the final (England -v- Australia) rather than the day of the rugby world cup final to start walking. I was hoping it was a sign for another England victory.....

Hazy shade of Autumn

Have been rather remiss in updating since September although in my defence it has been a bit hectic. Made a flying visit back to Blighty for a conference and M.'s 40th birthday. Flew Oasis - Hong Kong's "budget' long haul airline for the first time (business class only slightly more expensive than premium economy) and had a very comfortable trip. Conference was at a nice hotel outside Stratford upon Avon - thought I had never been their before but it looked very familiar when we drove through it - can't imagine that there is another town so similar so must have had a previous (wholly unmemorable) trip.

Travelled down to London on the Saturday to meet M. and B for a trip to the Sir John Soane museum in Lincoln's Inn Fields - this must be one of the best free entry pieces of entertainment in London - Soane was an architect who specialised in iconic large-scale projects like the Bank of England and the House of Lords (- a kind of 19th Century Norman Foster) and he converted his house (in fact three adjacent houses) into a museum to house his collection of paintings, sculptures, marbles and various other pieces of flotsum and jetsum he picked up around in the early 1800s. He installed roof to ground floor light wells (with yellow tinted windows) to show off his collection and a hanging floor where he used to lecture his students. He had to remove an entire wall to install a monumental Eygptian tomb which he had purchased from under the noses of the British Museum for the princely sum of GBSterling 2000. He then successfully lobbiedfor an Act of Parliament to be passed to providing that the house was kept in exactly the same condition as the day he died (I think in around 1829). Very impressive.

We then went to the Ivy for dinner and then on to the Vaudeville Theatre in the Strand to see Stomp! A very inventive "musical" based on sounds using everyday objects (brooms etc.). After buying the Sunday papers we then headed home for a very well deserved rest.

We had the "official" 40th party the following day celebrating in style at a Belgium restaurant in West Malling with Mum and Dad, K. A. C and D. Back to HK the following evening.

Since I have been back we have had the Mid-Autumn Lantern festival (too cloudy for the beach unfortunately so A and I went down the following evening to see the new moon).

We have also just celebrated A's 5th Birthday - managed to keep the numbers down to 20/25 children this year after last year's chaos and we also held it on the day of his birthday mid-week so a lot easier this time round.

We are off to Kota Kinabalo (the wilds of Borneo) next Thursday for a week - by coincidence some friends of ours will also be there for a few days so in amongst all the relaxing that we will hopefully be doing I might manage some whitewater rafting and possibly even some golf (having not picked a club in three years, that will undoubtely prove to be interesting....).

Once we get back I will be off on business to Singapore for a few days and then possibly Beijing followed by Dubai where I am speaking at a conference so a whirlwind month in prospect (just making my excuses in advance for failing to update this log).

Sporting extravaganza

After last week's excitement (chaotic scenes in Stanley when the final whistle went on the England/Australia game), another feast of sporting action to look forward tonight with England -v- Estonia in the footie - a mere hors d'ouevre to the a main course at 3am HK time of England -v- France in Paris in the semi-final of the rugby world cup.

That is certainly not a fixture I would have imagined taking place at the beginning of last weekend but after England's nail biting 12 - 10 victory followed by France's frankly astonishing win over the All Blacks in Cardiff (which my Sister actually went to see - v. v. jealous), we now have Les Bleus against Les Rosbifs and 40,000 Englishmen are apparently descending on Paris to watch. I think I would have been among them if I had been 6,000 miles closer - I have some very fond (albeit hazy) memories of 6 Nations clashes in Parc de Prince (when it was still the 5 Nations) and then Stade de France. I went to the first England game at the new stadium and the citizens of St Denis did not know what had hit them (I think they ran out of beer the first year it was played there - not a mistake they repeated).

Come on England.