A bit of a catch up
It has, I am afraid, been a long time since I updated this blog. In my defence I have been busy with work and family life but really there is no excuse and so I have bitten the bullet, dredged up the password from my memory, blown off the dust and ventured back into the world of the blogosphere.
Since 6 September (the date of my last post notwithstanding what the last post actually says) I have been busily adding stamps to my passport with business trips including a first-time trip to Korea (South) in September followed by a couple of trips to Singapore, a trip to KL and a first time trip to Japan (Tokyo) in October.
Korea was very interesting - very friendly people who have a ferocious commitment to their evening entertainment - I have never seen so many inebriated people so early in the evening - literally clutching hold of each other to stay upright as they staggered around the streets at 9pm. Apparently this is related to the culture of dining and drinking early and then heading home so that they can start early for work the next morning. Certainly the bars and restaurants we visited after 10pm were virtually deserted.
The economic crises is apparently having a major impact on the Korean economy. When I was there in mid-September there was little evidence of economic hardship - Seoul being more than a match for KL/HK/Singapore in outward signs of consumerism. It will be interesting to see whether more recent developments have brought changes when I visit next week.
Tokyo was also very interesting. We stayed at the Hilton which was very much a throwback (no doubt deliberately) to 70s chic - all shades of brown and toilets full of gadgets. The room dimensions were very much in keeping with an Asian rather than Western clientele (unsurprisingly) as I managed to bash my head on the door frame in to the bathroom with monotonous regularity.
KL was very much as I had left it - a seemingly never-ending traffic jam with extra spice added by some spectacular rainstorms.
September and October also brought my birthday and E. and A. birthdays. A's was probably the most fun with a pirate theme and a hoard of excited 6 year olds charging around the function room of Tai Tam Towers. A. also started a new term of Gappers cricket in September which he seems to be enjoying. He is also now at the Canadian School which he also seems to be enjoying albeit that he seems to have inherited his father's tendency (during his own school days I hasten to add - it is fortunately less of an issue these days!) to day dream through less interesting parts of the curriculum.
V. is also now at pre-school. Having celebrated her 2nd birthday in July she is continuing to take the world by storm although she is now starting to ask questions rather than simply shooting everybody first! She is also starting to use words in a more meaningful way. Unlike A. (who barely said a word until just after his 2nd birthday and then spoke in pretty much complete sentences), V. has been chattering away for a long while and has very decided views on a whole range of issues although it is only in the last few months that she has started to intersperse her sentences with a couple of words of English. She is also big for her age and towers over some of her older friends which unfortunately rather encourages her tendency to direct action rather than negotiation when things are not going her way.
My Father also visited us in October and November - coinciding with the Cricket 6s (excellent fun and definitely on the agenda for next year particularly if England can win in such exciting fashion again) and the Bledisloe Cup (less exciting but a spectacle nonetheless). We also managed a (spectacularly unsuccessful) trip to the Races and 4 days in Cebu back at the Mactan Shang.
Cebu was terrific and was rounded off with a trip on the glass-bottomed boat to a nearby reef. We were accompanied out to the reef by clear blue skies and a flying fish (an animal which I had never seen outside of nature documentaries). The water was clear and there was a remarkable variety of fish among the coral. Dad and I also managed a couple of trips to my favourite bar in the world -Cowrie (Sp?) Cove at the Shangri-la which combines cool decor and music with a wonderful location overlooking the water.
To bring us right upto date we went with some friends to see Kylie on Thursday night. I have never been a huge fan of her music but for a 40+ year old she certainly knows how to put on a show (and still knows how to wear a pair of hot pants!).
Next week off back to Seoul ands then returning to Blighty for Christmas although hopefully there will not be such a long gap before updating.
Since 6 September (the date of my last post notwithstanding what the last post actually says) I have been busily adding stamps to my passport with business trips including a first-time trip to Korea (South) in September followed by a couple of trips to Singapore, a trip to KL and a first time trip to Japan (Tokyo) in October.
Korea was very interesting - very friendly people who have a ferocious commitment to their evening entertainment - I have never seen so many inebriated people so early in the evening - literally clutching hold of each other to stay upright as they staggered around the streets at 9pm. Apparently this is related to the culture of dining and drinking early and then heading home so that they can start early for work the next morning. Certainly the bars and restaurants we visited after 10pm were virtually deserted.
The economic crises is apparently having a major impact on the Korean economy. When I was there in mid-September there was little evidence of economic hardship - Seoul being more than a match for KL/HK/Singapore in outward signs of consumerism. It will be interesting to see whether more recent developments have brought changes when I visit next week.
Tokyo was also very interesting. We stayed at the Hilton which was very much a throwback (no doubt deliberately) to 70s chic - all shades of brown and toilets full of gadgets. The room dimensions were very much in keeping with an Asian rather than Western clientele (unsurprisingly) as I managed to bash my head on the door frame in to the bathroom with monotonous regularity.
KL was very much as I had left it - a seemingly never-ending traffic jam with extra spice added by some spectacular rainstorms.
September and October also brought my birthday and E. and A. birthdays. A's was probably the most fun with a pirate theme and a hoard of excited 6 year olds charging around the function room of Tai Tam Towers. A. also started a new term of Gappers cricket in September which he seems to be enjoying. He is also now at the Canadian School which he also seems to be enjoying albeit that he seems to have inherited his father's tendency (during his own school days I hasten to add - it is fortunately less of an issue these days!) to day dream through less interesting parts of the curriculum.
V. is also now at pre-school. Having celebrated her 2nd birthday in July she is continuing to take the world by storm although she is now starting to ask questions rather than simply shooting everybody first! She is also starting to use words in a more meaningful way. Unlike A. (who barely said a word until just after his 2nd birthday and then spoke in pretty much complete sentences), V. has been chattering away for a long while and has very decided views on a whole range of issues although it is only in the last few months that she has started to intersperse her sentences with a couple of words of English. She is also big for her age and towers over some of her older friends which unfortunately rather encourages her tendency to direct action rather than negotiation when things are not going her way.
My Father also visited us in October and November - coinciding with the Cricket 6s (excellent fun and definitely on the agenda for next year particularly if England can win in such exciting fashion again) and the Bledisloe Cup (less exciting but a spectacle nonetheless). We also managed a (spectacularly unsuccessful) trip to the Races and 4 days in Cebu back at the Mactan Shang.
Cebu was terrific and was rounded off with a trip on the glass-bottomed boat to a nearby reef. We were accompanied out to the reef by clear blue skies and a flying fish (an animal which I had never seen outside of nature documentaries). The water was clear and there was a remarkable variety of fish among the coral. Dad and I also managed a couple of trips to my favourite bar in the world -Cowrie (Sp?) Cove at the Shangri-la which combines cool decor and music with a wonderful location overlooking the water.
To bring us right upto date we went with some friends to see Kylie on Thursday night. I have never been a huge fan of her music but for a 40+ year old she certainly knows how to put on a show (and still knows how to wear a pair of hot pants!).
Next week off back to Seoul ands then returning to Blighty for Christmas although hopefully there will not be such a long gap before updating.
posted by Taitamtales at 8:27 pm
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