Merry Christmas To All and that all may be safe

I would love to tell you all about the wonderful adventures I've had in the past week, but all seems so small compared to the human tragedy of yesterday. So instead today I just want to thank all my friends who have called, texted and emailed to make sure that I am well. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope you all are well, healthy and safe, and I want you all to know that I love you with all my heart. A huge world wide hug too you all, and I promise that in my next blogg I'll be less emotional and fill you in on all my exploits. Stay safe. Love!

I made it!

Yes, I made it sana e salva to Bangkok. Today is day three, and I am exhausted already. My flight arriving was two hours late, and I was dead after being seated near a Thai lady who spoke perfect Italian. All my good intensions disappeared once I got to teh hotel. I had planned dinner and a massage and a short walk around Silom ROad and Patpong. Gone, Gone and Gone. All I could do was shower, order room service and colapse in my bed. Needless to say, I was awake at 4am wondering what to do.
Day two was definetly more productive seeing as I was able to get out of the Hotel by 6:30 am, and thank goodness for that. I got lost around the trrrain station, lost in Chinatown, and lost in the veggie market. All was not lost though: I did find Chinatown eventually, I stumbled across a Catholic Church which was very pretty, I had my second breakfast on teh river at the Sheraton Orchid, and I finally did make it to my destination: the flower market. After having walk for hours I decided that a lovely massage at Wat Pho was exactly what I needed so off I went once more - this time though I knew how to get from the flower market to the Wat. After all that though once I was back at teh hotel all I could do after writing postcards on the roof terrace was to fall asleep. Again NO NIGHTLIFE!!!
Today I decided on a later start and a bit less wandering and a bit more culture. I took teh sky train to this lovely Palace outside the center where they show the history of the Kingdom from 2000BC to today. It is a donation from a Prince and it really was lovely, pity it was so empty, only another 4 people while I was there, and yet it is amazingly beautiful. Then I had to stop off at the Doll museum. Anyone who knows me well, knows I love to shop for mygodchildren adn I just couldn't resist a Thai Barbie outfit. It was soooo cool to actually see the factory and the workers making the dolls right in front of you. Finally to end my morning of culture I weent to the Erwan shrine and decided to do the rounds with teh other pilgrims: four prayers, four packs of insence, for garlands of flowers adn four candels, adn let's not forget the four packets of gold leaf. Well, lets hope Erwan listened and 2005 is better than 2004. If not, well at least I got to watch Thai dancing at the shrine. Enough culture for one day, I am know in a mall and shopping till I dropping, and that will be soon. Will keep you up to date if I finally make it to see Bangkok by night.

...Horse and Carriage

Sorry folks. I know I've been gone for so long, but not my fault... really! It's just that I'm a jet-setting wedding guest. Yup that's me: I fly around the world to see all my friends get married, and don't have time to internet.
I think the whole world has gotten married...except for me of course. Everyone seems to think that I haven't noticed that I am still single at 32. Comments come in every size, shape, and form. Usually a bit hushed, inquisitive ("So when are you getting married then?") or imperative ("Well, you are already 32, you have to start thinking about getting married soon"), but all as if they were the only person to have noticed that I am still alone at the ripe old age of 32. Well here's news for everyone: I KNOW!!! Yes, I am aware that I am alone, and surprise surprise: ya I do think of marriage. However I want what all my friends have: someone who loves me.
I have to say it is truly lovely to go to these weddings and see two people so utterly in love with each other. The best part is to see these Alfa-male/macho-men all strong and virile say "I am really lucky to be with such a wonderful woman". They seems so surprised when they say to me: "You know, I really don't know what I would do without her"; or:” I always knew that we'd be together, and now so does the rest of the world"; and best of all is "She's my best friend and I love her". I think the effect is different when said by a man. Girls are mushy by nature, but to hear a guy so sincere, so surprised and so in-love is just heart warming. I want that. Where do I buy myself one of those? Has Tesco started to sell them? Can I choose the confection too?
"One tall, dark and oh so handsome man in-love with me please. You can deliver him straight to my house while I go to the till to pay... Thank you"

Birds of a feather

I can't believe it is already Thanksgiving Day! Where has all the time gone?!? I can't even believe it's Thursday, never mind Thanksgiving!!!! So it's Turkey Day again, which is in theme with our subject of the day: Birds, or in this case Hens. Ah yes, I went away for a hen party last weekend (still think I'm recovering) and I must say it just always amazes me how different Anglo-Saxon culture is to the rest of Europe, or the world for that matter. I have been to other hen parties before, but it continues to amaze me what different people define as both "FUN" and "ACCEPTABLE". I am not a prude mind you, contrary to what those who don't know me too well may think. No, I like to have fun, but to go out before your wedding day, the day you will promise to be forever with the man you supposedly love, and then to proceed to embarrass yourself and kiss strange men because, well it's the last time you'll have the chance to do so, I don't know, but I just find it all a bit too strange. Of course this was not what was going on at our party. But exactly because this was not what we were doing while all the rest of the Hens were, well, shall we say enjoying there last night of freedom very openly, we sort of stood out like a sore thumb. It was almost as if we were from another plant, not just another country. Even our waitress felt pity for us and decided to help us have a "Proper" hen party by having the other Hens in the restaurant write tasks for poor little Rasha. While we appreciated her help, I can assure you that only half of the tasks got done, as the others were just too shocking for words (even though you could obviously see the other hens enjoying their tasks). But the funny thing is that while others may have thought that we were strange, and needed to be taught how to have fun, we were actually having a good time, just talking, laughing and dancing amongst ourselves. We had a really great weekend without any need to go embarrass ourselves, nor cheat on the groom-to-be, so why is it that we were looked upon as something strange and abnormal? Does this prove that birds of a feather really do flock together? And if so, does that mean that the Anglo-Birds really are different from the rest of the world? It's a scary thought, if you think of the implications, but let's not, and just think of turkey instead: Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Do you want to have a laugh?

You just won’t believe what happened to me this weekend! I have to say I had a very eventful weekend, and I don’t just mean going out and partying. No, no, a lot more interesting than that. Starting on Saturday, after having bored the Vodafone people to tears so they would give me the upgrade I wanted (the lovely store manager finally succumbed to my charm), I went for a bit of window shopping around Bayswater (one of my fav “talent scouting” places in London) and for some strange reason a cute young’un tried to chat me up. In the street! Just like that. Now, cute as he was (the twenty-somethings seem to be improving as of lately), he wasn’t really my type, a bit pale and way too skinny for my taste, but still it was so sweet to have someone just come and chat me up. On the street, just like that. In my old age it just doesn’t seem to happen as often as it used to, and in the middle of the street like that – how flattering. Well definitely more flattering than me tripping over the side walk at the feet of the cute guy, who just happened to be my type. In fact the reason I tripped over myself was because I was so intent staring at cute guy that I wasn’t looking where I was going. Silly girl that I am, I lost a great opportunity right there because instead of playing it up as he stopped to help me and ask how I was, I was so embarrassed I just jumped up, mumbled “thank you” and practically ran all the way home.
Ah, but the mis-adventures of little miss Lora do not end there, as on Sunday I was admired by a little perv. Oh yes, while walking to lunch up at Merkato some sicko tried to take a photo up my skirt. I just couldn’t believe it! Fortunately it was a sunny day, so when I saw this shadow come up behind me and slow down, I thought he just wanted to pass, so I move to the other side of the sidewalk and slowed down a bit to let him pass. Well his shadow also slowed down and moved to the other side, and I thought that was a bit strange, and since there wasn’t anyone else around and I didn’t want this guy to stay behind me, I stopped to let him pass. Just as I turned around I saw him bent over holding his phone under my skirt, or at least trying. I just stared at him and the embarrassed little sh*t crossed the road and took off. I mean seriously do men really get that much of a kick by looking up women’s skirts? That is just sooo pathetic! Actually that’s just sick.
Well there you go one and all: my adventures over the weekend. Hope I made you all laugh, as of course that is my main goal in life. Keep well and remember: The very purpose of our life is happiness; the very motion of our lives is toward happiness (His Holiness the Dalai Lama)

Si' e' L'ora

Hello one and all. Yes it is me and I have discovered the wonderful world of blog (you can all thank/strangle Madhu for having introduced me to it). Hopefully I can stay upbeat over the time in my blogs, but if I should falter and become a bit of a bore, rant and rave about this that or the other, then please feel free to bombard me with complaints - it's just nice too know you'll care! Love and hugs for now and hopefully see/hear from y'all soon.