tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-288277972024-03-07T23:28:01.866+00:00Living it upLa Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.comBlogger226125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-26913116048855581872011-04-11T20:58:00.004+00:002011-04-11T21:23:07.065+00:00Norman RockwellI love Norman Rockwell, I love his illustrations, they bring out the kid in me - not that it takes a lot to do that. My aunt is American at heart, she loved New York, she loved the US, she loved American culture and American films. Back in her posh apartment a stone throw from the Eiffel tower in Paris, she lived the high life of a career focussed advertiser, a lot like Don Draper. Her apartment wasn't exactly child friendly but having no kids of her own and lots of money, she always bought great gifts for my brother and I. Going to her place was cool, she had Monty Pythons films, MASH and best of all Tex Avery - can't go wrong with Tex Avery. The next best thing was her book of Norman Rockwell in the midst of her collection of hundreds of LP records.<br /><br />I spent hours seating on her sofa flipping the pages, studying every detail of each of his illustrations. They were sweet, innocent, more than pleasing to the eye, they conveyed feelings and reminded me of something I lived or would live. So I was well chuffed when I received the newsletter from Sommerset House promoting Norman Rockwell exhibition at Dulwich Picture Gallery and we made it just in time before our holiday and before the show ended.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0OwXi7s0dtquZbXDxP2sxW8bUBBdVwuoW9bwbwTmJtwJ35_VZLBit6ZXro3HslKeeDlfp6vsvSTBSAKGApP7iaHmbeb_KE_TZDk7xbwFGlxSLLbivKaqaeoMOnnc8HraAzVaM6w/s1600/Hampton+Court+2011-04+032.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0OwXi7s0dtquZbXDxP2sxW8bUBBdVwuoW9bwbwTmJtwJ35_VZLBit6ZXro3HslKeeDlfp6vsvSTBSAKGApP7iaHmbeb_KE_TZDk7xbwFGlxSLLbivKaqaeoMOnnc8HraAzVaM6w/s400/Hampton+Court+2011-04+032.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594435442747051026" border="0" /></a><br />I like this one, it's the day in the life of a little girl from breakfast, swimming, play, party, date, first kiss and sweet dreams. Rockwell drew the same with a little boy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0GALj9QIvD_U7Q8-Saz0jHJgzOhTGsIFmdEvASqq3QWjOKkDAaP3H7YQ345LzG-aLBSHUxK1WTADFXxPLZScW774B7Nnbj-GhMqGG8EZm2zioLqBX3iwaxm9roHXBc8QburnBPQ/s1600/Hampton+Court+2011-04+033.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0GALj9QIvD_U7Q8-Saz0jHJgzOhTGsIFmdEvASqq3QWjOKkDAaP3H7YQ345LzG-aLBSHUxK1WTADFXxPLZScW774B7Nnbj-GhMqGG8EZm2zioLqBX3iwaxm9roHXBc8QburnBPQ/s400/Hampton+Court+2011-04+033.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594434237441165650" border="0" /></a>Le telephone arabe - not sure what it's called in English - when rumor goes around and the story gets twisted and when it goes back to the first person, it's a different story.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOvvQv3Kpo_xXy6jTUbf_rRzRzE9kI4vskMnvkEoc9JzQeBdeVrOmRjeX1jm1DUh_nzZxrbr38Ef-wYjekcUhP8TeFGQscmJbEYCLNo-GrRKNlNjdMzCEQAY_Sd9MCnB4Qy5STw/s1600/Hampton+Court+2011-04+029.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOvvQv3Kpo_xXy6jTUbf_rRzRzE9kI4vskMnvkEoc9JzQeBdeVrOmRjeX1jm1DUh_nzZxrbr38Ef-wYjekcUhP8TeFGQscmJbEYCLNo-GrRKNlNjdMzCEQAY_Sd9MCnB4Qy5STw/s400/Hampton+Court+2011-04+029.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594434231558049522" border="0" /></a>Ain't that just lovely!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0fBLPVtWMuEROYj8hhpTvVBuggOxAUjYDSd12Vo3zYpN_x0gdZ8iohPhkQ-PTPgws2NjuwaBxSqpJK3B3sz2yBGIa6nww6mB4_8e9b9MY8pYreV_RyNDOO1OjijNTwVHigdtHA/s1600/Hampton+Court+2011-04+026.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0fBLPVtWMuEROYj8hhpTvVBuggOxAUjYDSd12Vo3zYpN_x0gdZ8iohPhkQ-PTPgws2NjuwaBxSqpJK3B3sz2yBGIa6nww6mB4_8e9b9MY8pYreV_RyNDOO1OjijNTwVHigdtHA/s400/Hampton+Court+2011-04+026.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594434224396543618" border="0" /></a>Baignade Interdite in French - No Swimming in English - possibly one of Rockwell's most famous illustration.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2yP1d8WfP2nhHald8K_m3bsmhGX2irvyF4CVtR9lBGRIl9gTVOdq13qwsjR-Yg5xrdNlQO5nBt0F0TVgBJuxu-gdX-7C0modWJssy-xiZQ5O6kkcs7GQV1UznZMlw-xl_nSIrg/s1600/Hampton+Court+2011-04+025.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2yP1d8WfP2nhHald8K_m3bsmhGX2irvyF4CVtR9lBGRIl9gTVOdq13qwsjR-Yg5xrdNlQO5nBt0F0TVgBJuxu-gdX-7C0modWJssy-xiZQ5O6kkcs7GQV1UznZMlw-xl_nSIrg/s400/Hampton+Court+2011-04+025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594434217616066210" border="0" /></a>The Picture Gallery had walls and walls covered with framed Saturday Evening Post covers. Just awesome. Shame I could not get my aunt over to the UK in time to see this, she would have loved it.La Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-27289992789025083342011-04-05T20:15:00.004+00:002011-04-05T20:23:08.273+00:00A very overdue farewell<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNL3zRv0WARpgouIhIEqoLI8kpZ_kJPKumjl3Rtg9_H2lD3F07jj9kFKo-xXDRxndG8T8YseQsJFGztBl597Z6XUiIFBsuFQuZzOdvtDO_YI6Y4u-xZrCqnxgZs1DMeRFxNG7DQ/s1600/Justin.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNL3zRv0WARpgouIhIEqoLI8kpZ_kJPKumjl3Rtg9_H2lD3F07jj9kFKo-xXDRxndG8T8YseQsJFGztBl597Z6XUiIFBsuFQuZzOdvtDO_YI6Y4u-xZrCqnxgZs1DMeRFxNG7DQ/s400/Justin.jpg" alt="Alex, Julien, Justin & Janet for my 25th birthday" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592196208157222994" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Justin Tan Seng Kooi</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">12 June 1972- 03 October 2010<br />friend, brother, son, lover, boss, colleague, astronomer, engineer, visionary, giver<br /></div><br />I met with Janet and See Ming, I had not seen Janet since I left Malaysia in 2005, after long embraces and complementing each other on how well we looked and how well we were, we sat for coffee and See Ming excitedly prompted me to tell them 'everything I remembered about Justin!' I kindda guessed he'd make the main focus of our conversation but somehow the memories half faded by the years, still fresh from the grief - all came rushing together and stumbled messily upon one another in my head and I could not seem to be able to mutter any one story!<br /><br />Justin was a good - no - a great friend. He was the kind of man you meet once in your life and they instantly touch your life. I met Justin in October 2000. I came out of Xavier's office, he was going to give me the Marketing job - See Ming had just left them, he called upon Jet to get me into the job and introduced me to Justin who was going to be my boss. He looked scruffy, he had big hair, torn jeans and his all-time favourite white tee-shirt and a big grin on his face. He always grinned that big cheeky smile like a kid. Fast forward a couple of months and I got a bit more into my role and worked a bit closer to Justin, Mark and Mickey. At the time Alex was doing a lot of due diligence and worked late every night, so I had nothing better to do than hang around the office, have dinner, get back to work, but never quite working, more like hanging out, listening to Justin boucing some business ideas and other BS while strumming his guitar.<br /><br />Justin always surprised me at his outlook on life and his approach to people and matters. He never took anything quite seriously but at the same time made everything and everyone seem like it was the most important thing or person in the world - that was a gift all on its own. His mind was as tidy as his appearance and office was messy. He compartementalised his life: friends - work - hobbies, it took a bit to get to know him and his friends and his hobbies outside of work.<br /><br />Two of my favorite memories of Justin are:<br /><br />He liked his work, he disliked meetings - they were a waste of valuable work time, and as such he disliked going to PIKOM - I think it was every Tuesdays, he'd always look for excuses not to attend the meetings. But little by little he'd be missing more often than usual, I remember asking Emily, his PA at the time where he was going all the time, she said he had some business at Pikom - that arose amusing suspicion, Justin was very private so I would not even think of asking him directly, a couple of weeks later and Sam went to a function with Justin and reported back that Janet and him had been flirting openly all night. Haha! Janet was PIKOM secretary, it all made sense! It would only be a few weeks later that he'd be admitting to it and another month later before he introduced Janet and I. Turned out Janet was indeed as fantastic as he was and that they'd be making the wonderful couple they were.<br /><br />Justin had a bike, I had my kancil, so when we went out for drinks, I'd be driving. One night, he took me on a wild goose chase around KL, he needed to pick up a friend somewhere. When I saw the friend I could not help but notice that his friend was even scruffier than he was if that was ever possible! We went to a rat infested street in KL for teh tarik and mee goreng. Turns out the friend was quite interesting too as were all the people Justin surrounded himself with. Later, Justin asked me to stop behind what looked like a terrible motel - he went in and I stayed chatting with the man (I can remember his face, but not his name or what we talked about). Justin came back out and the man bid us goodnight and went on our way. As we drove away, I asked Justin who he was. Nothing prepared me to what I was about to learn about Justin... The man was an ex drug addict, just out of rehab, he had no job, no money and no place to go. Justin was his 'big brother', visiting him regularly at the rehab, so he was still looking our for him, he gave him money, and arranged for a place to stay at a brothel while he found himself a job. I knew Justin was very generous but I had no remote idea What a selfless man he truly was.<br /><br />Another one of his passion was astronomy, and some of the most fun arguments we had was me trying to argue that the universe had some sort of influence on our lives and that there was something greater than life but Justin disagreed - Mr No-Nonsense. More fun arguments came out from his philosophy, he had views on relationships that I could not understand. It was only years later that some the things he said started making sense. He was my 'quit smoking buddy', we put on weight and dieted and started smoking again together. We had some cool debates about life, people, relationships, dreams versus reality and commitments.<br /><br />Justin had something to do with me leaving Malaysia. He became CEO, became empowered into a role he did not want, had to step up to the challenge, turned Extol into a new dynamic and efficient model, had the chance to implement a new structure and vision, but had no time for friends. Combined with a couple of other reasons, I knew I'd miss the times we spent together and thought that if I was away - at least we'd have a good reason not to be hanging out. Still, he always kept a special place in my heart and I was always looking forward to seeing him again when visiting Malaysia.<br /><br />To date, and in spite of the love I have for the men in my life, Justin is possibly one of the most extra-ordinary man I have ever met and I am lucky enough to be surrounded by some very wonderful people indeed. I shall always look up to him for the simplicity of his brilliant mind and his beautiful heart and his childish grin and laughter. I hope he knew. Miss you dearly Just.La Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-40084139064927815932011-04-03T17:12:00.006+00:002011-04-05T20:41:11.700+00:00Cooking with Pum<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihg1OEQerABaTo62aDFCZshCcQPp4xmx-Pt1qjVfRyG6jW0JkQfAV079Kpy2JFAoDKJumZYSI6dsSrnaaFC3rrk3YGhTTpl9Yd3-N5ResS_1DiHVJ4rQ_1WFxNlaJyxiTH7vni7w/s1600/DSC07097.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihg1OEQerABaTo62aDFCZshCcQPp4xmx-Pt1qjVfRyG6jW0JkQfAV079Kpy2JFAoDKJumZYSI6dsSrnaaFC3rrk3YGhTTpl9Yd3-N5ResS_1DiHVJ4rQ_1WFxNlaJyxiTH7vni7w/s320/DSC07097.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591412215868717986" border="0" /></a>I ended our holiday in Phi Phi with a cooking class at Pum's cooking school. I met with two lovely young American travellers one of which was heading back to the States, the other heading for Borneo after teaching English in South Korea for a few months. Noi was our chef, he was teaching us three Thai favourites: Red Lipstick, Green Lipstick and White Lipstick, respectively Tom Yum, Curry Curry and Tom Kha Gai (chicken in coconut milk soup).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgtkZDSpuGYkzlDg9xUfcGiNWAH3XEHH1b40hgq7ee175n-SygAkwgoTpYe3kp0cn36PjuyCO3pxjUq3Q0Y0SXkcZZ4aqoceFjsqoY758WNondE4x61McJzqV5GUQmnzNY8FbfQ/s1600/DSC07101.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgtkZDSpuGYkzlDg9xUfcGiNWAH3XEHH1b40hgq7ee175n-SygAkwgoTpYe3kp0cn36PjuyCO3pxjUq3Q0Y0SXkcZZ4aqoceFjsqoY758WNondE4x61McJzqV5GUQmnzNY8FbfQ/s320/DSC07101.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591412220085544978" border="0" /></a>Here's a recipe for you to try (if you can find the ingredients)<br /><br />Tom Yum Goong<br />Prawns x a handful (2-3/person)<br />Water x 340ml<br />Galangal root sliced x 4-5 pieces<br />Lemongrass (sliced 3-4cm) x 1/2 stalk<br />Kaffir Lime Leaves x 2 (you'll know when you find it cos it smells amazing!)<br />Thai Shallot x 1 (I use normal shallot)<br />Small green chillies x 2<br />Fish sauce x 2 tablespoons<br />Sugar x 1 tablespoon<br />Lemon Juice x 1 tablespoon (we used a lime pressed it for its juice)<br />Chilli paste x 1 tea spoon (or two if you like it hot!)<br /><br />In a pot, bring the water to a boil and add the chilli paste, mix well<br />Add the fish sauce, sugar, lemon juice and add the herbs, stir well<br />Bring the soup to a boil and add the prawns<br />Done. Enjoy!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4-dMZS2lLaeVVO7Blx7Yqn99uwMER-gstcvCJQ2u4G0d7iPGi7s6BuiKNEYr62lXz-zL5GYVlAZa45iJU7uVuaEJbPSVJyT1DAiJ7m5peIJHd7Hjuqtwxz1UgRUnkWJlLMqnnA/s1600/DSC07105.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4-dMZS2lLaeVVO7Blx7Yqn99uwMER-gstcvCJQ2u4G0d7iPGi7s6BuiKNEYr62lXz-zL5GYVlAZa45iJU7uVuaEJbPSVJyT1DAiJ7m5peIJHd7Hjuqtwxz1UgRUnkWJlLMqnnA/s320/DSC07105.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591412222060943650" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">(PS: Libellule, je te donne ma recette du Singapore Fried Mee Hoon des que je suis a jour avec mes updates!)</span>La Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-90793852730762454362011-03-26T16:01:00.008+00:002011-04-05T20:41:32.042+00:00Sawadika Part Two - Koh Phi Phi<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:0;"><em><strong><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Day two - heading for the dream</span></strong></em> </span></span><div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">The sun is shining through the roman blinds into the room, the deafening song of secadas prevailing, cutlery clatters on the terrace outside our room, breakfast is being served. We lazily wake up and step outside on the patio where our fry up and coffee await. After a quick shower we head to the pool - soaking and swimming sipping watermelon juice and enjoy the cliff sights surrounding. It doesn't get better than this... </span><div><div><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">The ferry over to Phi phi was a good opportunity to work on that much needed tan. Sharing my iPhone with alex we listened to the tune of our holiday, chicane's latest album, Giants.<br /></span><div><div><div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588421978099338098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXqUMSKGLhgt00ZKWIV-it01kW8DHsXfosfr75MlIhd-xCq1YbGAZHsDAC1UOzxJfy6-JzD6nLcKsg430sMRr8J8OHRQvhnk9cHTpoUzQVG2VMEJ1SAMmsuJm95MOGxLAgYffEg/s320/Phi+Phi+Dream+1.jpg" /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Once on the island we were greeted by our friendly Host, barman, waiter, and entertainer (they know the meaning of multitasking!!) And after a lunch on the beach we headed to meet Trevor at long beach dive centre... Trevor wasn't there, he'd gone to Phuket to greet his niece and nephew, but Noe was there. Noe is Swiss and he was going to be our instructor :) we are later joined by Parisian couple Laurent and Dora. Eager to start after a long chat and a fresh coconut we Start off watching the first three modules of the Padi open water course. </span><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588421994086400146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86Jjr-9DIbrKlpfEiy79st1LSTNKl_LOwKvV1TZg7CNIHZsxIlUY2VUtR7fXvTgRPgejh4M_789ZeH0P54RbC8GaoETP1tJCjPmy7Wq8XrNLA3-nUFk8AjlRgyb404WlwSL9TaQ/s320/DSC07009.JPG" /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#cc33cc;"><em><strong>Day three - just under the surface </strong></em><br /></span>The last morning we got to sleep in and after a long breakfast, feet in the sand, starring at the deep blue sea and shallow turquoise water, we started on our training. Assembling the kit was child's play but exercises in stumpy waters as a storm broke out was less fun. I totally freaked out when I first had to breathe underwater! How very embarrassing! For a split second i felt like i struggled to breathe only through my mouth and could not handle the water getting in my nose but that was resolved the minute I had the mask on. Phew.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588426147503005346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87NHS36JB_2MAceJFzThWjE-yDQBlfKr9en1HVQi053doqGcBBQuo_AiTOLo6wWYIxzR8n9py_97l17DYUGkaFKpxUlc5c9OUXR4WL3v_TfCxO9pKXiE4_qYb3S03lzXK-90kvA/s320/PP-Long+Beach.jpg" />It was an exhausting day, the choppy water, the current, the lack of visibility spoiled the fun and we were glad when it came to an end. Although the day was far from over with having to study the manual before a series of quiz, which we sneakily read on the long chairs on the beach with some cocktails from our friendly waiter. </span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588421995589203538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjcDAPPOwg6fEOi9JgRvzYBP0B1xEuWFW83GhbGewrdbc7AubkC35b4fct2L2u1RB4tOmkM0_P6Am31uGeD1bDpUoIoWAD9hyphenhyphenaBUJfpl7O671Z88cQp2WsEUz10UQcfC42qtLcg/s320/DSC07002.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 219px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588423648347913426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ZsWMna83rIXyLCCMNJDAaZeusYam2u_xe9Wf75GM0K9hhfARZfFdtbclJwu6CBSemiPCYc-k_M-0smOw4G3KLfb-4x84Fh0ri2vIdLVBN6MSOA6VvBAEE2eeRkTE6tpBLki0LQ/s320/PP-Study+on+the+beach.JPG" /></span> <div></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#cc33cc;"><em><strong>Day four - first open water dives </strong></em><br /></span>We were up at dawn and after revising everything we had learned we took the boat to Koh Phi Phi Lei, Maya Bay for our first dive. Much to my disappointment, it was nothing like in Finding Nemo! The corals were dead :(such a sad sight. Still I saw lots if little fishes including Nemo's relatives and some other exciting sorts but at that point I was more interested and focussed on my buoyancy, making sure I did not lose Alex, hit the reefs or the sand bed or float back to the surface unwillingly! But the second dive was a whole lot more fun, feeling more at ease and seeing more sealife like a giant pufferfish, lots of angelfish, Scorpion fish, but ended this wonderful experience swimming with a pair of turtles!!!<br /></span><div></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588423649777879730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIaVHINI8WQ7s_vy6MdUcfhA-6L0Rgfz9CX1QImm4ekaCkt8aOQgKE5JX95Rw7DgznzgmVAXuHxn5UwHrrslImk68eJEU-23wGTLkSoXtaxbkQKq4qQyQJYK4VLUH2X7vIVbgTUA/s320/PP-Diving+team.JPG" /><em><strong><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Day five - Completing the course </span></strong></em></span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Now half way through our course, we jumped off the bed with eager anticipation at going on our next dives! There was a lot more people on the boat diving with Trevor, his relatives, and a South African diving with Celia (Noe's girlfriend). The morning dive was leisurely, I was focussing on improving and controlling my buoyancy. Saw a couple of lion fish, barracudas, yellowback snappers, but this was nothing compared to what we were about to do and see for our last dive... a Leopard Shark!!! What an amazing creature and how lucky were we that he'd stick around with us, swimming back and forth just 2 or 3 meters away from us. </span><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588423652818482226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJWNGr9EEyiDuAhsClBvy2v3tB7ndyVVfODL3yvJpWpFq9yiZNN8FDA9kUiBeYtHr1PmlPrL0jwmJJ5X-Nq7lxb0VW0JWQ2poOO_iTQGOjshAHa2MWjV3JACQ2zZ-i8eGzIKUTw/s320/PP-Happy+Divers.JPG" />The day ended with the PADI exam, and me running up and down the beach between dive shop, hotel room up the hill and down the beach to get a tailboat to get back to Tonsai Beach where I had booked a cooking class, but that's a story for my next post.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588421988227352258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpysRFh5WPO1RddA17kECkPxblpG29YdmJbRWNr6x-gsIwqeG2mKRzcluWP_S3MlvtWOcvuqmILQ3krE5Bl9ZvqpxnUIwGB3RjCRMbyCEyThBhIQ2RNaVvFhH1d-krSW26AF1Eg/s320/DSC07042.JPG" /></span> <div><span style="font-size:85%;">What an adventure, what an experience, what a feeling. We are both so chuffed we've done it and we can hardly wait for the next diving adventure. </span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>La Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-44916744784461711722011-03-14T10:11:00.006+00:002011-04-05T20:41:32.042+00:00Sawadika Part One - Ao Nang<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583878631489172898" border="0" alt="The Cliffs Hotel, Ao Nang" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZGy4toTDlPTw72k9CVFqiKQeAZSYWcU6q0D-XE49Bsr0hfCxLEuOIzIfkCR6xI_sZeijR9kDrqGFJuhTHk0AYktYwyhazJbzGjdk4C0WEoWg9HG5CT5KmzDLPpjPbLdU5tKpAg/s320/DSC06903.JPG" />After a not too tearful goodbye kiss with our toddler, we head out to Thailand. A couple of hours later and we land in Krabi, and it's about to rain. This does not dampen our spirits, we check in our jungle room and immediately hunt for a typical not touristic restaurant for some authentic tom yum soup and pad tai before heading to the beach but the tropical rain gets heavier so we head back to the room to try out our fabulous outdoor bathroom and shower.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583878651592939986" border="0" alt="tom yum & pad tai" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpFLwruGtemegD7VYZXn_6NVAacSCeJoMNcQ78KunXGfc-OePdINNNceeWZtQ9Mll3YvRmE-yK2ls4m9Rv8zW-EdCQZtVM3cgHbnLKlKgztvEFABwiKKR_Fyc5lZzlCuIBHo23Q/s320/DSC06896.JPG" /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwSr5sVdhSyiud3jb2pmXEhv1aRlxGmlVZ73hJM8xWxJrBoGqzrLR7wFu51UBbIN64wZGEPA85jSLCXhoa4sP4JiXc0fbRJZyz8U_rkSmW9wkZeIbSPvv1LWSsTsyWpdaTxsN-g/s1600/DSC06945.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583878643538411410" border="0" alt="Outdoor Bathroom at The Cliffs Hotel, Ao Nang" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwSr5sVdhSyiud3jb2pmXEhv1aRlxGmlVZ73hJM8xWxJrBoGqzrLR7wFu51UBbIN64wZGEPA85jSLCXhoa4sP4JiXc0fbRJZyz8U_rkSmW9wkZeIbSPvv1LWSsTsyWpdaTxsN-g/s320/DSC06945.JPG" /></a>Before heading down to the spa we booked, we sipped some cocktails looking at the mist raising against the cliffs backdrop. The rain has stopped so we walk to the beach but it s dark before we get there.<br /><br />The spa was to die for - 90 minutes of bliss Thai and foot massage in a dreamy surrounding.<br /><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx9TFDJaoa7bAq7rP0H17nIAWQV6g1gJgnDScxyLAnEo8PrPsEviGnslnD9FjDWTnMvoP16QMwcuQVwbgOFi-Z69UB347Vt-HbC5NwZrRdz4v3U0-_y7hncwirP215546hr4eMhw/s1600/DSC06920.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583878638156569794" border="0" alt="The Spa at The Spa Resort, Ao Nang" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx9TFDJaoa7bAq7rP0H17nIAWQV6g1gJgnDScxyLAnEo8PrPsEviGnslnD9FjDWTnMvoP16QMwcuQVwbgOFi-Z69UB347Vt-HbC5NwZrRdz4v3U0-_y7hncwirP215546hr4eMhw/s320/DSC06920.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVn1QeY7RguF4jzXsI_pyRhuBCjqW4VYiYb3N5OHJrQagTHatCOQlaB_fjKGMBD3S6SiNVPQYmGROpER6e7UJDp0IRWT63O-5icezAZXXe8nPjlmFWNwVXvWEAgfqXzSCezQmcA/s1600/DSC06914.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583878647844311154" border="0" alt="Massage Oils" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVn1QeY7RguF4jzXsI_pyRhuBCjqW4VYiYb3N5OHJrQagTHatCOQlaB_fjKGMBD3S6SiNVPQYmGROpER6e7UJDp0IRWT63O-5icezAZXXe8nPjlmFWNwVXvWEAgfqXzSCezQmcA/s320/DSC06914.JPG" /></a>For dinner we want seafood, we don't have to look very far for a broad selection of restaurants. We have steamed curry crabs and BBQ squid, tiger prawns and barracuda- scrumptious comes to mind.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2wsj7vma3DXDpBw8x3y5w7XlKmKypBh4sNkeCLdaLOXEtn1vhVXMfyun-BmwqJj1D9kbf2GuP0_PgH8BiK_UV9zqCN7krNKQHqXXmLbvr4BMqw0zDBmlSkYCqVw8ItF2k98FdNw/s1600/seafood+ao+nang.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 239px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583883328427010914" border="0" alt="Seafood spread" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2wsj7vma3DXDpBw8x3y5w7XlKmKypBh4sNkeCLdaLOXEtn1vhVXMfyun-BmwqJj1D9kbf2GuP0_PgH8BiK_UV9zqCN7krNKQHqXXmLbvr4BMqw0zDBmlSkYCqVw8ItF2k98FdNw/s320/seafood+ao+nang.JPG" /></a>After a short digestive walk through the hundreds of roadside stalls and shops selling among other things penis shaped artifacts (?!?) we ended up in the Coconut bar near our hotel - self proclaimed- number one bar in ao nang listening to the live band, drinking chang beer and watching the fire show performed by the twenty something barmen, waiters and band members! The ambience was amazing and I reckon it must indeed have been the number one bar in ao nang.<br /><br /><em>Day two - before making our way to koh phi phi<br /></em><br />The sun is shining through the roman blinds into the room, the deafening song of secadas prevailing, cutlery clatters on the terrace outside our room, breakfast is being served. We lazily wake up and step outside on the patio where our fry up and coffee await. After a quick shower we head to the pool - soaking and swimming sipping watermelon juice and enjoy the cliff sights surrounding.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBEbmU9J906117VA-Ad3LFqwjCpEavf1ILPjOGg52Um8Zbw0JyAx_AKn3A3hVIZDAGZROgEvvBtiRaEdVGOMiNIAc7Xhww8ly8ycM7v5vN02Aq991Slo60jwHSZdtPnFn2pfJ2qA/s1600/DSC06938.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583882416271912690" border="0" alt="Sunny Cliffs" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBEbmU9J906117VA-Ad3LFqwjCpEavf1ILPjOGg52Um8Zbw0JyAx_AKn3A3hVIZDAGZROgEvvBtiRaEdVGOMiNIAc7Xhww8ly8ycM7v5vN02Aq991Slo60jwHSZdtPnFn2pfJ2qA/s320/DSC06938.JPG" /></a> It doesn't get better than this...</div></div></div></div>La Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-54222322340495112482011-02-06T15:56:00.007+00:002011-04-05T20:42:53.773+00:00A Feast Fit for Kings in a weekHow I love weeks like this, when everyday is a feast.<br /><br />I'm one of those people who gets by the day looking forward to the next meal, I get up looking forward to breakfast, then when the morning gets dull, I start looking forward to my lunch and if by any chance it's a planned lunch with a friend or colleague, it becomes a bit like looking forward to Christmas, and the afternoon goes by ever so quickly looking forward to dinner pondering what nice meal I am going to put together. And if people ask me what I'm doing this weekend, I will probably tell them what's on the menu! I must have starved to death in my previous life, so really appreciating it this lifetime. I know cooking is a hobby but can food on its own be a hobby as well?<br /><br />Anyway, this week takes the cake. It's the food king week.<br /><br />First of all, it's Chinese New Year, so that's two days of celebrations and it coincides with Alex' birthday, another excuse to throw in a special meal (or two)<br /><br /><b>Chinese New Year's Day</b><br />Special Fried Rice<br />Oyster Sauce Chicken<br />Stir Fried mixed veggies with prawns<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JqbsTYKB7AYe-b4hEmH_f30hKrz6RBDiOv3ItRTdAls3_TYp4I4JVCX6HtJ2uB-3MOQIhEy4w91ZKcTqKWAuv5tSxS1_IAaVutTRfnIx_LMHVqGbc7gsLzWF0SFLBJlRD9IwsQ/s1600/IMG_0637.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JqbsTYKB7AYe-b4hEmH_f30hKrz6RBDiOv3ItRTdAls3_TYp4I4JVCX6HtJ2uB-3MOQIhEy4w91ZKcTqKWAuv5tSxS1_IAaVutTRfnIx_LMHVqGbc7gsLzWF0SFLBJlRD9IwsQ/s320/IMG_0637.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570607158413322354" border="0" /></a><b><br />Chinese New Year's Day 2</b><br />Singapore Fried Mee Hoon<br />I was also supposed to prepare Asam Laksa Fish, but there was plenty of SFMH, and I thought it was over-ambitious. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPttndAsIAb6489h2G2B98C1OMKcQh9xKKSQ26_E8XOs-5pS5793-bSVnNSCJHCnoNFZmBSFgHt5aKJkBIaGTihtQa0XHx8jBGNHC3O_gM52A81Aou7ljphXtkqkrCkEg0WPFEg/s1600/IMG_0638.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPttndAsIAb6489h2G2B98C1OMKcQh9xKKSQ26_E8XOs-5pS5793-bSVnNSCJHCnoNFZmBSFgHt5aKJkBIaGTihtQa0XHx8jBGNHC3O_gM52A81Aou7ljphXtkqkrCkEg0WPFEg/s320/IMG_0638.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570607168606354866" border="0" /></a><br /><b>Alex' Surprise Birthday Party<br /></b>Regretably, I was going to do a Murder Mystery Night but a couple of friends could not make it and there weren't enough of us to do the game, only postponed for another time.<br /><br />I had planned a dinner I was comfortable with like Poulet Basquaise and rice - but got stuck at the starter... while wondering what kind of starter to make, I thought Dim Sum would be great, since it's still CNY - hence I am changing my dinner plans and menus:<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span><b><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDZQ0-W7D5eqFIASeAU9mHf32C_VCiacWEWz-PqVOCd-5F2mNLK6lu5FNT599pOkpB2zclrRR4XXsciKbqXlQrHM7T8YldsPdWtzKYJj_fIDwunBPHEuJLxnbbiuIrdN1FqhNgQ/s1600/IMG_0640.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDZQ0-W7D5eqFIASeAU9mHf32C_VCiacWEWz-PqVOCd-5F2mNLK6lu5FNT599pOkpB2zclrRR4XXsciKbqXlQrHM7T8YldsPdWtzKYJj_fIDwunBPHEuJLxnbbiuIrdN1FqhNgQ/s320/IMG_0640.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570607173588490626" border="0" /></a></b>Dim Sum for Starters, a selection of Steamed Sui Mai (Pork) and Ha Kau (Prawn), and fried Sui Mai with Sweet Chili Sauce and Hoi Sin Sauce (Plum)<br />Special Fried Rice<br />Penang Curry Chicken<br />Sayur Achar (pickled vegetables)<br />And my friend Julie made a fabulous Orange cake for dessert.<br />Served dinner with Champagne and a couple of lovely red Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot Bergerac wine.<br /><br />In order to not arouse too much suspicion for Alex, I pretended to be cooking for a couple of meals ahead - Note to Self - not be a bad idea for the future.<br /><br />I had a bit of technical difficulties with the Dim Sum as the steam seemed to be escape all around and not actually through the bamboo baskets, but I eventually thouhgt of placing a cloth over the wok to keep the steam within - only worrying about whether the kitchen towel might catch fire!<br /><br />Dinner turned out perfect and as ever, we all had a good time.<br /><br />We were supposedly hoping to finish the week with a day out to China Town in London - we made it for another wonderful Dim Sum meal and caught a glimpse of two Lion Dance, but the day got cut short because our little angel was ill. Not sure we'll do it again next year though as it was terribly busy and we don't really have to wait for CNY to have Dim Sum.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG0-ldTZGlBM0ANRYAZtkWxt6P7NwpSF1VJapZdSZUXEvgNaTyavHlcOWsQe5JnfKpiZ1cKIk-mFhwarEUPppXkjPMTfk519qB4IsOFiUaN3Tat52oNOsMxWlJ9TtwSZ2xpzrreQ/s1600/lanterns.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 278px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG0-ldTZGlBM0ANRYAZtkWxt6P7NwpSF1VJapZdSZUXEvgNaTyavHlcOWsQe5JnfKpiZ1cKIk-mFhwarEUPppXkjPMTfk519qB4IsOFiUaN3Tat52oNOsMxWlJ9TtwSZ2xpzrreQ/s320/lanterns.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570612103147916770" border="0" /></a></span></span></b><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Have a very happy New Year of the Rabbit everyone - lots of love, happiness and prosperity.</span></span><br /></div>La Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-78092531688574281722011-01-22T18:03:00.004+00:002011-04-05T20:42:44.992+00:002nd birthdayTwo years old already... where did time go? Well I guess the first nine months went in playing all day long and not sleeping all night long and meeting little girlfriends while eating cakes and drinking tea and laughing and loving wholeheartedly. Then I went back to work, and there was a whole lot less cake n tea parties and not a lot more sleep, but a lot more fun yet with first steps and first words and other kinds of first times. Anyway, we got there soon enough - 2 years old.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVOM-lQusM_tuizvmNwd1jNB5sYbWO4ldD55WTwEG3VGYZEVfPwuvHpRwwKHiYByMkTketiH63F61kN1wMUFs4-hOcv_UGkBGkWwf3uEu0CMK94yv7YRk6POWK1uJQinRGRJgRhQ/s1600/DSC06891.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVOM-lQusM_tuizvmNwd1jNB5sYbWO4ldD55WTwEG3VGYZEVfPwuvHpRwwKHiYByMkTketiH63F61kN1wMUFs4-hOcv_UGkBGkWwf3uEu0CMK94yv7YRk6POWK1uJQinRGRJgRhQ/s320/DSC06891.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565073795691701218" border="0" /></a>Since we have the most beautiful place in the world - I decided to throw a proper party, complete with gift bags for little guests, finger food, beer and wine for grown-ups and juice for the pregnant moms. Of course, I over estimated everything and invited more people than I could possibly cope with - but somehow wonderously managed to!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzdPgRubJnFqqRGRbmaxLzaLJdLXf0L-exj7mfhKlE7SbwezlMIC0LFgDdxuDkAtT5vAP0EJc9OQYAUiI5yaQERxQ1n9MfzYfmC3ZLvLL2DhUdNarZV3kpBSj1UMUYR8VdopwFQ/s1600/DSC06881.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzdPgRubJnFqqRGRbmaxLzaLJdLXf0L-exj7mfhKlE7SbwezlMIC0LFgDdxuDkAtT5vAP0EJc9OQYAUiI5yaQERxQ1n9MfzYfmC3ZLvLL2DhUdNarZV3kpBSj1UMUYR8VdopwFQ/s320/DSC06881.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565073808370260626" border="0" /></a>We had her three little friends from birth, Matilda, Emma and Libby, with their moms and dads as well as friends from nursery, Amelia, Billy, James, Marleigh and Oliver with their moms and dads. Unfortunately, Byelle felt a bit overwhelmed with the crowd though and clingged on to mom or dad throughout the afternoon, until it was just her three bestfriends left, upon which she had a great time dancing and singing and playing!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFKLwA2R3PI8hLLRpP3kNhaVyBUJZjCu6UjymIc4wDK-6Wz0Aovq-Z_ufovbJZpsElTRjEq2dNlR_c_v8F5JbvToHfY0dmZ2mAyEvsBgAUJ3wOSoQJSGjGXhC6Uau_kwaVPeOnA/s1600/DSC06883.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFKLwA2R3PI8hLLRpP3kNhaVyBUJZjCu6UjymIc4wDK-6Wz0Aovq-Z_ufovbJZpsElTRjEq2dNlR_c_v8F5JbvToHfY0dmZ2mAyEvsBgAUJ3wOSoQJSGjGXhC6Uau_kwaVPeOnA/s320/DSC06883.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565073798083107522" border="0" /></a>Gabrielle was quite spoiled with lots of toys and books and jigsaws but I guess her favourite moment was dancing along 'ring a ring of roses' with Emma, Libby and Matilda or jumping on the bed with James and Amelia!La Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-22454284625989281182011-01-04T19:33:00.006+00:002011-01-04T20:50:25.154+00:00Muybridge Exhibition - Tate BritainI was walking in the tube - I can't remember whether it was the time after my xmas lunch with various editors or after our Christmas party, when I saw this photo on a poster. I was fascinated, I stopped to look at the images. I loved it, it was intriguing and different, pictures of people or animals in motion - 'moving pictures'.<br /><br />Eadweard Muybridge lived in the 19th century and was from Kingston - if I had bothered visiting the local museum, I would have known that!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEFr_gas7Qjg2wspJv0RAQg1hf1hQF4TBlMZJ4TRaloCH_teShDUW6VW_Gr9P5jeWlv-Uj9hMHfsgJXAT4U-bSZD5hhvLI6PTckT4nMWUfxz3DSg0EiT2sPMAe09ySFX7U61-KQ/s1600/muybridge_galloping_horse.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEFr_gas7Qjg2wspJv0RAQg1hf1hQF4TBlMZJ4TRaloCH_teShDUW6VW_Gr9P5jeWlv-Uj9hMHfsgJXAT4U-bSZD5hhvLI6PTckT4nMWUfxz3DSg0EiT2sPMAe09ySFX7U61-KQ/s320/muybridge_galloping_horse.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558416254100669490" border="0" /></a>His motivation was to prove that a horse could fly - not as crazy as it sounds - he reckoned that in the galoping motion, a horse had all four hoves off the ground, but the motion was too quick for the human eye to capture.<br /><br />So he set up an elaborate device to photograph a motion under three different angles - he also invited a device - called a zoopraxiscope to show played the motion pictures in a form of animation - a few years before film strips were invented.<br />(For the record, apparently, the first device ever invented was in 1870 and was called a Praxinoscope, while Myubridge's Zoopraxiscope was invented in 1878 - both devices were at the origin of cinema).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS3a9V5S6pPBwE2w-U9mFi2-qI0yBFnR8EIYbTCRwoSBHkpgyb4zKbKEDJ4kXDZNyZdlkyy6PIQh1R-UytSj5r16PvrEhiIHSw3QvsOnt8nQCCFdSQtOKy6ojFfMh76kHrrCjx6g/s1600/muybridge_headspring.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS3a9V5S6pPBwE2w-U9mFi2-qI0yBFnR8EIYbTCRwoSBHkpgyb4zKbKEDJ4kXDZNyZdlkyy6PIQh1R-UytSj5r16PvrEhiIHSw3QvsOnt8nQCCFdSQtOKy6ojFfMh76kHrrCjx6g/s320/muybridge_headspring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558416259986605138" border="0" /></a><br />Muybridge not only proved that a horse is indeed airborne for a split second but more extraordinarily, what he really achieved despite himself is 'motion pictures', which he referred to as locomotion or moving-picture. His method is the 'technology' that was used in shooting the film the Matrix. So there, you all learned something new :)La Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-82584595392511661012011-01-01T19:37:00.009+00:002011-01-01T23:36:37.373+00:00The Book of the Dead - British MuseumThe British Museum offers a great display of Ancient Egypt, but this exhibition offered so much more. The display in the central dome of the museum was very cool - with the rooms layed out in a spiral.<br /><br />If you know a little about Ancient Egypt, you'd know that they sought eternal life in the afterlife pretty much like Christianity or Islam which both promise eternal life in Heaven or Jannah respectively. And as true as it is in these 'modern' monotheist beliefs, Egyptian believed that they had to live their lives a certain way to prepare for the afterlife and to be entitled entry to their equivalent of Heaven.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy57Csoj77R1UkIm5TEj-TSDLxYPJiYjZ2Bq5nQKiHXj_UhKywqOuXKq12XuaWp1quTTuONOkk2PJwP52ShiXt9O89hiuiuFeF88liadL7rw4iAX6Vkb8nmxeK3HhuMCkoQJ4kEA/s1600/Egyptian-Book-of-the-Dead-007.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy57Csoj77R1UkIm5TEj-TSDLxYPJiYjZ2Bq5nQKiHXj_UhKywqOuXKq12XuaWp1quTTuONOkk2PJwP52ShiXt9O89hiuiuFeF88liadL7rw4iAX6Vkb8nmxeK3HhuMCkoQJ4kEA/s320/Egyptian-Book-of-the-Dead-007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557304274836302834" border="0" /></a>My knowledge of Islam is limited but to gain entry into Heaven, you need to live your life - or rather not live at all that would make it much easier - as a saint and then you might just get your ticket in. Between me and you, it sounds a lot like the lottery, I'd rather keep that tenner in my pocket, than bet it on a ticket that might possibly maybe win me a million pound, in this context, I'd rather live my life and take my chances with a potential maybe eternal happiness or damnation later.<br /><br />The Egyptians did not just need to live lives of saints but also had a strict and complex rite of passing - now that's much more similar to Buddhism, which dates back from the same time (approximately 5000-3500 BC), whereby once dead, there is a complete physical ceremony, which is not what this exhibition was about, but the spiritual journey into the afterlife.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfv0Zi3f-KS-Zi7HWTaBCkxyqrexu-Q9cV5FzAmuFIb7pfI5D6TkT0_b8Ga3noi6gza5KDai39WyJ5w5gXymcLeTqz6ckOsNKoO8hGLP9Jv4MqkS-0tqrZoFyV-_WXlrSvBMlQOg/s1600/Pap_Ani.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfv0Zi3f-KS-Zi7HWTaBCkxyqrexu-Q9cV5FzAmuFIb7pfI5D6TkT0_b8Ga3noi6gza5KDai39WyJ5w5gXymcLeTqz6ckOsNKoO8hGLP9Jv4MqkS-0tqrZoFyV-_WXlrSvBMlQOg/s320/Pap_Ani.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557317912488176210" border="0" /></a><br />Above, Isis and Nephthys the wife and child Osiris, God of the dead, played a role of protecting the deceased throughout his journey.<br />Under the scale in the middle, is Anubis, also protector of the dead, in charge of the weighing of the heart of the deceased.<br />And to the right, Toth, God of writing and knowledge - behind him The Devourer, the monster crocodile-headed, torso and legs of the lion and bottom of a hippo, punished those who were judged undeserving of the afterlife. You'd have to want it pretty bad to face that one.<br /><br />The Sun God and creator of the world, Ra, represent the cycle of life, by being resurrected every morning to the East and dying every night in the West. He was also interpreted by the cycle of seasons and plantations and recolts.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMNylBsZ84-uoK2qNx6zE_INZ0BDT1kmjR0hAJYra08nA9vBDEN0GxDDsIzMmFq-bE6cLKJKy_tKFuwS9rg5a_X2Kt8c5ZTPkFJ8BOUNX0_RbV2Sgr9imyiUAFsyouUBakGlnFHQ/s1600/bookdead2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMNylBsZ84-uoK2qNx6zE_INZ0BDT1kmjR0hAJYra08nA9vBDEN0GxDDsIzMmFq-bE6cLKJKy_tKFuwS9rg5a_X2Kt8c5ZTPkFJ8BOUNX0_RbV2Sgr9imyiUAFsyouUBakGlnFHQ/s320/bookdead2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557304273185858738" border="0" /></a><br />The exhibition was great, it had an entire wall scripture of two versions of the book of the dead from two different authors and by judging the characters (hieroglyphs) used, they must have been written at different eras. Then tons of papyrus as well as wall sculptures and a couple of sarcophogus and a mommy.<br /><br />I'd recommend the exhibition, but watch out of the crowd, in spite of booking in advance and having an allocated time slot, we struggled seeing everything, but Byelle kept nice and quiet throughout - watching Timmy Time on my iphone, the wonders of technology in the middle of History.La Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-32102020024870509012010-12-30T10:28:00.003+00:002010-12-31T09:20:10.852+00:00Tough Love: my baby won't sleepRunning up to 2 years<br />2 years = 730 nights<br />730 nights with no more than 4 consecutive hours of sleep<br />730 nights getting out of bed once or twice or three or four times a night<br />730 nights listening to a little girl cry herself to sleep<br /><br />I had enough - I read 5 books - heard countless 'have you tried...?' - tried countless things and methods - bookmarked hundreds of webpages talking about toddler's sleep (or lack of) - watched too many episodes of Super Nanny.<br /><br />Control crying did sort out the 'going to bed' dilemma in the evening but it did not solve the 'waking up in the middle of the night.<br />Letting her cry it out, only resulted in completely sleepless nights.... until now<br /><br />So forgive me - I'm not a bad mother - but I decided to give the latter another go. She can cry all she wants - cry all night long for all I care - she needs to learn that I will not be there until the morning - I decide when she wakes up not her.<br /><br />And you know what?<br />It worked<br />It finally worked<br /><br />In the many things I read, a doctor said there are two misconceptions from - the first one is that for a child to sleep from 12 midnight to 5am <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">is </span>sleeping through the night - but that did not even apply to my kid. The second is that in spite of your best efforts and applying the book rules to the letter - if your child is not ready - he is just NOT READY. I am suddenly finding out that this is very true.<br /><br />On Monday night, Gabrielle cried - what felt like - most of the night<br />On Tuesday night, Gabrielle cried for very short periods (twice 15-20 minutes)<br />On Wednesday night, Gabrielle only cried once for 15 minutes<br />On Thursday night, Gabrielle only cried once but did not call for mommy or daddy<br />Tonight might just be the night where the cry is just a whimper and/or that she sleeps through.<br /><br />The irony of it all is that I feel more tired than ever. I guess I have 730 nights' worth of sleep to catch up on.<br />=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">For the benefit of desperate parents who might stumble upon this page, these are the books I read, but none of them helped except combined with each other - </span><br /><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Sleep by Beatrice Hollyer and Lucy Smith (in theory - should have been very good, it teaches you good habits and sleep routine before baby arrives - but that did not help with Byelle)</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">the no-cry sleep solution by Elizabeth Pantley (nothing good came out of it)</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">The Sleepeasy solution by Jennifer Waldburger and Jill Spivack (fixed the going to bed dilemma - with control crying - very reassuring for parents who don't want to hear their baby cry)</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">The Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg (I personally don't like her) </span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">The Sleep Guide by Gina Ford (another partisan of the crying method - but now I have to admit it works)</span></li></ul><span style="font-size:85%;">What you need to remember is:</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">1) control crying or letting your kid cry will work but maybe not this time</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">2) Your kid does not hold against you so stay strong and stick to the rules of the method</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">3) but if your kid is not ready - he's just not ready the first time we did control crying - she was 8 months old and cried all night for 2 weeks with no improvement whatsoever - the second time we tried letting her cry, she was 17 months for 3 nights and except for exhausting me and her dad had not made a dent in her bad habit</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">4) Books that claim you don't have to let your baby cry are lying - they will ask you to let your baby cry - but refer back to #2 </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">feel free to email me if you have question or need support - I've been there and it's been exhausting.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"></span>La Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-78025834590513142182010-12-28T19:55:00.006+00:002010-12-28T21:11:59.027+00:00High Society Wellcome Collection<div align="left">When I first heard of this 'High Society' exhibition, for a split second I pictured Top Hats and Petty Coats and fine moustaches and dainty umbrellas but not quite... Sir Henry Wellcome was a scientist amongst other things (19th century) and he is to thank for funding the Wellcome Trust and Wellcome Collection, which aspires to be a "free destination for the incurrably curious".<br /><br />High Society is about Drugs, with apparently 200 billion dollars worth of illegal trade going on in the world a year and with drug use recorded for over 3500 years (yeah, that's Egyptian Pharaohs time). The small exhibition was well laid out, with its history, its use, its side effects and the arts and litterature it inspired. </div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 287px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 175px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555831206481408962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43sHfMQsMXFlftW96c-0PkMh8nfqNrvcLqBURoyZ0mc66Hf4oGTMFWw7wpS5XcyRyliky8jM2oFnB5adEi8vK9gTAU4FeFbA542OQVAx1iMhhyphenhyphendyvCdof8T8mEq-r2EYmE1ydhQ/s320/High+society+1.jpg" /><a href="http://www.wellcomecollection.org/whats-on/exhibitions/high-society.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.wellcomecollection.org/whats-on/exhibitions/high-society.aspx</a><br /><br />Up until not that long ago, early 20th century, French sold Marijuana cigarettes (we call that a spliff nowadays) and the British sold opium-based gripe remedies for babies! Nice one :)<br /><br />I particularly enjoyed the poppy field screens running in opposite directions on the walls all around - so did Byelle.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 239px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555831218830934834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfIZdnez0OvvfyvHT97lKWZ5hTFjj-ljjHUk_7_S6DvdN6jSN45083RWWfWILejih06v6XcDELLK-TaaRVeKWeJuBffKUjmOwYWf5EcVUKXzYlvXtktNQJaav90t-rhV4aVdiZCQ/s320/IMG_0461.JPG" />But the most interesting finding in my opinion was the effect of drugs on spiders - interpreted by the way they spin their web:<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 436px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 259px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555831204962781842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimocjGosuuEiDFsv4pNwv3Ls-Az0wNUKVwYtjY9wc4UxkREBoiGyN01SgPLoNdqn70V5EzogHHERKBHSemWZXoNcln82NhJzZ_7E_hHWzEUGpIF29UN0lJsS2JgqoxDWiIeMJZrw/s320/High+society+2.jpg" /> <div align="center">(Speed - Caffeine - Marijuana)</div><a href="http://www.trinity.edu/jdunn/spiderdrugs.htm" target="_Blank">http://www.trinity.edu/jdunn/spiderdrugs.htm</a><br />One can't help but notice that the worst looking web is the one caffeine-induced ... hmmm.... one can't help but wonder.... Maybe I need to find a substitute to my 4 cups a dayLa Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-78877689904772007172010-12-27T17:57:00.005+00:002010-12-28T09:50:49.569+00:00A mountain of dustIt should have been a Merry Christmas, like every other Christmasses but it was a cold and tired and soul-less christmas for us this year.<br /><br />2010 should have been a fabulous year, our little girl is more fun and gorgeous by the day, we still have secured jobs in this current economic climate, we acquired a beautiful home in a dream location. We should be so lucky.<br /><br />Instead, we lost touch, we rely on each other for strength but don't consult each other or talk and forgot to have any fun at all. Too engrossed in trying to find fulfilment in difficult and demanding jobs, getting by day by day with as little as 4 hours broken sleep because our darling daughter is still not sleeping through, moving and decorating our home and counting the pennies in our bank account as we've ruined ourselves on the latter.<br /><br />Eventually, the rock I am expected to be, started to crumple inside out and it all collapsed. Our great castle of cards needs rebuilding --- starting with getting some frekking sleep!<br /><br />We're not in the New Year yet, but making amends need to start now, tomorrow might be too late:<br /><ul><li>Get some proper hobbies and interests - facebook chat and TV just won't cut it. I want to learn to dive, Alex wants to learn to snowboard - expensive oh yeah - but our entire 20's we spent them living very frugal lives and saving every penny so we could afford a home and a family - now it's time to invest in some fun. Plus Byelle will benefit from it as she turns 3 (for skiing) or 8 (for diving)</li></ul><ul><li>Learn a new skill - or two or three - cooking for Alex, he has to spend time in the kitchen with me - that will contribute to the 'us' time we've left behind and Alex will teach me the piano on Gabrielle's little keyboard, heck that's not a real instrument but if I learn 'Ah vous dirai-je maman' and 'jingle bells' I'll be happy - and either pick up on my Spanish - I'm so close to speaking that language, I can't believe I'm not fluent yet! Failing that, I'm quite curious about Japanese - I know it's random</li></ul><ul><li>Get a good routine to include some 'us' time compulsory - no excuses; e.g. Monday - read, Tuesday- knit, Wednesday - update/catch up on the blogsphere, Thursday - shoot some post-apocaliptic mutants, Friday 'us' time ;) , Saturday - have friends over for dinner; Sunday - shopping in town or something intellectual in London</li></ul>There - that's me and us sorted for 2011 - Bring it on!La Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-4266470273624836062010-12-25T20:10:00.004+00:002010-12-28T09:50:49.570+00:00Christmas DayMerry Christmas to whoever stumbles upon this page<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgZo8WhJAuKPfaob2fRHCqfSn9bAJQd8pywFopu4E3zFz7UvTbM-KsKStlOpP7ON-loCFQZc-ECuFuzfmZaLabztknpi8HKMF7w5T0TOSgTEKTf_2nrZ5pZL8GbrSA-868F7lqNA/s1600/xmas-IMG_0415.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 239px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554718552808767122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgZo8WhJAuKPfaob2fRHCqfSn9bAJQd8pywFopu4E3zFz7UvTbM-KsKStlOpP7ON-loCFQZc-ECuFuzfmZaLabztknpi8HKMF7w5T0TOSgTEKTf_2nrZ5pZL8GbrSA-868F7lqNA/s320/xmas-IMG_0415.jpg" /></a> I love that clock that Alex brought home- I thought it was pretty cool this morning when I got up to see Dec 25th in large font across the corridor from my bedroom to the dining room.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYr85iBX5awmk3RmjtbEt3eJM1EM5Wo9YTiG18gehyphenhyphen4W4DK27Xo_WjghNs-9XYsGwrXHpU99t77Ppyex5H2Hy3PRTihHX0Ra0zHc9wo6hxKMh7kG6pJYfA4I8kNRrDc34Z5SV3Q/s1600/xmas-IMG_0383.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 239px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554718418489490930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYr85iBX5awmk3RmjtbEt3eJM1EM5Wo9YTiG18gehyphenhyphen4W4DK27Xo_WjghNs-9XYsGwrXHpU99t77Ppyex5H2Hy3PRTihHX0Ra0zHc9wo6hxKMh7kG6pJYfA4I8kNRrDc34Z5SV3Q/s320/xmas-IMG_0383.jpg" /></a> That was actually yesterday, at Alex' office Christmas party, Byelle was happy to have her face painted and sat still for the artist to work, she wanted more so she had both her hands painted as well.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAxvZbqRuDxTxSrXLFvqn3seiArCzBTx7ztlP-yb0xCaVPhsga0w4twwU1_4jigFZ7Od6fj4NT9L8ps3haa0BmgEJj5CxoSazNqYVPnA3MylPpJ-CI8vRCvf503uNia61bU0s2w/s1600/xmas-IMG_0379.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 239px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554718410126288578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAxvZbqRuDxTxSrXLFvqn3seiArCzBTx7ztlP-yb0xCaVPhsga0w4twwU1_4jigFZ7Od6fj4NT9L8ps3haa0BmgEJj5CxoSazNqYVPnA3MylPpJ-CI8vRCvf503uNia61bU0s2w/s320/xmas-IMG_0379.jpg" /></a> The show with Jojo the Elf and his magic tricks. Gabrielle participated passing around the lego bricks and the parcels for Santa's sleigh. Santa gave Byelle a hand puppet Fox, which she affectionately calls fok. <br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8KF0YhnLd5Rf9lGbeuw60b9Tgmjf9-prrUfPHAKN8BIwwDyTglwY0w95I_2nIqmSDje4nTap1pziYqCTYqv5znRg42wqMet6tdkCmg50N9A6cjabnldDBx4cU7a2T20s2J09Xw/s1600/xmas-IMG_0421.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 239px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554718402907201858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8KF0YhnLd5Rf9lGbeuw60b9Tgmjf9-prrUfPHAKN8BIwwDyTglwY0w95I_2nIqmSDje4nTap1pziYqCTYqv5znRg42wqMet6tdkCmg50N9A6cjabnldDBx4cU7a2T20s2J09Xw/s320/xmas-IMG_0421.jpg" /></a> Opening the presents - crayons from Gemma, legos and scooter from mommy and daddy and the keyboard!!!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgPZoCUmyyUmg1IZKj0N0mC8KHRCq1pRr7CT-3GCXuqFvOJnylIO4cBjgqtFcZ4DF-rk7Dc_EgZhO1z1F6gqlrH7gtI598cGnRi6ZXtVN7RnSs-9ePu6FFH541EWqy9b2HnQTJQ/s1600/xmas-IMG_0441.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 239px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554718395225723042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgPZoCUmyyUmg1IZKj0N0mC8KHRCq1pRr7CT-3GCXuqFvOJnylIO4cBjgqtFcZ4DF-rk7Dc_EgZhO1z1F6gqlrH7gtI598cGnRi6ZXtVN7RnSs-9ePu6FFH541EWqy9b2HnQTJQ/s320/xmas-IMG_0441.jpg" /></a>The masterpiece, an electronic keyboard from Memie and Pepi - well the actual best present from Mommy and Daddy was the 'Scoota' but weather does not allow the use for it yet.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiseuhuqwtLX5vZ8mE48GB4EVb7OdqMkPQU0h4LJkhALocZkWoLS48q_bxZ6tfk7itwTCyGQTaVYzZvt0pyX7-yM5ZVQGvXgK90Zxfa-H-ODrmRGnzu9DwPOUbAjvVabVv1eMyYtg/s1600/xmas-IMG_0447.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 239px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554718390459083794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiseuhuqwtLX5vZ8mE48GB4EVb7OdqMkPQU0h4LJkhALocZkWoLS48q_bxZ6tfk7itwTCyGQTaVYzZvt0pyX7-yM5ZVQGvXgK90Zxfa-H-ODrmRGnzu9DwPOUbAjvVabVv1eMyYtg/s320/xmas-IMG_0447.jpg" /></a>Daddy spent as much time on my new toy as I did. He will be able to teach me soon enough :)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div>La Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-62184822774382802362010-12-19T12:54:00.007+00:002010-12-19T13:40:32.721+00:00Snowed in<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552378439205321058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSQh8sQZ4CUuqtTWq8ggYTm3mOOckdQjVk_kgepKHHECZiDyHZhmIIvmXL1ISBqiEuX1-gdaWVCnoymtjSMtiWKmou4HQ3pgQhuizUKz4y-gDkvzfgc8oGT030vcYoW0_UL7Tqg/s320/101218-1.JPG" /><br />The tree outside my window, the children playing in the streets, the laughter, the snow storm has ended and it's just magical.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20yhx3rWQ3Od4c1MN31-i7vOvYkNp1gYUh8lR4d3j3Ay3e5w7mzi_SDQ1RhDLT-HnOq2UX96ocD26zVC6iDW9eroQOTSL6w6KdASYuk5UywOkX5Q9BZM4kB0D7_KT4u0xciNHqg/s1600/101218-2.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552385592185078322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20yhx3rWQ3Od4c1MN31-i7vOvYkNp1gYUh8lR4d3j3Ay3e5w7mzi_SDQ1RhDLT-HnOq2UX96ocD26zVC6iDW9eroQOTSL6w6KdASYuk5UywOkX5Q9BZM4kB0D7_KT4u0xciNHqg/s320/101218-2.JPG" /></a> An eager little girl looking out the window.<br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552378446997187826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpdQiZpbOkNmWuHYLBNkxUOoWfv7G7q3x9Dun-z3YHBodaVNyyUsI-YFN6QaeaM7ol-cUOPPSZHMo-SjG7mOMsjWuo8mw30FoJ7blRGXpfs_aD7uR1Sd6hBgF5UZgvz1NESPN37A/s320/101218-3.JPG" /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTgSWn1SObxgWK7M9h95wpY-pAMhSYmksTv9Wuj6XhDAbAw2kHF2gYiAf01I73pVjn408Fm1tMvFlws-ZPcEYGNQfdMsKLEWYkR4EjHZ24SSgdpM0gqRD1J8GYg9GqdKPpe6qpQ/s1600/101218-5.JPG"></a><div>Much to our disappointment, Gabrielle did not like the sleigh or the snow and refused to wear her gloves or hat - what a surprise. </div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71QX2MHIMifJEs9KDOR_fMXpu4A64lHEMbSScMwFPcJJXauf5HBOmOoUAtyQqE8AgjkjX1RyOuuLMgByUPPSiDyFUgz9DpNdQ8_i8xspxegMJGaTcApsZCGXmH2pns9pACH2cug/s1600/101218-6.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552378554365225250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71QX2MHIMifJEs9KDOR_fMXpu4A64lHEMbSScMwFPcJJXauf5HBOmOoUAtyQqE8AgjkjX1RyOuuLMgByUPPSiDyFUgz9DpNdQ8_i8xspxegMJGaTcApsZCGXmH2pns9pACH2cug/s320/101218-6.JPG" /></a> Another day, more snow, I have to say that I am not accustomed to this much snow. This is the most snow I've seen at this altitude! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTgSWn1SObxgWK7M9h95wpY-pAMhSYmksTv9Wuj6XhDAbAw2kHF2gYiAf01I73pVjn408Fm1tMvFlws-ZPcEYGNQfdMsKLEWYkR4EjHZ24SSgdpM0gqRD1J8GYg9GqdKPpe6qpQ/s1600/101218-5.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552378487090549410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTgSWn1SObxgWK7M9h95wpY-pAMhSYmksTv9Wuj6XhDAbAw2kHF2gYiAf01I73pVjn408Fm1tMvFlws-ZPcEYGNQfdMsKLEWYkR4EjHZ24SSgdpM0gqRD1J8GYg9GqdKPpe6qpQ/s320/101218-5.JPG" /></a> Of course, they say London comes to a stand-still when it snows, which is not entirely true, both main roads at either end of my street are clear and busses circulate, but it is true if you drive a BMW because I can't drive it out of the street without threatening to skid into all the cars parked on either side of the street!<br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiezc5UMdCn7_zEWUxGWFjfDm2mJaAs2QS020LdnLY7zTASz4E0W-x5Dd5N5h7MGQi5Y-esNS5X0Yo-MCDizhP3_xnrI8Iacpc06P1itsvEzxZ6EYU0h5_iDA11GSeo2yZyDwmuig/s1600/101218-4.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552378469240130274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiezc5UMdCn7_zEWUxGWFjfDm2mJaAs2QS020LdnLY7zTASz4E0W-x5Dd5N5h7MGQi5Y-esNS5X0Yo-MCDizhP3_xnrI8Iacpc06P1itsvEzxZ6EYU0h5_iDA11GSeo2yZyDwmuig/s320/101218-4.JPG" /></a> But it is lovely, it was lovely yesterday morning to watch foxes play in the backgarden, or lovely to walk along the white and icy Thames path. </div></div></div>La Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-60700881503867977642010-12-08T14:20:00.003+00:002010-12-08T14:42:07.207+00:0018 months later<div><div><div>June 2009 was my last entry, time just flew by.<br />Spent the Summer of 2009 in France. Alex and I took a road trip from Oleron Island to the summer house in Ardeche via Carcassonne.<br /><br />I went back to work late September but took a 3-week Christmas holiday back to Kuala Lumpur to introduce Gabrielle to friends and spend Christmas with the whole family. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548321187572618978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcO7dRqgdqchqOKhgwr9UVgG3FIQS-BNcLvEqF112MA9-33XhBlvjAnHr8t6bAYFnKSqVxA8uFIdI8oKJabxS2C8kZln40jVQjJuWaQJSZUJbIGAyH5D9Fe4fiQuBYHOOGyHOAgA/s320/DSC04461.JPG" /><br />The holiday was followed by Gabrielle's first birthday and the hunt for a home.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 219px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548319273969596546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpgtRCFmp4EzAxhO51Vgwvwx7q0qu8L2UDzWd2loXWiGjqHaf8NZGr3zNxCzQ4wvR5to-Ct3SyDy6CT13nsaYT_gsiwDZwLfAp-3ny5xlLB6p4_WGzmA4cV96C1NUeqhivskq-A/s320/IMG_4556-edit.JPG" />By July 22nd we had moved in our beautiful home and we're hoping to unpack the last boxes and install the last light fittings over this coming Christmas break. Now I'm ready to resume blogging</div></div></div>La Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-15586318958184732272009-06-14T12:29:00.004+00:002009-06-14T12:56:15.507+00:00Signing off ... x<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrow9gfa56ODrRmoplG_vUVJdezInz3Bqf7atY1NOs1GQ2QVVK5JVIVm109cNv32AsHdG0dUun4wBNpIblyjj6QD5J3KDc77UmQiRUuj1MU80IepOupnT_lyjBn4xdevBVZ-DkQ/s1600-h/IMG_2573.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347160727639301074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrow9gfa56ODrRmoplG_vUVJdezInz3Bqf7atY1NOs1GQ2QVVK5JVIVm109cNv32AsHdG0dUun4wBNpIblyjj6QD5J3KDc77UmQiRUuj1MU80IepOupnT_lyjBn4xdevBVZ-DkQ/s400/IMG_2573.JPG" border="0" /></a>As you can guess, being a mommy is a full time job and keeping up on the blogsphere is nearly impossible, my ISP does not let me upload videos, keeps restarting every 5 minutes.<br />For the blogsphere friends, Gabrielle (Byelle for short) is growing quickly, not just in size but personnality and character. She's had a tooth that disappeared three weeks later, she had her first cold last week, we've been on a train and a boat and underground and london cabs a few times when getting her passport from the French Embassy (you read the funny experience from my mom's blog), we've been to Hampton Court 5 times and the British Museum and the Tate Modern (Gallery of modern art) and most of all, we've been socialising with her little girlfriends and moms. Just last night she started talking non-stop, she is a very soft spoken baby that's until she can't sleep at night and then it's a different pitch. She can also seat up, she sleeps on her tummy and rolls over from front to back when she wakes up, she rarely cries, she smiles a lot, she wants to stand up all the time so we bought her a jumparoo, in which she can stand and jump to her heart's content. She's beautiful, she's adorable and there are no words to say how much I love her. <div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347160729334558530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7zSQgyFSI8ZRigp3LasIUSE4pg6PpU3JbftvvR1uzeMM8unzmrYI5agy_rOABvhmaABnkjm38fdp17J-UgqsyOuzXpUhgg_5OnEZgmJVo_4M1vJhjTL-mA86PfFujwfgLJh_LQ/s400/DSC02218.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div>I'm sorry I'm not visiting your blogs any longer or keeping you posted. I hope you're all doing well. I leave more news on facebook if you're there, do befriend me and you'll get to see lots more photos and videos. </div><div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347160720135006722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_3rJh5-2pYRI8UNsdljfGhaIYO8BW5acjWdkYJ7SBLp2Jt-yF8L1USgrMGxRAzdubMYi3QO_XnSxNoRVzbHK1M_6N5XCmmUqUgiNq5hls-9wVDxAArVVZ397i5G43LZSjDRUuQ/s400/DSC02071.JPG" border="0" /></div></div><br /><p>I started this blog exactly 3 years ago, I had just moved to the UK to live the life I always dreamt of, a adventure, make fabulous friends, see my favorite rock stars play live, see West End plays, have a career, make money, travel to all the beautiful cities around Europe I wanted to discover. I've done all that, and although there is still much more to do, right now, my life is as great as it will ever be... as a mom, she's my everything, my world and everyday is a fun filled, love-filled adventure, it's perfect and it keeps getting better. </p><p>.... love x</p>La Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-10539185527201328152009-03-13T08:32:00.009+00:002009-03-13T13:28:06.593+00:00Cuteness incarnateA short list of all the reasons I love it and Gabrielle is sooooo cute when...<br /><br /><ul><li>She stretches for 20 minutes in the morning waking up both her daddy and me with all the grunts and groans associated</li><li>She looks at me with a corner smile when she sees me lift my top to breastfeed her, she knows what's coming</li><li>She caresses my side with her little hand while feeding</li><li>She grabs my tee shirt with the other hand while feeding</li><li>She daydreams</li><li>She loses the breast she talks to it and when she latches on again, she continues talking her mouth full</li><li>She does the crab/tiger on her changing table</li><li>She cries in her sleep</li><li>She laughs in her sleep!</li><li>She clicks her tongue when she's happy</li><li>She pouts when she is sleepy </li><li>She frowns when we play and I do something a bit unusual</li><li>She lifts her head up high when lying on her tummy and that she's done sleeping</li><li>She kicks her legs when she is frustrated, i.e. I tried to make her sleep when she's hungry or vice versa</li><li>She licks anyone's tee-shirt (mine included) when she's hungry</li><li>Like a gopher, she looks for the breast in her sleep</li><li>She looks so miserable like an exagerated sad smiley before she starts to cry, it's hilarious, I hope one day I can capture it on photo</li><li>She coos at her little bunny/spider/butterfly pram toys</li><li>She falls asleep at the breast and continues pretending to suck</li></ul><p>And best of all...</p><ul><li>She talks, coos, smiles and laughs with her Daddy and me</li></ul><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312642205688260658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Quw721h_VqatgjNWBH_uzDcy-pUxABby8cMs30H-cLZzV5Rn00rUlOCAJXuBLCFG1YMsi1wYOswQIJB3LxHOq8WIq0JhpT1BRGsSF06vtjHPR7E9erdAHpwD4CFBvgonZ0rKbw/s400/IMG_1146.JPG" border="0" /><br /><p><span style="color:#cc33cc;">En francais maintenant... Toutes les petites choses qu'elle fait qui sont trop choux et que j'adore...</span></p><ul><li><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Elle s'etire pdt 20 minutes tous les matins en faisant le plus grand baroumf possible jusqu a ce que Mama et Daddy se reveillent</span></li><li><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Elle me regarde avec un sourire aux coins de levres qd elle voit que je m'aprete a lui donner le sein</span></li><li><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Elle me caresse (et chatouille) les cotes avec sa petite main pdt qu'elle tete</span></li><li><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Elle s'accroche a mon tee-shirt avec l'autre main pdt qu'elle tete</span></li><li><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Quand elle a la tete dans les nuages</span></li><li><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Elle parle qd elle perd le sein et continue a parler la bouche pleine qd elle le retrouve</span></li><li><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Elle fait le crabe/tigre sur sa table a langer</span></li><li><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Elle pleure dans son sommeil</span></li><li><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Elle rigole dans son sommeil!</span></li><li><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Elle claque sa langue quand elle est contente</span></li><li><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Elle boude quand elle est fatiguee</span></li><li><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Elle fronce si je fais quelque chose d'inhabituel, meme si c'est habituel</span></li><li><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Elle dresse la tete haute allongee sur son ventre quand elle est reveillee et a decide de ne plus dormir </span></li><li><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Elle me donne des coups de pieds qd elle est agacee, souvent pcq je lui donne le sein qd elle veut dormir ou la berce qd elle veut manger</span></li><li><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Comme une taupe, elle cherche le sein ds son sommeil</span></li><li><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Elle leche mon tee-shirt ou le tee shirt de celui qui la porte quand elle a faim</span></li><li><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Elle fait sa pauvre malheureuse comme un emoticon triste exagere :( C'est a mourir de rire j'espere le capturer en photo avant qu'elle arrete de le faire</span></li><li><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Elle parle et fait des mamours a son petit toucan/lapin/araignee ou papillon qui pendent a sa poussette ou tapis de jeu</span></li><li><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Elle s'endort au sein et continue a faire semblant de teter</span></li></ul><p><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Et le meilleur...</span></p><ul><li><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Quand elle fait des areus, mamours, sourires et rigole avec Daddy et Mama</span></li></ul>La Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-84671293767434141482009-03-10T16:18:00.002+00:002009-03-10T17:53:53.333+00:00Cuteness incarnate<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnv1LWOgFoH8olS4CWvHqS7w7sEYh0KLqGsgmcpvKlOQlGVybkk6EQP2et_-8bBCGxaogSaTykKPkrPFVv3jSF7sSIgn1FQ8RPU4V7bLFqlMqem_Z7mTfA9jY5qvPJz2uPYzrbXQ/s1600-h/IMG_1095.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311594946523785698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnv1LWOgFoH8olS4CWvHqS7w7sEYh0KLqGsgmcpvKlOQlGVybkk6EQP2et_-8bBCGxaogSaTykKPkrPFVv3jSF7sSIgn1FQ8RPU4V7bLFqlMqem_Z7mTfA9jY5qvPJz2uPYzrbXQ/s400/IMG_1095.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1914UUDcGY11b85TCgbgyDWu9SzQqqpGhXGrB3wB1G1yNSQqWg-uLipBELjyIJGNAeYTzhs9XZpwSkrUTD9BYG-T1Z2_41BFtD1Qe8vvWttyNL2F7_w_ycd9pZNZltpooBD0R0g/s1600-h/Picture+27.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311594940063918898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1914UUDcGY11b85TCgbgyDWu9SzQqqpGhXGrB3wB1G1yNSQqWg-uLipBELjyIJGNAeYTzhs9XZpwSkrUTD9BYG-T1Z2_41BFtD1Qe8vvWttyNL2F7_w_ycd9pZNZltpooBD0R0g/s400/Picture+27.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQAeRT5HjXTyZEyNS-tVP-N-BqLLA01cuc0rEBq65YlcZFqF2tPRCvfbwdoUvxfsnA9WnnAePIrfn_l9C_aLMGVz-utIXU5lvbbFK4Ep45Y2q28YgDH2xqdanSrA90RvVhML_vXg/s1600-h/Picture+24.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311594937925454674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQAeRT5HjXTyZEyNS-tVP-N-BqLLA01cuc0rEBq65YlcZFqF2tPRCvfbwdoUvxfsnA9WnnAePIrfn_l9C_aLMGVz-utIXU5lvbbFK4Ep45Y2q28YgDH2xqdanSrA90RvVhML_vXg/s400/Picture+24.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />A lot of work... but darn fun... and definitely worth it all (the wait, the pains, the extra kilos, the sleepless nights). I d love to write more about how much fun and lovely she is but we are in the middle of a conversation of aheus, coos, laughs and smiles.</div></div>La Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-59662749725526536762009-02-06T12:05:00.003+00:002009-02-06T18:41:46.505+00:00Smiles, Snow and Only You<p>The sweetest and cutest little girl in the World. She is so alert since day one and so very easy. It was a bit of work in the first week but it's been better and easier by the day ever since. She eats well, she sleeps well, she smiles, she communicates very clearly her every need without crying.</p><p><em><span style="color:#cc33cc;">La plus jolie et la plus mignonne, je ne me lasse pas de lui dire et de la caliner. La premiere semaine a ete difficile a cause du manque de sommeil et les tetees continuelles, mais des la deuxieme semaine, les choses se sont arrangees tres rapidement, elle mange bien, dort bien, exprime tres clairement tous ses besoins et donc pleure tres rarement. </span></em></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMyqavOIdDjXzh8mMRG2pmQo74ndU3nwsnVOyUlPlwIq61IvTK39IQhvte6zHArarQH-yi51g2uY0OSStT1kW3k1aj8xu5QC6j48kDJJ1UCAiiDjxELtrqbhyXU00096HPphVTpw/s1600-h/IMG_0578.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299654607215454370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMyqavOIdDjXzh8mMRG2pmQo74ndU3nwsnVOyUlPlwIq61IvTK39IQhvte6zHArarQH-yi51g2uY0OSStT1kW3k1aj8xu5QC6j48kDJJ1UCAiiDjxELtrqbhyXU00096HPphVTpw/s400/IMG_0578.jpg" border="0" /></a>She likes everyone and although she smiled since day one for the last few days she geniunely smiles at people, songs or kisses. She's just lovely.<br /><em><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Elle aime tout le monde, elle est tres facile et bien qu'elle nous fasse des sourires depuis sa naissance, elle les fait intentionellement depuis quelques jours ce qui est fantastique. </span></em><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgduA18obJmGA452dCop17wVpwc4-Ydv8AD1-GpftiThsrZ4stg7IjDQC9p5yaljQsEamApx4IKQZUh2FwnKXc11SoRLU_GlUZBk2ng7fOuGXx3xicL27w7jOmfQ8feLFAjtjetjw/s1600-h/IMG_0390.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299654603455466834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 295px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgduA18obJmGA452dCop17wVpwc4-Ydv8AD1-GpftiThsrZ4stg7IjDQC9p5yaljQsEamApx4IKQZUh2FwnKXc11SoRLU_GlUZBk2ng7fOuGXx3xicL27w7jOmfQ8feLFAjtjetjw/s400/IMG_0390.jpg" border="0" /></a> We had a snow day on Monday, the whole of London was at a halt so Daddy was home and we all went out to play in the snow and for a long walk along the river.<br /><em><span style="color:#cc33cc;">On a eu de la neige lundi, tout etait arrete et donc Daddy etait a la maison, on en a profite pour jouer dans la neige et faire une longue promenade le long de la Tamise bordee de blanc.</span></em><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRrm7mlOcReGc60E3CHw8PizP6kLn2k4kb2KBsh0sNq0HcOy4aYyjTJKbP5weSieDUtxlHlCuZ73HrKF0uhoI7ypCDMpNriYtlVPot3vBQcKRjlHUEqvIVoHdNRDcjCMmTQ37ohw/s1600-h/IMG_0378.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299654604554527330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRrm7mlOcReGc60E3CHw8PizP6kLn2k4kb2KBsh0sNq0HcOy4aYyjTJKbP5weSieDUtxlHlCuZ73HrKF0uhoI7ypCDMpNriYtlVPot3vBQcKRjlHUEqvIVoHdNRDcjCMmTQ37ohw/s400/IMG_0378.jpg" border="0" /></a>She can be grouchy in the evening, too tired to eat, too tired to sleep and I was bored singing her the lullaby from the movie Mary Poppins and started singing Only You, which always works wonders, I thought it was an Elvis song (although it is The Platters) and so I uploaded my Elvis album on itunes and play it to her, she loves it. <div><em><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Elle peut etre ronchon le soir avant le coucher, trop fatiguee pour manger ou dormir. Dans ces moments la, je lui chante Only You, dans le meme style je lui joue Elvis et elle aime beaucoup aussi. </span></em></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYG4LKuMhykhyZKked-y0IhRPrR_9QeYD_HAVqKapfyAPTLpFgIrZpF5xBijSIyyXE51fyFFBUW5-HCccif8DsddMwf6aLNBzO5yP5rWibTGjNrxS_EecR_1U1nyh5OoI7keKbgg/s1600-h/DSC00588.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299654602968497090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYG4LKuMhykhyZKked-y0IhRPrR_9QeYD_HAVqKapfyAPTLpFgIrZpF5xBijSIyyXE51fyFFBUW5-HCccif8DsddMwf6aLNBzO5yP5rWibTGjNrxS_EecR_1U1nyh5OoI7keKbgg/s400/DSC00588.jpg" border="0" /></a> Sleeping on her tummy amongst all her little girlfriends. She is the youngest and the tiniest. Those lovely little girls are the daughters from my antenatal group. We were six couples all 8 to 9 months pregnant when we met and stayed friends, now all our bumps are little babies, 5 girls and 1 boy, unfortunately little Jack could not be there. Love them all to bits and we all hope to stay friends forever so our daughters can say they've been friends since bump days. </div><div><em><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Endormie sur le ventre au milieu de ses petites copines, toutes nees entre le 8 decembre et le 9 janvier, les mamans sont devenues copines apres le cours antenatal qu'on a pris fin Novembre pour nous preparer a l'accouchement et a l'arrivee de nos bebes. On espere toute rester copine a vie pour que nos 5 filles puissent dire qu'elles etaient copines depuis le ventre.</span></em></div></div></div>La Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-1582497232448432842009-01-13T23:18:00.002+00:002009-01-13T23:44:25.512+00:00Gabrielle is here<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTZ_QTZ9NLXkPLO8pd9-ux-m1jy6Ssw7n9ktcJOKn7sIQSoZjiUF0Gknim8m6oMZE3Ne5DSRQQq-5w-YgjeOxJAq7j_47lPyPc_2ruRBlWjSe6qe5yMsK7J7NZAfG4RbnSbUYgw/s1600-h/Gabrielle+090111.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290921883871690418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTZ_QTZ9NLXkPLO8pd9-ux-m1jy6Ssw7n9ktcJOKn7sIQSoZjiUF0Gknim8m6oMZE3Ne5DSRQQq-5w-YgjeOxJAq7j_47lPyPc_2ruRBlWjSe6qe5yMsK7J7NZAfG4RbnSbUYgw/s400/Gabrielle+090111.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><em><span style="color:#cc33cc;">She's gorgeous</span></em></div><div align="center"><em><span style="color:#cc33cc;">She's lovely</span></em></div><div align="center"><em><span style="color:#cc33cc;">She's sweet, fun and exciting</span></em></div><div align="center"><em><span style="color:#cc33cc;">She's perfect in every way</span></em></div><div align="center"><em><span style="color:#cc33cc;">She was born on Friday morning 09.01.09 at 12.21 am</span></em></div><div align="center"> </div>La Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-53242068118744992712009-01-05T18:35:00.004+00:002009-01-05T18:41:33.139+00:00A very kind present<div align="center">Thank you <a href="http://www.nbrsspot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Tweetey</a> for the lovely presents for my baby.<br />You're so very kind and sweet to have taken the time and love to knit the lovely cardigans, bonnets and the blanket for the baby who is now due anytime. </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287881358906806482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVog3sNfLKIePDlITNmDvwm7T-EONCiDqbF6IF1ZSXfMPI4Aj4EUld3-DPHp3tLlXy6TFSVBDM81vFR17mp4rWFC66xGpG0so5g3uMXBcIRy_cTZgfRq2uKFDKexqs_Sbi69qbA/s320/IMG_0089.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center">Hopefully not long to wait now. </p>La Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-35339477028955901782009-01-03T23:04:00.005+00:002009-01-03T23:58:34.431+00:00Au revoir PapiA new light shines, another one extincts. Such is the circle of life. Within long days expecting the arrival of my little one, I had to say goodbye to my grandfather Papi Jacques.<br /><br />At 93 and three quarters, he lived his life well, a happy, placid, loving man. Always known him to be in good health and intellectually active, I never beat him at scrabble and God knows we played. Okay I might have won once but only by a couple of points.<br /><br />I am not sad, I was lucky enough to make the most of the last few years I've been back in Europe, visited him a lot, played lots of scrabble games, had nice long chats about faith and his WWII experience and his love story with my grandma, which was his favourite topic of conversation. I also keep many memories of him from the last 30-odd years. I knew to make the most of it after I suddenly lost my other grandpa, Papi Nono, who left so unexpectedly and I do miss him - mostly because I never took the time for quality time with him, a mistake I knew not to repeat with Papi Jacques. So now he's gone, he's in a better place, he remembered right till the end that I was going to give him his eighth great-grandchild which made him happy as he was very keen on a big descendance. So now it's only up to her...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9vz7JapyjKxbM6nOWbgVE4-nd0114lVTNlo5tJl5JJU5Q2VyWpF-Sd_eCqfMuUp_uQGHuUF7QugAa5FN84oTYo8Z1ED8VCCJ7SsgZPA7rbRCdty8jhXo3XzsqrJHcAuEH-h8lQ/s1600-h/DSCN2147.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287216888100403538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9vz7JapyjKxbM6nOWbgVE4-nd0114lVTNlo5tJl5JJU5Q2VyWpF-Sd_eCqfMuUp_uQGHuUF7QugAa5FN84oTYo8Z1ED8VCCJ7SsgZPA7rbRCdty8jhXo3XzsqrJHcAuEH-h8lQ/s320/DSCN2147.JPG" border="0" /></a>Christmas 2006. In 2007 he started looking tired and well, there was no Christmas 2008 for him.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0NwdSRSL5L1x1unVvY4TsvV7cmKdL0Mm_gGah9d1GLgBC98jrOJ4b7UVGNMbXUUloA8pptGfN0QhkRw-P0TIPvTCdkiMr5izReca_BppuXykoiGKHIIFXv6BVhFRLPh7uvEfQg/s1600-h/DSCN2163.JPG"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0igfOzOpj5XexnyNPyQvQIeIBcXBc75PtOSML2oc6c3p2uoAvaWuwzYIAzLWYpXglgnDmDYlLkYQ2Q_aW9nCG34yEL-ZXYAhtx_-ZyMpRRI3bCZCsn4oomoWmBoF1OTH6I4zJw/s1600-h/DSCN2128.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287216878318141538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0igfOzOpj5XexnyNPyQvQIeIBcXBc75PtOSML2oc6c3p2uoAvaWuwzYIAzLWYpXglgnDmDYlLkYQ2Q_aW9nCG34yEL-ZXYAhtx_-ZyMpRRI3bCZCsn4oomoWmBoF1OTH6I4zJw/s320/DSCN2128.JPG" border="0" /></a><em>Noel 2006, il commence a fatiguer a Noel 2007 et y'a malheureusement pas eu de Noel 2008 pour lui. </em><br /><em>Une vie commence, une autre s'etteint... Enfin pas necessairement dans cet ordre la. En effet, mon papi Jacques est parti dans les jours ou l'on attend avec impatience l'arrivee de la petite cherie. </em><br /><em></em><br /><em>A l'age de 93 ans 3/4 il a vecu une belle vie, pleine d'amour et de succes. Un homme placide, intellectuel, avec une foix inebranlable. </em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Je ne suis pas triste, parce que j'ai eu la chance de bien profiter de tous mes moments avec lui. Apres avoir soudainement perdu mon autre grand-pere, Papi Nono, qui me manque terriblement, je me suis juree de profiter au maximum de papi Jacques et de passer autant de bons moments avec lui que j'en aurai l'opportunite. Et donc, on aura passe de longues heures a jouer au scrabble ou il me battait plus souvent que moi et a ecouter ses histoires de guerre et d'amour, a quel point il a aime ma grand mere toute sa vie... Enfin, maintenant il est parti je suis un peu decu qu'il n'ai pas vu la derniere addition a sa lignee, mais il s'est souvenu jusqu'a la fin qu'il attendait un huitieme arriere petit enfant, ce dont il etait tres fier, maintenant, il ne lui reste plus qu'a arriver a la petite 8eme!</em>La Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-62929302514553407042008-12-14T17:57:00.006+00:002008-12-14T18:58:53.575+00:009th Month<div align="center">Hello Friends,<br />A short post in pictures of my last month of pregnancy.<br />Just two or three weeks to go. Everything is going well. Doctors say she is a bit small for her time but nothing unexpected as her mommy and memie were both very small babies too. And she doesn't feel too small at all to me! She still is very active and Daddy and I are very excited and ready for her!<br /><br /><em>Coucou les amis,<br />Juste quelques photos du neuvieme mois. On approche de la fin. Mon bout de chou est un peu petite pour son age mais on ne s'inquiete pas pcq sa mama et sa memie etaient aussi nees toutes petites. M'enfin, elle ne me semble pas toute petite du tout pour moi, elle est grosse et lourde et remue tout le temps et son daddy et moi, on l'attende de pied ferme!</em><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijArVl2hXABXReP7nDWNcbOyC8ASnyd6Z_ftgGcYE5ROXl6n_Gqx6ft0pwmoQbeAflfY-F8_k8RxcAMbDZ_mgV-VnHbTX9ZJYVCWSWwrRkBmKNqYUdvQnK1Vg-KGSRIj1chkFiWg/s1600-h/IMG_0609.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279708346766898882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijArVl2hXABXReP7nDWNcbOyC8ASnyd6Z_ftgGcYE5ROXl6n_Gqx6ft0pwmoQbeAflfY-F8_k8RxcAMbDZ_mgV-VnHbTX9ZJYVCWSWwrRkBmKNqYUdvQnK1Vg-KGSRIj1chkFiWg/s320/IMG_0609.JPG" border="0" /></a> <p align="center">Today, okay I might not look huge to you all, but I started very tiny and so it looks big to those who remember my small waist... </p><em>Bon, j'ai peut etre pas l'air grosse a vos yeux, mais j'ai commence ma grossesse avec une taille de guepe, donc je suis immense aux yeux de ceux qui me connaissent et a mes yeux!</em><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIndKkvq6w0TiJR2NMhOQHsv_IEFU2_VGgBPI4ffMmifNOr-59DdjPgKTiPF1FlJhxhFV1JZUqAYBoC5TslD6chtEPjTmXcD_JOjC9N9vGZAudsLep1fHBUBuN4fmBgjDwoQdpTQ/s1600-h/IMG_0602.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279708338052153570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIndKkvq6w0TiJR2NMhOQHsv_IEFU2_VGgBPI4ffMmifNOr-59DdjPgKTiPF1FlJhxhFV1JZUqAYBoC5TslD6chtEPjTmXcD_JOjC9N9vGZAudsLep1fHBUBuN4fmBgjDwoQdpTQ/s320/IMG_0602.JPG" border="0" /></a> The bedroom is ready. The little buddies are just here for show, nothing but the baby in the cot when she's there. And her little dresser and her story books all lined up nicely in the back.</div><div align="center"><em>Son petit lit, cadeau de sa Mamie Ese avec ses petits copains, qui habitent normalement dans un panier et sa collection de livres et de petites histoires, que son daddy et moi lui lisons deja quotidiennement.</em><br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wN6tzyngq50WrZEtrqCA4xtYhgwH_TKoTFRAv-kyDyyctxWaIMBzGnXWlRrp-lANkDDYXPAviopGvJc4URsVU-A89H4y3naskEHjywR0HohDCv5yXezM84Enqq7eDRBOE8OtKg/s1600-h/IMG_0593.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279708330157792258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wN6tzyngq50WrZEtrqCA4xtYhgwH_TKoTFRAv-kyDyyctxWaIMBzGnXWlRrp-lANkDDYXPAviopGvJc4URsVU-A89H4y3naskEHjywR0HohDCv5yXezM84Enqq7eDRBOE8OtKg/s320/IMG_0593.JPG" border="0" /></a> I did her first laundry load and loved every bit of it. It was so cute. I wonder for how long I will enjoy doing this.<br /><em>La premiere lessive! C'etait chou, un vrai bonheur de laver, etendre et plier tout ce petit linge. Mais je me demande pendant combien de temps encore cette tache va m'entousiasmer... :P</em><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdL3HeMrwR4Vkqdx_8Tpyv9ZDw37q_QNyL5ADE2M2Yp1DGnjxMwhFIFRHcFHUHLGPxJUcQ2Cta0af45MlHF-jbcFpesjd5XMKgUP2OpIJms2r3sIx6NM3raSFW3Cuob-HgZNlWPQ/s1600-h/IMG_0594.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279708323355034514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdL3HeMrwR4Vkqdx_8Tpyv9ZDw37q_QNyL5ADE2M2Yp1DGnjxMwhFIFRHcFHUHLGPxJUcQ2Cta0af45MlHF-jbcFpesjd5XMKgUP2OpIJms2r3sIx6NM3raSFW3Cuob-HgZNlWPQ/s320/IMG_0594.JPG" border="0" /></a>The maternity bag is ready to go. A beautiful gift from my grand aunt. Here it is not quite full yet, now it is overloaded, but nothing is missing except my CD of Sigur Ros which I would have like to bring along but seem to have misplaced.<br /><em>Le sac de maternite, deja rempli a ras bord (pas sur la photo), un beau cadeau de ma grand tante du cote maternelle. Tout est pret a partir pour la maternite.</em><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-G5MI4i8ltU4N_55GsUTFVtCgXKJmmAw_QVniGtOpJQ4-jpob7cKOIkIjO2hxX5wRTk_AfYYAuyRWf9W6R6sPV6k1BHYAjTbVWDuCC0OcNLCQ9XEWIWla7XmZ36iz4rkD7fErw/s1600-h/IMG_0603.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279719181314079826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-G5MI4i8ltU4N_55GsUTFVtCgXKJmmAw_QVniGtOpJQ4-jpob7cKOIkIjO2hxX5wRTk_AfYYAuyRWf9W6R6sPV6k1BHYAjTbVWDuCC0OcNLCQ9XEWIWla7XmZ36iz4rkD7fErw/s320/IMG_0603.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center"></a>The cot, dolly, doudou ('doodoo') and dreampod (sleeping bag) are all waiting more patiently than Mommy and Daddy for their little friend.</p><div align="center"><em>Le lit, avec le doudou, la poupee et la gigotteuse attendent leur petite copine avec beaucoup plus de patience que daddy et mama.</em><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFelvV0pSlfLSKh9A4OZpTQlvry6KM5dyNkybYGFQrL-xk6dp8qpImxcwYNU10wxDeN2T1P8gtltX8pMJ4oetVKETyI8gCHWnBFTCDW-Ju3oaMGYODcNM-pHF1iceWa_ft_3GrA/s1600-h/IMG_0601.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279719177715758194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFelvV0pSlfLSKh9A4OZpTQlvry6KM5dyNkybYGFQrL-xk6dp8qpImxcwYNU10wxDeN2T1P8gtltX8pMJ4oetVKETyI8gCHWnBFTCDW-Ju3oaMGYODcNM-pHF1iceWa_ft_3GrA/s320/IMG_0601.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center"></a>The Buddies. <em>Les Copains.</em></p>La Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-20832428528370301712008-10-28T18:04:00.002+00:002008-10-28T18:12:15.135+00:00Update on the Bump<p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxTuEASbKapKdL7rY99y2cC5wYWxujRhMWKCmInXljUZDHr2a4NFzy45XItsd7L05LvBISxmm0k5g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p>I already said it and will repeat it, but I must be the luckiest Mama in the world. The little darling is very active and responds to caresses and stories and she knows when her Daddy or Mama is talking to her, other time, she simply lets me feel her every move, whether hiccuping, stretching, kicking or changing sleeping position, although very soon she should be stuck head down. In the meantime, I managed to capture for your enjoyment some of her activities, this was while reading her a story Ernest et Celestine et le Sapin de Noel (The Christmas Tree of Ernest and Celestine)</p><p><em><span style="color:#3366ff;">Pour les copines francaise, je me vante de combien de chance j'ai d'avoir un p'tit bout aussi actif pour ne dire une grande agitee! Et je me fais peut etre des illusions, mais j'ai l'impression qu'elle repond aux caresses et qu'elle sait quand on lui lit une histoire... Cette video, je l'ai capture pendant que je lui lisais Ernest et Celestine et le Sapin de Noel, de Gabrielle Vincent, pour toutes les mamans qui lisent ce post, fort recommende. </span></em></p>La Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28827797.post-9180117316026167802008-10-11T10:34:00.006+00:002008-10-11T11:20:51.210+00:00Shopping for BabyYesterday, Kitem, Mr. Garden and I want out for another big day of shopping for baby. Over the last few weeks my only concern had been the cot and the dresser and last weekend, I've put this behind me finally making my mind up on a gorgeous set from The White Company.<br /><br />Yesterday, was shopping for the stroller and the car seat, presents from the proud Pepie and Memie. We had spotted the perfect set many months ago, a sports' model with suspensions which will be ideal for long strolls and mountain hiking, compatible with the latest model of safety for the car seat and its secure base which happens to be compatible with my car. So all is perfect and perfectly easy to use, with all sorts of comfort options for baby.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255846307735216738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cYjB51Hy-BhrOUnhnJaTa_RUZDm7R4OVRwK2oRpxlCDIsJKrJDi9zPN0OkajDV93CsmiItBAMw4Oo5EHV20OZNPQz5fmfATZmbuE1rqAw5Gst9B3FeRmtEUYoR_cDCkAPnNZ3A/s320/Mom&Dad.jpg" border="0" />Pepie & Memie by the Thames river in Staines, where the large Mamas & Papas store (my favourite!) is.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255846301140014690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2QpF6aA7yYYYj4FHQOfMi0n4y-X0DbdJ_VTCW4p6GU75UxMYvq7o_YMLaLmdauTFYEUKpA3t8EStN6Bw91WNg_zbFppo8_s1wcwoTqs2v6Iatw48HVsF_UF_iELLiAc-FwAnpA/s320/Elephant.jpg" border="0" />After finding the stroller, we browsed the rest of the shop for Newborn-sized pyjamas. Above, a cute little mouse climbing to the stars, and a very cute Elephant - called Peanut from the Once Upon a Time collection.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255846308052646754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihxPmwnYr_KgoL2cpRBe2BoLdyles52iurKtp-WKPMvsnEEo0Lkm4jduAxet0cYrnUdxTRGQv0ctfj7TQSt_JsuyEc4fzuli4k8ajwJiZp8lZmVY18450MJyIVRDr-b-ydKQgI-A/s320/Mom&Me.jpg" border="0" />Here with Memie, aka Kitem, on the way to lunch, after the long two-hour shopping in Mamas & Papas, we were famished. We are blessed with a fantastic weather this week, I love Autumns like this.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255846302064131298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUztay-LjiLfh-e1urRFLyUlWutk48KJ7Ij3hz3NArgrvRFZlQY3xU8TxeKjhoiu7F3NBAEE4HAjW-bmTYhFICzkgFA1mR9dsEeu6kYevk0IKE-m72HhlIjiSHSkhteL79iUgW8A/s320/Grenouillere.jpg" border="0" />Quite important things we were looking for included the dreampods (sleeping bag) for winter, because I find them safer and more convenient than bedsheets, plus it gives baby that snugg feeling while giving it lots of space to kick its little legs (how cute!!!!!). Oh yeah, and with Halloween around the corner, we found this cute little story book Pumpkin Soup.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5uSIRMVLJ0UHPK6BjEinHPwl5uSjbz1g1yM6fFSO9uhtKv8V_i-x8Apt97l6f4DSIQFtOJ8n6e4T0b3PxSjMcBMaqZvYp7P-ULM7-qJXiiYftQKDhkKwQBO4EVIvF3pkW171Cg/s1600-h/Doudou.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255846302000650530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5uSIRMVLJ0UHPK6BjEinHPwl5uSjbz1g1yM6fFSO9uhtKv8V_i-x8Apt97l6f4DSIQFtOJ8n6e4T0b3PxSjMcBMaqZvYp7P-ULM7-qJXiiYftQKDhkKwQBO4EVIvF3pkW171Cg/s320/Doudou.jpg" border="0" /></a>Other items from the Once Upon A Time set we bought include the Newborn pyjama, the changing mat, the dreampod and of course Memie bought that perfect little Doudou (Doux in French means soft so doudou could translate to 'Softy')<br /><br />I now have most of the items off my list, my boss promised me some vouchers if I could strike a deal on USB Drives with anyone of my clients by year-end, I am so close but I have not received any order, I'll give myself one more month to close the deal and then I can use the vouchers to buy the outstanding bathing and feeding equipment, in spite of planning to breastfeed, I still want everything for feeding, so that Daddy can feed the little one and bond with his baby right from the start. I have it all sorted really, hours of research on the internet and studying catalogues do that - never been so well prepared for my studies before :P. The bedroom will be delivered middle of next month, so I will post pictures when I receive them and I requested to collect the stroller and changing table end of November, no point having it too early.La Cremierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257854632199202600noreply@blogger.com11