Londongirlgoeseast's Blog

London Girl Does Europe…

londongirlgoeseast — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 22:50:17 +0000

Sleep deprivation has never been something I cope well with. Having staved off jet lag following my flight to the UK at the beginning of the week my inner grouch is currently very much outer having had all of two hours rest in the last 48! The reason for this state of sleepiness however is a far more exotic tale. The last few days have been spent in the beautiful town of Turin, (Italy), at the wedding celebrations of two of our dear friends.
Weddings are wonderful occasions, each one representing the personality and artistry of the couple involved. This particular affair was nothing short of regal. Italian castles aside the scale and generosity of this spectacular celebration is a memory that will last for many years to come.
On a more petite scale the beginning of this UK trip started with a visit to the West Country to meet my new born goddaughter. A miracle of serenity following a five day labour, holding her in my arms made even the giant rolling hills of the Dorset landscape seem insignificant. The enormity of such a responsibility induced my terrified husband to look at me pleadingly in the off chance this tiny little person had awakened a broody gene! (He rested easy after my fourth nappy change with us both deciding our naughty ball of trouble Ginger was quite enough for now…)
Being back in the UK has been a wonderful if mildly disorientating experience. Having been born and brought up in London it has, and always will, hold a special place in my heart. However Hong Kong and all it’s insanity has carved it’s own little niche in me. Although polar opposites of each other these two cities I have called home are a perfect reflection of my different passions.
With real friends and some brilliant projects in the pipeline in our Oriental life the sense that we are in the right place at the right time has never been stronger. That feeling is compounded by the knowledge that I will be sharing our life, and our home, with some of our dearest friends by the end of the month. My wonderful girls have organised themselves – a feat in it’s own right – to coordinate their trips over to Hong Kong within days of my arrival back there. Our excited planning has already brought on butterflies in the stomach at the mere thought of their arrival.
Whilst enjoying the company of old friends and family the knowledge that we have this whole other life thousands of miles away has had a shrinking effect on the world. However, whilst sitting on the grass holding my goddaughter looking out at the expanse of the English countryside, I knew that that is the life we will one day inhabit – albeit with frequent flyer miles taking us back to visit our Far Eastern family.

London Girl is currently flying to London, she will post tomorrow, 30th August

londongirlgoeseast — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 14:47:02 +0000

If that poodle could talk…

londongirlgoeseast — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 19:37:11 +0000

My husband is my biggest supporter, (alongside my mother), so when he turned around this week and gently suggested I temporarily shelve my soapbox I decided – as a one off – to heed his suggestion. Hence forth, for one week only, this blog will be celebrating all things light and fluffy…
As such, I cannot begin without paying tribute to the poor over pampered poodle I met this week. Although a firm canine campaigner this particular breed has always seemed to me to have been designed to induce mirth – the phrase ‘funny is in the eye of the beholder’ springs to mind! However, the owner of this particular little one felt abject humiliation had not quite been achieved through total torso shaving coupled with pom pom extremities. An unshaved patch on it’s hind quarters had been styled in the shape of a heart and then dyed, literally, all the colours of the rainbow – evidently to balance out the pink and blue coloured tail. Ginger followed my lead and expressed her deepest pity to the pooch in question.
Moving on to the end of the week I received the wonderful news that my goddaughter had finally made her appearance into the world – after a marathon four-day labour! I cannot begin to imagine the mental strength my amazing friend must have summoned to bear such a feat of physical endurance. However, on receiving a photograph of her I can say, without bias, she is the most beautiful little person I have ever seen.
Newborns and multi coloured poodles aside, I have immersed myself in the final design stage of the new collection in preparation for next week’s meeting. Whilst negotiating technical drawings and artistic renderings Ginger felt it her duty to be a part of the process and, as such, decided the best contribution was to glue her paws to the mood board whilst chewing the remaining images. An invaluable addition to the project…
This week also saw one of my oldest friends from school arrive in this mad metropolis to stay with her brother. The usual Monday blues have been eradicated by the prospect of the girls’ night out we have planned – the world will be set to rights by the second bottle of wine!
To round off my week our little flat played host to a lovely gathering of friends last night. Although not a bad cook, timing has never been my strong point so, on arriving at eight in the evening for dinner they graciously kept hunger at bay until gone ten with platefuls of crackers and cream cheese! After finally being fed, a rather tasty linguine with ratatouille – though I say so myself, we greeted the early hours of Sunday morning on the balcony with a glass of wine – truly blissful.
As the clock ticks into Monday morning it is now time for me to bid goodnight and allow myself one thoughtful musing to end on. Whether it be a new life born, a pastel coloured poodle or just a night in with good friends – whichever way you turn, there will always be something to smile about.

All That Glistens Is Not Gold.

londongirlgoeseast — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:14:42 +0000

With life returning to normal this week my mind seems to have decided to take itself off on a tangent of memories and musings. (My charming husband would offer the opinion that this is no different to the status quo – a viewpoint I choose to ignore)!
Yesterday saw a party being held thousands of miles away in a sunny back garden in Wimbledon – my old classmates ten-year reunion.
This was no gathering of a gaggle of girls I spent a mere couple of years with bemoaning our homework overload. I spent my entire youth, from four to eighteen, at the same school sharing every moment with these – now highly accomplished – women. It was an afternoon I was truly saddened to miss.
As the pimms flowed in London my weekend comprised of demolishing my competitive other half at a round of Sunday afternoon board games – well, maybe I have a mild competitive streak in me too – but I wouldn’t like to say…
Monopoly aside, reflecting on the trigger of this week’s state of mind has drawn my thoughts back to an article I read in Time Out.
I have always thought of myself as pretty fair minded and conscientious, however, between having adopted Ginger from the Hong Kong Dog Rescue and ethically sourcing the materials for my next fine jewellery collection, rights – both human and animal – have come to the fore of my consciousness.
The Time Out article on the horrific business of ‘dog dumping’ in Hong Kong was a wake up call to the blood curdling dealings of an industry that hides it’s dark and ugly under belly behind a pedigree exterior.
The jewellery industry also has the means to hide inhumane behaviour behind a luxurious image. Who amongst us has not heard of blood diamonds?
Sadly it doesn’t end there. In politically unstable countries the diligent and honest voices are often drowned out, or worse silenced by corrupt money. The late, famous geologist and conservationist Campbell Bridges was murdered on his Kenyan mine by bandits sponsored by illegal dealings – despite decades of investment in the local area and wildlife. His son is still seeking justice.
Here in Hong Kong the Hong Kong Dog Rescue are one of a number of rescue centres working tirelessly – mainly staffed by volunteers – to make whatever difference is within their power.
These stalwarts in their fields are to be admired, and followed. We should have every right to expect better of ourselves. For every story that makes you angry or every opinion that is bigoted there will be a multitude of silent warriors fighting back.
As such we must each look beyond our own back yard and realise we all have the capacity to initiate change.

The Time Out Article in full:

http://www.timeout.com.hk/feature-stories/features/36020/a-canine-crisis.html

The Hong Kong Dog Rescue:

http://www.hongkongdogrescue.com/public/index.php

Sign the Justice For Campbell campaign:

http://www.tsavorite.com/

London Girl will be posting tomorrow evening, (Monday 16th August).

londongirlgoeseast — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 14:48:36 +0000

But I Thought I Was In Tune…

londongirlgoeseast — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 17:11:39 +0000

…And then there were two, (plus a dog)! Following a glorious couple of weeks hosting London Mum we saw her off at the airport on Friday evening.
After a heady mix over the fortnight of tourist extravaganzas through to mellow dinners over looking our harbour views she left with, what I hope, is a real sense of life here.
Despite both having found our inner running junkies earlier this year we had simultaneously lost our momentum, as such I thought her visit was an ideal opportunity to get our groove back by embracing the treadmills in our state of the art gym. However, and some may say unsurprisingly, the running shoes gathered a light layer of dust over the fortnight whilst our conversational skills reached new heights… In the midst of all of our musings we found time to enjoy a truly magical afternoon taking the Hong Kong Cable Car to the Big Buddha – a genuinely unmissable experience – before introducing her to the insatiable party scene that is as much a part of life here as the delicious dim sum we started her stay with.
Following her penultimate evening being spent at the Singapore F1 Grand Prix party hosted by the British Chamber of Commerce her last night here was a quiet affair. We were joined by a couple of dear friends, one of whom exercised his impressive culinary skills to create a Michelin star worthy meal that was second to none – I am still digesting!
After seeing her off our weekend gave us no respite as we hosted a friend’s leaving party at our flat – complete with homemade Mexican style buffet. Stuffed to the gills again we hit the karaoke bar for a few hours of abject humiliation before dancing the night away at Insomnia.
Following such a fabulously fun fortnight the coming week sees a to do list that includes preliminary design completion for the new collection, two business plan draught deadlines and a spattering of web development – the espresso machine is prepped and ready!
Nothing makes you feel like you feel more like a local than being able to show someone else around your regular haunts and impart your native wisdom. Hong Kong welcomed us with open arms from day one – and it instantly felt like we were in the right place at the right time. However, even as a married woman the desire to seek approval from a beloved parent never fades.
Although my husband and I are forging our own path in life and are very determined in our own minds, we are the products of strong and intelligent women. As such our own stubborn streaks are bound with a loyalty that will always see their enthusiasm sought.

London Mum (Part 2)

londongirlgoeseast — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:33:51 +0000

One week down, one to go… After seven days of playing tour guide to my mother I have discovered areas of this amazing city I didn’t know existed. From the wonderfully aromatic and colour-rich wet market laying it’s assault on your senses to the more thoughtful experience of perusing the antique shops and street market tucked behind Hollywood Road.
After talking my mother down from an over enthusiastic attachment to a pair of antique ceramic horses – I feared a less than positive reception at the airport if she turned up with an additional 50kg of luggage – we played tag with the Hong Kong weather. Dodging torrential rains and dashing out when the sun made an appearance we have racked up some good mileage whilst introducing her to the normality of our day-to-day life.
Following a gentle start to her stay we upped the ante this weekend by heading out for a hike over Lamma Island on Saturday and a glorious junk boat trip on Sunday. Today saw us share a new experience as we ventured up to The Peak on the funicular railway, being greeted at the top by the most spectacular views under a cloudless sky.
Moving into the second week the itinerary is packed – whilst still punctuated with some intensive design work and business plan research.
A woman of many talents, my mother is a highly sensitive person. Seeing what most people miss she quickly picked up on the dual personality of this colourful city – and those souls who are invisible to most. Being such an affluent city Hong Kong – like many others with wealth and employment – attracts those in search of a better, or at least richer, life. This is true from the uber wealthy bankers on super salaries, right through to the boat people selling meagre offerings on street corners. Ultimately the intent is the same but sadly the reality is much more divided. Relegated to over crowded boats with basic facilities, these illegal immigrants are trapped in the cruel irony that Hong Kong has created. Wealth is very evident here, with new opportunities arising frequently, however, it is not a city sympathetic to poverty. To gain more you must start with more.
In a city where the heat can be unforgiving and the bliss of an air-conditioned room a mecca at the end of every outing it is a cruel reality that leaves those with nothing – not out in the cold – but in the scorching sun.

London Girl Goes East will be posting her weekly blog on Monday 2nd August.

londongirlgoeseast — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 14:44:12 +0000

London Mum (Part 1)

londongirlgoeseast — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 17:05:36 +0000

As I write this I am sitting on the airport express on route to pick up my mother – a visit I have been anticipating with great excitement. By the time I post she will have been safely scooped up and brought back into the glistening lights of the city.
Although my husband and I have been living in Hong Kong for some months now, there are a number of excursions I have postponed so as to share the experience with London Girl Senior!
A cross between Woodstock and Wang, (as in Vera), she is a wonderful contradiction in terms – and great fun. Having never travelled East, (despite being well travelled – she just finished a stint teaching in South Africa), I am enthralled at the prospect of introducing her to the city we currently call home.
On the doggy front, our little beagle, Ginger, had her operation to remove the lumps found on her head. The scan showed no internal lumps – which is a huge relief – but the biopsy results are still pending so we are not out of the woods yet. It is more distressing to see her beautiful little face confused as to why she has to wear a protective collar, (to prevent her pulling her stitches out), which has led to a few panicky moments, on her part, forcing my husband and I to physically hold her and rock her to sleep. However, she is our new family addition, so whatever she needs we will provide.
Dogs and mothers aside, it was my lovely other half’s birthday today which we celebrated last night with steak and champagne with our nearest and dearest in Hong Kong. We followed the Argentine themed evening last night with a wonderfully gentle day today – the highlight being my tuneless rendition of happy birthday and cheesecake from our local deli…mmm.
Work this week has seen the many irons in the fire start to heat up, with a crucial design meeting now only four weeks away – I think I have developed repetitive strain injury from sharpening all my pencils in preparation for some intensive design sessions!
Other projects are coming together with satisfying alacrity – fuelled by hard work and many brainstorming sessions over a hummus salad!
As I reach the end of my notepad, (yes – I actually resorted to the old fashioned pen and paper), the tanoy is announcing we are pulling into the airport. Within the hour I will, no doubt, have embarrassed myself with great panache in the arrivals hall on seeing my mum! There are times in your life, whatever your age, and whatever your species, you just need your mum around…

God mummy and Dog mummy

londongirlgoeseast — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 15:31:00 +0000

Well, what a couple of weeks! I am now into my second year of marriage, we have a new addition to our little family in the shape of Ginger the Beagle and one of my best friends – who is weeks away from giving birth to her first child – asked me to be her daughter’s godmother.
After a magical weekend in Phuket, my husband and I arrived back to the heaving metropolis of Hong Kong, equipped with it’s long working hours, it’s addictive lifestyle and the little haven in Kennedy Town we call home. That home now has one more resident in the shape of Ginger.
Hong Kong has a huge number of stray dogs – some just wild but many, sadly, abandoned. There are a number of rescue centres here with the best known being the Hong Kong Dog Rescue in the New Territories. After much discussion my other half and I decided we were, for the first time in both our lives, able and wanting to take on a canine addition to our family. Having settled on our decision we took a trip up to the rescue centre just to have a look with the advice of our dog-owning friend in our ringing in our ears – “you don’t pick them they pick you…” That was entirely the case! On entering the bedlam of the small dog enclosure we immediately spied a quiet little brown, white and ginger beauty in the corner. Undisturbed by all the commotion around her she accepted our attention with an enthusiastically wagging tail and decided to sit beside us as we talked to the staff and followed us outside to the larger enclosure – her decision was made. On arriving home it is like she has always been here…
This great step followed the incredible privilege of being asked to be godmother to this little unborn person thousands of miles away with her whole life ahead of her. After an emotional acceptance, (second only to being proposed to), I sat and let the implication sink in. Throughout our lives her mum and I have both, separately, been surrounded by incredible, strong and inspirational women. With her mark on the world as yet unknown, and such role models to draw on, it is a responsibility I do not take lightly – whilst simultaneously allaying the fears I will disappoint her mother!
Sadly, life does not always go as smoothly as one would like. On taking Ginger home we noticed a small lump on her head. A swift vet appointment later a state of limbo has been imposed as we await her surgery next weekend, and that the all clear is given that the ‘suspicious’ cells have not spread. It is a bridge we will cross if we need.
I may yet be able to introduce this gentle little soul to my soon-to-be-born goddaughter, but, whatever the out come, she came in to our lives for a reason. Whether it be six months or six years we will enjoy every second we have with her – and her with us, and remind ourselves that to enjoy life to it’s fullest you must always appreciate what you have, whilst you actually have it.