Ping Pong, SoHo, London

So, here is a very belated part 2 from my trip to London earlier this month... lunch at Ping Pong... we were going to lunch at Princhi, but there were no seats and I wasn't taken with any of the food... and even tho Ping Pong is a chain, it served up some delicious dim-sums!!

Beautiful Sok with her lemongrass iced tea...

My watermelon iced tea which they both drank from before I even had a chance!
It was SOOO SUPER delish!!

C & C

Crazy basil cashews...

Pineapple BBQ pork buns... NOMMY!!

Squid & Spring Rolls

Coconut Sticky Rice

Char Sui Bun (BBQ Pork Buns)

Chicken & Cashew Nut Dumpling... YUMMMY!

Seafood Dumpling in a Carrot skin... couldn't really taste the carrot tho...

Damage was £55 including gratuities for 3 of us to eat all that food and a virgin drink each... we all left happily full.. so, not too bad for Londontown!

There was a bar around the bit steamer and high/bar tables upstairs at street level but we chose to sit downstairs, it was well lit with an open atrium at one end that let in lots of natural light... service was pretty good tho hard to get the server's attention at times as we were seated at the far wall...

Thanks PingPong!! If you're passing by one and wondering to go in or not.. go ahead, it's yummy and not overly hard on the wallet.. Atmosphere is casual and laid back and it's not a bad place to hang out and catch up over some tasty morsels!

Homeopathic cold remedy - Lemon, Honey & Ginger

So, Mr JGP is sick right now.... so I have resorted to my tried and true cold cure to try and help rid him of his sick bugs... and there's a few other people out there in blogLand who seem to be suffering from sick germs so I thought I would share my remedy...

It's super simple and I totally swear by it...
You need:
Lemon
Ginger - preferably fresh.. but the mushed stuff out of a jar would work too
Honey - preferably Manuka, it can be pricey, but I think it's worth it if you get the "active" stuff.. the higher the UMF rating, the better.. tho, also the more pricey it becomes!  if manuka is outta the price range.. just whatever honey you have in the cupboard will do too... tho I've only ever used clear runny honey.. but I don't see why the solid stuff wouldn't work...

To make one mug of yumminess:
Peel the skin off a bit of ginger and cut three slices (prob like 3-4mm thick), I then cut these slices into strips, so you have like mini ginger chips if you will.... put these into the bottom of your mug...
Cut two slices of lemon about 1/2cm thick (each).. go ahead and just throw the slices on top of the ginger...
Then get a spoon and load it up with honey... probably a flat tablespoon or a heaped teaspoon.. stick it in the mug and use the spoon to moosh your lemon slices and smoosh up the ginger...
Add hot boiling water, give it a stir and voila!!

It tastes wayyyy better than lemsip (in my opinion).. the honey soothes the throat and the lemon and ginger fight the sick germs!!

Lately I have been thinking that you could probably make this and put it in the fridge and drink it cold too...

It's caffeine free and it's super cheap (unless you splurge on the Manuka honey) and I totally swear that it makes me better when I'm sick... I've also gotten the mister on the wagon and JGP seems to be doing well on it too... :)

Next time you feel a tickle in your throat or just want a little boost... give this a go!!  Leme know how you get on!!

ps. if you are a super ginger fan.. you can also grate the ginger to really get the juices of out it.. (I usually grate the ginger over the mug to catch all the juice if I do it) but it can be a bit intense if you're not used to the heat...

Fill in the blank...

So, I keep meaning to post about all the fun little things I've been doing around Victoria... mainly eating.. catching up with firends and chilling out on the couch... but I'm really just enjoying some major downtime...  so hopefully in the coming week, I will feel more inspired to post about the yummy things I've been eating... but we'll see... I'm totally in vacay mode.. I hope we can still be friends!!??

But for the meantime.. let's fill in some blanks!!

1.   My favorite color is       aqua, teal, turquoise... anything in that bluey green, greeny blue family.. tho I am also having a major love affair with yellow and orange at the mo.... and I crush on purple every now and again...   .

2.  My travel destination of choice is    somewhere I have never been!! I love exploring new places... so many things to discover!! otherwise, somewhere close to water... I love being by a lake or ocean... I've lived on islands most of my life.. the ocean makes me happy.. :)    .

3.  My favorite  food is     noodle soup... warm and hearty.. it makes my soul sing...    .

4.  My happy place is   home... I have called a lot of places home in my life... but being home always makes me happy... I'm a total homebody...   .

5.  My favorite saying is      "I'm hard at work being idle" - Oscar Wilde... sums me up to a t!  .

6.  My dirty little secret is      some days I don't bathe and I'm totally okay with that...    .

7.  Something friends might say about me is that I       am crazy...    . 

happy weekend!!

as always, head along to Lauren's if you want to play along.. :)

More About Friendships

I was originally going to post this at the end of my last post, but decided I didn't want to tarnish such a happy and celebratory post with something negative...

So, I am feeling especially grateful for the wonderful friends I have because of a comment that was made on crackbook about something that happened earlier in the day yesterday... (removed from the wedding)  I didn't even know about it until JGP brought it up after we got back from the wedding.. and I'm glad we didn't have to deal with it earlier and have it tarnish the day.. the comment made was really unnecessary.. and JGP found it really hurtful that someone he considered a close friend would make that kind of remark.. which is what really irks me about the whole situation.. I personally couldn't care less what this person thinks of me... we have a mutual dislike for each other, which is fine...

I do not feel the need to be friends with everyone.. I know I am not necessarily an easy person to be friends with.. I can be stubborn and far too outspoken for most people's comfort/liking.. and I am ok with that.. I am who I am and in the same sense that there are people I don't like, there are people who don't like me.. and as long as we just stay out of each other's way then I don't really see the problem with it..

It always gets my back up if people trash talk my friends and especially people that are really close to me.. and even more so when it is someone I consider to be kind, generous and loyal to a fault.. to take a dig at someone who will absolutely bend over backwards to help out his friends I think shows more about the accuser's true character than anything..

Anyways.. I have since removed the person from crackbook because quite frankly I have better things to do with my time than be concerned with that they have to say..  and the whole situation made me think of this picture which I saw over at Moske Monkey Business a while ago...

Wedding Fun & Vacay Note

Hi friends!!
I am feeling a bit of blog neglect at the mo.. Both in the lack of posting and also lack of blog reading that has been happening since I finished up at work.. but I was busy packing and faffing before I left and now I'm in vacay mode!

The weather has been beautiful here in Victoria, which has been a great motivator for me to get off my behind and get out into the sunshine... even if it takes me a few hours to get my a into g most days...  helps that I've had minor jetlag and been waking up around 6/7am every day!

I was lucky enough to be invited to the beautiful wedding of my friends L&JB yesterday, it was on the fishing pier in Sidney, the day was perfect, the ceremony was small and intimate and I felt so honoured to be there to share their day with them. They are just the cutest ever!! The speeches had everyone in stitches of laughter which I think is such a great indication of not only the couple but also the people they have chosen to surround themselves with. It was a day of love, laughter and happiness and I wish them so much joy for their life together as husband and wife!!

In addition to the fabulous wedding for the gorgeous couple, it was also a chance to catch up with some fantastic friends from my life in Canada.. I really am so fortunate to have these wonderful people in my life.. I may not get to see them a lot and we may not always be the best at keeping in touch.. but we always have so much fun when we get together and for that I am so grateful!

Aren't we a good looking bunch?? ; )

Well, I'm off to enjoy some of this sunshine! And pick up a few things for the BBQ we're heading to tonight..

Thanks again to the new Mr & Mrs B!! Along with all the other lovely ladies and gents who made the day so truly memorable!!

Hope you're having a fantabulous weekend!!


ps. there is the potential that I will be AWOL for periods of time! (Vacay Time!!)

Crackbook... Blogging... Google+.... the evolution...

So I have been on Google+ for a couple of weeks now and I'm still navigating the waters on how to work this latest networking platform...

I have to say, I'm really liking it, as much as I'm addicted to crackbook, I've slowly been getting disenchanted and bored with it... I don't remember the last time I uploaded photos.. as much as I used to be a firm believer of "if it's not on crackbook it didn't happen", it almost feels like a platform for people to show off and gloat about their super fabulous holidays and look at all these great places I've been and all the fun I've been having.. and to be completely honest.. that was probably a large part of my motivation to put up photos in the past...

but how is your life really?? What are you doing for work?? How's things with your family?? Your other?? Your kids?? I think it evokes a really false sense of connection... You feel like you're connected because you see their occasional status update but how much is that a real representation of their life?? When I catch up with people face to face or even on skype, it's a chance to ask about all the little things.. and it opens up discussion about the things that are happening in life and sometimes don't we all just need a sounding board for the thoughts going through our heads?? Surely not everyone's lives are peachy all the time!?!

I can't deny that it is a great way to keep in touch with all my friends scattered around the world.. the great people I've met while travelling and some great friends I've met through various games I play.. but I have steadily felt like I was outgrowing it.. especially since starting a blog.. Fb has felt somehow cramped and stagnant... You see these great pictures of people's holidays, but there is no dialogue to expand on those images... when I read about people's holidays/travels on a blog, I feel so much more of a connection, not just to the place they've gone.. but to the people themselves...

While crackbook is limited to people you know or people you've met... I feel like blogging has opened up a new world of friends... I've only been blogging a short time but I feel like I've met some greats friends in blogLand already and I feel like it's helped me want to be creative again... I feel like G+ has that potential as well.. to connect me to people I find interesting or inspiring...

I think G+ is going to add to that feeling as you can "circle" people that you come across who are interesting to you, so kinda like following a blog because you like its content or its author.. but they don't necessarily have to follow you back.. I guess it's a bit like Twitter in that sense.. I'm not on Twitter and it's never had any appeal to me.. but I think I would describe G+ as almost like an amalgamation of FB, Twitter & Blogging...

For people thinking that G+ is just going to be another Fb... I sincerely hope it's not...

There's a lot of articles out there about G+ and its potential... ie. having circles of people in your local area who may have great advice about places to go and things to do etc.

I am genuinely excited to a part of this platform in its "infancy" and as much as I'm still a complete "g00b" (g+ newbie).. I think its potential is fantastic and will make up for all of Google's previous attempts at a social networking platform... (Wave, Buzz..)

Look me up! I have shared a lot of G+ articles if you want more info about the platform, and you don't actually have to sign up to G+ to view my profile and the things I've shared.. you just won't be able to comment or "interact" with me... if you're not already on and want in.. I have invites left but I will need your email address to invite you!

I don't think I will be giving up crackbook anytime soon and although one day G+ may supercede it and take its place... for now G+, for me anyway, is an exciting new place not cluttered up with the mundane and monotonous which Fb has become...

From Vancouver Airport to Victoria....

So after my already eventful trip to Canada... 

{via}

I got a decent grilling by the border patrol man about "the purpose of my visit" as a warm welcome to a country I lovingly called home for almost 3 years... at one stage I thought I was going to have to invite him to the weddings I'm going to just to prove that I wasn't lying! After assuring him that yes, I do indeed have a plane ticket outta here... it was time to navigate my way to the Canada Line.. I had read online that if you buy a booklet of "faresaver" tickets, it's cheaper than buying a ticket from the machines as they add on a $5 airport levy or something... a quick trip to the visitor information revealed that I had to get to the domestic terminal to get said tickets.. (apparently this airport levy is to mine money from the tourists!?!) After trapsing from one side of the airport to the other, I had said tickets in hand, it was time to check out this new skytrain.. it was clean and air conditioned but there was nowhere to put luggage that wasn't the middle of the walkway or in front of the doors!!

A 15 minute ride got me to Bridgeport where I had to change to get on a bus.. I had missed the previous bus by 20 minutes (so I probably woulda made it if it weren't for having to trapse to domestic to get my tickets!) so I had a 25 minute wait for the next bus... again, the bus had nowhere to put luggage.. so I ended up taking up two seats, I'm sure some people thought I was a douche considering the bus ended up being full.. ah well, it was that or putting my suitcase in the aisle for people to climb over.. probably garnering me the aforementioned douche status regardless!

The ferry ride was fairly uneventful and the lovely LB and JB were there to pick me up in Schwartz Bay and save me from the fate of the #70 bus into Victoria!

We stopped in town for a bite from the Bard & Banker and I consumed my first caesar in over a year! Yummo!! Then it was back to their place for a nap and some downtime before being handed over to JGP to head to HQ.. to unpack, shower, eat a yummy dinner, meet his fab new lady, then we all pretty much crashed out before midnight! All in all a good first day back on the rock!

It's looking like a fairly sunny day outside, so I will endeavor to venture out and grab a few supplies.. or I may snuggle back down into the couch and have a little nap... It's only 9am.. it's unnatural for me to be up and out at this time when I'm not needing to be at work! 

Jetlag + sleeping on couch of people waking up at 6.30am to go to work = Caz being awake freakishly early!!  Tho JGP bringing coffee = not overly cranky Caz considering the early start! Can't say he doesn't know me well!

Happy Thursday folks!!

Greetings from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada!

Howdie from the Land of Moose and Beavers!

I hope you've all had a good weekend and start to the week.. while I have been busy packing, toddler proofing my flat and travelling! I am well behind on my blog reading... but hoping to remedy that today!

Can't believe it was less than a week ago that I finished up at work.. I was there till 7pm on my last day (as in everyone else left and I was still there!) making sure everything was done and leaving a note for the temp coming to take my place.. coz I hate arriving at jobs feeling like I just don't know anything.. it's always nice to arrive to some cliff notes to ease into a new workplace.. (for me anyways)

Then the weekend was spent running some errands and doing some last minute shopping and Monday and Tuesday were spent tidying up the flat and packing.. the mister's sister and brudder in law are visiting with their toddler in a few weeks.. so I had to pack away any potential health and safety hazards.. (of which there were LOADS!)..

Yesterday we left at quarter past a sparrow's fart to drive to Glasgow... the plane was delayed by an HOUR.. because a) they somehow managed to double book some seats.... b) there was a guy who's seat was broken - a guy came on with a hammer to fix it... eep!? and c) they were having "minor technical difficulties" - which they seemed to fix with the age old... "turn it off then on again" trick!

I moved seats to help remedy the double booked seats problem as they were a family with young children who couldn't be separated.. but ended up sitting next to an arm rest hogging man.. which is fine.. apart from he seemed to think the armrest extended halfway across my seat and spent the majority of the 8.5hrs flight time with his elbow either in my ribs or in my arm... g.r.e.a.t... not so much..  I started watching Love and other Drugs but somehow managed to break my headphones.. I think I must have caught the plug when I stood up and bent it or something.. then was told that if I wanted crappy airline headphones I would have to pay £2.50 for the privilege, so decided that my sudoku book would have to do to pass the time.. Thanks for nothing Thomas Cook!

At least the food was erring on the side of edible!

Tales of my adventure to continue in the next post!

It's been an Awesome Friend Week!!

I have had an Awesome Friend Week this week.. which was much needed after some bad news about my holiday this summer... remember I was saying how I left work on Wednesday wanting to cry or punch someone? Well, it looks like my road trip isn't going to happen this summer... so I have been in a bit of a funk.. there's no one to blame as it's due to a series of circumstances that it's not going to happen.. that and a few other things have left me feeling let down and disappointed... Annnywhos... I got in touch with my wifey to ask what her plans were and if maybe she might want a visitor... and two days later, she left a msg on my fb to say "Stoked, Totally cleaned the spare room!" LOL... she really knows how to make a girl feel welcome!!

I was also having a moan to Cookie about it all and he replied with "Well, those people just don't know to treat you right"...  (I love that all my friends know I'm a big princess! hahaha)

Then on Thursday night I had a fabulous skype date with Ms AK and I can't wait to find time to go visit her in Norway!

I also accused Ms Jagiri of I did tell you... of creeping my blog roll... to which she responded "Its not my fault that you have impeccible taste my dear" - How much of a compliment is that!?! She knows me too well!! HAHAHA

She also posted this on my wall with the caption "Wanna make these for you"

Then today this conversation happened:

All of which just reminded me even tho stuff happens that get me down and even tho sometimes I get annoyed because things don't go to plan (I've also decided to go back to never planning anything, because anytime I plan anything, it always goes to hell anyways!) that at the end of the day, I have some wonderful and amazing friends who make me smile and make me feel truly blessed to have them in my life.. 

To have friends who know me so well, who put up with my spoilt brattiness, cater to my whimsy and still choose to stay friends with me... it really means a lot! Makes me think I must be doing something right!! ; )

Wiredmonkey also posted this link on my wall with the message "seen this and thought of you" - It always makes my heart smile when people leave messages like that.. it's nice to know that people think of you.. especially when it's something that you are actually into and something you are interested in... I try to send messages like that often... just to let people know that I thought of them that day.

So, no matter how big or small, don't forget to let your friends and family know that you thought of them! It might be just the thing that turns a frown upside down!!

Thanks friends!!! I couldn't mention all of you in this post obviously.. I'd be writing forever!! Just know that I am grateful for each and every one of you!!

London Weekend - the aWkwaRd phOtO shOOt eDitiOn ~

After our Saturday out and about, I realised I hadn't taken any photos with my loverly Sok!!

So when we got back to her apartment, we decided to have a photo shoot.. muaahaha

She insisted on having photos taken with her tomato plants! O_o 

 I then decided lunging for her and pretending to throttle her would be funny... hehehe... (awkward much?!)

 We then decided to have a "nice" photo... Seated all prim and proper... Like "the Royals" - says Sok...

Of course, I couldn't resist doing something ridiculous... hehehehe

Then Sok got in on it too!! There's a reason we've been friends almost 20 years!! Muaahahaha

Love you Sok!!!!

Thanks for being a super duper friend for 19 years, I hope we have many many more years of friendship to come!! (I wouldn't let you stop being friends with me anyways.. just sayin' - you know it's true!)

How do I know we will be friends forever? We have gone on lots of trips together and travelled extensively together and managed to not kill each other or even have any fights or arguments.. she knows to keep me well fed and rested so I don't get grumpy.. and if I do, she just let's me get on with it.. :D

                       You're AWESOME!!

Best Ice Cream in Scotland - Ciao Roma, South Bridge

After our rather disappointing dinner, we were on the lookout for dessert on the way home..

Ciao Roma had signs in their window announcing "Best Ice Cream - Highland Show 2011"

Best Ice Cream you say??? Well, don't mind if I do!!

We stood and stared at the flavours in the window for a while then decided to go in...

The girl behind the counter was super nice and let us have lots of tasters before we finally made our decisions! 

 Muaahahaha.. notice I pretty much squeezed the mister out of this picture.. teeheehee

Lemon & Mango Yoghurt Gelato for me.. neither of which I tasted originally.. haha

Hazelnut & Banoffee (banana + toffee - I didn't know that's what banoffee stood for until this year!!) for the mister


Now I can't vouch that it's the best ice cream in Scotland, but it was pretty darned tasty!! The lemon had a nice zesty zing to it and the mango yoghurt was mellow and subtle.. The hazelnut was a nice offset to the sweet tang of the banoffee adding a nice nutty after taste. If you're passing by, stop in for some ice cream!

--------------------------------------------

Just so you know, I am in no way associate with Ciao Roma, I'm just a random passer by who really enjoyed their ice cream!

Filling in the Blanks on my Last Friday at Work..

Today is my last day at this job.. and part of me is a bit sad to be leaving.. but another part of me is super excited to NOT HAVE WORK!! Wooohooo!! Sleeping in and pottering around the house.. hoorah!! 

Tho there is no rest for the wicked, as I pretty much have to toddler-proof the flat (in anticipation of the mister's nephew's visit as I won't be here at the time), do laundry and unpack from London and repack to go to CANADA on Wednesday!!

1.   I am a (morning, evening, middle of the day person)       night person.. I've said it before and I'll say it again.. I'm an owl not a fowl!! I would be delighted to start my day around midday and stay up till the wee hours..  .

2.  My favorite Pandora stations are    I don't have satellite radio! I don't often listen to the radio and I don't think I've updated my ipod in about a year if that gives any indication of my music tastes..   .

3.  3 of my "must-have" songs for a road trip playlist are     Hotel California, Schools Out for Summer & Eye of the Tiger.. all songs that everyone (most people) know the tune and the chorus but no one knows all the actual words.. = hilarity!    .

4.  My favorite pattern is   bright! blocks, stripes, dots, chevrons.. as long as it's colourful! .

5.  My favorite perfume is     currently, Orla Kiely Eau de Parfum - I'm not usually into floral scents, I quite often buy men's perfume because I prefer their citrus tones... but I got a free sample of the Orla Kiely and the floral is delicate and not too sweet or over powering.. Otherwise my current other perfumes are Paul Smith Sunshine for Men and Clarins Eau de Jardins  .

6.  Rules are      just rules. I'm not a rule breaker, but I'm not a super strict rule follower all the time. Some rules were meant to be broken, but mostly they're there for a reason - I'm going to go with Lauren's answer on this one.. tho sometimes I'm a bit of a rule breaker.. but for the most part.. I use my own judgement to make a final decision..  .

7.  My most overused phrase or punctuation is       "just sayin" and dots (ellipses)... I use too many and I don't use them properly, and for someone who is slightly anal retentive about spelling and grammar, it's pretty poor form.. but oh well! what can ya do eh??!!  . 

As always, head long to Lauren's if you want to play along!

Happy Friday!!

London Weekend

Morning lovelies!! The office is super quiet and I came to work in jeans on a Thursday, the sun is shining brightly in the sky and I am feeling light and airy!! (A vast improvement from yesterday when I left work feeling like I was a) going to cry and b) going to hit someone) Anywhos! I had such a lovely weekend in London last weekend that I just want to share it with you all! 

@Edinburgh Waverley Station, Waiting for the train:

Saturday morning, we walked through Kensington Park to Harrods:
(in case you missed out on why I needed to frequent Harrods... click here - it's the last convo if you're low on patience!)

 We wondered what this fruit was... Sok says hazelnut.. anyone know??!!

After lunch we came across this gallery in SoHo, they had amazingly fun things inside:
(I wasn't daring enough to take photos of them tho...)

Saturday night I ate at Yodita, an Eritrean Restaurant in Cricklewood... (yea I hadn't heard of it either until Saturday!..)
The food was good and unlike anything I'd really eaten before.. kind of like Indian meets Middle Eastern??
Lots of meat and sauces and you eat it with your hands.. as you can see in the photo! You get a crepe roll (middle plate) unroll it, tear pieces off and use it to grab the food on the big platters...

All in celebration of this guy's 30th..
(oops.. excuse the slightly bleary eyes.. I totally forgot to take photos until I was leaving to go home!)

Sunday after brunch & markets in Marylebone (post to come soon).. We went to Selfridges and the ever so loverly Sok treated us to macaroons from Pierre Herme! Thank you Sok!! (I figured out, it's not our 20th anniversary until NEXT year! - We will have to plan travels properly!! - We did a fairly poor job this year..)

Pink with glitter dust = Rose; Green = Asparagus & Pistachio??; Yellow = Lemon; Brown = Hazelnut & ??; Yellow with brown spots = Passionfruit! Wow, I could never be a food critic/writer eh?? Can't even remember 5 flavours!.. shoulda taken notes & written it down!! (Sok - HELP!!)

Regardless of the fact that I have a terrible memory and don't remember the exact flavours we ate.. they were ALL delicious!! Our favourites were the Lemon & Passionfruit (which was saved until last!)

If you are in London and passing by Selfridges, stop in and get yourself some macaroons.. they're not the cheapest treats you'll find, but they're definitely worth it!! Our 5 macaroons were just over £8.. not exactly budget breaking either! ; )


Stay tuned for posts about our lunch at PingPong & brunch at Providores as well as Marylebone Farmer's Market!! And maybe our hilarious impromptu photo shoot on Sok's balcony! HAHA