Party Like it's 1999

Well, firstly, let me say – Happy New Year!!! Pretty strange that its midday here and it’s already 2010 in Australia and Singapore….and everyone in Europe is starting to get their glad rags on quaff a few glasses of champagne! Also strange to think I’m in New York…and it’s snowing!! Check out the pics attached I took outside my office this morning.

I’ve had a few visitors over the last week and can’t sleep at the excitement for “The Harv” to arrive this time tomorrow!! All my gear is arriving from Singapore next week, I move into my new apartment on Monday and I have just signed up for gas, electricity, doctor, dentist, psychic, back-hair remover etc etc. New York is well and truly becoming home!!! And despite it being frickin cold here and all I want to do is stay inside, watch DVDs and eat copious amounts of food, i’ve pulled my finger out, hit the gym and just managed to get into my first pair of 33inch waist jeans since I was 14!!! This was a very fun experience with the gay assistant in Diesel where we talked about how my “ass” and my “package” fitted in the different styles of jeans!!

Despite moving to a country where the majority of people don’t have passports and have never been abroad (I just made that up, maybe I should post it on wikipedia?!), I still have the travel bug and hit the “beach” in Miami 2 weeks ago (although it rained and was miserable for half the trip) and am heading to the greatest city on earth in a couple of weeks, where grown men become like little boys in a playground…fondly known as “Vegas”…ahhhhh!!! Want me to put a bet on for you?

And I’ve met a girl!! Her name is Emily (but I call her Frankie cause she speaks French and is a Yankee). She’s a native New Yorker, 25, works at the NYC ballet is great fun. She laughs at my jokes, likes to cook me dinner and puts up with my strange bathroom habits – she must be a keeper!!

Xmas Day, I cooked a 15lb turkey (the smallest I could find in this obese nation) for originally 4 people and finally 10. We barely dented it, but all the food and drink went down very well.

NYE will be spent eating and getting very very drunk at a friend of Emily’s who owns a restaurant in the very trendy Chelsea Market.

If you ever want to call me, you can catch me on +1 646 269 3323

And if you want to send me a moving in card/present, or just tell me that you love me via the ancient form of snail mail, you can send to my new apartment

55 West 11th St
Apartment 7c
New York
NY, 10011

All my best from 2009 and into 2010

J x

Empire State of Mind

Howdy partners!! (Well, that’s how they speak in America isn’t it!?!?!)

So I’m here, finally, and despite my head being somewhere between Singapore, London and New York, I’m getting settled and excited at my new life

Had a great week in London which involved a few days in the office, intermixed with some big nights out, a lot of food and a yummy afternoon tea put on by my sis. However, this was lacking one key element – that being, tea!! It was great to catch up with everybody and sorry if we missed one another.

I arrived just over 2 weeks ago and thankfully the weather has been gorgeous….absolutely frickin freezing though (or as my mum likes to say, “chucking filly”!!!), but barely a cloud in the sky. Had a week off when I arrived. Went a little bit crazy in some of the shops in Soho – it’s so much cheaper than London or Singapore, it’d be wrong not to! Then headed to the west coast, picked up a snazzy mini convertible and headed to Carmel for a romantic relaxing trip….on my own!!! Chilled for couple of days before heading to San Fran to see some old friends and go the “Big Game” and see Cal give Stanfurd a good kicking at football (of the American sissy variety)

Sadly the clouds spoilt 2 of my plans that week. I went to New Jersey in the middle of the night to watch a meteor shower - all great at midnight and then clouded over by 3am (should have stayed home in bed)….and took a drive over the Golden Gate bridge to get some nice pics and views and came across rain that I have never seen the likes of before.

Shock to the system to come back to work after 2 weeks off. Really fun friendly office. My desk is right near a window with a view of the Flatiron building which is pretty cool. Staying in an apartment for the month closeby and having a shocker dealing with agents/brokers to find my own place more permanently. Not my favourite kind of people in London or Singapore and sadly they’re no different here!!

Spent thanksgiving with Michelle Marks from Cardiff and her family of 3 very cute, half Israeli, half Welsh kids. Think Dan and Guy Helman but much better looking and much less obnoxious!!!

Already had some visitors. Some expected and some unexpected(!) and with more to come. Of course, any of you are very welcome – a 7hr flight from London is nothing like the 13hrs to Singapore, so no excuses!!

You’ll be pleased to know I’m not speaking like an American yet….although sadly I think it’s just a matter of time!!

Keep me updated/posted with news from “across the pond”

J x

The End of an Era

….well not quite an era, but it has been a pretty eventful 15 months!!

The last few weeks, things haven’t stopped in particular. From my previous emails, you’d probably not believe I’d only used 8 days of holiday (neither did my boss!!). Thankfully I got a chance to take a couple of final trips. First stop was Hong Kong for work, where I managed to catch with (va)Nessa (“what’s occurring?!?!”). Also met up with Oli and spent the week in Tokyo and the surrounding area. Great fun, cracking food, very friendly people and a really buzzy and edgy atmosphere – I recommend a trip there once in your life.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=120416&id=512991087&l=a9b0cbf668

Then Dave Brill and I had our “divorce party” – he’s leaving for Sydney and I’m moving to the exact opposite side of the world. The theme was “Mustafa Chic”. Mustafa’s has been our favourite department store to go to for anything and everything. Open 24/7 and if you can’t find it in Mustafa, it’s probably not been invented yet!!! I think the pictures tell a better story than I possibly could in text!!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=122715&id=512991087&l=ca39b82758

The day after this, Dave and I got to experience a dream come true, thanks to a very successful poker night the week prior. We went diving in Sipadan and just as above, only the photos can do the place justice. From the first plunge into the water, there were fish everywhere. One shark, another shark…oh, there’s a turtle and another turtle. If I never go diving again, I won’t be disappointed!!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=122730&id=512991087&l=82a43dcfe2

Now it’s barely 24 hours until I fly out of Singapore for potentially the last time and I’m pleased to say I’ll be leaving with a smile on my face. Not that I want to leave however. Singapore, like any place in this world, has its faults. Shocking customer service, shocking drivers and a very conservative society. However, I have loved every minute of it and there are very few places in the world I’m happy to be leaving it for.

And thankfully, New York is probably the top of that list!! I fly to London tomorrow for the week to do a bit of work and catch up with friends and family. And then start my new life in New York from the 15th.

Obviously, if any of you ever come through, please please please get in touch

A teary sign off for the last time in Singapore

J

Tokyo ho ho and a bottle of sake

Just got back from a great week in Tokyo and the surrounding area. Definitely recommend the trip. Here are some tips…

TRANSFER from the airport on a hotel bus or via the Narita X-press train. Both cost USD30 and take 90mins. DON’T get a taxi – will cost you 10x the price!

PLACES to visit:

- Shibuya is where all the bright lights are and has crazy zebra crossings
- Shinjuku is quite a trendy area and has great views nearby in the Tokyo Met Govt building and the Park Hyatt (where Lost in Translation was filmed). Also near there is the red light district of Kabukicho
- Omete-sando is nicknamed the Champs Elysee and it’s pretty obvious why from the shops! Also nearby is the Meiji shrine
- Harajuku is where all the cools kids hang out in their crazy costumes. Makes for some funny photographs
- Roppongi is the ex-pat area with some good bars and clubs (Heartlands, Feria, Lex, Motowns). Also has a great shopping centre called Roppongi Hills. Plus Gonpachi – the restaurant that inspired the scene in Kill Bill and has great food and a buzzy atmosphere
- Ginza is a very nice shopping area with some unbelievable shop buildings. It’s also right next to the Imperial Palace which is housed in beautiful gardens
- Asakusa has some very nice shrines and temples. You can also take a boat from there, down the river to Odaiba which is futuristic land grab

TRIPS out of Tokyo

- Nikko is a 2hour train journey North. Beautiful area of lakes, mountains and waterfalls. Stay in a traditional Japanese style inn (Ryokan) and bathe in the hot springs (Onsen)
- Kamakura is 40mins train journey South. The old capital from a few hundred years ago has some more shrines and temples. Stop in Yokohama on the way back to see Japan’s tallest building (Landmark Tower) and eat in Chinatown
- Kyoto (obviously) – supposed to be lovely, but I didn’t have time

OTHER things to do

- Baseball is huge there. It’s as, if not, more boring than cricket, but the locals love it. Try and check out a game at the Tokyo Dome
- Tsukiji fish market – best visited around 4:30am in the morning to see the Maguro (tuna) auctions and then a sushi breakfast at Sushi Dai (be prepared to queue) at 6am
- Try local food. Lots of it!! Half the fun is eating stuff you’re not quite sure what it is!!
- Take the train/subway. Although intimidating, it’s pretty easy once you get the hang of it and very cheap. Taxis however, are very expensive. They start at USD8 before you even move!

FLY – I went via Hong Kong as I was working there. But SQ and some of the Japanese airlines all fly direct

Hope that helps. Feel free to give me a shout if you need any more specifics

J

Tempus Fugit

Hi All,

Well, time really has flown by. It's already been 2 months since I last emailed and my time here in Singapore is quickly running out. Wrote a kind of "bucket list" of things to do before I leave and ticking them off one by one - did the luge and a 450m zip line in Sentosa last weekend and went to the Botanic Gardens this weekend - write both of those down for things to do in Singapore if you ever come through! (along with the Night Safari, Gold Class and Raffles)

And of course, I'm completely disregarding the ozone layer and stamping my own carbon footprint before I go (my rationale is that a "carbon footprint" didn't even exist 3 years ago, so for 25 years I was obviously well behaved!!). Flying to HK this week with work and then to Tokyo on Saturday with Oli for the week to get fully immersed into Japanese culture - I've heard the traditional Onsen (hot springs) in the Ryokan (traditional Japanese Inn/B&B) is to enter in nothing but your modesty - lucky I've known Oli for a long long time!! And then I'm off to Sipadan with Dave Brill. Supposedly one of the top 5 dive sites in the world where you see so many turtles, barracuda and hammerhead sharks, it gets a bit boring - I highly doubt it, but am very excited
all the same.

The last couple of months have been, well as Ronan Keating used to sing "Life is a Rollercoaster, you just gotta ride it."

Had a couple of fun parties in advance of my birthday - one of them a "White or Bright" theme - some people took to mean I was not only racist but I also didn't like stupid people!! I felt quite uncomfortable in my tight white jeans and it didn't help matters on my first venture to the toilet when I assumed my fly were buttons rather than a zip and I ended up walking around quite thankful I had bothered to wear underwear! (white ones of course!)

Then came my crazy trip back to Western civilization. Simon's stag do in the Beacons was hilarious - 14 Jews attempting to navigate through waterfalls, rivers and mudbanks. Who'd have thought that the streets of Cardiff were going to be more dangerous hey Ben?! A week in the office gave a bit of respite before the big wedding. Simon and Sherry looked absolutely gorgeous and we all had a cracking weekend. And despite absolutely crapp1ng myself for the speech, the Josh and Jamie duet
seemed to go down pretty well. Then headed off to NYC for a few days to meet the new team and start to immerse myself into my new life. Had a great time and met some lovely new friends including a 12 week old "Shorkie" (cross between a Shitzu and a Yorkie) called Milo who will definitely become my new wing man when I go out!! And quickly back to the 'diff for Rosh Hashonah, to see the family and pile on a few pounds before getting back to the sauna they call Singapore.

If I had thought things were going to calm down, I was way wrong. F1 came to town just after I got back and the weekend got a bit crazy again. Wangled some tickets to the SCB box which entailed copious amounts of champagne, a friend rented a boat for the day which a big crowd of us hung out on. And then I fell in love...twice. First with Fergie from BEP, who, while she has a bit of a scary feline like face, has an unbelievable body. Plus, she likes sunset walks along the beach. Sadly, we had to get a quickie divorce because then I got married to Beyonce. Simply cracking concert, great stage presence and an amazing set of lungs.....

If you're still reading and wanna see some pics, check em out

White and Bright party -
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=116009&id=512991087&l=9c5fa0c53a

F1 Rocks -
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=116007&id=512991087&l=b793267f95

Taylor Made Wedding -
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=116006&id=512991087&l=f8244ee3bb

BBQ and Helipad -
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=116000&id=512991087&l=ee96e37301

Black Tie party -
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=115994&id=512991087&l=2b3e350a2b

And of course, keep me posted with what's going on wherever you are

Lots of Welsh love

J

Colombo selecta'

Haven’t done one of these in a while, but thought it might help influence some holiday decisions…..

Sri Lanka is a lovely country and now the war has “ended”, it’s pretty safe. It’s also only 3.5hrs away by plane, so a lot closer than it seems.

In my view, there are 3 main things to do. Stay in Colombo for a city break, Head to Kandi and the jungle/mountains area in the middle or Head to the beaches in the South – we did the latter

FLEW with Cathay Pacific. Great flight times that leave in the evenings giving you maximum time there. SQ, Emirates and Sri Lankan also fly there. Managed to get a great deal for under SGD300 return.

GET AROUND by a private car. Hire a driver and car for the stay. Much easier and safer and should cost about USD200 for a 3 day trip. Try Red Dot tours. No motorways in Sri Lanka, so places take time to get to and people drive like maniacs!

STAYED at the Amangalla in Galle. Part of the “Aman” chain and simply gorgeous – a 400 year old mansion with great food, spa, pool etc. They have a sister hotel 2 hours further along the coast which I understand is equally as nice. Run by a lady called Olivia – her and her staff couldn’t have been more accommodating. Bit pricey for Sri Lanka, but a bargain for the quality.

DO go for a walking tour of the Galle Fort for a bit of history. Head to a tea plantation to see how tea is made and for a tasting. Go on bike rides, hikes and to the beaches. Get massages!

EAT and DRINK…well, we didn’t eat or drink outside the hotel, so tough to say

TAKE both USD and Sri Lankan rupees. It depends on the type of place as to which you’ll need to pay in

Start spreading the news...

Hi All,

It’s been waaaaaaayyyyyyyy too long. Some of you are happy and have been able to get on with work…while some of you have been refreshing your emails every other second!!! Well, I’m alive, well and very excited about a few things

Firstly, I’m coming home for a few weeks in September. I land on Friday 4th (also my birthday!!), have Simon’s stag do, wedding and RH in Cardiff over the weekends and will otherwise be in London and can’t wait to catch up with all of you. Start booking spots in my diary now!!

Secondly, Josh is engaged. Cries of “about time” and sobs from certain girls I know, but it is awesome news and I know some of his texts from the top of the mountain in Switzerland didn’t get through, so I thought I’d broadcast it here!!

And thirdly, I have some other big news. I’m not moving home, I’m not engaged and nor have I got a girl pregnant (My Mum, Sister and of course, Dad’s guesses respectively). I am however going to be moving to New York later in the year!!! My big boss sent an email round to the Team Heads asking for someone “who knows the Bank, is responsible, mobile and likes drinking champagne from the bottle” (ok, maybe not the last part) to move to New York for 1-2 years. I had a chat with him, he got oks form the necessary people and subject to timing, logistics and contracts, I’m going to be moving….to New York!! I just can’t believe it. Has always been a dream of mine and trying not to get ahead of myself, but I can’t help it!!

So, that’s the future…and if you’re interested, here’s the past…

My last update was over 2 months ago and sooooooo much has happened since then. Will try and summarise in bite-size pieces!!

Family was over for a few weeks. I joined them on trips to Bali and Borneo and they headed to Oz and Thailand aswell. Was lovely to have them and sad to see them go.
Did some diving in the Philppines on some WW2 ship-wrecks which was pretty cool and spent last weekend in Sri Lanka at an old dutch fort called Galle with Diana. Nice to take it easy and relax
Spending a lot of time in Singapore and really enjoying it. Had a black tie party for absolutely no reason with a load of friends which was great fun. Saw Lady Gaga last night and watching Keane this evening. Big crowd took over a cinema to watch “The Hangover” – hilarious movie!
And I scored my first goal in 6 months last week. A superbly well placed goal from 2 yards out and a stranded goalie!!!

Got some pics on FB if you’re interested

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=97270&id=512991087&l=d5bc0941d3

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=97269&id=512991087&l=3516a88f04

Keep well and keep in touch

J x

Kuching Kerching

Haven’t done this in a while, so thought it was about time!!

Went to Kuching, Borneo on the weekend with my parents and highly recommend it.

FLY….with Air Asia. Great flight times leaving in the evening on the Thurs or Fri and coming back the Sunday evening. Takes just over an hour with a 45 minute transfer the other end and prices are cheap. Other airlines fly there too.

STAY…..at Village House - http://www.villagehouse.com.my/main.php . Lovely little “homestay” consisting of 12 rooms, a swimming pool and not much else!! Epitome of relaxation! The Rajah Rooms are the nicest. Big with a balcony and flatscreen TV and cost MYR 450 per night (SGD 200). Standard rooms (no tv) are half that price and half the size, but are fine. Cash only

DO….go on the sunset river tour. Village House can arrange this at MYR 150 each. 3 hours out on a rickety boat seeing dolphins, crocodiles, monkeys, eagles and fireflies….and of course a beautiful sunset. Also to go to the Orang Utan sanctuary – a whopping MYR 3 (!) to get in. Make sure you go only for feeding time (otherwise it’s boring). There’s also a cultural village tour (didn’t do as wasn’t too interested) and the beach (didn’t do as heard it’s only ok). There’s also Mount Santubong to climb if you’re feeling energetic.

Tioman Tips

Great place to go diving. Go through a Singapore agent like Sunny Cove. They take all the hassle our of it. For about SGD500, they'll sort out all your pre-lessons and study material (if you're doing a course) - cheaper if you're just diving for fun.

Sunny Cove

Then, you'll meet on a Friday evening and take a minibus on the 4 hour trip to Malaysia. 2 nights accomodation, transport, all food and 5-6 dives all included in the price

Hanoi Tips

Hanoi – Not just another crazy Asian capital

Had a great time in Hanoi and highly recommend it.

FLEW with Tiger Airways. Great flight times that leave in the evenings giving you maximum time there. SQ also fly. Both are relatively expensive compared to other Asian destinations costing all in SGD500-700. Airport is 45 minutes in a taxi – hotel organized it at USD15 each way

STAYED at the Hanoi Boutique Hotel. Now, don’t get confused with the name. It’s not boutique!! But the staff there (Miss Moon) are simply amazing and it’s rated Number 1 B&B on Tripadvisor for a reason. Great location in the old town, basic and clean and for USD30 per night you can hardly go wrong. The only reason I wouldn’t stay there again is if I wanted to impress a special someone (Sofitel supposed to be lovely), but otherwise, I’ll definitely be back

DO go to Ha Long Bay. Hotel organized the tour, which starts with an early morning pick up for the 3 hour minibus drive, then 24 hours on a junk boat with all meals included, kayaking, swimming, caves etc. Very relaxing and all in for USD70. It was basic and there are more expensive ones around, but I’m at a loss to see what else they’d offer. This junk was called Legend Cruises.
Lots of DVDs, ceramics etc for sale in the old quarter which is buzzing.
Plenty of lakes to walk around and relax by.
Didn’t do, but hear it’s interesting is to visit the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum (open most mornings from 8-11) and see a Water puppet show

EAT locally. Had a look at as we passed it and it came recommended was “Green Tangerine”, but we didn’t eat there. Similarly, “New Day”. “Ca Cha” was a good place that only serves one dish (fried fish) and is worth a go

DRINK at the local bars that “supposedly” close at midnight, but if you hear music, just walk to the closed doors/shutters and someone will let you in. Some names I remember are “Hair of the Dog”, “Funky Buddha” and “Half man, half noodle”.

TAKE both USD and Vietnamese Dong. It depends on the type of place as to which you’ll need to pay in

Enjoy!!

I Love House Music...

…well, not really, but the song is quite fun!!

Well, it's been a fair few weeks and since i've had so many complaints about the lack of updates (!), i thought i'd put you all out of your misery and let you know what's been going on!

I'm just on my way back from 10 days in Hong Kong. Headed up norf initially for a spot of gambling in Macau - the miserable weather was a pre-cursor to my performance at both the blackjack and poker tables. Friday, left on the ferry for HK for a weekend of debauchery and booze based around the Rugby 7s. I disappointed my friend Dave by refusing to wear his poor attempt at a Geisha girl costume and went for the tried and tested Fred Flintstone!! A lot of drinking and singing in the famous South stand on the Saturday and a chilled out Sunday actually watching the rugby made for an eventful weekend. Wales were downright rubbish after coming off the back of the World cup win in Dubai, but all 3 final games were cracking with each game coming within 2 points. Then i spent a week in the office which was productive, but tough.

Had the joy of seeing Dan (Helman) for a night before he went on his Chinese factory tour. Ate some great Thai food and then the following day we sent lots of messages to each other describing our frequent visits to the bathroom!! Seeing him again in a few days. We're heading to Hanoi and Ha Long bay for the long Easter weekend.

It was great to see some of you back in London. And sorry to those i missed. Was a whistle stop tour starting off in Paris for the rugby - we lost, however to make up for it, Oli and I had a free night of boozing at some Parisian nightclub. Then was in the London office for the week and very kindly put up by Nicole and Paul. Following week i hit the ski slopes of Tignes with Nick and Greg. Trip was epic with cracking conditions and 2 of the best days of skiing and apres ski i've ever had ("I love house music" is the new "Please don't stop the music"!! ) This trip was sandwiched in between 2 weekends back in Paris visiting Diana. Had a lovely time with her but alas the distance is too much to deal with and we've gone our separate ways.

Otherwise, life in Singers is good. Saw Coldplay a couple of weeks back who were simply brilliant. And Oasis this weekend. Footy's been a bit poor - despite going for quantity over quality and playing for 3 different teams, my goalscoring and MOTMs have been few and far between.

Here are some pics from Skiing and Hong Kong

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=74334&id=512991087&l=a5a9fb809e

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=74337&id=512991087&l=f3de106803

And if you’re still reading, some pics from my mountain climb

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=65901&id=512991087&l=720fad5cd6

Hong Kong Tips

FLEW into Macau and out of Hong Kong. Recommend doing this if you want to do both. It's a 1hr ferry ride in between (or you can spunk 300 bucks on a helicopter ride)

STAYED in Macau at the Wynn which was lovely. Sorted it out in the airport through one of the agents. Worked out cheaper this way. In HK, stayed at the Intercontinental - great hotel and famous for its views, so make sure you get a Harbour view

Personally wasn't that fussed on Macau. Weather was miserable, food was poor and i lost at gambling...so won't be in a hurry to go back!!

HK however is great fun. It's like Singapore but with atmosphere and character! Taxis are cheap and plentiful as is the MTR subway system. Lots of good bars and restaurants. Trendy area is Lan Kwai Fong (LKF). More seedy, but still fun is Wan Chai. A trip to "The Peak" on the tram is a must. But time it right - we got to the top as it completely fogged over!!

Was there for the rugby 7s. You must experience the South stand at least once in your lifetime!

Singapore Tips

Hotels
A friend of ours can get good deals on Holiday Inns, Intercontinentals, Crowne Plazas etc…..i can send details

Poker
I organize a monthly game at my place. Let me know if you’d like to join and I’ll add you to the email list

Water
Got this great deal having a water cooler fitted at my place. Saves hassle from having to carry gallons of water up from the supermarket. Costs $10 each per 11 litre bottle – 4 bottle per month minimum. Call Win Dee on +65 9834 5915 if you’re interested

Dry Cleaning
I’ve found this fella called Wilfred (+65 9329 4574) who’s one of the nicest old Singaporeans here. He comes to my flat and picks up my dry cleaning once a week and takes it away (have no idea where to!) and thankfully brings it back ironed and smelling lovely. Unlimited for SGD500 for the year. An absolute steal in my book and a month in I can’t complain

The boy(s) is(are) back in town

Hi All,

I could definitely say I’ve felt better than I do right now. Last weekend, 15 of us ventured to Borneo to climb Mount Kinabalu. This was definitely the hardest thing I have ever done – I think the only thing I could compare it to is childbirth!! 8.8km distance and around 1.5km vertical. Going up in the rain, heat and altitude was tough….coming down was tougher – but the view at 5am for sunrise was certainly worth it. Pics will follow on FB when I’ve sorted through the 500 or so I took! You may get (un)lucky and see the ones of when I became a bit delirious up the top and while everyone was wrapped up warm as if they were going to go skiing, I decided to strip down to my boxers….

Talking of photos, I’ve signed up for a photography course. It’s pretty interesting and I compare it to driving a car. The basics are pretty easy to get a handle on, but moving up the curve is like trying to do 200mph at Monza without wrapping your car round a lamp-post.

I have actually had 2 other trips in the last few weeks since I wrote. The first was to a private island called Pangkil. 35 expats out here hired it out for the weekend and it was great fun. Then for Chinese New Year, a few of us headed to Boracay in the Philippines. A mission to get there involving many a plane, taxi and boat, but fine white sands and crystal blue seas made it worth the effort. See the pictures below.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=60635&id=512991087&l=aa393

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=64242&id=512991087&l=6e386

I’m back in the UK/Europe in a couple of weeks so would be great to catch up. Plan is to fly into Paris for Fri 27th Feb to watch the France v Wales rugby game and spend a weekend there with the boys and my parents. Then I come to London for the week of Mon 2nd March to work in the office. Then back to Paris to see Diana and head down to the Alps to go skiing with Nick and Greg (and Dionne?) before flying back to Singapore. Let me know if anything interesting is going on

All the best, Jamie