Where the gin is cold and the piano’s hot and;

Beansprouts, I miss having someone complete my sentences, and to sing musicals with me too!! I can’t wait till you are back from Links.

A series of quotes I found on Baudelaire (I know him because he is quoted quite a bit in one of my favourite books, Discourses of Love by Roland Barthes). I am a big Roland Barthes fan! I think I learn more about authors through reviews done by my favourite authors more than anything else. That is the way it is with life perhaps, for someone to first arouse your curiosity?)

“A book is a garden, an orchard, a storehouse, a party, a company by the way, a counselor, a multitude of counselors.”

“A frenzied passion for art is a canker that devours everything else.”

“A sweetheart is a bottle of wine, a wife is a wine bottle.”

“Always be a poet, even in prose.”

“Any man who does not accept the conditions of life sells his soul.”

“How little remains of the man I once was, save the memory of him! But remembering is only a new form of suffering.”

“I can barely conceive of a type of beauty in which there is no Melancholy.”

“I have cultivated my hysteria with pleasure and terror.”

“I love Wagner, but the music I prefer is that of a cat hung up by its tail outside a window and trying to stick to the panes of glass with its claws.”

Charles Baudelaire

SK, EK and I went out to the Imperial Museum yesterday (my sixth museum in just two weeks…in my sudden flush of desire to go see museums!) and I found it fascinating, I think it is my favourite museum in London! I am not that curious about military weapons/ships/tanks and the like, though I have a special affection for military ships because of my father – I used to be on tours on ships and remember sitting in the captain’s seat, with the most amazing views and the sudden adrenaline turning the wheel! Sometimes when I am in the beach I also fantasize a little about how I am seeing the same stars as those on the ship- and wonder if I was a crewman (like Joseph Conrad) what I would be experiencing on a ship. I think if I was male, I could possibly have a strong secret desire to be a sailor.

 My favourite section was entitled ‘The Children’s War’ – which featured exhibits of memorabilia of children in Britain who had grown up experiencing the threat of war – the time of gas masks, living on rations, air raids and collecting shrapnel as home games. The best part was meeting an evacuee who had grown up in Birmingham- his school had been bombed by the war, and yet as a child he felt the war to be like ‘a game’, as it was to the children who worked hard to raise money for the war effort. They faced life courageously, cherished the items and resources they had… As a child, loving the ice cream from a certain ice cream shop, he would cycle 10 miles every Saturday to have that precious ice cream, then cycle that 10 miles back. Paper was a scarce resource as well, and even now he takes good care of what he has and is thankful for the things around him. His rendition of his army life then reminded me of NS- for he said he found in very boring and wished he had been sent to elsewhere, like Vietnam or Thailand! It was the opposite of what I would have thought. Despite being of an old age, he seemed energetic and vivacious, and I could see a little spirit of that child in him still in his old age…Just look, the photograph next to him is his photo when he was just a young boy!

I cherish stories I hear from the older generation very much. I think they have learnt so much that there is always much to be learnt from them.

 

Will update more in time! Visiting the Tower of London tomorrow, and commencing packing. So many things to do and there’s Scary Friday. Lots of memories being made, writing to happen later!!

You could drive a person crazy;

Beansprouts!! I can’t believe I never introduced this song to you!! It has always been one of my childhood favourites. I shall relearn it and sing and dance it for you! Haha!

One of my favourite fashionistas is actually a Singaporean, Fiona Xie….

Her jackets and belts are so gorgeous!

Isn’t Albert a fancy name;

“Anyone whose goal is ’something higher’ must expect someday to suffer vertigo. What is vertigo? Fear of falling? No, Vertigo is something other than fear of falling. It is the voice of the emptiness below us which tempts and lures us, it is the desire to fall, against which, terrified, we defend ourselves.”

“We can never establish with certainty what part of our relations with others is the result of our emotions — love, antipathy, charity, or malice — and what part is predetermined by the constant power play among individuals.”

“We live everything as it comes, without warning, like an actor going on cold. And what can life be worth if the first rehearsal for life is life itself? That is why life is always a sketch. No sketch is not quite the right word, because a sketch is an outline of something, the groundwork for a picture, whereas the sketch that is our life is a sketch of nothing, an outline with no picture.”

“Solitude: sweet absence of faces.”

“Love is a desire for that lost half of ourselves.”

“When the heart speaks, the mind finds it indecent to object.”

“Eroticism is like a dance: one always leads the other.”

“People are going deaf because music is played louder and louder, but because they’re going deaf, it has to be played louder still.”

“Without realizing it, the individual composes his life according to the laws of beauty even in times of greatest distress.”

- A Compilation from the novels of Milan Kundera

Life is Elsewhere- my favourite Milan Kundera book. I remember very well the experience of reading it- it was in a little Prague bookshop, called ‘The Globe Bookshop’, which had shelves and tons of books- both modern and old. There were also some collections on Shakespeare. My companion was intense in a game of chess against a white long haired partner, and I, not understanding at all the intricacies or complications of chess, settled down with a series of books, the key one of which to decide my spending tendencies was Life is Elsewhere. There are two authors which turned the tide in Czechoslovakian literature, which are Milan Kundera and Kafka. As I suspect, the latter is better known, for he is more closely tied to the political tides of Prague, more engaging and high-sounding in conversation, more related to the mysteries of government and self. Kundera is an inexplicable writer, a ‘dirty’ writer, as F used to call. Once, when reading Kundera, she asked me why I was reading books by such a ‘dirty’ author. Yes, Kundera is dirty in another sense, his ideas are never directly explicable, they belong to the muddy waters of a forgotten conscience, they are the thoughts which we forget about day to day, or think about in stolen moments. He compiles these and makes them intense, it is not the plot but the course of explaining the history of the plot which makes Kundera a truly skilled and simply thrilling author.

In another sense, he must simply be a ‘dirty’ author, for he had the confounded ability to have me finish a book at one sitting, which, if you know me, is downright impossible, for I have a sort of latent attention deficit disorder, and the distractions in the bookshop were terribly attractive. There was lunch, there was Czechoslovakian music in the background, and I was left with a distinct warmth as I read which is a feeling I still remember. It has been two years since I last read Kundera.

I remembered this again perhaps, because I met with A and ST at Silk Restaurant days ago. I cannot describe it as well, but briefly, here is a synopsis from toptable: “The combination of Silk’s classic courthouse setting and innovative Asian fusion cuisine has resulted in a high-concept dining experience not to be missed. The traditional oak-panelled room at the Kempinski Hotel – formerly the infamous Number One Courtroom where Oscar Wilde, Mick Jagger and John Lennon have stood trial – contrasts with the contemporary, cutting edge cooking and Silk’s zen ambience, but helps creates a unique and cosy vibe. Head Chef Rajesh Parmar has created a menu inspired by the silk route, blending Italian, Asian and Middle Eastern influences. Signatures dishes include the scallops served in a delicately spiced ginger and coconut froth, and deep fried wing beans served with sweet chilli sauce.”

It is a distinctly exciting players for lawyers, after all. Eating in a courtroom! Seeing the judges bench filled with candles, the inspector’s table translated into a dining table, to have the brown walls of the place intersposed with thai designs and quiet Tamil music. It is especially exciting that this was the same place where Oscar Wilde was tried – almost eating in a place which is possibly one of the landmarks of a literary journey. The service is excellent, each waiter describes the menu and history of the place succinctly and with flair, and the waiter remembered ST and me, despite the fact that we last ate here some months ago. The food is a blend of thai-indian cuisine, and the sauces are terrific, and the lamb absolutely heavenly. My companions had the halibut, and I cannot even begin to guess at the ingredients, being personally unfamiliar with thai or indian cuisine besides the curry, but it was absolutely wonderful.

A just graduated from the College of Law, and is pending entry into Allen & Overy. What was interesting was that he had read history at the LSE, which reminded me briefly of JC, who did Government, Politics and Economics. His area of expertise is American history, although he was born and bred in England so called. It was a delight having him for company, we talked at length about some issues, some parts of history, holidays (A plans to visit Canada, then parts of America this summer, and he had gone for a similar Baltic cruise with ST then, spanning Moscow and other places), and even literature (he is currently reading, also – Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, something I must try).

In the morning and afternoon, I had visited Victoria & Albert Museum, which was  quite fascinating! I have much to share and will probably write another entry about it, Beansprouts, and there are other entries pending. I really wanted to visit the Imperial War Museum, but ST found the topic terribly boring, and Spinach did not fancy the idea. I think I have an absurdly lonely morbid fascination  in World War II and the Holocaust! When I was young, 6-8 yrs etc., I used to read perpetually mainly books on this topic, videos, even played games on the topic, or wrote imaginary stories. Partly, my favourite movie, Life is Beautiful, also has that period as the background. I had also considered doing the topic for a dissertation, but it did not come to pass. I don’t know whether it is an interesting museum (war paraphernalia is either jolly good or jolly bad), but I must make a trip there next week nevertheless.

A little teaser from my photographs, Beansprouts!! I visited the Baroque collection and took photographs illegally…

I also still want to watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

I spent much of yesterday talking to SPSK who came round again to collect plates, bowls etc. from my room (yesterday was Astor’s official moving out day). It was quite taxing cleaning up, vacumming the room, cleaning the sinks, clearing out etc. As usual, SPSK and I ended up talking for hours- which was so lovely – reminded me a little of R. I always have alot of fun and learn something from SK, who is really brilliant, and thinks and breaks down issues so much I find myself instinctively doing the same. He is also always dropping little science and math tidbits for me to learn which I absolutely love. Always feel comfortable and very happy in the company of SPSK, and he has a sports ego — keke, that if he took law he would be better than me…. wait till you see SK!! Keke. He is ambitious and intensely so, wanting to run his own business, desiring to become a successful investor, and often times he shares about his mother who is a successful investor and talented HK careerwoman in her own right. I feel as though SK can engage me in both brilliant and silly moments, which is always a terrific combination to have in a friend. I am sure you will understand, Beansprouts!

Reminiscing of times in my Astor room (which is now empty….)

I have a new Lucy bow, my Beansprouts! Do you like it?

It is mint with yellow polka dots, and fitted with a pink Blair bow! One day I shall indeed start my headband creation collection! This was made by a girl on Etsy. I love Etsy!

Now off for a nap (eee I ought to be doing some work finally after playing for the past few days!)

 

 

I feel like I am in a symmetrical world too of matter and anti-matter

Dear Beansprouts,

I feel as the above. Yesterday I was talking with ST about Zhu Ge Liang, and then suddenly SK brings him up in conversation! And this afternoon, SK and I were discussing the topic which you sent me in your email *nudge nudge, and I was teaching him a difference between a *** and a ******. Refer to your last email, can you feel me whispering these answers into your ear?

I have much to write about and will update soon.

Tiramisssu.

Yours,

Cherry Pie

Eee! Hello Kitty Castle in Shanghai!!

In other words this humongous pink frilly affair just opened in Shanghai….

I am not that crazy over Hello Kitty, though I adore cats, though I am a fan of Charmmy Kitty, supposedly Hello Kitty’s pet. The difference being, of course, that Charmmy Kitty has funky cheeks haha….but for cat owners, they like Hello Kitty probably because it reminds them of the real thing. If you give me Hello Kitty vs. a real life kitten, no awards for which I will gush more on! But back to the house, the pink bow details are another story…

I would have liked the background wall more if it was more light pink quilt Chanel style, with white walls for the rest. Don’t love those sofas too much too, but look at the extensive bow detail!

I read japanese home furnishings magazines too much….I actually know where they got the silk wrap and rose carpet from keke! Do you notice that the soft picture is also of a white hello kitty?

Now this is something Beansprouts would appreciate isn’t it!! Hello Kitty cakes and desserts! Eeee…..I must get one of those cutters to make a hello kitty tiramisu for you one day!

Sorry for the lack of updates dear Beansprouts, have you been dreaming of long roads and orange lights in Links? Yesterday to travel between places I had to take the tube in the middle of that confounded tube strike, and someone really literally pushed me out of the train 0.0 and I felt worse than a squashed potato. I was utterly miserable, and felt like Virginia Woolf’s character in The Waves. Everyone in the tube had an equally miserable look!

Waiting on the tube stand line, I thought about what you might have said Beansprouts, about this girl who had a cherry tattoo on her neck, and matching cherry earrings. There was also another girl, dressed in a leopard leotard with black leggings, and a Cleopatra hairstyle and big earrings. There were also a couple of brown vintage bags. Another woman with a lovely silk teal coat, walking along in black patent shoes. Then another guy with a black cardigan under a suit, very Spinach. I suppose even in the midst of utter miserableness I started being curious about all the detail and colour around me, since I could hardly have space to read my book. London is often like that, I feel a sudden impulse often to remember the fantasized story in my mind of everyone I meet.

Time at work tends to pass rather slowly. There is much talk of recovery especially going by the Richmond Index, and some new attention given to natural gas. The boss and his son are canyoning in France, which sounds quite exciting! I want to go kayaking or canoeing one day… I don’t know, I somehow miss the water! I have no idea whether I have forgotten how to swim after all these years lol but maybe I should learn how to steer a yacht as D promises. Yacht courses when I return to Singapore!

Yesterday I went for a dinner commemorating the Battle of Waterloo at the Oriental Club, invited by ST and his mother. Beansprouts, his mother had the most beautiful crepe like dress with a lolita silhouette! Black and white little frills, and the loveliest velvet cape which was really Russian. A jewelled choker with big flowers and white diamonds, and lovely little rings with what I think was emeralds. Emeralds are my favourite stone recently, though my mother loves sapphire. I think I personally prefer wearing black stone. I met rather interesting figures- there was a man who had started his own private wealth management company, after having worked in that area for several years, and he shared about a woman he had recently met, who had bought Gazprom shares when she wanted to invest in the interest in natural gas, instead of investing in a tracker. PWM clients, he says, should invest something they have a personal interest and knowledge of. Which is often true, the way Russia was the downfall of LTCM in some ways, and also the interest in the Middle East or investing in commodities requires very specialized knowledge.

Then, there was a lovely woman who was my favourite from the start, who was dressed in what I call the ‘Singaporean expat’ style, a batwing exotic dress and emerald earrings and rings, and this lovely glimmer in her eyes! Later, I realized she had ever stayed in Singapore for sixteen years, and her husband had been head of the United World College! She herself had taught literature, and her favourite is Shakespeare, and Twelfth Night! She is now a widow, which is so sad…I hope I will go before my husband does one day!

There was also a man who specialized in producing luxury goods…and his business has spanned Middle East, Japanese, Singapore, New York, Paris and London. He was the producer of Dunhill luxury in Singapore in the 1970s, imagine Orchard Road then! He hasn’t been back for awhile, and he shared about inserting ruby brooches into japanese obis, previous boxes, camels with jewels in Middle East, metal products etc. Even the Queen apparently makes orders from him! I asked him whether he could draw, and he said that he has two artists who do the designs for him, under his description, and a host of workshops which make the products. He lives in Dorset, and travels back there in the weekends, which is common in England, for people prefer the calmness and beauty of the country. I often think though that I will miss my husband too much to see him for only two days a week! By that time my cat would have despaired of my conversation. He has a very capable wife, who handles all his accounting.

There was also a lawyer, and a man who talked of an alcoholic son etc. which reminded me of S’s family! S often told me about how during wedding dinners, his relatives would ‘yum-seng’ forever just to keep on drinking….I found it very cute. But last night at the dinner I refrained from wine this time, after that horrible article in the papers about how two glasses of wine per event can actually lead to a high probability of liver disease. Imagine, with all the wine I normally have in social/law events and parties! No more wine for me, is there any danger in cider? haha….And I drank a bit of port last night, but ugh, it was not for me. But I was terribly impressed by the fact that they really matched the wine to the food– there was a starter of a wonderful fish terrine called ‘Josephine’, imagine, starters with names! The fish was very fresh and delicate, and finished wonderfully with the wine and rocket. Then, there was beef wellington, to match a red wine from Alsace, which I think was quaintly called St Expury, how Little Prince! ST didn’t like the beef so much, but I absolutely adored it, especially the potato. ST’s mother told me her husband, herself and ST all love potato, they are the potato family! It was a creamed sort of potato, like layers of potato with an interesting sort of creamy filling in between, which was heavenly, with mini long carrots (the first I’ve seen!) and asparagus on the side.

Following, for dessert, there were three items in dessert, a little raspberry sorbet, grapes, a little cup of what I think is the dessert with cream and egg warmed (what was its name again?) but it is the one I don’t quite like, and a little creamed mousse which reminded me of tiramisu. But this wasn’t the end yet, for after we had a selection of cheese and crackers- there was goat cheese and what I think is reblochon or something else, two yellow cheese and a goat cheese, but the goat cheese was of the really strong variety. After, we finished with a cup of tea (though everyone around me had coffee!) I am not a coffee person, though I used to have coffee with D, because he was such a coffee person and had tons of coffee machines and knew of so many different blends and all. When a person tells me a story about anything, they can somehow influence me to try it! I think that is the way to my heart, to tell me many stories, for I am still living in a part of my childhood where I need at least a story a day!

 

Several things also just arrived in the post when I went back to Astor! Keigo sent over my new boots and lovely headbands, and I received my Venice book! The Venice book is very exciting! It is not as interesting as I thought – I read some pages in the tube, but I suppose we can’t *expect* everyone to be a Pico Iyer. Remember I ever said I often got bored by travel writing because it is so descriptive without much meaning or story within it? Ian Littlewood is a bit like that, and I was a bit bored by the first chapter. But I think it would be more interesting picking up the leadon writers, and reading on them myself. Wagner wrote Tristan and Isolde in Venice! The stories of courtesans, how Pound visited, and the sacrilegous monks! The book falls prey to inserting too much hyperboles, and any book which quotes Henry James (the awfully boring writer, Beansprouts!) is bound to have a terrible, terrible start! It will not be a book I take on the plane, I much rather take my new Kate Atkinson book. I miss talking about literature and Little Prince things with you Beansprouts, and Linklaters is soooo lucky to have you……. and I wish we were talking and reading about the PROPER greek tragedies the way they should be, together, and not with the general public who even dared to make the comparison of Maria Callas = greek tragedy!! Maria Callas did Iphigenie by Gluck, a beautiful and moving opera, but Maria Callas is not the epitome of greek tragedy. Please bop the head of the intern who dared say that for me. XD

 

I will always be a boots gal!

To Paree;

Sing with me!

“It’s rather dull in town, I think I’ll take me to Paree.
Mmmmmm.
The mistress wants to open up
The castle in Capri.
Me doctor recommends a quiet summer by the sea!”

Wouldn’t it be loverly….

I did say it is the song that CP sings most often XD

I often say it is Phantom of the Opera, which my mother is very familiar with, being able to hit the high notes of the Phantom song properly with much of her daughter’s envy, which started me on musicals.

However, there was also another girl who was part of that inspiration, and her name is Rain. (short form)

On our literature trip to England, I met her, and so many times she would thrill us with tunes from The Boyfriend, and other Rodgers and Hammerstein classics like Wouldn’t it be Loverly. Then, there was my lovely friend E whom I much adore and love, and remembering how she would sing Phantom of the Opera in the shower (hahaha) and could be heard from the end of the hotel doorway! We would sing anywhere and everywhere songs from musicals over and over again, and when I was in Bath I bought a whole series of cds– Me and Juliet, Showboat, The Boyfriend, West Side Story. Once that was done, it started my collection- extending initially to Cats, Rent, Evita, Les Miserables, Chess, and other memorable classics. In the course of doing so, I of course fell in love with Marilyn Monroe (a little secret crush!) and her ditty of films, perfectly adorable little films with the most spectacular choreography of songs. Naturally, it would lead to a fondness of old black and white films- topped off by Eve.

When my best friend L came to London, we held hands and went down London singing all the tunes we knew together while listening to guides from her ipod!

When I met Beansprouts, we could finish our sentences together!

Every part of music I love seems to have a person as its route- everything, but jazz which I started on by chance, listening to My Funny Valentine by Chet Baker. The route afterwards – Charlie Parker, Mingus, more esoteric artists, was natural. But I first started on postmodern because of D, rock because of C and my maid, Perlman because of P introducing me Kreisler (though I had always had a fondness for violins before!) and oldies because of dad. Chopin is actually fairly recent, into the first year of university, and Maria Callas in my last junior college year.

But for musicals, I began dancing before I learnt how to walk.

And so they are always a precious part of the music I love.

Fundamental friend dependability

Dear Beansprouts,

Whenever I listen to Beethoven, I think of you….

London’s not the same without a best friend…fundamental friend dependability!

Marry that Singaporean girl in Links and return to Singapore with me! I’ll treat you to the finest violin concerts!

Sigh…

Yours,

CP

(here am I with my little hairbow)

Boats

You and your photographs of boats;
that repeated metaphor for departure,

or simply the possibility of a voyage?
What you cannot tell me, you tell me

with a vessel and its single passenger,
eyes fixed on some skylit conclusion.

Set apart and starkly upon a canvas
of tractable waves, brought to still

by the trigger-click of your camera,
like the sound a key makes when it

releases the lock. Your heart became
that lock; these images are how you have

always articulated distance, a withdrawal.
Darling, there are just as many ways

of saying goodbye as there are ways
of letting you go. The boat is narrow

like the width of my heart after
impossible loss, cruel resignation;

this heart you ride in. Love, if this is how
you choose to leave me, let me let you.

by Cyril Wong

I liked Cyril Wong – I first discovered him when I was 17. I remember it was a sudden trepidatious entrance into the realization that homosexualism was raft in the arts world. In the same year, I crewed for Mardi Gras, a play which I remember involved Kumar in a sort of feathers suit and alot of flamboyance. In the same year, I remember attending one of those modern art plays which also incidentally featured a homosexual ’serving himself’, so called, on stage. I thought of this again, when yesterday, SK asked, have you met any homosexuals? Sometimes it is a struggle to say exactly what I feel about it, because some of my very best arts friends are homosexuals, and despite being Christian, sometimes I think it might be better to refrain from making any judgment on that.

Must do banking tutorials tonight.

Pendulums and scatty penguins;

“Why do cats sleep so much? Perhaps they’ve been trusted with some major cosmic task, an essential law of physics – such as: if there are less than 5 million cats sleeping at any one time the world will stop spinning. So that when you look at them and think, “what a lazy, good-for-nothing animal,” they are, in fact, working very, very hard.”

“Oh, God. What was happening to her, she was turning into a normal person.”

“As I watch, the sky fills with clouds of snow feathers from every kind of bird there ever was and even some that only exist in the imagination, like the bluebirds that fly over the rainbow.”

“Perhaps we are on an insula ex machina, an artificial place not in the real world at all — a backdrop for the stories we must tell.”

- Kate Atkinson

It was a very special person in the past who first introduced me to Kate Atkinson. I like Kate for very much the same reason why I like Jostein Gaarder. But I like Kate even better.

 I is scatty penguin?!?

SK, EK (the math twins) and I went to the London Natural History and Science museums today. We had so much fun! It was great meeting ‘the other twin’ and besides sounding alike… they are also quite similar in certain things – like their phrases, reactions and even their interests. EK claims to be better at sports, haha – I thought SK was already amazing, but EK plays baseball, rugby, badminton, tennis, basketball, table tennis, soccer, hockey…..0.0 Wow! He does full mathematics, unlike SK who does the sciences/ later plans to go into physics, but then SK’s math is phenomenal too. (I wonder about why my unmathsy self has a majority of friends who are extremely mathsy and who are able to do Olympiad style math equations and tell stories of math proofs? Or worse, always give me equations to do which I always get wrong? XD) Adding to the amazingness of the K science family, his sister is also doing a phd in Organic Chemistry in Cambridge like HJ!

I think since the math/science bit of my parents skipped my generation (me), my children will be very sciency/mathsy? Then I will complain all the time to Uncle Beansprouts that my children refuse to read Oscar Wilde or sing Rodgers & Hammerstein with me….

I think EK probably does fencing like SK too. When we first met in the tube I first walked towards EK thinking he was SK…and only realizing it when I first met him….0.0 I wonder if it will be like that when I meet Spinach’s Evil Twin…Also, EK is fond of classical music (especially the big band orchestras, or Mozart) like his brother. I remember the first time I met SK, when he told me that his dad (who is in science) has almost more than a thousand classical cds and compilations, and that he listens to only classical. Beansprouts, you have a challenger!

See can you guess which is which? XD

Clue, despite being twins, SK is taller….!

We saw the dinosaurs (um…bones) which is Beansprouts’ dad’s favourite. I think dinosaurs are okay, I don’t love them as much as Ross from friends, who plays the part of a paleontologist. I remember when I was around five, my parents took me to a dinosaur exhibition then, and strangely I still remember some of the names of the dinosaurs I learnt then! But I was rather macabre when I was young, and my favourite exhibit then was that of dinosaurs biting and killing each other…but all the exhibits in this exhibition were very tame *heh

We also saw the gems/ rocks collection! I think it is very much my area, I used to be really fascinated about rocks. I used to spend hours reading about them. And there was even this watermelon gem…(which is apparently quite rare)…And I learnt about ‘gold ropes’ and ’silver ropes’ which I am guessing is a highly rare compound given the fact that these elements tend to be rather stable… There were no samples of these but they were really beautiful. And SK was searching for this particular fossil which demonstrated the earliest fossil primate which scientists have found… But he was disappointed that it was not the real one! It was rather exciting reading about ‘Ida’ and learning that yes, hobbits really did exist!

Fluoride…seen this in your toothpaste today? XD

I have never seen so many fake birds in my life too!! I shared with SK about a time when I had a school camp at the beach, and strangely they were keeping peacocks there, and in the morning the peacocks would try to enter our tents or sit with us when he had our breakfasts! I loved petting a peacock…. XD

Doesn’t it remind you of Aristophanes’ The Birds!!

I’m so tired and have to return to packing for tomorrow. I’m moving from my place in Astor, and there is a whole week up of work from tomorrow onwards as my boss is away on holiday. So Part II will come soon!