Aladdin in three acts

The Birmingham Royal Ballet brought Aladdin to the London Coliseum, home of the English National Opera. Our seats were up on the balcony and views were surprisingly good!

The ballet was split in three parts. The first part was rather long, I thought, and was primarily taking place in the cave that Aladdin finds himself in and where he discovers the magic lamp. My knowledge of Aladdin is of course solely based on the Disney movie - and I didn't think that bit was quite as elaborate... After the second part, at the end of which he marries Jasmine, I actually expected it to end...

But despite it being a bit too long for my liking (once again: I have the attention span of a toddler...), it was a fabulous show! The costumes and the stage setting were outstanding with so many incredible details. Amazing how much you can do and what illusions you can create! I also really enjoyed the dancing and the music. Sometimes there was so much going on, that I didn't know where to look!

the beautifully decorated ceiling in the entrance area of the Coliseum

Still early on - in case you are wondering about all the empty seats

even though the curtain is still down, it already gives you a hint of what's to come

It also made me want to watch the Disney movie again!

Augustus and Hazel Grace

After having read and really enjoyed 'Looking for Alaska', I ordered John Green's 'The Fault in our Stars'. And finished it in just two evenings. It was one of those books that once I started, I couldn't put down. Augustus and Hazel Grace meet at a Cancer Kid Support Group. I won't say anymore about the story but I can say that it is a beautiful love story, but equally very funny and very sad and at one point I was crying my eyes out (the same rule that applies for films, applies to books for me: tears are usually an indicator of a good book!).

Read it! :-)

More sandy nail swatches

I'm sold! Even though I didn't use a top coat - as that would kind of ruin the whole effect - they lasted up to a week without chipping! And I keep wanting to touch my nails :-)
I think I will have to get more colours next time I'm at Kiko. Unfortunately, I have no space left on my nail polish stand...

Kiko Poppy Red

Kiko Golden Mandarin - a little too orange for my liking; I had hoped for a more soft peachy colour

And for good measure: Kiko Strawberry Pink again

The Mindy Project

This new American sitcom, starring Mindy Kaling, has arrived in the UK on E4 (Tuesdays at 9:30pm). And it's hilarious! You may know Mindy from the American The Office.2
Here's the trailer:

Food: great - Service: not so much...

For a recent business lunch, I went to Frederick's, a family-run restaurant near Angel tube station. I was positively surprised by the airy and light dining room with views over a little garden. Colourful, modern paintings on the wall added to the warm atmosphere.

I picked the salmon as a main and the plum and raisin strudel for dessert. Both were really nice. And my fellow diners all enjoyed their dishes, too. Unfortunately though, the service wasn't that impressive. Starting with one of the waitresses (in addition, a tiny person!) continuously bumping into the back of our chairs - and there really was plenty of space! One of the other guests let his plate go back to the kitchen, as the food was stone cold; a bit of aluminium foil still stuck to the fish on the plate; coffee was served after the dessert despite repeatedly asking for it to be served with the dessert. And overall, service was a bit slow - not least given that it wasn't all that busy.

So, all in all, and given their prices, I don't think I'll return. And Angel of course also offers lots of choice when it comes to dining!

normal people and anger

I'm on season three of King of Queens and I just watched episode 22. And while it's not flattering, I have to admit that I am a lot like Carry (not in the way she looks, unfortunately). So much anger...

Skip to minute 3:40:

A little bit of Belfast at the Savoy

After the showcase event at The Brewery, Belfast organized another fantastic evening bringing together Belfast venue representatives and event planners. This time at the D'Oyly Carte room, which is part of Gordon Ramsey's Savoy Grill. The room which is perfect for private dining for up to 40 people is on the first floor and overlooks the grand entrance of the Savoy hotel.

After a drinks reception, we sat down for a tasting dinner. The hosts from Belfast moved around the table after each course, so we got to speak to most of them. There were a few glitches with the service, which I found rather surprising given the venue this is: the vegetarians had to wait for their main course quite a long time, and us meat eaters had nearly finished our mains when they got served their lentil stew. I'm sure you've seen a lentil stew before - it doesn't look that appetizing... It was also served in a little pot which the guests then poured into their bowls. Nobody quite knew what the point was of serving it in bowls... The Oysters were served on a bed of salt. It should have come with the warning that the salt wasn't to be eaten... (I fortunately wasn't one of the few who tried it...). And the glass of water I asked for never arrived. Given that I didn't drink wine, I would have also thought they should have at least offered a soft drink.

I feel a bit ungrateful to complain... Overall, the evening was of course very nice and so was the food. I tried my first oysters, too! They were baked with cheese and bacon though, so really only tasted of cheddar. So, I am still not sure I would want to try raw oysters.

Last but not least, the bits I saw of the Savoy were amazing! If the bathrooms are this nice, the bedrooms must be incredible! I really get excited by the beautiful decorations and the atmosphere that is created. 

slightly blurry hotel front

so pretty!

stairs leading back to the lobby

definitely one of the prettiest bathrooms, I've ever seen

cute vanity tables (still in the bathroom)

and more bathroom decor

 

Jack Dee and his love for Hastings*

And the main reason for the trip to Brighton, was Jack Dee (English comedian) doing his stand up show at the Brighton Dome. If you don't know Jack, I would strongly recommend changing this e.g. by getting one of his DVDs. I think he is absolutely hilarious! And the show at the Dome did not disappoint! The venue was fully booked (1,700 seats) and I was laughing out loud throughout the whole show.

Before the show, we had a show-round the venue. The building is really stunning - and now that I've seen it live (after having met with Donna and Tom back in January in London and having seen the presentation), I am even more convinced that it would the perfect place for our annual meeting!

Hospitality was great, too - with drinks and a light supper before the show and more drinks and cheese during the interval. Many thanks to the whole team from both myhotel Brighton and the Brighton Dome, who looked after us so well! 

Fun fact: Abba won the Eurovision Song Contest with Waterloo at the Dome back in 1974! 

the beautiful entrance area

one half of the multi-purpose corn exchange

the cafe bar - the contemporary space of the venue

* I'm afraid you had to be there to understand the Hastings reference... ;-)

Pretty in black and quirky

Just around the corner from the myhotel Brighton and right across from the Brighton Dome is the Harrington Studio which can also be booked through the myhotel.

When entering the building, you step onto a little piece of garden, including some flowers in the corner. To your left is the toilet. A wooden staircase then leads you up to the kitchenette. On the landing, there is a waiting area with a chair and a little treasure chest filled with pick'n mix. The door then opens to the Chapel bedroom - which I found to be breathtakingly beautiful! It has a fifteen foot high barrel ceiling, stained glass windows with views of the Brighton Corn Exchange and The Dome. And a freestanding bath tub. The most impressive feature though are all the details. The mini bar ascends out of the piano bits left and right of the bed. Teapots have been made into clothes-hangers and the radiators are really pretty.

If you are looking for a great and different place to stay at, I would highly recommend the Harrington Suite!
And here's a flood of photos:

no words needed

the super king size bed

mini bar that can disappear into the piano bedside tables

just some examples of the quirky design details

it's a Lego-lamp!

kitchenette, just outside the bedroom

must be a b*tch to clean...

wooden staircase and flowers in the entrance hall

artwork in the stairwell

the waiting area with treasure chest

I love the built-in shelf in the toilet

teapots can also be found in the toilet

I wish it was MYhotel

Work has been really good to me lately! And this time it took me down to Brighton - including a complimentary stay at myhotel Brighton. The hotel is just a short walk from the train station and located right in the city centre - across the road from the Brighton Dome, within a short walk of the seafront, the Pier and the Lanes - so the perfect starting point for exploring the city.

The rooms layout is based on Feng Shui principles. Rooms on the 1st floor have a pink, and rooms on the second floor have an orange colour scheme. Some of the rooms have the beds right in the middle of the room, facing the window - mine unfortunately didn't - it looked really cool and different.

Breakfast is served at the Small Batch Coffee company, on the ground floor of the hotel. The local coffee chain has 6 shops, with this one being their flagship shop.

I especially loved the seating in the window!

very comfy bed!

the light on the right, keeps changing its colour - very atmospheric

took me a little while to work out the sink plug...

Back to the 90s

Both 'Torn' by Natalie Imbruglia and 'Don't speak' by No Doubt were played endlessly on the radio in the mid/late 90s. Which is always good enough reason to go off a song...

The other day I was watching the American sitcom Happy Endings and they played Torn (well, one of the main characters performed it with her mother).

And even a decade later, it still grates... am putting them on my blog anyway: blast from the past! :-)

Harold's Planet

As mentioned before, I receive a daily email from Harold's Planet - and I LOVE Harold. He never fails to make me smile. I can highly recommend signing up to his words of wisdom - and cute drawings.

My favourites:

Make Magic happen

[1] Whatever the magic you have hidden in your heart (or your wheelbarrow)

[2] make it happen.

And in very simple terms:

How to avoid getting stressed at work.

Don't go to work. 

And philosophical:

 What matters is not whether
our existence is meaningful
or meaningless.

What matters is whether we  
enjoy trying to work it out...

Mid-season sale shopping

Well, only the shirt was on sale but the skinny jeans were a bargain at forever21 even without a sales reduction :-)

<£20 (and yes, I keep buying skinnies even though they don't really suit me...)

looks much better when worn!

orange speckles on the shirt; just £10

From York Minster to Westminster

The city of York was hosting their first showcase event in London last week. The afternoon started of in style with afternoon tea at the Houses of Parliament - hosted by two of the Yorkshire MPs. I had never been inside the Houses of Parliament and I was very impressed! I am not entire sure what I expected, but probably not the vast hall that you pass through when entering. The queue in was quite long and only a few lucky ones had fast pass to jump the queue to get through security.

Mr Oliver Cromwell posing next to Big Ben

inside Westminster Hall

After the afternoon tea - the cakes were especially nice! - we got a short tour of the Houses of Parliament after which we were able to go to the visitor gallery for both the House of Lords and the House of Commons. There were sessions going on in both. Attendance was appalling and those who were attending seemed busy on their blackberries! I saw Jack Straw give a speech and didn't understand a word of what he was talking about... I find the set up of people sitting on benches facing each other, without any tables, rather bizarre.

By the way, you can book tours (75 minutes) on most Saturdays throughout the year and Tuesday to Saturday during the Summer Opening period. 

From the Houses of Parliament we went on to the Intercontinental hotel Westminster for the showcase. They had about 20 exhibitors present and I had appointments with York Conferences (at the University of York) and  York St. John University.

Work out of the way, we sat down for the dinner:

starter and dessert were great, the beef and Yorkshire pudding rather dry

 

Reception at the Intercontinental

 

And to finish it all off - we got a goody bag to take home:

• a complimentary train ticket to York
• creme brulee fudge
• Yorkshire tea
• chocolate
• candies
• keyring torch
• memory stick keyring
• nail file
• notepad
• lanyard
• YorkPass
• and a I <heart> York tote

love in the movies

Given the fantastic selection of movies available on the Cathay Pacific flights to and from Hong Kong, it really was a pity that I was too tired (and sleeping too comfortably) to watch more than one each way. On the way back, I picked 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower'. I didn't know much about the story, only really that Emma Watson was in it.

This is what it says on the official website:
"A funny and touching coming-of-age story based on the beloved best-selling novel by Stephen Chbosky, THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER is a modern classic that captures the dizzying highs and crushing lows of growing up. Starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller, THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER is a moving tale of love, loss, fear and hope—and the unforgettable friends that help us through life."

I loved the film! I laughed and cried (a lot) and would thoroughly recommend watching it - if you haven't already.

And here's a quote that stood out for me:

 We accept the love we think we deserve.

What do you think? Do you think it's true? I don't think I thought about love or being loved in this way, but when considering it, I wonder whether it's true and whether it's the cause for certain issues I've experienced in my relationships.

Hong Kong 2013 - Day 5: Time to say goodbye

Back at the hotel, we were treated to a 60 minute massage at the Mira hotel. Annie, my therapist, was brilliant and it was one of the best massages I've ever had.

And then it was time. We all wanted to stay, not least as the prospect of more snow in the UK was not particularly appealing, especially when compared to sunny 22 degrees...

We checked in in town (which is great, as you get rid of your luggage, before making your way to the airport). As our flight didn't leave until after 1am, we had another lavish dinner at the Skycity Nine Eagles golf course next to the airport. With planes passing every 5 minutes, I am not sure how enjoyable a game of golf really is here, but then again I've never played golf.

At the last minute, most of us got upgraded to business, with a few less lucky ones flying premium economy. Having been spoilt on the way out, the 'old' business class wasn't quite as spacious, but still fabulous, of course. I even fell asleep before take off...

And then it was all over. Even though we just stayed for a few days, we were able to see and do so much. It was such a great experience and I am very grateful that I was able to be part of the trip.

Bring on the next fam trip!

Hong Kong 2013 - Day 5: All on board

It was time to enjoy the glorious sunshine - on board The Bounty. And I managed to get a bit of sunburn on my nose... The ship is a replica of the famous Bounty and you get great views of the city. You can hire the boat for banquets and activities, with a maximum capacity of 60 passengers.

After the harbour cruise we went for lunch at The Peninsula hotel, amongst others famous for its afternoon tea.

perfect scallops

I don't usually like gnocchi - but these tasted delicious

yummy!

Hong Kong 2013 - Day 5: Sunday=Funday

After VERY little sleep, we checked out of our rooms at 9:00am. The day started with a calligraphy lesson. And let me tell you: it's much harder than the teacher makes it look! We first learned the different strokes, which we then put together to draw the sign for fortune. After practicing on paper, we then drew on a fan. I'm pleased to say that the teacher thought that I was doing a reasonable job. Maybe it's in the genes?!

an hour's work!

we all got a fan with our name written on it as a present

Hong Kong 2013 - Day 4: Let's party!

To celebrate our last night in Hong Kong in style, we went up to the Peak. And we made it just in time for the nightly A Symphony of Lights. From up there, we had great views over the city and the multimedia show that lights up more than 40 buildings on both sides of the harbour. Once again, none of my photos came out any good...

After dinner, we went on to Sevva, where we enjoyed champagne on the terrace in the summery evening.
Check out their website - the space is amazing, including a cake bar and this great ceiling decoration:

Next up was Armani Prive and cocktails on their roof top terrace. What followed after that was a number of bars with dance floors. It had been a while that I stayed out until 4:30am... It was all good fun, even though I wasn't too sure about the audience. A lot of (very drunk) gap year students, it seemed.

Hong Kong 2013 - Day 4: Ladies Market

The majority of the group went from the racecourse to the beach and Stanley Market. Together with two other participants, I headed for the legendary Ladies Market instead. Contrary to some of the others, I hadn't come prepared with a shopping list. I just wanted to have a look around and I also don't care much for brands. If it looks nice, I will like it. It doesn't need a brand logo. As it was a Saturday, the market was really crowded (having said that, it's probably very busy at all times).

Once I got into the groove of things, I thoroughly enjoyed the haggling! :-) It also helps when you are not really keen. Or at least don't appear keen. Without even trying, the sellers kept reducing the prices for me. Walking away also does wonders! Never pay the price they first quote you! Very often they go down to about 50% of the original price.

I got a wonderfully pink shoulder bag, a camel coloured business bag and three pretty pashminas:

they just need a bit of ironing

Hong Kong 2013 - Day 4: Place your bet now!

For lunch we went on to the Happy Valley Racecourse.
It was probably for the better that there were no races going on... The restaurant was crowded with large Chinese families anyway. Surely a good sign! And the food - including dim sum (amongst others a particularly yummy barbecue pork bun!) - was once again delicious!

with the stunning skyline in the background

Can you spot the two people on the lawn? Not entirely sure what they were doing - but what a sisyphus job!