Into exams within 10 days and getting stressed as usual.

Just thinking of things to do when it's over!  STress relieve mechanism running full steam in parallel.

 

:S

 

So meanwhile an update on Loy Krathong festival earlier in the month. 

(went to Thammasat Tha Prachan for the main float across Chao Phraya and one at Chula with my sis.  T-shirt says '100% Chula' (my sister's T-shirt, but still Thammasat down under.  :)

Been back to Bangkok for exactly 2 weeks today and have comfortably settled back into active family life.

Playing with my cuddly brother who manages to remember me all these years.  What an amazing aspect of child psychology.

 

Apart from a few hiccups versus admin ppl, life at the new office is happily sociable.

The air-con is cold almost everyday that I have to wear a jacket whilst outside temperature is steaming at 35 degC.

And to be categorized as size L clothing is definitely unpleasant.  Give me back my London sizing please.

 

Meanwhile enjoying basic pleasures such as eating happily.  Gained some weight (so much so i'm scared will be a permanent L-- a bit of exaggeration--) so ahead into exercising before this bubble state bursts on its seams.  That's the physical bubble.

Bubble of anticipation is taking its toll too. Exam coming up in 3 weeks of which loads of study still remained (typical procrastination).

Missing my chatty bubbly encloser as well... :) 

 

Finally back behind wheels... back to driving after 2 years draught.  Definitely not a raudy speeder across Bangkok's roads and expressway, but enjoying the accelerator.  (Have yet renew driving license though... so still driving carefully....)

 

Lastly, it's almost end of the year and vacations are coming up.  Have to use up all personal work holidays by year end as they are not rolled over.   So dear friends (inclined to say :Friends, Roman, countrymen'-- MarcAntony in Julius Caesar, Shakespeare as if i'm addressing to a whole load of people and on an important issue) let's go travelling!!!

 

Any good suggestions?

 

 

 

The Fat Duck

 

After several reservation telephone calls and long waits , finally got a table at the Fat Duck in Bray, UK, a restuarant which specializes in far-reaching menu such as 'snail porridge' (yuck!) and 'bacon and egg ice cream' (what ice-cream?).

Was very much looking forward to it, especially when arranged to go with Mother who flew all the way from Bangkok to help me pack stuffs I've accumulated in the UK for 2 years (it WAS ALOT).  It was a nice meal out in a long, long time together.....

 

The experience was worth the value.  Apart from some comments of disbelieve from colleagues such as 'What, you're taking your mom directly from a 12 hours flight to a 16-course lunch?!' or 'Paying a hundred plus quid for lunch each!', which are heard and taken, but nothing to stop me from going.  At least now I'm here in the UK and don't have to spend additional 400 sterling for a flight to come.

 

So that's how it went.  A visit at the Fat Duck restaurant, voted the World's BEST restuarant in 2006 (by a group of news reporters and critiques mainly from the UK- yah.. so some doubt of fairness, but what the heck... better experience it and be my own judge.

 

The most intriquing course would have to be 'Hot and Cold Fizz' which is simply odd.

Plainly a drink of Earl Gray TEa, but in one cup, divided directly down vertically by nothing, is tea in which one half is cold, the other is hot.  So when you drink, one side of the mouth is cold, the other warm.  There was no physical barrier, thus puzzling how the temperature difference is maintained (at least from the kitchen to table until serving) without any mixing before then.

 

Many other dishes, many surprises (eg the snail porridge turns out quite tasty and the bacon and egg ice-cream is a salty, creamy, egg ice-cream... pretty good. 

 

Will attach the menu soon... but check out the pictures... worth several words..