A night in Henley

I had forgotten how enchanting England can be. I know it sounds melodramatic as I do live in England, after all. But I had - really. London, you see, doesn't feel like England but rather like a country of its own. Not just because it is diverse, but because it lacks that quintessential English quality: sweet little shops, period property, footpaths... I can't put my hand on it. That lovely Englishness that Henley embodies. I know that not all of England is like this, but it was nevertheless lovely to be immersed in it for a short while.

When I lived in Oxford I revelled in the fact that I could cycle everywhere. I loved the little pubs and shops, the river, the accessibility to the countryside. I loved it all so much that on my last cycle ride in Oxford after my finals, coming down the passage behind New College towards Magdalen Bridge, I had tears in my eyes. Yet life has moved on and, typically, I've hardly been back since.

So when Marc said he'd booked us a night in Henley (which is in Buckinghamshire, not Oxfordshire, but is close) I was really excited. I knew that it would bring me back to the Oxford days which I loved so much, to scenic cycle rides, to being able to walk all over the city, knowing every nook and cranny.

We were only in Henley for the evening: we arrived at 6.30 and it was pitch black. We walked around the pretty town - it's so small! Then we went for dinner at a wonderful French restaurant. We ate three delectable courses there... and remembered how it is possible for eating out to be an experience rather than just a means to an end. There is more time outside London. At home when we go out for dinner it is 'to eat' not 'to dine'. And there lies the difference.

The following morning we took another little walk and saw the beautiful river. We had a yummy breakfast at Maison Blanc and off we went, back to London.

It was a short break but a lovely one. I would like to make more trips in England. I hardly ever do, we always go on holiday abroad, but so many special places are literally on our doorstep that it's a shame not to. So there's one New Year's resolution to add to the list!

Our hotel

Look at the river!
I loved this antique chair, and Marc refused to be photographed...
Henley at night - look how dark it was in the early evening
The hotel had used this tiny space as somewhere to sit. Can you think of a better word than 'enchanting'?

Honeymoon

Marc and I have been casually talking about our honeymoon for some time. We had a number of ideas (Hong Kong and Malaysia, and San Francisco and California road trips, vineyards etc), but none of them seemed to really enthuse us for some reason. That is, until we came up with a few days in San Francisco and a stay in Maui, Hawaii! We both got excited about this idea, so Marc (who's sorting honeymoon stuff out) looked at flights and booked us with United. Ahhh, it's actually happening! We're all booked!

It's so great that Marc has put this in stone. When we were at some friends' wedding recently, towards the end of the night they were just buzzing with excitement at going away... I love that there's that to look forward to as the day draws to a close. We debated quite a while about whether to go straight after the wedding or not... I'm really glad we decided to do it straight away now. Apart from anything else, I think we'll really need the rest, and I'm excited that we'll have that time together.

I have been to SF before, but not with Marc. We're foodies so we'll love discovering it together. And Hawaii? I have always wanted to go. We're staying at the Four Seasons Maui. We are going to be spoilt rotten and I don't know if I can wait until June!

Have any of you been to Maui/SF? Any recommendations? And where did you go on honeymoon?

Being back

It was such a good rest! Such good time spent with Dad and Eddie and by the pool. I read four books. I had 'forgotten' how much I love reading, how good it feels to have time.
It may be over but I am happy!

You know that feeling when you get back from holiday and launch into a routine so quickly that it seems as though you never really went? Normally I get that but this time everything was so vivid that I don't feelas though it never happened. I can summon the images and the feeling of being there, even from a glass office block far removed from the smells and fumes of Bangkok.

My first day back at work has been stressful. I got in very early to sort through my emails and I couldn't go for lunch until 3.30. I'm the one who gets lunch at 12 normally! Emails, calls, no time to do things, didn't have a moment to answer Lizzie's email (sorry, Liz).

But, the day is over. I may still be at work but when you are alone in the office you feel that the day is over. You can do things at your own pace. When I worry about going into work, when I ascend the escalators in the tube with dread, I am comforted by the thought that, like everything, the day will end.

Now it's 9.22. I know I should stay, file some emails, prepare for tomorrow. But what I really want to do is go home. Go home, make some herbal tea in my new Bangkok Starbucks mug and cosy up in bed. Which shall it be?

Bangkok musings

The days have passed, as ever, and I have omitted to post. I guess I was enjoying myself too much! 

The atmosphere is so different to when I was last here. The economic crisis and the political unrest in Thailand have affected the economy, people's moods, everything. It is so sad to see such majestic hotels with just a 20% occupancy rate. I so hope that things will pick up here soon. The minimum wage here is so very low, and losing jobs really does signify life on the streets.

Here's a grouping of some of the things I have been enjoying  - and thinking - here in Bangkok.

Fruit

Of course, food is one of the most interesting things about going abroad. But in England at least, there is a plethora of fantastic Thai restaurants. What is harder to find is Thai fruit.

I suppose that, living in a cosmopolitan city like London, it is ultimately quite rare to taste a completely new food. When did you last taste something new?

This trip I tasted my first Mangosteen and I was so excited. This fruit is virtually unknown outside Thailand, and contains delicate sweet white fruit eaten in sections. Mangosteens have a very distinctive flavour much richer than that of lychees. Delicious.

The below fruit is called a Rambutan, derived from the word 'Rambut', meaning hair. Inside the spiky rind is a lychee-like fruit with a white, translucent flesh. 

I have seen and tasted Dragon fruit before, but they are so beautiful I felt compelled to include them here. Unfortunately, their taste is much less exciting than their appearance would suggest: watery, not very sweet and a bit boring, like an unripe watermelon.

There are so many others, but I didn't get the chance to taste them all. Hopefully next time!

Anyone for dried cuttlefish?

Another thing I love to do when I go abroad is visit the local supermarket. It's so fun perusing aisles of food you haven't seen before! One of the things I found the strangest was the huge array of seafood flavoured crisps/chips and of dried fish!





Streetfood

It is amazing that all of this food is prepared on the street and yet I have never heard of a person who has been ill eating in Thailand. It is a testament to how clean people are, which is hard to be on a main street. The smells in the streets are so strong, certainly not what we are used to. But the food is amazing. It's not uncommon to see a businessman or celebrity eating next to a stallholder. I think that's great. 

I can't imagine how people can cook outside, without air conditioning, in this heat. Thais are just really industrious and hard working. This is probably largely due to the fact that there is no social security to pick them up from the streets if they don't have an income. And yet, faced with this harsh reality and a hard life of work, Thais still have a real love and devotion to their King. Photos of him are everywhere and every Monday Thais dress in yellow to honour King Rama. The streets become flooded with yellow. To me all of this is remarkable. I obviously think that more should and can be done for people here. I live in country in which there is no great love for the Queen, even by those who staunchly support the monarchy. Perhaps we are just too spoilt? I can't relate, but I can appreciate.

Israelis in Bangkok

A little background: I was born in Israel to Israeli parents. In our hotel Dad and I met some Israeli friends who also live in London and together, we decided to celebrate Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) at Chabad (a Jewish outreach organisation with centres all over the world). What we found astounded us!

Israelis all have to serve in the army as part of the country's conscription policy. Girls serve for two years and boys for three. People serve in divisions that correlate with their skills or interests. The smartest can serve in a field that is relevant to their vocation: my mum, now a doctor, trained as a nurse. In the army people forge friendships that they will maintain throughout their life; people generally want to serve. Yet at at the end, they feel a certain resentment. They go in huge numbers to places like Thailand and India, often for over a year, rebel, take drugs, let loose. It has seriously become a rite of passage. 

And, at Chabad in Bangkok, we met lots of these travellers. Girls travelling for months on their own. They were really lovely, but they also seemed so lost. What was interesting is that the whole area has been transformed into a mini Tel Aviv. Falaffel, hommous, pitta, Israeli coffee and Jewish food, Thai people selling you things in Hebrew (!). We sat in a cafe with Israeli music blaring out - so very surreal. And it is in such places that Israeli travellers hang out, with other Israelis, where they feel a strong sense of identity: where they feel at home. I found it interesting and poignant that they should want to recreate that so far away.



Eating falaffel in Bangkok - who would have thought!

But...

Don't be fooled: corporations have been here for a long time. I'm currently reading 'Fast Food Nation', so McDonald's is very much on my mind, and for all the wrong reasons. With all the delicious fresh food around I can't think why anyone would eat at McDonald's. I certainly didn't. But I did find this Ronald McDonald quite humorous. In Thailand a curteous greeting includes placing hands together as though in prayer and bowing slightly. Those smarmy corporate heads thought they'd have Ronald adopt this pose. What haven't they thought of to lure in the masses and market McDonald's as a 'trusted friend'? Fast food Nation is appalling me, page by page.




I'm so sad to be leaving tomorrow! It's been great having a break, being away from the stress of everything. I leave you with a beautiful orchid, a Thai flower. See you in London!

Bangkok in photos

Just a short post today. Having a great time in Bangkok. Loving the beautiful food even though my kosher-ish diet (no shellfish or pork) is restricting me somewhat. The variety and freshness of the produce amazes me - I have been to Thailand a number of times yet am still seeing things I have never seen before. Check out the vegetables below!

I also had an amazing foot massage today and it felt amazing. If only there were time for such indulgences at home. How are we spending the days? We are just walking around, chilling out and relaxing. Mostly, I love these smiley people. In Thailand you see people who are really below the poverty line. Street vendors, taxi drivers, all struggling to make ends meet. Yet they are happy and smiley and always eager to help. It gives a new meaning to the word perspective - a perfect display of perseverance and gratitude. There is so much to learn from them.

Here are some photos, now that I have a cable...

Fried sea bass in a sweet honey sauce. Stunning.

Spicy fish paste with vegetables I have never seen before.


Tonight's dinner
Foggy Bangkok skyline

Local fruit stall.
Hotel swimming pool = heaven
Tom Yum soup - lemongrass broth with coconut milk and steamed sea bass. 
Interior of one of the restaurants we ate in - so different from home but so delicious
Eddie!
A tired me on the first night here
Rose apples - look how beautiful. They are fragrant and not-to-sweet apples. Yum.e an

Bangkok

These past few days have sped by so fast... I have been on an advocacy course and have run a million errands, all before going on holiday with my Dad to Thailand. And now I'm here!

Dad 'discovered' Thailand long before it was a trendy tourist destination. He has been coming here for years. His love affair with Thailand began when he was young and trying to make ends meet as a diamond dealer. Let me tell you, it's a tough life. Anyway, at that time he met his friend Eddie. They have been friends for 40 years! It's amazing. Dad gave Eddie his first order, and whilst they are certainly no longer business buddies they are loyal friends. They watched each other raise families (Eddie is married to Moon, and they have four children, who are now grown up). Eddie is the softest spoken, loveliest man who emanates an aura of calm and faith. He is Buddhist and this shines through I think. He has a thirst for life (and food, don't get me started on the food). What wouldn't Eddie do for someone he loves? The sky is the limit. He is just so so good to us. He takes us everywhere, shares his new restaurant discoveries, bends over backwards to give us a good time. A precious friend - there aren't people like that anymore, who are happy to go out of their way for you. 

My trips with Dad to Bangkok are always a great time together. Dad comes alive in the hectic mess of it all - he loves discovering new places to eat, the trolleys of food on the streets, the fact that it is less developed than Europe. It reminds him of growing up in Jerusalem, I think, as it was then. The authenticity. I often think that he could quite happily live here. 

We got here yesterday afternoon and immediately went to our hotel, the Shangri-La. It's beautiful! And around the corner there is a department store for locals. The brands tend to be inexpensive and the whole thing is authentic. We love that. We always start out our trips here. I buy the toiletries I couldn't be bothered to carry and we stock up on soft drinks and snacks for the room. Here's something that irritates me. This is Thailand. A coke can costs 13 baht (about 20p/25-30cents). How can the hotel justify charging £3 ($5) for one can? We refuse!

Then we went to one of our favourite restaurants in the market. The food is so so good, so fresh. Dad had crab and octopus and I had steamed fish and vegetables. The restaurants here are so different from back home! Messy, they are brimming with clutter and they look dilapidated. But the food! Hues of lemongrass and wild mushrooms, tom yum paste and charcoaled egg friend rice. Love. Tomorrow I will buy a camera cable and share photos with you. 

But now it is 4.30 in the morning. I am jet-lagged and can't sleep. So here I am, blogging, with a cup of mango tea and exotic fruit by my side. Don't you just love the beginning of a holiday? All the excitement ahead of you? It's nice to have a moment to basque in that. Can't wait for breakfast!

Disney love (and survey)

Ry and I had SUCH an amazing time at Disneyland! Amazing bonding time, complete and utter silliness, laughter, dreaminess, fudge, good bad food and most of all FUN! You don't need prose to understand, these photos will do nicely I think!

We were impressed by the resort, having thought that the Paris version would be worse than those in the U.S. The only weird thing was that the characters and rides and everything was half in French half in English! Eery!

It was so cool that we had the only full weekend of sunshine in Paris in months and that no schools were on holiday. The park wasn't as full as it could have been, and from 9-10 at night we literally walked onto rides - it was awesome. div>It was quite hard adjusting to the real world when I got home though, I was bouncing around like a Disney character singing songs well into Tuesday! Teehee!


The pretty castle. The designers said they had to meet higher expectations for European visitors, who were used to seeing real castles - interesting!



Our hotel room - we loved it!

At the entrance and so excited! Notice my new hat - love at first sight!

Me at the Rainforest Cafe - I love elephants!


My favourite Disney villain - pure genius!

Love Mary Poppins and this Penguin scene!

We LOVED Space Mountain, which is much faster than in the States. Went on it about 5 times!

Me in It's a Small World!

Being silly after our beloved Rocky Mountain!

Havin fun!

A Disney show

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

So now I need to know:

1. What is your favourite Disney movie?

(Mary Poppins - LOVE it, love the myth and story, the moral, that we can find magic in the everyday)

2. Favourite song?

(Chim chiminey and Under the Sea! and.... and.....)

3. Favourite heroine?

(Hmmm, gotta be Ariel I think!)

4. Favourite hero?

(Peter Pan!)

5. Favourite villain?

(Ursula from the Little Mermaid)

Can't wait to hear yours!

Spontaneity

I didn't get a chance to thank you all for your wonderful suggestions for my last-minute soirée, or to report on how it went. There are so many thoughts I want to share and I haven't had a moment - not one!

On Tuesday night I stayed up till the early hours preparing the food- because I was spontaneous and had decided to host the thing that day - on Wednesday I rushed some more for the soirée, which ended at 2am and yesterday my wonderful friend Ryan came to visit me from London/Utah. He arrived at 11pm and of course we had to stay up chatting... again till about 2am! Ryan is like a brother to me. It is amazing that our friendship blossomed as it has. I met him in the summer of 2002/3 in London. He had just left Utah to study in Cambridge (MA in History) and I was just leaving London to live in Paris for a year as part of my degree. So we have never lived in the same place at the same time. He visited in me in Paris and I visited him in Cambridge. Then when I returned to Oxford he lived in Prague for a year, and I visited him there. In short, we survive with phonecalls, emails and trips! He is one of the people in the world that I love and respect the most. Ryan was Mormon but is no longer. I love to talk to him about religion and love his intelligent and sensitive approach to almost everything. I love that he still has an amazing relationship with his family. I love that we are so so different (I, conservative, him, less so). How he always found my boyfriends dull and how I found his egotistical, and how we never took offence. I love our frienship, how we can not speak for months and pick up where we left off. How we don't judge each other, how he appreciates my conventionality. I hope that whataver happens in life we will always be a phonecall away.

And there comes the second spontaneous decision of the week: we are not just going to DisneyLand for the day, as we had planned to do, but have decided to stay the night! It took hours to find a hotel with space, and luckily we managed to get the last room at my hotel of choice. We are staying at the Disney Hotel, the Sequoia Lodge (because of the fabulous pool) and are going to go in the early afternoon tomorrow to chill out there! It's going to be SO MUCH fun and I haven't been able to think of anything else all day!

So if you don't hear from me this weekend, it is because I am bonding with my younger self, being silly, and no doubt wearing Mickey ears! Bring it on! :o)

Happy V-day everyone!