Working against the clock

I've had a few Cinderella moments of late. Not the beautiful transformation type,  but the striving to make an impression before a deadline. We've all experienced this at some point; that essay you pulled an all nighter for because it was in at 9am the following morning, that ridiculous fad diet you went on in an attempt to lose half a stone before your beach holiday. I spent my entire Sunday exasperating, trying to perfect an original piece of writing I was itching to submitt to Grazia magazine's writing competition.

By twelve o'clock at night I was near drowning in a sea of metaphors and similes, exhausted by the emotion I had poured into the story, but driven by the deadline of the next day. Without any fairy godmother magic I substituted fairy dust for bottomless cups of coffee and a plethora of Easter chocolates which I had previously resisted (diet starts tomorrow?).

Clicking the send button to submit my application was more satisfying than waking up early for work and then realising it's a bank holiday. Though I'm usually more of the overly organised type, working against the clock was exhilarating. I realised that a looming deadline should be seen as a challenge rather than a noose. It can help us to knuckle down and take that much needed, 'now or never approach'. So try not to panic if you find yourself in a race against time,  just be determined, give it your best shot and try not to leave your shoes behind. 

It's Saturday morning and I'm not hungover...

It’s Saturday morning, I’m not hungover, I didn’t go out last night, in fact I didn’t even have a drink. After experimenting with my dad’s treasure chest of cocktail spirits I ended up making the most appalling concoction of gin, strawberry liqueur, fresh lime and tonic (definitely not one to recommend) and gave up. Instead I grabbed a vimto (what am I eight?) and put on some Alison Moyet (what am I 50?).  

I spent last night playing Masterchef with my dad, I was the judge, so basically I just sat down and watched him cook for me. I indulged in a sumptuous dish of scallops, king prawns, button mushrooms, asparagus and almost a full pack of Lurpack butter (dad doesn’t do ‘healthy’). The night came to a close with a father daughter Amy Winehouse jamming session in which we both awkwardly skimmed over the beginning lyrics to ‘back to black’, and then dad fell asleep on the couch (standard father behaviour). Not the most eventful of nights; no throwing up from excessive consumption of cosmopolitans, no outrageous dance moves, no drunken phone calls (cue my next weekend in London). My night may have been peaceful rather than pissed, but it certainly wasn’t a night ‘wasted’. After a lovely evening I’ve woken up feeling lively, fresh, and unlike many of my Facebook friends, without declaring that I will never, ever drink again (which we all know just isn’t true).  So if you don’t have an epic weekend planned, don’t be disheartened. Relish the calm, invest in quality family time, enjoy the lack of hangover... and get planning next weekend!

Counting down to belated birthday celebrations with one of my faves!

The cons of travelling- Part 3 Prices and perceptions

Picture this, you’re walking into Tesco to pick up some last minute ingredients for the dish you’re making tonight, but there are no prices on the shelves. That quick 5 minute whizz around (maybe 10 minute if you tend to get distracted by the reduced items) turns into a 40 minute chore of having to price check each item with the nearest store assistant. Then imagine that the store assistant hasn’t decided on a price yet, they ask you how much you will pay for it and then they shake their head and offer it for double that price. This is Asia.

Admittedly in Asia things tend to be cheap. Yet after a few weeks of careful observation you will become savvy to the way that every item has a foreign price and a local price. For bags, Bintang vests and fake Rolex check out my previous post on Haggling. Food stalls are a whole other playing field. Being charged double is often unavoidable, but learn, if you will, the art of surveillance:  Channel your inner Sherlock! Hold back before asking how much something is, wait for a local to buy one, take note of how much they hand over and then thrust the same amount into the stall tender’s hands before swiftly departing with your 30p spring rolls.

Dog sticks anyone?

Don't be offended by being overcharged. As a Westerner you will often be stereotyped as a rich, ignorant fool who can’t handle spicy food, and yes there are many of us out there. Deciding to use this to my advantage and wearing my wealthy stereotype like a cloak, on my last night in Bangkok I went to indulge in one of the swanky rooftop bars. Despite having tamed my sun stroked hair and adorned my smartest dress, to my utmost embarrassment I was turned away for wearing sandals! Ok havainas ... ok fake havainas covered in dirt. Be warned that stereotypes do not make up for a lack of acceptable footwear, and trade rooftop cocktails for a barbecued cricket and a bucket of Sangsom rum.