Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

This is my last post of 2005! I'd like to to wish you a merry Christmas and a year full of fun, happiness and satisfaction in 2006.

I'll be back with my first posting in the second week of January. It will be dedicated to telling you a bit about (and showing some photos) of our holiday in Laos and Northern Thailand. Until then enjoy!

PS Sorry I seemed to have disabled the comments function so people have not been able to leave comments. I have fixed it now. So comment away!

Christmas in Singapore

Hi Everyone

Have you done your Christmas shopping yet? Time is moving on. I, like many probably, have just one more week before the break. The Council is closing for two weeks but I have taken three.

Last time I said I would post some pics of Singapore at Christmas. Most of them are taken in Orchard Road, the main shopping street in Singapore, There is one of a Christmas tree that caught my eye at a Hawkers food centre called Lau Pa Sat. It is close to where I work. No prizes for guessing why it caught my eye! If you'd like to enter the competition send me your estimates but beware, if you win you'll have to fly to Singapore to drink your 88 jugs of beer..............or give them to me........

Daniela and I are staying here in Singapore until 27 December. Then we fly to Laos. We are visiting Vientiane and Luang Prabang and before coming home also spending a few days in Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. So photos galore and of course I'll share some with you when I get back. But I will be posting one final Christmas and New Year message before Christmas so do come back next week.

In the meantime happy preparations. Hope it is not too stressful.

Take care

Alan

Hong Kong and flat

Hi everyone

Thanks Jo for your comment. Are people having problems posting comments? Let me know. I have configured things to stop spam comments but don't want to stop my friends doing so.

Sorry for the delay in posting an update. Busy time. I went to Hong Kong to run a training course. I had very little time to be the tourist but I did manage to get up the the Peak and also across to Kowloon. Enough to want to go back for a holiday and explore more.

I have had requests for pics of the flat so as well as three of Hong Kong I have posted one of the the view from the flat the block, two of the front room and the pool. We are on the 8th floor on the right but in Singapore there is no ground floor, you start counting from the first floor. Or better still count two floors down as there are 10 floors!

Christmas has arrived early here too. It's not just London! It feels very strange. Shops are playing Christmas carols and the Christmas lights are up. Next time I will post some photos of Singapore at Christmas. It just feels too hot for Christmas.............

Take care everyone, hope you enjoy the pics, that you are all well and looking foward to a break whatever you are doing over the holiday period.

Alan

Daniela gave me a fantastic birthday present. Swimming with Dolphins. When my mother found out she said it was something she had always wanted to do and she would fight sharks if necessary in order to come with us! So we all went to a small Indonesian island on a day trip and swam with the dolphins. It was a brilliant day. One that will not be forgotten. The photos tell their own story

Hi everyone

A new home for my blog. Apologies but this seems to be a better place. It has taken me a little while to get this done but finally here are some photos of my 50th birthday celebrations.

First of all I have to publicly thank Daniela for working so hard to give me a special birthday. You can see her here in the middle with two of her colleagues. Left is Louisa, and on the right is Kerry, both pilates teacher. Daniela really pulled out all the stops organising it and it was a very special day for me. The photo shows one of the few moments she stopped running around. My parents came to celebrate with me and it meant so much to me that they were here. Not an easy journey for 78 year olds! But then they are a very young 78. Of course, lots of you were missing. My fault.....I chose to move to the other side of the world, but I did miss my friends.

But colleagues/friends from my work and Daniela's studio came to the BBQ on Saturday 8th October. It was a hot night so much liquid refreshment was needed, though most of it was not the rehydrating type!

This is me with my Mum. I received lots of gifts including a remote controlled Ferrari; 'Yes' 'Led Zeppelin' and 'King Crimson' CDs; a "This is your Life" album that Daniela had put together with contributions from so many of my family members and my dearest friends. Thanks to everyone who sent in photos and embarrassing stories. It is a great trip down memory lane.

This is a photo of my colleague Malik and his wife Emilia. Immediately welcoming to us when we arrived they are now very good friends. The fact that he is a fanatical Liverpool supporter helped cement the friendship!!!!!!

Next is my Dad, my best mate ever, who talked, drank and danced through the BBQ as if he were a 20 something. I guess I am such a young 50 because I take after my parents!!!!! Anyone disagreeing with that last statement please keep it to yourself! As you can see my Dad didn't miss the opportunity to get up close with the young and pretty..........

James, a fellow trainer at the Professional Development Centre where we work was the self-appointed BBQ master and what a star he was! Being in front of a hot BBQ in the tropics is, as you can see, a very sweaty business. But James just got happier and happier, and he wasn't drinking beer either!!!

Finally I'd like to introduce you to Nicole, the youngest member of the party. She stuck to lime juice. She had asked Uncle Malik what we were having in the BBQ to eat. Uncle Malik, being the responsible sort, said "the cat". Nicole looked at him gravely. On getting home she told her Grandmother that Uncle Malik said it was OK to BBQ the cat. Needless to say Uncle Malik is now in very hot water with Nicole's entire family who love cats...

.....and just to prove that we didn't BBQ it here is a picture of the cat...
...mind you his tail does seem to be missing...

.....oooops!


A big thanks to Andy, my boss, who was the official photographer of the evening. For that reason he wasn't in any of them!!!
Thanks again to everyone who contributed to my birthday.
Sorry for the layout. I am learning the new blog software. Come back soon.
Love
Alan