Leaving on a jet plane.....

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I leave Asia tomorrow after 11 years for a new life in the Caribbean.


I'm really quite excited. It has been quite some time since I was this excited about new possibilities.

Top Tips

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Things I have learnt in the last few days.

Marble floors and wet rain are not a good combo.
Throw in some jostling by 2 policemen and 4 building management type people and it is a really bad combo.
Falling over in front of other people is not embarrassing if it really really hurts - then you just don't care who saw you.
Falling over and your head hitting the edge of a heavy glass door then bouncing on the floor is not good.
A block of ice wrapped in a clean tea towel really does help with the bump, but not so much with the pain.
Being disoriented and confused enough to actually call your parents and tell them of the above situation leads to them being rather worried - apparently.
Feeling crap but going to work the next day might well result in tears.
Going home from work alone while in tears might result in the journey being rather fuzzy.
Not being able to eat anything since the fall for 24 hours doesn't help much with the light headiness and dizziness.

Going to bed at about 6:00pm, sleeping through the alarm and being woken up by your boss who has forced their way in past the maid 14 hours later is not a good way to wake up. Especially when they are for some unfathomable reason very angry with you!

When confused, in pain, disorientated and being sick do not ask the above mentioned boss if they think you should go to the doctor - because sometimes the boss says stupid things like "oh probably not"

Do listen to your older sister who tells you on the phone in no uncertain terms that you should get yourself to the doctor ASAP.

Going to the doctor and finding yourself crying from the moment they say hello to the moment you leave with a 5 day sick note and orders to rest is a good thing!

Being brave

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I've been told that I'm being brave so often in the last few weeks, usually by people who spend their whole lives in the same town or even village where they grew up, but I don't understand why people keep saying this to me?
I've been talking to a couple of friends who I knew from school days, one of whom told me in all seriousness that she couldn't imagine getting on a flight and coming to visit me in Hong Kong for a holiday never mind making her life in another part of the world. Somehow I manged to convince her that she should come and visit - and finally after my gentle 'bullying' she agreed to come. She arrives next week for 10 days, we will spend time in Hong Kong and in Beijing and she is so very excited which I think is wonderful. I adore showing friends around my favourite city, its like sharing a delicious cake with a friend. I will get to enjoy my adopted city through new eyes all over again.

I'm so full of excitement about my move but fear doesn't come in to it. Whats the worse that can happen? I don't like living there so when my contract finishes I move somewhere new? If I really really don't like it then I can leave straight away. But after 11 years of living in Asia I'm confident that there is very little I can't handle - is this being brave?

My sister has been laughing at me as one of the things I'm really excited about is that I will have access to an organic food farm when ever I need, some fantastic bookshops and clean air. These things are important to me.

Excitment

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I was talking to a friend back in the UK a couple of days ago. She remarked that I must be very very excited about my upcoming move. My reply was that I am so excited I have had to push the joy way way down inside as so many people I work with are filled with sour grapes at the news and I'm seriously not 'allowed' to talk about anything at all!

Which is why I've come back here to the blog, where I can ramble along without the fear of seeing a dodgy look across someones face. Mostly because there are not many people out there reading any more. Plus of course I can't see your faces! ~grin~

A new quality of life

6 months ago I wrote that I was considering downsizing my life massively. And yes I am. I have shipped out 4 boxes and am checking in 2 large suitcases when I fly to a new part of the world in 7 weeks time.

I'm very excited. I'm starting my 4th life and I can't wait!

Its a plan then!

From my mother (grumble)

"Your sister has told us we have to go for dinner at some country hotel for your father's birthday, I don't know what all the fuss is about!"

Right, full steam ahead!

Have also just spoken to my parents oldest friends who are happy and eager to drive 300 miles to attend the surprise Sunday lunch.

Flight booked and paid for - check
Guest invitations sent out - check
Hotel rooms booked - check
Guest of honour attendance secured - check


All this total makes up for the rubbish day at work I had - not helped by me sleeping through the alarm for the first time in a veryyyy veryyyyy long time!

Cocktails and 3 legged races

I've just had the most wonderful 12 hours sleep. It seems that if you spend the afternoon celebrating the end of a project by drinking cocktails, having 3 legged races and eating lamb chops you will sleep really really well when you get home at 7pm.

Right, now to start packing. 1 more sleep and I'm off On Tour.

93 minutes

During 6 conversations so far I've spent 93 minutes (lots of that on hold) and I don't want to think about how many $$$'s making long distance calls trying to get something sorted out in Hong Kong.

19 times I've been told "Please hold the line, I just need to check your account details"

5 times I've been told "we will post your cheque to you in the next few days".

5 times I've replied "Please check your records, where you will see that I submitted a request in writing that you transfer the funds directly to my account"

5 times I've been told "OK thank you Ms Mia, I see that information hasn't been noted on your file, but yes I have a copy of your request, I will make a note of your request"

3 times I've been told "There is no problem, everything is in order, we will process your claim in the next few days"

2 times I've been told "Oh there seems to be a problem, we need document X and a copy of your passport"

2 times I've replied "You have document X, you also have a copy of my passport, please check your records again"

2 times I've been told "Everything has been processed, we have your cheque ready to transfer into your account, it will be done first thing tomorrow morning."

2 times I've replied "Please call me to confirm when the cheque has been deposited.


I'm still waiting ......................... and if I'm still waiting on Monday morning I shall be turning up in person at the office, and if they think I'm an annoying customer on the phone, they should just gird their loins in anticipation of a face to face stomp.

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24 hours later its sorted, but no they didn't ring and tell me. Oh well, moving on.

I am fabulous

It's official, I just had an end of project review and my immediate boss thinks I'm the bees knees, I take on lots of challenges and am quick to adapt to new situations and says how I've made everyone's lives much more interesting just by being around - and she said that was a good thing! She's also said that by bringing me on board she has received praise as well.

Oh isn't that just a wonderful way to finish a Tuesday!

Right, I have a few loose ends to tie up in the next 3 days then I'm off On Tour, as mentioned below I'm heading to the Americas this summer.
Plan A is to head to Vancouver, then Vancouver Island for some much needed fresh air and exercise, I shall be hiking (!!!) for 2 weeks and then I'm heading across the boarder to the PNW where if I am extremely lucky I shall be having even more adventures.

I'm thinking of taking a week in LA or perhaps Vegas, and as I'll be travelling alone for that part of my trip I'm hoping I can have some fun times.

If not then I'll either fly over to NY where I have friends and family, or down to Charleston where my cousin lives with her military husband - her reply to my "perhaps I might come visit, would that be ok?" was to say "Well the only thing here are 30,000 marines, but you're welcome to come visit" - after 10 years of living in Asia and being very low on the dating pile she has no idea how enticing that sounds.
But quite honestly, I'm not fixing anything in stone, its all going to be about where the wind and the mood (and the airline prices) take me.

So, if you had a week to show me around your home town/city/area what would you suggest?

I'm back ...........

Well actually I'm back because Madame Chiang gave me a great title for the next couple of weeks, I'm going on a 'Tour de Whore' - SHE says.
I just think I'm going on a bit of a trip to some funky places and will meet lots of people on the way.

Anyone out there got me in their RSS feed still?

Alibi

My alibi on Saturday night was the flirty Frenchman. Who was yours?

What's Lemonel?

I innocently asked ...............

Being looked after

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I have a little crush on my Dive Master*, he's been looking after me terribly well over the last 2 days and 1 night of dives. So well in fact that today when we were diving in low visibility he held my hand so I didn't get lost as we swam through a cave. Then he kept hold of my hand for the next 20 minutes or so when the visibility was just fine. On land he's a bit like an overgrown lab, but in the water he is as elegant** as a ray and just for that short time - it was very nice to be looked after, to feel safe and for once not to be the only person watching out for me.
I'm taking him out for supper to say thank you this evening.



*Of course it may just be the 'Master' thing . . .
** Compared to me, who when I needed to remove my weight belt under water, was probably as elegant as a baby hippo

Tall men are great

Two men both around 6ft tall, have volunteered to 'escort' me through a rather busy area tomorrow.

~sigh~

I'm cold, the inside heating is non existant and there is no insulation. The walls are cement and the floors are wooden. There are lots and lots of windows.

So this evening I did something for the first time, I made myself a cup of hot chocolate. Up till this point I have always stood by the following statements.

I don't now nor have I ever liked milk*
I don't drink hot drinks.
I don't like the smell of warm milk

So obviously I've never drunk a hot chocolate, but when I was in the UK last summer I did notice that my niece was drinking things that looked more like dessert than a drink, they had cream and flakes and marshmallows in, but I was still not tempted. Till tonight.

But tonight I was cold and I spotted a packet of mini marshmallows. And I had some rather posh hot chocolate powder left over from Christmas. So now I've got something to wrap my hands around, and do you know what, its actually rather nice! Great just what I needed, a new vice!



*The ONE exception to that was a Tootsies** butterscotch milkshake with extra butterscotch - yummm
** Can't find the link at the moment, but I will!

A bundle of bloggers

So next week I'm heading off to Thailand for some R&R followed by a work 'thing', all paid for by the new boss.
I'll be seeing my good friend Madame Chiang and also keeping an eye out for the 2 dodgy expats from Singapore.

Going home to Hong Kong

This weekend I was in a city I made home, this weekend I was somewhere that was familiar, vibrant and exciting and even better I got to share the fantastic place with some great new friends.

It's really brought home to me how the new place I live is not yet somewhere I am confident in. There is the safety factor in Hong Kong, that at any time* I can make the decision to go home and walk only a few yards before finding a taxi which will take me safely and easily home.

There is the 'in the know' factor, that I can spin out a dozen places I'd LIKE to go and drink and eat in, depending on my mood and the tone of the evening.

I had a fantastic time this weekend, my friends have all said that they saw a different side to me, the exuberant confident woman that few have seen up till now during social situations.

But, and this is the biggest thing for me to remember, I do NOT regret leaving Hong Kong. It's a wonderful city, a place where I grew into a different person, a city I happily will return to many many more times in the future but now its time to move on.

On Saturday morning I woke up slowly, I flexed my ankles, my calves, taking an inventory of my body as I remembered the dancing in my knee high boots for 7 hours. Stretching out my toes and torso feeling all those wonderful muscles which moved me so gracefully** across the dance floor, on the bar, on the tables and in the street. My eyes opened - the first thing I saw was a very obviously not mine item of clothing strewn across the back of a chair. A very obviously item of clothing that belongs to a flirty Frenchman.

And then, after just a few seconds I remembered that at some point in the evening I had changed into his shirt*** because I was feeling too hot in the top I was wearing - on the dance floor. ~sigh~

Yes, much fun was had this weekend in Hong Kong. Hope yours was fun too.








* Say 4:22am perhaps

**perhaps!


*** very discreetly no doubt ~ahem~

Thats not chocolate

I decided it was time to have a hair cut. I also decided to have some colour added.
I asked for chocolate brown, which was my natural colour before I moved to Asia and had the bright sun on my hair every day caused my hair to become lighter.

My hair is now black. I'm not so impressed.

Strength

I woke up this morning with a strange feeling.
I lay there for a while trying to pin it down.
It is fear.

It would be so much easier to stay home and not face up to what might end up in tears.

I don't feel strong today.

Quick list

Knee still sore and stiff, but not slowing me down anymore.

Tummy reallllly sore due to this.

Think I might be getting addicted to Night Nurse cough syrup, I'm sleeping very well on it!

Today I had NO spam in my inbox at all.



All in all things are going well.