London town

Easter weekend in London was fantastic. Flew in on Friday with Swiss into Heathrow. The flight was empty so flying stand-by that day was easy peasy. Nat and Grant picked me up at terminal two and we relaxed that evening and ate Nat's home cooked Nasi Lemak. First amazing thing about london, you can walk into a halal butcher and buy two baby chicken for about £4! Cheap!


Next day it was a full day. In the morning we went to Borough Market for brunch. (I recommend highly) Tons of people wandering around and tons of vendors screaming out. "Bananas for a bowl!" Tried a venison burger that was to die for! Bought the world best brownies at some stall, drank very berry smoothie, tasted some cheesy cheese, and drank a really creamy cappacino.


My goal that morning was to find this famous cheese on toast guy. But after the whole morning of asking where the stall was, we finally found him and guess what...I got in the queue and Nat went in front to check it out and she came back and said 'it smells like the stuff we had in Switzerland'. I went up to the front and there it hit me, the smell of raclette. What a turn off. I left the market very disappointed and no cheese on toast. Second amazing thing of London: Having Grant make his famous cheese on toast to compensate for it.


After the market, Grant went home with my brownies and Nat and I went shopping around London.

On the way to SHOP SHOP SHOP! After 5 hours of shopping and walking around London, all I thought about on the way home, was my brownie. It was the world's best brownie that day for me.

Sunday went to the Ideal home show.

I want this fridge!

Monday, Nat and I did some quick shopping again. Third amazing thing about London: I can go and shop for last minute things in about 2 hours. Went to the airport around 3pm. Flight was full and overbooked. I had to wait until all the passangers got on the flight and finally they called out my name and I manage to get a seat - A JUMP SEAT! Good thing the flight was short.

Music list

Khaylis, who is mad over making list, said I had nothing better to do, other than do her music list. She is probably right today, because it's spring out and it is raining and dark. So here goes...

1. What is the total amount of music files on your computer?
Probably about 1.8Gb. This is a mixture of Adorable Husband's music and mine.

2. The CD you last bought?
Killers - Hot Fuss.
When I buy Cds, I usually get music that both Adorable Husband and I like. But Killers isn't his type of music. I bought it when he was in the army. Hahahah

3. What was the last song you listened to before reading this message?
Just listened to Toots and the Maytals' Monkey Man.

Ay ay ay, ay ay ay,
tell you baby,
you huggin' up the big monkey man (2x)

I've seen no sign of you,
I've only heard that you
huggin' up the big monkey man (2x)

Is not lie, is not lie,
them a tell me,
you huggin' up the big monkey man (2x)

Now I know that, now I understand,
you turnin' a monkey on me (2x)

(repeat)


4. Write down five songs that you often listen to or that mean a lot to you.
Thank God I have to only mention 5...

i. Wouldn't it be nice - Beach Boys
ii. Bathwater - No Doubt
iii. Turn your lights down low - Bob Marley
iv. Crazy - DMB
v. Under Pressure - David Bowie and Queen

5. Who are you going to pass this stick to (3 persons) and why?
Dada because she always has great music taste and she blogs.
MrSimon but he doesn't have much time now.
Anybody else who reads my blog. Leave your list in the comment section please! Would love to read them.

Achtung Basel

Spent a lovely spring weather weekend in Basel, Switzerland with Andrea, Alicia (both girls from Basel), Andri and Urko.
Basel is a great city with plenty of people on bicycles, trams, museums, lovely architure, Rhine river and Swiss Germans of course.



In the summer time you might see people floating along the river for a quick swim.



To cross the Rhine river you can take a small ferry for 1.50 sfr.



My tour guides for the afternoon.



Basel, where you can stand in France, Germany and Switzerland.






Sunday brunch at Andrea's. We started at midday until 4pm. I love sunday brunch after a night out!



Andri, Andrea and friend.

Last Friday, Andri, Andrea and I went to the International Motor Show Geneva 2005. Each year, I come out of there with a new favorite car. Hopefully one day I will come out of there with a car that I can afford.

World Health Organization collage. View of Geneva from the 8th floor of WHO, my friend Miriam, office and view from office window.

Movies...

I've been watching since Adorable Husband been away :

1. Ray (LOVED IT)
2. The Incredibles (Super!)
3. Alfie (Yet another Jude Law movie, but entertaining)
4. Finding Neverland (Imagination craze and loving it)

Alicia and Andrea dropped by the WHO for lunch today. This is my last week. I am still discovering cool things at the WHO. If you go up to the 8th floor on the main building, you get a fantastic view of Geneva, the mountains, and lake. Hopefully I will remember my camera tomorrow and if it is a nice day I will take a photo.



I haven't done this in awhile. Wishing for: Organic farm like Burnquist Organics.

Fiesta at Casa Urko y Urkette.

Also, Happy Birthday Andri!

One of my really good friend, Nori, just got the latest variety of hibiscus named after her. How cool is that! Rosa-sinensis Nori
I wonder what kind of flower I can be named after?

River Arve. It was a sunny day today. Spring is slowly coming. I actually saw some tulip buds growing.



On the way home, I swung by the flea market in Plainpalais. I wasn't planning to get anything but I saw some really cheap things and I couldn't resist. The chef spagetti is awesome. This is for my pasta-loving Adorable Husband when he gets back.

Ok, when your adorable husband is in the remote part of Switzerland playing with tanks, guns and running around in the cold, wifey is damn bored and wondering what shall she freaking cook tonight. I really really hate cooking for one. I bought some poulet, but I am not in the mood to cook it. I think I will just make a salad. Order up, one simple salad!
There are things I can do when he isn't here though, other than clean house and do less dishes; I can now watch dvds that doesn't require second thought if adorable husband will like it and if there is enough action pack parts to keep him entertained. I rented Ray tonight and I also bought two balls of wool to start knitting Anda her scarf I promised her.

Ok also another issue I want to bitch about, check out why Geneva is so freaking expensive below. Urg!

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Genevan’s Purchasing Power still Powerfull
Swiss officials recently made a statement that the high cost of living in this country was damaging the purchasing power of locals. Two new studies contradicting that notion have just come out. Both Switzerland’s largest bank, UBS, and the OECD (the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) have released reports that claimed Swiss people and Genevans in particular were very well off. The OECD study argues that between 1980 and 2002, living standards in Switzerland went up by an total average of 0.5%. The UBS study compared seventy cities and found that although Geneva, Basle, and Zurich, were amongst the most expensive in the world, salaries were also some of the highest. The bank’s study went on to calculate the amount of work-time required to buy different products, such as bread or rice for example. The study’s results showed a Genevan only had to work 7 minutes for a kilo of bread, staggeringly little when compared to the 26 minutes needed for a citizen of Buenos Aires Argentina, or the 1hour 20 minutes for a Chinese person in Shanghai for a kilo of rice.