1 martini, 2 martini, 3 martini, floor

Last night was expats, our monthly get together in Lulu's to drink martinis (other drinks are, of course available) I think I crawled into bed around midnight - just managed to get in before the pumpkin curfew!

It was a good evening as always, although we were only 6 we still managed to make our presence felt, can't let the locals think they're the only nationality here!

For a mixed group we managed to cover a broad spectrum of subjects...football (I know, and to reduce my credibility further I have to confess that I even voiced concern over Rooney's availability for the upcoming world cup) and we're still plotting a bbq for the Germany-Australia game on June 13th, we figure Jenny (our tame aussie) will want to be surrounded by Brits and Krauts when the Socceroos wup der Mannschaft....we'll even throw some prawns on the barbie!
From footie we progressed via cricket (and the limited possibilities for the playing of the ancient game here in Germany) to Formula One (and the chances (almost none) of Schumi winning anything as opposed to the possibility of him shunting someone off in anger (high)) We laughed at the Virgin team's miscalculation on the petrol tank size (I pointed out that it was surely basic maths that my 12 year old could calculate - how much fuel does the car need for 1 lap? How many laps are there? In fact even Jas could work that out...) and Ian said how impressed he was so far with the Red Bull team's performance to which I said it was really no surprise they were doing well, after all Red Bull gives you wings...Ian nearly fell off his bar stool...

Kamesh has foolishly enlisted Rebecca and my shopping services - he's off to Mumbai again soon with 'work' and so will drop in on his parents and needs a present for mommy dearest, last time he went he asked our advice the night before he flew - we weren't impressed, this time we've 2 weeks or so, good job really as he hasn't a clue as to what we should get, nothing in the textile or jewellery line, not a book either, we suggested something ornamental and that was the only thing that didn't meet with disapproval, so an expensive knick-knacky piece of tat it is then! I'll let you know after Tuesday...

Memories of New York

We're just back from an Easter week spent in New York.

It's the 2nd time there for Si and me, the last time we were there was BC (before children) so that would be maybe 15 years ago...gulp

It was Ben's 1st time in New York although not his 1st visit to the states (he's a well travelled child, having been to Seattle (visiting friends) and Florida as well) but it was Jasmine's first visit to the US - shame she had to mar her entry by vomiting on landing - I blame Simon, he was force feeding her Mowams (chewy German sweets) for half the flight, quite approptiate that he had to hold the sick bag(s) eh? Don't quite know why I had to be the one running off to the loo (ignoring the seatbelt signs) to dispose of the brimming bags though...
Fortunately Jas managed not to heave in front of the immigration guy - they must be desperate to find excuses to refuse admittance and I can well imagine that upchucking over immigration guarantees you to be on the next flight home!

Si had pulled a blinder, 'I sorted out a cab to get us from the airport to the hotel' he'd said. I'd been impressed, afterall, he'd been away prior to our holiday and I'd been organising tickets and so on.
But this wasn't just any taxi (imagine this being said in the M&S advert stylee) oh no, this was a stretch limo taxi, with smoked windows and a sparkly ceiling, very bling. Shall have to find the photo (Si took it on his phone...goodness knows what happens to them then). Fortunately Jas had no more vomit left, phew!

And then the hotel, the pic at the top is the view we had from our room - cool eh? With the Empire State building just 3 blocks up to our left.

The first day we were there we seemed to have a monsoon style rainstorm, I've never seen rain like it, stand under a hose pipe and you'd get less wet, but what surprised me about it was that the locals (the women anyway) were wearing wellies, more specifically Hunter wellies, I have a pair here, that I use to walk in the muddy woods with my dog, would I wear them around town? No. Would I wear them around Manhattan? No! I thought Manhattan was the Isle of the Choo or the Manolo but wellies? Perrrlease! So not a good look. A decent pair of leather boots should keep your feet dry enough in the rain, wellies are a little over the top!

In my opinion the American Museum of Natural History is over-rated, it is yawn inducingly boring, talk about old fashioned and Victorian, whereas the USS Intrepid was amazing, it's an aircraft carrier that has seen so much action from picking up space capsules in the sea to being hit several times by Japanese Kamikaze pilots. There was so much to see and do (a way more intereactive experience than the natural history yawnathon) including a concorde to walk through and a submarine too.

One of the highlights for me was a bike tour around Central Park, we had great weather and a good guide, it was a lovely morning, we followed it with a trip to the Apple store on 5th Avenue the day before the launch of the iPad, as we emerged from the store Si got jumped by CBS news and asked his opinion of the newest gadget, Si wasn't impressed, where are you going to stick it, he wanted to know, it's too big to fit in a pocket, you'll have to carry a bag!

When we were booking the holiday Si was concerned that 1 week would be too long, it turned out that 1 week isn't long enough, I need to go back, there's the art museums to see and I'm positive there are shops I didn't get to...I can live without that grating New York accent though, it penetrates through solid concrete I'm sure!

Over the Limit

I began to get a little concerned towards the end of our week in New York, that maybe, just maybe we would be over our customs allowance, not that I had any idea of what it actually was (I looked it up while we were there, and saw $430 on a website and thought that wasn't too bad, but I've just done a slightly more thorough check and it looks as though the limit is still 175 euro (gulp) it's not much is it?)

Rather than falling asleep counting sheep I was falling asleep totting up the punishment my credit card hard taken in one week and coming to the conclusion that we would definitely be over the limit...oops...how did that happen? Not that it stopped me continuing to flex my plastic muscle the morning before the flight - might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb.

Arriving at the airport and then waiting for our luggage I could feel my anxiety building, I tried not to look over at the scary customs men in their green uniforms too often and prayed that our bags wouldn't be last off the conveyor belt making us last to run the gaunlet...walking through, I kept up a conversation with Jas, trying to act natural, trying not to think about the light that must have been flashing over my head 'I've got 1 bag more than I travelled out with' I could almost hear it booming...

I needn't have worried, the customs guys were probably more interested in checking that everyone was alive and kicking seeing as some krazy krauts tried to get a dead body onto a flight from the UK at the weekend....

What?

You think I'm kidding?

It's true.

Even the BBC says so here and today it's made the German press!

At least I was only over my limit...

As I keep saying - these Germans are bonkers!

Sunday Snaps 8

Still in New York,
I might be here today;or here;


or here;


wherever I am, I'm bound to be having fun!

Back soon!