RIVER PALACE OLYMPICS...

To celebrate the opening of the Olympics. We had a BBQ here at "The Palace". In true RPG style, it was fancy dress. Even though I am absolutely appalling in real life on the ice...my costume...a figure skater! 

COMEDY CLUB ASIA...

Last Friday we tried something new. Comedy Club Asia at The Klapsons Hotel...

Opening act GB Labrador from the Philippines...
GB Labrador was the 1st Runner-Up in the 2020 Hong Kong International Comedy Festival and represented the Philippines in the 2011 Laugh Off Asia held in Singapore. He has performed in various clubs in the U.S including shows for 2nd Avenue and Jack TV. In December 2008 GB became the finalist of Jack TV's "Laffapalooza 2". *

Followed by Allyson June Smith from Canada. Hilariously funny and extremely entertaining. 
Allyson Smith has been tickling Canada's comedy scene from the moment she put down the chalk brush and picked up a mic. With her sassy blend of in-your-face stand up and hilariously insightful commentary, playing to packed rooms is just another day at the office for this former high school teacher, whose credits include the prestigious Just For Laughs comedy Festival and just about everything in between.*
http://allysonjunesmith.com/

And wrapped up with Imran Yusaf, a British stand-up who was by far the highlight of the evening for me.
Imran Yusaf is renowned for his stinging, lyrical street slang and super high energy performance. Fast and furious yet charmingly endearing, his is a unique voice in the comedy world! 

"Imran Yusaf has to be one of the most captivating, energetic, and animated stand up comedians I've ever seen. His act is at a mile a minute, and he doesn't let off for any to it."

We've never thought about doing comedy club here before but will most definitely be doing it again! Looking forward to the next one! 

* Comedy Club Asia website : http://www.thecomedyclub.asia/home/

NOT SO SUNNY SYDNEY...

This July I visited Sydney again, this time to pay Joe a visit whilst half way through his course. I've never visited Australia in the "winter" and with a drop in temperature of over 20 degrees it was a slight shock to the system. As I've visited the city before I didn't really need to do the tourist thing and we spent the weekend in the beach side suburb of Cronulla where Joe is staying with our friends Mikey and Nicci. Despite the weather (and having an awful cold) I had a great trip and it was great to see Joe after so long apart. I absolutely love walking along the beach. Amazing views. Amazing company.

iFLY...

As an amazing birthday present off Jill this year, we spent a few hours on Sentosa experiencing the iFly. "iFly is the world's largest themed wind tunnel for indoor skydiving. There's no jumping, no plunging, no bad weather and no aeroplanes, just sheer exhilaration and an adrenaline rush like no other."

It certainly was different to the actual skydive I did back in 2009 over  Lake Taupo in New Zealand. First and foremost I wasn't half as nervous! Secondly the experience is easier to savor. Although I remember jumping out the plane three years ago there are parts of it that I can't recall (although I have a pretty cool DVD to look back on!). iFly experiences give you two skydives in the Flight Chamber (we opted to pay for an extra so got three altogether) and the time you for each dive is like falling through the air from 12,000 to 3,000 feet. Doing a real dive you would be out in the open air. But the iFly wind tunnel spans 16.5 feet wide and is 56.5 feet tall, which is almost five stories high. It has an 18 foot tall acrylic glass wall so you view out over the South China Sea ... that's if you aren't concentrating too hard!!!! A massive thank you to Jill for an unforgettable birthday present! 

Check out the we bite for more here : http://www.iflysingapore.com/main.html

HANOI & HALONG BAY...

I've been very lucky to have been able to explore this side of the world lots since I moved here nearly two years ago. And having friends come to visit means that I am able to explore even more! My most recent guest, Betsy, joined me at the end of June and we decided that we would head away for two long weekends. One to Bali. One to Hanoi, Vietnam, with another friend Sarah.

As I've not been to Vietnam before I wasn't quite sure what to expect. However, I had heard from Paul and Joe that Halong Bay was a must. So after landing in the middle of the day our trip began with an afternoon wandering the streets of Hanoi, taking in the atmosphere and of course tasting the local cuisine. Our first meal, Bun Cha. A simple dish originating in Hanoi itself. A combination of grilled pork and vermicelli noodles and herbs in a steamy broth of fish sauce. Before heading to Vietnam the only Vietnamese cuisine I have really tasted has been Chicken Pho (a favorite hangover cure of mine) and rice paper spring rolls so this was such a different taste to experience.

Hanoi itself is in the capital of Vietnam and the country's largest city with a population estimated at 2.6 million (but that was back in 2009!) For me I found it super noisy! So many scooters. It's slightly frantic and trying to cross the road is an experience in itself. Motorists don't seem to understand zebra crossings and you just have to hold your head up and power walk as fast as you can, as confidently as you can to be able to cross from one side tot he other! 

On a recommendation we reserved a table at The Green Tangerine for dinner (http://greentangerinehanoi.com/). What an incredible restaurant. I would highly recommend. 

"Welcome to Green Tangerine, a peaceful oasis amidst the hustle and bustle of Hanoi. Conveniently located in the city's famous Old Quarter, the restaurant offers French food with a Vietnamese twist made from the freshest ingredients, accompanied by service that is comparable to European and American Standards. One of the finest French restaurants in town."

Our second day was "adventure day" to Halong Bay. Lucky enough to have a mini bus to ourselves, we managed to catch some sleep on the way there (with an early 6am start it was needed!) and by the time we reached Halong Bay (about a 3 hour drive) we were refreshed and ready to go! We had found a boat trip through the Jetstar website and were amazed to discover we had the whole boat to ourselves with our own private tour guide (Tom) and chefs to cook us lunch. 

Apart from cruising around the area (which covers 1,553 square km and includes 1960 - 2000 islets) mostly made from limestone we got to discover the Halong caves. A natural wonder. Breathtaking. 

A few people had told me that I couldn't visit Hanoi without trying Cha Ca La Vong. It's a restaurant that serves only one dish. Cha Ca ... or grilled fish. This place has certainly earned its place on the map. It was delicious. Cooked in a pan on the table in front of you on a charcoal burner and served with different herbs, rice vermicelli (again!), nuoc cham dipping sauce, sliced chillies and roasted peanuts. 

A short but very sweet trip to experience a small taster of Vietnam. Still plenty more to see! But of course I am sure that we will be heading back there very soon. So many more places to see and so much to do! It seems like I've spent a lot of time in the air recently. I thought it would be quite interesting to figure out how many miles I travelled this year just between May and July: 

Singapore - Brazil : 10555 miles

Singapore - UK : 6739 miles

Singapore - Bali : 1050 miles

Singapore - Vietnam : 1363 miles

Singapore - Sydney : 3925 miles

Three months and a whopping 47,264 miles in the air! I firmly have my feet on the ground for a few months before my trip home to the UK in November!

IT'S A HARD KNOCK LIFE...

This afternoon Victoria and I visited Marina Bay Sands Theatre for the matinee performance of the broadway musical "Annie". I can't really remember how many years it's been since I saw the film but it was a very nostalgic performance! The UK cast was lead by comedy actress Su Pollard (despite me not realizing this until half way through when I turned to Victoria to say "Mrs. Hannigan really reminds me of Su Pollard!" Doh!) and the veteran stage actor David McAlister, who plays billionaire Daddy Warbucks! It might not be the best musical I have seen whilst I've been in Singapore, (I still think Wicked is my favorite!) but I'd highly recommend a visit to see this production. A super cast and the star of the show for me, the young girl who plays Molly! 
Watch the video clip here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcDxQKXAKSY 

LAUREN & KENS WHIMSICAL WEDDING....

Birthday twins!

I can't believe it's a month since I was back in the UK for Lauren and Ken's amazing wedding. Time is truly flying by this year. But I have to say that the wedding is going to be one of my absolute highlights from 2012. I was absolutely honored to be asked by Lauren to be her Maid of Honor and as it was my first time being a bridesmaid I think it was extra special for me. I imagine most girls have been bridesmaids already as children by my age, but I think being older the first time means that I will remember it forever. And despite my age Lauren's amazing choice of dress meant that I felt like a princess from start to finish. So a big thank you to Lauren and Ken for asking me! 

In Lauren, I have not only found a birthday twin to share every years special day with, but a best friend who I know will always be part of my life. I am so happy that Lauren and Ken have found each other and to have them on this side of the world for their honeymoon was extra special for me. I have previously blogged the engagement shoot photographs, which were fab! So now for the big day shots! Anneli did an amazing job and every time I look through these pictures I start to fill up with tears.   


http://www.annelimarinovich.com/2012/06/whimsical-romantic-wedding-photos/

Here are a few of my favorites...enjoy!

The wonderful colours of the theme that Lauren & Ken chose! So vibrant!

The beautiful looking and tasting cake, designed by Lauren and made by mum Caroline.

The moment I caught Lauren's bouquet and asked her if she would be my "Matron of Honor"

The venue ... The Talbot Inn, Ripley. A perfect venue for a perfect day!

The ceremony ... and of course, Lauren's beautiful smile that lasted from start to finish!

Preparing Lauren and helping her look absolutely stunning! So much fun!

The very happy couple ... so cute!

Ken, and now Lauren's adorable nephew Tadhg ... so well behaved and my mini-date for the day! 

PATRIOTIC PACKAGING...

I was amazed whilst in the UK recently how many brands had changed their packaging to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. A trip to Tesco prooved super exciting for me to see all the different takes on not only the Jubilee but the London Olympics and also England's football team's appearance in the European Championships - the Union Jack being used as an emblem across so many packs in so many different categories! Very patriotic packaging!

There was definitely some themes that came through. And there were definitely packs that looked more considered than others. The Union Jack (probably the most obvious idea to start with!) appeared a lot! I suppose with no restriction on how it can be used it's an easy equity to apply to any pack design. Nice to see that it had been somewhat considered more in some instances.

There was a lot of retro packaging to be seen also with Heinz using packaging design from 60 years ago. Cadbury's Diary Milk took us back to their 1952 design...

 The same goes for Kellogg's...

The designs included the first Coco the Monkey design for Coco Pops and the original Snap, Crackle and Pop characters. I wish now that I had picked up a few of these to keep as limited edition collectors' boxes. The best ideas by far for me were the packs that used play on words. Queensmill and (Weetabix) with Fuel Britannia. But my favorite by far, love it or hate it, Ma'amite! Even if they do look slightly Bovril having changed the color of the caps! 

Even though the Jubilee weekend was one to remember for me for different reasons (my best friend got married on the 3rd June!) these packs certainly do make me realise just how patriotic Great Britain is! Something a little different to packaging now ... I absolutely love these new Mr. Kipling ads launched nationally to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee. Great work from JWT.

BRAZIL...

It's been a while since I last wrote I had Mum and Dad's visit in April and then what can only be described as a whirlwind May. The reason why...a trip to Brazil for research. My journey to Brazil from Singapore was mammoth. 10568 miles to be precise and nearly 30 hours from door to door. Probably the furthest I have travelled in one go. My saving grace...my Business class seat. Or should I say bed. I can honestly say that my first long haul business class experience on Singapore Airlines was nothing but first class! Arriving in Brazil I was expecting to be tired and prepared to pass out on my bed. Instead I actually felt quite refreshed and Celeste and I decided to get involved as much as we could and on the recommendation of the concierge we made our way to a local restaurant. None of the waiters spoke English and after five minutes we are joined at our table by the restaurant owners sister, Elizabeth, who spoke very good English and recommends a local dish. Moqueca. A Brazilian seafood stew based on fish, onions, garlic, tomatoes and cilantro, slowly cooked with no water added and served in a huge clay pot. My first Brazilian dish was nothing less than delicious. All washed down of course with a traditional cachaca Caipirinha! 

A day to kill before works starts, and thanks to our client Kim who is a fantastic organizer we take a tour to Embu das Artes, a city within Sao Paulo, but a 30 minute drive away from where we are staying. An interesting place full of local arts. Paintings, wood carving, jewelry, and food. All very colorful with lots of food to taste, drinks to sample and incredible people to watch! 

Another traditional Brazilian lunch at Restaurant O Garimpo, suckling pig...again, absolutely delicious!

Having private drivers to drive us around the city was incredible. Supplied by our client they would drive us to wherever we wanted to go and wait for us until we were ready to move on. Our first stop...Shopping Vila Olimpia to see why Brazilian's love to shop so much! A very premium shopping mall with not many recognisable brands just lots of very unique boutique shops and lots of glamorous locals to go with them! Our second stop and time for dinner. Fogo de Chao. If any of you get the chance to visit dinner here is a  MUST...

"Welcome to Fogo de Chão^® (fo-go dèe shoun), an authentic Brazilian steakhouse. In 1979, Fogo^® began sharing the gaucho way of preparing meat in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Today, our gaucho chefs still expertly grill each of our 15 cuts of meat and offer you continuous tableside service. We invite you to enjoy the delicious preparations of our gaucho chefs along with our gourmet salad bar, authentic Brazilian side dishes, and award-winning wine list. Welcome to Fogo de Chão." 

It is a meat-lover's heaven! Gaucho chefs grilling all sorts of different meat. Amazing food and unique service. The whole experience was incredible. Once you are seated we were explained to the basics of how the service works and each given a round disc, green on one side, red on the other. Similarly to traffic lights, if you flip your card to green the signal is sent to the servers that you are ready to eat! Within seconds of turning the card to green I was surrounded by servers hovering over me with over sized skewers of meat. Beef. Lamb. Chicken. Pork. You name it, they had it! They carve and you collect with miniature tongs. The tastiest meat I have ever tasted. Even the lamp chops were divine! All topped off with a salad cart that puts the Harvester to shame that's for sure. 

I often have moments in my life when I want to physically reach all the way around the world and pick people up to drop them into whatever scene it is I'm currently in. In this instance I know that my dad would have loved this experience! The only disappointing thing for me...the fact that we had had such a big lunch not that long before. This is definitely one of those places where you have to have a small amount of food during the day to well and truly take advantage of what this restaurant has to offer. 

The first part of the week was spent in consumer research. Long days and attention demanding. From Wednesday onwards I spent the majority of my time in the office and in my hotel room making design refinements to the winning routes from research.  But, again, thanks to Kim we managed to get out for the day on Friday to see some of the wonderful city. Highlights including, Parque Ibirapuera (Ibirapuera Park). Here is the Obelisk of Sao Paulo, the planetarium, Auditorio Ibirapuera created by Osacr Niemeyer, an architect specializing in international modern architecture who at 104 is still designing! What are the chances of me still designing packaging when I'm 104?!

From here we visited the Jardins district where the uber rich live! A short walk through Parque Trianon/Parque Tenente Siquira Campos (Trianon Park). Located along Paulista Avenue the park dates back to 1892, when it was inaugurated in that year with the opening of Avenida Paulista. This 45,000-square-meter park is full of mature trees and vegetation that features native Brazilian trees and plants. Some say there are 300-year old trees in the park, which reminds you of the Atlantic tropical forest that once spread across much of the Brazilian coast. Our day-trip continues to Julio Prestes Train Station which housed the Sala Sao Paulo and Estacao da Luz, which reminded me a lot of London Waterloo! We were now "downtown" and spend a few hours in Municipal Mercado, the central market which is housed in a stunning example of eclectic industrial architecture. Here there are thousands of food items on offer, literally from soup, to nuts, tropical fruits, meat, fish as well as meals upstairs. Here we sample mortadella (bologna)...enormous sandwiches! I am literally snap happy with my camera and can not get enough of the visual symphony that this city has to offer. Below two of my favorite shots from the trip. These buildings are super high and super cool, vivd and beautiful.

Edificio Italia is a 168 metre tall 46 story skyscraper, the 2nd tallest building in Sao Paulo. We were lucky enough to get taken up to the top where we had 360 panoramic views of the city. And what views they were.

No trip to Brazil would be complete without a trip to the Havaianas concept store at Rua Oscar Freire Street. According to Excellence Mystery Shopping International the Rua Oscar Freire is the 8th most luxurious street in the world and second in the America's behind 5th Avenue in New York. I was in flip-flop heaven! 

So, our last night in the city. And what better way to spend it. On top of Hotel Unique celebrating my birthday at Skye Bar. On the rooftop of the hotel it has a crimson red pool and an underwater sound system! Stunning views over Ibirapuera Park and the entire Sao Paulo skyline. The food...innovative and delicious! A great end to the trip! Well, not quite, one more day left of work before the trek home! Not all bad I suppose. There could be worse things then spending your birthday in the air whilst travelling on a business class flight being served "poached" eggs and champagne for breakfast! So, Mount Everest last year, Sao Paulo this year...next years 30th has a lot to live up to and needs to be epic! 

To finish ... a picture taken on my last day in Brazil. The colors I think most certainly sum up Sao Paulo as a city. Vibrant. I am so chuffed that I was given this incredible opportunity to spend as long as I did in Brazil. From my taster of South America I am sure that I will be back! Very soon! 

FUN FAIR FUN TIMES...

I want to share with you all my wonderful friends Lauren and Ken's engagement shoot photographs by Anneli Marinovich prior to talking about their amazing wedding last weekend. Check out the full shoot at: http://www.annelimarinovich.com/2012/05/lauren-kens-colourful-funfair-engagement-shoot-in-london/

For Anneli's full website go to http://www.annelimarinovich.com/ or visit her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AnneliMarinovichPhotography

FAMILY TIME...

I was so chuffed to have mum and dad visit for a second time. Although sad that its seemed time went by so fast whilst they were here. As they had seen a lot of the "tourist sights" last time round, this time they spent a lot of time relaxing and enjoying lovely dinners and drinks in the evenings with Joe and I. Below a couple of highlights from their trip. I really hope to see them here again soon (well maybe not too soon...2013 with a bit of luck!)

To welcome Mum and Dad back and to wish them (a late) Happy Mothers Day and (an early) Happy Fathers Day I treated them to Afternoon Tea at the Ritz Carlton. Delicious food and a fab catch up followed by sundowner cocktails at New Asia Bar. A great start to their trip!

The last time around we didn't manage to get around to tasting the famous Singaporean Chilli Crab. We enjoyed a fabulous meal at Red House on Robertson Quay. Our feast also included Black Bean Beef, vegetable rice, Cereal Prawns, Honey Roast Chicken and lots of squid! 

It's been over a year since I first visited the Arts Science Museum so we went along to visit the latest exhibitions. 

Titanic : We were able to step on board RMS Titanic for the first time in Asia and experience what it would have been like on the maiden voyage almost 100 years after it set sail in 1912. It was fantastic to see the ship's conception, construction, sailing day, life on board, the famous iceberg, the sinking, the discovery of the wreck, as well as the incredible stories of the crew and passengers. On entering you are given a replica boarding pass as towards the end of the exhibition you discover whether or not you were lucky enough to survive or not. Mum and I were both 1st Class passengers who made it off the ship in one of the lifeboats. (I was actually the wife of the richest man on board!) Dad on the other hand was not so lucky. Travelling 3rd class, he unfortunately did not survive. Oops! With authentic artifacts throughout and re-creations of the First and Third Class Cabins, the Grand Staircase, Boiler Room and other locations on the ship this exhibition was so much more engaging compared to the last time I visited the museum. I am really pleased I got to share the experience with my parents.

Andy Warhol : On the opposite end of the scale, the Warhol exhibition is an intense collection of the legendary artists artworks covering all of his artistic phases. With over 260 paintings, drawings, sculptures, film and video it was really interesting to see where he found his inspiration and how these lead to masterpieces like the iconic Campell's Soup Can (1961) and numerous iconic Self Portraits. I would highly recommend.  

Despite already seeing Wicked The Musical whilst Amanda was in town I knew that mum really wanted to see it. We spent the afternoon at Marina Bay Sands, cupcakes and tea at High Society followed by the show was a great way to spend part of the Easter Weekend. I absolutely love the show! And this time round there was a different actor playing the Wizard which gave the show another dynamic.

What better way to finish off the day, but with an all you can eat BBQ Buffet at the Hyatt with free flow alcohol! Another thing I would highly recommend to do in Singapore. The food is delicious and the setting (tables spread out next to one of the pools) is fabulous.

Easter Sunday was spent at Mum and Dad's hotel, the Grand Copthorne enjoying a free flow Brunch with plenty of Easter themed food. 

I'm always so sad to say goodbye to Mum and Dad when they leave me. There are so many times that I wish we were all closer together, but actually, when we're so far apart for the majority of time it just means that when we do see each other the time we spend together really feels like special quality time. I know have many more memories to add the amazing ones we created when they visited in 2011! I very much look forward to seeing them when I head home in May.

CREATING YOUR OWN CREATIVE LIFE...

This morning I attended my first "Creative Mornings" session. CreativeMornings is a monthly breakfast lecture series for all sorts of creative types. Each event is free of charge and includes breakfast (tea/coffee and pastries) as well as a short 20-30 minute lecture. I only recently heard about CreativeMornings so was intrigued...but I was extremely impressed this morning and came away feeling very inspired. Today's speaker, Fredrick Haren, author of Ideas Book, gave a humorous, engaging talk which was extremely insightful. He has become one of the most talked-about names in our industry and lucky for us he is based in Singapore! His talks focus on creativity, idea generation and entrepreneurship and today's "Creating Your Own Creative Life" was an insight into Haren's life and how he approaches "new ideas".

Image courtesy of www.speakermix.com

Haren began be introducing us to "four things he loves and combines":
- CREATIVITY
- THE WORLD
- IMPULSES
- SITTING AND THINKING
So how does he combine these to generate new ideas. Well, he spends two months of every year, sat on his own island (bought on impulse) in Sweden (his home country) simply "sitting and thinking" to generate new ideas and write his creative books. He then spends another two months of the year on another island he owns just off the coast of the Philippines. When he's not there, he lets other people live on the island in order to help themselves be more creative...what an amazing idea! 


"Ideas Island was created as a safe haven for creatives. A place made to inspire and motivate people with great ideas to make those ideas happen. Created to give people the time and space needed to sit down and focus on their ideas - while at the same time feeling great. Ideas Island is a 30,000 sq/m big, private island in Palawan, Philippines that you get exclusive access to. Yes, you get the whole island to yourself so that you can focus on finalising whatever idea you want to make happen. It has been created to make it as inspiring, relaxing and enjoying as possible to sit and work on ideas." Check out the website here : http://www.ideasisland.com/

I left the session completely inspired. Within such a short space of time Fredrik really got me thinking. A) about how I can look at my life differently ad B) how I can help to inspire the other designers within my studio in the same way that Haren inspired me. I look forward to the next CreativeMornings session. If anyone is interested in learning more about CreativeMornings you can check out the website here : http://www.creativemornings.com/

THAI TIME...

Joe and I have just returned from a really relaxing trip to Krabi, Thailand. Gorgeous weather, fabulous food and a resort set in the jungle. Bliss. Ao Nang (previously known Ao Phra Nang - Princess Bay) is probably the most westernised beach in Krabi, but it provided us with a spot to stay at whilst we explored. We took a day out on a boat and visited five islands. After my experience of Phuket and Phi Phi in 2010 I knew that we would have a fantastic trip.

Starting with Daeng Island, a huge rock coming out of the sea, we were able to snorkel. Well, when I see "we"...Joe snorkeled and I just stayed with my head above the water! The sea here is gorgeous. So warm and full of wonderful fish. On from here to Rai Island, with is fine sand and turquoise waters this place is extremely peaceful and when the tide is low you can actually walk from one island to the other as the beach appears and disappears at high tide. The long boats all sat bobbing up and down in the water make wonderful pictures and a wooden swing hanging from the tree made me feel like I was in paradise on my own little island.  

Lading Island up until a few years ago was free from tourists as they were not allowed to stop here. Instead it was left for the people who collected swallow nests an lived there. Today it is sometimes called "Paradise Island and a trip here is like stepping back in time.    We stopped here at the beach for lunch and met a few American school teachers who were working in Korea. The beauty of travelling. Getting to meet individuals who are all on different journeys and getting to know their stories. 

Hong Island is beautiful. We entered the unique narrow passageway into the green and blue watered lagoon. Completely surrounded by limestone mountains and mangrove forests. We spend a few hours here swimming and sun bathing on the beach. I could stay here all day! Its so blissful.

I really do love Thailand. The pace of life is slower and we joke that everything runs on "Thai Time" and although it frustrates me to start with actually when you are on holiday that is exactly what you need. To chill out and take things easy. I came back feeling refreshed and relaxed. But was super jealous of Joe getting to stay on for an extra three days! At this point I would normally have another sunshine trip planned...but my main focus now is my trip back home to the UK for Lauren and Ken's wedding. After that...who knows where Asia will take me!