Long time, no see

and so much seems to have changed. The biggest news in my life... well that's still a secret for now. but watch this space...


Spring has arrived, the house is finished - I have a job! oh yes - real money to call my own... no more asking for money for shoes and blow-outs... these babies are mine, on my terms. The scary part is the futile resistance at assimilation... some of these jubilant and energetic americans just seem to genuinely spend all day smiling and pretending they love their lives and their jobs and the world could not be rosier ! Do we think it's true? 


Take the other night, no-one could have missed the news the Mr Bin hiding out Laden took a final fall - well you would have thought it was Christmas come early - the streets were filled with revelers and I'm sure I could hear the whoops and swooshes of flags from the White house, only blocks away. Don't get me wrong - it was a good thing, but all the partying and shouting, so unlike what we're used to back home. Also something in my gut tells me we may be celebrating prematurely? What if it gets worse before it gets better? 


On the plus side - the energy levels in America are definitely contagious, hence I have found myself bounding up the stairs to work with a grin on my face, only to remember in horror that I am English - and we simply don't do upbeat, have you not watched Eastenders or Shameless??? 


On the contrary in true British style, tomorrow I will be donning a large hat and going to the races... now that's more like it... Kate, Pippa, you can both eat your fascinators, as we'll be having all the fun of last Friday, just without the lengthy ceremony and dire hymns to boot!


Ta ta


BNB x

Toto, I don't think we're in Rockville anymore...

We made it... we now officially no longer live in Maryland and I am actually within walking distance of civilisation and luckily - a Starbucks!

The new house is coming along, sloooowly. Cupboard doors come off in  my hand when I open them, there are wires coming out of the sockets (note the startling similarities with our India experience!), my washer/dryer are down some cold back steps... but this all adds to the charm apparently. B is ecstatic," the most wonderful house he has ever lived in"! I'd like to live in it a little less at the moment - due to the number of workmen traipsing in and out all day, I've been more or less housebound since we moved. Anyway, it'll be nice when it's finished I'm sure, and then it will be time to move again...

Time for a cocktail.

Lovely.

BNB x

Once upon a time in Asia...

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Funny how time flies... it's only been  2 months since we left India, but the reality of it is already starting to fade.  I knew it would all start to feel like a dream, but maybe not so quickly...  when freezing my way in and out of the Metro here, my favourite place to recall is Sri Lanka. Maybe because it was the last place we managed to squeeze in before giving up the sun for snow, or maybe because it was simply magical.

Either way, if you've not been - GO. Now the troubles in the north have settled down, they need the tourists to come and I highly recommend you go before the country changes, it still feels very unspoilt... but once the droves arrive I imagine it will go the way of all many Asian holiday resorts and become a bit tacky round the edges...

The biggest surprise to me was quite how much jungle there is, from the moment we stepped off the plane and headed for Kandy in the car with our hilarious driver for the week, we were overwhelmed by mists and tropical greenery. The further inland to the ancient cities you go - the more dense it becomes. Indiana Jones eat your heart out.

But let's not forget the idyllic south either. If you can close your eyes to the obvious tom foolery of rebuilding whole villages on the precariously exposed sands of tsunami battered beaches, you will be blown away by the beauty of it all. I feel I also need to mention Colombo, as it often gets a bad rep - but having lived in Mumbai, I can honestly say it compares favourably. Pavements, shops, galleries, cosmopolitan bars & restaurants, the barefoot cafe alone had me wishing I'd booked a trip in my first year in Asia! Drinks at the verandah bar at the Galleface. Yes please.

Having said all this, it is still in many ways - as my good friend Helen described it - India Light: Terrible driving, general disorganisation, some questionable food items...  all are very much the order of the day. And their treatment of the poor stray dogs made India look like one giant RSPCA shelter - even B took to carrying his leftovers around with him to feed to the poor mites we encountered everywhere. Seriously, there needs to be something done about it...

Highlights of the trip:

• Helga's folly in Kandy - an unforgettable and somewhat spooky hotel run by Lady Helga - will say no more, just visit.
• Kandalama in Dambula. Geoffery Bawa architecture in lush jungle. 
• Climbing Sigirya rock to see the storm approaching...
• Sleeping to the sounds of the waves in Unawatuna.
• B almost turning veggie because of the turtle hatchery...

I've added some photos to make you jealous... hope you like,

More soon. Sleep time now.

BNBx

Slumcat Millionaire...

A small tribute to my incredible travelling feline companion, who has literally come from a dustbin outside Subway in Mumbai, to DC - with a short stint in Manhattan no less - where to be fair she seemed happier than Rockville!

Thank you Izzy for taking the hectic moves in such good feline grace and not yet soiling the foreign office sofas, we promise to leave Rockville soon and take you to a more civilised environment... the landlord said there might even be mice!

The only cat I know who will fetch a ball, open doors and answer when spoken to, she keeps me company day in, day out, my feet warm at night...  she is worth every penny of the money we spent shipping her here and is by far our favourite Indian takeaway.

BNBx

From Bollywood to Hollywood, well not quite...

but my travels across the big pond have led me to a now very cold Washington DC.

It's nice. Very nice. But to date, I'll be honest, I've not seen so much of it... as I'm stuck in a little known place called Rockville. Actually not that little known... REM wrote a song called "Don't go back to Rockville" Jeeez, need I say more?

Imagine a cross between Twin Peaks, the M25 and Aggrestic from Weeds, that's Rockville..

It's not for forever though, so I must not gripe too much. We will eventually be moving to a tiny flat surrounded by huge Embassies in central DC, everyone will mistakenly think we're rather well off - I will be able to walk to Dunkin Donuts (the coffee is cheaper and way better than Starbys) a discovery led by Lady Adventure Williams, thank you very much! and B will be able to hoof it to work rather than having to cross a 6 lane freeway and then catching a 40 min red line train into the centre...

India feels like a long way away. It's not just the ridiculous drop in temperature... it's the colours too. Everything here is just a bit beige and drab. I miss the pinks and reds and general flamboyancy of Bombay, dare I say it... I even miss the noise. It's so damn quiet here, I can here myself think!

But then there's always REM to fill the void... Enjoy :)

BNB x

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fXCjSgItgw

The Peter Pan Syndrome...

The truth is, most men suffer from this - given the choice they'd probably opt to never grow up and spend a life in glorious limbo, somewhere between puberty and serious responsibility. As for Wendy, don't kid yourself, the minute she turned her back, even the green spandex Panman was off flying around with Sue, Sarah (and maybe Bob) too.

Many things have got me thinking about this, a couple of incidents very close to home which i wont mention on here and a very interesting article of the same name in the Times today.

Sometimes, i see so much deceit and heartache around me, I wonder why we bother at all, but then I'll go a nice wedding and see a couple so very in love, I'll remember why. Still, it seems even marriage is not enough to stop tragedy these days (whilst i loathe mentioning it on here but Rooney, Pitt, Woods) ... which again begs the question - if that's your game - why bother in the first place?

 Oh i remember, i mean surely we've all learnt something from Patsy Kensit... a super profitable divorce!

Sigh...

BNB x

No more madame...

Our final day in Bombay and the reality is finally sinking in. One of the most shocking realisations i had whilst powdering my nose in a now depressingly empty bathroom, was how accustomed I have become to answering to the call of .."madame" or "maam" Imagine??? If someone had told me 3 years ago that was the case i would have laughed it off, now i am horrified to say that I'll miss being addressed in such a manner and 'oy you' 'lady' 'etc just wont have the same ring to it... sigh

As long as B does not expect me to call him Sir from now on...

BNB x