Christmas back home

Well, from shorts, flip flops and vest tops to...jumpers, scarves, hats, tights, gloves, boots and coats! Oh and hot water bottles in bed! Love it! Hello UK!

Cold and it's great!

I had a wonderful break back home. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. It only feels like a week since the B+G wedding and then landing in BKK. Doesn't time fly. Mum and Dad picked me up from Heathrow armed with a blanket, extra socks and gloves so I could snuggle in the back seat on the way home. It was lovely to see them, and Gary, Beck and Nanna. And Bea of course. As soon as I was back it felt like I hadn't been away.

I had some lovely birthday presents...food magazines (YUM), cheese, wine, (theme here?!), gorgeously pretty tights (didn't take them off all holiday) and a fab top as well as lots of other lovely things. Thank you! Gary and Beckie also took me to Stratford for dinner and to the RSC to see Measure for Measure which was fantastic. Thank you!

The Harwoods - still honeymooning!

I also saw lots of lovely friends. Hel and Rob in their wonderful new home and Howard. Had a delicious Christmas dinner. Also saw work friends, babies, old friends, uni friends, school friends, neighbours but wasn't able to see everyone - sorry. I was nice to catch up and get all the gossip. The most rubbish thing about being abroad (there aren't many, I'm not moaning) is missing family and friends, so thank you for making the time to see me. 

Starter @ Ivy Gate

Main @ Ivy Gate with homemade quince jelly

Christmas Day was perfect. PJs, presents, the rabbit being naughty, delicious Christmas dinner a la Mummy Harwood, Downton, Scattergories and family. Had some awesome presents!

Bea helping me unwrap my presents

Homemade goodies from Ben Kell

Christmas dinner on the go - swede!

Yum! 

In between Christmas and New Year Miss Caulfield came to stay for some wine, over eating, Mills and Boon watching, sales shopping fun. Then as Kate left, Nannie Bun arrived. In time for New Year and her birthday.

New Year was the usual fun and games. The Kells came down, the jigsaw was out, chilli and curry were eaten and Nan and Rose were rubbish at charades. Ben started a new tradition of bringing an awesome lemon tart for dessert - keep that up!

You can't trust them!

Jigsaw finally completed on January 1st

On 2nd we went for a huuuuuge meal at Gary and Beckie's for Nannie Bun's birthday. Ordered far too much food from the chinese but we managed most of it...! It was gorgeous and lovely to visit Gary and Beck before I went back. Beckie made a killer cake for Nan's birthday which was demolished by the next day. 

What haven't I mentioned? The new Mrs Harwood helping me spend too much and saying I had a long face, Nanna Flo telling us all about the bisexual man, carol service with Mum, Hollywood Dominoes, Dad saying my chilli was at least a 6 (can't take it back now Dad, it's published!), sitting on the sofa with bruv waiting for Mrs Harwood to collect him after her night out gallivanting with stew, feeling baby kick (not mine!), having snuggles with Benja, Ethan and Isobel, cups of tea with Maltby and the Whiteheads, walking over the golf course with Mum and Dad, Nanna Flo calling Kate's gilet a gimlet and mum thinking she mean gimp mask, Nannie Bun's amazing pate and pressed chicken, stealing mum's clothes, taking 50 photos of Gary in the hope one will have his eyes open, cups of tea in bed, beating Dad at Scattergories, even though he cheated with Assegoni's mini and other such rubbish, hot water bottles waiting for me in bed, crazy doll (noticed you didn't take her back to Leamington Harwoods...she'll follow you!), watching Keira sing 'Got the Moves Like Jagger', all the lovely meals, waiting to say 'YOU DIDN'T KNOCK!' when playing Hollywood Dominoes with Gaz, looking at the wedding albums, fashion shows, the santa outfit. Loads! :D

Had a lovely break back home - now back to the sunshine and work. Miss you all lots...see you in July/August...or alternatively on skype 12 hours after I leave :P

Christmas in Thailand

I've been away from the blog for a while so I'll have to do a couple of posts to catch up! After the last post there was only a few weeks left of work before my flight home to the UK. School was busy and I think everyone was getting very tired. However, I still managed to fit in some Christmas shopping, some bag packing for the flood relief, a Thai Christmas day and our Christmas party. Not bad! Here are some photos to show you.

The weather while I was going Christmas shopping!

The 'Take U Home' project my very clever
cousin Kate was involved with at Unilever.

Me and some other volunteers packing bags with cleaning
products and toiletries in.

 Then on Sunday 11th December, we had our Thai Christmas day. I was in charge of the menu (sausages and onion gravy), Rach was in charge of the crackers, Gillian had to write and present the Queen's speech and Pippa and Paul were in charge of music and carol singing (however, they tried to steal a keyboard from work but the security guard stopped them so they brought wine instead!).

We each bought presents for all of the other guests and had a lovely day eating, drinking, playing games, going for an afternoon walk, watching Love Actually, watching the Queen's speech and generally having a fantastic day. I'm so glad I've got such fab friends here - very lucky!

An authentic log fire.

Our presents under my awesome tree!

Beautifully laid table!

Me, Pippa, Gillian, Paul and Rachel

A poor man's Christmas dinner - wasn't too bad though. 

The Queen - live from my lounge!

And so the last week of term began. By Thursday we were shattered but we had the staff Christmas party to go to and we couldn't miss that! Rachel and I were out school by 2.45pm and in the salon by 3pm having our manicure, pedicure and hair done. Very pampered! It was a fab evening, with another Christmas dinner, great live music and champagne.

Rach, me and Pip dressed in our glad rags!

Friday was my BIRTHDAY! And I had lovely cards and cakes and surprises from my friends (thanks for the Love Cupcakes Steve, Rach and Rachael - eating 6 was always going to be a challenge!). In the evening we went up to Bar 36 for a drink (virgin pinacolada...) before an earlyish night ready for the flight home the next day.

View of the sunset and river from Bar 36 on my birthday.

So...first term in Thailand done and what a term it's been. Leaving home, missing family and friends, starting a new job, seeing Thailand family and making new friends, exploring Bangkok, eating a raaaaaaaange of fantastic food, finding out my favourite cocktail is a long island iced tea, taking photos, visiting Singapore, experiencing Bangkok in flood mode, learning Thai, being understood (sometimes) in Thai, having massages, visiting rainy and sunny islands, sending and receiving post, spending a fortune on root vegetables and settling in. Phew. It's been great. Looking forward to some cold weather, swede and family time back home now...