The Winter Blues

We have decided to go to England for Christmas. Grooving Fungus is homesick for rain, grey skies and cold mornings.......and that's an English summer.

No, seriously, we do have to divide our Christmas time between NZ and England and we haven't been back to ole' Blighty for about four years. It can be exciting to spend Christmas in your winter woolies as Kiwi Christmas recollections all revolve around summer sun, BBQ's and playing cricket after lunch.

In preparation for our Anglo-experience, I decided to tackle our motley collection of winter clothes because even though we have lived in South East Asia for nine years, we still hold onto winter clothes 'just in case'. Yeah, just in case it gets cold JUST ABOVE THE EQUATOR!!!

I'm not going to elaborate on just how bad it was. Let's just say that if the fashion police were called in, we would get life imprisonment. So what does one do? Go shopping of course.




But it gets worse. Somehow, these also ended up in my shopping cart!! How did that happen??




At first, I had a little trouble adjusting to the whole platform revival thing but I'm actually coping surprisingly well now.

Major recon still needed on the winter clothing but here's some good news that brightened my day - Kate Moss has just been signed to design a fashion line for TopShop!

Kate Moss fashion line, Madonna tracksuits at H & M, a chance to wear my new boots - those dreary English skies suddenly look fabulous!

Coveted Boots

How many of you have seen the new Gucci Fall ad campaign? I want to buy EVERYTHING they make. Number #1 on my "I WANT, I NEED BUT I CAN'T AFFORD" list are the following Gucci boots:



I am in love with these boots. My husband is already hiding his wallet.

Elite Marriages?

If you were a millionaire, slim, well educated, connected and gorgeous, would you advertise for a partner in the weekend edition of the International Herald Tribune?

This from "Gabriele Thiers-Bense", some Swiss international match-maker (and all the punctuation/grammar errors are for real):

A SUPREME CLASS DEMANDS RELIABLE PROTECTION OF PRIVACY IT IS MUCH MORE THAN JUST DISCRETION...!

FRANCE - MULTIMILLIONAIRE - OXFORD GRADUATE
48, 182 - Men like him are never public.....instead always there where men like to play big boys and love to join the happy laughter of their children-!!
He was blessed with one long and wonderful marriage, he adores his children, seeks to have more in his second marriage, inherited or own - The life philosophy and style of this endearing and truly fabulous client are entirely according to the traditional values of a thoroughly family oriented Elite and Leader Society.
World citizens of this category are genuine treasures & your future happiness!

Huh!!????

It gets better:

A PRIVATE ISLE - A HIDE-AWAY & an ALPHA LADY
THE CHAIRWOMAN & CEO -- She has just become available again.....has international prominence, various academic titles, is of provoking beauty, young 48, slender 168, disposing of self-made wealth, resident of Western Europe and on her hide-away...
The lady is absolutely amazing & precisely right for a Supreme Leader-!
This female category convinces my most demanding clients.

And last but definitely not least:

A BILLIONAIRES WIDOW in SWITZERLAND
...very dynamic, young 60, slim 175 and entirely ready for a wonderful new relationship in view of marriage-! She leads a realistic, down to earth life, loves to care for her family members, to travel & knows global business inside-out -
If you seek substance on all levels, great initiative & joy for life, then it is her.

I kid you not.

Disco Fever

I just remembered that I hadn't posted a shoe this week - for that one person who reads my blog, my apologies.



I fell in love with these shoes as soon as I saw them. Again, bought in TopShop (shame on me) in Singapore.

I love the brown suede with the gold twist - my best memory in these shoes was wearing them with a gold leather belted outfit and being called "Wonder Woman".

In reality, these shoes are not at all comfortable especially in hot humid weather. However, being the true shoe diva I am, who cares - as long as they look fabulous, wear'em!

Instant social life - just add water!

The coolest thing about the Philippines is how easy it is to have a social life here. As a teacher on the international network, it has always been easy to find a few good mates within the school community. However, even that gets more than a little incestuous and can be like living in a goldfish bowl.

I didn't know how I was going to cope being a fish out of water, taking the plunge and (gasp) not working! I was going to have to really put myself out there and find friends, try new things and be sociable without that safety net of 'work friends'. I constantly reassured my husband I would be OK and promised him I would not be a recluse, with only Gucci as my muse.

Suddenly I could go out late every night of the week and not have to worry about being a zombie in front of my class. When someone calls at 8:30 pm and suggests going out for drinks at 10 pm on a Tuesday night, I can go! Not to say I couldn't go when I was teaching but YOU try teaching twenty 14 years old with less than five hours sleep.

You get the point - our social life has exploded here in the Philippines and we are having an absolute ball. We even had our first party on Saturday night, inviting all the nicest people we had met so far while being here. No, not a dinner party like you are supposed to have when you are mature-in-your-30's but a proper party - people leaving at 3 am, pissed, singing Duran Duran, the Exponents and Prince Tui Teka, proper party mess to clean up when you are hung over on a Sunday morning.




I am full into playing touch rugby for a women's team here which has opened up a whole other social network - last night, a couple of my team mates and I went to watch four British comedians performing here in Manila. Most of my team mates are Filipinas so I really love that and the new experiences I will have joining a local sports team. Today I had lunch with a friend in a new area of the city - just to try it out. Tomorrow I am going for a manicure with another new friend and then we have been invited to an Aussie-Kiwi progressive dinner..........via jeepneys! Saturday we are going to a Mongolian BBQ with a couple of Dave's mates and then onto a huge farewell/40th birthday for a Kiwi friend here who works most of his year in Afghanistan.

The best part is, come Monday, it all starts again. There is always someone to see, something to do, somebody who invites you to something. The expat world of Manila is large but always welcoming and definitely friendly. Even though we live in one of the most polluted cities in the world, it is like a breathe of fresh air to be back.

P.S. For those of you wondering what people sat on outside at the party, here's pics of our new lanai set. I would tell you how cheap they were but I don't want those at home to get depressed. Made of woven abaca, common to the Philippines. Funky and an absolute bargain!

Shoe of the Week - September 4

OK, today I need help. The pair of shoes here are on their way out.........they are defunct, or so I think.



The round toe is still in - evident in the fab flats and ballet pumps out there. However, these have a little heel - does it work or doesn't it? The shoes are comfy, they are leather, groovy colours...... Are they still cool? Or are they on the wrong side of the fashion neighbourhood tracks?

I bought them from 'Joy and Peace' in Hong Kong about four years ago. They were a little expensive but not excessive in any way. I haven't worn them in over a year and that comes from a teacher who never wears the same pair in a row when working!

Should they stay or should they go? Pass on your opinion and help me make the heart wrenching decision.