Happy New Year!!!

I can't believe it's 2009 already and that we only have 10 days left in the land of smiles!! (where does the time go??). It's been a slightly strange festive season for us to be honest.......highs and lows.....

We had a lovely time on Christmas Eve....met up with friends at our local pub on Soi 8. It was supposed to be for just a couple of drinks but erm 7 hours later we finally emerged slightly inebriated but in fine festive spirit (we spent the entire evening laughing....don't know what the hell we were laughing at but we laughed a lot!!). Then on Christmas morning Moon arrived and we all sat down to open our pressies.....awww, she is sooo sweet.....she bought us both Chinese ornaments - one which brings luck and weath for Chris and one that brings health and happiness for me (Oh dear lord they are hideous but the sentiment behind them is really sweet so they will be displayed somewhere in the new pad...although perhaps not pride of place!!). She was absolutely delighted with the hand embroidered pashmena and the silver bracelet we bought her - she put the bracelet on immediately and beamed from ear to ear!! Chris got me a couple of pashmena's (I think he's hoping they will stop me moaning about being cold once we get back....ha, no chance!!) and an absolutely stunning handmade metal tree (I've been lusting after them for a couple of years now but had no idea he had bought me one....I did a happy dance!!) and I bought him a film camera with a fish eye lens which he's had great fun with!! We went downstairs to Marisa's to meet her family and watch her two nieces open their Christmas presents then jumped in a taxi and headed over to Claire and Rodger's for Christmas dinner. (We had Christmas with them last year too....you can read about it here). There were eight of us in total and we had the full works....it was fab!! (Although I am happy to say that I didn't end up fully dressed in the pool again this year!!).









On Boxing Day the cats had to go to the airport to be checked over by the airline's vet (they had a health certificate from our vet but needed to be checked again by the airlines vet before being given the all clear to fly) so we had an anxious few hours waiting to find out whether they would be able to fly or not. Thankfully everything was fine and they were delivered back to us slightly grumpy but with a clean bill of health. Later that evening we headed over to another friends house for her 'Pot Luck' evening.....basically, everyone brings whatever wasn't eaten on Christmas Day and you all dig in. It was a great night!!

The following few days were tough (much crying was done on my part....actually I'm getting a bit teary as I'm writing this...) as the cats left and the last of our things were packed up into two suitcases. On Tuesday we had a last look round our apartment and handed back the keys *sigh*
But.....onwards and upwards....new adventures and all that!!! The cats arrived safe and sound and are settling nicely into their new temporary accommodation and we are currently having a lovely time over at our friend Caroline's Apartment (They are away on holiday at the moment so we have the place to ourselves).

We had a wonderful New Year's Eve...just what the Doctor ordered!!! We went over to Claire and Rodgers (It was just the four of us and it was just perfect!!) and had champagne and salmon at their house before going to a fabulous restaurant called 'To Die For'. It was hilarious....I think the entire gay population of Bangkok either works there or dines there!!
The restaurant is built in a rectangular shape and has large floor to ceiling windows which look onto an open air courtyard which is full of double beds that you can recline on once you've eaten. When we arrived they had classical musicians playing outside, the restaurant was heaving and the atmosphere was just wonderful. We had cocktails to start (I had something called a Bling Bling which comprised of champagne, raspberry, vodka and lime....it was sublime) followed by aromatic crispy giant prawns, roast turkey dinner and a small chocolate cake which was crispy on the outside but gooey in the middle......Ooooh, my mouth is watering at the thought of it!! The meal was lovely and relaxed and then just before the bells we were all ushered out the restaurant into the courtyard, given free champagne and sparklers and then we counted down to the New Year. There was an amazing firework display and we spent the next couple of hours celebrating the start of a new year whilst listening to every gay anthem you could possibly imagine!! It was a good, if slightly surreal, way to start the New Year.

Happy New Year to you and yours Mmmwwwaaa :-)