Hot and steamy Singapore

Sorry for the radio silence over the past few days - we have been otherwise occupied tearing through the most fabulous itinerary ever (here's looking at you, Singapore Tourism Board).

There has been heat - including 30 degrees at 10pm - food, shopping and the crazy town spectacle that is the Formula 1 night race. My ears are still ringing and I seriously doubt I would be able to identify a crankshaft or a transmission in a lineup - but my god, it has been fun.

Some pics of the last few days. The second is the view from the pool of our very nice hotel; unfortunately these snaps, taken as always by the Animator, do not portray just how meltingly hot it is. Apologies too for the random selection of visuals but I'm travelling with a small and very unreliable laptop that seems determined to do the exact opposite of what I ask. Very much like my husband. But fear not, normal service shall resume when we get back to NZ.  

     

Time suckage

Okay Time, you and me need to sit down and discuss what is going wrong. Why am I trying to wedge three different jobs into one day? Why am I taking on too much - yet again - but this time hoping for a different outcome?

A frantic day spent dragging myself to the finish line; one one deadline remains outstanding and I plan to deal to that during tomorrow's 12 hour flight. But I promise you, Mr Time, me and you are going to have words when I get back.

Today's visual of this furry chap who I will miss with an intensity that catches in my chest. A first world problem, but no less painful to me because the Hound is truly the still point in my turning world.

Bon voyage and see you in the tropics...

       

Melbourne piece

Today's NZ Herald runs my piece on Melbourne (click here to read).

(Pic Credit: Google Images)

Family Time series

For the past couple of months, I've been beavering away on a project for the Stuff website, interviewing a number of notable Kiwis about how they manage the eternal work/family/life merry-go-round.

The first of these pieces, on the hugely talented fashion designer Ingrid Starnes, was published today. Click here to read and watch the video.  

(Pic credit: Stuff)

Sunday

Not much to report today except for more sunshine, oodles of ticks on the work to-do list and the Animator trying, and failing miserably, to interest me in some yacht race being played out in San Francisco by rich, white males (do I have to hand back my NZ passport?)

Today's visuals are from the ever glorious Brown Dress with White Dots site; don't these colours make you swoon?

Up and Down

I started this yesterday but ran out of puff. So let's make it a Friday/Sat collaborative kind of thing:

UP

• Sunshine, glorious sunshine. You have been gone far too long. I truly heart you.

• Getting stuff done. There's nothing like a deadline to light the fire under one's arse, and knowing that I'm getting on a big silver bird on Thursday has made my fingers race over the keyboard. Result: two interviews, three corporate pieces and a pitch all done and dusted.

• A meeting with the lovely owner of an advertising agency I met while walking the Hound. And a copywriting project that needs doing by Xmas. Bonus: after the meeting we took our respective canines into the Town Belt for a walk and a natter. Sometimes things do fall into place.

•  A long and involved chat with the PR for our Singapore media trip to iron out all the creases in our itinerary. And, joy of joys, we have the same guide I had four years ago; she was so much fun I spent most of my time in the tiny island state shaking with laughter. Not so joyful: having to attend some post-Formula 1 party next Saturday and not having a clue what to wear (this should probably be in the 'Down' column).  

• Freetime spent pouring over the Zara, H&M and Topshop websites in anticipation of next week's shopping spree. Scoff all you like, overseas readers, but here in these small, shaky isles we are bereft of these global behemoths. So while you may believe they represent the seven circles of hell, when you're denied access to them, they become like some kind of glittery prize. Perhaps a trip to one of these places can solve the above bullet.

DOWN

• The usual time/tasks conundrum.

• My friend Lorna and her adorable woofer Dobbie are moving. Yesterday we had a last walk with them, although they're only moving a couple of suburbs away, so hopefully we'll stay in touch.

• Realising a favourite Stella McCartney top (calm down, a sample I bought in China which probably cost about 1/8th of the real thing) has sprung a hole in the side. Cue inept tailoring skills.   

• Not being able to watch the second season of The Newsroom because the Animator had failed to bung it on the hard-drive. And he was, quite inconsiderately, out drinking. I do love me a bit of The Newsroom when I'm home alone.

Because it's the weekend, and I'm in a good mood, today's visual is this wonderful piece of nonsense I came across the other day. Happy weekend, wherever you are...

   

A wet Wednesday

If you thought my weather obsession had run its course, you were wrong.

Today the conditions were to moist what Lindsay Lohan is to crazy. There were torrential downpours and huge walloping gusts that threatened to carry us to the South Island. Sometimes at the same time.

Not surprisingly, a friend cancelled a walk with the Hound and coffee in O Bay; instead, I spent seven hours arranging and re-arranging words on various pages.

There was tremendous news in the form of a commission from a mag I've been trying to land; I believe it's what's known in the trade as a 'big get'. I startled the Hound with my whoops of joy.

Later there was a Skype session with my beloved mate Lil in Auckland, who has not long returned from a fabulous vacation in New York. And bought a new apartment. So there was much to discuss. So much, in fact, that I didn't have time to make the lentil shepherd's pie (I can see the lips of carnivores curling from here) I had intended to make and instead had to chuck together a random assortment of rice, tuna and Thai chilli sauce.

Tonight there will be the fourth to last ep of Breaking Bad. I am already in mourning....