Is it in code???

OK, for the wool we are working with some lovely Italian people, but one of them is using an online translation engine to communicate with us. The latest (and potentially most exciting) mail runs thus:

Subject: Yarn Shipment
Message: HI!!!!
Expeditious like from fax to half your messenger already Thursday 23/ 11
she you doesn't have importance if then the payment was not still fact: we have sent equally and with big like.
Thank you.
To soon.

Y'wha???

I *think* (only think, mind) that this means that they are shipping the yarn even though they have not received confirmation of payment. Which, if so, is great news! If it doesn't mean that, then I am stumped. Any offers / alternative translations from you guys?

British Boot Fairs

I am working today (honest, not just putting entries on blogspot) so I had to get the train in this morning. On Sundays at the station they have a market / boot fair. I got there in enough time to have a quick scoot around. They always make me giggle. How many Catherine Cookson books do you think there are, on average, at a British boot fair? I think this one had more than the usual. Over a hundred, at least, and they were still only just setting up!

There was also the brilliant character with a sort of singing Tourette's problem. 'Oh what a beautiful morning!' he sings, sounding drunk, in the rain. Someone at another stall says, 'I thought I saw..mumble mumble..' 'I thought I saw a puddy cat a-creeping up on me!' he replies. Then, surveying his lack of customers, 'Things... can only get better....!'

I concur. As usual, weekend work has started off with problems. As it means to go on, I expect. Hey ho. At least we get paid overtime...

Happy Sunday, readers.

Back from Travels 2

This is only in two parts because Blogger has decided to limit the amount of pics in one entry. Grr. Anyway, back to - where were we? - ah yes, Nepal...

Flying Buddha Air over Mt Everest. Yes, another 5am start! Magical though.

Stupa at Bodnath, Kathmandu. I loved this. Hundreds of people and monks walking around it clockwise, humming the mantra Om mane padme hum, clicking their prayer beads. Buddha's eyes are on all four sides of the stupa so he can look out over the whole world. And I love the prayer flags. I walked one circuit at dusk, and the mantra certainly gets into your head.

After Nepal, on to visit Ted and Emily in Hong Kong. I got some time to chill out (finally some mornings I didn't have to get up at ungodly hours to see mountains!) and explore.

Big Buddha on Lantau Island. The new Ngong Ping 360 cable car is now open, with a great view of the buddha on the way in. If you could see people in this pic, they would not even come up to half way up his knee. This is a seriously big buddha.

Man Mo temple, Hong Kong. These incense spirals can burn for a week.

Won Tai Sin temple, Kowloon. People shake cans of sticks with symbols on them until one falls out. The chosen stick can tell their fortune.

And finally, the view from Ted's balcony. Yes, that is Hong Kong City. Not bad eh? It's a little unnerving though. You are chilling out in the evening, walk into the living room and catch a glimpse out of the window. 'Fcuk!', you think, 'who put those skyscrapers in the garden?'

So there we go. Sorry there are not many words, but the pics speak for themselves. There are many, many more, but these will do for now.

Wool update - it has been done and is being shipped back the Blighty this week! The website is nearly done, we have a house full of needles and accessories, so we are nearly ready to go! I'll tell you the URL in my next entry. Hope you liked the travel pics!

Back from Travels 1

It's nice to be back. England smells of Christmas and holiday expectation. But I did have a fabulous time away!

This is the group I travelled with in India and Nepal, posing at Fatepur Sikri near Jaipur.

£12,500 necklace I tried on in Jaipur. I also tried on another at at least £50,000 - a Maharani style collar of pebble sized uncut diamonds and rubies. Why didn't I get a picture of that? Why???

Me at the Taj Mahal.

Arty farty shot at Agra Fort.

Tiger in Chitwan National Park, Nepal.

Spotting Indian rhino from the back of elephants. All we needed were rifles, pith helmets and a gin and tonic and we'd have been right back in the Raj.

Bathing elephants - or so we were told. Don't fall for that one people!

Getting up at 4.30am to see the sun rise over the Annapurnas...




More in part 2...