Wednesday

More prosaically, new things were going to the upstairs of Kitchenmonger in Newbury, Toycraft in the Kennet Centre and the fireplace shop. I'm even boring myself now....

Tuesday 29th

New thing was Amsterdam airport as there was no film or headphones on the flight back. Having watched on the news that just three days ago someone tried to blow up a plane after alighting at Schiphol airport, I was less than impressed on the second leg to witness a Chinese man charge up to the toilet as we were preparing for take off, while the flight attendant told him to sit down. He barged past her and forced his way into the toilet. Under the circumstances, the response to this was pathetic, he could have been doing anything in there. Fortunately he wasn't, but he barged past her again on the way out saying: "What do you gain for that?"

We were then delayed because someone tried to get on the flight without a passport which meant we had to wait for her bags to be removed. Ah what a relief to get back to Heathrow for once.....

Monday

Our last day already -boo! Went to Mongkok with my mum and her friend where we went to the ladies' market. New things included a noodle shop, a tea shop and then to a mall which sells wedding attire exclusively. I got to parade around in a Chinese wedding dress, omitting to tell my mum that I haven't actually been asked....never mind.

After doing a lot of non new things which I always like to do in Hong Kong, we left mum's which made me cry, and headed to the airport where Grappa's bar was a new thing. Bye Honkers.

Sunday

New things included a plate of Shanghai fried noodles which I accidentally tipped vinegar over instead of soy sauce. In oodles more fog, we took the Ngong Ping 360 cable car to the foot of the Buddha in Lantau. Mabel was not amused that I told him in some detail at which points on the mountain side we would survive and where we wouldn't.

We time the trip quite well, as we got to the foot of the Buddha and as we came back down the steps, the fog hurtled towards us at some pace rendering the path back down almost invisible.

We then got the train to Hong Kong where I bought a jumper from a woman who managed to be even ruder than my last experience, putting my change under the bag for some reason. We then walked through the streets of Soho which are full of character, to go to Yung Kee, one of the top 15 restuarants in the world (or it was in 1959 anyway) where we had a brilliant, if expensive, meal, of prawns, crab meat and thousand year egg. It later transpired that as a child, I'd been here more than once, but still counts as a new thing!

Saturday (2)

Took the Star Ferry to Hong Kong. Mabel enjoyed it, although I was disappointed by the amount of smog and the fact that the harbour seems to be getting narrower. Building work and land reclamation has pitched HK and Kowloon nearer to each other and has made the water in the harbour choppier. Still an experience to be savoured nonetheless.

Much later, we did a couple of new things at the Hong Kong Jockey Club in Shatin where we had an incredible dinner with mum's friends. I haven't eaten meat for some time, but was so glad I made an exception for the incredible Peking duck which was the first course of our meal.

After dinner, and full of good food, we took the new line from the new station in Mei Foo to the Star Ferry to make the crossing again, this time by night. This wonderful view couldn't be ruined by the fog and was magical. We then headed by tram (which broke down halfway - unthinkable!) to Causeway Bay where went to the Excelsior Hotel! I'd been here before for a memorable holiday in 1988 where we stayed on the 22nd floor which came flooding back to me the moment I got in the lift. We went to the bar at the top TOTTs (Top of The Town). Not normally our scene, but we really enjoyed the fabulous nighttime view of the harbour, to the strains of the house band (I will survive!), and cocktails such as Causeway Cosmo, Gentleman's Cleanse and Monkey Gland....

Saturday

Lots of lovely new things today:

1. A jaunt down Nathan Road, stopping off to buy a dress from a woman who was so rude to me that it made my hair curl, before heading to the other end of the service scale and going to Sam's Tailor where Mabel had two shirts made. Bizarrely, the staff member serving him was wearing a sweatshirt and jeans, unlike the visions of Mr Humphries from Are you Being Served that I had in my head. Then Sam himself measured Mabel, using a tape measure which must have been placed on the chests, legs and shoulders of some of the most powerful world leaders including Bill Clinton, Prince Charles, Nicolas Sarkozy and Pat Jennings...

2. We then went to the most amazing sushi place for the freshest and tastiest sushi I've had, even including in Japan. Surprisingly it cost a fraction of the plasticy stuff you buy here. I shamelessly stuffed my face with salmon and ebi. Just wiping up some drool off the keyboard!

3. We had a quick look around Chung King Mansions which seemed a lot more salubrious than last time I was here, before we headed to the Peninsula to watch a string quartet. We thought we would have a coffee but never got served in the half hour we were there - not sure if this was because we were busy or because we were scruffy....

Friday

New thing was shops (and McDonalds - oh the shame!! but nice McFlurry-tee hee) in Stanley which is becoming more like a touristy seaside resort than the fishing village I remember from my first visits to HK. Still, a lovely day trip and lots of lovely things bought for me and friends. And me. Happy Christmas!

Thursday

Appropriately enough, while flying somewhere towards the southern hemisphere, I watched the latest Disney Pixar film Up which was a perfect film for a plane journey. Arrived at Honkers where my mum was waiting (ahhhh) and got the bus to her hood and then had a hotpot at Cafe de Coral. As we wanted to officially see in Christmas Day, we (minus mum) headed to Lang Kwai Fong (which was no easy feat as the police had set up a rabbit warren of cordons in order to get there - we got all the way there through masses of people only to be turned around!). We finally got there just before midnight, and as I used to spend quite a lot of my time here (ahem, ahem), it was difficult to find something new to do, or at least something I couldn't remember doing before (more throat clearing...). We ended up in one of the less crowded bars - called Cul de Sac, and then when midnight had been and gone, spent a pleasant half hour watching people dancing and singing from a prime spot in a bar called Coconutz.

Wednesday

Finally got on a plane! So new things were pootlign around in terminal three, and watching the film Julie and Julia based on the blog where Julie Powell spent a year cooking around 540 recipes from the book "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". A cute, undemanding film which made me determined to cook more in 2010!

Saturday/Sunday/Monday

All merged into one! New things were getting a taxi from town to Heathrow and doing lots of new airport things including all the bars and shops as our flight kept being pushed further back and further back, thus eliminating all the time we'd allocated to explore Amsterdam. Then KLM told us that the flight had been cancelled altogether and asked us to collect a piece of paper from their representatives. We were told to join the end of a queue which would takr 5 hours to reach the front of, or keep calling an 0871 number. We tried to do both at once with the upshot that our phone bill is astronomical and we ended up spending three days at terminal four, firstly being told by an extremely unhelpful call centre operative that our flight had gone without us, then being booked onto Virgin and then being thrown off again as they didn't want us in first class, even though I offered to pay the difference. (A price differential of £3,000 - that shows how eager I was to get out of the airport!)

Tuesday
We eventually got booked onto a flight for the next day, so went home in the most beautiful snowfall and went for a long walk along the Kennet and Avon Canal which looked magical, to the Regency Park Hotel to road test the food and service. A thumbs up!

Friday

Before going to see the wonderful Pogues we nipped into a convenience store in Brixton called Best in. Also grabbed a sandwich in a new place after the gig.

Thursday

In a very small voice as I have a very rock and roll sore throat! Today's new thing was going into Laura Ashley in Newbury, going upstairs and nearly buying some sheets! Also went into Tiger Tiger; first time for me since it moved from up the road. Didn't get told off this time though -tee hee.

Wednesday

Busy week, so a rare evening off! Bought a new hoummous and falafel wrap from motorway services...

So boring that I will backtrack to Monday....not new but gig at 12 Bar is worth expanding on! Saw Simon Friend, Dan Donnelly and Martin Pannett - a wonderful gig with a talented and friendly bunch.

In an attempt to get him out of the habit of playing with his eyes closed, Dan Donnelly said that if you managed to sneak a CD from this box without being caught, you could keep it. One girl managed to pilfer the whole box! He did the beautiful Emergency Brake, which is my favourite of his, and also Diamonds in the Road. Simon Friend did his brilliant songs - why has he not released his own album?!! All your dreams, Elations, Angel, Social Insecurity, Men an Tol, Maid of the River ("my friend said 'that's lovely, who wrote that?' I said, 'you did Rev', The Boatman
and then they all did Hey Mate, F*** Off, Plastic Jeezus, Fulsome Prison and bizarrely, Auld Langs Syne!
Great night!!

Tuesday

New thing was going to the Old Town in Swindon and to a place called the Spot. Since you still have to pay for parking after 6pm, I also had to go into Subway to buy something to get change for the car park!

Thursday

Lots of new things in Windsor and Eton tonight as we went for a Christmas party. After paying £6 to park for two hours, I was determined to enjoy it! We had a quick scoot around the shops, before heading to a pub called the George (I think), then onto the restaurant for the night called the House on the River which had a view over the river, the castle....and a crane.

We had a lovely meal here, tasty fish appetizers, salmon starter, seabass main course with a lovely sauce. I went fishless for dessert with some raspberry cheesecake, then chocs and mince pies.

Only complaint was the three-track Cd which they played over and over!

Friday

New meeting room at work. Yawn. Then not a new thing, but of note, I went to a cheque presentation and the reporter sent by the local paper was a former colleague of mine! The other new thing was a bar of orange and geranium chocolate.

Saturday

Even typing this makes me look old. New things were three jumble sales in assorted halls around the town; St John’s Hall, Royal British Legion and Salvation Army Hall.

Sunday

Bagnor for a bracing Sunday walk!

Monday

Went to an office in Chalfont St Peter that I’d not been to before. The smell of the toilet is still with me now.

Wednesday -so embarrassing

After working from 8am to 10.30pm, I'd realised I hadn't found anything new to do, but funnily enough Mabel helped me do something new in our own house! He had smashed open the lock of the outside toilet, which we couldn't open before, so I visited our newest room. And there's actually no toilet in there.....

Tuesday

New thing today was trying the intriguing JuJu hair drink to make my hair lovely! It does seem to have grown substantially overnight! There's a version for your skin too!

Monday -Little Szechuan

Horrible weather again, and apparently traffic chaos in the centre of Newbury, so decided to waste time in Thatcham, and went to the Little Szechuan on the A4. We were also celebrating the Christmas Bonus. £7.5m baby! Not really. More like £7.50, but very exciting nonetheless! I had a massive plate of prawn crackers, and the prawn chow mein. Lovely. Nice, simple surroundings, wish I'd thought to come in here before!

Sunday

New thing was doing a U-turn at Cheam School in Headley after driving past the boot sale we were aiming for. Then tried some Alibi Citrus Pretox drink through pure inquisitiveness!

Saturday

St Joseph's Hall in Newbury for a Christmas sale. Been past hundreds of times, but never inside!

Friday

New thing was a back alley near Northbrook Street while I was waiting for my optician's appointment. And having dye put in my eyes during my optician's appointment. I particularly enjoyed the way she said "I'm just going to put dye in your eyes" as if it was something you hear every day...

Thursday

Went to Brighton for work, so new things there. Then spent half an hour driving around (couldn't find anywhere to park!) so drove through the nice bits, made a pilgrimage - teehee, and then drove along the seafront.

Wednesday

New back road through Chilton Foliat

Tuesday

Majestic Wine

Monday - caffeine

Cafe Primo at Membury.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday

All new things in Dorset, including Dike's grocery store.

Thursday

More new things at Membury!

Wednesday

Very posh shop in Gerrards Cross - (is there any other kind?!)
Then, the UNited Reform Church as I thought I saw the Big Issue seller go in there, and I wanted a copy. I imagined it, or he was an angel, as there was no-one in there.
Lastly, wild goose chase around Reading to pick up my wedding dress bought from eBay. When I arrived (FINALLY), it had a big red stain on it! There was no apology for wasting my time, they just kep[t waffling on about how it had been in storage and how there had been no stain on it when they took the picture. Not very helpful..but never mind, I have seen another likely looking dress on eBay. Fingers crossed!