My Week in Pictures

 Left to right: Antique bridal chest, abacus, red packets, handmade silk shoes for lotus feet and snapshots I took of South West China.

When Lil L's normally temperamental school bursar looked overjoyed to see me as I walked through the main door, I knew I was in deep s**t. Dude, for the millionth time, I'm not from China (this has been going on for 3 years). And yes, there are plenty of oriental faces in New Zealand. Yes, really. Anyway, the sucker that I am, I ended up representing China during the school's Multi Cultural Week. Here's the conversation I had with Lil L's classmates:
Kids: Lil L's mommy (they seriously call me that), why does it say China here? *puzzled look* Aren't you from New Zealand?
Me: Well, there aren't any Chinese in school so let's pretend I'm from China.
Kids: Isn't that like lying?
Me: My granddad's from China. Does that help?
Kids: Ummm....... oooookay. If you say so. *looking at me suspiciously*

The next day, we got up extra early and headed to London. First up on the agenda - Aime's twice yearly sample sale. Unfortunately, there were hardly any Isabel Marant jackets. However, there were plenty of obscenely short skirts which are perfect for tweens and teens but would most likely convey the wrong message if I wore one out. I'd probably send a poor soul straight into a comatose state if I inadvertently flashed someone by the simple act of bending down to pick something up from the floor.

There were plenty of Isabel Marant ankle strap heels and boots as well as shoes from A.P.C and Porselli, all slashed by 50% - 60%. I decided to appease my multiple personalities by choosing a proper shirt dress followed by a psychedelic print t-shirt, both deeply discounted.

After battling hordes of tourists crowding around the Portobello market and the stifling heat at the 20th century theater where the sale was held, we decided to head down Westbourne Grove in search of sustenance. We stopped by Taqueria which was pretty good. The portions were small but I loved the Al pastor tacos (grilled marinated pork, coriander, chopped onion, coriander and pineapple). The service was polite if a little inefficient as we had to ask several times for our drinks and they managed to mix up our order too. Thanks, Ammu for the suggestion. We'll definitely try Wahaca in the future.

We made a mad dash to our friend's little boy's 1 year old party. All the kids were nearly blinded by the incessant flashes going off at the same time from the papa - razzi and mama - razzi. If you're a parent, you'll totally agree with this. It's imperative to record EVERY moment of your child's life. Yes, even if it's not your child's birthday.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when the party was over. The kids had the time of their lives running around the soft play area. The husbands were ensconced in the wii media room trying to learn how to street dance. *snicker*

I can't leave London without getting my noodle fix. You know you've come to the right place when the Vietnamese restaurant is packed with mostly Asians. The queue was out the door. The service is quick, the food is faultless and the drinks are divine. What more can I ask for? In case you're interested, this awesome place is called Cafe East.

On Sunday, we went on a brief walk around the city. This awesome place was once a palace built by Christopher Wren for King Charles II.

And came home to see one of Lil L's many love notes she'd left for me.