Tulip Cheeks

As you all know..

I'm a little globe trotter at the moment. I'm actually at heathrow as I type. I've made it to the lounge after another traumatic security session. I can't STAND the awful people I seem to meet who operate the scanning machines. Do they have to be so rude?  'No I can't take my jacket off right now and put it in there, you told me to take my boots off- give me a sodding chance'. And why do they insist on me taking my cardigan off? I wouldn't mind but it's a long cardigan and underneath are brown leggins, tight brown t-shirt and now my brown socks are revealed.... I look like a turd!

And if that wasn't bad enough- there's a bell-end at the other end insisting that I can't take the trays (x2- full of my possessions) over to the central table for me to cover my modesty at leisure-even though there's a plaque on said table saying 'please return trays'. He looked like an ugly version of John Terry, and was a royal cock. We exchanged words and as I struggled to load up my goods and cart them to the table he told me "I suggest you start with your shoes- its not that hard, and that might me a good place to start?"

"I know how to get dressed thankyou" I said as I shot him 'the look'.

I made sure my shoes were the last thing to go on. And as I walked away he had been watching me the whole time and he let out a hiddeous laugh- like some adolescent teen who was showing off to his sad friends. So, I paused, then turned with venom and said "sorry, did you say something?"
The sad little man looked like he'd done something in his pants that I'd just impersonated only minutes before.

"no", he said. "just having a laugh to myself"

"good" I said, you enjoy yourself" and under my breath I finished it off with "you sad little man".

What a sad individual- the only place he can feel important is at the back end of a conveyer belt.

You'll never believe who I've just seen - the older man off The Full Monty! I believe he was called Gerrard in the show. I can't believe I recognised him. He can definitely leave his hat on.

Today, I have mostly been doing 'trend' spotting

And a very successful day it was too. I saw some gorgeous packaging, beautiful products and sneakily photographed the lot of them.
This was one thing I saw which made me super chuckle....a very realistic, but FAKE scratch card!!! It's scratched to reveal a hundred grand win!!! You don't know how tempted I was to buy one and slip it into Mr TC's valentines card as a "I've been too busy to buy you a present" kinda gift. I laughed my pants off imagining his little face when he saw the 3 matching 100,000!! He he. But then imagine telling him (after a good long time) that it was pretend. But at least I'd get to see how much he really loves me - based on what his first few purchases were gonna be- or would he even tell me he'd won?!

Back in my lovely Yorkshire

My new job kindly let me swing by my first home & beloved yorkshire while I was so close. I can't express how grateful I am to them.
Anyway, it felt like I'd only been gone a week. I wish whole-heartedly that Mr TC was with me for the first visit home, but needless to say- I managed!
I visited Leeds & lovely York whilst I was back- checking out the competition & absorbing the trends that will most probably be on their way to my new hemisphere in about 6 months time.
I got to have lunch at my favourite pub - The Fleece, in York, at the top of the Shambles. The floors are lovely and wonky & it's haunted.
I can't say my visit made me want to come back right this minute. It felt lovely and familiar, almost too easy- I knew where I was going, everyone spoke my accent, my amazing family and friends were dotted all around me- like a spiders web - every direction I had someone I knew and loved. But... And it's a bit BUT.... I like the challenge of Australia right this moment.

I love a good mullet!

Pig's knuckle for tea!

Which sounded DISGUSTING but on sniff, of the next door tables- smelt too good not to order.
Check out that crackling. Why can't it be called something nicer?
The restaurant was called Zum Storch am Dom and was THAT good we went two nights in a row.

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Paper world

Was good.
I really liked the 3 trends they had suggested and I think they will translate really easily into the UK Market... And with a bit more thought into the Australian Market- they are VERY different mainly due to the weather.

This was my lunch the 1st day...

I've been shocked to find out this is some of my male friends idea of a heavenly lunch!?
The sausages were so rubbery and they didn't give us knives and forkes- I ended up stabbing the appropriate snapping point with my retractable pencil. Much to my new Hong Kong collegues amusement.
The taste repeated on me till bedtime.

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Christmas world

Was amazing.
The trends were interesting- they set up 3 areas- each with a different theme- their prediction for the following year. It's mine, and everyone elses job to go there from all over the world and decide what's gonna work for their Market; how can we make our own very special mark and let's go and design some wonderful things that will make lots of money for our companies. In a nut shell.

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Frankfurt, I'm here!

Good flight, slept 10 hours solid from Singapore.
Frankfurt was cold but I enjoyed the fresh air- it may sound silly.
After unpacking then having to change rooms due to me having supersonic hearing of a bat and could hear a buzzing noise. I'd cleared my purse of old receipts in the first room only to discover by the second that the duty-free makeup I'd bought in Melbourne was actually a shop dummy and completely empty. Grrrrrrrrrr!
Straight out to the show I went...after a shower obviously!

Off I set on my adventure...

After getting the most loveliest taxi driver ever- an oldish man by the name of John, who kissed my hand on departure, but that was ok because he said he had a yacht. Ordinarily I wouldn't have been so quick to believe someone when they say they own a yacht but when I asked him if he ever fished from it he said "no, because it's very hard to get the smell of fish out the carpet" - so it must be true.
And so, there I was- little me, about to embark on a journey only important people do. I kinda felt a little fraudulent I must admit. But someone must have believed in me, and I won't let then down.
Business class was very nice, and somewhere that I think should be as standard. People are growing, living longer, working harder- stop cramming us all into 'economy' and give us some respect! At the very least- give seniors a discount on business class- it sinks my heart to think of my parents cooped up all that way on cattle class.