Wheredoistart?

It was A Day and a Half, if you ask me...

Met my tipo J. Last year he wanted to be on my blog as...*cringe* Stallion, but he's too neat to have such a naff name. So let's just call him Doc (not practising).

First Bit

Doc flew in early from Saudi, and somehow because his father was a dentist in the US military, he gets to have a room in one of the reciprocal private clubs on St James's Square. He says, however, he thinks it's a converted closet. London is full of converted closets.

The Net

We met at a coffee place and then set off to start the day. First on the list: Easy Internet cafe on Piccadilly so he could keep tabs on business. He says he still hasn't figured out how to make people keep working when he's not there. Oh dear...and he wants to commute half the week from London?

Broadcast request: Do any of you Londoners know of nice rooms to let in a very central location, within seconds of either Green, St James's or Regent's Parks? The guy is a park addict and needs a replacement for Central Park.

Chinese Emperor

Our walk in Green Park was prevented by the rain, so we decided to go to the Chinese Emperors exhibition at the Royal Academy. In the queue to get the tickets, Doc asks for two. The lady turns to me and asks, "Under 18...?" I shake my head in bewilderment.
Oops, the last time that happened a few years ago, I was in Canada and my Dad was taking my cousins and me to the movies. The lady there asked me if I was under 18, and as I hesitated, Dad, who never skips a beat, said yes! It seems I have been a teenager for nearly 20 years and show no signs of letting up. No one but the hairdresser knows I have 9 greys, oh and now you.

If you have not been to the RA yet, go to that exhibition. Be forewarned, though, patience is a necessary virtue. I will never get over the fine carving on wood, lacquer or jade. Always wonderful materials. Painting on silk, I am sure a one-hair-thick brush was used: the people were small as your thumb but perfectly detailed and there were hundreds of them on one scroll. Not surprisingly, I was the only person there to put my nose up to the glass after taking in the whole. What do these people get by standing 8 feet away from the object and then walking off???

Doc didn't have a coat, not needing to take one to Saudi from NYC so while I was gaping and dawdling at the RA, he ran off to Lillywhite's for a 7 quid deal. Later while we were walking, I commented on the interesting hook on the neck, and was about to ask if it was so I could drag him back from crossing the road at the wrong time (actually for an American he's good at it) when it nearly came off in my hand!

Ton yan gai

We had a late lunch/early dinner in Chinatown, where he made me eat 2/3rds of the food and then paid for it. Bless him - said that while I am unemployed he pays.

Back towards Piccadilly, and we parted ways until dinner tomorrow with the infamous Mr B.

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Girlie Stuff

That was not the end of my day. I went off to pick up supplies at Boots. I use the No7 natural effect mascara, and the deal was if you buy No7 products worth 15 quid you get a gift worth 33. So to the mascara I added an eye base and voila!

Look what's in the gift bag: 7 things!...........Oh, haha, very clever of them...

Anyway:
1) a little pot of Uplifting Day Cream - hey, I have to keep up my 10 years younger winning streak!
2) Stay Perfect lipstick in just my shade!
3) ditto nail colour in ditto.
4) Protect and Perfect beauty serum, see 10 years younger comment above.
5) Intelligent Colour foundation, which seems to be my summer shade
6) Full Impact mascara
7) Younger Longer time resisting hand cream. Alright, an age concession: this winter is murdering my hands - I think they're 10 years older.

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This morning I wanted to tell you about the Super Volcano that changed the course of human history, and the lovely Morris dancers, but that will have to wait until tomorrow...or the day after...

P.S. I got a place on the voice training course!