The SSG stayed with us over the weekend. Of course, being such a Bond fan, she dragged Nik and I to go watch Quantum of Solace with her yesterday (it was her 3rd time watching the movie!).
The movie itself was entertaining, if only for the fact that it provided 2 hours worth of escapism. Olga Kurylenko was pretty cute, but then again, I still preferred Eva Green. But throughout, one pressing question kept on cropping up in my head:
Who would win in a straight kick ass fight - Jason Bourne or James Bond?
Let's look at the pros and cons of both (because I have nothing better to do at the moment and need to destress from CFA studying):
Jason Bourne
Pros:
1. The guy obviously has had some proper martial arts training.
2. He has a proven record of killing people with everyday objects - pens, magazines, newspapers, books, condoms, tampons (alright, I made the last 2 up).
3. The man is pretty f^cked up - I mean, he cant even remember who he is!
4. He speaks numerous languages (though I have no idea how this would help him in a slugfest)
5. The guy has proven himself to be able to leap over bridges and climb walls despite having multiple bullet holes in his body.
Cons:
1. The man is pretty f^cked up - I mean, what happens if he suddenly decides to stop fighting because he got depressed?
2. The guy has a personality of cardboard - make that recycled cardboard. You want a guy to not just win a fight, but win a fight with flair.
3. His girlfriends arent as good looking as Bond's (which means that he may not be as incentivised to stay alive and get the girl at the end).
4. Jason Bourne has morals - he doesnt seem like the type to take a cheap shot in the gonads, unlike Bond.
5. He operates on a lower budget than James Bond - while Bond has all sorts of gadgets to get him through the day, Bourne seems to end up wearing second hand clothes with holes in them. Plus he sleeps in horrible looking motels and drives a beaten up Mini through Paris.
James Bond
Pros
1. The guy has had no obvious training - the latest Daniel Craig incarnation seems to just thug his way through everything. Somehow that's a point in his favour?
2. Bond has more gadgets and resources than Bourne.
3. His chicks are hotter - nuff said.
4. Daniel Craig's Bond is also quite f^cked up - the edginess could give him a leg up in a fight.
5. He's cool...
Cons
1. Daniel Craig's Bond is basically a highly paid thug.
2. Is he too reliant on his gadgets?
3. Seems to be at the mercy of his women - e.g. his dead girlfriend and his lady boss.
4. Bond is an alcoholic - and probably addicted to sex too.
5. Daniel Craig's Bond is also quite f^cked up - what happens if he breaks down in the middle of a fight and starts crying?
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Saturday, 8 November 2008
4 weeks to go...
I'm trying with great determination not to fall asleep while studying revenue recognition methods. It's Saturday night, and I have 2 thick CFA manuals as company for the weekend.
I'm sitting here in my Study watching the River Thames as the rain comes chucking down. The numerous lights from the apartments across the water have merged into a random scattergram of multi-coloured dots.
My one comfort is that the torrential rain reminds me of the tropical weather we get at home. Strangely enough, I have always taken comfort in the rain. To me, one of the worst things that one can experience in life is the sense of the pending storm that is to come. The rain symbolises the fact that the storm has already arrived, and the pressure that has been built up from all the pensiveness can dissapate. The presence of rain usually means that the weather will only get better from here...
Today is Saturday, the 8th of November. On this day in 1960, JFK defeated Richard Nixon for the American presidency. But more importantly, my CFA exam is in 4 weeks time. Despite my best efforts to concentrate, I can't seem to build up a momentum. I have tried looking for appropriate background noise by playing tracks from Bargrooves compilations to the Gladiator soundtrack - nothing seems to be able to settle me down.
I think I am going to write tonight off as an unproductive study night. I'm now going to sleep - will try again tomorrow.
Oh, and it has just stopped raining...
I'm sitting here in my Study watching the River Thames as the rain comes chucking down. The numerous lights from the apartments across the water have merged into a random scattergram of multi-coloured dots.
My one comfort is that the torrential rain reminds me of the tropical weather we get at home. Strangely enough, I have always taken comfort in the rain. To me, one of the worst things that one can experience in life is the sense of the pending storm that is to come. The rain symbolises the fact that the storm has already arrived, and the pressure that has been built up from all the pensiveness can dissapate. The presence of rain usually means that the weather will only get better from here...
Today is Saturday, the 8th of November. On this day in 1960, JFK defeated Richard Nixon for the American presidency. But more importantly, my CFA exam is in 4 weeks time. Despite my best efforts to concentrate, I can't seem to build up a momentum. I have tried looking for appropriate background noise by playing tracks from Bargrooves compilations to the Gladiator soundtrack - nothing seems to be able to settle me down.
I think I am going to write tonight off as an unproductive study night. I'm now going to sleep - will try again tomorrow.
Oh, and it has just stopped raining...
Friday, 10 October 2008
Godfather...Me?
My oldest friend in the world Rachel (who has known me since I was a fat, bald-headed monk in boarding school) asked me to be Godfather to little 3-month old Sarah last week!
My immediate reaction was "Are you drunk, babe?". You seriously want me - and my sheer cynicism of religion - to be your daughter's spiritual guide through life? To make sure that your child is brought up in a Christian manner? Are you mad?!!
But there was a method to the madness! In true organised Rachel style, my old friend had arranged for Sarah to have 4 godparents! 2 of which fulfilled the Roman Catholic requirement, and hence would be the "true" sponsors of the baptism. The other godparent was Chyi, another one of my old friends from school. Of course, Chyi, being a cosmetics magnate (see her company here), would provide the girl with a lifetime's supply of Dainty Doll Lip Cushion cosmetics (endorsed by Fergie, no less!).
So what was my role in all of this, I wondered? Rach said that I just needed to remember birthdays and Christmases and to be there for Sarah when both parents couldn't be around. I think I could do that - I'll also throw in some finger paint when Sarah gets old enough so that she can do some interior decorating on the walls at home. Maybe also bring her out for Mcdonalds and sweeties and return her to her parents when she is on a sugar high and hyper-stimulated?
But in all seriousness, I am really excited about this. I think that this is the greatest complement that a parent can pay a friend - and for this, I am truly very flattered. I will endeavour to play the role with all earnestness and sincerity. Perhaps not necessarily from a deeply religious perspective, but certainly from a common-sensical view of the world.
I most definitely will be trying my best to steer clear of changing diapers though! Here is a picture of the little tyke - she is soooo cute!
My immediate reaction was "Are you drunk, babe?". You seriously want me - and my sheer cynicism of religion - to be your daughter's spiritual guide through life? To make sure that your child is brought up in a Christian manner? Are you mad?!!
But there was a method to the madness! In true organised Rachel style, my old friend had arranged for Sarah to have 4 godparents! 2 of which fulfilled the Roman Catholic requirement, and hence would be the "true" sponsors of the baptism. The other godparent was Chyi, another one of my old friends from school. Of course, Chyi, being a cosmetics magnate (see her company here), would provide the girl with a lifetime's supply of Dainty Doll Lip Cushion cosmetics (endorsed by Fergie, no less!).
So what was my role in all of this, I wondered? Rach said that I just needed to remember birthdays and Christmases and to be there for Sarah when both parents couldn't be around. I think I could do that - I'll also throw in some finger paint when Sarah gets old enough so that she can do some interior decorating on the walls at home. Maybe also bring her out for Mcdonalds and sweeties and return her to her parents when she is on a sugar high and hyper-stimulated?
But in all seriousness, I am really excited about this. I think that this is the greatest complement that a parent can pay a friend - and for this, I am truly very flattered. I will endeavour to play the role with all earnestness and sincerity. Perhaps not necessarily from a deeply religious perspective, but certainly from a common-sensical view of the world.
I most definitely will be trying my best to steer clear of changing diapers though! Here is a picture of the little tyke - she is soooo cute!
Saturday, 23 August 2008
Celebration!
Maya and Aaron got married last Sunday! The religous ceremony was fantastic for the fact that it was so personal and jovial! As soon as the marriage ceremony was completed, Aaron stamped on glass, the Rabbi exclaimed "Mazal Tov!", and the band started playing. What a fantastic way to break the tension and start your married life together.
On a side note, Nik has developed a crush for a blonde hunk. He is scattered about the photos below. Hint: Look out for the long blonde locks! I give up - I know I can't compete with someone who looks that cute...
On a side note, Nik has developed a crush for a blonde hunk. He is scattered about the photos below. Hint: Look out for the long blonde locks! I give up - I know I can't compete with someone who looks that cute...
Sunday, 17 August 2008
Diet of a Champion
Michael Phelps won his 8th gold medal of the 2008 Beijing Olympics this morning. Absolutely incredible!
What I found more amazing was his diet - According to the BBC, this is what fuels the most succesful Olympian of all time:
Breakfast: Three fried egg sandwiches; cheese; tomatoes; lettuce; fried onions; mayonnaise; three chocolate-chip pancakes; five-egg omelette; three sugar-coated slices of French toast; bowl of grits; two cups of coffee
Lunch: Half-kilogram (one pound) of enriched pasta; two large ham and cheese sandwiches with mayonnaise on white bread; energy drinks
Dinner: Half-kilogram of pasta, with carbonara sauce; large pizza; energy drinks
This is the reason why I'm not an olympic swimmer - I just don't eat enough junkfood!
(The link to the BBC article is here)
What I found more amazing was his diet - According to the BBC, this is what fuels the most succesful Olympian of all time:
Breakfast: Three fried egg sandwiches; cheese; tomatoes; lettuce; fried onions; mayonnaise; three chocolate-chip pancakes; five-egg omelette; three sugar-coated slices of French toast; bowl of grits; two cups of coffee
Lunch: Half-kilogram (one pound) of enriched pasta; two large ham and cheese sandwiches with mayonnaise on white bread; energy drinks
Dinner: Half-kilogram of pasta, with carbonara sauce; large pizza; energy drinks
This is the reason why I'm not an olympic swimmer - I just don't eat enough junkfood!
(The link to the BBC article is here)
Saturday, 16 August 2008
False Dawn?
Did you read about the US Dollar really strengthening this week because people believe that the US is ahead of everyone else in the economic cycle - and is hence further along the road to recovery? I find it absolutely amazing that the very same people who brought this financial crisis upon us (i.e. investors / speculators) are demonstrating this kind of optimism. My extremely cynical view is that it sucks because it is precisely this kind of gung-ho optimistic behaviour that created the last asset bubble in the first place - and consequently screwed the man in the street over.
The truth of the matter is that market optimism does not change the state of the real economy. No one can run away from the fact that the American banks will suffer from credit defaults in the coming months - people in my line of work just choose not to see it. The sucky thing is that the actions of people in the convoluted financial world do affect the man on the street. I just dont like the idea of false dawns tricking people into thinking that everything is hunky dory when they arent, especially when people need to trade down their standards of living.
Just my personal 2 cents worth...
The truth of the matter is that market optimism does not change the state of the real economy. No one can run away from the fact that the American banks will suffer from credit defaults in the coming months - people in my line of work just choose not to see it. The sucky thing is that the actions of people in the convoluted financial world do affect the man on the street. I just dont like the idea of false dawns tricking people into thinking that everything is hunky dory when they arent, especially when people need to trade down their standards of living.
Just my personal 2 cents worth...
Sunday, 20 July 2008
Home - 2010/2011?
This trip home was timely. After a trying first half to the year, I really needed some time away from everything to gain some perspective. I needed the familiarity of everything - from being able to completely re-immerse myself in the culture at home, to seeing family and friends again.
But to be completely honest, I was more blown away by the superficial qualities that define Singapore - the cutting edge efficiency, cold cleanliness and comforting safety that Singaporeans take for granted. As much as London has to offer, I do miss the abundance of creature comforts that Singapore provides, from the air-conditioned public transport system to the wonderful hawker centres that open late! My favourite moments of this holiday was hanging out at the hawker centre late at night, be it at Redhill or at the famous Rochor tau huay place. I suppose the closest thing that London has to this would be the famous Brick Lane salt beef bagel shop. However, while I would not mind popping in for a bagel at 2am in the morning, I most certainly would not put myself at risk of getting mugged by strolling along Brick Lane in the middle of the night.
This time around, I really wanted to move home permanantly. However, the reality is that I still have a few years of unfinished business here in London. Like it or not, London is still one of the world's leading financial centres, together with New York. Although Singapore is fast catching up, the sophistication of its financial services arena is still lagging behind. I would never be able to gain the type of experience that I am gaining here in London. When I last checked the Singaporean job sites, my job doesn't even seem to exist yet in Singapore. Most of the banking giants probably still rely on their European offices for my job function. I know mine does, at least.
So with that said, I suppose that the end of 2010/2011 would be an appropriate time to look to return home? I would have gained those 3 precious letters at the end of my business card by then - namely, C, F and A (in that order). So putting that into perspective, a 3 year wait means 4-5 more trips home on holiday, 3 more Xmas in London, and hopefully a lot more travelling in Europe. That's not too bad isn't it?
Oh yea, one more thing - while I do rave about all the qualities that Singapore brings to the table, I do not see why Singaporean restaurants seem to think that listening to house music adds to one's dining experience. Especially when one is eating Thai food or Chinese food??!! One exception though - as much as I cussed Prive (about house music, again), it was actually a really nice place, with the marina and the water features forming a nice background. Though I still do prefer the Italian food that we get here in London!
But to be completely honest, I was more blown away by the superficial qualities that define Singapore - the cutting edge efficiency, cold cleanliness and comforting safety that Singaporeans take for granted. As much as London has to offer, I do miss the abundance of creature comforts that Singapore provides, from the air-conditioned public transport system to the wonderful hawker centres that open late! My favourite moments of this holiday was hanging out at the hawker centre late at night, be it at Redhill or at the famous Rochor tau huay place. I suppose the closest thing that London has to this would be the famous Brick Lane salt beef bagel shop. However, while I would not mind popping in for a bagel at 2am in the morning, I most certainly would not put myself at risk of getting mugged by strolling along Brick Lane in the middle of the night.
This time around, I really wanted to move home permanantly. However, the reality is that I still have a few years of unfinished business here in London. Like it or not, London is still one of the world's leading financial centres, together with New York. Although Singapore is fast catching up, the sophistication of its financial services arena is still lagging behind. I would never be able to gain the type of experience that I am gaining here in London. When I last checked the Singaporean job sites, my job doesn't even seem to exist yet in Singapore. Most of the banking giants probably still rely on their European offices for my job function. I know mine does, at least.
So with that said, I suppose that the end of 2010/2011 would be an appropriate time to look to return home? I would have gained those 3 precious letters at the end of my business card by then - namely, C, F and A (in that order). So putting that into perspective, a 3 year wait means 4-5 more trips home on holiday, 3 more Xmas in London, and hopefully a lot more travelling in Europe. That's not too bad isn't it?
Oh yea, one more thing - while I do rave about all the qualities that Singapore brings to the table, I do not see why Singaporean restaurants seem to think that listening to house music adds to one's dining experience. Especially when one is eating Thai food or Chinese food??!! One exception though - as much as I cussed Prive (about house music, again), it was actually a really nice place, with the marina and the water features forming a nice background. Though I still do prefer the Italian food that we get here in London!
Saturday, 19 July 2008
Reims - Part 2
Dinner was held at the Au Petit Comptoir (again, another wonderfully researched selection by Jini), which was down the road from our hotel. The meal was pretty incredible - the food was great and the service exquisite. We weren't sure, but I vaguely remember reading that the chef had apprenticed at Chateau Les Crayeres, which is generally considered to be one of the best restaurants in France. At almost 300 Euros per person, it had better be!
Au Petit Comptoir was much more reasonable - a 3 course meal could be had for under 30 Euros. While my fish was slightly disappointing, we all thought that Karen's tuna and Sandra's steak were absolutely brilliant! Sandra, who was on a low-carb diet left her mash behind on the plate. That was until I rememberd that the mash was actually truffle mash! Suffice to say, it didn't remain on the plate much longer.
Where's dinner?
Sandra and her steak and truffle mash
Good food, wine and company - what more would one want?
But the treat of the evening was really the cheese tray and dessert trolley. We were under the impression that the set dinner only included 1 type of dessert. Lo and behold, the trolley was dragged out and we were promptly told that we could pick a little bit of everything! Nik was sold on the place after hearing that!
The Dessert Trolley - Please Sir, can I have some more?
More cheese, anyone?
Fully satisfied...
After stuffing our faces, we took a slow stroll back to the hotel, taking in a bit of the Reims nightlife along the way. It seems to be a nice, simple way of life here. Whole families with their kids and dogs could be seen walking to the bars at 11.30pm at night. Life does seem to be much simpler here than in London, with good food, drink and family valued above everything else.
A brief planning session for the next day ensued when we got back to the hotel. Of course, one can't do effective planning without uncorking 2 bottles of champagne! Out came the cups and the laughter began!
The next day saw us setting off early to explore the Reims Sunday market. I couldn't resist the rotisserie chickens that I saw. No surprises what I had for brunch then.
Me and my roast chicken
Waiting in the rain to leave...
After checking out of the hotel, we proceeded to the famous Notre Dame cathedral in Reims. I was quite surprised by the sheer scale of the structure. I wouldn't have expected such a large building to have been constructed in the middle of the town.
We then took a scenic drive to Epernay where we drove past endless streches of vineyards and champagne houses. The sky was blue and the sun was out. The roads were clear and took us over rolling hills. It truly was quite serene. It got me thinking whether or not I could live a life like that. The idea of waking up every morning to tend to my crops sounds like simplistic bliss. Though the truth of the matter is that I think I would get bored pretty quickly. I don't think I'm done with the big cities like London and Singapore yet. Nevertheless, such a lifestyle is something to KIV I think. Maybe in 30 years time?
Lunch was again spectacular - thanks to the research efforts of Jini once again. L’Hostellrie La Briquterie was this beautiful hotel situated in the countryside outside Epernay. The restaurant (and its grounds) was stunning. While the food was certainly more sophisticated (with quail and foie gras, no less), we preferred the last place, which seemed much more personable and accessible to the general French public.
Au Petit Comptoir was much more reasonable - a 3 course meal could be had for under 30 Euros. While my fish was slightly disappointing, we all thought that Karen's tuna and Sandra's steak were absolutely brilliant! Sandra, who was on a low-carb diet left her mash behind on the plate. That was until I rememberd that the mash was actually truffle mash! Suffice to say, it didn't remain on the plate much longer.
Where's dinner?
Sandra and her steak and truffle mash
Good food, wine and company - what more would one want?
But the treat of the evening was really the cheese tray and dessert trolley. We were under the impression that the set dinner only included 1 type of dessert. Lo and behold, the trolley was dragged out and we were promptly told that we could pick a little bit of everything! Nik was sold on the place after hearing that!
The Dessert Trolley - Please Sir, can I have some more?
More cheese, anyone?
Fully satisfied...
After stuffing our faces, we took a slow stroll back to the hotel, taking in a bit of the Reims nightlife along the way. It seems to be a nice, simple way of life here. Whole families with their kids and dogs could be seen walking to the bars at 11.30pm at night. Life does seem to be much simpler here than in London, with good food, drink and family valued above everything else.
A brief planning session for the next day ensued when we got back to the hotel. Of course, one can't do effective planning without uncorking 2 bottles of champagne! Out came the cups and the laughter began!
The next day saw us setting off early to explore the Reims Sunday market. I couldn't resist the rotisserie chickens that I saw. No surprises what I had for brunch then.
Me and my roast chicken
Waiting in the rain to leave...
After checking out of the hotel, we proceeded to the famous Notre Dame cathedral in Reims. I was quite surprised by the sheer scale of the structure. I wouldn't have expected such a large building to have been constructed in the middle of the town.
We then took a scenic drive to Epernay where we drove past endless streches of vineyards and champagne houses. The sky was blue and the sun was out. The roads were clear and took us over rolling hills. It truly was quite serene. It got me thinking whether or not I could live a life like that. The idea of waking up every morning to tend to my crops sounds like simplistic bliss. Though the truth of the matter is that I think I would get bored pretty quickly. I don't think I'm done with the big cities like London and Singapore yet. Nevertheless, such a lifestyle is something to KIV I think. Maybe in 30 years time?
Lunch was again spectacular - thanks to the research efforts of Jini once again. L’Hostellrie La Briquterie was this beautiful hotel situated in the countryside outside Epernay. The restaurant (and its grounds) was stunning. While the food was certainly more sophisticated (with quail and foie gras, no less), we preferred the last place, which seemed much more personable and accessible to the general French public.
Sunday, 13 July 2008
Wheelers Menu
For those of you who are attending lunch at Wheelers on Saturday 26th July, please take a look at the menu below and email me your choices by the end of Wednesday 16th July.
Everything is yummy so you wont be disappointed regardless of your choice. Click on the pictures to enlarge them if necessary.
Everything is yummy so you wont be disappointed regardless of your choice. Click on the pictures to enlarge them if necessary.
Reims - Part One
One sunny Saturday morning, 7 crazy fools in 3 separate cars decided to awake at the crack of summer’s dawn in order to traverse across the English Channel. It was all for a very noble cause – on search of champagne. Despite the Herculean task ahead of them (i.e. waking up at 4.30am on a weekend), all were in good spirits.
The trek down to the Channel Tunnel at Folkestone took just over an hour. Of course, Yung, our resident London Black Cab driver somehow managed to find a shortcut (on an expressway, no less!) to make it there about 15 minutes ahead of everyone. No doubt, the enthusiasm of testing out Arctic, his new MX5 added at least 10 miles per hour to his average road speed! After checking in, we all converged at Burger King before boarding the train, where early morning bacon butties and hash browns provided needed nourishment for the likely arduous (and tipsy!) journey ahead.
The Fellowship getting Burger King fuel before leaving the UK
Like on all trips, everything didn’t go exactly to plan. Although our cars were all supposed to be on the same train (and even expected to be behind each other on the same carriage), things worked out such that Lana, our trusty Vauxhall Astra, ended up on a train that left 15 minutes before everyone else. The train journey itself was pretty uneventful – the most exciting thing that happened was this photo taken by Nik, which made the train compartment look like a piece of 24th century technology from Star Trek.
After pulling up at the Total petrol station, where I fitted the requisite “beam benders” to our headlights, we linked up with the rest of our convoy and set off on our French motorway safari! For Jini & Yung (in Arctic, their new MX5) and Sandra & Cindy (in Hansum, Sandra’s new Audi A4 convertible), the French motorways and its correspondingly higher speed limits provided a fantastic respite from cluttered London roads. Needless, to say, the tops on their cars soon came down and with Jini fastening an Audrey Hepburn type scarf around her head (and blowing kisses into the wind), they were off leading the way. Nik, Karen and myself (sans scarf) admirably managed to keep up in our support car, which simply was not meant to traverse motorways at speeds greater than 100mph!
Our travelling companions in the distance...
In our car, we passed the time by giving Karen - who amazingly does not listen to music, a bit of a musical education. As she was heading to the Hard Rock Calling concert this Saturday (which Nik and I had to pull out of *sob*), we thought she would benefit by familiarising herself with John Mayer classics like Your Body is a Wonderland and Why Georgia. However, while in France, one surely must listen to something French, non? Out came Pink Martini’s Symphatique, and we were humming and bopping away as the endless French fields rolled by…
Our first major port of call was Epernay, where the famous Moet & Chandon champagne originates. But before any indulgence in sparkling grape juice could begin, we needed to fill our stomachs with some fine French food. We stopped off at a local French restaurant chosen by Jini (thank God for her immaculate and detailed research), where our 2-day food and drink indulgence really kicked off!
Yung and Jini at our first French food pit-stop
Karen, who speaks 5 languages, made the rest of us look on in awe as she expertly discussed the food with our waitress in perfect French. It was a good thing too, otherwise we may very well have ended up eating cows testicles instead of foie gras and steak. It was without doubt a wonderful first meal of the trip – I had a mixed fish cake to start, which was followed by the most amazingly tender beef strips with boulangere potatoes. Who cares whether the cows are mad in France when the meat is so tender!
Dessert!
With our distended stomachs, we then took a slow stroll over to the Moet & Chandon Champagne house. The cellars were simply amazing. I personally found it incredible that 300 years ago, people actually bothered to carve out an underground cellar for the sole purpose of keeping alcohol. Glad to know that they got their priorities right! But apparently, Monsieur Moet was a close personal friend of Napoleon Bonaparte - no doubt because Moet provided an endless supply of booze, so I guess all the effort must have been worth it.
Hmmm, are we at the right place?
How would we live without the talents of Monsieur Perignon?!
Yung and I waiting with anticipation...
Blue skies at the M&C chateau
The tour of the cellars was great fun. Yung and I decided that the tour guide was getting off too easy as no one was testing her knowledge of the champagne making process. Despite our many probing questions that delved into physics and chemistry, the lady held up incredibly well, and even managed good comic timing in her answers. Between our questions and our stupid wisecrack alcoholic jokes, she probably hated us by the end of it!
Waiting at the entrance of the cellars...
Despite our messing around, I did find the tour very educational. The grapes are picked by hand each year (as machine picking may damage the produce), with the grapes from each specific vineyard kept separate from its other counterparts. Once this arduous task is completed, the grapes are pressed (by machine, not by feet!) and left to create wine. The wine from each of the different types of grape is then combined to create a unique blend that “holds true to the values of Moet & Chandon” (the quoted bits were taken verbatim from the silly corporate video that the guide made us watch – Yech!). After the wine has been created, yeast is added, which then causes the mixture to effervesce, creating the bubbles that we get in champagne. Somehow, the stuff tasted better after learning that each bottle of champers takes years of manual commitment to make.
A half-marathon worth of bottles!
Yung's alcohol alotment for the night...
Does the moss make the champers taste better?
Looks like something out of Area 51...
Upon the conclusion of the tour, we were whisked into a reception area where we were laden with champagne. This was the part that everyone was eagerly looking forward to (sans moi, since I don’t drink). After a few glasses of bubbly (with Jini downing her last 2 flutes), Nik started saying “semi-dec” instead of “demi-sec”. I also seem to remember Jini slurring that she wanted to sit on her car, as opposed to in it! It wasn’t surprising that we were the last ones to leave the drinking room - Nik had to be physically pried away from her large bottle!
Slightly sloshed...
More sloshed...
No! Dont leave me...
Jini, having gotten pretty wasted on the bubbly, was kicked out of her new MX5 by Yung (no doubt, to guard against the risk that she might puke in the car) and dumped in the backseat of our car. She was out like a light shortly after we pulled out of the carpark – clearly nothing was going to wake her up after all the champers (and it was barely even 4pm in the afternoon!)
We pulled into our hotel in Reims (the capital of the Champagne region), where a nice cold shower and a short nap became the priority before dinner, which was expected to be another spectacular experience!
(To be continued)
The trek down to the Channel Tunnel at Folkestone took just over an hour. Of course, Yung, our resident London Black Cab driver somehow managed to find a shortcut (on an expressway, no less!) to make it there about 15 minutes ahead of everyone. No doubt, the enthusiasm of testing out Arctic, his new MX5 added at least 10 miles per hour to his average road speed! After checking in, we all converged at Burger King before boarding the train, where early morning bacon butties and hash browns provided needed nourishment for the likely arduous (and tipsy!) journey ahead.
The Fellowship getting Burger King fuel before leaving the UK
Like on all trips, everything didn’t go exactly to plan. Although our cars were all supposed to be on the same train (and even expected to be behind each other on the same carriage), things worked out such that Lana, our trusty Vauxhall Astra, ended up on a train that left 15 minutes before everyone else. The train journey itself was pretty uneventful – the most exciting thing that happened was this photo taken by Nik, which made the train compartment look like a piece of 24th century technology from Star Trek.
After pulling up at the Total petrol station, where I fitted the requisite “beam benders” to our headlights, we linked up with the rest of our convoy and set off on our French motorway safari! For Jini & Yung (in Arctic, their new MX5) and Sandra & Cindy (in Hansum, Sandra’s new Audi A4 convertible), the French motorways and its correspondingly higher speed limits provided a fantastic respite from cluttered London roads. Needless, to say, the tops on their cars soon came down and with Jini fastening an Audrey Hepburn type scarf around her head (and blowing kisses into the wind), they were off leading the way. Nik, Karen and myself (sans scarf) admirably managed to keep up in our support car, which simply was not meant to traverse motorways at speeds greater than 100mph!
Our travelling companions in the distance...
In our car, we passed the time by giving Karen - who amazingly does not listen to music, a bit of a musical education. As she was heading to the Hard Rock Calling concert this Saturday (which Nik and I had to pull out of *sob*), we thought she would benefit by familiarising herself with John Mayer classics like Your Body is a Wonderland and Why Georgia. However, while in France, one surely must listen to something French, non? Out came Pink Martini’s Symphatique, and we were humming and bopping away as the endless French fields rolled by…
Our first major port of call was Epernay, where the famous Moet & Chandon champagne originates. But before any indulgence in sparkling grape juice could begin, we needed to fill our stomachs with some fine French food. We stopped off at a local French restaurant chosen by Jini (thank God for her immaculate and detailed research), where our 2-day food and drink indulgence really kicked off!
Yung and Jini at our first French food pit-stop
Karen, who speaks 5 languages, made the rest of us look on in awe as she expertly discussed the food with our waitress in perfect French. It was a good thing too, otherwise we may very well have ended up eating cows testicles instead of foie gras and steak. It was without doubt a wonderful first meal of the trip – I had a mixed fish cake to start, which was followed by the most amazingly tender beef strips with boulangere potatoes. Who cares whether the cows are mad in France when the meat is so tender!
Dessert!
With our distended stomachs, we then took a slow stroll over to the Moet & Chandon Champagne house. The cellars were simply amazing. I personally found it incredible that 300 years ago, people actually bothered to carve out an underground cellar for the sole purpose of keeping alcohol. Glad to know that they got their priorities right! But apparently, Monsieur Moet was a close personal friend of Napoleon Bonaparte - no doubt because Moet provided an endless supply of booze, so I guess all the effort must have been worth it.
Hmmm, are we at the right place?
How would we live without the talents of Monsieur Perignon?!
Yung and I waiting with anticipation...
Blue skies at the M&C chateau
The tour of the cellars was great fun. Yung and I decided that the tour guide was getting off too easy as no one was testing her knowledge of the champagne making process. Despite our many probing questions that delved into physics and chemistry, the lady held up incredibly well, and even managed good comic timing in her answers. Between our questions and our stupid wisecrack alcoholic jokes, she probably hated us by the end of it!
Waiting at the entrance of the cellars...
Despite our messing around, I did find the tour very educational. The grapes are picked by hand each year (as machine picking may damage the produce), with the grapes from each specific vineyard kept separate from its other counterparts. Once this arduous task is completed, the grapes are pressed (by machine, not by feet!) and left to create wine. The wine from each of the different types of grape is then combined to create a unique blend that “holds true to the values of Moet & Chandon” (the quoted bits were taken verbatim from the silly corporate video that the guide made us watch – Yech!). After the wine has been created, yeast is added, which then causes the mixture to effervesce, creating the bubbles that we get in champagne. Somehow, the stuff tasted better after learning that each bottle of champers takes years of manual commitment to make.
A half-marathon worth of bottles!
Yung's alcohol alotment for the night...
Does the moss make the champers taste better?
Looks like something out of Area 51...
Upon the conclusion of the tour, we were whisked into a reception area where we were laden with champagne. This was the part that everyone was eagerly looking forward to (sans moi, since I don’t drink). After a few glasses of bubbly (with Jini downing her last 2 flutes), Nik started saying “semi-dec” instead of “demi-sec”. I also seem to remember Jini slurring that she wanted to sit on her car, as opposed to in it! It wasn’t surprising that we were the last ones to leave the drinking room - Nik had to be physically pried away from her large bottle!
Slightly sloshed...
More sloshed...
No! Dont leave me...
Jini, having gotten pretty wasted on the bubbly, was kicked out of her new MX5 by Yung (no doubt, to guard against the risk that she might puke in the car) and dumped in the backseat of our car. She was out like a light shortly after we pulled out of the carpark – clearly nothing was going to wake her up after all the champers (and it was barely even 4pm in the afternoon!)
We pulled into our hotel in Reims (the capital of the Champagne region), where a nice cold shower and a short nap became the priority before dinner, which was expected to be another spectacular experience!
(To be continued)
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