A very brief one, just to say that I'm safe and sound in Toronto, work is going well so far, big event today so will see how that goes - and then going to Niagra Falls tomorrow, so that will be very good. What will not be very good though is going into work straight from the plane on Thursday morning, but nevermind!
More when my body has finally worked out which time zone it needs to be in ie London from Thursday please!
about caught up with the jet lag. Need to get back on track before going to Canada, and therefore going the other way around the time zones, on Saturday.
Our internet has been playing up, so pictures not quite yet ready, but hopefully before the end of this evening they will be in the usual place.
More on my return from Canada... or whilst I'm there if I get chance!
So. I'm in the amazingly (a frequently occurring word on here lately it seems) plush Business Class lounge at Bali Airport, politely refusing all the rather nice looking food they are trying to offer me, having in mind that I am going to be fed three three course meals (supper, dinner and then breakfast) over the course of my trek home - which from this point on will take 18 and a half hours - although it's 6.30 pm here and I'll land in London at 6am local time, so that's seriously going to mess with my body clock (and then I'm going straight to work... zzz). I'm a bit worried about what state I will be in by the time I've been in London for a few days and then been to Canada and back... but bridges crossing and all that.
I'm kind of ready to come home, but at the same time would also like to stay here infinitely. I've reached the point where I'm quite relaxed, have caught up on some sleep, and have confirmed that (although I've missed people, and one person in particular, a lot) I'm quite happy with my own company for 6 days. I can't help but feel that in order to relax completely, I need to be away from work for about three weeks, maybe more. I've not had a holiday that long since I was 17. But, hopefully this break has been enough to rejuvenate those slightly weary batteries to get me through the next stretch at work... and then my trip to New Zealand, Thailand and Cambodia at Christmas can do the same... and then ditto for a trip to Italy at Easter. Such bunny hops around the world are fantastic, but one day (perhaps at the culmination of this current job) I think they need to lead to a three to four week complete break.
I think I can confidently say now that I've fulfilled at least one of my New Year's resolutions - to travel more. Big tick.
I've also managed to read a lot on this trip too. I finished two books I'd already started: The Notebook Dress - excellent, I want to know what happens next, when is part two out Al?!; and The Return of the King - not so excellent. Sorry in advance to all LOTR devotees, but my verdict is boring: It takes three sentences in the middle of book 6 for the Ring, the whole point of the epic three volume novel, to be destroyed when Gollum falls into a firey hole, three paragraphs for the King to be restored, and then a hundred pages for them all to get home and live happily ever after!!! I am however glad that I read it. I can tick the book which is at the top of the BBC Big Read list I'm slowly ploughing my way through, and it is kind of a book that everyone should have read - but I can't help but agree with my Mum's theory that the films are a major factor as to why it is at the top, rather than because all those people who voted for it have actually read the book.
I've also finished Memoir of a Geisha, which I found fell into the unputdownable category - so an ideal holiday book. Very very good, although the ending was a bit predictable. I've nearly finished (and expect to do so on the plane) On Beauty, which I'm galloping through - also very very good. I'm impressed with the small observations in it, which is exactly what the critics said when she (Zadie Smith) was awarded the Orange Pize and shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Should that run out on the plane, I'll be on to Roald Dahl's Boy and Going Solo - because I've not read them for ages, they were on sale in Singapore Airport, and were a worthy purchase in exchange for some left over Singapore Dollars.
Anyway, back to the original point of this post - I'm shortly going to leave Bali. It is also an amazing place. All three of the places I've been to on my first visit to Asia are. The hotel I stayed in in Sanur, Bali, was right on the beach front, and I've done very little for the past few days other than wander round the beach and the pool, read, and soak up the sun (with the aid of a large quantity of sunscreen). My room, an individual bungalow with an outside shower, private sun terrace, and four poster bed, was extremely comfortable and deserved to be shared with someone.
As I'm leaving, I'm resolving that I will definitely come back to Bali sometime, hopefully in the not to distant future. Because I was focussing on not doing very much, I didn't do any trips to the volcanos, rice terraces, or Ubud, the artist's area. I've chalked them up to do on a return visit.
So, my thoughts turn to returning to work. So much to do, and so little time - but at least I can approach it all with a slightly clearer head now.
In other parts of the world - congratulations to Steve and Sally, who have just exchanged on their new house and will be moving tomorrow - looking forward to seeing it, and sorry I can't be there to help - although you're probably grateful for that because there would probably be more accidents!
If Singapore was amazing, then this place is out of this world. It's like a private topical paradise... private beach, amazing food, fantastic room, wonderful weather... I'm running out of words to describe it.
Suffice to say I am a very very happy Kate today.
I'm off for dinner... I'm going to have the catch of the day, because I watched the man catch it earlier, standing in the sea just offshore from the hotel. And then I'm going to go to the candlelight bar, and drink a Macallan 12 Year in honour of a very special man.
