Lunch with A Team

Hi friends,

I had lunch with the great A team.Just like their initials,they are all A class fun to be with.

The venue is my favourite Orange Tree in Chadwick End. It was packed with happy people who were having Mother’s Day meal with families.

This is their signature, Hippi Burger. It is a vegetarian menu and unlike a normal bean burger, it contains edamame.

Shredded beef salad.

Pizza Aristo.

And fish cakes.

And off course, pudding!!

AH and I ordered Foundant Au Chocolat et Crème Glacée.

My favourite friend MK commented the other day that he thinks women are more durable than men, as our bodies are made of Titanium and Chocolates. Mine is bit more chocolatey, as I am sweet.

OMG, what a flirt! Sadly, not many men flirt with me like this in these days....

My A team is as precious as MK’s flirting. As well as women’s normal topic on fashions, holidays and family life, we discussed and even debated from Eddie Stobart to HS2. It sounds like we are a bunch of transport geeks. It was not quite like that, but more in line with demographic shift and how our future life would be affected.…Gosh, how intellectual we may sound!

I just adore them all. They are my great laugh and inspiration. Such fun to be with.

My great thanks for your friendship, AM, AH and AC.

  raly with the great A team.

Oriental Beauty Tea & Ginger Hand Cream

Hi friends,

My breakfast this morning. This is the best I could do out of my almost empty fridge.

You might have noticed that my tea was not green this morning. It was brown.

This is the presie from my friend who recently traveled Taiwan. 

It is called Oriental Beauty Tea. What a name! Lol.

She also sent this to me, Ginger Hand Cream.

Tea and hand cream….what a combination. It is spot on!

Thank you very much for thinking of me and taking your time to send them. My big thanks and hug & kiss. xxx

It has to be CHANEL, darlings.

Hi friends,

I had a terrible accident few weeks ago and ended up at A&E in Warwick Hospital (again).

There was a consultant who looks like the actor, Martin Shaw if you like that sort, but there was not my adorable Dr R. Damn, what is the point of going there without him?

Well, the point is, I had 2 X-rays, one on my foot and another one on my chest. As I had concussion, they gave me an injection on my bun to ease off the symptoms I was suffering after the accident.

Since this year has started, I have been suffering from ill health and I am in desperate need of something better than chocolates to cheer me up. Therefore, ladies, what do I need to raise my heart beat?

It has to be CHANEL.

(Must say in capital ;-p)

Coco Shine No.70 Sourire.

Ever since it was introduced, Coco Shine is my number 1 rouge. I love their understated glossiness. At the tender age of 40 and bit more….OK, and a lot more, I do not use gloss as much as I used to. This is just appropriate for me. Some people are still mad about making their lips plump and glossy without thinking about the balance. Imagine, my dear ladies, a face losing its firmness and showing the sign of aging everywhere but lips are very plump and glossy. Isn’t it bizarre or almost worrying, being so out of proportion?

My another investment is this.

Poudre Libre Fini Naturel No.20 Clair.

This is translucent loose powder which gives you more sophisticated “finishing touch” when you want radiance. This is divine.

My dear ladies at the Chanel counter gave me these freebies – eye cream and puffs.

Whenever I go to the Chanel counter, the ladies make me laugh. I went there yesterday. I think it was about 16:00 and they looked so busy handling some customers. When they got time for me, one of the ladies said,

“Oh darling, we don’t look like Chanel today, do we?”

I just adore people like her. It must have been a long busy day for them and I cannot blame them for looking totally knackered. They cannot always be their prim selves. Even Chanel ladies sometimes look worn out. Yet, they still can laugh taking Micky out of it.

I simply love people who can laugh about themselves. They know it will keep the quality in life, just like my beloved Coco Shine…

Chilli Wrap Breakfast

Hi friends,

I often buy pork mince as they are cheap and nutritious. You have to be careful as all meats can be high in cholesterol. However, as well as good protein, it is a great source of Vitamin B12 and Iron. Vitamin B12 is vital Vitamin for brain and nervous system. If you are lack of it, you experience fatigue, depression and poor memory.

Today’s breakfast – Chiili Wrap.

Blue Berry Yoghurt and Acai Berry Powder.

I like wrapping it up with Avocado and Lettuce.

Avocado is rich in Vitamin E. Although you may not keen on that greasy texture, it is great for your skin. When it is wrapped like this, you would not notice much.

Only problem of this breakfast is, you end up with more than you need and have to keep eating it if you live on your own. I will take it to work with rice tomorrow. Pork mince is £3 or less for 500g. I prefer black beans than kidney beans. Even organic, it is less than 99p and sweet corn and chopped tomatoes are again cheap, no more than 60p. I added an onion, too.

I have a jar of cumin and other ingredients to add flavour, but if you don’t, just get a yellow sachet of Old El Paso which is available from any major super markets. Then, easy and cheap yet nutritious meal is ready for you.

Max Mara's Skirt

Hi friends,

I went to Bicester Village and bought this. Max Mara’s skirt.

It has been ages that I spend 3 digits on a skirt. This can be nice with a silk blouse. I prefer to wear something simple all over but with one bold statement.  

Max Mara is always my favourite brand. It is easy to combine with any of my clothes and good for work.

There is an outlet shop in Bicester Village.

http://www.bicestervillage.com/en/home/home

Coconut Water

Hi friends,

This is my latest craze. Followed by Kale, it is Coconut Water.

Yet again, when it comes to Juno’s craze, there are reasons around anti-aging.

• Low calorie and virtually fat free
• Good source of Vitamin C, Riboflavin and Calcium,
• Very good source of Dietary Fibre, Magnesium, Potassium and Manganese

As it is very hydrating, it is good for hangover and great for your skin, too. However, as it contains sugar, you have to be careful with the sugar intake. Obviously, It is much better than those can of pops or chocolate bars though.

It is available at major supermarket and costs £3.50 or less.

Crusty Onion Loaf

Hi friends,

I like Sainsbury’s in-store baked onion bagels but recently, I found this at Tesco. Crusty Onion loaf.

Although people do not like smells, onions are one of the healthiest vegetables, easy to get anytime of the year and relatively low cost. Onions’ benefits are;

• Vitamin C and it contains B6 and E, too.
• Chromium which assists in regulating blood sugar
• Reducing inflammation
• Quercetin  which is known to prevent cancer

This loaf is much nicer when toasted.  

Alexis the Mighty Bitch in a Supermarket

Hi friends,

There is someone in the engineering department who thinks I am the biggest fashion victim in his acquaintance. Well, in reality, I am Alexis the Mighty Bitch in a Supermarket.

My favourite designer’s black skirt…………it is actually from Asda and cost me £5. 

But it looks OK, doesn’t it?

This dress is from Sainsbury’s.

And the trousers suits from Sainsbury’s.

What a cheap fashion victim is that? Lol.

There are some ladies who come to the office in Emilio Pucci and Jimmy Choo. Sadly, my Louis Vuitton and Salvatore Ferragamo days are long distant memories now and I spend more on petrol than anything in these days…

Daffodils and Lunch

Hi friends,

At work, I get lots of sales calls. It is nothing unusual but there was one particularly annoying and unpleasant call and I had to count 10 to put up with the caller’s condescending manner. He talked endlessly and did not give me a chance to tell him that what he was trying to sell me is nothing to do with what our company is doing. At the end, I just had to hang up the call. Yes, it is rude and so unusual of me, but what can I do with such a man?

When my desk phone rang, I said “hello?” and that is nothing out of ordinary when you answer incoming calls, isn’t it? There was silence. Off course I say “hello, is anyone there?” After 10 or 20 seconds of silence, there was a man saying,

“Oh, you are woman”

…..it is hardly a good start if you want to sell something, isn’t it? We are in the 21^st century and it is not a crime for women to handle commodities beyond handbags and shoes.

As all my friends and colleagues know, I love German accent and it is the one which sounds most familiar and pleasant to me because of my good old days in Düsseldorf. However, when a German person is trying to be Lloyd Grossman, it never works brilliantly in England.  

To cheer me up, I bought a bunch of daffodils after work and put them on the windowsill. Daffodils are simply delightful this time of the year.

Some people around me have given up chocolates, alcohol and other guilty pleasures for Lent. Well, good luck to those who chose to suffer until Easter.

I am actually suffering as well. Not for lent but for the damn exam! This time, I am preparing myself for the topic called “Supply Chain Diligence”…..whatever it is.

It is such a broad subject and covers from employment law to International Trade. The course book is nearly 300 pages long. The topic itself is OK with me, as commercial laws and legislations are the areas I normally perform better. However, I am struggling to get it “right”. It is the final year and we are expected to show certain degree of understanding and depth of knowledge by now. The questions in the past papers seem fairly simple and I think that is the trap set out for the final year. Oh God, what a twisted person I have become.

It requires skills to develop the discussion at academic and professional level out of something so simple. What for? To gain grand façade and create advantage in any negotiations. It is almost con artist’s do. Avoid professional buyers at any cost. Nowadays, we are converting ourselves into someone very unenjoyable to talk with. Lol.

So, something bit simpler to enjoy. My lunch yesterday.

Made a sauce with brown sauce, ketchup, white whine and sesame paste. Yummm….

Wishing you nice spring days ahead. 

Tri-colour rice bowl breakfast

Hi friends,

The weather has been quite pleasant this week in Warwickshire. It is a welcome change from the stormy days we had since the last year.

My breakfast this morning. Tri-colour rice bowl and a cup of lovely green tea.

Green tea is the one of the things I cannot live without. There are lots of fake things available in supermarkets in these days. However my dear ladies and gentlemen, I have to repeat myself. If it is brownish yellow tea, it is not green tea. As it is already oxidised, you cannot expect much benefits from it. Besides, it tastes disgusting.  

Green tea must be green!

My lovely friend M sent these the other day. Thank you, M. I owe you one!

Wishing you all a fabulous day. (Don’t forget UV cream as it is unusually sunny today for England!)

Juno's Latest Craze

Hi friends,

Majority of you know what I am doing for living, so please do not scream when you found out what  I bought yesterday….

I was in the desperate need for a 4WD vehicle due to the weather, the area I live and the distance I travel.

This is the inside of the car. Bit funky, isn’t it? 

Girls' Day Breakfast

Hi friends,

3^rd of March is Girls’ day in Japan and my lovely young Japanese friend sent this to me. Bless her and her daughter.

It is actually called Hinamatsuri and please refer to the following link, if you are interested.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinamatsuri

My Hinamatsuri breakfast this morning.

This black plate is actually a plastic tray which came with frozen finger foods from Sainsbury’s. It looks bit Japanesey, doesn’t it?

When I recall or looking around myself, I feel so blessed that I am surrounded by my favourite things and also things my favourite people chose and sent to me. Also I love the way how I live now. Although I have been ridiculously busy during weekdays, when I am at home, I have quiet tranquil time. My home gives me moment to thank my friends and my life and that is priceless to me.

God bless you all. Enjoy the rest of Sunday and….

HAPPY GIRLS’ DAY!!

Make a wish, it is new moon today!

Hi friends,

It is new moon today. It is said that when the moon enters the new phase, it is the best timing to start something or do affirmation.

The affirmation has to be positive and each sentence must start with “I” not anyone but yourself. It is about what you wish for your life and what you are going to do about yourself.

As you know, I am a weirdo, so I keep the record of my affirmations in the past months. Shockingly, the things I wished for myself last year have already become true.

I give it a try if it costs me nothing, and comes without any pain. That’s my policy. Unless otherwise, you declare your eccentric behaviour, such as by uploading a post on your blog, no one notice how peculiar you are.

Me? I thought you already knew…..lol

Another thing is, this is the little crystal tortoise I recently keep in my handbag. In oriental mythology, there are 4 sacred animals, namely Suzaku (red sparrow, not phenix), Byakko (white tiger), Seiryu (blue dragon) and Genbu (black tortoise).

Genbu is the guardian of the North and often illustrated as a big tortoise with snake’s tail. It is said to be a shift shaper and becomes a tall black haired man with divine beauty in black clothing. It symbolises wisdom and protection from evil or negative vibes.

Nope, I am not expecting a beautiful shapeshifter with black hair. Although I have a gigantic soft spot for men with dark hair, I prefer human and stick to that taste. Thanks.