The official number 1 of Project 52 (though we're actually in Week 2). Sydney: Summer Weekday Mornings. London: Winter Weekday Evenings.

"A pretty low-key birthday for Andrew this year. (He says you should stop making a big deal out of your birthday after you turn 11. So I guess low-key is right for Andrew.) We went to one of our local haunts for dinner. His birthday cake was a plate of Nyonya Kuih, a traditional Malaysian dessert. I guess I'd compare them to little jellies, though they are a firmer consistency than Australian Jelly. They are often coconut flavoured (big plus!) and I love the smooth, jelly texture. Asian desserts are a whole lot different to the cakes and pastries that I grew up with. They took a little getting used to but now I'm a big fan."




Check out Sue's day at noodlebowl.net and her photos on Flickr.

Today Andrew turned 34. Happy Birthday Andrew!

To celebrate his birthday, on Sunday, we had a little gathering at our local pub where we consumed. We ate roast beef, roast potatoes and drank a few pints of Christmas Ale. For a birthday cake, I baked Andrew a Cherry Ripe Mud Cake using cherry ripes imported from Australia, flown specially in business class. It was a very decadent cake and even those with the sweetest of teeth could only manage a very small slice. I'll be posting the recipe here in a few days.

For a birthday breakfast, I took Andrew out to Fernandez and Wells. A cafe in Soho chosen for the fact that they serve Monmouth coffee and can make a flat white. We both ate a ham and cheese croissant while we read the papers. It was very relaxing and a lovely start to the working day. Next time I'm definitely ordering the porridge.

This morning, after I said Happy Birthday to Andrew, I pointed out the fact that he is no longer in his early 30s. He is now in his mid-30s. You might think this is mean, but he will give as good as he gets when it's my turn.

During November, Sue and I tried out a "girl project". We named it "Half a World Away - Days vs Nights". Twice a week, at a nominated time, Sue and I would take a photo that best represented our lives at that moment. The idea was that we would post these photos next to each other on our blogs and there would be some interesting juxtaposition: London vs Sydney, days vs nights, Winter vs Summer.

We had such a fun time that we decided that we'd try to continue the project in 2009. We're going to aim for once a week now so it's our own Project 52.

While I was in Sydney, Sue and I thought it would be funny to start the new project with a photo. Of course, we were both in the same place at the same time, so not really any juxtaposition there (but definitely a few giggles.)




Look out for Project 52. Hope you enjoy it!

Not really the 5th Day of Christmas, but our 5th Christmas celebration. The Brisvegas Wilsons made a special trip to Sydney to catch up with us while we were in Australia. Aren't we lucky? It meant that the Wilsons could have a proper Christmas celebration with all the family there (with a special guest appearance from the Ezzys).

It also means that I can now devote some blog real estate to our nephew Isaac. Poor Isaac gets neglected a little bit on here because he lives so far away. We actually haven't seen him since he was 6 weeks old, so you can imagine that he's grown quite a bit. He looks a little bit like a cherub with his beautiful curly hair and his chubby cheeks. Of course, he's not an angel; he's a little boy. The only time he was still was when he was asleep. He loves to climb, and run, and jump, and climb and run... yes, like I said, a little boy.





More photos on Flickr.

Our review for 2008; relatively on time this year. The travelling continues for the Wilsons. It is the main reason why we live in England after all.


Cinque Terre, Loch Ness, Slovakia, Slovakia, Latvia, Stirling Castle, Brighton Beach, Battersea, Cordoba, Giant's Causeway, Eiffel Tower, Madrid, Parc Guell, Pemberly, Bruges, The Three Sisters, Clovelly, Norway, Norway, Stonehenge

Mini-breaks:

Salzburg - Austria (Jan, Dubs trip), Norway (Feb, Fugazees), Australia (March, for Em / Goldy Wedding), Latvia / Estonia / Finland (March, Dubs trip), Bruges - Belgium (April, Dubs trip), Spain and Portugal (April, with Mum + Dad), Paris All-nighter (May, Flickr), Ireland (May, with Simon), Switzerland (June, with Simon), Paris Disneyland - France (June, with Karen + Emily), Nice - France (June, Dubs trip), Scotland (August), Slovakia (August, Fugazees), Cinque Terre / Pisa - Italy (October), Australia (December, Davina's 30th)

Blog Highlights:

How to race a pancake...
In Flanders Fields the poppies grow
OzFest2k8
Silent Disco
I like Aeroplane Jelly...
How to play Handicapped Ultimate
Paldiski
Dinner and a show
The Pension
Real men wear skirts
The Orange Smartie Conspiracy Theory
Movember
Half a World Away - Days / Nights
NaBloPoMo 2008

Movies: 13

Favourites of 2008: Kung Fu Panda (4/5), Wall·e (4.5/5), The Dark Knight (4.5/5)

Others:
Juno (3.5/5), 27 Dresses (2.5/5), Ironman (2.5/5), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (3/5), Wanted (3.5/5), The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (3.5/5), The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (1/5), Sex in the City (3.5/5), How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (3/5), The Day the Earth Stood Still (1/5)

Books: 60

Favourite Read of 2008: Fred and Edie - Jill Dawson

Other Picks: Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen, Half of a Yellow Sun - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, The Hours - Michael Cunningham, Twilight - Stephenie Meyer, Nineteen Minutes - Jodi Piccoult, The Constant Princess - Philippa Gregory, Charlotte Gray - Sebastian Faulks, One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The Godfather - Mario Puzo, Everything is Illuminated - Jonathan Safran Foer, People of the Book - Geraldine Brooks

Full list of 60 at ListsofBests.com