Back in London - 27 July 2008
My cousin Jules and family had left that morning for two weeks’ sailing in Turkey and I had been entrusted with their beautiful home and two cats! What a very fortunate coincidence for me.
Suzi and I went out in the evening to find somewhere to have dinner and opted for an Italian restaurant. It was a mistake! They had absolutely no idea how to cook! Suzi ordered garlic bread which turned out to be tomato pizza!! I ordered melon and fruit salad which turned out to be a quarter of melon with a slice of tinned pineapple on top. The rest of the meal continued in the same vein and we won’t be going there again!
Jules’ nephew and my cousin once removed, Jo, is living in London at the moment while he completes a year working for Treasury before returning to Bath University for his final year of a degree in economics. I was very surprised one evening to return home to be asked what I thought of the Kiwi Saver scheme. One of his projects at Treasury is to compare superannuation schemes throughout the world and he’d happened upon Kiwi Saver that day!
And so I passed a lovely week and on the Thursday went back to Kate’s for two days of nanny duties. On the Friday I took the girls back to Ealing via the Chinese Embassy in Regents Park. This was a very frustrating experience! I’d tried to get a Visa in New Zealand before I left but you can’t apply for a visa for China earlier than 3 months before you arrive there. I spent a long time on the net, downloading the correct application forms, collecting the correct documents and return envelope to complete the deal. However, when the three of us turned up at the Embassy we were told to go to the High Commission further down the road, and when we got there we were told we couldn’t be seen unless I had an appointment. I didn’t see anything on the web that told me that and it didn’t help when the official adamantly refused us entry and told me I could go to another venue by bus where I could be seen. With two tinies, I decided to defer the experience to the next time I’m in London. I imagine that the Olympics had something to do with it!!
In the event, we hurried to Ealing so that the girls could enjoy the cats, the trampoline, padder tennis and the sprinkler if it got hot. And Tyla could play music on Luke’s mini piano to lull Tabs to sleep!
We had a lovely day together and in the evening Kate and Bret came over in the car. The traffic had been light so there was still plenty of daylight for Kate to play hockey with the girls and for Bret to play padder tennis.
And then we all had dinner together before they drove home again and took my little charges with them!