I want!!!

I think I've blogged before about how my shopping habits have changed over the years. When it comes to designer clobber I've become a "considered shopper"...by this I mean "An individual who rarely impulse purchases but looks, thinks and if it starts to consume them from within, purchases". Not only does it save you money (kinda) it also means everything in your wardrobe deserves to be there.

Well...I have a wannabe purchase tugging at my heart (and purse) strings...



The unisex tees from brand "5 preview". I've seen this brand before, not really considered it but since seeing a rail in some over trendy HK store, I'm now craving their simplicity, bold prints and tongue in cheek usage of high profile designer logos...in this instance the double C of Chanel.

I want!!!

- Posted (with love) from my gorgeous iPad.

Ovaltine is over rated.

You must be kidding right? After one one week of no jet lag, feeling springy, totally in control of what I'm doing and working with my fabulous team to put a rather fabulous range into work, I am sat awake at about 4am having had very little continuous sleep and well, it feels crap, especially considering I have some denim prices to firm up tomorrow morning.

I'm not putting this down to jet lag, it's been 11 days since I arrived in Hong Kong, its something much more sinister. As those of you who follow me on twitter will be aware, Username: Pauluk1983 if you're interested? (Nothing like shameless plugging) I have the dreaded inflammation of the two red mouth balloons, the hideous white specks have reclaimed my throat...(I think my tonsillitis has come back).

There are many things that I worry about on work trips, that's why they're work trips, that's why they're hard work and not called a holiday. But three of the key things I dread the most are, in no particular order, 1) missing a flight, 2) not being home for a serious family crisis and 3) getting sick...last one: check!

I was so careful! I was sleeping enough, eating healthily, drinking more water than humanly possible. It struck me the other morning, whilst in the shower that it might be something to do with that bloody five element tea I was knocking back in the contemplation room the other day. Fabulous for your gall bladder and eyesight but clearly the rest of your body will shut down. I thought Chinese zen was going to be the new me (well until I get bored and move on to a new fad) I'm not so sure now.

Since coming down with the dreaded plague I've drunk even more water, been taking it easy (as much as a work trip will permit) and ensured that I'm getting enough sleep, popping the pills and avoiding alcohol. Well I did have a vodka and tonic last night, I figured being highly alcoholic, gargling it round the back of my throat might do something? Cleansing or some crap like that? It didn't help really, just made me feel even more light headed, stuck to water for the rest of the night.

I knew it was important to get a full nights sleep. Sooooo, when we got back to the hotel bar for a night cap, much to my teams amusement, I plunged for an Ovaltine. Did it give me crazy dreams? Yes! Did it help me sleep?! Did it tonsils!

Now excuse me, whilst I sniff the lavender pillow strip the kind hotel left me and attempt to nod off. Ovaltine dreams here I come i.e being naked in bed conducting a fabric selection with my directors all sat on chairs around me....no, really!

- Posted (with love) from my gorgeous iPad.

Hello from Honkers!

I'm in Hong Kong again and I've returned to my favourite part of the hotel...The Contemplation Room on the 41st floor. Had quite a late / drunken one last night so following 4 hours of lying in bed watching several Discovery Channel shows on boating and logging (?!) this seemed to be the best place to head to detox and unwind before a late lunch. I'm kinda tempted to have one of the free teas...theres one for each of the five elements...now question is do I really want to drink metal... or earth for that matter? I'm assuming water is the safest bet?

I'm here for two weeks again, one week down with just 4 more days to go. Jet lag hasn't been such a problem this time round. I think I've discovered the best way to overcome it. I've already blogged about the standard things to do like make sure all your clocks, phones and watches are set to the new time which I continue to do...the difference this time I can only put down to the fact that I went out the night before my flight out here. I think I got home about 5am. When on the flight I slept for about 6 hours and then stayed awake until about ten o'clock before going to bed. Somehow I got up the following day for a 9am breakfast having slept right through - result!

I'm not here on my own this time, Ross the other casual menswear Buyer is here too, he's swimming at the moment I think? As did I yesterday...amazing pool, lovely warm water with a view over the city. We're making the most of the down time before the other team join us about 6ish this evening. After lunch I'm going to pop over the road for a spot of retail therapy and then go for a massage...they're so cheap here in comparison to London and so damn good!

One of the Spa staff has just come in and offered me the dreaded tea. it would be rude not to try it, he had a really bad lisp which compelled me to even more. Todays element is "wood"...good for my bladder, gall bladder, eyes, tendons and ligaments, very good for helping my vision (supposedly)...the emotions affected being depression and anger, which is a good job considering, similarly to last time I was here 5 months ago, two loud Chinese women have just come in and disturbed me talking about cameras or something. Now a guy has joined them munching on a frigin ice cream.

Better go now, I'm hungry, a boy can not survive on wood tea alone, I will leave you with my view...


- Posted (with love) from my gorgeous iPad.

Video WOW of the Week!

Britney's new single "Till the World Ends". Not too sure how I feel about Britney predicting the "end of the world" on my Birthday...but I'm hoping by the way she emerges from that old sewer at the end, looks around with that rather gormless smile on her face, that she got it wrong...*phew*.

Video is MUCH better than the last "Hold it against me" gypsy wedding attempt if you ask me. A bit of dancing, bit of a storeline, bravo!

A coffee by any other name would taste like coffee.

Guess where I am?! Haha yup Starbucks...many people (OK, one person) asked me why I haven't blogged about the logo change, well here I am doing just that...because I like to answer my reader(s).

From...


To...


So different huh?

At first I was afraid, I was petrified...how dare they change the logo?! More to the point, Why? What was wrong with the old one? I, of course, did what any one else would do in this moment of uncertainty, this moment of chaos and lack of meaning...I turned to google.

I read a few pages, wow it's got some people hot under the collar. The basis of it, I believe to be, Starbucks wants to be known for it's whole array of products, not just coffee, the last logo had the words "Starbucks Coffee" in it and therefore it, obviously, had to go. Unwanted, tossed out, dead. Now from someone who is known for being a bit of a drama queen...I think Starbucks (do you mind if I call you that?) needs to chill out a little...a rose by any other name would smell as sweet and I guess a coffee is the same right?

I'm a sucker for branding, whack it in a nice box and I'll probably buy it. I like change, I live for it, but come on, this is slightly un-necessary. I was disappointed by the Christmas cups, the new bright green cup holders are equally disappointing...lime green does not cry sophistication, it cries look at me I, erm, I like green (?!)...don't get me started on the new (vile) lollipop cake stick things. Starbucks you are on thin ice...you have been warned.

Oh...and another thing, you going to replace all the china mugs I have at home? They now have the wrong logo on and I feel a little bit like I'm sporting a Walkman when everyone knows it's so last decade...I feel judged.

- Posted (with love) from my gorgeous iPad.

Video WOW of the Week!

Sorry I've not been around, truth is my housemate and I have discovered a game, a splendid game, an addictive game..."mini gay boyfriend". We both have real boyfriends...sure, but this lil version I can turn off, I can take round with me in my man bag and go on holiday with instantly. You start off dating, you then move in with each other, buy a pet, get married and then go on holiday. Download it from ITunes...pay a visit to Studbucks and unlock the secret disco...you're doing it right now aren't you?

- Posted (with love) from my gorgeous iPad.

Operation Move Princess

Tonight is my last night in West Hampstead...OK, OK, Kilburn...Whatever you want to call it, I've lived here for nearly three years and from someone that usually moves every year that's a big deal. That's why, although I'm excited to move, it's also quite hard. I've grown to love it here. I can be on Bond Street in twenty minutes, sat at my desk in the office in the same period of time, it's convenient and well... "nice". Yummy Mummy Hampstead and the parks are a relatively short distance away, the night bus drops me off almost straight outside my flat and if I roll out my bed I'm practically in the Sainsburys over the road. It's become very comfortable.

Why am I moving?...Thank you for asking. Well there's two reasons really. Firstly I think I've out grown my flat...with risk of sounding like a snob, bugger it I don't care, I feel a little student like here and I want a nice new place where the knob doesn't fall off the drawer when the washing machine decides it's going to take off across the kitchen. Secondly, I'm moving in with my mate Rich who needs a flatmate for the next three months whilst our friend Laura goes away on a trek around the world. I'm moving to Stratford area, well Pudding Mill Lane or it might be Mile End...I don't really know what the area is called to be honest, anyway it's got a balcony and a lift which by my standards cries young gay, professional sufficiently enough.

I'm sat here on my bedroom floor where my bed used to be with my belongings packed up around me. I hate packing for trips and tend to do it either a) drunk, b) at the very last minute or c) both. This time I've been very organised, booked the day off work and called in some help. My Mum and Sister have just left (thanks again if you're reading) and my Dad and boyfriend are on their way round to help me with the dismantling of the big stuff.

"Operation Move Princess" commences tomorrow morning at 0900 hours when we collect the street van. Don't ask about the mission name...my mates (and now family) have called me Princess since a certain run in with a certain camp doorman at a certain gay bar in Devon. Unfortunately it's stuck.

First trip tomorrow morning is to drive to my boyfriend, Tim's flat in Crawley to drop off my larger bits of furniture that I'm not taking to Stratford / Pudding Mill....let's just call it East London. After that its back here to load up my boxed life and whizz it over to East London, then back over to West Hampstead to drop the van off...where I will do my "Mission Complete" dance. Well not quite complete, I have to come back to this flat to clean it on Sunday. I bet you can imagine just how thrilled I am to do that! In fact I'm willing to pay someone to do it for me. Why didn't I think of this before?

As the last few hours tick by...I want to say Kilburn it's been fun but we must part company for a while. I promise to visit regularly, if only to visit the Milkshake bar up the road which only just gave me a loyalty card this week or to the Starbucks where I visited every weekend, I don't think there's one near me in the new place...there's a McDonalds though...that's just as nice right?! *sobs*. Only joking...bring on the new chapter, me in the East London hood! Booyakasha!

- Posted (with love) from my gorgeous iPad.