Sunday, August 24, 2008

London rocks!

I’m sitting on the sofa at my in-laws watching the end of Olympics party, televised live from London. Having said yet more good byes to visiting family today, all this national celebration and patriotism is making me quite emotional. Remembering what I love about Britain, wondering where on earth in the world we will be in 2012 and hearing Jemima say today: “We’ve been here rather a long time now haven’t we? Isn’t it time to go back to Cambodia now?”… Well, it does make me wonder what a simple life would be like - one where we know where home is and we live there.

Anyway the reason I am finally blogging again (been busy catching up with family and friends, sorry) is because Bella is asleep, Jemima is out somewhere with her cousins, dressed as a fairy and high on birthday cake (early b’day party so she could share it with family) and, well I just feel like joining in the ‘celebrate London’ fest.

Because it is a totally brilliant city, let’s face it. On our first day in the country we were invited to a public peace meditation in our old stomping ground, Brockwell park, complete with crystals, drums, and words of wisdom, mediated through participants, from various spirit guides; Jemima was mesmorised by a woman with dreadlocks that reached down to the ground, and we all had a good chat with a jolly old man who was sitting on the street terrace of a smart restaurant, sharing a quiet drink with his South American macaw. It was perched merrily on his shoulder, huge, rare and colourful. What a welcome.

The day after that we came across a bunch of students having a jumble sale outside their shared house – 18 of them lived there, in 16 rooms. They offered us tea and biscuits and we sat and listened to them practicing for their upcoming busking tour around Eastern Europe. They promised to remember Jemima and play Happy Birthday for her on her birthday. And so it went on. The parks and playgrounds are amazing, the people are truly weird and wonderful (we spent a lot of time in Peckham in the middle of the day in the middle of the week…) and best of all, they come from all corners of the world. Love it.

Oh, gotta go, Bella's up. Not much else to say anyway really ... the rest of our holiday has been much more rural, very lovely, bloody cold, and will be all over a week today. We are looking forward to coming ‘home’ to Cambodia. Bella is now walking (so sweet) and … sleeping through the night! I did not believe it either, but that is another story, to be blogged about soon. All I will say is: no sleep training involved. Hooray! All those sleepless nights were worth it… Back soon.

6 comments:

Raúl said...

me gusta tu blog mucho te visito todos los dias visita el mio y deja un comentario de si t gusto o no y si quieres nos enlazamos los blogs

KATYA ROGERS said...

ohmigod - please blog about bella sleeping through the night with no sleep-training. Louie (13months) sleeps with us and is eating so much at night that every day I LITERALLY wake up thinner than when I went to sleep. I'm so committed to not weaning, not sleep-training, continuing co-sleeping till he's ready for his own bed...but I think I'm losing my mind to tiredness. I'm in a mum's group who are all rigid cry-it-out advocates and they think I've "made a rod for my own back" etc. I think I just need some reassurance and I've been reading your blog for so long I feel like I know you (though I kind of do since your friend Tara is friends with my sister-in-law Karen who lives in bangkok). lotsa love,
kat

Anonymous said...

Makin' me jealous... but can't wait to have you back on the blog and nearish to my neck of the woods soon! T xxxx

Georgie said...

Hola Raul! Gracias para tu mensaje - voy a visitar tu blog ahora! Que bueno tener un espanol (? o latino? voy a ver!) leer mi blog! Xxx

Georgie said...

Kat I am so sorry only just seen this comment for some reason it was not emailed to me! Anyway I feel for you and have blogged so go read it. It is so hard and feels lonely at times when with cry-it-out advocates... but have courage. We know we are right and they are wrong! There is all the evidence to show it. Ha ha, when Louie sleeps through you can email them all saying so and casually attach a copy of Paul McKenna's research about the effects of crying it out on the end of the email :-)))xxxx

Anonymous said...

Ahh - we're just back 'home' to Bangkok too, after a trip back 'home' to the UK for a month. It's such a catch 22, I spent the whole time lapping up grandparents/friends/baby yoga/accessibility of everything (and Yes!that sleepy baby thing the cold seems to induce) - but DESPERATELY missing the sunshine/swimming pools and (shamefaced to say)our epic nanny Dang, babysitters in every restaurant, etc.
Honestly don't know if I could ever go back now... Nomads R us.
So glad to hear about the sleeping thru - proof that you can co-sleep AND sleep. (and yes, E Pantley is a God). And the jetlag will indeed pass. It took Hardy 3 weeks (!) but he's finally adjusted - and it's so good to hear other people survive too.
As for the 16+ hours of long-haul (flites) much like those movie showings in the UK, I think we need parent-only flights.. Or mbe next time we'll take a boat.
Welcome back - we've missed you.
Hana