Up-Closed and Personal Tower Bridge

 

Call me 'blessed' if you want, but I feel really blessed not just materially or career perspective  but also spiritually.  This Monday and Tuesday I had an opportunity to participate in another company event.  The event is an EALA wide event which stands for the regions Europe, Africa, Latin America.  The event took place in central London and right beside the famous London Tower Bridge.  There were about 10 of us representing the Dutch practice, 3 of us arriving early in London City Airport and have  a few good hours to enjoy the stroll by the bridge and early morning coffee.

When we checked into the hotel, all of the rest just got the normal low floor room but I was checked in to executive high floor with the perfect view of London Bridge welcomed me into the room.  I knew this was not by accident but the Lord was pampering me...The photo above was taken at around 5 GMT.

Finally this is the night scene of the Tower Bridge again after we had an enjoyable dinner (with never ending flow of Moët and Chandon champagne, excellence food) at a restaurant to celebrate the success and great place for networking.

In short, I witnessed the up-closed and personal view of Tower Bridge from the morning to the night.  Tower Bridge remains charming regardless of the time of the day.

 

 

 

 

 

Another day in Walton

The beautiful fall colour

Today I made a day trip to UK. The journey started very early from Rotterdam. It was a sunny day and full of autumn colours.

sign-board of walton

The Autumn colour is beautiful here. So far all my trips to Walton is always full of sunshine. The foliage is definitely lovely compared to those yellow leaves back in Holland. It is always good to add some colour to our daily life especially in the winter.

Thank You Lord for brightening up my life with such a beautiful autumn foliage that I can get within my territory.

A day in Walton

2nd November 2006
Yesterday I took a very early flight from Rotterdam to London. It was a typical autumn storming weather. The wind was blowing very hard and I could feel my car was shifted when I was driving to the airport. Upon boarding, I could also feel the wind was bouncing against the city hopper fokker 50 flight. I really thought it would be a bumpy journey, but it turned out to be even quieter than a normal day.
I stayed a night at a place called Cobham nearby to Walton.
This morning I woke up early and the bright morning sunshine welcomed me. I felt so energetic and decided to go out the hotel and wonder around the woods in Cobham. The morning freezing cold air and the light frost refreshed me and woke me up completely from the lazy morning.
Photo: A clear sky autumn morning
Photo 2: The Hilton Cobham, that's where I stay last night.

Time Square in London

This is the street view of Picadilly circus. On a rather warm summer evening, my colleague and me walked all the way from Marybone to China Town area in crave for some serious food. After our hunger was satisfied we decided to walk back to hotel instead of taking any form of transportation. We passed by this square and I paused and wonder am I in NYC? Indeed the light and the triangle junction and of course the crowd that trafficing the cross over ressembled New York City and also the number of theatres around this area that match up to the reputation.
Enjoy!

Notting Hill

Remember the movie Notting Hill? Where Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts acted and the shoots were taking wholly in Notting Hill.
Today, I decided to took the stroll in Notting Hill and the Portebello Road. It was already late afternoon when we set off, despites of that we still have some good late afternoon sunlight.
The Portebello of course is quiet but as I walked passed I did like this area very much. There are enough expensive housing, my favorite Ngonya restaurant and also Kesington Temple.
I also walked passed the private garden where I recalled in the movie, both of them climbed in through the gate in the middle of the night....

24H Turnaround in London

22nd Nov 2004

The trip to London was sudden but as a flying freebie, I am more than happy to accommodate this into my calendar. I flew in last night, and for the first time taking a cab from Heathrow to the city. Never did the cab thing before whenever I was here on my own expenses. The cab literally took me on a night sightseeing tour, not intentionally but for the fact that my hotel is located at the south east of London city. Along the way, we passed through some places that I can recognized from Buckingham palace, Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Westminster Abbey, Hyde Park, finally the London eye before I was dropped at Novotel city south hotel which is close by London Bridge.
This morning I check-out and set-off to our office 20 old Bailey. It is a very nice building and very near to St. Paul. It was unexpected but great to meet up with Emer Battelle, an Irish lady whom I worked with in Sweden last year. She is in London for an O2 quality review. Just when I was nicely settled in, Nikos called and said there is a change of venue, the meeting is no longer in Old Bailey but
60 Queen Victoria Street. I told him that I will work from Old Bailey for a while and be at Queen Victoria around lunch hour.
Then I walked my way from Old Bailey to Queen Victoria. It was a nice walk and reminded me of my time in Hong Kong. It was as if I was walking from Central to Admiralty. In fact I almost really thought I was in Hong Kong then. There are high rise building in the financial centers, men and women in their dark working power suits crossing the streets. The weather was fine, sunny but not windy. I passed by St. Paul Cathedrals and pause for a photo before I carried on my walk.
The presentation to client went well. The client is also one who well versed in Performance Management and people development, we talked in the same language and I know he is impressed of my thought leader thinking in this arena. He wants to meet up again in December so that he has the time to organize his thoughts. The meeting ended just before the rush hour, that I could easily grape a cab to Paddington Heathrow Express station.
It costs me GBP21 to get to my destination, which is ridiculously expensive!!! Then another GBP14 for a 15 min express train ride to the airport.
Just as I thought I settled in nicely to the airport and have a bit of time wondering around before setting off to Stockholm, then I realize the flight was delayed. It was not until 11pm when we were allowed to board the aircraft. Next thing I knew is the low visibility procedure was in place and also due to the late arrival, we sat at the aircraft by the gate for another hour before we were allowed to take-off. I finally reached Stockholm at 2am!!! I was really tired but there is another 2 hours limo journey to go.. I felt very bad for the limo driver who has to wait for long hours due to the delay. Bless him! It was not 4am in the morning when I arrived my apartment in Sandviken. I was glad that I didn't have meeting in the morning and I could ZZZZZZzzzzz on.