green_amber

Back from London, where I had an extremely intense 24 hours of reviewing papers and external examining and for the first time in two weeks, subsequent boozing from 4.30 onwards, with result that I ended up back in hotel room at 10 ish, shaking, coughing and alnost unable to breathe. Dramatic! It was all good fun though, except the collapsing bit. Somehow the sun, the vague ever present sense of illness, and magical codeine brought by courier after emergency phone calls to Best German Lesbian Pal added a rather surreal tint to proceedings (not unhelped by dinner in Strada where clientele was hundreds of 12 year old girls , succeeded (thank the goddess) by several rizque hen parties, one I'm sure mostly drag). I think I discovered that friend A (yet another of my flock of Andy's) was now writing a column on Internet law for The Sun. Wtf?!

"Which of these women would you fancy if you were a lesbian?" demanded Best German Lesbian Pal of straight married monogamous A, pointing at a table of 6 hen-partied up actual women. "Er none of them?" said A, sweating. "Right answer!" said J, "They're all too attractive!"

I'm not entirely sure what point she was making.. (She's also fallen in love with Edward from Twilight. I ask you..)

Saturday, I cancelled the arranged lunch with Best Other Gay Non-German Collaborator in interest of Sleep and Recovery, (and also avoided the temptation of being sucked into Plokta Central, although I did rapid-fire dictate optimistic programme items down the phone - no, I hadn't been drinking bohemiancoast but I WAS probably high on codeine!) but actually felt much better, so wandered around Holborn and Covent Garden before getting back to Shef to relieve catsitter.

It was a rather glorious day, and I felt blissfully free, free from work commitments , from illness and even (don't get this wrong) free from the usual social commitments I arrange in London with the attached duty to be alert and entertaining. I *schmooried*, ancient Jewish Glasgow word for just bobbed along, happy as bubbles. Brunch outside Chez Gerard, coffee & cake on the steps of Covent Garden watching the fun people having fun, and goodies from Lush and HMV (I did my bit for the record industry by actually BUYING CDs - new Doves, Killers, Paul Weller - I don't know why I didn't buy the DVD of Being Human too,what kind of mad meannness struck me that I decided to go hom and see if it was cheaper on Amazon? I could have it NOW!)

Oh and in middle of all this I FELL DOWN. yes just TRIPPED outside Karen Millen , to great aghastness at own stupidity and on being helped up discovered had broken leg. OK not quite but is bloody sore and AGONY if twisted in wrong direction. This makes going down steps, sitting on toilet (!), putting on jeans etc extraordinarily difficult. OH DEAR!!! Is there any thing I should do? walking is possible and actually seems to make things better not worse so am assuming nothing broken, but something (tendon??) has gone into spasm and movement is relaxing it a bit. Any more suggestions?! I might go talk to the para medics next door - they've promised to fix my computer viruses anyway..

Yes my life really is this odd. Get over it already.. I'm off now to ask Ex Housemate's advice on where to go from Hong Kong on, and then hopefully to fillum of some kind (lots happening: In the Loop, State of Play, Swedish vamp flick - any recs??)

Advice welcome from here too : the story so far. Going on werk trip to Oz then HK, in early to mid June. Would have liked to go back to Oz after, but on looking at map is really a bit crazy. Want a few days to a week after, somewhere lovely, with water, and fish and stuff, and manageable for lone English speaking woman who doesn't want to be backpacker/get hassled - seems mad to have ticket like this, and not use it for Fun.

Friend A squared (OK, Andrea) suggests Singapore as she's going there for more work after HK - but on looking, Singapore is also south of HK (wrong for sensible flights) and not that exciting. Maldives and Seychelles will both be into monsoon season and are also really in wrong place. Kerala is possible? Angkor Wat (Cambodia) and Laos both much recommended, but not sure about hassle/lone woman/relaxation factor. Now considering Chiang Mai (though this breaks unwritten rules of New Places as went to Thailand LAST year. But only Southern Thailand... and is in exact right place for breaking trip on way back.)

peteyoung what do you think? Any recs for lovely place to stay in Chiang Mai with nice pool?? Is it nice place for lone traveller? looks it on Internet..

ps Eddie Izzard is TOURING!!! Sheffield, 25 Oct. Sheffield people/ang_grrr, etc, wanna go?? Expect will sell out fast!

pps who wants to be on the Being Human panel at #plokta then??

ppps anyone fancy one of the new-ish "adult" festivals for this sunmer, with theatre and comedy as well as bands?? the Guardian is full of em. I fancy Big Chill , 6-9 August, Malvern (Tim Minchin! David Byrne! Dylan Moran!) a lot, and Latitude 16-19 July ,Suffolk (Where IS Suffolk??) quite a bit ( Nick Cave/Pet Shop Boys/loadsa interesting theatre/ballet!/Ben Moor!!.)

Guy/Nuala/Andrea/Chris n Doug/Cambridge folks/Maggie & Spam?? I could try camping for the first time ever!!!