We are back home in cold, raining Cape Town. Our flight out of London was slightly delayed. I was concerned because as I sat in my First Class seat (yes I love BA they upgraded me on route to the plane), I could see the engineer's ladder with a whole lot of oil cans underneath it. Last time I saw that out of the window we ended up leaving 5 hours later and on an entirely...

LA airport (at least the International terminal) has to be the worst international terminal I have been in since (let me think ...) I went through the same terminal last year May. There are absolutely no duty free shops at all (or at least none to speak of). They have one place selling chocolates (See's Candies) and another general store selling magazines, some sweets, the odd mug, a T-shirt and that was all. Unfortunately our flight...

I think I have an internal clock that no matter what goes off at 6:15am. This morning I was again awake at 6:15am. I did some emails, wrote the Reception blog and tried to see whether Stephen was awake (he was staying with my parents). Nothing I did raised him so at just before 9am I gave up and went to breakfast. Most the rest of my family were there including my parents who had somehow...

This being LA, the reception was 35 minutes away from the Church. It was back near the hotel (which is also closer to where Rachel/Josh will live, I believe). The reception was at an Italian restaurant.  Never did get the name of the place. Something & Something (two names).  Could have been Alfredo & Tony Antonio & Giuseppe. Who knows, who cares. Found the place and probably won't ever go back there again anyway (not because...

We left at 2:45pm for the wedding.  As can be expected, the Church was about a 35 minute drive from the hotel. That is assuming no traffic is encountered. Fortunately there wasn't any because it was a Saturday. The Church were it was held was St Matthew's Church in Newport Beach. You have to know the correct etiquette at American weddings and being from SA where we have no wedding etiquette that made it impossible for...

The day has finally arrived.  Bulls vs Cheetahs. Oh no, that's not why I am here in LA. That's right - it's the wedding day. I was awake at 6:15am this morning and waited patiently for someone to arise from their slumber to go to breakfast with me. Stephen woke up just after 8am as Lynne (my sister), Sue (my sister-in-law) and my Mom went to make breakfast for the bridesmaids.  Apparently one of the many...

I had to pick up Stephen and his cousin (my nephew) Daniel from the train station this after at about 4:30pm. Turns out their train eventually arrived at about 4:55pm and the rehearsal dinner was at 6pm. That may sound fine but in LA where it takes 45 minutes to get anywhere, it was going to be tight as we had to go back to the hotel to change and then head to the venue. The...

I have decided that I have to blog twice today as I will have too much for one post. I slept reasonably well last night only waking at 12:45; 3 and 4:30am and then finally getting up at 5:30am.  Now feeling quite tired again (and it is 2:30pm). Despite asking yesterday that someone call me when they all went to breakfast, no one did and so when Stephen eventually communicated with me it was 8:50am, I...

The good news of today was that the traveling was glitch free (thankfully). Stephen landed at Heathrow at 7am and still had time to kill in the lounge before his flight to LA at 9:40am.  It left on time. As I have yet to see Stephen I am assuming it landed on time as well. I left the London flat around 8am and did my usual travel to Heathrow - taxi to Paddington station and Heathrow...

Today was another work day for me.  We had a relatively early client presentation (9am is early for London). We think it went quite well. More meetings in the office and then another client meeting in Canary Wharf. What I still find incredible is the public transport in London.  I know people in London complain bitterly about it but coming from a country where we have none it is impressive. Just jump on the Docklands Light...