There is a beautiful song sung by the Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. Despite having listened to it for nearly 30 years I have never explored the meaning of its lyrics (in Italian I only concentrate on food words like focaccia and gelato). Now I have learnt two things: a) it is a very popular song at funerals on account of its one English line ‘time to say goodbye’ and b) that actually even in translation to English the lyrics do not make a lot of sense.
So let’s just stick to the one English line that everyone knows. It is time to say goodbye.
Due to a combination of family duties in Kuala Lumpur, mounds of paperwork and jetlag upon returning to London, topped off by a torn meniscus on my right knee requiring medical attention, I completely missed writing on this blog for the whole month of November and most of December. I had wanted to say goodbye to KL and also to the Mandarin Oriental’s Elite Club programme.
The MOKUL Elite Club kept me sane all the years from 2016 when I had to make multiple trips to KL to help my dad who was going through cancer treatment, and recently when my mother was going through her medical appointments. I did not use it as much as I should have, but it came in handy when I wanted to entertain friends, family and indeed myself in a posh hotel setting. In February 2020 we organised a small wedding reception for Junior 1. A week later the beginning of the big Covid shutdown started and it would be 18 months before I would visit the hotel again.
All good things must come to an end, but they have a new members’ scheme which looks promising.
Here then are a few things I did in November. It is Christmas Eve tomorrow so I will resume writing after the festivities (and washing up) are over.
Look up not down: view whilst floating in the pool at the Ascott Star KLCC
I have always been fond of sausage buns, but this spicy chicken sausage bun from Universal Bakehouse beats them all
My mother celebrated her birthday, but preferred not to described the cake as Black (Forest) as she is quite superstitious and associates the colour black with bad luck
To humour my mother I picked out all the yellow exercise props and said these are specifically hers, because her surname is Wong (the character 黃 which means yellow in Mandarin sounds like her surname)
Just after I arrived in KL at the beginning of October, British Airways wrote to say: We’re really sorry that your upcoming flight to London Heathrow on Friday 15 November 2024 has been cancelled. To get your travel plans back on track, you can review your options below. This was a lie, as there were no viable options on the website, and their call centre cut us off instead of answering. Finally, we negotiated to fly back via Singapore. With no available seats on the original date of departure, we stayed at the Fullerton Hotel for two nights before heading home. My right knee had been sore even before I left London, so I had to take things at a slower pace.
The Fullerton Hotel was once Singapore’s General Post Office. At the entrance you will find life-sized bears Robbie and Lizzie, the resident postmaster and postmistress
Singapore’s mascot the Merlion
View towards Marina Bay Sands from the rooftop bar at Fullerton Bay Hotel
Back in London we went to an exhibition on replica food at Japan House
Due to the pain in my right knee affecting my mobility, I have taken life at a slower pace. Physiotherapy and swimming has helped. I have eaten some meals out (Imad’s was my favourite by far), made some memorable soups and cakes, hosted some delightful evenings at home with friends and neighbours, done a whole bucketload of document shredding and read a few worthwhile financial and medical books. But now it’s time to say goodbye to another eventful year. I might post some photos of our Christmas Day lunch if I can find some time.
Thank you for being with me this year and I look forward to your company in 2025. Mx