it's time

The last day of the year has come upon us. It's time to say bye to 2009 and welcome 2010. Best way of doing it is with some champagne and good friends. And that is exactly what I have planned for tonight. (There are of course other people around the world that I wish I could be with tonight as well, but just know that you guys will be missed).

This year has totally flown by. Honestly, I am wondering where in the heck 2009 went? In fact the whole last decade went by pretty quick... But it's been pretty good, both the last year and the last decade. So I think I will try and continue in the same style, i.e. with a positive attitude and a smile on my face.

Hope everyone has a wonderful NYE and all the best for 2010!!

nutcracker

Hurray for my latest cultural experience!
The Nutcracker was beautiful.

day three

I've had a Swedish food fest today.
Today, day 3 of the Xmas celebrations, is a day of resting. And obviously eating. Rice porridge for breakfast, Swedish meatballs and knackebrod with Swedish cheese (brannvinsost) for dinner. As a snack - blueberry soup and gingersnaps (mor annas original). I am full and sooo happy.

But let's start on day 1:
X-mas eve was lovely and amazingly yummy. Santa came and handed out little gifts to us all and there was a lot of laughter throughout the whole day.




Day 2's celebrations were more "party" like, the champagne glasses were never empty! But I also stuffed my face with lots of great food (not Swedish, but still very good). And it was spent in a lovely location too.



The common thread for all 3 days have been the beautiful people I have been surrounded with. Marta, Micke, Lisa, Vusi and others.

Happy days!

almost Xmas

Good thing I'm a girl so I can multi-task...
Right now I'm working, singing along to Xmas songs, baking bread and making rice-porridge and am just about to wrap a few Xmas gifts as well.

As most of you know I’m staying in HK for the first time for Xmas.
Tomorrow I’m working, but will try and get out of the office in a decent hour so I can start celebrating and eating yummy Swedish Xmas food!! Ant is away in England right now so he is not joining our Swedish Xmas, but I’m taking my English friend Lisa as well as my handsome South African trainer Vusi, so even though it’s a Swedish Xmas it will be international :).

On Xmas day we’re going out to a floating restaurant, they have a buffet on and free flowing champagne, and we’re like 30 people going out there so it should be fun!

26th I will be resting and on the 27th working a bit but also going to the ballet - The Nutcracker, really looking forward to that. Then it’s only 3 more sleeps until Ant gets back and a cool NYE party.

So I think I will survive not being home this year, even though I know I’m gonna miss it like crazy…

Merry Christmas all!!

and then

After the fight I just couldn't stop smiling. I was on such a high.
Which was perfect.
Perfect since we were heading out for victory celebrations!
So we popped the champagne and hit town for what became a celebration that lasted 2 days.

Many more bottles of champagne was drunk and we topped up with shots and some redbulls and vodka as well. We might have arrived in Singapore with bodies that were our temples, but we left that city with bodies like sheds...
But we had fun!






To have wonderful people around one self is soooo important, even more so when living away from home. And with these girls (Vusi included even though he is a man...) around me, I sure do have just that.

Oh, and the quote for the weekend: Stop wanking that cat!

team dynamite

They had a Swedish flag, they had printed team t-shirts, they were loud, they stomped their feet, they nearly lost their voices and they were absolutely formidable! They were TEAM DYNAMITE!!!!!!!!!

4 girls (Katie, Kate, Lisa and Sandra)that flew all the way from HK to see me fight in Singapore. One girl that joined them there (Sarah). And then there was Vusi of course, the man amongst the girls. Thank you Team Dynamite a million times for coming and for being such a fantastic support!!!!!!

I can’t tell you enough how great it was to have you there and it made the whole experience much less scary!

the fight

I arrived in Singapore with butterflies in my stomach.
I departed Singapore with a black eye, a blue swollen lip, a sore nose and a big enormous smile on my face as well as great memories.
What a weekend I have had! Amazing.

So the fight:
Well never got that nervous, and that surprised me, but I really felt like I had nerves of steel. And the support I had in the arena was incredible! I walked though the crowd into the ring to The Final Countdown and it was such a kick. My colleagues and especially my girls - Team Dynamite, made lots and lots of noise and put a big big smile on my face. And knowing that my trainer Vusi was in my corner made me feel safe.

Three rounds of hard punching later the referee raised my hand in the air. And all I could think was: I did it! I f-ing did it!! Amazing feeling.



By the way forget what I said about the landed eagle/dragon. I looked like a giraffe. A giraffe in blue ugly clothes...(sometimes I manage to forget how tall and skinny I actually am...), but who cares, I WON!!

winner

The winner takes it all, the loser standing small......

the eagle

Arrived in Singapore.
Ready to rumble.
Tomorrow is the day when it all happens...
The eagle has landed!
Or should I say dragon...

not so blond

And here I was thinking that I was blond...
Hmmm, not so much any longer...
Time to book a time with the hairdresser I think...
Like the picture though.

pub crawl

2 reindeers and 1 fake Swede.
1 real Swede and 2 drunk boys.
That is actually a lie...
There were plenty more than just 2 drunk boys on Santa's Pub Crawl last Saturday night.
1 knocked on my door at 5 in the morning, he had forgotten the keys...

formidable

I'm a lucky girl who have my very own little support group coming with me to Singapore next week.

E-mail exchange this week says:

Tickets - check
Accommodation - check
Formidable fighter - check
Party to celebrate on Saturday - check
Fantabuloso weekend - check!

If the fighter doesn't come through as formidable, at least the friends have!!
Millions of thanks girls :)