Friday, November 11, 2011

Yogi's breakfast

Yes darling make that a shot of wheatgrass
I finally made it to yoga this morning after months of saying I would! And it was fantastic. It was a beautiful morning in Mumbai today and after I dropped the kids off "HRH" and I decided to go to the Yoga house for breakfast. Mornings at the Yoga House are lovely with the ocean breeze and a nice cup of chai tea. When we arrived I bumped into some friends who somehow persuaded me to do the 8am Iyengar class. Well my muscles hadn't been worked like that in a very long time and before 15 minutes was up I was sweating and struggling to keep up. Guess I have a bit of catch up to do... damn it. The other ladies all looked so serene and relaxed. What the hell? Well I'll show them. Having said that I may need some serious muscle relaxants before class. I wonder if thats a big NO NO in the yoga world? Hmmmm.
This will be Queenie before you know it
After class I joined "HRH" on the deck (he looking smug and content with the Indian Times- me looking rather "flushed") and I settled in for some beautiful banana and almond porridge, a glass of coconut water and a shot of wheatgrass. I downed the shot of wheatgrass like a pro- you could say I've had a bit of practice with shots. And not of the wheatgrass kind.
So I left the yoga house with a twice a week month pass. Let's see how I go. If I end up looking anything like the super sexy Maud- then me and my cellulite will be very happy. Must focus. Must apply oneself. Must succeed. Must get long lean thighs like the instructor. 
The ever hopeful Queenie x

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Le Mill

LOOOVE Jade Jagger's jewellery line
Popped into "Le Mill" a fab design concept store in South Mumbai today and was seriously drooling over the new Jade Jagger jewellery collection. Gimme gimme gimme. In case you don't know where "Le Mill" is- it's tucked away amidst the chaos of Mumbai's dockyards, behind Crawford market in what we could only describe  as Mumbai's equivalent to the meat packing district in NY. I could very easily of walked out the door with an Isabel Marant dress or Philip Lim top but common sense prevailed (or not!) and I managed to drag myself out with out making too much of a dint on the much heiled visa card. Anyhow just thought I'd share that with you all. Go snap up some of Jade's goodies- they are delictable.
Off for a quiet chardonnay on the balcony with the hubby. As you do on a thursday night at home in Mumbai. Tiddly winks are watching the X Factor of course which I have to admit to also quite liking. Gulp. Did I just say that?
Queenie x

Footloose and fancy free

Good morning mes chers amis! Today I felt inspired by this classic song. I don't know what it is about the eighties... but there's something about the music from back then that just makes me want to shake my butt. I'm feeling pretty damn good today. "HRH" and I are in a good funk, which when you've been together for over a decade is pretty great stuff. Sun is shining (albeit a little too ferociously) and I've just had a scrumpticious breakfast. The simple joys in life are SOOOOO good.
Right I'm off to repent my sins and be a parent helper in LIL G's class. Mother of the year I may not be...but at least I give it a shot darlings. I'm ready for those little 5 and 6 year old tyrants. Bring it on...playdoh doesn't scare me!
So, go out and shake your butts today my friends. Life is good or at least better than someone else's out there. You can always count on that.
Queenie x

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

The prodigal Queen returns...

It's the return of the prodigal QUEEN
Well, well, well. Look who the cat dragged in. If it isn't Queenie herself gracing us with her presence. Yes I know- once again I've been bad. Tut tut. But being bad is just so much fun so the chances of it stopping are p-r-e-t-t-y low. Now what's new in my world? Hmmm let me see.
So let's get down to it. Friday started off rather slow and then just snow balled into a really stand out afternoon AND evening. Where to start? Well...This is where the dream sequence audio plays and the screen gets all misty...
A b'day lunch for a fellow girl from "downunder" at Bungalow 9 of course. I arrived a tad late- but just in time for the free flowing champagne to make it into a glass in front of me. There were about twenty of us in all and boy did we have a laugh. You see, when you're an expat in an intense place like Mumbai you need these secret get togethers to cope with the seriousness of life. We had hired the whole place out (you never can be too careful you know- I mean ANYONE could have seen us!) and thank god we did. Because I don't think that the place would have had enough wine to serve the other patrons if not! By the time I got up to leave I had a) probably spent the equivalent of a months rent, b) eaten way too much for my poor body to cope with and c) wasn't quite too sure what my car looked like anymore! As you do. As you do. All b'day celebrations have to go off with a bang or not at all I say...
It's all champagne and caviar
By the time I got home it was already 5pm. Shocking I know.
I had just enough time to walk in the door, have a quick bite to eat, look myself in the mirror guiltily, peck "HRH" on the cheek and then the girls were off out again for friday night drinkies at Esco bar and the Elbo Room. We danced, laughed and after much deliberation decided on some pizza and nibbles for dinner. I met some really funny, somewhat fascinating people that night. Of course I'm not one to name drop but some of the interesting people I met were: a very well known Australian cricketer (in all honesty he was a bore) and his sleazy manager ( this conversation lasted all of 35 seconds) a finalist from the Indian survivor show that had just been shot in Indonesia or Bali or something, a hotelier and of course the owner of the Elbo room himself (No not Dino the Bollywood star either before you ask...he has bad skin btw but that's a whole other topic darlings!) a gorgeous young clothing designer and her european hubby and yes then of course the bar was full of all of its usual expat suspects. Needless to say I got home far too late for a respectable mademoiselle like moi. And was a write off the next day. But it was date night (pre planned and promised HRH) so I managed to scrape myself off the floor and get it together enough to go out to the movies. What did we see I hear you asking? "IN TIME" with J.T and Amanda Seifried. And it was seriously cool. Loved the very unique concept and was pretty damn impressed with Monsieur Timberlake's acting skills. I mean he's leading man stuff now isn't he. How'd that happen? How greedy is the guy? He can sing, dance up a storm, act... C'mon it's time to leave a lil something for the common man Justin ;-)
Pretty damn cool movie tbh
That brings us to Sunday. Ohhh yes- the 5 hour brunch. Great day. Great Apple Martini's. Once again we were pretty numerous. There were at least 20 of us at the table. Now where were we again? Ahhh yes, the Westin. Kids had an absolute ball. Running around in a pack with their friends terrorising unsuspecting Japanese tourists at the dessert table. Trust me it was a riot. We ate and drank like it was christmas. By that stage I didn't even remember my own name let alone what month it was....so no harm done. But when we arrived home at 6pm and discovered it was nearly dinner time we all looked at each other feeling rather muddled. As only you can in Mumbai.

Anyhow that was the weekend at a glance. You could say it was a rather social affair. I'm bloody knackered just talking about it. Upcoming events include a good friends house warming this saturday at her stunning apartment in Bandra Bandstand. And the arrival of my gorgeous french friend coming to help out on the hotel project in Rajasthan. I hope the bloody french immigration department stamp his passport quick smart. Poor thing he's been waiting a while now. Oh and our outdoor furniture arrives this weekend. That's definetly reason to celebrate. And now we'll have somewhere to plant our derriere's there's all the more reason!
Thanks to all of you who have stuck through my absence and still keep reading! Amazing. Merci beaucoup mes amis! I promise to write far more often...No seriously it's the truth ;-) Will be back before you even notice. Think I need to catch up on a little shut eye.
Queenie xxx