Holidays!

Its so nice to have a great holiday.

I got back from Paris more than 1 week ago, feeling rather refreshed, rejuvenated and rested. =)

We were blessed with great weather there. It was sunny everyday, except on the day we left. As a result, we managed to do alot of walking and sitting around on the pavements, enjoying the beautiful view in front of us.

Paris is a great city. Everyone is so well-dressed. Every woman carries a beautiful handbag (well, almost everyone of them). The buildings look old, but are well maintained. The only criticism I have is that things are very pricey. A simple sandwich with cheese and pickles was priced at 4 euros! I found that really dear, as I could possibly get a sandwich similar to that for 2 pounds or less in Tesco. A small cup of cappuccino costs about 2 to 2.50 euros...and I could get decent coffee at the train station in the UK for 1.50 pounds.

Anywho, that aside, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. We went to visit most of the usual attractions, including the Eiffel Tower and Versailles. Eiffel Tower is stunning. It looks even more elegant at night.... The orange lights on the tower make it glows beautifully, and did you know that the tower twinkles (with blue lights) for 5 minutes in every hour? I sat down in front of the tower for at least 3o minutes just enjoying the wonderful sight!

Oh did I also mention that I forgot to pick up my luggage from the conveyor belt at the arrival hall in Paris airport? YES....silly me. I was too busy thinking about where to catch the bus to get to Paris city centre, and thus, just walked out of the hall without even getting my luggage first. I laughed at myself for being so careless....and quickly walked back into the arrival to get me luggage. Thank God it was still there.

=) ahh...holidays.....what will we do without them? Where will me next destination be? should probably start planning soon. Now that summer is near too, there is even more reasons to plan ahead! Remember, it doesn't matter where you go, as long as it is with good company!

Short Getaway

yay!!!!

In just a few hours, I'll be flying away to the capital of France! I'll be there for a few days.

I haven't been there since I was a little girl.....to be honest, I don't remember anything of that trip made when I was about 5.

Mum keeps telling me that I was a real grumpy girl then...My dad had to carry me because I was unwilling to walk. haha. Having looked back at those pics, I would agree with mum...I didn't smile in the pictures at all!

Oh well, I am sure I will enjoy it now. =) I am keeping my fingers crossed for good weather.

Till then...au revoir everyone!

In No Hurry...

Its been more than 1 week since I left my car at the garage.....and I have yet to hear anything from them. I mean how long does it take to just change the bumper??

I became very curious....which led me to pick up the telephone to call the repair centre. She struggled to locate my car at first (which kind of worried me a little). Then, she said, "Ahh....I found it. The parts of your car only just arrived yesterday. So they are going to strip your car next.....looks like we are looking into next week."

Right. Cool.

I was bit disappointed that it took quite awhile to repair....but then, secretly, inside me was a little sense of joy? ermm...yes, remember that I am driving a cool white sporty Fiat 500. And I am getting the hang of it. So, as much as I want my car back asap....I am also in no hurry to get it back because this replacement car is great! haha.

Talking about being loyal to my wee Peugeot.....tsk tsk tsk

Small Funky Car

I have to admit that I am enjoying my temporary replacement car. I know my poor Peugeot is in the garage being fixed at the moment....I am missing it....honestly, yes, I am. However, this replacement car is quite cool.

It has been voted the "Car of the year 2008", and also the "Best Small Car" award.

I am talking about the new diesel Fiat 500. It is a really sporty 3 door car. It is very easy to drive. The interior is funky and the seats are comfy. The engine runs smoothly, and I like the sound the engine makes when I start it....it ROARRSS! haha.

My only complaint is the colour. White is nice for a dress, but for a car, dirt can be seen easily. And....I am worried that I might just fill in unleaded petrol instead of diesel! I have been having a few nightmares about that........=( Well, I know I still have at least quarter of a tank left...so that should keep me going until the end of the week, before I start worrying about it.

So, if anyone is thinking of getting a small sporty car, give the Fiat 500 a thought! (ps. it does come in a beautiful fiery red colour!)

Hanging Loose

The mechanic came to estimate the damage to my car this morning. I was really glad that he came because I was kind of anxious just waiting to find out how badly the car was hit.

After taking a couple of photos of the car, he asked, "Hey, you still driving the car?"

"Errmm...yeah, I am," I replied.

"Right ok. Do you know that it is fairly dangerous to do so?"

"Oh is it? How come?"

"Well, as the result of the impact, your exhaust pipe is actually hanging down quite loosely...so it could fall off very easily. Secondly, even if it doesn't do that, because the exhaust is loose, it leads to an increase in tension at the front part of your car....leading to even more damage to your car. So be really careful when you drive up the humps on the road," Mr Mechanic explained to me.

To be honest, all I had in my mind was how unsightly the bumper was....It never occurred to me that the exhaust was also involved in the minor accident. How ignorant of me!

I was curious to find out how much the repair would cost (although, I know the money was not coming out from my pocket...).

"Hmm....probably at least 1000 pounds minimum, and the repair may take up to 2 weeks,"he said.

Wow....that is very dear....and 2 weeks in the garage???!! man...that is long. Oh well, I guess they have to adjust the bodywork, re-spray the paint, etc.

He will be picking my car up tomorrow to get it into the garage. My courtesy car will be arriving around the same time too. I really just want my wee car sorted asap.

It Just Happens...

So it was 9 o-clock Saturday morning. I just completed my set of night shifts. When I do night shifts, I run out of food from my house very quickly....because I have no initiative to buy food during the week. Therefore, on this particular Saturday morning, I thought of all the different type of food I wanted to get from the shops. I was already formulating recipes in my head for the week!

I left the hospital and thought to myself. "Hmm....maybe I should do food shopping after getting some sleep first." But, I was actually quite awake after the adrenaline rush I had throughout the busy night. I decided against that idea...and drove myself to get some food from Morrisons and M&S. yumm....

After paying nearly 20 pounds for food, I drove myself home, quite happy and contented.

Unfortunately, this feeling did not last long. As I was heading towards a roundabout, I noticed that a car had stalled just at the entrance into the roundabout. I, therefore, pressed my brakes to slow down. All of a sudden, I saw a fast car heading towards me from the rear. I thought it would have stopped before me....however, to my horror, the car moved closer to me...and at the very last second, the driver realised that he could not stop in time, and swerved to the left...........

BANG!

My heart sank.

My car slided forward. (thank goodness the car that stalled had managed to get his engine started and drove away, otherwise, I would have bumped into it).

All blood supply drained from me.....I felt weak.

Yes, I was knocked from the back. That idiot driver was kind enough to stop his car at the side of the motorway.

We got down from the car. He apologised for his mistake. I was still in shock. We exchanged details, ie car registration number, address and contact details.

My rear bumper was cracked and dented. I think my Peugeot is a tough car. The impact was quite hard....but the bumper was still intact.....well, maybe only just hanging down slightly. Luckily none of the lights broke. Obviously, part of the car paint was scraped off....it wasn't a very nice sight.

His car was damaged even more...probably coz his car was the driving force for the accident.

Sigh...I was like, "GREAT!!! This is just what I need after a long week of night shifts!"

I drove home...still alittle shaken. I was very glad that I was safe and unhurt. To be honest, it was a very minor accident....but MINOR enough to make me scared, shocked and traumatised. I really couldn't imagine being in a major accident.....it would even be worse!

When I got home, I contacted my insurance company immediately. I was really impressed by the efficiency of the system. Come Mon/Tues, I would be able to get my car to the garage for repair...and I get a courtesy car at the same time....all on the expense of the other driver.

I am alot better now. Just wished it hadn't happened. But things like that was probably going to happen anyway. I mean, if I didn't go food shopping in the morning, I wouldn't have been in this position, no? It just happens....I was at the "right" place, at the "right" time...

Sigh.