August Bank Holiday Weekend

it was lovely spending some quality time with my little family and friends. we havent gone out in a long while (travelled). we usually just meet up in each other's houses, during special occasions, but never really went away like we used to. having kids really changes everything. no regrets though. we just have to make some minor adjustments =D

1st stop was cheddar gorge. we wanted to go somewhere we havent been to. my friend, celine, was in charge of researching/scouting for places where we can go because i'm busy with mommyhood =D. she suggested cheddar gorge and when i told tantan, he said he's familiar with the place because his former boss, who lives in the same county, suggested the place years ago, when they were still working together, but we never got around to going.

i think their website is too hyped up. i dont know, but i was a little disappointed when we got there. there were caves but i've seen better (sagada). it's also not that baby friendly because obviously, the buggies cant go everywhere (although their website promotes it as a "great family day out"). probably if the kids are a little bit older, we might have enjoyed the activities more.

the place itself is lovely, with quaint little shops that i love. but other than that, the over 2hrs travel time isnt that worth it.

inside gough's cave: ORIGINAL cheddar cheese =D

day 2: longleat safari and adventure park. tantan and i have been there twice before. good thing because we werent able to go around this time. to be able to really enjoy the place, you'll need at least 2 days to get around. we only had 1 day because when we booked our tickets, there was no option for a 2day ticket. we booked our tickets as a joint offer with cheddar gorge.

anyways, we spent most of our time in the safari park. it was raining on/off so we didnt get to appreciate the animals more. the traffic? horrendous! people were spending forever taking pictures of each animals, like they havent seen them before! seriously, you dont need to spend 30minutes just to take a picture of a monkey! what should have been an hour cruise of the whole safari park, took almost 3 hours!

we then met up with our other friends. after lunch, we just went for 2 more activities (boat and train ride) and we went back to southampton for a late dinner. it was mine and celine's joint belated birthday celebration.

last stop was stourhead. it was actually a last minute decision. we were choosing between that and mottisfont garden, which is nearer. but because it was sunny and we wanted to take advantage, we trooped back to warminster (near longleat), over an hour's drive, to go to the most breathtaking garden you'll ever see. we've been there countless of times (me and tantan) and we still couldnt get over its beauty and serenity. we really recommend it to everyone.

the boys played football (soccer) and cayden perfected rolling down the hill. i played with him until i got dizzy!

it was really a fun 3 day break. i wonder when we'll be able to do that again.....

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My New "Friends"

even though "Friends" (the popular sitcom a few years back) has ended, reruns are still being shown on a local channel. and i still watch it, no matter how many times i've seen it. and i still laugh as hard as if i was watching every episode for the first time.

then, i saw an episode of "how i met your mother (HIMYM)", while waiting for "friends" to start. and instantly, tantan and i got hooked. i know, i know.... we kinda discovered it late. 6 years late to be exact. dont get me wrong, i've heard of it, just didnt take the time to check it out. i was sad when "friends" ended its run. i still ask why they had to end it. they were doing great. ratings were high. but like all other good things, it must end, i guess.

fanpop.com

HIMYM is supposedly about ted mosby and how he met his wife, as narrated to his kids by his future self in the year 2030. but really, it revolves around the lives of 5 friends (covering relationships, work, gimmicks, quirks) just like the characters in "friends". they also have their own "centerpark", the "maclaren pub", where they hang out. lots of similarities but because each episode has been cleverly written, you can overlook and forgive them. you'll actually only realise these similarities when you think about it.

i particularly love neil patrick harris' character, (have you met...) barney stinson. he is the bomb! really, im in love with him!!! well, he's a serial womanizer, devious and cunning in every sense. but he's also the sweetest friend and though his ways are mean sometimes, he just wants what's best for you. come to think of it, most of the time, he has a valid point. and his catchphrases? LEGEN- (wait for it...) -DARY! lol. i did say i love him, right? lol

we are slowly catching up. we're on the 5th season already. im getting a little bit sad bec once we catch up, we'll have to wait a week before we see the next episode. and that sucks! i hope this lasts longer than "friends" did.

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