Sales, sales, sales. Les soldes, et un Bak kut teh

Somerset house, sur la Tamise, le sapin est decore de patins a glace, et derriere on a installe une patinoire.
In Somerset house by the Thames, the Christmas tree is decorated with ice skates, there is an ice skate ring at the back.

D'abord, je voulais voir les vitrines de Noel de chez Harrods, mais il y avait une foule dingue, c'etait le premier jour des fameuses soldes d'Harrods, on ne pouvait pas approcher, nous avons remonte une longue queue, qui nous l'avons decouvert ensuite menait exclusivement a la boutique Gucci, on a rien vu des vitrines, mais puisqu'on etait la, nous sommes rentres.

First, I wanted to see the famous Harrods Christmas windows, but we discoved then that it was Harrods first day sales, the crowd was huge, there was a long queue only to enter the Gucci shop inside the shooping mall. We didin't see the widows, and, as we were there, we went in.

C'est une experience a faire une fois dans sa vie, les soldes de chez Harrods, on a traverse tout le magasin pour trouver le rayon chaussure.
Quelle idee! de la folie, des folles, des hysteriques, et rien a ma taille.
imaginez un peu, j'etais avec monsieur Garden, un peu estomaque, je dois dire, plus rien a vendre chez Todds, il m'a trainee vers la sortie, on marchait presque sur les gens.
We had to cross the shop full of shoppers to reach the shoes section, Gosh, here the crowd was crazy, almost fighting for a pair of Dior or Todds shoes, I did try some shoes, but I was with a Monsieur Garden taken abback at the sight of histerical ladies, he dragged me outside through the crazy crowd.


Nous sommes arrives sur Sloane Street, he he, je savais bien qu'on y trouverait de beaux magasins, chez Roger Vivier, tout n'etait que luxe, calme et volupte, j'ai explose mon budget solde, mais je m'en fiche, j'ai de belles godasses.
That's good that Sloane street is around the corner, the Roger Vivier shop was luxurious, quiet, and so pleasant, I spent all my money in one shot, but I don't care, I have nice shoes.

Juste en face, sur Sloane street, la boutique Gucci, et la petite queue devant.

Je ne sais pas pourquoi ils sont dingues de Gucci, prets a attendre des heures dans le froid devant la vitrine, pour acheter cher, des chaussures, un sac, une ceinture plutot moches a mes yeux, ils aiment et c'est bien comme ca, la queue devant chez Harrods etait encore plus importante.

Opposite the Roger Vivier shop, on the same street is the Gucci shop, I took a picture of the queue, remember another queue is at Harrods, they are waiting for hours in the cold to buy not so nice looking bag or a belt, maybe a pair of shoes, or sun glasses, in my opinion, Gucci is not so beautiful, but what to say? they like it, it's good for them.

Nous sommes ensuite alle manger des Dim Sum dans le quartier chinois, j'ai achete des ingredients pour le Bak kut teh qu'Helene nous a concocte pour le diner, elle fait le meilleur Bak kut teh du monde, c'est sa belle mere qui lui apprend la cuisine malaisienne, a mon avis l'eleve depasse le maitre maintenant.

En Malaisie, Anna a appris la cuisine francaise, et je dois avouer qu'elle me depasse de loin, elle cuisine aussi bien que maman, et arrivera bientot a egaler ma propre grand mere.

We went then to have Dim Sum in the Chinese district, and I bought some tofu for the famous Bak kut teh Helene cooked for us for dinner, a speciality soup from Malaysia her mother in law taught her, I think that now the student is better than the teacher

In Malaysia, my own daughter in law has learned French cooking, I must say she is now cooking better than me, she is as good as my mum, and almost reach my grand mother level.

Bak kut teh is a popular chinese soup in Malaysia, it is pork ribs cooked in a broth of herbs and spices, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, garlic, boiled together for quite sometime, then lettuce, a bit a dark soya sauce, chilli and dried tofu are added.