Singapore Family

Whilst we were in Singapore we stayed with Jo-Ann's brother, Ah Sze, his wife, Ah Chan and their two children, Wei Qi and Yan Qi.

Just before we went to the airport, Wei Qi took some group photo's

L - R Jo-Ann, Richard, Mother, Ah Sze, Yan Qi, Mother, Ah Chan and Wei Qi

Richard and Yan Qi

Ah Sze, Mother, Yan Qi, Ah Chan and Wei Qi

Our Return to the UK

We left Singapore at 11:30 pm on Sunday the 1st June via Singapore Airlines, once again on the A380.

Yesterday morning, the 2nd, we arrived at Heathrow Airport in London at 6 am and took a bus to Reading railway station where my elder brother, Michael, kindly picked us up.

We had a good flight, both managing to sleep for some time.

After a good breakfast, we took Michael back to the station so he could return to Burgess Hill ready for work on Tuesday at Plumpton College.

After we got back home, we finished unpacking and then decided to take a short nap. 12 hours later we woke up!

The Official Mascots of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

I am taken with the mascots - Fuwa - of the Beijing Olympics - I think they are really cute.

Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, Fuwa also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals -- the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow -- and the Olympic Flame.

Each Fuwa has a rhyming two-syllable name -- a traditional way of expressing affection for children in China.

Beibei is the Fish,

Jingjing is the Panda,

Huanhuan is the Olympic Flame,

Yingying is the Tibetan Antelope

and Nini is the Swallow.

When you put the first syllables of each name together -- Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni -- they say "Welcome to Beijing,"

Patterns on the Beach

Patterns on the beach at Moeraki.