"Living in London 2013!" sugarpuff's Profile

April 2013!

It's April Fools Day and although this posting is not a joke, it is absolutely ridiculous that I haven't been around here in so very long! I did go through a busy patch last year after being so fortunate to have been working on the London 2012 Olympics, but it's been quite quiet since then. I haven't really done very much apart from go on a 3 week mammoth holiday to Thailand, Hong Kong and Beijing (!), so maybe I'll get round to writing some tips and uploading some photos soon! Ha!

I've missed this online community and all the friends I've made over the years, so will try my best to make more of an appearance here as of now.

Hugs to you all!

Happiness

Tranquility...

I very regrettably am leaving Vancouver tomorrow and I am very sad to go as it has been an amazing 6 weeks here for the Olympics! BUT...Im off to New York (4th-8th March), then to LA (8th-16th March) and finally to San Francisco (16th-22nd March) before having two last days in Vancouver before going back to Gibraltar and then to Beijing!!! So if you're around, let me know!!!

I visited the PHILIPPINES towards the end of January this year only for 12 days but those 12 days have remained with me every single day since I've been back, to the point where all I think about is a way of going back there. Of course, I could just buy a plane ticket and do it all again, but I feel a plan greater than that brewing inside my mind!

I did a fairly typical route -

MANILA

PROVINCE OF PALAWAN

PUERTO PRINCESA

PORT BARTON

EL NIDO

I enjoyed Puerto Princesa a great deal, everything was easy, it's a city yet there was something more to it...something in the air gave me the sense of an adventure about to begin! Port Barton is where my heart and mind is currently at and El Nido, well, the water surrounding the islands was breathtakingly blue, but I certainly did not understand the hype many have bestowed upon it. Port Barton is where I see myself going back to in the near future, maybe even trying to do some kind of business there, but overall a place to let my thoughts wander. Living in cities does something to you. You don't realise it when you're there, but when you get a little bit of a break and then you come back to it, you try to think how it's possible for someone to live this sort of life day in day out. And all this, because of a beach I sat on for 5 days!

Since coming back to BEIJING, I have tried to think of many ways to do something related to Port Barton. I think it's safe to say that after the rest of this year has passed, it will be time to move on from China...try something new, and I believe the Philippines holds the key. Before going there I could find very little related to Port Barton, many of my Filipino friends had never even heard of it! And I was almost grateful to know little about it before going as it was even more of a wonderful surprise!

http://portbarton.ning.com

I have since set up this social network (above), much like a forum, discussion, blog page specific to Port Barton and how to get there. I have gone through MANY travel websites looking for people who may have been there in the hope they can add something special to my site...there are very few people. Maybe this is a good thing that not many know of this beach village, maybe it really is my time to make something of myself and get in, so to speak, before it gets taken over by the hoards! Who knows? But in the meantime, I invite you to have a look, sign up if you like and start chatting with other like-minded travellers about this little piece of treasure I hope to one day be a part of.

Trip Home!!!

That's right...I had just got back from one holiday (see above!) and then I was off home 2 months later for a 3 week holiday! It had been a year since I was back and as I wasn't up to very much, I could afford the time to go home and relax for a while. It was wonderful seeing my mum again who I hadn't seen since last May when she came to visit me in China (still need to upload those photos...ooops!), it was of course great to see my friends again. I'd heard that a lot of changes had been happening in Gibraltar over the last year, so it was good to catch up and see what 'home' looked like again! My GIBRALTAR pages shall hopefully get better than ever once I manage to find the time to upload all the new tips and update the older ones...you'll just have to wait and see!!!

Speaking of Gibraltar, here is some up-to-date news shown on the BBC website. (5th March 2009)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7923018.stm

Intro Updated Apr 1, 2013
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Comments (446)

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850prc Apr 23, 2013 at 3:18 PM

Hi Victoria, I see you are online now. Haven't seen or heard from you in a long, long time. Hope life is good. Do you do Facebook?
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  sugarpuff Apr 24, 2013 at 4:24 AM
  
  Hello! Yes I haven't been around here in a long time but I havent forgotten everyone! I hope you have continued to enjoy documenting all your travels over the last few years. It all got manic when I left China at the end of 2009 and suddenly it's 2013 and I have hardly updated anything...very bad. Life is good and I am now living in England, about 40mins outside of London, doing my dream job (Sports hospitality), so I feel very lucky. I do 'do' Facebook, yes.
  
  I hope you and your family are all well too.
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  sugarpuff Apr 24, 2013 at 4:24 AM
  
  Hello! Yes I haven't been around here in a long time but I havent forgotten everyone! I hope you have continued to enjoy documenting all your travels over the last few years. It all got manic when I left China at the end of 2009 and suddenly it's 2013 and I have hardly updated anything...very bad. Life is good and I am now living in England, about 40mins outside of London, doing my dream job (Sports hospitality), so I feel very lucky. I do 'do' Facebook, yes.
  
  I hope you and your family are all well too.
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MikeySoft Apr 11, 2013 at 9:19 AM

Looks cold, glad to hear everything is going well.
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angiebabe Apr 10, 2013 at 5:53 AM

so are you living in London?!...After being in London 12-13 years Im aiming to be in China for a year from August this year...finally getting back and doing what I originally set out to do 15 years ago!
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  sugarpuff Apr 10, 2013 at 7:43 AM
  
  I really AM living in London, yes! Been here for almost two years and looks like I'm here to stay for longer as I just got re-hired by my previous employer to continue doing amazing sports hospitality events organization, so, very excited about that, although this weather is really depressing! So what's your goal in China then?
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Rastarigo Apr 1, 2013 at 4:57 PM

glad to see u back!!! we missed you!!!
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  sugarpuff Apr 10, 2013 at 7:43 AM
  
  aawww, thanks! It's good to be back!
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xymmot Mar 13, 2013 at 10:56 PM

great pages, i do not know how I stuble upon you, and the funny thing is I leave for London tomorrow to see a dragon baby. My nephews new born son, they live in london. thanks for the good read

cheers tommy x
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dorinvutcanu Feb 28, 2013 at 8:50 AM

Hello!
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aussirose Jan 25, 2013 at 1:11 AM

Hi sweety! Long time no see. Happy birthday to you mate! Hope you had a good one. Hugs, Ann xx
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aussirose Jan 25, 2013 at 1:10 AM

Write your comment...
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MikeySoft Jan 24, 2013 at 10:50 PM

Happy Birthday Vicky. Hope all is great with you.
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DaHongHua Jan 24, 2013 at 9:30 PM

Nice to meet you in today's birthday list. Enjoyed reading your Beijing pages. Happy birthday and more great days in the year.