Man walks into a restaurant and orders a Chicken Tarka - it's like a Tikka, only otter! HA HA! Enjoyed your blog!

Delighted you're back in Thailand, and with a signal on your mobile...

So they got kimonos - my prezzie must have got lost in the post!

No doubt you'll send K&R back with lots of stuff that was weighing you down.. Hope you all have a good time together..

Thoroughly enjoyed chatting to you yesterday - you have been very good at keeping in touch - and we loved reading your latest blog which all sounds GREAT fun! Also many thanks from Kyla and me for our beautiful silk kimonos which we are both delighted with - thank goodness you remembered or they'd still be hanging in your wardrobe! Kyla wants a quick chat with you 'bout various Thailand things so next time you have a 'phone card, give her a quick ring. I should have let you talk to her when you rang yest but she was deeply involved with the Jeremy Kyle Show at an eye-watering volume! Stan and I are jolly glad you have "done" Bejing already 'cos we don't like the way things are heading there according to news reports. It's definitely "The Forbidden City" for you now, along with brown hair! LOL Mxxx

Rotherhithe eh. Ive been there. Good pub on the water.

So I have a choice of room in Ben and Harrys gaff or Kyla and Richs or Jess' and Jim's (well its so hard to find a babysitter. Laavely. Well Im not coming back yet, you lot are just aftewr my rent money!! :D

Brenda Im afraid I didnt get the card did you send it to the orient or the beach club? Either way I can probably get it forwarded so let me know and THANKS FOR SENDING IT!! :) XX

Hi Christie - belated birthday greetings for last Tuesday. Would have e-mailed you but our pc's was being detoxed and is only just back and up and running! I hope you got the card I sent to an address your mum gave me about 6 weeks ago! Sounds like you're having a ball now after some pretty 'orrid days - part of life's rich pattern I guess! Ben & Harry send their best wishes - they're sunning themselves with Lottie and Sarah on La Gomera at the moment, celebrating their degrees and new jobs no doubt! Also finalising important details about their flat in Rotherhithe, like which Sky deal to have, the size of the TV, which games to get for Playstation 3, etc. Important questions for blokes! x

Kyla & Rich off looking at houses today. I shall be making sure there is a LOVELY extra bedroom for you , natch! (CHORTLE). Rona & Derick off up to Shrewsbury to see Jess & Jim today I think, bet that duster & Mr. Sheen is flying! Has Jess told you the names they are considering for the baby? Scarlet (or Scarlett?) for a girl or Thomas Luke for a boy. As I pointed out to Ro, if babe has Jim's surname (Cadwallader), baby will be TLC - which is rather nice, actually! They are obviously keeping the fact that a girl will be named Sally or Christie after us as a surprise until the last minute, we're not fooled! Phil from work's son Tim heard couple weeks ago that he'd got a 2:1 so they are well pleased with that but yest he was suffering pain @ work & called into Glos Royal on way home & they took out his appendix, poor kid - not even time to pack clean 'jamas! (prob just needed the spare parts for organ donation!). His Graduation Day (he had interview so didn't attend) is already done'n'dusted which is as it should be, not in blooming October or December, piece of nonsense! What does your exotic sun-kissed day hold? LOL Mxxx

Quite right, too! "If you wish to live and thrive, let a spider run alive". That's assuming it doesn't kill you first! Will put some Tropical Strength JF in Kyla's suitcase, it doesn't SAY anything about Vietnamese spiders on the back but then an element of surprise might be what's called for! Particularly ungracious of it to bite you wnen we have always afforded them such respect! Foreigners, eh? LOL Mxxx

good call. would you put some jungle formula into kylas suitcase for me. I think the vietnamese put water or something else useless in all the bottles of toiletries they have for sale; SKANKS! :D Sorry about the dream. I didnt kill the spider because thats naughty but a Vietnamese took one look at it and squashed it. Which made me fear toxicity of said spider.. ;) All better now though xx

You have a lot to answer for, my girl, since my dream last night which involved a large round peach-coloured spider (brown & green is SO last year!) approaching my neck to bite me and only the speedy actions of the assistant in Next saving me! Did you kill said spider after it had bitten you or might that have led to repercussions or a visit from its Mom? You should Google it and find out exactly what species of Vietnamese (?) spider it was; this could prove vital info for the medics if God forbid an antidote ever needed! Think you should be spraying your arms and legs daily with Jungle Formula or some such, seems to have stopped me being bitten in the garden but then we are not up against such formidable foes. If only we had The Man from Corporate Risk!! LOL Mxxx

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAREST CHRISTIE - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! 3 Cheers for Christie: HIP HIP HOORAY, HiP HIP HOORAY, HIP HIP HOORAY! Hope you have a WONDERFUL day but WISH YOU WERE HERE (then there would be cake!) -but I AM sitting here at 2a.m. covered in bunting to get in the mood!! With ALL our love on your 25th Birthday, Sal, Stan, Kyla & Rich and Special Birthday Greetings from the Grandma Bird who's been sending 'em daily since about March! xxxxx

Glad to read your e-mail over w/e, Christie, it sounds as if you are starting to have lots of FUN again which is as it should be on the eve of your 25th Birthday! Bereft at the thought of not being able to send you your b'day cards but they will just have to come out with Kyla, lots of people seem to be thinking the same thing so at this rate she'll need an extra suitcase. Appar when she was packing to go and stay with Kirsty & her parents in Guernsey l/nite, Rich said "Why not give your backpack a go?" - seems she got about 2 items in it before declaring NO WAY, JOSE! Bless! You may have to talk her through the intricacies of packing a rucksack! - starting with, No, you CAN'T take 35 pairs of shoes! (Rich has counted and that's how many pairs she's got over at his place - never mind here! Have a LOVELY day! LOL Mxxx

Hope you are safely back in Saigon, Christie, let us know. Dad has done sterling work saving/printing off your Travel Blog complete with Messages from day one so now it's in readable book - well, magazine - form! Have sent a copy to Grandma and kept a copy for you. He took hours running it off and correcting the spelling so you will need to say a big Thank You to him! NE&T going up to spend few days with Grandma from today so might be nice if you were able to give T a ring there. They are all going to see Leonoard Cohen on the Castle Esplanade tonight -have told 'em to wrap up warm! LOL Mxxx