Spring has sprung

The garden is so beautiful I have to tear myself away to come indoors. And when I go back outside again, I find plants which I swear weren't there 10 minutes ago. Old friends which I'd forgotten - wood anemones, trusty old daffodils, mingle with showy new parrot tulips.
Gorgeous.
Try this sparky quiz to test your spring flower vocabulary:
http://www.anglomaniacy.pl

You'll find all sorts of fun things there...

And, by the way: Aquatica - The Green Connection - has opened in Kota Kinabalu and the visitors (including Anya) love it:)

Joy.

Back again

Well, that look longer than expected, simply because being an Omi obviously addles the brain. As you all know, Baby Johann arrived safely, everyone is fine, Horst celebrated his birthday on the same day, is also fine, and Omi forgot to update The Penguinet.

I'm sorry!

There's no excuse today though: things are hotting up in the UK election campaign and I know you will all want up to date info. So try

http://news.uk.msn.com/

and click your way through to fascinating opinion poll results and much more.

And now you'll have to excuse me while I go back to be 100% Omi again:)

Just waiting

I know you are all going to understand that today my mind is on other things just now.
5.30am Borneo time tomorrow (Monday) Laura & Riko will leave the beach chalet and drive to KK where Laura will have her baby by Caesarian. Anya will be home on the beach with her Nenek (other Oma), Riko's Mum.
So, can't do much from here except keep calm and try and be normal - so it being Sunday, here we go!
I know lots of you enjoy the quizzes and tips on the BBC & with the British Council. Here's a similar site, also lots of quizzes and info.
www.learnenglish.de

So enjoy and WATCH THIS SPACE - I'll update as soon as I have some news.

Good afternoon to all of you Easter Bunnies.

It's been a funny sort of two weeks, spent a week in Yeovil flat on my back sleeping on my Mum's sofa with no voice whatsoever. Arrived back in time to have - first time ever - Handwerker in the house and wow what a good job they did with our living room. It is now so beautiful you are only allowed to peep at it from behind a perspex screen. Martina brushed cookie crumbs from her lap onto the new (red and yellow) carpet yesterday and I nearly killed her.

Anyway.

Many of you know of the solace and companionship I have always found with BBC Radio 4. But it's also fun to tune in to the world, and so why not give

http://www.mikesradioworld.com/

a try. Here you can access live streaming of radio from all over the world, my personal favourites being Australia and boondock towns in the US. Makes you feel (a bit) like James Dean.

Happy Easter...

What is this?

Early today as I'm leaving for Yeovil later this morning. This week I stumbled over such an exciting translating project, I think we should all give it a go:

www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/superpower/spn.shtml

And let's have a competition - anyone recognise what this is, snapped in my Mum's kitchen in Yeovil??

Aprons on...

Oh what a good week we had, so many of us watching Jamie Oliver starting a revolution in School Dinners in the UK.
I've become a real fan of his... hasn't always been like this. I didn't like him a few years ago - for all sorts of reasons. That started to change three years ago when I wrote to Jamie (or at least his team) to tell him about Riko's recipes and invite him to Borneo. Well he hasn't been there yet, but he (or his team) did send a very nice photo, with the inscription 'For Laura and Riko' - and my were they thrilled. that photo is hanging in a frame on the wall of the beach house in Borneo. That was the start of me opening my mind for a more modern style - of cooking, of presentation.
If you are interested in trying some of Jamie's recipes for yourself, visit:
www.jamieoliver.com
and Guten Appetit!

National Geographic

Some things never change, thank goodness, and dear old National Geographic Magazine with its familiar mustard-yellow colour cover has been part of my life since before I can remember. Not the texts, which were often a shade too American, but the pictures!

Visit http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ for hours of enjoyment exploring our beautiful world, and if you are ever stuck for a present take my tip and give the present which lasts a whole year - a National Geographic subscription. It's a bargain at 33 euros per year.