Tea really is good for the soul!

There is everything to love about Pacific Coffee.  Hong Kong is not renowned for it's cafe culture, and it is taking quite some time for it to permeate, but it's slowly getting there and momentum is building. There are, of course, many Starbucks dotted around the place but I've never been their biggest fan (over priced, terrible chocolate and far from the best coffee). Pacific Coffee is the local chain and these coffee shops are a completely different experience.

The coffee shops vary in size and location. Some are in Malls and others are as you would find in the UK, they're dark with lost of brown and red (both colours look excellent with Christmas decoration or with the Chinese New Year decorations that have gone up in the last week) and the atmosphere is very different. Many people go to Pacific Coffee to study (I've become one of them) and you can walk into one and be hard pushed to find a seat, not because there are lots of people chatting or reading the paper, but because the majority of the tables are covered in paper, in notes and text books. With everyone with a like mind, the quiet and chilled music and the low level of chat it's almost like a library, but with food and drink on tap - even if you do have to pay for it!

And the food and drink isn't half bad. They have good panini's, the bacon and onion quiche is a winner (and doesn't break the bank) and they have the odd cake/tart - the lack of selection of the latter is a benefit when you spend a lot of time there! Their coffee isn't bad - they do a decent enough espresso and the long black is better than the Starbucks equivalent and they also have a decent selection of tea (it is Hong Kong after all) and I hear that their English Breakfast Tea is rather good (and their Earl Gray passes the test too!) In fairness I've yet to have a cup of tea that surpasses that of the Simply Life cafe's, but they are few and far between and definitely not a place of study!

Not only is their tea good, but they company has feel good quotes dotted around all over the place: the quote of the day, the cup holders and even he tea bag tags have quotes on them. It brightens every day:

Sadly there will be no 52 Books Challenge post this week as my brother is here for the weekend (first physical family sighting for 9 months!) I am still reading though and aim to have both #3 and #4 for next week!!

52 Books Challenge #3

This weeks choice was The Secret Life of France by Lucy Wadham. In her autobiography-come-social history, Lucy Wadham recounts her move to France and marriage aged 19 in the 1980's, her struggles to come to terms with the differences in culture and how she still lives in France despite her divorce from the aforementioned husband.

It is not often I read this kind of book, and I wasn't really aware of the nature of this book, but as
I am currently re-learning/teaching myself French the title appealed to me. I found this book immensely enjoyable. Lucy Wadham's writing style is light hearted and informative. She recounts her experiences and supports her opinions with history and anecdotes.

As a Brit I found truth in many of the things she wrote about the outlook of  British people and I found the differences between the French and British fascinating. I have not actually been back to France as an adult, but this book has encouraged rather than discouraged. I may conform to many of the stereotypes listed about the British, but upon reading Lucy Wadham's account I can see how she came to stay in France and she has filled me with enough intrigue to want to see what France is like now. I happen to have a friend who has recently moved to France and married a Frenchman - I think I shall be recommending the book to her and seeing what her take on the matter is!

This was definitely a divergence from my usual reading material, but this is what this challenge is all about: getting through the backlog of books on the kindle and expanding the genres read! So far so good...

52 Books Challenge #2

I came across this weeks book as I perused my kindle library on my phone (the delights of modern technology!). I had never read any Ken Follet and though Pillars of the Earth has been recommended to me, I was not ready embark upon the epic reading of that so early in the challenge, then I stumbled over Night Over Water.

I didn't have a clue that to expect but just dived straight in. The book immediately appealed. Set at the outbreak of WWII and focusing on the "final" flight of the Pan American Clipper (a vehicle I was completely unaware of) hooked me, as did Ken Follet's excellent character development.

The plot routinely jumped between three main groups of characters all united by the fact they had all obtained passage on this fabled last flight and the with a story line thick with romance, adultery, espionage, blackmail and double crossing there's plenty to get your teeth stuck into. The pace of the novel is fast and the constant too and fro of perspectives is a benefit rather than a hindrance. 

At it's cour however Night Over Water is about the excitement and the novelty of something that is now common place: flying over the Atlantic. The Pan American Clipper is the main character and the sagas surrounding this flight are made possible by the design and the era of the plan itself. It is a story of the triumph or engineering and, in a sad way, the end of innovation. The Pan American Clipper was an astounding feat. but it's time was to be short lived as WWII changed the way technology and made the Pan American Clipper obsolete before it's time had really begun. 

On the strength of this outing I am intrigued to see what more Follet has to offer and I'm very glad that I decided to pick this up on a whim!

52 Books Challenge #1

So the first book in this years challenge is a re-read, though one I merely skimmed through about eighteen months ago. It's also an easy lighthearted read... thought I'd ease myself in gently...

Laura' s handmade Life by Amanda Addison was, for me a joy to read. It revolves around Laura Lovegood and her relocation with her family from London to Norfolk. Things, as so often happens,  go a little pear shaped and there is of course the struggle of finding your way and making friends in a small village community. In the end Laura has to fall back on something she never imagined she'd do in order to make ends meet and meets the odd inspirational person along the way.

I do love this book, especially as I love sewing, and I like and sympathise the characters. The story is familiar in a good way and delivered well with vibrant and detailed description and a wee bit of history thrown in too. It's against the odds chick lit at some of its finest.

There are twists, turns and humps in the road and at times the story can start to lag. But preserver. Its worth it for that fuzzy feeling and the joy of a good comfort read...Week two will be a little more challenging, or so is the plan!