English wedding in Eastbourne

All weddings are nice... but English weddings are classic. 

When one of my favorite people from the MBA invited me to her wedding in the English countryside, I was so excited to attend. Since the UK is such a long distance from Hong Kong, I decided to make a mini-vacation out of it, with some time in London before heading down to the south coast. 

My hotel was in the financial district, which is an area I never spent much time in when I lived in London over a decade ago. The area between Liverpool Street and London Bridge has a very corporate feel now, but it has really come alive with some attractive skyscrapers (for London standards) and good restaurants. 

I spent the first afternoon walking around, shopping a bit, taking pictures, and just being awestruck by how attractive everyone is.

The Gherkin building

The Shard along the south coast of the Thames River

Tower Bridge on a gorgeous day

It's almost tradition now that I have to visit my former schools whenever I am in a city where I studied, so I made the familiar jaunt to the LSE campus in Kingsway. I have such a feeling of pride whenever I go back, and I also love to see the improvements that have been made across campus.

One of the new academic buildings at LSE

The Iconic "Old Building" at London School of Economics

It is so easy to walk around London, so I just spent the afternoon making my way through Covent Garden, Piccadilly Circus, and my favorite street in the entire city: Regent Street.

Covent Garden

Stately buildings lining Regent Street

On the morning of the wedding, I caught an early train to Eastbourne and planned to meet an MBA friend at our hotel so we could travel to the country estate together. I was already dressed in my suit and feeling good. 

Then, Murphy's Law came into play and the baby next to me spilled his bottle of milk all down my blazer. Lovely. I glared at the mother until she handed me some baby wipes. I did my best to clean up, but the combination of milk and baby wipes isn't exactly the best scent for a formal wedding. 

When I arrived at the hotel, my friend assured me that I smelled ok and we immediately set off for the ceremony.


We pulled up at the estate and I was completely spellbound.

Driveway to the estate where the wedding was held

Traditional English country home

The groom welcomed us in the driveway and ushered us to the back yard, which had an incredible view of the surrounding cliffs. White chairs and a romantic pagoda were set up for the intimate ceremony. 

The bride and groom say their vows

Sometimes wedding ceremonies are just associated with the boring formalities before the reception, but this one was too meaningful to ignore. People were invited to speak from all stages of the couple's life, and I heard at least four languages: English (representing the bride), French (representing the groom), German (representing their current home and colleagues from Luxembourg), and Spain (representing the MBA).  

Following the ceremony, Louise and Pierre were showered with confetti as they walked down an aisle of their friends and family. 

Showering the bride and groom with confetti

And now, the real fun was about to begin. We had cocktail hour by the pool - drinking french wine and eating traditional French and English hors d'oeuvres. My favorite was the mini fish and chips, appropriately served in a tiny mock newspaper. 

Mini fish and chips during cocktail hour

After cocktails and photographs, we went through the receiving line and the beaming expression on the bride's mother's face was infectious. She made me feel so welcomed and appreciated for coming all the way from Hong Kong.

The ESADE Contingent

As could be expected, the reception hall was in traditional English style, and perfect for the group. The meal (called breakfast, even though it was actually a dinner) was fit for a king. Again with a fusion of cultures, it was a traditional English meal, paired with French wines. 

The main course of the "breakfast"

One of the highlights, at least for me, was a Spanish dance performance by Louise's former flatmate from Barcelona. I had the pleasure of watching her dance when we lived there, and it truly is captivating to watch someone move with so much passion.

Spanish dance during the reception

After the dinner, we were ushered out to a tent that was set up in the back yard for cake cutting and tea while they re-set the room for dancing. The traditional English fruitcake was made a friend of the bride's mother and it was much better than any fruit cake I have ever tasted before. 

Before the dancing began, the groom's friends presented together a slide show highlighting their experiences together. Following that, the first dances ushered in the last couple hours of letting loose. Even though I am a horrific dancer, I couldn't help but get sucked in by the enthusiasm on the dance floor. The only people not dancing were the elderly French family members, who just sat in a row along the perimeter of the room. 

First dance by the bride and groom

Everyone else joined in to dance with the live music

By the end of the night, we were all exhausted and it was so convenient that the couple had pre-ordered taxis to take us all back to our hotels. As we rode back into the town, our group discussed how every single detail was impeccably planned and executed without a single flaw.

The next morning, I was up far too early (thanks to jetlag), and feeling like I had just been punched in the face (thanks to wine). Instead of just laying in bed, I decided to peel myself out of bed and go for a run along the coast. It was the perfect way to end my quick trip to the coast. 

View of the cliffs along my morning run

View of the quaint English beach town along the coast

Unfortunately, I had to cut my trip short because of an emergency at work. As I flew back to Hong Kong that evening, it almost felt like I had only dreamt about being in England for the storybook wedding. My short time there may not have been ideal, but it was enough to rejuvenate my fond memories of my time living in London and the great friends I made during the MBA. I am so thrilled to have been part of such a special weekend.

Long Layover at Heathrow Airport

London has always felt like a second home to me, even though I only spent one year of my life there. I find the city to be comfortable, yet sophisticated. Historic, yet modern. I love that I can walk through the streets with ease and reconnect with my old favorites. However, I never get bored because there seem to be a few new surprises every time I return.  With a 7-hour layover on my way back from Brazil, I was excited to escape the airport and take a whirlwind tour around the city. 

Ready to depart for a quick day in London

The Tube became my personal driver for the day

My first stop was Knightsbridge, which is home to some of the best shopping in London. As soon as I got out of the tube station, the venerable Mandarin Oriental was right in front of me. It brought back memories from a wonderful trip to London in 2004 when I was lucky enough to stay there. Harvey Nichols was right across the street - the same place I went for my birthday brunch on another trip in 2010. I love how the best landmarks of London always stand the test of time. 

I once stayed in the top center room with the long balcony

I love how Harvey Nichols is always so bold and fun

The red phone booths are so iconic. I hope they never disappear completely

Next, I went to Kensington Palace.  Admittedly, the Queen's residence would not be my first choice of places to see in London, but I was lucky enough to be there on the day of the London Marathon and I really wanted to cheer on the runners near the finish line.  By this point in the race, everyone is physically and mentally drained but they really come alive again at the sight of the finish line.  I always get a little jealous when I am watching a race (instead of running in it), but it was fun to soak up the atmosphere of one of the world's marathon majors.

So close to the end!! 

Princess Kate is always impressing the crowds!

Approaching the finish line!

Despite my many visits to London, I have never actually visited Wellington Arch, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to experience something new.  From Kensington Palace, I just walked along the side of Hyde Park - the same path as the horse guards parade route. I learned that the arch celebrates the Duke of Wellington's victory over Napoleon in 1815 to end the Napoleonic wars. Apparently he's a big deal, and worthy of such an impressive monument!  There is a small exhibition inside the arch, which was perfect for a quick layover because it doesn't take much time. 

Beautiful detail on the gate of the arch

Just one of many memorials in London

By this point, I wanted to start heading back towards the direction of the airport, just in case of any delays. I got off at Hammersmith, which is actually my #1 suggestion for anyone who just wants to escape the airport for a couple hours without going all the way into London. There are loads of shops and restaurants next to the tube station, including my personal favorite, Primark. I was practically salivating at the opportunity to stock up on some basics at Primark, and I ended up buying a little more than I could fit in my carry-on. So, as I rode the tube back to the airport, I had to start adding extra layers of clothing. 

I made it back to the airport with just enough time to pass through security and board my flight back to Hong Kong. As I prepared to depart for my current home, I couldn't help but smile as I thought about all the great memories from my former home. Even though it was a very quick visit, I couldn't have asked for a better layover in London. People are usually reluctant to leave airports between flights, but it's really easy with the Heathrow Express traveling to Paddington in only 20 minutes. For anyone who just wants to escape the airport for a quick fry-up or discount shopping, Hammersmith is another good choice. With so many amazing things to see in London, there is no reason to waste countless hours in the airport. Go out and explore!

Preparing to depart for my long journey back to Hong Kong

Celebrating a birthday away from home

When I was a kid, birthdays were a big deal.  I always had at least two parties (one with friends and one with family).  My parents took me out to dinner at the restaurant of my choosing and were very generous with gifts. It was fun to feel like the entire world revolved around me for just a day. 

My first birthday...celebrating with all my mom's friend's kids

As I grew up, my birthday gradually became less relevant. 

The first time I celebrated my birthday away from home was the year I studied in London during undergrad. I went out with friends from my dorm, but there was no need to mark my legal drinking age because I had been free to drink ever since I arrived in Europe nine months earlier.  Even though I was away from family during this time, it was still nice to have friends around. 

Little did I know, this marked the first of many years that I was unable to celebrate with family on my actual birthday. I usually went out with friends to mark the occasion (and to distract me from the reality of getting older). One year, I even took a trip to Florida with some of my best friends, but we all got so sunburnt that we barely made it through dinner on my actual birthday. 

2008 was the first time I had to travel for work on my birthday. I was alone throughout the work day, but I was lucky enough to be in the New York metro area where I met up with friends for dinner. As an added perk, my boss even allowed me to get a room at the Ritz-Carlton Central Park. 

The next year wasn't nearly as glamorous. I was working in Birmingham, Alabama and the view from my office window was this: 

Birthday shopping in Birmingham?

I remember spending an hour researching restaurants so I could at least treat myself to the perfect meal. After searching through menus, I decided on a trendy seafood restaurant called Ocean. Was the food great? Absolutely.  Was it depressing to eat dinner alone on my birthday? A little.  On the bright side, I had plans to go out with friends just a couple nights later (once I returned home to Washington, DC). 

2010 was the year of the MBA in Barcelona. It should have been an incredible place to ring in yet another year of my life. Unfortunately, a few conflicts during the semester caused classes to be rescheduled, and my birthday was the one and only time that we had a triple session of classes.  For nine hours, I sat behind my computer and listened to lectures.  By the end of this learning marathon, everyone quietly filtered out of the lecture hall and went straight home. Myself included.  

The following year, I had just moved to Chicago and I had about 2 friends. My friend Thom took me out for drinks and we closed out the night at a country-western bar. Even though I was technically "home", it didn't feel like home at all. 

2012 was a year of birthday redemption. I was traveling in Europe with a team from my office and my boss loves having an excuse to do nice things. My day actually started in Luxembourg, where I had been the night before for an awesome half-marathon. I spent the morning admiring the city and taking some photos, before catching a train to Paris. 

In Paris, I was fortunate enough to be staying at a super exclusive hotel and my first ride in the elevator was shared with someone who "seemed famous" (although I had no idea who he was). As we were heading out to dinner, the same guy was sitting in the lounge and I pointed him out to a colleague.  Turns out, the entire Vampire Diaries cast was staying at the hotel, and the guy I rode the elevator with earlier was Paul Wesley. Rubbing shoulders with celebrities was just the start of a fun evening. We enjoyed a dinner cruise along the Seine River and spent some time walking around the city. Strolling through Le Jardin des Tuileries reminded me that business trip birthdays can be fun, too.

Birthday evening in Paris, 2012

Over the course of the week in Paris, the hotel was filled with celebrities and the back of my head even had a youtube cameo at 1:02, when I entered the hotel with a colleague while fans were screaming over Ian Somerhalder. This was also the week of the French Open and I shared an elevator ride with the Federer family one morning on my way to breakfast.  Birthday week win! 

I expected 2013 to be a quiet birthday. I was alone in Casablanca and I arrived at the office just like any other day. A couple of the local managers suggested having lunch at the hotel's fine dining restaurant, which was a perfect coincidence for me. Then, out of nowhere, I heard the General Manager singing happy birthday and walking out with a cake and champagne! Somehow, the staff discovered that it was my birthday and I couldn't have been more surprised.

My Mom sent 8 birthday cards to my hotel in Casablanca

This year in Melbourne, I was working alone in my room and wondering whether anyone would discover it was my birthday. At lunch with some of the staff, we were discussing a new hire named "Kate" who joined several existing members of the sales team with the same name. This reminded the table that the majority of the Finance team was born during the month of October. Out of pure coincidence, they asked about my birthday and I admitted that it is today. They all offered an obligatory "Happy Birthday!", but it just wasn't feeling so happy to me since this was practically my only human interaction throughout the entire day. 

For dinner, I went down to the hotel restaurant and was told that it was closed for a private event. They offered room service as an alternative, but the only thing more pathetic than eating alone is eating alone in my room. I went back upstairs, grabbed a Kit Kat out of the minibar and rented a movie that ended up being a heartbreaking documentary. By 9pm, I was depleted of energy and opted to go to sleep early.

Fortunately, the next morning brought a fresh mind and renewed enthusiasm. I received several messages from friends who discovered it was my birthday via the Facebook reminder while I was asleep. I chatted with a friend in Hong Kong, received a call in my hotel from friends in New York and DC, and even received a birthday cake from the hotel.  

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One interesting thing about this blog is that the recollection of events sometimes helps to change my perception of them. I was initially going to write about how difficult it is to be away from home on your birthday.  But then I realized that I have enjoyed a few excellent birthdays on the road. I have also experienced some birthdays at home that have not lived up to my lofty expectations. 

A birthday is just another day except that it holds special meaning to one person.  The celebration should be about what makes that person happy. I love spending time with family and friends on my birthday, but I also love to explore the world.  Some years, those two desires are in conflict with each other. This was one of those years.  

Instead of complaining about one boring night, I will focus on the countless ways my life has been enriched as a result of my global travels. My lifestyle requires me to make a number of personal sacrifices, but it also affords me with opportunities that few people get to experience. This year, I just had to wait a little longer to eat my cake.