Master Bath, excluding powder room and water closet.

Walk in Dressing Room/Hers.

Just returned from our second trip to PRC, Shanghai this time and found wonderful, luxurious surroundings at this property.

Overlooking Pudong and the World Expo 2010 across the Huangpu River from the Bund inside the Peninsula Shanghai. June 2010

Main Living Quarters, corner suite.
Western view

Just returned to my second PRC visit, this time, Shanghai and the Bund. I can’t help but ponder my share of uncertainty of wondering just how much longer will China wait to become the next superpower, Shanghai in particular. It’s as if the downtown New York Financial District where the WFC and yet-to-be-built WTC structures share space, literally moved to Shanghai and the Bund. Shanghai has looked like this for decades. Hong Kong and Beijing are already amidst the competition, but seriously, after this visit, I think I might actually try to become among the millions of expats living the “high life,” and forego all these new tax burdens as of next year. The question still remains: how soon?

While it has certainly been a while since I’ve posted, mainly due to work, (Oh! Did I forget to mention that I am now a mother too?) but mostly because I’ve not had an opportunity to continue travel outside of the usual places, i.e. Western Europe or the U.S., which are repeat destinations, so therefore, Egypt is a pleasure.

Please note, after two failed attempts to reach Egypt – first was due to an ice storm in the metro New York region, with all major airports: JFK, EWR, LGA including mass flight cancellations. Then a second attempt failed due to illness, which no one should have to travel on this condition followed by the 2008 Khan al Khalili cafe bombings in Central Cairo where we were due to stay. We finally reached this region, but not without our own set of challenges. We were inadvertently traveling during British Airways’ Cabin Crew’s Unite Strike efforts. Ugh! We say, but we made it despite this final challenge to continue onto our mission, without the help this time of Abercrombie & Kent.

View from main living quarters opposite the River Nile with pool below. FS, Cairo. Mar2010.

Distinct Four Seasons floral arrangements, Cairo. March2010

Last minute Concierge request.

So it appears the February winter blues have set in and recalling memories of the old townhouse on the UES are stronger than ever. If one can’t literally hop onto a flight out of the metro area – either from mass flight delays, blizzards and such – what is one to do? Fantasize? Day Dream? Well, reality hits harder now with a bambino in tow even with nanny care, so we shall get a little more creative. Escapism to uh, let’s say a movie? Another museum? It’s yucky and filthy full of germs! Okay, we’ll stay home, indoors for yet another long weekend. Ugh!

Happy New Year 2010!

Wow! Has it really been an entire year…gone…passed?

So much has transpired since my last entry, which was quite literally just over a year ago. Now, I’m trying to extricate myself from my hibernation as motherhood and parenthood, become more of a reality, not the absolute shock it bestowed upon me as a new mother.

We give thanks to a wonderful, blessed year with the arrival of our son and hope this year brings the same promise of the same curiosities as the infant he is.

Clearly, our global travels have been halted due to this miraculous blessing, but in time, we’ll be back on the road again and fulfilling those dreams of exploring the world.

Looking South on Mercer Street between Prince & Spring, toward Canal. 10Sep08

After returning to our car in Soho on yet another very routine after dinner walk, we notice the beam of lights illuminating the semi-cloudy downtown sky on the eve of the anniversary of the WTC attacks. The same chill was in the air, less than 12 hours before the anniversary, eerily reminiscent of that day seven years ago.

10Sept08

Currently enjoying some much needed time off, maggiesmusings will return from Holiday this Fall.

Happy Blogging!

6Aug08

Just for fun! Here’s something to lighten things a bit.

Just when I think surfing the net – another obsessive, compulsive past time – seemingly grows bland and stale after revisiting the same old, same old (mostly news and wikis). I was actually brought to this site by a third-party recommendation, only to discover that I like a number of them and thought, I should pass the gesture onto my fellow bloggers, if you’ve not already found some of them yourself.

Here it is: Time’s 50 Best Websites for 2008 .

Enjoy!

24 June 2008.

Ah! Here we are once again, (Steven) filling-up at the local Bedford Shell en-route to work downtown. Now that we’ve reached USD$4.75/gallon for premium – far few cents less than what is offered on Canal Street (currently $4.97/gallon) – we happily pay given that for one, though gas prices continue to rise (Crude Oil hit over $135/barrel this week) we still pay far less than our neighboring UK, EU and Asian drivers, who fork over a far larger sum compared to…let’s see milk, water and food overall.

So, of course, it’s a pain to see gas prices rise steadily every few days, but again, it’s the pace at which these prices are rising, not so much the price itself relative to other consumer products. Paying GBP1.32 or more per liter of petrol in the U.K. (or on average GBP6.00/gallon, about USD$12.00/gallon) is still a much higher percentage of one’s income relative to other staple items consumers seem to demand. We still have bargain prices relative to the price per gallon of water and milk, especially when compared to paying $12.00/gallon, which we’ll take $4.75 any day! Gee? Reality is, there’s still a way’s to go. The summer’s just getting started.

Admittedly, we’ve yet to change our driving habits, but what does one do when you require a 06:00 arrival (overseas market closings) for work when driving is the most efficient method even without a hybrid, or Tesla (electric) vehicle? Do I smell USD$5.00/gallon by mid-June? 30May08.

Ah! It’s my favorite breed of all time – the West Highland White Terrier – taking a stroll on North Moore & Greenwich, while I “stalk” the pooch without its owner, eheheh! Even its rear end view is worth a photo. 21May08.