Ping pong's coming home?

That could only come from London's mayor, Boris Johnson, when asked at the London House in Beijing after the Olympics flag handover.

And today, the Great Britain team arrived back following their best Olympic performance for 100 years. They brought home 19 golds to finish fourth in the medal table with a haul of 47 medals. The team landed at Heathrow Airport on a dedicated British Airways Boeing 747 featuring a special gold medal "nose". The plane, renamed Pride after the British Olympic lion mascot, had the message "Proud to bring our British heroes home" emblazoned on the fuselage.

Kevin quipped what an insult to the dead and injured from Iraq and Afghanistan. They came back home in a shroud of secrecy, hidden away from our eyes.  Yeah, I know...

Apart from that, guess I better start saving for the 2012 Olympics. It's in one of the things I wanted to do before I die list. To attend a world sporting event and I couldn't wait. The events I would choose will be either the opening/closing ceremony, cycling, athletics and off course, badminton. C'mmon M'sia. You've got 4 years to practice :-).

Saturday was our 11th wedding anniversary. For my darling Kevin a verse from Shania Twain's 'From this moment' (the talking bit)

I do swear that I'll always be there. I'd give anything
and everything and I will always care. Through weakness
and strength, happiness and sorrow, for better, for worse,
I will love you with every beat of my heart.

We didn't do much cos I was sick. It started on Wed when I was attending an Appraisal workshop at the University House. By mid-morning, I was feeling woozy and asked DB to accompany me to the ladies. I threw up and felt my world spinning. Called Kevin and went home, straight to bed. I called in sick the next day.

On Sat we decided we need some fresh air and popped to the reserve. At the Baldwin Hide, we saw the usual culprits :  Lapwings, Mute Swans, Mallards, Coots, Moorhens, Common Terns, Greylag Geese, Cormorants and they were having a siesta!!!. At Carlton Hide, the place was deserted. Not of people that is.

We decided to call it a day. But on the drive home, we spotted this handsome bird, a kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), eyeing his prey. Kevin managed to find a safe spot for Benzy and snap this lovely raptor. Isn't it ironic? We spent nearly 2 hours in the reserve and nothing catches our attention. And here, in the middle of the road we found this chap, looking splendid. We managed to grab three shots of him before he vanished in a frantic panic. Carpe Diem........ :-)