Terje & Tone...Don't Stop The Music!

The invitation to dinner came months 

in 

advance.

This is after all 

Oslo,

Norway.

Where one do not drop by friends,

 unannounced

nor

call anyone

on a 

weekend

before 10 am.

Tradition rules.

And society conforms.

One final reminder above all...

never arrive

 late 

or

early.

The 

tram & bus

 system in this

Nordic

capital is 

super punctual

&

efficient.

The citizens follow the 

"don't drink & drive"

policy religiously.

It was a rather wet evening as

we made our way towards the

"west-end"

residential area of

Frogner.

Parks, grand houses

& 

beautiful apartments dot this

exclusive

neighbourhood.

The double-carriage bus dropped us off,

 a

few blocks east of our destination.

On this night,

the pavement glistened in the

rain
&

 store windows

shined bright,

illuminating all that was

chic

 & 

desirable 

within.

Having dinner in the 

private domain

of a home

is

definitely a treat.

And 

a sit-down dinner

makes it down-right special.

The building was off the main road

& 

the apartment was

on a higher floor.

Upon entering,

the scent of 

warm food

& 

music

captured your senses.

Walls painted in soft shades of

"Scandinavia"

bounced off light,

as if the entire room

 was seen through

a 

gossamer mesh 

of the 

finest silk.

Tonight was even more special,

the 

table 

was only set for 4.

This could only mean one thing...

the hosts wanted you 

all to themselves!!!

Let me introduce

Terje Moen

(on the left...)

&

 Tone Johansen

our hosts this evening.

"One plus One

makes 

two."

An upwardly mobile couple

living a comfortable life,

in 

a very smart apartment,

located in a superb 

neighbourhood.

They greeted us with

a warm embrace

that felt genuinely

sincere.

Amidst a string of

greetings & exchanges,

champagne 

appeared 

& 

soon we were

toasting to

life

 & 

all it's pleasures!

What is the definition of lifestyle to you?

Terje: Work & Travel.

Tone: It's family & my boyfriend.

What are you reading?

Terje: End of the Trail.

Tone: Facebook.

Which city excites you?

Terje: Kuala Lumpur.

Tone: London & New York.

Is love over rated?

Terje: Maybe.

Tone: Yes.

Blue or White?

Terje: Blue.

Tone: White

Where is Norway heading ...?

Terje: Into trouble

Tone: Tourism.

When I say "shout", what would you say?

Terje: Hi!!!

Tone: Ah!!!

Last holiday destination?

Terje: New Orleans.

Tone: New Orleans.

Can you cook?

Terje: Yes.

Tone: Yes.

Favourite month of the year?

Terje: July.

Tone: July.

Next holiday destination?

Terje: Bali.

Tone...?

How is entertaining different these days?

Terje: Today, you dare to involve the people you entertain.

Tone: Food & wine is more readily available.

What challenges you?

Terje: People.

Tone: My life.

Which movie, if any, can you most identify with?

Terje: Die Hard.

Tone: Eat, Pray, Love.

Define freedom?

Terje: When you look into the mirror, you see your boss.

Tone: Ability to realize my dreams.

Your go-to recipe when you cook?

Terje: Ipad.

Tone: Google.

Brazil or Bhutan?

Terje: Brazil.

Tone: Bhutan.

Most memorable journey?

Terje: Route 66.

Tone: Italy-Toscana.

Favourite song?

Terje: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2.

Tone: "I love You Baby."

Your most desired cocktail?

Terje: Jack Daniels on the rocks.

Tone: Bacardi Razz.

It's exciting news
when
 you receive an invitation to dinner.
Over the years,
I've learnt about the
do's & dont's
in this city.
Cultural differences 
meant we have to be
mindful
&
respect
social etiquette.
This visit was so much fun right from the start.
Terje & Tone
are a very relaxed couple.
It even shows in the
 design vocabulary 
of the apartment.

The menu for tonight was

 tapas.

Our conversation revolved around 

travel...

a common interest

 held by all four of us.

The couple,

both 

dashing 

&

vocal,

were generous hosts.

Wine flowed continuously

&

they even entertained us with 

a 

dance.

Travel certainly broadens the

mind.

As the evening progressed,

we talked,

laughed

&

drank...

while I photographed.

Unmistakably 

gregarious,

Terje & Tone,

clearly know how to

enjoy life,

&

balances it well.

Every piece of 

furniture

& 

picture

in the apartment,

had a story to tell.

After all,

life is a journey

&

through 

prolonged exposure,

we 

become ourselves.

It's pleasure for 

the eyes when

beautiful things are

all around.

This couple knows how to

live, 

while we 

cruise on life's voyage.

The colours around us may be 

soft 

& 

muted,

yet

my friends are

scintillatingly charming

merry

&

high-spirited!

"Eat,

PLAY,

Love"

indeed!!!

Don't ever

 stop 

playing the music!

Terje & Tone...

thanks for a great night.

Cecilia...thoroughly modern!

Not long ago,
I had a stopover in
 Bangkok 
for 2 nights.
The journey from 
Suvarnabhumi Airport
to the city
can be an absolute challenge,
depending on the time of day.
Fortunately, this was
Saturday
evening.
Traffic was minimal.
Rain was pelting down onto
the
Thai Air
limousine 
in heavy dense drops.
Outside, 
the roads resembled rivers.
The
Bangkok 
skyline through the 
wet rain-stained windows, 
looked all
grown-up
 &
 glamourous.
Shimmering like some
cabaret show,
enticing us as we sped
along the elevated highway...
high above the the city below.
Strangely,
I like this
sprawling metropolis of
8 million.

People come to
Bangkok
for many, many reasons.
For me, it started out as a 
holiday destination.
Then somehow, somewhere,
I began sourcing merchandise for our stores
&
now,
it's a pleasant combination of both.
The place has changed of course
but
the familiarity is still here
in the midst of all the chaos that
 makes up this
amazing & vibrant city.
Yet this trip was a little different.
I was on a mission.
And that mission was to spend a day with a friend
&
write a blog feature on her.

Meet 

Cecilia Lopez Low,

wife,

mother,

friend

&

budding 

jewellery designer.

Malaysian 

by birth.

This woman on the go,

has been living in this city for the last 

10 years.

Her husband 

James

had to move here for work

& 

the family followed.

Nowadays,

Cecilia is not only fluent in 

Thai

but also

has her finger on the pulse on

all the

"action"

in 

& 

around the capital

of the kingdom of

Thailand.

I 

cannot remember 

how long since

we've known each other 

or

 when

we actually met.

All I can say is that I saw her 

2 daughters 

grow up from

sweet little girls 

into 

stunning young women.

And that was way before the birth of

her youngest son

 Nate.

A lot of time has passed between us...

a

natural progression

 to the

 testament of friendship.

Their apartment,
located in
an up-market residential area of
Bangkok,
has
private elevator access
that delivers you directly to the front door.
Perched very high 
& 
away from the
hustle & bustle
of
 street life below,
is
a quiet sanctuary of
peace & harmony.
Marble flooring 
& 
recessed lighting,
further enhanced the
 elegance 
of this
unique space.
Scattered here & there
&
 almost everywhere,
are
priceless antiques 
collected 
from equally
priceless galleries.
Style,
as I've often mentioned,
comes from within.
&
in this household,
it's as common as
apple pie.

We were scheduled to meet in the lobby of the

Metropolitan Hotel 

early

Sunday 

morning.

Grey clouds 

& 

a gentle drizzle

gave the impression of

a cool 

Autumn morning.

But that cleared 

& 

soon

we were out, heading towards

an adventure in 

this city

once known as the

"Venice of the East".

Peru or Paris?
Paris...but I would also love to visit Peru.

Describe yourself?

Fun!

Most memorable moment?
Too many!

What book are you reading now?

Sense & Sensibility.

Is fashion over rated?
No.

Finish this sentence - "Enough of...
hypocrisy!"
( incidentally, this is
Cecilia's OMG not another photo look!)

Favourite city?
Bangkok.

First thought this morning?
"I'm jet lagged!".
( by the way, these are actually hand-crafted
bronze durians that weighs a ton!!!)

Your hobby?
Watching movies.

What can't you do?

Eat rabbit!

Describe your look?
...huh?

Favourite colour?
Black.

New age or traditional?

Oh goodness...!

Favourite movie of all time?

Breakfast at Tiffany's!

What excites you?
New places.

Mint or green tea?
Mint.

What comes to mind when I mention the colour purple?

Eggplant!

Which actress do you most identify with?

None.

What defines you?

My family.

You entertain often.

What is your favourite dish to prepare?

Roast lamb with couscous.

Our day in

 Bangkok

soon turned into night.

We made good progress that

started out at the 

Flower Market.

A modern woman is always in motion.

And
Cecilia

is constantly on the move both in

body & thoughts.

In an effortless manner,

she manoeuvres herself

easily and confidently through

up market malls as well

as gritty wet markets.

Currently renovating yet another 

home in

 Kuala Lumpur,

keeps her plate very full.

" I love it when people dress funky even though
others may deem it out of style!"

Her own style
 is
flawlessly paired down.
Her clothes are well cut,
often
with a twist in the form of
 details
or
construction.
And of course never without
her own
jewellery,
which are
big, bold
&
outstanding.

Contagiously endearing,

Cecilia

obviously enjoys all the 

trappings of a good life.

And the side effects are clear...

she's a great hostess and her

conversation is peppered 

with stories 

from all over.

This is a woman who will

leap tall buildings

 in a single bound...

and not look back.

My day with
Cecilia
ended with
coffee 
in her
 cool & luxurious
apartment.

" I love the many, many markets all over the city.
And the multitude of fruits available.
The
Thais are very artistic as seen in how
every detail is considered when presenting
something for sale, even in the markets."

It's easy to be comfortable with her as she
recounts
interesting & funny stories.
In person,
her 
youthful-looking
exterior
probably
comes from her
 positive nature. 
Effusively warm,
Cecilia's
own
story is just unfolding.
As I rode the silent elevator down,
I smiled at the day we just had.
It was
fast, purposeful
&
decisive.
And full of laughter on the side
simply makes
it 
ultra-memorable!!!
Cecilia,
thanks for having me!