Get rich or die Thai'in.

Every time I say I went to Thailand, Rocco screams out NO MUM YOU WENT TO IRELAND!!!!

It was completely indulgent and unbelievable. Guilt-ridden, amazing. I did not and will not ever ride an elephant, though. I mean, if I could ask him say dude, can I have a ride? And he'd say, sure jump on! I'm all for it. Until then, I'll admire from afar.

It was a jam-packed four days. So jam packed that I fell asleep on the couch yesterday while Dave cooked his own fathers day lunch and entertained our guests. He will be getting a LOT of mileage from that.

I'd never tried dragonfruit before - so bloody beautiful. Everything was - the tastes, the smells, the sounds. It was officially called the "Ambi Pur destinations inspired scents" trip. I was so stoked to be invited - kept wanting to ask the big wigs on the sly, "Why was I invited??" But I chickened out. I'm not allowed to say who else went until  the official launch in October. There is an utterly amazing facebook thing coming up soon, really wish I could enter! The other blogger there was Kelly from Be a Fun Mum. She is so annoyingly beautiful.

One of the days we all had to go on a four-hour cooking session. I SO did not want to go. I like cooking a lot, but when you have to do it day in, day out - relentlessly, for five hungry people? BORING. I tried thinking of lies to just leave. They weren't the boss of me. But, I thought I should stay. This is a self-portrait, capturing my annoyance and doubt at having to be there:

Oh, until all of our ingredients came out and we smashed things and broke them up and smelt crazy shiz and laughed and ate and sliced with really sharp knives - all barefoot! I love Ireland!

                   The American manicure I cannot say goodbye to!

WE ALL POUNDED THE HELL OUT OF EVERYTHING. And made four dishes, walking (barefoot) into the kitchen to our hot woks to cook it all up, quickly, with hot oil splattering. The sudden smell and smoke made us all cough and wheeze .. lucky the instructors had special surgical masks on!

Naturally, there are no photos of the finished products, I ate them all way quickly. At one point, I said to the room full of journos "Can't talk. Eating." (I believe I was the only one who got my Homer Simpson reference.)

I always wanted to be a journalist when I grew up. One day when I grow up, I just might. Or at least hang with them more. They're funny.

I love this pic - all those dreadful power leads, and the deity's just tryin' to be all holy.

This was the last few minutes there - I know, my skin looks AMARZING!



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Lastly, of course I get back to a stinky toilet. It's the law. Went to the shops, and bought my usual smelly thing - it's bloody Ambi Pur! Have been buying it all these years and not knowing it. But look at that dunny - IT'S LAUGHING AT ME.

Like a scene from The Ring - half expected a weirdo Japanese girl with wet matted hair to climb out and try to kill me!

I am incredibly grateful. Dave is incredibly annoyed - he'll be all right. I'll make him a four course Thai/Irish dinner for placation purposes. Can't wait to tell you about this one guy I met. Don't forget the Ambi Pur ANZ Facebook page. I PROMISE it will have awesome stuff on there soon.

DISCLOSURE: I'm a lucky tool who fell into all this accidentally. Am now riding it like a pony.