Tamsin causer

Aged 10, dropped off at boarding school for the first time, I was sitting on my newly made bed watching a similarly nervous 10 year old girl deftly turning small squares of paper into flying birds. Over a flock of paper birds and a few packets of fruit pastilles, a firm friendship was born. Origami was not Tammy's only skill; having lived in Japan for a number of years, she was also able to teach me a few words of Japanese.
Years passed and we both changed schools, keeping in touch only sparodically. However, Tammy's passion for Japan left me with a so far unrequited desire to visit the country and see everything that Tammy had described to me first hand.
My chance finally came last month to spend a week in Tokyo. Somehow it didn't really meet the 20 years' worth of expections that had build up, but the Bullet train to Kyoto and the amazingly fresh food made the visit well worth it. I couldn't quite get over the astronomical cost of everything and was glad that I was there on business and not on my own yen.
My thoughts turned to Tammy many times during that week as I was able to show off the few words of Japanese that she had taught me, much to the appreciation of Japanese collegues. The trip left me with a resolve to get in touch with Tammy on my return and pick up a sadly neglected friendship.
Firing up my laptop at home, I logged into the BBC website and idley clicked on links to minor news articles. One caught my eye: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berkshire/5023108.stm
I guess I don't need to explain my reaction.
My heart goes out to her family, but particulary to her mother; a mother that treated me as a third daughter for a number of years, who gave me more attention than my own family. I doubt that she even remembers as this was a family that welcomed all of Tammy's freinds, treating everyone with love and offering friendship and support in what ever way was needed. But they had a huge impact on me and have helped to shape the way I raise my own daughter. This is a family who doesn't deserve a tragedy like this. But then I guess that no one does. I am only glad that Tammy died doing something that she really loved and suffered no pain.
Rest in peace Tammy xxx.

100% Customer Satisfaction - Radisson Falconer, Copenhagen

For the first time ever I am in Denmark and there is no snow. I see Copenhagan in the spring through the window of a taxi as I make my way from the airport to the office. A taxi, I might add, that took a while to find since all taxi drivers were apparently on strike at Copenhagen airport. What they didn't tell us was that they were only on strike at the airport. Walk across 6 lanes of traffic, trailing cases behind you (remember Frogger?) to the nearby Hilton and the same taxi driver who was on strike at the airport was more than happy to follow us round and pick us up from there! Oh, the joy of industrial action.
A 4am start and a hard day at the office necessitates a good hotel for the night. Unfortunately, in the day and age of corporate cost cutting, a Radisson is the only option. Not so bad, I've stayed in far worse and at least the front lobby no longer doubles as a car forecourt as it did last time I was here.
Alas, no gym, and as someone who is supposed to be training for Race for Life, I was gutted enough to resort to a glass of wine from the minibar to drown my sorrows. Amazing how 150 emails can seem less stressful after a glass of wine. TV was broken and I was told that a room change was the only option and I could have my minibar wine for free "for the inconvenience". Cool - I can cope with that type of inconvenience.
Dinner was a farce. Half way through our starters, my colleague felt something fall into his lap. A delightful look of disgust on his face and his dinner was nearly returned to his plate. The "thing" on his lap was a cockroach! A small cockroach admittedly, but a cockroach all the same. Its presence was met with general amusement by the waiting staff who politely asked if we had ever seen "Victor/Victoria". Once convinced that we hadn't planted the creature ourselves, they were happy to stamp on it and serve our main courses. Sadly, appetites were somewhat diminished, despite the free glass of wine "from Mr Cockroach" (still a squashed mush on the floor next to our table).
Further compensation followed with the offer of a free movie in our rooms. Sounded good at the time until I switched on the TV. A choice of porn, porn, porn or porn. Not my cup of tea. But I guess they meant well. Sheds a new light on the card I had previously ignored, strategically placed on my pillow: "At Radisson we guarentee you'll be satisfied". Ho Hum.