Sharon Feinstein

I’m in ChiangMai in the north of Thailand, hot, exotic, mystical. The mountains are all around, and our hotel is set amongst the rice paddies. In fact I was on a water buffalo today while he flicked his ears and looked totally dulled out. The exciting news is that I was interviewed by Heather Mills on Air America radio the other morning. It was the Hollywood Clout show talking about the planet, environment and animal welfare. She had Richard Branson on and me, guys, so let’s hope someone out there listened. It was about my campaign to help Leatherback Turtles which is running on my website, www.sharonfeinstein.co.uk. Have you been on yet, have you registered your support and donated something if you possibly can. Even letters and comments are helpful as they’ll all be compiled in the report which will be taken to the government of Trinidad and Tobago. Thanks to Heather for interviewing me and giving me the chance to reach all those millions of Americans. And thanks to everyone who wants to help me stop the slaughter of leatherback turtles, those magnificent 150 million year old creatures from the deepest ocean who might be at the end of their line because of us, the most dangerous predator on the planet.

Flying to Bangkok tonight. Had not one wink’s sleep last night as I was a mixture of excited and anxious. Aeroplanes dont seem to be able to stay in the sky at the moment. And last trip to Thailand I saw two sharks, one of which was a black finned dangerous one and it slid straight by me. So the excitement was swirling around with those horrible stabs of anxiety and I just tossed and turned and watched the time moving by very slowly.  Now it’s time to have some coffee and get ready so excitement is the all prevailing thing. Will try and blog from there but have fun yourselves and Sawadee Ka

Gordon Brown’s idea of a holiday is definitely not sharing a yacht with kate Moss, her lover, and friends in the South of France, fag in one hand , a glass of Chateau Lafite in the other. He’s gone off on his hols with wife, Sarah, and children to- wait for it- do commnity work in his Kirkcaldy constituency. I’ve been to Kirkcaldy and it’s dour, man, to say the least, no Chateau Lafite there. You might mumble that you think this is commendable and what one expects from a beleagured Prime Minister,  but I disagree. We all need to relax, hang out, do something a bit risque, or build a sand castle, crash through the surf, even ride an elephant. If you can’t relax and chill out you’ll never be able to get a perspective on what is important in life, and it certainly isn’t endless work and the grinding treadmill. Holidays enable us to see life all the more clearly, get a sense of balance, fall in love all over again. Never forget what Bertrand Russell said, One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important. So I’m counting the days till I go to Thailand and telling myself that the mounting bills, lost newspaper stories and impending costs are just  a mere trifle, an irrelevance in the face of the really important three and a half weeks of sunshine and fun. And I’ll pick up my sax when I get back, and learn to play Take Five all over again.

I’m getting very excited for my trip to Thailand -Land of Smiles- this Sunday. This is the 5th consecutive summer I’m going there, which comes from being born in July and a crab, you tend to cling on very tightly and have to be prized open to change direction. I don’t think Thailand could never wane for me. The exotic, mystical feel of the Far East is a million miles away from  life in London and  always jolts me out of complacency and changes my perspective. It might not have the sophstication and intellectual appeal of the world I move in here, but there’s an abiding sense of peace, spirituality, and vibrancy that envelops the whole country. I’m taking lots of not-so-cheap novels for the beach,  and a relatively flat stomach for my bikini which is bound to change with all the meals I’ve booked, and most of all I’m taking a huge sense of excitement and joy. Maybe I’ll have a revelation standing on the beach in the South watching the sea and sky change colour, sipping a Mohito, and getting ready for another spa. If you’re feeling resentful and rather twisted after reading this blog, just think Buddhist  and temples. It might help while you plan your own holiday.

I don’t think Victoria Beckham or Kate Moss notice a new handbag, they come and go and are in abundance. Now, I’m not saying I don’t have a few of my own handbags at the top of the wardrobe, but the last few were copies I bought at the night market in Thailand, and cost just a few quid. So I was in a state of  fear, trepidation and horror when I saw a Christian Louboutin bag that I decided I absolutely had to have.
I was just walking out of Selfridges and it caught my eye sitting all alone in a glass cabinet, beckoning to women to come and get it. I had a little windfall last week you see, making me feel a whole lot better, and it may all have gone to my head. I managed to walk out of Selfridges but the spell had been cast, and women everywhere will know exactly what I mean. There’s something you really want and you know you simply shouldn’t but that’s just not good enough. What about the lure and shine of sweeties, how do you resist when they look so inviting?
The next day I was down at the Louboutin shop in a flash,  examining and deliberating until I’d driven everyone to distraction. Even the lovely security guy had been roped in to helping me. Needless to say I have the bag here at home sitting on the sofa like a new friend. It’s ridiculously extravagant and far too fantastic to ever use and risk marking, damaging or dirtying. I am still getting over the spend but you know what Oscar Wilde said – Where there is no extravagance there is no love, and where there is no love there is no understanding. So what the hell, I’m clearly a very, very loving person and full of great understanding.