Came across a "Smoky" 16 year old raw pu erh.
It's basically a Laphroaig 10 year old single malt scotch, without the alcohol, steeped out from these old leaves. The colours are remarkably similar too.
100C, 6g in 180ml pot, 12s steep and pour.
My new favourite session for when I want a whiskey hit, without getting drunk 🥴
I can still taste and feel the tea burps a hour after...
The last three days, the ADCB app kept asking to setup Securepass and despite setting it up, up to three times in a row. It kept looping back.
Can't access the app functions.
I've restarted phone. Uninstalled, restarted and got back to this, even lost my biometric and can never set it up because when I do get pass setting up Securepass, and go into biometric setup, I get this again. Literally showing you the sms of setup only for the app to do this.
They had maintainence last night. Obviously not to fix this issue.
Not seen anyone post about this, and only a few on Google Review mentioned it recently. Anyone else?
22 years of Seiko Journey:
SNK807K1 - Blue Seiko 5 Military [18th Birthday, self]
SKX011J1 - Orange Seiko Automatic Diver (Orange Mon) [First Born, self]
SRPD37J1 - Green Seiko Presage Cocktail (Mockingbird) [Big Job, self]
SSC911 - Silver Seiko Speedtimer (Pilot Project Complete, self]
SSK025K1 - Black Seiko 5 GMT (Stealth) [For Fun and Travel, self]
SPB503J1 - Teal Seiko Alpinist (Tealpine) [40th Birthday, Mum]
The others are:
MVMT Black - First time buying a fashion watch for my 21st. I learnt alot about what I want my watch to feel. That was OK.
Chinese Silver Face Dress Watch - it came as a pair for my Brother and I. We wore it on my budget wedding. It's cheap and looked the part, very sentimental to me despite never wearing it again since that day.
#Swatch X Me - fun quartz I got when I was working a long stint in Shanghai. Was my get wet or sweaty, don't care watch till my SKX and then SSK replaced it.
Timex Waterbury 40mm - Look at those colours, fell in love with it when I saw it online. It's my common summer wear and go shop watch.
Casio Lineage Multiband 6 (Liw-m610d-1ajf) - The most complicated World Travel watch, I need a. PDF manual on my phone to adjust this guy, and it craves the sun more than a plant. Interesting piece but not commonly used - got it because it's interesting but no emotional connection sadly.
Next watch will be a Grand Seiko - just need to get my project done!
Does anyone keeps a emotional or milestone connection to their watches?
This ad came up on Reddit for me. I have a nice display box for my 4 Automatics and 6 others to display and appreciate. However, a safe/vault? Probably cost more than my current collection 😂
Invoice #28xxx
First preordered the Midnight Edition on 5th March 2024.
**EXCITED**
Then we added the coloured edition in 12th July 2025 after messaging the team if we can club it together for delivery. Got the OK and invoice from *Amanda*.
We recieved the Coloured Edition on 30th June 2026!
But it's missing the Midnight edition... Apparently I missed the announcement that shipping is done by different teams for each edition? I emailed the team and they flagged my order as partial.
A new invoice given #58***XXX on 5th July 2026
Oh, OK, we can wait a little more.
Apparently on 10th July 2026, it cancelled and I allegedly got a refund. (My card which I used to pay from first pre-orders is still the same card I'm using today). Checked my statement, nothing since 9th July till today 21st July.
Not getting the refund is a pain, but to have it cancelled without a note, without a reason after waiting for literal years. Left a really bad taste in my mouth considering how much I really enjoy the series, and was willing to pay for not one, but two of the comics.
This is an international shipment, US to the UAE.
I have written to *Amanda* - let's see where this leads.
Anyone else in a similar situation?
Been wearing this for a month now...
Love it! Originally going in for a Green Alpinist, and then the agent show me this. I fell for that Teal colour instantly... 😍
The 6R55 Movement is also the most accurate out of all my Seiko Automatics. Only a few seconds out after 10 days whilst all my others were more than minutes behind (SNK807K1, SKX011J1, SRPD37J1, SSK023K1)
I can see this being my daily, if it weren't for my SSC911 Tachymeter / Chronograph, which I use alot at work.
Summer heat over the last 6 years have done its thing to my hood - no amount of polishing can hide it. Everywhere else looks OK body paint wise.
Colour: Daytona Grey Pearl Effect
Looking at options -
Paint Correction - but risk the hood potentially being a different shade if I can't find a good bodyshop.
Sharjah Scrapyard - get a replacement hood with the same paint job. Age and storage of hood will be key.
Full body repaint, expensive for a 10 year old car... Even if I have the intention to drive it till it dies. There's also a fair few dings and scratches, so a full body will include these fixes.
Any other options I'm missing? Wrapping over the hood?? 🤔
Any recommendations for doing the above options?
... And we are one small step closer to *the end goal*, even if the noble desire is to cure neurological disease and understand human cognition.
I am considering a serious offer from my previous company to return back to Milan region - but this time I return with a 7 year old, with different needs and priorities.
We are British, multilingual family but only I speak basic Italian to live and order good food and wine. Had moderate success with bureaucracy when my daughter was born in Milan. Left in 2020.
Now we are moving back, looking for English based schools and have short listed International School Milan (ISM) because of location - proximity to my HQ, located outside north west of Milan (15-30mins drive), Airports (MXP/Linate) and public transport (Trains / Bus to Milan for my wife, who hardly drives)
Looking around Bollate, Novate Millanese and Brazante. Open to further region but limited by whatever school buses can reach (e.g Arese).
Looking for general expat and local feedback on these towns, for a family to live in. Regarding International school vs Public school in those towns, for a kid with 0 Italian vocabulary - it makes sense to go private to *avoid* Italian based curriculum, in case I go international or homebound transfer again.
Rent between 1000-2500 EUR monthly, 2 bedrooms minimum, ideally 2 bathrooms for a 80-150msq, but I know it's rare as hens teeth here.
Appreciate your insights.
I'm British and growing up, our car will always have a version of this atlas map in the dashboard. I'm usually riding shotgun, and became the nominated Navigator. Often getting yelled at if we miss a turn. I became quite good at reading, navigating and even plan routes for our family road trips... Until the dawn of commercial GPS Navigator like TomTom. It was a amazing but since then, my map reading skills were never challenged beyond Theme Park or Mall navigation via physical "You Are Here" maps.