54, 74, 90, 2006....werden wir Weltmeister sein!

I just got back from a four day jaunt in Germany which has, officially, gone World Cup crazy. Although it was a traitor to my Aussie roots - when you've had a couple of Steins (and some awesome sausages) and are getting in to the German spirit we couldn't help but singalong to this impossibly catchy tune: "54,74,90,2006...we'll become World Champions" - it's the quasi-official chant of the German masses and says all the years Germany has won the World Cup. And just like some of the German pop we know and love, it is incredibly cheesy but very addictive! (better than the English World Cup song! Does Australia have an equally cheesy song? This whole theme song for sporting events thing is unfamiliar to me!)

But rest assured, when the real time comes I will be Green and Gold all over (although all the Germans seem to find it highly amusing that we are in the same group as Brazil - poor little Aussies!). Anyways, Germany was lovely and I caught up with Katrin and my little sister who is living in Tuebingen (near Stuttgart). We went to Nuremburg and got a private tour of the stadium thanks to Katrin's inside contacts and spend the rest of the weekend drinking beer, practising our amateur German skills and eating sausages! After France (where I am going on Saturday) we hope to go back to Germany for a couple of days to experience the "Berg" - the lesser known, but just as fabulous, German beer festival in Erlangen. Although the festival attracts more than a million visitors, and is the second-largest beer festival in Germany after Oktoberfest, hardly any international visitors go there Well I will be representing the Aussie contingent this year!

A couple of pics from Nuremberg:

The adorable German marketplaces I love

Paul in the Schlossgarten (when I was here last year it was minus five and it was covered in snow! this was a little more pleasant)

Paul and his ladies: out and about in Erlangen

Now I am back at work but all is ok because in five days we are off to France for a week cruising the canals of Bordeaux on our own private vessel...the weather is looking brilliant and I can't wait.

BUT, we musn't forget London. Although I have been a little grumpy with London of late (due to the lack of sunshine) we can not bite the hand that feeds us with all it's big-city urban brilliance. A Kiwi guy has been making some poignant observations about his first few weeks in London which are quite amusing - especially the tendency of London men to wear pink (it's true, they're everywhere) and the chocolate (I haven't met one traveller yet who hasn't commented on the fact that the chocolate tastes different here - but most say it's better!). Check out his site here.

Must get back to work - have a lot to do and France is calling!

Hi all!

Sorry it's been a while between tricks - had a stressful week trying to find someone to live but that is another story. Let's just say we are not completely loving the joys of hunting for the new dream home!

Anyways, i'm currently at the airport (it's 5am or some stupid time) and I am off to Germany for four days! woohooo - had to get on the Net because typically I forgot to check any flight details and ended up taking a guess at what airport we were flying from and now had to quickly check our booking number! oh well - it just wouldn't be me if something didn't go wrong!

Will write more updates later - we are off to Nuremberg for some stein-soaked fun. Have a great long weekend everyone!

Footy finals and freak shows

The world stopped turning for Arsenal and Barcelona fans on Wednesday night as the Champions League final ran it's course. I know i have said it before, but this country goes mad for football, and at the end of this game, I don't think there was a dry eye anywhere. Being the unfortunate girlfriend of a die-hard Arsenal supporter, I had to cope with a very sullen and depressed boy after his team suffered a heart-breaking defeat. One man down and they were ahead in the 75th minute, until Barcelona scored two more goals and took the game. Although I was interested in nothing more than watching Thierry Henry (the incredibly cute French captain) - even I was a little disappointed (especially since that Ronaldinho guy is so hideously ugly). Apparently beauty just isn't enough :)

The other thing that will no doubt be consuming the hearts and minds of the UK over the next few months is....disgustingly..the new Big Brother, series 7. It started last night and oh.my.god...what a freak show. The latest loser mix includes a hyper Tourettes sufferer, a gay Pakistani Muslim who has never left Glasgow, a hideous plastic surgery bimbo, a homophobic public school boy, a muscled 'sexual terrorist' and a sexist mummy's boy, amongst other weirdos, just makes me want to poke my eyes out. Or as my favourite low culture website put it, it's all enough to make one want to share a romantic bath with a toaster. I don't know where they find these people.

In other, more brilliant, news: it's Friday! I have a glorious weekend of house-hunting and poker planned (as pay day is not until next week). We are also going to the theatre to absorb some culture tonight so stay tuned for an amateur review of the Woman in Black. Apparently it is terrifying, I can't wait!

The debut of the Putney Pirates

OK, so the name isn't brilliant, but our very own mixed netball team made up of antipodeans and a token Englishman, made it's debut in a burst of fanfare of Shepherd's Bush last night. The fact that no-one really knew the rules and we hadn't done any exercise in months didn't put a dampener on the 40 minutes of hilarity (nor did the fact that we actually lost in the end). Seeing Paul sail daintily through the air as GK to intercept an incoming pass and then give the umpire the filthiest look ever when he then steps straight off court is a priceless sight.

Social sports in London is a massive culture, fuelled mostly by the thousands of antipodeans who come to the capital and are eager to lose their Heathrow Injection bulge or get some of the AFL/touch footy or netball fix they have been missing from home (probably also keen to take advantage of the discount drinks after the game or the end-of-season Contiki trips to Europe). There are competitions literally everywhere, but heaps are based in the south west. We are playing with Social Sports who also organise footy comps and same-sex comps. We made our own team but you can also register on your own and you will get placed with a team who needs an extra player.

So we played hard, fought hard and some, like Shell, fell pretty hard too - but we had fun and made some friends - which just makes you feel all gooey inside! :) Stay tuned for more news from the hapless Pirates....

Long awaited Croatia photos..

Here are some of my photos from my holiday to Pula, Croatia and Trieste, Italy - two of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. There's not many (and none from Italy, sorry) but you get the idea - lots of crystal clear beaches and sunsets to die for. And my personal favourite, me enjoying a cocktail by the Mediteranean (you can see my lethal sunburn peeking out from my white shirt).

World Cup news: After many sleepless nights by the laptop Shell, Ray and Sim have scored tickets to Australia Vs Brazil. C'mon Aussie! For other travellers coming to the Cup, I have read about this Weltmeister Pass you might be able to get cheaper train travel with as flights are all now obscenely expensive (although I'm thinking if you haven't organised travel by now you're in a bit of trouble!) London is going World Cup mad - they even have multiple theme songs for the England team which they play on the radio (?). I've also never seen so much tacky merchandise in my life... I actually saw an edible England g-string made entirely from lollies - obviously a must for any die-hard England fan.

Saturday and the sun is gone

It's the damn weekend sun-curse! Boiling throughout the week and now Saturday is grey :( No matter though - at least it's still warm - I can definitely cope.

My little sister and her friend Rhiannon arrived in London yesterday, and we took them out for a drink and a curry on Brick Lane (managing to bargain the restaurant touters down to 20% off and two free bottles of wine - you have to be fierce, but I do get the feeling that they were giving everyone the same deal?). Brick Lane is a London hub - and although it seems dodgy at first, you'll find the coolest collection of curry houses, funky bars, retro shops and an ultra-trendy crowd all in close vicinity. I've also seen Pete Doherty wandering around there in a drug-induced haze, a feast for my celebrity-spotting eyes.

Anyways, it is the day of the FA Cup final which means everyone in London is going a bit mental and I'm off to meet the girls in Leicester Square and then find somewhere neutral to watch the game. I still haven't done my photos but have given you another taster - this is what Sim and I adopted as our watering hole:

and the view from just near our hotel out over the ocean..

Summer is here..

Well I never thought it would happen but the days are getting lovely and warm, and today was a deadset scorcher mate! Actually it was probably low 20s but when you've been living in the UK, you get excited when it gets above 15. Everyone is out and about, and in a fantastic mood. The park near my work was crammed with people with their pants rolled up, shirts off (seriously!), soaking up every ounce of sunshine possible. There was even an ice-cream truck - so funny!

I haven't had a chance to download my photos from Croatia - but here is a taster. This is a beautiful sunset we watched while sitting in a lounge bar, draped over white day beds, sipping cosmopolitans - ahhhh, bliss. I'd definitely love to go there again - it's so gorgeous. Next time I will venture further south to Split and Dubrovnik.

I will post some more of my pics later - I've also got to tell about our exciting trip on the London Eye. I'm rediscovering the tourist within.

You wanna some company??

just another quick update..I am in Italy now! I have been in three countries today...from Croatia to Slovenia to Italy, by bus (very cheap and easy). We are now in Trieste which is a gorgeous coastal town in Italy, and we are staying here for one night before flying back to London tomorrow (god bless Ryan Air). Although there is not enough to keep you occupied for more than a few days here, the shopping is great (Sim has already acquired her first pair of Italian shoes) and there are some beautiful buildings and great views...not to mention the wonderful cafes you can sit in for hours (or the Italian stallions who sidle up way too close beside you and ask "you wanna some company"?). I'm already missing Croatia and cant wait to go back..we only managed to stay in the north and see a few towns in the area called Istria.

I'll write more about that later though..I'm currently scamming free Internet from our hotel (I would thoroughly recommend it..really nice, friendly and only 75 euro for a double bed per night...yes Simone and I are getting very friendly! It's called Hotel Alabarda)

There are a few funny stories from Croatia, not least the day we planned to visit this beach bar everyone was raving about, so we made the two bus trips and half an hour walk in the blistering sun after getting dropped off literally in the middle of nowhere only to walk to the end of the dirt road where this 'amazing bar' was supposed to be, only to find a few guys working on a construction site. Simone was about to turn around and go back home (having seen too many movies, and Wolf Creek most recently, she was convinced we were going to get raped and murdered if we spoke to anyone strange)..but I was cranky at having come all this way for nothing and wanted something to drink so I went and asked them if they spoke English. Turns out they were Poms, were in fact BUILDING this bar we had heard so much about (apparently it was open briefly last summer) and that it wasn't even going to open for another three weeks. Obviously we felt like the biggest idiots ever (being two blonde Aussies, just having trekked 40 minutes in scorching sun in search of a bar..oh dear..and yet how typical..:) But the three guys and a girl were obviously excited about their first customers for 2006 and were very accommodating and eally nice...We got the deluxe treatment, complete with a (brief) grand tour of the construction site, beers, deck chairs and portable stereo..it felt just like home.. ;) The place looks set to be awesome in the summer...its called Bura Beach and can be found in Liznjan, just outside Pula, so anyone heading around that area make sure you go visit, and tell them Pru and Simone say hi!

I think i'm really taking advantage of this free internet now...better go. More stories and beautiful photos to follow...

hello everyone out there

just a quick update...Im currently out of blogging action as I am in Croatia! Simone and I, both as blonde and silly as each other, are taking Pula by storm.....

will write more when I get back to London, lots of tales to tell (I am also now the most sunburnt person ever ..got a little too excited about the sun!!)

luv Pru xxxx

ANZAC Day, a new arrival and going crazy in the Koko

I haven't written a while - apologies to my fans :) Been very busy, and we have a new arrival! A lovely bubbly addition to our happy Aussie expat crew in London - Simone brought some Anzac spirit when her and her Cherry Ripe- and Vegemite-laden luggage landed at Heathrow on Tuesday. Although I never did end up making the ANZAC biscuits I intended to, we had a lovely little reunion since I haven't seen her in nine months, and she is now settling into London life (well, as much as you can in three days). Of course we wasted no time showing her the sights, and set out to the 'kingdom of cool' Camden on Thursday night for my first unforgettable visit to the Camden Koko - the BEST venue I have ever been to. I never thought anything could surpass my beloved Enmore Theatre in Newtown, Sydney, but this place (where a little gal called Madonna made her debut, and where the likes of the Sex Pistols, the Clash, Prince, Boy George and Wham have performed) was amazing. We saw Wolfmother - the latest big thing to come out of Sydney - and they were brilliant. The place was packed with Aussies so it was a nice taste of home.
I realised I haven't updated lately with news on the job searches of our two other favourite working travellers, Shell and Ray. I've told about Ray's great celebrity personal training job (going by three degrees of separation, I'm now best friends with Julia Roberts) but Shell will soon be starting her new job as Editor on a new kids magazine. Simone will soon be looking for a job in print or television so stay tuned for more job-hunting success stories.

In the meantime - today I booked £50 flights to Paris and £70 filghts to Germany for some weekend getaways - this is all before my much-anticipated trip to Croatia on Tuesday! love it, love it, love it...

Why is it that five days at work seems like an eternity but tempt us with a little time off and it will fly by in a second. Going back to work today was not fun, but I've only got a couple of days left in the office so I suppose I can survive. The UK also seems to have a billion public holidays coming up, so I think it works out that I don't have a full week at work for six months (ok, maybe not six months, but it's still a while).

OK, am conscious of the fact I am rambling...

What's been happening in London recently..well, there was Easter. I did notice that the UK went nowhere near as mad for Easter as Australia does. There were no Coles/Woolworths style Easter specials or bad TV ads with the Easter bunny, no shutdown of every single public service on Good Friday... Maybe I was just walking around in a haze, but I kind of forgot what the whole weekend was for (slap my little Catholic wrist).

I also experienced my first football match (i say it smoothly now, hardly even tempted to say soccer which freaks me out a bit). It was ok, but I have to say, I could take it or leave it. I think I'm just overdosed with football - this whole country is - and I especially suffer living with two English blokes who live, breathe and would die for the game (as we speak Paul is screaming at some yellow team playing on the TV). Anyways, I was at the football game and since I was still pretty ill and all rugged up in Paul's coat since it was cold and rainy (gotta love Spring) I was caught having a bit of a doze in the middle of the match by a horrified Michelle. Don't ask me how I managed it, but I guess I just wasn't that in to the game. In my defense, I was sick! I was sick ok!

Commemorations: The Anzac and Freedom Day spirit in London
Next week there are a couple of important days for Australians, Kiwis and South African travellers in the UK when we will be remembering where we come all come from. Wednesday 25 April is ANZAC Day and 27 April is South Africa Freedom Day. ANZAC day is the rememberance day for Australian and New Zealand servicemen, and Freedom Day is the commemoration of the first democratic elections held in South Africa on 27 April 1994.

Both days will be celebrated and respected whole heartedly by the UK's backpacking/working traveller population. Here's some info about events going on for ANZAC Day and for South Africa travellers in the UK, try this South African newspaper for events celebrating Freedom Day.

Going to the theatre, dahling

Of course 0ne of the best things about London is all the shows and musicals you can go to see - it really is amazing how many theatres there are all over town. On Thursday night we went to see The Producers for Ben's birthday and it was great! I didn't really know what to expect as I hadn't seen the film, didn't know the story, and the only thing I'd ever heard about it was when my Nan went to see the show in Sydney and was upset because she got an understudy instead of Bert Newton (ripped off!).

Anyways, we picked up a cheap deal on Last Minute.com and got a lovely dinner and theatre package for under 20 quid! Perfect for travellers who want to see the big shows but don't have a lot of cash. Although the seats weren't brilliant (so high up in the balcony you'd be in big trouble if you had a stumble) - for some shows I think that's fine. The show is so entertaining, you barely notice that you're quite far away!

So we kicked off the Easter long weekend with a bang. For all you that have put two and two together and noticed that I took the day off work then went out at night, yes i did, but i was coughing and spluttering throughout the whole performances (having to wait until the grand finale of each song to let loose). I'm still a bit ill, but it's criminal to waste public holidays.

Today we're off to see our first premier league football match: Fulham Vs Charlton (or something like that). I'm currently upset as I just found out that (gasp!) you're not allowed to drink beer while you watch the game! Damn British hooligans! I had warm cheery thoughts about getting a pie and sauce, some chips and a beer, and watching the footy a la my AFL days in Sydney, but I just don't think it's going to happen. So I'll have to wait and see exactly what the British football experience involves (maybe I'll have to start a riot at my local pub.....)

Happy Easter everyone - hoping you all the enjoy the spirit and copious confectionery products the Easter weekend brings..

So here I am in sunny Plovdiv

I forgot to mention the other day that the funniest thing about Bulgaria is that when you nod your head it means no and when you shake your head it means yes. Since I only found this out on the last day you can imagine the confusion I caused while trying to communicate with all the Bulgarian students at the fair who couldn't speak English. Together with my size, shape, accent and pale skin and blonde hair, I think all the Bulgarians thought I was a little bit strange.

I also think I was the first Australian a lot of the students had ever spoken to. I was plugging Australian universities (as well as UK and US) so UTS might soon get an influx of Bulgarian students!

So anyways, this photo is me in the park in the centre of town. And here are the rest of my photos

I'm actually at home today cause I'm a little bit ill - am currently soaking up the intellectual capital spewed forth by UK daytime TV. It's quite dangerous really - I've just spent the last half hour mesmerised by 'Models' - a show solely showing clips of models on Fashion TV - how depressing. Now I'm being delighted by a 'Nancy Drew' series on the Disney Channel - hmmmm.

More Antipodeans:
Found this blog linking to mine - a Kiwi Adventurer planning his OE . It's got some stuff for people planning their upcoming overseas trips. He also links to some other traveller sites all you people back in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada etc might like to check out for inspiration.

Got a question about moving to the UK?
Visit the Workgateways forum, and one of the expert team (or me!) will do their best to help you out.

Back from Bulgaria

What could be better - coming to live in London as a lowly working traveller, and finding a job where they pay you to travel and put you up in a five star hotel. I'm living the working traveller dream! I just got back from Plovdiv, Bulgaria, which although wasn't my first choice travel destination, definitely has given me five days which I will never forget! (and completely charged to the company I work for.....I get a little twinge of glee every time I think about it :)

I arrived in Bulgaria on Thursday - a little disgruntled at the appearance of Sofia, the biggest town in Bulgaria. Although snow-capped mountains provide a stunning backdrop to the town, at first glance everything looks, well, shabby. We got on a bus where I promptly fell asleep and missed all the scenery on the way to Plovdiv, the second biggest city in Bulgaria (apparently a couple of million people) and my home for the next four days. We were put up at the Novotel in Plovdiv - five stars, and absolute bliss (so not really a backpackers experience I suppose!). We were sharing a floor with the Cypriot David Cup tennis team - and the cute guy with the hair who played in the Australian Open final this year against Federer. Check out some of the photos of the hotel - it was so nice! (I should be focusing on the town here, but I still can't get over how nice this hotel was...)
Anyways, we were there to work (unfortunately) at a student recruitment fair, but I still got to see a lot of the city. Although most of the city is quite desolate, crowded and poor, the middle of the city is really nice and there is an Old Town which is apparently about six and a half thousand years old with an old Roman ampitheatre and ancient ruins. The weather was beautiful and warm for most of the time, which was a nice change from London's grey skies. I'm no great travel writer - so i found this article about Sofia and Plovdiv from a writer who will say it all better than me!: "How I lost my heart to Sofia"

I wish i had longer to explore the hidden, secret passages around town but we really only had time to graze the surface. We had a few great nights out with some crazy Bulgarian dancers and at a tourist restaurant where they supply you with free packets of cigarettes all night (?), and I had a blast meeting people from all over the world who were also at the education fair. It was really my first Eastern European experience and I really would like to explore more of that part of the world (although, I don't think I'll be able to do it in five-star style again - damn!)I also realised when I was away, that for the first time I was referring to London as 'home'. Not to say I've forgotten my Aussie roots, but it's nice when you start to feel like you actually belong somewhere again rather than in some kind of weird traveller limbo.

Stay tuned for Plovdiv photos....

Oh, and if you ever come across it, stay away from Bulgarian wine at ALL costs!

Pru xxxx

you,re probably all wondering where i am! Just a short note because Im in the worlds dodgiest Internet cafe in Plovdiv and dont have much time! Where? you ask! Plovdiv is in Bulgaria and I came here for work for a few days...lots of stories to tell but it will have to be later! Have had such a bizarre weekend!

Updates to come soon, promise!

Boat race bonanza in Putney

Boat race, what boat race? We were too busy enjoying our prime position on our balcony, indulging in sangria and homemade pizzas to notice there was a boat race going on outside!OK, so maybe the THOUSANDS of people outside our flat hinted that something was going on... I'm sure at some stage of the afternoon we stopped to watch some posh boys from Cambridge and Oxford battle it out on the river.

This is the view from my balcony and as she you can see, it was a lovely sunny day! OK, so maybe after this shot was taken it started to pour down, but in true London style (sunny, then runny, back to sunny) it poured down with rain and we had a good laugh at all the people below (maybe a little bit guiltily).

We were going for Cambridge because they had an Aussie rowing with them, but sadly, they didn't make it (although there were no Sally Bowman-style give ups). Oxford won by a mile- no-one ever wins when I go for them! Putney was heaving, and I was so glad we could recline on our couch while everyone else battled to get back home. Unfortunately I was also sufferring the after-effects of Shelley's Special Sangria (apparently made with the cheapest nastiest sherry ever) and had to retire to the couch with an awful splitting headache.

So obviously the Boat race was a success and is a massive London (in fact, English, British even) tradition - and coming to London has meant that i could watch it all happening from the comfort of my own home; pretty cool hey?

It is so unbelievably wonderful to come home from work and for it to still be light outside until about 8 at night! It just makes you want to go out and do stuff - so of course we had to go to the pub for some dinner (I've been mostly pretty good this week so it's ok!)

I meant to put the link to the boat race up the other day, but forgot, so here it is. So go have a squiz at what we'll all be doing on the weekend! I'm still deciding whether to lie my loyalties with Oxford or Cambridge. Apparently Cambridge has an Aussie rowing with them, so that's good enough for me!

Just watched The Apprentice which I have slowly become addicted to. You just can't help but get addicted to trash TV here, especially when you have Sky TV and almost every channel under the sun (especially for a little uninitiatied girl like me who is just used to five channels). At least is a social plus - everyone comes over under the guise of visiting us, when really all they want to do is catch the latest episode of Americas Next Top Model..scammers.

Anyways, it's late and I need to sleep! Although I do have to say it is much easier getting up in the morning when the sun is shining in (it's really getting warmer, I'm so excited!)

Well Cardiff was....wet. Very wet. I would have liked to say that I loved Wales, but I was only there for five hours and most of that was spent trying to make sure I didn't poke any unsuspecting passerbys in the eye with my umbrella. There is a gorgeous castle in Cardiff which I would have loved to have seen the inside of, but our crap tourist skills set in and we couldn't be bothered going on the tour (which lasted 45 minutes) or paying the £6.50 (so we just had a free squiz around the grounds, trying to see something through the torrential rain!). I have consoled myself with the fact that I will go back sometime – hopefully when it's not raining – and stay fo a bit longer. it looks like there's some good pubs there and the bay would be lovely in Summer. The Millenium Stadium was also great to catch a glimpse of - next time we'll try and see a game there. The Welsh accent is just entertaining in itself as well - how cool to have an accent which sounds like you're singing a little song (I'm not being rude here, I think it's lovely - although I kept thinking I heard the Welsh designer Julian McDonald from Project Catwalk whispering in my ear).

Daylight saving kicked in over the weekend so even though it's still pretty cold, at least it's not dark anymore! It will now stay light at least until 8 or so, with the days getting longer as summer gets closer. The famous boat race between Oxford and Cambridge is on in Putney next weekend which is going to be huge - there is a massive festival and apparently about a quarter of a million people line the Thames – and my flat is smack bang in the middle of it all (from our balcony we have a prime view of the starting line).

I've added a link to the side of this page to my sister's 'European Extravaganza' blog. She's studying in Germany for a year and should have some funny tales to tell so have a look.

Friday at last! I have been so busy this week at work and am so glad it's almost the weekend. And it's pay day - which I am in desperate need of! Stupid me has been wondering for the past couple of weeks why my bank balance appeared to be going up.... turns out that yes, it's going up, but going up in the MINUSES and it was actually my overdraft that that was increasing...oh dear (this bout of stupidity will come as no surprise to those who know me best!) I blame the evil policy of UK banks, which allows you to withdraw money which you don't actually have from your normal bank account (what's wrong with the good old 'Sorry, you have insufficient funds!). Anyways, all has now been rectified by my precious pay day and I am back in the pluses.

Tomorrow I'm going to Cardiff! Yes, we're driving three hours to visit another country (I love being able to do that!). I know absolutely nothing about Cardiff except that there is the Millenium Stadium (pictured) and my brother lived there for a while (in Cardiff, not in the Stadium). We're just going on a little road trip there for a day or two, which should be good! So stay tuned for my opinions of the Welsh (maybe we'll run into Charlotte Church....?)

In other news, London is beside itself with predictions that this weekend temperatures will reach an all-time high of 15 DEGREES (well, highest for the past five months anyway). I can't believe I'm also getting a little excited about such a measly temperature - but it's a lot better than we've had for a while. Get out the bikini - summer's coming!

The new me

So this is what happens when you get bored - you stumble across a Yahoo site where you can make a little picture of yourself - and this is what I came up with! (see right). As you can see, this is typical of me in London - going out wearing not much clothes when it is freezing (ok, so maybe I wouldn't be caught dead in shorts that small, but you get the picture). I'm definitely never seen outdoors without a scarf (all you peoples who get my blog delivered straight to your inbox, you're just going to have to visit my site for the exciting new picture!)

Not much happens on Tuesdays in London for me, as it is OC night. Yes, I am happy to admit that I will forgo social activites to settle in for a good hour of Ryan, Summer, Marissa and Seth viewing. Last night we went out for Trivia (I sacrificed Monday night TV viewing which is America's Next Top Model), but we got embarrassingly beaten at our local and couldn't even manage a measly place! i don't think we will ever be able to show our faces again. Ray let the team down naming the most expensive music video in history as Backstreet Boys as opposed to Michael Jackson's Scream. We always knew he had a penchant for the Backstreet Boys.... :) (just kidding Ray, we love you!)

News in London is that it's Spring, although you can't really tell yet! But we're hanging out for the heat, we know it's coming (we hope it's coming!). We've even registered for an outdoor netball competition in the summer to battle that Heathrow Injection we've all got coming on. Antipodean sporting opportunities are alive and well in London - everywhere you look there is an AFL or football team trying to sigh you up - usually accompanied by free vouchers to the nearest Walkabout. What have we got ourselves in for.......

T' be sure, T'be sure

St Paddy's day in London was 'grand!' Lots of guiness, irish jigs and big stupid leprechaun hats - and of course lots of drunk people (and, if you were hanging around the southwest of London, most of them were Aussies).

Any pub beginning with an 'O' was filled-up and U2 songs were getting way too much airplay - but it was all in good fun (except the all-out street brawl I witnessed on the way home from the pub, full of people wearing the afore-mentioned leprechaun hats, who had indulged in too much brew!). For one second there, I felt like I was back home at the Castle Hill Tavern...

The rest of my weekend has been very quiet, since I don't get paid until next week and my little soiree to Venice this month left me slightly short of cash! (ok, and maybe I bought a few pairs of shoes, maybe a handbag here or there...all necessities). So we had a cheap poker night last night which is always a laugh, and as usual my brother cleaned up the table, taking home grand winnings of £14 (we only put in a fiver each - that's how poor we all are at the moment!).

I've mostly been sitting at home today not doing much, desperately hoping in vain when I look outside to see some kind of springish weather. Ah well. I'm not in the mood for much as I've been reading this book called 'Lucky' by Alice Sebold (who wrote Lovely Bones), and it's a little bit harrowing to say the least, but worth the read (it's a true life story about her rape and assault when she was in college - it's not a sob story though, but a poignant analysis of human nature and how the assault affected her life and the people around her). Anyways, so I'm not exactly bouncing off the walls with energy after reading that one! I've actually been even more nerdy lately and checking out this Bookswapping site where you can send and receive books to people all over the world who want to read them. I think it's a great idea (for all those closet book geeks out there like me!)

So anyways, back to the UK. I've been craving fish and chips all day so I think tonight we're going to make our first visit to a traditional London chippie for some cod. It's no barramundi, but it will do me fine :) We're all still waiting for a nice occassion to open our wallets and visit the Sea Cow in Fulham, so we're going to do that when Shell lands her first UK job. Ray (Shell's boyfriend, who is a personal trainer) has found a job working with the guy who trains Madonna and Guy Ritchie which we are all quite impressed by! He worked out of a gym in Sydney and he came over to London and basically just approached football clubs and people that he wanted to work for, and now it's all turned out really well. So good news for all those personal trainers out there wanting to move to the UK....You could be training the Material Girl herself..

ok, i think it's fish and chips time now...

Only in the UK could you be sitting on a Tuesday night watching a clip of Bananarama singing 'Robert DeNiro's waiting'.....brilliant! or maybe that's just me being a pov Aussie who grew up with the maximum five channels of the regular Aussie household (everyone laughs at me when I tell them we only have five channels at home). I'm trying to convince Paul to switch over to the grand finale of Beauty and the Geeks but he's having none of it (god I love crap UK TV).

Today I faced the challenge of organising my holiday to Croatia with my partner-in-crime who is soon to arrive in the UK and increase my Aussie-London contingent - Simone. Who would have thought it was so difficult to find out how to get from Trieste in Italy to Rovinj in Croatia, when I speak neither Italian or Croatian? Do tiny bus companies in regional Italy not cater for annoying British/American/Australian tourists like myself - how inconvenient! :) I found myself today translating bus timetables from German, but I think I have finally figured it out and I'm getting somewhere. I'm going in May and really can't wait - as I also can't wait for my beautiful blonde buddy Sim to join me in all the London craziness.

It's getting late and Beauty and the Geeks is really not doing it for me! (yep i convinced him). Everything in the UK is played about a million times a week so I'm sure I can catch it soon (the OC is played six times a week here - love it! Channel 10 in Sydney could take a few tips)

Cheers guys - will write more soon - including updates on St Pat's celebrations...

Lazy London weekends are the best - you always intend to get so much stuff done and it never ever happens cause you end up just sitting around drinking tea. I went to a house party near Clapham last night then Thai Square, a thai restaurant in Putney which is the only place that stays open until 2, so attracts everyone after 12 and turns the little restaurant into a packed bar. It's pretty good, and practically next door to my house so very handy. The house party was cool too - although we felt a bit like 16-year-olds getting our booze from Tesco then hopping on the train with clinking bottles.

Today I wanted to get out of the house so got all geekified and went to the Natural History Museum with my brother, which was actually quite good (could you go wrong with a giant animatronic T-Rex, complete with smoke, lights and sound effects?? hmmmmm). It was the first touristy thing I've done in a while, so it got me back to my backpacker roots (and it's a free museum which is always a plus).

Here are my long-awaited photos from Venice It's such a beautiful city - shame the sky wasn't a bit bluer in some of the photos though! You can also tell how cold it was!

For all my loyal subscribers - sorry you haven't been receiving any of my posts. There was something wrong with the feed, but I think I've fixed it so it should be working now!

Venetian adventures

How appropriate that when we woke up at an obscene hour for our trip to Venice on Friday morning, we looked out the window and found that the Thames had flooded and our road had literally turned into a canal. Our building was completely surrounded by water, and we had to wade through the water and jump over a couple of fences to get to our taxi which was waiting a block away. Although it was 4am, bloody freezing, and we were all barely awake (but jogging through Putney to make the cab that was parked a block away), it was really one of those times you couldn't help but laugh at the stupidity of it all :)
And of course, we were all excited because we were going to VENICE! On the whole I loved it, and although we had some questionable encounters with not-so-hospitable Italian hospitality staff and yes, the city is a little bit squiffy (and those pigeons??!) , I definitely recommend it to anyone. It is a beautiful, fantasy city, and getting lost in the winding Venetian passageways, crossing blue canals manned by hunky gondola drivers, and gorging on massive portions of Italian pizzas, pastas and risottos, and fine Tuscan wine, is just divine. We were there for three days, which I think was enough to see most of the sights (although I could have definitely stayed to eat Italian food forever). Piazza San Marco, the Basilica and visits to the islands Burano and Murano are a must if you only have a short time - and if you're anything like me, you'll need quite a while to sample the delights of the shopping (I was quite restrained and only bought one bag and some beads, as my budget didn't quite stretch to Louis Vuitton and Dolce and Gabbana - ah, i can always dream though). I think the most important Italian lesson I learnt was 'Quanto costano delle scarpe?' (how much do these shoes cost?)
The city is expensive if you're not careful. I don't even want to think about how much money I spent. On Saturday I almost hit a grinning little Italian waiter when he gleefully brought us our bill with my SIX EURO cokes on it. Who checks the price of coke on a menu? I had two, so in total spent 12 euro on coke, that's about 8 pounds and almost 20 Aussie dollars. I still feel a bit sick :) you can tell i'm still a little bit bitter.
On the plus side, we had the best hot chocolates and wine I've ever had and our hotel was the cutest little gem (see the photo). The thousands of pigeons in Piazza San Marco grossed us out a bit, but the view from the top of the tower is amazing. So I guess there were a few negatives, but dozens of postives to outweigh them. And it's Venice! No trip to Europe would be complete without seeing it and now I can tick it off my (very long) list!
My photos will be coming here soon....

Snow in the newly sprung spring

I was elated when I woke up this morning. The sun was shining through the window, it was light when I woke up (which has not happened for about five months), and it's the first day of spring. I had made it through winter, and surely it can only get better from here? Then I got to work and it STARTED TO SNOW. No joke, an arctic shift has hit the UK and London is absolutely bloody freezing. I'm not just talking snowflakes here and there, I'm talking heavy, falling snow. Here am I thinking that Spring is immediately going to be green paddocks, new flowers and gambolling lambs, and it's snowing outside! I think i'm going to have to wait a little longer than I thought for that suntan! But it will come eventually, I'm sure of it!

Tonight I just couldn't be bothered cooking (that happens a lot when you move out of home for the first time), so Paul and I went out for Wagamamas, which has become a favourite. I think we are slowly but surely eating our way through Putney and Fulham :) There's a new place called The Sea Cow in Fulham, which apparently has 'the taste of the Pyrmont Fish Markets in Sydney' which is very exciting for me as a Sydney girl who has spent many a lazy Sunday eating fish and chips from Pyrmont in the park by the water watching everyone play soccer. There's just so many places to eat, and not enough time to eat at all of them!
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Hi all,

You may remember a few months back on this very blog a photo of a grinning Aussie decked out in green and gold and proudly holding up a Socceroos poster. Well, that was me! I’m Michelle, Pru’s friend from Sydney, and I’ve come to London for the wonderful experiences this city has to offer… and to hang out with Pru of course!

Today is actually my two-month anniversary in London. I can’t believe how quickly the time has passed, it seems like only yesterday my boyfriend and I were dossing at Pru’s - which brings me to my first point, finding a place to live! I didn’t think finding a flat would be the difficult task it was. After seeing studios the size of my bedroom at home, share houses in various states of disrepair and a flat where we weren’t allowed to watch the television, we finally found our pad. Those of you who have run the flat hunting gauntlet will understand the feeling you get when you know the place is right for you. Not having to step over scaffolding as we did at one place was a good sign, but as soon as I saw the bright open living room (which is also the kitchen, I never said it was big!) and courtyard outside our room I knew this was a place I wanted to live. The only mistake we made was not meeting our flatmates before we moved in. It’s not a major problem, but let’s just say they’re not ‘our kind of people’, i.e. tidy and friendly. But, if you’re going to flat share I guess you have to prepare yourself for fights over the remote and complaining about other people’s mess.

The next major task has been finding a job, which unfortunately is still a work in progress! I’ve been applying for just about every job that looks vaguely like what I want to do and am still waiting for a phone call or an interview. I can’t wait to start work, mainly so I can start earning pounds! At the moment I’m technically still spending Aussie dollars and checking my bank statements is possibly the most unpleasant thing in the world.

But I’m here for the full experience, and if that means unemployment, fights with flat mates and living on a budget, then so be it. Besides, Pru and a whole bunch of us are off to Venice on Friday for a weekend of friends, food and wine. What do I possibly have to complain about??

Sunday and I'm hungover....always the same!

My brain has the consistency of mashed peas today, and I'm feeling somewhat intellectually challenged, but I haven't written in awhile and thought i should update. This weekend has been nothing special, but we've had a good couple of nights out in Putney and I'm slightly hungover today (but not too hungover to go up to the French Market and get a chocolate crepe, nice). Saw a movie Friday night, Goodnight and Good Luck, which was really good, but to everyone's disgust I kind of fell asleep. I maintain though that this was because I have been a little bit sick and needed to catch up on some napping (the movie s really good, honest!)

We've been interviewing potential new housemates all week too, as our lovely Jemma is leaving us to move to New York with the family she nannies for (very sad for us, but what a great opportunity for her!). So we're losing the lively South African element of our house, and have been looking for something good enough to replace! The fact that Glen (I think somewhat creatively) described our flat in the ad as a luxury riverside mansion flat, has meant we've had a steady stream of people coming to look, and I'm currently torn between a few girls I really like. Flat hunting is so like a job interview with people sizing eachother up - and I always feel under pressure to act really cool so the people will like me and want to move in! Pretty sad hey :) But it's also funny when you can tell within a couple of seconds that the person really won't fit in, but you still have to go through the whole spiel and tour of the flat! There's a couple of girls who have been really nice, but I feel bad that we're going to have to reject a few... (yes I remember the rejection when I was flat hunting in London, it's not nice!)

Most exciting aspect of the beginning of the next working week is that we're going to Venice on Friday! I'll be cruising a canal on a gondola and gorging on Italian food before I know it.

On the trail of JACK THE RIPPER

"Twilight creeps through the narrow alleyways and hidden courtyards of the old, old city. It's gnarled fingers unlock secrets of dark deeds that lie entombed behind crumbling walls. It whispers into the shadowy recesses of a forgotten part of London, disturbing the sleep of the long-departed, and the City of Dead stirs once more into ghostly, ethereal life....."

Yikes! I'm scared already! I'm gong on a Jack the Ripper tour tonight with a few people from work. I work in Aldgate East which is just near Whitechapel where Jack the Ripper murdered (and disembowelled!) five prostitues in the 1800s. It's one of the best ghost tours in London (apparently) and should be pretty cool. It's freezing in London at the moment, so it will be interesting to see how we all cope walking through the ghostly lanes of Whitechapel in the wind and chill! Have a look at the spooky website. Probably not the best thing for a budding cold but I can't resist.

hello everyone.

tonight is Kate's birthday and we're going out on the town! We're currently warming up in Putters, but the night will soon be kicking on. Kate would like to say a few words as a celebration of her birthday.......

Hello everyone, cocktails at my house in Putney are going off thanks to Bec. We're going to Crazy Larry's, a club in Fulham, and I'm very glad my dear friend Pru can be with us!! Hi to everyone at home - i miss you all and wish you were here for my birthday..... rock on, love Kate xxxx

Well she's having a lovely time and now i have to go and meet my drunk brother Benno at Putney station.

To all in Oz and all over the world: bless you all and have a great Saturday night.
Cheers big ears,
Prudence Louise xxxx

Fabulous Friday

Well, yesterday was a pretty eventful day. Not only did I visit an Immigration Consultant who thinks I will be able to stay in the country (yay!), but had a lovely morning off work cause I had to go to the doctor (free doctors and prescriptions, yay again!) then came to work where we had a charity event last night where I spent £170 in the auction (not so great for my wallet, but yay for the Kenyan people we are helping!)

So, I forked out a consultation fee to see an immigration consultant (£75), but I really think it was worth it. I'm an intelligent person (I'd like to think!) and I did my research (thinking I knew everything there was to know about work permits etc), but it really helps to speak to someone who processes applications all the time and can tell you the information you won't find on any official website. Apart from a few niggling factors, a work permit or a HSMP visa are now looking to be much more likely (and achievable) possibilities for me since I am not technically able to work after October. It's all quite expensive, but I suppose it's a cost you have to bear if you really want to stay, If i apply for a work permit I will have to return to Australia while the application is put through (which could be a problem with work), but it could only have to be for two weeks (instead of the month that I originally thought). So I'm going to try and get a HSMP visa, but we'll see. The consultant was very helpful though and said he's processed applicants for people in heaps of fields (even a chef from a takeaway store). So the bottom line is, if your company is willing to sponsor you and will let you leave for a few weeks (and you get a good agent), it's quite easy. Anyways, I'll keep you updated...if all else fails, the golden shores of Oz would definitely not be a bad place to return to...! :)

So with the consultant and my surge of generousity at the charity auction, yesterday turned out to be quite expensive! But I bought some DVDs and a day off work at the auction (as I have already booked up most of my holidays), and seeing as I am horribly inactive in any sort of charity work, I decided it was worth it. Check out the charity all my money is going to: Plan International - we raised just under £5,000.

Going to see the Strokes tonight at the Hammersmith Apollo - gotta love Fridays...!

NATIONAL INSURANCE NUMBER NOTES

Just a quick one - I was reading TNT magazine this week, and they had a bunch of Aussies and other travellers lamenting how difficult they found it to get their National Insurance Number. It's really not that hard guys! Yes, if you call the number you will be on hold for AGES so make sure you have some time to spare (I think I waited, in true UK-customer-service style, about 30/40 minutes). But there was another thing mentioned in the letters that is a good point - it's a lot quicker if you just email the NI people and set an appointment up that way. SO, to save you all some stress - this is the e-mail address you will need london.ninocallcentre@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk And spend the time you save at the pub instead...

St Valentine's Day
In the UK you just can't ignore the fact that it's Valentines Day today - it's even harder than in Australia where there are gross cutesy cards in every store and really tacky white teddy bears holding red 'I love you' hearts. I'm definitely not one of those girls that gets excited by pointless gifts someone has just given you because Hallmark says they should. Although I will accept the heart-shaped marshmallow our MD presented us with this morning.
Even if we were to go out for dinner (which is a compromise I'm willing to make), all the restaurants around us have absurdly increased their prices, are having set menus and making you buy horrible pink champagne to drink as you gaze lovingly into eachothers eyes - talk about cornfest! Am I sounding really nasty? I'm not really - I just thing the whole thing is pretty ridiculous! I think I just might make Paul cook me a nice dinner :) or maybe I should do one for him...or not! (I'm also willing to accept the tradtion of boys doing nice things for the girls!)
Yesterday they had a thing in the Metro where you could text the Metro Cupid if you fancied someone you catch the Tube with everyday - then today they published the messages. Talk about embarrassing! If you're too shy to actually go and talk someone, why would you want every single person on the tube reading your declaration of love? Unless you made it so obscure that the 'guy in the blue shirt I see on the station every morning' wouldn't have any idea it was actually directed at him! Please.....

Our little house in the country

We're all back in London after a lovely weekend in the English countryside, staying in our very own little cottage! You can't get much more English than the little Cotswold houses and those little men in their grandad caps walking with their dogs and gumboots down the country roads on misty mornings (they seem to be everywhere!) Much beer, wine, and general country frivolity was had... we had a gorgeous meal at an ancient Cotswold pub (apparently Prince Will goes there, but I guess it wasn't his turn for a night out on the town), and we spent a day in Stratford-upon-Avon where we saw Shakespeare's Birthplace, and the highlight of the trip (wait for it)...the Butterfly Farm!
I may sound like the biggest nerd here, but it is actually better than it sounds! I made friends with a little chameleon (how cute is he?!) and ventured into ARACHNILAND and INSECT CITY (ok, so maybe they need to be a little more creative with the names!). It was great though, and would be even more brilliant when it is a bit warmer (although the chill is a great excuse to stop off for a coffee every five minutes). Stratford is obviously built on the River Avon, and it would be lovely to go on a boat ride like we did in Windsor (back in balmy September!)

Which brings me to our plans for our French canal trip in Summer. There's been some obstacles (mainly that every other person in France apparently wants to go the same time as us!) We will persist though - and my vineyard cruise dream will happen

Belated birthday cake...
It may have taken awhile for me to give the credit, but just look at this brilliant birthday cake Bec and Kate made me back in January...(I kept meaning to put a photo up). It probably doesn't look that impressive in a photo, but if you can tell, it's a Cadbury box of chocolates with the lid open and real choccies coming out. I was pretty impressed, these ladies know the key to my heart :)

Monumental occassion today was that the sun didn't set until AFTER 5pm! Yes, Spring is on it's way! And I may be getting prematurely excited but when you're used to the Aussie sun but you've had two winters in a row (and your first in Europe) all the cold and darkness can get a little tough! Although it really hasn't been all that bad I suppose. I booked my holidays off from work today (must have been excited about all the daylight), and now we can start planning our canalboat trip through the South of France in June. French vineyards in summer...mmmmmm, heaven. We're also heading to Venice soon - am so excited about gondola rides, Italian food and fake Louis Viutton handbags I can hardly contain myself. Gotta love rip-off Italian merchandise..:) Ciao for now!

Just also wanted to say thanks to everyone who has left a comment on my blog ever or who has signed my guestbook! It's nice to hear from you all, and lovely to hear I may have even helped some of you out with my incessant ramblings about London etc! Remember you can subscribe (in the sidebar or at the bottom) and get updates emailed to you (but of course, then you would never be able to escape me, and I understand that is a little scary!). Thanks guys - until next time...!

Camden Markets, London

For once I actually got up early on Saturday morning, and we took ourselves off to Camden Markets, which were amazing. The markets are a brilliant eclectic mix of people, food and cultures - a definite must-see, it's a London institution! There is absolutely everything there you could possible imagine - everything from designer jewellery and art, to punk and goth wear, antique clothes and shoes, funky T-shirts, beanbags, unicycles, jongleur shops, furniture, clubbing-wear, candles, scarves... you could honestly be there all day and get lost in the mazes of stalls. And the food - we went to a little food market by Camden Lock for lunch and could choose from Indian, Cypriot, Venezuelan, East African, Japanese, Greek, British, Moroccan (talk about my heaven!). We had Japanese pancake, which I'll definitely be going back for (in the photo you can see it's pretty cold here at the moment though!)

So we finally left Camden Market, although I could have spent hours more there (the boys kept losing me cause I tend to wander off on tangents when I'm in markets - then we had to do the whole stupid 'where are you, I'm over here!' thing on your mobiles all the time..) It's really different from Portobello, but I loved it and can't wait to go back (and next time I'm taking more cash!)

Tonight we're off to Henry's in Covent Garden for Octavia's birthday..hopefully I won't be too damaged by alcohol tomorrow and will write more then (I heard a rumour we were having another of our infamous 'Poker in Putney' nights though...so we'll see!)

Hello from London everyone! I have a new guestbook (see to the right-hand column) so feel free to leave me a message/comment/helpful suggestion/compliment! (or everyone from home - just to tell me you miss me!) It was horribly cold and windy yesterday, so this is what I spent my time doing (yes, I'm turning into a blogging nerd...)

Just got back from Heathrow and am a bit sad cause had to say bye to Greg who as we speak is on a flight back to Australia. It's been a fun six months with him, and it's sad that our London adventures with him are over! It's weird that he's left, and it's made me think about if/when I'll come home this year - technically I'm not supposed to work after October (because of the 12 month thing) so it will be interesting to see if I can work something out so I am able to stay and keep some sort of a job (although I could just be a lady of leisure for a while - having brunch and coffee all day and rely on my lovely English boyfriend...hmmmmm tempting, but perhaps not so practical!). Getting sponsored with a work permit is not really looking like an option, as unfortunately for moi, the UK is not short of editors, and even if my employer decides to sponsor me I have to go back to Australia and apply from there (and of course they can't tell you how long that will definitely take). I can maybe get a HSMP visa, but not too sure about that yet, have to do some investigating!

Well I was only a little bit hungover today so the Gods were not too evil! It was probably all good because due to our utmosat efforts we couldn't get in to a Walkabout ANYWHERE last night! (shock, horror, tragedy!). No, we really did want to go, but apparently every other Australian in London had the same idea (although some were a lot more willing than others to stand outside waiting in the freezing cold for an hour - which I certainly wasn't!)

Anyways, we went to the Jolly Gardener In Putney and had a great night wearing our garish Aussie scarfs :) The rest of ork yesterday was actually quite good - and even the singloang eventuated. One of the Aussies I work with is apparently a professional singer, and sang 'I still call Australia home' to the rest of our whole office (about 60 people) - fair play! All the Poms were a little bit miffed as to why we were all so patriotic about celebrating the day that australia actually got invaded by the English (and yeh, it does sound a little bit stupid when you put it like that), but we had to explain that Australia probably loves it so much because it is a chance to have a day off work in the sun and have a barbie. Ah, i miss the beach! Australia Day just wasn't the same without the beach and a barbie!

"We are one....but we are mannnnnyyyyy" - and yes, for the SECOND year in a row, I find myself in London for good old Australia Day. Last year I was only here for a four week sojourn, but who would have thought I'd be back here for good this year, to sing Waltzing Matilda in a dirty English Walkabout with a bunch of drunken louts in thongs (ok, here I'm just forseeing the rest of my night, once I leave work, but you get the drift!)
I was a little homesick this morning when I got out of bed and got my Australian scarf (we had Aussie Dress Up day here at work - I think they feel a little sorry for the nine Aussies in the office here who are pining after sun, sand and surf). But even though I'm not sunning it up at home (thanks everyone for the text messages telling me stories of BBQs and 38 degrees,by the way), I've had a great day so far, and think that I am now even more patriotic on Australia Day since I am now officially an expatriate. And my boss even bought me some Tim Tams so it can't be all bad! We had everything: Tim Tams, Minities, Fruit Tingles, Burger Rings - there's even talk of a national anthem singalong later in the afternoon. Yes, we are truly bringing the Aussie spirit to London! Strewth!

Work is almost over and I'm off to the Walkabout (cringe- but it must be done). If I don't have too much of a hangover tomorrow, I'll let you know how it all goes!
Many happy returns to everyone back home and Happy Birthday Australia! (I hope some joker didn't get Australian of the Year this year? And who won Triple J's Hottest 100?)

A wee matter....

I was walking through Soho on Friday night and was faced with another reason why this country is sometimes just a bit strange - public, very public, urinals on the side of the road!!! I'm sorry, what?! Apparently they have such a problem here with men urinating in the street, that they install these four sided trough-like things on the side of the road for drunken people to pee in! I found it very, very disturbing, especially when a couple of guys we saw apparently couldn't be bothered crossing the road to use the specialist peeing area, so just went in the gutter anyway! eeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwww....! (apparently in Bristol they have peeing troughs that are installed in the ground, and stay hidden during the days, and are elevated at night for the drunken masses - can just imagine that happening on Oxford Street Sydney!!???!)

Anyways, after an obviously respectable night out in Soho on Friday night, had a lovely weekend out of London on a little one-night trip to the countryside, but still no snow :( We're at home watching the soccer at the moment (I'm still yet to start getting excited about this game - but I'm trying!). It was another lovely sunny winter weekend in London, am looking forward to some summer days but can definitely cope in the meantime!

OK, this is cheating a little bit, since i haven't ACTUALLY been to Edinburgh yet - but my friends went for Hogmanay, which is the awesome New Years festival there where everyone kisses in the street at midnight, and I wanted to put a couple of their photos here! Before I came to the UK, I had never really considered going there (as everyone wants to go to Europe first), but I've heard such good things about it, and from the photos, it looks really beautiful (especially the old city). You can get really cheap train trips there, and flights as well, so it is next on my list (we might even drive up there for the weekend- it only takes eight hours or so I think).

Would you believe it's actually a tad warmer in London at the moment? (I think the city is in excited anticpation for Australia Day next week). I honestly got excited yesterday when it hit ten degrees (how sad is that!). I had some comfort from home though, when I was told that the weather in Sydney hasn't been brilliant.

In celebration that some of my favourite TV shows are back on TV (bring on the O.C and Desperate Housewives!), my favourite site of the week is www.lowculture.co.uk. Check it out, it can brighten up a boring day at work (and teach you a bit about the beloved trashy parts of UK culture!!

What you've all been waiting for!

Pics from my first New Year's Eve in London - I claim responsibility for everyone's state as I made some fairly lethal punch. But it was all in good fun :)
I love the mo on my friend Ray (he's an 80s Wimbledon player)

Look here!

For the past three years I've spent New Years in a different country (Australia, Germany and now England) which I think is quite cool (and very worldly of me!)

Tomorrow my birthday festival comes to an end with a night out in Chelsea. It's always a bit depressing the few days after your birthday isn't it? Now I have to wait a whole another year! Oh well - I think I can still milk it for another few days at least.

In traveller news: I think I said here a while ago that working travellers were not able to claim back their National Insurance Contributions they made while working in the Uk (which is what I heard). BUT my friends who arrived a couple of weeks ago have been told that you can do something when you apply for the number which means you can transfer the funds you contribute back to your superannuation fund in your own country (which means your contributions are not wasted!). So, I'm on the case to find out exactly what is going on. Watch this space!

Also, with my technical genius I have worked out how to put news headlines at the bottom of my site for your viewing pleasure - hope there's something interesting there!

Birthday girl!


I'm going to be completely self-gratuitous and tell you all that it's my birthday today (and I've been milking it all day!)
Have had a brilliant day, and just want to say thanks to all my wonderful friends and family from Oz and here, who have made it such a wonderful day. Thanks for all your emails/phone calls/messages - I love you all!
Just got home - we have been out for dinner at a beautiful Thai restaurant by the Thames and I even got cake! (thanks to the Putney girls!). The birthday celebrations are not over yet though - I think I can get another week out of this yet! Saturday will be more parties, more drinks and more partying to celebrate my 23rd (everyone at work keeps telling me how young I am? makes me feel good about having moved to another country when I'm apparently I'm so young!)
Anyways, it's really sad I know, but I've got to go now to watch the final episode of Lost (I missed it back in Australia). I do love Jack and he is calling me...:) (The OC is also back this week - wooohoo!!)

New Year's photos are still on the way - plus updates on my pending trips to Venice and Greece!

It's very, very disturbing when you can pass by an entire Sunday watching back-to-back episodes of America's Next Top Model. Yet that is exactly what I have done today, sitting on my couch, and I'm now getting motivated to go off to the pub. The reason for my lethargy today is that I am still recovering from a big Friday night (I'm very ashamed to admit that I voluntarily went to a Walkabout! cringe). Despite bad music, embarrassing Aussie paraphernalia (ie signpost marked "11,120 miles to Wee Waa"), and really bad DJing, it was actually a fun night and we didn't manage to get home until after 4. Needless to say, most of Saturday was spent, in true London style, sitting in a cafe, eating bacon and eggs and drinking coffee.
I'm feeling so lazy right now, that I really hate what is on TV at the moment, but the batteries in my remote are dead, and I can't be bothered actually getting off the couch to change the channel. Oh dear.
In other news, my brother has ended his suffering on a casual wage at the Telemarketing centre, and has again found a web-design job in a publishing company to tide him over for the next few months, and possibly permanently. Yay for working travellers!

I promised my friends Shell and Ray, who arrived in London to live about a week ago, that the weather was sunny and not really that cold. Suddenly they think I'm a liar, as this week the big chill has definitely hit - and apparently it will snow tomorrow. It's all well and good when you're wrapped up cosy inside, but it's a bit of a killer when I'm walking home by the river! Ah well - lots of time to enjoy the creme of English TV. Last night we stayed up (well, we just couldn't be bothered moving really) and subjected ourselves to 'Big Brothers Most Scandalous Scenes Ever'. It makes me think Aussies are a bunch of prudes, as if even a fraction of what I saw on TV last night made it on to Aussie television screens, there would be a massive public outcry and letters of disgust in major national newspapers (Remember the Hot Dogs incident last year - absolutely nothing compared to what goes in the English BB!).

I'm reliving the 'newly arrived in London' vibe through Shell and Ray - they are in the throes of flat hunting/job hunting/bank account opening/holiday planning. I just love every bit of it! They've got me inspired and we're all off to Venice soon. Can't wait!

Yes I haven't forgotten the New Year's pics - some have to be censored, but they'll be up here soon.

And on to another year...



It's only now, two days after our party, that I have found the strength and stamina to write about what was an awesome night, and a fantastic way to herald in the New Year. I think for most people the night passed by in a drunken punch-filled blur, but there were some great costumes and at least one person ended up face down on the kitchen floor at 4 in the morning - always a sign of a good time :)
Shell and I were ABBA (obviously coming as Waterloo - see pic), and there were lots of Angels, an Elvis (Kings Cross), St John, Chalk Farm, Maida Vales, Shaft (Shaftesbury Avenue) and Shepherd's Bush. No music was too corny, and I apparently thought my Abba moves were very cool, when they were in fact, not. At the end of the night we all had to fight the drunk people who had taken up residence in our beds for the right to sleep there, but it was all in good fun (everything except the copious redwine stains that still inhabit our hallway).
I can't write anymore now as the computer is in demand but I will write more and add mor embarrassing pics later.
Happy New Year!

The London Underground map: an iconic symbol of London if ever there was one!(apparently the poor lad who designed the map back in the day only got paid the equivalent of one pound for doing it - even though it is world-famous today and helps makes sense of one of the most complicated transport systems in the world - ripped off!) Anyways, I am blabbing! This is the theme for our NYE party tonight- you have to come dressed as a London tube station, and although a lot of people are keeping theirs secret, it sounds like there are going to be some good outfits!

Hope everyone back home has a great New Year. I've heard the theme on the Sydney Harbour Bridge this year is "Have a Heart", which is feelgood-nice. Pretty apt considering the disturbing news of racial riots we've been getting over here. What's going on? Honestly, I leave the country for three months.....

Anyway, must be off as there is punch to make and fireworks to buy. A safe and Happy New Year to all. Here's to 2006!

So this is Christmas...


After a few days of the most (and best) Xmas food and drink that I think I have ever consumed, I'm back in London feeling like a little fat pudding.. and yet I must continue the indulgences, as it is almost New Year and there is still lots of celebrating to be done! (the pic is not from xmas day, but from our orphan xmas dinner at our place last week).

Christmas was lovely and I was rewarded with a gorgeous (but brief) snowfall in the country and in London. (I even did the whole ten-year-old kid thing: "Wake up everyone, it's snowing!!" and then running outside in to the snowflakes in nothing but my PJ's and jumping around stupidly - yes, i was a tad excited). Paul's family were all so nice to Ben and I (us being orphans and all), and we had a very decent present haul, and they didn't even mind when it became obvious that there is truth to the rumour that Aussies tend to drink a lot. (I felt a little sheepish when Paul's 80 year old aunt said to me the next day 'Are you feeling ok dear, it all seemed to hit you at once didn't it?'!). Oh well, I always like to operate on the basis that even though yes, I may have been drinking from midday to 8pm, I still appear to be as eloquent and sober as a judge at all times :)

The extremely exciting development of the last couple of days is that Shell and Ray have arrived to live in London, and they will be the next fabulous addition to our expanding gang of Aussies. Being the London vet/tourguide/expert and all, I'll be showing them all the wonders of this fine city and revelling in the virgin excitement of the newly arrived traveller (awww, it's so cute when they don't know what money to pay with!).

Stay tuned for more exciting news about the NYE party of the century...

Oh, and for more exciting pics from the Xmas party, go here

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

London is getting pumped for Christmas, only two days away! I spent a good ten minutes transfixed by the HUGE Xmas tree in Covent Garden last night, apparently donated to London each year by Norway (or somewhere like that). The famous Xmas lights on Oxford Street and Barnaby Street are also really cool.

This might be my last post before the big day, as Ben, Paul and I are off to the Cotswolds for a country Christmas (and hopefully it will snow!). There has a lot of drinking and eating this week, and not much else. I'm in my office at the moment and it is completely empty since everyone has jetted off early. Probably because everyone has been driven more than a little mad by the insanely repetitive Christmas songs everyone goes crazy for. You can't escape them. I think every crap band from the Spice Girls to the Sugababes have released a Xmas single over the years, which get dragged out and massacred again and again every year.

It's my first Christmas away from home, and it doesn't really feel the same. It's cool being in a big new city though and seeing how it's done over the other side of the world. It's a cool 38 degrees in Sydney at the moment which I'm missing, but I'm also hanging out for some mulled wine and turkey by the fire, with the snow falling outside frosted windows (I'm living the Bridget Jones/Love Actually Christmas!)

Anyways, better get back to pretending I'm finishing up lots of important work before I leave for my little holiday. A very merry Christmas to everyone!!!

Thank God for Coke and Ribena

I'm nursing a terrible hangover at work today after a fabulous night of festivities at our Christmas party last night (what kind of crazy people have Christmas parties on Monday night?!). This morning on the tube I was extremely glum, with a bottle of Coke in one hand, and a Ribena in the other (they are my hangover cures). I may as well have had 'seedy drunk' plastered on my forehead as I tentatively sipped the Coke at eight o'clock in the morning, much to the disgust of fellow passengers (who gave me some dirty, disapproving looks).
This is me at the party with Stacey and Matt - fellow members of my trust editorial team (Matt in the middle is actually my boss, the Senior Editor). It was a really great night, although fairly tame for a Christmas party! I was very well-behaved and in bed by 12 (albeit more than a little bit sozzled). The funny photos have been circulating around the office all day and there are a few red faces - bless Christmas!!!

Getting in to the festive spirit again: my funny Santa site of the week is one that Phil sent me and kept me amused for hours this morning when I was incapable of anything requiring more than the brain capacity of an ant. You can make Santa do whatever you want! Go to http://www.santasez.sig-ad.com/

I went out every night this week and have now been left on Saturday feeling really tired and headachey - how does that work? I should definitely do these things the other way around. Looks like next week will be no different though, as everyone is gearing up for Christmas and there is so much to do! I've got my Christmas party on Monday night (and then i will suffer through work on Tuesday), of course I still have a ton of xmas shopping to do, and I'm also having a Christmas dinner at our flat for everyone one night this week, then heading up to Gloucestershire for christmas...very exciting! :) My bank account has taken a huge bashing but spirits are high AND I found out yesterday that my work is sending me to Greece next year for a week!!! (I have to work there, but hey, it's Greece and I get excited about things like getting on a plane!) There's also talk of Paris but that's not definite yet and just a little too exciting to think about. It's a nice Chrissie present, seeing as I was getting all depressed last night cause my flatmates are off to Switzerland and Australia, respectively, today. But all is well and Christmas is near - wooohoo!

Check out this funny Santa site that made me laugh - there's some Santas looking like they just got out of jail and some poor scared little kids, what a recipe for comedy.... Scared of Santa??

Aussies in the World Cup!!


Ahh, perhaps Aussie sport is not dead after all! I got sent this photo today - this is my lovely friend Shell from back home celebrating after the Aussies qualified for the World Cup. Seeing the Sydney Morning Herald made me miss home! Shell is also sitting in what used to be my office back in Australia (before the OE adventures started). i'm sure she'll be featuring lots more over the next few months, as she arrives on London's doorstep for a working holiday on the 28 Dec.

Christmas cheer and lots of beer (and how having friends smarter than yourself works to your advantage)

As I sit here and gaze at my tackily decorated office Christmas tree (I can't complain, it was me that added the purple tinsel), I'm missing the sunny build up to an Aussie Christmas. BUT, we are doing enough celebrating to compensate, and today was my team's Christmas lunch which was a lovely decadent three hour booze-up at the delightfully titled Giraffe cafe. Next week is the real Xmas party for the whole office which should be great. In the spirit - here's a letter I pulled from the Metro this morning which made me giggle so much on the tube everyone looked at me strangely...

Letter from Chris in Edinburgh:
"We had our annual office Christmas party the other night. I heroically did my bit for the common person by telling my boss he was a fat slob, two girls had a serious slap fight over a Spanish barman, and another normally quiet guy fell off his seat and vomited all over my boss' wife. Needless to say, it's a very quiet office this week. I love Christmas."

OK, so I've only been working here for a couple of months, so I'm going to be very well-behaved!

In other exciting news, our Trivia/Quiz night team made it's spectacular debut last night, with no help from me whatsoever! The Heathrow Injections (plus one Pom) stormed the Jolly Gardener to take out the £50 bonus round cash prize (but came in a measly fourth place thanks to my poor Charade skills). We didn't even use the old 'mobile phone in the toilet to check answers' trick, and now Ben (my brother) has enough money to buy some groceries this week - woohoo!

Pru's English observations for the day...

They drink so much tea here it's ridiculous! Now I'm not adverse to a nice hot cuppa of Tetley's every now and again, but the UK should adopt tea drinking as a national sport. And it's not just little old ladies sitting down to their afternoon tea, it's the big English blokes, and they all have it so milky and sugary it's horrible!

I've been sucked in to the 'tea cycle' at work - the endless tea runs that have someone coming to your desk every 5 minutes asking if you want a cup of tea while they are fetching their own, will have you drinking gallons before you know it (and have me needing to go the bathroom every five seconds because I've drunk so much). I appreciate the friendly service - but I had TEN cups of tea the other day and it's got to stop! I've bought some green tea now, so I've started getting cups of hot water delivered instead. What I would give for an espresso machine....

The tea thing I can kind of understand (and it's definitely acceptable at work when a trip on a tea run is the perfect distraction) - the English obsession with Neighbours however, is still a completely mysterious phenomenon. A man here can also profess his love of Kylie, Take That and gossip endlessly about the results of the 'I'm a Celebrity..get me out of here!' show and 'X-Factor', and no-one will even question his masculinity. Maybe Aussie men are missing out :)

In the latest news...

I realised today that I have been in London for over three months and have not yet set foot outside of the country! This needs to be rectified immediately, however I just looked at my calendar, and don't have any spare time until the beginning of February!! (just call me Miss Popularity :) I think I may go to Karneval in Germany, but I really want to go to Edinburgh as well, and just about everywhere else! I never even thought about going to the US while I am here, but now I really want to go there too because it is much closer to here than Australia (and people go to New York just for the weekend! crazy). I definitely want to get something organised soon - heaps of people from my work are going away for Christmas and were making me very jealous yesterday with their plans for Morocco, New York, Italy etc. At least I know I have plenty of time - I've just been so happy about being in London that I haven't thought yet about going anywhere else!

In other good news for travellers - of my friends who arrived from Australia about a month ago and settled in around the corner from me, two of them have found jobs they really like (one of the girls is now working for Associated Press), and two of them have found temping work. So more evidence that it can be done.

Last night we attempted to resume our quest for the best 'Quiz night' which has so far been unfruitful due to our complete lack of effort. The pub we went to has theirs on Monday nights (not Tuesdays) so I'm sure we will go soon.


We ended up having a great night at this brilliant pub though (plug here for the Jolly Gardener in Putney) - really cosy pub and they have..wait for it....board games! What could be better than a beer and Monopoly? We actually played Taboo, which can get a little violent once everyone has had a little bit to drink... :)

My photo for the day is this one - This is me feeding a squirrel in Hyde Park - how cute!! (the squirrel, not me :).

Comfortable country living

hey all,

After a lovely weekend of country living in the Cotswolds I'm back in London - all the country villages are looking so beautiful with all their Christmas lights, but getting woken up at 6am on Sunday morning by the cows mooing next door was not that enjoyable. Back in the big city, there's only the ducks in the river to worry about (and the psycho seagulls that divebomb me when i'm on my way to work in the morning).

London is getting excited about Christmas and the shops are manic. And of course, everyone is buzzing about just which song will make the number one Christmas single on Top of the Pops (yes, I thought this was something they just made up for Love Actually but apparently not)
It's late and i'm dreading going back to work tomorrow but this lavish lifestyle of mine must be funded. And there's always the Christmas party which is in a couple of weeks to look forward to....

I'm currently at work trying not to get caught writing something I really shouldn't be - but it's all good because it's 4.30pm on a Friday afternoon and I am SO ready to go home and have a lovely relaxing weekend! We had a little soiree at our apartment last night which has left me feeling slightly hungover and tired from the effects of too much (but very good) red wine. This weekend will be lovely though, as I am going to the Cotwolds for the weekend where everything (hopefully) will be covered in snow. The north of England had a lot of snow at the beginning of the week but I'm not sure if there will be any left. I'm still hoping for that White Christmas! Although in London, it's more likely to be a sleety, dark and wet Christmas:) It was so weird today reading the Sydney Morning Herald online (my favourite Good Living section) and reading recipes for festive seafood dishes, cold desserts and for 'Cooling down on sweltering days with a bright, luscious, juicy chunk of watermelon'. Ah well, I'm still loving it all despite reaching new levels of cold I didn't know existed and dreaming of hot beaches back home! I'm like Albert Camus who said: " In the midst of winter, I finally realised that deep within me there lay an invincible summer". Although I'm sure he didn't mean that quite so literally, I will adopt that slant here for my purposes! Despite freezing on the outside and loving it here, my love of baking in the Aussie sun eating watermelon will never die! :)