Turkey, eggnog, Scattegories, mulled wine, Celebrity Heads, presents, 3am phone call from Sydney, bad carols and paper hats... what more could you ask for?
Merry Christmas everyone!! Hope you had a wonderful day like we did. All the best for Boxing day and New Years. Might drop a line in the next few days if I can but I'm off to France so au revoir!
Monday, December 25, 2006
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Maximum: 2 degrees Celsius
Now I don't want to scare those of you who are planning your UK jaunt off - but lordy it's freezing today! If everywhere didn't look so beautiful and Christmassy, I would be complaining much more! (this explains why everyone hates January so much). There's frost about and everyone's rugged up - except people like me who have been in denial about the cold and have yet to buy gloves (it honestly hasn't been this cold yet!). It's definitely been much warmer this year than it was last year in December. Although, I think I am just climatising. This time last year I wouldn't be caught dead wearing a skirt and tights in winter (are you crazy? I would have said), and yet this year I've found myself thinking that, in the name or fashion, a dress/skirt worn with tights and heels is perfectly acceptable. Oh, how we do adapt.
Tonight I'm off to my ex-work unofficial Christmas party in Covent Garden. Yes, being made redundant doesn't mean you are not still invited to all the 'unofficial' company do's! I might try and fit in a bit of Xmas shopping before hand, but Covent Garden in all it's Chrismassy glory (complete with giant bejewelled tree) is sure to be hectic. Might just grab an eggnog or mulled wine and join the party!
ooohh, Paul just got home with our Christmas turkey. It's a £40 monster! how on earth are we going to fit that in our freezer?!
Tonight I'm off to my ex-work unofficial Christmas party in Covent Garden. Yes, being made redundant doesn't mean you are not still invited to all the 'unofficial' company do's! I might try and fit in a bit of Xmas shopping before hand, but Covent Garden in all it's Chrismassy glory (complete with giant bejewelled tree) is sure to be hectic. Might just grab an eggnog or mulled wine and join the party!
ooohh, Paul just got home with our Christmas turkey. It's a £40 monster! how on earth are we going to fit that in our freezer?!
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Dreaming of a white Christmas
Only five days 'till Christmas and I'm learning how to cook a turkey, make mulled wine and cook for nine people with the least hassle (and least cost!). Oh the woes of a working traveller :) How on earth does my Mum do this all the time? I haven't finished my Christmas shopping yet either - I've been scared away from all the shops in London - there's a lot to be said for online shopping, especially if you live here.The other fun thing that happened this week was that after our fabulous dinner at Fish! in Borough Market on Saturday night, four of us (including me) seem to have come down with food poisononing. Don't get me wrong - this restaurant is fantastic and the food (even the suspect oysters which I think were the culprit) was delicious. But it can be no coincidence that the four of us (out of 12 people) were the only ones who ate the oysters and have now been very ill. I haven't eaten anything for two days - oh well, I'm just looking at it as my pre-Christmas purge (I've probably lost a couple of kilos!).
The weather has gone all icy this week too - so maybe we'll get a white Christmas! (hhmm, we can only hope :)
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
An orphan Christmas...
Sometimes I think that I did the whole 'moving to London' thing in a bit of a daze. I moved here a year-and-a-half ago and while it wasn't exactly a spur of the moment decision, it was something that I just woke up one day and thought 'yeh, I'll do that'. The fact that I moved straight out of home across the other side of the world, barely knowing anyone, with not a lot of money and have made a completely new life in another country kinda lost its significance after a while and I don't even really think about it anymore.
But then you have those moments - moments when you do something that's so completely weird/exciting/different that it hits you. I've had many of those, but one of the weirdest was yesterday when I took myself off to buy our Christmas tree. It doesn't sound like much, buying a Christmas tree for your house. But, every year back home for as long as I can remember my Dad has gone off (most often to the fruit shop up the road) and brought back a huge beautiful pine tree which we stuck in the same room, in the same orange bucket with bricks (trying to cover them up with wrapping paper) and decorated with the same Christmas decorations which had been collecting dust all year in a tatty green suitcase in the garage. Some years Mum would buy some new decorations from Grace Bros but you could still find some hideous creations one of the four of us kids made in kindergarten lying at the bottom (and of course we would vehemently protest if Mum tried to throw them out). The year we got lights AS WELL as tinsel for our tree was a highlight of my childhood Xmases. And I will always recognise the smell of the pine which permeates every room of the house.
So this year I did have any of that. But I got the beginning of my 2nd Christmas in London with the new experience of buying my own Christmas tree - it smells different to Aussie Xmas trees, it looks different and is nowhere near as big as our family tree. And instead of sweating in the heat while we used to try and help Dad carry it up the stairs, I froze my ass off while I tried to drag it inside while a gale was blowing outside in the dark (it was 4pm). BUT, I brought it back to out little flat family with some new lights and new decorations from WHS Smith, and the four of us decorated it together and then turned off the lights to admire our handiwork and our gorgeous little tree (already with presents under it courtesy of a care package from Mum) which makes it really feel like Christmas. Maybe our Orphan Christmas won't be so sad after all :)
But then you have those moments - moments when you do something that's so completely weird/exciting/different that it hits you. I've had many of those, but one of the weirdest was yesterday when I took myself off to buy our Christmas tree. It doesn't sound like much, buying a Christmas tree for your house. But, every year back home for as long as I can remember my Dad has gone off (most often to the fruit shop up the road) and brought back a huge beautiful pine tree which we stuck in the same room, in the same orange bucket with bricks (trying to cover them up with wrapping paper) and decorated with the same Christmas decorations which had been collecting dust all year in a tatty green suitcase in the garage. Some years Mum would buy some new decorations from Grace Bros but you could still find some hideous creations one of the four of us kids made in kindergarten lying at the bottom (and of course we would vehemently protest if Mum tried to throw them out). The year we got lights AS WELL as tinsel for our tree was a highlight of my childhood Xmases. And I will always recognise the smell of the pine which permeates every room of the house.
So this year I did have any of that. But I got the beginning of my 2nd Christmas in London with the new experience of buying my own Christmas tree - it smells different to Aussie Xmas trees, it looks different and is nowhere near as big as our family tree. And instead of sweating in the heat while we used to try and help Dad carry it up the stairs, I froze my ass off while I tried to drag it inside while a gale was blowing outside in the dark (it was 4pm). BUT, I brought it back to out little flat family with some new lights and new decorations from WHS Smith, and the four of us decorated it together and then turned off the lights to admire our handiwork and our gorgeous little tree (already with presents under it courtesy of a care package from Mum) which makes it really feel like Christmas. Maybe our Orphan Christmas won't be so sad after all :)
Monday, December 11, 2006
Christmas is coming...
Well it's officially winter and Christmas is coming! The days are getting dark by 4.30pm but it's ok because the frosty streets are looking beautiful with Christmas decorations and twinkling lights. Despite the tacky cartoon theme, the famous Christmas lights in Regent St are gorgeous and Hamley's (famous toy store in Regent Street) especially has become a tourist attraction in itself (there are about a thousand little lights draped over the facade of the building). Every five seconds you trip over a tourist stopping to take a photo, not the best idea when the inner city streets are absolutely packed with Christmas shoppers. I have always said that us antipodeans have no idea what a crowd actually is until we come here - and it is especially true if you are brave enough to venture down Oxford Street at 6pm at this time of year. I have found myself horribly thinking mean thoughts about a) old slow people b) tourist wielding cameras c) small children d) mothers with prams; until I take a deep breath and remind myself 'it's Christmas!!!'. Good will and all that :)
Us orphans are all getting underway with our Christmas plans. I'm off to buy a tree tomorrow and now we just have to figure out how to cook a turkey for our Christmas feast at home in Putney. Some of the others have got the right idea and are heading off to warmer shores in Tunisia, while others are going to Lapland - the home of Santa (yes it does exist) You have to be creative when you know Mum won't be organising a huge family do!
Us orphans are all getting underway with our Christmas plans. I'm off to buy a tree tomorrow and now we just have to figure out how to cook a turkey for our Christmas feast at home in Putney. Some of the others have got the right idea and are heading off to warmer shores in Tunisia, while others are going to Lapland - the home of Santa (yes it does exist) You have to be creative when you know Mum won't be organising a huge family do!
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Just don't mention the Ashes
A couple of weeks after I arrived in the UK last year, Australia lost the Ashes to England. I was consequently forced to endure jibes from my English boyfriend, the lavish victory parade and screaming anti-Aussie headlines on all the trashy tabloids - not the best welcome to a place I was to call my home for the next couple of years. However, I have been lying in wait to get my own back and I feel revenge is near. This weekend my darling boyfriend went from arrogant and swaggering to a quivering and almost tearful heap this morning, upon hearing the news that the score stands at 2-0 and the little chalice is edging closer to it's rightful Australian home :) Unlike Paul I'm not going to get too cocky though - and am simply going to wait and see how history plays out this year. C'mon Aussie.
Friday, December 01, 2006
Spaetzle, Maultaschen and Radler (and shisha?)
Not content with my holiday to Morocco, last weekend Shannon and I headed off to the continent for four days in Germany, in the lovely university town of Tuebingen (where my little sister lives and studies). Now, Germany is always best known for it's beer and pretzels, ja?, but my three favourite things when I go to Germany undoubtedly deserve some kind of recognition: spaeztle, maultaschen and radler. Spaetzle and maultaschen (which literally translates to 'mouthbags'!) are delicious Schwabian German delicacies. Spaeztle are thick doughy noodles kind of like a cross between dumplings and noodles; and maultaschen are kind of like ravioli - little spiced parcels of meat wrapped in pastry. Both are delish. Radler is of course the superior German version of the dreaded 'shandy' but somehow when you drink it in Germany (and everyone does) you do not feel any of the grandma-wussy connotations you would if you shamelessly ordered a shandy at an Australian bar.The other thing people don't expect about Germany is that the high turkish population means there are heaps of turkish bars where you can smoke the shisha with flavoured tobacco. So along with the things Ilove about Germany - indulging in castle tours (see above, a castle we visited called Hohenzollern), fabulous beer, catching up with friends, practizing my German with the friendly locals - there was a fair amount of spaetzle, maultaschen and shisha! The perfect weekend.
(For anyone interested in jetting over from London, Germanwings fly cheaply into Stuttgart from Stansted - along with the usual suspects Ryanair and Easyjet)
Shannon, Pru and the shisha pipe:
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Under the starry skies of Morocco
I have just got back from one of the most amazing. crazy and wonderful cities in the world - our five days in Morocco were absolutely stunning. At first it was a bit of a culture shock as it was so different to anywhere I've ever been before but after you get over the initial bewilderment, you appreciate that the belly dancers, snake charmers, souks, hagglers, beggars, story tellers, water sellers, hennaed women, monkey trainers and local boys pestering you for money are a completely fascinating and unforgettable part of a wonderful city. I don't have much time to write about it all tonight - and the whole experience is just too much to write about in one post but I have included some piccies here (and down the right hand side of this page) for you to have a look at. I did get my camel ride (see below), courtesy of our camel man Mustafa in the beautiful coastal down of Essaouria (see the beach pic above of some local boys playing soccer on the sand - the Orlando Bloom film Kingdom of Heaven was filmed here). The other beautiful thing about Marrakech was watching the starry skies from the rooftop garden of our Riad, eating tagine and drinking Moroccan wine - you don't get to do that in London a lot!
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Morocco here we come
It's my last day of work before I head to Morocco tomorrow for five days and am so excited I can barely contain myself! Even better is that I checked the weather and it's going to be about 23 tomorrow (then gets a bit lower) but the beach town we are planning to go to on Friday, Essaouira, is going to be 28 - can't wait for those crisp blue skies and to feel the sun on my skin again. Not that it has been that bad here, mind you. I think I'm acclimatising to English weather which is a little bit scary.
I haven't really written much about our plans here. We are staying in a Riad (which is like a traditional Moroccan house) which will hopefully be nice and we really just plan to spend a lazy four days meandering around the souks (haggling for tat!), drinking mint tea, eating tagines and wandering the alleyways of the Medina. If I convince Paul to get on one, I'm dying to go for a camel ride on the beach in Essaouira or a trip out into the desert, but I suppose I'll have to wait and see exactly what Morocco has in store for us. I doubt I will be writing on here again until I get back, so I guess you'll all have to wait and see as well! Masalaama!
It's my last day of work before I head to Morocco tomorrow for five days and am so excited I can barely contain myself! Even better is that I checked the weather and it's going to be about 23 tomorrow (then gets a bit lower) but the beach town we are planning to go to on Friday, Essaouira, is going to be 28 - can't wait for those crisp blue skies and to feel the sun on my skin again. Not that it has been that bad here, mind you. I think I'm acclimatising to English weather which is a little bit scary.
I haven't really written much about our plans here. We are staying in a Riad (which is like a traditional Moroccan house) which will hopefully be nice and we really just plan to spend a lazy four days meandering around the souks (haggling for tat!), drinking mint tea, eating tagines and wandering the alleyways of the Medina. If I convince Paul to get on one, I'm dying to go for a camel ride on the beach in Essaouira or a trip out into the desert, but I suppose I'll have to wait and see exactly what Morocco has in store for us. I doubt I will be writing on here again until I get back, so I guess you'll all have to wait and see as well! Masalaama!
Monday, November 13, 2006
Jet hits London (not a plane, the band, you idiot!)Yes, OK, I did it again - I saw another Aussie band live. It's just seems like it's better to see them over here where you don't have to compete with as many people for tickets, and of course the atmosphere of homesick Aussies is always roof-lifting! Considering I saw the Scissor Sisters last week, I think it's ok to indulge my love of Aussie bands yet again for this week. Anyway, the Jet gig at the Brixton Carling Academy (ie my new favourite venue) was fantastic and was improved by the fact that for the first time in my life, I actually had a (fairly) unobstructed view of the stage, thanks to the wonderfully sloped floors down the front at the Academy. (Since I am only a midget worthy 5 foot 4, I normally spend most gigs with a nice view of the neck hairs of someone in front of me, straining to catch a glimpse of something and end up transfixed to the lighting show or the base players left foot, or something equally unimportant, since it is the only thing I can actually see). Anyway, the show was great - a very true review here . I had to see something this week, since Shell and Ray went off this weekend to see The Killers in Barcelona...so jealous!
When I checked the SMH this morning, found out some sad news that Belinda Emmett died on the weekend from cancer (she is a very well-known and loved Australian actress I grew up watching on Home and Away and is now married to Rove McManus). She was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was just 24, which is I guess a very poignant reminder that it can happen to young people and that you should get checked out if you notice anything amiss. Such a sad thing. In happier news, Kylie is on a comeback tour of Oz at the moment from her own battle with breast cancer (a concert I had tickets to before I left home). Two very strong Australian women...
Friday, November 10, 2006
Being a freelancer is expensive...
When I stopped working in an office, my first thought was 'think of all the money I'll save on transport!'. At first you think, yes, there's an extra £22.40 in my pocket every week (the cost of a Zone 1 and 2 weekly travelcard) - woohoo! Not to mention all the money I will save on eating out lunches! How sadly I was mistaken...
First case in point: due to immense boredom of constantly being at home, I frequently patron cafe's to use their wireless internet. Average price of a tea: £1.40/coffee: £1.90 (unless you go to Starbucks in which case they rob you blind); average amount of tea/coffees consumed over 3-4 hour period: four; grand total per week £15.
Second case in point: when you are in the cafe's, you feel guilty for using their free internet all day so you feel bad and buy some food as well - grand total £10 per week. (unless you are in Starbucks where they again rob you blind by making you pay for the privilege of using their internet connection, even though they are making MILLIONS off charging you exorbitant prices for coffee and their internet connection probably costs them two cents a year).
Third case in point: I live just off the high street, just around the corner from lovely, beautiful shops, filled with lovely, beautiful things... and suddenly you have a lot more time to go shopping! During my self-imposed lunch break yesterday i managed to spend £50 on books - Books, I tell you! Where I used to work was in a really gross part of Aldgate and the nearest decent shop was at least a 20 minute walk away - now I have all these retail temptations right under my nose. Average grand total per week: £50
Fourth case in point: Since I no longer have to travel across London every day, it seems silly to buy a weekly travel card (which gives you unlimited travel on tubes and buses for one week). Obviously I still have a life in the nighttimes though but the difference is now I can't just stroll through the gates and swipe my Oyster card (with my unlimited travel card on it) - I have to (gasp!) buy tickets with the rest of the non-Oyster plebs. Consequently, although I do not use tubes enough to warrant buying a weekly £22 ticket, I end up racking up about £20 in trips I have had to buy tickets for (trips which are much more expensive if you actually buy tickets - the tricksters...)
Anyways, I realise I am going on quite a bit, but I would just like to reiterate to all those people who think I am now rich due to all the money i am saving that in fact, it is COSTING me money to work from home and the freelancers life is not always an idyllic one... :)
On other news - SHOCK changes to the HSMP programme gave me heart palpitations this week but it turns out my application is safe and will be assessed under old criteria. I just do not want to read the new criteria in case I would have a better chance of applying under that. Alas, I have already kissed my £350 goodbye, so there is no chance of that.
Countdown to Marrakech: 5 days...
When I stopped working in an office, my first thought was 'think of all the money I'll save on transport!'. At first you think, yes, there's an extra £22.40 in my pocket every week (the cost of a Zone 1 and 2 weekly travelcard) - woohoo! Not to mention all the money I will save on eating out lunches! How sadly I was mistaken...
First case in point: due to immense boredom of constantly being at home, I frequently patron cafe's to use their wireless internet. Average price of a tea: £1.40/coffee: £1.90 (unless you go to Starbucks in which case they rob you blind); average amount of tea/coffees consumed over 3-4 hour period: four; grand total per week £15.
Second case in point: when you are in the cafe's, you feel guilty for using their free internet all day so you feel bad and buy some food as well - grand total £10 per week. (unless you are in Starbucks where they again rob you blind by making you pay for the privilege of using their internet connection, even though they are making MILLIONS off charging you exorbitant prices for coffee and their internet connection probably costs them two cents a year).
Third case in point: I live just off the high street, just around the corner from lovely, beautiful shops, filled with lovely, beautiful things... and suddenly you have a lot more time to go shopping! During my self-imposed lunch break yesterday i managed to spend £50 on books - Books, I tell you! Where I used to work was in a really gross part of Aldgate and the nearest decent shop was at least a 20 minute walk away - now I have all these retail temptations right under my nose. Average grand total per week: £50
Fourth case in point: Since I no longer have to travel across London every day, it seems silly to buy a weekly travel card (which gives you unlimited travel on tubes and buses for one week). Obviously I still have a life in the nighttimes though but the difference is now I can't just stroll through the gates and swipe my Oyster card (with my unlimited travel card on it) - I have to (gasp!) buy tickets with the rest of the non-Oyster plebs. Consequently, although I do not use tubes enough to warrant buying a weekly £22 ticket, I end up racking up about £20 in trips I have had to buy tickets for (trips which are much more expensive if you actually buy tickets - the tricksters...)
Anyways, I realise I am going on quite a bit, but I would just like to reiterate to all those people who think I am now rich due to all the money i am saving that in fact, it is COSTING me money to work from home and the freelancers life is not always an idyllic one... :)
On other news - SHOCK changes to the HSMP programme gave me heart palpitations this week but it turns out my application is safe and will be assessed under old criteria. I just do not want to read the new criteria in case I would have a better chance of applying under that. Alas, I have already kissed my £350 goodbye, so there is no chance of that.
Countdown to Marrakech: 5 days...
Monday, November 06, 2006
Remember, remember, the 5th November...
I forgot to mention that yesterday was Guy Fawkles Night! I had vague knowledge of this otherwise known 'Fireworks Night' before I came to the UK but didn't quite understand the extent to which people run around lighting crackers, having public bonfires and burning effigies.. (i learnt all this last year). I was the jumpiest person ever last night as there were fireworks going off everywhere out on the street - it's so dangerous! It did bring back fond childhood memories though of running around our cul-de-sac waving sparklers, letting off bangers and lighting those parachute men fireworks (when they were legal in Oz of course!). Short history lesson for all internationals - Guy Fawkes night is the anniversary of the night an Englishman - Guido Fawkes - in popular legend, tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament with barrels of gunpowder. He was caught, imprisoned, tortured on the rack, and finally executed (what a logical thing to celebrate! :) Anyways, it bizarrely provides much joviality for young and old today!
Time for homesickness - it's Melbourne Cup day tomorrow! Check out the good old aussie cup sweep - if only i still worked in an office! I like the sound of Maybe Better - crap, the betting shop is probably going to close soon! gotta dash!
I forgot to mention that yesterday was Guy Fawkles Night! I had vague knowledge of this otherwise known 'Fireworks Night' before I came to the UK but didn't quite understand the extent to which people run around lighting crackers, having public bonfires and burning effigies.. (i learnt all this last year). I was the jumpiest person ever last night as there were fireworks going off everywhere out on the street - it's so dangerous! It did bring back fond childhood memories though of running around our cul-de-sac waving sparklers, letting off bangers and lighting those parachute men fireworks (when they were legal in Oz of course!). Short history lesson for all internationals - Guy Fawkes night is the anniversary of the night an Englishman - Guido Fawkes - in popular legend, tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament with barrels of gunpowder. He was caught, imprisoned, tortured on the rack, and finally executed (what a logical thing to celebrate! :) Anyways, it bizarrely provides much joviality for young and old today!
Time for homesickness - it's Melbourne Cup day tomorrow! Check out the good old aussie cup sweep - if only i still worked in an office! I like the sound of Maybe Better - crap, the betting shop is probably going to close soon! gotta dash!
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Am already looking forward to tomorrow's next episode of Tripping Over - the new Aussie show (dubbed as the nest Secret Life of Us) which I fell in love with last week, sitting on my couch in my London sharehouse getting homesick and nostalgic for my first few wide-eyed months as a working traveller. Set in Bangkok, London and Sydney, this new series celebrates leaving all your baggage and life behind, following dreams and reinventing yourself on the other side of the planet. It's enough to make your eyes well up... Read a Guardian review here.
It follows the individual adventures of some Brits and Aussies who make the move overseas, for whatever their personal reasons are (and there are some goodies!). It's surely going to increase the substantial amount of Aussies trekking over to London each day (someone told me the other day that an average of 60 Aussies bumpkins arrive at Heathrow every day to make this great giant city their new home.....a perfect market for Tripping Over then). I'm just upset because this fabulous new show has just completely stolen my idea for a book - that's my intellectual capital on screen dammit! how did they know?! ah well - i'm too lazy to write a novel anyway, and I'm sure this show is going to be much, much better....
It follows the individual adventures of some Brits and Aussies who make the move overseas, for whatever their personal reasons are (and there are some goodies!). It's surely going to increase the substantial amount of Aussies trekking over to London each day (someone told me the other day that an average of 60 Aussies bumpkins arrive at Heathrow every day to make this great giant city their new home.....a perfect market for Tripping Over then). I'm just upset because this fabulous new show has just completely stolen my idea for a book - that's my intellectual capital on screen dammit! how did they know?! ah well - i'm too lazy to write a novel anyway, and I'm sure this show is going to be much, much better....
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
A devilish night for dancingI'm a day late but Happy Halloween! It's such a novelty for us how everyone over here really gets into Halloween - there are pumpkins everywhere and shops are filled with fancy dress outfits and trick or treat goodies. The kids love it (so do the big kids - this is me in my devil outfit) and I do think we are a little bit deprived back in Oz. Any excuse to dress up, i say.
The highlight of this year's Halloween was that we went to a fantastic Scissor Sisters 'fancy dress extravaganza' at the Brixton Carling Academy. Fancy dress was compulsory (hence our devil outfits) and there were some fantastic costumes. Lots of devils and witches of course (yes, we were a little unoriginal, but we are only beginners after all) but some people had put in tons of effort - there was Uma from Kill Bill, a few bandaged mummies, brides, man-eating pumpkins and a guy who came as the 'Scream' painting (with a huge piece of cardboard with room for his head cut out). I was very impressed and was a little disappointed with out paltry attempt! But for my first dress-up Halloween I can't complain. The gig was fantastic - these guys really know how to put on a show (King Kong even made an appearance at the end). Apart from the demented security staff at the Academy who tried to make people sit down during the gig (at a concert for god's sake!!!??), it was a fabulous hallowed eve.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Curse the damn exchange rate! The poor little Aussie dollar
If the international foreign exchange market was a playground, the Great British pounds would be the big bully cool kids, the Euros would be the slightly less-cool kids that hang around with the pounds for street cred, and the Aussie dollars would be the wimpy little kids getting picked on in the corner (probably holding on to the Kiwi dollars for support). I am a little bitter since I did an international money transfer today (through my most favourite discovery ever Tranzfers) and I was feeling all rich with my $4,000 AUD... until I turned it into GBP 1,592.80. How depressing. But, it could be worse I suppose. I'll never forget when, en route to London from Sydney for this trip, I stopped over in Bahrain for three hours. My dad had given me $10AUD so I could get something to eat when I stopped over (bless him :) but upon my arrival in Bahrain I found that 10 aussie dollars could not even get me a cup of coffee! How very embarrassing.. :) It's a good thing this trip (or lifetime interlude) has given me experiences money can't buy...else I'd be demanding a big refund! (I do have to admit, it's entirely doable to live here comfortably when you're actually earning pounds - or if you have saved up more dollars than I had when I first arrived!!).
In other news - have found a couple of geeky sites people moving over here might find useful. So you don't have to eternally ask "what time is it over there" when your parents/friends call, here is a very handy Time Zone converter (I need this all the time) and on a completely unrelated topic, I found this good blog which tells you how much your take-home pay in the UK will be after tax - Net Salary Calculator
If the international foreign exchange market was a playground, the Great British pounds would be the big bully cool kids, the Euros would be the slightly less-cool kids that hang around with the pounds for street cred, and the Aussie dollars would be the wimpy little kids getting picked on in the corner (probably holding on to the Kiwi dollars for support). I am a little bitter since I did an international money transfer today (through my most favourite discovery ever Tranzfers) and I was feeling all rich with my $4,000 AUD... until I turned it into GBP 1,592.80. How depressing. But, it could be worse I suppose. I'll never forget when, en route to London from Sydney for this trip, I stopped over in Bahrain for three hours. My dad had given me $10AUD so I could get something to eat when I stopped over (bless him :) but upon my arrival in Bahrain I found that 10 aussie dollars could not even get me a cup of coffee! How very embarrassing.. :) It's a good thing this trip (or lifetime interlude) has given me experiences money can't buy...else I'd be demanding a big refund! (I do have to admit, it's entirely doable to live here comfortably when you're actually earning pounds - or if you have saved up more dollars than I had when I first arrived!!).
In other news - have found a couple of geeky sites people moving over here might find useful. So you don't have to eternally ask "what time is it over there" when your parents/friends call, here is a very handy Time Zone converter (I need this all the time) and on a completely unrelated topic, I found this good blog which tells you how much your take-home pay in the UK will be after tax - Net Salary Calculator
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Another day, another internet cafe (and how to find the perfect media job)
Another Saturday and another internet cafe - i've never appreciated having an internet connection at home as much as i do now. It is scary how much my life relies on having access on demand to the web - I previously have derided people who haven't cottoned on yet to the joys of internet banking, online payments, e-mail etc. Well, they're probably laughing at me now as they stand in their bank queues. At least their life isn't thrown into turmoil when their neighbour decides to cut off their Net connection.
ANYWAY, the reason I am writing today is that someone posted me a message and asked me to put online some of the agencies/resources I used when I originally came to London in search of the 'perfect media/publishing job'. I actually first got my job through the Guardian media supplement, which has hundreds of media/editorial/publishing jobs every Monday. The corresponding site is here. If you are after subbing/editorial work on lifestyle magazines and newspapers, a good (small) agency who placed a friend of mine is Folio Recruitment. Another good couple of websites are the Media/Creative section of Reed, if you want to work for a giant magazine publishing house EMAP then go to Find a Media Job or if you want to work in new media try NMA. For other industries (and all the info you need when you are moving to the UK, WORKgateways is a recruitment/info site which can definitely help you).
For everyone back home (and in other parts of the world) I would also like to make the point that the UK is unseasonably warm and pleasant for October and everyone is enjoying the elongated summer. Probably not the best indication for the world in terms of global warming, but at least I can still wear my thongs (ie flip flops, not the other sort) outside. Have a nice weekend all!
Another Saturday and another internet cafe - i've never appreciated having an internet connection at home as much as i do now. It is scary how much my life relies on having access on demand to the web - I previously have derided people who haven't cottoned on yet to the joys of internet banking, online payments, e-mail etc. Well, they're probably laughing at me now as they stand in their bank queues. At least their life isn't thrown into turmoil when their neighbour decides to cut off their Net connection.
ANYWAY, the reason I am writing today is that someone posted me a message and asked me to put online some of the agencies/resources I used when I originally came to London in search of the 'perfect media/publishing job'. I actually first got my job through the Guardian media supplement, which has hundreds of media/editorial/publishing jobs every Monday. The corresponding site is here. If you are after subbing/editorial work on lifestyle magazines and newspapers, a good (small) agency who placed a friend of mine is Folio Recruitment. Another good couple of websites are the Media/Creative section of Reed, if you want to work for a giant magazine publishing house EMAP then go to Find a Media Job or if you want to work in new media try NMA. For other industries (and all the info you need when you are moving to the UK, WORKgateways is a recruitment/info site which can definitely help you).
For everyone back home (and in other parts of the world) I would also like to make the point that the UK is unseasonably warm and pleasant for October and everyone is enjoying the elongated summer. Probably not the best indication for the world in terms of global warming, but at least I can still wear my thongs (ie flip flops, not the other sort) outside. Have a nice weekend all!
Thursday, October 19, 2006
One stressful week later
What a week - I think this is the longest time I've gone in the UK without posting some drivel or another! The reasons are good though. The first being, that my Highly Skilled Migrant Visa application is now GONE, in the post, out of my hands, towards some little old immigration worker in Sheffield somewhere. I will wait to see if I am successful before I start spouting advice about how you should, or shouldn't make this application (as I did it myself to avoid the £800 agency fees - a smart move? we will see). But suffice to say, if you do this application yourself, and it doesn't take you hours of hard work sweating over meticulous detail and stressing about getting every little piece of evidence you can, then you haven't worked hard enough! Mine had header pages, an appendix, blood samples, everything! (ok, maybe not blood samples, but it wouldn't surprise me if they'd asked). This past week I've been between banks, past employers, a notary lawyer, the library, the post office etc more times than i care to remember. All I can say is, lucky I am unemployed and don't have to find time out of an office job to get all this done! (relax Pru, breathe in). Anyways, it is now gone, and my fate now lies with the gods....cross everything for me!
The second reason why my posts have been sporadic of late, is that, being big bad poor working travellers in Putney,. we have for three happy months been, well, shall we say 'borrowing', our neighbours unsecured wireless internet connection. And you wouldn't believe the inconsideration, but they've gone and slapped a password on the damn thing! (the boys are adamant that no-one has been surfing porn, but we can't think of any other explanation as to how we were busted). Anyways, any person who has lived in England for any amount of time will know that getting any kind of service man to connect you to anything can take a stupid amount of time, so I have taken to frequenting the 'wireless internet' scene in Putney. This means prostituting myself around all the various cafe's which offer wireless internet and seeing just how long I can make one pot of tea last so as not to appear i am sponging off their services (even though it is completely clear that I am doing so - the other day I sat on one cappuccino for five hours).
I always used to fantastise about living like this when i had an office job.. ie sip cappuccinos in cafe's all day...but let me tell you it is not all it is cracked up to be. For one thing, I've never noticed just how many young mums and therefore, screaming children, there are in Putney. Millions! And they all seem to sit right beside me. Always. One little toddler spent a good five minutes poking my bum yesterday. And you have to smile and say 'oh isn't he cute' and give that knowing smile to the mum who looks kinda embarrassed even though you really just want them to leave you the hell alone. Actually, when I looked at the mother of the bum-poker, she looked shocked and in a high-pitch squeak said "it wasn't me"! well, duh! Am i sounding really awful? Blame it on the stress of a visa application!
What a week - I think this is the longest time I've gone in the UK without posting some drivel or another! The reasons are good though. The first being, that my Highly Skilled Migrant Visa application is now GONE, in the post, out of my hands, towards some little old immigration worker in Sheffield somewhere. I will wait to see if I am successful before I start spouting advice about how you should, or shouldn't make this application (as I did it myself to avoid the £800 agency fees - a smart move? we will see). But suffice to say, if you do this application yourself, and it doesn't take you hours of hard work sweating over meticulous detail and stressing about getting every little piece of evidence you can, then you haven't worked hard enough! Mine had header pages, an appendix, blood samples, everything! (ok, maybe not blood samples, but it wouldn't surprise me if they'd asked). This past week I've been between banks, past employers, a notary lawyer, the library, the post office etc more times than i care to remember. All I can say is, lucky I am unemployed and don't have to find time out of an office job to get all this done! (relax Pru, breathe in). Anyways, it is now gone, and my fate now lies with the gods....cross everything for me!
The second reason why my posts have been sporadic of late, is that, being big bad poor working travellers in Putney,. we have for three happy months been, well, shall we say 'borrowing', our neighbours unsecured wireless internet connection. And you wouldn't believe the inconsideration, but they've gone and slapped a password on the damn thing! (the boys are adamant that no-one has been surfing porn, but we can't think of any other explanation as to how we were busted). Anyways, any person who has lived in England for any amount of time will know that getting any kind of service man to connect you to anything can take a stupid amount of time, so I have taken to frequenting the 'wireless internet' scene in Putney. This means prostituting myself around all the various cafe's which offer wireless internet and seeing just how long I can make one pot of tea last so as not to appear i am sponging off their services (even though it is completely clear that I am doing so - the other day I sat on one cappuccino for five hours).
I always used to fantastise about living like this when i had an office job.. ie sip cappuccinos in cafe's all day...but let me tell you it is not all it is cracked up to be. For one thing, I've never noticed just how many young mums and therefore, screaming children, there are in Putney. Millions! And they all seem to sit right beside me. Always. One little toddler spent a good five minutes poking my bum yesterday. And you have to smile and say 'oh isn't he cute' and give that knowing smile to the mum who looks kinda embarrassed even though you really just want them to leave you the hell alone. Actually, when I looked at the mother of the bum-poker, she looked shocked and in a high-pitch squeak said "it wasn't me"! well, duh! Am i sounding really awful? Blame it on the stress of a visa application!
Monday, October 09, 2006
Miracles can happen...
62 minutes...i made it
I can't believe it - I'm still in shock. I somehow managed, through no training whatsoever and a steady diet of red wine and curries, to run 10km yesterday in 62 minutes, 19 seconds. Not the best time when you consider how fast other people can do it in, but considering that I was certain my attempt at this run would end in...
a) me being carted off in an ambulance - either sucking lifelessly on my Ventolin or completely passed out
b) me figuring out the best mode of escape off the running route so as to avoid the embarrassment of coming dead last, three hours behind everyone else....
I'm pretty damn proud of myself and, i'm even a little hesitant to admit this, I actually had a bit of fun (shhhh, don't tell anyone).
ok, so maybe out of 22,ooo people I came in the bottom half (16, 992nd to be exact!) but I'm sure at least 10,000 of those people are those crazy runners I see doing laps of the Thames at 6am every morning.. You can watch my glorious finish here but instead of typing in my name, you have to type in 'Paul Seddon' cause Paul and I got our electronic tags mixed up (my ingenious plan to get a better time - he ran it in 52 mins, 59 secs). I'm the one you will see looking very rough and putting her hands on her hips in disbelief she didn't cark it along the way (in a green T-short - unfortunately due to lack of spaces we had to disloyally defect and run for the North team).
For everyone back home who know these people - our honour board runs as follows:
Me (last of our group but not complaining): 62 mins 19 seconds
Shell (a big time for those little legs and killer calves!): 61 mins, 39 seconds
Ben (unfortunately losing a £50 bet with Paul - much to all our dismay): 55 mins, 19 seconds - special mention for coming in the top 50% of runners
Paul (with no training, even though we'll never hear the end of it and Ben will never live it down): 52 mins, 59 seconds
and the well-deserved winner was
Ray (personal trainer extraordinaire) with a hugely impressive 42 minutes. Way to make the rest of us feel sludgy!
Here are Shell and Paul getting tough before the big race - go Team!
62 minutes...i made it
I can't believe it - I'm still in shock. I somehow managed, through no training whatsoever and a steady diet of red wine and curries, to run 10km yesterday in 62 minutes, 19 seconds. Not the best time when you consider how fast other people can do it in, but considering that I was certain my attempt at this run would end in...
a) me being carted off in an ambulance - either sucking lifelessly on my Ventolin or completely passed out
b) me figuring out the best mode of escape off the running route so as to avoid the embarrassment of coming dead last, three hours behind everyone else....
I'm pretty damn proud of myself and, i'm even a little hesitant to admit this, I actually had a bit of fun (shhhh, don't tell anyone).
ok, so maybe out of 22,ooo people I came in the bottom half (16, 992nd to be exact!) but I'm sure at least 10,000 of those people are those crazy runners I see doing laps of the Thames at 6am every morning.. You can watch my glorious finish here but instead of typing in my name, you have to type in 'Paul Seddon' cause Paul and I got our electronic tags mixed up (my ingenious plan to get a better time - he ran it in 52 mins, 59 secs). I'm the one you will see looking very rough and putting her hands on her hips in disbelief she didn't cark it along the way (in a green T-short - unfortunately due to lack of spaces we had to disloyally defect and run for the North team).
For everyone back home who know these people - our honour board runs as follows:
Me (last of our group but not complaining): 62 mins 19 seconds
Shell (a big time for those little legs and killer calves!): 61 mins, 39 seconds
Ben (unfortunately losing a £50 bet with Paul - much to all our dismay): 55 mins, 19 seconds - special mention for coming in the top 50% of runners
Paul (with no training, even though we'll never hear the end of it and Ben will never live it down): 52 mins, 59 seconds
and the well-deserved winner was
Ray (personal trainer extraordinaire) with a hugely impressive 42 minutes. Way to make the rest of us feel sludgy!
Here are Shell and Paul getting tough before the big race - go Team!
Thursday, October 05, 2006
The Pirates go down in a blaze of glory - well kind of...
I guess we were asking for it, calling ourselves possibly the lamest name ever (the Putney Pirates!!) but our glorious netball season ended very unceremoniously on Tuesday night in the rain, two players down, in a crushing defeat. We didn't do so badly this season really - made it into the top 4 even - but when it came to the crunch every game, we always seemed to choke. You know those Mighty Ducks-style teams from American movies that always seem to triumph against all odds, perform outstandingly when the pressure is on and ultimately the hard work, sweat and tears pay off with triumph? Not us. I've never been part of one of those teams! It was a great season though - I loved it - although I think a lot of the times everyone was silently sending me death wishes that I had dragged them all out on another Tuesday night! Deep down they all thank me for it, I'm sure :) The social aspect is great and the fact it makes you get out and do something when you might ordinarily just sit at home watching MTV is the best. It's definitely the only exercise I've done all year! The fact you can join as a team or individually is also a plus, which means for anyone just arrived in London, it's a really good way to get to know people (lovely people like us!). Highly recommended.
Now I'm on to improving my golf swing!
Countdown to Run London: 3 days - oh no.
I guess we were asking for it, calling ourselves possibly the lamest name ever (the Putney Pirates!!) but our glorious netball season ended very unceremoniously on Tuesday night in the rain, two players down, in a crushing defeat. We didn't do so badly this season really - made it into the top 4 even - but when it came to the crunch every game, we always seemed to choke. You know those Mighty Ducks-style teams from American movies that always seem to triumph against all odds, perform outstandingly when the pressure is on and ultimately the hard work, sweat and tears pay off with triumph? Not us. I've never been part of one of those teams! It was a great season though - I loved it - although I think a lot of the times everyone was silently sending me death wishes that I had dragged them all out on another Tuesday night! Deep down they all thank me for it, I'm sure :) The social aspect is great and the fact it makes you get out and do something when you might ordinarily just sit at home watching MTV is the best. It's definitely the only exercise I've done all year! The fact you can join as a team or individually is also a plus, which means for anyone just arrived in London, it's a really good way to get to know people (lovely people like us!). Highly recommended.
Now I'm on to improving my golf swing!
Countdown to Run London: 3 days - oh no.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Swannies - how we love you, our dear old Swannies....the AFL grand final hits London, again
What on earth would the motorists who happened to swing by any Walkabout or antipodoean watering hole at 5am on Saturday morning have thought? Everywhere was packed with sleepy-eyed Aussies drinking VB and eating meat pies in celebration of the good old Aussie footy (AFL) grand final. How else could you ever get an Aussie backpacker out of bed that early? The Sydney Swans put in a sterling effort and made us very proud, but since they are so generous, they decided to give West Coast a go, and let them win (by one damn point!). It was a consolation that we beat them last year - everyone deserves a fair go after all, hey? It's all about sharing and caring :) Brisbane Broncos took out the NRL grand final this morning - but no way was I getting up again to watch that one.
Some of you may have remembered I'm supposed to be running 10km next Sunday- i have done a total of zero training. "Run London"? More like "keel over and die while trying to Run London"' I'm in big trouble.
What on earth would the motorists who happened to swing by any Walkabout or antipodoean watering hole at 5am on Saturday morning have thought? Everywhere was packed with sleepy-eyed Aussies drinking VB and eating meat pies in celebration of the good old Aussie footy (AFL) grand final. How else could you ever get an Aussie backpacker out of bed that early? The Sydney Swans put in a sterling effort and made us very proud, but since they are so generous, they decided to give West Coast a go, and let them win (by one damn point!). It was a consolation that we beat them last year - everyone deserves a fair go after all, hey? It's all about sharing and caring :) Brisbane Broncos took out the NRL grand final this morning - but no way was I getting up again to watch that one.
Some of you may have remembered I'm supposed to be running 10km next Sunday- i have done a total of zero training. "Run London"? More like "keel over and die while trying to Run London"' I'm in big trouble.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
