Home versus Home

"London? Why would you want to live there? It's so bloody cold!". The conversation I had with a lifeguard on Maroubra Beach on Saturday went on like this for about 20 minutes (he must have decided I looked like a friendly person who was up for a chat). I've been getting that a lot in the past week since I've been back. Fair enough though - since we're in the prime of the Australian summer, beaches are packed, BBQs are in full swing, sun-soaked revellers sit at outdoor tables in cafes and restaurants, tropical fruits are ripe and luscious....why wouldn't you want to stay here forever? Lots of people just can't understand why there are thousands of Australians, Kiwis, Saffas etc trekking over to 'cold, grey, rainy, miserable England' (my lifeguard certainly couldn't). But the fact is, there are. There ARE thousands of working travellers making the break from the sun, surf and sand to head to the UK. So, what's so good about it and why are we all heading over there?

Well, anyone who has been reading this blog over the past year and a half, hopefully have got some idea of why I'm still living there! I was a little worried that coming home would make me start to resent England from keeping me away from all this Australianess, but it has only made me even fonder of both my homes. Of course I love Sydney and it's indescribably wonderful to be back with my family, friends, eating watermelon, hearing the cicadas, feeling the sand between your toes, getting sunburnt, hearing Aussie accents on the radio, shopping at Coles, eating chips and gravy; I'm also missing my other home in London and all the great things there that people who haven't lived there wouldn't understand (and plenty of reasons they would understand if they knew about them!).

While I'm back home I'm waiting to hear about a UK visa I have applied for and although coming home for good this year is a very real possibility and something I definitely could get used to; I would definitely be sad to leave my London home so soon (never thought I would say two years would be so soon!). I can't wait this summer for trips to Europe and the US, sunny afternoons in pubs by the Thames drinking Pimms, country Cotswold weekends, picnics in the park while dodging the Queen's deer, high street shopping in Chelsea (or Brighton!), musicals in Covent Garden, surfing in Cornwall (hopefully i'll get down there this summer!), McVitties chocolate flapjacks, £3 French wine, comaraderie between travellers away from home and the hugely varied Pommy accent. All these things I would miss!

Nothing compares to home, but who said you can't have more than one?

First things first..

The first thing I did upon arriving back home in sunny Oz this morning (after visiting my Nan and kissing my dog)

(was closely followed by a peach, some grapes and I'm eyeing off a mango..) More comprehensive post to come when i'm not jetlagged as hell.

Halfway to Australia

I did mention that I'm going home for a month didn't I? With all the excitement of the past month I may have neglected to mention it (only a small thing really isn't it!). So yeh, I decided to take the plunge and do the infamous 'first visit' home, although mine has taken a little bit longer than others - it's been over one and a half years since I last graced Sydney shores. So stay tuned for updates over the next month. I'm actually sitting in Seoul airport at the moment, halfway there, feeling quite nervous (and extrememly hungry - god i hate airplane food, and they never EVER give you enough to eat!). Plus one of my friends just emailed to say she went swimming at Bondi the other day and the water was freezing - these are not things I need to be hearing! Bring on the sunshine!

Backtrack to my Birthday

So you all know how much I love my restaurants - and bitching about the service, the food, the way they pour the wine (or not), the way they include the tip on the bill over here, the way service is so much better at home etc etc ... (ok so perhaps I can be a nightmare when we eat out, but that's what four years in the hospitality industry will do to you). ANYWAY, after much drubbing from my friends who are sick of hearing me go on, and after living over here for a year and a half and getting used to 'way things are done in the UK', every now and again I come across a fab new restaurant, and in London there are definitely plenty to choose from (unfortunately there are also plenty of bad ones).

Anyway, I found a gem. Well, Ben found it. And we went there last Thursday night for my birthday dinner. It's a great French restaurant in Soho called Pierre Victoire. The food is amazing, the service (and the French waiters) stunning and there is even a piano player upstairs to add a touch of charm (even though I was already very impressed!). And handily situated near some trendy cocktail bars and pubs. Another fab night out in London!

A life of contrasts

I'm not kidding - these are pictures of our backyard and our street this morning. We woke up and everything was covered in snow! Everyone complains that London is so cold, ugly and grey in January and, well ok mostly it is, but this morning it all just looked gorgeous and we could all imagine we were in Switzerland for a little bit longer. Nice change from the wind storms the UK had last week. We missed the worst of it and I onloy noticed something was amiss when I went out to explore the snow this morning (wearing a fetching outfit of trackie daks and slippers) to find that our side fence has completely blown away. Oops. Have reported it to our completely hopeless property manager people but judging from their past efforts I'd say we're going to be fenceless for a few good months yet.

Our BBQ we bought at the beginning of winter which has now seen snow before actually getting any sun - it's probably a laughing stock amongst it's BBQ friends:


Our snow-covered street!


In contrast, Simone and Shannon are off in Africa on theie 10 day safari at the moment - probably sweltering in their skins. And I will be too as of next week when I'm off home to Australia on Sunday for one month! Sunny skies here I come.

The life of a Swiss Ski Bunny

Wow - what an awesome week. I didn't expect our week of skiing and staying in a private chalet in Verbier, Switzerland, to be anything less than fantastic and I certainly was not disappointed. Not only was the skiing outstanding and the mountains huge(I will never be able to go to Thredbo in Oz again without laughing)but our chalet was beautiful (complete with host and cook, sauna and table-tennis), the apres ski (after-ski in pubs) was wild and we only had one broken bone (Ian the unfortunate stacked it on his snowboard on the first run of the first day, fracturing his right arm - poor thing!). Nevertheless, much fun was still had and all in all, it was completely unforgettable.

It all sounds a bit indulgent, staying in one of the most expensive resorts in Europe and getting breakfast, afternoon tea, three course dinners and canapes served by your chalet host every night, but all in all, I only paid a few hundred (Aussie dollars) more than I paid for a week in Thredbo (Aussie ski resort) a few years ago. Of course there is always the extra money you don't plan on spending on drinks (even though we had wine provided with dinner every night) and we had to stock up on cheese and Swiss Saucisse before we left! (Paul and I got one called Chevre du Valais - goats of the valley - oh..my....god...delish). There were the best bars and restaurants on the slopes and eating chips smothered in mayo every day was almost on par for me with the feeling of screaming on skis down the hill pumped up with that breathtaking mix of exhilaration and fear (aka the thought: "if i accidentally skied off that cliff right now, i would probably be dead - i'm absolutely terrified but this is kinda fun!")

Anyways - this is Paul and me on the slopes (I decided not to go for a head to toe black spray on Chanel ski suit aka Posh Spice) and you will find some more pics down the right hand side.

Three hour delay at Gatwick

Something always has to go wrong doesn't it? We all got here with plenty of time to spare for our flight to Switzerland - only to have minor heart palpitations when they wouldn't let one of our group, Ian, check in since the idiots we booked our chalet with had not provided us with a reference number and they didn't believe he was part of our group. Cue everyone running through the airport trying to sort out the mess, and making it to the gate just in time. Then cue announcement: 'Sorry, due to a 'generator fault' [whatever that is] your flight has been delayed three hours'.... Now we have all been sitting in the bar and I have managed to rack up quite a bill duty free shopping. When you have three hours to kill, it somehow becomes entirely justifiable to buy a) a great pair of reduced Roxy jeans, b) a funky top from Mango and c) a gorgeous clutch from my new favourite shoe shop. It is irrelevant that I am going skiing and will have absolutely no use for any of these items when I get there. I have justified it further to myself because I am going home for a month in February, seeing people I haven't seen for a year and a half, so of course have to look fabulous. Anyways, it's probably time for another drink and i'm running out of time on this hideously expensive computer. On to Geneva (eventually, hopefully!!)

More about Brighton, and someone's birthday!

OK, so it took me a few days but here are a couple of pics and tidbits about Brighton. There is so much to see and do there, I really would recommend it as a day trip or nice weekend out of London. The Brighton Royal Pavilion was fantastic. I was expecting some kind of beachside monument aka the Bondi Pavilion in Sydney but what it was instead is a giant colourful castle (built with what appears to be a mix of Moroccan/Middle Eastern and Indian architecture - with turqoise blue and pinkish tiles, spires and domed rooves - the whole bit. Although we didn't get to see the inside, apparently it is decorated with lavish Chinese-style interior. The best bit is that it was built by King George IV in the 1700s to give him a place to piss up and party with his mistresses :) The photo doesn't do it justice as it was a pretty cloudy day but here:


Sticking with the Moorish theme, on our Saturday night we headed towards a Moroccan-style club just near the water - the PoNaNa souk club. Although some of the other revellers left a little to be desired (heading towards 2am, the three of us spent about 20 minutes laughing at this sweaty guy who was enthusiastically dancing to himself in front of a wall to ceiling mirror...hmmmm). There are heaps of other clubs to be tried in Brighton though - and heaps of gay clubs and bars as well - which fits in with the city's reputation for being a DJ gay haven! We also tried a fabulous Thai restaurant on the Saturday night called The King and I. The staff dress in traditional costume, are incredibly friendly and the food is reasonable and delish - what more could you ask for?

Oh and how could I forget to mention the Pier! If you reminisce of childhood days past when you visited the Easter Show (or fairground), were dazzled by all the bright flashing lights, screamed on the Mouse, tucked into fairy floss and popcorn, and tried to win one of those ugly huge prizes by chucking balls in a clown's mouth at a sideshow, then you will love the Pier. Although it was so windy we almost got blown off, it's lovely to walk along and look out over the pebbled beach and get in touch with the English seaside, sucking on some of the famous Brighton rock candy(you know that stuff they make at the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour?) and trying to pick which ride won't make you sick. Ahhhh. Here is Sim and I by the pier - you can tell it is a little chilly!



So there you have it - if you're venturing down to Brighton anytime soon, you have no excuse for not knowing where to go! Now, did someone mention something about a birthday?! Woohoo it's my birthday today people! Although I am working today, it has so far been a lovely morning kicked off with presents and a cup of tea in bed (the perfect way to start any birthday!). Tonight there is about 12 of us going to a French restaurant in Soho which Ben has recommended, so I'm sure I'll be giving a verdict on that one later. Happy Birthday to me!

Have I mentioned I'm going skiing in Switzerland for a week on Saturday?! :)

A Wicked Weekend and Brighton

I kicked off my first 2007 weekend with some touristy activities which both turned out to be fantastic - and absolute must-dos for anyone visiting the UK. They both probably deserve their own entry, but since it is Monday and the words aren't flowing too well, I'll squash them both into one.

First, on Friday night we went to see Wicked, the musical. Alex and Rhiannon were visiting so there was a group of about 9 of us who had picked up £15 cheap and cheerful tickets from Last Minute. I'm always a bit suspicious of 'new' musicals and I thought this one would be a bit lame - but it really was brilliant! It's the story of the two witches from the Wizard of Oz, and how they came to be who they are in the old book/film. It really was entertaining - good music, great singers, clever story..I am a bit of a sucker for musicals so it might not be for everyone, but of the whole group of us (of girls and guys), everyone loved it. So there you are, my hot musical tip for 2007.

Next stop for the weekend was Brighton - my new favourite English destination. Sim, Shannon and I headed down for just one night so Sim could see the pebbled shores before she heads back to Australia next month. Brighton has everything - trendy bars, clubs, great restaurants, of course the famous beach and pier, and the shopping...oh..my..god...the shopping! Not the best place to go when I'm a little hard up for cash, cause the sales are on and the shops there are just stunning. There is an area called the Brighton Lanes which has winding cobblestone alleys of boutique, antique, design, jewellery shops and unique brands - a nice change from the high street monotony you mostly get in London. And mixed in between are gorgeous cafes where you can stop for an organic lunch if you wish! We tried The Mint Leaf Cafe for lunch - a charming Moroccan/Mediterannean cafe where I had possibly the world's most delicious Carrot and Coriander soup.

More about Brighton (including more sights, pics, clubs and fun on the pier) tomorrow...

Backtrack: Our UK family Christmas

This is what happens when you get a bunch of orphan Aussies and a token Pom, and chuck them in the same small room at Christmas (check out our beautiful tree!)

Dig in everyone!


Sim lets the Xmas spirit get to her head:


Champagne and salmon - the order of the day


Celebrity heads kicks off


I'm off to see Wicked the musical tomorrow night, and then to Brighton for Saturday night for a weekend with the blonde trio. Can't wait!

And then it was 2007...

Wow - another year has flown by just like that (*imagine I just clicked my fingers*). After the crazy London New Year we had last year (ah, we still have fond memories of Elvis costumes and the death punch), this year we decided to take a softer, more laid back approach, and we headed to a remote country old-style farmhouse in the Brittany region of France (along with a lot of wine, cheese and good company of course) to ring in 2007. And although there wasn't the excitement of fireworks or crowds, we had an unforgettable time surrounded by nothing but whistling trees in the gorgeous Brittany countryside, our pet goats and sinister farm cat, a LOT of booze, but most importantly, good friends and people who we have grown to call our family over here. There were all the makings of a winter country ho;iday - boule competitions, dinners by the fire, poker showdowns, trips to the (windy) seaside - and although it's all starting to sound a bit like we are all in our 80s, it was such a cool and different way to spend New Years.

Meanwhile, an awesome party was held back in London I'm told (see pic above and a fantastic slideshow to be found here - i'm almost very jealous). I have also found this brilliant site where you can watch panorama/360 degrees photos and footage of the NYE countdowns in major cities across the world - check it out here. Of course I headed straight to the Sydney NYE celebrations and am now feeling more than a little homesick - although these days any image of people sitting anywhere remotely near an Australian sun in a hat and T-Shirt is making me pine. I've decided to go home for a month in February though - so not long until I will be soaking up the UV Rays myself again!

I always get a little bit sad at the beginning on a New Year - not because it's a sad event, but just because I get nostalgic about the year that has just been, and all the '2006' things that will never be again. It has been such an amazing year for me - my first full calender year of living in London! - and although it sounds cliched, so many things in 2006 really were dreams coming true for me. I've made a great dent in my life-long travel plans and shared unforgettable times along the way. shared my new life with friends and family who came to visit, moved into a fab new house, had a massive blow to the professional ego and bounced back, entered into the 'visa gauntlet' (2007 will spell my fate!), made new friends and met stunning people from all over the world and have loved mostly every minute of it.

So to all the people i love back home, to all the people I love here (and to all the people I'm yet to meet in the world) here's to bigger and better things in 2007! I don't have any hard and fast NY resolutions - I prefer to scrunch my eyes together, blindly stumble forward and hope everything works out for the best :) It seems to have worked out pretty well so far so here we go!

Merry Christmas everyone!

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!

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?!

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 :)

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 :)

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!

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.

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:

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!

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!

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...

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...

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!

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....

A devilish night for dancing

I'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.

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

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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

£0.99 to Marrakech and a new hobby

So when you're at home all day, everyday, you tend to do things that you probably wouldn't have ever thought, or had the time, to do otherwise. So much like one chops off all their hair or has a major makeover when they break up with their boyfriend/girlfriend, I got made redundant and now I'm going to Morocco!! Mind you, the fact that we got flights for 99 pence to Marrakech (with taxes it's about 15 quid - thank you RyanAir) made the impulse a whole lot easier but I'm very excited about crossing off another of the cities I have to visit before I die (it's a long list). I carefully checked average temps in November when we are going, and am delighted to report that while it will probably be rainy and grey in London, I'm heading off to blue skies and mid 20s in north Africa! To make you all jealous, I found this fab site Photos by Martin which has beautiful photos this guy took on a three week holiday in Morocco (there's also photos from Egypt, South Africa, Ethiopia and more). I love the ones taken in the night in the Medina which is the shopping district (see above).

Watch out Tiger - I've also got a new hobby. I decided if I am to be a true lady of leisure, there was one thing I had to learn. Golf. Yep, I'm taking lessons (my dad will be so proud!) Cath and I trundled off to the driving range on Monday night for our first of eight golfing hours. It was great fun doing something new and the instructor (happens to be a hot Aussie - what more could two aspiring ladies of leisure hope for?) says I'm a natural! OK maybe he was getting a bit ahead of himself as my flashes of brilliance were, well, just very brief flashes, but I'm definitely prepared to get into this and get better! One of the beauties of London is that there are also lessons in something or other you can take, and not too expensive either. Now all I need is a funny hat and some tartan pants...

A bonzer little gem

Another must-do for Aussies in London (and other interested parties of course) is to go and see The Vegemite Tales, which we saw on Friday night. It's a play about a share house of Aussies (and one token European, Gio the bi-sexual Italian) living in London and it is hilarious and very, very accurate. Although somewhat cringeable in parts (due to the typical portrayal of Aussie boganisms like the hapless crude surfer dude who wears socks with thongs, drinks Fosters and is generally embarrassing) it was surprisingly insightful and actually made me cry in parts! It's best summed up by the author of the play, Melanie Tait, who wrote the play when she was just 20 and living in a London sharehouse. Here's what she says:

'It's a pretty frightening thing to pack up your home, say "See you in two years" to your family, hop on a plane and find yourself at Heathrow Airport. I was lucky enough during my four and a half years in London to find the most fantastic makeshift family of friends to travel, write, put on plays, fight, love and grow up with.

The Vegemite Tales is about the family we make for ourselves when contact with our real family is limited to emails, phone calls and home-made videos. This second family let you be whoever you want to be, because they don't know any different and they are there for it all: the good times, the bad times - and like the old song goes they'll "be on your side forever more".

The play is also a salute to London - the most magnificent, exciting, diverse and alive city that i've ever had the luck to live in. In London, every opportunity is before you and while you're stil there, whatever it is you want to do, go for it 100% while enjoying it!'

So here's to London and my fab housemates! I didn't need to see a play to know I'm very lucky to have both, but it's definitely a great night out and will remind you what you love not only about London, but about your dear sweet home, Australia.

Giving Australians in London a bad name

Everyone likes Aussies right? Well, on the whole, you would say most people in the UK look favourably upon us, their antipodean cousins. Australians in London are known for being likeable, sociable, hardworking and, of course, always willing to head to the pub for Friday night drinks after work. So I was quite put out when I read a column in one of the new London metro newspapers bagging Australians out, written by (gasp) an Aussie himself!

'Most Aussies who come to London appear to have a chronic fear of being separated from other Aussies for more than a few minutes per day. This means that they live together, generating mountains of empty Fosters cans, go out on the piss together to hideous Australian bars such as the ubiquitous Walkabouts and moan endlessly about the weather/cost of living/everthing else. So much for the whingeing Poms. If it's so bad, why stay?

more drivel etc etc.... I have to admit, I was kind of thinking he had a TINY bit of a point, as snobbish and elitist as it was... until he said this...

,....'As a result, I find myself being coy about where I grew up. Luckily, I did not bring with me the broad Aussie accent that makes even bright people sound stupid. This means at least I am not automatically assumed to be Australian. It might be sacreligious to say it, but it's people like Steve Irwin who give Australians a bad name. Most of us do not want to wrestle a croc, have a barbie or go for a surf.'

Chris Johnston - shame, shame, shame! You are talking about people like me and my friends - and sure, I've been to Walkabout, maybe drank a Fosters or too, and I probably have the 'broad Aussie accent' you so abhor, but that does not give you the right to stand on your soap box and make out like you're better than us. I have (had!) a well-paying job, I travel widely (not just to Paris and Barcelona as you mock - ever been to Bulgaria, Chris?), have utilised many of the fine theatres, museums and restaurants London has to offer, and god forbid, I even have an English boyfriend. If you're so quick to deny you are Australian and therefore be lumped in the same horrid category as my wonderful group of adventurous, wordly, sophisticated and wholly likeable Australian friends; we don't want you anyway. And what kind of Australian doesn't like to have a barbeque or go for a swim in the surf - that's the sacreligious bit right there. Are you sure you are in fact Australian at all? I hope I never have the misfortune of bumping into you in London!

PS Don't even get me started on the Steve Irwin comment... shame, shame, shame on you!

Over exercise, wine will always triumph

For all those who regularly read these fascinating pages, you may have noticed that I mentioned a while back that I will be running in a half marathon sometime in the future. You may have also noticed that it was the first and last time anything of the exercise/marathon nature has been mentioned. I realised this week (since i now have a lot of extra time on my hands!) that the marathon is in a matter of weeks (ie about three) and I have done a total of ZERO training. I think I may have got out of bed early a couple of times a few months back to half-heartedly run around the block, but that's as far as I have got. I am in BIG trouble.

Perhaps one of the reasons I am so lazy, is that I enjoy sitting around eating and drinking too much! Hence last weekend, we ventured to the wine-lovers Mecca - Vinopolis, an epicurian oasis in London by the Thames (I definitely would have mentioned this gem earlier if it wasn't for the events that transpired earlier this week). The name conjures up images of giant pillars of champage, copius olive branches and gargantuan mountains of wine, and as you can see from the photos below - I was not disappointed! It was a fitting birthday celebration for my best friend, and queen wino, Michelle, and is a great group day out. For £20, we went on a wine tour (which included various tastings, premium wines, as well as beer, whisky, absinth tastings and a Bombay Sapphire cocktail), had a wine tasting session with a cute Italian sommelier and even got a (somewhat cheesy) T-Shirt and corkscrew at the end! With special sections of the tour dedicated to wines from all over the world (from Thailand to Israel, South Africa to Oz) as well as unique delights such as chocolate beer and ice wine from Canada, there's something for everyone and this place should definitely be added to the list of 'must-sees' in London.
The glowing tower of wine
The girls could die happy after their Tattinger champagne

My brother Mike (who was in London for a week) enjoying a cocktail with me
Everyone with their gin! Happy Birthday Shell!

This weekend, Paul's sister is getting married so we are off for a country weekend i9n the Cotwolds. The reception is in a castle - I'm so going to be a shameless Aussie gawping tourist! Even though I am now without a London job, I still scraped together the cash to get a spray tan and my hair done. A girl has to have priorities....

Unessential? Unwanted? Me??!! :)
This is where the 'Trials' part of my UK working holiday comes into it...

I can't complain really - I've had a very good run of my working holiday in London so far - no major hiccups and a brilliant year actually. And then, this week, I got made redundant. Brilliant! Now I am in London, without a job, no savings, holidays booked (but not paid for), and rent to pay, and, because I was on a contract, no redundancy pay! Now I am realising just how good I had it before (good job, great pay) - and even though I was pretty much worked to the bone this summer, everything looks so much rosier when you're on the other side doesn't it!! :)

Anyways, for all my dear friends out there, and for all the regular subscribers to my blog, know that I will pull through, the little trooper that I am. I've been at home by myself for two days so far (too scared to go out and spend money from my dwindling supplies) and have been getting reacquainted with daytime TV, eating cereal at 10am, wearing trackies until 2pm, ducking out out for chocolate at 3...it's just like my uni days - oh dear, something must be done soon!

Getting made redundant though, (such a nice way of saying 'you're sacked!') is not the worst thing in the world and at least I am in London having a blast with all my friends, with so many opportunities and adventures just around the corner. Your working holiday is definitely what you make of it, and I'm not planning on letting this little 'mishap' cause more trouble than it's worth. I may feel different after a couple of weeks of daytime Jerry Springer, but that's how I'm getting through at the moment.

Any comments of support and kindness will be muchly appreciated - see this little icon below this post? (Comments - 0??) Fill it up people! I need some love! :)

Crikey! Thanks for the memories, Steve

When I walked into my office this morning, one of the other Aussie girls cried out "Pru! Have you heard the news?!" And so I came to learn that the much loved Aussie icon, Steve Irwin, is dead. Killed by a stingray while filming a deep sea documentary no less.. what a way to go. As much as everyone used to pay this guy out, I think everyone had a genuine soft stop for his embarrassing, but oh so entertaining, ways. And he certainly has done a lot more for conservation and wildlife then many of us will ever do. I'm sure Steve will live on, even in the UK where repeats of Crocodile Hunter make good hangover TV on Sundays, and I'm sure all those who majorly overreacted when he dangled his baby in front of that croc are feeling a little guilty. May he long be wrestling with the big crocs in the sky...

I've found a couple of sites which people moving to the UK might be interested in:

Bound for England is the blog of a teacher from the US who moved to the UK in August this year after successfully applying for a work permit through a recruitment agency. Very helpful for info about making the big move.

Nicole in London: tales of a Los Angeles expat: the entertaining escapades of an American who moved to London for work, got married and became a fully-fledged expat.

Camden Kiwi: snippets from the life of a Kiwi living in Camden, London.

And one for the romantics (since apparently online dating is not as freaky/abnormal anymore!)

Antipodate - meeting Aussies, Kiwis and Saffas in the UK: the online/speed dating site for antipodeans in the UK (hhmmm, yes, move to another country and choose to just hang out with people from your own country? not that i can really talk....!!)

The long weekend and Notting Hill like you've never seen it before..

What a fab long weekend - it's Wednesday and I'm still recovering! Monday was the wild and fabulous Notting Hill Carnival - I never thought I'd be dancing in the streets in the middle of the day with a muscly black man, pushing a trolley full of alcohol, pouring rum straight down my throat, straight after sipping a luscious coconut - straight from the coconut! This is me (in the photo) hanging out with my coconut and a couple of London bobbies. The festival is an annual celebration of the Caribbean culture and they reckon there was about one million people who hit the streets - either in the Mardi Gras-style parade, or just walking around enjoying the music, foods and general craziness (check out this old dude we meet grooving along in the street). The festive spirit was amazing - people were outside their houses selling things, dressed up in crazy outfits and also, quite conveniently for us, charging people £1 to use their bathrooms. We got a little worried when Shell and I traipsed up the stairs of a random house to use this guys bathroom, and the entrepreneur tried to sell us some pink handcuffs, but it was all good after that and we made a friend (though the highlight of the day was definitely my coconut!)

The rest of the weekend was also brilliant - anyone coming to London MUST try Ping Pong. It's a Dim Sum restuarant in Soho and is the place to go for yummy little parcels of heaven and exotic cocktails (lychee mojito anyone?) We went on Friday night and I'm a new fan.

On Sunday I ventured to Greenwich markets (I'm describing my long weekend in a pretty unordered fashion here). I will devote a whole post to this gem another day, as a day out in Greenwich deserves anyone's full attention! The antique and jewellery markets are fab and the day is not complete without sipping a strawberry beer in the sun-dappled garden of The Gipsy Moth until dusk sets in and the resident magician has performed. More on that later...

'Changeable' they call it – the temperamental British weather. Beautiful one day, rainy the next. I'm even wearing boots today (boots! in summer!) however I can still hear an ice-cream truck tinking away outside. The weather here is schizophrenic - doesn't know whether it's coming or going! It can get quite frustrating – especially when, like us, you bought a BBQ on the weekend and are waiting for another perfect summer's day to try it out! We almost cried though when we realised we were missing a part (what the hell is a gas regulator anyway?) and Ray went to the hardware shop only to be told that it would be difficult to get one because the 'BBQ season is over'. BBQ season? oh dear.... Anyways, we will not be deterred, and once we have our important-sounding gas regulator, the BBQ will happen. The sun will come back! I arrived in September last year and I have fond memories of being unemployed and spending days lying in parks in singlet tops drinking iced coffee from Starbucks in gorgeous sunshine so I know it will be back!

How funny is this pic of us in France (top right)? Sim sent all her photos around today which made me homesick for our lovely boat cruising around French rivers and canals. This was when we stopped off at a beautiful riverside town called Gray - the weather had been stunning so we took ourselves off to the supermarket to stock up on cheese varieties and cheap French wine and we got stuck smack bang in the middle of a thunderstorm that came out of nowhere! You can tell I don't look very impressed. It was so strange because this photo of me and Shell was taken about 20 minutes later . As you can see – beautiful French sunshine (and two soggy girls). Changeable...!

The August long weekend is upon us (only one day to go!) so stay tuned for exciting news about the Notting Hill Carnival and Get Loaded in the Park....

The 12 month date looms nearer...

So I'm on a two year working holiday visa, which means that I am only allowed to work for 12 months - only for income to 'supplement' my working holiday. This is such an unfair and unrealistic restriction, considering that so many of the workingholidaymakers who come to the UK these days, from Australia, New Zealand, Canada etc are young, experienced professionals who should be entitled to continue the jobs they have gained for longer than a pitiful 12 months - especially considering that they have been selected for the job beating UK applicants since they were obviously better candidates.

Anyways, I've had my gripe - I'm in a mood because I realised this week, that while I can still apply for the HSMP visa, the application processing times are so extended that there is no way I can apply for it and be eligible before my contract at my current job is up. Which means I will have to leave that position, be unemployed (again!) and find somewhere new. Not the most exciting prospect since I have saved up absolutely NO dosh to help me get me through such an event - oops! While processing times for work permits are between 5 and 15 days, HSMP application can take UP TO THREE MONTHS! SO anyone thinking of applying should really get everything organised with plenty of time. The problem is however, that you need to have earnt the required amount of money at the time the application is received (kind of hard when you have only been in the country for 12 months which means you have to apply at the 9 month mark - making it even harder to hit the required earning mark!).

Things may not be so bad though - as my work is looking into possibly sponsoring me to stay and work for them - so fingers crossed. Although many working travellers are working over their 12 month limit and getting away with it, I am too chicken and (perhaps stupidly) am trying to do things by the book! So much for being well-behaved!

It's all about the snacks....

This is Sim and I getting more than a little overexcited with the Tiny Teddies Bec's Mum brought over for us from Australia (so much so that we had to have a photo). One of Sim's friends also arrived this week bearing cherry ripes (a non-optional luggage addition for anyone who comes to visit us in London). For all the South Africans, Kiwis and Aussies in London - favourite treats from home are available at shops such as The Australia Shop in Covent Garden (fancy Minties or Pavlova Magic anyone?) but they can be quite expensive so it's always nice to get supplies straight from home. Due to the huge amount of Aussies in London, you can actually buy staples such as Vegemite and Tim Tams at your local Tesco (supermarket) but they will be a tad dearer than from good old Franklins back home.

For Saffas, biltong is everywhere and I have noticed a special South African food shop on Putney High Street selling specialties (there is also an African restaurant in Putney: Chakalaka). There are a few around, such as the No 1 South African Shop in Dorset or the Savanna Shops of which there are few in London which stock South African wines, food, snacks etc (although South African wine is getting to be very popular in the UK and you can buy it everywhere).

For Kiwis, the Kiwifruits NZ shop in Haymarket sells lollies and snacks as well as NZ gifts, calenders, music and clothes. You can even subscribe to New Zealand magazines and buy stuff online. So there is no excuse to be missing things from home!

***NEW*** International money transfers

Since starting my job in London I've had to learn a lot of things about online publishing which I had no idea about before (as you can tell from my extremely professional/enthralling/beautiful blog (?)). Since I've been diligently learning HTML codes I'm putting it to good use for my loyal viewers and fellow working travellers, and have given you a pretty, new, and useful tool down the right hand side of this page! If anyone is moving to the UK (or Canada, South Africa, New Zealand) and needs to do an international money transfer, you should definitely give Tranzfers a try (see my swanky new Tranzfers tile on the right hand side of this page which gives you the $AU - £GBP conversion rate and will take you to their site to register). I have used these guys and they are the cheapest option I have found (since both my Aussie and UK bank charge EXORBITANT prices for lifting a finger to transfer money internationally). They are also really simple and convenient to use, and now I can easily do a transfer within minutes when i am skiving off work and need to pay off my Aussie credit card. I'm sure there are a few other companies who provide this service, but I haven't found anyone who can beat £7 a transfer. Straight to the pool room!

Festival fever...

Just got sent these pics from one of my mates, who just went running with the bulls in Pamplona. It looks completely nuts. It's one of the many stops on the antipodean boozer trips around Europe - you go to Gallipoli for ANZAC Day, go cheese rolling in England (a bizarre festival where people throw themselves down a hill after a big cheese wheel), then run with the bulls in Pamplona (similar pain-inducing/deathly but memorable venture), then go off to La Tomatina in Italy (lots of people covered in a hell of a lot of tomatoes), then Oktoberfest in Germany then back to London for an English christmas by the fire and then new year's skiiing in some suave alpine destination. Many travellers have followed this hallowed route- drinking plenty of beer/wine/sangria along the way of course and waving Aussie/Kiwi/Saffa flags (and they are probably on a Contiki bus too). At the end of the day they will all end up in one of the many Walkabouts in the UK. What a life :)

There's a funny feeling coming over me...

In a moment of insanity, I've done something which I'm sure I'm going to regret. Due to continuous encouragement (read: duress) from my big brother (who I'm sure just wants someone to share the torture with) I have signed up to...wait for it...run in a bloody big marathon. Oh my lord, I feel a little ill just thinking about. It is a 10km run across London - the North Vs South Nike 10K Run - and I only have two short months to prepare for it.

Those people who know me well are probably feeling a little bit concerned right now - they know that I would usually rather stick a pen in my eye then do exercise (especially of the repetitive long-distance, asthma-inducing type). Now, in my early teen days (when I was a thin fit 12-year-old obviously with nothing better to do) I was known to be a partial to a bit of long distance running - even going so far as to represent my school and district at carnivals and such (complete with an especially-designed sock which I could fit my asthma inhaler into - it zipped up and everything!) and once I even succumbed myself to the arduous Sydney City to Surf – but those days are long gone and my lungs are now more accustomed to the oxygen one breathes in from a ruby-red fermented bottle of wine or from smoke-filled bars. You would think that living with a personal trainer and his equally fit girlfriend would rub off on me, but unfortunately I am as lazy as ever and suffering majorly from the Heathrow Injection.

But all that's going to change. Regardless of how many times I have made the resolution to get fit before, this time I'm going to have to do it in order to keep up with the boys (when you sign up for the race, they ask you what your predicted time will be - I looked down but there was no option over 120 minutes - are these people crazy??!!). So stay tuned to these pages for updates on my escalating and impeccable fitness regime. This should be interesting :)

It's quite scary really, how much of a running culture there is in London. Especially living by the river, you notice how many people go jogging FOR FUN. In the mornings in the middle of winter I would leave for work at about 7.45 am (in the pitch black mind you) and practically get bowled over by people out enjoying the crisp London winter mornings. A magazine my brother works on (the sole reason to blame for his new-found marathon tendencies) is called Runner's World (he is actually in the process of re-designing this website) and is apparently hugely popular. It really makes me wonder what I have been missing out on...! Running world here I come.

Training Regime Day One: am off to the pub tonight so can't possibly do anything! It's Friday too - who wants to go running on Friday?

Another brilliant London weekend...

The weekend started with a bang - the Cat Empire gig in Shepherd's Bush was AMAZING, and all the jumping, dancing and sweating to the hip-hop meets reggae/meets Jazz/meets funky Melburnians made me again homesick for late-night concerts at the Enmore and the Coogee Bay Hotel in Sydney. It's funny how since being in London, most of the live acts I've caught have been Aussies - I just picked up some tickets to a tiny Bernard Fanning gig (of my old-flame Powderfinger fame) next month and I can't wait. At my last Powderfinger gig at the Sydney Ent Cent, Darren Middleton jumped off the stage and came and talked to me so maybe Bernard will also be feeling chatty?

The summer is holding up like a trooper and today was another beautiful day. Although I was a little hungover after Ben's massive housewarming last night, we ventured out and Paul and I came across a cute little trendy London spot - the Pottery Cafe. I'm predicting this great little shop - where you go and select a piece of pottery, paint it, and then leave it with them to fire and glaze for you - is the next big thing. We spent a relaxing three hours pottering (ha!) around in the cafe, letting our creative juices flow and painted a couple of mugs as a present for Paul's sister's wedding (don't worry, we'll get her something else too!). We've now left our works of art to be glazed and fired and can pick them up on Sunday (you can also do plates, cups, bowls, pots etc). It's like a grown-up version of the Plaster Fun House - brilliant! An excellent cure for my hangover.

The others had a somewhat more energetic day at the Fruitstock festival in Regent's Park - yet another example why London is a funky, interesting place to live. There's always something free going on - this one was live music, food and drinks stalls, markets, all the ingredients for a fab time. Throw in the sunshine and you've got a perfect London summer day out :)

I thought I should put up a nice photo to make up for my hideous drool-pic below! This is us on Saturday night - out for Bec's birthday. We went to a great pub called The Anchor on the Thames near London Bridge, sat outside and watched the sun go down, then up to the verandah until closing time - really nice! Bec's mum, bless her, had also made us all little 'party bags' filled with heaps of stuff she had brought from home – Caramello Koalas, Tiny Teddys, Violet Crumbles, Aussie tattoos. Needless to say we were all overwhelmingly happy – and I actually remember a twinge of homesickness when I bit into my first tiny teddy! It's always the little things hey! :)

In other news – apparently the godsend e-mail address that new arrivals to London have been using to e-mail for a National Insurance number appointment (to avoid waiting for hideous amounts of time on the phone) is NO LONGER IN OPERATION. My friend got this e-mail:

Dear Customer,

Thank you for contacting the London National Insurance Number Call Centre.

As from Thursday 06th of July 2006 the London NINO call centre will no longer accept any further email NINO application forms. This is due to the London NINO booking service being centralised in a National NINO Call Centre in Grimsby.

Customers can only contact the Grimsby NINO Call Centre by telephone on 0845 6000 643 or textphone 0845 6000 644.

Regards
London NINO Call Centre

This is really disappointing, as that e-mail address was a little gem (as I have said here a milion times before - I sat hold for AGES). i guess now people will just have to make the time. Try and call this number as soon as you get a job in the UK, because otherwise you will be placed on emergency rate (for those without NI numbers) which can be up to 50% of your wage. A good thing to do is as soon as you get hired (even if you haven't started) ask for a letter of employment or confirmation from the person who hired you, so you can get the ball rolling.

Tonight am venturing to a corner of London I haven't really been to much before - Greenwich (well, been there once, and was very impressed, but haven't been back since!). It's where Sim's new abode is (near Cutty Sark) and she is cooking us a gourment meal tonight. Our housewarming will be soon too - got to find a day everyone can come - people are too busy with their summer plans, trips abroad, concerts, gigs etc - what a life!