Amsterdammmmmmmmm

Last post July the 4th and now its July the 18th??? How is this possible?? Where the hell does the time fly to in London??
OK well the week before last I managed to do something London-ish and actually go and watch the Tour De France cyclists at Hyde Park!! It was quite mega exciting, compounded by the squillions of people there which definetly made me feel like it was the place to be. There wasnt much in the way of room to see though but managed to nab a spot on the grass in the sun (!) watching the big screen while the bikes whizzed past. After about an hour or so, the concensus was made to retire to the pub. And thus was done. After drinking (lots), sun (not enough) celebrity spotting (negligible) and food (delicious) it was on to some house party or another....the hostess of which I did not know. I didnt stay too long as obv the cycling had been too much fun for me. Managed to just get the last tube home and collapse into bed and that was my weekend in one hit!

Last week I tried to really not do anything as on the weekend was going to Amsterdam!!! Was sooooooo excited as going to Dance Valley...a HUGE dance festival which I saw described as the Woodstock of dance festivals. Anyway, rushed to Heathrow after work on Friday where I met my partner in dance (Tim) and KLM'd it to Amsterdam whereby he revealed he had not brought the name of the hotel (all we had done was look at it on a map!). Normally this kind of loss of control would totally freak me out but I always feel more relaxed in Amsterdam just by being there so we walked into Dam Square from the train station and there was out hotel....the biggest, fanciest looking one in the square. Nice. Upon check in this was confirmed (altho have to admit I think we were both worried that they might say this wasnt the right hotel and we would be wondering around all night asking random hotels had reservations...)

Anyway after checking in we went straight back out again to an Absinthe bar (eeewww but mmmm) which was a bit run down and seemed to be more a place where groups of drunk people came in, did a shot and left. We had a few drinks there before moving onto the club next door (no idea of the name) where we stayed alllllllll night and most of the morning, finally walking the 2 minutes back to the hotel at 5am. "Glad eye" of the night went to Tim who was checked out so throughly by a random girl as we entered that I almost blushed on his behalf. I wasnt as lucky and only managed to get the "rape eye" which was so through and freaky that we moved seats to get away from the would be attacker. Urgh.

Saturday dawned without us seeing, only getting up later to make our way to Dance Valley!! Yay!! It was incredible!! They closed some of the roads and so we bussed there and then there was a half km walk to the actual valley (we met a Dutch guy who told us that and I thought he was joking....). Luckily some entreprenurial people were selling alcohol on the walk there, which I duly imbibed.
It was MASSIVE!! Apart from the actual valley (which I never saw, we got so caught up in the other acts we ran out of time....oh well) there were 8 different music venues catering to every dance music taste there is. I wanted to try them all but it was hard to make yourself leave when you had found one you liked! Highlight of the night had to be Carl Cox. He peformed outside on this HUGE platform like stage thing with his name flying accross in giant 6ft letters. Amazing. I was totally star struck.
After it all finished we got back to the city just at midnight and raided McDonalds (thank god it was open) before actually collapsing in the hotel.
Sunday was a truly lazy day, only leaving the room after 2 thanks to much sleep. This sadly did not work in our favour later that night when we wanted to sleep but found ourselves much to rested). We wondered about the shops and cafes, looking about at stuff and generally soaking up the atmosphere. I was so happy we werent getting a plane that day! Monday was back to reality day and we visited Maccas again before heading to the airport and back to London! The tube back to my house took longer than that flight from AMsterdam....insane.

Anyway that trip has wiped me out this week....I am almost asleep as I type this. Had dinner last night as a fab Thai restaurant and later this week drinks somewhere south and also a bday to go to.....when will I get time to sleep??? Maybe now..

Slacker!!

I am becoming so lazy over this blog! The bigoe.net people are going to be sorry they asked me to participate!! But I will try and remedy that now.

Well first was my birthday!! Was totally spoiled by all and had a really really nice day. I got lots of presents including 2 jewlery boxes, lots of clothes from mum, jewlery from a few people, a gorgeous dress, bottle of wine etc etc. Was so nice!! My friend Alicia took me to dinner also and it was really nice!! 3 courses and a glass of champange and hot staff, very nice!

Lazy and broke remainder of week....only went out to Pilates (argh!!) oh and I forgot, to a bar on Thursday night where there was 1.50 spirits (Belushis in Camden!) and I got much too drunk but somehow found some pool skills. Urgh.

Friday I felt a bit rough in the morning but had to perk up for Friday night! I had birthday drinks at Tiger Tiger in the city, which considering recent events is quite strange! It was great and lots of my lovely friends made it! My camera broke almost as soon as we arived (and for Megan, who had travelled up from Bratnell, and me that was happy hour!) but Alana had hers thank goodness and so took a few pics to commemorate the coming of age! I finally had to concede defeat at nearly 3am...not bad considering I arrived at 6.15pm!

Saturday I was a bit of a goner.....sooooooooooo hungover. I finally scraped myself out of bed around 12 as had to go to another party for another birthday that night! I managed to rough it to Mango first though and spend 80 quid in the sales!! OK so doing better by not shopping at cheap shops but budget and savings not a goer! Bah. I didnt last very long at the party, partly due to the hangover, despite the fruit filled pims I was being fed, and partly due to the fact the rain was washing off the bronzer on my legs!! Embarrassing!! I went home and fell into bed!

Sunday was a lazy afternoon at Brent Cross looking about the shops before also coming home and falling straight to sleep!

Week just passed was not too eventful as I was recovering from weekend previous and also saving energy for weekend ahead.

I had to get some baby presents for my cousins baby I was off to visit (awwww). To be honest the fiasco took me awhile and makes me wonder if I ever want children!! That was Tuesday night. Wednesday night was Pilates, god am so dedicated. Am sadly not svelt in manner of Giselle just yet. Thursday night I caught the train to Glasgow! I got the 11.30pm overnight train which luckily had some space on it so I wasnt too squashed in. It was like being in some kind of open air pig farm with all the snoring! Luckily Coldplay drowned that out. I am not usually a fan but it seemed to suit the weather.

Friday when I arrived in Glasgow I got the bus to Cairndow and was then collected by Linda and Lucie and baby Anna!! She is gorgeous!! The whole rest of the weekend was all spent relaxing at my auntys house and awwing over Anna. Sunday I caught the 6pm train back to London....its the first time I have ever taken the train and what a lucky time to pick! I got back to loads of police at Kings Cross at midnight so decided to cab it home!

So this week: last night I almost fell asleep on the way home on the tube so did some food shopping then came in and went right to sleep! Tonight was dinner with Tanya, Ashley and Megan at Wagamamas in Covent Garden which was yummy as usual....even managed desert! Tomorrow I am planning pilates AND a run! I dont have much else planned for week, Tour De France is on Saturday and Sunday so want to see some of that. Otherwise I really do need to save something for all the travelling I want to do...at the moment I seem to think the money is just going to materialise from somewhere! Bah!

Happy Birthday to me....

Well tomorrow I turn 27. I havent quite decided how I feel about this yet other than 'older'. Its not like turning 25 though or 21, its fairly inconsequential in terms of ages but all the same, I feel like something is changing!
Anyway seeing as my b-day is mid year, I have decided to make up some (more) resolutions as a birthday is kinda like your personal new year anyway.

1) I will spend less, make a budget and STICK to it!
This is the most important and I am really stuck between wanting to work as a permanant staff member to advance my career or working as a locum which although boring as hell, pays almost double so hopefully I can make a budget I can stick to and stay as a permanant and I wont feel quite so poor.


2) I will try and go to the gym at least once a week, if for nothing else than a pilates class.
My flatmate is a pilates instructor and she took me last Wednesday. I thought it was going to be all heavy breathing and stretching but I came out feeling like I had been through a workout! And my abs were killing me for about 2 days afterwards!


3) I will try and say 'yes' to every invitation that comes my way.
I am half poaching from 'The year of Yes' here but while she was after a date, I am just after a good time (in the least slutty way possible!! I dont mean it like that!!)


4) I will continue to go away as often as I can, to new and exciting places where possible.
Hello lastminute.com. You will be my best friend.


5) I will only shop at Zara and Mango and not New Look anymore
This obv excludes sale items! But I am 27, I should be at Zara and not NewLook. I have started by buying something to wear on Friday night from Zara, and not New Look. NL is cheap yes, fashionable not really.


6) I will try and SAVE some money
See how far down the list this is?? Obviously not shopping at teenybopper stores is more important to me than fiscal responsibility.


OK thats all I can think of for now.
This partly stems from being about to turn 27 and feeling like I dont have much to show for it, which is of course rubbish. Its just that everything is only worth something to me!

Anyway, what else has been happening....
Well the week before last I did quite a lot for someone with no money....on Tuesday I went to see FAME with a couple of lovely mates. I say lovely as it was another 20 quid for meal and tickets deal and we came out the restaurant and I directed us to Charing cross instead of Shaftsbury ave and we missed the first few minutes and they didnt mind. Lovely lovely people. The meal was at a tapas restaurant so we ordered up and ate heaps! As for Fame, I really enjoyed it but seriously, some of them needed to get their faux american accents sorted, they were terrible.

On Thursday I went to see Equus! I was soooooooooooo excited as I am a MAJOR Harry Potter fan and when Daniel Radcliffe came out on the stage I nearly stood up in excitement! I maanaged to restrain myself though as otherwise I knew they would eject me and I wouldnt get to see him naked later. On a serious note, the play was brilliant...I was totally drawn in and they only had 4 black boxes as props for everything. Fantastic acting. And the star naked? Priceless. Its finished now though, we paid top price for seats but it was well worth it.

On the Friday night I went to Alicias house for a BBQ. By the time the food was served there was no saving me...I had got though a bottle and a half of wine. In a panic I realised it was an hour back to my house and so rushed for the last tube and fell asleep on it. I only woke as when we were pulling into my stop I banged my head on one of the poles. Classy.
Unfortunately, 2 days of drunken-ness meant I was totally hungover on the Saturday so I promised myself I would stay in and tidy up my room a bit. I did stay in but did no tidying at all, rather ate my body weight in corn chips and guacamole and watched DVDs. Why am I single?? Am obviously such a catch.

Sunday I found myself back at The Church! Argh! Was limitedly better or worse this time, not sure which. I was with 5 other people this time, all male. I was hoping there would be a few girls but no such luck. You might be forgiven for thinking that if you are there with 5 blokes and you are hit on by an exceedingly horny drunk Irish guy that maybe they might chivalrously step in and assist you when its clear you dont want a shag in the bathrooms but no such luck. During time of said event, one was off pashing someone, one was taking pics of the stripper, one was at the bar and the other 2 were laughing at my extrication attempts. Nice work.

So this last week has been a LOT quieter. Mostly as I have been a LOT poorer!
I went to pilates on Wednesday night with my flatmate. I would feel all saintly at excercising but we actually went to the pub first and then to the class. No wonder I struggled.
On Thursday there was a NIGHTMARE drive to Cambridge for work. I was in a panic as I havent driven for 14 months. What a nice introduction...in the rain on the M25. Anyway I managed it OK, even though it took me double the amount of time it takes anyone else. Thursday night there was an expedition to Brent Cross with a workmate to get (him) some stuff. I found lots of stuff I liked and mentally spent my next paycheck.

Friday night was a dinner at said workmates flat with a bunch of other people. I took Sangria and managed to get quite mashed off it. We also watched Black Books which I had not seen for ages and found it very hysterical. Am amazed I got home ok, and worse, when I got home thought it would be a nice time to call home and chat to mum and dad drunkenly. Awesome. Sure they liked it too.

Saturday I was half thinking of going to the O2 but it was pouuuuuuuuuuring with rain so went with the original plan and stayed at home. Actually, I went to Asda and got a fab dress for 6 pounds! Brilliant saving I love a bargain. I have not yet decided if this is breaching the rules under my new resolutions. I did nothing else apart from a halfhearted clear out of clothes I dont wear which involved pulling them all out of my wardrobe, chucking 2 things away and then putting them all on the floor as I wanted to go to sleep.

Sunday, today, I had about a million unanswered texts so decided to top up my phone and finally answer people. That done I read all the trashy newspapers and fell asleep, only to awaken to phone ringing and imagining I was in a nightclub. Sadly though (maybe thankfully) I was not and so now have the unenviable task of re-folding and putting everything back that I dragged out and dumped on the floor yesterday. Bah.

Oh well birthday tomorrow.....that always means good things.

Q: WHats worse than the 'Walk of Shame' on a Sunday morning??

A: doing the walk of shame when there was no action the night before and you were just too lazy to get the tube home.

Ah London, last week I was feeling a bit broke after coming back from Egypt so I didnt really do much. Monday, Bank holiday, I struggled to Tescos to finally get some food in, urgh I hate Tescos sometimes! After that I went out to dinner with my flatmate and her friends for her birthday. We went to Souk, a Morroccan restaurant in Covent Garden. She did apologise at the choice of food seeing as I had just got back from Egypt but it was really really nice. One of her friends read palms and told me I would be getting married in my late twenties!! I am 27 in a few weeks, thats late, hooray!! I wouldnt have taken it seriously if it had been bad news but am choosing to take it seriously. I also managed to get straight back on the alchohol bandwagon with 5 champange cocktails, nice work. You can get all kinds of small dishes there so we had a nice selection of bits and pieces and then stumbled home. Urgh.

Wednesday I went to one of my favourite bars in London, Queen Mary in the Thames!! I met up with a couple of people I met in Egypt to swop photos. It is such a nice bar as for starters, its actually a boat and it also has a fantastic view over London! I really like it and the weather was so nice I felt all happy about living here, how cheesy am I??!

Saturday I went to Zoo bar in Lecister Square. You have to get a party list on the door to get in, which I think over-rates it more than a little bit! I went with one of my past flatmates and 2 of her friends and it was great fun!! We managed to get in for free when they mistook us for being with a group from a party bus, score!! We were upstairs for a bit (laaaaaaaaaame, Shania Twain erm, I dont think so) before moving downstairs where the music was a bit better but the men were no hotter. It seemed to be the kind of theme of the night with lame lines ahoy! Was good fun though and I was having too good a time to leave! Luckily Amy was nice enough to let me stay on the couch at my old flat. It seemed like a good idea at the time but at 8am with the sun streaming in it seemed very very mistaken. I dived up and thank god managed to find a hair tie. I washed my fase as best I could but there was still the tell tale red-eyes that I could not hide. Sunday was a really really nice morning also but I was stuck walking in last nights clothes including a winter coat. I thought I was looking OK but the giant bottle of water I took with me might have given me away slightly on the tube, that and my shoes. Also, my tube station was closed so I had to hoof it from the closest station......by the time I got home I had sweated my hangover out!! Straight to bed and was goodbye to Sunday! Ah well, was good fun.

This week I am going to see 2 plays so am excited about that! But nothing much else on which is just as well as I dont have any money! Argh why why!! Always with no cash!! Oh well, at least it goes to good causes, like plays, rent and food.

Before I even begin to 'blog' as it was, please let me apologise for the length of this blog which may be considerable!

I finally got back last night from Egypt!!! And it was amazing!!

I arrived at about 3pm on Sunday last week, fell immediately asleep from the flight (and WOW Swiss Air, def my new fav airline....and that has nothing to do with the swicc choc I promise). I was joining a tour group and met some of them and the guide later that night before more sleep! Next day was when the fun began!

Up early for breakfast....a bit of a mixed bag there of nice and inedible. Then it was off to the Egyptian Museum. Some of the stuff there is just amazing! Almost everything from King Tutenkahmens tomb is there and most of it gold encrusted. I swear they threw nothing away ever, way back when he was king...there were old socks and slippers and even (strangely was he only came into power at 10 years old) a linen condom. I saw his famous death mask and also paid extra to go into the mummy room. It was very very very creepy. It was Royal mummies and they were all lying in kind of glass coffins....most of them didnt look like they had been dead all those thousands of years! Creepy creepy.

After that we drove out to the Giza plateau to see the Pyramids!! Words cant describe these, they are just amazing! Our group, only 8 people by the way, took millions of pics.

From there it was back to el-crappola hotel for a swim and rest before our train journey that night, we were all getting to know each other at this stage and luckily everyone was really really nice! We all met up on the hotels rooftop restaurant to have something to eat and managed a shisha as well....so nice and chiled for the train then!

I dont have much to say about the train other than we got on at 9pm on Monday and arrived at 12pm Tuesday.......15 hours overnight, 1000kms, toilets that drop everything directly onto the tracks......and its best left at that.

Once we got off in Aswan it was clear that it was hotter than Cairo! About 38 degrees apparently! We all had a rush lunch and then headed out on the Nile for a little sail about to our Camel riding destination! That was freaky freaky, much bumpier than I thought! We also then visited a Nubian village and had a look in one of their houses....very primative but very welcoming and nice! Our guide then took us to a local school and taught us a bit about the arabic alpahbet and how to write out names etc.....was very plesant to get out of the heat! Our guide then took us to a local market where we could buy all kinds of stuff, at the expense of getting hassled like mad...I had 3 marriage offers in an hour and kept getting "nice eyes" comments....so sems like Egyptian men arent any more original than any others!!

Nexy day was a trip to Abu Simbel....I would love to tell you how great it was but my room-mate Megan and I got sick with "Egypt Belly" and spent the day popping Immodium, only getting up for some Uno playing on the top deck at about 7pm!

So, a day lost, next day was very full. We went to Kom-Ombo temple at 7am which was nice but not as nice as others we would see later. Back to the boat for breakfast it was BOILING hot so naturally decided an entire day of sunbathing on the top deck was required. The breeze created by the sailing gave me a false sense of the temperature, which was about 42 later in the day! After lunch there was a stop in Edfu and we had a horse and cart ride to Edfu temple. The boy driving our cart was only 10 years old! After the temple, Megan and I bargained hard for a pair of Galibeas (those kinda long arab looking thingies that look so cool in the heat..) to wear that night on the boat where there was a disco...fairly dominated by a middle aged group from Paris, but man they liked to party! They got Megan, Bronwyn and me up doing the macarena!

Next day, Friday, another full full day! We first went to the Valley of the Kings, what a desolate location! Amazing to think they actually dug those tombs out of the rock! I went into 2 of them but they were stifling and I started to feel like I was actually being mummified. We were all like zombies walking around in the heat, it was relentless. From there we went on to Al-Deir Al-Bahari temple, the temple of Queen Hatshepsuit. It was fantastic but the hear made it quite unbearable. We did another quick stop and the Clossi of Memon, which is still being excavated, before back to the boat. It was very pleasing to be in such a small group today as we were in a minivan where as most other tourists were in big busses and looked a bit miserable.

From there we moved to a hotel in Luxor and went to Karnack temple, by far my favourite. At one part of it there was 122 columns, 23 meters high each. Some of them still had colours on them, really breathtaking. There was one more stop at Luxor temple, also nice but not as nice, before back to the hotel.

At the hotel there was almost 3 hours before out group was splitting up! Megan and I went for a bit of a walk along the street before the harassment got to much and we went back to the hotel to eat! It was really nice as the entire group came down in parts and we all had quite a good laugh at the very very flirty waiter who gave Megan the eye and all the help she wanted, and then gave me the bill....thanks.

After dinner, Bronwyn, Steven and I were off back to Cairo on the train with our guide. I didnt sleep nearly as well this time and managed to avoid the toilets fully. We left at 9pm and arrived at 6.30am, small relief then that it was less distance.

Last day in Cairo...I was not upset about that!! By far the crappiest place of all the places we visited. First stop at 9am was the Step Pyramid at Saqqara.....5000 years old! We then made a quick visit to the 'Hanging Church' which is weirdly build oversome other ruins. Also slightly notable, the roof is made to look like Noahs Arc, was quite beautiful. Our final final last stop was at the Kahn el Khallili market, I would have been freaked here if it hadnt been for Seven and Bronywn, altho we still got lost all the same! Finally finding our way out, we were back to the hotel in Cairo for a bit of a sleep! Later we met up on the hotels rooftop restaurant for a few drinks and some dinner, was really a very nice ending!

Last part of the trip was getting a crazy taxi to the airport with a random Kiwi chick I met (thankfully, as the taxi was a bit third world..) and then getting a flight back to London and then shivvering in the 11 degree heat and the rain of London...ah well!!

So, with my tan already fading I am really wishing I was back on holiday again and am really wanting to go somewhere soon! Sadly, I have no more leave owing to me so have to make do with, well, NOT going anywhere! Bah!!

People do this every week...??

6 sleeps and I am off to Egypt!! I cant really believe it! I have packed nothing!! I have done nothing!! Well thats kinda a lie...I raided primark for anything made of linen to take with me so it will be nice and light and can throw them away when I am back! Also I finally got my visa sorted...that was pretty funny...went to the Egyptian embassy and a visa is 15 quid.....the lady didnt have change of a 20 so told me to go get some.....I went out and looked at where I might get change....Louis Vuittion, Gucci, Chanel.....um change for a 20 anyone?? Had to walk for miles and finally found a chemist!

Well, what a weekend. Friday ended up falling flat but that was OK as called family for chatting and was nice to catch up a bit. Saturday I had the laziest day of my life. I told my brother I thought I was sick as I was so tired but he pointed out I was just laaaaaaaaaaazy. Thanks Neil. The weekend really came into its own on Sunday when I finally did the TNT suggestion and went to The Church.

If you dont know what I am talking about, the web is www.thechurch.co.uk and its not at all spiritual. Its kinda a bar, kinda a sleazy greasy joint!!
I didn't know what to expect so let me paint you a picture.....from the outside it looks like a dis-used hall, there are no signs or anything so you might not know otherwise. Inside its dark dark (esp as it opens at 12 so its like the middle of the day!) We got there at 1.3pm and it was already underway. There was a comedian on the stage whos repoitre seemed to be mostly getting Kiwis to slag Aussies and Aussies to slag South Africans and South Africans to slag Kiwis etc etc. Not that funny in other words. There was a heaving crowd down the front but we had quite a good possie at the bar and stayed there.
After him there was a stripper....I had heard there was so wasnt suprised. She was quite lame tho, one song of dancing and another song where she took her top off but that was it. Then was some dancing I think. I had consumed 3 vodkas by this stage, mostly as there wasnt much else to do!!
After the music and dancing the stripper came back on, and it was obviously the hardcore section of the show. She got totally naked (wasnt expecting that!!!!) rubbed herself in baby oil, sat on a chair and fondled herself on the stage, all highly visible!! I should day, I was there was 2 guys and while I couldn't watch her (blergh no thanks), they had given up all pretension of not watching and were openly panting hahaha!!
Anyway after that was drinking games, then a kind of amature stripping contest for the guys. There was maybe 6 of them and they all got as naked as they day they were born....was amusing but also slightly disturbing!! By this stage I was totally smashed....you buy your drinks in lots of 3 so had just had 6 vodkas before 3pm. Crikey.
From there was onto a pub, then another pub, then a pub lunch (yum!!) then more drinking....I went out at 1pm and got home at 10.30pm, still drunk, I got lost on the tube.
I cant believe people do that every weekend! Is it the same stripper every week?? Who knows. Do they ever have a male stripper?? Judging by the dudes there it would start some anxiety attacks among them.
You know I never thought I would go but I had a really good time!! I will be going again I think, just not every weekend!!

Baaaaaaaaaank holidays....

Well it was a bank holiday last weekend just gone and I started the partying around....Tuesday night, ending last night.

Tuesday was dinner at YO! Sushi with Alicia....kinda an anniversary dinner almost as I had arrived a year ago (cake went down fab at work by the way!). Was very niiiiiiice as always....even when I got a bit drunk and tried to cause a suishi dish pile up and send my empty beer bottle away on the conveyor belt (was not successful)

Wednesday night I went to see 'The Letter' at the Wyndhams Theatre. I got a FANTASTIC deal on www.lastminute.com which was dinner (at Planet Hollywood - mmmmm ribs) and then theatre for 20 quid!! 3 of us went and all thought that 'Planet Hollywood' teamed with a psychological crime thriller was a strange mix. I have to admit I was a bit dubious about the deal but the seats were just brilliant.....and only the second night the play was open as well (I felt very grown up going to see that rather than a musical!)

Thursday night was dinner again with 2 old mated from Contiki....one of whom has just come back from Australia. Was totally brilliant to see them and I could have chatted all night but my wallet would not allow it.

Friday I caught a plane to Edinburgh to see my cousin and stay for the rest of the bank weekend!!! I was soooooooo excited to arrive and see her as I hadn't see Nicola properly since Christmas! We drank and caught up on Friday night before I almost fell asleep on the spot and collapsed into bed. When we finally got up and got ready on Saturday there was only one place to go......the Edinburgh Dungeons!!! I loved loved the London one and the Edinburgh one was kinda as good, but really not. It was about half the price and prob half the fun as well. Best bit was one of the characters taking a kind of a 'shine' to me and pretending to dry hump me (Nicola nearly cried laughing), threw a blanket at me and told me to "Smell it Skank". Little did I know it would be one of the best offers I had all weekend......

Saturday night I had especially purchased a very expensive top from Oasis for maximum fun times and I feel it was slightly wasted in Edinburgh.....let me explain...Nicola and I went to 3 very very different clubs. We started at the Walkabout (I am collecting the set...) which was OK to rubbish. From there we moved to Espionage, 3 floors of clubbing which was also OK to average. I forget the name of the last club but it was one of the last open and cost 6 quid to get in.....was bah bah. In every club we went to, they played Dolly Parton "Nine to Five". I kid you not. They like their Dolly in Edinburgh. There was also about a million hen and stag nights there.....you could tell them from their various states of dress up. I have to be honest here and say most of them were English, could be told apart from the dressed up Scottish guys as there were in kilts (clubbing!!!!)

Anyway after a hellish recovery on Sunday morning, we went to see 'Blades of Glory' in the afternoon. Was hysterical (and incidentally, discovered one of the lines used on me the night before was from the movie...). After the movie we decided to tear up the dancefloor, virtually by ourselves, at the Walkabout. Was very very funny, especially when the mlleted DJ played 'Nine to Five' again, closely followed by 'Jolene'.....I suspect by request.....like I say, they like their Dolly up there.

Monday we went to the castle....Nicola and I have a cousin in the Army who does a lot of work there and tried to blag free entry but he wasnt about so had to pay, but was very reasonable, especially compared to London prices! I have been there before and was amazed at how much I remembered of it, but was still brilliant to see again.

Was back to the airport after that and it was very sad!! Am definetly planning another weekend soon.....maybe work some other clubs and see Nicola again!

This week I am most definetly out of cash so am going to try and keep it on the down low....especially as I am already in plans for the weeked....going for drinks on Friday, flat-warming on Saturday and am finally biting the bullet and am going to visit "The Church" on Sunday, unless I can get out of it! Then one more week before the Klaxons and Egypt!!

12 Happy Months!

Well I thought it only prudent to post when my ticker bar has finally reached 12 months here in the UK!! How exciting!! Cake for everyone tomorrow at work (sorry if your reading this remotely)

So, a 12 month round-up then: (in the fashion of Bridget Jones)

Countries Visited - 15

• France
• Spain
• Italy
• Germany
• Switzerland
• Austria
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Hungary
• Holland
• Vatican City (OK stretching here....might as well count...)
• Monaco (OK a princapality but I count it!)
• Belgium
• Slovenia
• Liechtenstein
• And in transit......Bonsnia
• Which also does not include Scotland and Ireland and the Chanel Islands-yay Guernsey!(and obviously England)

Stamps in Passport - (2)

• Bosnia x 2 (have to drive through it to get to the bottom of Croatia)

Money Earnt

• Say 11000 pounds (on off working, and hard to say without my P60)

Money Saved

• 0 pounds

Money Spent

• 10998 pounds

Approximate percentage of money earnt spent on rent in London

• 35%

Random Pashes

• approximately 25-35

Approximate percentage of Random Pashes that were casualties of the walkabout

• 80%

Random snogs who became freakish stalkers

• 3

Visitors to England who slept on my floor or in my bed (with ME on the floor) (4)

• Neil
• Andrea
• Nicola
• Laura

Favourite place in England visited so far

• Newquay or maybe Guernsey

Favourite place overall

• Glasgow

Celebrities Spotted (2)

• Louis from 'X Factor' coming out of Harrods
• that skinny girl from Hollyoaks shopping on Oxford Street

'Best Buy' in London

• Harrods Earl Grey Tea....about 1 pound a bag but comes individually wrapped and says London on it....

Most amount of money spent in PRIMARK in one session (73 pounds)

• Work skirt
• Denim skirt
• t shirts x 3
• jumpers x 3
• cardigan
• neclaces x 4
• belt x 2
• shoes x 2
• bag
• tights x 2
• jacket
• gloves
• hat

Favourite new shop (thus abandoning Glassons)

• H&M...could it be any cheaper!! (well yes sometimes)

Most number of Snakebites consumed in one sitting

• 8 (and thus I dont drink them anymore)

Biggest mis-conceptions about London now abolished (3)

• The weather is crappy all the time - its not bad at all!! Barely ever rains which is a mojor improvement on Auckland anyway
• That I will be earning loads and loads or money - yeah if you convert it!! and not forgetting it costs more to live here than just about anywhere else!
• People are rude and unfriendly - no more than anywhere else and every time I have needed help people have fallen over themselved to give me a hand (lugging my suitcases up the stairs at tube stations for instance)

Thing I miss most about home

• Not being able to go to the beach on the weekend....but thats more as I dont have a car here......I also miss Pineapple Lumps

Replacement soaps for Shortland Street

• Hollyoaks.....soooooooooo trashy

Strangest tourist moments

• Trying to say "thank you for the lovely meal" in German in a pub full of old men and getting a round of applause and a free postcard.
• Realising with horror that the smutty, filthy conversation I was having in English was being perfectly understood (and avidly listened to) in Munich
• Seeing King Stephens mummified holy right hand at St Stephens Basilica in Budapest from 1038. Just. plain. strange.
• Amsterdam

Best Tourist Attractions

• Eiffel Tower - at dusk was super beautiful. Would have been super romantic also had I not been with my brother
• The London Dungeon - it is FANTASTIC!!!! SO much so I permanantly advertise for them with the mug on my desk
• Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia - I know I am from NZ and should have some loyalty but this was really the most beautiful place I have ever been to in my life

I dont know what else to say other than this past year has been one of the most exciting and fulfilling of my life.....roll on the next 12 months with hopefully as much travel and fun as the last 12!

London Time

Wow what a day. The weather just keeps getting better and better at the moment and its so nice to be out in the sunshine......my mood improves immeasurably.

My week has been kinda quite, mostly as I had no money! I did have a small boost in cash though when my horse came second in the Grand National so I won 20 quid in the weekend sweepstakes at work! Was very welcome!! Thats all gone now though, thank god for payday tomorrow! I really had a very quiet week, going out on Wednesday only to catch up with a friend which was nice. Friday I went for Dinner at Alicias house. Was very very nice! We were going to walk down to the pikey pound fair but after finishing a bottle of wine and wondering down very very slowly we missed it so went to funny funny local pub instead. I felt like I was in 'Only Fools and Horses' as the landlord was a bit oldre behind the bar and was wearing a shirt and tie. His wife (I think) was also there serving drinks and it was all very middle England and fantastic!! There was also karaoke on and most of the people were obviously regulars as most of the people in the pub seemed to know them. Alicia was planning on singing but by the time we thought about that it was almost closing time. We went home and I just fell straight to sleep.

Next day I had a very very lazy Saturday, just finishing up some washing and the like before going to a BBQ at another friends house. It was all very very low key and I was home by 1am.

Today though I got up and was out for the London Marathon!! Last year at this time I watched all of it on TV as I was only 2 weeks away from leaving and I was so so so excited! I just had to see it in the 'flesh' and really it was fantastic! I was at the 25 mile mark from about 3 hours running time to 4 1/2 hours running time so it was mostly still really good runners coming through and not many of those people you see all dressed up in costume yet. It really is a stunning setting and I had a great time.....kinda makes me feel like wanting to do it myself but you cant run unless you run for a charity and I am really not a runner, even if I started training now! Anyway was just unreal to see it.

Next weekend I have a fair bit of shopping etc to do as I have to start getting organised for Egypt which I am off too in 4 weeks! How exciting!! I have to get some floaty cover up things so as not to be over-exposed! Before that though I am off to Edinburgh to visit my cousin, looking forward to that! I am also hopefully going to go to a Butlins party weekend! Last check though there was only one cabin left though so not sure if I will....will find something else if not! There are millions of cheap air fares around at the moment so will try for somewhere else if it doesnt work out! I must save some money soon though, all my cash goes on going away!

Surf City and Summertime

Well the weather has been FANTASTIC lately!! Last weekend I went to Newquay and it couldnt have been nicer! Arrived on the Friday and went right to bed I was so tired. Come the Saturday, Alicia and I were raring to go! Had a look around the shops (all a bit lame) and then went to the beach! At first I was excited to see all the waves and white sands and so decided to go for a paddle. I swear to god that if that water hadnt been salty it would have been frozen. Soooooooooo cold. People were in swimming though as the sunshine was warm and lovely! Had a great afternoon on the beach and then in the bar, got slightly drunk and sunburnt but its just not a holiday without sunburn!

That night was a big BBQ at the hostel which was really nice, apart from the meat!! We then went to a big beachside pub next door and had loooooooots of drinks and dancing! Was so so much fun. I finally staggered home at 4.30am!! What an insane time! It felt like even more of an insane time the next say when we had to leave at 9am for a full day of activity. We started off going to St Ives, was so so lovely and I was absolutely charmed!! After a half day there we went to St Michaels Mount which is opposite Penzance. Was also lovely but I declined to climb the hill and instead lay on the beach.

After that we went to Lands End. We were dropped off about a mile before it and walked around the coastline to it. The views were stunning and it was easily worth the walk.

After that we went to this amazing outdoor theater kinda cut into the hillside to see a performance of Les Miserables by Kidz R Us. I had a hard time remembering that it was children I was watching they were soooooooo good.

I was knackered after all that activity!!

Next day we were on our way back and we went to Tintagel and to Tintagel Castle, the birthplace of King Arthur!! To be honest I wasnt wowed by it and so had another spell in a charming pub before making our way back to London. I was pleased as I managed to get another charm for my charm bracelet......a mini cornish pastie!!

This week has not been quite so busy....mostly as I am beyond broke!! I struggled through worl on Tuesday....was a bit of an effort to say the least! Wednesday I had a loooooooooooooong sleep, so needed. Thursday I went out with my cousin who is down in London at the moment....ended up dashing the diet with dinner plus desert. Did the same on Friday with dinner with some people from work (and drinks and desert....disaster!!). Saturday was a bit better, went out for a few drinks on Saturday night for a random persons birthday which turned out to be quite fun and managed not to break the diet too much!! Today, Sunday, was a diet write off! Went to meet an old flatmate of mine for drinks and a big gossipy catch up and general man bitch fest (not in my good books right now!) and ended up staying for the roast with all the trimmings and dessert. Again. Oh am not too good at the diet thing but I am loosing weight slooooooooooooooooooowly! Like gram by gram. No one wants to sacrafice having a life though! Me especially.

Completely have to reign it in this week though...makes it easier with the nice weather though.....today was one of those days where even though the sun has gone down you can feel the heat coming off the pavement! I think mext week my expenses are going to be hanging out in the park and not the pub!

Eassssssssssster

I cant believe its Easter this weekend!! Time seems to be going so fast at the moment but sadly not fast enough towards another pay day.
I am going to Cornwall, in specifically Newquay....surf city!! I am going with Alicia on Friday so should be heaaaaaaps of fun....coming back on Monday afternoon then my cousin is coming down from Glasgow to spend a week with me! Phew.
Lucky I have a lot to do as it has taken my mind off food! I started a diet last week and god last week was hard!! This week I am looking forward ot it though but my friend at work has just come back from a big holiday and I find it hard not to join in with his snacking Argh! It is slightly disheartening when you only lose a kilo in a week but I guess you have to look at the long term and whether you really want to be thinner or not! I am not having size zero fantasies or anything, I just want to make-sure I maintain the size I am at. Or rather was....I laughed off the "Heathrow Injection" when I came here but I have put on 6kgs since then! Altho suppose thats not too bad in 11 months. In the TNT every week they have things that you have to do while you are in London...this week was loose the 10kgs that you put on when you arrived....its all a sign!!
Anyway other than that I havent been up to an awful lot lately...I FINALLY registered with a doctor, what a freaken mission! Just in time for that I had 2 days of work sick. Have been on the phone to mum and dad a lot as now I have a phoneline its just too easy! I meant to go to the Victoria and Albert Museum on the weekend but too much of a good night on Saturday made me waaaaaaaaaaaaay too tired!
Anyway have to go......need to think about getting some nice easter eggs for the weekend but at the moment tho I am watching the Brady Bunch movie and I had forgotten how funny it is......thank god its daylight savings....I am getting weird cabin fever with this mental winter weather....

Another Busy Weekend

Well the last couple of weeks have been busy as usual....
Last week I was out Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights and then felt so tired I didnt have much of a weekend! Monday I caught up with some friends from my last work. It was someones birthday and so I had to cradle a plant on the very very crowded tube!! It survived OK and then started to wilt in the very smoky pub! I have seen a pic though and it survived!
Tuesday night I had a kind of date which was lots of fun!! Went to dinner and a kind of bar which was good fun....something I love about London, every time you meet someone new you find new places to go!
Wednesday was dinner with some friends who wanted the goss on the night before! There wasnt much goss to give though but the conversation was excellent anyway!! I think we were louder than the whole restaurant!
Friday a friend came over and stayed the night and we had a few drinks (New Zealand wine!!) and some food and lots of laughs. Next day we went shopping and then stupidly lugged all our bags to the movies! We saw music and lyrics which had a lot of potential that it failed to meet. Bummer. Was fun anyway. Sunday I finally had a relax!
This week I was determined to have a quiet week as its getting far away from my last payday and I am starting to feel it! However, on Tuesday I went out with another friend I hardly ever see.....we had a nice Chinese meal and then kinda went clubbing! On a Tuesday! Was good fun though even though there was no talent at all!
Friday night I went for dinner with some friends and one of their mothers who is over from Australia. Was a hysterical night!! Its nice to have someones mother here sometimes! We finished up early though and I made a long overdue call home as I finally got my landline connected.
Saturday I had another date which was hysterically fun as involved bumper cars! Was very good. I wasn meant to be meeting up with some other friends later but they were a bit too drunk so never happened.
On Sunday (today) I had lunch with some friends at a creperie (didnt know they could be so niiiiiiiice....salmon and potato...yum!!) and then went to the Kylie Exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It was fantastic!!!! Loads and loads of her costumes all in one area. Most of them were fantastic but may were a bit naff. Was excellent considering it was freeeeeeeeeeeee
As for next week, I have 3 things lined up but like to keep it all open as who knows what goes on with St Patricks day next weekend! Yay!!

Almost Spring!

I would like to say that the weather is getting nicer and nicer but all last night and all today it has been raining raining raining!! The only good thing about that is that it would have been a good opportunity to clear up my room and do some boring stuff like washing.

I say would have been as obviously, that is not what I did. I bought a donut and a magazine and lazed all day! Its much easier to be lazy now I have the internet at home as there is always something to look at!

At the moment I am trying to decied what to do for the next couple of weekends.....am thinking of maybe going to Bath if I get the chance and nothing else comes up. Other than that I am planning on coming back to NZ for a visit in Feb next year but will have some holidays left over so plan to use them maybe going to Egypt. I dont want to go much longer than 8 or so days so that should be OK.

Anyway hopefully now I am out of the dark ages and onto broadband I am hoping I can load some pics up......

Yay yay!!! Working as you can see.....

This is me at the Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia last September...sooooooooooo nice!!!

More of the lakes on the left.....the pictures do it no justice.....it is 16 lakes all joined together with waterfalls....very very breathtaking!

Of course, no pictures I post would be complete without some alcohol related ones.....

First, one of Anna, Nicole, Andrea and I at the Guiness Brewery in Dublin.....

Was a fantastic time, owed in large to Andrea ferrying us all around in the Lambulance.

Finally, quite a drunk one from Australia day....from a part of the night I remember thankfully!

Happy, snowy, rainy times

Well I realise I havent posted for ages ans ages and really, I have been having too good a time to have the time!
I now have a permanant job so I am almost solvent at the moment!! By the time I get paid I will have been waiting 6 weeks for a pay....only 2 weeks to go and its getting grim! Someone sugested today that they might like to put a hat around the office for me if it gets any worse!
Other than that I have been up to a LOT! My brother was here with me for all of January which was goooood and we did tons of stuff. Day one was a tourist bus ride all over London in the only wet day we had. When we got off we were frozen into position. This may have had something to do with the fact that we sat on the top deck of the open air bus the whole way through the tour! We later went Shopping in Oxford street and then to harrods and then home. Phew. Day two was Madame Tussades and then some shopping (again, and it wasnt my idea this time) and then something else I dont remember. Day 3 was a tour of the Chealsea grounds (Stamford Bridge......was actually excellent!) and then onto the Tower of London and then meeting up with my friends and drinking and dancing the night away!! Was a great night! Next day was Saturday and we went to Portobello Road markets and looking all about before going to the Russian festival in the city which was fun. Were quite tired though so more pub food (mmmmmmm toad in the hole!!) and then home!
Next day was a Sunday but no rest for us, oh no. We flew to Scotland and saw some of our relatives and had a tiny little relax!! Wasnt as relaxing coming back though as had to heave my suitcases back from Glasgow that I had left there. Oh joy was fun. Got back from Scotland on the Wednesday (1p flights....seemed like a bargain!) and then on the Thursday we attempted to go to Paris!! I say 'attempted' as the weather was so bad that day the eurostar couldnt travel so we went the nexy day instead and had 2 great nights there where we saw the mona lisa and the venus de milo and went up the tower and cruised down the seine......would have all been rather romantic if it hadnt been my brother!!
Next day was Monday and I started my new job which I LOVE!!!! Makes me even gladder that I left the last one!!! It is still in London at the moment but I have to get a car soon as sometimes it takes us all over the place. So far I have managed to get around that by getting a lift with someone else but the time is coming when I am going to have to get a car of my own. Oh god am dreading it!! I need to have a few driving lessons in a manual first I think!!

Now onto the weather.....
Well it has snowed TWICE while I have been here...the other day I walked to work in the falling snow which was fantastic (How lame am I!) I forgot that snow is actually WET though, not just pretty and I was damp and frizzy by the time I got to work. Nice. Today though it has been nothing but RAIN!! I am in an internet cafe at the moment and I can actually see the drops from here. I am so dreading walking home!! Would like a car in this instance!
Other than that my weekend was not too eventful for me. Saturday consisted of catching up for lunch with a couple of newly-wed friends of mine....were both so smitten was lovely!!! Sunday was lunch again but again turned into an impromtue pub crawl!! Not good when it is 2 for one cocktails and there is work the next day, no not good at all. Its actually the first time I have had a drink since Australia day where I lost half my night and all of the next day thanks to the demon booze!! OOh, did go the the London Dungeons though.....was very very scary!!! Higly recommended for dates (again, was with the brother so no action there)
Otherwise no other news to speak of!!! I think I am getting my own internet sorted this weekend so that should be niiiiiiiiiiiiice and I wont have so sit in these pits any longer! Might have to wait till I have had a payday though.

Hope everyone is good and happy and life is treating them well.......I am in such a buzzy place at the moment I am starting to feel guilty as a few of my friends are having really hard times right now! I am sure it will clear up with the rain though.

Not sure all fo this makes sense.........sorry if it does not.

New Year!!

Well I had no sooner promised to put up some pics and then they blocked the blogger website at work!! This is the first time I have had a chance to email since then!
Well Christmas was brilliant and New Year was even better. I was in the lovely Dublin and had ba fantastic time.
Nicole, Anna and I flew over to Dublin on Friday the 29th after work after a big rush and duty free shop. Our plane had to attempt to land a couple of times before we made it down but finally were there and piled into the "Lambulance" and heading to Andreas house.
Saturday was spent going around Malahide Castle which was pretty nice and then onto the Guiness Brewery which was much more my style!
Sunday, New Years Eve, we went to Newgrange and then back home to start drinking before heading out. It was a fantastic night and we got home about 4.30!! Nice work girls!!
Monday I had to catch a flight back to London and I thought I was going to die right on that plane from the hangover from hell. Ah well made it back OK though and even dragged myself back into work the next day. Oh yucko.
Anyway had my last week of work last week and it was fantastic to finish! I went out with the girls from work on the Friday night and got quite hammered on Strawberry beer. OOh its so nice you would barely know it was beer!
Saturday was crappy weather here so I didnt do much but ended up having a DVD night with Tanya and getting to bed quite early. Sunday I watched so much TV! I bought a freeview box last week and now I get millions of channels!! Its fantastic!! When the BBC is only showing house style shows I get to watch Friends or Joey or something like that! I also walked into Acton High Street and had a little look but there is NOTHING there!
Anyway....no other news from me....my brother arrives tomorrow night so I will be up to lots of touristy pursuits so looking forward to that!