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!

Boring boooooring Blogs

Well I have just been looking back at my blog and have realised it has been some mighty time since I posted any pics. I plan to remedy that immediately....starting tomorrow. If I can manage to bring some to work, the miracle that is high speed internet will help me.

In other news, planning a Christmas dinner now for me and Nicola and Tanya. I am so excited....am going to Homebase tonight to get some decorations!! Nicola is coming down on the 22nd so it will be a weekend of drinking from then on. Tanya is coming over on the 24th till Boxing day so hurrah for the more the merrier.
Otherwise, we had a secret santa here at work which only minorly relieved the boredom for a tiny while. Lots of people seemed to get shower gel and the like. I was no exception except mine was from the Body Shop where as lots of people got ones from Tesco. hahahaha.
Last night I went to Harrods with Alicia to get me in the festive kind of mood. It would have worked except it was depressing not being able to afford anything!! I was determined to buy something though so I got my Christmas pudding from there! Its 6 months old or something and apparently that makes it better but it was still the most expensive pudding I will ever buy. I also saw Louie Walsh, the X Factor judge, coming out with a big bag. My first celebrity spotted in London!! Alica also gave me the nicest neclace that she had made!!! What a champ!

The next few days is all getting final persents and Christmas card competions with my flatmates. I am in a healthy streak ahead but fingers crossed for more today. I actually cannot wiat to gt home. It has been FREEZING here the last few days. So cold that you can see your breath all day!! Apparently todays "high" is just 5!!. How insane. I swear that this hospital doubles as an industrial fridge. The lab is OK but as soon as you want to go for a walk somewhere else you have to bundle up in a coat and scarf or you will lose extremities.

Anyway this was only going to be short. I am in a chipper mood though so the festive smas spirit is making me chatty.
Will post Christmasy pics tomorrow!!

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas tree...

Well I cannot believe it was nearly a year ago when I first sat down and started this little blog. Back in December last year I was sitting at work bored and here I am doing the same thing a year later....sitting at work bored. Everyone is at lunch I think so I am taking advantage. I dont think much has changed, except for the climate and the country obviously. Certainly my typing is still heinously bad.

Well last week was a good one. I went out on Wednesday night with Anna and Nicole. We went for dinner which was nice, and planned and entire years worth of mini-weekend-breaks as we all hate our jobs at the moment and need some encouragement to get us to the New Year. We then ended up trying our hand at some of the attractions in Lecister square, without any success. I blame the wine we had consumed. It got to the stage of almost being charitable, the amount of money we were wasting! None of us won anything but to be fair, most of the toys look a little worse for wear as though they had been sitting there for awhile.
Friday night came and I was way way too exhausted to do anything. I have been running to Hammersmith or Shepherds bush almost every night to pick up one or two final things and I was exhausted! Didnt help that I got on the wrong bus leaving Hammersmith and so ended up on a bridge going I dont know where. Managed to get off without looking like I was lost and getting a bus back in the other direction. I came home Friday, call and then just collapsed into bed, oh with 2 Simpsons boxed sets to keep me company! I love them Simpsons!!

Saturday afternoon Anna and I braved the Oxford St crowds and managed to stay in the festive spirit which was amazing. I shamelessly kept pulling my camera out and taking photos of all the Christmas lights which I will attempt to load on here later. Some of them are sooooooo nice. I still havent seen the giant Norwegian tree, mostly because I have forgotten where in London it is. After gawping like a couple of wide eyed toursists, we went to a Chinese restaurant where the staff took in turns to be entirely over enthauastic or totally indifferent. Bit strange but nice. We went to an Irish pub after that where we met 3 nice Irish guys but sadly (or not, I am still not sure) we had tickets to go and see the beautiful Daniel Craig in the new James Bond movie. I give the movie 2 out of 5 but Daniel get about a 7 out of 5. Was worth it just for his icy stare.

Sunday was the laziest of lazy days yet. I fought the fear and went to the Asda and not the much closer but much less selection Iceland. I really really hate Asda and have found the only way I can brave it is if I go with my ipod plugged in and at full volume and then I dont have to hear children screaming or Christmas Carols or any other profanities. It wasnt even that busy so that made my day even better. For once I came out without feeling murderous. After that I had a lot of phone calls before getting to bed! In hindsight, I wish I had thought about what I was going to wear for New Year as I am definetly going to Dublin and now I dont know what to wear and am sure i have to buy something as all my new year dresses from previous years are designed for a much warmer climate. Hmmm. Will have to brave Christmas shops once AGAIN!
Like I mind!!

Working nine to five...

OK well I have not updated for a bit so now I have some downtime here goes!
I managed to get some more work in Guernsey and went back there for 3 weeks. Was good again but not as good as last time as it was dark so early there that I couldnt really do anything as I didnt want to get mowed down by a car when there is no pavement and barely any street lighting! Was nice nice to be earning though!
After 3 weeks there I was wierdly asked back to the job I originally had in London so that was convenient to get to, but also strange coming back. Most people just acted like I had been on holiday for the past 3 months and they just hadn't seen me! Although I have only been here for a week it feels like lifetime...roll on my brother visiting!!

Other than work I have been keeping a full schedule. Before leaving Guernsey I went for dinner with 2 ladies from work there which was nice. I had the most delicious steak ever and really did stuff myself. I also had entirely too much red wine so by the time I had to go home I was a bit fuzzy and also had to get straight to bed as I had to catch a plane back to London the next day. I managed to get to the airport OK, (unlike getting to Guernsey where I was the LAST person on the plane...they were about to do the "will the remaining passenger..." call. Had to walk past everyone to get to my seat, was mortifying).

After I got back and finally got to my room I had to do about 100 loads of laundry as I had left tons there, seeing as I left in a hurry, and had brought all mine back with me so that was a glam Saturday afternoon. Housework and non-drinking never lasts long though so after Anna came over to collect her mail I went with her to Primark and spent about £50 on what I do not know. That was enough to make anyone thirsty so it was off to the pub after that for dinner and yes more drinking! Sunday was uneventful as I wasnt feeling too well and so just hibernated in bed. I didnt really even bother tidying up all that much so it was a bit of a disaster on Monday morning trying to find clean clothes and make it to work on time. Luckily, or not, I remembered all the passwords and log-ons I had so I managed to slip right back in with no problems. Last week felt like I had never been away!

This past weekend was a good one. On Friday Tanya came over and we had a few drinks and watched a DVD as we had to get up at the crack of dawn the next day to go to Belgium for the Christmas markets for the day! It was truly awful getting up at 4am but I fell asleep on the bus down to Dover so that was not too bad. I still have a sore neck though! After the bus then the ferry then the bus again we finally got to Brugge and went to the Christmas markets there! It was so so so pretty, they had a big ice skating rink in the middle of it all and I partook in rather a lot of very festive mulled wine. I also bought some Christmasy stuff and obviously lots of chocolate. It was good fun as 6 of us were all there toghther so we wondered about and just had a nice festive day. At about 5 we caught the bus back to the ferry then back to Dover then back to London. It was awesome coming back into London with all the lights on, the London eye especially was looking very very nice in a kind of purple. Incidentally, Blue and Purple and their derivatives seem to be the colours of choice here at the moment, all the really fancy trees have been blue and I even bought al tiny Christmas tree for the lounge at home and its black with Purple and Pink glass baubles on them. Very cute.

Anyway, on Sunday I had a burger King craving so Tanya and I fed that obsession and did some shopping (I cannot resist Primark £4 pijamas)and then met up with another friend and we went into Lecister square and yes, yet again went to a pub and had some drinking. I forget where we went but it was not the pub I wanted which was called something like 'The Surgeons Scalpel'. After rather a lot of drinking and catching up, we went to dinner and then to see 'The Holiday' which made me want my own Jude Law, or at least my own festive boyfriend. And then the movie finished and I thought that maybe I didn't. There is a big fun fair kind of thing in Lecister Square at the moment and I really really wanted to go on some of the rides but it was late and really I thought I would be back there soon.

Phew and that brings me up to date! This weekend I almost want to go to the Christmas markets in York but I dont have anything else to buy so think I wont. There is some talk to going ice skating at the Tower of London on Saturday so will have to try and manage that. Also on the agenda is trying some of those rides and also booking my Christmas and New Year events. Its looking greatly like I will be going to Dublin for New Year which will be awesome but more on that late. As for jobs, I may also have more on that later but will have to seeeeeeeeeeeeeee....

OooooooooohhhhhhhhhWeeeeeeeee

OK well it is offical that I am as bored as hell. There is just no work in London at the moment for a highly trained professional such as myself and so far the job agencies I am with (last count 5) have been offering me things like 10pm to 10am in Manchester somewhere which I understandably havent been keen on. I am not destitute yet but will be from Friday when my rent is due. On the upside, since being unemployed I have never been out and drunk so often, although that will have to end ASAP.
Actually I should have ended that sooner. First weekend I was back from holiday we took a new girl to the Walkabout in Shepherds Bush for a taste of what they are like. I personally use it as a kind of tool to remind me why I left the country, but it can be fun. It was a messy messy night. Lucky I live so close by. On he Sunday I caught up with a friend I hdan't seen for aaaaaaaages and we went for lunch. After that an inpromptue pub crawl began all over Covent Garden and Soho (yes just the 2 of us) which ended in some much too classy for us bar and a 16 quid plate of chicken strips on little sticks. Harder to eat than you might think after a pub crawl.
After that the next weekend was farewell drinks for another friend somewhere in Oxford Street. I was trying to be sensible and just drink half pints but they were only a pound and so that sensible attitude was not going to happen. Oh well I had good intentions.
This past weekend my cousin came down from Edinburgh to go and watch the All Blacks play at Twickenham and so we went out on the Saturday night. We started at a boat bar in the Thames (really is a boat, the swaying bothers you less after a few drinks) and then moved onto another Walkabout, this time the Temple one. Someone was there taking a lot of pics for I dont know what so I am in a lot of them. Not sure why. Also managed to slit my finger open on a large piece of glass (was trying to get it off the bottom of my boot!) but luckily some kindly gent rushed to get me a plaster and then gave me money to get a cab! I refused but he hailed one down also so was rude to refuse. If not a bit strange. Sunday saw the All Blacks game which I trecked to with another friend (I hate my tube line its always closed!) Was good fun, especially as I seemed to insult everyone else by supporting England but it amused me to do that. Sadly, the All Blacks won and I had it rubbed in my face. The only way I could shut everyone up was by pointing out that England has the world cup.
Anyway its almost time for 'Deal or no Deal'. I have seen ot so often that I am starting to know the participants by name. Its frightening.

Anyway I was going to include a pic of Croatia to show I did have a good holiday even if it is shite at the moment but I cant get it to load up. And even though I have unlimited time available to me I am sick of waiting!

Everyone cross your fingers and toes that anoter job comes to me soooooooooooooooooooooon....I need the cash for my holiday in January!

Freaky internet thingy

There are always so many weird things on the internet....this is definetly one of them, click on the link and decide whether the picture is of a computer geek or a serial killer.
I only got 4 out of 10.....
http://www.malevole.com/mv/misc/killerquiz/

Well what to do….what to do. At the moment I am not working and it is SOOOOOOOOOO BORING!! OK, so I have only not been working for a few days (well 5 days, not including the weekend). I am signed with 3 agencies and they are looking for work for me (well I think 2 might be, if one is it is very lazy)
Other than that though, I am actually really really excited to be back in London! I have been out Friday and Sunday night and there is just always so much happening! Friday was just some drinks at the local Walkabout but Sunday started as a lunch date that turned into a liquid dinner. A friend and I had an impromptu pub crawl and we were well into it by about 7! Lucky I was sober enough to get home correctly which is always a good thing. This unemployed drinking-on-a-Sunday behaviour must end though! It cannot continue, mostly because it is very expensive. I need a job so I can save to have a whole month off in January. Need need need. Problem is…there is always something to spend your money on here.

Want to check out something cool though?? Here is the link to my group shot that did the free Berlin tour together!
http://www.newberlintours.com/gallery/images/tours/
2006_10_13_fri/dsc_0001re.JPG

Holiday....celebrate!!

Well I am in Amsterdam!!! I cant believe I am here again so fast considering I was here in June. Its just as fun this tims also!
So where I have been lately.....well I started by flying to Venice....managed to leave the airport without my bags...nice one Carol. Finally got them and spent 2 really nice days seeing the sights of Venice (again) and relaxing. From there it was off to Croatia. I felt cheated when I got there as no one had eve told me how incredibly beautiful it was! I went to Plitvice national park which has 16 aquamarine lakes all joined together via stunning waterfalls. Amazing and truly stunning. From there it was Dubrovnick....spent a fantastic day walking around the city walls. After that it was Split and then Zagreb. Both places it would have been nicer to spend a bit mroe time there. After that it was on to Budapest for me. Did a bus tour around the city and feel a bit of an expert now!! Unfortunately I was there on a Monday and all the museums are closed. Shame as there was an inner city building that had all its windows boarded that was used as a prison during the holocust. Freaky. From there it was onto to Prague which if possible is even more beautiful than what you can imagine. There is the largest Synagog in Europe there but I spent more time looking at local artwork and bought 4 paintings. Hmmm. Will be nice when I am homeless!! After that was Berlin!! Now I already love Germany and have a desire to learn German and Berlin has increased that desire a LOT! It was a fantastic city! I did a free tour (if anyone is going to Berlin I cannot recommend them highly enough..they work for tips only and are fantistic...type Berlin free tour into Google) I felt like I got so much information from her i didnt do much else as was all a bit of a rush and now am in Amsterdam today! Brilliant!
Anyway this is a lightening explanation as to why I have dropped off the planet lately! Also I forgot my address book so the only people who got postcards are the ones whos addreses I could remember. Sorry!
OK off to a coffee house now!

Movin' on

Mothers ass I caont believe how long it takes me to update this thing!! Maybe cos I dont have a computer of my own! Well soon I will.
I finish here in Guernsey tomorrow!! I cant believe that I have been here for 2 months already! Time is really flying this year.
Tomorrow I finish here at 4pm and then quickly fly to London and then have to get the train home and pack then back out to the airport to catch a flight to Venice! I am really excited!! From there I go to Croatia, Slovenia then Hungary then to Prague, Berlin and Amsterdam before ending back in London! Hopefully then I will have another job!! Its a bit freaky going on holiday when you dont have a job but its also kind of exciting (hopefully not in a stupid way!)
Hopefully i can get another locum job for awhile while I decide what to do about a proper job. I like locum work but I have serious issues about finding another job all the time! It does not relax me at all.
Anyway, having been to every museum on the Island I can say that I think the Lonely planet should dedicate more than half a page to Guernsey and the other islands. On Saturday night the department went out for dinner in Herm. We got a boat over and then had a fantastic roast dinner...yourshire pudding included. I still dont know what that is for. If anyone knows please let me know! Anyway we got the boat back at about 11pm and it was just fantastic! There was a major lightening storm in Jersey and we could see they lights in the distance and every so often the whole sea was lit up with the lightening. I felt like I was in the middle of nowhere! That had a scary element to it also, but most thrilling. By the time I got back to St Martins the storm was coming to Guernsey and had just started to rain. It was wild all night after that, thank god we missed it on the boat.
Other that that, i went to the underground hospital here. It was REALLy really scary. Much of it was in pitch black and I was there alone so kept trying to slow down or hurry up so that I wasnt alone. Some of the beds were still there and it was very very freaky, you could imagine it being used as a hospital. I took lots of pictures into the pitch black incase I caught a picture of a ghost or something that I could sell to one of those trashy womens mag, but on review of the pics it seems like they are just back and nothing else! Oh well. I also made it to the little chapel, sp called as its like a minature Disneyland-ish chapel. The entire thing is decorated in chips of plates etc in a mosaic style. Now recently, this year infact, I have seen a lot of chapels, churches and the like and this one was one of the best!! Ok so I did smack my head going down the stairs but it was just so quaint it was unbelieveable! I do have pics of this also, as soon as I get my computer up and running they are all going on here i promise!
Anyway, leaving here tomorrow and I havent packed a thing! Nothing like organisation! Should be fine I am sure! Will no doubt be overweight at the airport but nothing I can do about that till tomorrow. Then I am off!

Sexual Feelings..

Does it make me sexist against myself to have felt afraid when I realised my pilot coming back from London was a woman??
I dont know but to me a pilot is one of those jobs that is done by a man. I feel the same about doctors and lawyers, fireman and police. I think I am sexist....certainly not a feminist. I am not saying woman CAN'T do those jobs, I just feel better if they dont. Well, thats not really true, I dont mind woman doctors, police and lawyers. Not fireman, leave me one fantasy intact please.

In saying this, I wasnt at all keen on the pilot that took me to London in the first place.
I was flying Aurigny, which is the channel islands airline. After hearing the obligitory welcome onboard that the captain gives (usually useless information about cruising speed and altitude etc), which was a plesantly soothing english accent, this staticy announcement came over the sound system in what could only have been described as a thick russian accent saying 'Fliught crue seats for takeovf' I was not comforted. Particularly when I got back to London and discovered I had inadvertently managed to smuggle some liquid on board. I nearly died when I found the lipstick in my bag but then security obviously never cared so why should I??! Actually, my discomfort began long before that. Like when we landed at Gatwick. The pilot never really slowed down so at the end of the runway we turned and pulled up to the gate with a screech not unlike a formula one car. I thought I was going to die.

Otherwise I have had a most pleasant weekend. I spent it in London with my couins so was good to talk to someone who has known me for longer than 5 minutes, as seems to be with all my transient travelling friends. Also, I had been feeling a bit down lately, but getting back to London puts it all in perspective...there are tons of people there more loser-y than me so it was a small boost. Also, you only have to read the 'desparately seeking' page of the TNT to know you are not the biggest looser on the planet...those people are.

At the moment I am trying to decide where to go on holiday next. I had more or less decided to go on a tour through Croatia and Hungary and ending in London. I had all but booked and then I read the small print. You had to do a lot of helping out on the tour and it was also in tents. Now I have a fantasy that I am a bit of an earth mother type but I am not. I get angry if it rains and my shoes get wet so the small home comforts that are absent in a tent, such as being able to stand when dressing, are paramount to the level of enjoyment I will get on a holiday. needless to say that tour is no longer the top contender. I dont want to dismiss it totally though as it would be an experience, in patience if nothing else. Otherwise I pretty much dont know where to go. Its a combination of lack of money and time that make the choice so difficult. I seriously fancy a skiing or snowboarding one but I cant do either of those things so unfortunately thats a no go. I thought maybe an England and Ireland one but its not totally the best weather to be doing that....I would prefer to wait till summer. Of course, if I get a job I wont be going anywhere.

As for the capsule lifestyle I mentioned in the last entry, I still can only dream about it. To me a capsule lifestyle is one where you merrily skip though life with just the barest of essentials. You have maybe a small purse or a wallet and thats it. Nothing it too hard for you as you dont have a sack of 'essentials' to carry with you. I am not this person. I will never be this person. Apart from a small bag fetish, I seem to always be carrying stuff wherever I go. It seriously pisses me off. I dont know wha I need all this stuff, only that I do. This isnt one of those tales of woe where the woman carries around her life in her handbag, oh no. I dont even have a brush in mine, its just all brochures, phamplets, umbrella, sunglasses, glasses, wallet, phone, ID, keys etc etc. HOWEVER, I have almost mastered the capsule lifestyle ideal that I strive for. Its because I live 22 steps from work (I counted them) so if I need something I just go home and get it. Its only a small start but I am happy with it. My hands are free to browse (if there was anything in Guernsey worth browsing) and if I fall over nothing scatters (this is by far the best reward). I hope this doesnt mean I always have to live this close to work. It only works here as I cant actually see my department from my room. I like to imagine I could be anywhere.

Channeling good times...

Well things are looking up! I managed to score a job in the Channel Islands and I have almost mastered the capsule lifestyle I strive for! Bless!

Firstly, my job agency called me at the eleventh hour to offer me 2 different jobs. The first he said "...is in London but I dont want to lie to you, you are looking at an hour and a half travel each way every day." OK I thought, better than no job. "..And the other is in Guernsey!!!". Now I wont lie, I didnt have the first clue where Guernsey was. He was already continuing "they fly you out there, pay for almost all of your rent, its an all new nurses hostel....." blah blah blah. All I really heard was that they flew me out there so it mush be somewhere exotic, as obviously there are no airports in dull places (that is not true for Palmerston North, I think they have an airport, and so does Hamilton.) I jumped at the Guernsey one and then looked it up on the net. Well I first discovered that is was one of the Channel Islands (had only heard of Jersey before) and that is was mega close to France. Infact, asking some people at work, they had me convinced that it would be just like being IN France, while obviously being in the UK. Kinda. I was sooooooo pleased I got the job, even though its for 8 weeks only.

Things have been drama from the word go. I flinished work on Friday and flew out on the Sunday and started here on the Monday! But the drama began on Sunday.

After I finished packing, I decided to curse my way to the airport via the tube (even thought the bus would have been waaaaaaaay easier I realised at the tube stop). I got to Victoria and got a ticket to Gatwick heaps cheaper than I thought as I have a young persons card! Oh hooray for clinging to youth! The train was in 10 minutes so caught that no bother. Now, I wish I could be like Posh, Colleen, Cameron and the like, but I am not. I am not glamarous enough for airline travel. I first went to the wrong terminal (mistaking BE for BA). Wouldn't be so bad if you were in Auckland and you just walk the 10 steps back the way but you have to catch a train between tham at Gatwick. Embarrassing.
I then checked in and they guy said to me (probably as I was about 4 hours early) "just keep your eyes on the departure screens". No problemo. I then messed about the shops...bought a few mags and a book (un-necessary, the flight is only 40 minutes) and then had dinner etc etc till I decided to go through customs and to the gate. It was 7pm. My flight was at 7.45. The gate closed at 7.35. I got to customs and the line was out the door!! I was in a bit of a panic so tried to pick the fastest moving line, only to find that once you are behind the screens the 4 lines mrege into one. I got through the bag x-ray at 7.37 and looked at the board to see my flight flashing GATE CLOSING. I nearly died!! Apart from the fact I never paid for the flight, it was the last one of the day. I ran all the way to the gate, which was naturally, as you would expect, miles away. I arrived a sweaty, panting mess. Only to find, the bastards hadnt even started boarding yet!!! I managed to catch my breath before they did.
On the plane things were not getting better. I was seated at the window near the wings. For some reason, the overhead lockers here are smaller than all the others on the plane. I choose to ignore that though and held up everyone trying to get on as I vainly tried to force my bag into the overhead. It hadnt clicked that the bag was much bigger than that space, which which could have fitted a paperback at most. I threw my bag down in dispair (did I mention I am seated near the front so the whole plane can see me??) Someone kindly suggested putting it at my feet but as I had exceeded the 1 piece of handluggage rule that was not possible.
I made my way up to the front of the plane to tell the air hostess. Yes, I forced my way against the tide of people trying to be seated, bag in my hand. She told me to take it down the back and they would sort it out later. So I did just that, only to be told to put it anywhere I liked. So it was 9 rows back from me.
Anywho, we stopped in Jersey first as we had som Jersey passengers on board. Was good as we were flying so low I could see everything, not that I knew what antything was. After they Jersey people got off, they had to check all the handluggage to amke sure no one had left anything on (like a bomb presumably). They went though and called out the coulour of the bags that were in the overhead lockers. You guessed it, seeing as mine was 9 rows back from me, I missed them calling it out and as a result they were about to eject it from the plane and quite possible detonate it. Luckily I managed to jump up in my seat and yell that it was mine.

Honestly, Guernsey is not a big place and I am sure my reputation is 'nutter' already.

Anyway, after all that I am too exhausted to relive my capsule lifestyle capturing so will leave that for next time.

Au revoir!

Drama drama

Well crikey I havent posted in a while as the goings havent been too good lately. I had some cool comments about the blog being like a window into my mind (thanks by the way!). Well if you could look in at the moment it would be raining. Possibly thunderstorms. Bah. The stupid NHS cut my job so I am unemployed at the end of the week! Its a disaster as there is a lot I want to see and do here in London but now I cant as none of it is free. Bummer. I can't decide what to do next either. I dont think I want to stay in my current line of work but I dont know what else I want to do. I did have it pointed out to me by a flatmate though that lapdancing is still an option. Oh hurrah. There is a job opening in Birmingham but I am not ready to move there just at the moment...too much is happening here and all the friends I have made live here! Oh see, raining in my head again. I don't know what to do. Luckily I was getting paid quite well while it lasted so I have some time to find something else and use my savings for rent. But I would prefer to use my savings on shoes. Thems the breaks I guess. I still love it here...the other day I found out I can see the London Eye from my bedroom. I am unreasonably excited about that. Its made me really cheesy in a 'I am so lucky to live in London' kind of a way. Oh I make myself sick!

Otherwise, before potential destitution threatened (isn't it funny how destitution and prostitution have a similar ring to them?) I managed a trip to Stonehenge and Bath. Stonehenge was a giant yawn. You cant get anywhere near the stones and most of the other tourists there looked like about the same vintage of some of the rocks. It was something that I thought must be done though (at least lonely planet seemed to think so). Bath was next and I really really liked it a lot. Went into the Roman baths (bit boring after Rome itself) and managed to push my way around. I had a little listening commentary thingy like a mobile phone that you put to your ear and get a commentary after putting in certain numbers depending where you are standing. My first handset alarmed when I first put a number in. I had to traipse all the way through the baths with it screaming, getting very dirty looks. My second one didnt want to work at all which although irritating, let me get out of there faster. I am sure some of the commentaries were "now are you looking at the relics? Now stop where you are and stand still. Yes thats right, block the path for everyone and irritate the people behind you. Ignore them bumping into you". It was mad full of people.

My cousins are coming soon so am looking forward to that...hopefully I will have a job so we can do some wild and crazy things. Like go shopping. And also to the ministry of sound. That one I cannot wait for. Ah I need a job!!

Dooo deee doooo

Well I am pretty settled in London now....working and finding a flat with a decent room made all the difference!! I am near enough to my work to walk, so I do, but after a week I am really over walking everywhere and I want a car now. Its not so much the walking as the carrying the things I have bought that annoys me. I am thinking of getting one of those cart things you see old ladies with as I think it would be great!
Well I am still supporting England in the world cup....especially now that Australia are out! My new workmates and I watched the England game (I forget against who) and it was thrilling. Otherwise I have been keeping in with Kiwi tradition and went to the Red Back on Saturday night with my flatmates. One of them warned me to wear dark colours and just as well she did as I had snakebite all over me by the end of the night. I was a big sticky mess but so was everyone. I guess you have to visit one antipodean pub while you are here so now I have done my dash thats it....even though its just up the road I wont be back! I had a surreal moment in there where I thought I had become a bogan since I got to London as I was in the Red Back, drinking snakebite and listening to a cover band play Metallica wiuth a bunch of Australians. I think I need to do something classy this weekend to get over that!!
Actually this weekend I am off to Glasgow so that should be good.....I never managed to get cheap flights on lastminute.com so I am taking the bus!! I don't care I am an expert on long bus journeys now! Thanks Contiki you are good for something.
Anyway still dont have a chance to put pics on but will be getting my laptop over soon now I have an address so will connect it to the internet and do it all then! Hurrah!

Con con contiki

OK how GAY is the foreign internet!! I swear that I have written about 14 blogs (well 3) and the stupid computers cant connect to blogger or some crap and I have lost them all!! Grrrr
Anyway Contiki was ultra fabbo. I had the greatest time ever and I wish I was still on it!! I have seen so many things and been so many places now its amazing. The night I got back there was a thing about Italy on the TV and they had a bit on Verona and the balcony of Juliet and I was all amazed as I had been there, was a bit surreal.
Otherwise I will try and update what I did and the like when I am able to with pics and everything else. I am currently in a hostel and while the internet is free, I am not sure how to add pics on without saving them to this very dodgy computer. Hmm.
Anyway, I am all settled in London now....I got a job before I left on the Contiki (thankfully or that would have been another worry) and just a couple of days ago I got a flat sorted out too. Its close enough to my work that I can walk to work (obviously not when it is raining though!) and is in a kind of residential area so I wont be tempted to go out drinking every night. Phew. After contiki I was thinking that I may have become an alcoholic....thats thanks to all the Sangria in Spain....that stuff was like sweet sweet alcholic juice, mmmmmmm.
Anyway nothing much else to report here.....I love getting e-mails telling me whats been happening so keep me updated! I start work on Monday so I will have to have something to keep me entertained at work and replying to e-mails is perfect. I have only had one bout of home-sickness and that was more just missing familiar faces rather than New Zealand itself!! Sorry!!
Oh well, England is in the grip of world cup fever and thankfully they won tonight so I expect everyone to be in a good mood tomorrow....fingers crossed. Oh and I am supporting England too by the way!