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!