13 September 2008
ooh, eck!
sorry about the weird pics on that last post. Testing out different ways of putting in pics, obviously not going to use that method again.
adventures of the last few months in lundun
The rest of our trip was great - if you haven't seen the pics on facebook or on my picasa/flickr sites, you haven't seen how much fun we had! It's about time I got back to regular blogging...ok, who am I kidding. It's about time I started regularly blogging on this thing!
I've had a great time since being back. In fact, I've done many things and am totally happy that I haven't just sad on my backside since getting back.
One of the things that I realised when returning, is that for the first time in ages I feel really peaceful. Being away for over a year from almost every one and everything I've known and experienced has been really good for me, and I am happy that life has turned this direction.
August 18th was my first anniversary of arrival in England - celebrated with a couple of friends and went to an experimental jazz performance in Kings Cross! Can you believe it's been a year already? Me neither. I've heard friends who've been here 7 years say a very similar thing...
I had a particularly busy week last month meeting up with friends and family. Just so happened that they were all around at the same time. Met up with a friend, Josh, who my sister and I met in Athens. He stayed the night and we trundled off the next morning to the Notting Hill Carnival on Bank Holiday Monday.
Check out my picasa album for more pics
We then met up with my cousin, Kristin and a friend of hers who is living in London, for dinner which was such a surreal experience. Weird seeing people so out of context! We had brilliant burgers from the Gourmet Burger place, run by New Zealanders - felt very much like a place you'd find back home. Fantastic burgers! So good!
Josh only just made it to his bus up to Scotland - 30 seconds before it left I think he said! I had the next two days off as friends from home, Brett, Hayley plus their two kids and Brett's parents were in London for a few days.
We spent some fun times just hanging out together but also took the time to go on a tour bus and watched the changing of the guard. Nice to have the opportunity to do these touristy things! I did promise myself I'd do more of it when I got back from my trip.
I was at work again on Wednesday, but that night I caught up with my friend Caroline from Tassie who is now living in England in the south of London. Was fantastic to welcome her to my home, eat dinner together and enjoy each other's company! A real pleasure to have someone from Hobart on my turf. Now, just waiting for Angus to turn up...are you still coming over dude? Then on Friday night Josh was back for his last weekend on his overseas trip. We had a brilliant picnic in Hyde Park with Derryn, Rose and Chloe on Saturday enjoying the last day of full sunshine (I haven't really seen one since, though it was quite nice for parts of today) and then went to Shakespeare's Globe and watched Timon of Athens. Which was really brilliant, by the way! Love the 5 quid tickets! Standing room only for about 3 hrs, but it was totally worth it.
We went for supper at Pizza Express, where I proceeded to lose my wallet and then spend half an hour taking photos of St. Paul's cathedral and the Southward bridge at night
(unfortunately I didn't realise I'd lost my wallet until the next morning or I would have gone straight back to the Restaurant, as we were just outside!) Epic fail!
Spent the next morning at the airport with Josh and then after he'd gone I realised I didn't have any cash or my card, my oyster card was slightly overdrawn and I didn't know how to get home! Talked to the station manager who let me go through, then went back to the restaurant...no wallet there...but I scummed 2 pounds off the manager so I could get home! Don't let anyone tell you that people in London are uncaring :) Very easy to sweet talk.
On that note, I should let you know that I finally had a good conversation with someone at Virgin Media. We've had at least 10 mostly bad conversations with them over the last month trying to get the account transferred into my name, upgrade the services slightly and get rid of the net hiccup that occurs every 3 mins. Every time I talk to someone on skype, it cuts out after about 3 mins and I have to wait a few more mins before I can connect to them again. They've done test after test, and today they went through them again but the nice man on the phone didn't even make me talk to the technical team today - he did it all for me and then told me he was going to send us a new modem and router! woohoo! Epic win, for sure.
So if you haven't got my skype name and want it just let me know - I'll be back up on full power in about 10 days :)
Oh yeah, more recent adventures - We were meaning to head to Bath last weekend, but found out we would be subject to inclement weather so a few friends and I went to Madame Tussuads instead and had a blast. Really worth doing if you have the space! The four of us competed in pairs against each other in a 'best of the brits' karaoke competition inside the wax museum As my duet performance was quite woeful (won't kill you by mentioning what we tried to sing) our other friends won two tickets on the London Eye.
Since arriving in England, I've seen copious amounts of Jane Austen and similar productions. Well, they've finally taken a modern day girl and tried to see how she'd go in the middle of Pride and Prejudice. Much to my amazement, I really don't like the main character. She gives me much to complain about - I can't believe she's a total Austen reveller before her experience starts, but when it comes to being inside that world she can't sit back let the characters be themselves so she can be included in their world. Just let it be, Miss Price! Her 2008 sense of romance, values and worldview is so different, which I would expect - but doesn't she want the chance to mold into another world just for a while? Why do we always think we have to take our preferences and shove it in the faces of those around us - demand they conform. I do hope she learns a little humility, but with Mr. Darcy around how can she not.
:) I like our Wednesday evenings with friends coming around, dinner and the Austen heated discussions. So much fun, reminds me of our coon and goon nights with the broughs in Hobart. Those times are such a world away from where I am now!
Some not so pleasantness, is that my Great Aunt Beet passed away last week. I am glad that I had the opportunity to meet her last year along with my Uncle Will (her brother, who passed away earlier on this year). She is the last living sibling of my Grandma, who is in Ulverstone, Tasmania. I'm heading down to Exeter, Devon this Tuesday to attend the cremation and meet up with my relatives. There are alot that I haven't met yet, so am hoping that quite a few of them will be able to be there.
Will be an early morning start and late back, haven't done this trip in one day before! Will be a good reading opportunity methinks.
peace out.
I've had a great time since being back. In fact, I've done many things and am totally happy that I haven't just sad on my backside since getting back.
One of the things that I realised when returning, is that for the first time in ages I feel really peaceful. Being away for over a year from almost every one and everything I've known and experienced has been really good for me, and I am happy that life has turned this direction.
August 18th was my first anniversary of arrival in England - celebrated with a couple of friends and went to an experimental jazz performance in Kings Cross! Can you believe it's been a year already? Me neither. I've heard friends who've been here 7 years say a very similar thing...
I had a particularly busy week last month meeting up with friends and family. Just so happened that they were all around at the same time. Met up with a friend, Josh, who my sister and I met in Athens. He stayed the night and we trundled off the next morning to the Notting Hill Carnival on Bank Holiday Monday.
 |
| From Notting Hill Carnival 08 |
Check out my picasa album for more pics
 |
| From Notting Hill Carnival 08 |
We then met up with my cousin, Kristin and a friend of hers who is living in London, for dinner which was such a surreal experience. Weird seeing people so out of context! We had brilliant burgers from the Gourmet Burger place, run by New Zealanders - felt very much like a place you'd find back home. Fantastic burgers! So good!
Josh only just made it to his bus up to Scotland - 30 seconds before it left I think he said! I had the next two days off as friends from home, Brett, Hayley plus their two kids and Brett's parents were in London for a few days.
 |
| From london with cox family |
We spent some fun times just hanging out together but also took the time to go on a tour bus and watched the changing of the guard. Nice to have the opportunity to do these touristy things! I did promise myself I'd do more of it when I got back from my trip.
I was at work again on Wednesday, but that night I caught up with my friend Caroline from Tassie who is now living in England in the south of London. Was fantastic to welcome her to my home, eat dinner together and enjoy each other's company! A real pleasure to have someone from Hobart on my turf. Now, just waiting for Angus to turn up...are you still coming over dude? Then on Friday night Josh was back for his last weekend on his overseas trip. We had a brilliant picnic in Hyde Park with Derryn, Rose and Chloe on Saturday enjoying the last day of full sunshine (I haven't really seen one since, though it was quite nice for parts of today) and then went to Shakespeare's Globe and watched Timon of Athens. Which was really brilliant, by the way! Love the 5 quid tickets! Standing room only for about 3 hrs, but it was totally worth it.
 |
| From hyde park, the globe, & southwark bridge at night |
We went for supper at Pizza Express, where I proceeded to lose my wallet and then spend half an hour taking photos of St. Paul's cathedral and the Southward bridge at night
 |
| From hyde park, the globe, & southwark bridge at night |
(unfortunately I didn't realise I'd lost my wallet until the next morning or I would have gone straight back to the Restaurant, as we were just outside!) Epic fail!
Spent the next morning at the airport with Josh and then after he'd gone I realised I didn't have any cash or my card, my oyster card was slightly overdrawn and I didn't know how to get home! Talked to the station manager who let me go through, then went back to the restaurant...no wallet there...but I scummed 2 pounds off the manager so I could get home! Don't let anyone tell you that people in London are uncaring :) Very easy to sweet talk.
On that note, I should let you know that I finally had a good conversation with someone at Virgin Media. We've had at least 10 mostly bad conversations with them over the last month trying to get the account transferred into my name, upgrade the services slightly and get rid of the net hiccup that occurs every 3 mins. Every time I talk to someone on skype, it cuts out after about 3 mins and I have to wait a few more mins before I can connect to them again. They've done test after test, and today they went through them again but the nice man on the phone didn't even make me talk to the technical team today - he did it all for me and then told me he was going to send us a new modem and router! woohoo! Epic win, for sure.
So if you haven't got my skype name and want it just let me know - I'll be back up on full power in about 10 days :)
Oh yeah, more recent adventures - We were meaning to head to Bath last weekend, but found out we would be subject to inclement weather so a few friends and I went to Madame Tussuads instead and had a blast. Really worth doing if you have the space! The four of us competed in pairs against each other in a 'best of the brits' karaoke competition inside the wax museum As my duet performance was quite woeful (won't kill you by mentioning what we tried to sing) our other friends won two tickets on the London Eye.
 |
| From madame tussauds |
Since arriving in England, I've seen copious amounts of Jane Austen and similar productions. Well, they've finally taken a modern day girl and tried to see how she'd go in the middle of Pride and Prejudice. Much to my amazement, I really don't like the main character. She gives me much to complain about - I can't believe she's a total Austen reveller before her experience starts, but when it comes to being inside that world she can't sit back let the characters be themselves so she can be included in their world. Just let it be, Miss Price! Her 2008 sense of romance, values and worldview is so different, which I would expect - but doesn't she want the chance to mold into another world just for a while? Why do we always think we have to take our preferences and shove it in the faces of those around us - demand they conform. I do hope she learns a little humility, but with Mr. Darcy around how can she not.
:) I like our Wednesday evenings with friends coming around, dinner and the Austen heated discussions. So much fun, reminds me of our coon and goon nights with the broughs in Hobart. Those times are such a world away from where I am now!
Some not so pleasantness, is that my Great Aunt Beet passed away last week. I am glad that I had the opportunity to meet her last year along with my Uncle Will (her brother, who passed away earlier on this year). She is the last living sibling of my Grandma, who is in Ulverstone, Tasmania. I'm heading down to Exeter, Devon this Tuesday to attend the cremation and meet up with my relatives. There are alot that I haven't met yet, so am hoping that quite a few of them will be able to be there.
Will be an early morning start and late back, haven't done this trip in one day before! Will be a good reading opportunity methinks.
peace out.
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