Christmas is coming!

The Oxford st lights are on and Starbucks had its red cups and Xmas flavored out today!

The girls at work got the buy one get one free special at Starbucks for thier hot drinks, I had to try egg nog flavored coffee, it was as bad as it sounds

Pros vs cons list

Get me my yellow legal pad! It’s pros and cons list time! Yeah! And kids, they actually cheered (how I met your mother quote)

LONDON

Pro’s:
Buzz of city life
Theatre
Art
Culture
History
Architecture
Boroughs
Diversity
civilization
Close proximity to Europe
friendly people

Con’s:
Weather
Crowds
Pollution
Lack of space
Expensive
Dangerous
Bad food
Grumpy people

Both:
Tube – good system but overcrowded
Ridiculous commute
Chain stores- useful but bland
Tv shows – some are good but most of the ones people watch are horrendous
Lots to do – you can always find something but you are always missing out on something

Patience

There is too much to do!
And I want to do everything right now!

To be fair, there are alot of exhibits and shows that have an end date ad I am getting paranoid that I might miss something really good.

Not to mention I can’t wait to move into my room, get settled and be able to get some stuff done.

I don’t think my mind is fathoming two years correctly, you would be surprised how quick that can go

Grrrrrrrr food!

You would think white vinegar would be a staple item, but no!! Don’t even try to find corn starch!
They had to search the store room for refried beans after I explained to them what it was!

They have rice vinegar, hopefully that will work for pavlova or it’s just eggs and sugar, if I can find normal caster sugar grrrrrrrr!

That being said, I am in a better mood now, and remembering all the great food items that are available her that I am excited about.
Namely, naked juice, the magic green smoothie with healthy stuff in it that I am predicting will get me through the unhealthy diet over here.
Also, waitrose supplies international good including Japanese, Indian and Mexican and even Vegemite! (not that I care)

They even sell limoncello in the grocery store!!!!!

When I was shopping I saw Bob’s mill flours, two in the gluten free section! They are an American brand of alternative flours, gluten free bread mic and gluten free all purpose flour. They have all the mixtures you need in one packet! I also saw another brand that sold buckwheat flour, pancakes here we come!

I wanna do everything all at once!

I have concluded that at this point in time I just need some patience, I want to be completely settled in but there is still so many things to sort out, not the least of which is a full time job.

Buy as someone very wise mentioned to me, I am not on holiday in London I am living here. so I am endeavoring to aim to go straight home after temp office work and do normal boring things.

The tate modern can wait, musicals can wait… At least for a little while.

Between visiting people and people visiting me, udon have that many weekends free forth next couple of months but I will have plenty of time later into 2012, I am sure, to be well proper bored. Therefore, the essence of these ramblings is that I keep reminding myself to have fun while I can and while my savings last!

Eating itsu for lunch in the park outside my workplace near Oxford circus

Paige and dobin visiting!

Let u know…

One month

It’s sunday the 16th October, exactly one month since I left Australia on Saturday the 16th september! Crazy.

Still settling in but I feel like I am almost starting to the the hang of the lifestyle here.

I am just always really tired…

Sick of public transport already. Took the bus 11 through the city yesterday, good views…

Nothing is quite what I thought it would be. Some things are harder while others are a lot easier than I expected.

Stereotypes are completely true, they do drink a lot of tea here, they all hang out in pubs and can’t handle their spicy food.
Whereas I have learnt how divers the cities around England are and that the national food (most eaten) is curry.

People are much nicer than I expected for a busy city

Crazy Busy

Well… I must be getting into the culture of London because the culture is mainly young working professionals commuting every day and being too busy to do anything. So this blog has sadly fallen short of late.

It all started last monday when I called a recruitment agency and said I have no experience in an office but I am available for immediate start. The next day I was working in the mail room at Liberty, packing boxes to send off to the rich people who ordered overpriced goods from this very old and famous department store. (the facade was built from an old ship)

Instead of a gift card, they give you a gift coin that is printed in thier own personal mint, as you do

Tartan throw rug, totally worth 110Pounds

Workplace at L.K.Bennet in oxford circus

Coffee on the commute to work

Chinese restuarant where London City Life is held

All the commuters on the central line at 8:30am. everyone squeezes in then ducks thier head so the doors can close. it gets really hot underground

Steve jobs memorial outside the apple store on regent street

The view of St Pauls Cathedral just riding on the bus

I cant get enough lemon polenta Im going to have to ask for the recipe if they will give it to me.

Thankyou New Zealanders for opening so many cafes in London

Now it is sabbath so I have enough time to blog and organize my life before the crazyiness starts again 😛

Full Church Weekend!

Best Weekend, I met so many people and learnt so many names, of which I can only remember a handful.

Saturday morning I went to Kennington SDA Church, Eddie Hypolite wasn’t there but Jermaine was and surprised to see me. Everyone gave me a hug and said hi. I got invited to lunch after church and recieved a lift to Anette’s house (Jermaine’s mom) where her and her brother had prepared a jamaican feast as they do every week without fail. Everyone was so nice and I ended up still there for thier sabbath afternoon worship around 5:30pm when I had to leave to get a lift to Brixton church. Brixton is larger and I may go there another day when they have a regular service.

I met up with Renee Dagg in covent garden at a pub and we will have to go to London Live next Saturday arvo since my church day went longer than expected.

Sunday, I went to Tom Ruddocks church (Shelley’s BF) its pentecostal and held in a restuarant right near London Bridge, it is very spiritual and welcoming. After church they buy any new people a free coffee at cafe Nero accross the way then everyone heading to Sainsbury’s for lunch to eat in Hyde Park. Again I ended up just hanging out all day and meeting lots of nice people. Rachel and I walked all around the tourist centre of London on a Sunday night, not much open but found a Pub that was playing blues music, the live band was great. It was called “Ain’t nothing But…”

Second Summer in London

hows that! Apparently the summer wasnt very good here, so Autumn is making up for it. I think the sun is following me.

3pm!

I had to see it

had to put up with tourists and hawkers all along here.

such good coffeeeee! such a breath of fresh air after amsterdam. I tracked down 3 or 4 cafes on bean hunter but was dissapointed int he Netherlands.

Grind cafe in Putney had the yummiest lemon polenta, perfectly complimented by greek yoghurt and strawberries

second serving! too delicious to eat only once

apple loves mint tea from suki tea with papaya and rose!

Putney is a lovely area, its feel very well off and people excercies alot. there is always bikes going past and people rowing down the Thames. the main street has every chain store you could want but just down the perpendicular streets it feels like ultimate suburbia, minus the lawns. I love it around here, it is close to Clapham where all the Aussies hang out apparently, so there seems to be a bit of a leak of New Zealanders into this neighborhood. Im not complaining when they open great cafe’s.

FRIDAY

It’s even hotter today, its great.

I went for a run along the Thames this morning and it was brilliant. There is a nice path with an archway of trees and whenever I hear a russle in the leaves, iI don’t have to worry about snakes or giant lizards, its just a squirrel 😛

Job hunting from a cafe now, I don’t think there is anyone in the world who likes job hunting! One job was for designing e-books for iPad, Kindle etc. and they want 5+ years experience, have they even been out that long!!!?

I am just sitting still and im still stinking hot. 28 degrees! i didnt know london got this hot??????