Okay, you asked for it! Here’s a London update. “Finally!” I can hear some of you saying J
So we arrived just over a month ago now, and it has gone fast! Myself and Aimee set up camp with my sister Emma in Richmond for a couple of weeks which took us straight back to our days of flatting in Dunedin. Emma lives above a bar in Richmond for a bargain. She doesn’t have a lounge, the only cooking appliance we had was a George Foreman grill and once cooking was complete there were two forks to share between three of us – one night I ate my steak with a spoon. Naturally after arriving from an OE we had a bit of washing to do, we managed to flood the kitchen a couple of times before we discovered we could put the outlet pipe of the washing machine out onto the roof, however this only proved to flood the bar and restaurant below. In spite of all of this we were having the time of our lives! Roughing it is fun J and a huge thank you to my darling sister for giving us her room and her new bed to take over for a couple of weeks. We miss living with you!
First night here I went into the Hollywood Arms, the bar I’d been working at last time I was here and they referred me onto the Guinea Grill (a little bar in Mayfair) for work so I have been working there for the past month. However, I am unfortunately leaving there on Monday as I start a new position with The Children’s Society (a charity for helping runaway children) on their financial team. I’m not gonna lie, I’m looking forward to Monday to Friday 9-5 again!
Next day we caught up with Hilary and Jo and a few others from the mighty Dannevirke and it was here we decided that when the time was right Aimee and I would move into their room “temporarily” to keep costs down for a while. It seems temporarily is looking more like semi-permanent now that my bed is moved in and the wardrobe has been set up. 4 girls in one room, it’s not as bad as it sounds and there are 7 other’s living here as well if we ever get on each other’s nerves! So Acton Town is where I now call home. And Acton Town is also home to the ever delightful Redback Tavern or “Reddy” as it is affectionately known as and the Chatsworth or “Chatty”. Trying to steer clear as much as possible but their grasp sometimes proves too strong!
It really is just life as normal, ooh apart from those pesky riots. I’m sure you all know a lot more about it than I do to be honest. Unless you are going to where they are you barely know they are happening. Except for that helicopter that appears to have been above me everywhere I go for about a week now…
Have done a touch of sightseeing, Greenwich Village, Borough Markets, Camden Town, Addlestone, a few huge walks around the city centre to stare at all the favourites. Have returned to places like Charring Cross Hospital Emergency a couple of times with nasty bite like infection on my leg – tasty! Wallet = lost/stolen on the tube one night. I’m sure this city hates me.
Cousin Josh arrived the week after we did and so I took him for a sight see around the city for a nosey at Waterloo, London Eye, Big Ben and Parliament, Westminster Abbey, 10 Downing Street, Buckingham Palace, St James’ Park and Green Park and a walk through to Piccadilly. On the Sunday we all trotted off to The Church to see what was going on there, carnage apparently, before moving on to The Walkie in SheBu, Vesbar and finally back to the Redback. A pretty typical Sunday for any ex pat.
So that’s about me, see not overly interesting. No travel plans really. Have locked in a half marathon somewhere in France for later in the year – now I need to get training. Possibly a weekend in the pipeline for a trip around Wales as well which I am looking forward to! As it gets hotter over there at home it’s getting colder over here and my American tan will disappear! Eeeeek.
Random fact: there are around 60,000 pubs in the UK and I’ve calculated that if I go to a different one each day that it will take me 165 years to get around all of them. I better get to it! Lots of love xx
