The real London

Today, I do not love London.

Home sweet home

I have not one but two places to live! I’m currently staying in Camden in a converted church which is pretty cool and perhaps a little ironic. I’ll take some photos this weekend. I took it as a sign from home that this was meant to be when the pub across the road is called the Lord Stanley. I’ll be here for 6 weeks until Mark moves out of the place at Islington and then I will make what will hopefully be my last move for a while!

Sunday was another gorgeous day in London and I spent the afternoon hanging out with some of the Islington kids in the pub and park. I went to look at yet another room on Saturday (before I sorted the Camden place) but was somehow put off by one of the guys who lived there answering the door in a towel! Having sorted this place at Camden is brilliant – I’ve stopped checking Gumtree as though my life depends upon it and I don’t have to spend my nights looking at rooms.

Tonight Kempy and I went to a French restaurant in Islington called Le Mercury which was lovely and very reasonable (especially for London). I had a lovely time – I haven’t actually been out for dinner here all that much – it tends to be more pub meals, so to go to a restaurant was a nice change. Kempy had the pick of the food with a grilled rhubarb and basil ice cream dessert – sounds like strange flavours but it was delicious.

This weekend I’m meeting up with a friend of Cas’ for a drink on Saturday afternoon and Sunday Alison and I are going to Spittalfield markets.

Jules and Guy – I finally saw a mouse!

The wild west.

It’s been an interesting 24 hours and am currently sitting a bit red faced in a café after ordering a latte, proceeded to forget about it and knocked it over when I moved my laptop out of the way (I’m nerding it right up at the moment – the laptop pretty much goes everywhere with me). A delightful Saturday morning experience!

A tip for new players – when you can’t find anywhere in a strip of restaurants that serves eggs benedict probably not best to go with the only that does. And when they recommend the garlic bruschetta and it comes out coated with cream sauce as well – it’s definitely a breakfast I’ll never forget!

The view however makes up for the food. It’s actually a beautiful day in London, very similar to a spring day in Toowoomba. The café looks out across Islington Green which is a lovely little park with beautiful trees right in the heart of Islington. London has such a great vibe on good weather days – they’re so rare that people really relish them. I really wish I had my camera with so I could take a picture (the 12 pound handbag that would ensure my survival at the desert is at home, the laptop takes priority at the moment).

Last night was something to remember. Mark, Darren and I went to the pub to have a drink with some of Darren’s friends from home. After sitting outside for a few hours in the cold we decided to move inside. All of a sudden we started hearing a noise that sounded like something heavy being dropped on the floor – sort of a slapping sound. A few minutes later we heard it again and again a few minutes after that - I had thought it was the staff packing up the outside tables– it was then we realised someone was shooting a the pub with a BB gun and the sound was when the ball bearings hit the window! (Mum please stop panicking – it was fine,) The police showed up soon after and we decided that was a good time to head home.

Routine

I’m very quickly remembering the monotony of the daily work routine. It’s no more fun even if you’re a different country! The job is working out fine although there is still the usual assortment of characters – although nothing will quite match a law firm. The area where I work is a bit like working in a little village with one main street and about one of everything. Not working in a high-rise is definitely a strange experience – I don’t even have a pass card which is definitely weird.

I think I have found a place to live. I would sound more exited but it’s not definite yet and I don’t want to get my hopes up. At the place I’m staying at, one of the boys is going home in about six weeks and it looks like I’ll take over his room. There’s still a bit of sorting out to do about where I’ll stay until he leave but I’ll get something sorted – if worst comes to worst I can stay with the nuns (when mum and I came to London last time we stayed in a convent). It’s one of the nicest, cleanest and newest places I’ve seen since I’ve got here and it’s in a great spot about 10 mins walk to the heart of Islington (for those who haven’t been Islington it’s a bit like New Farm/West end). It would be the two boys, Darren and Kempy (who’s room I’m in now) and myself. I seem destined to not live with girls! The biggest draw back is THEY DON”T HAVE THE INTERNET which if things go well I’ll remedy as soon as possible. I’ve actually found out that Islington has free wireless provided by the local council however we’re just outside it’s range – how that’s for cruel irony.

Now that somewhere to live is just about sorted I feel exhausted. I think I’ve been so focused on leaving home, finding a job, finding a place to live and the trip to Sweden I’ve not had time to stop and it’s finally catching up. I will be going for an O’Brien sleep in on Saturday (till 9 if I’m lucky). Once the room is sorted so many other things fall into place and I can stop thinking about it.

One month in London

My first month has been an easy and hard all at the same time. I didn’t really expect to have a job this quickly but I did expect to have found somewhere to live.

It has been feeling pretty much like a holiday up until the end of my trip to Sweden and now it’s starting to feel like my real life. I find London itself reasonably easy – the public transport is fairly easy and having a job makes me feel fairly secure. Although I do still feel it’s much more pretend at home – you just don’t have to care about so much that you do at home.

One of the things that I have discovered about myself that seems significantly more noticeable here than at home is my vertigo! I was always a bit wary at home but it seems to be quite a bit worse here – the super long escalators on the tube are always a challenge!

I have loved being able to hang out with Jules again and I think having her and Guy here for my first month made things so much easier and I think I will definitely feel their absence keenly over the next few months.

I think once I have a place to live and a bank account (finally) I’ll feel a little more secure in London town. Knowing that more visitors and trips are just around the corner get me through the 5.30 am wake ups!

I’ve noticed more than anything though the generosity of people. People are so willing to help you out with information, let you crash on their floor, join their French lessons etc. I have never before had to rely on other people so much and everyone has been so very generous.

A special note to Jess – Mick Thomas is playing in Camden and I so wish you were here to go with me!

GLAD PÅSK (Happy Easter)

Apparently I’m not blogging fast enough for some people so here’s an update.

Last weekend was mainly hanging out with Jules and Guy as it was their last weekend in town and moving to Kempy’s. Kempy has very generously let me take his room while he is in Turkey and Egypt - I’m still in Islington but a bit down the road from Jules and Guy’s place. His place is lovely and I have my own room and bed which right now is an amazing luxury!

We had Jules and Guy’s farewell at the Pitcher & Piano which involved a lot of a drink called a Berryliscious and I will forever have fond memories of Guy dancing style! I have yet to get the photographic evidence of this from Jules but I’ll see what I can do.

My job is quite busy and the commute takes about an hour so that’s most of my weekdays covered. Apart from 2 room viewings on Tuesday which surprise, surprise didn’t work out.

I also now know that finding a potato peeler in London is much more difficult that it sounds. I kept getting taken to the canned vegetable section! Even when I mimed the action I still got very blank looks – and this is from people who speak English!

On Saturday I said goodbye to Jules and Guy which is sad – hard to believe that Jules and I will only probably be in the same city for 3 weeks in about 3 years! Good thing good friends last the distance!

I then flew to Copengahen where Cas picked me up and drove me to Lund where she and Harken live. I’ve had a lovely couple of days seeing Agneta and Klaus (Hakan’s parents) and on Saturday Cas and I had a look around the town.

We managed to stumbled across the Lund cathedral which turned out to be a great find as it is the most beautiful building and has been around since the 12^th century and has the most amazing Astronomical clock.

The compass had it’s first outing as well! (For those who don’t know the kids gave me a compass when I left and I am taking it to each country I go to).

Hakan had a few people (15) over for a party on Saturday night which was good fun. Cas and I though we might end up in the kitchen as the only English speakers but they all speak amazing English here – right down to understanding nuances and complex jokes!

We made a few of the Australian favourites for the party including sausage rolls, Cas’ amazing guacamole dip and Fiona (Cas’ sister) hot cheese dip.

Hakan has made a demo CD of 3 of his songs which is very cool and I’m not just saying that because I want to go back to Sweden!

After a late start on Sunday, we had dinner at Agneta and Klaus’. Easter meals are traditionally fish based here so we had lots of different fish to try, as well as some schapps and Swedish meatballs.

Up and at ‘em bright and early on Monday morning and back to Copenhagen for my flight back to London – I didn’t panic at all when I went to get on the train and they told me I had to get a bus because there was work being done on the connecting bridge and I was cutting it pretty close for my flight. I am very pleased I didn’t go with my first instinct which was to follow the other people with suitcases onto the train as I would have ended up back in Malmo in Sweden. I ended up making it in plenty of time and ended up being surrounded by Aussie’s on the flight!

My number one priority this week – FIND SOMEWHERE TO LIVE!