Sunday, November 30, 2003
Courtney Pine was fantastic. Our tickets were on the top level at the Royal Festival Hall but we still had a great view. The other jazz concert we went to this past Thursday, Nathan Haines, was in Cabot Hall at Canary Wharf. The set up was very different. We all sat around big round tables, kind of like being in a awards ceremony, sipping our drinks. Haines was in fine form and played a few of our favourites from the Sound Travels album as well as some new stuff from Squire for Hire. The English crowd were abit subdued. In the end Joseph and I went to the back to boogy. Canary Wharf is very flash. It was redeveloped to attract big business so it is very different from the old skool look in the middle of town. It was more similar to the business area in Singapore.
On Friday it was a beautiful London day. I'm very fortunate to be working in the middle of Victoria. I walked to Green Park and had lunch at Buckingham Palace.....well just outside with the tourists (o:
On Saturday we went on our first day trip to Cambridge to visit my friends Audrey and Michael. They both studied at the university so gave us a great tour of the famous colleges. One highlight was visiting the Christopher Wren Library at Trinity College (the richest college in Cambridge...it's rumoured that they own one third of London!!). Inside they had many original manuscripts in the handwriting of famous writers and poets eg: Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne and poems by Lord Byron. They also had some amazing original historical documents like Issac Newton's letters to a colleague discussing what names to give anodes, cathodes and ions. And a account of a siting of the first atom bomb explosion and a speech written about how humanity should band together against the atom bomb by notable people whose names escape me. So amazing and more interesting to me than the ancient ruins in Sri Lanka because I can relate to them more. You feel privileged and humbled to be walking in the same places where these great thinkers walked.
We had a lovely pub lunch and Audrey cooked us a great dinner in the evening. So much food! I was ready to explode. As the Christmas season grows near I'm preparing for the inevitable expansion of my waist line!
Well, it's a beautiful day out there so I best get out and get walking to try to keep fit (o:
We have the Micheal Franti and Spearhead concert to look forward to this week.
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On Friday it was a beautiful London day. I'm very fortunate to be working in the middle of Victoria. I walked to Green Park and had lunch at Buckingham Palace.....well just outside with the tourists (o:
On Saturday we went on our first day trip to Cambridge to visit my friends Audrey and Michael. They both studied at the university so gave us a great tour of the famous colleges. One highlight was visiting the Christopher Wren Library at Trinity College (the richest college in Cambridge...it's rumoured that they own one third of London!!). Inside they had many original manuscripts in the handwriting of famous writers and poets eg: Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne and poems by Lord Byron. They also had some amazing original historical documents like Issac Newton's letters to a colleague discussing what names to give anodes, cathodes and ions. And a account of a siting of the first atom bomb explosion and a speech written about how humanity should band together against the atom bomb by notable people whose names escape me. So amazing and more interesting to me than the ancient ruins in Sri Lanka because I can relate to them more. You feel privileged and humbled to be walking in the same places where these great thinkers walked.
We had a lovely pub lunch and Audrey cooked us a great dinner in the evening. So much food! I was ready to explode. As the Christmas season grows near I'm preparing for the inevitable expansion of my waist line!
Well, it's a beautiful day out there so I best get out and get walking to try to keep fit (o:
We have the Micheal Franti and Spearhead concert to look forward to this week.
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Saturday, November 22, 2003
I started work at English Partnerships (www.englishpartnerships.co.uk) this week. No, it's not a dating agency but focuses on regeneration of areas, housing etc. I'm the New Media Assistant, working with the New Media Coordinator in the Press office. The marketing team are next to us as well. We work on the floor where the CEO (an Aussy) and the Chair's offices are. The ladies I work with are lovely and the office is on Buckingham Palace Road which is very central.
On Thursday Joseph and I went along to the Stop Bush protest. It was very similar to protesting in Wellington, i.e. lots of interesting banners and music, but the backdrop was grander, i.e. Westminster Abbey with Big Ben and Trafalger Square with Nelson's Column. Another difference was the big screen (which showed images of Bush and Blair) and the big sound system at Trafalgar Square. People were dancing on the fountains and on Nelson's Column. Unfortunately we got home to the news of the terrible bombings in Istanbul. You get a dreadful feeling that London's turn is coming. Apparently MI5 etc have prevented attacks on London in the past, I guess that's good news.
On Friday we went to a free jazz concert at the Royal Festival Hall. It's part of the jazz festival. We are just about to head that way again tonight to go to and see Courtney Pine (we paid for this concert). We've booked to see Nathan Haines next Thursday so it will be a week of jazz baby!
Congratulations to England on the World Cup! What a great game. Hopefully the ABs can take the cup off England next time eh (o:
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On Thursday Joseph and I went along to the Stop Bush protest. It was very similar to protesting in Wellington, i.e. lots of interesting banners and music, but the backdrop was grander, i.e. Westminster Abbey with Big Ben and Trafalger Square with Nelson's Column. Another difference was the big screen (which showed images of Bush and Blair) and the big sound system at Trafalgar Square. People were dancing on the fountains and on Nelson's Column. Unfortunately we got home to the news of the terrible bombings in Istanbul. You get a dreadful feeling that London's turn is coming. Apparently MI5 etc have prevented attacks on London in the past, I guess that's good news.
On Friday we went to a free jazz concert at the Royal Festival Hall. It's part of the jazz festival. We are just about to head that way again tonight to go to and see Courtney Pine (we paid for this concert). We've booked to see Nathan Haines next Thursday so it will be a week of jazz baby!
Congratulations to England on the World Cup! What a great game. Hopefully the ABs can take the cup off England next time eh (o:
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Sunday, November 16, 2003
I started my job on Thursday. My job is entering results from a survey into a database for Islington Council. It is very repetitive and boring but there are some upsides to it. The people seem quite nice, I don't have to deal with any clients and they have glide time so as long as I do 7 hours each day I can start and end when I like.
On Saturday night we went to Shepherds bush to see Black Eyed Peas, our first live gig here. They were fantastic, very talented, energetic, great dancing and free-styling too. The Brits took a while to get going, we were dancing away while everyone else was soberly standing still, by the end the whole house was rocking.
Today Lou and I went shopping for work clothes for me on Oxford Street. I got some pants and a shirt. Lou got sick of me wanting to go into every clothing store so we stopped for a bite to eat. After lunch we headed over to Camden market. This is like Cuba Street back home, lots of interesting people and shops and big markets, I will have to go back there and spend an entire day to see the rest of it.
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On Saturday night we went to Shepherds bush to see Black Eyed Peas, our first live gig here. They were fantastic, very talented, energetic, great dancing and free-styling too. The Brits took a while to get going, we were dancing away while everyone else was soberly standing still, by the end the whole house was rocking.
Today Lou and I went shopping for work clothes for me on Oxford Street. I got some pants and a shirt. Lou got sick of me wanting to go into every clothing store so we stopped for a bite to eat. After lunch we headed over to Camden market. This is like Cuba Street back home, lots of interesting people and shops and big markets, I will have to go back there and spend an entire day to see the rest of it.
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Wednesday, November 12, 2003
Good news on the job front. Joseph and I both found out today that we've got jobs. My contract is up until Christmas and Joseph's is for three months. My role is web based in a Government department and I'll be working on Buckingham Palace Road. I might pop in to see Lizzie for high tea every now and then (o: Joseph's role is data entry based in Islington Council. The Council has a big IT team so maybe there will be other more challenging opportunities as well. Joseph was up for three other jobs but, because they needed an answer today, he went for this role. (burp) (that was Rachel!) At least we've now got our feet in the door. What a relief. It's been, and will continue to be, a challenging roller coaster ride. A big THANK YOU to our wonderful referees!
We are continuing our social schedule of catch ups. Tonight we are meeting Mel (a friend from Les Mills) and on Friday we are meeting with Tash (Joseph's ex work colleague). We are also looking forward to going to 'Black Eyed Peas' , a funky US hip hop band on Saturday.
This past Saturday we went to the Lord Mayor's fireworks. They were a little disappointing as one of the barges caught on fire and rendered all the fireworks on it useless! On Sunday we went to the BBC Charity Comedy night for Children in Need. We saw some great comedians.
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We are continuing our social schedule of catch ups. Tonight we are meeting Mel (a friend from Les Mills) and on Friday we are meeting with Tash (Joseph's ex work colleague). We are also looking forward to going to 'Black Eyed Peas' , a funky US hip hop band on Saturday.
This past Saturday we went to the Lord Mayor's fireworks. They were a little disappointing as one of the barges caught on fire and rendered all the fireworks on it useless! On Sunday we went to the BBC Charity Comedy night for Children in Need. We saw some great comedians.
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Saturday, November 08, 2003
Thursday was an unusually warm day, about 15 degrees and totally clear. Lou had an interview with an agency in the morning and I did more searching for jobs. We met at Hyde Park in the afternoon for a stroll. It was wonderful walking through the wide-open spaces and through the trees with their autumn leaves. We made our way through Wellington’s arch and on to Buckingham Palace. The guards wore those huge silly hats but had grey coats instead red ones. Lou was unimpressed by the palace itself.
Lou and I are both have a little more success with our job search now, we are actually receiving rejection email! Which is a good sign because you have to have been considered for the position to get them. We have also had some more promising responses but we don’t want to get too excited about them yet.
We visited Reinhold and Paulette Berger for dinner last night. Their daughter, Ellie, stayed with mum in Auckland for 6 months on as an exchange student. I never actually met her but mum wanted us to visit her parents here in London. They are very nice people and made us feel most welcome. The neighbour, Linda who works for the ABC (the American entertainment network) was also there. She gave us all the inside gossip on the latest royal scandal. Reinhold and Paulette have recently moved over from Frankfurt, Reinhold works for Deutche Bank, the same bank that Steve works for, and works very long hours.
Today we are meeting Lou’s friend Ursula for lunch and tonight we are going into town to see the fireworks from the Lord Mayors show.
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Lou and I are both have a little more success with our job search now, we are actually receiving rejection email! Which is a good sign because you have to have been considered for the position to get them. We have also had some more promising responses but we don’t want to get too excited about them yet.
We visited Reinhold and Paulette Berger for dinner last night. Their daughter, Ellie, stayed with mum in Auckland for 6 months on as an exchange student. I never actually met her but mum wanted us to visit her parents here in London. They are very nice people and made us feel most welcome. The neighbour, Linda who works for the ABC (the American entertainment network) was also there. She gave us all the inside gossip on the latest royal scandal. Reinhold and Paulette have recently moved over from Frankfurt, Reinhold works for Deutche Bank, the same bank that Steve works for, and works very long hours.
Today we are meeting Lou’s friend Ursula for lunch and tonight we are going into town to see the fireworks from the Lord Mayors show.
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Tuesday, November 04, 2003
On Friday we met up with my friend Jo Granville. It was great to catch up and we now have an excellent guide to the London party scene...when we can muster up the energy to get out for a boogy!
On Saturday we met up with Laurence, Colleen and Gordon. We went to Notting Hill and walked through Portabello Market. It was very busy and we found it hard to find a restaurant or cafe with room to spare. Colleen found London warmer than Toronto.
Steve's friends from Germany, complete with cute baby boy, visited on the weekend. We went to the British Museum and had a nice pub lunch...Yorkshire pud and all. I only got around one and a half sections of the British Museum, it definately warrants many repeat visits. The Mummies were cool and I enjoyed reading about the rich history of the Middle East and Egypt. You certainly are more aware of and hungry for information on the different parts of the world when you are travelling. I'm the sort of person who needs to be near or in a place before I become interested in it's history and analyse where it fits in the grand scheme of things. We walked from the museum to Covent Garden where there was a Christmas foody market on. There was a lot of lovely organic foods eg: breads, meats and cheeses. We enjoyed wandering around, eating the samples and sniffing the delicious aromas.
I think Monday was pretty boring but we did cook a lovely meal for Rachel and Steve....if I don't say so myself (o:
Today I was supposed to go to an agency interview in Richmond. Unfortunately I didn't make it because there was a fault on the tracks to Richmond. I played musical trains for a while before calling the agency to re book. Lucky I wasn't going to a job interview! Another lucky thing was that I left my passport on Friday at a photocopy shop and it was still there when I went to check this morning. Whew!! It would not be fun going through the palavar of getting a new passport and visa.
We also met Luke, a friend from MfE, this afternoon to catch up and go to the movie 'Kill Bill'. Luke was well and the movie was great! I'm looking forward to the sequel. Talking of sequels, I'm not sure if Joseph and I will bother going to 'Matrix Revolutions'. If you guys see it soon let us know what you think. Of course we can't wait until 'The Return of the King' comes out.
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On Saturday we met up with Laurence, Colleen and Gordon. We went to Notting Hill and walked through Portabello Market. It was very busy and we found it hard to find a restaurant or cafe with room to spare. Colleen found London warmer than Toronto.
Steve's friends from Germany, complete with cute baby boy, visited on the weekend. We went to the British Museum and had a nice pub lunch...Yorkshire pud and all. I only got around one and a half sections of the British Museum, it definately warrants many repeat visits. The Mummies were cool and I enjoyed reading about the rich history of the Middle East and Egypt. You certainly are more aware of and hungry for information on the different parts of the world when you are travelling. I'm the sort of person who needs to be near or in a place before I become interested in it's history and analyse where it fits in the grand scheme of things. We walked from the museum to Covent Garden where there was a Christmas foody market on. There was a lot of lovely organic foods eg: breads, meats and cheeses. We enjoyed wandering around, eating the samples and sniffing the delicious aromas.
I think Monday was pretty boring but we did cook a lovely meal for Rachel and Steve....if I don't say so myself (o:
Today I was supposed to go to an agency interview in Richmond. Unfortunately I didn't make it because there was a fault on the tracks to Richmond. I played musical trains for a while before calling the agency to re book. Lucky I wasn't going to a job interview! Another lucky thing was that I left my passport on Friday at a photocopy shop and it was still there when I went to check this morning. Whew!! It would not be fun going through the palavar of getting a new passport and visa.
We also met Luke, a friend from MfE, this afternoon to catch up and go to the movie 'Kill Bill'. Luke was well and the movie was great! I'm looking forward to the sequel. Talking of sequels, I'm not sure if Joseph and I will bother going to 'Matrix Revolutions'. If you guys see it soon let us know what you think. Of course we can't wait until 'The Return of the King' comes out.
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