My wonderful Mum and Dad

BEST South Aussie Pie Floaters

Dads recipe
500g split peas or blue boilers
1 1/2 litres of water
2 generous sprigs of mint
1 heaped tspn of bi-carb soda
soak peas overnight
bring to boil slowly til think and creamy
salt and pepper to taste

warm pie (needs to be a good quality pie - heated through; so heat mostly in microwave then finish in oven so its not to crunchy.

Put pie in a large bowl upside down, cover with soup
Add tomato sauce to taste.
Hot tip - it doesnt look as good as it tastes!

Iluka

Today has been a year since I last saw my baby. I am not going to cry right now; I think if I was at home I might be a tad more emotional. Looking forward to New Years Eve which makes it easier. Especially as I spent the last one balling my eyes out on my balcony watching the fireworks over the southern skies. There is always so much to avert your attention towards in London.

This morning on the way to work it wasnt below zero or even -14 like yesterday but god it was cold!! It rained too - I think it was actually sleet - its kinda skitzo rain that doesnt know if it is actually snow, rain or hail.

43 degrees for the 2nd last day of 2005 in Adelaide, Aust!! ha ha - its really hard to imagine.

Last night Rez and I finally got to meet another one of our house mates, Dylan and his friend from Texas, Tom. What a laugh this house is going to be!

Merry Fosters Xmas 2005!

Post Xmas sales

Had a great Xmas. Woke up mid morning and did the champers, H&C croissant/opening prezzies with Rez and Andy thing.

About 2ish we headed down the road (no transport available Xmas Day here, therefore the opportunity of a walk down the street to a strangers house was somewhat appealing). There were about 30 other Aussies at Megsys’ (our flatmate) friends’ flat. It was cute seeing people in thongs and tankies (however far away I am) on Christmas Day crammed into such a small place. It was actually quite a nice day, bit on the chilly side, but the sun shone for most of the day (sunlight however fades around 3.30ish). Met heaps of new people – including a chick called Heather who is originally from Adelaide, but over from Sydney for a month and had funnily enough decided to venture alone to Belfast for NYE! How weird!
We thought we were the only ones – by the way, incase I hadn’t told you already, Rez, Andy and I decided to take up Pete’s kind offer of pub crawl in Belfast for NYE! We fly out on the morning of the 31st (Saturday) and we are all staying at Pete’s cousins’, in Belfast. I am sure it will be a whirlwind trip of Irish pub walls (and green beer – or do I have my excuse for drinking holidays mixed up?), but none the less, it is our first trip out of London, NYE and the guys we will be hanging out with are always available to show us a good time. More details on this trip next year.

It snowed! Tuesday morning, woke up, opened my curtains, and there it was – snow was falling and the road below my window was dusted in white! I woke Rez up and I have never seen her jump out of bed so quick – we got some shots that I will send at some stage in the near future. Needless the say the cold is hereeeeee!

What would one expect a fresh young chick, (that’s still me for a bit longer) just moved to London to do on the Boxing Day Holiday?
Nat messaged me Boxing Day night ‘Hey Ness, just wondering if you wanna come shopping to the sales with me tomorrow?’ Ha! What do you think my thoughts were? If you answered ‘you wouldn’t have had to think about it and said yes immediately’, then you are right and know me too well.

Met Nat at the ‘becoming more regular meeting point’ of Shelleys Shoes at Oxford Circus around 10.30am. We headed through the millions to a coffee shop to plan our attack. That attack was short lived after the first experience of the day was H&M. We managed to spend until lunch time in there! I came out with a pink work suit jacket for £4.99, aqua work shirt for £2.99 and a red ¾ sleeve T for £4.99. Have to say I was happy with the first lot of bargains!
I willingly let Nat drag me into Lido Café (kinda unlike the Holdfast Shores namesake!) where we were oh so indecisive about what to eat – it was much easier choosing clothing to buy let me tell you! Considering I was going to need all the energy I could get for the shopping experience I was about to endure, I settled on Spaghetti Vongole (a clam, tomato and wine sauce – yummo!) and of course a diet coke – I think I have had enough alcohol to sink a battleship to date. I actually ate the whole plate of pasta – and it was huge! Despite all you hear about the catastrophic prices of things in London, this place is a must when in the high fashioned Oxford St as my meal was a measly £3.70!
Ok, back to the sales. Next – was Next. This place was sooo packed, that there were no change rooms. Weirdo shopping experiences around the world #5501. Maybe this defeated the purpose, because people were lined up in front of mirrors to try things on – needless to say I didn’t buy the jeans I saw when I first entered the store! I did however buy a top (that I am actually wearing to work today) that is has a pink and green paisley retro theme to it (As Nat would say – something only I would pick up but surprisingly looks good on! He he)

New Look was next, after Next, and this was the most packed of all – mainly due to the bargains available. The change rooms were surprisingly quiet though. I think everyone was over the change room lock down that other store had employed and therefore they just bought stuff without trying on – god help the chicks at the return counter. Anyway, something else for weirdo shopping experiences around the world #5502 – I took 2 items into the change room and was told that I could only take 4 – as I was handed 2 more items of clothing??!
Anyway, that was only on one excursion to try stuff on in this store. There were many others and I managed to get at least 4 items on the other occasions.
(Insert mum comment) I didn’t buy the best red ¾ coat for £25! I also didn’t buy some vintage brown corduroy 3/5 shorts for £5 and I didn’t buy a cropped black suit jacket for £15 annnndd I didn’t go back to this shop later in the evening (because we were looking for a belt for Nat!!??? Really we were!) and discover there was a downstairs bit with accessories and soooo many shoes and handbags (thinking of you always Aunty Karen, Jayne, Geppy, Carly etc) so I didn’t buy some black knee high boots for £15 and 2 knitted hats for £2 each. (Hey, its cold here, you just don’t understand how excited I am to have a reason to buy hats!! Excluding Carly here;)


Ok, sorry, boys, lots of shop talk – Chelsea one against Fulham 3 -2? (My new FOOTY team)

Love to hear from everyone… Hope everyone is well and making the most of that beach and summer heat wave.

PS ok, now I understand that K Packer died. RIP. This I have confirmed, but on the radio here yesterday, I just heard it was his birthday… can anyone confirm that it was his birthday on the day he died? Sounds morbid but the news here is seeming a bit like Chinese whispers ;0)

everything is stuck with blue tac

Cuisine - What is it with mayonnaise, new to be added to this list - digestive biscuits?

Share houses – an array of almost empty shampoo-like bottles of the window sil – however only 6 people live here.

What to do? I was planning on having an overseas experience on NYE, well MY os – away from London. After contemplating spending loads on getting to Hogmanay (Edinburgh) this was a no go because all of the tours depart on the 30th – and being a good new employee (and requiring the £) I am working on Friday 30th. So next option, taking up on an invite to Belfast. What you say?? Well I have heard many a bad word about Belfast. However most people mentioning the scariness haven’t actually been. So open-mindedly, (or naively) I looked into it. Too close – too hard/expensive – too cold. Paula, Nats’ housechick commented in her Françoise accent – ‘people would give an arm and a leg to be in London for NYE’ – hmmm. Good point.

So I have been searching for options, checking out tubes for posters, and it seems I have just opened a can of worms. So many clubs offering drinking, dancing, dinner, double rooms (cause it has to start with a D for this exercise) themed attire or, all of the above.
Ok, it has almost actually been decided. Glitterati Hotel may be where we are headed. With CC Peneston playing!

Its beginning to look alot like Christmas

I have been having an absolute ball!! Moved into a share house in Willesden Green on Sunday (NW) – there is the 3 of us Aussie chicks, 2 kiwis (1 of each) and a Slovenian girl – however we haven’t met them all cause everyone is always out!
Have a few thoughts about Xmas Day - there is a pub down the road open, a girl we live with has invited us to a friends, a friend I have here is having a dinner, a friend I have met since being here has invited me to his sisters for dinner - but most of these are far away and there is no transport that day, so I think the party at the flatmates friends round the corner sounds good - stumble home! :)

Nat has grown up sooo much from being here! So glad she is here! We went ice skating on Sat night – it was so hilarious – we looked like Eskimos.

Work is wonderful, people are excellent, young and the drinks are always on! Tomorrow night is our Xmas party at a cool place called Sway in Holborn I have had my marketing/ IT agency call about offering me 1 job and putting my CV fwd for 1 other marketing job that sound excellent!!!!!!!!!! So I am a bit stuck cause I love it here but the £ is average – so I have to see.

I went to Oxford St Thursday night and bought a dress (very Gwen) and shiney red shoes round toe wedges to go – and paid full price! Its something I am going to be able to wear for a long time tho, so why not! I haven’t really bought much since being here either cause I keep converting!! Gotta stop that!

Wanna go to Hogmanay in Edin but we are working on the 30th – when all the tours start – a friend has invited us to Belfast, at least we would have free accomm and know some people (gentlemen – although they are hilarious Irishmen) I don’t really wanna stay in London, but will do something here if it comes to it.

Its dark already!

I am again at work, pondering where to go after. Rez and I are looking at ANOTHER house tonight at Willesden Green. We have been trying hard to avoid the Aussie/Kiwi/Saffa areas of London, but there is something nice about the inner north west that we Aussies obviously can familiarise with. Plus the shopping in Hammersmith nearby is unbelievable. I think Renee and I spent about 2 hours Sunday afternoon just in one shop that had designer everything at unbelievable prices. The only problem was that there were people everywhere and you have to go through everything to find your uk sizes if available (I am still unsure how that works - you will be proud or ashamed of me still that I havent bought any clothing!)
Anyway, this was after an all nighter at a pub and a bar not far from where we are staying in the burbs. Needless to say that we wandered aimlessly after our latest kebab trial.

UPDATE: Rez just got a job - hurrah! As a PA for Goldman Sachs. She starts Thursday. I think that means cider for dinner tonight. (god - the champers is gross and sooo expensive :( ) A guy who I work with who bought me a bottle of ITALIAN ?????? champagne at Friday night drinks. Bless. Anyway, I am now a beer drinker. Geppy, Grandad, you will be so proud of me ;)

A group of us are contempating going ice skating sometime between now and xmas. There is definetely a market for it here (come to think there is a market for everything - and everything at the markets, that are everywhere...)
We have found a slight replacement for Charlesworths, called Cranberrys. Its not the same but offers an array of nibbley bits that we are missing dearly. (also at the shopping mecca)

It maybe a little bit late, but today I received an invite for an assessment day for an airline. Darn it! I really like it here. These things always happen at the worse time. Last time I received one of these from Virgin I was so not in the frame of mind to leave DECS. (but everything happens for a reason;)

Working for the £

While the Aussies sleep, I am sitting at my desk. (software engineer free!)
It is now day 2 of my working career in London; day 8 of my holiday (if you can call it that) and I like it! I never thought that working in another IT environment could ever be as good.
My first day comprised of such events as
Getting to a place in the world you have never been before by 9am - accomplished.
Meeting lots of lovely like age people - mostly not londoners; and get invited to the pub for lunch/Friday work drinks/Xmas party - accomplished.
Getting your own laptop, mobile phone and finding out you are going to be travelling to the outskirts of london frequently for something??! - accomplished.

My role is Services Coordinator for Redstone Communications and apparently I am in charge of ensuring that 14 male engineers log and complete cases within SLAs. Among other things that will eventuate due to a recent merger where no one knows who is going to do what. (Nothing really changes public to private - except free stuff)

Day 2 I have started to get into the actual job. I think Ill be here a while.

Other things of interest - Rez and I are looking at a few places to live on the weekend, we will probably do Portabello or some other markets and I think we are going out at least on Sat night with the Aus crew.

I hear it is going to be 38 there on the weekend; which I am totally fine with. It has been quite nice here! Thy sun is beaming through the window at my desk (yes, but I have a view of a building site) and I actaully wore my sunnies at lunchtime today. Nothing could be better.

Ealing - Zone 3 (no mayo pleeaasssee!)

We have moved to my friends share house in the meantime while we find a place to stay, jobs etc. I have had two recruitmenty interviews over the last 2 days. The first one was more of a professional/permanent company where marketing and IT jobs are the forte. Very professional. I feel I need to go to Oxford St and purchase a navy suit... Did someone say Oxford st!?? We were actually there to register for a temp agency - this took 2 hours. I had to do a spelling, typing, word, xl and pp test - for a job on an IT help desk!??? booooooooooooooo anyway, - they are putting me fwd for that job today...??! It sounds like a no brainer, and it is something to do (and earn £) til I get something better.
So, back to the good bit. I met Rez on Oxford st afters, but while I was waitin for her, strolled in to Next and Debenhams (to get out of the cold of course! ;)It was utter torture! I have been quite refrained from purchasing - I think a look in Nats waredrobe scared me after having to lug about 35kgs across town - i think I might return in 2006 to participate in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne - because I have swimmers arms from carrying my backpack!
We caught a bus on Oxford to get around to Vic Station. It took 1/2 hour because we were all ordered to get off less than half way there. Next time we will just walk that mile. The tube takes so long due to the steps to get to the line you are after, even thought it is only 1 or 2 stops away -and yes our life has been like a Monopoly board!


Last night Rez and I met Nat and Kyles for a REHS reunion of our own. Hilarious. You go across the world and nothing really changes. Except that everything here has mayo on it! Blerch! Must be the contents of the Heathrow Injection! But just incase you are watching what you eat, some sandwiches offer the mayo and low fat mayo conveniently in the same sandwich.

Sandwich City

Well, day three and a half has started of well - the sun is again shining down on us - and we are in the heart of london remember!?
Yesterday (sat) Towsty met us at Victoria Station at Starbucks #114432234 (yeah, and they had no hot water!???) so we could plan our attack for the day. Since being here he hasnt done many touristy related things - so we thought it was a great opportunity for all.
We headed by foot to Westminster Abbey, Parliament and toward the London Eye - along with the rest of the world it seemed. From there we caught the tube to the Camden Markets. (For those of you who are not aware of such a place, they are the largest markets in the southern Hemisphere. That, and Rez informed me that this is where Geri (aka Ginger Spice) bought outfits for the spice girls once apon a era of bad taste. Well, after days of perfect winter weather, it kinda sunk in that we were in London. Umbrellaless, the heavens opened - it somewhat seemed unexpected, however open aired markets in London seemed like a bad idea to us in the first place!

After having lunch, being drenched and buying our first purchases in London (yes, thats right, I have been here since Thursday and hadnt yet bought a thing - besides our 10p sangers for dinner each night lol) we headed for the tube - well, so was everyone else (they must have followed us from the London Eye!!) A decision needed to be made - hmmm, tube, Worlds End pub on one side, and The 1/2way House pub on the other - well we made the right decision. We entered the 1/2way and proceeded throught the smoke filled bar to a cosy nook in the corner - to defrost among other things.
An Irish guy next to me asked me to mind his stuff while he went to the mens (I think that is what he said?) so, I did!?? and got friendly-ee paid out by a group of guys - before the other guys returned to stick up for me. Needless to say that when you protect a guys beer and a packet of smokes, you have friends for life!

Were heeeree!

Flight to london wasnt too bad at all - lots of teeev to watch - including Rick Steins France where he cause the ferry and raved about a great blue steak and how he know he could count on the french to cook it right! - SOUND LIKE ANYONE FAMOOOOLYA??

Singapore was mearly a loo (lav) stop; however we changed from jeans to trackies for comfort value (however not so comfortable for Rez when she punched herself in the face whilst trying to remove the jeans over the Doc Martens in a hurry - resulting in a fat lip)

Abu Dhabi was a beautiful airport, even at about 5am. All mosaiced - however the smoking somewhat ruined the ambience.

All in all the flight was quite bearable.

This morning we were in def need of a shower! he he

It is unseasonally mild - I think someone likes us! We arrived just before midday on Thursday but by the time we got to our accommo (shoe box inn) it was dark (3pm) however we ventured out to get our sim cards. Towsty (ex DECS friend) suprised us by showing up at 1st Contact! That was excellent! He was so excited to see us too. By that time we went to a pub and had a pint and some curry and a long chat. We walked back to our room via Sainsburys about 10:30 -11ish and they were throwing out chicken salad and egg salad sangers for 10p - so we have decided we will probably live on sandwiches for late dinners! When we got back to the room we absolutely zonked it!

Anyways, today we have about 10 degrees and sun!??? We caught the tube to Oxford St to go to the bank on Regent st and have tallied up a good 20 miles :)

We have just walked through Pic Circus, SoHo and back to Oxford St, had lunch (I had FISH salad drink AND CHIPS - which was ok for £3.50 $& Rez had a doner kebaby thing (NOT a yeeeros) and we are now on the internet looking up jobs, accommodation and writing this email! I am awaiting a call from an agent to look at a property tonight in Ealing - zone 3 west side. We thought we would have a bit of a look seeing both Nat and Andrew live in Ealing - what a coincidence - however apparently the west side is the best.