Borough Markets

Im still here, same job, same house etc etc
I have been having an absolute ball, getting to see a lot of London, if only from the inside of pubs.
Dylan, Courtney Rez and I got up bright and early last Saturday morning (21/1/06), and ventured south to the Borough Markets.
Made famous by one English lad that rides around on one of those little white scooters. Funnily enough, he was there (well, we saw a scooter that HAD to be his a few hundred times anyway) There was such a variety of produce, albeit expensive.
The hardest decision seemed to be what to have for lunch, and with a lack of seating and cafes that supply tables and chairs, we stayed in the heart of the market and roast pork rolls and chicken wraps. For dessert there was a toss up between brownies, brownies and er, um... other homemade cakey things. Seeing we had ‘sampled’ the brownies a couple of times, Dylan and I opted for the cheesecake variety of pudding (ie DESSERT) Rez however rightly so stuck with what she knew – a brownie. Quite expensive but there was a wide range of 'fresher than supermarket' produce available.

More of Belfast

From Towsty's camera.

Pre Aus Day

Photo: Kate Ceberano and I - Adelaide 2005

Just incase there is someone out there that hasnt seen this pic - here it is!

Us Aussies (with a mix of cousin Kiwis for good measure) at the Willy G share house are getting into gear for a blinder Australia Day - unfortunately its not a public (BANK!) holiday for it here, but apparently it is a lucrative market - the pubs open earlier than usual to accommodate the hordes of patriotic beer drinking fun lovers. (cha ching!) We are still deciding a number of options such as do we go to work that day? do we just leave work early? Where do we go? Who is playing the best mix of Oz rock (even though the TNT has attributed most of its pages in the last few editions to the cause - this is why aging ozzy rockers stay in our memories).
I have heard quite a few Aussie tunes whilst here, mostly Land Down Under, but I went bowling last Wednesday (did I tell you I won the first game - against 3 guys?)
and was suprised to here the Veronicas! I still long to here my Kate out loud though. She gets cranked on the tube on my MP3, but its just not the same as pumping the stezza loud in your bedroom and getting all patriotically pretty to party!

Real bad restaurant review by Vanessa

Subway (the healthy option for combatting the Heathrow Injection)

Restaurant: Subway Great Eastern St Shoreditch EC2A 3EP in comparison to South Aussie ones

>Italian herb and cheese bread looks the same as Australia, but when you actually open the paper, it looks nothing like the display
>They DONT have old English cheddar as a cheese option!!?? What the..?
>Jalepenos are hotter in London (maybe cause it is colder?)
>Sweetcorn is a salad - beetroot aint - boo!
>Subway head office is in ANTRIM (SAME AS THE BELFAST HOPSITAL! - Been there!)
>They have ICE for the DC but it comes out slloooowwwwwww (at least they have ICE = cold drinks!)
Oh again, no beetroot!!

This restaurant happened to open about a week after I arrived to work at Redstone, just 2 mins away (hey, it’s closer than DECS to Pirie!) and is just about one of a kind in London city. They have only know of Subway in London for a few years, and it just hasn’t caught on as much as Oz – hard to believe in a sandwich city – maybe because you have to wait for it to be made (and it seems to take so long – one corn kernel at a time – as friendly as the staff are) it doesn’t automatically come without asking for mayo and they don’t have butter - shock horror – but these are all reasons I love it even more than before!

More pics - Aussie Christmas Day in da UK

(From left to right) Andy (DECS) Towsty, V (thats me), Megsy (house mate from Can Can) and Heather (that Sydney chick from Adelaide again)

New Years Eve - the photo shoot

From left to right: Heather (traveller originally from Adelaooooide!) Mick (our tour guide/host) Pete (storyteller) and Mark (Manchesta lad!)

Embarrasing pictures - but truely funny

Ok, so Rez has desided to post a few pics of us around Christmas time 2005. When I first looked I nearly killed her for putting the first picture up. Mind you when I read down, I found it so funny that I am now inviting you all to have a look and experience even only for a minute, the fun we are having here.
Love you all!
Rez Blog
xx

PS - I wasnt even that drunk!!!!!!!!! Truely!

Part 2 - Belfast

The Titanic was built in Belfast – didn’t get to see anything related to this, but something new I that I know now.

Has anyone read the back of a tube of Vegemite – since when were Australian activities referred to as sailing pursuits? I think that is the new payout for Irish people when referring to Aussies.

Vertigo – yes it is a song by a famous Irish band, but it is also a symptom of having a middle ear infection which I wouldn’t wish apon anyone! Happy New Year to me. First thing I did in 2006 was go to the Antrim Hospital in Belfast! At least that gave me a bit of a scenic tour (even if the scenes were moving)

On the way to the airport on Monday we dropped by to take a quick look at the heart of Belfast. The kids (Rez and Andy) took some snaps – I however was just trying my hardest not to spew. It was horrible. Especially whilst also trying to keep your dignity too. I am about 89% now (11/1/06)
I took one pic of Pete at the Crown Hotel

Belfast - the good part

Happy New Year!

Belfast was definitely different to previous locations I have spent a happy new year. Don’t get me wrong– you could be at a pub anywhere in the world with an alcoholic beverage in hand. But there is always something in the back of your mind that keeps reminding me I am in a foreign place (even if you are with very unforeign friends J) The thing that gave it away for me was the ladies bathroom in the Hotel; they all looked like The Coors. Now don’t get me wrong, The Coors chicks are very beautiful, it’s not Belfast’s fault that the sound of the song Breathless leaves me gasping for air!
The night began around 11.25am we headed to the pub. This was on the way from being kindly chauffeured from the airport in a BM (Thought of you and Corporate Cup Drecs J ). Being New Year and all, we were trying to get tickets to the big event. The pubs here open at 11.30am so we headed to the ‘bottlo’ (not what they refer them as in Bfast) to suss out the tickets.
At 11.30(still am) we entered the fine establishment where Pete obviously felt out of place walking in and not ordering a round – even after the previous 48 hrs of Irish frivolity. We were told it was first in best dressed and no tickets were actually available for the night – but get here by 5ish or you will miss out!
Gotta say that the pint of Harp I induced that morning was one of the better ales I have downed in the UK.
We quickly had another drink (well Pete and I did – the others thought it was too early (WE!) and took a long journey in a round about way (apparently) to Michaels house in Crumlin.

We began drinking around 3pm – avoiding the opportunity to have a brief snooze for fear of missing out on this adventure. We got to the pub via taxis strategically ordered by Mick – at around 5pmish – On arrival we met up with Heather – a chick originally from Adelaide we met on Xmas Day at the Aussie Xmas, had a bite to eat, did a bit of dancing (do you believe me?:)) and of course took heaps of piccys. – was a long but great night. However didn’t think we were going to make it to midnight!
(picture of us in Belfast before we left the house New YEars Eve - about 5pm!)