Lishi does London

She's baaaaaack!!

2007-11-01T22:33:00.000Z

Well, after my sabbatical from gainful employment, and a small technological glitch causing me to lose access to the internet, I am delighted to announce that I am back online! Thank you all for your concerned emails about the status of my heartbeat - yes, I am alive and well. I will now be able to return to the serious business of dazzling you all with my sparkling wit and repartee regarding my many and varied travelling adventures...lucky you! You can expect the first instalment in a day or two. No doubt you are already giddy with anticipation...

Young and vital?

2007-08-24T16:25:00.000+01:00

Friday 24 August

Well, after my night on the floorboards on Saturday, and my afternoon of defiance sitting in the rain in Trafalgar Square on Tuesday, I've managed to get sick AGAIN. This is the third time in the nine weeks I've been here. This place is surely a cesspool of contagion. I'm considering popping in to the local hospital to ask them to check if I have The Plague. It's possible...I've seen the little tube mice scurrying around after all...filthy vermin.

Anyway, I've spent the last few days at home, inside, away from the miserable cold and rain (what the HELL happened to Summer???) for the purposes of a decent convalescence. I've started reading the latest (and last) Harry Potter, watched a few movies, and generally rested (with one or two power naps for good measure).

I'm planning to attend the Notting Hill Carnival this weekend (for approximately 10 minutes, which I expect will be about how long I'll be able to cope with the insane crowds) and if the weather permits, a BBQ on Monday (a public holiday here).

Another Gallery...

2007-08-24T16:13:00.000+01:00

Tuesday 21 August I finally made it to the National Portrait Gallery. I spent a few good hours perusing through the exhibitions, the most interesting ones being the Tudor Galleries and the other suitably old stuff. The special Princess of Wales exhibition was a bit of a let down - only about 10 photos showing her time as the Princess.

I had come fully prepared with sustenance for the day (and managed to remember my glasses too)...so when I sat down to eat my baguette and orange juice on the only seat I could find which wasn't located in the cafe (the wooden bench in the lift area was far more comfortable and atmospheric anyway), I got a conspirational smile from the geriatric couple who did exactly the same at the other end of the bench, with their poppers and packed sandwiches from home. Taking a closer look, I realised that'll be me in a few short decades...right down to the comfortable shoes and glasses!

After that somewhat confronting episode, I decided to have my afternoon yoghurt snack sitting in Trafalgar Square...in the spitting rain and bitingly cold wind...ah this is the life! Young and vital and what not...

Flash Gordon's!

2007-08-24T16:12:00.000+01:00

Sunday 19 August I went to the Royal Festival Hall to see the World Press Photo Exhibition, which was ok. There was the obligatory 'expert' present, sharing her wisdom with some poor sap, and to avoid the tedious drivel coming from her mouth, I had to change my route around the exhibition so as not to run into her again.

The highlight of the day was by far Gordon's Wine Bar, (said to be the oldest in London, dating back to 1890) in Villier's Street, near Charing Cross station. The building itself dates back to about 1237, and consists of a fabulous underground low ceilinged vaulted cellar, complete with rickety wooden furniture and only candles in empty wine bottles to light the area. Definitely a place to revisit (pictured).

Losing time in Greenwich

2007-08-24T15:56:00.000+01:00

Saturday 18 August I met up with the girls in Greenwich for dinner. Unfortunately, time got away from us (as it seems to do, whether we are at the origin of time or not) and I missed the last DLR home. I spent the night on Lex's bedroom floor (floorboards no less!), but the three of us had a great night and I was up nice and early the next morning to get home in order to be in the city by 10 am. Unfortunately, the universe was against me that day, and due to signalling problems on the DLR, and maintenance on the tube, it took me 1.5 hours to get home...I could have walked it in that time. London's efficient transport system at its finest.

Ye olde London

2007-08-24T15:38:00.000+01:00

Wednesday 15 & Thursday 16 August

After a few lazy days of not completing any tourist obligations, I set off to the Museum of London. I spent 5 solid hours in the museum on Wednesday and 6 hours on Thursday. I went on a tour of part of the London Wall ruins (including a section which is under the modern road), a demonstration of a Roman water well, and a Bollywood Brass Band demonstration.

It was an extremely entertaining 2 days (for me) so I'm glad I didn't torture anyone else by making them sit (or stand as the case may be) through the entire 2 days while I read every single exhibit explanation in the museum. The exhibitions included "London Before London" - which showed artefacts from 450,000 BC to 50 AD, "Roman London" from 50 AD to 410 AD, then "Medieval London" from 410 to 1558 and a special exhibition "London Burning - the Great Fire of London 1666".

Kew Gardens

2007-08-14T11:25:00.000+01:00

Sunday 12 August

After the glorious warm, sunny weather on Saturday (which I missed a sizeable chunk of being inside the gallery), I was anticipating another beautiful day on Sunday for our visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens, in Kew, South West of London. Alas, the sun was a little shy, and the weather not quite as good as it could have been. However, it did not detract from the beautiful gardens...all 300 acres of them!

We went on a free guided walking tour (considering the £12.25 admission fee, we were going to get something out of it!) for an hour which was a great introduction to the gardens, and a few pieces of interesting information we otherwise would not have known.

We visited the Temperate House, the Pagoda (a 10 storey octagonal building with each storey reducing in height and diameter), walked through the Ruined Arch (built to look ruinous...but now a little more ruinous than when it was built in 1759), past the Palm House (which closed before we could go in...ditto for the Princess of Wales Conservatory), through the Duke's Garden, past the Wollemi Pine in its cage, completely missed the Secluded Garden (perhaps not easily seen?) and into the Queen's Garden - the highlight of the day!

The Queen's Garden is a 17th century style garden situated behind Kew Palace. The plants are those exclusively grown before the 17th century, primarily for their medicinal qualities. The plants were labelled with their traditional uses, as outlined in 17th century herbals. An example: Blue Comfrey - 'the slimie substance of the root made in a posset of ale, and given to drinke against the pain in the backe, gotten by any violent motion, as wrestling, or overmuch use of women'. A handy one to note...

Oh Golly, the same Gallery!

2007-08-14T11:10:00.000+01:00

Saturday 11 August

I met Cels at the National Gallery to tick off another item from the 'to see' list. Imagine my delight when I arrived and realised I had already seen the gallery in my first week! I was under the impression I'd seen the National Portrait Gallery, but in fact it was the National Gallery.

In any case, being as I am a culture vulture (?!), I was happy to view the gallery again. We spent about 3.5 hours wandering through the gallery and almost got to see the entire collection before the gallery was due to close. I will admit my concentration was waning after about 2.5 hours, with my speed increasing and my attention to each painting decreasing in each new room.

However, we did have a fun time spotting the number of times St Sebastian starred in a variety of paintings (sometimes completely inappropriately), with his usual depiction of being tied and looking like a pin cushion for arrows.

St Paul's Cathedral

2007-08-14T10:10:00.000+01:00

Friday 10 August was my second (and this time successful!) attempt to visit St Paul's Cathedral in the city. There was quite the queue to get in, and I was blessed with a pair of Whinging Poms (a local specialty) right behind me. We'd been waiting approximately 3 minutes before they both declared they'd been waiting far too long, that this was utterly ridiculous, and they simply "don't do queues". No sign of them leaving despite their claims though. Then followed the moaning about the cost...and declaration they weren't going to pay that - the sign couldn't possibly be right! And yet, they remained in the queue. I was sorely tempted to turn around and make a snide remark or two...but I was in God's house, and wanted to avoid being struck by lightning and being buried in the crypt before getting a chance to see the rest of the Cathedral.

I donned my audio guide and opened my map, and off I went on my spectacular 3.5 hour (one must get one's money's worth after all) journey to the giddy heights and the plunging depths of this magnificent piece of architecture.

The current Cathedral – the fourth to occupy this site – was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1675 and 1710 after its predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. Important services have included the funerals of Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill; the wedding of Charles and Diana and services for the Golden Jubilee and 80th Birthday of the Queen.

I walked up the 163 steps (or 259 if you believe the website) from the Cathedral floor to the Whispering Gallery, where the dome is constructed so that a whisper along the wall on one side is audible on the other. However, with about 60 people trying to do the same thing, I was a little doubtful of its effectiveness.

Another 119 steps up was the Stone Gallery, and then another 152 steps further was the Golden Gallery, which runs around the highest point of the outer dome, 85 metres and 530 steps from ground-level. The Golden Gallery gives panoramic views across London, and photos are available on my online gallery. So I either walked up 434 or 530 (depending on which source is correct) narrow spiral steps up to the top, and then all the way back to the bottom...quite the work out with 2 heavy bags...and then continued, wobbly-legged, down into the Crypt.

Some people of note located in the Crypt are: Lord Nelson, Duke of Wellington, Sir Christopher Wren, Sir Alexander Fleming (Mr Pencillin), Sir Henry Wellcome (whose collection I saw a few weeks ago), Florence Nightingale and William Blake.

Down in the Crypt was the Crypt Cafe...interesting name, and quite frankly an interesting location for such an establishment wouldn't you agree? Didn't really take the time to peruse the menu (seeing as I had come prepared with my homemade sandwiches and refreshments) but I believe they were serving Cadaver Chips, Flaky Blake Pie, Crispy Skins, and a selection of matured organ pates, to name but a few, sourced from local ingredients...

Canary Wharf...BYO homing pigeon

2007-08-13T17:40:00.000+01:00

Wednesday 8 August

I decided it was time to visit another tourist location nearby, so I ventured forth to Canary Wharf. Canary Wharf is a relatively new business estate (first tenants moved there in 1991) in South East London which boasts the tallest building in Britain - One Canada Square - which is 50 floors (244 metres) high.

As with most things here, it has a long and interesting history. Briefly though, in medieval times the area was a marsh, which was drained in the 13th Century to provide land for pastures and cornfields. By the late 1500s it had become a shipping dock, and was named Canary Wharf because many of the imports were from the Canary Islands.

Canary Wharf is planned on a grand scale...a little like a high-rise Canberra meets The Matrix. The estate extends to over 97 acres and has approximately 14.1 million square feet of office and retail space over 24 office buildings and 5 retail malls with 80,000 people working here.

However, with all that planning, I still managed to get lost. Well not lost per se, more like I was able to find the same place 3 times, 3 different ways. The shopping malls are underground, and I spent a while browsing through some of the shops...but in the end managed to spend more time trying to work out how to get to the other shopping mall in the next building, unsuccessfully. I ended up outside, over the bridge, in the residential complex...completely the wrong direction.

The highlight of this part of the trip (let's focus on the positives after all) was seeing my first mullet hairstyle outside of Australia. Some poor Eastern European kid of 4 or 5 was sporting this horrendous do, and I felt it was my social duty to take his parents aside and whisper in their ears. Unfortunately, the opportunity for the frank and open discussion about the effect of this hairstyle on the young whipper snappers emotional development didn't arise.

Eventually I did manage to find my way to a different mall, but my enthusiasm had waned rather dramatically by that point, so after a quick perusal, I tottered off to find my way back to the underground station. I somehow managed to end up on street level in my search for the underground, so surely this futuristic mini-city could do with a suggestion box where I can put my 5p opinion about it being more of a rabbit warren than a meticulously planned estate.

Cels & Lishi sharing an intimate moment in the King's Private Garden

2007-08-07T14:19:00.000+01:00

Not just a pretty face...Lishi makes it to the centre of the maze

2007-08-07T14:16:00.000+01:00

Hampton Court Palace

2007-08-07T14:02:00.000+01:00

Sunday 5 August was the big train trip to Hampton Court Palace, home of King Henry VIII. It was another glorious sunny day, a perfect day to enjoy the 60 acres of beautiful gardens which run down to the Thames, complete with fountains, ducks, geese, swans, the famous hedge Maze (which is also the oldest, or the largest...or whatever) and the Guinness Book of Records winning 'Great Vine' planted in 1768 and still producing grapes. We also toured through the palace apartments, of note being the red velvet covered King's toilet, and the huge Tudor kitchens, complete with open fire multiple racks for roasting a number of animals at a time...in order to feed 800 guests. Photos are in my web album.

Saturday Shopping

2007-08-07T13:55:00.000+01:00

Saturday 4 August I went into Oxford Street and experienced the insane shopping crowds. The streets were absolutely packed with people, which wouldn't have been so bad except that the day was very warm...the hottest so far this year apparently...a whopping 30C (insert condescending Aussie snigger here). Inside the shops wasn't quite so busy, and I had my first taste of English department stores. My enthusiam quickly waned and I ended up kicking back in the Marble Arch park feasting on the juiciest, reddest, most delicious strawberries I've ever eaten. The Marble Arch part of the park was chosen because going across the road to Hyde Park seemed far too much effort! The highlight of the day was when a strange man sitting nearby came and gave me a bunch of pink carnations, which was very sweet, until he said he had stolen them from the shop across the road...excellent, accepting stolen goods is the way I like to end all Saturday afternoons.

Neal's Yard Courtyard

2007-08-07T13:53:00.000+01:00

Hidden treasure

2007-08-07T13:47:00.001+01:00

Friday 3 August I met up with the girls for after work drinks in Covent Garden...an extremely busy place to be on a Friday night. We first visited a place called Neal's Yard which has an herbal dispensary and so we spent around an hour in there frolicking amongst the beautiful herbal and other natural products. Neal's Yard is hidden away from the street in a quiet, colourful courtyard. A fabulous discovery! After we had our Naturopathic appetites somewhat quenched, we moved on to the Maple Leaf, the Canadian bar in Covent Garden where we settled in for the night.

Day at the docks...

2007-08-07T13:17:00.000+01:00

Thursday 2 August started as a gloriously sunny day, so I treated myself to a coffee at the cafe in the park next door. I sat outside on the balcony and soaked up the sun...until it exited stage left as per usual. Back at home I did a few necessary domestics and found that the day was slipping away without me having achieved much at all really (obviously I'm settling into a life of leisure all too easily).

So to tick off a 'tourist to do' I walked over to the Royal Docks. The docks consist of a huge area of hotels and new apartment developments, restaurants, the ExCeL London and the Sunborn Yacht Restaurant and Hotel...and of course the water.

The ExCeL London is an international exhibition and conference centre and is absolutely massive. And on the day I went...completely deserted. I was crushed to discover I had missed the Star Wars convention in mid-July. However, I was thrilled to learn that I'll be able to attend the '36th Miss Intercontinental' competition in late October. Even more exciting is the Skin Two Expo in early October, two fun filled days of the world's biggest fetish fair where apparently I'll be able to meet my local club, my favourite fetish model, and socialise with Club RUB. You just can't top that!

The Sunborn Yacht/Hotel was a distinct disappointment. The menu was fairly uninspiring, particularly for the prices, but the biggest disappointment was the view...in one direction was the convention centre and DLR stop, and in the other direction the dilapidated Millenium Mills building, currently being demolished due to Asbestos, etc. Certainly not something I'd be spending my hard earned pounds on.

Hemispheres apart

2007-08-02T14:38:00.000+01:00

Having a good time in the mean time...

2007-08-02T13:50:00.000+01:00

Wednesday 1 August was my time to travel back in time to visit the origin of time...in Greenwich...and what a wonderful time it was! The weather was absolutely spectacular - the sunniest day yet! Interestingly, Greenwich remains on GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) while the rest of us are currently on BST (British Summer Time). British manners prevailed here in tourist mecca too, and we all patiently queued (minus an obnoxious few who should have been shot immediately) to have our photo taken with the Prime Meridian Marker at 0 degrees longitude. I then took my time, ambling through the Time and Longitude Gallery in Flamsteed House (the oldest part of the Observatory, built in 1675). In 1714, the British Government offered a reward of £20,000 to the person who could "solve the problem of longitude". The phrase 'finding the longitude' became an expression for the pursuits of fools and lunatics. I have made it my personal challenge to introduce this phrase into conversation as much as possible. The view from the Royal Observatory is claimed to be the best in London, and it is quite impressive. You can view the photos in my online gallery.

Porcine and swine experience

2007-08-02T13:33:00.000+01:00

Monday 30th July I ventured into the seedy underbelly of this fair city to visit Theresa in her new home. It was my first experience of the overland rail system, which thankfully I managed to negotiate with some success, although I didn't realise I wasn't able to use my transport card and had to purchase a ticket at the end of the journey (oops!). Three cheers for me for making it to her house (and back) without getting mugged.

We visited the local markets (Ridley Road in Dalston) for a bit of a browse. Being a weekday, the markets weren't as busy as they would be on a weekend, but I did get a feeling for how loud and thriving the atmosphere would be. My personal favourite was the butcher who had a whole pile of montrous pig's trotters (part of the leg still attached) stacked up nicely at the front of his stall. Mmmm, mouthwateringly tempting. I could imagine myself gnawing away on one of those babies, happy as a pig in mud...boom boom.

The trip back on the train was not quite the peaceful journey I usually experience on the DLR, with one young gentleman playing "music" at an intrusive volume. I noticed that quite a few of the other passengers were put out by the whole affair, but no one was game to say anything - I suspect for the same reason as me - not wanting to be shot in the face, particularly not on a Monday. Once I changed at Stratford for the DLR, I did expect the journey to improve considerably. Unfortunately, my fellow passengers and I were subjected to some hoodlum youths with their unsavoury behaviour for a few stops. Granny, sitting opposite me, was holding onto her bag on wheels for dear life, which I assume is similar to how I looked, but my handbag (unfortunately) doesn't have wheels.

Red Bull Air Race London 2007 - blink and you'll miss it...

2007-08-02T13:22:00.000+01:00

Sunday 29th July was the day of the Red Bull Air Race Finals along the Thames, near Greenwich. We had a pretty spectacular view (well, free anyway) from the roof of our apartment tower, so up we all went with cameras (and refreshments) in tow. Admittedly, there didn't seem to be too much action, but we did get to see a helicopter or two engage in a bit of air acrobatics, and a few planes go through the course along the Thames. In any case, the view was fantastic, so I took the opportunity to take some photos. In acknowlegment of the sun popping in briefly for the day, we went to the park next door and played some cricket until the ball was lost in a tree, and then some frisbee until we were all tuckered out from the exertion.

George Orwell's House

2007-08-02T13:13:00.000+01:00

Portobello Road Markets, Notting Hill

2007-08-02T13:10:00.000+01:00

Portobello Road

2007-08-02T12:46:00.000+01:00

Saturday 28 July
After a hearty breakfast, I travelled to Portobello Road Markets (one of the most famous markets in the world). It is absolutely huge and includes lots of shops, arcades, stalls, antiques and second-hand (absolute rubbish of course) sections. I don't have much to say on the markets...markets are markets really. However, of note were some old guns, swords and armoury, all for sale of course (or you could have your photo taken with them for £2...bargain). Statistically it features in the top ten rankings as the most visited tourist site in London, and I have now made my contribution to this statistic, as did about 50,000 other people in the short time I was there. You may remember it from such films as "Bed knobs and Broomsticks" and more recently "Notting Hill" with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. Its history and culture span approximately 300 years of existence. And that's all I have to say about Portobello Road markets.

That evening I caught up with the girls at London Bridge. We managed to score an outdoor table right on the water, which we refused to part with, even when the rain started pouring down on us. We just soldiered on with our umbrellas, much to the amusement of our fellow pub patrons standing under cover. Eventually, the rain eased up enough for us to venture forth to the local Wagamama's restaurant for a quick meal and an early night.

Farewell drinks from SHG

2007-07-31T15:56:00.000+01:00

2007-07-31T15:44:00.000+01:00

So long SHG!

2007-07-31T15:35:00.000+01:00

Friday 27th July was my last day at work. Surprisingly, the Director of my department gave me flowers and a card, even though I had only worked there for 5 weeks. Clearly, I make a lasting impression on people, and dazzle them with my skills and sparkling wit. I shouldn't be surprised really ;-)

After work, my colleagues took me out to a local bar (the name of which escapes me temporarily) which was very nice. What was even nicer was the 2 for 1 cocktails until 7.30 pm. It was here I was introduced to the Mojito cocktail, a number of times in fact. It was a great night, even after the tequila shots appeared in my hand out of nowhere. At some point, someone got hold of my camera and now I have over 70 shots of the evening, some of which I have uploaded to my web album.

Curry Lane

2007-07-31T15:29:00.000+01:00

On Wednesday 25 July I met up with Theresa for our first dinner together here in England. We strolled down Brick Lane, famous for the multitudes of restaurants down both sides, with someone outside each restaurant offering a better discount than the previous restaurant to lure you in. After travelling the entire length of the lane, the restaurant we picked was not because the man offered 30% discount and a bottle of wine for free, but because of the fabulous gymnastic moves he pulled in getting back into his doorway when the police stalked past. Very amusing indeed.

Romeo, Romeo..thou art right in my face Romeo...

2007-07-31T15:04:00.000+01:00

Another week has flown by...which is surprising considering it was my last agonising week at work and I was counting down the days (hours and minutes really, but I try not to be overly dramatic).

Tuesday 24 July saw me journey to the Battersea Arts Centre to see Romeo and Juliet. The building was reminiscent of a school hall & the theatre itself was only big enough to have 3 rows of 16. It was at this point that I lowered my expectations rather dramatically, so as not to be too disappointed. I did feel rather claustrophobic sitting at the end of the second row (furthest from the entrance/escape), with only a narrow space to get out. I was grateful that the woman in front of me was quite petite and old, so I'd be able to knock her out of the way quite easily and fight my way to the door if an emergency arose. It was very small and very dark...not a very relaxing atmosphere in which to be entertained. The audience was very close to the actors, the seats were actually just an extension of the stage. So close in fact, that I could see the shaking hands and the sweat dripping from the poor nervous little poppets. So close in fact, that when Juliet caught her knee on her gown in a particular scene, I was treated to a glimpse of her nipple. Quite possibly, this was the most entertaining part of the evening. It was difficult to rest my eyes with the actors so close, but I was quite weary at one point, so let myself have a brief time out. I opened my eyes to discover Juliet looking straight at me...so I made an effort to stay awake for the rest of the play. And thus ended my scintillating trip to Battersea.

Top 'o the Tate

2007-07-23T23:01:00.000+01:00

The thrill and excitement of finishing at the top of the Tate Modern. View over the Thames from the restaurant on level 7.

Pimm's with Poms!

2007-07-23T22:54:00.000+01:00

Taint of the Tate

2007-07-23T22:16:00.000+01:00

After having half of Wednesday and all of Thursday off work, I thought I'd take things a bit easy this weekend...ease up on la dolce vita a little. So when Lex suggested we get together for a drink after work on Friday night, the responsible thing to do was to go home and rest.

So we trotted off to the Gypsy Moth Pub in Greenwich, which I would consider an adequate compromise. Feeling like I could do with some wholesome sustenance to combat the evil mucous producing disease that festers within me, I of course ordered the fish and chips (and mushy peas...what is with those?) and Lex and I shared a bottle of wine (antioxidant injection). It was a great night for a natter (if a little chilly in the beer garden, but the fresh air is also good for my recuperation no doubt). I did manage to get home at a reasonable hour though (no mad dash for the last train for this young lady that night!).

However, upon my arrival back at Chateau d' Thames, the clan were in the midst of an ethanol bonanza. The lounge room being my bedroom, it turned into a bit of a late one after all, and I got to bed around 2 am. I looked forward with giddy anticipation to the wake up call from the 17 month old at around 6 am, as I do each Saturday and Sunday morning.

Saturday saw the weekly pilgrimage to the grocery megastore in the morning, where, by some obscure twist of fate, some camembert and roquefort cheese fell into the shopping basket as I swanned through one of the dairy aisles. On arrival back at Chateau d'Thames, the plan was to pack up the goodies and kick back in the Thames Barrier Park next door with some wine, the cheese and a damn good book to while away the afternoon.

The universe, a spiteful beast from time to time, decided that the glorious sun that had shone with such warmth and enthusiasm up to that point, promptly withdrew the restorative UV rays, and replaced them with the miserable and ominously dark clouds I have come to know and love. We therefore consumed our delicatessan style delicacies in the comfort of the lounge room and watched as the clouds dumped an impressive rain shower for some hours.

After all the excitement of Saturday, I was ready for round 2 on Sunday. I met Cels at London Bridge station, and we tottered off in search of a hearty lunch. We ended up at a lovely pub on the water, where, alas, all the seats were taken. We ended up in the secluded beer garden at the back (sans view, but a fabulous table in the sun!). After perusing the menu and deciding on pies for us both, it was agreed that a sunny English day called for a summer English drink. Pimm's and lemonade all round! They even serve it with wedges of citrus fruits and strawberry and mint. A veritable cocktail of colour! Unfortunately, they were out of the fish pie I wanted, so a decision under pressure meant I got fish and chips (twice in two days...and enough for a lifetime I would think).

But lunch was not the sole purpose of our trip to the city. With our bellies satisfied, we trotted off to the Tate Modern Museum. Good lord, what a horrid disappointment that is! I think I could have done the entire 7 storey building in 30 minutes, but my affliction with the consumption held me back a little, and I slipped into a coma on level 5 whilst Cels was wandering through one of the exhibits.

Just so you don't think I am a cultureless hack, I will be heading off to a performance of Romeo and Juliet tomorrow night in Battersea. And if I don't do my usual trick of resting my eyes for a good chunk of the time, I will dazzle you with my artistic critique and insight later in the week. I'm sure that'll have you waiting with bated breath...

Wellcome collection

2007-07-18T19:02:00.000+01:00

Sunday 15th July saw me finally get to the Wellcome Collection exhibition in Euston Road. An eclectic mix of interesting goodies from the collection of Sir Henry Wellcome, a place where people can learn more about the development of medicine through the ages and across cultures. Of note were some very old books on dissections, some of Leonardo daVinci's stuff, Napoleon's toothbrush, Charles Darwin's walking stick, a Chinese torture chair, an old birthing chair, an old dentist's chair and a chastity belt...to name but a few things. It wasn't as good as I was expecting, but was interesting nonetheless. Unfortunately, no photography was allowed.

Monday 16th July was my second interview for my new job. And successful it was! I was offered the job a few hours later. I start mid September, which will leave me with a few weeks for a holiday in between finishing this god awful job and the new one. I'm branching out, moving into the legal sector, so it should be an interesting experience. The position sounds quite interesting and will take me to Milan in December...can't complain about that!

Lacock Emporium, stockists of the best range of...?

2007-07-18T19:00:00.000+01:00

The Roman Baths, with the Abbey in the background

2007-07-18T18:57:00.000+01:00

You can tell he's completely legless just by looking at him!

2007-07-18T18:53:00.000+01:00

Lishi outside the entrance to the British Museum

2007-07-18T18:48:00.000+01:00

Catching up...

2007-07-18T18:09:00.000+01:00

Today I have come home sick from work. The SARS/avian flu I arrived in the country with seems to have freshened up (again). There is a remote possibility that I haven't been looking after myself as well as I could, sipping a medicinal thimble of wine once too often and arriving home a tad late during the week perhaps. However, never one to sit idle...my early arrival home has meant that I have had the time for a little administrative catch up - photos uploaded, and now an entry on the blog. There is a bit to cover, so sit back and enjoy the ride...I'll try and make it as painfree as possible.

Way back at the beginning of the month - Sunday July 1, Cels and I visited the British Museum. Clearly, as this was my second visit, I am a glutton for all things cultural. I took the opportunity to take some photos that I missed on my first visit. It was a fantastic afternoon and we saw the Egyptian mummies, which I had missed last time.

Friday 6 July saw the girls meet up at the Walkabout pub in Temple (on the Thames). I had been warned to avoid these Aussie haunts (including the Redback pubs...how original), however, it was pretty much the only pub within coo-ee (I do beg your pardon) of Kristy's work, so The Walkabout it was. Highlight of the night was the superb dancing on the dance floor, a close second the huge meal (no I didn't order the Kangaroo) which I almost finished and third was getting harassed by a persistent local called Matthew, who wins the "Most Likely to Stalk" Award this week. Congratulations Matthew, you are an asset to your country.

Saturday 7 July saw the clan bundle into the car and head off to Bristol to John and Avanti's place, in honour of John's birthday. It was a great BBQ (yes, another one...I've had more BBQ's here than I have in the last 10 years in Oz) and at long last, the sun shone through. There was a massive spread of food, and of course copious leftovers. The Aussies chased the sun all day, ending up huddling in the corner of the garden for the last of the glorious rays.

Sunday 8 July we all headed off to Bath, a beautiful city. I went on a tour of the Roman Baths (obligatory) and tasted the water (revolting). This was followed by lunch in the impressive park (£1 entry fee), which is privately owned by the houses opposite. I left Eilidh and the clan to chase/feed the pigeons while I went on a bus tour of the city, another interesting and enjoyable experience.

After Bath we moved on to Lacock (near Chippenham, Wiltshire). Obviously there was a lot of sniggering involved in that trip. The village of Lacock dates back a bit. The George Inn (the local pub) dates back to 1361. In the olden days the grand open fireplace had a dogwheel which turned a spit using a specially bred dog called a Turnspit. We took advantage of the sun by having a few drinks in the beer garden. I sampled some local wines - Sloe, Elderberry, Orange, and Ginger. Very interesting! We headed back home, but after all that sampling of the local liquid wares, a toilet break was declared. In Maidenhead, we stopped off at the local Chinese restaurant - Chef Peking. We didn't get to ask the chef if indeed he was peaking, but it was a lovely dinner in any case. All up, the return trip took over 5 hours due to the infamous London traffic.

Still alive and kicking...

2007-07-04T20:26:00.000+01:00

Apologies for the delay in posting, I don't have too much to report, but due to the concern about whether or not I have been bombed, I feel compelled to give an update. I'm quite tired from consecutive late nights, so I'm not at my best...but here's a little something to keep you going until next I am overcome by my literary genius.

I forgot to mention on my earlier posts that it was Summer Solstice celebrations Friday a week ago. On good advice, I (being as I am a fair maiden) collected 7 different wildflowers to put under my pillow in order to dream of my future man. Just to be sure, I collected a good dozen flowers (just in case some of them weren't wild) and dutifully popped them under my pillow. Sure, some were a little worse for wear because I had collected them during the afternoon at the park next door, but I'm sure their powers were still sufficient. In any case, I dreamt of no one at all that night. Most disappointing.

Friday night just gone, I met up with Lex and Cels (who needs to be congratulated for coming out on her first day in the country and managing to stay out until midnight) for birthday drinks for Stu. We were at Waxy O'Connors, a pub which has a tree in the middle of it, and church accessories all over the place, including a pulpit you can stand in. Due to the bomb incident earlier in the day, I had my bags searched by the big man on the door. Otherwise, you wouldn't have known that anything had happened. It was a good night, and Cels and I managed to make it to the tube station before the last tube. I also made the last DLR (hooray for me, otherwise it would have been an adventure trying to find out if there was a bus at that hour of the night somewhere).

I have to clarify the anti-social quality of the English on public transport. On the tube, no one speaks to anyone. It is deadly quiet. However, on the DLR (Docklands Light Rail), it seems that it's open slather for friendly people. The number of people that have struck up a conversation with me in the last two weeks is insane! I'm pretty sure none of them have been a bomber either, so I'm feeling pretty secure.

Today I think was the best day so far. I found a good coffee close to work which is also reasonably priced. Good start to the day. On arrival at work, I heard the best four words ever, "Sandra isn't in today". Oh, what cause for celebration. This is the woman from work I find most vexing. It was a lovely quiet day and I was given some more jobs to stop me looking at the clock from 10 am onwards.

I got a call back about my interview yesterday. They were really pleased with me, but want someone that can work for longer than 12 months, so I have been earmarked for a maternity relief position. I'll go in for the second interview in the next week or so. I might even get a little holiday between jobs. Excellent news.

Ok, I am sufficiently exhausted, so I'll have to save the rest for next time. Looking forward to the weekend - off to Bristol and Bath with S&K and co. A trip to the country at last!

Living the life

2007-06-28T21:15:00.000+01:00

So here I am nearing the end of my first working week in London. I feel like I've been here for a month or more, rather than under a fortnight, so I guess that means I'm settling in somewhat.

I've managed to find another route to work that involves the DLR (light rail) and only one tube and I don't even have to leave the station where the DLR finishes and the tube starts. Life is sweet. It does however involve a 15 minute walk to work, so it won't be viable on those evil London weather days. The other down side is that the tube on the return trip is one of the most crowded, so I generally have to wait in line and miss a couple before I get to the front and squeeze into the tube...nose to armpit kind of squeeze. Personal space is now down to 1 mm or less, but I seem to be coping ok.

Still no sign of Summer as such, but I am assured it is on it's way, and I look forward to the arrival with bated breath.

Work is pretty boring, but the good news is I have an interview for a permanent position (which is also far better paid) on Tuesday. Unfortunately it means I'll have to spend some of my weekend preparing for it, but such is life.

I am still yet to find a good cup of coffee near work (sorry to sound like a whinger, but it's true!). All three have been rather watery and insipid. I will persist though.

Can't really report on anything else, as I've been working hard for da money this week, or at least, attending a place of work between the hours of 9.30 am and 5.30 pm.

The weekend promises to have something more exciting to report...

Sylvania f#*king McDonalds

2007-06-25T20:17:00.001+01:00

Well, first day of my new job today. It took me an hour to get there, via the DLR, and then 2 tubes. Seriously. I have since investigated my other options and tomorrow will only be getting one DLR and one tube, hopefully it doesn't add more time to the journey, as it's not as direct.

Unfortunately, I had a Sylvania f#*king McDonalds incident after arriving at Farrindon station. I managed to take a wrong turn and ended up going up the wrong end of the street, searching for the building, already late, to no avail. Two phone calls and two requests from people, I found it. Half an hour late and extremely peeved. On the plus side, I had a nice jaunt through a part of London that I would probably not have otherwise visited.

The people are nice, some are friendly, although it is early days. Apparently the last two temps lasted a week put together. It was a slow day because IT didn't have a login for me until 4 pm. I spent the day filing and yawning, as I'm a little sleep deprived from the weekend. Perhaps you can tell from the tone of my post that I'm rather underwhelmed by the whole experience. We'll see how it goes.

Culture and class - Lishi does the British Museum

2007-06-24T22:05:00.000+01:00

Tourist bonanza

2007-06-24T21:49:00.000+01:00

Had a great day yesterday and today. Did the lunch BBQ with S & K's friends and then went to Julian's (Lex's boyfriend) place (1.5 hrs later on public transport) for the afternoon BBQ. A very nice guy from the party, Shane, and I arranged to do some London touristy stuff together. We went to the National Portrait Gallery this morning and I saw some famous artworks. Shane also knew his way around, so I happily handed over the navigation duties for the place...I would have ended up at Sylvania f'n McDonalds in the first 10 mins...you should have seen the maze we had to get through to get to the toilets..there could have been an incident if he wasn't there!! Then we went to the British Museum and saw an ancient Egyptian, Assyrian, and Greek exhibitions and conveniently, Shane was quite knowledgeable about some of that stuff too.

Walked around Covent Garden and some markets there. Had lunch at an "English restaurant" so I ordered the Shepherd's pie (but declined the side of chips). Unfortunately, this didn't cure my hangover, but it was a welcome respite. The weather turned too miserable to continue walking (in inappropriate clothing) so we got on one of those double decker bus tours (super touristy, but it has to be done). It was great! It was a hop-on hop-off affair and we got to see quite a ot of London's sights with amusing commentary. It did come with the obligatory set of annoying Americans, but such is life. Got a free Thames river cruise included, so did that too. Of course the bus just drives past these things, so I'll go back and do the tours another time. The crowds are impressive for these places, even though the weather was cold and raining today.

Tomorrow I'm starting work so I should totter off to bed for some recuperative sleep.

The Thames Barrier...protecting us from a king tide...or is it??

2007-06-22T20:40:00.000+01:00

Big Ben...sure he's big...but is he big enough for me?

2007-06-22T20:38:00.000+01:00

Mounting one of the lions in Trafalgar Square

2007-06-22T20:30:00.000+01:00

Volvic juice anyone?? Fresh from the??

2007-06-22T20:26:00.000+01:00

The rest of week 1 in summary

2007-06-22T12:23:00.000+01:00

Tuesday: Lex in the city
The day began with Lex and I meeting in the city to walk around and have a look at some of the sites. It was the fastest tourist afternoon in history. Thank goodness for cameras, otherwise I'd have no recollection of what we saw! Lex was a bit fast for me, so I'll go and see it all again when I've got time to take it slow and absorb it all. We saw Trafalgar Square, Admirality Arch, the Horse Guards (complete with shift change), Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament & Big Ben, and the London Eye. The Horse Guards stand in their little huts for however long...just standing there. Not sure what they are guarding exactly, as I didn't do any preliminary research. However, they did the change over while we were there, which was a bit over the top - full of pomp and ceremony. Anyway, I felt sorry for the second shift horse, who had to walk through and then stand in the excrement of the first shift horse. Surely they could get someone in there to clean it up between changeovers??!! It'd be a nasty place to be on a hot day.

Wednesday: Greenwich and ASDA supermarket
Today I met Lex at her place and we walked to Greenwich together. We had lunch at the somewhat famous Gypsy Moth pub. On the strong recommendation of the bar tender, we ordered the pork and leek sausages and mash with a red onion gravy. He eats it every day apparently. I asked to try the strawberry beer, which still tasted like beer, so I declined a whole pint. I got a glass of rose instead...apparently wine comes in sizes here - we got large (250 ml), which perhaps wasn't the best idea at lunchtime, but you live and learn. It was a lovely relaxing lunch sitting in the beer garden, which had a bit of a Newtown feel with its eclectic furniture collection.

We walked out to the Cutty Sark (the famous boat) which was burnt down a few weeks ago. I didn't bother to take a photo of the empty shell of a boat, which was surrounded by boarded fencing anyway.

I left Lex and thought I'd take an adventure to Tescos (the super-supermarket) and took the DLR (light rail) and got off at a place called Gallions Reach. I thought it would just be a 1 mile walk from the station, but didn't realise there is no pedestrian access from that part of the road. A quick call to Shanil (who found this very amusing) prevented a Sylvania f'n McDonalds incident. I got back on the DLR and went to the next station (Beckton) where there is another super-supermarket called ASDA. I got a few bits and pieces, including a bottle of wine - going with what I knew, I got some Australian wine - Lindeman's (shudder) for £5 (my maximum). In order to avoid another incident, Shanil was kind enough to pick me up from here on his way home from work. I did consider braving the buses, but it would have been a lucky dip as I'm not familiar with them yet. The wine was as bad as I thought, but we drank it anyway.

Thursday: Back to reality
I woke up feeling horrendous after my measly 2 glasses of the cheap Australian wine...and I had an appointment at 10 am with an agency in the city. I was there a little early and then had to wait half an hour after my appointment time. I did the tests for Word, Excel, Powerpoint and typing speed and went through a few positions available with the woman from the agency. Two and a half hours later, I was finally able to leave....just in time to walk around the corner to the next agency to do it all again. It was a very draining experience and I'm glad its over, and it certainly didn't do anything for my headache. Although I'm pretty sure half the headache was due to the fact that I don't really want to start working! And that was pretty much my whole day gone! Roger and I went to Tescos supermarket (my second visit) for a brief visit, and I got to see the second floor with the clothing and entertainment section. The place is just huge - overwhelmingly so. Roger bought some Chilean wine which is apparently far better (and cheaper) than the Aussie imports, so I've learnt my lesson there.

Friday: Thames Barrier Park
Yesterday in my travels I discovered that there is a big park next door (yes, I am known for my astute observation skills). The park is located near the Thames Barrier (the device that will save us all if there is a king tide) which currently appears out of order, but hey, I'm sure it's on the to-do list. I went into the park this morning and got a coffee - for a low, low £1.50. I've discovered the cheapest cafe in London!! Picked up some touristy brochures in the cafe/information area and sat back with my coffee outside in the glorious summer day - overcast and chilly. My reverie was rudely interrupted by my UK mobile ringing (yes, I now carry 2 mobiles with me, just like a drug dealer). It was the agency offering me a job to start Monday. They are paying less than what I would get out of bed for, but it's a start, and gets me out of the house. So before I got to meander through the park I had to come back and re-send my CV. And here I am updating my blog and watching the ominous dark clouds come in. A storm is predicted this afternoon. So...now that I've lunched, I will go back to the park and have a look around. At least it will be one achievement in the day!

Well, I have the job, and will turn up bright and early for a 9.30 am start on Monday morning. It's a 5 week job at a Housing Group company in the city. I wish I could say I'm looking forward to it, but alas, I'm finding it hard to get excited. But I am looking forward to the weekend ahead!

Lishi has landed!

2007-06-18T16:11:00.000+01:00

Welcome to my blog! After a most enjoyable flight with JAL (including overnight stopover in Tokyo complete with kimono), I arrived at Heathrow on Saturday afternoon, for my first introduction to the famous British efficiency. A painfully slow queue at immigration was made worse by the man behind me trying to reduce his waiting time by coming so close he was practically mounting me. I had to bring the carry on luggage into play to try and get him to keep his distance, but he was not to be dissuaded. It was quite a dance with him and my luggage through the queue, but in the end I accepted that my personal space has now been brought into line with that of Londoners...approximately 1 cm.

On the car trip back to my hosts' abode (S&K), I saw Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, Big Ben, The Thames and the like. I was about to ask S&K to drop me back at the airport, seeing as I had pretty much seen all London has to offer, but thought I'd give it a few days and see if I could find anything else of note.

On Sunday we had a BBQ with guests from Finland, Samoa, New Zealand, Italy, US, Australia, and some locals just for good measure. London put on its finest weather and spewed forth about 20 minutes of sun. The clouds and wind followed for the rest of the day. Not to be put off, I braved it outside until my fingers went purple...after all, its Summer for god's sake! I did manage to get a little bit of sunburn on my face (or cloud burn as the case may be) so I feel like I've gotten my money's worth.

Today I went into the city, taking the DLR and the tube successfully...and pretty damn proud of it too. I managed to complete the round trip without any wrong turns to Sylvania f'n McDonalds (I apologise for those that don't know the private joke there). I got my second taste of British efficiency by waiting 45 minutes in a queue at the bank to pick up my card. It wasn't too bad though, as they had a waiting room with tea and coffee facilities. By some strange twist of fate, Lexy who arrived this morning fresh from Sydney, walked into the waiting room and so we caught up on the last few days of news.

Lexy has to pop out of the country in order to come back in to activate her visa in the next week, so we might trot off to one of the Nordic countries, or perhaps Spain, for a quick trip. You know how it is. So that sounds nice.

In any case, I must totter off to complete my CV in order to become gainfully employed...the conversion rate is killing me, I think I paid a week's rent for a snack this afternoon!

I'd love to attach a photo, but all I have is one of me in the kimono from the hotel...and I'm not making that publicly available. I'll start taking some pics when I see something of note...like the sun for instance.

Bye for now...