Spain Day 2

Needless to say after being up for 24hours the day before we were definitely slow to start in the morning! Finally once up and showered and sunscreened up against the hot day we headed out. Caught the bus into Palma again to see it in the daylight. We stroll back along the pedestrian area to find somewhere to eat ...it is now 1/2pm and we haven't eaten yet. We found a lovely shady strip of cafes and tapas places across from the cathedral.

After a nice long wait at the table for the menu (Spanish time is so much slower then Africa time!) and then trying to decipher the menu and order it from the non English speaking staff. There was loads of pointing going on!

We then strolled around to the 'lake' next to the cathedral and then up to the cathedral where we went in and had a look around. I must say that the Spanish catholics were a pretty morbid bunch. The seemed to be obsessed with bones and skulls. There was lots of this in the imagery around the inside as well as certain items(relics, artifacts) like goblets with pieces of the persons skull built into the design and rosary crosses with actual finger bones used as the cross with gold surrounds. The inside was beautiful with all the Gothic architecture and amazing height. There was even a section on the nave to the one side of the alter which was redone by Gaudi - which of course you could tell right away.

After that we carried on strolling around the old city with all it cute Spanish lanes and balconies over flowing with flowers. It all looked so unreal like something out of a movie or book. We enjoyed taking random turns and seeing where we would land up. we got ourself stunning ice creams along the way and also did some shopping while we were at it. C was def in need of flip flops in the heat as he only had heavy hiking shoes.

Then we make it back to Illetas and back down to the beach as the tan is now coming along nicely and we do need to soak up as much sunlight and UV rays as possible. Am very glad that even though it was so hot the UV rays in Spain dont seem s to be as harsh as the ozoneless rays that we get in SA.

By now it is about 5/6pm and food is calling us so we stop at the other resturant on the beach for a snack. We are by now getting better with our Spanish and are able to make orders and use other single words like thanks. This causes the waiters to speak to us in Spanish but doesn seem to be too much of a problem since we got what we wanted and didnt have to speak english and point to make ourselves understood.

Then eventually we head back to the flat from 8pm to say goodbye to Ingrid as she is off to cover the Americas cup in Valencia. After the hot day and time on the beach we freshened up with a shower and head out to meet Kev and Cala at his local little bar restaurant which is basically an open to the street tiled room with cafe tables. It does happen to be a mins walk from the flat and is always on the route back from walking Cala. It is called du peitte jardin (the small garden - no garden in sight?!?!) but the locals call it deigos as that is the owners name !

We enjoyed the evening out there drinking with Kev and a friend of his Filthy Fiona and of course Cala ...who is enjoying greeting everyone going passed and trying to beg food as all dogs do. We finally eat at about midnight which is becoming a habit !

Then off to much needed bed as a heavy night is promised for the next (friday) night.

Spain Day 1

Ok so I've been trying for this whole week to sit down and start writing some blogs about Spain but have been way too exhausted to even think! Luckily it has been a really quiet week at work and have been able to tune out a bit.

so here I go:

Thanks to one very lazy Sunday afternoon I booked our flights to Palma, Mallorca for 6am thinking it was 6pm on Tuesday the 20th June. I have no idea how I did that but I just did. But even though it was an early start I still think it turned out pretty well giving us more time in Spain!

So this early start was 2am !!! which was only possible thanks to much harassment by C to get me up and into the shower. 20 mins later the taxi was at the door and I was throwing clothes on. Thankfully we had been pretty good at planning ahead on the packing and had the bag already waiting :)

Jumped into the taxi and down to Kentish town station for the very 1st train of the morning ! It was actually great being on the train so early with hardly anyone cept an entertaining (but don't make eye contact) drunk footie supporter ! We cruised into gatwick before you knew it and onto the self service check in machines. Which were very cool !

Then it was time for a spot of food at 5am ...and off to the boarding gate. After sitting there for about 10 mins we get the announcement that the flight has been delay for a short while due to the navigation system having to be checked. We only sat there for another 30 mins and then got to board the plane. once on the plane we get another announcement from the pilot that something else is needing to be sorted out and that it shouldn't be too long. After about 15 mins of waiting for that to be resolved we get told that there are too many bags on the plane and that all of the bag will have to be taken off the plane rescanned to sort to the ones that truly have to be on the plane and then pack them back. Since I'm sitting over the baggage compartment i get to watch them truly do all of this. Finally we are told that we can take off now and that they had just miscounted the bag in the rear and that they were all back on the plane.

Finally we taxi onto the runway and start the take off...we accelerate and then it seems that just as we would be taking off the pilot puts on the brakes ! Flaps up screeching to a halt suddenly we are standing still on the runway. Then we are taxi-ing back. We get told that the system is still broken and that they couldn't read their speed and had to replace the part. So there we sat on the runway for another hour or so. We are now hitting the time that we are supposed to be landing in Palma and we haven't even left yet ! The flight was shorter then the delay was but finally we cruise into Palma at 11:30am.

We called my brother, Kevin, as we landed and he cruised through and was waiting for us once we had come through immigration and collecting our bags. We then headed off to his place. He has a flat that is a block up from the sea with a stunning view of the med through the pine trees. We basically dumped our bags changed into beach gear, meet his little dog Cala and head off to the beach to find my other brother's ex girlfriend who was also staying with Kevin since she was in town photographing the regatta of HUGE power yachts. These are yachts that are minimum 150 foot long - that are crazy huge !!! The main Illetas (the little 'town' - more like a suburb - where Kevin lives) beach is only 5 mins walk from his flat. We walked down there found ourselves a spot on the busy beach by the water. And of course had to go and try out the Mediterranean water. Wow is it stunning and warm - it was absolutely beautiful and very refreshing in the intense heat that is Spain. Then we started on the much needed tan !!!

I would just like to comment that the Spanish seem to have going topless on the beach as part of their culture. It is almost weird to have a bikini top on. It obviously is just completely natural cause it was like this on every single beach we visited and then more locals on the beach the more topless woman...so if there are topless woman in our holiday pics, it was unavoidable !



We all then decided that it was time for lunch and head to one of the restaurants on the beach for a stunning lunch of fresh fish. Was so yummy ! and had very full tummies as C, Ingrid and myself head back to the beach to lie in the sun more.

Finally after sunning ourselves and swimming and sunning ourselves more and chatting we realise that it is about 6:30 (the sun still being pretty high in the sky put us off the time) and we head back to the flat to get ourselves ready to head off to Palma for some dinner and drinks.

A 15 minute bus ride and we arrive in the centre of Palma and Kevin leads us off down one of the many alleyways to a cute till Tapas restaurant. Now I have been to what are called Tapas restaurants in Cape Town but they really are nothing like the true Spanish tapas. You basically walk up to the counter whenever you want which has always got lots of little plates with little picky food things (half of which i had no idea what they were). You get a large plate and then just pick what you want from all the little plates. then you keep the toothpicks that are stuck in the food and that is how you are charged for your meal. There is a constant flow of new things arriving on the counter. I was picking food that I had no idea what it was. Mostly they were great! C and I only made one mistake each, I picked a deep fried chilli (kinda like chilli poppers) which C was more then happy to take off my hands and he picked a fishy thing that neither of us liked. Anyway was def a great experience and have since heard of an authentic Spanish tapas bar here in Camden that we are going to have to make a plan to go to.

After dinner we take a stroll though a bit of the old town and then main pedestrian walkway down passed the cathedral all lit up white in the dark night sky (yes it was finally dark !) We then made our way to a place called Abaco. It is basically an old traditional Spanish house that they have restored and then made into a very swanky drinks bar - where the drinks are seriously costly ...cept if you are spending Pounds like we were so was normal London cocktail prices to us. We had a wonder around the house through the old restored rooms. It was really great to see. We then settled down in the beautiful courtyard with a fountain in the centre and lights everywhere. There was classical music playing and an avery of birds filling the air with their song. We were sadly rushed through our cocktails by a very rude Spanish maitrd (spelling?).

After more strolling through the streets we realise that it is about 1am ... so we head off home getting to bead about about 2:30. I would just like to point out that this is 24.5 hours after we got up !!! I just couldnt beleive that I had survived 24 hours and wasnt to worse for wear ! But was definitely glad to be going to sleep !

Pre Spain catch up

Well it has been ages since I've written a blog and it has been a very busy few week affording me very little time to stop and write it all down !

The last thing I was writing about was the long weekend at the end of May so will try and recall everything from then.

The Monday that was the actual bank holiday we decided to finally make a plan to go to the theater and since we wanted to see Equus and it was closing on the 9th of June we choose to go see it. We missioned off at about lunch time to get the tickets from the half price booth on Leicester square. We also decided that since it was Gary's last night with us and since Simon was also visiting we would drag them along for the experience. After getting the tickets C and I headed off to Oxford street for some retail therapy. The shopping trip was a great success and many items were bought - cept we didn't think about the fact that we would then have to take the shopping bags with us to the theatre! We braved the infamous Primark and then went and found C some nice slim fit shirts.

Laden down with all the bags we find a starbucks across the road from the theatre to wait and meet up with the others. I have definitely never seen such a busy coffee shop with loads of dressed up people all going to one of the many theaters in the area.

As usual I was pretty nervous about seeing the play as it had been alot of my decision on which one to see and I was taking 3 guys into a play that had Daniel Radcliffe running around nude for some of the play and topless for alot more. But it was a success all round with Simon raving about it since he has never done anything like that in his life. It was a very powerful play with a very heavy but well put point. I really enjoyed it and am so glad we got to see it before it went off. It was also cool when I heard that it was the play that my mom had seen when she came to London in the 70's.

After a gloriously long and busy weekend it was back to the grindstone. I think that it was in this week that the design director of the company that I was temping asked to have coffee with me and to see my portfolio. Basically we had coffee and discussed what i wanted and he told me that the team liked me and they are impressed with the quality of my work and would like me to stay on permanently. I was like so happy - a permanent job -yay. I did still feel like I should think it over. So on the 1st I told him that i was keen and would he just let me know what package he would be offering me. Once he told me I have to physically hold myself in the chair i was on to stop myself from jumping up and screaming at the top of my lungs...ok so maybe not that dramatic - but I was seriously shocked and pretty much said yes on the spot. By Monday afternoon (after I had to go mission off to the local job centre for an interview to get a national insurance number - basically so that I don't pay the maximum tax) I had the contract all signed and sealed !

So back to that weekend (1 June) on the Friday we went and met C's work mates at a local bar/clubby venue, Alibi, for drinks and had Simon join us as well. Drinks went on to dancing and then moved over to a club called Bedouin Bar (bed bar to the locals) causing C and I to head home alot later then we hoped, and caused usage of the night buses to get home! Not always a pleasant thing depending on your state of soberness.

Sat morning had us up relatively early for me and off to the borough market to meet up with Simon. I absolutely love borough market - i mean a market with loads and loads of yummy food - what more could you want...alcohol, it has that too! We got young french wine straight out of the barrel into a bottle that you can bring back and reuse. Its a litre of either wine or rose wine for a fiver !

After partaking in loads of little food tastings and buying a few choice things including the ostrich steaks for the braai we were invited to down south (Wimbledon), we made our trek down. Miss M and housemates were having a braai and invited us. It was really good catching up with her and getting to meet more people - loads of saffas in London type thing. We sat and talked and ate more and braaied of course - the ostrich steaks were fantastic ! Then there was a call to go play around in the park across the road. So there C and I sat and watched them play soccer ..oops FOOTBALL! (it is def NOT called soccer here) and some touch rugby as well. Then once it was getting later and all the little kiddies had gone home we went to play on the playground equipment....lots of monkeying around was done my all - but mostly by C. I just love the little child in him as he jumped around and played. And then scaring all the others with his what seemed daring jumping off of tall jungle gyms and his attempts to dynoing off the rings. Which helped him find a fellow climber in the group of people. I would like to comment at this point about the lovely squishy tar that they have in the playgrounds here - not like the hard tarmac like back home...it is basically little bits of rubber put together as a tar looking surface ! SO cool. Had me bouncing everywhere I went! anyway - pics to follow as the pics speak louder then my words. Finally C and I had to make our way as there was the long trek home north again.

So the next work week - I've said that the contract was signed and then I started to get some of my own projects to work on which was great! It turned out to be a week of serious steps forward with the new job and also opening a joint bank account with C. So on Thursday night I took C out to dinner to celebrate. He found this great restaurant in Camden called the Camden brasserie where I had the most stunning lamb steak and creme brulee - was a lovely evening - just perfect :)

And suddenly it was another Friday night which of course meant drinks with C's workmates. It was a certain mates birthday celebrations at a bar called the fence. Was really nice evening with me getting to meet more people that work with C and having to relate again and again our story ...and having more of them telling me he is LOVELY !!! Lol, like I don't know that already !!! :P

We had decided to throw a bit of a dinner party while the housemate was away in Palma in reciprocation to the dinner party Paul and Alice invited us to. So we had a plan ... clean the flat and make bedroom into lounge /dinning room and go buy tuna steaks and fresh produce from the borough market (yes we love that place) All the plans came together perfectly with us all ready and unstressed when Paul and Alice arrived. We had a whole load of picky things for starters including a variety of olives and nuts etc from the market. As well as the most awesome snack that I've been missing out on all my life...DOUGH BALLS --- yummy balls of happiness as Alice calls them :) So good ! Then we had the tuna steak cook beautifully if I say so myself since I cooked them. And finally trifle for desert. And then ending the evening with a whiskey and chocolate (well no whiskey for me) We, as we seem to always do, over catered and sent home very stuffed guests and ourselves with bursting tummies where left to stash the dishes and make up our bed again. It was great to see that our bedroom can do the whole lounge thing really well. And it was also good to give it a clean and organised...cept it is back to utter chaos since this last weekend.

The Sunday was Mom's birthday and so of course started with a call back home to wish her a very happy 60th birthday. I still cant believe that she is 60! She just doesn't act that age :P

We then missioned off to the docklands to the Grand Designs Live show. Which is basically a big design exhibition like design for living back home but centred alot around the self build house projects. But there was still a huge interiors section and a shopping section too. We spent the afternoon wandering around there - me getting loads of idea and inspirations for designs at work and just see what is available here. And C was a very good boyfriend and didn't complain at all :P

We had then been invited to a pub in the old street area by Miss M for a small little Sunday afternoon gig by a friend of hers which just happened to be on the way home. So we stopped by and had a couple of drinks and social time with Miss M, her housemate, Tom and the artist...Tim Kay who happens to be guy behind the title song for Jamie Oliver's new show - Jamie at home - On tv screens in August. Tom was one of the guys that was one of the 'fifteen' graduates, very cool guy. These are all Miss M's friends as she worked with them! Really great down to earth people.

Finally last week was just a crazy crazy week with me having to complete 2 presentations for the end of the week causing me to work late most nights. C was great and stayed late as well to come home with me (we work 2 blocks from each other btw) and cooking me dinner cause I was too exhausted - plus I had a bit of a flu things going on but refused to let it take hold. I must say I was really happy with our decision to have a chill weekend doing nothing since our time has been constantly filled everyday. Thursday saw us having drinks at the castle with his mates and then an early night.

Friday consisted off me rushing my ass off to get to the bank in time to collect our bank cards and then heading home to crash into bed. C worked late to make ready for a new guy starting under him at work today. We then cuddled up and watched alpha dog (brilliant movie! even more hectic that it is a true story !!!) and another early night :)

While lazing in bed on Saturday morning there comes a knock on the door and its the delivery of C's new server that he bought that week...So Saturday was spent setting up new server and then heading out to buy a sound card for it to become a media centre for watching movies, series and listening to music - and now we also have tv channels on it. But he is still figuring out the codex for the video with Linux. So the rest of the weekend was me watching series and playing computer and Callum playing with computers and lots of little naps in between - it was a really great weekend. But now our room is chaos with boxes and stuff everywhere and laundry everywhere and 4 computers (!) and us still having to pack for Spain leaving first thing, bright and early on Wednesday morning! it is a very early start so want to be packed today so that we can get to sleep early as we have to watch up at something like 2am for the train to the airport!!!

well, that is it for now ...I would just like to say that I cant believe that I am where I am. That One night a year ago I firstly told my brother that I would make a plan and def come and visit in a year and that was the night I met C and how that set off the chain of events that got me where I wanted to be - and I still have to pinch myself and wonder how everything could have fallen into place so easily and that I could be in such a different place within a year mentally and physically.

So that is finally it until I'm back from Spain...

Pics from Sunday at Fifty Five and Wagamamas

See previous blog for the details :)

Another Bank holiday weekend

I have no idea where the time is flying to. It seems like it was just yesterday that I wrote here but it is already the next weekend is upon me before getting to write about the last. And the last one was def a notable one full and busy and a long weekend as well. With the aim not too ramble too much but not seeming to skim too much either here is what went down last weekend.



The friend that we met for drinks was Gary and his arrival in London a week and a bit ago (that Tuesday night) created even more excuses to get out and about and explore London. The Tuesday night had us wondering around the area of his hotel for a bar and then for somewhere to eat (which happened to be another bar - go figure) Finally got to have a traditionally fish and chips and mushy peas for dinner and then we toddled off home.



By Friday we knew we had to take Gary out for some good partying in London. The plan was to go to KOKO in Camden but I'm still waiting for a night there. We started off at the worlds end pub in Camden which is a wonderfully alternative pub with such a wide variety of people. Think Obs on steroids. After a few calls we found out Paul and Alice were up the road at the Dublin castle (there are 4 pubs in the area all called 'so-and-so' castle each representing England, Ireland, wales and Scotland - we were at the Edinburgh castle if you noticed in a previous blog)

So off we trot up the road - I say trot cause I have on my most killer heels for a night out :)



Drinks were had with Paul, alice and her friend as well as a bunch of people that Alice's friend had met online and this was the first time she was meeting them in real life. Finally Gary made it through to us (he made a habit of getting lost plenty in London) and we all then follow the crowd off to a club on oxford st called Metro for what we were promised was some good alternative/rock music. The music wasnt exactly what it was cracked up to be as per the flyers promise and the evening seemed to just been what I can only think of as being very british pop rock punky stuff. Didnt know half of it - think alot of it was old school re done punk stuff. But never the less I'm always the one to try make the most of the situation and off C and I went to the dancefloor where we found a step for me (so i'm not so short -lol) and danced away. Then the others came to join us and we all got to have fun time anyway despite the music.



Then after walking miles down the closed off section of oxford st to deposit Gary on the best night bus we head off to find ours. Thanks to the closed off roads etc and after waiting for ages for the elusive 390 bus (which was saw numerous ones later in the weekend) we landed up cabbing it home and crawling into bed at 4.



Saturday 'morning' (we only surfaced at about 13:30pm) and set off on the mission of finding me a hairdryer since my now old hairdryer decided that it wanted to do the impression of a fireball by glowing orange it was so hot and being seconds away from bursting into actual flames in my hand. So we missioned to Argos, the strangest shopping concept i've come across so far. You walk into the 'shop' that just has banks of counters with big laminated books (which the housemate calls the laminated book of dreams) and little machines that you type in the code of the item you want to see if they have it in stock. Then you got to the payment counters (or self service payment counters - which is very cool and I got to use now that I have my chip and pin card), you pay. then get a number and collection counter number. You then sit down and wait for the number to be called, you go to the collection point and there appears your item/s and you walk out. It very strange system and even stranger buying something that you havent actually seen or felt. But then again they are seriously cheaper. Think i'm actually going to stop by there again soon to get us more bed linen and towels :)



Ok i've gotten off track a bit. By this stage it is late afternoon and we hadnt eaten yet so we decided to head off for an early dinner or late lunch which ever way you want to look at it. After some debating we head off to pizza express in kentish town which was in a lovely converted hall of some sort. We hit the lull between lunch and dinner and were one of 3 tables occupied. We had the most stunning meal of dough balls (why we dont have these in SA I have no idea - they are devine !), pizza and tirumisu with a lovely bottle of wine. Was a really wonderful 2 hours completely wrapped up in our own little world talking endlessly as usual :)



Then off to Leicester Square to see The Pirates of the Caribean 3 with Gary and his other friends. Which was good entertainment to end off a Saturday night.



After feeling like it had already been a full weekend we were very happy to realise that there were still 2 days left of the weekend...



Sunday ! Finally our plan to wander around spitalfields market came to fruition. This is a very cool indoor market that has been around since 18something or other - read as very very old ! There are stalls with clothing and shoes and second hand clothing and anything retro, food, bags, etc etc. We wondered around taking it all in enjoying the atmosphere, had some lunch from the famous square pies place and bought the most stunning chocolate from the most stunning chocolate shop! We also wondered around the other markets in the area like petticoat lane and bricklane as well as taking in all the galleries and the shops and the vibe of the area. C had really wanted to show me the area as he would love to move therebouts - but those are decisions for later in the year. AND what we can find in our price bracket.



We then got a call from Gary to do something and so we all landed up in Camden again at a cocktail bar called Fifty Five which was just off the main road so nice a quiet. Then we find out that it is 2 for 1 cocktail happy (2) hours. So we all pick a cocktail and get 6, then pick some more, and then more, and so we always had a pile of different drinks on the table and are sampling and drinking from them all. Was a great way to try new cocktails and share the love - LOL. I must say that whoever came up with the cocktail that was ice cream, oreo cookies and alcohol was a genius !!! what a yummy cocktails! So now that we exhausted the happy hours we head off in search of FOOD :) and luckily (or most likely evilly planned from the beginning by C) Wagamama's is right next door. It is one of C's favourite restuarants and I think he was just having withdrawl symtoms from the lack of spicy food in his life thanks to my tastes.



Wagamama's was a very cool resturant where we got to sit at large bench tables (i.e right on top of the people next to you) and since we were all in hyper active drunken states we landed up having to befriend the 2 females sitting next to us. We def brought amusement with us and I think scared the waitress a bit. Especially since we were attacking each other with the menus. At one stage Gary asked her for empty coke bottles and he really was no only cause she had visions of use attacking each other with the glass bottles. Eventually Gary did get to pull off his tower of bottles trick and she was very impressed until she whipped them away and was pretty much like leave already, well it was closeing time and we were some of the last people left there.


OK looks like i have to work now - will post again about my monday later :)

Another weekend down...

Its Tuesday afternoon, and for once at work I have nothing to do - so am sitting here bored out of my mind waiting on people to get back to me. Of course in my boredom and get to bore you by writing more about life at the moment (basically what I got up to this last weekend)

The last weekend was started by having drink down the pub (larney pub called smithfields pub and restaurant) with co workers where the one's husband has a regular gig providing back ground music to the office Friday night drinks. They really do love their drinking ! I was taking it very gently this Friday since Thursday was a horrible hung over work day !

Callum then joined me there and we made our plans to head off to movies...and when going to movies in the city you basically just head for Leicester square area and there are about 10 movies theaters to choose from. The movie choice for the night was the painted veil which was not your typical romance even though it was essentially a romance non the less. Edward Norton as always was an amazing actor and played his part brilliantly and will be making loads of money off it too since he and Noami watts were the executive producers as well. Def how to make big bucks in the movie industry.

We rounded off the evening with a slice of pizza as well watched the revellers of the night wondering around. mostly people leaving the pubs, others arriving all dressed up for the clubs, tourists wondering around lost etc. Then off home for both of us to catch up on much needed sleep.

The need for sleep caused us to only wake up at 12pm on Sat !!!! eeekk... oh well it was needed. Our plan for the day had been to go through to the V&A - but a friend of a friend of Callums was having an engagement party and we were invited. Plus we would be seeing Callums friend is only going to be in London for two weeks or so. But here is the snag - it started at 12:30 and since we are not really the people to hurry unless absolutely necessary we were a hour or so late. Weekend mornings are time for pottering around the flat, messing around on the internet (me in the bedroom and Callum in the kitchen), lots of cups of tea, and commands of each other to go get unstinky first.

The engagement party was at a pub (of course) called the Edinburgh castle. Were we basically sat and chatted with friends and met new people and drank and ate all afternoon and evening ...left at about 10pm, that was 9 hours in the pub - wow i think that is a record for me. Had an entire camebert cheese baked in its box with toasted ciabatta. Was so devine !!! After 9 hours in the pub it was def bed time where we got talking again to the wee hours of the morning. Damn can Callum and I talk each others ears off ! and it is even worse when we've been drinking. We can talk about anything and everything for ages - the most random thoughts get spoken about and at the end it is one of those conversations that you cant even remember what any of it was really about. LOL

Sunday was a lovely domestic day with Callum and I going a doing a HUGE grocery shop and then having to lug it all home. Damn that was sore! Then I made tomatoe and basil soup and custard cookies while doing domestic chores as well. Then there was an evening drink down the local (St Johns) with friends. and that was the weekend !

Now am off to meet up with more friends here for a few weeks for some more drinks :)

Work party ...

It seems like that every temp job so far has had some or other farewell party for a person leaving... This time it was dinner for the designer that is heading off for maternaty leave and has the most gorgeous insanely huge preggie belly since she has twins kicking around in there.

So wednesday night off the designers (me included) head off to pre drink as arranged by the head designer in a fancy private bar of the hotel on strand st (i think - it was a cab journey away from the office) which was designed by Philip Stark. This is where we started the drinking of expensive cocktails at £13 a cocktail in a very dim lit club enviroment causing me great shock coming out into the still bright light at 7:30. Off we trooped to the Thai resturant for a very nice (and very spicy - AHHHH) meal with some wine.

Then while a few left us after dinner (including the guest of honour - no blaming her though) the majority headed off to Punch and Judy in Covent gardens. This is apparently the oldest pub in London - or something like that. Then things started to get messy in the sense that out came sambuca shots all round and a few more drink laters we head off to the next drinking hole aptly named the Coal Hole. Which was another pub that had been around for decades! I just love how every thing is so old and has such a history here in London.

Then there were the guys left, me and anthea. The typical male call for a strip club went out and we all trooped off the the nearest tube to get to the closest strip joint. This particular joint was called Whites and seemed to cater for only corporate clients in the sense that it was only open on week nights ! ! Basically fun was had by all - with one of the group getting his first lap dance ever and looked like a very very happy man afterwards. Suddenly it was 2:30 and Callum was calling just to check i hadnt disappeared done a rabbit hole somewhere in London. Thankfully my bubby of the evening Gianni lived up north further then me and since I was on the way got a lift back in his cab. Finally I got to go home to crawl up in the arms of Callum - and getting teased about my drunken state .... :)

The Church pics

See previous blog for details...*The queue in front of us - the big red brick building in the distance is the venue* *The queue behind us that didnt get in* *Us in the queue* *The drinks in the plastic packets*
*The stripper**up close of the stripper*
*The crowd of girls on the stage*

* The crowd*
*Sam, Callum and me in the crowded dancefloor was very interesting trying to navigate through the people - def made for some laughs*
*Me on the stage - a bit of a mission but I got there**The aftermath of all the drinks and thier plastic bags*

*Aimee passed out on my shoulder in the tube* *close up of Aimee passed out on my shoulder*

*Us on the tube home*

The Long weekend

After SA's long weekend now it was our turn in the UK. Well ok i'll admit that I hadnt been working the week before it and pretty much just chilled out last week, tried to sort a bank account out and shopped for the remaining bits of Callum's bday prezzie. Wasnt lucky with the bank story until this morning and now I have my very own bank account with money in it but no card yet ..oops. Just to let all potential uk immigrants the most helpful (read actually gave me a current account without a utility bill) is Lloyds TSB...they were great.

Ok so the long weekend then...feels like it was a week long and I need a rest from the it and it is only tuesday.

Friday had me running around going to a couple of interviews which was all good since I heard back from the one within an hour and am now working at another office design and build practice for the next 4 weeks. Then it was back home, quickly dump everything change and off to farewell drinks for Maria who i've been working with the last few weeks and who have become friends with. She is a very sweet colombian who is married to a french man. She is sadly going back to Colombia for 6 weeks so will see her again only then. The drinks were flowing (bought by the boss) and then the champayne was flowing! Evil evil stuff ! Poor Maria landed up extremely drunk and finally I handed her off to her husband and we parted ways...
I got home all by myself in my slightly (read very) drunken state and was very proud of this fact as it was all that I could tell Callum once home. He (also a touch tispy from his work drinks) finally got me to bed and to shut up about getting home on my own.

Now I very much knew that we had plans and train tickets to brighton the next day and was very excited to be going but I must say that when the alarm went off at 8:30am I was not a very happy person. Then I remembered it was Callums bday!! managed to "jump" (very gently) out of bed to give him his presents. You all know how much I love giving presents! Then after popping some pain killers for the pounding head and getting myself together we hurtled off to the train station, stopping for mac donalds breakfast on the way (SO GOOD!) and off to Brighton.

We had no set plan for Brighton and once there discovered that it was the first day of the Brighton festival so the whole place was a hive of activity with streets closed off and the shops and cafes spilling out into them. We wondered down the streets trying to avoid the childrens parade (never seen so many children in one place all dressed up) and find ourselves a very cool bohiemian coffee shop/cafe and comedy venue for coffee and to browse the maps and festival magazines.

* The childrens parade*

Off we went again to stroll around the Lanes (shopping, shopping and more shopping) and then onto Brighton beach. The beach was a bit surreal as it is entirely pebbles, no sand what so ever ! So we slowly made our the shoreline trying not to get our shoes full of pebbles (not too hard since they are bigger then you expect!) and sat listening to the cool sound the pebbles make in the waves and taking the obligatory pics of the beach and the Brighton Pier.

*The Lanes*

We then set off for lunch at Mamma's soul food (or something like that) as per Phil the housemates instructions. So in we go to the very southern american palce complete with the loud african american woman to welcome you and are informed that happyily the chef has had to rush off cause his wife is having thier baby and we can one order one thing...soul in a bowl. So with no idea what was heading our way we said sure, bring it on. Then proceeds 3 courses of multiple dishes, we have ordered a bit of everything on the menu - that is soul in a bowl...EVERYTHING...We ate ourselves stupid and then ate some more and then the next round would come and we would eat even more. Needless to say we rolled ourselves out of there in great need of a walk!

Off we head to the Brighton Pier - I mean how could we go to Brighton and not go to the pier! And so we start some more strolling through the arcades and gambling and stalls or people wanting to sell you your future or tell you what your handwriting says about you and on to the amusement rides (which I must say just made me feel sick looking at them cause I was so STUFFED) BUT of course , it is a pier so what must we have ...ICE CREAM :) I still have no idea where I fitted it. We then just landed up standing by the railing watching the sea and the people in the nice warm sun (the only time I was warm when outside that day!)

Our day was wrapped up with more walking around the markets and the parks etc. Then the train ride home where I was just in the most happiest relaxed bubble curled up in Callums arms as we listened to music together (and he slept) What a wonderful end to a great day and what I hope was a great birthday for Callum.

*The Royal Pavilion*

Then along came sunday and our outing to THE CHURCH ...I had very little idea of what to expect I had heard a few rumours every now and then. The church is basically a club that only opens on a sunday at 12pm and closes at 4pm ...that is 4 hours to drink as much as you can, party as much as you can and generally have a kick ass hedonistic time ! Since it was a bank holiday the next day we were given instructions by Callums friends and workmates to be there early. So we drag ourselves out of bed and meet at the church (luckily 2 tube stops away) at 10:30am...and the queue was already round the corner and down the street. WOW. So we wait and we wait and we wait some more, in the freezing cold I might add here (though I did try not to whinge too much cause I get teased for that :P ) Finally the queue starts moving and since we know that there is a cut off of number of people we are getting a bit nervous...and for good reason! They let only 25 more people in after us. Other friends of mine sadly didnt get in...shame. So into a full capacity of 1800 people club we go.

Now the drinking set up is one that i've never encountered before. You go and but vouchers that get you 3 drinks at a time then you go to the bar and get your 3 drinks (beer, cider or smirnoff ice in a can are the only choices) IN A PLASTIC BAG !!! so everyone wonders around/ dances with a plasic bag full of drinks. Then you drink as fast as possible, dance as much as possible and get to watch strippers, fat men doing an attempt at comedy/stripping/singing as well as drinking competitions and whatever else they have up their sleeves for entertainment.

It was great - SO much fun ! At the end the girls get to go dance up on stage while the now drunk and horney males get to looks on as some of the girl get their tops off (down to the bra) and well I got to go dance up there, have a laugh and smile as my gorgeous bf in the crowd :)

We then get kicked out at 4pm and we all mission down to the closest fast food (Mc D's) for food to fill the drunken tummies. I must say that Mc D has never tasted so good and gone down so fast in my life !

A few of us then went on to a random little cocktail bar in tottenham court area that had no signage and was down some dodgy looking stairs into the basement. Very cool little place...but maybe not so good to have carried on drinking. Callum and I then tottered off home to harrass the housemate and then lie in bed talking for hours (gotta love those drunken conversations)

Well i'm getting tried now just reading this and think that I'll just leave you with the sad fact that Monday bank holiday saw Callum and I going to the local cafe for a breakfast fry up and then basically lounging around and finally cleaning and doing laundry and being oh so domestic ...yes I'm finally domestic - LOL

Enough said, Night all