Sorry folks. Been offline for a while, and then realised how much I would have to write to catch up so have decided not to catch up and just start from now. Which is with me, in Argentina. Having avoided conflict zones in Bolivia (just), had a massive argument with a tour leader, bought more South American things and generally enjoyed myself I have wound up here, in a city that actually feels like civilisation.
So, I am in Beunos Aires which I LOVE although my entire oponion is based on food and nightlife. Amazing. Currently trying to figure out how to best come back here and live for a month. Had some crazy nights out. Of course. Ate some excellent food. Saw a Tango show at an old school cafe. Tried to speak Spanish top the locals. It has all been ace. In fact I am a bit sorry to leave at all.
And here is a brief retrospective of what I missed these last few weeks:
1. Macchu Picchu - excellent. Amazing. Overwhelming. Possibly going with a hangover was not one of my best ideas yet, but it is so intensely beautiful that it didn't really matter. Amazing zen feeling. Slightly weird tour guide held my hand and tried to tell me about transference of energy and how his aim in life was to build a big circle of rocks. I think I may have missed the point of that.
2. Lake Titicaca - Massive. Puno not that interesting but we stayed with a family on the island and it immediately made me want to give all my worldly goods to charity. Instead I made a contribution by buying an overpriced knitted hat. We all have to start somewhere.
3. La Paz - just when I thought I was getting used to altitude someone kicked it up a notch. The Witches Market was ace. There were actuall dried llama foetuses to be had, but I decided that I preferred the dried disco armadillo (with free sequins). Thought better of trying to explain to Australian customs why I would have wanted a disco armadillo.
4. Salt Flats - the scene of our fight with our tour leader. Nice salt flats, cool cacti. The moment when I developed a reputation for enjoying a fight.
5. Horse Back Riding - a week ago and my butt still hurts.
6. Sucre - very pretty.
That's not entirely it, but I really have to try and get myself sorted for tonight's night bus.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Running for Cover
South America continues ot be fascinating. I had my cocoa leaves read by a Peruvian lady on a bus and she told me all sorts of interesting things.
I have developed an obsession with the cuteness of Peruvian children. I think it is largely because they wear really lovely little hats and have such big brown eyes and nice skin. It seems to be a specific condition to all girls in South America, even those like myself who aren´t particularly enamoured with children generally.
Anyway, today we got up at 4am (for the 3rd day in a row, this is not a relaxng holiday) to head out to the Sacred Valley, and so the others could start the Inca Trail tomorrow. The reason we headed off so early was that they like their protests in Peru and there is a big one in Cusco today and we were trying to avoid it.
We didn´t. We passed burning tyres, burning rubbish, large bricks and stones thrown onto the road only to come face to face with protesters blocking the road and generally being pretty angsty. A whole lot of tourist buses were caught there, and some went through the line, but it was pointless, because you could see the next bloackade about 100m up the road. And if you couldn´t pass that, you got trapped. We sat there for a while in the bus, assessing the situation (at least our tour guide was assessing the situation) and absolutely shitting ourselves.
By the time they started trying to life a small Peruvian cab off the ground, we decided it was better to make a mad dash back for the hotel. The police offered no deterrence whatsoever and the whole striking and rioting mentality is beyond me. Here, they use strikes as the first tool of ´negotiation´ which doesn´t make sense to me, coming from a country where it is always the threat held over the negotiating table.
The strike was about the fact that the cost of living in Peru is rising. Something that is happening everywhere. The difference being that if the cost of livng rises in Australia, we can´t afford a DVD player. It rises here, they can´t afford food. I can understand why they are angry. But it seems so self defeating. They destroy and block roads which affects them and other Peruvians, they piss off tourists that spend a significant sum of money here, they enlist the help of their children that should be at school. It seems that all the harm they cause falls on their own heads.
Apparently the other GAP Tours bus is still sitting between two protest lines, unable to mnove forward or back, slowly dehydrating. At least we´re not fending off protesters with hiking poles.
The plan is to head out really early tomorrow morning if there isn´t a second day of the strike. But because I am not hiking I am staying at the hotel to sleep in. Which will be nice. I don´t know how the others are going to do it.
I have developed an obsession with the cuteness of Peruvian children. I think it is largely because they wear really lovely little hats and have such big brown eyes and nice skin. It seems to be a specific condition to all girls in South America, even those like myself who aren´t particularly enamoured with children generally.
Anyway, today we got up at 4am (for the 3rd day in a row, this is not a relaxng holiday) to head out to the Sacred Valley, and so the others could start the Inca Trail tomorrow. The reason we headed off so early was that they like their protests in Peru and there is a big one in Cusco today and we were trying to avoid it.
We didn´t. We passed burning tyres, burning rubbish, large bricks and stones thrown onto the road only to come face to face with protesters blocking the road and generally being pretty angsty. A whole lot of tourist buses were caught there, and some went through the line, but it was pointless, because you could see the next bloackade about 100m up the road. And if you couldn´t pass that, you got trapped. We sat there for a while in the bus, assessing the situation (at least our tour guide was assessing the situation) and absolutely shitting ourselves.
By the time they started trying to life a small Peruvian cab off the ground, we decided it was better to make a mad dash back for the hotel. The police offered no deterrence whatsoever and the whole striking and rioting mentality is beyond me. Here, they use strikes as the first tool of ´negotiation´ which doesn´t make sense to me, coming from a country where it is always the threat held over the negotiating table.
The strike was about the fact that the cost of living in Peru is rising. Something that is happening everywhere. The difference being that if the cost of livng rises in Australia, we can´t afford a DVD player. It rises here, they can´t afford food. I can understand why they are angry. But it seems so self defeating. They destroy and block roads which affects them and other Peruvians, they piss off tourists that spend a significant sum of money here, they enlist the help of their children that should be at school. It seems that all the harm they cause falls on their own heads.
Apparently the other GAP Tours bus is still sitting between two protest lines, unable to mnove forward or back, slowly dehydrating. At least we´re not fending off protesters with hiking poles.
The plan is to head out really early tomorrow morning if there isn´t a second day of the strike. But because I am not hiking I am staying at the hotel to sleep in. Which will be nice. I don´t know how the others are going to do it.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Flashing Peruvian Farmers. And their Cows.
Just so that I can provide evidence of how outdoorsy I have been in South America I think I should note that I have sat on a night bus drinking a large bottle of red wine with my new best friend, Rahki ,and Martin, our exceptionally young tour guide. I have also been in a teeny tiny plane with with people vommitting while I was trying to keep my own dinner down and enjoy the not as large as I expected Nasca Lines.
I went on a boat trip to see animals where my seat broke and I was a little perturbed at teh thought of falling through the boat floor into the freezing water.
I went sandboarding and hooned through sand dunes in a very unstable car looking contraption.
And that brings me to the white water rafting today. I like white water rafting. It is fun. Less fun is needing to go to the loo half way through when you´re wearing a wet suit and one piece swimsuit. My very nice rafting instructor (is itcompulsory that all rafting instructors be super cute?) allowed us to ´pull over´ so I could use the facilities. But not before he asked me for the recipe for pavlova. So, he pointed up a hill, a steep hill, which for some reasons I decided to climb with my oar, and I ended up in a large field.
So I felt it was pertinent to yell down ´Where?´ to which he responded Ánywhere´. So there I was, in a field. With cows. Trying to decide where to best hide myself. Obviously I didn´t do a very good job of this as I had just pulled down my bathers when I realised the cows were, in fact, accompanied by a Peruvian farmer. Who was herding them or something. And who I had just managed to flash.
Anyway, white water rafting was fun. When Sarah fell in, her boyfriend Scott didn´t move to pull her in but instead shouted ´Don´t worry honey, I have the oar´ which I am sure won´t make him that popular. The water was freezing. There were beautiful volcanoes in the background, and you could see the snow on top that fed the river. Absolutely stunning.
Off to check out the sights of Arequepia and head to a discoteque. Hopefully with the guys from the rafting company.
At at least I am making friends with the natives. And their cows.
I went on a boat trip to see animals where my seat broke and I was a little perturbed at teh thought of falling through the boat floor into the freezing water.
I went sandboarding and hooned through sand dunes in a very unstable car looking contraption.
And that brings me to the white water rafting today. I like white water rafting. It is fun. Less fun is needing to go to the loo half way through when you´re wearing a wet suit and one piece swimsuit. My very nice rafting instructor (is itcompulsory that all rafting instructors be super cute?) allowed us to ´pull over´ so I could use the facilities. But not before he asked me for the recipe for pavlova. So, he pointed up a hill, a steep hill, which for some reasons I decided to climb with my oar, and I ended up in a large field.
So I felt it was pertinent to yell down ´Where?´ to which he responded Ánywhere´. So there I was, in a field. With cows. Trying to decide where to best hide myself. Obviously I didn´t do a very good job of this as I had just pulled down my bathers when I realised the cows were, in fact, accompanied by a Peruvian farmer. Who was herding them or something. And who I had just managed to flash.
Anyway, white water rafting was fun. When Sarah fell in, her boyfriend Scott didn´t move to pull her in but instead shouted ´Don´t worry honey, I have the oar´ which I am sure won´t make him that popular. The water was freezing. There were beautiful volcanoes in the background, and you could see the snow on top that fed the river. Absolutely stunning.
Off to check out the sights of Arequepia and head to a discoteque. Hopefully with the guys from the rafting company.
At at least I am making friends with the natives. And their cows.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Visiting the Spanish Inquisition
I am in Peru where I am feeling slightly less tall and slightly more damp. I swear, if I saw blue sky it would be a miracle. Enjoying Lima enough. It's hard because all the bits of the city that are safe and that the guide books recommend are the old parts. Which really are lovely. But lets face it, the old parts aren't likely to be able to compete with the 'old parts' of Europe so it just feels a bit pointless. And because I want to leave Lima with all my money and credit cards, I am not particularly inclined to just go wandering about by myself in areas that are designated as dodgy. Just a personal preference.
I went to the Inquisition Museum today to avoid the rain. One of the tortures tastefully reconstructed with wax figures was especially for women only. They lay you on a bech, put a large rock in your mouth and poured water over it to simulate a drowning sensation. Sound familiar? All I am saying is that if the Inquisition thought this was a form of torture, along side burning the bottom of the feet and stretching you on the rack then Ashcroft, Rummy, Bush etc really need meds for delusion. Or a history lesson. Possibly with pseudo-realistic wax sculptures.
I was sad to leave Quito - I had just felt like I was settling in to the school and learning enough Spanish to not look like a complete moron all the time. In fact, I learnt enough Spanish that I help a (bad) conversation for 40 minutes with the woman who drove me to the hotel from the Lima airport. I discovered that we had EXACTLY the same birthday.
Snap Judgement for the Day
I am doing a tour for a while in Peru and Bolivia and was checking out the list of names that were posted on the board. I noted the following:
1. I am the ONLY one not described with a Ms/Miss/Mrs; and
2. Most of the group is married to each other.
So, I am now imagining myself in a group of over 50s but I will be the under 30 not hauling my butt up the Inca trail, but instead catching the train. Ah well.
I went to the Inquisition Museum today to avoid the rain. One of the tortures tastefully reconstructed with wax figures was especially for women only. They lay you on a bech, put a large rock in your mouth and poured water over it to simulate a drowning sensation. Sound familiar? All I am saying is that if the Inquisition thought this was a form of torture, along side burning the bottom of the feet and stretching you on the rack then Ashcroft, Rummy, Bush etc really need meds for delusion. Or a history lesson. Possibly with pseudo-realistic wax sculptures.
I was sad to leave Quito - I had just felt like I was settling in to the school and learning enough Spanish to not look like a complete moron all the time. In fact, I learnt enough Spanish that I help a (bad) conversation for 40 minutes with the woman who drove me to the hotel from the Lima airport. I discovered that we had EXACTLY the same birthday.
Snap Judgement for the Day
I am doing a tour for a while in Peru and Bolivia and was checking out the list of names that were posted on the board. I noted the following:
1. I am the ONLY one not described with a Ms/Miss/Mrs; and
2. Most of the group is married to each other.
So, I am now imagining myself in a group of over 50s but I will be the under 30 not hauling my butt up the Inca trail, but instead catching the train. Ah well.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Una, Dos, Tres...dance, dance dance.
In my last post I mentioned my lack of rythym and how the verb bailar (to dance) was unlikely to be very useful to me because of it. Somehow, this didn't actually stop me from showing up in the Latin Dance class the school runs every Thursday.
I should clarify that 'showing up' really means 'was dragged up the stairs by my teacher because they were one girl short and I was the only Chicka left in the school'. Talk about desperation. And where in the world, may I ask, is a dance class one GIRL short? If I learnt anything from Strictly Ballroom it's that girls are always doomed to dance with other girls. And Scott will be really mean to you about it when you ask to dance with him at the Pan Pacifics.
Anyway, it was fun, I managed not to maim anyone. In fact I was twirling like a pro in the end and even stopped leading. I think it{s really unfair to teach you the steps one way for 30 minutes, then make the girls do it all backwards. It is very confusing. It was made worse by teh fact the class was in Spanish and half the time I was confused about which way we were supposed to be going. If nothing else, however, I will now be able to count up to 7.
As a side note, wearing thermal underwear to dance class on a warm day was not one of my better ideas.
Went to Otalavalo last weekend were I went to an animal market (weird) and an 'indigensou crafts' market. I use inverted comas because I am not entirely convinced that people who buy live guinea pig to eat have a giant weaving thingy in their back shed to mass produce the lovely, authentic table clothes.
Went to the middle of the world and stood on the fake equator. And the allegedly real equator. Went up the Teleferiqo and saw Cotopaxi which was very, very cool. Apparently the mountain would be covered with snow if it was anywhere else in the world, because it is 4100m above sea level, but being equatorial, it is lush and green. Crazy!
I am actually very sad to be leaving Quito. Just got settled here, met heaps of great people and now I am heading off to Lima. And I hardly speak any Spanish. Argh!! Ah well. There are nice people everywhere. Except Romania, which I am still holding a deep seeded grudge against.
I should clarify that 'showing up' really means 'was dragged up the stairs by my teacher because they were one girl short and I was the only Chicka left in the school'. Talk about desperation. And where in the world, may I ask, is a dance class one GIRL short? If I learnt anything from Strictly Ballroom it's that girls are always doomed to dance with other girls. And Scott will be really mean to you about it when you ask to dance with him at the Pan Pacifics.
Anyway, it was fun, I managed not to maim anyone. In fact I was twirling like a pro in the end and even stopped leading. I think it{s really unfair to teach you the steps one way for 30 minutes, then make the girls do it all backwards. It is very confusing. It was made worse by teh fact the class was in Spanish and half the time I was confused about which way we were supposed to be going. If nothing else, however, I will now be able to count up to 7.
As a side note, wearing thermal underwear to dance class on a warm day was not one of my better ideas.
Went to Otalavalo last weekend were I went to an animal market (weird) and an 'indigensou crafts' market. I use inverted comas because I am not entirely convinced that people who buy live guinea pig to eat have a giant weaving thingy in their back shed to mass produce the lovely, authentic table clothes.
Went to the middle of the world and stood on the fake equator. And the allegedly real equator. Went up the Teleferiqo and saw Cotopaxi which was very, very cool. Apparently the mountain would be covered with snow if it was anywhere else in the world, because it is 4100m above sea level, but being equatorial, it is lush and green. Crazy!
I am actually very sad to be leaving Quito. Just got settled here, met heaps of great people and now I am heading off to Lima. And I hardly speak any Spanish. Argh!! Ah well. There are nice people everywhere. Except Romania, which I am still holding a deep seeded grudge against.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Functionally Illiterate
Does anyone know how many verbs there are?!?!? All these yars I have been taking verbs for granted, not knowing that I was almost functionally illiterate in my own language. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE??!?!
So, in Spanish I can say I am doing something if it is going somewhere, eating, drinking or dancing. Given my sense of rythym is zero, the last is not particulalry useful. And I can't have done it in the past. I have to be doing it or going to do it. Argh!!! This is killing me. I am a verbal person and my responses are stunted to saying I like things and talking about my family.
We've just done a test on which I managed to not recognise the sentence for what is your name , describe Pedro as a dog when they really wanted words like tall, blonde etc and miss the point of one sentence so badly I actually got the answer right even though I was answering something else entirely. So this isn't going very well.
This afternoon we are heading to an Indiginous town for a very touristy market so I can buy a poncho to drag me out from my depression. Because, as we all know, you can't be unhappy in a poncho.
So, in Spanish I can say I am doing something if it is going somewhere, eating, drinking or dancing. Given my sense of rythym is zero, the last is not particulalry useful. And I can't have done it in the past. I have to be doing it or going to do it. Argh!!! This is killing me. I am a verbal person and my responses are stunted to saying I like things and talking about my family.
We've just done a test on which I managed to not recognise the sentence for what is your name , describe Pedro as a dog when they really wanted words like tall, blonde etc and miss the point of one sentence so badly I actually got the answer right even though I was answering something else entirely. So this isn't going very well.
This afternoon we are heading to an Indiginous town for a very touristy market so I can buy a poncho to drag me out from my depression. Because, as we all know, you can't be unhappy in a poncho.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Rookie Mistake
I should also add that I don't look Latino because I am not a man.
The title of yesterday's post shoud have been 'I don't look Latina'. Which I realised about 10 minutes after leaving school.
Now I am going to conjugate verbs and learn the Spanish word for humourless.
The title of yesterday's post shoud have been 'I don't look Latina'. Which I realised about 10 minutes after leaving school.
Now I am going to conjugate verbs and learn the Spanish word for humourless.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
I don't look Latino
SURPRISE!!! I bet wveryone at home is thinking, wow, that's really funny. Who would have thought Kate with her white skin and blue eyes wouldn't look Latino. Well I don't, and it appears to be attracting a lot of attention. The fact that I am at least half a foot taller than Ecuadorian women is probably part of it as well.
In general I can have a predisposition to worrying about the worst while hoping for the best. Which is kind've how I have ended up in Quito at an immersion language school for 2 weeks, staying with a host family that doesn't speak English and hoping that the 7 of 10 weeks of laguage classes I attended in London would be in some way useful. I was also not entirely sure that I didn't need a visa to get in here until the woman had put a computer print out perilously close to my 'DO NOT STAMP' page.
So I arrived on Friday night and discovered I would be staying with a woman named Venus (pronounced Vanoos but it took me 3 days to work that out) and began signalling in sign langauge immediately. After night of sleep and a sleep in to compensate for my 3am start, I managed to struggle downstairs in time to go to the mall. Anyway, I have managed to establish that her bird's name is Coco which is a start. We'll see.
After 5 days I have managed tof igure out how to have a warm shower.
I also signed up for a 'culture' course meaning I have lunch with teacher every day. Which means I am eating a lot of Ecuadorian food and using my 15 Spanish words to attempt to string coherent sentences together, while worrying that the lettuce will kill me, as the Lonely Planet guide suggested it would. But since I've seen Cuy cooked on sticks, whole pigs displayed on the road side and have eaten pretty much everything put in front of me because 'mi gusta mucho' is one of the few Spanish phrases I know, I think the lettuce will be the least of my worries.
In general I can have a predisposition to worrying about the worst while hoping for the best. Which is kind've how I have ended up in Quito at an immersion language school for 2 weeks, staying with a host family that doesn't speak English and hoping that the 7 of 10 weeks of laguage classes I attended in London would be in some way useful. I was also not entirely sure that I didn't need a visa to get in here until the woman had put a computer print out perilously close to my 'DO NOT STAMP' page.
So I arrived on Friday night and discovered I would be staying with a woman named Venus (pronounced Vanoos but it took me 3 days to work that out) and began signalling in sign langauge immediately. After night of sleep and a sleep in to compensate for my 3am start, I managed to struggle downstairs in time to go to the mall. Anyway, I have managed to establish that her bird's name is Coco which is a start. We'll see.
After 5 days I have managed tof igure out how to have a warm shower.
I also signed up for a 'culture' course meaning I have lunch with teacher every day. Which means I am eating a lot of Ecuadorian food and using my 15 Spanish words to attempt to string coherent sentences together, while worrying that the lettuce will kill me, as the Lonely Planet guide suggested it would. But since I've seen Cuy cooked on sticks, whole pigs displayed on the road side and have eaten pretty much everything put in front of me because 'mi gusta mucho' is one of the few Spanish phrases I know, I think the lettuce will be the least of my worries.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
I'm leaving my heart in San Francisco
I have just been to a restaurant called 'The Stinking Rose' which has the tagline 'we serve our garlic with food' or something similar. It was ace. Except that I have eaten so many carbs now I worry about my ability to fit in a plane seat. I am also concerned because I have to spend 15 of the next 24 hours on a plane. My sympathy for anyone who sits next to me.
But all this is really leading up to the fact that I have just had one of the best experiences of my trip so far. Today I went to City Lights Bookstore which has been a dream of mine since the 12th grade when I discovered Lawrence Ferlinghetti via a Morphine/Ferlinghetti spoken word piece that a girl I went to boarding school was given on a mix tape from her internet penfriend in England who later turned out to be a spoilt rich kid stoner who visited her in Australia and spent most of his time on the couch complaingin about the weather.
Anyway, I've loved Coney Island of the Mind for years. It's my favourite poem. I love it more than Howl. And there I was. In this seminal Beat bookstore that looks a lot like every other bookstore except for the fact that you're allowed to just sit and read.
And they sold copies of Bitch magazine.
So today has been a wonderful day. It really has. I can't properly explain why it was so amazing to be in that bookstore. I am a hopeless romantic. I build small things into big things. I can't help it. But I love that I ended my trip in the USA with that store.
In less than 12 hours I will be on a plane to South America.
So here are the Stats:
Car: Pontiac G6, Green
Miles: 4, 100 (6,598km)
States Visited: DC, New York, Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, California and probably others that I can't think of offhand.
Big Gulp's Drunk: 1
Number of Emergency Toilet stops: 3
Times Zones Confused: 1
Accidents: 0
Days Inn Frequented: 3
Psychics Visited: 1
Money spent on cosmetics and clothes: undisclosed
Famous People Seen: Jimmy Kimmel, Benjamin Bratt, Huey Lewis (but only because we were part of the live studio audience for Jimmy Kimmel Live) and that guy from the Today show in Australia who was doing a story at the Statue of Liberty when we were there.
Number of people who thought we were English: Everyone. Even the psychic who therefore ultimately undermined herself from the outset.
Number of crushes on Elvis: One big one.
Most Expensive Fuel Paid for: $4.29 per gallon
Most Overrated City: Los Angeles
Place I would most Like to Live: San Fran, Chicago, New York and Austin if it wasn't surrounded on all sides by the rest of Texas
I was going to end this with a Ferlinghetti poem, but then realised that was a bit wanky and everyone would groan inwardly. Besides, I couldn't be bothered typing it out in the correct form, which would defeat the purpose and intent of the poem and my quotation.
But all this is really leading up to the fact that I have just had one of the best experiences of my trip so far. Today I went to City Lights Bookstore which has been a dream of mine since the 12th grade when I discovered Lawrence Ferlinghetti via a Morphine/Ferlinghetti spoken word piece that a girl I went to boarding school was given on a mix tape from her internet penfriend in England who later turned out to be a spoilt rich kid stoner who visited her in Australia and spent most of his time on the couch complaingin about the weather.
Anyway, I've loved Coney Island of the Mind for years. It's my favourite poem. I love it more than Howl. And there I was. In this seminal Beat bookstore that looks a lot like every other bookstore except for the fact that you're allowed to just sit and read.
And they sold copies of Bitch magazine.
So today has been a wonderful day. It really has. I can't properly explain why it was so amazing to be in that bookstore. I am a hopeless romantic. I build small things into big things. I can't help it. But I love that I ended my trip in the USA with that store.
In less than 12 hours I will be on a plane to South America.
So here are the Stats:
Car: Pontiac G6, Green
Miles: 4, 100 (6,598km)
States Visited: DC, New York, Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, California and probably others that I can't think of offhand.
Big Gulp's Drunk: 1
Number of Emergency Toilet stops: 3
Times Zones Confused: 1
Accidents: 0
Days Inn Frequented: 3
Psychics Visited: 1
Money spent on cosmetics and clothes: undisclosed
Famous People Seen: Jimmy Kimmel, Benjamin Bratt, Huey Lewis (but only because we were part of the live studio audience for Jimmy Kimmel Live) and that guy from the Today show in Australia who was doing a story at the Statue of Liberty when we were there.
Number of people who thought we were English: Everyone. Even the psychic who therefore ultimately undermined herself from the outset.
Number of crushes on Elvis: One big one.
Most Expensive Fuel Paid for: $4.29 per gallon
Most Overrated City: Los Angeles
Place I would most Like to Live: San Fran, Chicago, New York and Austin if it wasn't surrounded on all sides by the rest of Texas
I was going to end this with a Ferlinghetti poem, but then realised that was a bit wanky and everyone would groan inwardly. Besides, I couldn't be bothered typing it out in the correct form, which would defeat the purpose and intent of the poem and my quotation.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Flowers In Your Hair
I loved San Fran before we even got here. Any city that requires you drive through a cloud to get to it was always going to inspire a degree of enthusiasm that other cities couldn't.
Yesterday we did a quick look around, some shopping and walked up a massive hill. Unfortunately my stay here has been consumed by my need to get my articles docs signed before I end up in South America trying to explain things in Non-Spanish.
This morning I found myself at the Australian consulate where the woman who told me she could witness my documents, actually couldn't and that the Australian Consul was on vacation. She helpfully suggested I take a commuter flight to LA to get it done there. OR when I got to South America to go to Bueanos Aires and the consulate there. Which is actually on the OPPOSITE side of the continent to Quito which is where I head at 6:10am on Friday morning.
So - then I went to a Public Notary that was chosen purely on the basis that it was the closest to my hotel. Which is how I found myself sitting in a hardware store with Haj, the Notary who kept calling me 'Miss Lady', talking about good karma and saying that I had lovely Irish eyes. Even though I had explained that I was, in fact, Australian. He was very sweet - but it is a bit surreal that this lovely, strange old man whose career is largely in cutting keys actually held the key to my future admittance.
I love the vibe of San Fran. It's casual, relaxed, cool. The city is beautiful.
Yesterday we did a quick look around, some shopping and walked up a massive hill. Unfortunately my stay here has been consumed by my need to get my articles docs signed before I end up in South America trying to explain things in Non-Spanish.
This morning I found myself at the Australian consulate where the woman who told me she could witness my documents, actually couldn't and that the Australian Consul was on vacation. She helpfully suggested I take a commuter flight to LA to get it done there. OR when I got to South America to go to Bueanos Aires and the consulate there. Which is actually on the OPPOSITE side of the continent to Quito which is where I head at 6:10am on Friday morning.
So - then I went to a Public Notary that was chosen purely on the basis that it was the closest to my hotel. Which is how I found myself sitting in a hardware store with Haj, the Notary who kept calling me 'Miss Lady', talking about good karma and saying that I had lovely Irish eyes. Even though I had explained that I was, in fact, Australian. He was very sweet - but it is a bit surreal that this lovely, strange old man whose career is largely in cutting keys actually held the key to my future admittance.
I love the vibe of San Fran. It's casual, relaxed, cool. The city is beautiful.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Agreeing With Death Cab
LA.
I don't know. I think it's funny that there are so many talented, wealthy, artistic people here but nothing about this city seems to say class or culture. There are no trees. They park their cars on the beach. The shopping isn't fun. Smog abounds. The driving is awful.
I had an okay time in LA. Maybe I was prejudiced from the outset. And I've been having a lot of flight/tour/legal practice board issues that somewhat culminated in LA. But they continued to San Fran and I love it here.
George Clooney has a nice hedge. But the stars' houses are meh.
So, to sum it up: I don't know why you'd want to live here.
I don't know. I think it's funny that there are so many talented, wealthy, artistic people here but nothing about this city seems to say class or culture. There are no trees. They park their cars on the beach. The shopping isn't fun. Smog abounds. The driving is awful.
I had an okay time in LA. Maybe I was prejudiced from the outset. And I've been having a lot of flight/tour/legal practice board issues that somewhat culminated in LA. But they continued to San Fran and I love it here.
George Clooney has a nice hedge. But the stars' houses are meh.
So, to sum it up: I don't know why you'd want to live here.
Viva Las Vegas
Before we get to Vegas I would liketo detour to our National Parks Day where, in the space of a day, we saw the Painted Desert, the Petrified Forest (forest being a misnomer. This was the desert. There were no trees and petrified refers to old bits of wood lying about) and the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon was quite large. Very large. But because it's so big and it was way too hot to consider going down into it. Ultimately it really felt inaccessible and surreal. And because I havea mild fear of heights I spent most of my time trying to go to the edge without actually going to the edge. All photos have me looking vaguely petrified. Sarah did quite well considering she doesn't like nature.
Then we got to Williams where we stayed on the old Route 66 in a motel that invoked its name. It was old school. Less old school was the fake cowboy show that ran every night. Discovered that we'd been on the wrong time for almost 2 days because hte last time zone was a 2 hour change, not one. That was a bit weird.
Headed to Vegas the next day. Stayed at the Riviera which is where they shot the film 'Casino'. It was very old school. Went and saw 'Ka' which is a Cirque show. I don't think it needs to be said, but it was amazing. That was at the MGM Grand. We also went into a focus group for a TV show. In the feedback section I had no choice but to let them know I was very dsappointed with the blatant sexism, the perpetuation of the unattractive man/gorgeous woman syndrome and the fact that it was significantly worse than the BBC version of the same show, which I never really liked anyway. But I still got a half price Haagen Daas ice cream.
Had dinner at the Ballagio one night. Discovered that pokies aren't that much fun after a while. If you only play the penny ones, you never win much money and if you platy the dollar ones your money goes away too quickly. Minimum bet for most tables were $5 and I am a backpacker, so we mainly just wandered around looking nice until we got bored and went back to our lovely, but reasonably priced, hotel room.
Saw the Coke store. And another MMs world. Discovered the best hotels are the tackiest. Won a toy playing childrens games, which I preferred a lot more than the actual adult gambling. Sarah went on the New York New York roller coaster while I wn tokens on Deal or No Deal.
And that was Vegas. No partying. Very subdued. But it's definitely a cool place to hang out for a few days.
Then we got to Williams where we stayed on the old Route 66 in a motel that invoked its name. It was old school. Less old school was the fake cowboy show that ran every night. Discovered that we'd been on the wrong time for almost 2 days because hte last time zone was a 2 hour change, not one. That was a bit weird.
Headed to Vegas the next day. Stayed at the Riviera which is where they shot the film 'Casino'. It was very old school. Went and saw 'Ka' which is a Cirque show. I don't think it needs to be said, but it was amazing. That was at the MGM Grand. We also went into a focus group for a TV show. In the feedback section I had no choice but to let them know I was very dsappointed with the blatant sexism, the perpetuation of the unattractive man/gorgeous woman syndrome and the fact that it was significantly worse than the BBC version of the same show, which I never really liked anyway. But I still got a half price Haagen Daas ice cream.
Had dinner at the Ballagio one night. Discovered that pokies aren't that much fun after a while. If you only play the penny ones, you never win much money and if you platy the dollar ones your money goes away too quickly. Minimum bet for most tables were $5 and I am a backpacker, so we mainly just wandered around looking nice until we got bored and went back to our lovely, but reasonably priced, hotel room.
Saw the Coke store. And another MMs world. Discovered the best hotels are the tackiest. Won a toy playing childrens games, which I preferred a lot more than the actual adult gambling. Sarah went on the New York New York roller coaster while I wn tokens on Deal or No Deal.
And that was Vegas. No partying. Very subdued. But it's definitely a cool place to hang out for a few days.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Get Your Kicks on Route 66
I don't know how far we drove today, but we changed time zones and we're 20 miles from the border of New Mexico/Arizona when we started in Texas.
Drove through El Paso which is nothing to write home about. There appeared to be a massive amount of shanties etc. Not very wealthy looking at all.
Alberquerque was fun, but I still can't spell it. Lots of turquoise. Everything looked very pink.
The strangest part of the driving is that there are such vast, open spaces that you can see the weather you are driving into. You can tell that you're about to drive into the mother of all storms, but you're on the highway so you keep going. And you drive for a while, and it becomes fine, but you can see lightning way off in the distance to the side of you.
The landscape is beautiful, exactly like it was in every western ever made. Except, perhaps, hte Sergio Leone westerns that were shot in Europe.
We're driving along lots of parts of the old Route 66 now, which I am, of course, greeting with some delight. We are staying the night in Gallup which is crazy. These towns are small/big/weird and I am not entirely sure how anyone lives here full time. It would breed a totally different mentality.
Drove through El Paso which is nothing to write home about. There appeared to be a massive amount of shanties etc. Not very wealthy looking at all.
Alberquerque was fun, but I still can't spell it. Lots of turquoise. Everything looked very pink.
The strangest part of the driving is that there are such vast, open spaces that you can see the weather you are driving into. You can tell that you're about to drive into the mother of all storms, but you're on the highway so you keep going. And you drive for a while, and it becomes fine, but you can see lightning way off in the distance to the side of you.
The landscape is beautiful, exactly like it was in every western ever made. Except, perhaps, hte Sergio Leone westerns that were shot in Europe.
We're driving along lots of parts of the old Route 66 now, which I am, of course, greeting with some delight. We are staying the night in Gallup which is crazy. These towns are small/big/weird and I am not entirely sure how anyone lives here full time. It would breed a totally different mentality.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Driving in the USofA
When we were driving in Illinois I was internally composing a letter to the President to complain about the fact that the speed limit was 65mph and it was taking forever to get anywhere. Less than 100kmh is prohibitively slow in my opinion.
Then, when we crossed the border into Missipssippi (was it Missipssippi? Possibly it was Missouri, but we definitely went through Arkansas briefly) the speed limit was 70mph which was more reasonable, and made me realise that I would have to address the letter to the Governor of Illinois who was clearly holding his people back. This was not a national issue.
Now we're in Texas, the speed limit is 80mph. That's almost 130kmh. Oh yeah. But I promise I am driving very responsibly. And I am still bollocks at parking.
Other things:
The Texas government sits for 5 months and then goes on break for 18 months.
In the words of the tour guide lady 'who needs more laws?'
Then, when we crossed the border into Missipssippi (was it Missipssippi? Possibly it was Missouri, but we definitely went through Arkansas briefly) the speed limit was 70mph which was more reasonable, and made me realise that I would have to address the letter to the Governor of Illinois who was clearly holding his people back. This was not a national issue.
Now we're in Texas, the speed limit is 80mph. That's almost 130kmh. Oh yeah. But I promise I am driving very responsibly. And I am still bollocks at parking.
Other things:
The Texas government sits for 5 months and then goes on break for 18 months.
In the words of the tour guide lady 'who needs more laws?'
Van Horn, Texas
We're in a place called Van Horn which has a population of about 2000 and there are 50 places to sleep and only 2 restaurants.
We went for dinner at a place called Chuy's (pronounced Chewys, which I may have known had I attended more Spanish classes) where we met a couple from Corpus Christi who confirmed that, yes we were headed in the right direction. They had 4 Chiuanas and were heading to a Rod Stewart concert. She had a dog called Maggie May. I am almost sick of Mexican food.
Then we drove past a place on the main drag where a man made paintings of other paintings and lived amongst his art. This is him:http://www.vangoghtx.com/
He was featured in a book called 'Faces of Texas' or somesuch and his store was totally crazy. Heaps of books and canvases were stacked all over the place. I wish I could upload the pictures effectively becaues the place was nuts. There are so many parts of Texas that a truly, truly eccentric.
When we stopped for lunch today, it was like walking into a movie. A Mexican restaurant with plastic tables and signs that said 'No Checks Accepted If You're Not Local' and a sea of eyes that quickly identified us as tourists.
Anyway, today we found a 'double gulp' which was 2Litres of soft drink for $1.50 and after sharing it with Sarah I spent most of the afternoon trying to figure out which rest stops had bathrooms.
We went for dinner at a place called Chuy's (pronounced Chewys, which I may have known had I attended more Spanish classes) where we met a couple from Corpus Christi who confirmed that, yes we were headed in the right direction. They had 4 Chiuanas and were heading to a Rod Stewart concert. She had a dog called Maggie May. I am almost sick of Mexican food.
Then we drove past a place on the main drag where a man made paintings of other paintings and lived amongst his art. This is him:http://www.vangoghtx.com/
He was featured in a book called 'Faces of Texas' or somesuch and his store was totally crazy. Heaps of books and canvases were stacked all over the place. I wish I could upload the pictures effectively becaues the place was nuts. There are so many parts of Texas that a truly, truly eccentric.
When we stopped for lunch today, it was like walking into a movie. A Mexican restaurant with plastic tables and signs that said 'No Checks Accepted If You're Not Local' and a sea of eyes that quickly identified us as tourists.
Anyway, today we found a 'double gulp' which was 2Litres of soft drink for $1.50 and after sharing it with Sarah I spent most of the afternoon trying to figure out which rest stops had bathrooms.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Everything is Bigger In Texas
We're in Austin and we've just been to see a play called 'I Google Myself'. Actually, it was called 'i google myself'. Anyway, what promised to be a very interesting premise later turned into a three man play where everyone got:
a) beaten up, by each other; and
b) turned out to be gay. And the gay porn star ends up in a wheelchair. And then tries to seduce the stalker man who he avoided for the whole rest of the play.
Sorry if I ruined that for anybody. Community theatre cracks me up. It was worth going, but jeez louise, the ending was ludicrous. Kind've like the script you'd write if you were 10 years old and trying to tie up all the loose ends while giving the audience some romance. Weid as it was.
Then we went to a restaurant where the waitress asked us if:
a) we had facebook in Australia; and
b) if we had onions in Australia.
Sarah laughed, while I tried to bridge the cultural divide by emphasising the similarities between Western Australia and Texas. I think it worked. She told us to go and look at the bats tomorrow night. Which I think we will do.
It's raining here because the hurricane has sent the wether this was. (Hurricane Dolly, which we were trying to avoid but it found us anyway).
I have become obsessed with a show called 'Shear Genius', the premise of which is too embarassing to recount here. But I discovered it while staying in my new favourite roadside hotel chain - the 'Days Inn'. I was most disappointed the other day when we had to resort to a Best Western, I can tell you.
The Capitol Building here is bigger than the one in Washington, but it is pink because it is made from granite instead of sandstone, granite being indigenous to Texas. See, travel broadens your horizons.
Basically we're in Austin to check out the arts scene (hence the community theatre) and the vintage stores. This is a crazy place. It doesn't feel like the rest of Texas and it's possible that a fair chunk of people here even vote for the Democratic Party. You don't get much crazier than that.
a) beaten up, by each other; and
b) turned out to be gay. And the gay porn star ends up in a wheelchair. And then tries to seduce the stalker man who he avoided for the whole rest of the play.
Sorry if I ruined that for anybody. Community theatre cracks me up. It was worth going, but jeez louise, the ending was ludicrous. Kind've like the script you'd write if you were 10 years old and trying to tie up all the loose ends while giving the audience some romance. Weid as it was.
Then we went to a restaurant where the waitress asked us if:
a) we had facebook in Australia; and
b) if we had onions in Australia.
Sarah laughed, while I tried to bridge the cultural divide by emphasising the similarities between Western Australia and Texas. I think it worked. She told us to go and look at the bats tomorrow night. Which I think we will do.
It's raining here because the hurricane has sent the wether this was. (Hurricane Dolly, which we were trying to avoid but it found us anyway).
I have become obsessed with a show called 'Shear Genius', the premise of which is too embarassing to recount here. But I discovered it while staying in my new favourite roadside hotel chain - the 'Days Inn'. I was most disappointed the other day when we had to resort to a Best Western, I can tell you.
The Capitol Building here is bigger than the one in Washington, but it is pink because it is made from granite instead of sandstone, granite being indigenous to Texas. See, travel broadens your horizons.
Basically we're in Austin to check out the arts scene (hence the community theatre) and the vintage stores. This is a crazy place. It doesn't feel like the rest of Texas and it's possible that a fair chunk of people here even vote for the Democratic Party. You don't get much crazier than that.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
The Tour Continues
Chicago ended up being awesome without seeing any of the sites. I'd been before, and after we'd done Navy Pier, an architectural cruise in the aching heat and a bit of walking about, we headed for the outer suburbs where we checked out the shopping. Very cute city. Great vibe. Went and saw 'All About Eve' for free in the park. God I love that film.
From Chicago we headed to Memphis which was ACE. It's a great little city with awesome blues music, Sun Studios, Graceland (cue: enhanced Elvis crush, but obvioulsy this is a 50's early 60's Elvis crush) and the funniest hostel ever. You had to do chores. So obviously I regressed to a childlike state as soon as I realisedmy first chore was 'sweep and mop all the bathroom floors and the floor outside the bathroom' when someone else had 'dust the computer'. Not very proportional. However, it was located right near a church (????) and Cooper-Young Street which had heaps of cool restaurants and vintage stores. Checked out a poetry reading (poetry is so bad when it's not good) and a blues musician in a really cute cafe that sold clothes and books.
Beale street was weird - but the music was great. We had burgers at Dyer's which apparently were cooked in grease that may have particles form the original first 1912 batch in it. I could feel my heart valves seizing. Sat in a park and watched blues musicians for hours. It was pretty amazing - all this music spilliung into the street. And people drinking yard high drinks. I chose to focus on the music.
Headed down to New Orleans which I LOVED. The Mississippi is crazily big and it amazes me that anyone decided to build there in the first place. You drive along bridges constructed over the water for miles. Saw a plantation and all my Gone With the Wind fantasies were relived. I even sat on a porch. In a hat. Granted, it was my hat and Kangol made it so it wasn't exactly a large, wide brimmed southern lady's hat but it was still cool.
Headed to Coop's for dinner where I ate rabbit and sausage jambalaya and gumbo. Then to Frenchman's street where we hung out with some people from the hostel and watched some fantastic jazz at the Spotted Cat. Bourbon St is a nightmare.
I told a man I was trying to dissuade that I didn't dance because it 'led to sin'. He then decided I must have been very Christian which did not dissuade him AT ALL. Actually quite funny.
Now we are spending our night on the way to Austin. There's a hurricane in Texas and we're about 200 miles from the centre, but the weather is awful. It's raining like crazy.
From Chicago we headed to Memphis which was ACE. It's a great little city with awesome blues music, Sun Studios, Graceland (cue: enhanced Elvis crush, but obvioulsy this is a 50's early 60's Elvis crush) and the funniest hostel ever. You had to do chores. So obviously I regressed to a childlike state as soon as I realisedmy first chore was 'sweep and mop all the bathroom floors and the floor outside the bathroom' when someone else had 'dust the computer'. Not very proportional. However, it was located right near a church (????) and Cooper-Young Street which had heaps of cool restaurants and vintage stores. Checked out a poetry reading (poetry is so bad when it's not good) and a blues musician in a really cute cafe that sold clothes and books.
Beale street was weird - but the music was great. We had burgers at Dyer's which apparently were cooked in grease that may have particles form the original first 1912 batch in it. I could feel my heart valves seizing. Sat in a park and watched blues musicians for hours. It was pretty amazing - all this music spilliung into the street. And people drinking yard high drinks. I chose to focus on the music.
Headed down to New Orleans which I LOVED. The Mississippi is crazily big and it amazes me that anyone decided to build there in the first place. You drive along bridges constructed over the water for miles. Saw a plantation and all my Gone With the Wind fantasies were relived. I even sat on a porch. In a hat. Granted, it was my hat and Kangol made it so it wasn't exactly a large, wide brimmed southern lady's hat but it was still cool.
Headed to Coop's for dinner where I ate rabbit and sausage jambalaya and gumbo. Then to Frenchman's street where we hung out with some people from the hostel and watched some fantastic jazz at the Spotted Cat. Bourbon St is a nightmare.
I told a man I was trying to dissuade that I didn't dance because it 'led to sin'. He then decided I must have been very Christian which did not dissuade him AT ALL. Actually quite funny.
Now we are spending our night on the way to Austin. There's a hurricane in Texas and we're about 200 miles from the centre, but the weather is awful. It's raining like crazy.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Coney Island of the Mind
Guess what I did...
I went to Coney Island and ate a Nathan's hotdog, and watched beach volleyball and went on the Wonder Wheel.
I paid 99c to go to the Coney Island Museum and used the penny left over to watch a film Thomas Edison made about electrocuting an elephant.
We went to a freak show where a man hammered a nail into his head, a woman danced with a really large albino python and a woman who had tattooed almost her entire body and breathed fire. The tiniest girl in the world swallowed an exceptionally large sword.
We queued for pizza at what is meant to be one of the best pizzerias in Brooklyn, where you ended up eating off plastic plates and drinking from plastic cups, but whatever. I read an article about it in the NYT about 2 years ago. The pizza was ace. And you know, you meet interesting people when you're forced to line up for ages.
I went to the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue where we joined a queue we assumed was going to get us into the vuilding. Half an hour later we realised that it was the line for the new iPhone and there was, in fact, a much shorter line for entrance to the store and all its free internetty goodness.
I saw the UN building and then went to the Museum for Democracy where I looked at Presidential campaigning memorabilia and talked to a woman who seemed to be more active and interested in her retirement than I am now.
I saw an off-braodway production about a Christian Rock Band and went to the Comedy Club where Jerry Seinfeld filmed the beginning of each show.
So that was New York. I am in Chicago now, where it is less warm. Not entirely sure what I want to do yet! I'm sure something will come up.
I went to Coney Island and ate a Nathan's hotdog, and watched beach volleyball and went on the Wonder Wheel.
I paid 99c to go to the Coney Island Museum and used the penny left over to watch a film Thomas Edison made about electrocuting an elephant.
We went to a freak show where a man hammered a nail into his head, a woman danced with a really large albino python and a woman who had tattooed almost her entire body and breathed fire. The tiniest girl in the world swallowed an exceptionally large sword.
We queued for pizza at what is meant to be one of the best pizzerias in Brooklyn, where you ended up eating off plastic plates and drinking from plastic cups, but whatever. I read an article about it in the NYT about 2 years ago. The pizza was ace. And you know, you meet interesting people when you're forced to line up for ages.
I went to the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue where we joined a queue we assumed was going to get us into the vuilding. Half an hour later we realised that it was the line for the new iPhone and there was, in fact, a much shorter line for entrance to the store and all its free internetty goodness.
I saw the UN building and then went to the Museum for Democracy where I looked at Presidential campaigning memorabilia and talked to a woman who seemed to be more active and interested in her retirement than I am now.
I saw an off-braodway production about a Christian Rock Band and went to the Comedy Club where Jerry Seinfeld filmed the beginning of each show.
So that was New York. I am in Chicago now, where it is less warm. Not entirely sure what I want to do yet! I'm sure something will come up.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
And a Chronological Detour to include Washington DC
I thought Washington was great. Sarah almost killed me after about 2 hours when I wouldn't stop quoting the West Wing. It's amazing how much in real life can be linked to WW. Even more so when you are actually in DC. Amazing!
I managed to escape unscathed to link everything back to Josh, CJ and the gang. So this was DC:
Library of Congress
Very large building. Many books. Nice bible.
Capitol Hill
Leo: We've got separation of powers, checks and balances, and Margaret, vetoing things and sending them back to the Hill.
It was a very nice building with a big dome and considerably more impressive than Australia's Parliament House. May have taken a ridiculous amount of photos from many different angles, with all sorts of lighting. They (being security) confiscated my sunscreen going in, which meant I had to go back and dig it out of the bin when I had completed my tour. Because you can't waste thigns like that. Grrr....
Archives - Declaration of Independance, Bill of Rights & the Constitution
More queues. Documents quite faded. Occurred to me that Australians may take their constitution more seriously if it was written in calligraphy and someone had bothered to make it a bit poetic.
4th of July Parade
You know what Americans have a lot of? Inflatable balloons. I could understand the reasoning behind the giant American eagle, the uncle Sam hat and even the Garfield dressed as a President. Do I know why there was a giant Hello Kitty balloon? I do not.
Additionally, I think Australia needs more marching bands. We really do. It's not a parade without 100s of kids sweating themselves to deaths in over-ornate band uniforms.
Nuseum
Josh: You're going to be reading a bit today about your secret plan to fight inflation.
Bartlet: I have a secret plan to fight inflation?
Josh: No.
Bartlet: Why am I going to be reading that I do?
Josh: It was suggested in the press room that you do.
Bartlet: By who?
Josh: By me.
Bartlet: You told the press I have a secret plan to fight inflation?
Josh: No, I did not. Let me be absolutely clear, I did not do that. Except, yes, I did that.
4th of July Fireworks
Fireworks around the Washington Monument. Cannon fire that made children cry. Jimmy Smits MCing the evening.
Crab Cakes at Eastern Market
BARTLET: "Toby, go with us to this radio thing."
TOBY: "Oh, god, really, sir?"
BARTLET: "There'll be crab puffs. New England crab puffs by the way. Made in New England."
SAM: "Actually, it's Alaskan crab."
TOBY: "Sam!"
BARTLET: "There's Alaskan crab in this White House?"
TOBY: "You would've have known the difference?"
BARTLET: "Have you tried them?"
SAM: "I... yes, reluctantly. I think it was clear in the way I ate the crab puffs that it was a gesture of protest."
BARTLET: "Were they good?"
SAM: "Extraordinarily good and they're going very fast."
Anyway, that's it. I liked Washington. If only Canberra was as cool as Washington.
I managed to escape unscathed to link everything back to Josh, CJ and the gang. So this was DC:
Library of Congress
Very large building. Many books. Nice bible.
Capitol Hill
Leo: We've got separation of powers, checks and balances, and Margaret, vetoing things and sending them back to the Hill.
It was a very nice building with a big dome and considerably more impressive than Australia's Parliament House. May have taken a ridiculous amount of photos from many different angles, with all sorts of lighting. They (being security) confiscated my sunscreen going in, which meant I had to go back and dig it out of the bin when I had completed my tour. Because you can't waste thigns like that. Grrr....
Archives - Declaration of Independance, Bill of Rights & the Constitution
More queues. Documents quite faded. Occurred to me that Australians may take their constitution more seriously if it was written in calligraphy and someone had bothered to make it a bit poetic.
4th of July Parade
You know what Americans have a lot of? Inflatable balloons. I could understand the reasoning behind the giant American eagle, the uncle Sam hat and even the Garfield dressed as a President. Do I know why there was a giant Hello Kitty balloon? I do not.
Additionally, I think Australia needs more marching bands. We really do. It's not a parade without 100s of kids sweating themselves to deaths in over-ornate band uniforms.
Nuseum
Josh: You're going to be reading a bit today about your secret plan to fight inflation.
Bartlet: I have a secret plan to fight inflation?
Josh: No.
Bartlet: Why am I going to be reading that I do?
Josh: It was suggested in the press room that you do.
Bartlet: By who?
Josh: By me.
Bartlet: You told the press I have a secret plan to fight inflation?
Josh: No, I did not. Let me be absolutely clear, I did not do that. Except, yes, I did that.
4th of July Fireworks
Fireworks around the Washington Monument. Cannon fire that made children cry. Jimmy Smits MCing the evening.
Crab Cakes at Eastern Market
BARTLET: "Toby, go with us to this radio thing."
TOBY: "Oh, god, really, sir?"
BARTLET: "There'll be crab puffs. New England crab puffs by the way. Made in New England."
SAM: "Actually, it's Alaskan crab."
TOBY: "Sam!"
BARTLET: "There's Alaskan crab in this White House?"
TOBY: "You would've have known the difference?"
BARTLET: "Have you tried them?"
SAM: "I... yes, reluctantly. I think it was clear in the way I ate the crab puffs that it was a gesture of protest."
BARTLET: "Were they good?"
SAM: "Extraordinarily good and they're going very fast."
Anyway, that's it. I liked Washington. If only Canberra was as cool as Washington.
I'll Always Love You New York
In New York. Think it is fabulous so far. Brief summary below. Will blog about Washington when I have more internet time.
Yankees v Red Socks
Oh yes, a baseball game at Yankee styadium where the Yankess clutched victory from the jaws of a draw at the bottom of the tenth with Gardner on 2 strikes. People threw crackerjacks through the air, light beer cost $8, people carried crates of hotdogs on their heads AND during the 7th inning stretch we got to sing 'Take Me Out To The Ballgame'. Americana at its best.
Did anyone know how much stuff BoA sponsors in the USA? I keep thinking that if I was still an employee there may be some kind of discount I would be eligible for.
Guggenheim
Louise Bourgeois exhibition was amazing. Loved it. Didn't matter that all the 'famous; paintings were unavailable to the public. Bourgeois is about to go down as one of my favourite artists of all time.
Broadway
Went and saw 'Young Frankenstein' which was hilarious, as well as blatantly being a Mel Brooks creation. He lvoes his hot blonde girls making out with slightly gormless men. He also loves his anatomy jokes. Set was amazing. Totally redeemed my last musicals experience which was 'Gone With The Wind'. I don't think anyone who saw that would be sorry that it had closed.
The Empire State Building
Queues. Americans love queues. They are good at queuing. You waited in line for security, then you waited in line for a ticket, then you waited in line for the first lot of elevators then you waited in line for the second lot of elevators.
I was publicly called out by a ticket man for rolling my eyes at the couple making out in front of me. I mean, seriously people, the 'romantic' bit is at the top of the tower, not when you're less than half way through the queuing experience.
Things I Like About the NY Subway
1. It is airconditioned (are you listening London?!??!).
2. The cars are massive.
3. It is cheap(ish)
Things I Do Not Like
1. Smelliness
2. Subway maps ar enot great and stations are not imaginatively named.
Yankees v Red Socks
Oh yes, a baseball game at Yankee styadium where the Yankess clutched victory from the jaws of a draw at the bottom of the tenth with Gardner on 2 strikes. People threw crackerjacks through the air, light beer cost $8, people carried crates of hotdogs on their heads AND during the 7th inning stretch we got to sing 'Take Me Out To The Ballgame'. Americana at its best.
Did anyone know how much stuff BoA sponsors in the USA? I keep thinking that if I was still an employee there may be some kind of discount I would be eligible for.
Guggenheim
Louise Bourgeois exhibition was amazing. Loved it. Didn't matter that all the 'famous; paintings were unavailable to the public. Bourgeois is about to go down as one of my favourite artists of all time.
Broadway
Went and saw 'Young Frankenstein' which was hilarious, as well as blatantly being a Mel Brooks creation. He lvoes his hot blonde girls making out with slightly gormless men. He also loves his anatomy jokes. Set was amazing. Totally redeemed my last musicals experience which was 'Gone With The Wind'. I don't think anyone who saw that would be sorry that it had closed.
The Empire State Building
Queues. Americans love queues. They are good at queuing. You waited in line for security, then you waited in line for a ticket, then you waited in line for the first lot of elevators then you waited in line for the second lot of elevators.
I was publicly called out by a ticket man for rolling my eyes at the couple making out in front of me. I mean, seriously people, the 'romantic' bit is at the top of the tower, not when you're less than half way through the queuing experience.
Things I Like About the NY Subway
1. It is airconditioned (are you listening London?!??!).
2. The cars are massive.
3. It is cheap(ish)
Things I Do Not Like
1. Smelliness
2. Subway maps ar enot great and stations are not imaginatively named.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Ah, Paris
I think I might love France. Admittedly, I have just arrived in Paris and given that I am basically waiting for people to be rude to me, I am not expecting the mood to hold. Nonetheless, French people have been nice so far, so maybe it's all just a horrible cultural stereotype.
Want to know what isn't a cultural stereotype? French people going on strike. I suppose it isn't really a complete holiday until you have been in someway inconvenienced by striking French railway types, but I had vainly hoped to avoid it. Queue train strike the day I wanted to get from Nice to Lyon. Somehow I managed to get a seat on one of the few trains that were running that day but it involved queuing. Extensive queuing.
Nice was great. Beautiful weather. Having a picnic on a beach wall with Lauren, who I met in Munich, then La Spezia and the Cinque Terra, her friend Jen and two random American guys who had come all the way to Europe to see Radiohead. Twice. One was a lawyer who supported Hillary Clinton. I think I had to pick my jaw up off the ground. A young MAN who supported HC? It defied belief.
I liked Lyon, though I wasn't precisely sure what I was supposed to be looking at while I was there. So I kind've wandered aimlessly. It's a beautiful city. The weather was good. I was staying in a one star hotel with no windows to my room, which was excellent as it enabled me to sleep in. Not so excellent the way there was nothing to open to let the smoke stench out.
Now I am going ot report something that will make my mother despair of me. Cue Wednesday morning when I wanted to leave my one star hotel room. I couldn't find my keys. The door was locked. I tried unlocking it, and at that point I realised that I had left the keys in the lock ALL NIGHT. And it's not like I was in some secluded room. My room was right at the top of the first flight of stairs, which meant that EVERYONE in the hotel had to pass by my door to get back to their rooms. Worse, someone had turned it and locked it so I couldn't get the door open. I sliced my hand open playing (screaming at and aggressively turning) with the lock and banging on the door loudly. No one came to help. After about 20 minutes of this I managed to jiggle the lock just so and it came undone.
What made it worse was that I left the lock in the door that night as well, but only for about an hour before I realised that I may actually have premature altzeimers. Be assured, I am not normally this daft. Mainly because most hostels don't give me keys.
So far in Paris I like the canals and the way they give you a small baguette when you buy salad. I also think it is weird that you can get beer with a McDonalds meal. I think French people are beautiful. It's raining on and off.
Anyway, this hostel runs on a swipe card system and is truly the poshest hostel I have ever seen. There are little curtains that close on each bunk and you have your own reading light and power plugs within your little enclosed area. It is perched on a canal near where Amelie was filmed. Paris is such a cliche. As soon as I finsih this I am going to buy pastry.
Want to know what isn't a cultural stereotype? French people going on strike. I suppose it isn't really a complete holiday until you have been in someway inconvenienced by striking French railway types, but I had vainly hoped to avoid it. Queue train strike the day I wanted to get from Nice to Lyon. Somehow I managed to get a seat on one of the few trains that were running that day but it involved queuing. Extensive queuing.
Nice was great. Beautiful weather. Having a picnic on a beach wall with Lauren, who I met in Munich, then La Spezia and the Cinque Terra, her friend Jen and two random American guys who had come all the way to Europe to see Radiohead. Twice. One was a lawyer who supported Hillary Clinton. I think I had to pick my jaw up off the ground. A young MAN who supported HC? It defied belief.
I liked Lyon, though I wasn't precisely sure what I was supposed to be looking at while I was there. So I kind've wandered aimlessly. It's a beautiful city. The weather was good. I was staying in a one star hotel with no windows to my room, which was excellent as it enabled me to sleep in. Not so excellent the way there was nothing to open to let the smoke stench out.
Now I am going ot report something that will make my mother despair of me. Cue Wednesday morning when I wanted to leave my one star hotel room. I couldn't find my keys. The door was locked. I tried unlocking it, and at that point I realised that I had left the keys in the lock ALL NIGHT. And it's not like I was in some secluded room. My room was right at the top of the first flight of stairs, which meant that EVERYONE in the hotel had to pass by my door to get back to their rooms. Worse, someone had turned it and locked it so I couldn't get the door open. I sliced my hand open playing (screaming at and aggressively turning) with the lock and banging on the door loudly. No one came to help. After about 20 minutes of this I managed to jiggle the lock just so and it came undone.
What made it worse was that I left the lock in the door that night as well, but only for about an hour before I realised that I may actually have premature altzeimers. Be assured, I am not normally this daft. Mainly because most hostels don't give me keys.
So far in Paris I like the canals and the way they give you a small baguette when you buy salad. I also think it is weird that you can get beer with a McDonalds meal. I think French people are beautiful. It's raining on and off.
Anyway, this hostel runs on a swipe card system and is truly the poshest hostel I have ever seen. There are little curtains that close on each bunk and you have your own reading light and power plugs within your little enclosed area. It is perched on a canal near where Amelie was filmed. Paris is such a cliche. As soon as I finsih this I am going to buy pastry.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
And I am supposed to do what then?
So, you know how I said it has stopped raining? That was my overly optimistic side coming out. Queue thunder and lightning within milliseconds of each other last night. And
So I am in Cinque Terra, where you go to hike, with bad weather, a 'broken' foot (any med students want to do an over the internet diagnosis? It's been painful for week now), the easy walking trails shut, no ferry and I left my rail pass at the hostel. I am spending a lot of time on the internet at the moment.
However! I think we have had a break through - there may be one path we can do and the sun may be peeking out. There are more tourists in these towns than people who actually live here. It would drive me nuts.
BUT - it's still beautiful and I am still enjoying myself, even though I am not particulalry inclined to love French hostel owners at the moment. Don't get me started. Grrrr....
Should be heading to Nice tomorrow where I hope the weather will improve. I am beginning to feel jinxed!
So I am in Cinque Terra, where you go to hike, with bad weather, a 'broken' foot (any med students want to do an over the internet diagnosis? It's been painful for week now), the easy walking trails shut, no ferry and I left my rail pass at the hostel. I am spending a lot of time on the internet at the moment.
However! I think we have had a break through - there may be one path we can do and the sun may be peeking out. There are more tourists in these towns than people who actually live here. It would drive me nuts.
BUT - it's still beautiful and I am still enjoying myself, even though I am not particulalry inclined to love French hostel owners at the moment. Don't get me started. Grrrr....
Should be heading to Nice tomorrow where I hope the weather will improve. I am beginning to feel jinxed!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Rome! By all means, Rome.
I almost didn't go to Rome. Every second person you meet says it's dirty, Italians are rude, it's expensive (granted) and some people have even told me that they wouldn't go back there if you paid them.
All due respect, they are wrong. It's beautiful. I loved it. I love how you can't walk 100m without falling over a piece of history or a store selling overpriced pizza by the slice. I love how things light up during the evenign and you can just wander around and feel like you're part of the city. I love that it was warm.
I didn't go to the Papl audience on Wednesday, using it as an excuse to get into the Vatican Museums wihtout having to queue. As an agnostic, I don't feel that it's really right to exploit something that is meaningful to someone's religion as a tourist event. Looking at art and architecture is one thing, actively participating in something that is not part of your faith is another. This was not clearly understood by the American tour guide trying to get me to go on his tour and go to the blessing. NOT BEING CATHOLIC IS A COMPLETE JUSTIFICATION FOR NOT GOING. Additionally, if you wanted me to list reasons why I am particualrly not a fan of this Pope...anyway. The museums were nice. The Sistine Chapel was smaller than I thought it would, as was the picture of the creation.
I loved the Colesseum. It looksed like an Asterix comic! Also smaller than I thought it would be.
Trevi Fountain was nice but it would be incredibly hard to imitiate La Dolce Vita without getting arrested or having 1000 other tourists in your photo.
I almost got killed by a Vespa only twice. I think that is pretty good. I am not entirely sure WHY they bother to paint zebra crossings in Rome. I think it's just to indicate to Vespas where they need to dodge tourists. Getting across the road is more weight in numbers to stop cars moving.
Currently in La Spezia and it has FINALLY stopped raining!
All due respect, they are wrong. It's beautiful. I loved it. I love how you can't walk 100m without falling over a piece of history or a store selling overpriced pizza by the slice. I love how things light up during the evenign and you can just wander around and feel like you're part of the city. I love that it was warm.
I didn't go to the Papl audience on Wednesday, using it as an excuse to get into the Vatican Museums wihtout having to queue. As an agnostic, I don't feel that it's really right to exploit something that is meaningful to someone's religion as a tourist event. Looking at art and architecture is one thing, actively participating in something that is not part of your faith is another. This was not clearly understood by the American tour guide trying to get me to go on his tour and go to the blessing. NOT BEING CATHOLIC IS A COMPLETE JUSTIFICATION FOR NOT GOING. Additionally, if you wanted me to list reasons why I am particualrly not a fan of this Pope...anyway. The museums were nice. The Sistine Chapel was smaller than I thought it would, as was the picture of the creation.
I loved the Colesseum. It looksed like an Asterix comic! Also smaller than I thought it would be.
Trevi Fountain was nice but it would be incredibly hard to imitiate La Dolce Vita without getting arrested or having 1000 other tourists in your photo.
I almost got killed by a Vespa only twice. I think that is pretty good. I am not entirely sure WHY they bother to paint zebra crossings in Rome. I think it's just to indicate to Vespas where they need to dodge tourists. Getting across the road is more weight in numbers to stop cars moving.
Currently in La Spezia and it has FINALLY stopped raining!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Catch Up
*Waring: This post uses the word 'breasts' quite frequently. If you can't deal with that, I am sure my next post will be anatomy free and deal only with statues and churches*
So, I haven't blogged for a while. Here's a summary.
Place I would Most Like to Move To
Berlin. They had a store where you could buy vintage clothes by the kilo and there was a happy hour every Tuesday where things were half price.
I also thought the memorial for the book burning was kick arse. The 170 tracks of Audio at the Jewish Museum was a bit much. But you can't have everything I suppose.
Best Moments
Meeting my German family which was intense.
Sunrise, town square, Krakow. After an amazing night out with some crazy Polish people.
Prettiest Place
Bled. Even though it kept raining and I decided to do a 6km walk around the lake with a bright pink umbrella and shoes that were in no way waterproof. But really, Slovenia looks like every fairytale you ever read.
Funniest Moment
My 88 year old great uncle from Bavaria telling me that I should buy a dirndle. He was trying to tell me why, but I don't speak German and he doesn't speak english. So there was quite a lot of gesturing. It turned out that he thought I should get a dirndle because I have big enough boobs to fill the front part. Thanks for that Uncle Reinhold!
German Words I Can Say
Hot, cold, big small, palace, castle, rock, swan, strawberry, asparagus, beer, wine, chilren, thankyou, how are you, water, cancer, goodnight, good morning, sausage
Mainly because they sound like the English words.
Biggest Cultural Stereotype Proved True
Italian men love women. They really, really love women. So much so that today a man followed me all the way home trying to get me to go to dinner with him. I did think for a while he was trying to mug me. Then I realised I was wearing a white shirt and it had been pissing down with rain. They're just boobs!! It is not necessary to walk several blocks in the rain for further observation!
Also, I went to a party in Bavaria with my family where they served steins of beer and women wore Dirndles without irony. That made my week.
Best Food
Currywurst
Other Random Things
I think 'The Birth of Venus' is lovely in real life. I have always liked it but it is a different colour in person. It seems lighter and brighter! Queuing for 2 hours to see it was not that fun though.
David was magnificant.
Beer gardens in Munich are ace. Ugly, naked German men are not.
So, I haven't blogged for a while. Here's a summary.
Place I would Most Like to Move To
Berlin. They had a store where you could buy vintage clothes by the kilo and there was a happy hour every Tuesday where things were half price.
I also thought the memorial for the book burning was kick arse. The 170 tracks of Audio at the Jewish Museum was a bit much. But you can't have everything I suppose.
Best Moments
Meeting my German family which was intense.
Sunrise, town square, Krakow. After an amazing night out with some crazy Polish people.
Prettiest Place
Bled. Even though it kept raining and I decided to do a 6km walk around the lake with a bright pink umbrella and shoes that were in no way waterproof. But really, Slovenia looks like every fairytale you ever read.
Funniest Moment
My 88 year old great uncle from Bavaria telling me that I should buy a dirndle. He was trying to tell me why, but I don't speak German and he doesn't speak english. So there was quite a lot of gesturing. It turned out that he thought I should get a dirndle because I have big enough boobs to fill the front part. Thanks for that Uncle Reinhold!
German Words I Can Say
Hot, cold, big small, palace, castle, rock, swan, strawberry, asparagus, beer, wine, chilren, thankyou, how are you, water, cancer, goodnight, good morning, sausage
Mainly because they sound like the English words.
Biggest Cultural Stereotype Proved True
Italian men love women. They really, really love women. So much so that today a man followed me all the way home trying to get me to go to dinner with him. I did think for a while he was trying to mug me. Then I realised I was wearing a white shirt and it had been pissing down with rain. They're just boobs!! It is not necessary to walk several blocks in the rain for further observation!
Also, I went to a party in Bavaria with my family where they served steins of beer and women wore Dirndles without irony. That made my week.
Best Food
Currywurst
Other Random Things
I think 'The Birth of Venus' is lovely in real life. I have always liked it but it is a different colour in person. It seems lighter and brighter! Queuing for 2 hours to see it was not that fun though.
David was magnificant.
Beer gardens in Munich are ace. Ugly, naked German men are not.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
I have always depended on the kindness of strangers...
Vienna was great. I have a couple of stories not for for internet consumption, but when I get home they wil be part of the 'Slide Night Extravaganza' I will be subjecting all my friends to. I figure I've got to dangle the occasional carrot out there to get people to look at my not very good photography at (short) length.
That is, of course, a joke. There will be no slide night.
Apart from all the brilliant things I am seeing I am constantly struck by the amazing an friendly people I have met. In the last 5 days I have met the following people:
1. dJim (yes, there is suppsoed to be a d there and it's a weird, long story). I met Jim on the train yesterday as we were both missing our connection to Krakow because apparently Polish trains only got at 40mph when people are actually trying to get somewhere. So we chatted on the train to Krakow about life, the universe, everything. He was a really interesting man - he made records for bands like the Microphones (!!) and was a musician/painter. Currently an unemployed musician/painter, but for the past 11 years he had worked as a caretaker for a woman in Boston on her estate. She let him turn any building he wanted into a temporary studio. When she recently passed away, he and his musician friends had a 2day long session in her vintage gymnasium recording songs in tribute to her.
Anyway, we went for dinner last night and ate Polish food at this random restaurant with weird dolls everywhere. He was so cool and interesting. As part of his trip to Europe he had brought photos from the estate to a Czech woman who was friends wth Louise, his employer. He saved the photos of this lady's mother from being thrown out by the people inhertiting the estate and had brought them all the way to the Czech Republic for her.
2. Erna I met Erna on the train yesterday and she was such a cool old lady. She would have been in her 70s and she spoke limited English - explaining to me that she had started learning before Communism but had to stop afterwards. I thought she was doing pretty well. She gave me sweets on the train (yes, I know that's how all good fairytales start, with old women giving youg girls sweets) and pointed out all sorts of things in the countryside and explained some of the history and geography of the country.
When she asked me about me about my trip, I explained what I was doing. She asked me if I knew anyone in Prague and I said no. She told me that now I knew her and that if I ever come back I should come and stay with her. Her husband died 2 years ago and she had no children and that I should definitely call on her. She gave me her address, phone number and was insistent. It was also very cute when she told me that she was very modern and had a mobile number.
Erna is going to Turkey for 2 weeks in July. She said her friends told her she should be home in bed not wandering around Turkey. I couldn't disagree with them more.
3. Austin I met Austin, who is an American missionary and her Czech friend whose name I can't spell, when I first got to my hostel in Prague. They work for a Christian group who teach English in the Czech Republic. Anyway, after my first night there they were heading back to he border town where their program was run and Austin said to me I've been thinking about you travelling by yourself for 6 months and wondering how many hugs you get'. I then got two massive hugs which were very much appreciated, especially since I was in the process of having a massive internal sook about the hostel I was staying in.
Their thoughtfulness almost made me cry actually.
4. Stefan I met Stefan on the train from Vienna. He was from the west of Austria and working in Vienna. He said he missed the mountains. He was so cute and sterotypically Austrian. It may have been that his sports short and golf socks were very 'European Abroad' but he was incredibly sweet.
I also thought Prague was brilliant, even in the rain. I loved its gothic beauty. I am now in Krakow and it is still raining. But again, it is a beautiful city. At least the few blocks of it I have seen.
That is, of course, a joke. There will be no slide night.
Apart from all the brilliant things I am seeing I am constantly struck by the amazing an friendly people I have met. In the last 5 days I have met the following people:
1. dJim (yes, there is suppsoed to be a d there and it's a weird, long story). I met Jim on the train yesterday as we were both missing our connection to Krakow because apparently Polish trains only got at 40mph when people are actually trying to get somewhere. So we chatted on the train to Krakow about life, the universe, everything. He was a really interesting man - he made records for bands like the Microphones (!!) and was a musician/painter. Currently an unemployed musician/painter, but for the past 11 years he had worked as a caretaker for a woman in Boston on her estate. She let him turn any building he wanted into a temporary studio. When she recently passed away, he and his musician friends had a 2day long session in her vintage gymnasium recording songs in tribute to her.
Anyway, we went for dinner last night and ate Polish food at this random restaurant with weird dolls everywhere. He was so cool and interesting. As part of his trip to Europe he had brought photos from the estate to a Czech woman who was friends wth Louise, his employer. He saved the photos of this lady's mother from being thrown out by the people inhertiting the estate and had brought them all the way to the Czech Republic for her.
2. Erna I met Erna on the train yesterday and she was such a cool old lady. She would have been in her 70s and she spoke limited English - explaining to me that she had started learning before Communism but had to stop afterwards. I thought she was doing pretty well. She gave me sweets on the train (yes, I know that's how all good fairytales start, with old women giving youg girls sweets) and pointed out all sorts of things in the countryside and explained some of the history and geography of the country.
When she asked me about me about my trip, I explained what I was doing. She asked me if I knew anyone in Prague and I said no. She told me that now I knew her and that if I ever come back I should come and stay with her. Her husband died 2 years ago and she had no children and that I should definitely call on her. She gave me her address, phone number and was insistent. It was also very cute when she told me that she was very modern and had a mobile number.
Erna is going to Turkey for 2 weeks in July. She said her friends told her she should be home in bed not wandering around Turkey. I couldn't disagree with them more.
3. Austin I met Austin, who is an American missionary and her Czech friend whose name I can't spell, when I first got to my hostel in Prague. They work for a Christian group who teach English in the Czech Republic. Anyway, after my first night there they were heading back to he border town where their program was run and Austin said to me I've been thinking about you travelling by yourself for 6 months and wondering how many hugs you get'. I then got two massive hugs which were very much appreciated, especially since I was in the process of having a massive internal sook about the hostel I was staying in.
Their thoughtfulness almost made me cry actually.
4. Stefan I met Stefan on the train from Vienna. He was from the west of Austria and working in Vienna. He said he missed the mountains. He was so cute and sterotypically Austrian. It may have been that his sports short and golf socks were very 'European Abroad' but he was incredibly sweet.
I also thought Prague was brilliant, even in the rain. I loved its gothic beauty. I am now in Krakow and it is still raining. But again, it is a beautiful city. At least the few blocks of it I have seen.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
You know, Hostel, like the movie.
*sigh*
My sleeping issues of a couple of nights ago were resolved by battering my eyelashes at the English stag group mentioned in the previous post. I was too tired to think that sleeping on the couch was going to be that great. But I would have done it had Juulia not said that there was one free bed in the hostel, but it was in the stag party room - one of their friends hadn´t come and they'd paid for the bed to keep the room to themselves.
Anyway, they let me have the bed and were insistent that I not pay for it (which of course I did) and then I felt incredibly guilty about being mean about them previously. They didn' seem like that bad a guys.
BUT my temporary good impression was erased when I woke up the next morning and the following conversation ensued:
Me: Hey. Did you guys have a good night last night? Good weekend?
Guy: Yeah. It was okay. Not as cheap as I thought and I didn´t get laid.
Me: Riiiiiggghhht....aren´t you the stag?
Obviously I have missed something about the concept of getting married. Ah well. At least I was well rested!
Stayed the last few days in Bratislava, hanging with some cool Canadians. It's a small town with not much to do other than drink coffee and lay in the sun. Pretty lazy times. Discovered a fair few interesting facts about Candaian engineers as well.
I know I said I wouldn´t mention bars but this was way too funny to ignore. I don't know how many people have seen the movie 'Hostel', but it´s set in Bratislava. The basement bar at my hostel was decked out in theme from the movie - complete with severed heads and limbs. There was even a ´table´ made out of a bathtub with blood smeared through it. Hilarious! But a bit ghoulish. But the beer was good and very cheap. The entertainment was provided by a group fo 6, 18&19 year Irish girls who were absolutely mad and hilarious. And a foozball table.
My sleeping issues of a couple of nights ago were resolved by battering my eyelashes at the English stag group mentioned in the previous post. I was too tired to think that sleeping on the couch was going to be that great. But I would have done it had Juulia not said that there was one free bed in the hostel, but it was in the stag party room - one of their friends hadn´t come and they'd paid for the bed to keep the room to themselves.
Anyway, they let me have the bed and were insistent that I not pay for it (which of course I did) and then I felt incredibly guilty about being mean about them previously. They didn' seem like that bad a guys.
BUT my temporary good impression was erased when I woke up the next morning and the following conversation ensued:
Me: Hey. Did you guys have a good night last night? Good weekend?
Guy: Yeah. It was okay. Not as cheap as I thought and I didn´t get laid.
Me: Riiiiiggghhht....aren´t you the stag?
Obviously I have missed something about the concept of getting married. Ah well. At least I was well rested!
Stayed the last few days in Bratislava, hanging with some cool Canadians. It's a small town with not much to do other than drink coffee and lay in the sun. Pretty lazy times. Discovered a fair few interesting facts about Candaian engineers as well.
I know I said I wouldn´t mention bars but this was way too funny to ignore. I don't know how many people have seen the movie 'Hostel', but it´s set in Bratislava. The basement bar at my hostel was decked out in theme from the movie - complete with severed heads and limbs. There was even a ´table´ made out of a bathtub with blood smeared through it. Hilarious! But a bit ghoulish. But the beer was good and very cheap. The entertainment was provided by a group fo 6, 18&19 year Irish girls who were absolutely mad and hilarious. And a foozball table.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Industrial Complex
I have had exactly one hour of sleep, I am going slightly around the bend and I have discovered that there are NUMEROUS really cool bars in Budapest. I also have nowhere to sleep tonight which is something that I should remedy sooner rather than later.
Hung out with Julia, Finnish girl from the hostel and the two French guys. Also spent the night with actual Hungarians - nice to actually meet the locals instead of just running away from them. Briefly considered working illegally in Budapest at a vegetarian restaurant. Decided against it alhough apparently it's what everyone does. Works illegally, I mean. Not specifically at vegetarian restaurants.
First bar last night was in a big warehouse with a massive skeleton structure hanging from the roof. Music was industrial/hardcore which isn't exactly my type of thing (except for the brief moment that I wanted the Matrix Soundtrack in year 10 and thought it was pretty heavy). But it was great. Must hang out with metalheads more when I get home. Having said that, I just don't think Australia has the right type of weather for me to be a fan of that type of music in general.
Second bar was smaller. Last club was crazy - had to get in a tiny lift that only carried 5 people at a time and one of those with the guy operating the lift. Victor, the mad Hungarian intent on improving international relations was, by this point in pretty fine form.
I ended up with Julia, Eric and Manu in a park next to the hostel this morning, drinking a bottle of red wine with the cork pushed in at 6am. Talking about not much and trying not to fall asleep on the bench. Very, very classy.
Yesterday I went to the Terror Museum, St Stephen's Basilica, Heroes Square, the park around Heroes Square and some other stuff. Also manged to see the Croatian Head of State's convoy which included a lot of armed Hungarian guards with machine guns.
The next few posts will not be about bars, I promise. Julia has said I can sleep on the couch at the hostel tonight, which I am seriously considering. Tempting...
Hung out with Julia, Finnish girl from the hostel and the two French guys. Also spent the night with actual Hungarians - nice to actually meet the locals instead of just running away from them. Briefly considered working illegally in Budapest at a vegetarian restaurant. Decided against it alhough apparently it's what everyone does. Works illegally, I mean. Not specifically at vegetarian restaurants.
First bar last night was in a big warehouse with a massive skeleton structure hanging from the roof. Music was industrial/hardcore which isn't exactly my type of thing (except for the brief moment that I wanted the Matrix Soundtrack in year 10 and thought it was pretty heavy). But it was great. Must hang out with metalheads more when I get home. Having said that, I just don't think Australia has the right type of weather for me to be a fan of that type of music in general.
Second bar was smaller. Last club was crazy - had to get in a tiny lift that only carried 5 people at a time and one of those with the guy operating the lift. Victor, the mad Hungarian intent on improving international relations was, by this point in pretty fine form.
I ended up with Julia, Eric and Manu in a park next to the hostel this morning, drinking a bottle of red wine with the cork pushed in at 6am. Talking about not much and trying not to fall asleep on the bench. Very, very classy.
Yesterday I went to the Terror Museum, St Stephen's Basilica, Heroes Square, the park around Heroes Square and some other stuff. Also manged to see the Croatian Head of State's convoy which included a lot of armed Hungarian guards with machine guns.
The next few posts will not be about bars, I promise. Julia has said I can sleep on the couch at the hostel tonight, which I am seriously considering. Tempting...
Friday, May 9, 2008
And although she may have studied with an expert...
I went to the coolest bar last night. It was in the Jewish Quarter of Budapest where the ghetto was during the war. It seems that most interesting bars in this city are hidden, badly signposted and you have to be in the know or you'll spend all night wandering around aimlessly and stumbling into a kebab store (which is what I did with a couple of French guys and a Canadian the night before). So last night I headed out with Julia, a Finnish girl who works at the hostel.
The bar - it was massive, crumbling, leaking, ramshackle, under ground, upstairs, outside...it just sprawled. It was also exactly the kind of place that would be shut down instantaneously in Australia or the UK because it would breach about 5000 different building regulations. There were holes in the floor, it was an ex-factory style building where no one had bothered to fill in the gaps or smooth the cement and there was a mysterious leak of a substance I had no desire to investigate. The crowd were also very Amplifier-esque but in a much cooler, Eastern European way. Music was awesome. Some very intersting Dusty Springfield remixes included.
After that we went to a Jazz themed bar closer to the hostel. When we got back I managed to run into the stag group staying at the hostel arriving back from their evening out. English men can be such charmers when they're drunk . At least they weren't wearing matching hats or t-shirts.
Oh, and on a side note, apparently it is getting harder for French guys to leverage their accent to pick up women. Bemoaning how unfriendly Hungarian women were, Eric, one of the aforementioned French guys, said 'you used to be able to just say your 'and, eet is so small and white, like a delicate flower and it would work'... Imagine it as Pepe La Pew would say it. Poor things!
Additionally, I have seen some stuff. Like churches. And a synagogue (with Holocaust exhibition) and a park or two. And I went to a market. And saw the parlimanet building. And walked down the not very blue Danube. I also get lost a lot.
The bar - it was massive, crumbling, leaking, ramshackle, under ground, upstairs, outside...it just sprawled. It was also exactly the kind of place that would be shut down instantaneously in Australia or the UK because it would breach about 5000 different building regulations. There were holes in the floor, it was an ex-factory style building where no one had bothered to fill in the gaps or smooth the cement and there was a mysterious leak of a substance I had no desire to investigate. The crowd were also very Amplifier-esque but in a much cooler, Eastern European way. Music was awesome. Some very intersting Dusty Springfield remixes included.
After that we went to a Jazz themed bar closer to the hostel. When we got back I managed to run into the stag group staying at the hostel arriving back from their evening out. English men can be such charmers when they're drunk . At least they weren't wearing matching hats or t-shirts.
Oh, and on a side note, apparently it is getting harder for French guys to leverage their accent to pick up women. Bemoaning how unfriendly Hungarian women were, Eric, one of the aforementioned French guys, said 'you used to be able to just say your 'and, eet is so small and white, like a delicate flower and it would work'... Imagine it as Pepe La Pew would say it. Poor things!
Additionally, I have seen some stuff. Like churches. And a synagogue (with Holocaust exhibition) and a park or two. And I went to a market. And saw the parlimanet building. And walked down the not very blue Danube. I also get lost a lot.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
It's not ALL about Dracula
Anyone thinking of going to Bucharest? Don't. it's really not that interesting. It's incredibly grey and really, you should be moving past it to get to the actual pretty parts of the country.
Having said that, upon arrival I did get a very nice religious book from a girl on a bus who wrote 'God Bless You' on the inside. Very nice.
Anyway, I'm going to skip all of Bucharest - which I am sure Libby won't mind, even though she was there for the whole 3 days.
So - bypass Bucharest and got to Transylvania. I went to Brasov where I caught up with some girls I had met at VT and explored the city (black church, main square, train station ticket office). Ended up going for dinner with some very funny Italian guys who certainly fulfilled more than one stereotype about Italian men. It took them forever to get ready, aked for a hairdryer, they were beautifully groomed and they gesticulated with their hands so much that they were almost a danger to public safety. Ended up at a Paris themed bar with bad eighties music where a Romanian boy managed to almost break my elbow with a door and insisted upon kissing it better despite my assertion that I was, in fact, fine. Very weird. Kind've sweet!?!?!?
Went and saw Bran Castle on a bus that I wasn't sure was going to make it. I think that there should be an acceptance that anything over 50 years old shouldn't be used as a people moving vehicle. This also applies to Soviet trains still running in Romania and Bulgaria which are less than comfortable. Castle was fine - more impressive outisde than in.
They have a strange obsession in that part of Europe with writing the name of the town on a hillside - Hollywood sign style! Maybe it's because they filmed 'Cold Mountain' there.
Last night I splurged an extra $10 and got a 4 berth on a sleeper train for my trip to Budapest. Free bottle of water. Better than a lot of hostel accomodation. Met a really nice girl who spoke Romanian, Hungarian, German, English and Spanish. She was on her way to a job interview (she was a law grad) and was really sweet and helpful. She also told me a lot about the history of Romania and what it had been like to live under communism. Really very interesting.
I'm now in Budapest.
Having said that, upon arrival I did get a very nice religious book from a girl on a bus who wrote 'God Bless You' on the inside. Very nice.
Anyway, I'm going to skip all of Bucharest - which I am sure Libby won't mind, even though she was there for the whole 3 days.
So - bypass Bucharest and got to Transylvania. I went to Brasov where I caught up with some girls I had met at VT and explored the city (black church, main square, train station ticket office). Ended up going for dinner with some very funny Italian guys who certainly fulfilled more than one stereotype about Italian men. It took them forever to get ready, aked for a hairdryer, they were beautifully groomed and they gesticulated with their hands so much that they were almost a danger to public safety. Ended up at a Paris themed bar with bad eighties music where a Romanian boy managed to almost break my elbow with a door and insisted upon kissing it better despite my assertion that I was, in fact, fine. Very weird. Kind've sweet!?!?!?
Went and saw Bran Castle on a bus that I wasn't sure was going to make it. I think that there should be an acceptance that anything over 50 years old shouldn't be used as a people moving vehicle. This also applies to Soviet trains still running in Romania and Bulgaria which are less than comfortable. Castle was fine - more impressive outisde than in.
They have a strange obsession in that part of Europe with writing the name of the town on a hillside - Hollywood sign style! Maybe it's because they filmed 'Cold Mountain' there.
Last night I splurged an extra $10 and got a 4 berth on a sleeper train for my trip to Budapest. Free bottle of water. Better than a lot of hostel accomodation. Met a really nice girl who spoke Romanian, Hungarian, German, English and Spanish. She was on her way to a job interview (she was a law grad) and was really sweet and helpful. She also told me a lot about the history of Romania and what it had been like to live under communism. Really very interesting.
I'm now in Budapest.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Another beer thanks, barkeep...
Bulgaria, Bulgaria.
I swear to God, today is the first rain free day I have had since I left the UK. Lovely. I am in Veliko Tarnovo which is a town between Sofia and Bucharest. I am continuing the Good Bulgarian Hostel experience - this one is a converted Bulgarian farmhouse. Ace. The only problem is that the town is a hill and we are the bottom of it. Calf muscles are working over time.
The Australian couple I met on the bus have provided good company in Sofia, then to here. And we've added a guy named Nathan to our temporary posse. Between us all we managed to figure out where we were supposed to get off the bus yesterday. But it was a close run thing...we mistook our destination for a rest stop and happily piled back on the bus for the last hour of our journey before we were told to get off the bus. In no uncertain terms.
Sofia was quite a small city and it was nice enough to look around. A bit sad in some ways because there is a lot of decay and ruin that they have stuck bright signs over. It's very post-soviet but the people are friendly and the beer is cheap ($1.60 or 60p per pint). The Rila Monastery was absolutely stunning - high up in the mountains it was so sedate! And the Bulgarian doughnuts weren't bad either.
Took advantage of cheap beer prices last night in VT and have been struggling for most of today. Ah well. Somehow I managed to end up with half a packet of pretzels given to me by a stranger who could see that I was trying to get some crisps at a bar that sold no food. They were cheese flavoured pretzels. I think there are some instances in which sticking to tradition is best. Salt on pretzels is one of these.
I am being thwarted by Orthodox religious holidays which means basically nothing has been open for days. Or is only open sporadically. It's making getting on the train quite a challenge.
Anyway, Kylie and Aaron (abovementioned Australian couple) are chefs and will be cooking for us tonight. After 3 nights of free hostel food we decided it would be better to find a market and make something that wasn't pasta with ketchup on it.
I swear to God, today is the first rain free day I have had since I left the UK. Lovely. I am in Veliko Tarnovo which is a town between Sofia and Bucharest. I am continuing the Good Bulgarian Hostel experience - this one is a converted Bulgarian farmhouse. Ace. The only problem is that the town is a hill and we are the bottom of it. Calf muscles are working over time.
The Australian couple I met on the bus have provided good company in Sofia, then to here. And we've added a guy named Nathan to our temporary posse. Between us all we managed to figure out where we were supposed to get off the bus yesterday. But it was a close run thing...we mistook our destination for a rest stop and happily piled back on the bus for the last hour of our journey before we were told to get off the bus. In no uncertain terms.
Sofia was quite a small city and it was nice enough to look around. A bit sad in some ways because there is a lot of decay and ruin that they have stuck bright signs over. It's very post-soviet but the people are friendly and the beer is cheap ($1.60 or 60p per pint). The Rila Monastery was absolutely stunning - high up in the mountains it was so sedate! And the Bulgarian doughnuts weren't bad either.
Took advantage of cheap beer prices last night in VT and have been struggling for most of today. Ah well. Somehow I managed to end up with half a packet of pretzels given to me by a stranger who could see that I was trying to get some crisps at a bar that sold no food. They were cheese flavoured pretzels. I think there are some instances in which sticking to tradition is best. Salt on pretzels is one of these.
I am being thwarted by Orthodox religious holidays which means basically nothing has been open for days. Or is only open sporadically. It's making getting on the train quite a challenge.
Anyway, Kylie and Aaron (abovementioned Australian couple) are chefs and will be cooking for us tonight. After 3 nights of free hostel food we decided it would be better to find a market and make something that wasn't pasta with ketchup on it.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
I´ve seen John the Baptıst´s Skull
Please excuse me ıf thıs appears gramatıcally ıncorrect. I can´t fınd the comma key and the I ısnt lowercase unless I press the dıfferent i button whıch I am almost certaınly not goıng to do.
ANZAC Eve at Gallıpolı was absolutely freezıng - as photos of me wearing 7 layers a
skı jacket and a sleepıng bag wıll attest. It was a pretty amazıng nıght and the dawn servıces ın the mornıng were amazıng. It seemed somewhat strange that everyone gets so patrıcotıc about a war ın whcıh we were essentıally tools of Empıre. It is ıncredıbly movıng from a cultural perspectıve though. And ıf one more Amerıcan says ´that Australıan thıng´about ANZAC I am goıng to start referrıng to ´that Hawaıı thıng´and see how they lıke them apples. Lots of other thoughts on thıs that can´t be expressed wıthout approprıate comma key.
Other thıngs ın Turkey:
1. Blue Mosque - photo opportunıty ruıned by badly placed strıngs. Stıll amazıng.
2. Bad hostels wıth holes ın the wall
3. The Topkapı Palace - I have now seen John the Baptıst´s head and hand bones. The hand stıll had tendons. Oh - and the palace was generally pretty ımpressıve. A lot of ınvestment ın *blıng* ın the Ottoman Empıre.
4. Sofıa - an amazıng ex-catholıc church that was converted ınto a mosque and ıs now secularç In honesty the Catholıcs dıd a better job of decoratıng. Although perhaps there was an over relıance on mosaıcs.
5. Eatıng more meat on stıcks than my actual body weıght.
6. Bus trıp wıth drunk Kıwı boy who seemed to only be able to yell ´Jane´ sporadıcally.
7. Phosphorous cruıse ın whıch one bank of the rıver ıs Europe and the other ıs Asıa.
8. Hotel dısasters. Partıal tour refund. Skanky ´bellydancers´ that were more realıstıcally strıppers. Angry comment to tour company about female empowerment and supportıng exploıtatıon of local women.
9. Gettıng groped on the Metro all the damned tıme.
Anyway - nıght bus to Sofıa tonıght where I wıll be checkıng out the sıghts of Bulgarıa. Woot!
ANZAC Eve at Gallıpolı was absolutely freezıng - as photos of me wearing 7 layers a
skı jacket and a sleepıng bag wıll attest. It was a pretty amazıng nıght and the dawn servıces ın the mornıng were amazıng. It seemed somewhat strange that everyone gets so patrıcotıc about a war ın whcıh we were essentıally tools of Empıre. It is ıncredıbly movıng from a cultural perspectıve though. And ıf one more Amerıcan says ´that Australıan thıng´about ANZAC I am goıng to start referrıng to ´that Hawaıı thıng´and see how they lıke them apples. Lots of other thoughts on thıs that can´t be expressed wıthout approprıate comma key.
Other thıngs ın Turkey:
1. Blue Mosque - photo opportunıty ruıned by badly placed strıngs. Stıll amazıng.
2. Bad hostels wıth holes ın the wall
3. The Topkapı Palace - I have now seen John the Baptıst´s head and hand bones. The hand stıll had tendons. Oh - and the palace was generally pretty ımpressıve. A lot of ınvestment ın *blıng* ın the Ottoman Empıre.
4. Sofıa - an amazıng ex-catholıc church that was converted ınto a mosque and ıs now secularç In honesty the Catholıcs dıd a better job of decoratıng. Although perhaps there was an over relıance on mosaıcs.
5. Eatıng more meat on stıcks than my actual body weıght.
6. Bus trıp wıth drunk Kıwı boy who seemed to only be able to yell ´Jane´ sporadıcally.
7. Phosphorous cruıse ın whıch one bank of the rıver ıs Europe and the other ıs Asıa.
8. Hotel dısasters. Partıal tour refund. Skanky ´bellydancers´ that were more realıstıcally strıppers. Angry comment to tour company about female empowerment and supportıng exploıtatıon of local women.
9. Gettıng groped on the Metro all the damned tıme.
Anyway - nıght bus to Sofıa tonıght where I wıll be checkıng out the sıghts of Bulgarıa. Woot!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Next Bit
I'm going elsewhere now folks.
London has been amazing. But it's time to go somewhere I can only communicate through hand gestures and speaking louder.
I'm catching a cab at 4:30am on Wednesday. To go to Terminal 5. There is nothing positive in that sentence.
London has been amazing. But it's time to go somewhere I can only communicate through hand gestures and speaking louder.
I'm catching a cab at 4:30am on Wednesday. To go to Terminal 5. There is nothing positive in that sentence.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Going To The Chapel for £50,000
If, at any future time, I decide that I am giving up on whatever I have said about the state of holy matrimony previously, and as a result of this I for some reason decide to get married, please remind me that I do not want any of my guests to dress up as fairies or Mickey Mouse.
I just mention this because, if I did decide to get married my brain may have melted and it might have turned me into one of these people:
http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/family/story/0,,2272085,00.html
I am also just going to put it out there - you're my friends, I love you, but if you have theme weddings, do not request that I wear anything 'prince charming blue'. It will mean that the only theme I will be inclined to adhere to is black wearing, gin swilling harpy searching for the free booze.
I just mention this because, if I did decide to get married my brain may have melted and it might have turned me into one of these people:
http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/family/story/0,,2272085,00.html
I am also just going to put it out there - you're my friends, I love you, but if you have theme weddings, do not request that I wear anything 'prince charming blue'. It will mean that the only theme I will be inclined to adhere to is black wearing, gin swilling harpy searching for the free booze.
Friday, April 11, 2008
I think I might be sick...
http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/food/story/0,,2272815,00.html
Sadly, I have actually walked passed the one in Nottingham.
you know, I can't help but think that the guys who go to these things are just really, really pathetic. And perhaps the reason they can't get real women to talk to them is because they go to Hooters?
Sadly, I have actually walked passed the one in Nottingham.
you know, I can't help but think that the guys who go to these things are just really, really pathetic. And perhaps the reason they can't get real women to talk to them is because they go to Hooters?
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
And another thing...
Also, it snowed on Sunday.
I got overexcited because the view from my bedroom window was adoreable.
This time last year we were sitting in the sun, before the onset of the summer that flooded.
Snow is ace until it starts messing with the public transport system.
I got overexcited because the view from my bedroom window was adoreable.
This time last year we were sitting in the sun, before the onset of the summer that flooded.
Snow is ace until it starts messing with the public transport system.
No Hawkers or Campbells
Where: Scotland. Edinburgh, Highland Tour, Isle of Skye
When: Easter Long Weekend.
Who: Me, Lib, Wild In Scotland Tour Group
How: Plane, bus
11 Things I Like About Scotland
1. Too cool for school tour guides who know everything about Scottish politics and history. Who also say things like 'I studied politics because it just means you can argue all the time over nothing. Which I love.' Best tour guide I've ever had for anything.
2. Mountains and snow that look EXACTLY like the you expect them to, but are still amazing. I especially loved Glen Coe (where I managed to fall over and crack my knee on a giant rock inducing a massive amount of pain and swelling that is still continuing. This is exactly why I don't hike. I also blame the American boys for it, who I will continue to complain about below). Glen Coe is said to mean Valley of Weeping - the story about it is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_Glencoe but the important thing to note is that when it rains, the water spills down the side of the mountains, into the valley. And it really does look like a flood of tears. It appeals to the romantic in me.
3. Drinking Whiskey.
4. Loch Ness, even though I can't skim stones and didn't see a monster. It's amazing. It's also the biggest fresh water lake in Europe. So now I have seen the biggest fresh water body in the world/Asia and the biggest in Europe. Maybe it could become the theme of my trip?!?!?
5. The 5 Sisters of Kintail. The story of the Five Sisters is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sgurr_Fhuaran. In essence, 5 sisters were turned into mountains so that they would remain eternally beautiful while waiting for their husbands to arrive (from Ireland, which they never did. Maybe they also had trouble at Terminal 5). Apparently, the spell will be broken when an Irish man stands on each of the peaks (I smell a Mythbusters...). Apparently it is said that when the peaks are covered in snow, as they were when we saw them, it means that they are dressed in the bridal gowns. I could write an essay on sexism in Scottish Folk law, but Lib already told me to lighten the f*ck up when I was lecturing her about women's issues after hearing the story of the female warrior giant (tamed by love).
6. Prophecy Stones. Derived from this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahan_Seer We hunted for them on the beach on the Isle of Skye. While it was snowing. This is also where it was proved that Lib and I were the only people who were wearing appropriate clothing for the conditions. Oh yes. We are the outdoorsy type. With waterproof shoes, waterproof jackets and proper attire.
7. Edinburgh. The Castle, the beauty, the freezing cold (colder in Scotland in March than it is in Siberia. I swear to God).
8. Ballboy.
9. Surprisingly, Easy Jet letting us back on an earlier flight so we were well rested for work the next day. Remind me I said this at some point when I am cursing budget airlines name.
10. Hunting for Easter eggs in a fairy cove on Easter Sunday.
11. Hairy Coos.
4 Things I Don't Like About Scotland
1. American boys who are on your tour and proceed to not wash up, drink people's booze, not help with cooking, wear impractical clothing, behavie anti socially, call their mum via laptop complete with a video camera when everyone else is drinking, say things like 'my girlfriend, almost fiancee' and generally behave in a brattish manner AND THEN when we decided to give the remaining kitty money to the tour leader as a tip (rather than mess around with trying to distribute a measly £4.33 to everyone on the bus) they get dropped off and ask for their bit back because they were too pathetic not to speak up in a group and were CLEARLY NOT WELL SOCIALISED.
2. Pretending not to work for the bank that built the bridge that everyone hates. Though perhaps this is not specifically Scotland's fault.
3. Losing my beanie when it was FREEZING.
4. Messing up the hostel booking and arriving on Easter Friday to discover that you have no bed. Again, perhaps not Scotland's fault. Almost would have preferred to sleep in the street instead of in long term all boy's dorm. Bleh.
Any questions?
When: Easter Long Weekend.
Who: Me, Lib, Wild In Scotland Tour Group
How: Plane, bus
11 Things I Like About Scotland
1. Too cool for school tour guides who know everything about Scottish politics and history. Who also say things like 'I studied politics because it just means you can argue all the time over nothing. Which I love.' Best tour guide I've ever had for anything.
2. Mountains and snow that look EXACTLY like the you expect them to, but are still amazing. I especially loved Glen Coe (where I managed to fall over and crack my knee on a giant rock inducing a massive amount of pain and swelling that is still continuing. This is exactly why I don't hike. I also blame the American boys for it, who I will continue to complain about below). Glen Coe is said to mean Valley of Weeping - the story about it is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_Glencoe but the important thing to note is that when it rains, the water spills down the side of the mountains, into the valley. And it really does look like a flood of tears. It appeals to the romantic in me.
3. Drinking Whiskey.
4. Loch Ness, even though I can't skim stones and didn't see a monster. It's amazing. It's also the biggest fresh water lake in Europe. So now I have seen the biggest fresh water body in the world/Asia and the biggest in Europe. Maybe it could become the theme of my trip?!?!?
5. The 5 Sisters of Kintail. The story of the Five Sisters is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sgurr_Fhuaran. In essence, 5 sisters were turned into mountains so that they would remain eternally beautiful while waiting for their husbands to arrive (from Ireland, which they never did. Maybe they also had trouble at Terminal 5). Apparently, the spell will be broken when an Irish man stands on each of the peaks (I smell a Mythbusters...). Apparently it is said that when the peaks are covered in snow, as they were when we saw them, it means that they are dressed in the bridal gowns. I could write an essay on sexism in Scottish Folk law, but Lib already told me to lighten the f*ck up when I was lecturing her about women's issues after hearing the story of the female warrior giant (tamed by love).
6. Prophecy Stones. Derived from this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahan_Seer We hunted for them on the beach on the Isle of Skye. While it was snowing. This is also where it was proved that Lib and I were the only people who were wearing appropriate clothing for the conditions. Oh yes. We are the outdoorsy type. With waterproof shoes, waterproof jackets and proper attire.
7. Edinburgh. The Castle, the beauty, the freezing cold (colder in Scotland in March than it is in Siberia. I swear to God).
8. Ballboy.
9. Surprisingly, Easy Jet letting us back on an earlier flight so we were well rested for work the next day. Remind me I said this at some point when I am cursing budget airlines name.
10. Hunting for Easter eggs in a fairy cove on Easter Sunday.
11. Hairy Coos.
4 Things I Don't Like About Scotland
1. American boys who are on your tour and proceed to not wash up, drink people's booze, not help with cooking, wear impractical clothing, behavie anti socially, call their mum via laptop complete with a video camera when everyone else is drinking, say things like 'my girlfriend, almost fiancee' and generally behave in a brattish manner AND THEN when we decided to give the remaining kitty money to the tour leader as a tip (rather than mess around with trying to distribute a measly £4.33 to everyone on the bus) they get dropped off and ask for their bit back because they were too pathetic not to speak up in a group and were CLEARLY NOT WELL SOCIALISED.
2. Pretending not to work for the bank that built the bridge that everyone hates. Though perhaps this is not specifically Scotland's fault.
3. Losing my beanie when it was FREEZING.
4. Messing up the hostel booking and arriving on Easter Friday to discover that you have no bed. Again, perhaps not Scotland's fault. Almost would have preferred to sleep in the street instead of in long term all boy's dorm. Bleh.
Any questions?
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Boat race. Oxford won.
About as boring as last year. You see about 15 seconds of highly toned man flesh zoom past you and that's that.
Anyone else excited?
About as boring as last year. You see about 15 seconds of highly toned man flesh zoom past you and that's that.
Anyone else excited?
Friday, March 28, 2008
Don't Panic!
Chronologically awkward update:
The Panics in London on Wednesday night played the best set I have ever seen them play. Who the hell knew bad weather would make J happy and talkative?
Must..blog...about...Highlands...
The Panics in London on Wednesday night played the best set I have ever seen them play. Who the hell knew bad weather would make J happy and talkative?
Must..blog...about...Highlands...
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Grey Gardens
Kew Gardens and the Henry Moore Exhibition
aka Everything Looks Better In a Park. Sculpture is no exception. Even when it is raining and the tour guide is clearly one step away from permanent residence at an old folks home. I suppose it takes a specific type of person to want to spend their Saturdays showing people around a garden but thank heavens for those people. Kew was amazing, the Moore statues were mind blowing - and they way the pieces had been positioned was phenomenal. Earlier this year I went to the Chelsea Physic Garden which was interesting in its own way, but quite small (it was built in the middle of Chelsea) I can see how they felt somewhat slighted when Kew opened, just a boat ride away, with all that amazing space. And budget.
Kew Gardens also had the building where the 'mad' King George convalesced. Ooohhhhh....history.
St Patrick's Day
SPD last year I was on a train between China and Mongolia with two mad Irish boys who were intent on drinking the Trans-Mongolian dry. This year I was in Trafalgar Square with an umbrella. And not even that many Irish people. Sure, there were a lot of people who claimed to be sort of Irish, but if you don't have the accent and the twinkle in your eye then it seems somewhat lacking. Or perhaps that was just the whole Trafalgar Square aspect - it was kind've what I imagine it would be like if the City of London and Ken Livingstone were allowed to organise an Australia Day celebration.
So instead of intermingling with actual Irish people, I absorbed the 'traditional' Irish performances. Like the releasing of thousands of orange, white and green balloons just after Ken had been touting his green credentials. I also met 3 Argentinean brothers who pretty much Marlon Brando-d me. Definitely looking forward to South America now.
Work
Things I learnt today: if you get fired, don't post about it on your blog and say all manner of things that are not true. People will look at it and laugh while preparing court documents.
aka Everything Looks Better In a Park. Sculpture is no exception. Even when it is raining and the tour guide is clearly one step away from permanent residence at an old folks home. I suppose it takes a specific type of person to want to spend their Saturdays showing people around a garden but thank heavens for those people. Kew was amazing, the Moore statues were mind blowing - and they way the pieces had been positioned was phenomenal. Earlier this year I went to the Chelsea Physic Garden which was interesting in its own way, but quite small (it was built in the middle of Chelsea) I can see how they felt somewhat slighted when Kew opened, just a boat ride away, with all that amazing space. And budget.
Kew Gardens also had the building where the 'mad' King George convalesced. Ooohhhhh....history.
St Patrick's Day
SPD last year I was on a train between China and Mongolia with two mad Irish boys who were intent on drinking the Trans-Mongolian dry. This year I was in Trafalgar Square with an umbrella. And not even that many Irish people. Sure, there were a lot of people who claimed to be sort of Irish, but if you don't have the accent and the twinkle in your eye then it seems somewhat lacking. Or perhaps that was just the whole Trafalgar Square aspect - it was kind've what I imagine it would be like if the City of London and Ken Livingstone were allowed to organise an Australia Day celebration.
So instead of intermingling with actual Irish people, I absorbed the 'traditional' Irish performances. Like the releasing of thousands of orange, white and green balloons just after Ken had been touting his green credentials. I also met 3 Argentinean brothers who pretty much Marlon Brando-d me. Definitely looking forward to South America now.
Work
Things I learnt today: if you get fired, don't post about it on your blog and say all manner of things that are not true. People will look at it and laugh while preparing court documents.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Dedicated Follower of Fashion
I have 2 skirts in different colours but the same cut.
I wear them each once a week and have done for about 7 months.
Today I discovered that the zip is supposed to be at the side, not the back.
Stupid skirts.
I wear them each once a week and have done for about 7 months.
Today I discovered that the zip is supposed to be at the side, not the back.
Stupid skirts.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Big Girls Don't Cry
Went to see Jersey Boys last night (with Alana, Libby, Kate and Wayne). I was almsot thwarted in my attempt to get there by transport for London and the inability of the Tube to work as soon is it rains (some would call this a somewhat minor design flaw failing to take account of English conditions, I would call it a pain in the arse). Anyway, once I actually got to the theatre (after locating a bus) the play was pretty amazing. The way they used screens and cameras, projecting the live action on the stage onto screens above made it look like they really could have been on the Ed Sullivan show.
For anyone who doesn't know - it is based on the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and the songs were, unsurprisingly, fantastic. The actor who played Frankie, although a little nasal, did a surprisingly good job given that he has the task of imitating a fantastic and famous voice. My one complaint would be that the songs were not much used to progress the plot - sometimes it jsut felt like an elongated karaoke. But, I'm a sucker for men who do little dances 1960s style, so I was pretty much won over. I was less won over by the women who decided to sing along to everything. We all know the words. We've paid £42 to hear the short guy with the nasal voice sing. Internal dialogue people!
Oh - on the weekend I went to Nottingham to see Luke (you know, my friend Luke, from Nottingham?) and it was really fun. For the following reasons:
1. Robin Hoods: They were trying to break the record for the most amount of Robin Hoods in one place the weekend I arrived. I was not aware of this and assumed for the longest time that this was just what one should expect from Nottingham.
2. The Robin Hood Ride: Hilarious, tacky. I didn't learn anything except that ski lift thingies can be put to alternative purposes and the level of 'high tech' at this place was one of the guides leaping out at you and yelling 'boo'! Almost on par with 'Mini Europe' for most fun I've had at a dodgy tourist attraction.
3. Notts County Football Game: Not to be confused with Notts Forrest. Notts country are the oldest league club in the world. Luke has season tickets. Even with my limited level of football knowledge I knew the quality of football was not great. But the people were funny and interesting. AND I might be in a book. There was a guy there who has been hired to write a book about the Notts County season - and he interviews a couple of people at every game to get different perspectives. He wanted me for an 'Australian Perspective' So - I have now spoken about English football on behalf of all Australians. Bet you're all pleased to hear that.
In other news - I have moved house. I am now living with Wayne. In future house moving situations I have learnt:
1. Not to move in with an alcoholic;
2. Not to think that said alcoholic is likely to pull herself out of it;
3. Not to leave booze of any description in the kitchen whilst living with said alcoholic; and
4. Not to call my mother at 4am London time, while drunk, and trying to rouse my room mate from her passed out state. To explain why I thought this would be effective - I was actually trying to call my mum so that I could get my home phone number to call and try calling the house phone to wake Sam up where where ringing her mobile, knocking on the door and pressing the doorbell had failed. I do not think my mum has super powers that would allow her to unlcok doors using her Jedi mind tricks from the other side of the world. Did I mention that while I was calling my mother, I was standing on a sandbank with a massive stick trying to tap on our lounge room window so that Sam would wake up and get her keys out the front door so I could get the fuck in? I'm surprised I wasn't arrested.
That's all for now.
For anyone who doesn't know - it is based on the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and the songs were, unsurprisingly, fantastic. The actor who played Frankie, although a little nasal, did a surprisingly good job given that he has the task of imitating a fantastic and famous voice. My one complaint would be that the songs were not much used to progress the plot - sometimes it jsut felt like an elongated karaoke. But, I'm a sucker for men who do little dances 1960s style, so I was pretty much won over. I was less won over by the women who decided to sing along to everything. We all know the words. We've paid £42 to hear the short guy with the nasal voice sing. Internal dialogue people!
Oh - on the weekend I went to Nottingham to see Luke (you know, my friend Luke, from Nottingham?) and it was really fun. For the following reasons:
1. Robin Hoods: They were trying to break the record for the most amount of Robin Hoods in one place the weekend I arrived. I was not aware of this and assumed for the longest time that this was just what one should expect from Nottingham.
2. The Robin Hood Ride: Hilarious, tacky. I didn't learn anything except that ski lift thingies can be put to alternative purposes and the level of 'high tech' at this place was one of the guides leaping out at you and yelling 'boo'! Almost on par with 'Mini Europe' for most fun I've had at a dodgy tourist attraction.
3. Notts County Football Game: Not to be confused with Notts Forrest. Notts country are the oldest league club in the world. Luke has season tickets. Even with my limited level of football knowledge I knew the quality of football was not great. But the people were funny and interesting. AND I might be in a book. There was a guy there who has been hired to write a book about the Notts County season - and he interviews a couple of people at every game to get different perspectives. He wanted me for an 'Australian Perspective' So - I have now spoken about English football on behalf of all Australians. Bet you're all pleased to hear that.
In other news - I have moved house. I am now living with Wayne. In future house moving situations I have learnt:
1. Not to move in with an alcoholic;
2. Not to think that said alcoholic is likely to pull herself out of it;
3. Not to leave booze of any description in the kitchen whilst living with said alcoholic; and
4. Not to call my mother at 4am London time, while drunk, and trying to rouse my room mate from her passed out state. To explain why I thought this would be effective - I was actually trying to call my mum so that I could get my home phone number to call and try calling the house phone to wake Sam up where where ringing her mobile, knocking on the door and pressing the doorbell had failed. I do not think my mum has super powers that would allow her to unlcok doors using her Jedi mind tricks from the other side of the world. Did I mention that while I was calling my mother, I was standing on a sandbank with a massive stick trying to tap on our lounge room window so that Sam would wake up and get her keys out the front door so I could get the fuck in? I'm surprised I wasn't arrested.
That's all for now.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
I started a list...
This is a list of bands and plays I have seen in London thus far. I keep forgetting and thought I had better write it down so that I could remember most of it.
The bands:
Modest Mouse - Royal Albert Hall
The Decemberists - Royal Festival Hall
Stars - Scala and Koko
Broken Social Scene - Scala
Billy Bragg - Roundhouse
The Go! Team - Electric Ballroom
Lucky Soul - 100 Club
Daniel Johnston - Union Chapel
Shins - Hammersmith Apollo
Ryan Adams - Hammersmith Apollo
Portishead (yet to see)
The Panics (yet to see)
Stupid Wilco cancelling *shakes fist*
[It felt like a lot more - but I can't remember. It felt like I was always waiting for tickets to be delivered on a Saturday morning.]
And for the plays:
Wicked (twice)
The Lion King
Billy Elliot
39 Steps
Little Shop of Horrors
In Celebration
Equus
Globe Plays; Merchant of Venice, Othello, Love's Labour Lost
Les Miserables
The Drowsy Chaperone
Spamalot
The Woman In Black
Avenue Q (twice)
Lady Be Good
Jersey Boys (Next week, preview performance, so amazingly glad to be getting to see it before I leave)
Pretty good job methinks.
The bands:
Modest Mouse - Royal Albert Hall
The Decemberists - Royal Festival Hall
Stars - Scala and Koko
Broken Social Scene - Scala
Billy Bragg - Roundhouse
The Go! Team - Electric Ballroom
Lucky Soul - 100 Club
Daniel Johnston - Union Chapel
Shins - Hammersmith Apollo
Ryan Adams - Hammersmith Apollo
Portishead (yet to see)
The Panics (yet to see)
Stupid Wilco cancelling *shakes fist*
[It felt like a lot more - but I can't remember. It felt like I was always waiting for tickets to be delivered on a Saturday morning.]
And for the plays:
Wicked (twice)
The Lion King
Billy Elliot
39 Steps
Little Shop of Horrors
In Celebration
Equus
Globe Plays; Merchant of Venice, Othello, Love's Labour Lost
Les Miserables
The Drowsy Chaperone
Spamalot
The Woman In Black
Avenue Q (twice)
Lady Be Good
Jersey Boys (Next week, preview performance, so amazingly glad to be getting to see it before I leave)
Pretty good job methinks.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
You Woke Up My...
I have just seen one of the best gigs of my life. Seriously - Billy Bragg at the Roundhouse.
When I first got there I thought I'd arrived at the wrong place - there was a sign that said 'Support The BNP'. That seemed wrong, Billy Bragg not being known for his fascist tendencies. However upon closer inspection it actually said 'Support The Destruction of the BNP' so that was alright.
I've never been to the venue before but it is insane. I love it! It is cavernous, and as the name suggests, circular. The stage is about the height of the one at the Rosemount but the roof is about 25m high. Intense but brilliant. And there he was - this lone man who held the stage by himself for 2 hours and made me love him even though my feet hurt, I had been working until 7pm (serving a counterparty who officially hates me after consecutive services) and I'd had enough of the day.
He talked about the Clash and the Rock Against Racism march in Victoria Park (which I pass on the bus every morning), he played songs off Mermaid Avenue, Back To Basics and Don't Try This At Home. I have never been at a gig in my life with so many old men that looked the same - short hair, leather or khaki jackets, jeans, grey hair.
He also talked about his son Jack playing 'Rock Star' continually on his play station. He covered the Buzzcocks. The crowd knew ALL the words to his songs and he was quite content to just let them sing while he played guitar. Sounds like it should have been awful but it wasn't.
So - I know everyone probably saw him at Big Day Out - but it really was amazing. I have never heard the phrase 'geezer' been used that much in one night. What a champion.
When I first got there I thought I'd arrived at the wrong place - there was a sign that said 'Support The BNP'. That seemed wrong, Billy Bragg not being known for his fascist tendencies. However upon closer inspection it actually said 'Support The Destruction of the BNP' so that was alright.
I've never been to the venue before but it is insane. I love it! It is cavernous, and as the name suggests, circular. The stage is about the height of the one at the Rosemount but the roof is about 25m high. Intense but brilliant. And there he was - this lone man who held the stage by himself for 2 hours and made me love him even though my feet hurt, I had been working until 7pm (serving a counterparty who officially hates me after consecutive services) and I'd had enough of the day.
He talked about the Clash and the Rock Against Racism march in Victoria Park (which I pass on the bus every morning), he played songs off Mermaid Avenue, Back To Basics and Don't Try This At Home. I have never been at a gig in my life with so many old men that looked the same - short hair, leather or khaki jackets, jeans, grey hair.
He also talked about his son Jack playing 'Rock Star' continually on his play station. He covered the Buzzcocks. The crowd knew ALL the words to his songs and he was quite content to just let them sing while he played guitar. Sounds like it should have been awful but it wasn't.
So - I know everyone probably saw him at Big Day Out - but it really was amazing. I have never heard the phrase 'geezer' been used that much in one night. What a champion.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Friday, February 8, 2008
Africa
Morocco was very cool. Although the fact that I was sweltering in 21 degrees does not bode well for me coming home.
Sweeney Todd was quite wonderful.
Steff G and Sarah Mumme are currently visiting. It's like Perth in London.
Went and saw the Lloyd's Building and Bank of England Museum yesterday for work. My boss is awesome.
Sweeney Todd was quite wonderful.
Steff G and Sarah Mumme are currently visiting. It's like Perth in London.
Went and saw the Lloyd's Building and Bank of England Museum yesterday for work. My boss is awesome.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Blog For Choice
Today is blog for choice day.
And I think I should probably add something here because I have a blog and I am ardently pro-choice.
I think that woman have the right to determine what happens to their bodies. They are capable of making informed decisions for themselves. They should need the patriarchy to 'allow' them to make reproductive decisions that are right for themselves.
I am pro-choice because I trust women.
I am pro-choice because abortion will happen whether it is legal or not. When it isn't legal, it is the poor and disenfranchised that suffer. When abortion is not easily accessible, women die or are seriously harmed, whether it be emotionally or physically.
I am pro-choice because I think women are in the best position to judge whether an abortion is the right choice for them.
I am pro-choice because we've had teh alternative and it didn't work.
I am pro-choice because I believe doctors and politicians should respect that women are entitled to bodily integrity and should not be judged for the reproductive decisions that they make.
I am pro-choice because this rings true: http://spot.colorado.edu/~heathwoo/Phil160,Fall02/thomson.htm
If anyone is interested in this discussion, you should check out feministing.com - one of my favourite blogs. Jessica Valenti is my hero. One of my heroes. It shows you exactly what a woman's right to shoose means and how easily it can be taken for granted.
Happy blog for choice day.
And I think I should probably add something here because I have a blog and I am ardently pro-choice.
I think that woman have the right to determine what happens to their bodies. They are capable of making informed decisions for themselves. They should need the patriarchy to 'allow' them to make reproductive decisions that are right for themselves.
I am pro-choice because I trust women.
I am pro-choice because abortion will happen whether it is legal or not. When it isn't legal, it is the poor and disenfranchised that suffer. When abortion is not easily accessible, women die or are seriously harmed, whether it be emotionally or physically.
I am pro-choice because I think women are in the best position to judge whether an abortion is the right choice for them.
I am pro-choice because we've had teh alternative and it didn't work.
I am pro-choice because I believe doctors and politicians should respect that women are entitled to bodily integrity and should not be judged for the reproductive decisions that they make.
I am pro-choice because this rings true: http://spot.colorado.edu/~heathwoo/Phil160,Fall02/thomson.htm
If anyone is interested in this discussion, you should check out feministing.com - one of my favourite blogs. Jessica Valenti is my hero. One of my heroes. It shows you exactly what a woman's right to shoose means and how easily it can be taken for granted.
Happy blog for choice day.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Hug My Soul.
Hello. Hope everyone had a good weekend. I gave out free hugs in Trafalger Square which was really, really fun and put me in an exceptionally buoyant mood. No real surprises there. Hugs on masse were cool. We also met some really interesting people. Like the boy who thought that those blue pens that have four colours in them were specific to France and insisted that I must have go tmine from there. Or the hot Venezeaulan (not spelt at all correctly) guy who got us enthused abotu free hugging in the first place.
Saturday night, we went out to club in Holborn. Which was awful. We'd lined up for ages, only to get downstairs after paying £16 and realise that we'd rather just hide in the ladies loos than participate in the surrounding idiocy. Plus, I'd forgotten my glow sticks so action had to be taken. So we made Suza ask for a refund on the grounds that she was the most sober.
Abridged exchange between Suza and club manager:
Suza: Hello. We'd like to get our £16 back because we got separated from our friends and they can't get in...
Club Manager: Yeah, right. No way..
Suza:...and because we've only been here 5 minutes and someone has already offerred to sell us drugs.
[cue fake disapproving looks from all of us behind Suza]
Club Manager: Sure. No problem. I'll just go get it.
Obviously there was a bit more rigmarole to it than that, but I think it is the one and only time I haev ever attempted to get a refund from an appalling club. But for £16 cover charge I either had to:
A) Buy a tent and move there permanently;
B) Get drunk and pretend I was having a good time while secretly wishing pain upon my fellow club patrons; or
C) Get a refund by suggesting that we were the type of people who were at all surprised by the fact that there are drug dealers at clubs in London. And that we might also be the type of people who would write a letter to the authorities.
Feeling newly wealthy, we ended up heading to a cool soul bar and danced what was left of the night away. Tip to any guys reading this, if you are are going to go for the always tenuous 'smell compliment' stick to something within the flower range. For example 'you smell like tulips'. Do not suggest that a girl smells like:
- pillows (wtf?) or
- like you should already be in the shower together (eek!)
I am sure for most of you this was an unnecessary lesson. But apparently not all men have learnt it.
The evening ended, as all good evenings do, standing near Tottenham Court Road with a massive cone of frites covered in garlic sauce.
At least I was sober enough not to order a kebab.
Saturday night, we went out to club in Holborn. Which was awful. We'd lined up for ages, only to get downstairs after paying £16 and realise that we'd rather just hide in the ladies loos than participate in the surrounding idiocy. Plus, I'd forgotten my glow sticks so action had to be taken. So we made Suza ask for a refund on the grounds that she was the most sober.
Abridged exchange between Suza and club manager:
Suza: Hello. We'd like to get our £16 back because we got separated from our friends and they can't get in...
Club Manager: Yeah, right. No way..
Suza:...and because we've only been here 5 minutes and someone has already offerred to sell us drugs.
[cue fake disapproving looks from all of us behind Suza]
Club Manager: Sure. No problem. I'll just go get it.
Obviously there was a bit more rigmarole to it than that, but I think it is the one and only time I haev ever attempted to get a refund from an appalling club. But for £16 cover charge I either had to:
A) Buy a tent and move there permanently;
B) Get drunk and pretend I was having a good time while secretly wishing pain upon my fellow club patrons; or
C) Get a refund by suggesting that we were the type of people who were at all surprised by the fact that there are drug dealers at clubs in London. And that we might also be the type of people who would write a letter to the authorities.
Feeling newly wealthy, we ended up heading to a cool soul bar and danced what was left of the night away. Tip to any guys reading this, if you are are going to go for the always tenuous 'smell compliment' stick to something within the flower range. For example 'you smell like tulips'. Do not suggest that a girl smells like:
- pillows (wtf?) or
- like you should already be in the shower together (eek!)
I am sure for most of you this was an unnecessary lesson. But apparently not all men have learnt it.
The evening ended, as all good evenings do, standing near Tottenham Court Road with a massive cone of frites covered in garlic sauce.
At least I was sober enough not to order a kebab.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Almost Famous
If anyone would like to see photos of me at NY, currently appearing in TNT magazine, you may look here:
http://www.tntmagazine.com/spotted/?ID=imageView&Image=12&CatNo=10553&pageNo=1
http://www.tntmagazine.com/spotted/?ID=imageView&Image=55&CatNo=10553&pageNo=1
I think it is nice to observe how the evening deteriorated. Hanging out with the photographer is great from a free drinks perspective. Not so much from a hiding your drunken moments perspective. *sigh*
http://www.tntmagazine.com/spotted/?ID=imageView&Image=12&CatNo=10553&pageNo=1
http://www.tntmagazine.com/spotted/?ID=imageView&Image=55&CatNo=10553&pageNo=1
I think it is nice to observe how the evening deteriorated. Hanging out with the photographer is great from a free drinks perspective. Not so much from a hiding your drunken moments perspective. *sigh*
Saturday, January 5, 2008
My Cute Fiend Sweet Princess
Despite the better, feminist part of myself, I really enjoyed the new Disney film Enchanted. In the way that you enjoy Grease when you are older - you get all the 'dirty' bits. Or at least the slightly dodgy bits. And then you laugh inappropriately in a cinema full of children who prefer the part of the movie that involves a temporarily mute chipmunk. Ah well.
Also interesting to note is the way that Disney Princesses have become emaciated over the years. From Snow White:
To this, in Enchanted
Just saying. I've also just noticed while searching for these photos that Snow White has got a lot thinner recently. More shiny as well. I'm all for digitally remastering, it's the not so subtle nip and tuck that seems unhealthy.
With respect to Disney Princess, it's also worth noting that they have recently had issues with 'non-traditional' female characters such as Mulan and Pocahontas not being included as part of the Princess range because they don't sell that well. Wow. Racist and sexist. Nice work Disney. I particularly like that the two most empowered Disney females that I've seen (and really, it isn't saying much that they are the most empowered of a particularly weak willed lot) are not continuing to be marketed to young girls.
Apparently the better, feminist part of me was not entirely subsumed in the happy sing along aspects of the film. Ah well.
Also interesting to note is the way that Disney Princesses have become emaciated over the years. From Snow White:
To this, in Enchanted
Just saying. I've also just noticed while searching for these photos that Snow White has got a lot thinner recently. More shiny as well. I'm all for digitally remastering, it's the not so subtle nip and tuck that seems unhealthy.
With respect to Disney Princess, it's also worth noting that they have recently had issues with 'non-traditional' female characters such as Mulan and Pocahontas not being included as part of the Princess range because they don't sell that well. Wow. Racist and sexist. Nice work Disney. I particularly like that the two most empowered Disney females that I've seen (and really, it isn't saying much that they are the most empowered of a particularly weak willed lot) are not continuing to be marketed to young girls.
Apparently the better, feminist part of me was not entirely subsumed in the happy sing along aspects of the film. Ah well.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
So this is the New Year
And I am not even hungover.
And we didn't get stuck Borough.
And we hung out with Australians. And Kiwis. And South Africans.
And it was stinking hot. At least in the pub.
And I am down one beautiful, brand new, teal silk dress. Lost to the world of kebab sauce.
That is all.
And we didn't get stuck Borough.
And we hung out with Australians. And Kiwis. And South Africans.
And it was stinking hot. At least in the pub.
And I am down one beautiful, brand new, teal silk dress. Lost to the world of kebab sauce.
That is all.
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