lisushi and the world

Tuesday, March 25, 2003:

// slacker update //

i know it's been literally forever since i updated this but i have clearly been too busy having fun to do so :) Actually, more like i've been too busy working which isn't that fun but still. anyway, way too much to actually mention here of interesting and fun stuff done so i'll reel off a few things while i can think of them:
-clubbing (anywhere and everywhere- it's great especially brixton academy what an insane night!)
-drinking (anywhere and everywhere- it's great- especially on the tube on a sunday arvo :) this after visiting the redback and walkabout, notorious aussie hangout pubs which are incredibly cesty but fun and cheap.)
-shopping- have bought a lovely tshirt and bag for myself from spitalsfield markets, which is without a doubt the best market in london (from the three that i've seen), and only about 2 min walk away from the pub. also went to harrods and bought myself a lovely baguette to enjoy in hyde park. also went and waded my way though camden markets which are great fun if full of mostly crap :)
-actually they're about the only 3 activities i've enjoyed so far :)

What else is good....feeling oh so young and interesting as we stroll through soho on a saturday night, sunday arvo strolls down to the pub at trafalgar square, eating mountains of chocolate and pasta (my diet is basically consisting of pasta and bread at the moment which may explain current ill health!) :)

And theres still so much I want to do!!

and so little time and money to do it with!!

off to use rest of valuable internet time to figure out how i can possibly see all of europe and still go to Homelands and Glastonbury in between (it shall be done!)

///
lisa // 4:46 PM

______________________

Friday, March 07, 2003:

// yay for public libraries //

and the free internet that they provide. Well, so much has happened in the last week (can't believe it's been a week and a bit i've been here!)

First, started the job. It's pretty good, really, how hard can it be to pull beers all night? Of course things got interesting last night when a pissed guy fell off his stool and totally gashed his head open and then abused anyone who tried to help him until the ambulance got there. So that was fun. But generally it's pretty good. I moved into the pub yesterday, and I'm glad to get out of the hostel (sharing with 14 people is just too crap). At least now I can cook my own food and stuff to try and save a little bit of money.

My body has finally protested at the way i've been treating it (although I don't know what it's complaining about, i've been feeding it plenty of alcohol and chocolate), and I've got a rampaging cold (very nice trying not to sneeze into peoples beers while I'm serving them!). Hopefully it doesn't last too long, I'm now on a strict diet of lots of multivitamins orange juice and fruit (and chocolate).

What else can I say? my brain is feeling a bit full of cotton wool due to my cold, so sorry for any lack of insightful comments into living in europes largest city. I am missing everyone at home very much, it's so hard when you're just constantly meeting people and you hang out with them for a day or two, and then they (or you) move on and you have to start all over again, it's a bit of a strain. Fun, but it will be nice to at least get to know some people a bit better while I'm at the pub. I think we are off to see the ballet next week (wuthering heights- are you jealous peter?), so that will be very cultural and lovely. I walked down oxford street yesterday and can't wait till I get paid so I can go spend it all :)

ok off to go check emails (and see what's on at fabric tonight coz I really want to go see some drum and bass soon!)

///
lisa // 1:02 PM

______________________

Saturday, March 01, 2003:

// good, well good, proper good //

yay london is being so much better now. Tis a small world after all, i know about 3 people here, out today I saw the two people who were staying in my dorm a couple of days ago! I think I may go stay at their hostel down the road with them coz it's cheaper (£10 a night). I can't move into the pub till thursday (start monday). So I've got a whole weekend of freedom to enjoy before I start work (and believe me, I am enjoying it :)

Am currently trying to plan a night out with a guy I know from home who's here for the weekend. Shall be most excellent. Went out clubbing last night and saw lots of fluro and fluff, much fun :)

Also had training for my job today, and learnt how to pull a pint of guiness. Also have decided that I actually do hate the tube now as all 4 lines I could have taken out of Kings Cross station today were not running hence making me late for my first job training session!! (only 5 mins, was ok). I was thinking the tube was so fun. I am still impressed by westminster station it is really cool. Ok gotta go running out of time.

///
lisa // 10:04 PM

______________________

Thursday, February 27, 2003:

// lucky me //

Yay I got a job!! within 24 hours of getting here!! I think that's impressive (it might not be but oh well), especially when you think I don't really have any proper bar experience. I am going to be working in a pub (not a lab as planned, but oh well i really don't mind at this point!). Anyway a pub will be good coz at least then i will be doing something different to what I do at home!

I just found that piece of news out which has totally changed my outlook (obviously). I was getting totally depressed that everything was going to go totally crap and not work out and I was going to have to go home early coz I was going to run out of money and stuff. But all is good. Now I can do something to celebrate tonight, I don't know what, or who with, since I still haven't really got to know anyone here yet, but I don't care I'm happy :)

In between running all over london for 3 more job interviews today I also managed to cram in the tower of london (well, looking at it anyway) and a bit of the natural history museum, which is totally amazing. I walked around for an hour and must have seen about 20% of it. So I wanna go back there. My tube ticket is still valid so I might head down to picadilly circus tonight to have a look at all the pretty lights :)

Ok I'm also starving since I have literally only had bread and water as sustanance today :) Off for feasting and merriment....

///
lisa // 7:33 PM

______________________

// job job job job //

still looking. had a few interviews for bar jobs which are live in so that would be good. dunno though. think i may just see what happens, if I get a job well and good, if not i may just shoot off to europe a bit earlier than planned which would be nice. I really can't afford to stay in london longer than a week or two without working.

the hostel got even creepier last night with mysterious noises coming from the bed above.

well i am going to at least go and enjoy my afternoon by having a look round some museums and around picadilly circus.

///
lisa // 2:51 PM

______________________

Wednesday, February 26, 2003:

// the big smoke //

excuse any typing errors the keyboard at this internet cafe is shocking. anyway, i'm in LONDON! woo hoo!! well, kind of woo hoo. i was a bit more excited when i wasn't spending every second of the few hours i've been here so far looking for a job :) and the hostel is a bit creepy, they're mixed dorms and i'm sharing a room with a strange bald canadian who was sat playing james bond on his laptop when i arrived. creepy.

but i think the job thing may be ok, so far have had one interview (and I only got here 5 hours ago!), am going down to another pub in a minute to see if i can apply there, and there's a few others floating around that i'm checking out. and i walked all the way to trafalgar square from london bridge (ok, i don't know how many kilometres that is but it took me ages, it took me that long to find a internet cafe!!). especially when you don't know where you're going.

anyway the job hunting shall continue now.... (i've decided to forsake any actual fun until i feel a bit happier about the money situation :)

///
lisa // 5:52 PM

______________________

Tuesday, February 25, 2003:

// ye olde gift shop and central heated castles //

I'm glad that such an effort to make tourists more comfortable, such as central heating of castles, has been undertaken. Todays excursion was to Warwick Castle, which is now owned by Madam Tussauds. The castle is not a ruin, it's still full of beautiful (i'd use the word elegant, but I don't know if they quite qualify), rooms (four poster beds, cedar panelled rooms, massive chandeliers) with stragetically placed wax figures in appropriate period dress. There was also the section on medieval torture (yay), and armoury, and convieniently after each section, there was it's own appropriate gift shop you HAD to walk through to get out (i think i counted about 5 gift shops all together).
Still, I can't complain, becuase it WAS more fun than just looking at a bunch of old ruins. At least you could imagine a bit more easily what the place looked like in all it's glory. And I even learnt what a portcullis is (the big gate thing behind a drawbridge that goes up and down).

In other news am still trying to find out what's going on re london and working. Sent a whingy email to the agency rep in australia, i think she was a bit horrified that I may be stuck so i think she's going to call. I've now emailed my resume and details to a few other companies who do the same thing, as well as looking up some other (much less better) paying bar/waiting jobs. I have been offered some help to find a job here in Birmingham (from my uncle i'm staying with), but I'd rather go down to london. However, may take up the birmingham offer if I run out of money in a couple of weeks :)

ah the joys and perils of international work and travel

///
lisa // 6:47 PM

______________________

Monday, February 24, 2003:

// brum brum.... //

Birmingham is totally not what I expected. I was thinking big ugly industrial grey city, which to an extent is true around the outer edges, but in the city centre they've done a whole heap of redevelopments around the canal area which is full of chic little cafe's and restaraunts amd shops. Quite nice really. I love the fountain of the large naked lady sitting in a bath in the middle of the city which is known locally as the floozie in the jacuzzi :)

Yesterday increased my culture quotient by visiting the birthplace of shakespeare at Stratford-upon-avon. I took a photo of it like all the other tourists. It was too much of a rip off to actually go inside (who'd want to go into an old house that's been there for so long it's all sagged in and looks like it's going to collapse anyway?) Nicer were some of the villages in the cotswolds, which were so very english and quaint.

Am currently in the process of making angry phone calls and emails to people in london who are supposed to be finding me a job to start next week who still have yet to tell me what on earth is going on....but i'm not too worried i should be able to hang around the hostel for a bit longer if all goes horribly wrong. May be meeting up with a friend from home who'll be there that weekend which will be excellent!!

till next time then....

///
lisa // 6:32 PM

______________________