A little Spring in your step

Went for a run today down in the Parson's Green area, its looking lovely here at the moment because all the daffodils and other bulbs are blooming in the parks and there's some actual greenery around! I'll have to whip out the camera and take some shots because I'm on holiday now for 2 weeks because of Easter. We've had some decent weather over the last couple of days, but its been so windy (just like home) which spoils it. Kept my eye out for Hugh Grant, but alas, no spottings (he lives in the area and ever since seeing him dance in 'Love Actually' our house is on a mission to find him).

Sunday is the big boat race in London between Cambridge and Oxford. Thousands of people line the river banks to watch the 2 teams battle it out every year, they've been doing it since 1829 with 1 dead heat; Cambridge = 78 wins; Oxford = 72 wins. It goes past this area actually, so we were planning on heading down to Putney for lunch and drinks while waiting for 4:30pm to arrive (when the race is on). I just found out that netball training has been cancelled on Sunday, everyone is going to a pub in Putney for the race as well! We are a dedicated bunch! At this rate we'll never actually train...

Congratulations to Fred & Vanessa on their engagement!!!

Prix D'Amour = no more

I keep saying that everything is happening in Perth now that I've left! Now Rose has gone and knocked down her house with its beautiful bright green kitchen (note the sarcasm).

Had a busy weekend with our netball/football club's pub crawl on Saturday afternoon and then our housewarming at night. The pub crawl started at the Walkabout in Sheperd's Bush and then progressed to several other pubs before I had to head home and get ready for our party. Ended up acquiring a tall blue novelty St Patricks Day hat somehow (why they still had it a week later is a mystery?) and caught the bus home with it on! Blame one of the footy captains who was handing out free black Sambuca shots for that.

Housewarming was pretty big, we didn't think as many people would show up, but almost everyone invited (70 or so) did! I didn't know a great deal of the people as most of them are Sydney siders (who the 4 other flatmates know) but Renae, Luke and Danny came so we were talking about home and stuff. Luke actually knows some of the guys I grew up with in primary/high school and it turns one of them has just flown over here to live for a while. Its funny because I don't actually know anyone else from high school who is over here at the moment? I'm sure there's more than 2 of us here out of 310!

So glad the football starts this weekend, I've checked the screening times at the Slug & Lettuce and the Brisbane game will be shown next Monday night there, so I'll have to pop along and see how they go against the Cats. The TNT magazine had a big write up on how they're changing the kicking in rules after goals are scored etc., so it'll be interesting to watch and see how much it changes the game. Poor old WSHSer Richard Hadley did his knee a couple of weekends ago in a practice match for the Lions and is out for the season again.

Happy 22nd Birthday to Stacey for Sunday!!!

Get well soon Andy!!!

French fries

Guess who's going to Paris for Easter!?! 4 day tour, ferry to France, cruising the Seine River, visiting a French perfumery or cabaret show and possibly even making a stop at Disneyland!? When will I get time to shop (haha, I'm sort of joking this time)?!

Luck of the Irish

Well the last few days have been very busy and full on! I've been fighting a cold for about a week, it had the upper hand for the last few days but I feel much better today. I didn't work Thursday as I was really tired, my face was so swollen (from being congested) that I resembled a puffer fish and I was losing my voice. Friday came along and I was booked to work at a school I had been at on Wednesday. So I arrived at the school (after walking from the tube station for 15 minutes in the snow!) to find the gates closed and a sign taped to the wall, saying 'School closed Friday March 17th due to flooding'.

I couldn't believe it, I was furious because the agency hadn't told me! I rang them and they had no idea either - the school hadn't called them to cancel any supply teachers. I'm standing in the freezing cold on my mobile phone, the agency tell me to walk back to the tube and they'll call me if they get any more work. Angry as anything, I make my way back to the tube (this time by bus) and wait there for 20 minutes with no call from the agency (basically there was no work available). Fed up, I hopped on the tube and made my way back home. I rang the agency again at home and demanded to get some sort of compensation for being cancelled on with no notice - so I will get at least half a day worth of pay. Still, I wanted to work that day and I'm cranky I won't get a full day's pay...but what else could I really do?

The agency obviously realised how mad I was and gave me all of this week's work on Friday afternoon - all very close to me (Clapham, Wimbledon etc.) and one school is even in Fulham (I can walk there!!!).

Friday night I went out to Leceister Square with Meegan and some of her friends, we celebrated St. Patrick's Day at a massive Irish pub called O'Neills - so many people there, all drunk on guiness and wearing oversized hats. I was given a hat, but on my way home a few Irish boys decided they quite liked it and snatched it from my head before running off the tube saying that only the Irish are allowed to wear them. It was snowing in Fulham as I waited for the night bus to come, it doesn't often snow in this area...which shows you how cold it was!

Saturday night I went out with my flatmates, as Steph O had her Irish cousin over for the weekend. We were supposed to go to O'Neills but it was busy again, so we went to a place next door called Waxy O'connors, another Irish pub which is based around a huge artificial tree that is in the centre of the pub. I wish I had my camera on me because it was amazing, almost like a tree house! Did a few Irish jigs (to Jet?!), sung U2 and basically talked to random Irish people all night.

Today was our first netball training, except the venue was changed at the last minute and we weren't told. We all rocked up to the oval/park/courts 5 minutes down the road from us to find all the footy boys training there, but none of the netballers. Walked around until one of the football managers came up to us and asked if we were supposed to be at the netball in Sheperd's Bush, not here in Fulham/Hammersmith. After training the teams always go to the Walkabout, so we headed to the Sheperd's Bush Walkabout (in our tracksuits and netball gear, which is what everyone does but it feels weird being at a pub in gym gear). Had some late lunch, watched a bit of sport on the big TV's (Fulham beat Chelsea today 1-0, big upset) and met a few of the other netballers/footballers. I saw a sign about the AFL, they're replaying the Adelaide vs. Geelong final tomorrow night, but I was looking on the net today and I see Geelong won! Thought Adelaide would win easily...

Next Saturday is the football/netball pub crawl, it starts at midday and kicks on till late. We've got our housewarming that night, so those of us in the netball team will head out till about 3 or 4pm, then come home and get ready for the party. Looks like its going to be a big one!

Tried to ring Marie and Katie this morning but neither were home...maybe next weekend?!

Let the games begin...

Trust us Aussies to come up with the concept of using a flying tram in the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne! Personally it was my favourite, as well as watching Vossy and the other footy captains tread precariously over the pontoons along the Yarra River (blame football withdrawals).

I have just spent the past couple of hours with my flatmate Felicity, oohing and ahhing over the fireworks, the costumes and seeing home on TV. BBC2 screened the ceremony, but it was only 'highlights' so we missed a huge chunk where all these dancers came out in costumes before the athletes arrived. I did get to see 'Happy Birthday Your Majesty' which we found quite amusing, although was it just us or did she have a sour look on her face for almost the entire ceremony?

PS: Our washing machine is broken. Oh the joys of living over here and having to hand wash your clothes in the bathroom and drape them over heaters to dry. Getting fixed soon, so we've been told.

Read this book!

Well today has restored my faith in English kids! I had such a gorgeous class at a school in Wimbledon, much more like working at home! Plus it was on the same tube line (District) as Fulham and took less than half an hour to get there. Shame there's not more work on offer there, but I've made it known I really want to go back there. I was speaking to another Aussie teacher at lunch who works for the same agency as me - we talked about dodgy schools and she rattled off the worst 3 she had been to in 5 months of working. Lo and behold, it was the 3 schools the agency were trying to send me to regularly up until the end of last week when I said I'd had enough.

Went out with Renae on Saturday night to the Slug & Lettuce for the first time, had a few Snakebites (this drink made from Strongbow beer and cranberry juice, which was only 2 pounds a pint = cheap night out) and danced away to cheesy old classics like 'Uptown Girl' by Billy Joel. I wouldn't go back in a hurry though (unless to watch the footy in the day time) because it was a bit too much like the OBH on a Sunday for me. A word of warning, Snakebites will literally come back to bite you in the morning. Worst migraine headache in a long time. But every one has to have a few snakebites when they get here, it's like a right of passage for every Australian!

I actually saw Australia on the TV this morning! It was footage of the Queen opening a new wing at the Sydney Opera House. The news bulletin were saying that John Howard isn't very 'hands on' with the Queen compared to past Prime Minister's blah blah blah. I thought it was quite funny, because since I've been here there has been no news about the Queen at all - yet at home you'd hear about the Royal Family quite often?

Oh and I read in this week's TNT magazine that Jana Pittman wants to pull a 'Jelena Dockic' and disown Australia and move away to England. God help the poor Brits, no one should have to suffer that self-obsessed over rated drama queen. Disappear already.

St. Patrick's Day is on this week, so the girls (meaning the flatmates) want to try and go to Brogan's, an Aussie/Irish pub in Fulham. It's probably going to be packed out before 2pm, so if not we'll find somewhere else local to celebrate Steph O's heritage (she's on an Irish passport as her parents are Irish). Her cousin is also coming over from Ireland for the weekend, so we're taking him out on Saturday night which should be fun.

Hahaha and I just remembered, in other local Fulham news, Joe Scully lives here! Remember Joe Scully, husband of Lynn from Neighbours, who was notoriously sacked after the TV execs found out he had a serious drug habit (and went to live on 'the farm' on the show and was never seen again)?! He lives in Fulham! It's sort of common knowledge amongst the local Aussies (I only just found out though) and a couple of the girls came home the other day saying they'd seen him out having coffee when they were out jogging. That's obviously where his courtroom pay out went...

Don't know if I mentioned this to everyone but a few weeks ago I went to the hairdresser and got my hair coloured all over. I am officially a total brunette, which completely freaked me out as I have been blonde/light for about 4-5 years now? The colour was so dark at first and I hated it, but its faded lots and I'm slowly getting used to it. Its hard maintaining your hair in London, especially foils/blonde colours as a) the weather ruins your hair and b) hairdressers charge like wounded bulls here. I don't know how long I'll be able to stick with it though before getting bored with the same all over colour.

It's still really cold at the moment, but its way worse up north where they're having record snowfalls and cities are being shut down due to the blizzards. I can handle it (better) when its not raining, so I'm okay right now.

We're booking our Robbie Williams/Paris trip this week which is exciting, finally I have a 'holiday' on the horizon! Oh and during the Easter break I want to do some touristy London stuff (as I really haven't done any yet), so if anyone can recommend a good London day trip/bus/sight seeing tour they've been on or know of leave me a note in my blog.

It's a girl!

Congratulations to Bobbie and Mat on the birth of their baby girl, Ruby.

Not happy, Jan.

So I'm already thinking of leaving the teaching agency I currently work for. I don't particularly like one of the consultants/directors and the manner in which she speaks to me (she's got a bitchy English accent and sounds like she has razorblades stuffed down her throat). There was (until today!) another consultant I worked closely with who was lovely and much more helpful/nice, but when I rang this afternoon to speak to her I was told that she had left the job to go elsewhere!!! Another omen I think.

The main reason is that in the short time I've been working for them, I've already been stuffed around majorly. Earlier in the week I was offered a regular 2 day stint at a school as a floating relief (which is great because you're not stuck in the one class all day and it goes quickly). I was told to start on Wednesday. Then late Tuesday afternoon, I get a voice message from the nasty consultant, telling me that it didn't begin till next week and she gave me details of where I was heading on Wednesday instead.

Not happy Jan. Firstly, she didn't even ask if I wanted to take it, just left a message (and then left the office early!) saying blah blah blah here's where it is, here's how to get there, ta ta. Secondly, it was in zone 4 (Anerley?). I only work in zone 1-2 and for a good reason, because transport gets too expensive to go out that far. Thirdly, I was going to have to take another overlander (20 minute ride alone, not including the 15 minutes to get to Victoria tube from Fulham Broadway) to a train station nowhere near the school and walk a good 15 min - half an hour to get there. With the crappy weather we have had this week, I wasn't looking forward to it (I don't mind the walk usually), but thought I'd just let it slide this once as I try to think of the money I'll earn.

So Wednesday morning comes, I leave the house at 7am and arrive at Victoria station to catch this overlander. No worries, I'm there 20 minutes early and settle in listening to my iPod (which was turned down quite low). Train leaves Victoria, halfway to the first stop on the train route I hear my phone ringing. I answer, its this consultant I'm not fond of. Then she tells me that the school "overbooked" supply teachers and only needs 1, not 2. She tells me this on the way to the school!!! Apparently had she not rung the school to check other details I would have turned up none the wiser.

Here comes the best bit. I get told to get off the overlander at the next stop and head north on the tube instead to another job at another school! Out of sheer luck, the back up teaching job they were sending me to is on the same tube line as the next overlander train stop (Brixton, which also has an underground station, shudder). It was going to be another half an hour on the tube up to Finsbury Park. Had I passed the Brixton stop on the overlander, I don't know what they would have done. I'm sure they were thanking their stars I wasn't too far along on the overlander. I totally flipped, here I was on the overlander, scribbling details of this random school on my Metro morning newspaper (which I pick up every morning as I hop on the tube, its free), my mobile in one hand, iPod going and I'm about to arrive at the Brixton stop. The worst thing was she hardly sounded apologetic and then passed me onto someone else on the phone (obviously to avoid me going nuts at her) to tell me directions to get there.

My flatmate Amy works for a larger agency, who were recommended to me by someone I worked with last year. The only thing that put me off was that when I contacted them way back in August last year, they never chased me up or sent me the information I requested. They didn't act like they wanted me, so I thought it wasn't worth it. But Amy was just called by her agency and offered a couple of days in a Fulham school!!! Literally 5 minutes away! She had to turn it down as she had accepted other work from a school, but I don't even think my agency has any Fulham schools on their books.

In the upcoming Easter holidays I'm booking in for interviews with more agencies. I'll see how it goes first, I've got to email my CV in this week. I'll keep with this agency also, but whether I accept work from them is another thing. I just want more local work and a more reliable agency I'm afraid. The last couple of days have been quite off putting and unprofessional.

It has rained for 2 days straight, which puts a dampener on your mood because you're out walking in the rain with a backpack and umbrella to work, even worse still if you haven't been to the school before and are constantly referring to your London A-Z (street directory over here, its like my bible) without getting it wet.

3 of my flatmates are going away Saturday/Sunday for a friends birthday. They're doing an overnight horse riding trip in Wales, but the weather is supposed to be awful all weekend too. I'm inviting a couple of friends over here to see the place and we'll go out in Fulham and they can crash here overnight.

Our housewarming invites are in the process of being sent out as well, its being held on March 25th. Will take lots of photos for everyone, including some of all the housemates together for the 1st time! Think I have my outfit sorted (good considering I'm really not impressed with the 'dressy' clothes here right now) so that's one less drama.

I've been here 6 weeks! Can you believe it?

My GBK burger

The 'classic' burger with sweet potato and avocado as extras = heaven.

Weekend wrap up

Well I can't say I've had the most interesting weekend ever...but thought I'd update anyway. Lina, the American model who has been staying in our house for a few weeks leaves tonight. Well actually, she returns to the house from Egypt, where she's been for a week now doing a photo shoot (gee what a tough life it must be). Anyway she moves out tonight, so she'll come home, get her bags and whatever she left here and head home.

Last night went out with some of the girls I live with to a housewarming in Putney. They've got such funny names for suburbs here, I always think of Chutney! Hmm what else do we have here...Elephant & Castle, Oval, Angel, Sheperd's Bush, Earl's Court, Canada Water, Canary Wharf...the list is endless. The housewarming was technically a 'flatwarming' as it was in a high rise block just off the Thames. Glad I don't live in a flat though, its a bit of a nightmare getting in/out of buildings and being extra close to your neighbours.

The Oscars are on tonight and I just checked the TV guide...they're not on here? I love watching the red carpet special to see what they're all wearing, maybe it will be tomorrow night instead? We don't have Sky TV, which we were supposed to get when we first moved in(but I think we can't be bothered with installing it anymore, too much hassle and not enough time to watch TV!). Kath & Kim is actually on tomorrow night though, but at some ungodly hour.

Tomorrow I don't know where I'll be working, which is bound to be interesting. I have to be ready to walk out the door at 7am (as always) and give my agency a call. They'll literally tell me in 5 minutes which area I'm going to, how to get there (if I don't know) and what year I'll be teaching. Then tomorrow night we're heading to our local GBK (pictured) - Gourmet Burger Kitchen. Its basically a small chain of burger restaurants that was set up by a Kiwi, you get the most amazing burgers there and for their size, they're great value. Last time I had the 'Pesterella' which has pesto inside the burger.

I think this has been my most boring entry to date? Ooh but I might be going to see Robbie Williams in Paris in June!!!

Celebrity spottings

Okay I should have posted this a few days ago I but I forgot. Last week I could have sworn I saw one of the Sugababes shopping on Oxford Street, then last Sunday as I was walking down Oxford Street I bumped into Chantelle and Preston (pictured above).

Now no one outside of the UK will know who they are, but over here they've created a bit of a media frenzy (after appearing on Celebrity Big Brother) and currently adorn the cover of every trashy tabloid or budget magazine (as well as Jordan who has a new book out, god help her). Preston is the lead singer of some B-grade band here called 'The Ordinary Boys' (yes you are!) and Chantelle is a nobody. Yep, a nobody.

She was put into the BB house as a joke on the whole 'celebrity' thing. Her mission was to convince the other 'celebrities' that she sung in a pop group and was actually famous, when in reality she's a Paris Hilton lookalike who wears a hideous shade of lime green eyeshadow (even scarier is the statistics that say sales of lime green eyeshadow have increased by like 50% since she was on BB).

Anyway she and Preston had a bit of thing inside the BB house, despite the fact he had a girlfriend on the outside. Chantelle ended up winning BB in an ironic twist (the non-celebrity wins Celebrity Big Brother) and is now a household name, for...well...nothing.

For the first few weeks after BB the magazines played out the whole love triangle, but it seems the two have actually hooked up. They were out in Oxford Street shopping (TopShop) together and there were tons of people around them taking photos on their phones and screaming their names. I just kinda smirked and wondered how long their 15 minutes will actually last...now that Chantelle has her own reality TV show!

I told you British TV was bad!

In other news, I got a parcel from home filled with Aussie essentials like Twisties & Cherry Ripes. I also spoke to a few people yesterday! Frances, Rikki and Narelle - which made me feel heaps better. Slowly I'll get through calling everyone, its just a matter of timing with the 8 hour difference between London and Perth. And since when did it turn March? I've been here for over 5 weeks now and February had only started last time I checked! Plus I looked on our house calendar and there is a public holiday in Perth on Monday...boo! Hope everyone has a good long weekend.

Photos are coming!

Shrove Tuesday

For those of you who missed it, Tuesday was officially Pancake Day, where all diets go out the window for 24 hours to indulge in some battery goodness.

Our house decided weeks ago that we were going to have a big pancake night, as we were all working during the day and couldn't do breakfast. We bought a load of groceries and made the batter from scratch, then had every topping imaginable on a pancake. Maple syrup, cream, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, ice cream, Nutella, lemon & sugar...we literally gorged ourselves silly for dinner. Nutella crepes are quite famous in Europe and it wasn't until I tried one that I understood why. Soooo good! I rolled into bed swearing I would never eat another pancake again as I was so full.