Entries categorized as ‘Living in London’
Just back from the Supermarket. Certainly not the destination of choice at 6pm on a Friday. But it is better to get milk for coffee in the morning, than have to do dash bright and early! So there I was in the Supermarket queue. Which is fairly extensive at the best of time. And thinking I would save a smidgen of time I jumped into the self service line….. Well!
What is with people!
It is a simple process – scan object, place DIRECTLY into bag. The bags are hanging there waiting to be used, and if you wish to use your own then that is also fine. You just need to put them over the top. So all seems pretty clear, easy…… you would think! 
But for whatever mysterious reason, I can’t even beyond to consider what this reason would be…. people do not place the item in the bag. They prefer to make a nice neat stack of items, just to the side of the bags.
And then once they have paid, and all is looking hopeful for those in the queue they then put their purchased items into the bags!
They take a quick process and make it tricky!
Hurrumph!
Categories: Living in London
Tagged: checking out, life, self service supermarket, shopping, supermarket
I have been trying so hard not to plan, I mean really really reeeealllllly hard.
Not planning, or not having some sort of plan is absolutely, positively not my natural state. I do like to think that even in a whirl of planning, I am not that bothered if it doesn’t come off. However, I like the decision making process, the notion that I can shape what happens.
So the theory was to try and not have quite so much control, just in case life had some sort of mystery there that I was leaping over. Or something like that!
Well, my reflection is this. It is okay to make decisions, to chose something – because not doing so means you never go anywhere! You are not more or less spontaneous, you don’t discover adventure at every turn. You pretty much get paralysed, worried that if you choose something, you might miss the big thing! And then there is the confounder – I like to know what my choices are and then I life to choose!
So in fact planning not to plan is harder than not planning. 
It is now March and I am going to revert back to my natural state…..
Categories: Living in London
Tagged: life, organisation, plan, planning
This will give you an idea of how intensely exciting my job is at the moment. The one shining light, the thing that made me laugh today was one of those out of office email bounce backs.
Normally this is irritating – you have sent an email wanting info, trying to move something forward and moments after pushing send an ‘out of office’ email bounces into your inbox. Then it is all about scurrying about to find the person who is about in that department who can help you, or worse yet you have to remember to email or call in a week or so.
Groan! 
But today the owner of the out of office had a sense of humour.
“I am out of the office today, being both bored to tears but undoubtedly educated in some way……” There was more but I can’t remember it.
And it was one of the absolute highlights of my day.
Sad
Categories: Living in London
Tagged: email, life, travel
It has been a busy busy busy week! Too many 8am’s, late afternoon meetings.
So this morning (it is just and only just the morning, at 111.15am) I have had a lovely chat with family through the miracle of technology and am now sitting in bed, with coffee pondering the day ahead. And while at most times the 12pm shop opening on a Sunday consigns me to mouldy bread for breakfast. 
This morning I am loving not having to be dressed with my brain engaged dashing onto the tube, leaping onto a bus or battling the footpath.
Nice!
Categories: Living in London
Tagged: life, sunday morning
1 plane, 1 taxi, 2 buses, 1 train… well two trains actually.. I am back in London.
Sitting on the sofa in my lovely friends flat in sunny Barcelona I was having trouble checking in on BA. I double checked the booking reference number, made sure I had spelled my name correctly. The date… 21st March 2010… what could be wrong.
WHOOPS! 
Well actually it was more of the 4-letter word kind.
Fortunately, we had two computers and some inside knowledge and I was booked and check in to a Ryan Air flight in under 30 minutes. Just as I clicked ‘OK’, one of the other people who was over from London called….. they were just about to buy tickets to Sagadia Familia (Guadi’s still unfinished Cathedral) while chuckling at my idiocy, they checked their tickets. WHOOPS! They had booked tickets for tomorrow not today!!
Fortunately, we ended up on the same flight and after some of the yummiest Tapas we embarked on the transport fiesta!
Categories: Living in London
Tagged: life, travel
City’s like London, big-global cities, captivate their inhabitants. You are seduced into thinking that life could never be as exciting, varied, colourful, enriching (pretty much choose your positive adjective) than anywhere else in the whole wide world. If you manage to extend your web out of the city, it really only stretches to the Northern Hemisphere. Hard to fathom a city in the south with any virtue. Or some would have you believe!
I guess it is then quite unsurprising really that when you muse about the move south – people gasp, blink in a bewildered way and mutter about less job opportunity, weekends to well…. Sydney…. rather than Barcelona. That you will be so far away! 
A genuine concern that you may be bored. When I lived in Australia I never thought that I was limited in my choices in any way. It never occurred to me that I was boring, or bored, certainly not more than some grey days in London anyway!
When contemplating the shift south it is some what scary to think about having to reinvigorate friendships, work networks. But really this is not something that is necessary only in the Southern Hemisphere, or even outside of London. It is just part of moving. I was trying to think about how I felt when I left Sydney today. And to be honest It was pretty traumatic but in the end worked out pretty well…. When I moved here it was hard work but now it feels kind of like home. At the very least I don’t need a map very often (although this may reflect a lack of adventure rather than anything else – sort of found my niche in London or something like that!)
Anyway that is today’s thoughts – You are almost guaranteed that tomorrow I will have moved off to worry about another element of life.
Categories: Living in London
Tagged: city, city living, life, london
This morning I awoke with a crick in my back and my right shoulder achy after a fight with the doona in the middle of the night. Flopped out of bed and ate my high fibre breakfast with my ‘less than 1%’ milk. As I combed my hair the forest of gray hairs appears to have propagated another pesky patch (note to self: book hair appointment). 
Squeezed into my jeans and made sure the top is long enough to hide the ‘muffin tops’…….. and then to the misery of the shops on Sunday. Misery because my goal was to replace a pair of old faithful black trousers – which had become so threadbare that one false move and I am certain I will be flashing my derriere at unsuspecting London! And so I set off.
How is it that the grey February days can make you feel so old, so frightfully boring and so incredibly fat all before you even get out of bed!
Categories: Living in London
Tagged: age, life, travel
As some would know I have been having a lovely time finding English cousins. And Friday night was spent discovering another relation. This time she was more my age and …….well …. quite a lot like me! Similarities extended to black coats and exactly THE same hat. We looked quite funny walking out of the pub with a pretty grey hat on two be-fringed heads.
Categories: Living in London
Tagged: family, life, london
Every year there is a day, one single day, between the end of January and the start of February when the sun comes out, the temperature sneaks just above 5 degrees and London feels like it might be about to streak into spring.
BUT 
it is all a major trick
You go to bed filled with hope and thoughts of Daffodils, and you wake up and there is nothing but grey grey grey grey. And more grey.
Every year I get tricked. You would think I would learn. Optimism is a fine thing really, makes it easier to get through the winter in the Northern Hemisphere if nothing else!
Categories: Living in London
Tagged: life, london
So I am sitting on the sofa, having been in the country eating a roast and doing the English Sunday thing. And as usual nothing is on TV…… and then I flick onto the wonders of Bondi Vet. God what an amazing and completely satisfying stereotype! This guy, Chris Brown, is about 6 foot 6, blond and if the opening credits are to be believed has a six pack which was on full display as a catches a wave off Bondi beach before rescuing the furry and cute critters of NSW
!
It is truly feeding into the notion of the blond, blue eyed aussie…… and makes me wonder what on earth I am doing pondering English boys!!!
Categories: Living in London
Tagged: australia, bondi vet, guys, life, london, men, television, TV
