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Sunday 6 June 2004
Isn't it ironic that this weekend is a "bank holiday "in New Zealand - to celebrate
the Queen's birthday - yet this event goes totally unrecognised in her native Britain? Oh well, I enjoyed the weekend
anyway. I did virtually nothing on Friday night, Saturday, Saturday night and Sunday, except for a couple of outings to the
gym and a quick journey to Battersea Park (then home again because the 29 degrees forecast did not eventuate!). And then a
fab Sunday evening at a pub in Shoreditch with my soon-to-be flatmate Mikey and his mates.
Otherwise, not a whole lot to report since I last wrote a couple of weeks ago, other than our trip to Wales last weekend
(check back soon for photos) and being happy and busy at work, including appearing in Court alone on my first initial hearing
last week and obtaining the interim order we sought. A triumph somewhat dulled by the sad factual situation of yet another
child beaten by his drunken father.
Sunday 13 June 2004
It's been another lovely weekend. I spent today lying in Battersea Park with Megan, then
went to have dinner with Suse, at a flat she's house-sitting in Queensway. I walked home at about 10pm and it was still
warm and not quite dark - love summer!
Yesterday was interesting - Jen and I went to a "makeover and photoshoot" in Knightsbridge
that I'd won recently. We had a fun day together, having our hair and makeup done and then having "glamour" shots taken.
There were a couple of great shots but we rather upset the salesagent by refusing to buy any of the £50 prints! We took
a few of our own in Hyde Park though! Later on Saturday Jen and Laura had a flatwarming party.
My week was busy and unfortunately frustrating, with at least four serious delays on the transport
system making me even more eager to move next weekend! It was too jolly hot on Tuesday morning to deal with the Central
line breaking down several stops from mine! But Tuesday got better after work when I met Jennifer, Laura and Megan and
had a japanese meal and then went to Derren Brown's stage show. It was the most amazing show I've ever seen! He is a "psychological illusionist" and does the most
incredible "tricks". I was totally astounded by the entire show and spent the rest of the week telling everyone they
must go!
Monday 21 June
I am barely awake this morning after a really busy weekend with late nights, early (for
me!) mornings and not much sleep. The main reason for this was the fact that I moved yesterday, across London, to the
east. After saying I was sick of East London, where I've basically been based ever since arriving last year, I am now
living there too!
The move went really well, thanks to Megan who helped me load up the minicab and Jennifer who
helped unload it at the other end (and traipse back to Pimlico on the tube for one last load!). I am embarrassed about
how much stuff I have accumluated in just over a year here. If I keep it up, next time I move I will need a removal
van! But my new room has far less storage space than I had before, so I will have to curtail my junk collecting now.
On Friday night a bunch of rowdy girls met at the Noodle and Dumpling in Kings Road, Chelsea
for some...noodles and dumplings. Yummy. We then had cocktails in a Chelsea bar and got heaps of entertainment
from the fact that when Jenny from Atomic Kitten asked Megan if she could sit at our table, Megan said no! Nothing like
a brush with B-list celebrity to excite a bunch of drunk lasses...
Saturday morning I biked to my new flat which took about 45 minutes, with only about three
stops to check my A to Z to work out where I was! On Saturday evening I went to a University of Otago Alumni function
at the House of Commons. We got a tour of the Houses of Parliament, including the House of Commons and the House of
Lords which was really interesting. I made sure I brushed Churchill's foot for good luck.
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Tuesday 29 June
I am still exhausted, with being busy at work and being out every night in the last week or
more. Tomorrow night I will have a night in as the tube workers are on strike, so it will be hard to go anywhere much
anyway! Unfortunately, it's not an excuse not to go to work for me! I have to be there anyway, as I am in Court
tomorrow. I am really enjoying getting more Court experience and I am definitely on a steep learning curve.
Last week when I wasn't pottering about getting my room and the flat just how I like it (and
hopefully not changing it too much from how Mikey likes it!), I was out either celebrating Laura's birthday, dining with Jen
and Laura in Bloomsbury, exploring Brick Lane with Andy, who came to stay for a night while in London, seeing the third Harry
Potter movie or attending garden parties in the historic Temple Inns. Me and my colleagues were invited to two chambers
garden parties last week and of course we are not ones to pass up free champagne and canapes! Although that was a highlight,
having the opportunity to attend a function in the awesome Temple Inn was quite amazing too. I even watched England
get cruelly beaten out of the Euro2004 football tournament!
All this socialising meant I was exhausted by Saturday so had a jolly good sleep and then went
out to Eram's for the evening. She had a couple of her northern friends down to stay, who were delighted with my accent!
We then went out around Old Street, which is just a walk from my flat! Yay, no night buses! Sunday I just
missed the downpour after getting home from a picnic in Wimbledon Common with the girlfriends. (I looked for wombles
but didn't find any.)
Sunday 4 July
My god! We're half-way through the year already! (And Woolworths has got its Xmas advertising
up already...)
Had a busy week at work, and didn't get up to a lot else. I've been rather sedentary, as I haven't
joined a new gym yet, although I've been for a couple of jogs and found a park round the road to run to.
Friday was Megan's birthday and we all went to a great Italian place in Clapham to celebrate, then
on to the Swan in Stockwell, Megan's favourite antipodean pub. Other than that, my weekend has been really quiet for
a change. I've watched a lot of sport - the women's Wimbledon final, the men's today and now the Euro 2004 final too.
This morning Poppy (my temporary flatmate!) and I bought plants at the Columbia Road Flower Marker - about a two minute walk
from our flat! I could get used to wandering around that market on Sunday mornings!
Tuesday 20 July 2004
No time to write! Too busy! Just got back from a week in Croatia which was just a fabulous holiday. Great weather, great company, great cocktails, great
tan! ;-) We did nothing but swim, sleep and eat all week, which was just what I needed. But back to the rat race
now...
Monday 26 July
I have been so busy since getting back from Croatia, mainly running around London going to job interviews. I wasn't looking for another job, but they all seemed to come to me. I had four
interviews in three days, got two offers and have decided to accept one. I am starting next week as a locum lawyer (same
role as I have now) at the London Borough of Hackney! Yep, that's where I first worked when I arrived last year!
This time I will be across the road in the legal team and (a major highlight for me) I will be able to walk to work!
No more trains and tubes!
This past weekend I took my exhausted self up to Manchester for a fabulous chilled-out weekend with friends Kat and Andy.
As usual they looked after me awfully well and we ate good food, drank, shopped and chatted all weekend (at least, when I
wasn't rudely sleeping in, anyway!). On Sunday they took me for a typical day at the seaside - English style.
It was pissing down with rain and blowing a gale, but we braved it and headed to Blackpool, the kitschest seaside town you'll ever see.
We did all the things I'm told you're meant to do - ate fish and chips, bought icecreams and "rock" (sugar candy) and walked
on the beach (despite the weather). The highlight was Pleasure Beach where we rode the rollercoasters! How fun
was that!?
I arrived back from Croatia to the flat where Mikey, my flatmate who had been on holiday,
was back. He set himself a high standard to maintain by having champagne in the fridge for us when I got home and organising
chinese for dinner! I am definitely feeling right at home here and loving my new home.
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