Well, the Science Museum was, overall, a bit of a let down. So many fantastic resources, so poorly presented. They had cabinets with 20 or thirty items in them, and no really useful descriptions about them individually, so you just kinda went 'well that looks cool, I wonder what the hell it is'
History of medical science was kinda neat, and better presented. The floor on 'materials' was exceptionally dull, and the 'time' area had potential to be amazing, but it wasn't.
Oh and the mice running about the picnic area weren't so great either.
National gallery was cool, no pictures though (not that they had any signs, the guards just got angry if you pulled out a camera). Much smaller than I realised though, only two hours or so and I was done. Loved the french section. Or the impressionist area anyway (which was entirely French if I'm not mistaken). Cezanne, Monet, Renoir, and someone I hadn't encountered before, Camille Pissaro, who I liked a lot. Some of the 18 Century British artists were neat too. Realised I don't like anything Pre-renaissance at all, and actually don't really like most of the Italian renaissance art either. I mean old masters and all, they're great works, but not really my taste, they're quite dark. And I may start ranting if I see another picture of the Virgin with baby Chist and St John. Only so many poses of the scene before they all look the same...
So I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around Soho and Chinatown. Well I'm not entirely sure if I actually did make it to Chinatown, I suspect I skirted around it. But whatever, Soho was awesome. I don't think I'll ever be able to go shopping in New Zealand again... shops here actually sell clothes I would want to wear. Quite a novel experience, as anyone who has been shopping with me will know!!! Oh and an exceptionally awesome shop called..... Beyond Retro I think. Unlike other 'Retro' shops who mark up their vintage clothes by about 1000% these were all about the price you would pay for an average dress in an average sort of shop (didn't see any for more than £30) and really WOW some cool stuff. It shall be my first port of call if I find myself needing a ball dress, no competition!!! Oh and the shoe shops.... I'm not generally a fan of shoe shopping, having feet that are often a size smaller than shops order, or just too fussy, but ohhhhhh I could've died and gone to shoe heavan for all I could tell!!! An entire shop full of shoes I would want to wear! Well thats exagerating a bit, I don't like chucks, BUT they had Doc's, Hush Puppies heels (if ever buy heels they're gonna be hush puppies... so comfy!) and a brand called... Irregular Choice apparently. Some of their shoes were totally ridiculous, but some of them were just too cute for words.
So. I would definitely like to be working in London. I'm not generally one for shopping, but I've never before had the choice of so many shops with things I like. Hats, shoes, even bags... It's like I'm turning in to a girly girl or something.
As it is I bought myself a dress, which was on sale, and will fullfil the role of summer dress in my wardrobe while being adorable AND somehow also fitting me properly and looking good. That never happens. I am muchly pleased with it, and I shall be posting a picture when I have time, as I do love it. And I actually did need it, so I don't feel too badly about spending money on clothing when I need to live on it too.
Oh yeah, a (temporary) solution to the work situation has occured to me finally- if this job in Birmingham doesn't work out then I could always be a WWOOFer. I can't believe that has only just occured to me!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Today, tomorrow... not Timaru
Well today I'm off to the science museum. I've got on my stompiest shoes for shoving through the crowds. I would like to believe that it won't be too crowded because everyone has gone on holiday, but that would just be too convenient. I suspect it will be like the Natural History museum was yesterday... I went back and had a bit of a look around yesterday at some of the bits I missed, but I think there is a whole section that will have to wait till another time.
Tomorrow I shall go to the National Gallery. I got about an hour there the other day after wondering around a new part of town for a couple of hours I found trafalgar Square and thus the Galllery, but it was already 4.30 or so. Still I did get to see Da Vinci's Madonna on the rocks... every bit as dark in real life as it looks in the books. And a whole lot of Rembrandt works, which were actually not very intertesting as they were almost exclusively portraits. I mean I know you've got to make a living and all, but seriously, something other than an ugly old duke of nowhere and his wife would have been nice. Having said that, they were very good portraits, detail was amazing. Anyway, I only saw a smidge of the paintings they have as they were closing up, so will go back tomorrow.
I'm off to Birmingham on Tuesday morning for a job trial for afore mentioned CYFS met Plunket job. Managed to get a £5 train ticket which I'm pretty pleased with, you could pay more than that to get across London! Does mean I have to get to a different tube line station by 7 in the morning though. Anyway, it's two days work which I will be paid for whether or not I end up getting/taking the job, and they supply accomodation while I'm there.
So in the interim I am doing some of the things I haven't yet done in London, which are numerous indeed, but the museums and National Gallery are definitely top of the list for me.
Oh and I'm sharing my room with a heard of elephants at the moment. Seriously, these guys are amazingly loud. They got in last night while I was in the bathroom cleaning my teeth-that close to getting in to bed and switching off the light- and they arrive with midnight feast of McDonalds or whatever and make a hell of a fucking racket. Drunk as could be, they decided that because I was a kiwi and so were they mostly then I was part of 'the team'...... one of them stood around in his underwear for about five minutes talking while his mates tried to get him to get dressed. It was kinda entertaining to watch a slightly overweight guy in his underwear getting stuck half way up the ladder to the top bunk, I'll give them that much! Hilarious actually. But on the whole I would've gone for quiet sleeping time. They were even worse this morning, which I didn't think was possible. I was proven wrong when I thought one of them had fallen out of one of the upper bunks... I think he just jumped due to the lack screams of pain and fright that should follow falling out of bed. But wow. Peace had reigned in our room until now, they previous (and current Aussie) boys had been quite and tidy, and mostly outnumbered by girls, but alas, no longer. Herd of elephants in my bedroom. They're very nice, and obviously excited to be here, but just too loud for reason. Ah well.
Tomorrow I shall go to the National Gallery. I got about an hour there the other day after wondering around a new part of town for a couple of hours I found trafalgar Square and thus the Galllery, but it was already 4.30 or so. Still I did get to see Da Vinci's Madonna on the rocks... every bit as dark in real life as it looks in the books. And a whole lot of Rembrandt works, which were actually not very intertesting as they were almost exclusively portraits. I mean I know you've got to make a living and all, but seriously, something other than an ugly old duke of nowhere and his wife would have been nice. Having said that, they were very good portraits, detail was amazing. Anyway, I only saw a smidge of the paintings they have as they were closing up, so will go back tomorrow.
I'm off to Birmingham on Tuesday morning for a job trial for afore mentioned CYFS met Plunket job. Managed to get a £5 train ticket which I'm pretty pleased with, you could pay more than that to get across London! Does mean I have to get to a different tube line station by 7 in the morning though. Anyway, it's two days work which I will be paid for whether or not I end up getting/taking the job, and they supply accomodation while I'm there.
So in the interim I am doing some of the things I haven't yet done in London, which are numerous indeed, but the museums and National Gallery are definitely top of the list for me.
Oh and I'm sharing my room with a heard of elephants at the moment. Seriously, these guys are amazingly loud. They got in last night while I was in the bathroom cleaning my teeth-that close to getting in to bed and switching off the light- and they arrive with midnight feast of McDonalds or whatever and make a hell of a fucking racket. Drunk as could be, they decided that because I was a kiwi and so were they mostly then I was part of 'the team'...... one of them stood around in his underwear for about five minutes talking while his mates tried to get him to get dressed. It was kinda entertaining to watch a slightly overweight guy in his underwear getting stuck half way up the ladder to the top bunk, I'll give them that much! Hilarious actually. But on the whole I would've gone for quiet sleeping time. They were even worse this morning, which I didn't think was possible. I was proven wrong when I thought one of them had fallen out of one of the upper bunks... I think he just jumped due to the lack screams of pain and fright that should follow falling out of bed. But wow. Peace had reigned in our room until now, they previous (and current Aussie) boys had been quite and tidy, and mostly outnumbered by girls, but alas, no longer. Herd of elephants in my bedroom. They're very nice, and obviously excited to be here, but just too loud for reason. Ah well.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Quick way to get me out of your shop:
Start playing someone rapping to an Elton John song.
My mind actually broke for a few second when I realised he was rapping "Hold me closer tiny dancer"
Why?! Just why did they think that was a good idea. Seriously fail.
My mind actually broke for a few second when I realised he was rapping "Hold me closer tiny dancer"
Why?! Just why did they think that was a good idea. Seriously fail.
It never rains but it pours!
I *still* haven't heard back about the Dubai job, I'm giving up on it. If I suddenly get an offer from them I'll certainly think about it, but I'm going to consign it to the realms of history now.
Didn't get the France job, but thats okay. I got a call from another woman today who is going to France on Sunday and needs someone to start asap (Friday if I could) to go with them... basically paid holiday in the south of France, which has something to be said for it. Interview tomorrow evening.
But.
I've just come from an interview with a company based in Birmingham. They're kinda like CYFS meets Plunket and create a private company. They're employed by the district courts to work with families who are in danger of having their children taken off them. That phrase "There isn't a handbook for children"? Yeah that's basically the job. You literally show parents how to make bottles, feed babies, basically how to look after them. I thought that was the whole point of organisations like Plunket and having Ante-Natel classes, but whatever. Apparently that many people really aren't able to do that, so thats what this company do. So yeah. Would mean moving to Birmingham, which wasn't *really* on the list of places to go, but it sounds like a really interesting job, this company have developed a whole new approach to assessing parenting abilities of these families than is traditionally done here (and it sounds a hell of a lot more sensible to me). Pay is really good, accomodation provided.
Oh I'm also expecting a call about another nanny job in London some time today I think. Agency said she was interested in me, so she is going to call me.
Sooooooo options options. Obviously I'll have to decide about the France one soon. It is good though in the respect that I will be able to come back here in September and do supply work until I find a suitable nanny job. But I wouldn't be able to go to Birmingham to even do the trial for this other job (paid work and accom, but not travel). She certainly implied that if I went and did the trial and thought that I liked the job then as far as she was concerned I was well qualified for it, it was more a matter of if I liked it and thought I could handle it. It's a pretty dedicated job, that was easy to see.
Adventure in France for crap money for a month and come back and resume my nanny hunt, or hard job in Birmingham which is still only at the trial stage, which I may well not enjoy for great pay. Obviously they also suss out if I have the right skill set while on the trial.
Didn't get the France job, but thats okay. I got a call from another woman today who is going to France on Sunday and needs someone to start asap (Friday if I could) to go with them... basically paid holiday in the south of France, which has something to be said for it. Interview tomorrow evening.
But.
I've just come from an interview with a company based in Birmingham. They're kinda like CYFS meets Plunket and create a private company. They're employed by the district courts to work with families who are in danger of having their children taken off them. That phrase "There isn't a handbook for children"? Yeah that's basically the job. You literally show parents how to make bottles, feed babies, basically how to look after them. I thought that was the whole point of organisations like Plunket and having Ante-Natel classes, but whatever. Apparently that many people really aren't able to do that, so thats what this company do. So yeah. Would mean moving to Birmingham, which wasn't *really* on the list of places to go, but it sounds like a really interesting job, this company have developed a whole new approach to assessing parenting abilities of these families than is traditionally done here (and it sounds a hell of a lot more sensible to me). Pay is really good, accomodation provided.
Oh I'm also expecting a call about another nanny job in London some time today I think. Agency said she was interested in me, so she is going to call me.
Sooooooo options options. Obviously I'll have to decide about the France one soon. It is good though in the respect that I will be able to come back here in September and do supply work until I find a suitable nanny job. But I wouldn't be able to go to Birmingham to even do the trial for this other job (paid work and accom, but not travel). She certainly implied that if I went and did the trial and thought that I liked the job then as far as she was concerned I was well qualified for it, it was more a matter of if I liked it and thought I could handle it. It's a pretty dedicated job, that was easy to see.
Adventure in France for crap money for a month and come back and resume my nanny hunt, or hard job in Birmingham which is still only at the trial stage, which I may well not enjoy for great pay. Obviously they also suss out if I have the right skill set while on the trial.
Monday, July 19, 2010
The city of London
So I finally ventured over in to central London. Looked at the memorial for all the men in the Merchant Navy who died during WWII which was interesting. Not sure if the huge statue thing across the park and road was a part of it, I would say yes based on it being of Neptune (at least I'm pretty sure it was), but can't really be certain.
After that I walked around and found my way to the Tower of London. I wasn't really planning on going in because I don't like paying the best part of £20 to be cramped in with hundreds of tourists, but the guy on the gate offered me a cut price ticket... so off I went, after all I've had a few people tell me it is the best tourist attraction in London etc.
I loved the old buildings, it's really interesting how you can see all the different bits were built at different times, so plain to see! People get so worked up about preserving historic buildings, but you can see four or five totally different styles in this picture! It was actually a functional building which was adapted to requirements for most of it's life... now it's just full of tourists all day.
Guarding the Crown Jewels!!!
Mostly a ceremonial role these days (believe it or not), they have an awful lot more security inside- the walls you pass through to get in to the Jewels room are about a meter thick! I would have posted pictures, but they were pretty strict about the no photos policy in there. I do wonder if these guys get sick of being on display all day. I mean seriously, they just stand there wearing all that in the hot sun, and occasionally maching pompously back and forth for a few minutes before going back to standing there getting their photo taken and looking overly serious. I wonder if they assign it to guys as punishment... it's probably a prestigious role guarding the Crown Jewels and all, but still.
Very impressive, by the way, the jewels. I don't think I ever want to wear a crown, they look damned heavy (and are by the accounts of several monarchs!) I'm trying to remember which queen made a new crown because the other ones were too heavy... Victoria comes to mind, but there were so many that I really wouldn't trust my memory.
I didn't make it to the torture exhibit, where they show you all the things they used on people imprisoned in the bloody tower, as it was packed. But I'm cool with that. I went to I think it was the Mediaeval palace which was really cool, but again no photos allowed. I took heaps of pictures of the knight armour though..... actually lots of it was kings armour I think. They had this screen that kept changing colour behind the displays, made for some interesting pictures!
And here is one of me outside the walls of the whole compound, before I had really considered going in.
So I didn't manage to get any really stunning pictures of London bridge, or of the Tower bridge, but seriously London Bridge... what a let down! The nursery rhyme should definitely be about Tower bridge, much more interesting!
Sorry about the formatting by the way, I just can't be bothered battling with blogger any more, it takes ages, and you end up deleting all your work with an accidental badly placed backspace.
Okay I think that is my load of photos for now. I might head for a park this afternoon, I was chatting to one of my room mates last night about the parks, apparently I've managed quite a feat by not seeing any squirrels yet! Maybe I'll go and have fish and chips in a park. I need to do some shopping, and I just can't be bothered today, it's got really hot again. Not impossibly hot, but warmer than the last couple of days, which have been fairly chilly (note my jacket!). Mmm fish and chips and a book in the park. This sounds very promising
After that I walked around and found my way to the Tower of London. I wasn't really planning on going in because I don't like paying the best part of £20 to be cramped in with hundreds of tourists, but the guy on the gate offered me a cut price ticket... so off I went, after all I've had a few people tell me it is the best tourist attraction in London etc.
I loved the old buildings, it's really interesting how you can see all the different bits were built at different times, so plain to see! People get so worked up about preserving historic buildings, but you can see four or five totally different styles in this picture! It was actually a functional building which was adapted to requirements for most of it's life... now it's just full of tourists all day.
Guarding the Crown Jewels!!!
Mostly a ceremonial role these days (believe it or not), they have an awful lot more security inside- the walls you pass through to get in to the Jewels room are about a meter thick! I would have posted pictures, but they were pretty strict about the no photos policy in there. I do wonder if these guys get sick of being on display all day. I mean seriously, they just stand there wearing all that in the hot sun, and occasionally maching pompously back and forth for a few minutes before going back to standing there getting their photo taken and looking overly serious. I wonder if they assign it to guys as punishment... it's probably a prestigious role guarding the Crown Jewels and all, but still.
Very impressive, by the way, the jewels. I don't think I ever want to wear a crown, they look damned heavy (and are by the accounts of several monarchs!) I'm trying to remember which queen made a new crown because the other ones were too heavy... Victoria comes to mind, but there were so many that I really wouldn't trust my memory.
I didn't make it to the torture exhibit, where they show you all the things they used on people imprisoned in the bloody tower, as it was packed. But I'm cool with that. I went to I think it was the Mediaeval palace which was really cool, but again no photos allowed. I took heaps of pictures of the knight armour though..... actually lots of it was kings armour I think. They had this screen that kept changing colour behind the displays, made for some interesting pictures!
And here is one of me outside the walls of the whole compound, before I had really considered going in.
So I didn't manage to get any really stunning pictures of London bridge, or of the Tower bridge, but seriously London Bridge... what a let down! The nursery rhyme should definitely be about Tower bridge, much more interesting!
Sorry about the formatting by the way, I just can't be bothered battling with blogger any more, it takes ages, and you end up deleting all your work with an accidental badly placed backspace.
Okay I think that is my load of photos for now. I might head for a park this afternoon, I was chatting to one of my room mates last night about the parks, apparently I've managed quite a feat by not seeing any squirrels yet! Maybe I'll go and have fish and chips in a park. I need to do some shopping, and I just can't be bothered today, it's got really hot again. Not impossibly hot, but warmer than the last couple of days, which have been fairly chilly (note my jacket!). Mmm fish and chips and a book in the park. This sounds very promising
Saturday, July 17, 2010
London does have good coffee!
I just had to go to Notting Hill to find it.
Damn cool part of town though, markets were pretty sweet. Oh and they had 'flat white' on their menu :D The milk was steamed nicely too......... honestly the foam on some of the coffees I've had here you could stand a spoon in. Coffee guy looked very happy when I rejected his offer of sugar. Maybe he doesn't get many people ordering flat whites :) Sadly not a part of town I have any real reason to head to beyond staring at markets and drinking coffee. But it gives me hope that I may find other places... they do exist!
Something I've noticed here is where people take their dogs-practically everywhere. I'll grant that I haven't seen any on the tube, but in shops (one designer store I walked past I think the shop assistant had brought her dog to work), bars, cafes. I watched a husky having a good gnaw on one of those dried out something disgusting toys they have while I drank my coffee yesterday. Some places have signs saying no dogs except guide dogs or assisstance dogs, but not very many. I kinda like it actually. They're not muzzled either, just on leads.
No news on the job front. Weekend now, so I guess it'll be Monday before I hear anything. Annoyingly school holidays are starting, so no supply work for me. There goes my back-up plan. Damn!
I watched the All Blacks playing SA today (8.30am kickoff, yay!), that was fun. Interesting to note that all the Kiwis in the place (except one, who may be very hung over this morning!) got up to watch it, and even the occasionally Aussie. But none of the SA's. I appreciate that not everyone wants to watch rugby, especially when it involves mornings, but even so, I got up to watch, and I'm not exactly a die-hard fan. Was worth it though for sure! I almost cracked open my Marmite for the occasion, but decided to save it for my next destination. I can imagine boarder control not letting me take it somewhere just because it has been opened.
Anyway. Watching NZ games overseas- good excuse for breakfast beer! Not that I had any, but I know a couple of guys who were heading to the Walkabout for the game. I think everyone left at the badger was too hung over!
Ohhhh another thing thats bugging me here is the water, it's gross! Even the bottled spring water from somewhere in the UK that I should obviously know about for it's pure water, although that isn't so bad. But seriously, the London tap water is gross enough to taint my tea :(
On another water-related note, our dorm are being asked to use the other showers... apparently our one is leaking in to downstairs!
Okay I think I'm off to go and hang out in a park or museum or something.
Damn cool part of town though, markets were pretty sweet. Oh and they had 'flat white' on their menu :D The milk was steamed nicely too......... honestly the foam on some of the coffees I've had here you could stand a spoon in. Coffee guy looked very happy when I rejected his offer of sugar. Maybe he doesn't get many people ordering flat whites :) Sadly not a part of town I have any real reason to head to beyond staring at markets and drinking coffee. But it gives me hope that I may find other places... they do exist!
Something I've noticed here is where people take their dogs-practically everywhere. I'll grant that I haven't seen any on the tube, but in shops (one designer store I walked past I think the shop assistant had brought her dog to work), bars, cafes. I watched a husky having a good gnaw on one of those dried out something disgusting toys they have while I drank my coffee yesterday. Some places have signs saying no dogs except guide dogs or assisstance dogs, but not very many. I kinda like it actually. They're not muzzled either, just on leads.
No news on the job front. Weekend now, so I guess it'll be Monday before I hear anything. Annoyingly school holidays are starting, so no supply work for me. There goes my back-up plan. Damn!
I watched the All Blacks playing SA today (8.30am kickoff, yay!), that was fun. Interesting to note that all the Kiwis in the place (except one, who may be very hung over this morning!) got up to watch it, and even the occasionally Aussie. But none of the SA's. I appreciate that not everyone wants to watch rugby, especially when it involves mornings, but even so, I got up to watch, and I'm not exactly a die-hard fan. Was worth it though for sure! I almost cracked open my Marmite for the occasion, but decided to save it for my next destination. I can imagine boarder control not letting me take it somewhere just because it has been opened.
Anyway. Watching NZ games overseas- good excuse for breakfast beer! Not that I had any, but I know a couple of guys who were heading to the Walkabout for the game. I think everyone left at the badger was too hung over!
Ohhhh another thing thats bugging me here is the water, it's gross! Even the bottled spring water from somewhere in the UK that I should obviously know about for it's pure water, although that isn't so bad. But seriously, the London tap water is gross enough to taint my tea :(
On another water-related note, our dorm are being asked to use the other showers... apparently our one is leaking in to downstairs!
Okay I think I'm off to go and hang out in a park or museum or something.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
I am SO hot right now
My phone has been ringing practically non-stop today!
-Agency saying I'm the favourite so far for one job (Dubai), only candidate left to interview, find out this afternoon.
-Agency from Ireland saying they have several jobs that I could take easily, were pretty keen for me to go up there. Thought about it, but the pay is a bit low all things considered unfortunately.
-Another agency wanting to forward my CV for this mega-bucks temp job in Spain (Hells yes!)
-Woman from Germany looking for an EMT nanny for her little daughter. Sounds pretty sweet actually, girl is at kindy most of the day, and they have a second nanny, but they'll pay full time, and didn't seem to think the London rate I quoted them was too high (in fact she implied they would go higher!)
Busy busy morning given I only got up four hours ago! Lunch will be well deserved, but not a break I don't think. No rest for the wicked huh?!
Glad I bought a week pass for this net cafe!
-Agency saying I'm the favourite so far for one job (Dubai), only candidate left to interview, find out this afternoon.
-Agency from Ireland saying they have several jobs that I could take easily, were pretty keen for me to go up there. Thought about it, but the pay is a bit low all things considered unfortunately.
-Another agency wanting to forward my CV for this mega-bucks temp job in Spain (Hells yes!)
-Woman from Germany looking for an EMT nanny for her little daughter. Sounds pretty sweet actually, girl is at kindy most of the day, and they have a second nanny, but they'll pay full time, and didn't seem to think the London rate I quoted them was too high (in fact she implied they would go higher!)
Busy busy morning given I only got up four hours ago! Lunch will be well deserved, but not a break I don't think. No rest for the wicked huh?!
Glad I bought a week pass for this net cafe!
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