Fashion Faux Paux

You know in London I see so much outrageous fashion that I rarely bat an eyelash as the offender walks past. But today I almost had to stop my car when I saw this one. Walking towards me was a fairly good looking guy...very rock chic. Skinny black jeans, tight white top and long fringe. So whats the problem I hear you ask.....I just described half of the male london population.....the problem was he was wearing a MOON BAG. (or a fanny pack as the Americans like to call it.) Not only was he wearing but he was wearing it proudly. I would like to state that Moon bags r not okay. Not even if you r a tourist. In this day and age with "man bags" very in fashion and available there is just no excuse.

The band that I never knew I loved

Oh my goodness...just got the Feeder singles album and it phenomenal. Feeder is one of those bands that you hear a song you like the song but you have no idea who sings the song.....This album has all those songs on it. I can just see that the soundtrack to my move across London and immanent new job is going to be this Feeder album....do yourself a favour and get down to the shops and pick up a copy today

This is how I am feeling about having to pack up and move accross London

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

The Netball Diaries

Last night I went to watch Foxy play basketball with some of his collegues from work. I was really surprised by how well the teams played and the commitment of some of the people. This is not just a social event....They r deadly serious about their sport.

I was very impressed by Fox and his team...despite the fact that some of the members had never played netball before, they managed to pull together as a team and win most of their games.
Watching them play just reinforced for me that I have no desire what so ever to play team sport....no scratch that....I have no desire to play sports what so ever....Spectator to the death tho....

We've lost our Chandler and Monica

I LOVE friends....with a passionate passion. Thats friends the program and friends the people in my life. In series ten of "Friends" Monica and Chandler decide that the time has come to move out of the city and start their life in the suburbs. And while the rest of the "Friends" are happy for them because they can see that this is what they really want and that they will be really happy, they r still very very sad.

I have been blessed with lots of amazing friends in London, but I have been doubly blessed by 5 friends who have meant the world to me over the last 8 or 9 months. The friendships have been filled with laughter, good advice and friendly teasing. They have been the most simple and yet the most uplifting friendships I have had. So I am sad to see our funniest (out of three very funny guys) man head back to SA, and our grounded amazing organised lady with him.

You guys will be sorely missed!!!!!

A Hairy Experience

I'm ashamed to admit this but I am scared of my hair dresser. Today I found myself styling my hair very carefully about an hour before I was due to go into the hair dressers...which is a complete waste of time considering he is just going to wash it again. But I just know how judgemental he is....He is a young trendy hair perfectionist and he asks me every time he sees me that "you hate your hair??????"

The thing is he cuts my hair better than anyone ever has. The style doesn't grow out and my hair continues to look amazing months after the cut. So, every two months I carefully style my hair and head off to the salon for an ear bashing about the mistreatment of my hair, and come out feeling slightly less confident but with fabulous hair.

music music all around

Since the V festival I feel like I have stepped into a new world. I don't know if it is my state of mind, or just that my taste in music has changed a bit, but I am blown away by the music out there at the moment. I am switched onto the british music scene and loving the random and wonderful music that is being written. Bands like Hot Chip, The Automatic, Snow Patrol, Kasabian.....I could go on and on...who are writting totally new, beautiful, inspiring music

I am even relating to "ballads", which is a minor miracle. So, YAY for V....showing me that there is more to life than pop and "happy music"

Words, Wide Night

Somewhere on the other side of this wide night
and the distance between us, I am thinking of you.
The room is turning slowly away from the moon.

This is pleasurable. Or shall I cross that out and say
it is sad? In one of the tenses I am singing
an impossible song of desire that you cannot hear.

La lala la. See? I close my eyes and imagine
the dark hills I would have to cross
to reach you. For I am in love with you and this

is what it is like or what it is like in words.

Carol Ann Duffy

Less than perfect

So the weekend started off promisingly with a spontaneous walk around london (one of my favourite things to do). On said walk I managed to find my new favourite Starbucks....mmmm starbucks.......

Anyway, then went for drinks with some friends...they repay my kindness by LICKING (yes thats right licking) my face. all over. Including my ear. I was screaming and attracting way too much attention. Then, still feeling traumatised and wimpering to myself I stumbled onto the tube platform and right into a pile of puke.....I'm talking a HUGE pile. And the worst thing is I had open shoes on.....I have to say I was not loving London at that point.

Then on sat...while enjoying my lack of things to do, I somehow managed to put my back out. Well actually I screwed up the muscles in my neck.....badly and so have been feeling sorry for myslef and totally feeble.I was pretty much flat on my back for the whole weekend. Who knew your neck was such an important part of your body? I am totally gratefull for all the times my neck has been loose and nimble....if only it would revert to that state. From now on I will be caring and loving to my neck and try not to stress out too much....come back healthy neck. I need you.

It's all happening

Today I bit the bullet and gave in my notice. Anyone who has been anywhere near me in the last couple weeks would know how much I have been dreading telling my boss I am leaving. But after having been given a start date for my new job and realising I was on the one month threshhold, there was no excuses any more.

The thing is Laura took it so so well. I could see she was shocked and upset but she tried so hard to be happy for me. So all my stress was pretty much for nothing. Now the real work begins....flat hunting....packing.....fun stuff. I am really really excited and I know my last month here is going to fly by.....

woohoo

Why is TV so bad on a saturday night???

why?????? why?????
Some people stay home on a saturday night...and we are not sad friendless people.....we would appreciate something worth watching.....anything.....PLEASE

Hot Damn

Actually Hot Chip.....an amazing new British band....They claim to be pop music.....but they don't sound like any pop band I've ever heard of. They write all their songs on keyboards and synthesisers.....the result is very funky.....esp the catchy "Over and Over".

Band Name Origins

This kind of thing fascinates me.

GOO GOO DOLLS - used to be called the Sex Maggots, and when they were told that local newspapers wouldn't print that name, Jonny Rzeznik picked up a magazine from the early 60's with an ad for a doll that cried Goo Goo when you turned it upside down. (Me thinks they would not have been nearly as popular if they had stuck with Sex Maggots)

CHUMBAWAMBA - In a band member's dream, he didn't know which door to use in a public toilet because the signs said "Chumba" and "Wamba" instead of "Men" and "Women"

FOO FIGHTERS - a term used by World War II pilots to describe strange flying fireballs they sometimes saw.

SAVAGE GARDEN - a phrase from an Anne Rice novel "Interview With The Vampire"

SILVERCHAIR - 1) The Silver Chair is one of the titles in C.S. Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia" in which Prince Rilian of Narnia is held captive under the spell of the witch who killed his mother.
During brief moments of returning sanity he is restrained in a silver chair. He is rescued when two children magically transported from earth, and a dour resident of Narnia find him and destroy the chair thereby lifting the curse. 2) A combination of "Sliver" by Nirvana and "Berlin Chair" by You Am I. They were requesting the songs from a radio station and the name was inspired by notes a band member made to himself to remember the song titles while he was calling the station. * Original name of band: Innocent Criminals.

U2 - Three possibilities: 1) A type of spy plane used by the United States in the 1960's - made famous when Gary Powers' U2 plane was shot down over Russia and he was taken as a
prisoner during the Cold War. 2) U2 as in "you too" referring to the audience and its role in the musical experience 3) a U2 is an unemployment form in Ireland (see UB40)

R.I.P STEVE

Today is a really sad day. Steve Irwin (crocodile hunter) has died. He died while making an underwater documentary when he was stung by a sting ray on the chest. The thing that amazed me was that the whole world has been shocked and sadened by his death. Clearly this man was doing something right, he was loved by millions of people all over the globe. He conducted his life with integrity and passion and had an impact on the world around him. It is devestating that someone so young and full of life has died but his family can take a smidge of comfort in the fact that he lived life to the absolute full and died doing what he loved. Steve is someone that I look up to and respect. The world is going to be so much duller without the crocodile hunter.

The Devil Wears Prada - A Book Review

I have wanted to read this book for a while, mostly, I have to say, because the movie is coming out soon and I NEVER like to read the book after having seen the movie. I had heard good things about this book, so my expectations were high. But this book still managed to blow me away. There is nothing particularly fancy or inovative about it, it is just a cracking story. I related 100% to the main character and was desperate to see how she would turn out. I could not put the book down and so managed to finish it in under 2 days. A miracle in London town (I usually struggle to finish books for weeks). This book gets my whole-hearted recommendation, and don't cheat by going to see the movie!

Lights, music, BOXES

Last night, after celebarting Rory's 25th birthday on a ship with a pirate theme, we headed down to Waterloo station to check out some boxes, which when you sit on, play an instrument from an orchestra. When enough people sit on enough boxes you get a symphony. Everyone was sitting clamly on the boxes enjoying the ambiance... and then Rox, Ian, Rory and I rocked up laughing loadly complaining we could not hear any music coming from our boxes. It was a typical London experience, something totally random and magical.....THAT is why I love this city - you never know what is around the next corner