The only way out is through

I have been quite sick in recent weeks, so day to day life has been a little mundane. Can't seem to shake this ugly flu. Once again my updates have been sporadic, though I may keep this as a monthly blog as I feel it makes for a better update and overview than perhaps a weekly one would.

Apart from said flu, I am feeling much more like my old self again. An improved version, perhaps. I started Weight Watchers (Again !!!) and have lost 9kgs so far. I am also feeling much more at peace with my place in the Universe, and the working order of things. I am a much calmer person these days, and I am able to stop and consider all perspectives more wholistically and concisely which is seeing an improvement in my relationships with people.

Halloween was spent at a pub in Camden for the TNT Halloween party. Time and fund limitations prevented a costume as outrageous as I’d have liked, however I managed to fashion a 20s costume out of a wig and high street pieces I can wear again.

Towards the beginning of November was Bonfire Night, which we celebrated with a free park even in Clapham Common. This ended with some rather undignified behaviour in Soho which the narrow avoidance of eviction from a club amongst other things.

Went to Hard Dance Showcase at Hidden Nighclub a few weeks ago. Great event. More undignified behaviour. This time I lost my coat and shoes. After a few failed attempts at getting my coat back from the venue, it was later given to charity. At least in being undignified I gave back to society.

Jacqui has unfortunately left to return to Sydney. I did see a lot of her before she left which was fantastic, and her farewell was at Durrell Arms on Fulham Road.

My Birthday was on the 25^th November. I must admit it was strange to spend it without my nearest and dearest, and I couldn’t help but feel as though something/someone was missing throughout. However, the day started spectacularly, as I walked out of the door in the morning and felt snow flakes on my nose. A girl from work bought me cupcakes which was lovely, and later that evening I saw Oliver, and then dinner in Covent Garden. That weekend I did attempt to get into G A Y nightclub, but did not manage. Security were awful (that’s me being polite), and after waiting in line for almost an hour we were not allowed in, seemingly because we were girls. Went on a cocktail crawl around Soho instead.

Last week I caught up with Anne at Lloyd’s Bar in Hammersmith for dinner and drinks after work, and we have plans to go to Winter Wonderland this week.

On Saturday I woke early, packing a little picnic and drinks for the road; and a few of us walked around London in Monopoly Board fashion which was a great way to discover new parts of the city, and further aid my sense of direction . Packing 2 bottles of Champagne, a bottle of cherry beer and Mojitos in a can into my usual hand bag was not the best move since the strap buckled under pressure and resulted in a very sore neck and shoulders the next day. However it did drastically reduce the amount I spent that day. I have learnt to pre-pour beverages into water bottles next time.

On Sunday Bridget and I Went to Portobello Markets in the morning, followed by Spitalfields markets along Brick Lane. Portobello Markets specialise in bric-a-brac and antique wares, while Brick Lane is your go-to for all things vintage and an abundance of beautiful artwork. A little disappointed to discover that the Blue door and Travel Book Shop on Portobello Road (made famous by the Movie Notting Hill) are not in existence. In actual fact, the Travel Book Shop never existed, it was created for the movie. Notting Hill itself is the most divine area to wander through. Picture perfect terraced houses in an array of beautiful colours. On this day the pastels of the buildings were off-set by a cloud-dotted blue sky and small Christmas trees attached to the street posts.

Apart from the sprinkling of snowflakes I felt on my Birthday, we also experienced a heavier snowfall on the 30^th of December, and in the days to follow. I fell over countless times, I’m sure there’s no surprises there, but I cannot begin to explain how magical it felt to walk through. I found it impossible to be sad when it was snowing, and just wandered around with a grin from ear-to-ear. Smiling enough for me and the rest of London who were all quite sour in the face.

Christmas decorations have been put up inside the home, and lights outside. London as a whole is much more festive than Sydney. I suppose the notable change in seasons has something to do with this. I know my family were always quite traditional in terms of our Christmas dinners, but a lot of Australians will celebrate with seafood platters or a BBQ which I always felt was a shame since you could do either on a normal day. It is unusual right now to see a house without outside decorations, where in Sydney I guess you could say the opposite. Most people can be found with decorated trees inside, but not a lot of outward recognition of the time of year. Christmas this year is already developing a bittersweet flavour. I am ready to embrace the traditions that come with the festive season here, but will definitely miss my family and friends in Sydney.

On the job front, I am ready for a change. I feel that I have too much creative and positive energy to be chained to a desk. I am looking into event management and public relation courses at the moment, and how best to afford them. I would still be working in finance while studying so as not to close that door completely. A finance role within a creative sector would be ideal. The skills deleveloped and gained through studies in event management and PR could be applied to almost any business setting anyway. So watch this space.

That is all my news for now, but I will leave you with a few observations;

• Girls in London wear false eye lashes 24/7.
• The population are not called whinging Poms without reason. I often feel like the only smiling soul in a sea of bitter Brits.
• You are forced to face other passengers on the tube each day given the direction of the seats. I often miss the anonymity of Sydney’s public transport as I’ve come to realise people partake in a lot of unsightly behaviour of tubes, whether others are watching or not. Although people watching can be fun depending on the scenery.
• Public Displays of Affection are rife. No one is afraid of a good grope and snog, regardless of how close in proximity they may be to others.
• Dentistry in London is rather expensive, this is possibly why so many people have wretched teeth

playing games, forgetting names

I toiled with whether it was appropriate to mention certain things via this here public medium. Generally it is only though appropriate to say you're having a great time and leave it at that; and I want to keep this blog as light hearted as possible. I've reasoned that when I look back at my time here, I want to see where I am in relation to where I've been, and that can only be achieved with honesty, instead of pretending everything's dandy.

Truth be told I’ve had a really difficult time settling in over here, which has seen me shy away from everyone, because I just don’t really know who to reach out to. I feel caught in the middle of two lives. Not having achieved all I expected in London by now, and having said goodbye to the life I was comfortably tired of in Sydney.

Someone I cared for deeply has stopped talking to me, without warning or reason as to why and its left me hurt and bewildered. The last I heard from them was a message they sent pertaining to the fact that our friendship must have meant very little to me because I was able to walk away so easily.The accusations are insulting at best. Still, they will think what they will, and precious little will come of me trying to persuade them otherwise. I can only walk away, wish them the best, and trust that we both learn from the experience.

In this twisted game we call life; the best things can often be found in the trickiest of places. I feel it is important for me to push beyond the realms of what is comfortable and known and pleasant, so I can find out exactly what I am capable of. I owe it to myself to make a go of things here. To continue to feel sorry or guilty for leaving helps no one, rather makes the entire endeavour a waste.

Moving on...

Since my last entry I have travelled to Sweden and absolutely adored it. Architecturally it appeared quite similar to Prague, with houses and buildings dating back to the 13th Century. Most of the historic buildings in Stockholm are conserved I've learnt, most likely because the city was fortunate enough to have escaped the war that inflicted so much destruction upon other European cities.

Akin to a lot of European cities (Prague and Switzerland spring to mind), Stockholm's best clubs and watering holes were found by chance. Perhaps hidden behind a fruit shop, a flower market or inside a shopping centre.

My grandparents have a couple of summer houses on a small island in Sweden, Järnäsklubb. 12 miles from the larger village of Nordmaling. Time was spent picnicing, on boat trips to other islands, blueberry picking, patting elks and a visit to a sculpture exhibition within the grounds of a former psychiatric facility. Of course I downed my fair share of schnapps and consumed of many a Swedish meat ball. Traditional Swedish schnapps glasses don’t have flat bottoms, i.e. the only way to rest them is to turn them upside down when you are finished drinking. Good news (read: bad news) for someone like me.

Had very bad luck with flights to and from unfortunately, which amongs other things resulted in a loss of about £350. This is what you get for booking cheap tickets.

I started looking for work during the English Summer Holidays which made things difficult. However, I am pleased to announce I now FINALLY have a job.

I'm working for a property management group within the finance/credit control division. A varied role, and quite a lot of face to face customer interaction which I much prefer to simply phone contact.

I haven’t really gone out that much in terms of clubbing. Haven’t really had the desire surprisingly enough. I guess it stems from lack of money and living outside of the areas serviced by night busses. I am going to use the next few months to save my booty off so I can move out, and leave the partying until then. For now (as tripe as it sounds), I am working on building a healthy mind and body, and will try to surround myself with only positive people, rather than the energy and positivity sapping vampires I’ve encountered in the past.

I have occupied myself with dinners on Brick Lane, cabaret shows, cupcake sampling, drinking cider in the park, comedy clubs, visits to the many free galleries and museums (Tate Modern and Natural History Museum being my favourites), market meandering and French lessons. There was also a trip to Brighton in there somewhere :)

One of my favourite past times has been to close my eyes, point to a spot on the tube map and wonder around that particular area for the day. London is such an incredible city to get lost in.

Picadilly Circus is my happy place. Whenever I'm feeling confused, I take myself there and stroll around until I've either managed to solve whatever problem I was plagued with, or I've zoned out enough to have forgotten what was troubling me in the first place. 10 years ago, I was in Picadilly Circus with my Mother, Father and Brother, and bought a Lonsdale jumper from Lillywhites. I remember being so, so happy; and it was then I decided London would some day be my home.

European adventures

Revelling in this; a sunshine blessed day, and the first I've had to myself in quite some time.
After a 2pm lie in, I went to the garden to pick fresh strawberries and rasperries. Unfortunately given I was born with two left feet I tripped over the front step for the second time in three weeks, resulting in a rolled ankle and both knees smashing straight into the concrete.

My first few weeks in London have been made so much easier due to the constant flow of friends from Sydney.

Have had lunch by the water in Richmond at The White Cross - cheese board and red wine.

I've visited Megan in Camden Town a few times, and it's fast becoming a favoured spot of mine.
So much to want and buy and fall in love with.
I adore the eclectic nature of the markets, and the way that each person you walk past tells a completely different story to the next in the way they're dressed.
A visit to Cyberdog almost made me want to go to a rave again. Unfortunately photos are not permitted, and my words cannot do the store justice.
Two levels, split into three distinct sections of the most incredible attire. Think The Jetsons ft. pac man; on steroids.
Quite literally, a rave in a shop.
My heart raced when I walked in and heard the music pulsing through the store. You're hard pressed to sop yourself from dancing. If you're there at the right time you'll see dancers on the podiums which are a sight to behold themselves. Brilliant form and movement.
Megan has introduced me also to the delight that is the corner waffle store. Ahhh-mazing.

Hannah, Stef and I had lunch at the Belgium Beir Cafe in Covent Garden and then watched the England vs Slovenia match at Zoo Bar. We were initally rejected and told it was strictly 'guest list only', then ushered to the back and told we could get in if we paid £2.
A guy I met at the bar there has given me a list of establishments I should visit if I want to meet actual British men and not Australians. I shall have to work my way through the list shortly.

Then went to Oneill's in Wimbeldon with Jess and Lucie to watch the Australia vs Serbia match. Made a new friend from Darwin (I know what you're thinking) named Paul who was my train buddy for the evening.

Met up for lunch with Paul and Hannah the following day. We ate in Covent Garden at the Punch & Judy pub - fantastic view over the covent garden markets. Then wandered down to Trafalgar square as I wanted pictures on the lions. However even after a boost from Paul my attempt at climbing them was utterly ridiculous. Photos were taken under the lion instead!

Hannah came back to Chorleywood with me that night, and we had dinner and drinks at The Stag.

We met up with Stef, Jess, Lucie and Megan the following day in Camden. Enjoyed the electic nature of the markets for and stopped for lunch. Back to Megan's house to play with her new kitten, and then jugs of pimms and lemonade at The Lock; my favourite drinking hole so far with divine antique 1940s-inspired decor.
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I have just now returned from a whirlwhind of a trip with Topdeck to a few parts of Europe. It was a great introduction to a few places, and well priced.
The idea of these sorts of tours is to give you a taste of particular countries so you know which ones to go back and delve deeper into at a later date.

The tour was not exactly what I expected. I had assumed there would be more people travelling solo, but it was only me and another girl, Taylor. I did find this dissapointing at first, having discovered I was in a group of siblings and couples. However the group were all lovely, so it didn't take us long to warm to each other.

It also felt disorganised at times, for instance the tour leader made no effort whatsoever to introduce us all initially, and there wasn't much in the way of planned activities.

I was initially told I had a single room as Taylor had cancelled, only for her to join the tour in Amsterdam and be greeted at the door by a half naked Karla, oops! I've always been great at making first impressions.


Apart from the Topdeck tour I also spent a few days with a friend in Brighton and went back to Amsterdam for a couple of nights.

Amsterdam - incredibly relaxed culture, and I don't believe it's just because everyone is stoned.
Compared to other large cities where you tend to feel people are bowing there heads on purpose to avoid eye contact, the general population there seemed to be incredibly welcoming.

In the midst of World Cup fever, Amsterdam felt inherently patriotic. Above me were flags of orange and large inflated soccer balls, underneath my feet were cobbled pavement and concrete alley ways lined with orange confetti, being handed out at several shops were world cup bracelets and adorning the manequins in sex shops were orange balloons, leis and face paint.

People in Amsterdam seem to ride bikes before they've learnt to walk, so pedestrians beware. It's quite bizarre to catch a ferry and see that the people surrounding you are not standing as you are, but sitting on bikes, and to be worried about bikes hitting you on the roads rather than cars.

There were cliched moments such as joints in Vondelpark with a group singing happy days in the background, and hookahs on the comfy couches at Lost; listening to chilled tunes and accompanies by a very slow moving cat.
Went to a few sex shows (audience participation required!) and walked through the red light distict to see girls selling themselves from the boxes lining the strip; one of whom was eating a cheese burger.

I got a chance to visit Anne Franke's house and receive a guided tour which was quite remarkable. Would have liked to visit the some of the museums, Van Gogh and sex ones alike, or perhaps the Heineken Brewery but wasn't afforded the time. Perhaps on my next visit.

I stayed 2 nights at Hotel Citadel which was pleasant enough and only 10 minutes walk to central, 5 mintues to Dam Square. Also spent a night at the Amstel Botel, which as the name suggests was a hotel on a boat. Did not enjoy this one so much, it was difficult not to notice the boat swaying, but it was an experience.

Alana is moving back to Australia from Sweden in August. I had planned to catch up with her in Sweden but we will be on opposite ends, so it was great that I was able to give her cuddles in Amsterdam instead and meet her character of a boyfriend.

Spending time with Stef and Hannah was a treat as always.

Germany - Visited the Rhine Valley (Rudesheim) and stayed at Germania Landgasthof which is a familly run guest house with its own vineyards which was lovely. Partook in a wine tasting there and had a home cooked meal. Not entirely sure what the meal was; it did appaear they served Miso soup as an entree but I may be wrong. We enquired about the pool as it was incredibly hot the day we arrived, and were informed they had closed it for the summer.

Visited Munich, staying at the Orly (ya, rly :p) Hotel. I adored Munich. It was utterly charming - the buildings looked like something out of a fairy tale book, all the window sills lined with flower boxes, and men and women in traditional outfits selling pretzels and serving beer. Sadly I spent most of the time in the hotel room as I was quite ill. But I will definitely be back to visit, and of course I managed to fit in a stein or two.

Czech Republic - Stayed in Prague at Hotel U Tri Korunek. This was the biggest hotel room I had throughout my trip, I can't begin to describe how exciting the space was. The city was architecurally beautiful, I found the city scape intriguing. So many winding alley ways amongst brightly coloured buildings and gothic roof tops.
Double Trouble Music Bar was a souvenir shop during the day, and at sundown led you down a set of stairs to a brilliant little club. Music was juke-box-inspired at the beginning but as the hours wore on reminded me more of good old Arq and served the best Long Island Ice Teas I've ever had, and that's saying something.

Our last night there we had a lot of chezch moeny to use up so started by sitting on the street drinking cans of beer from a tabac shop. Decided we would never get rid of our money this way at the beer was too cheap (ha!) so took ourselves off the to Tiki Taki Cocktail Bar next door. This bar appeared to have died and come back to life as a shack on a beach in Hawaii I think. Bamboo seats, surfboards lining the wall and a toilet seats filled with sand and sea shells. Many a 'premium' cocktail was had and free joints towards the end. Then 1 hour of sleep before hopping on a bus for the next day's adventures.

Switzerland - Spent time in Lucerne, and stayed at Jailhotel Löwengraben. Very much disliked the rooms in this hotel. It's a novel idea, converting a jail into a hotel, and I understand that they wanted to still keep some of the original fittings et al. ; however I did not at all enjoy sleeping on beds without springs, a tiny window you couldn't open feat. bars, and no aircon in 30-something degree weather.
Switzerland itself is unbelievably beautiful though.

I lived in Switzerland a few years ago for a few months, nannying for an Aunt and Uncle of mine, at that stage I was just outside of Geneva in town called Neon, where they spoke French. It was like a brand new place this time though.

To start with, Lucerne is in a German speaking part of Switzerland, and I was visiting at a different time of year.
I could not get over how blue the water was. Having spent a lot of time driving through the rest of Europe on our way to each of the places visisted on this tour, the change in scenery was quite incredible. From the flat never ending greenery of Amsterdam and the Rhine Valley, then suddenly mountains still topped with snow and water with such a gleam to it, and so blue that it almost looked false.

Spent the afternoon walking along the lake, a spot of shopping and a visit to the Lion Monument.
Had an unexpectedly brilliant night here.
Because the world cup was on the Jailhotel had this fantastic outdoor set up - loads of giant outdoor cushions, couches, swinging chairs and large tv screens set up to watch the games. We were kicked out around 11pm as they game had finished and we were making too much noise.
After strolling the streets it didn't seem like much of a party place so we were about to call it a night.
At that point someone in the group escorted us into a shopping centre and down a long corridor to a bar. Despite what outside appearance and location may suggest It was enormous; about 6 pool tables, games room and smoking area, two bars, juke box, a small vending machine that sold only tiny cans of baked beans and then a huge room that was set up as a beach - 20 or so tables with umbrellas, assorted beach chairs with stubbie holders, palm trees, and the entire floor area covered in deep sand. It was all kinds of wonderful being able to run around barefoot in the sand drinking beer and pretending we were at Bondi.


France - Campanile in Bagnolet is where we stayed on our nights in France. I was disspointed with this part of the trip in all honesty, and I'm glad this was my third trip to France and not my first.

I think I have been spoilt in the past, having travelled to France previously with family. Our last trip to France together as a family was particularly magical, as I think we knew it would be the last big trip for us all together. Dad had worked on a large scale project at work and his company shouted us a European trip. The hotel they housed us in whilst in Paris then was five star and situatied on Rue de Saint Honore, minutes away from the Opera House and the Champs-Elysées. We visited slightly off-peak so our lines to climb the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame, and visit the Louvre were not long. My parents had a private suite, my brother and I had our own rooms and we were presented with gourmet breakfasts each morning. Paris then had me spell-bound, I was one hundred percent caught up in the magic of the city, and the post cards and pictures I'd seen previously seemed to come to life.
So, I guess I came to Paris this time expecting to relive that.
Imagine my disgust when this time I was staying in ghetto france, 40 mins or so from the centre of Paris.

I tried and failed to do a biking tour of the city. So unstable :(
On our last night there we had a picnic in the park adajacent to the Eiffel tower and then went to a cabaret show.
The cabaret was not as good as the Moulin Rogue, but rather resplendent in its own right and a lovely way to round off our last night together.

After my travel between countries I spent a few nights with a friend of mine and his cousin in Brighton which was lovely and a great way to unwind after all the craziness of the couple of weeks beforehand.

In London this evening (and having trouble sleeping hence 4am update) and tomorrow night, then Sweden awaits :).

Going to watch Eclipse with Little Miss Schmoo tomorrow <3.

First week in London

Karla, Edinburgh born in 1985.

Raised in New Zealand until age five, and then began my life in Australia,

Brisbane for five years, and Sydney for another 13 and a bit.

After quite a period of procrastination this little monster has finally moved herself to the UK.

The flight was long, and the goodbyes gut wrenching. The times spent with my nearest and dearest during my last few weeks in Sydney were amongst my most cherished of all the years we've had together. Everything they did and said was all the more appreciated.

Nadia caught the same flight as me to London but continued on to Amsterdam. Unfortunately we were not seated together until the second leg of the journey from Kuala Lumpur, so for the first eight hours I busied myself making glitter glue embellished butterfly jewelery thanks to Grant <3.

I don't have much of a plan. Plans in my experience tend to lead to disappointment when things go awry, so I'm winging it.

I just know that somehow London is where I'm supposed to be. Or perhaps it is more precise to say that I do not belong in Australia but will try my luck in a country I've long admired. I do hope London learns to love me as much as I already love it.

Currently staying with my Grandparents in Chorleywood, 40 minutes or so from central London.

Will start looking for work towards the end of end of July/Early August, at which point I'll also look for a place closer to the city centre.

I must admit, my little crush on London looks to be developing into a full blow love affair. There is charm around every corner and flower baskets attached to each of the street lamps. I just meander around with a stupid grin on my face all day.

I am utterly enamoured here with what most people consider ordinary. Telephone boxes, the red of the post boxes and post vans, the tube, double decker buses and Pimm's & lemonade.

And as distasteful as it may be to say this, I simply adore the fact that all manner of alcohol is available readily in supermarket isles. The local corner store stocks Bollinger & Veuve casually next to the cigarettes. Australia, why are you so far behind?

Walking into Trafalgar Square, eyes scanning across the court between the lions and the National Gallery, it dawned on me that I was actually on the other side of the world, alone, and in a country I can now call my home. It sent a shiver down my spine.

I had visited the National Gallery previously as a child, so it's interesting to see how appreciation for art grows as the years pass. I used to sit and sulk in the corner, wondering why it took my parents so long to look at a picture on a wall.

One of the exhibits was 'Take One Picture', an exhibit featuring work by primary school children - inspired by Renoir's ‘The Umbrellas’. I thought this was a rather interesting initiative.

The Tate Modern is next on my agenda.

I have eaten at The Poetry Cafe in Betterton Street.

A treat of a vegetarian cafe that has shelves upon shelves of works for perusal at your leisure. They have various poets giving readings most nights; the Tuesday I went happened to be their 'poetry unplugged' night which allows budding artists to perform at their will, with the audience providing feedback. It was fantastic to be privy to the broad range of topics covered.

The food in its own right was enough to tempt me back, so I look forward to the next installment.

Southwark Playhouse stages larger well-known productions, but also boasts a season of 'secrets' - experimental theatre performed in its bar. Midday lunchtime for £5 you can watch the performance and they throw in a free sandwich. The performance I saw was hard to describe and devoid of a plot as far as I could tell, but involed live snakes and a tiger, as well as break dancing. Definitely different.

I managed to see Sasha before she left to explore the rest of Europe. Not long enough for my liking, but fingers crossed she is back within the next 6 months. So glad I was afforded the opportunity to see her at all :)

Caught up with little Jacqui at Elk Bar in Fulham. £2.75 Mojitos all night. Bliss :)

It's nice to know that no matter how long it's been since you last saw someone some things remain the same and you pick up where you left off with no time lost.

She is looking amazing also I might add. Seems very upbeat and is positively glowing, so I can only hope that London has the same effect on me after a year and a half.

The main shopping precinct here is on Oxford Street, so I already feel quite at home, and think of Michael as I trot along.

The streets are kept ever so clean, and the architecture of the buildings along the street is incredible. Everything has been so well maintained/restored.

Have also done a little vintage shopping in the East End of the city.

Looking forward to checking out the Portobello markets amongst others.

I'm in the process of drafting my travel itinerary; at this stage Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Amsterdam and Rome are on my hit list. Now to find the most cost effective way of doing this whilst avoiding hostels at all costs…

That is all for now, bed time for me. It’s past 2.30am here and I got home an hour ago but have been waiting for my fake tan to dry.

xxx