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