Its Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

The snow has settled in (much to my delight!) and the beginning of December means that the Christmas festivities have well and truly started.

Thursday night we headed down to Trafalgar Square after work to see the Christmas lights turned on for the GIANT Christmas tree that is placed there for the city. Every year Norway gives London a tree to thank them for their help in the war. There is a ceremony in Oslo when it is cut down and it is then transported to London where we have a ceremony when it is put up and the lights are turned on.

It was quite a quick presentation with a couple of speeches by the Mayor of Westminster and a Representative from Norway. Throw in a few Christmas carols played by a brass band and you have yourself a fun little event to get you in the Christmassy mood. After watching the ceremony and grabbing a few happy snaps we headed off down to the pub to get warm and grab a good meal. When its snowy and cold its quite easy to go into hibernation and little nights out like these can really remind you how much fun London can be.




I'm still not over the snow! In fact I am loving it even more since we got to go home early from work due to snow causing delays with the transport. YAY! Snow day! Since the snow hasn't really affected my travel at all I had a great afternoon finishing my Christmas shopping and lazing around at home. It was a bit lonely at work this week with half the office unable to get in but if I had the choice of playing in the snow or working I know what I would be doing!

By the way - snowball fights are the most fun! I really need to improve my aim as I missed everyone almost every time but I am sure that I will get better as I am sure there will be lots more snow fights on the way. Especially with the beautiful snow like in the photos below!

Let It Snow

Its SNOWING!!!!!!!!

I am so excited! More specifically because it happened just as I was leaving the house - just like in the movies. I couldn't keep the grin of my face. I have seen snow before when I've been skiing and while we were in Austria we had a bit of a light sprinkling but this was different. It was heavier and prettier and wonderful and ok I will stop gushing over precipitation but come on - for an Aussie in London this is one of the perks.

Locals say that I shouldn't get to excited and snow means delays with transport, wet feet, miserable days full of cloud and no daylight. But how can it be so crap when it really is so amazing. It makes everything prettier! And its sooooooo romantic! I just want a Colin Firth type character to come into my life and sweep me off my feet and kiss me in the snow. Ok so yes that is the end scene to Bridget Jones Diary but so what! I still want it to happen.

I want it to keep snowing and snowing so I can go to the park on the weekend and make snow angels, then build a snowman, then have a snow fight and then a hot chocolate and then start all over again. And after thats done I want to find a hill and go sledding and build an ice fort and ALL the stuff you see people do in the movies but you could never do because you live in a stupid place that is hot all the time. Ok I take that back Australia isn't stupid and I actually love our climate but in case you haven't noticed I am actually in LOVE with snow. Yep thats right ice particles have captured my heart.

These couple of photos don't really do it justice as it wasn't actually a massive snow fall that sticks but soon enough hopefully you will be seeing photos of a blanket of white and me running around like a mad person in it. Or wait for a blog entry ranting about how much I hate it? haha we will soon see. Sadly it doesn't seem like it will stick around but hopefully it happens again before Christmas and while we are in Austria.

Walking In A Winter Wonderland

Its getting close to that time of year now and I would have to say the lead up to Christmas is much more exciting in London then it ever was at home. Generally at home I am stressed, tired and cranky as I worked in retail and had to deal with stressed tired and cranky customers. Its usually heating up to the point that you work up a sweat while you put up your fake Christmas tree (since the real ones would die due to the heat). But not this year! This year the lead up to Christmas seems a lot more festive.

London is giving Paris 'The city of lights' a run for its money as many places now have their Christmas lights up and decorations in the windows. People have even put their trees up in their windows so I can see them on my walk home from work. Even the cold weather doesn't seem so bad. This week just gone there was snow forecast (but it never did much to my disappointment) and the highest temperature has been 4 degrees. It has taken a bit of getting used to and I learnt the hard way that you always, always, always need your coat, scarf, beanie, gloves and warm socks. But the benefit of wearing 700 layers and having frozen toes is that Christmas is on its way and this time its going to be white.

Friday was Sammy's birthday so we headed into the Winter Wonderland that had been set up in Hyde Park. We met at a bar in Mayfair which is true to its Monopoly form of being very very expensive and actually a bit of a pain in the arse if you land yourself there. Turns out the bar we met in is owned by Guy Richie and it was absolutely swamped with people which made it hard to get a drink. Luckily we had scored ourselves a table so we were out of the way for most of the jostling at the bar. After a quick drink there we headed off into the cold and wandered across to the park. As soon as I saw the twinkly lights I was hooked. This place WAS a wonderland (for those of us that get excited by shiny things).




First thing on our list of things to do was get something to eat and a mulled wine. About five minutes into the night I lost everyone which could have been a nightmare but luckily I soon found them and got stuck into a bratwurst. Lance had the task of getting us all a mulled wine and I was pretty keen to get into it as I had heard people rave about it before. Turns out its just hot sangria and we all know that I no longer drink sangria due to an overdose in Pamplona. I tried my hardest but after two sips had to give it away (which wasn't hard really) and instead go for a hot chocolate with baileys and whipped cream. I know what your thinking and yes it did taste like a little bit of heaven. It also did a fine job of warming me up just a little.

After a very brief look at the Christmas markets we headed over to where the rides were and stocked up on tokens. Siobhan was planning on being our 'Mum' who stood outside and held all the bags but we convinced her to come on a roller coaster with us. It was a great roller coaster as it was inside and pitch black so you had no idea what was going on. Siobhan didn't seem to like it much and pretty much spent the whole time screaming which was hilarious for us as you can imagine. Next on the rides was a Penguin ride that is similar to the teapcup ride at Disneyland. Basically you just spin the capsule around yourself while it goes around in a bigger circle (possibly the worst description ever but hopefully you get what I mean). Siobhan thought it would be fun because the cute chubby penguins you sat in didn't seem so scary and it was a bit of a kids ride. Well Lance made sure that it was no leisurely spin round the park and spent the whole time turning the penguin so fast we spent another few minutes listening to Siobhan scream.







There were a few more rides including a massive Giant Drop type thing and another crazy spinny ride which Sam, Lance and Fran all attempted but me and Siobhan sat out. We had started to get a bit chilly (ok I was mainly getting chilly) so we ended up calling it a day after that. It turned out it was nearly closing time and we had spent about three hours wandering around enjoying ourselves - time does fly when you are having fun! As we were heading to the yummy looking pizza stall for a quick fix of something warm and tasty I ran into Ness and Arron who were ice skating. It still surprises me that I can run into people I know in the middle of London. Unluckily the yummy looking pizza stall was closed so we grabbed another Baileys hot chocolate (totally on my Christmas food 'must have' list) we headed home. To a heated house and a warm bed.

It was such a good night and yet another great thing going on in this amazing city. It got me so excited about my upcoming white Christmas in Salzburg, Austria. Myself and the Topdeck family and a few of their friends and family have all hired a house in Salzburg where we can spend our time checking out the Christmas markets (I don't think I will ever get sick of them), cosing up next to a fireplace, making snowmen and doing the 'Sound of Music' tour. I can't wait! I'm...dreaming...of a whiiiiiiiiite...christmaaaaaaaaaassssss <3

Forest Row

After five weeks of working seven days a week and the daily grind of commuting and being a grown up and having to actually take care of myself, this weekend just gone I actually got a day off! Claire my friend from work had offered a little while ago that if I ever needed time out I could go out to her house in Forest Row and spend time with her and her family out in the countryside. So needless to say I jumped at the chance to get out of the city and explore some more of the country.

Forest Row is a village about an hours train out of London, past Gatwick Airport in East Sussex. Claire live out there with her parents and brother while she tries to save a bit of cash and decide what her future is (it will be big - that girl is going places but anyway). Laura met me and Claire after work and we headed on the train out to her place. After a quick ride down we met her parents at a pub outside the train station so we could grab the car keys off them. They were off to Brighton for the weekend so we had the house to ourselves for a bit of a girls weekend which was good - although a bit of a shame we didn't really get to chat. Claire drove us home where we got the grand tour and quickly settled in by the fireplace with a glass of wine. We had some good chats about our future career plans over a yummy dinner of vegetarian shepards pie (sooo good!) before heading down to the local pub.

To get down to the local pub we had to wander by torchlight (because there aren't very many street lights) down a few backroads and alleys which was a bit of a mission after a few glasses of wine. Once we got there we found grabbed a drink and found a possie with two big armchairs that were sitting in what was an old fire. It was a really cosy little pub and would be a fantastic local. Unfortunately I didn't meet a Jude Law look alike as expected after watching 'The Holiday' but it was fun all the same. We stayed until last call before heading back out into the cold and then back to Claires for more drinks by the fire.

The next morning after an amazing sleep and a long lie in in a comfy bed and with block out curtains we were treated to a full cooked breakfast. It was such a good lazy morning and I totally appreciated having a day off work. The plan for the day was to check out the Ashdown Forest and have a bit of a ramble around to see the scenery and basically give us an excuse to wear wellingtons (or Gumboots for those at home). We bundled ourselves into lots of layers and warm clothes and popped on our green wellies before driving over to the forest. On the way Claire just casually mentioned that this forest was actually the inspiration for the 'Hundred Acre Wood' made famous by A Milne and his Winne the Pooh characters. As a big fan of Winnie the Pooh from childhood I was pretty chuffed to be going there. Yes I know that I am a dork.





We had a wander around for about an hour and it was so good to get some fresh country air. I love the big city and have never really been one for lots of outdoorsy activities but I've got to say having a ramble around the moors is a good way to spend an afternoon. I think in Oz its always so hot that when you go on a big walk you almost always end up sweaty and gross but over here because its so chilly you can walk around for ages and not even break a sweat. Your still exercising and getting fresh air but you don't end up feeling gross for the rest of the day. We wandered along and took a few photos of the scenery and had fun walking through the mud and water in our wellies - It was like being a kid again! Me and Laura were also excited about the discovery of mole hills (we actually squealed when Claire told us what they were) and Christmas holly just growing wildly. The best part was there was heaps of cute dogs running around and playing in the mud too so I got my fix of dogs for a little while (although if I had my sausage dog with me I would have lost him in the brush ferns).




After a little while in the cold and a good walk we headed back to the car and drove down to a tea room that was on the edge of the forest. The tea room was sooooooooo cute and cosy and just perfect for having a snack and getting out of the weather. We had a 'Sussex Tea' which was a scone with jam and clotted cream and a pot of tea. I don't think you could as for a better way to experience something 'English'.



Unfortunately we couldn't spend the whole weekend down there as I had to work on the Sunday and Laura had a friends leaving do. It was a shame we couldn't have spent a bit more time in a cosy family home (which feels sooooooooooooo good) and spent a bit more time just the girls talking each others ears off. The best thing is Claire has said we are welcome any time so hopefully I can go back out there in the Summer and spend a bit more time in the sunnier and (slightly) warmer weather.

Family Dinner

I have often referred to my Topdeck friends as my London family because I guess thats exactly what they are. They are the ones who took me in while I was couch surfing, who listen to my whinging, cheer me up when I am sad and homesick, cook me dinners and give advice as well as basically just having fun and hanging out. We've had a few family dinners along the way and even a family trip to Scotland. For Christmas as many of us are orphans (with out our Mums and Dads who are at home in Oz or NZ) so we are going as a family to Salzburg in Austria to cuddle up next to a fireplace while it snows outside.



Since leaving each other to go out separate ways in May of this year there hasn't been one night where we all the Topdeckers living in London have been back together until last Tuesday when we had a dinner all together. Amy and Charlie had ended up flatting together so it seemed wise to have a potluck dinner at the 'Topdeck clubhouse'. We all brought around a meal and got straight down to chatting and drinking. With a feast layed out before us of all the different meals we spent the night all catching up on each others goss and planning our trip at Christmas. We will be missing Amy at Christmas as she is off on an adventure to the states but it will still be a great holiday surrounded by friends. I am really looking forward to the time away and I am really happy to be spending it with such good friends. These guys have made the adjustment into life in London a lot easier and I am lucky to already have such a great group of friends a few months into my London adventure.

Work Girls

When I lived in Brisbane I had such a great group of work friends that they ended up being some of my best mates. It was the only downside of leaving my job at home was leaving such good friends. When I got my job at the NMC I was pretty lonely for a while as I was the only one working on my task and wasn't really included in a team. Everyone was friendly enough but I didn't really have any work friends. As we worked in a hot desking office (where you just choose your desk when you arrive at work and log on to the computer and the phones) there was never really anyone next to me except for senior management (boring!).

One day someone sat in Claire spot and the only seat left was next to me. Once she sat there once and we got chatting we ended up getting along so well she never moved again. Since Claire sat there it became easier to have a conversation with the girl on the other side of her Caitriona and we often got chatting through the day. After a few run ins in the lunch room we got chatting to Laura who was a Kiwi hired through the same temp agency as me. The four of us had a couple of Friday nights out on the piss and have now become a bit of a little group and good friends. Which makes work a lot more bearable and less lonely.

A few weekends ago we broke away from tradition and instead of going out to a bar to get pissed - Laura and I went to Caitrionas house for dinner and drinks. It was Guy Forkes night and we had planned to have a quick bite to eat before heading down to a big common to watch the fireworks go off. Due to the dodgy weather (rain! what a surprise in England) we opted instead to just stay in at Caitrionas and have a few drinks there. It was such a good night in with a feast of Chorizo pasta and a few bottles of wine. The only downside was that Caitriona lives a little further away then my usual haunts and it was a bit of a mish to get home when you've had a few. A night bus and the last tube home left me slightly seedy the next morning when I woke up bright and early to go to work at the cafe.

It was such a good night - hopefully sometime soon I can get the girls out here and cook them a meal although lets be honest I need to up my game cooking wise if I am to top the meal we had at Caitrionas. While I love my topdeck crew and enjoy spending time with my housemates its always good to have another group of friends in London. Especially as I get to see two of these girls five days a week they make work a lot more fun which is something my work girls at home did.

Caribbean Night

Yet another fun night in revolving around drinks at food at the Pulborough house. It was Siobhans birthday but instead of heading out and getting on the piss we had a Caribbean night at home. Fran had picked up a cookbook featuring Caribbean food as a bargain along the lines and after much perusing Siobhan picked a few dishes to try out.

Due to a tube strike Siobhan got to work from home so her and Fran spent a good few hours preparing the food before the rest of us got home. We were treated to a feast of spicy chicken wings, coconut and bean rice, pumpkin squash and eggplant mixed with tomato paste and garlic and chunky coleslaw. They also made a creamy fish pie with a sweet potato crust which ended up being one of my favourites even though I usually dont like seafood dishes. To go with this amazing meal we had a pomegranate punch and a few glasses of red wine. It was such a good meal it was hard to resist going back for seconds and thirds but we had so much left over most of us got some for lunch. The photos below don't really do it justice but you can see how much yummy food we had to chose from!




The only downside of this meal was the washing up which ended up taking up the whole kitchen as nearly every pot and pan had been used. We even took turns washing up in shifts. Still it was worth it for an amazing meal. I am lucky to live with such good cooks - I often get to try out some dishes or am lucky enough to get a serve of whatever is going. My contributions so far have been meals that I have wanted to cook from home but are too big to cook for one person like quiches or meatballs. I've also cracked out a lemon slice for home which has been eaten for dessert but I still can't compare to most of the meals I get in return. The benefit of living with such good cooks is that they are happy to help me with cooking questions and I can learn a bit here and there. I will never be as good a cook as my mum but hopefully I am getting better.