Top 6 Irks

As I was told I'm a bona fide Londoner today - I think they were just being nice but I took it - I know have some irks about London. There are always issues about any city. Whether it is the simple things like weather, transportation, jobs, or access - you can always see the bad. I think it's in our human nature to find the flaws and be critical. It's far harder to take the positives and try and ignore the faults. I love London - the arts, culture, free museums, possibilities, loads of American tv, Guy Fawkes day, proximity to the Europe mainland, true multiculturalism and the list goes on. However I have about 6 irks about London.
1. People who stand on the left side of the elevator.
2. People after walking all the way up the left side stop at the very top of the elevator causing a tube traffic jam.
3. Motorcyclists who believe they are above stopping at zebra crossing (pedestrian right-of-ways)
4. My inability to break into the job market. At least internal communications
5. No cheap internet cafes in the city
6. people who don't give themselves enough time and the aggressively push their way onto the tube and shove you aside. I've been the perpetrator and the victim.

However other good things - below Liam and I at the British Museum

Dissection

Two days of being told what makes a great blog and how to develop interactivity, I realize I've fallen short. I realize that my blog is dull at times - and at the end of the day I know I'm not going to make every post fantastic. However, I will try to add a little something more to my posts. I'm not really sure where to start, but glad I have infinite time to do something. I'm hopefully taking an advanced writing and editing course in three weeks (pending jobs of course). That might help with my blantant problem of missing words The brain moves far faster than my fingers. It's interesting that I'm trying to get a comms career with these significant writing glitches. I think I edit corporate and media material carefully - in comparison to this rambling of thoughts onto paper. However, I think the fact I sometimes struggle with writing gives me an edge, I know what to look for in others' mistakes!

Communicating Seminars

I've been lucky to join into an IABC seminar with Steve Crescenzo. The seminar lasts over two days and the first day was fabulous. He had great tools to integrate social media tools into internal communications. Involving the small crowd, he used multiple case studies to show to break the 'layer of fat' between a CEO and lower level employees. He was a dynamic speaker, but thankfully didn't ask anyone to go into small group exercises to have interactivity. I'm sad that I can't go the whole day tomorrow (job interviews again). It got me so excited about internal comms, and slightly sad that I had nowhere to apply it.

Interviews but not much else

I still love London. I'll keep stating this in front of every post I complete over the next week. I've gone on a ridiculous series of interviews over the past three weeks and applied to three or five times the number. It grates on the nerves when you don't get feedback or you really wonder what makes you so unemployable that you don't get the second interview or even the first callback. I think this process is similar to an audition, but frustratingly spaced out. I still have some more interviews over the next week and one that sounds very interesting next Wednesday. Waiting is getting frustrating though.

Can anyone freeze time?

Liam joined me over on my side this weekend. It was an unbelievably great, but a short trip. We visited some of the tourist sites, but as Liam tried to make us visit anything and everything I had to remind him that he would be back. Later, I'll try and post more pictures that Liam took. It's hard to summarize a whole weekend. However, I let Liam see some of the infamous things to do in London. Fish and chips at the Fish Club. Headed over to Lloyds and the Gherkin. (Does anyone know if they imported Swiss trees to surround the Gherkin?). Went to the British Museum. Went to Phantom of the Opera. Tower of London. The list does go on. At the London Eye, I conquered a part of my fear of heights and only freaked out about five times. And really, that was only when we were at the top. The view was incredible though. I let Liam spend more than the allocated one hour in Tate Modern as well. It's definitely my favourite museum at this point. I'll have to head over there more often. I also need to make it to the couture exhibit at V&A. However at the end of the day, I would have really just liked Liam to be here now. We're only one quarter of our way through. The countdown starts again. I'll post hopefully tomorrow night and add pictures to this post. I head to a free conference all day to get in with IABC London and meet some major internal comms players.

Drinking with Dickens ghost

Life has been busy with interviews and finger crossing. However, I have made it out to see an old high school friend who also resides in London. He took me to his regular pub which also happens to be the pub of Charles Dickens. Also, a rather famous poet was stabbed there - but I can't remember his name. My friend really didn't choose the place for its historical significance, more for its proximity to his flat and school. I'm chalking this up to another reason I love London - history is everywhere, even when you don't try to seek it out. Liam arrives tomorrow and we are headed out to explore the city a bit more (London Tower, White Chapel, Phantom of the Opera). I will post about the chandelier crashing on Monday.

I really do belong here

Took the blog test (seen on Kaili's blog) and was not that suprised at what turned out.

You Belong in London

A little old fashioned, and a little modern. A little traditional, and a little bit punk rock. A unique soul like you needs a city that offers everything. No wonder you and London will get along so well.

What City Do You Belong In?

Standard Meals...

I was going to publish a long rant against the British medical system. However, I shall stay positive and post about finally finding fantastic fish and chips in the city. Fish Club, a franchise, has recently opened in Clapham. Despite that I'm clearly plugging them right now - I was in love. Finally less greasy fish with quality batter and old fashioned chips. I had been repeatedly disappointed with skin-on fish and chips. I was expecting higher quality, especially in Brighton. It's nice to find fish and chips that rival the place in West Van. You can also get take-away. Now that my plug has ended, here's a breakdown of the weekend.
Saw England lose in rugby. Frustrating but enjoyable to be in a pub to watch it go down. Left about eight minutes to go so I beat the raving mad Englishmen moving dejectedly down the streets.
Saw Lewis Hamilton lose in F1. Didn't see as many people that angry. However, the pub below us was very quiet on Sunday night. As you can tell, it was a close but no cigar weekend for England. Below is a pic of Oxford. So green!

Will post on Thursday. Liam arrives Friday and will spend the weekend re-exploring London.

Shopping in the city

Shopping in the city must always be window shopping. You could easily go broke within about 10 minutes in London. It's amazing to think of all your options. In my area alone, I have three boutiques to die for - and I'm not in the shopping district. Going to Oxford circus again, I broke down and bought some flat boots. They are key if I want to look remotely like a Londoner or a person pretending to be one. However, Oxford is not still not my favourite shopping street. That honour goes to Neal (for real shopping) or Bond Street, where Louis, Burberry, Ralph, Dolce and Dior exist side by side. Yesterday, I went by it in a cab. The only way to do it frankly so I couldn't press my face against the glass wanting that coat, or handbag or pair of shoes. I guess I'll have to settle for my boutiques and cheap pashimas until I get that dream job.

Delayed Reaction Time

All of a sudden two days I went by and I forgot to post. I promise I'll be good and post on Thursday. Somehow with no job, days go by very quickly and very slowly at the same time. In my job hunt I wish I was at the place I am now. (motivated and really treating this as a job) but three weeks ago. Unfortunately, the countdown has begun in my head to find a good job that still gives me four days around Christmas off. But I'll take a job that actually interests me and puts my six years of education to use. And despite my constant motivation I claimed to have before, I realize I have stepped up several notches. More job interviews over the next week, and I finally met a head in my field that really inspired me to not settle and keep looking. All I can do is cross my fingers.
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On a lighter note, I have done some traveling within England. I headed down to Brighton for some sea-side play with a good friend from Canada. The kitsch is incredible. Penny arcades, roller coasters, and crazy rides including a carousel on a pier in the English Channel. It's a re-creation as the old pier burnt down less than five years ago, but that made me feel safer! It's hard to believe how many people were there on a Saturday to go to see some red gravel claiming to be a beach. The town is also home to the Royal Pavillon (King George VI getaway). It was ridiculously showy and exactly what you expect from an extravagent King. Supposedly Brighton is finally shedding it's image as it was a bit grimy. You can tell this by the extensive work they are doing in restoring the Pavillon and the gardens. The picture above is the restored stuff. Not a model in the slightest.

Thanks to my uncle, my friend from Canada and I also made it up to Oxford and Blenheim Palace yesterday. Now there is a bonifide palace. The palace is several things. A world heritage site. A tribute to the first duke of Blenheim who had the lands and the money to build the palace bestowed to him by Queen Anne after winning a significant battle. And the birthplace of Winston Churchill. I didn't know this, but was pleasantly surprised at all the Churchill artifacts and abundance of information in the palace. Due to downpour, we were not able to visit the gardens. However, I will go back on a sunny day to see the monument and the man-made waterfall!

Oxford was gorgeous. Just go, I don't think words or my bad rainy day pictures do it justice.

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If you wish to see my quote in the Evening Standard, view my previous post comments. To warn you, I do not sound concise, correct or clear. In case you did not know, I was clumsy and un-coordinated child. I may have run into a fence with a bike as a child, but I still believe that I could have clearly avoided a three-foot crack while walking.

News Flash

Yesterday I visited "the Crack" with a friend at Tate Modern. It's a new installation (see below) at Tate and oddly enough we went on opening day. It was fantastic piece of art at probably my favourite museum so far. Installation art can either be good or bad, but the interaction with this piece really made you value art in the everyday. Anyway, upon leaving my friend and I were asked to say a few words about the new exhibit and were told that the health inspectors might shut it down because it was deemed a bit unsafe. Well that opened my mouth and suddenly I'm quoted in the Evening Standard (london night time paper) with picture. I don't sound smart but appreciate that I do exist on paper here.
Status: Still on the job hunt - frustrating but getting that significant other to remind me to have a bit of faith.

Wisdom....????

So my friend arrived into London today. I wasn't able to offer a lot of information, but was surprised at how much knowledge I had retained from the last six weeks. I was able to get her from the airport to my flat and tell her how to pay for it! I find it wonderous how much someone can absorb the little things that you use day-to-day in a short period of time. It's definitely for survial. I'm positive this is why so many people are able to pick up a language quickly when they are forced to speak it for weeks when their native language is unavailable. I added a pic today -- Oxford Circus. This was a rainy Tuesday. It's that busy and honestly the black and white photo didn't do the gray justice. Still doing some job interviews, so hopefully one day is a good post about a secure job.

Jackie, dressed in cobras

Sorry for the delay. I really should just write on time and then I won't have to apologize. This week has gone alright - busy with job hunting, shopping, and an interview that I have to keep crossing all my fingers for, in hopes that it went well enough to secure me the next interview.

I also made it to my first concert. The New Pornographers, a band from Vancouver, was playing at Koko. I'm a huge fan already, so to see them live in London seemed pretty amazing. Don't get me wrong, they didn't disappoint - nor did the venue - however, the sound technicians did. NP is partly a great band due to the harmonizing vocal efforts by every member. It adds an unique sound that decreases your notice of their repetitive nature. However, at Koko - they blasted the bass and I could barely even hear AC Newman sing. Also, there was no Neko. Since I know she's going to be on the Canada tour, I was a bit displeased. Besides that though, I recommend going to see a band at Koko - it has the old theatre feel and it was relatively easy, despite the large crowd, to get to a hand rail to have good views of the band. I'll post a pic later of the band.

trivial

I promise to have updated pictures on my next post. My camera batteries died and I finally got around to getting them today. However, I've definitely made it out to the nightlife on Friday night alongside my flatmate and some of her girlfriends. The dance playlist at the club rang true to the SATC adage that along with Staten Island, Europe plays bad pop music about 20 years old. I've never heard so much 80's music in a popular club without it being a specific 80's night.

The rest of the weekend I chilled with my flatmate - we did all the girly things which I haven't done in a while. Coffee, speedwalk (Sally ran but I just don't have the knees or the stamina for it) and shopping. I definitely enjoy wandering down Sloane Street. The prices are enough to floor you though.
My pic is of the public library in the downtown core. Compared to all the borough libraries, it was massive.