Sass, crass and normality

So British sexy - Russell Brand? His recent stint at the BBC has made him even more popular. His recent comedy tour has sold out and girls are literally becoming Beatles fans just to get touch his hand.

But his too tight jeans, his crass attitude and his hair just send shudders down my back. Never mind the fact that he is a comedian that I do not think is funny. But the ladies love him in England - his high cheekbones and sassy walk just do it in for them. I don't think feminine features should be the defining characteristics of a man - but that's Europe.

I prefer Canadiana stock. Ryan Gosling recently released a single (thanks cowgirl) that is pretty good and reflects some bonafide artistic talent. Simply the best.

trip envy

despite all the trips to Europe, I still seriously envy others. A friend from Canada in the fall decided to take on England, Scotland, Isle of Man, Ireland, Greece, Croatia, and the Czech Republic. Her stories made me wonder why I didn't decide to travel for a few months first. Despite the rain, she had a wonderful time and now is in Las Vegas before a trip to the West Coast and then who knows.... sigh...

I also have envy for Tina who just took almost three months off work to travel Australia. From a significant surfing course, to the Barrier reef to admiring Sydney she has come back looking healthy tanned and unbelievable stories... again...sigh....

Images from their facebook from their trips.... thanks girls! (Rome, Dubrovnik, Outback, Point Break)

a punch of yellow

Not that we're ever deprived of fresh flowers in a city that doesn't snow, but affordable fresh flowers are now back in London. I can pick up an entire bouquet of daffodils for £1 at M&S.

It's a lovely way to add brightness and colour to a house when the rain and the early darkness does not seem to end.

exit strategies

once and a while l2 and i dream up the ways we're going to leave this country. We're still never sure when (and I doubt we ever will be certain until the week before!) but we have planned how we're going to leave if we can afford it! We call it the exit strategy. We both want to take three months off before coming home just to travel. Two ideas we're banging around are:

Out of Africa - Start at Egyptian pyramids, head down the Nile and go south from there - Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar and maybe Mauritius

or

No planes, no gain. - Ferry hop from the UK to St. Petersburg and take the Trans-Siberian from St. Petersburg to Shanghai. Then it breaks and we either explore the rest of China by train/bus or take a boat over to Japan and take the bullet trains.

Which one would you prefer?

Images via and via

the weekend instead

well I'll admit I was a bit disappointed not to surf this weekend, but my weekend did not disappoint. Determined to make the most of it, I met for drinks and snacks with fellow cdn Lily in London Bridge at local hotspot Roxy. Greek tapas were an interesting choice and probably best if not repeated.

Saturday I did all the annoying errands, picked up a few trinkets, and L2 and I walked all through the West End just because we had the time. I wanted to head back to the Saatchi Gallery but was getting exhausted so we skipped it and watched In Bruges at home instead. L2, his sister Kaili, her husband LB made it down to the gallery in November but I want to see some of the new additions to this amazing venue. If you ever drop into London, please go. It's moved from Waterloo to Sloane square and it has just the right amount of art to space ratio. Let alone the art is amazing!

Sunday started as relaxing and moved to frantic. It was the start of Chinese New Year so we made it up north for some dim sum with a friend and then booked it to Waterloo to catch a train to Farnham (where L2 works) for dinner with colleagues. Farnham is very quaint (castles, brick and apparently loads of horses) but I was not keen on the hour train ride home at 10.30 on a Sunday night.

a hunting we will go

Flat hunting that is. L2 and I are moving out of our above italian restaurant flat that we share with S and A and moving into our own place at the end of February.

We just don't know where that is yet!

London is very confusing when flat hunting. You only have to give one month notice before you move out and often landlords won't post a free flat until the tenant is long gone. Which means, most flats are available to rent 'immediately' and saying you want to wait till the end of February is a ridiculous suggestion.

So now, we've had to give notice on our old place (we agreed to two months), but we don't have a place to live in yet. We're going all out next week with viewings on Monday, Tuesday and hopefully Wednesday night. This is far too stressful to hunt for a place than it should be.

Also, most flats are managed by agencies. So you only go through an agency, pay them an £100/£150 to draw up contract papers (that look like your eight year old could forge) and an extra monthly fee. Appears they have got a lucrative idea.

The only plus, apparently it is becoming a 'rental' market so L2 and I should be able to bargain to pay a bit less to live in Battersea (our top choice), Abbeville Village or Clapham. Let's see if that is what really happens!

the best laid plans

whatever we plan, Life gets in the way. L2 was unable to make it to switzerland (too much work!) and I was unable to go to the Canary Islands (again too much work) along with fears to hound money at this present time from all parties! So maybe this means two weeks in Italy this year (a very hopeful pipe dream!)

However, at the spur of the moment L2 and I with friends are going surfing on the coast of England. We're going to be cold, it's definitely going to be rainy and I don't think wetsuits will cut it. It's a four hour drive from London to Cornwall on a good day, let alone a Friday night so I'm hoping others have some good tunes or the BBC delivers and puts Jonathon Ross tv show on the radio tonight. His three month suspension is finally over and he decided to come back.

I can't wait till the end of the day! Update: English weather has gotten in the way. We've had to postpone the trip to next weekend or the following one because of severe high winds. High winds = high surf = very dangerous for very novice surfers like me! A little sad but at least it wasn't completely cancelled.

let out some steam

Thanks to this been-seen article, I'm dreaming of train travel today.

I'm in love with a non-pressurised environment that won't wreak havoc on my system, the gentle rocking that puts me to sleep and the fact that this travel won't add to my ever increasing carbon emissions.

Perhaps the south of france by high speed train is a necessary trip this summer?

Image via

lazy heat

due to some recent health issues, I had to cancel my ski trip in a week.

L2 has decided to do back country in Switzerland in February instead and my roommate proposed to go somewhere warm to make me feel better. Thoughts turned to North Africa but Tunisia is only 15 degrees in February and Egypt isn't safe enough to travel. So we looked a little to the west and are now planning to go to the Canary Islands.

I'm voting for Lanzarote, but we'll see.

Image via

5 things I love everyday

I got tagged by cowgirl about five things I love everyday... And really it was hard to find more than two things I love every day (travel/planning travel and l2.) I guess I'll have to change the list again in a few months

• the walk along the edge of the common
  
• gossip
• l2
• travel or planning to travel
  
• high thread count sheets

christmas review

I'm back in London and feeling a little worse for wear due to jet lag. Liam and I attempted to get on the right track and didn't go to sleep until after midnight yesterday but I still wake up at 3.30 a.m. each night.

Before I talk about the great two week trip here's a recap of what I wanted to do.. and here's what I achieved.

• Definitely visited J.Crew and anthropologie (and somehow restrained myself and bough one item in each place)
• Didn't go into the experience music project – was too expensive and not enough time. Played outside though…
• White spot was delicious, earls was so-so, I'm not sure about milestones I didn't go. Best food though was an amazing seaf
  
• No golf, hiking or biking as snow got in the way…
• Hours were spent with my nephew (pipes and heat vent and candles were topical) and hours with my animal nephew who took to howling when nephew was around. Hours were also spent with friends and grandparents
• No lulus were replaced. I'm still kicking myself. And I purchased more on Robson than west fourth
• went to the original starbucks location and had a free tea sample and back in Victoria had my delicious peppermint hot chocolate.
• I got to wear my picked family photograph outfit
• new years had no expectations

Image of the victoria snow and experience music project

2008 recap

switzerland - grindlewald

switzerland - grindlewald - sister in law, me and my brother rocking the hike

baby donkey outside brasov, romania

baby sheep at the end of the crazy hike in romania

our shelter. memories for the rest of my life!

eiffel tower at dusk

typical parisian metro sign

oxford garden

brighton old pier

Gaudi interior, Barcelona - Spain

kew gardens

national museum in amsterdam, netherlands

amsterdam, netherlands

well a year later and I'm reminding myself of all the things that I said I would do in 2008 before I make a few resolutions for 2009.

• I did lose 10 pounds and then gained it back. So I think I know another resolution coming.
• I was good with the gym until L2 arrived. darn L2 and wanting to do fun things than being underground in a crazy dodgeball gym
• savings started and one time used for romania (bigger trip) and the rest saved. still want to save more!
• photo albums ha. so now it's five years. and i may resign myself to just burning them onto cds and waiting until I come back to canada..... unless l2 and i can get our stuff together...
• travels: much better. jan-paris. feb- berlin. mar- highlands. apr - bath. may - amsterdam, barcelona, paris. june - brighton. july - romania. august - oxford berne and grindlewald, swz. september - kent. october - seville. november - cambridge. december - copenhagen, canada.
• french classes - was better but definitely dropped in september/october. practising begins at home (cheaper!)
• recipe cards - is a recipe box. a little organization is needed but at least they have a place.
  

above are a few of my favourite pictures from 2008

Lonely and dreaming of the west coast

There are definitely times that I wish I didn't have the travel urge. When I wish I decided to go to UVIC, find a good job on the west coast and be close to my family. Obviously this pang comes up everytime I fly back to my current residence.

I haven't lived in Vancouver for a steady period for over 7 and a bit years and yet I always consider it home and yearn for the sea mountain combo, the security of family and long time friends and the feeling that the one missing piece in London will always be there.

But at the end of the day, I wouldn't be me if I didn't want to see everything that I possibly could. It's one of the attributes that I love about myself, and my personality would have never developed without it. Plus I make my brother jealous!

I'm just a bit sad today thinking of all the things I'll miss being overseas.