My First English Footy Match

So I am not into sports at all, and definitely not football.  But I figured since I am in England and am passionate about the country, as may as well give them some support on their matches.  So my friend from work Giulia and I decided to go watch the England vs USA game.  We met up in Leicester Square and walked around to a few pubs to see who was showing it and eventually ended up at Leicester Square O’Neills.  There was a great crowd and they had set up a big screen for us to watch on.  Giulia and I managed to get a spot to sit right at the front and once we had our ciders and my England flag which I had brought along, we were all set for the game.

The team spirit in the place was amazing and everyone was singing war cries which I had to learn pretty quickly!!  Quite early into the game, England scored their first goal and the crowd went nuts!!  Was such a great feeling to be a part of that.  Not quite as much as when USA scored!!

Afterwards, Giulia and I were pretty hungry so we headed off to KFC and for some reason we still haven’t figured out, we decided to order a Family Bucket, thinking that we could finish it all!!  Needless to see we didn’t even get through half of the food! 

It was a great night out and really amazing to be part of the English team spirit!!

Travelling North England

Since getting to England, I have tried to do as much travelling around the UK as possible but for some reason, most of that seemed to happen around the South of England.  So I decided when I had some time off, to head up to the north a little and travel around Liverpool, Manchester and Wigan.  I went online and booked my train tickets and hostels, and off I went!!  The first stop was Liverpool, which I instantly liked.  There was a lot to see, and some very cheap shopping to be done!!  I got myself 2 new pairs of pumps (which I still have to this day) for less than an tenner.  I also headed down to their waterfront, but I didn’t spend long as it was raining.

The hostel I was staying at was really nice and that evening when I was sitting in their internet cafe, I decided on the spur of the moment that I would spend the following day going up to Wigan which was just a 40 minute train ride away.  I have a friend from there and have always wanted to see it.  So I booked my train ticket for £3!! 

The next morning I got the train at 11am and headed off to Wigan.  It felt like stepping back a good couple of years, it was the ultimate in small town vibes!!  It had amazing little cobbled streets and tiny shops!  It even had a tourist bureau, which I went to but they kindly told me that there was nothing to do there J  i stopped in at a couple of their shops and then had some lunch at their local pub, before hoping back on the train back to Liverpool. 

The next day, I booked a tour to do the Magical Mystery Beatles tour.  As Liverpool is where the Beatles are from, after paying a visit to the amazing Beatles Museum, I left for my tour.  On the tour we got to see some of the houses where the various members of the Beatles grew up, we saw the ‘’strawberry fields’’ and the actually Penny Lane.  It truly was a magical tour and whilst I may not be the biggest Beatles fan, it was still an amazing opportunity to get to see these places.

I continued on to Manchester, which wasn’t the most fantastic place I have been to, but good none the less.  It had a MASSIVE shopping mall as well with great shops, and a really nice outdoor park area.  I also took the bus to Old Trafford to see the Manchester United Stadium.  And yes, I am not the ultimate footy fan but it was pretty cool to see this.  It is just huge!!

The next day I headed home to London on the train and can honestly say it was a great getaway trip and wonderful chance to see more of beautiful England.

Christmas in Bournemouth

Being away from my family for Christmas was probably the only time I have even slightly missed being in South Africa.  But on the other hand, I was more than excited about having a white Christmas so I wasn’t complaining too much about being away! 

A friend of mine from Montessori training college, Ali lives with her boyfriend Simon in Bournemouth, a coastal town in south England and his parents had been kind enough to let me stay over on a few occasions when I was visiting Ali.  So when they heard I was going to be alone for Christmas they were kind enough to offer to have me join them for their Christmas dinner.  London’s public transport completely shuts down on Christmas Day and cabs double their prices, so its not really where you want to be on the actual day.

When I got to Victoria Coach Station to catch my bus, the weather was very cold and snowy and I was worried my bus wouldn’t be able to leave.  But, after an hour and a half delay, we finally got on the road and I was on my way to Bournemouth J

When I got there, Alana and Simon picked me up and we went to join his parents at a Chinese restaurant for Christmas Eve dinner, where I tasted duck for the first time, delicious!!

We had all decided to buy a present for each other, so Christmas morning we woke up and swopped presents, which was really fun.  I called my family in South Africa to wish them Merry Christmas and then we headed off to church.  Only once we got there did we realise it was a Catholic Church, which none of us had ever been to!!  Anyways the people were really friendly and welcoming and it was an enjoyable service, though we were the only ones who didn’t know the que’s for sitting down and standing up when singing the carols!

Once we left, we headed to Simon’s familys’ house.  We spent most of the afternoon chilling by the TV and opening gifts.  There were so many delicious snacks that by the time dinner came I was almost full!  It was my first time having a turkey instead of gammon for Christmas dinner, but it was amazing!!  And served with brussel sprouts, my favourite veggie!  It was great to feel a part of this English tradition.

Once we had had dessert and were ready to head off home, we discovered that it was minus 12 degrees outside and had to scrape the ice off Simon’s car and let the engine run for a while before we could even drive.

Even though I wasn’t with my family, this was definitely one of my favourite Christmases!

Why I Love London

People in South Africa often ask me what it is that I love so much about London.  Well I thought I'd make a list to explain myself better.

1.  The People:  I met the most amazing of friends whilst in London, people that I know, no matter how many years it is since I've last seen them, we will be friends forever.  Friends that I could call in the middle of the night if there was a problem and they would be okay with that.  Friends that did not judge each other.  Friends that make an equal amount of effort to stay on contact now that I am back.

2.  The Amount of Things That There Are To Do:  there was never enough time to see and do all that London has to offer.  There is always another attraction to explore, another restaurant that you haven't eaten at, another pub you haven't been to.  Another experience you haven't tried.

3.  The Daily Excitement of Living in London:  There wasn't a day I didn't wake up and smile because I was so excited to be in this amazing city.  It is hard to explain how amazing it is to live in a place which you feel this way about.

4.  The Work:  It is so great to have a job where you jump out of bed in the morning to get there, and you get paid properly to do so.  Its like the best of both worlds!!  

5.  People Are Opening To Meeting New People:  Everyone is so open to meeting new friends, if you go to a party there only knowing one person, you will never leave not having met lots of new people.

6.  One Big City But So Different:  Take South London for example the Clapham area (one of my favourites in London).  It has such a great vibe, a great common, lots of great bars and restaurants and great events all year round.  Then take East London with Brick Lane and all the Indian shops on the high street.  So different but great in their own ways, and all within a maximum of 45 minutes commute from each other.

7.  So non-judgemental:  If you were a person with purple hair, a pink dress and green shoes and you got onto the tube, no one would even bother looking up, no one cares about how others choose to live.

8.  Public transport:  There was never a day that the fact that I didn't have a car became an issue for me.  The tube is amazing, and the night buses are great for getting home late.  The factor of not having to worry about drinking and driving is amazing.

9.  The Safety:  Walking home alone from my night bus stop to my house at 3am with my iPod on was just a great feeling after being scared to drive in my own car after 8pm.

10.  The Liveliness at Night:  there are stacks of people on the street no matter what time of the day or night it was.  You could never tell the time of the night but seeing the number of people decrease, the city never slept.

11.  The Markets:  Brick Lane Market, Spitalfields Market, Borough Markets, Portobello Road Markets.....what more can you ask for.  I once got an amazing top for a pound!!

12.  The Shopping:  Primark....what more can I say!!  I could spend just £20 and walk out with 5 shopping bags of anazing stuff.  And hey, if I didn't find what I wanted in there, I could just cross the road to Matalan, or hop on the tube 2 stations to Stratford Mall and go to heaps of other places like New Look or Peacock.

13.  Up-to-date technology: One word...WI-FI!!! Uncapped wireless internet at a very cheap price was the norm in most households.  A 'cap' on your internet is almost unheard of and so downloading movies and series is as easy pie.

14.  Quorn!!!!!  Vegetarian or not, Quorn is amazing!!!!

15.  Online shopping:  Order anything you could possibly think of online and have it delivered, free of charge  to your doorstep within 2 or 3 days.

16.  Things Being Cheap and Affordable:  DVD's costing £3, my weekly groceries costing a maximum of £20 and a travelcard which was half the price of what I spend on petrol, and allowed an unlimited amount of travel in your selected zones.

17.  Things To Do All The Time:  When I felt like going out after work but none of my friends were about, I could take a stroll on London Bridge, head down to Piccadilly Circus and take in the sights....there was always something to do no matter what.

18.  The Free Mayor of London Events:  From the Thames Festival, to Chinese New Year, to the Guy Fawkes Night displays, there was always something going on and it was for free!

19.  Annual Pride Parade:  Such an amazing event with amazing people and just an amazing party!!

20.  A 30 Minute Flight from Europe:  Get to Amsterdam or Paris in less than an hour, and on flights that cost as little as £20!!

21.  The Rest of England and the U.K.  There was so much to explore in the rest of the UK and it was so affordable to do!!  My personal favourites being Bournemouth, Liverpool, Glasgow, Dublin, Dolgellau and Brecon Beacons.

22.  The Festivals:  whilst I didn't get to go to many, there were so much to choose from all summer!

23.  The Constant Flow of Concerts by International Artists:  who ever your favourite singer is, it was just a matter of time before they would be doing a show in London.

24.  The co-incidence of Famous People:  Only in London do you step out of a budget restaurant with a friend only to be greated with a red carpet with Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo on it!!  Or get to plan a trip to the Harry Potter Primere at the last minute and get to see all the characters as well as J.K. Rowling.

25.  The Parks:  Hyde Park, Green Park, St. James Park, Greenwich Park, etc etc they are all just so massive and green and amazing.

26.  Westminister and Buckingham Palace:  such a privelage to get to see these amazing places.

27.  Non-Corrupt Police:  I remember a friend of mine's phone getting pickpocketed at a pub and the police took it so seriously and were so caring.

28.  Un-predictable Elections:  the politians have no guarantee of winning, they have to actually fight for your vote and no one knows how it is going to turn out.

29.  Free Newspaper Everyday:  Metro, Evening Standard, London Lite....all yours for the taking for free, and good reads too!!

30.  Free GOOD Healthcare:  Being on the NHS was not something bad, their healthcare was fantastic.  I even got 6 free pilates classes to help with my backpain.

31.  The Good Old English Fryups:  Unbeatable on a Sunday morning!!

I could carry on and on and on but DAM I miss the place I still consider home.  I love you London!!!!

The Generator Trap :)

So this is the story of how I got caught, and still am caught, in The Generator Trap. 


When I did my Contiki trip in 2006/2007, I heard a couple of others on my tour talk about a hostel called The Generator which was in central London.  So when I was heading back to London to start my 2 year working holiday adventure and I needed to book a place to stay, the first thing that came to mind was The Generator.  I booked a spot for myself and my friend Laura to stay, and what can I say, I loved it!!  There is something about the vibe in that place that is just unbeatable!!


After having to leave my previous job suddenly, in Feb 2010, I was jobless, in a foreign country, and pretty desperate to find employment.  I thought back to my fun time at the Gen and wondered if maybe they had a job going so I sent the Front of House manager an email.  I was in luck, they needed a receptionist!!  I was so excited for the interview as I knew I would be good at the job when i was passionate about the place.  So I went, and the interview went more like a chat than hard grilling.  It was more than an hour though, and my dad reckoned this was good news as they wouldn't keep someone there who they weren't interested in.


Later that afternoon, the FOH manager called me back and offered me the job.  Excited and happy does not begin to describe how I felt after that phone call!!!  I was soooo happy :)  


I started the job a week later and what can I say, I loved it!!  I instantly made friends with the most fantastic people from all over the world, England, Slovenia, Italy, Australia, Morocco, Iran......
And of course, most shifts were followed with a visit to......The Gen Bar!!!  There isn't much more you can ask for than having a bar on the premises!!  I had an absolutely fantastic 3 months here and was really devastated when I had to leave due to visa constrictions.  


I continued to stay in touch with my friends here and still spent at least one night a week in the Gen bar.  I still consider myself to be stuck in The Generator Trap and I think I always will be!!! But who can complain when I met some of the most awesome people in the world here!!

My First Job Abroad

On 24 April 2009, I left for London Heathrow Airport to start the greatest 2 years of my life.  Of course, with the rand to pound exchange rate being what it is, as excited as I was to be in London, the pressure was immediately on to find a job.  I was expecting to be living and working in Taunton, Somerset, but this didn't work out so within a week and a half I found myself back in the greatest city on earth, London.

I had originally joined an agency who I, naievely though were really going to get me a job.  They sent me off on a day of catering training but I quickly discovered that their idea of a guaranteed job was waitressing to the fine diners of London, with shifts starting on the opposite end of London at 4am.  I decided that this is not what I flew halfway across the world to do, and that I was going to find a job myself that would be something I would enjoy doing.

I went for a couple of interviews with teaching and nanny agencies, also advertised on gumtree for work.  I landed a job in the Kensington area, nannying a baby boy and 4 year old girl for an amazing salary.  However, after giving it some thought, I figured that since I knew nobody in the country, nannying was probably not going to be the best job to do if I wanted to meet new people, so I turned it down.  I also got another job with a lovely South African family in Hauinalt, but they weren't offering me a liveable salary, and I also didn't see the point of living in London if I was going to be working for South Africans.

Then, by a stroke of luck, I got an interview with Contiki holidays.  I was so nervous and didn't know what I should wear or if I should prepare at all.  However, when I got there, it went great.  I felt really happy with how it all went.  4 days later I got the call which shaped where a large part of my time in London would go.  It was the manager of the Contiki Basement London, telling me that they would like to offer me the job if I was still interested!!! Was I still interested??? Hells YEAH!!!!

I had about 2 weeks before the job was due to start, so I called up the South African family and offered to help them out until I would be starting at Contiki, which they accepted, so I spent a week with an 18 month old boy called Heinrich and spent the day taking him to the park and playing with him at home.

Then on 29 May 2009, I started my first day at Contiki!  I was so nervous, but I quickly felt like part of the team.  The other girls who worked there seemed lovely and made a real effort to help me feel welcome.  I quickly settled into the Contiki lifestyle which consisted of veeeeeeeery early mornings for the early shift and many laaaaaaaate nights spent at our 'local', the London Pub.  One day, my collegue Roxy, suggested that we go to the pub that night but I didn't have anything with me to wear.  So in my lunch break I ran down the road to New Look and took the cheapest t-shirt that I could find, which happened to have a multi-coloured dinosaur on the front called ''Discosaurus''.  It provided much amusement at the basement and I got a compliment on the t-shirt from 2 people at the pub.  Good investment that 8 quid was :)

I had so many fantastic nights out with my Contiki friends, such as Ministry of Sound, the Original Bus Party at The Albanach in Trafalgar Square, bowling at Bloomsbury Bowls, Basement Lock ins.  Too many to mention.  One thing is for sure, Contiki definately gave me some of the best times of my life!!

The Great Ocean Road, Australia

After meeting some truly amazing Australian friends whilst I was living in London, I decided that using my pounds which I had saved on a trip to visit my friends in Australia would be a great idea.  So on 29 March 2011, I touched down at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport to start one of the most awesome months of my life.  One of the great adventures which I had on this trip, was a road trip with my wonderful friend.  


We headed off early morning on our trip, where we made our first stop off in Geelong for lunch and some shopping at a scrap booking shop.  We then carried on driving to the start of the Great Ocean Road drive, where we stopped off at a light house and walked almost 1km in an unsuccessful bid to find a toilet.  My friend had warned me that it was a very windy road and I might get car sick, but luckily I didn't!! The drive was truly amazing, such fantastic views.  We stopped a few times to take some photos.  


We arrived in our overnight town, Apollo Bay, early evening.  We dropped the car and our bags and then headed out on the ''town'' (this was one street).  We spent some time on the beach and I remember thinking how very lucky I was to be experiencing this!!  We visited a few bars and reminisced about the good times we had had in London.  


The next morning, we had a great breakfast at a beach front cafe before getting back on the road, this time heading to the Ottway Fly Treetop Adventure Centre.  Here, we got to walk through the most amazingly beautiful forest before going on up to 35m high walkways through the treetops.  The views were just spectacular.  The walkways were also see through, so you could very clearly see how high you were.  Scary at times!!


After this, we went to what was the highlight of the trip for me, The Twelve Apostles.  These are rocks which are stand randomly in the ocean.  The sea was the most beautiful blue that day and this really just was the most amazing sight.  We spent around an hour here just taking it all in.  We then headed back to Melbourne via another scenic lunch break.


This was such an enjoyable weekend away.  I got to spend time with a great friend and I got to see these amazing sights.