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So, I thought I'd have a go at writing a real-time blog. Yesterday I didn't do much but work hard, and work late. Then I got a Burmese take away, to reward for working late, and because I'm lazy...which actually in my mind turned out to be a reasonably poor and very meaty beef massaman and thai fishcakes...I blogged and updated that lots and tidied up my Whitsunday photos. It's nice to draw a line under these things, but I'm anxious that there are a few weeks ahead of fun things to happen before I return to the UK and that I'll have guests and maybe little time to update, then anxiousness comes and I'll be all behind and trying to catch up again...as I keep hearing lately, technology was meant to make things easier for us, and instead it's just filled up our lives and made us more busy...I would love to have the will power to get off facebook, twitter, email etc etc for say even a month, but it's not in me...not yet anyway...I'd be interested to see how suddenly lonely I felt! It's nice hearing about what people have been up to...but I guess it stops me making time for myself, taking a rest, getting out of the house and adding another thing to my list of things to tell you about in my blog...how does that work, I'm not sure...
While I was out here I had plans of compiling material for a book, a semi true real-life book, but using little patches of stories and turning them in to something more real than they actually were...I live in daydream-land most of my life...the reality of that idea is of course that I've had no time to work on such a thing and so it hasn't happened...I don't really feel like I have failed though, I guess I have a bit of this blog to help..and I have a little book with some basic ideas which I add to every now and then, so it may happen at some point...when I'm back in Oxford and trapped indoors and have flushed my mobile down the toilet and broken my wifi thingmyjig. I don't have the intention to write for publishing...unless I magically find that it works well, but more to have an outlet for creative energy. I think even the most sciency of people need to be a bit creative every now and then, especially when they're not feeling on top of the world as it's a good use of negative energy too...I think anyway, from all the thinking and talking I've done with people...I know that any arty silly project I've done has always made me feel more satisfied and wholesome anyway. There are more things I'd like to write about this, but due to my potential open audience I think I'll stop there.
Today, I left for work really late because it was raining. It's just no fun cycling in your new trousers and stilleto boots on your bike in the rain for 10 minutes when you could wait a little longer as you know you worked late last night and will stay late anyway. So, I left a little late and got in a little late, but had a good day at work again, Yesterday was a good work day. At the end of the day my work colleague, Rebecca, gave me a lift home and we had a fun chat on the way. I then went to meet Michelle (do you lot mind being mentioned randomly in my blog...perhaps I should be checking in advance...or making up names for you, or maybe I have done...) in Brunswick...we were both dissapointed with the general coldness (coming from two places that know cold...well, know the difference between hot and cold anyway) and were very keen to find a place with a fire...the Vegie bar ended up doing an OK job, the food in there was allreet, it was XXXtremely packed and we had to wait a while, it's a surprisingly large venue and clearly very popular. Michelle's curry was a bit too spicy, in a too spicy way, hiding the flavour, my stir fry was kinda OK, but the tofu was a bit too un-stir fried (no pre-fry) and well it wasn't how I'd expect a stir-fry to appear. After that we tried out another inviting red-look venue, The Black Pearl. Nice place...lots of snogging couples on sofas, but relatively high scoring clientele and relaxed atmosphere, like it! Now to bed....damn without finishing those Whitsunday pictures completely...
Showing posts with label Brunswick street. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brunswick street. Show all posts
Thursday, 10 June 2010
Sunday, 14 March 2010
End of week 2
Am starting now already to lose the will to live with this thing...but as most of you know I can moider till the cows come home about all sorts of inane subjects...so I'll continue to give it a go and you can switch off when it gets boring. I could make stuff up, this week hasn't felt too crazily exciting, so maybe I should..hmm.
Monday...I had the day off and milled around at home, not doing much because the weather was just no fun. When it rains here it's more wettening than it seems in the UK somehow and then because the city is so big, everything seems so very far away if you want to leave the house...so, easier to stay put. I played around with talking to people on Skype and that sort of thing, read books considered booking sky dives for my trip to Auckland in a few weeks...bothered to actually make myself food in the evening, well done me.
On Tuesday was getting itchy to get a haircut (maybe I wish I'd been a bit more patient now...), so after work caught the tram home and had to walk the bike back as I forgot to bring my helmet back from work, annoyingly...it's law to wear cycle helmets here and I'm not risking any run ins with the police or any of the other police-type figures having seen how scary they seem about. Anyway, so wandered the streets a bit late in the end as had to get home and then get tram out again, so window shopping only and no hairdressers open, so called Kate and she drove out to meet me and we went to a cool little cocktail place with velvet chairs and the like, called The Alchemist Bar, 361 Brunswick street, it also did some lovely tapas as well (you will probably find I am somewhat Brunswick street obsessed...for those from Oxford, I like to think of it as a bigger more elaborate and much more fun version of the Cowley road...). After that we also went looking for Churros at some of the Spanish places on Johnson street, but sadly, they were all closed as we were a bit late...but were recommended to go to San Churro, 277b Brunswick street. It's a chaing, but tasty stuff...although I think we got the later end of the batter and it could have been a bit fresher...nevertheless it was gorgeous tasty stuff. That evening I caught the tram home which was fine, it was a bit dark and quiet along my street, but that just seems to be the way it is!
Had a meeting with my boss today about copy editing a book the team are working on, quite excited to be involved in that, should be an interesting way to learn more about the topic area of 'Consumers and Communications' as well! Also persuaded three work colleagues to take up belly dancing at lunchtimes come the end of April! He he! And Pilates and Yoga to start at lunchtimes next week with Di too. Smart! Also going to do Kick Boxing on Monday evenings...this way I will force myself to get fit and do exercise...feeling quite generally Jess-anxious at the moment still...I guess this is a big thing I'm doing, but I'm still telling myself it's not and getting cross with myself for not being more dynamic and less clumsy and ermee and erreee, grrr! Worked quite late this evening and didn't do much in the evening.
On Thursday, actually signed up for the exercise classes, rather than talking about doing so...was worried the classes would get booked up by all the students. Went for lunch with Megan, the person who I'm covering the job of, and Rebecca who works in the office too, we ate at 'Pings' on the La Trobe campus, in the sunshine. The University is soooo packed, it's absolutely buzzing with students, Rebecca assured me that in a few weeks once a few have dropped out and a few have started skipping lectures it will seem a lot more empty! In the evening, Di, from work, dropped her futon round, so I now sleep off the floor, woo hoo! She's been incredibly generous and I gave her some of the amazing wine chocolate I've discovered here as a thank you. After she left I rearranged ALLLL my stuff in my room, which didn't take very long. I received my Tax file reference number in the post today, so that took two weeks to come through, have let People and Culture (aka HR) know so I don't get over taxed - they give you 30 days to get a tax file number and after that start charging you somet like 45% or something tax, so glad to have that sorted...also it seems my bank cards and pin may have been sent to the University but to a very generic address...so the post room won't be able to find me...need to sort that...
On Friday, I was annoyingly clumsy and broke a full glass of water in front of my boss and a person who had come to visit us to talk about our grant application for the next three years. Embarrassing. Then I had to leave the meeting early too, see what I mean about not feeling very dynamic? Went to the hairdressers after work - the 86 tram conveniently goes all the way from La Trobe and turns right on to Gertrude street, right next to the hairdressers, Biba, that I booked. It took 3.5 hours to cut and colour it and I didn't quite get what I wanted, and it cost shed loads...they did offer me wine in the middle of it all, but I was so bemused and uncertain as to whether I would have to pay for it that I said no...quite annoyed with myself for that too. I was a bit frustrated that I was having my hair cut by Brit expats...which I only realised after a while as their accents had altered in the time they were here...is this a form of racism? I don't know, but I wanted to have my hair cut by an Australian...maybe a Korean would have been OK too...but not a bloomin' Brit, I could have got it done at home, and they're similarly annoyingly cut it how they want to cut it clearly, rather than how you want it...and impatient as I list all the ways in which I want it to look (not how you did it by the way young lady!). Humph. So I'm getting used to the hair and it's fine, but it's very old school Jennifer Aniston and pfff. The irony of the Brit in Melbourne being annoyed that there's another Brit there too, doing a job, just as she is...Kate met me and told me to stop scowling and we went to 'Tandoori Times', 199 Gertrude street. The staff were friendly, there was a massive party in there when we arrived, but I wasn't very impressed with the food. The hotness of the curries was slightly painful rather than done well, I don't know. I think Kate was a bigger fan as she was keener to get blasted by hot chillies. But yep, I'm not sure it was good...I do remember hearing someone say it's pretty difficult to get a good curry in Australia...nothing like Qumins on St Clements, Oxford....then we went over to a bar on Smith Street called The Panama dining room, it's a late bar (http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/09/18/1158431620358.html) Nice place, there's a venue on the lower floor too, both worth checking out and decorations are really cool.
Saturday, had a good lie in, then got up and ready for Brunswick street shopping, loved it, some of the shops worth checking out are Kinki gerlinki - got my amazing new bag from there, also Mazi Boutique, 148 Bridge Road AND on Brunswick street too - on the receipt it says 'Your gorgeous purchases today are...which is quite cool too...I will be going there again. Also discovered magical ice cream place right next to the tram stop...called Trampoline, flavours that jump in to your mouth...lovely ice creamagery, fab stuff...another one to add to the 'show your visitors'! In the evening I simply brought my stuff home and tried it all on and that was about it...
I'm really not doing much drinking since being here, weird, I'm sure my Mother and Father will be pleased to hear that! Now probably for another week, farewell...next weekened to Auckland for a work conference...with two days added on..got a gross O'clock in the morning flight at like 6am to get there on the Friday - I'll be awake at normal British times!
Jexx
Monday...I had the day off and milled around at home, not doing much because the weather was just no fun. When it rains here it's more wettening than it seems in the UK somehow and then because the city is so big, everything seems so very far away if you want to leave the house...so, easier to stay put. I played around with talking to people on Skype and that sort of thing, read books considered booking sky dives for my trip to Auckland in a few weeks...bothered to actually make myself food in the evening, well done me.
On Tuesday was getting itchy to get a haircut (maybe I wish I'd been a bit more patient now...), so after work caught the tram home and had to walk the bike back as I forgot to bring my helmet back from work, annoyingly...it's law to wear cycle helmets here and I'm not risking any run ins with the police or any of the other police-type figures having seen how scary they seem about. Anyway, so wandered the streets a bit late in the end as had to get home and then get tram out again, so window shopping only and no hairdressers open, so called Kate and she drove out to meet me and we went to a cool little cocktail place with velvet chairs and the like, called The Alchemist Bar, 361 Brunswick street, it also did some lovely tapas as well (you will probably find I am somewhat Brunswick street obsessed...for those from Oxford, I like to think of it as a bigger more elaborate and much more fun version of the Cowley road...). After that we also went looking for Churros at some of the Spanish places on Johnson street, but sadly, they were all closed as we were a bit late...but were recommended to go to San Churro, 277b Brunswick street. It's a chaing, but tasty stuff...although I think we got the later end of the batter and it could have been a bit fresher...nevertheless it was gorgeous tasty stuff. That evening I caught the tram home which was fine, it was a bit dark and quiet along my street, but that just seems to be the way it is!
Had a meeting with my boss today about copy editing a book the team are working on, quite excited to be involved in that, should be an interesting way to learn more about the topic area of 'Consumers and Communications' as well! Also persuaded three work colleagues to take up belly dancing at lunchtimes come the end of April! He he! And Pilates and Yoga to start at lunchtimes next week with Di too. Smart! Also going to do Kick Boxing on Monday evenings...this way I will force myself to get fit and do exercise...feeling quite generally Jess-anxious at the moment still...I guess this is a big thing I'm doing, but I'm still telling myself it's not and getting cross with myself for not being more dynamic and less clumsy and ermee and erreee, grrr! Worked quite late this evening and didn't do much in the evening.
On Thursday, actually signed up for the exercise classes, rather than talking about doing so...was worried the classes would get booked up by all the students. Went for lunch with Megan, the person who I'm covering the job of, and Rebecca who works in the office too, we ate at 'Pings' on the La Trobe campus, in the sunshine. The University is soooo packed, it's absolutely buzzing with students, Rebecca assured me that in a few weeks once a few have dropped out and a few have started skipping lectures it will seem a lot more empty! In the evening, Di, from work, dropped her futon round, so I now sleep off the floor, woo hoo! She's been incredibly generous and I gave her some of the amazing wine chocolate I've discovered here as a thank you. After she left I rearranged ALLLL my stuff in my room, which didn't take very long. I received my Tax file reference number in the post today, so that took two weeks to come through, have let People and Culture (aka HR) know so I don't get over taxed - they give you 30 days to get a tax file number and after that start charging you somet like 45% or something tax, so glad to have that sorted...also it seems my bank cards and pin may have been sent to the University but to a very generic address...so the post room won't be able to find me...need to sort that...
On Friday, I was annoyingly clumsy and broke a full glass of water in front of my boss and a person who had come to visit us to talk about our grant application for the next three years. Embarrassing. Then I had to leave the meeting early too, see what I mean about not feeling very dynamic? Went to the hairdressers after work - the 86 tram conveniently goes all the way from La Trobe and turns right on to Gertrude street, right next to the hairdressers, Biba, that I booked. It took 3.5 hours to cut and colour it and I didn't quite get what I wanted, and it cost shed loads...they did offer me wine in the middle of it all, but I was so bemused and uncertain as to whether I would have to pay for it that I said no...quite annoyed with myself for that too. I was a bit frustrated that I was having my hair cut by Brit expats...which I only realised after a while as their accents had altered in the time they were here...is this a form of racism? I don't know, but I wanted to have my hair cut by an Australian...maybe a Korean would have been OK too...but not a bloomin' Brit, I could have got it done at home, and they're similarly annoyingly cut it how they want to cut it clearly, rather than how you want it...and impatient as I list all the ways in which I want it to look (not how you did it by the way young lady!). Humph. So I'm getting used to the hair and it's fine, but it's very old school Jennifer Aniston and pfff. The irony of the Brit in Melbourne being annoyed that there's another Brit there too, doing a job, just as she is...Kate met me and told me to stop scowling and we went to 'Tandoori Times', 199 Gertrude street. The staff were friendly, there was a massive party in there when we arrived, but I wasn't very impressed with the food. The hotness of the curries was slightly painful rather than done well, I don't know. I think Kate was a bigger fan as she was keener to get blasted by hot chillies. But yep, I'm not sure it was good...I do remember hearing someone say it's pretty difficult to get a good curry in Australia...nothing like Qumins on St Clements, Oxford....then we went over to a bar on Smith Street called The Panama dining room, it's a late bar (http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/09/18/1158431620358.html) Nice place, there's a venue on the lower floor too, both worth checking out and decorations are really cool.
Saturday, had a good lie in, then got up and ready for Brunswick street shopping, loved it, some of the shops worth checking out are Kinki gerlinki - got my amazing new bag from there, also Mazi Boutique, 148 Bridge Road AND on Brunswick street too - on the receipt it says 'Your gorgeous purchases today are...which is quite cool too...I will be going there again. Also discovered magical ice cream place right next to the tram stop...called Trampoline, flavours that jump in to your mouth...lovely ice creamagery, fab stuff...another one to add to the 'show your visitors'! In the evening I simply brought my stuff home and tried it all on and that was about it...
I'm really not doing much drinking since being here, weird, I'm sure my Mother and Father will be pleased to hear that! Now probably for another week, farewell...next weekened to Auckland for a work conference...with two days added on..got a gross O'clock in the morning flight at like 6am to get there on the Friday - I'll be awake at normal British times!
Jexx
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