One way to the UK?

Thursday work was as usual, and Ash was also arriving back from North England sometime in the afternoon! I went to the RSPCA East London Branch meeting, from 7:00pm and left at 9:00pm (LONG TIME) and the meeting was still going so I had to excuse myself! Anyway, the branch seems to be doing quite a lot however as it doesn’t have it’s own shelter that is a main issue of concern as there are so many homeless animals without a place to be taken. One of the discussions at the meeting was colaborating with the Borough Council to use their kennels and cattery which will be a good help! I told them of the relationship between the Alice Council and RSPCA and how it works well. Apparently the Branch has a lot of money, lots left in one bequest but no one really wants to spend it on a shelter… search me why not! They want to use it for more useful things I think… I had little disagreements in my head as to some of their things suggested/done, and one I did mention was on the fact that pitbulls are banned over here, considered a very dangerous dog and recently a guy got a huge fine and 3 months jail I think for breeding a litter! I was like hmm it’s in the genetics of individual dogs and how they’re brought up, there is no such thing as a vicious breed that can be tagged to every dog of that breed… heck you can make any dog vicious! The only thing I’ve ever been bitten by is a chihuahua! Ohh well, it’s an English Law – what will be next? Apparently dog fighting is big in the (dodgy) East End where I live so that’s one thing they’re trying to crack down on, as well as trapping feral cats and promoting neutering/spaying of dogs. Nearly every dog I’ve seen on my side of town is Male too – and we think it has something to do with the high % of mostly muslim owners, who get rid of pets when they’re older etc. Need to target the mosques is what everyone at the meeting said… good luck (I wonder what they do in Sydney…).

Anyway the meeting was interesting and I’m going to be doing a microchipping course thing, as well as one on home visits in the near future!

Tuesday was normal work, but Mara scored free tickets to see The Complete Abbreviated works of William Shakespeare – 37 plays in 39 minutes (probably got title wrong!). Cath who I work with has wanted to see it for ages, so I asked Mara to get two extra tickets and it all happened, so after work Cath and I went into Leicester Square and met up with Mara and Rob (Cath’s mate and also one of the improv performers) and we set off to get our tickets… first girl at theatre was crap and wanted printed evidence we had been given gratis tickets, so off to find net cafe, print the emails, and then back to theatre where second girl was really nice and had our bloody names down for tickets anyway! We grabbed a quick dinner at an American Diner (haha) and then went to see the show. On entering the Theatre, the usher was like oh no, yours are the double booked seats! Bloody front staff girls! Anyway he asked us to wait, and thanks to Rob’s asking we all got a free drink! The usher then seated us, in the very back row on the bench seats but lucky the Theatre was designed well and we could see everything! The show was hilarious, and everyone was constantly laughing, and joining in etc so that was a fun night out despite the hassles to begin with!

Wednesday was MARA’s 22ND BIRTHDAY! So we went into Leicester Square again and Sarah met us there and had some news of her own – her and Mike are engaged! That was great news to hear! We ended up celebrating Mara’s birthday at a Mexican place called something like Chiquitos and it was so great! With really good food and nice atmosphere, and a happy hour that finished at 8pm, and us getting there at half seven and having to wait 40 minutes for a table, took advantage of the happy hour with 2 glasses of cocktail each, and one big jug to share! I think we left there at about 10:30 or so, after a great night with some really nice fajitas and cocktails and two huge desserts shared between us, and a nice waited too!

The return flight to London on Monday night was about as eventful as trying to get out of London on the Friday! We went to see the Duomo Monday morning then had lunch, and a quick sunbake and then took the train to Bergamo. Mind you, the line to get tickets was well long, so we decided to use the self-ticketing machine which gave minimal change, so firstly Mara had to make a purchase from a gift-shop in the train station to get change, and then we got our tickets, and then rushed to the train which departed about 7 minutes after we boarded! All was going okay except the no airconditioning!!! Man, talk about sweating it out! Umm things got a little funny too when the ticket lady was coming and I noticed, a little bit panicky, that everyone (and I mean everyone) else in the carriage had big long tickets (like a plane’s) and Mara and I had these little postage-stamp sized ones… hmm she took my ticket, inspected it then rambled off in Italian! I shrugged my shoulders and said I don’t understand what you are saying (nice and slow like) and she paused and then managed ‘yellow box’. I was like sorry! DIdn’t see a yellow box, and the gates to the platform were all already open, and there was no sign on the ticket machine! Anyway, she took our tickets and wrote something on them, and punched a hole in them… lucky they were date-stamped from the machine so she could tell we had just bought them – but I mean what was she going to do? Chuck us off the moving train? It didn’t stop at any platforms really! Hmm yeah, waiting at Milano airport was crap! Bad airport to be stuck at, in the departure area there’s one cafe and a huge line of hungry people! The Ryan Air 7pm flight had been delayed until about 1130, and our 10pm flight was ontime… and then got delayed (right on ‘boardind time’ for 30 minutes. Finally at half ten we all went to board, and the stampede began!!! Also joining our stampede were pissed off people from the 7pm flight, determined that they should be getting on our flight because they’ve been waiting longer, and a whole host of other reasons were thrown at the hosties. Anyway, don’t know why all the pushing to get out first cuz once they check your ticket at Bergamo, you then all hop on a bus to drive to the plane, so actually the people last on the bus are the first off at the place… uhh well!

Got home just before midnight, last Stanstead Express left at midnight so we took bus to Liverpool Street, and cuz last tubes had already ran, we then caught night bus to Roman Road and walked the three blocks down Grove Road to arrive home at about 1:15am! What an adventure – we’d rather not have to repeat!

Well time flies when you’re busy actually doing work!!! Some days feels like I’m back at ASH – no just kidding, it’s still like being on a holiday whilst at work here.

Hmm so to continue from my previous posting… Whilst in Italy the usual predictable thing happened, in that the guys seem to think they are blessed with great looks and suave charm or that the girls there are all wearing wine-goggles or seeking an italian stallion to sweep them off their feet! NOT QUITE!

After our nice dinner, where I had the huge plate of muscles and the waiter was cute, we were walking back to Hotel Bernina and these guys were sort of following us saying stuff in our direction, and then they walked in front of us and Mara was like ‘oh good, i thought they were following us for a while’ and I was like ‘well at least they’re not yelling things too badly at us, like I could imagine in Egypt from what Ashley said they can be pretty full on’. So we cross a road, then the guys fall back behind us and start commenting again, and then finally they bring out the english ‘oh verry beautiful you arre’ or something like that, and so I was like ‘oi I can understand that one’ and the guys took that as in invite to walk next to us and have a good chat. hahaha. Found out they’re both Egyptian haha. Umm anyway after chatting about what we’re all doing in Milano and telling the guy that Australia is great, and that we’re not staying in Milan long and that yes we both have boyfriends and no we can’t remember out hotel’s name… the fella I was talking to asks ‘can i have yourra telephone numberr?’ to which I laughed and said no, so then he said ‘ohh okaya, well can I have yourra email then?’ to which again I laughed and said maybe not, I don’t think that would do anyone any good. And he was like ‘ohh, okay then, but you arre verry verry beautiful and yourra eyes are so nice’. ahahha keep trying matey! So finally at the next set of lights, I stopped and was like ‘Mara, this is our street’ and then we lost them thankfully (getting annoying!) and lost ourselves too hahaha. It took us a while to get back to our Hotel but it was a nice walk through central-ish Milano all the same!

Umm in Lake Como the weather was so nice and there were people everywhere! Mara and I found a nice patch on the very green grass to do some sunbaking – mind you we were clothed, not even in bathers! and I saw this oldish (okay, like 40) guy standing near the water looking our way, but we lay down on the grass to chat and sunbake, and then he walks near us and lays down, propped on his side (picture some model pose!) and lights up a cigarette (ugk) and we ignored him, but everytime I looked sideways to talk to Mara he was staring right at us! So I was like arggh creepy bastardo and sat up, and then he gets up and walks over, kneels right in front of me and is like ‘what isa yourra name?’ and I said not telling. So he says again ‘what isa yourra name?’ and I said not telling, and then ‘are you amerrican?’ and I said no! Now you can leave now and did the ‘shoo fly’ action with my hand. hahaha Mara and I cracked up laughing and he walked away! We laughed for quite a while actually, I think if I had have said ‘shoo fly’ it could have worked too as he seemed to know very little english! Must try that next time a guy’s bugging us in Europe!

Sorry – I’ve been so far behind with this blog that I thought I better write something straight away whilst I can still remember some of the things that happened since last Friday!!! I’ll start from the beginning…

Friday afternoon I left work at 1500, rushed home and did a quick 1/2 clothes change (and shoes) and then Mara and I left for Liverpool St Station. We got there on the tube (eventually) and quickly grabbed our Stanstead Express tickets as there was a trian departing in 10 minutes and the next one was about 25-30 minutes later! So we rushed onto the platform, searched for some empty seats and ended up settling for just a normal double at the back of one carriage (instead of 4 seats around a table). The Stanstead Express was a bit dirtier than the one to Gatwick, but anyway! Arrived at Stanstead Airport, walked upstairs, found the Ryan Air desk and we could check in. See — we timed it perfectly to arrive just on time so that we were there the 2 hours before the flight took off and before check ins closed at 1800.

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Well, this week has been pretty good! Didn’t go to the gym nearly as much as I should have, but it was a down week. Next (clothing) had a big summer sale on today, but all the suits I liked only had sizes 14&16 left and I was tempted to wrestle this man for the suit I wanted in my size that he was holding for his girlfriend whilst she looked for more bargains… but decided no to at the last minute ;o) I also really want this long-sleeved shirt from the shop, however of course it wasn’t on sale as it must be deemed ‘winter wear’ Grrr! 

The weather was fairly clear for some periods and today is horrible again but I don’t care because at 1500 I leave for the airport and then for Milan, where it is nice and sunny and was a hot 37 degrees yesterday, with sunshine and between 22-25 predicted for today, tomorrow, sunday and monday whilst we are there :o)

Dion one of the guys at work just told me some great places to visit in Milan, including ” the best pizza” cafe near the cathedral and huge inside shopping plaza, and also Monza… where they hold the Italian F1 (and F3) races.

Big hello to Ash, who is staying in my room this weekend! Sorry I’m not there but we’ll catch up when you get back on Thursday (or is it Friday?). I’ve left the things you need on my bed for you & hopefully the room smells like freesia and apples!

Just checking the online news from home, and came across the following story, which is an outcome of a situation from some time ago in Victora…. the little kids (little shits) should not get off so lightly. Send them to the middle of the Territory I say! Isolation on a community void of any respect is what they need.

Sex assault DVD teens dodge jail 

Friday Jul 20 16:00 AEST 

By ninemsn staff 

Seven teenagers who pleaded guilty to making a DVD that showed the sexual assault of a young girl will not serve time in jail. The youths — aged between 16 and 18 years — were each charged with two counts of procuring an act of sexual penetration by intimidation, one count of making child pornography and one of assault.

 The judge today told a Children’s Court that because the teenagers had entered early guilty pleas and showed signs of remorse, he would not punish them with a period of detention when it came to sentencing. He said each defendant was ”a young person with a bright future that is sorry, and wants to get on with their life but pay for what they have done”.  

The teenagers will be assessed for an adolescent sex offenders program. None of them can be identified.

 The DVD surfaced last year at schools in the Werribee region and shows a girl with a mild learning impairment performing a sex act. The girl’s hair is also set alight in the recording.  

Four other teenagers are also facing charges over the DVD’s production.

Well just quickly, before I forget it (though that’s not likely!) last night Mara got us free tickets (thru Jasmine her boss) to go and see In Celebration! the play by David Storey, starring Orlando Bloom! But even better than that, when we got there (we didn’t realise til this morning that last night was the opening night) there were press people and cameras everywhere, and when taxis and cars pulled up at the front of the theatre’s main doors the cameras were crowding them like I’ve never seen before – it was a hectic scene! So we stood there for a minutes, then thought hmm we’ve actually got tickets, we’re not just here to gawk at people arriving and so we asked a security guard off the side what we need to do, and he was like ‘oh you need to go in the front main doors’ so as we squeezed in thru the throngs of press and people towards the main doors, security was pushing them back and some were like ‘oh oh orlando must be coming now oh oh’ and we were walking in the doors thinking oh jeez, orlando could be walking in right behind us! Before it dawned that he, being in the play, would already be inside ready to perform….. So there we are, standing there in the foyer and noticing we forgot to buy water earlier to we went to get water and a program and as we’re looking around the foyer we spot someone, pretty hot, who looks pretty familiar… in a hollywood movie kind of familiar. So after quiet discussion and noticing girls taking pics of this fella standing near us (like 1/2 a meter away) we realised that he was in fact James Franco – the guy from Spiderman (goblin or something) and from X-Men etc, etc!    What a goegeous face and smile and so close up! We were tempted to be rude and turn around after our purchases and ‘accidentally’ knock into him, but decided not to. haha. So we went upstairs to the Upper Circle (hey, the tix were free remember) and he appeared up there too (private box I bet) so even more perve time! I think seeing him was nicer than Orlando, especially as Orlando has grown a moustache for the role of Steven! Anyway, enough drool-talk. The play was really good, and I think would have been good even without Orlando as Paul Hilton was the main guy who carried the whole story.

Some reviews have appeared today, this excerpt from The Guardian:

This revival of David Storey’s 1969 drama exactly doubles the number of straight plays by living British dramatists in the West End. Even then, one assumes it owes its life largely to Orlando Bloom’s theatrical debut. It is a melancholy situation – but one can report Storey’s tough and sturdy play stands the test of time, and that Bloom should guarantee it a young audience.

 Storey’s family reunion is fraught with tension. Three sons travel up to a Yorkshire mining town to celebrate their parents’ 40th wedding anniversary, and reveal their degrees of disfigurement. Colin, a miner’s son, is now a middle-management careerist. Silently depressive Steven, a married teacher with four children, has now abandoned writing his epic social novel. But the most volatile is Andrew, who has given up the law to be an artist, and nurses a grievance over his childhood exclusion after the death of a fourth brother. 

Well it was Friday the 13th last week, and no, nothing exciting or unusual happened, quite the opposite I would say! Ali and I caught up after work and he made me dinner, again (I know, I owe someone a few) and then played the Wii which is quite odd at first because it’s such an interactive thing you can’t just sit on the couch, but after losing a few 10-pin bowling games I then proceeded to kick ass in tennis which was great as I suck at real-life tennis! So it was lots of fun, however I was left with a sore right shoulder on Saturday! The weekend was pretty packed with activities! I didn’t even have a chance to do any washing.

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Well nothing too much to report on!

Spoke to Tys last night which was cool – sorry can’t afford to phone everyone from home ;o) but I’ll send as many postcards as I can via the Royal Mail!

I finally finished the document I started working on yesterday…. so it took about 7 hours in total to complete! And I bet there’s still little things that need changing… and then once the creators and editors have had their go at it, things will need to change again! Oh well, that is mostly what I’m getting paid to do :o)

Tonight I’m going by this little butcher that I saw near the house from the bus window – apparently Brenton went and said it’s quite good but a little expensive but hey you have to expect that around here! There’s also a little show/fair on in the Mile End Park with those dodgy rides you see at the Alice Springs Show, so while they’re parked up and killing the park’s grass, I’m not sure how many people will brave the maintenance-issues and go on them! Tonight we’ve also been invited to catch up with John, a nice WA guy we met thru old housemate Carrie at a ‘local’ pub near to where we all live, so that should be good! Mara and I have seen a few pubs near us (including the Palm Tree… it is by the canal in the middle of nowhere, but always people there! bizarre) but yeah we haven’t located a nice little local yet so we’ll see how tonight goes.

Oh and by the way – the sun is just peeping out from behind the clouds! It’s predicted to have sunshine over London from 7pm continuing onwards til 4am or there abouts when the rain will begin again.