Monday 8 December 2008

Major Update

Had a few weeks off, but I'm back to provide you with you my updates you are longing to read. Hope you have a long lunch break today cos its a bit of a long post :P



Nanowrimo came and went pretty fast. My effort died in the last couple of weeks as I had full on weekends and lots of social things happening and got so far behind that the end goal was unfortunatly too far away. So i've said im going to just be glad I got to 38, 700 words and continue writing at my own pace and still get it out there just with slightly more quality and not writing awful dialogue when half asleep at 11:30 at night. I have also gone and found a writing group which is based near clapham (SW1/ south london) and went along to a meeting on the 3rd Dec to meet the group and see what they're about. It was their xmas party and the last meeting of the year so it was fairly casual and had wine and mince pies. A few people had bought a book along and some had a story or poem off the internet and they all just read their favorite passages out. It was interesting just to hear a range of different writing styles and something different you wouldnt normally read. Some of the people there have written a few novels, short stories, poems and all sorts so Im excited to be among like minded experienced people who I can learn from. Ill be joining in the new year.



The next exciting thing that happened was going to Cambridge University on the 24th November for an event at Queens College. The university is broken up into colleges (like departments or schools) and which houses the metal/engineering/sciences disciplines. Since we are a steel company, and it was a steel event thats why we held it there. It was for the endowment of a metallurgy professor by our company, and we also used it for a recruitment event. We had drinks/buffet dinner and the CEO and top executives came along, made a speech, and just drinking and talking. We had the help of a professional events agency who are really good. We went up at 3pm and set up. I was on registration all night but we were allowed a dinner break then pack up and leave about 10:30.

The old hall, that we were in, was a gorgeous highly decorated room with wood panel floor, big open fire about 6foot high,with latin(?) writing all around the top of the walls like a freize. Every inch of the walls and ceiling were decorated and you didnt know where to look. The college itself is really old and elegant with wooden beams appearing through ceilings and little court yards and worn stone steps. lovely town.



The next thing on my calendar was going xmas shopping on the 28th Nov with a friend from work down the busy oxford st... it was not that busy yet so we could actually move down the street, but it was still chaos. Went to a few stores and got nearly all my xmas shopping done (not that i had that much to do) then we went to yo sushi Its the place where you sit down, grab bowls of food off the conveyer belt as it goes past, then just pay for what you eat at the end. its great.



The next day on the 29th I did the rest of my xmas shopping and spent the afternoon wandering around central london.. went to charing cross station and crossed the road to trafalgar square and took some photos with all the other tourists taking photos. It was a neat moment to be standing there and see the london eye and big ben behind nelsons column while standing in trafalgar square. Its moments like that you relish cos you really realise your in London and how fantastic it is.

Then I walked to covent garden which was really busy. watched a street busker whos act was getting a 6 year old to throw knives up to him while he was standing on a high stool. then he balanced on a roller on a skateboard on the stool and caught the knives again from the kid. then he jumped off and got two guys to wrap him in 30metres of chain and padlock it then he declared he would dislocate his shoulder to get out in under 60seconds. While the crowd looked away and cringed, he did it! Was a good entertainer aswell.



That night it was a friends birthday so our group all headed up to 'The Black Lion' pub in Kilburn where we talked and drank away till the pub closed.. we didnt arrive till 10 but we had a good few hours there. Last ones to leave and only realised it was time to go when the pub manager walked around shouting for everyone to get out..

We walked across the road to a club called 'The good ship' where we danced till 4am! havn't stayed out that late in a few years im sure :P time goes fast when your having fun with friends.



My dept went out for lunch on the 4th dec for a colleagues birthday. It was at Sarenas, a real italian restaurant hidden in the basement of an office building but just a nice quick walk away on the other side of the river from us. The restaurant was dressed in italian tablecloths, photos of italy, big italian waitors speaking italian who were all continually yelling across the restaurant in italian! It was a buzzing, noisy, fantastic atmosphere with really good food aswell.



So that was November. My 7th month in the UK. wow. I'm really enjoying it now im over the 6 month hurdle and have got into the groove of life and starting to really appreciate the city for all it is and has. The winter with ice and snow (hopefully) just makes it a bit more exciting.

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