When we left off last I was really struggling with life in London, I am happy to report that even though things here are not easy, I am fairly happy!
The job I started back in September is great, fairly easy work, flexible managers and great staff! I have made some really good friends here which has made all the difference in my overall experience. As with everywhere you go, it is the people you spend your time with that make the journey worthwhile.
Maria is the person I am definately most close with here, she comes from Spain and is an actress who would quite literally kill someone for a role opposite Bradley Cooper!! She is an absolute sweetheart and I don't think she realises how hilariously funny she is. We spend most of our time outside of work together and it is nice to have someone to talk to, rely on and have fun with. Especially since Jonathon, my housemate, left early September to try his hand at a new career path back in Spain. He was my rock from the day I arrived and I miss him daily but know he is happier where he is.
Maria and Bradley :)
Jonathon and I at his farewell
I am still going through proceedings to get my money back from my previous landlord. I have seen a solicitor and he issued them with an official letter giving them 14 days to pay up or expect to go through court proceedings. They have ignored the warning so the next step is small claims court, which I have to go through without representation. My solicitor will help get details ready but cannot go with me to court.
My friend from Berlin, Schenja, came to London through an agency and worked at a bank for a few months so it was nice to have another friend to hang out with outside of work colleagues. Her sister Anastasia also visited twice during that time and we had a ball catching up. There was a bit of a language barrier, but generally we figured out what each other was saying!! Lets just say Anastasia's English teacher was very suprised when she returned and told her a couple of phrases we had taught her :)
One weekend whilst both sisters were in town, Maria, myself and the girls went out for dinner and to the musical Rock of Ages. It was fantastic!! I was suprised at how funny it was. Maria had seen it before but took great amusement in watching me nearly wet myself with laughter at some points during the show.
Over the Christmas period Winter Wonderland opens at Hyde Park, it is a Winter themed fair with food stalls, ice skating, carnival games, rides and most importantly hot cider and mulled wine!! I have realised now that no matter how old I get I am always going to be a kid at heart and the best way to bring that out in me is to take me some place where there are amusement rides!!!!! Both times I went to Winter Wonderland there was at least one other person with me in the same mindset and we would half run around squealing and giggling, "I want to go on that one,.... and that one......and that one"!!
Alec & Maria @ Winter Wonderland
Maria, me and Alec @ Winter Wonderland
Work crew! Alec, James, Maria, Ben & Me
My first visit was my favourite with a bunch of us from work heading out we danced and had some hot cider and another of my favourites from work, Gerry, and I went on several rides and decided they are the best form of stress relief to date! Gerry is from the Philippines, he is such a lovely guy with a great sense of humour and a child at heart too. He also looks a little like PSY that sings "Gangnum Style", so every time that song comes on (which is a lot!) we make a big deal of it and try to convince passers by he is famous :)
Gerry
As I am sure you all know, according to the Mayan calendar the world was supposed to end on December 21st 2012. This was the only excuse we needed to get together for a drink so a group of 11 or so of us headed to Sth London to a pub we had heard was a really great place to chill. I also invited my friend Mike who I met in Canada but who is now living with his dad for a year in a country town called Bradford, which is about a 2 hour train ride from London.
We had such a great time, good laughs! Searching for another stupid calendar that says we are all going to die soon so I can arrange another get together!
End of the world crew x
Maria, Kalim, Gerry, me and Mike "The Unibomber"
It is starting to become a yearly pattern now, hence the reason I don't particularly like Christmas, but on the 13th December the world lost another beautiful soul. I met Kathleen in South Africa, she was a very good friend of the person I was staying with, they had known each other for yrs. We just seemed to click right away, she told me she wanted to adopt me.
We were planning on going scuba diving together. Kathleen passed at age 50 in her sleep. I am sad we will not have a chance to continue our friendship and bond but I am blessed to have known her for the short time I did. She will be missed.
Kathleen x
Kathleen & me taking stupid selfies
Christmas itself could have been very very lame.... London tends to shut down over Christmas Day and Boxing Day there is no public transport. Maria and I wanted to spend it together but getting away was too expensive and seeing we are on opposite sides of the city we were screwed. I though I was going to spend the 2 days shut up in my room, however a couple of days before I happened to run into a friend of mine Kalim, who lives around the corner from me and he invited me over to spend Christmas with him and his other housemates. He loves entertaining and cooked an amazing lunch for us and we all had way too much wine and a lot of dancing and fun. I am very appreciative to him for including me.
Kalim & I
Over the past few months I have decided it is time to start dating again, well if you can call it again, I have only ever been on a date with one person before! Either way it is time to stop hoping for things that are long gone and focus on what may be in store for me.
It hasn't really gone so well so far lol!!
Went on one date with an Irish guy, went really well had great fun, then found out he had a girlfriend and gave me a fake name.....FAIL
Went on a date with a french guy who sounded really good in theory, but not so much in reality. Found myself doing "The Cobra" to avoid his kiss at the end of the date......FAIL
I have met an interesting person recently though that I think is going to be a very good friend to me. Sometimes you just know that you are not only going to learn things from someone, but they are going to learn things from you too.
Funny what you find in places you never would have looked!
Being very introspective these days and it is nice to have someone else to analyse, appreciate and direct you when sometimes you just need to hear things from someone else's point of view.
The weather, everyone wants to talk about the weather right?!
Its cold. Its wet. Its depressing. Its London. Discussion over. Could do with some Vitamin D!!
Well tomorrow is New Years Eve and looking back on this year I have had some of the best times in my life as well as some of the most trying times. Looking forward to the next challenges. Bring on 2013!!
Much love
Yvette xxx
PS. Always be yourself, unless you can be a unicorn, then be a unicorn!!!
