Well well well it is all downhill from here. I have started house hunting as many of you already know from the depressing emails i have sent. It is an experience, let me tell you. The first house was OK not great not anything special main draw card was the fact that the only way to get into the house was via this dodgy alleyway mmm no thanks. I have looked at a few more and they kinda go from bad to worse. Enough said about the house share situation I am sure it will work out fine it will have to.

On a different note altogether I embarrassed myself as well as my country by heading down to the local walkabout pub for Australia day it was insane. Apart from the fact that I was drinking Fosters which by the way is revolting. The band they had playing was from New Zealand so it went well. Actually it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and by the time it was so full you couldn't move we have been drinking and dancing for hours and hours.

I hope you all had a wonderful Australia Day with your warm weather and thongs and bbq's I am very jealous.

I will write more soon, thanks for the emails and comments they are very much appreciated

H

My First Days in London

Well this has been my second full day in London, yesterday I braved the bus system (which I now love) and ventured into Finchley Central to find the teaching agency office. After some slight bus issues i.e. I went to the end of line instead of getting off at the right spot I got there and was totally overwhelmed by the information that the two Emma's from the office told me. I filled in forms and took other forms and blah blah blah. Not probably the best idea when I was still majorly jetlagged. Early to bed and I mean early like 8 pm and I slept until midnight then napped until 6.30. I am getting really sick of this jetlag business. Met some nice S. African girls who are staying in my room now, they got as lost as me on the way to the hostel and there suitcases busted so at least it isn't just me who has wandered around the lovely swiss cottage in a dishevelled state and lugging a suitcase around behind me.

Today I decided to go sightseeing but wasn't really sure what I wanted to actually go and see, so I got on the trusty bus - it is way easier to work out where you are going and stopping on the bus cos you can actually get your bearings.

It finally hit me that I am now living in London, it was the theatre district, Monopoly roads and the changing of the guards that got me and I had a bit of an emotional crazy breakdown moment. This was highlighted by the fact that three people asked me for directions as if I had any idea. So I took the trusty bus system throughout London, which by the way just keeps going and going it is craziness. I couldn't be bothered going to actually go into any of the places I visited but it was amazing to see them. Carol I found and walked down Chancery Lane for us which was pretty fabulous although on a Saturday it was deserted which may have been good cos I was taking random pictures of street signs. I think I am going to splurge tonight after my day of exploring and head to the pub down the bottom of the crescent. I need a proper meal, I am just starting to get back any appetite after the plane food diet.

This is a huge post but I have so much to say. London isn't that cold although this morning when I left the hostel at 8 am it was cold. I don't think it is cold enough to snow though. The hostel I am staying at is pretty much everything it says on the website. The breakfast is OK and there is a neverending supply of toast which is nice. The free internet is fabulous , you aren't supposed to be able to use it in your room, but it works in our room. Speaking of which our room is in the basement right near the toilets/showers/laundry/kitchen/bar etc... basically a fabulous place to be. Everywhere in london is really hot inside, but in our hostel it is insane. I am sitting in the lounge at the moment in a t-shirt and I am hot. It is so great to be staying in a hostel that is in an old building. It makes me feel like I am almost in a hotel. The Swiss Cottage area is OK I have only really explored the High Street which is Finchley Rd. There are a fair few restaurants and cafes.

I am trying not to think about the money situation. I have worked out that everything in pounds is pretty much that same as it would be in dollars without converting it. For example my recent purchase of a monthly travel card was 90 pounds and at home it would cost me $90 so I'm just not thinking about converting anything.

The girls at Timeplan think they may be able to get me a long term position straight away if I want it. I asked them to look out for one for me. We will see what happens. They seem to be very excited to have me here and they even said that there may be positions in their office as well, not teaching but it may be something to think about. At the moment Emma Kate is putting me forward for two schools one called Garfield and one called Jubilee since I have no idea where they are I'm not really thinking about it yet.

I will write again tomorrow.

H

I Made it - Just

For all of those people waiting in anticipation I am just writing to say that I have made it in mostly one piece to beautiful sunny London where very suprisingly it is sunny, I know who would have thought. I will write more later about the craziness of spending over 24 hours in a plane, but I am here and now I am excited. Yeah I am off to explore see ya later.

OH MY GOD!!!!

This is it I can't believe there is only one yep that's right count them one more sleep until I leave this is insane, it is even worse considering today in our lovely home town it topped 39 degrees and I am flying into the middle of winter mmm. I can't wait.

Thanks to everyone who came to my going away it was amazing to see so many people from the different parts of my life all coming together, I hope I got around to talking to everyone in my hostess with the mostess capacity.

You will all be very happy to know that my suitcase has taken on mammoth proportions and I can't lift it or even really wheel it anywhere so I am about to spend my last night in Melbourne repacking the bloody thing.

Today I spent the last day with my besties, I love those girls and I am going to miss their understanding of me every second I am gone. The emotional breakdown has begun. Girls you know who you are, and you know that I expect care packages, gossip and never ending msn chats while I am gone.

I hope everyone has remained safe, cool and calm in the craziness of the Melbourne summer complete with storms, drought, fire, flash flooding, power outages and the absolute insanity that is Lygon St Gelati shop in the middle of the night in Summer.

I will try and update this as much as possible in the next couple of days so until then bye and I will talk/message/email to you all soon

Love H