The Mad Kiwi Blog

A Good Do - Expat Hair

2013-04-25T07:43:00.000+01:00

An Attempt to Maintain One's Dignity

Life as an expat is all good for the first six weeks, until the regrowth starts growing and people start figuring out that you are not in fact a natural blonde. Finding housing with hot running water, negotiating the bazaar to find washing powder (you'd be surprised how many different kinds of white powders are for sale) and figuring out the hard way that it is not safe to drink water from the tap may seemed to have been the most challenging tasks when attempting to make a new home in an unfamiliar city, however it is imperative to maintaining one's dignity to find a hairstylist that leaves you looking and feeling proud. Hiding behind an unwanted bouffant of hair, whose volume does not subside even in almost 100% humidity, puts a dent in one's ego.

In his poem 'If', Rudyard Kipling famously wrote "If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs...Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it". Now, I'm pretty sure he wasn't referring to the expat dilemma of where to get one's styled but he may has well have been.

Sometimes a hat is best!

Living in a new city, with initially no local contacts or friends in the know to pass on advice as to where one should go to get one's hair cut and coloured, can (and has) result in some decision making with tragic and comical outcomes. I've emerged from a salon in Tashkent, Uzbekistan looking like some 1970s disco dancer despite requesting a simple trim to my already reasonably short hair. Apparently volume and hairspray spoke louder than my broken Russian on this occasion. The hunky stylist in Sophia, Bulgaria clearly made an independent decision that I would much better suit what can only be described as 'rust coloured' hair as an alternative to my requested blonde highlights. My dear Welsh friend once suggested I let her stylist tackle the daunting task of trimming my hair. This resulted in me achieving a startling likeness to the late Princess Diana (from the early 80s, not her most trend setting period).

If an expat does manage to find that hair stylist that does have a sense of style, and some skill to match, the knowledge is like gold - not readily shared least prices rise and appointment books fill. Kirsty Rice wrote a humourous posting about the phenomenon of 'expat hair' and how western woman in far flung countries sport the same hair do. It's easier that way. No need to tempt fate or the hair gods by varying from the norm. Boring, but less humiliating. I swear they're still talking about me in Tashkent.

LONDON - I Should Be Running the London Marathon

2013-04-21T13:38:00.001+01:00

I Am Stealth Like

Given my obvious ability, as demonstrated in the recent mass pillow fight in Trafalgar Square, to sustain peak performance despite setbacks, I should be running the London Marathon 2013. I'm not though. I think cardiovascular fitness and the essential will power to turn up for any event at such an early time on a Sunday morning might just rule me out of this sport. Instead, I'm doing literally as the doctor prescribed, nothin' much.

Hallelujah, my spirit is finally lifted. The effects of the sun finally shining down today on my little patch of the world has clearly done much to warm my soul.

Unsurprisingly, more than 6 months of gloomy, grey London skies have dissolved my sunny outlook of life. All expats moving to London know, and expect, the weather in this capital city to be less than desirable. Cool to moderate temperatures are the norm. We're advised to carry a folding brolly at the bottom of our handbags in case of an off chance of rain - no matter what the season. There have been more than a few occasions when I wish I had heeded such advise rather than having to dodge between shop door ways on the high street to avoid a mid summer deluge of rain.

What I hadn't anticipated about the climate in London was the long periods of grey and darkness. In mid winter the sun comes up (well,day light appears) in London at about 8am and we are all cast into darkness by 4:30pm. During the winter, it is uncommon for me to even be outside during daylight hours - going to work and coming and home in the dark. Unlike in Australia, where most people seem to spend their leisure time engaged in activities outdoors, I find that these short hours of day light leave me wanting rather to crawl into bed with a book instead of taking a walk in the park.

Today, now mid-April and not yet summer, was a glorious day in London. The sun rose before 7am and is
will still be hanging in the sky until after 8pm. The days are growing longer and I am certain that I feel better for the increased exposure to the sunlight. Mid summer will see the sunrise at 4am and not set until approximately 11pm. It is literally brilliant to be able to walk home from the pub in the evening in broad day light!

My plans for today involved nothing more than sitting in my garden. I set up my beach chair, angled carefully to take utmost advantage of the sun's rays. I plugged in my iPhone and listened to an audiobook. I like the opportunity to do nothin' much on a day like today. Forget the crowds, forget the tourist hoards shopping on Oxford Street, I'd much rather enjoy my garden :-)

LONDON to HONG KONG

2013-04-20T11:00:00.000+01:00

Getting The Show On The Road And a Roof Over My Head

The count down has officially begun of the weeks left until I move to Hong Kong from London. Excitement and nerves have all rolled into one big swell of emotion. Preparations are now well underway to transition from one continent to the next and to transport my life to a new community. My 'stuff' is being sorted in piles for giving away, charity store, selling, discarding and finally that stuff that I want to keep and include in my shipment.

Finding out about my new community and where I'll be living as an expat usually initially consists of networking with friends and family to find out if anyone knows anyone who has lived in or visited the location. Uzbekistan = no , USA = yes visited but not worked or lived, Australia = YES. This time around thankfully two of my colleagues have lived in Hong Kong for many years. It is certainly quicker and less embarrassing to ask them my series of odd questions, perhaps trivial questions, than have to learn by mistake or remain naive to what I should expect. Sometimes it is the small stuff that can make the biggest difference to whether I enjoy a new country and lifestyle or not. Yes, apparently Hong Kong has plenty of swimming pools according to my colleagues and that it is unlikely I'll be worried too much by biting bugs.

The Day My Ceiling Fell Down

I should really write the guide book for expats entitle "Expat Guide To Not Finding Suitable Housing". I've had more than my fair share of calamitous housing experiences including a home with no heating, frozen pipes and power outages during the coldest winter in living memory in Uzbekistan. I had my actual ceiling fall down on my bed in London. Thankfully (????) I was on holiday at the time but returned home to ruination.
Without revealing my age, I can say did manage to survive, and enjoy, sharing a student apartment with 5 teenagers as far more mature aged student! I've currently been given notice that my apartment is going to be imminently pulled down. Subsidence is a major concern. As long as they wait for me to move out, that is fine. I hope to do better with finding suitable housing in Hong Kong!

Everything I have read so far about housing in Hong Kong all points to the fact that accommodation is usually very small and very expensive. Maybe my time in London has been about preparing me for this? I'm hoping for an apartment with some kind of ocean view. I'll be living in the New Territories so it seems this might be achievable. I can't wait to get there and orientate to the different regions before making any big decisions. Can you tell I am excited?

If you have information, ideas, suggestions on websites or blogs that you think I should know about, please leave a comment for me and I'll follow up. Thanks!

LONDON - Getting Around

2013-04-19T01:50:00.001+01:00

Riding Shanks Pony or the Big Red Bus

One of the inevitable hurdles I face each time I move to a new country is figuring out my transport situation. Whether it be having to sit a theory and practical driving tests to get a North Carolina license or figuring out how to give directions in Russian to an Uzbek driver, I find the whole experience rather daunting. I'm not the most confident of drivers, even in my home country and really haven't shown any propensity for mastering languages. Sorting out how to get around a new city though one of the most elementary of tasks and is essential when trying to set up a new home... and get to work!

Walking Map of London - often it is quicker to walk than transfer stations

Living in London, transportation is usually my major expense on a day out (I have a tight budget and a wee bit of an obsession with finding free stuff to do). It is possible to walk much of the city as surprisingly (despite the representation on the underground map) sites in Zone 1 are located very close to each other. However, given that it is frequently old and wet, I prefer to make use of public transport and load up an Oyster travel card. Buses are ubiquitous and offer a 'free' sightseeing tour of the city - well not exactly free but much cheaper than the tourist buses that gouge new visitors. Using the Oyster card costs almost half the price of cash tickets on the bus and there is a daily cap on how much is charged against the card. Sitting on the top deck of a double decker bus and scoring the front row seat enables a grand view. I especially enjoy nabbing this prime position for a ride through Camden Town and also down Regent's Street and Oxford Street at peak hour - checking out the hundreds of thousands of commuters from the relative calm of the bus.

Whilst the language in UK is not a major hurdle for me, (although try getting my accent to work on those darn automatic telephone answering service things is worthy of a whole other blog) the names of many of the locations in London do provide me with endless amusement and an opportunity to invent origins for my guests. No doubt if I had an interest in history, I could read about why only people called Warren can get on and off at the Warren Street tube stop.

USA - My Love Affair and I Why I Keep Returning

2013-04-17T18:28:00.000+01:00

I dream about it and if ever I was given the opportunity to move back to the USA, I would be first in line to have my passport stamped. I'm not a third culture kid. I was born and raised in New Zealand. I still have strong, firm roots there and have few doubts that this is the place I call 'home'. Seemingly against my will, and perhaps my better judgement (certainly the views of my kiwi friends and family who are still surprised more than a decade on that I am full of wanderlust), I have a very strong attachment to the country where I had once spent 1/6 of my life and the majority of my career.

Ever since I was a young kid I had a dream of visiting the USA. Everything I knew about the USA I had learning from watching television in the late 1970s and early 80s. Enamored by the flowing hair of Michael Landon in the series 'Highway to Heaven' and embedded in my memory the theme songs to 'The Littlest Hobo' and 'The Greatest American Hero", my dreams of one day making the plane journey from my tiny isolated island country of New Zealand over to the USA grew larger than life.

The Mickey Mouse Club, baseball highlights, Saved By the Bell and the Dukes of Hazzard all provide strong images from my child hood.

It wasn't until I was 17 that the opportunity for me to venture beyond Australasia came about.
Awarded a Rotary Youth Exchange Scholarship to attend high school anywhere in the world, I found myself drawn to the USA and all the promises that it offered me as a teenager - sports, travel and a graduation ceremony. Indeed, the next 12 months in Iowa, provided me with ample opportunity to bask in all three experiences. Baseball games, a high school basketball team trip to the state finals tournament, a tour of 25 states in 32 days, host family vacations to Kansas, Illinois, Montana and the Mall of America in nearby Minnesota all filled me with a sense of wanderlust to see more and do more in this magnificently ginormous and generous country.

Graduation came quickly - the milestone marked with a cap, hat, gifts and year book photos. That's something that Americans do well - do better than any other people I have met on my extensive journeys. They celebrate. Whether it be a graduation from preschool, a scoring hit in a t-ball game or joke well told, they celebrate. We're not so good at this in New Zealand. Americans are generous. Yes, loud too. But, they wear their hearts on their sleeves and you are never in doubt as to their feelings about an issue, opinion on an ice-cream flavour or how much they care about you. For those reasons, I miss my time in the USA. Six years, three different states and I feel like I left a little bit on my heart in there.

LONDON - Tea With the Queen

2013-04-14T20:30:00.000+01:00

On a hot day in June, Her Majesty; constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states, head of the 54-member Commonwealth of Nations, Supreme Governor of the Church of England and Defender of the Faith, invited me for afternoon tea in her garden.

I am still unsure as to why I received the honour of being in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II, her husband Prince Philip and their daughter in-law Sophie, but me, my mother, my extended family and some of the people I work with, were happy for me to accept the invitation.

In February that year, the New Zealand embassy had posted on their website an invitation for citizens to apply for an invitation to attend a Garden Party. I remembered the grainy photographs of my grandmother in her teal dress and hat standing next to my grandfather in a dark morning suit and top hat. In the 1970s they sold up their farm and decided that it was time to see the world. Included in their overseas experience was a spell in London. They too had applied for and been accepted to a royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. Could I be so lucky?

Arriving in my mail box several months later was a envelope addressed to me from the office of Lord Chamberlain at Buckingham Palace. Opening the heavy envelope ever so carefully to preserve the sanctity of the occasion, I could hardly contain my excitement to find out what was enclosed. I have to admit that my British colleagues hardly held the same enthusiasm as I. Bah humbug. Just months after the royal wedding of William and Katherine, it seemed at the time that I was the only person with a penchant left for everything royal.
I remember holding the invite with a quivering hand, unbelieving that little old, ordinary me was going to be having tea with the Queen!

Taking an entire day as a leave of absence from work, on the morning of the Garden Party I readied myself for the event. I had decided to go for the option of wearing national attire rather than a more formal frock. I'm not that keen on wearing dresses and so felt comfortable and formally dressed in black slacks with a pewter silk blouse and mandarin collared jacket. I wore a matching pewter hat and a diamante silver fern. I stood out from the crowd, who mostly wore dresses, but was proud to be representing my country. There were a few in far more casual clothing than I. I had at least made a best effort with the resources available to me at the time. I shall keep my amazing hat as a reminder of the occasion. I also might, one day, find a need to wear it again - some day, some where.

I arrived by taxi at the front gates of Buckingham Palace. No photographs allowed inside, I carried a small purse and my invitation only. I waited patiently near the front of the line to be let through the gates into the palace. Chatting with folks around me, I found many guests were patrons on charities or had received awards. Unremarkable me was indeed lucky to be chosen to attend the event.

At the designated time, were were ushered in through the gates and across the palace court yard. We walked through the gateways, through the palace itself and emerged out onto steps leading down into a massive lawn and garden. Bands played, a marque was erected and inside sandwiches and cakes were served, yeoman of the guard paraded through the crowds and people mingled. It was a real party atmosphere!

In the time before the Queen was to join us in her garden, I went exploring. Thankfully, I had worn flat shoes as the grass was lush and the lawns extensive. I followed the paths that meandered around the ponds. I paused to watch birds, smell flowers and soak in the atmosphere of the occasion - here I was inside Buckingham Palace as a guest!

The band played 'God Save the Queen' and she appeared, tiny, on the steps of her palace. The yeoman had divided the crowd into sections and created pathways for Elizabeth II and her husband to separate and walk among the guests. By luck, I ended up in the section where Prince Phillip walked. He stopped briefly to speak with chosen guests and offered up a range of pleasantries and jokes to the crowds. He was much taller than I had anticipated, and she much smaller.

As the afternoon sun hung in the sky, temperatures rose. Providing cool relief, the Queen had ice-cream served to guests as they lay about and enjoyed each others company on her lawn. Delightful!

London - Still Skint (Part 2)

2013-04-13T14:41:00.000+01:00

Well the 2nd week of my amazing 'freevacation' in London has been a whirl wind. A Review of my two weeks in London on a tiny budget reveals that it is possible to have the most amazing time on a minimal budget too. Not all events were exactly free but most were close to it. Yay, more money to save for my visit back home with my family in July.

This week's highlights include:

A behind the scenes tour of the play 'The War Horse'. I was able to learn how the puppets work from the actual puppeteers as well as learn about how they make those realistic movements and horse sounds. A front row seat in the theatre cost me £4.

Seeing the wonderful comedian Julian Clary when I was in the audience for the taping of Loose Woman (free).

a free upgrade of my back row £25 tickets to a preview performance of the West End musical 'Once' to Stall seating :-) and a glass of wine of stage with the performers (not free but I did get a souvenir cup)

Participating in what must be the world's biggest pillow fight in Trafalgar Square

CELEBRATING Record 5,000 Page Views This Month!

2013-04-12T00:43:00.002+01:00

My motivation to continue sharing my experiences as an expat New Zealander, now living in London, comes from knowing that you are entertained by my mad cap adventures. Wow, and this week I'm celebrating a PB record of 5,000 page views this month on the www.themadkiwi.blogspot.com blog.

I started blogging on this site in 2005 as a means of sharing my travel experiences with friends and family. Since then I've certainly clocked up a few air miles, as well as making new friends. My travels have taken me to live in the USA, Uzbekistan, UK, Australia and New Zealand. I've visited more than 50 countries and come July 2013, I'll be moving to Hong Kong.

This world really is a small place and I hope to continue writing about my experiences as an expat living abroad.

Recent popular hits on this site include:

My description of experiencing an earthquake in Tashkent, Uzbekistan

A trip to Brighton Beach, England

A day in Portsmouth, England

Events of weekend of the Royal Jubilee, England

My rugby pilgrimage , Cardiff

Mudlarking in the River Thames, London

Keep visiting the blog. I'll keep posting and maybe sometime, somewhere we'll cross paths :-)

Jane, the Mad Kiwi

LONDON: War Horse: Inside the Horse

2013-04-10T15:51:00.000+01:00

The skilled puppeteers from the West End theatre production of The War Horse make the horse puppets come alive. Going to the presentation 'Inside the Horse' was the hands down highlight of my two week holiday in London. For just £4, I was able to secure a front row tickets to this rare event and special event. Mesmerized by the puppet horses when I saw the theatre production of War Horse last month, I was intrigued to find out how they function and what skills are need to animate them.

Audience members were invited up on stage to be guided through the process of bringing life to inanimate objects. The research behind the decision making processes about how the horses should move was also explained. We were shown the different gaits of the horse and the numerical pattern that is memorised to enable the coordinated movement of each of the legs of the horse. The most entertaining and light -hearted moments were when the audience members combined to make the 5 noises of the horse! Quite a noise.

The whole presentation was approximately 50 minutes and the audience was encouraged to take photographs! Quite unique for a West End theatre setting.

War Horse: Inside the Horse

The World's Shortest Autobiography - The Rest of the Story

2013-04-08T19:28:00.002+01:00

Eight years ago, when I first started blogging my random experiences as a bewildered expat New Zealander living in a southern state of the USA, I attempted to write the world's most superlative and shortest autobiography. As any expat who has been abroad a while will probably relate to, it isn't that easy to summarise one's entire experience of living in another country and culture within the given time span of our nearest and dearest family members' attention span. Try this:

Rules For Writing the World's Shortest Autobiography

Use exactly 20 words to write your autobiography.
Pick a time period that you are writing about - be it a calendar year, a specific vacation period or the duration of time spent living in a specific location.
Post your autobiography.

The process of choosing your words is part of the fun and challenge. How would you sum up your experiences?

The Mad Kiwi's Autobiography of Living in London 2010-2013

Squirrels, West End theatre, sausages and cider

Double decker buses, black cabs, Underground,

snow, landlords, Crowds,

Rugby, Olympics, the Queen

LONDON - Pillow Fight Day

2013-04-06T17:26:00.002+01:00

It was all feathers, fun and foes in Trafalgar Square today. Armed with only a pillow, but imbued in the art of pillow warfare, I joined thousands of other combatants to participate in the 2013 World Pillow Fight Day.
Crazy pillow fights are taking place today all around the world. Trafalgar Square was packed with visitors and a party spirit prevailed... and the sun shone! An Awesome 360 photo of the pillow fight

Only 2 rules govern the event
1. Don't hit people with cameras
2. Only hit people who have pillows

We all waited patiently until the 3pm start time and which point the mayhem ensued. Pummeled from all directions, no one held back from letting them pillow fly. Friends hit friends, strangers hit their friends! It was all for one and one for all. My initial timid pillow whacking style soon escalated to something more fierce as I gave back as good as I was receiving! Once pillow cases began to fray and seams split, clouds of feathers filled the air above Trafalgar Square. Despite suffocating the pillow fighters with debris, the action continude. Daring to rest for a moment to catch one's breath only resulted in undefended barrages of pillows against the head. Respite came only by inching oneself to the edges of the crowd. From there, finally I had a vantage point to take in a vista of this mad event.

Pillow Fight in Trafalgar Square, London

Now, from the comfort and safety of my own home, I can definitely say it was well worth the sacrifice of a pillow to participate in this mass event. Despite nursing a headache from repeated blows to my head, I would love to participate in it again - perhaps another city during my travel adventures.

LONDON - FREE STUFF - Action! Being in a TV Studio Audience

2013-04-05T16:32:00.001+01:00

Lights, camera, action! So many British TV shows are filmed right here in London. There are studios dotted all over the city. Today, I ventured out to the ITV studios on the South bank of the River Thames to participate in as a studio audience member for a midday chat show called Loose Woman. Occasionally when I come home during my lunch break, I flick on TV for a little R&R so I was a little bit familiar with the format and hostesses. Apparently a few of them are former actresses and singers but I've never watched or heard anything they've done!

There are companies that specialise in recruiting people to be in the audience. Do a quick google search and you'll find that they are crying out for folks to give up a few hours for free tickets to see television shows being filmed. Generally, I sign up for tickets online. I don't find out that I have been given tickets until about a week beforehand and even then a seat in the studio is usually not guaranteed.

Today, I arrived about 40 minutes early to increase the likelihood of being nearer the front of the queue. The studio was a short walk from Waterloo Station. With the freezing temperatures in London, I dressed in hat and gloves too. Thankfully the ITV studio has outdoor heaters installed so that helped a bit. We were kept waiting over an hour though. During this time I meet a lovely guy called Billy who is from Putney. I could tell you almost all of the rest of his life story too! He was fun though and it is always great (and rare) to meet a friendly Londoner. The rest of the queue was mostly older woman. I guess they are the demographic that are more likely to be home at midday to watch the show.

An empty Loose Woman set and cameras

In the past year I have been able to attend quite a few shows. The highlight has probably been seeing Rob Brydon because he had the lovely Ronan Keating as a guest. I also was in the audience for the filming of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (a favourite after watching Slumdog Millionaire). That was a brilliant and unique experience because of the opportunity to participate in the 'ask the audience' section. We had electronic devices that we held and had to input our answer at the participant's request. In one section the devices did not work so we had to hold up paper signs with our responses printed on them! I have also been to see a couple of other game game shows but usually don't recognise the C list celebrities!

Today I went to see Loose Woman. The motivation was to see the wonderful Julian Clary. I have been a fan of his since I was a teenager. Also, after seeing him on Celebrity Big Brother, I have a new found respect for him. Seems really down to earth - surprising considering his own shows! The other guest on the show was the great 1980s pop music artist Lisa Stansfield. I wonder if she has finally found her baby after looking all around the world etc etc?

A Brilliant Expat Blog

2013-04-04T16:47:00.001+01:00

I stumbled upon this brilliant blog by an expat Aussie. I am still laughing at her posting about accents. I can very much relate to the experience of acquiring an American accent whilst on a high school exchange to Iowa, USA for year.

4 kids, 20 suitcases and a beagle: An Accidental Accent: When G was a child he attended an American School in the Philippines, and for a brief time he became the owner of an American accent. In th...

LONDON - Meat and Veg

2013-04-03T19:49:00.000+01:00

Food, Glorious Food

I'm not a foodie, nor can I cook. To be honest, I usually just order my groceries online - Ocado and Sainburys deliver fresh to my door. Because I am on holiday, and submitting to hunger pangs, I ventured out in my neighbourhood to pick up some fresh food for a slap up meal. I am liable to confuse a leek and a spring onion, a cucumber and a courgette, I'm not knowledgeable about food nor particularly curious. But, I do know what I like.

Food shopping in London is a relative breeze. Relatively easy compared to my previous exertions in hitch hiking between bazaars in Tashkent, Uzbekistan to try and source enough ingredients to cook an omelette. I have to admit the convenience of fresh food options also far exceeds that available to me in North Carolina. Sure, there we had a wee farmers market and several big supermarkets but nothing beats just strolling down past a fruit and veg stall and picking out some ripe avocados on my way to the post office. This is real deal convenience food and right there every day at the entrance to my underground rail station.

I love meat. For me, one of the best things about living in UK is being able to eat great cuts of meat. Every supermarket has a wide range of fresh and frozen. However, by far my favourite providore is the Hampstead Butcher on Rosslyn Hill which is a 15 min walk or 5 minute bus ride from my apartment. I swear their cumberland sausages are the best in the world. A friend gave me the most thoughtfully chosen gift vouchers from the butcher for Christmas! I swear I must be the only female in the world to be more excited about sausages than a manicure. Today I was able to cash in my last voucher and came home with 20 month old Grana Padano Stravecchio Parmesan, organic chicken wings marinated in yoghurt korma, smoked boneless ham pieces and the plat de résistance a half kilo of Handmade Cumberland sausages. Oh me, oh my. Now I need leeks. And to marry a butcher.

LONDON - Phoenix Theatre - 'Once' The Musical

2013-04-02T15:06:00.002+01:00

Being a huge fan of everything Irish, I was delighted to procure a ticket to a preview of the new West End musical 'Once'. My holiday budget is non-existent but I was willing to sacrifice tube rides for the bus and a big lunch instead of lunch and dinner in order to squeeze some cash for a ticket.

I ended up paying £25 to Encore Tickets for a back row seat in the upper circle (which was disappointingly £5.50 above the £19.50 face value written on the actual ticket). I was really pleased to actually be able to find a ticket for Monday night as the usual sources of tickets that I use

(Lastminute Theatre Tickets, See Tickets, and UKTickets) were either sold out or old had top price tickets remaining.

After my favourite bus ride on Bus 13 , having seen the hoards of shoppers on Oxford and Regents Street, I enjoyed a brisk 10 min walk through Picadilly Circus to the Phoenix Theatre. The Big Issue guy pointed me in the right direction of the box office and I was greeted with the news that I had been upgraded to the Stalls! What a treat :-)

Enjoying a drink before/during the show

Upon entering the theatre, I found my seat was occupied by someone's jacket but that owner of the jacket was nowhere to be seen. I spoke with the usher who pointed out that it might belong to one of the people on stage. I was a bit confused and wondered if there were going to be be actors planted in the audience (I saw One Man, Two Guvnors last week!). In fact, what was happening was that before the show the audience is invited on stage to drink at the bar on the set and dance/sing/tap your toes along with the band/actors on stage! I was up there in a flash. My wine was served in a souvenir cup and I was lovely and merry before the show proper even began.

Souvenir Cup from 'Once' the musical

I haven't seen the movie 'Once' but was familiar with the plot. It's an alternative love story - one of friendship and unrequited love. Girl meets boy. Girl is married, boy is in love with someone else. I won't ruin the ending for you. What I was not anticipating from the show was such amazing music. I am mad keen on pretty much anything Irish and the sessions in the pub reminded me so much of my backpacking around rural western Ireland. The audience was captivated by the music and I for one was left wanting more. Perhaps I'll have to see if next month's budget extends to being able to buy the soundtrack. Until then, I can enjoy the snippets free on the Telegraph's website.

LONDON - Skint

2013-03-29T12:08:00.004Z

Enjoy a 'Free-cation' in London

I've got 2 weeks holiday and barely a penny to my name. Don't feel sorry for me though as I do have the luxury of actually living and working in one of the greatest cities in the world - London. Also, my poverty is somewhat self-inflicted as I have decided to reprioritise my spending. This new initiative has resulted in a action to bolster my savings and as a consequence, there is very little room in the budget for entertainment expenses. As a graduate student, I honed my thrifty skills. Being skint (broke, poor, without cash flow) is nothing new to me.

When it comes to figuring out what to do with myself over the next two weeks while some other poor sods are still at work, the internet has been an invaluable tool. By investing a few hours of time into online research, I have been able to take advantage of some great opportunities here in London for minimal or no expense. There are plethora of websites and blogs that list upcoming events in London including the world famous Timeout magazine. For deals and one - off events, I have found this set of sites to be most useful:

Moneysavingexpert.com

Hotukdeals

Lastminute

showfilmfirst

My 'freecation' so far has been absolutely fab. I've taken the day off today to chillax at home as being on the go all week has worn me out a bit. The highlights of my mad cap adventures in London over the last 6 days include:

seeing the inside of the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden and hearing a rehearsal

attending a film event at Kings College (free)

attending award winning theatre - One Man, Two Guvnors (£10)

seeing the amazing Helen Mirren in The Audience (£25)

dancing to the famous reggae band 'Culture' in Islington (free ticket)

having a free driving lesson with AA - bit of a tour around the NW suburbs of London!

Visiting the New Zealand embassy (always makes me think of Flight of the Conchords)

taking a swim in a pool at a private gym (free day pass from a friend who is a member)

seeing the taping of the final television series to ever be filmed at the famous BBC studios

having my eyes tested for free and obtaining a new prescription (the best bit was seeing photos of my optic nerve!)

I actually had tickets for another television taping, the cinema and a concert/comedy show last night but realised I had over committed myself. With 9 and half days left in my holiday, I am excited to discover what other stuff will fill my days and my heart :-)

LONDON - A free day out

2013-03-28T19:17:00.001Z

So Much To See and Do

Credit card safely stowed at home, I tasked myself with the mission of enjoying being out and about in London on a minimal budget. I have a two week holiday from work but am also on a strict saving plan so decided to stay 'home' in London for the duration of my holiday. I'm a little bit bummed that everyone I know has either jetted off abroad to warmer climes or is working. Life isn't that bad though - not when you're a money saving expert :-)

Using a range of social networking sites, I have managed to organise for myself some action packed, fun filled adventure. It's best to double and triple check offers because often what seems like a bargain is in fact not! Many discount sites included added charges for booking fees, delivery and taxes. All of these little fees all add up.

Abby Road - a great free site in London (awesome people watching)

About once or twice a month I scroll through a range of sites and pick out events in London that pique my attention. I'm not one for just browsing through galleries or museums. I prefer events - I love performance arts including theatre and modern dance. I am quite judicious in which offers I take up as they aren't really saving me money if I wasn't that interested in the first place. And, given that some offers are limited, I would much prefer someone who is really interested in the event could attend it and enjoy it.

Some suggested websites that I have found useful for planning a free day out in London include:

Moneysavingexpert.com

From just reading through twitter postings alone I am able to find out what is going on the city and also get instant feedback from other posters about cheap deals or how to get scarce tickets. I haven't yet done the whole turn up at the theatre early thing and hope for a cheap ticket but, I have heard you can.

Part of the success, and my enjoyment of having a 'free vacation' is that I am forced to be open-minded to experiencing new events and visiting parts of London that I am less familiar with. London is a very easy place to travel around and at times I crave a little bit more of an adrenaline rush. Two weeks on a minimal budget is certainly providing me with ample opportunity for this!

There are also some great deals at the moment of travel further afield including
Orbitz who are offering a wide range of deals including:
Save 15% on hotel stays with code SPRINGME15
TOP DEAL_Book any flight on Orbitz and get a promo code for an extra 15% off our best hotel deals.

FREE STUFF London - Heygate Estate

2013-03-28T08:36:00.000Z

Adventure, Suspense and Little Bit Dangerous

A friend and I were a little bit bored one weekend and were up for a wee bit of adventure. I had read about some great street art at Heygate Estate and was curious about going to check it out for myself. Apparently the local council kicked residents out of a housing estate about 15 years ago and since then this massive set of apartment blocks has been abandoned. Folks have claimed pockets of the land to create urban gardens, graffiti artists/taggers have made their marks and I read that a few squatters occupied some rooms in the buildings.

Underpass, Elephant and Castle

I did a quick google search to try and figure just where this place was located. It turned out that it was really accessible and is easily reached by overland or underground train to Elephant and Castle. Coming out of underground station, we walked the famous (and dodgy) underpass, passed by the old supermarket and followed the main road to begin our circuit of the estate.

The deserted underpass - Elephant and Castle

There was a whole lot of deconstruction going on in one part of the estate and entry was boarded off. Following the road around though enabled us to gain entry to the estate from the more isolate side. It was at this point that my heart rate picked up a bit (ok, a lot). My instincts kicked in and my brain was screaming that this was not a place that I was welcome or should be. We'd left all valuables at home including money and phones, just in case things didn't turn out as planned. All I had with me was my travel card, camera and house keys. We had no idea who we might bump into or why they might bump into us.

Heygate Estate

Here - view from the train station platform, across to Heygate Estate

The art was everything I expected it to be - creative, innovative and frankly, a lot of fun.

Crocodile Stairs - Street art at Heygate Estate

Bus - painted garages at Heygate Estate

Crazy garage doors - Heygate Estate

Painted wall - Heygate Estate

Humpty Dumpty's Broken the Wall - Heygate Estate

Now, I don't know much about street art and I don't condone vandalism, but given that the estate has sat empty for so long, I am glad that folks are claiming the space as their own.

Walking around the interior of the estate scared the living daylights out of me. We found a knife and drug needles. After 30 minutes and an encounter with a large group of youth, I was ready to high tail it back home.

Further information about Heygate Estate:

BBC

Wikipedia

Blog post

London SE1

UK - London On a Snowy Day

2013-03-23T23:12:00.000Z

And the white stuff fell on the streets of London. Then it melted. Despite the weather reports being broadcast around the world (I know this because my mother phoned me from New Zealand), snow has barely fallen in London. Actually, based on my observations made on a bus ride through London, my garden seems to be about the only place where the snow has stuck, rather than melted and created giant puddles like everywhere else. Today marks the first day of my Spring Break holiday. I am staying put in London. I have planned to cram my days with a random assortment on outings including the taping of several television shows, theatre visits, driving lessons and hopefully an afternoon nap or two. I'm on a strict budget so am on the look out for
free or close to free activities and events to enjoy over the next two weeks.

FREE STUFF London - Mudlarking

2013-03-19T19:50:00.001Z

A Muddy Day Out

No doubt, London is an expensive city but with a little creativity, an open mind and adventurous spirit, I have found it is possible to enjoy a brilliant day (and night!) out with a minimal budget. However, having lived in Greater London for 4 years, I've pretty much exhausted my capacity for viewing the city's museums and galleries and so I'm always on the look out for a new and different opportunities to get out and about in this amazing city. Mudlarking aka scavenging on the banks of the River Thames is right up my alley. This activity involves walking slowly, looking down (my natural position!) and finding cool, old bits and pieces that have washed up over the centuries.

I've taken my students down to Shadwell Basin in a guided search for artefacts but much prefer the site near Cannon Street Station as it is very accessible. There is a new set of stairs with a hand rail down to the muddy banks of the river. This is perfect for those us inclined to slip and fall. Just saying. Check the times first online at:

Donning a pair of rubber gloves is not compulsory but certainly preferable as the river is rather dirty and I love picking up pits and pieces and wiping them off. It is difficult to describe how much 'stuff' there is to actually pick over but with very little effort and after only about an hour of searching, I found enough bits to fill this biscuit tin:

Artefacts from the River Thames. Collected on a day out mudlarking in London

I discarded hundreds more pieces but chose to keep these as I found them interesting. The pipes are apparently Victorian era. Pieces of the stem are scattered everywhere and very easy to see. The bulbs are also around but require more of a keen eye to spot them. I haven't yet found one that isn't damaged - a good motivation to head back on a sunny day to see what more recent tides have delivered to the river bank. According to an archeologist who was there on the day, I picked up some Roman era pottery shards and some dating back 400 years! Wow. Now I have to figure out a way to display them. A wooden treasure box would suit the job perfectly.

I was allowed to keep my finds but if I had of uncovered treasure then apparently this belongs to the museum and must be turned it. Another rule is that you aren't allowed to dig. I am not sure why not but assumed it had something to do with the rule about the treasure.

All in all, a fab free day out in London!

Link to the tide times of the River Thames

Further information about mud larking can be found at:

http://www.mudlarkinglondon.com/
http://www.thamesandfield.co.uk/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/in-the-know/london-sport-activities/9591725/mudlarking-london.html

14 Years and Still Travelling - Highlights From an Expat Kiwi

2013-03-18T22:45:00.004Z

I've been travelling and exploring for 14 years. What an adventure for this expat Kiwi. I first moved abroad at the tender age of 17. I had no clue that my year as a Rotary Exchange Student would lead to something more serious... a case of life long wunderlust. What an adventure the past two decades have turned out to be. I gave up counting countries visited years ago when I realised memories were more important than checklists. I can however count among my favourite places and experiences:

Meeting his Holiness the Dalai Lama at his palace in Dharamsala, India
Riding a BMX 27 miles down hill through the clouds from atop Hawaii's Haleakala volcano
Catching a 14 hour overnight Greyhound bus to Vegas to see a boxing match, play some slots and catch a concert all in 48 hours.

Kissing a fireman in Times Square at midnight on New Years Eve (blushing)
Seeing the sun set and also sun rise whilst on a boat on the Ganges River in Varanasi
Attending a Royal Garden party at Buckingham Palace with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip.
Driving across America solo in an ice blue Dodge Caravan with wood panels and running boards.
Having my butt slapped by a Mongolian warrior on the Great Wall of China
Surviving a night out sleeping in a tent/sun shade on the banks of the Aral Sea, Uzbekistan in -10 degrees and then watching the sun rise over the desert
Watching the waters of the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea collide at Cape Reinga, New Zealand
Hitch hiking across Uzbekistan from East to West and then drinking in the view from the old city wall in Khiva
Participating in la Tomatina in Bunol, Spain - the world's biggest food fight
Seeing the fastest man in the world, Ussain Bolt run in the 100m finals at the London Olympics.

I've spent the past 3 years living in London, England. For the most part, I have enjoyed my time living here. I've attended more sports events than I ever imagined possible including rugby test matches at Twickenham and Cardiff.

It hasn't always been easy. Look over my previous blog posts and you'll see there have been a wide range of trials and tribulations - most related to my bad luck with housing (being evicted, homeless for a period, my ceiling falling down, my flat being pulled down). The past year has been far more comfortable and I have delighted in developing new friendships, exploring this city that never sleeps and partaking in a wide range of social experiences. My time here is rapidly coming to an end though with only 12 short weeks left here in London. I am very excited to be relocating to Hong Kong, China.

Let the new adventures begin!

WALES: Welsh Rugby Pilgrimage

2012-10-27T23:39:00.002+01:00

I am addicted. I am addicted to rugby. I blame it all on the luck of being born a Kiwi (a New Zealander... not a furry, brown piece of fruit). I can't remember the first game I went to see as I was too young to remember but I do remember cheering my older brother on from the sidelines when he was planning on the under 5 team for Pakuranga Rugby Football Club. I remember he played bare foot and the kids would leave footprints on the frost covered field (they built kids tough back in the day!). I loved every minute of it and would kick and pass the ball around with the other boys' sisters (back then girls didn't play rugby).

I have a million fond memories of growing up immersed in a rugby culture. First on the list is being at Eden Park on the terraces when the All Blacks played France in the 1987 World Cup final. I remember Sir JK scoring his try in the corner. I remember jumping up and down and trying to see over every one's heads as I was too short.

Cardiff Arms Park

My step-dad shared with me stories from his trip to Wales in the 1980s. He told me about sitting high in the stands at Cardiff Arms Park and how the whole crowd would sing hymns together. I dreamt of being there in the park and seeing the mighty All Blacks taking on the Welsh at their national game and hearing 'Bread of Heaven' echoing around the stands.

Last week I had the fortune of being able to spend a day in Cardiff. On the same day that the great former All Black Captain, Wilson Whineray passed away, I finally visited Cardiff Arms Park. It's not the same park as back in the day but for many this field is still the true heart of Welsh rugby (Millennium Stadium is behind it). The front of the stadium is a parking lot and the parking dude was really sweet and let me in to walk around and take a peek. Very nice!

Millennium Stadium pitch

I had also booked in for a tour of the Millennium Stadium. I've been there a few times before to see the All Blacks play Wales, Wales vs Canada and the dreaded 2007 World Cup quarter final loss to France (yes, I admit I cried that day) and have a ticket to see the Autumn International this November with the All Blacks vs Wales. The tour was awesome and we got to see behind the scenes.

Inside in the home team changing rooms at the Millennium Stadium

Seating at Millennium Stadium

Empty seats soaring into the rafters at Millennium Stadium

Section where the coaches come down to the changing rooms

I even got to jog down the tunnel out to the field... love the piped crowd cheering me on :-)

Also got to sit in the media room. Very cool.

Question time in the Media Room at Millennium Stadium

The tours run every day of the week and there were a few different time slots to choose from. I arrived early so I could browse the rugby store. My favourite item was a fan t-shirt...

Surprisingly, I haven't actually seen any merchandise celebrating that the All Blacks are the world champions.

After my rugby adventure, I hit the streets/shops of Cardiff. I did some damage to my wallet at TK Maxx and I came home with 3 pairs of my favourite brand of shoe - Merrells. I am one mad but happy Kiwi!

London Olympics, 2012

2012-10-23T22:21:00.003+01:00

This past summer I was fortunate to be able to attend a massive range of Olympic events here in London. I wasn't fortunate with getting tickets through the official LOCOG ballet but instead managed to buy most through the German and French Olympic committees (being part of the EU, UK residents were able to access their sales). Also, due to my twitter feeds I was able to receive notifications from other tweeters the moment that more tickets were released. I spent many hours and many late nights sourcing tickets but I would easily do it all over again!

Some of the many events I attended include:
The Opening Ceremony
Michael Phelps's last swim
Mr Bolt winning the 100m sprints
BMX finals (yeah, Sarah Walker scored a silver medal)
Lady's shot-put (Valarie Adams was awarded silver in the stadium which was later upgraded to a gold)
Oscar Pestorius in the 400m and team relay (I later saw him run the 100m in the Paralympics too).
Mo Farah being awarded his gold medal
Team GB men's gymnastics team winning bronze
Mark Todd winning a bronze in the show jumping
Team USA men winning a gold in the basketball
Seeing Sir Chris Hoy in the velodrome
I also saw medal events in the taekwondo, weighlifting (dude dropped 195kg on his neck), table tennis (China vs China), ladies gymnastics final, last 300m of the lady's road cycling and a whole lot more!

I even had some celebrity encounters including a photo-op with London Mayor Boris Johnson! A very random moment. Do you recognise any of these folk below?

Rowing gold medallist Eric Murray

Rowing gold medallist Mahe Drysdale putting on sunscreen

David Beckham sat near me at the BMX finals

NZ Olympic windsurfing champ and my childhood idol, Barbara Kendall

Vin Diesel at the basketball - I asked him if he was off to Kiwi House (he had been there a few nights before... he know about the BBQ explosion incident!)

BoJo

Lindford Christie

Team GB athlete

Mr Yohan Blake

The Royals at the Show jumping

London - The Crazy Squirrel

2012-10-23T21:57:00.004+01:00

Crazy, stalking squirrel

The Strange Incident of the Stalking Squirrel

Let me first start by noting that there are no squirrels in New Zealand. I didn't see my first squirrel until I was 17 years old and was an exchange student in Iowa, USA. I'm still half enchanted/half scared by them. The bushy tail is kind of cute but they do remind me of a giant rat... something I am not fond of! Whenever I have guests from NZ come and visit with me in London, it is great to see the look on their face when they see their first squirrel too! It is not that often that we get to do something for the first time ever.

Anyway... one sunny weekend morning back in July, I opened my curtains and looked out across the garden and saw a squirrel standing in the middle of the lawn. I stood still as I didn't want to scare it away by movements. The little bugger froze, looked me in the eye then made a charge at me! True. It ran across the grass and lept onto the window ledge. I slammed the bedroom window shut and it then stood on 2 legs and started headbutting the window. It walked up and down the ledge for the next 5 minutes. I was freaked out, shut the blinds and kept the window shut!

Thankfully the crazy thing hasn't made another appearance. I have quit throwing old bread out on the grass though as I was informed that these squirrels have actually driven out the native red ones. I don't think I particularly like squirrels anymore anyway!

PART 2 Royal Jubilee, London 2012

2012-10-23T20:00:00.002+01:00

Eliott and I went down to the northern embankment to find a place to watch the royal flotilla. Although we were several hours early, it was obvious that we should have been even earlier. There were literally a million people trying to catch a glimpse of the Queen. Thankfully we had packed up a granny cart with chairs, lunch and drinks so once we found a position we were able to settle in. It poured with rain the whole time but the crowd was fun. I managed to see the Queen for a few seconds as a lady near me loaned me her periscope so I could see above the crowds!

Royal Flotilla

A blurry (excited!) photo of the Royal Barge

Yummy jubilee inspired cake

A royal encounter at the Finchley Road tube station

Hanging out at Hyde Park to watch a live telecast of the Jubilee concert