Lyndsay's World

Almost Home...

2007-09-09T04:31:00.000-07:00

This is so weird to write but I am actually coming home this week! AHHHH! The next time you hear from me it will probably be in person and not some words on a page.
This month has been an amazing experience and I cannot believe I was able to travel as much as I have and I am sure I will face the wrath of my credit card bills when I get back but it was well worth it!!! I know I have not written anything about my trips (south of France, Berlin, Malaga) but they were all brilliant in different ways. I was so happy to be able to see my friends and say bye before I leave. Some were too brief, some were tearful but I guess it does not actually feel like I will never see them again but maybe it has not hit me yet. I thought I would be sad leaving but I really feel quite happy! There has been too much drama in the flat these last couple months and I am glad to finally be rid of it.
I am sitting here in a french restuarant in London eating from a cheese plate drinking a coffee...man my life has changed since moving here. Next week it will be bad Tim Hortons coffee and a doughnut haha.
I will see you soon!
Love Lyndsay

Beginning of the End

2007-08-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

It is coming to the end of summer … (even though in England it has only been summer for about a week) and some tough choices are to be made. I have decided to go home either the third or final week of September. I have decided this for two reasons. #1 – I miss everyone and #2 - I cannot get a full time job here until I get my citizenship and these part time gigs are too few and far between.

This experience has been amazing and I have met people and done things I would never have done back home. Home now seems like somewhere I want to be (for now) and I think you need to go out in the world to really appreciate what you have. This next month will be so amazing and I cannot wait though I might be really sad to say goodbye to everyone I truly believe I will see them again.

I will be going to the South of France (I know!) next week and I can hardly believe it. I will be flying into Toulouse, staying at a friend’s then we are caravanning to Cannes for the music festival. I am so happy my friend Jenna from back home will be there because we are with all French people and while they are very nice to translate I am sure I will like an Canadian person to talk to! We will be camping for four days (not a big fan of camping so we will see how this works out) but my friend Jean Phillip rented a hotel for himself (party pooper) so I hope to be able to shower there. No idea what the washroom situation will be like and quite frankly I am a little nervous about that but I am sure it will be fine. Fingers crossed. Then Jean Phillip will be nice enough to drive Jenna and I to Nice on the 20th. Jenna will stay with me a night before she heads off to Paris. It will be nice to have company in Nice (stupid pun) because my Mom does not arrive with Aunt Beth, Aunt Carol and Alyse until the 21st. I cannot believe I will meet them there, it is so random but still brilliant. On the 23rd I will head back home (to London that is) and put my room up for rent. I hope I get some decent people although not too good cause I don’t want them to forget about me! Haha…so selfish.

Now these plans are not set yet but I need to go see Ang and Kay, my old flatmates, in Malaga (Spain) and also my friend Jesse in Germany so it will be a little tight. I really want to go to go to Munich with Jesse and Svea (his girlfriend) for Oktoberfest – which is ironically done in September. Unfortunately it may be a money thing and may have to postpone it to another year.

All this planning has become a little overwhelming but it will be worth it in the end because I will know I did loads before I went home.

It has been so long!

2007-08-06T05:07:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

I am seriously the most lazy person lately and I have put off so many things that I should get sorted and this blog is one of them. Don't worry i have not forgotten you...I miss you all so much I am thinking I want to go home in about a month. My Visa will be up shortly and I don't think my Irish Citizenship is ready to be sent out yet so you might be seeing me quite soon!
I love all of your suggestions as to what I should do next and I will think about all of it but I also think I need to go home first and re-group. Maybe save some money ... haha.
I have so much going on right now that if I start typing about it now my battery will die(stupid me remembered my charger to bring to the internet cafe but not the Canadian/UK adapter - typical) I will write a longer blog tonight which will reveal much more detail as to what has gone on this past month. I want to say Happy Birthday to my mother whom I love and miss and will see in just a few weeks in Nice!

Talk to you soon. Love you.

Rome - This blog is a month old

2007-08-06T05:01:00.000-07:00

When in Rome…

I’m back from another one of my mini-trips, this time it was the beautiful city of Rome, Italy. Some days I just feel really lucky to be having these experiences and I forget that I will be going home soon. Some days I am really happy to be going home because I miss you all so much. It was my birthday last Friday and I turned the big 2-6! I finished work last Saturday and so I have had a week off and decided I will meet my friends on the last stop of their traveling. Rome was perfect. It had been raining here in London for almost a whole week straight so it was getting pretty depressing and I needed some sun (this being summer and all). It was sooo nice out while we went site seeing and I was so grateful to be out in the sun finally. We only had two days there so we made the most of it which meant endless walking and exploring. First night there we went on a pub crawl consisting of 3 bars and one club. At first the night seemed kinda lame because there were a lot of teenage tourists but by the end of the night we met some really cool people and I had a great time. The second night I was so tired from a full day of walking but we went out for my birthday anyways and by 12 or so I was falling asleep at the bar haha (already an old lady).

My friend Dan and I went back to London and then to Oxford to see the comedian and writer Ricky Gervais. It was amazingly funny and such a great birthday present (thanks dan!)

Saturday was the big night out where I invited some friends and my flat-mates to go dancing at this club called The Roxy. I had a great time and was very happy to be dancing and going crazy with my friends. Sunday Ann, Dan and I went to go to Trafalger Square for Canada Day because we thought there would be this big festival. Once we got there though there was nothing happening so we ask the guy working and he said they had the festival on Friday. WHAT! How could they change the day?? Anyways I guess it had to do with the upcoming Tour de France (those French!) Anyways Dan and I were going to go to the Maple Leaf (the only Canadian pub in England) but of course it was packed and had a line so we abandoned that idea and our efforts for Canada Day were over. I took Dan to Brick Lane for Indian food instead for his last night in England.

I have not been on the blog site for over a month so I will thank everyone for their birthday wishes and so sorry I am late with this blog. This is the first time I have been on my own computer in a loooonnngggg time. I found this cafe where it is free internet and all you have to do is buy a coffee ...so not all free. I will write a new post right now!

New Flatmates

2007-06-25T05:56:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. I hope my Paris Blog was not too long and if you read it all thank you for sticking with it. There have been so many things that have happened in my life since I last updated. My two flatmates (and good friends) Kay and ANg have decided to move to Spain and leave me here (tear). I was meant to go with them but I cannot legally work in Spain but I promised to visit them later in the summer. With them leaving it means I have to pick new people for the flat and that was hard! It is like picking your next mates in some weird game show where you both judge eachother trying to see if there is a hint of psycho killer laying dormant in their personalities waiting to strike when least expected. So far I have a girl from Paris living in my room named Anne who so far seems really cool and I get on with her quite a bit already. Tonight we had tons of people come in for Ang’s room because it is a single and most people want their own room (who knew??). It was a hard choice but we went for this Aussie girl named Cassie and I hope she will be a good fit. The boys did not meet her yet so I had to make the decision – I hope I made the right one. I quit my job but I have no actual finish date since I said I would stay until she found a replacement. I have no idea what to do after but I feel my time there has come to an end. I might think about doing temp stuff in events or hotel work so I can still travel this summer. If any of you want to offer any suggests that would be great as I could use all the help I can get. In fact if anyone has time in their lives to stop and maybe plan out my future for me that would be great! Yeah didn’t think so.
I know I am not connecting to most of you lately but I love you and am always thinking of you. Peace.

Paris 4.0

2007-06-25T05:54:00.000-07:00

Bonjour mes amis! Just got back from Gay Paris once again (this is my 4th time going hence my clever blog title which I stole from the new Die Hard Movie). This trip was wet and cold just like last time. I do not know how these Parisian woman remain so beautiful when I am walking around the city looking like a wet dog. Met up with Andrea who came into the city the day before but firstly I have to tell you folks about my amazing (cough cough) 10 hour bus ride from London to Paris. Why take the bus you crazy person one might ask! Well there, as expected, is no real sane reason. Just to save a few pounds I guess but still no sensible person would think that spending that amount of time on a bus is ever worth it. I would agree…but it still has not beaten my record of 13 hours from Berlin to Paris on my birthday that bus ride was epic. Anyways I get on this overnight bus at 8:30 on Saturday night and the bus was filling up quite fast so I was stoked to find that no one had yet to fill the seat next to me. Yet in true ‘Lyndsay Luck’ form in the last minutes before departing there was a straggler! Right beside me! How dare he take the seat that I designated for my head to rest on! Well on the bright side he did not smell or want to talk the entire trip (no one likes small talk on a bus where there is no escape). He did however take up more than his share of the little room we had to share. In my brilliant pre- thinking however I had brought my pillow which I thought would be helpful in trying to sleep comfortably but the seats were so close together I could not get a good angle so I ended up uncomfortable anyways. There was no room to even cross my legs so sleeping was a luxury I would not be experiencing that night.
So after a bit of a ride we end up on this huge ferry and we were allowed to wonder about even though nothing was all that interesting to see. I did get a mocha and a chocolate muffin at 3 in the morning (regretting that move). So I call my parents and my dad was not impressed with the mode of transpiration and me explaining that it was all an adventure did not seem to ease his mind.

So finally making it into Paris at 5:30 in the morning I made my way in the rain to my hotel. I was shocked to see the streets were not as deserted as one might think they would be at that time on a Sunday morning at 6 am. Maybe they were still up from the night before. Maybe early church goers…I was too tired to assess the situation so I chose not to think about it. I did not have the mental capacity to analyze.

I got a few hours sleep (first time all night) before Andreaa wanted to head out. She told me the story of how it took her 5 HOURS to find our hotel! Poor girl. It was raining all day and we did what we could considering Andrea’s feet were in no condition to be doing anymore walking. For those who do not know us Me + Andrea usually equals a verbal disagreement or two (ahem) and this was no exception. We had it out in front of Notre Dame which led me to not want to talk to her. But we made it to the hotel for a little nap and everything was good after that. We went to the Latin Quarter for dinner (or as Andrea says Latin Town) and had a really good meal, a delicious crepe and then a cool night listening to a band play. All in all a really cool night. Bien.

So I left the hotel and went to wander the streets of Paris since my plane did not leave until 10 (yes I took a plane back!). Had a brilliant lunch and was sitting outside – it turned out to be a really nice day (sorry Ang). Sun was shinning and everyone seemed very happy. I suddenly became desperate for a toilet and the café said it had a loo but really it was just a hole in the ground and I was not having that. The waiter was trying to make conversation with me and I was doing my very best to speak French but after a few attempts and him laughing at me I resorted back to English.

Finally found a toilet – sorry for being vulgar but that is what we call it in Europe! Not to sound perverse but man am I glad I waited! I got into Luxemburg gardens and headed straight for the washrooms. It was 40 cents but it was money well spent I tell you! Usually when you pay to use the toilets in Paris you get some dinging, disgusting hole but this was heaven people. There was no line, the paper roll and paper towels were all fully stocked and there a friendly lady there to maintain the cleanliness. Ok enough about toilets haha. Unless of course you are interested and then I can give a full account in an email or something.

I know I have said this before in past blog postings about loving Luxemberg Gardens but I have to tell you this. I went into the grounds a different way (thank you again toilets) and discovered a whole new area I had not seen before. I love it when that happens! Just when you think you know a place (or person) something happens that takes you completely by surprise. I know I am philosophizing but hey I AM in Paris after all. It turned out to be such an amazing day, sitting and relaxing on a chair admiring the view. Nothing better folks. Nothing Better.

Contemplation

2007-05-10T11:11:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

Well I promised more blog entries and I really wanted to post more but the small connection I had in my bedroom has completely disappeared and I cannot seem to get a connection in the boys’ room anymore. This has left me very frustrated and annoyed because I have pictures and blogs to post and I also have lost touch with all things online. You really do not think about how dependent we are on internet until it is gone. I was going to check the weather for my sister and Alyse so I can tell them what to wear but …nope cannot do it! I wanted to send an email to my friend for his birthday…can’t do that either. I can’t even watch any of the shows I miss so I am made to watch the snooker championship because the boys have taken over the t.v. Oh internet why have you forsaken me!!! (so dramatic)

Andrea and Alyse are coming in a few days and I hope they have a good time and the weather clears up. It is a bank holiday this weekend and of course true to London weather whenever there is a long weekend the weather is completely crap. The girls want to go to Dublin and Andrea wants to go to Paris but I am not sure I will be able to do both which is a shame.

Well I finally did it. I told my boss I will stick around for a few more weeks (well almost a month really) so I really have to find another job! Unfortunately I cannot join Kay and Ang in Spain because I completely forgot that my Visa is only good in the U.K. I guess I can find out if I can get a temporary working visa because I really want to leave London for a bit. Also it looks like I will be coming home in September! My visa runs out soon and although it is a long way away yet I feel like it will go by really quickly. I have some hard choices to make about my future and we all know how great I am about making hard choices (ahem ahem). I am going to be 26 really soon (sooner than I would like) and I think that being on the older side of 25 will really affect me and drive me to do something finally in terms of a career. One question I pose to myself : Do I really want to go back into the film business making hardly any money and working crazy hours again??

Before I came to London I had a set plan in my life and except for a few bumps along the way it was going ok. Since coming here though I met new people, had new experiences found myself and lost myself a hundred times over and now I feel I am spun around and upside down. Gotta love being 20 something!

Despite everything I think this summer will be a turning point in my life and no matter what happens I know it will be great!

Andrea and Alyse arrived safe and sound and are loving London even though the weather has been crap. What is it with everyone from Canada bringing bad weather with them? jk! They are booking their flight to Dublin as I type this. This connection is costing me a fortune so I will bid you adieu!

Love ya!

Barcelona Baby

2007-05-10T11:10:00.000-07:00

Barcelona Barcelona! We had such a good time there just walking around and discovering all the little side streets (and there are many!). There is the main street called Las Rambas where all the freaks in the city come and perform in front of the tourists. It was madness the different characters these people came up with and I wish I brought my video camera but I was scared it would get knicked (I heard Barcelona is the prime spot for criminals to steal from tourists). Anyways I went with the flat-mates Ang and Kay so they took pictures of us so I will try to post them a bit later. I tried to get them to take photos of the crazy people but they were not into it as much. We went to the main market there every day and the food there was soooo good and fresh and if you din’t mind the full feather-less chickens or the pig and cow’s heads staring at you (oh yes they still had there eyes in the skull) it was cool to look around. It is so strange to see what differences there are in cultures and feelings on food. In North America we eat meat but we do not want it to look like the animal it once was but over in the European countries it would be seen as non-fresh if it wasn’t all out there to see. I have some pics of funny dead animals (I know I am morbid).

So the weather was more kind then we predicted so we did get to lay out on the beach though it was still to cold to swim. A little disappointed but it was supposed to rain the whole time so I guess beggars can’t be choosers! Kay and I have been talking about possibly moving down there for a few months to live and work and soak up more of the culture. It would be hard because we don’t know the language but we noticed there were a few places that were all tourist areas (or tourists traps – however you want to look at it) where everyone was speaking English. Any way I think my time in London might come to an end soon. I might go to another country or I might come home. NO IDEA- big surprise!

So the last day we were soo tired and went to lie on the beach one more time (fully clothed mind you - hard core I know) but it was so windy and cold we had to leave. We walked around for ages looking for a place to eat. It was around 4:30 and every where was closing for siesta time – yes, they take a break in the middle of the day – so cool. We finally went to this small place where only one woman was working and we all ordered crepes but little did we know it would take an hour for our food! We were getting a little nervous because we had to catch our plane and haven’t gone back to get our stuff yet. It was a good thing it was the best food we had there by far otherwise we would have been a little angry. Finally we get all the way back to the apartment grab our stuff and try to hail a taxi. No luck for the longest time and we were getting a bit nervous. We kept seeing the taxis but they were all occupied - this being rush hour. Miracously I saw a taxi in the distance and ran like the wind -luggage in tow. He said he was waiting for a customer but maybe we was enchanted by our beauty (haha) and decided to take us instead. We finally got into London at 3:30 in the morning without any sleep the night before and we all had work in the morning. Well we all somehow made it through Saturday and had the best sleep ever that night.

Barcelona, Barcelona

2007-04-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

Hey all!

I cannot believe the last time I wrote was Easter...craziness. Well I am on a really dodgy computer in Barcelona so it is really hard to type so if some words are missing letters I am sorry! So I made it to Barcelona safe and sound despite getting nop sleep the night before my flight. My friend Jesse and his girlfriend Svea came to visit me last weekend and my flight was at 8 am on Tuesday so I decided it was better to just stay up the whole night. This caused a bit of a problem the day we arrived because we all took a siesta asround 7 pm and did not wake up till 9 the next morning. Since we missed one night in Barcelona we will have to make it up these next few nights. Oh man I am so happy I came because just lying on the beach has made the world of difference in my happiness. I have been feeling a bit home since feeling like I am missing out but being here makes me realize how lucky I am. I have to say this city by far has had the most forward men out of all the places I have been so far. I guess it is all the women in bikini´s driving them to hollar out obscenities. Also I forgot that the beaches are good for women who feel too restricted by their tops (don´t worry I am prefectly comfy in my top).

Well I thought I would give an update to where I was but this computer is driving me mental and Ang and Kay are waiting for me so I will say good bye and give a bigger update when I get back!

Bye!!

Happy Easter!

2007-04-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

Well some of you may have doubted me but I am here to tell you I have done it! I have (finally) booked a trip to Barcelona baby yeah! SO yeah Ang, Kay and I are taking a girls trip out to the sandy beaches of Catalonia and it is coming at a great time. I definitely need to get away and Ihave not travelled since Joanna's visit back in October. Completely psyched and hopefully, fingers crossed, it will be nice and sunny. After booking the mini-break I realized this means I will be breaking out the bathing suit a little bit earlier than expected .... oh well! I hope the Spainish men like their women with a little bit extra haha. Apparently there are some nude beaches as well (will NOT be doing that thank you very much). So anyone who has been there who wants to recommend anything I am open to suggestions.

Happy Easter Everyone! So sad I cannot be there. Ang and I went for a walk in Notting Hill today and we ate some veggie food...a far cry from turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy but it was still yummy. You will never believe who I saw there, no not Hugh Grant but Alex! For those who have forgotten this is the boy who kicked me out of my flat for bad behaviour. I could not believe it. He was just sitting there looking like the pretty boy he is with his girlfriend. I walked by but we both had our shades on so I could not tell if he caught my glare but I kept on walking. It is weird when you see someone from the past you do not like and are not prepared. All the things I wished I had said to him escaped me and I realize now I should have thrown a drink at his smug big head. Haha I am not bitter, not at all! yeah right.

The weather here has been brilliant and I believe summer is just around the corner. I heard you guys had snow? really? crazy. I will try calling tonight to say hello but if I do not talked to you have a great long weekend and keep me updated on all the gossip!

Love Lyndsay

Spring (not love) is in the Air

2007-03-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

As you may have noticed my blogs have become fewer and far between - and for that I am sorry but things have been a little crazy around here. Ashlie's visit was a success, she had a great time and despite the weather really enjoyed London. Poor girl got this years worst weather and as soon as she left it was so sunny and warm. Sorry Ash!

Now we had a Wild West theme party just for the sake of a party (gotta love those kinds of parties!). My crazy flatmates while out drinking one night decided to hire the Cuban band playing there that night for our party. Now we live in a apartment complex with 7 other people but Ang talked to our neighbours and they were cool with it. Who she did not talk to was the people directly below us and at about 12 midnight the lady was NOT HAPPY. I was upstairs so I did not see her but I heard her. Apparently she was not even wearing socks or shoes (not smart on a cement floor in a building) and then threatened to get her teenage boys to beat us up , then said she was calling the cops. Crazy. Well she did not end up calling the police but the party kinda of diffused from that and it ended up just a few of us dancing to some cds I had made. So it was fun for me! haha.

Yeah some people were asking me about Dave (the boy I said I was dating) who I wrote about in my last blog. Well go figure he broke up with me in a text message. I was upset but I had to laugh cause I kept thinking about Sex and the City when Burger broke up with Carrie in a Post-it. Stupid boys.

My big decision now is whether I move to Spain for the summer. This may seem out of the blue because it is. I just came across this idea yesterday, well I should say my flatmate came across it. She has been looking for a change and went online and found this job in a restuarant on this Spainish Island and she is packing up and going! In like a week! Anyways I cannot go that quickly because I need to give my job notice and Andrea and Alyse are visiting in May but June/July would be perfect and I missed the ocean and sandy beaches last summer.

That is what is going on in my life this week and stay tuned for my decision! Haha Later!

March Madness

2007-03-06T15:26:00.000-08:00

Well it seems that I have been too busy to write and I am too nervous my boss will find my blog so I cannot write at work. I have notice that being here eight months there are still things that I find amusing. Like they call crossing guards Lollipop man/lady and they call bumps in the road humps so you see signs that say “Humps for 30 Metres” he he gets me every time. I feel like I’m in grade 7 but I cannot help it. I am happy to say that my friends from the band Buck Brothers have beaten the record for the most gigs played in one day. The record was held by a German Band with 26 gigs and they did 28..just to make sure haha. I had to work that day so I tried to catch up with them but they were ahead of schedule so I was chasing them around the city centre but finally manage to get to the winning gig…number 27!!! It was all very exciting for them with being covered by the news and papers. They are heading to Canada for music week so if you are free you should check them out!

My flatmates and I are having another party. This time it is Wild West Theme (I know always with the theme over here). It will be the last night Ashlie is here too so it will be a good send off! I think I know what I am going to wear but I may change my mind a few more times. Ashlie will be here soon so I better prepare some suggestions for her while I am at work. So much pressure to do everything in one week!

Well I am still painting at the store. I swear it never ends with this painting. This Sunday I am working an extra day so I can do the floors. Yes people my life is that exciting haha. I hear my little cousin (yes she is only a month younger but whatever) is expecting baby number two so congrats Vanessa. I am expecting some pics of Olivia … it will be good to have some mail that isn’t from the bank. Also a big congrats to Brianne and her baby Hayden (sp??) I am so happy you are happy and healthy. I hope someone will send me pics of that baby soon too!

My original plan was to stay here till June go to Armenia then maybe go back to school in Canada but now I just do not know. Everything is more confusing since coming back and I really do not see myself leaving anytime in the near future but who knows what my life will be in the next few months. I will keep you updated!!

Back To Canada???

2007-02-21T03:17:00.000-08:00

Hey all,

I hope everyone had a nice Valentine’s Day. Our store was not busy AT ALL. We had more customers than usual but I do not think it was the turn out Janice (my boss) was expecting. She did give me some free valentine bears to give my flatmates since they are single and were not expecting any presents from any men. Kay (my roommate) got this really creepy valentine from the guy who works at the corner store and now we are all a little scared for her. I will be getting her crisps and drink from now on haha. So I have started seeing someone that might finally be worth mentioning…he is actually not an arsehole – big change for me. His name is Dave and he is an English bloke (no more French guys!) Anyways things are going well and I might try to pursue this film thing and just get over being nervous and scared because if coming here taught me anything it is to just get over it. What is the worse that can happen?

I got offered my old job with Ghostly Encounters for April and I was really struggling with the decision to come back to Canada to work on it. The thing is if I go back I would probably stay there and I am not done here in London. I like my life, I have good friends and there is still so much to see and experience. The only thing is missing all of you so if everyone can just pack up everything and move out here my life would be perfect. I am sure you can manage. The girls and I are thinking of a trip at the end of March to Barcelona, possibly. I know I keep saying I am going but I swear it will happen! Soon!

My French friends Jean Phillip and Clemont leave today to go back to Toulouise (not sure how to spell that). We had a couple of great nights…one involving free sushi and lots of free wine/beer at Jean Phillips old work. Not too shabby. And last night we went to see a Chicago band called the Ponys who were really good. It is my day off today which means I am relaxing and just taking it easy. Going to tea (dinner) at Dave’s and then a movie (Hot Fuzz) with Kay. I like relaxing days just as much as hectic ones. One always needs time to unwind.

I hope everyone is doing well and I hear Sean is in the Dominican so a little jealous about him being somewhere hot and on a beach but I will curb my jealousy to wish him a great holiday and a safe trip back.

Peace

pre- V day

2007-02-14T01:00:00.000-08:00

So Valentine’s Day has approached us and love is in the air haha (I am pretty funny). Anyways we are getting ready at the store and I will have to blow up hundreds of helium foil hearts. There will be tons of cute guys who will be coming into my shop…normally a great thing but they will unfortunately be providing romantic gifts for their better halves. I hope they ask my opinion cause I will say with confidence that toy trains are all the rage in romantic gifts this year. I am not bitter hahaha. No seriously I just want the day to be over, so much pressure for something so silly. I have a date. Yep my flatmate Ang and I are going to my roommate Kay’s pub and we are going to have a girly V-Day.

I am really happy that Ashlie is coming to visit me and I told her I was going to write down a huge list of things she/we can do while she is here. We are not going to travel because she is on a budget but there is so much to do here it will be fun no matter what.

My friends are in a band Buck Brothers and they are heading to Canada for a little tour. I think lead singer Andy knows more about Canada then I do, he loves it and thinks I am ‘so Canadian”. They are gearing up for a world record – they are going to play 30 gigs in one day/night. So cool I hope they pull it off. I cannot even imagine the effort that would take. I will have to see a few shows to support the cause.

The Friends Are Coming!

2007-01-31T09:49:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone is well and enjoying the unseasonably warm weather (feels like April over here). I have had a good few weeks being back here in London, already planning what I am going to do the next month or so. First news is that I will get to see some people I do not normally get to see. Ashlie is comign to visit me in March which is brilliant (come on friends you have no excuses not to visit me!). We are going to plan her trip on a budget which helps both me and her ... everyone wins! Also my friend Jean Phillip will be returning to London for a few weeks so very happy to see him again.

The store is still the same, still working my butt off for what seems like no money (it always seems liek so much at the beginning of the week..haha). The power went out on me last night 30 minutes before close. I was by myself and I swear I was so freaked out because this store can be creepy at night when the lights were off. So many mirrors and masks I felt liek I was in a scary movie.

I did something I should not have done a few days ago. I went into Topshop. I was early meeting my friend and I was at Oxford Circus so I decided to kill some time. BIG MISTAKE! I wanted everything in there and of course could not have anything. Also I had just come from work so I looked like crap and every girl in there was sooo trendy and proper, so depressing. Anyways I have decided to start playing the lottery, yeah right.

Ok so I will update in a few days when I get the chance.
Peace!

Wednesday's blog on Saturday

2007-01-20T16:11:00.000-08:00

My first whole week back and things have been a little tight. Apparently the London Council decides to give us all the bills at the same time, right after Christmas when no one has any money. So nice of them – I bet they think they are being really funny. SO after not having any bills for 3 months they are all due and I am at a breaking point – financially anyways. My goal is to make it to Saturday – when I get paid again and all will be well. Also since being away the buses and underground decided to increase the fare so I will be walking for awhile. Maybe this way I will see more celebrities since I am baffled why I haven’t seen any on the buses! I guess they do not travel my usual routes. I always hear how all these celebs live in Chelsea but I never see anyone. It is probably because I am always in my own little dream world. I think the next trip I am going to plan will be to Barcelona – not sure how warm it is but I am sure it is warmer than here and going to Spain will be brilliant . Maybe I should start playing the lottery!

I have caught up on all my Coronation Street and Hollyoaks (the English Soap Operas). That is the one thing about English T.V is that they play their soaps at night so no one misses anything, so nice of them. I will be watching Ugly Betty tonight, so exciting. I have decided that I will venture over to Harrods (walking of course) on Sunday because they have their month long sale going on and I still hadn’t been over there so I guess this will be a good time.

I know I said I wasn’t sleeping right and it has continued because I slept till about 2 this afternoon and now I am all messed up again. I hope I can sleep tonight -

WIndy City

2007-01-20T08:52:00.000-08:00

Sorry everyone but I did write a blog a few days ago but I have not been able to get any kind of internet connection so I will try posting it later. I am at my work computer so that is how I am able to give you this gem. My hands are frozen stiff since my work does not have proper heat and I have been made to paint all day. We are painting the store pink, my favorite colour (yelch!)I kinda feel like the Karate Kid painting strokes up and down. Maybe I can defeat the muggers with my new karate moves.

So this week I get paid properly and it is a relief .. although I have to say I am pretty thrifty when I have to be! It has been crazy windy here in LOndon, I almost get throw over the sidewalk walking home sometimes. It has been so bad a few people have died and the underground has shut. Global Warming people!!!

Ok well I have to go shut the store I will post the other blog entry when I can , Love ya.

What To Do??

2007-01-15T16:33:00.000-08:00

So since being back in London have yet to have a full night’s rest. I have only mastered about 4 hours at a time…so maybe tonight (fingers crossed!). Work is work, the place went crazy since I was gone so I have taken the last three days organizing it back to normal. The basement alone was a death trap that I had to sort through. I am making my roommate watch “16 Candles” and told her if she did not like it I could no longer be her friend haha. My goal is to have her watch every 80s brat pack movie because it was so essential in my upbringing I have to share (if for no other reason that I need someone in this country to get my obscure references).

I have yet to tell my boss I want to quit but the problem is if I do quit what exactly will I do??? No really, any suggestions would be great! So I have concluded that I am still going through what professional people call a “quarter life crisis”. Maybe it is just because I am out of school and have no real direction, I bet no one in the 50s felt this way. Men would get jobs right out of high-school and women would just get married to their high-school sweethearts. Sometimes I feel like I should have been born in the 50s, because nowadays you have to have a dream and accomplish it or else you are a failure. So depressing. I have given myself 6 months to figure my life out or else I run away to Thailand and become a … well whatever people do in Thailand.

Anyways despite this blog being a little depressing I am fine and doing well!!!

Back in the U.K

2007-01-12T14:39:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

So I made it alive back to London…but not without a few bumps. The wind has been so bad here recently (damn global warming) that my plane had a bunch of turbulence. This little girl from Belfast, Ireland who sat beside me and kept giggling at the way the plane went up and down and I just felt like vomiting. Yeah so this little girl decided she wanted to be my friend and all through the flight kept turning the over head light on and off, even buzzed the flight attendant a few times in her insistent button pushing. Every time I tried to take a little nap I would close my eyes and she would tap me wanting to play eye spy, play on my computer or read me a story. I guess plane rides for 6 year olds is not all that exciting. I just wanted to make it alive…and I succeeded (or the pilot had something to do with it, whatever). I got to wonder, I was on a cheap flight with a discount airline, does that mean the pilots are not THE BEST pilots out there? Is there a pay difference? This all of a sudden made me nervous. Also what made me nervous was the security was pretty relaxed coming here. Leaving London the were all these check points stating what was allowed and all things had to be in clear plastic bags but Toronto you can just walk right in apparently.

So first day back I slept at really weird times and that is basically all I did. Second day, today, was my first day back at work and I felt so overwhelmed. Everything was piled up and nothing was in order so I spend most of the day cleaning everything up and tomorrow we have sooo many orders. I have to be up at 7 AM! Welcome home. I am going to bed early because I feel well tired and I want to go out tomorrow night and not feel dead.

I am happy I got to see all of you (and those who I missed I will get you next time).

There Is No Place Like Home

2006-12-19T09:38:00.000-08:00

Hey ALLLLLLLL!!!

In the words of James Brown "I'm Back!" So I am sure you are all thrilled to have me back in your lives and how the joy that is Lyndsay will make the days slightly brighter (I say this with my tongue firmly in my cheek). Anyways some of you will be happy to see me and I have come home. My flight was good; long but good. My in-flight meal was surprisingly not bad. I had the salmon pesto (thrilling). They showed movies and t.v shows the whole time so the 8 hours on the plane was surprisingly similar to most of my Sundays when I am rocking the hangover from the night before.

I was met at the airport by my mother and my brother who, poor things had to wait an hour and a half for me because the plane had maintenence problems and could not get into the part of the plane that had the luggage in it. So all is safe and well, St.Catharines looks the same (still haven't seen my father or sister). Anyways off to make the visiting rounds so I will see you all soon!

Peace

p.s No i do not have an accent

Where is my home?

2006-12-10T07:18:00.000-08:00

It seems that my blogs are getting fewer and far between and I guess that is because I am so settled into my life here that nothing seems out of the ordinary anymore. After really wanting to come home for christmas I realized that I will really miss London in the time that I am gone. It is too bad that , unlike Toronto, London isn't a short cheap bus ride to St. Catharines. I think I have really come into my own here, formed great friendships and become more confident, more mature. I am not sure if any of this will show when I see you again but it has happened slowly and continuously.

I really wish I were rich so I can give you all presents but as you may have noticed through my blog I am not in the money. I will actually have less than I thought because I have to pay rent for next month too. I posted my room for a sublet but no calls yet I hope I get someone because it will definitely ease the financial burden. But besides being strapped for cash I am doing great, had a good weekend and having a good lay in on my day off.

Some more of my friends are heading back home for good so I saw them last night. They gave me a little card and some chocolate which was super sweet. They were nice cool Canadian girls who will be missed. This time next week I will be packing to go home and the day after that I will be on a plane making the trip back across the ocean and back to my homeland. I am hoping (fingers crossed - no pressure) that I will be surprised with a room and a bed to sleep in. That is what I want for Christmas, not to be riding the sofa.

Anyways so for those who are buying me presents I will suggest some things:
Leonard Cohen: I'm your man soundtrack (cd)
Leonard Cohen book of longing (book)
Any Joanna Newsom cd (not sure if sold in Canada though)
Wicked (it is a book they made into the play)
I Like You : Hospitality Under The Influence by Amy Sedaris
there is a book with woody allen film passages but I do not know the name of it
any good books on rock and roll (like bob dylan's bio)
any poster book (showing pop art or cover art)
No Dvds cause they do not work over here

Also from my mother or "santa": I would like some new bras (you know my size, I am not anouncing it on the internet)

So that is my list for those giving me presents - go forth and may your anxiety be lessened. I will see you soon and have a great week!!!

Christmas is coming

2006-11-28T16:21:00.001-08:00

sorry for the delay had internet trouble:

I cannot believe it is one month until Christmas as summer seemed just a few weeks ago. I am trying to think what I would be doing if I was back in Toronto and I really am not sure. Back at Canadian Tire? Working on a new movie? Who knows all I know is I cannot dwell on what ifs because it could drive anyone crazy. I still love London and I am still making new friends here, something I would not do in Toronto. There is something about being on your own that forces you to change, forces you to meet people and I am thankful that I had been given this opportunity to go and be different.

On to more news worthy events – there was a stabbing at Café Nero, less then a block away from my work. Walking to work that morning the coffee shop I go to every day was sealed off by police, forensics were taking samples from the street and I had no idea what went down. My boss heard a few stories from people around (it is a very gossipy neighbourhood ). Apparently it was an American who came home in the early hours and a angry neighbour stabbed him repeatedly. So insane. It got me thinking what I would do if I witnessed such a thing (if it happened a few hours later I would have). I guess you never know what you will be like in a situation until you are in it.

My friend Ryan and I went out of the city to Hampton Court where King Henry VIII had once lived. It was a really interesting building and the outside grounds were beautiful full on with swans in the fountains. It was not so grand a castle though it seemed smaller and the rooms were very stark. I would not want to live there (I mean if I had an option to of course).

Hey anyways I met an Armenian! I was at my friend Chris’ house where he was having people over for his birthday and I met his friend Todd an Iranian Armenian. I found this out randomly when I asked him about his crucifix necklace. He said there was a ton of Armenians in London and also that he had been to Armenia. I told him my sister and I were planning a trip next summer and he said it was brilliant, the people were great and it had beautiful countryside. It was cool meeting him.

Three weeks till I go home! I am in town only for a few weeks so I will try to see everyone and catch up with what people have been doing! See you soon!

Tell me how does it feel?

2006-11-16T15:24:00.000-08:00

Hey title does not really mean anything it was the song I was listening to by Razorlight when I started this blog and had no real title. I am writing with no real purpose this time but I felt that because I have internet at this moment I should take advantage. You see sometimes if i try hard enough I can get an internet signal in this one little spot in my room and if I am trully blessed it will last more than 10 minutes but I cannot move a muscle or I will lose it completely.

I have been sick the past few days and I did something that i have never done before and that was call in sick to work. Yesterday I was starting to feel really ill and nothing was happening at work so my boss sent me home but i was not getting better so I called in and asked for the morning off. My perfect streak has been broken but I think I really needed the extra hours of sleep ... like Jerry Seinfeld vomiting after years of good health I admitted defeat.

I cannot wait for this weekend and no sickness will get me down! Our party has been changed to a crazy hat party instead of the 60s theme (thank goodness) and I still do not have a Disney costume for the party on Saturday... I am thinking of going as a pirate I guess. Too much pressure! I got pics from Aunt Robyn showing the kids at Halloween. Adorable.

Well I am missing some more birthdays this weekend. Joanna and Erica HAPPY 25TH!!! It is not as bad here on the quarter century hill as it seemed to be. Remember when we were in highschool??? Could you ever imagine us at 25?!! Man time goes fast. We will have to remember this year as the best year of our lives and actually enjoy being adults (though we still feel like kids sometimes!!)

I hope everyone has a good weekend !
Peace out, Lyndsay

Parrr-tayyy

2006-11-11T09:12:00.000-08:00

Hey every one!

Well things are going very well right now. My new place is great and the people are really cool. Next weekend is going to be a party weekend for me. FIrst we are having a 60s theme party at my flat and the next day I am travelling to Bournemouth after work to my friend's birthday which is Disney theme. Needless to say I am glad sometimes that I work in a party shop!

Good news is I am finally going to be starting to save some money bad news is that it is Christmas so really I will end up breaking even...again. It is a good thing my mother is letting me travel back here on her Flyer Miles otherwise I would have to stay in Ontario and start living a 'real life' (no offence I swear!!!)

I am at work cause my internet still is on the fritz and it is hard for me to get online and I do not want to get in trouble so I will say peace out and hope everyone is well.

P.S I accidently dyed my hair black ... oops!

I AM ALIVE!!

2006-11-03T03:14:00.000-08:00

Hey just so you are wondering I am still alive and kicking around London. I got all my flat crap worked out and I am really happy...actually glad I got kicked out cause I love my new people. I am with a girl from Manchester girl Kay, an Aussie girl Ang an Italian boy Marco(who has more a english accent since being here 9 years)and English boy Phin. Both boys are cuties but have girlfriends ... oh well haha. Work has been murder this week with Halloween and now we just changed the store for Christmas. Christmas people!!! The one thing about my job though is I get to design the front window. Too bad it does not happen enough. We need more holidays and celebrations between Halloween and Christmas. In England they will have Bonfire Day on the fifth of Novemeber where they burn Guy Fawkes. Very morbid and if you do not know the history they explain it in the movie V for Vendetta. Here is a link though if you are bored (http://www.rhymes.org.uk/remember_remember_the_5th_november.htm)

So what is going on back home? I only get updates from some people so I am feeling left out. In response to Aunt Laura's query if I think I am Carrie from Sex and the City. Naw, not really since I do not really put anything juicy on this blog but I do try to entertain but sometimes it is hard trying to please all my fans...you are a fickle bunch haha just kidding.

I just realized that it is already November 3rd!!!I have been here almost 5 months I cannot believe it! I am for sure going to start to see more shows before I get back. I really want to see Wicked, Spamalot and I hear Dirty Dancing is really good. Also a classic I want to see is Cabaret. Did you guys know that Ashley Simpson is playing Roxie Hart in Chicago here on the west end? Crazy, I wonder if she is any good.

I am still meeting some really cool people and it seems they all want me to come back here after christmas but I promised my mommy that I would stay home for at least three weeks. So no New Years in Barcelona like I thought, oh well Niagara Falls could be cool I guess. It all depends on who you spend it with, not where you spend it right?

Anyways I do not have internet yet so I might not be regular on the computer so do not feel offended if I do not get a chance to update but I will do my best to write whenever I have something to say. Seeeeee yoooouuuuu iinnnn DEEEECCCCEEEMMMBBBEERRR

What Makes A Home?

2006-10-20T04:34:00.000-07:00

Well I know you are all worried about me finding a new place to live but all is well and I found a place I will move into at the end of the month. I have one more week left at the hostel but it is in a cool area so I do not mind. Things are busy at work and I am always tired, probably because I spent the last month out every night and it has taken it's toll on me (I am not as young as I used to be hahaha).

I am at an internet cafe so this post will be really short since I have to be at work in a few minutes.

Just know that I am fine and my only real problem is that I need a haircut...and a national insurance number but that is another story.

Later! Miss you!
Lyndsay

The Hunt

2006-10-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

Oh Lordy looking for a decent flat in LOndon is hard work (especially on my budget)! I have seen about 5 places and all of them have something wrong with them.

Flat#1 - Ok, I know I am not the tiniest girl but this place made me feel like a giant in a little person's apartment. The place was studio style so the whole place was about 10 feet by 12 feet, give or take an inch. Going up the stairs you had to step one foot on one and then the next foot on the other...there was not room for both...I kid you not that is how they designed it. Who does that? Right foot up, left foot up. I soon discovered that the room was only about half height. Yep I had to crouch down to get to the bed, there were three beds in all. The whole place was exposed so there would be no privacy and if people were watching tv you would be hearing it no matter where you were. Duck and shimmy - this place was like a tree house. All that aside it was in the perfect location of Notting Hill and I almost took it for that reason but my senses came back when I saw that I had two small drawers for storage space. NEXT!

Flat#2 NO. Got the feeling it was a Slovakian brothel. NEXT!

Flat#3 Where do I begin?? First it was above a chinese food restaurant so the smell alone was enough to put me off. I get to the top of the stairs and this man is waiting for me in jean cut off shorts (Men, please, not a good look). It was a three bedroom roomshare - the room looked barely big enough for one bed despite him cramming three in there. He and his girlfriend (a middle age lady with what seems like no fashion sense to match her boyfriend). She was making food in the very small kitchen with this other older lady who I was told was one of the "girls" staying in my room. I needed to get out of there so badly but he kept talking and talking about using his internet because there is no wireless and that I could spend "10-30 minutes, whatever" on his cable. Oh wow mister a whole 10 minutes on the Internet!! What would I possibly do with all that time??? Thanks buddy. I was inching my way out as he kept talking and talking and finally I made my escape. NEXT!

Flat#4 Perfect flat, perfect people. Bad Timing. I think they liked me cause I work at a party shop and they like there parties. Anyways the place was just down the street from me and right where the buses come which is a bonus. Comfy couches (no more bruised bum), sharing a room with one other girl instead of two (and she speaks english!) and digital t.v (no more crappy Brit TV!!). One hitch is that it is not available till the end of the month and I have to be out by Friday the 13th (the irony is not lost on me people). SO if they choose me ... Pick Me! Pick Me! I will have to ride the hostel train till the end of the month.

Flat #5 Now let me see, it is out in Acton (which is like saying you are in Mississauga - not really in Toronto) and in the middle of suburbia. She said it was like a 2 minute walk but really it took me 10 or 15 which is long after you have been out and it is dark. Anyways she rushed me through the place and then rushed me out so I think I will say no to that one. NEXT!

Flat#6 Nope, same problems as #5 only no living room and not a really nic kitchen, plus the girl kinda gave me the death stare when I walked in. The girl showing me was super nice though and if she were not leaving I think we would be friends so I felt bad saying no to her.

I will update again and let you know what is happening. Love Lynds

The Kick Out

2006-10-09T16:54:00.000-07:00

So it goes a little something like this....

I have not really posted what my flatmate was like to live with because I did not want any ill will while I was living here but it has gotten to be too much and I will now speak out!! Alex is the rudest most self serving guy I have ever met and for some of you who know that is saying alot. He has kicked me out after yelling at my guest (who he made pay to be here by the way - nice guy). He said he doesn't like my attitude and that I act like I do not want to be here because I am not nice enough to him. Closer to the truth is that he is an ass (sorry) who has been waiting for something to come up so he could kick someone out for someone else to come and live here. He just wanted someone else for the room and has come up with this bogus excuse as an excuse to get rid of me.

So right now I am looking for places to live that are somewhat close to my job but unfortunately all the good places are on the other side of the city. Maybe I will get lucky!

So it is Thanksgiving for you guys and I am jealous. I want my Turkey Dinner!! I have been invited to a 'Canadian style thanksgiving' at a friends house Saturday but it will not be the same at all. I will miss the screaming kids, Aunt Luara's desserts (mmmm sex in the pan) and my relatives who drink one beer to many and try to tell me their philosophies on life while their spouses are waiting looking at them in frustration to hurry up so they can get home. Ahhhh family!!
I guess I will have to wait until Christmas for all that I suppose. I miss you all especially times when the family is supposed to be all together like you are now.
I enjoyed are little speaker phone conversation thouhg I did not catch everything....what is making Aunt Laura look 14 years younger? Sophia and Natalie I think will be driving by the time I get home they are growing so fast. Anyways...think of me while you stuff your face with the second helping of my mom's pilaf !! Grandma...did not get to talk to you so HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!!

Peace out,
Lyndsay

The Lost Paris Blog

2006-10-09T16:16:00.000-07:00

ok found my notebook:

Well we arrived in Paris safely with only a few gliches. Major glich was me not being able to find my passport. I had gotten off work at 3 pm hoping to leave the flat by 4 but my frantic search for the one thing I absolutly needed to leave the country set us back a few minutes (like 15-20). We did our best to race to the airport going up and down steps with a huge duffle bag (much to the chagrin of the our fellow undergrounders. Well with all that rushing we ended up waiting around anyways - go figure.
Our hostel is not too ba, not the best I have ever been in but it beats the heck out of the castrophe that was the broken down ship hostel (of Amsterdam fame). I do not know who in their right mind thought it was a good idea to engineer a building do the shower, toilet and sink are in three different parts of the floorbut most hostels seemed to have adopted this floor plan. Maybe it is a Feng Shui thing.
Weather has been a pain since the things I like to do in Paris most are outside things. So no sitting out in the park with wine and cheese this trip (booo). At the moment writing in my notebook drinking wine (a common theme yes I know)at a cafe looking at all the people who like me just want to enjoy their limited stay in this great city. My umbrella broke as well so instead of following Joanna around the tourist trap shops I will just sit here and enjoy sitting and watching. Really just a good excuse to relax a bit.
Oh man the walking!! Paris really expects you to be fit. Yesterday Joanna probably walked 14 hours straight. We did so much walking all along the river and through the city. We have gotten lost tons of times so it has taken some time to get back to the path in which we were meant to be on...but that is half the adventure right?

We went to the Louve yesterday and saw all the greats...we did the fast track version since we only had a few hours till it closed and it is one of the biggest places I have ever seen. SO we saw Venus DeMilo, Mona Lisa, Wnged Victory, some DiVinci, some Rembrant, some French and Greek Sculptures etc etc .... it never ends!
I suggest they have a day (preferably a day when i am there) when each visitor can take one piece of art or painting of their choice. I think I should pitch this idea to the curators, they would love it I am sure. You may be thinking I am crazy but have you seen the size of some of this paintings?? It would take our whole family to carry out one of the massive paintings, like ants carry a cookie crumb. A small family will have to be satisfied with something small like a crown or a chair or something ... still not too bad.

I usually think Parisians are nice but I did encounter a few of the rude french. I tried to buy tickets for a science/nature museum at the Grand Palais and I asked the lady "Vous parlez Anglais?" which is how you say "You speak English". Well the death stare I got was fierce! We stared at eachother before she gave me an 'of course you stupid English person' look and proceeded to tell me it would all be in french so I wouldn't understand it. How Rude! We were not impressed.

I cannot decide if I like Paris or London better - they are both so different in there greatness. I like the idea of learning and conversing in another language here in Paris but it does get frustrating.

Well that is it for now, I will just continue to sit and enjoy the rain and the wine.
Talk to you soon!
Love Lynds

Paris Revisited

2006-10-08T04:14:00.000-07:00

What's going on everyone !!! I hope everyone is doing well and all is good in Canada. I am doing ok, I am back from Paris and I had this whole long blog I wrote while there but I cannot seem to find my notebook so this blog might not be as exicting as one would hope.
So Joanna and I headed to Paris without a hitch (only a really heavy bag). We did the Louve, the Musee du pubilicite (which took us two hours to find cause it is called something else now haha). I showed her Luxemburg Gardens and the first day we walked around for a good 13 hours taking in the sites. We went to the first floor of the Eiffel Tower and it was beautiful (did not have the money or the guts to go to the top). It is amazing that people actually live there and see this everyday.

The only thing that bothered us was the weather. Paris weather was having an identity crisis - it thought it was London weather. It rained and rained (booo). Joanna kept wanting to shop so I just hung out at a cafe and drank some wine and watched all the people in the rain. Very entertaining. I think my french is getting better and I tried my hardest with my accent but lots of times I had to resay what I meant in English which was frustrating. I want to be a Parisian!!!

ANyways I will continue to practice my french and maybe I will move to Montreal which I guess is the next best thing is Canada. Not to worry anyone but my crazy flatmate has kicked me out of the place so I will be looking for a new flat this week so hopefully I find something near my work and for not that much more money.

Wish me Luck!!
Love Lyndsay

Paris for the Weekend

2006-09-29T12:48:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

How cool is it that I can go to Paris for a weekend and I am not married to some old rich dude to do it?? Joanna and I are heading out to Paris tomorrow and it is going to be amazing!! Things are doing really good but I am broke broke broke but hey there is something to be said about being poor and happy...right? ....right? haha. Anyways I am fine and I am saying bye to another friend tonight. My roomate is having a goodbye party which is starting right this minute. I figure instead of being sad I will just appreciate the fact that some people are meant to be in your life for a long time and others for a short period and that you should appreciate what you have with them while you have it. Well that is my philosophical moment for the night.

So instead of being anti-social I will go back to enjoying the party!!! I will give you an update from Gay Paris!!!
Later Gaters!

Busy Busy Busy

2006-09-22T14:09:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

I promised I would write more so I guess I lied. I am so busy these past few weeks and it will only get busier. I am going out all the time and with joanna coming it will be even more so. We are heading to Paris for next weekend and it is going to be sooo great to be back there and practice my french.
Sidenote: An amazing fireworks display just went on outside my window on the thames river sooo beautiful....glad I got to see it.
ANother good friend has left me so Joanna's mission with me is to find some amazing people to be friends with. My roomate left and another is leaving next week so we will have some new people in the house. I swear this house is like Big Brother sometimes. I think I might move out actually cause of all the drama gets a bit wearing.

I hope everyone is well and I am all too aware that in a few weeks London will be super depressing in terms of weather so I am enjoying every day of nice weather! It gets dark here around 7 so the days are quite short (especially since I am not off work till 6). It is ok I am a night person anyways...better lighting at night haha. I hear another person is preggers within the family unit which is making me feel a little bit behind but I was never going to get married early. I guess someone in the family has to be different! But congrats Tammi!!!
So Andrea is planning her trip out here for next year already and she had me agreeing to go to Armenian with her for next summer to possibly build houses. When will the craziness end?? NEVER!!
welcome any family and friends who want to get away from school or work to come visit me. By now I cannot claim to be an expert but I am learning and maybe by the time I get another visitor I will be the social queen of England!
I love the comments and updates from home...I need pictures!!!! So send away !
Talk soon, love Lynds

A Bust

2006-09-15T11:52:00.000-07:00

Hey all.

My roomate just now almost set the flat on fire. Ok I am now addicted to a stupid show called Coronation Street...which I know my mom used to be addicted to so maybe it is genetic. The store had it's sale this week but no one came hahaha. I felt bad for my boss but I really didn't mind because I get super stressed when we are busy. The balloons, the madness. I am obsessed with balloons now I notice them everywhere and it drives me nuts. I am getting ideas for if I ever decide to open my own shop ... and I will expect everyone to come to my store and to spread the word but that is soooo very far in the future and right now it is just a flicker of an idea in my crazy head.

I am just now getting over my sickness but my voice is still a little husky which quite frankly makes me sound much better than my normal high pitch voice. I have not really gone out as much because I have been sick but also because my job makes me soo tired. I am more tired working there 8 hours than I ever did working 16/17 hours on set. I do not know what it is about that job but it exhausts me.

I am sooo excited to have Joanna coming to visit!!! It will be great to have someone here I have a history with. I meet people here but everytime I have to start from scratch so it will be nice to have someone I am already comfortable with. Also I have to make a list of all the things she can do in London while I am working which will not be hard. The shopping alone my goodness! haha.

Dogs and Babies

2006-09-07T11:44:00.000-07:00

Well more and more I am noticing women walking around London totting either a small child or a dog. Maybe it is because I work in a party shop I see lots of distressed mothers with their children deciding between the finding nemo or winnie the pooh balloons. Even around my neighbourhood tons of families with prams (baby strollers to you guys) and dogs on leashes, dogs in the bus and even in the underground. Seeing all this makes me really want .... a puppy. What did you think I would say?? ha. But neither finances or time will allow for this plus I do not think my flatmates would appreciate it very much. Speaking of Flatmates there is still tense drama every day which comes from one major source but I will not name names (mostly because I am a scaredy cat). Sara, one of the girls I share a room with has to leave so we will be getting 2 new roomates (June is leaving to go back to school). Since one of them will be staying in a room with me I hope she is not a crazy person or plays the trumpet or something.
I am getting sick and I blame the French one! She has been sick for two weeks and now she is better I now an feeling the beginnings of something. It better go away because the next two weeks of work will be insane. My boss is crazy. For some reason she put out nearly 1500 postcards advertising a party on the 13th, 14th and 15th which will have face painting and tons of discounts. WE ARE ONLY TWO PEOPLE !! How in the world are we going to accomendate all these people??? I feel like we are the Field of Dreams and all of America is coming over and we have no where to put them. Ok maybe the sickness is getting to me because I have become delusional.

Just got word from my brother that my older cousin (by a whole year) is pregnant so Congrats Brianne!

September Already

2006-09-02T10:46:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe its already September! I have been here 2 and a half months and it just blows my mind. So much is happening this month I hope I can keep up with it all. Usually I have to go to work for 10 am but every Saturday I am going to have to go in for 8AM! A company wants a 2 balloon arches for every Saturday in September and of course this month there are 5 Saturdays boooo. I know that sounds so very exciting but this is what is happening right now so that is what I am writing! All my friends are leaving in the next few weeks so it means two things. #1- I have to go out a lot to say goodbye and #2 I have to find new friends hahaha. The last one leaves around the 20th and Joanna is coming around the 22nd so at least I will have someone for a few more weeks. So Jean Phillip, Jenna, Jerome, June….and Yolanda (I know a lot of J’s). are leaving to either go back to Canada or to go back to their schools so being the old one of the group I am the only one not going back to school. This makes me miss school and I am thinking I should take some courses when I get home because there is much to learn! So that is a lesson to all my cousins…Stay in school as long as you can!!!! The “real world” is not as fun.

I went to Brighton this week (not Bath) on my day off and I have to say Chicago must relinquish its title as the windy city because Brighton is by far the windiest. I couldn’t believe this was the beach people come to swim in because the beach wasn’t what I am used to since it is all rocks and I like my beaches sandy. It was soooo cold and windy the few people in the water should have had their heads examined. It was a fun time though it had a carnival set up on the pier and there were tons of casino type games and even a place with old time (1890s-1920s) machines. My friend and I tried out the fortune teller machine and it reminded me of the movie Big but nothing major happened to me the next morning…I was mildly disappointed. My fortune wasn’t all that exciting either but it was only 20 pence so it was all in good fun. All in all Brighton was ok but I liked Oxford better.

The weather is still pretty cold and so I have made peace with the fact that summer has been over for a few weeks and it will never come back. Bye Bye Sun Hello Rain!

Lazy Lyndsay

2006-08-29T17:01:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Ok I just was yelled at by my father for not updating my blog since some of you have been hounding him asking why I haven’t kept it up. So I am sorry! Things have been happening here but they have not been super exciting so I never thought to update but I have learned my lesson and I will be sure to keep this going for all my fans (haha just kidding).

Yeah so London is crazy when it comes to weather I cannot believe it, it seriously blows my mind how many seasons happen in one day here. You never know what to wear when going out so you must be prepared for anything! Start the day thinking oh it’s raining I will where my warm clothes and an umbrella and 5 minutes later when you are outside sweating your buns off waiting for the bus you curse the god of London weather because he is having a laugh for sure. Same goes for a nice day, beautiful days are no more – it’ll rain at least two times a day. I get so cold sometimes in the flat and my flatmates are like “you are from Canada! How can you be cold??” Then I give them a dirty look and say “Well in winter I am prepared for the cold not in frickin’ August so lay off!!” (ha I do not go that far but sometimes I have the urge).

I went to Oxford last week and it is sooo beautiful. My friend took pics so hopefully I can post them on here so you can see. There are tons of cool places you can go for day trips and it is not too expensive. This week I think I am going to Bath which is supposed to be really pretty as well. In Oxford we went on this ghost tour which was pretty lame and I am convinced the tour guide was drunk because he was unable to stand still and he kept forgetting the information and after 10 years of doing the tour you would think he had it down. Oxford is supposed to have all these ghosts because the townies were killing the students all the time when it first opened which make me think that perhaps you would want to choose a different school – but that is me.

I did not see any ghosts unfortunately.

Work is going good. The boss lady left me alone for almost a week while she went to visit her family so I was unsure since I had only been there a week so far but nothing major happened so it ended up being ok. Right now we are preparing for a pre- Halloween party, sending out invitations and decorating the store. A million little kids running around playing with everything will be crazy and there is only two of us so I will update you on the madness. It is too bad the store isn’t in St. Catharines because there is tons of stuff for kids birthdays and theme parties. The website if you want to take a look is www.circuscircus.co.uk. Maybe I will open one in Canada – always good to have options.

I got news that one of my bestest friends Joanna will be coming to visit me which is very exciting. I will get to show someone around the best city in the world (that’s right New York I said it!). So it is an open invitation to anyone who wants to come I welcome you!!!!

We had a bank holiday here which is what we call a long weekend. On Sunday I went to a Music Festival which was called Get Loaded in the Park. It was pretty fun and I was happy it did not rain although it did get a bit cold. I really wanted to see De La Soul but they only played two songs so I wasn’t too happy but a band called Baby Shambles was really good. The Notting Hill Carnival was in full affect on Monday and it was madness! I guess it would be the same as Toronto’s Carnival with Jamaican/African music and costumes and dancing. People were loving it, dancing and going crazy but apparently it is also really dangerous because there is so many people. But everything ended up being really fun and nothing bad happened so no worries.

Hello Working Girl

2006-08-08T11:52:00.000-07:00

This is my first week at work and things are going ok … though it is only Tuesday ha. I am a little clumsy when it comes to the balloons but hopefully I will pick it up fast. My boss is planning a huge pre- Halloween party in September so that should be fun to organize and give me a chance to be a little creative. It looks like the dream is going to be differed a little while but maybe after Christmas I will go back to film. I would feel bad if I quit when she hired me thinking it would be for awhile. The hours are great 10-6 so I can still go out at night and not be dead in the morning. I know this is all very exciting stuff but that’s all I got so far!

Amsterdam and Brussels

2006-08-08T11:51:00.001-07:00

Hey sorry I have been lazy in the updates but traveling to two countries in 4 days wears a girl out. Since this is a family blog all I will say is Amsterdam is pretty fun – tons of young people and surprisingly cleaner than I thought it would be. I cannot even explain to you the living conditions of the first night spent there. We were on some ratty boat that looked like it hadn’t been used in years. We thought our little (emphasis on little) room was bad but than a girl showed us the rest of the place and oh my … I kid you not but it looked like an orphanage from Oliver Twist or something. Not to alarm any of you but we had to get to the boat by ferry but after 12:30 we have to take a night bus. Well the night bus driver must have thought he was being hilarious but he dropped us off at the wrong spot and we had to walk for over an hour in the middle of nowhere. Thank goodness we only stayed one night. Next we had a cool hostel but because we were doing things last minute we could only stay one night and it seemed the rest of the city’s hostels were all booked up so we headed to Brussels. I never expected to like Brussels since I had no real knowledge of it before but it turned out to be a great little trip. It is sooo beautiful there and of course we ate the waffles and bought some chocolate. I am not really a huge chocolate person but this stuff was amazing, all made in the stores so it was top quality. We had to leave early there too because I had to work on Monday and missing my first day of work would not look so good.

Amsterdam and Brussels

2006-08-08T11:51:00.000-07:00

Craziness

2006-08-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone...

This week has been soo crazy I cannot even begin to tell you everything. I have finally found a job that seems pretty cool, good hours and decent pay. I work as a shop assistant for a party store (you know, costumes, balloons, theme decorations etc). It is pretty close to me so that is good and it will be nice to get some some money coming in. I have decided on a whim that since i do not start work till monday that i will go on a trip to Amsterdam and Brussels. For those worried I will be going with a friend so i will not be alone this time. I love how you can do that here...just go to so many cool places for a few days or a weekend. So everything is going well and everyone can breathe a sigh of relief knowing i will not end up on the streets. I love that people are enjoying these blogs and I promise I will write more next time but I am super tired and I have to get up at 5am tomorrow to catch the flight. To my grandma...I promise your postcard is coming I wrote the wrong address and ruined the whole thing so I will do a whole new one.

P.S my hostel in Amsterdam is a giant submarine...how cool is that!

Good weekend

2006-07-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

SO I got to talk to a few of you on Sunday which was nice. Just want to give a shout out to all my peeps in the St.Kitts and to Uncle Henry for his 40th Birthday (props H.H). I am just being as confusing as I can, sorry grandpa. I had a really fun weekend but like all good things it had to come to an end. I got to dance on Saturday night which i haven't been able to do in awhile. Jenna introduced me to her french friends who were helping me improve my french...I am making a promise to myself that i will be very fluent by the time I come hme! Last night I went out for Indian dinner in a the city's Bangladesh area. You need to be really on the ball there because so many people come at you offering specials and discounts on your food and it can be overwhelming but we Canadian girls stood our ground and found a good place. It was great because downstairs of the restaurant was a traditional East Indian wedding! We got to see the bride walk down with her entorage...but then the fire alarm went off and didn't stop for 15 minutes.

Today I headed to the Tate Modern, my favorite museum so far. Definitely a place to go if you like abstract art and artists like Matisse, Picasso, Rivera and they had alot of photography by awesome people like Cindy Sherman and Alfred Steigliz. Also they introduced me to a movement by a group of women who were called the Guerilla Girls (mid-80s to 90s). Not sure if you have heard of them but they created advertisments that brought attention to the fact that there was a serious lack of female and non white artists being representated in museums. If you get a chance you should look them up. They also had amazing video art and films by artists like Man Ray. So my point is that is was most excellent and worth the trip to the south side of the Thames.
Peace.

Bohemian like you

2006-07-20T16:08:00.001-07:00

Hey Family and Friends,
So I have decided to become a crazy person so I can use my madness to create beautiful art and poetry. My plan is to not eat or sleep for days and let the creative juices flow. Ok maybe I've just been inspired a little too much by the exhibit I went to at the National Gallery entitled Rebels & Martyrs: The image of the artist in the 19th Century. Fun huh? I relate to these crazies somehow. This is a quote by one of the artists that really captured the essence of the exhibit:

"In our oh-so-civilized society it is necessary for me to lead the life of a savage; I must free myself even from the governments...To do that, I have just set out on the great, independent, vagabond life of the bohemian." Gustav Courbet.

I mean come on with a name like Gustav you have to be the coolest guy ever. Anyways the exhibit was great and my friend and I went to the main gallery afterwards and it took hours to go through everything but I withstood till my feet felt sore.

So anyways my friend Jenna and I went to eat and found a pub and were so grateful they served food (we have been having bad luck with finding food) and she thought she would try chutney since both of us have heard of it yet never tried it. She did not like it. All that was left on the plate was the chutney (a jelly type substance for those similiarly unaware) and one chip (french fry for all you Canucks). Then we notice while finishing our drinks the table of boys kept looking over. This dude shimmies his stool over and asks my friend for her chip. She, baffled by this question says "sure I guess" before she had time to say anything else he grabs the chip and like a trophy he brings it back to his friends at the table "i got the chip" and lord did he scarf that thing down. SO that was weird. The weirdest part was the fact that after I thought about it I asked myself "Why didn't he want my chip?" hahaha. Already crazy.

Such Great Heights

2006-07-17T04:17:00.000-07:00

k so anyone who wants to know or wants proof I actually live here in London here is my address:
68 Beaufort Mansions
Beaufort Street
Chelsea
London, SW3 5AF

I am getting used to the apartment but a few things are going to take some time. For instance people who know me know I like T.V. T.V is a very good friend of mine but we are in a fight because it's been crap here. I get 5 channels and they have nothing on! AND apparently in the U.K you have to pay a t.v tax which if you do not pay it they can charge you a 5000 pound fine! The other thing is we are on a somewhat busy street so it can get pretty loud when you are trying to watch the crap t.v. Other than that I am having a great time here. We have a Mexican guy, a Spanish woman, a Parisian woman and a Polish woman. I told them they have to teach me Spanish and help me with my french. The Mexican guy has a supermodel looking girlfriend who is on her way to become a pop/r&b singer if you want to check out her stuff you can go to www.myspace.com/jennyrudell . To answer Aunt Robyn's query I have moved in with everything fully furnished including bed so that has been a huge help. I think it would be a little odd for me to search the streets for used furniture which is what I would resort to.

I am happy to say I am trying things here I would never have tried in Toronto (food wise people with dirty minds). I went to an Indian restaurant with a friend who I had known in toronto and had the Lamb Korma and it was not what I expected but it was good! I actually ordered mussels last night when I was out with a friend who knew this great place that I will definitly go back to. Today I am going to check out some museums such as the National Portrait Galley and another one called Rebels& Martyr's about painters who do not follow the rules. Saucy.

I got the pics from Trisha's BBQ, looked like alot of fun (I have still yet to attend one of those). It's getting late in the day here so I will bid you a bon noche - a bad spelling of the spanish phrase meaning good night.

the summer of Lyndsay

2006-07-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!
So things are doing good I am in the process of moving into my new flat and the area is really great. I would say its about the same atmosphere as Queen West with a splash of Bloor for sophistication. I have been taking all my money out by credit card since I got here and since I have a stupid canadian limit on my debit card of 200 bucks which is like 80 pounds here, which is nothing. When I get my most perfect job soon I can start paying off everything in pounds but till then I shall live in debit for the first time in my life! How sweet credit is. SO now I have internet FINALLY so I feel like I am back in touch with the world. Job hunting will go much faster and I will have more prospects instead of heading all the way to the other end of town to use the BUNAC computers. They kick you off after 20 minutes, what can you possibly accomplish in twenty minutes? Not much.

I already have some really cool friends here and I hope to meet more British people because they know where all the really cool back door places are and those are always the most fun. I have decided to do my best and give up sugar since everyone here weighs like 90 pounds ... but my need for a Cola may overrule my wanting to be thin. Who needs to fit in when you have a tub of ice cream and John Cusack to watch on the Tele??

SO i hope everyone has a brilliant weekend and I will do my best to catch on to the accent and lingo so I can annoy everyone at Christmas.
Peace

Crazy town

2006-07-12T04:40:00.000-07:00

This place is so busy it is hard to get around sometimes. People pushing and shoving giving you rotten looks...cheeky buggers ha. Anyways I have a friend here with a car so that will be helpful. We have driven around the city a few times and let me tell you it's insane. I never know where he is turning next I fell like I am on some crazy Universal Studios ride but it's really fun. I would never be able to drive here since its all manual and I am an automatic kind of girl. I do miss having friends around to hang with since everyone I know here is at work during the day (what's up with that?) so I have to amuse myself. Today I am going to Hyde Park to hang out. The other day I went to Notting Hill (did not however find myself a Hugh Grant) and bought some cool older music magazines. I also went to Camden Market where there are quite a few cheap places to shop even though cheap is still out of my price range rigth now it's good to look around, scope the places out.
Yeah so nothing to report on the job front but I am looking into agencies for possible catering postions cause I think that would be fun and will allow me to meet tons of people.
I hope everyone will have a good weekend, the weather here has been beautiful so I hope its nice for you guys to. Peace.

London Calling

2006-07-10T04:30:00.000-07:00

So in London in desperate need of a belt, new pants, new shoes ...ok basically everything! I found a place to live. YAh!! I am offically a resident of London proper. A Chelsea Girl to be exact. The only problenm is I cannot move in till the 14th which has made a very good friend of Yolanda for letting me stay this long. Another problem is at the moment I have no way of paying for this apartment since I have no job yet. Who knew you needed a job to pay rent? haha Family memembers reading this do not stress as I do have savings left but having money come in is always a good thing!
I find the subway system much harder to figure out then Paris' but I am learning. MIND THE GAP (that one is for you dad haha).
SO back to looking for a job ... I know I just have to swallow whatever insecurities I have and just go for it. My friend Jermaine said he could probably get me into an agency that works with the BBC so here's hoping! My other friend works in a Strip Club and she says it's really good money so that's always an option too...ahhhh no.
So anyways I will try to be less lazy with my postings but it's hard when I do not have internet on my laptop. SO don't stop reading and I love hearing from you all!
Peace

Je ne sais pas

2006-07-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

Paris was awesome and if I had the means I would stay fro another week. I had to cram in alot of things in just three days which required ALOT ALOT of walking. I now know why no Parisian women are fat - I had to climb thousands of steps to get anywhere and boy are my legs tired. Let me tell you folks though it was worth it, the view at the Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart Cathedral) was sooo amazing a description will not do it justice. Everyday I was so sweaty and hot I dreamed of having a long shower or jumping in an ocean. It's amazing how we take things for granted like having a shower , a sink, a toliet all being in the same place which was a failed concept at my hostel.

I got together with the American girl I met in Dublin which was fun - it is good to have someone you can relate to on a trip with you. We went to the Musee D'Orsary and spent hours there looking at the Impressionist art - I got some postcards too for all the art fans.

The Luxemburg Gardens is probably the most beautiful place ever to sit and have some wine and just hang out. Some friends and I bought some cheese, a baguette and just had a great tiem talking ( so Paris can be pretty cheap if you have good company).

Well now I am in London again and looking for an apartment as I do not want to wear out my welcome with Yolanda and Christina since they have been so nice.

Bus Life

2006-07-04T10:19:00.000-07:00

So being the genius I am I decide taking a bus to paris would be both economical and scenic, allowing me to see some of the country side. The bus is packed of course with many different nationalities, none of whom seem to be english. That is cool with me of course but while picking my seat I failed to notice the toliet was not at the back where it has been on every bus I have ever been on but rather right in front of what I thought was a desirable seat. It was disguised as a wall and only when someone went into it did the horrible reality and smells set in.

I can't figure out the nationality of the guy who sat next to me - i asked him if he was from Deutshland (Germany)but I think he answered his name or soemthing so I have no idea - so we become seat partners in silence. Europe is sooo much more relaxed with the drinking laws than we are. The first thing the guy beside me did was crack open a huge bottle of Pilners Beer - then later a second.

I am impressed by the amount of languages the bus stewardess has to know to explain to the bus of many nationalities. I barely know a grade school version of Quebec French - the Parisians will hate me hahaha suckers.

Svea gave me a piece of cake she had left over from a dinner at her grandparents which was to be my substitute for birthday cake. My bum is quite numb at this point but I cannot shift my legs however because the headphones I am wearing (which Jesse accused me of stealing) are very tempormental and I finally got them working in both ears and I do not want to spoil it. I guess if I were in St. Catharines we would just end up at Kaz's so I fugure on a bus to Paris was better than that - despite the numbess in my tush.

We just passed a trailer full of horses and I would rather be in there with the horses than this bus - seriously guys it smells THAT BAD. I wonder when the last time they washed these curtains. Thank god being in the film industry I have learned to hold my going to the bathroom yet the need to pee will loom over me like death waiting till someone in front of me has a nasty bout of diarhea to strike.

Ok crisis has been solved, I had to switch buses in Hanover - a nicer smell free bus where I am sitting with friendly people. Except for the police hauling some guy and his young son off the bus the trip went smoothly.

just checking

2006-06-30T09:35:00.000-07:00

hey everyone i am just checking something and i will delete this later. Im in paris and it is so far great i have a huge long blog to write later but this keyboard is really tough so you all will have to wait in eager anticipation....suckers haha.
love you bye

Ba da da da bum...They say it's your Birthday !!

2006-06-29T01:51:00.000-07:00

This is my horoscope for today :

Born today, you are a clever, imaginative and highly creative individual with such a capacity for work that you are sure to outperform the competition again and again throughout your lifetime. You know what you like, and when it comes to your opinions, you are solid and confident. Rarely are you one to change your mind about something -- even when it is clear to everyone around you that your ideas are either mistaken or wholly outdated. Some may call you stubborn, others call you original, but everyone has something to say about you one way or the other. You attract a good deal of attention.

From your earliest days, you will have a natural ease and flair that will win the admiration of all sorts -- but it is the important people whose approval you will actively solicit, not so much to win rewards of your own but simply because these people are the most interesting to you.

Well not so much a horoscope so much as a restatement of how wonderful I am hahaha. AND I have the same birthday as Gary Busey...how special is that??!!

Thank you everyone who sent me emails to wish me a happy birhtday, I love you all. Thank you to Jesse and Svea for taking me to the Q dorf in Berlin it was good times.
Tonight I am off to Paris for the weekend (who in Canada ever gets to say that?!) so I hope everyone has a good weekend too.
Peace out my peeps!

Happy Birthday to Me

2006-06-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

Well everyone tomorrow is my 25th birthday (speaker waits after a 10 minute standing ovation to conclude) and I will be off to Paris for the weekend (many ohhhs and ahhhs from the audience). No but seriously folks tomorrow I will be spending the night on an overnight bus to Paris. I am supposed to go out tonight for my birthday but my hosts seemed to have fallen asleep and it does not look promising. Well all is fair in sleep and birthdays I guess.
I think I should have maybe waited to go on my trip till after my 25th so as not to be as depressing. I did get some Happy Birthdays from family already and I really appreciate being remembered so thank you!
As the French say...Bon Voyage

Foot"balls"

2006-06-27T03:04:00.000-07:00

june 26

Decided to walk around today by myself since Jesse was at work and Svea is busy packing for Canada. Went into the Zoogarten and hung out there for awhile reading one of Jesse's self help books on luck. It did not help me haha. Anyways I ended up getting lost on the way out and couldn't find the exit when I stumbled upon some crazy animals. I guess I should have figured out there would be animals from the name 'Zoogarten' (shut up) but it was a nice surprise. They had llamas (dude, it's a llama), zebras and various birds but the scary animal was the hyena. I do not know what set them off but once they started calling and doing that 'hyena laugh' i got out of there fast...creepy.

Cut to me being on a white sandy beach. Since when does Germany have white sandy beaches you may ask? Well since the World Cup would be my answer. They have this long stretch of road in Berlin called the Fan Mile. It is a completely blocked off place for fans to go have a beer, eat some food and watch the games on mulitple huge screens. Yeah so there are sections where they brought in huge amounts of sand. People had made these crazy detailed sand sculptures and next to that there are these man-made sandy beach areas equiped with beach chairs and tiny palm trees. So cute. It is soo hot today and sitting on this beach chair on the sand just makes me want to jump into the ocean....too bad the only thing in front of me is pavement and a forest.

I'm not sure if this happens alot in Germany but in Canada someone would get arrested for it. This guy standing in line who was previously not wearing underwear decided that he needed to put his underwear back on so he dropped his pants (he fumbled with them for a good minute while they were around his ankles) then grabbed the underwear from his friend then put them on and then his pants. Sooo funny.

Well the game is about to start and they have this lame preshow with, no offence to Germany, the lamest cheerleaders I have ever seen. Maybe I should try out and show them some moves! Ha.

Berlin and The Wings of Desire

2006-06-26T02:55:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!!

Well people may have started worrying about me considering the dire straits I was in when I last blogged. Since then I have been in Berlin where I have had much better weather and I sleep in a room of two other people not 12 (and I am pretty sure they will not steal from me!). Walking around in Berlin I have had a connection to two of my favorite things Run Lola Run and U2. U2 because of the movie The Wings of Desire directed by the German Wim Wenders. They did a sountrack to the sequel Far away, So close and the angel used in both that movie and the U2 video for Far Away, So Close is here. There are also many other connections to Germany and Wim Wenders to U2 but I will not bore you with that. I know it sounds weird and geeky but that is what makes me happy. Also one of my favorite movies is Run Lola Run and she runs through East Berlin so I got to see some of that and I want to see if I can find the place where they robbed the Supermarket. I know I know there are more historical and powerful things here but that stuff is what is special to me.

I will be here a few days and am most likely going to paris on my birthday so peace out!

Breakdown

2006-06-23T17:38:00.000-07:00

As I write this in my journal I am on a road trip through Ireland and its amazing. I just hope my pictures justify it but I really recommend seeing it in full colour for yourself. Though I am having fun I am starting to get homesick....thinking of packing it in and telling everyone they were right and I can't do this!

I think I made my point, I attempted the trip, made the effort- I will be sure to refund all your gifts.

I have lost my very expensive, much loved Creative MP3 player. My only guess is that it was stolen out of the room because i searched all through my bag inside out and it is nowhere in site.
So I already made two major mistakes and therefore cannot afford to make anymore. Hopefully seeing Jesse will lift my spirits and provide me with that second wind I need to continue on cause right now I feel broken.

Well I hope you are all thinking about me and praying for me because I am thinking of all of you and I miss you all. And sitting at an Internet cafe at 2 in the morning waiting to catch my bus has made me realize that.

Love/ Hate relationship with The Fatherland

2006-06-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

Well I have been wandering around Dublin in a kindof a haze. It is really cold here and I did not expect this weather so I broke down and bought a sweatshirt. It has big letters that say Ireland on it so if that makes me a nerd in Dublin so be it cause I am cold! It is really cool and picturesque here but my god is it ever expensive. The tour guide told us later it was the 24th most expensive city in the world. You would have to be pretty rich to spend more than a week in Dublin, have no idea how people live here.

So about mid-day I found a friend. She is an American from Michigan, her name is Heidi. We found eachother because we both had no idea what we were doing and we were both crazy women travelling alone! We broke our day for some much needed nap time and later met up to go to Temple Bar which is a trendy part of Dublin where there are many pubs and clubs. I met Heidi's friend Sarah, also from the States, who she had met at the hostel. Later we girls met Divon, also an American (sensing a pattern here. Divon was on a mission he started two days earlier to get to 15 different Dublin bars and have a Guiness at each. Crazy guy... but he did it!

Tonight was a good night but I think i lost my MP3 player.

Airport Living

2006-06-22T06:30:00.000-07:00

June 21st 2006

Well the day started off smoothly enough. Steph and I had plenty of timein the morning to get ready and everything was on schedule. Steph was flying out to London to get a connecting flight to Toronto and I was going to Dublin. We got to the airport and I couldn't find my flight information on the board. Steph took a look at my ticket infoand in shock told me I was at the wrong airport! I calmly asked where the other one was and she said just outside Glasgow. I got a taxi and once we got moving I asked him how long it would take and he said an hour! My plane at that point was meant to be taking off in an hour and a half...so I asked him if he could go as fast as he could and I think I insulted him. Anyways I, while really anxious about my flight, still got a nice drive through the country's green hills and moors. 60 pounds and 60 minutes later I arrive at the airport with 30 minutes left. But alas no! they said I was too late. I asked for the next flight out and it didn't leave till 8:10 that night...it was only 1:30 at this point!I could not believe my luck being stuck at the airport for 7 hoursand being out of all that money...I guess it could have been worse.

So my friends and family my advice is live and learn. Now since I have lived it you can learn it - Always check the airport name, no matter how much you think there could only be one possible choice.

Glasgow baby yeah

2006-06-22T06:19:00.000-07:00

So I'm in Glasgow with Stephanie whom I haven't seen in about 5-6 years. I have been filling her in on all the goings on and what the people we knew in gradeschool were doing now. I was actually pretty amazed how much information I actually knew about these people. I am not sure if that is a good thing or if that makes me a townie or something haha.

Steph and I had a good time despite crap weather. We went makeup shopping and I got a new U.K number which I will give out in the next installment (if that doesn't make you want to read more of my crap I do not know what will!) The weather was sooo windy and rainy. In fact I actually got soaking wet in one of those scenes you would only think happens in the movies. I was standing on the curb waiting for the light to change when the bus came along and splashed me with what seemed like a tidal wave of dirty water. So feeling defeated by the rain we bought some cheap wine and watched a good British movie (Truly Madly Deeply - very good love story).

So we went to the pub that night and began chatting with the locals. It was fun but we were kicked out with still having half a pint still left to drink. One of the blokes went in to kiss STeph and the look on her face was priceless! All in all I think I have received the full Scottish pub experience.

Canada in England

2006-06-20T03:57:00.000-07:00

Went to

Kensington

Park to look for Yolanda's friend Jamie. I emphasize Kensington because he told us he was in Hyde Park. So we looked for an hour before actually finding him....in the next park over. Anywho I got to see alot of the Princess Diana Memorial Park in our search and it was very pretty. Jamie had found some French people to play rugby with and I really tried to understand their conversation but alas my french has failed me again. Despite Yolanda and I's complete lack of french speaking skills we all were bonded by laughing at the large group of christian folk singers in the park. I guess making fun of overzealous Christians is Universal language barrier.

After the park we went back to Yolanda's to get ready to go out to a Canadian bar: The Maple Leaf. Only one day out of Canada and I am already back.

SO the big deal was the bar was airing the 6th game in the NHL playoffs (it aired really early in the morning there so it was a recording). We met up with Yolanda's Canadian teacher friends and oh my were they pumped! I have never seen a group of girls so excited about watching a hockey game in my life. Jamie came by later and it was so funny his reaction to the girls and the game because he has never seen a hockey game in his life. I was explaining to him the rules and goings on and he couldn't believe how much fighting there was. I told him that game was nothing since there had yet to be any true fist fights. He was amazed.

My first night out in London was spent in Canada...but it was fun.

Alive and in London

2006-06-20T03:48:00.000-07:00

June 17/18

Well I am happy to report that I made it to LOndon and I am still in one piece. The bad news is I was unable to sleep on the plane so I am completely out of whack. Yolanda has been great to put up with me and my newby status.

London is awesome and I can;t wait to explore it further. I am still debating whether to come back here directly after Germany or travel some more. I think the deciding factor will be Dublin. That will be the one time I am actually on my own so if I meet nice people at the hostel it will greatly effect my decision to travel more on my own.

I still can't believe I am here because it all seems completely unreal at this point. Not until I aquire a job and a flat will I really feel like this is where I will be living.

This Is It!

2006-06-16T07:11:00.000-07:00

Ok everyone it has come to the day...the day I thought was so far away is here. In 12 hours I will be on the plane and ready to get to my next life. My life in Toronto was good but it was not the best so I decided to go on a search to find the best life for me. Who knows it may lead me back to where I started from in St.Catharines but it may lead me somewhere completely unexpected. I am up for anything that comes my way!
I will miss everyone and I will do my best not to get homesick because I love you all so much. With that said I look forward to meeting new friends and seeing old ones like Yolanda, Stephanie and Jesse.

So this is my blog and it will be given up to you. Hope you enjoy. Peace.