Transient no more!

So I'm currently still in London, but not for much longer! Just as my working holiday was drawing to a close, I finally decided that this city was a pretty cool place to live and I'd like to stay here a bit longer... Typical eh? ;-) However I've applied for another visa which will allow me to live/work in the UK but as I haven't heard anything back yet, I have been relegated to mere tourist. Sitting idle, unable to work, in one of the most expensive cities in the world while I await the result of my visa application wasn't a particularly appealing (or financially feasible!) option so I cast about looking for work. By quite a stroke of fortune I've scored myself a 6month telecoms contract, starting on the 1st of June... back at Vodafone NZ!

Yes I know not it's not particularly exotic (well to kiwis anyway) and I'm a bit unimpressed to have 2 winters on the trot, but I am quite excited to be coming home for a while to spend time with my family and friends. I intend to return to the UK in 2009 but 'going with the flow' is a skill I've honed over the last 2 years so I guess you'll just have to wait for the next exciting installment to find out what actually pans out.

In the meantime I will keep blogging (already have a week snowboarding in Queenstown sorted) so the posts/photos should keep coming.

Thanks for reading!

Cans Festival

"A disused road tunnel in south London has been turned into a giant exhibition space by graffiti artist Banksy and 29 others"

I missed out on the full deal as the exhibition was on the weekend that I was in Dublin but I decided to check it out the weekend after... Some of the exhibits had been removed but most of the stuff on the walls was still there so it was still very cool to check it out...

Sam & Lou in London

My dear friends Sam & Lou from NZ were in town for a couple of days and I really wanted to catch up with them (hence the too-short trip to Dublin). My appreciation for this great city has only grown since I've been here and I've tried to get out and see and experience as much of it as possible so I thought I was up to the task of trying to suggest how to do London in 1 day! (Not an easy task for a city of this size) But nonetheless we gave it a go and after a full on day, I think Sam and Lou had at least a taste of London...

The Tower of London

Trafalgar Square (the dome building is the National Gallery). Was absolutely packed as it was Vaisakhi (Sikh New Year) celebrations.

Sam doing the obligatory tourist shot, with Nelson's Column cleverly captured in the background

The gardens near Buckingham Palace, but um for some reason didn't take any pics at Buckingham Palace itself...

Sam & Lou at drinks on a boat on the Thames

The view from the porthole

View from Waterloo Bridge of the South Bank

Dublin Dabbling

Not one to keep still for too long, I headed across the ditch to Dublin for a couple of days to visit my cousin Sivani and Bex, my dear friend from NZ. Unfortunately Johnny (Bex's hubby of only a few weeks) was away for work, but I think Bex and I did enough catching up for Johnny as well. :) My trip was only a couple of days but Dublin definitely turned on the weather for me - mainly sun and blue skies, no better way to see a city!

Trinity College

Christ Church Cathedral

Tree of Gold

A river runs through it - River Liffey

The Dublin Spire

Dollymount - the pretty beach by Bex & Johnny's Place

A haunting sculpture to the victims of the Great Famine

My first ever Guinness! Where better than in Ireland eh? ;)

Me & Siv with our coffee cocktails. Yes I may have mixed my drinks a little, resulting in quite an awful hangover the next day :/

Me & Bexy

Temple Bar, the view from the roof terrace of Siv's appartment. The joys of living central!