Well the weather outside is frightful
But my flat's central heating is delightful
And since I'm poor with nowhere to go
Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

Yep, the snow hit England on Boxing Day ... not quite the White Christmas I was hoping for, but close enough! London didn't see much of it, just "snow showers" mainly, but Surrey, Sussex & Kent sure did. Thus my drive out to work today was really picturesque (I doubt I would have enjoyed it so much had I not got my car ... minus 5 weather is much less appealing when your actually IN it!)

My first Xmas away from home is done and dusted. And surprisingly, it was really nice. Not that I thought it would be terrible, but it was certainly guaranteed to be different. New people, new surroundings, new traditions. And, apart from being forced to eat brussel sprouts, I had a great time. Hmmmm ... could possibly be linked the fact that English Christmas' seem to have a higher alcohol ratio than NZ ones. And its just plain rude NOT to accept people's hospitality huh! :p

If there is one thing I live for, its the next concert ... when you have it pinned on your board, months in advance, and there is so much build up and excitment ... HURRAH!

5 November 2006 - THE FRATELLIS @ The Astoria

3 November 2006 - THE FEELING @ Shepherd's Bush Empire

31 October 2006 - SCISSOR SISTERS @ Brixton Academy
* Best part - this was their infamous Halloween night gig, so not only did they insist on dressing up themselves, they made sure everyone in the audience did too!

24 October 2006- PANIC! AT THE DISCO @ Brixton Academy
* Support Act - The Sounds. They had a really good sound (excuse the pun!) very catchy punk. But their lead singer was doing my head in - not content to be a really strong female singer of a male band (think Shirley Manson of Garbage) she kept parading around the stage like a bloke ... making dick jokes with her mike ... not cool, and not really necessary!
* Best part - the set design and dancers, which were brilliant and themed - it was their "Nothing Rhymes with Circus" tour after all! I went into this gig thinking it would be 6/10 - the band only have the one album, and its not even my favourite of the current emo-offerings. But these guys really stepped up, especially seeing they are quite young and relatively new to the whole thing. Lead singer Brendan Uri is really quite entertaining, and got into it with the dancers without appearing either too camp, nor too silly.
* Random fact - proof I was one of the oldest in the audience ... Panic! played two cover songs in their set - Karma Police by Radiohead and Bullt with Butterfly Wings by Smashing Pumpkins, and most people had never heard of either these songs. Depressing!

23 October 2006 - JOHN MAYER @ The Forum
* Support Act - Iain Archer, a young singer-songwriter. He was suprisingly good - I have a lot of respect for people who can just stand up in front of a huge audience (2000+ fans) and command an audience, just a man and a guitar.
* Best part - the whole damn thing! John is one of my favourite music artists, I was never going to have a crap time! He looked HOT, he sounded great, and his guitar solos were amazing! Slighlty disappointed that there wasn't a lot of great John banter, as he is so funny, but what can you do?!

But don't just take my word for it ... check out THIS

1 October 2006- RYAN ADAMS & THE CARDINALS @ Shepherds Bush Empire
* Support act - some of The Cardinals performing their own songs. They were dreary and dull, and then they started talking to the audience ... and it all went downhill from there.
* Best part - I kept hoping it would get better ... and it never did! I'm struggling to think of a part I actually enjoyed ...
* Worst part - the entire evening! Without a doubt, the worst concert I have ever been to IN MY LIFE! Was the worst part when Ryan shouted at the crowd to "F**k off!"? Or the fact that the gig ran so long, I couldn't even get a tube home, and to pay for an over-priced taxi to add insult to injury! It was an expensive evening for something so shite! Admittedly, I had high hopes (I own 8 of the man's records!) but this was so very dissapointing

But don't just take my word for it .... check out THIS

22 July 2006 - LOVEBOX WEEKENDER @ Victoria Park

11 July 2006 - BEN HARPER @ Hammersmith Apollo
* Best part - Ben's gospel brilliance, the fact he did TWO encores, his acoustic rendition of "Walk Away" ... its hard to pick just one! I love Ben, and even though this was the third time I've seen him, I was still blown away. Great mix of stuff across all his albums - and lovely stories in between (like how when he recorded with the Blind Boys of Alabama, they had a swear jar in the studio ... and every morning Ben would just come in and put a $20 in it!). He played for AGES, and I love the fact he loves performing as much as mad fans like me love going to see him!

But don't just take my word for it ... check out THIS

28 June 2006 - DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE @ Brixton Academy

23 June 2006 - 02 FESTIVAL @ Hyde Park

17 June 2006 - FOO FIGHTERS @ Hyde Park
Let me first set the scene ... Hyde Park, a blazing hot Saturday afternoon, an incredible rock line-up and 85,000 fans! Yep - count us 85,000!!!
* Support Act - OMG - You'd be hard pushed to get a much better line up than this ...
- Juliette & The Licks - for shear comedy factor, they were great. Juliette Lewis in a body leotard with a feather in her hair, fronting a band that are surely only famous because she is!
- Angels & Airwaves - they were brilliant! Enough proof that Tom Delonge has grown up slightly from his Blink-182 days, but not losing what made them great. Some great rock anthems amongst them, can't wait until the album is released!
- Queens of the Stone Age - were brilliant! Got the crowd moshing ... "No One Knows" was a real pleaser, and enough thrashy guitar to keep everyone pleased!
- Motorhead - of course, I'm not the target demographic for these guys, and I could probably only name you one Motorhead song. But Lemmy is a hard man to ignore, and even I found myself enjoying them ... despite the fact the guys are now middle aged rockers with voices that are shot to shit!
* Best part - the Foos were amazing! Big Day Outs have taught me to expect that much! But the encore, where they bought out Roger Taylor and Brian May (of Queen) whilst playing "We Will Rock You" then playing "Tie Your Mother Down!" Without a doubt, we all knew we were witnessing something pretty special!! One of the all-time top 5 gigs I have ever been to!

But don't just take my word for it ... check out THIS

25 May 2006 - FALL OUT BOY @ Brixton Academy
* Best part - I'd have to say it was the epic performance of their two big singles "Dance Dance" & "Sugar We're Going Down" (my new ringtone, hehe). It was a good ol' fashioned leap around, where you ended up a wee bit bruised & battered, unbelievably sweaty ... but not giving a flying f**k!
* Worst part - feeling so damn old! Matt and I (both a mere 26!) seemed to be the oldest concert-goers there. The band seem to over-index in the barely legals ...

6 May 2006 - ME FIRST & THE GIMME GIMMES @ The Astoria
* Best part - undoubtedly, the fantastic outfits! The boys started the gig off in cowboy shirts & hats, very reminiscent of their "We Love Our Country" CD cover. For the encore, they had changed into Hawaiian shirts. Which they then ripped off ... which wasn't actually as good as it sounds! Fat Mike is called Fat Mike for a reason!
* Worst part - it was over all too quickly. I'd say that about most gigs, but given they do punk covers of contemporary songs, speeding up songs that are only 3 minutes to start with, each song lasts about 2 minutes!

But don't just take my word for it ... check out THIS

30 March 2006 - IMOGEN HEAP @ Shepherds Bush Empire
* Best part - Imogen sung a lot of acoustic material, where she did this wicked thing where she sampled herself singing different harmonies, then overlaid them. Not sure how she did it, but it was amazing. It was also pretty hard to beat "Let Go", as that was the song that introduced me to her (via her band Frou Frou, via the fab Zach Braff flick "Garden State"
* Random Fact - she was wearing an evening gown on stage ... and no shoes! An interesting look, when combined with her weird floral hairpiece!

But don't just take my word for it .... check out THIS

28 February 2006 - LOUIS XIV @ Scala
* Support act - The Zutes, who were fantastic. Really got the crowd into it - but then thrashy guitars will do that for you!
* Best part - The finale - everyone singing the quiet part to "Finding Out True Love is Blind" ..."wind you up and make you crawl to me/ tie you up until you call to me" it was fantastic!
* Random facts - the guitarist looked Amish with his weird hat and beard combo. So not rock'n'roll.

12 February 2006 - GOLDFRAPP @ Brixton Academy
* Support act - don't know who they were, but they were RUBBISH!
* Best part - hard to pick: "Train" was the track that really got everyone going, but "Ooh La La" was the best song, and "Number One" had a superb finale with confetti falling from the ceiling
* Random facts - the dancers were a little bit bizarre - from the dancers in leotards with wolf masks on (?!?) to the dancers in leotards with fake tails & giant horse heads for "Ride A White Horse". Really odd.

16 December 2005 - FAT BOY SLIM @ Brixton Academy
* Support act - The Scratch Perverts who played a fantastic mix of different genres
* Best part - its hard to top Fat Boy Slim for his dancing, which despite the fact he KNOWS he can't dance, he continues to do it anyway! :P
* Random facts - 3 D glasses, giant smiley face balloons suspended from the ceiling ... could it BE more random?!

Yesterday I rejoined the land of the living - or rather the land of the gig-go'er! Indeed, I went to my first gig since living in London. Hard to believe I haven't seen a live band since Green Day in March, especially for a seasoned concert-go'er like myself. (Its not wrong to spend most of one's live savings at Ticketek is it??)

And best of all, the ticket was free - big thanks to Lena, my brilliant new flatmate, who had a spare ticket. So off we trotted to Fat Boy Slim, and what a great night we had!! To be fair, I was hyped-up the minute we got handed our 3-D glasses at the door - this was not going to be an ordinary gig! Support was The Scratch Perverts who played some wicked tracks - everything from The White Stripes, Michael Jackson to Madonna.

At about 12.30am, Norman appeared and treated us to his world-renowned crap old-man dancing! Fantastic! And it was glasses-on to enjoy the 3-D visual effects spectacular (the world's easiest way to spot which pundits were trippin'!) We crawled home from Brixton Academy at 4am, absolutely knackered but thoroughly happy! Its a feeling I hope to recreate again in the future, now I have money to spend on such pleasures! Mr Slim - 10/10!

Its been a week & I am loving the new life ... my new life! Have been in the new flat for a little over a week, and to quote McDonald's, I'm loving it! Its working out well with Lena, who quite possibly may be cleaner than me (shocking, I know!) and personality-wise we appear to be clicking. Ultimately what strikes me is that I get all the benefits of living alone, doing what I like, when I like, but some added companionship on occasions when I want it. We don't live in each other's pockets, which suits me fine, but we are more than happy to crack open a bottle of wine and mull over the week's issues.

I REALLY don't want to jinx it just yet, but I think it might be working out! I'm all settled in, thanks to finally being able to unpack ALL my stuff (although please do tell me how I left home in April with only a 20kg backpack, and now have enough "stuff" to full about 8 x 20kg backpacks! I don't even have money to spend yet!). Clapham is a really nice area as well - its safe, got a nice community vibe going on, there's great bars/cafes/restaurants & its close to the city without all the costs that go along with that.

This weekend I say goodbye to the Aldgate flat and quietly freak out that I don't have anywhere to go ... well, I do, but only in the short term. (Note to self - find a house! :P) So it seems only fair I give my first London home the proper treatment:

I'M DOWN WITH THAT: Things I Love About the Aldgate Flat
* Alex' s Cooking - Big 'ups to Alex, for making sure I got my 5+ a day, and that was only in the evening meals. It was bliss come home & not have to cook, even if it did make me the dishes bitch! :p
* Easy-access V - yes, the nectar of the Gods, located just across the street! Ahhh, there is a heaven & it is the Costcutter selling V!
* Mike, my tea bitch - yes, the joys of sitting at home unemployed means that its the simple things like someone who always makes you a cuppa when you want one!

WHAT'S WITH THAT: Things I Loathe About the Aldgate Flat
* Flatmates (who shall remain nameless, but they know who they are) who use all the milk - I'm British, I drink tea, is it too much for ask for you NOT to use all MY milk in YOUR drinks?!
* Basic Levels of Cleanliness - YES, I am tidier than your average bear, but I really don't think it is too much to ask that you rinse your plates before you leave them to be washed about three months from now. When food remnants start to grow mould, you need to pick up your game!
* The world's most tempermental DVD player - there's no rhyme or reason, sometimes it will play your DVD and sometimes it won't. Except the ones that it WON'T play are always the ones you are dying to watch.
* Flatmates (who shall remain nameless) who take overly long showers - nothing I enjoy more than being late for the train because my stupid flatmate takes 20-30 minutes in the bathroom every morning!
* The l-o-n-g walk to the supermarket – it never seems that long on the way there, but wait until you have to lug back your entire body weight in groceries
* Couches from hell – certainly designed so you can never sit comfortably on them for long periods of time, without killing your back and/or your neck!
* Crazy neighbours – who like to yell at each other, bang their roller-doors, scream every time a delivery arrives … the joys of having the room that backs onto the alleyway!

THINGS I HAVE LEARNT:
* I am a neat freak – at least by everyone else’s standards. Or rather, I now know that my limits for living in mess are very low indeed!
* A recipe for a tasty beetroot salad - not hard, but oh so yummy!

I'm definitely in a holding pattern at the moment, unsure what to do about looking for a place to live - whether to live with people I know, live alone, or embrace living with strangers. I guess I really have to think about why I am here in London, and it really is about a lifestyle choice for me. Its not just about money or travel, I want to enjoy London while I'm here. So I've ruled some things out, like living with other Kiwis as its hardly the "authentic" experience I'll be getting. So I'm hitting that "flatmates wanted" section of the paper - I'm sure there will be plenty of weirdos out there, but I'm sure there will be a few weirdos just right for me, and I'll end up with new friends!

I’M DOWN WITH THAT: Things I Love About Cardiff
* Welsh singing – Ok, not so "wowed" by Delilah, but the Welsh hymns sung pre-match were fantastic
* The gracious Welsh fans – Given that they got absolutely thrashed by the All Blacks (41-3 for those who live under a rock) it all could have gone horribly wrong. They were just gracious in defeat.
* Millennium Stadium - for once in my life I was stoked about bad weather. It meant they shut the roof, so it created such a wonderful atmosphere.

THINGS I HAVE LEARNT:
* Never, EVER book a trip through Wanderers World again. Although we were lucky enough to get tickets to the rugby, over 400 fellow Kiwis did miss out. All those promises of "the tickets are just coming" were evidently complete lies

This installment comes from Milno, who obviously doesn't get the concept of this whole dare-malarky. He dared me to start an "Oohh Ahhh Umanga!" chant at this week's Wales vs All Blacks rugby match. Consider it done!!

A real dare would have been asking me to take my life into my own hands by doing the same chant at the Irish game ... who are still smarting from the O'Driscoll debacle. Now THAT would be a challenge!

FINALLY ... The nightmare is over! After all the interviews, fake presentations, verbal & math tests, dealing with useless recruiters who want to see you even though they have no jobs, its finally over

I accepted the position that came from Monday's job interview ... Category Manager for Unilever Foods. Nestle can take a flying leap out of my butt for mucking me around so much - 6 rounds of interviews is nothing short of obseneAnd best of all, (for my pay packet if nothing else!) I can start Monday. Oh, and I get a car! How cool!

* Crabbuckit - The KOs (thanks to Lily for bringng this song into my life, its a wee gem! Never fails to put me in a good mood!)
* Crazy English Summer - Faithless (I don't get the weather here ... summer wasn't overly hot, but stayed mild for ages, then winter came with a vengenance. Now its only moderately cold!)
* You Will Always Be The Same - Ryan Adams
* State of the Union - Thievery Corporation
* Knowhere - David Grey
* Somethings Gotta Give - The Beastie Boys

Its been a fair while since theres been a good dare, and my friend Elise decided on this one - see if I could get a could Celebrity Sighting published in Heat magazine. According to Heat, celebrities are everywhere in London - Madonna is in Boots, Gwyenth is shopping in Covent Garden - surely I must be able to spot even a B-grade celeb.

My progress so far:
* Calum Best, at Heathrow Airport after returning from Belfast, 23 July - being known as the guy who shagged Rebecca Loos on "Celebrity Love Island" hardly makes you a celeb!
* Harry Enfield, on a plane to Prague, 2 August - he was sitting behind us on the plane, going to Prague for filming.
* Myleene Klass, on Oxford Street, 5 October - one of the "Hear'Say" popstars now on CDUK.
All in all, pretty disappointing. Is it too much to bump into Ricky Gervais at Cafe Nero or something?

I am now in the process of sending out CVs, having interviews and getting "suited up" ... oh the joys of job hunting. Its been a while since I've had to look for work and already I've learnt a thing or too - like how to decipher those job ads ...

* SELF-STARTER - either you'll be the only one in the office doing any actual work, while everyone else goes to "meetings" or the job is in telesales
* GOOD ORGANISATION SKILLS - you'll be doing a lot of filing
* ENTHUSIASM MORE IMPORTANT THAN EXPERIENCE - they can't get anyone from within their own industry to work there at any price
* SENSE OF HUMOUR - you'll probably need it everytime you open your pay packet
* LOW BOREDOM THRESHOLD - means exactly the opposite: the job is so mindnumbingly dull that you will start to find paper clips fascinating after you've been there for about half an hour
* ABLE TO WORK ON OWN INITIATIVE - they're going to put you in a little room, all on your own and make you stay there until you've done everyone else's work
* ENJOYS A CHALLENGE - the challenge of trying to remember what your house looks like, as you'll be working all hours of the day
* GOOD PEOPLE SKILLS - most likely you'll be in customer compliants or on a consumer hotline.

Hopefully it won't be too long until I'm gainfully employed ... and to quote Bob Dillinger "I'm doing ok. I've got enough money to last me for the rest of my life. Provided I drop dead in the next 10 minutes"

Today I came home to find a parcel waiting for me ... and it contained a HUGE jar of marmite, especially shipped out from New Zealand (thanks Lily, you rule!!) because English marmite just isn't the same. My cousin asked me if there was anything else I missed from home, so on that note:
* Spirulina
* Kumara chips (with aioli, of course!)
* Decent free-to-air tv
* Completely trashy (but I love it!) NW magazine
* Music television
* Pineapple lumps
Of course, I miss my friends & family too .. but that goes without saying.

I'M DOWN WITH THAT: Things I Love About Belfast
* The joy of being back on a tour bus - feeling nostalgic for Contiki, Lorna & I were like pigs in muck when we boarded a bus again!
* The mural tour - so much history, captured in artwork. It was amazing, particularly when you think of all the struggles this country has had. The mural with the shooter who's gun seemed to follow you, was especially spooky.
* The "snugs" at the Crown Saloon - it was like having your own private room at the bar! Its so odd to eat a meal, hear other people, but yet not see them!
* Giant's Causeway - Lorna & I crawled all over the rocks like a couple of kids. I just didn't expect it to be so HUGE! (um.. hence the "giant's" bit I guess! :p)

THINGS I LEARNT:
* The closing of the gates between the two parts of town - it can be quite scary when they do that. Makes everything you've heard seem like a reality.
* Lorna & I are a pair of old ladies - we enjoy our tea & scones with the best of them!

* Hate Boys - Shihad
* Only the Rain - Supergroove
* Violence - Blink 182
* Sway - Bic Runga

I'M DOWN WITH THAT: Things I Love About Scotland
* Irn Bru - I'm sure a soft drink that is fluro orange can't possibly be good for your insides, but its really nice. This drink outsells Coke in Scotland, no mean feat!
* "Haste ye back" signs as you leave a town - something so simple, yet cute. Beats the usual "goodbye" signs everywhere else!

WHAT'S WITH THAT: Things I Loathe About Scotland
* Boredom - not to tarnish ALL of Scotland with this brush, but Stranraer and Drummore (the southern-most part of Scotland) is unbelievably dull. There is NOTHING to do here ....
* Accents - Now I love an accent as much as the next person, but some of these Scottish accents are so thick you begin to wonder if they are even speaking English. I've found smiling and nodding occasionally gets me out of most sticky situations!

* Til I Hear It From You - The Gin Blossoms
* Home Life - John Mayer
* Country Death Song - The Violent Femmes

Inspired by the London Bombings, songs from some UK bands that seem appropriate:
* A Prayer for England - Massive Attack
* Don't Panic - Coldplay
* Mass Destruction - Faithless
* Hold Tight London - Chemical Brothers

* All the Right Friends - REM
* Alcohol - Barenaked Ladies
* I Will Remember You - Sarah McLachlan
* As Good As It Gets - The Feelers
* Party Time - Phoenix
* A Little Tour - Cool Water
* Photograph - Weezer
* Anything Can Happen - Finn Brothers
* Ain't It The Life - Foo Fighters
* Eurochild - Massive Attack
* I Don't Wanna Stop - Good Charlotte
* If You Never Got Sick - The Wallflowers (to our 48th member, the Contiki Cough!)

* 2001 Spliff Odyssey - Thievery Corporation
* She's Lost Total Control - Ryan Adams
* Don't Dream Its Over - Crowded House (Saying goodbye to the Americans!)
* Stoned - Dido
* Paranoid - Black Sabbath
* Vibrate - Mr Scruff (to those who frequented the sex shops!)
* A Minor Incident - Badly Drawn Boy (the drama that unfolded at the hotel)

* Concrete Sky - Beth Orton
* Garden In the Rain - Diana Krall

* Train - Goldfrapp
* For All The Cows - Foo Fighters
* Waterfall - Stone Roses
* A Peak You Reach - Badly Drawn Boy
* Glorious Day - Weezer
* Slow Ride - Foghart

In case you were wondering if there is anything I won't do, today proved that. When we arrived in Lauterbrunnen before we even got off the bus, we were mooned by the Contiki group who were already there. So as some weird sort of Contiki initiation, it was decided that when the next bus arrived in today, that WE should moon THEM. Surprisingly, there were many takers (I blame those perpetutal mooners, Keith & Jarron, who will drop trou at any opportunity!) but alas I had to refuse.

After all, due to Dare 5, my arse is already on most people's cameras. Do we really need to see my pasty white ass again? I'm gonna go with NO!! That said, the looks on those bus passengers faces was pretty priceless!

* Bicycle Race - Queen
* Don't Look Down - Supergroove (Paragliding RULES!)
* Beware of Us - Xzibit
* Float On - Modest Mouse
* Dirty Man - The Living End (to Matt who went "commando" at the Pimps & Pros party! Eeewww!)
* Filthy/Gorgeous - Scissor Sisters (what an outstanding bunch of Prostitutes we made!)

* Have A Nice Day - Stereophonics
* Auf Achse - Franz Ferdinand
* Into Temptation - Crowded House (Munich is the HOME of beer!)
* She's A Rebel - Green Day (to my stolen beer steine!)

* Stand by Me - Ben E King (for my gals, Kat and Lorna)
* Rip Her to Shreds - Blondie
* Virtual Insanity - Jamiroquai

I'M DOWN WITH THAT: Things I Love About Austria
* Parasailing is the most fun EVER - it cost a ridiculous amount of money to do, but it was fantastic! Not at all scary, even though you basically jump of a cliff! And so much fun when you get to do the "acrobatics", which is basically plummet to the ground at speed doing spins etc
* Mountainbiking through the Austrian Tirol - coming down a mountain is always MUCH easier than going up! However, no pain no gain, and the view from the top was totally worth it. (even if my butt did hurt for the rest of the day!)
* Classical music - this trip wasn't ALL about boozing, we got in some culture too! Namely a chamber orchestra playing Mozart and Strauss, two of Vienna's favourite sons.

WHAT'S WITH THAT: Things I Loathe About Austria
* Weather - now, I can't really complain as we have had great weather for pretty much most of the trip. But we got some serious rain these past few days, which put much of our outdoor activities in jeopardy.

THINGS I'VE LEARNT:
* If you ply a group of people with Schnapps, you have to expect the repurcusions - which is my thoughts on the whipped cream fight that happened at the restaurant! Nothing to do with me, HONEST!

* The View - Modest Mouse (to our very own streakers - Libby & Mark!)
* Boat Song - Shihad
* Perfect Day - Collective Soul
* Strip Tease - Bob Sinclair
* Icecream - Sarah McLachlan (yes, I had a 12Euro icecream, but it was soooo worth it!)
* Not Myself - John Mayer
* Another Bridge - Everything But the Girl

* Six Months In A Leaky Boat - Split Enz
* I Piss Alone - Regurgitator (to Ben, who thought we couldn't see what he was doing off the side of the boat!)
* Ahoy There! - Mr Scruff
* All At Sea - Jamie Cullum

* Suntoucher - Groove Armada
* Galvanise - Chemical Brothers
* Beautiful Day - U2
* Summer Love - +Factor 15
* Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani (The Shit his name is Jarron, J A double R O N!)
* Stand Up - Scribe (for making a complete dick of myself to this song, with no other Kiwis present to help join in!)
* Waves In the Sun - Barrio Jazz Gang

* Cheeky - Mr Scruff (at Skinny Dippy Island, Giggy Giggy Island, Hanky Panky Island)
* Summer Nights - HLAH
* Bliss - Mutiny & Mary Joy
* Island In the Sun - Weezer
* Crusin' - Can 7 (the best day out - Come Afloat, on George's Boat!)
* Welcome to Paradise - Green Day
* Carry That Weight - The Beatles (OMG - carrying luggage up the 8 flights of stairs was a KILLER!)

* Mrs Robinson - Simon & Garfunkel (where IT all began ...)
* Superstars - Garageland (to the worst karaoke singers in the world)
* Rock the Casbah - Clash

Its a big call, but I am going to make it .... Italy is my favourite country visited so far. I love it here, and I know I will need another visit to see everything I have missed.

FLORENCE:
* Michaelangelo's David (which unfortunately coined the term "Show Us Your David" in response to the boys continually asking the girls to "Show Us Your Puppies". Ahhh, such a classy trip!)
* Santa Croce
* Duomo
* Ponte Vecchio
ROME:
* Vatican City
* Trevi Fountain
* The Colosseum
* The Pantheon
VENICE:
* Gondola Boat rides
* St Mark's Basilica
VERONA:
* Juliet's balcony
* The Arena

* The Hustler - New Jazz Hustlers (to poor Matty, who got done by some sidewalk con artists)
* Mis Dos Pequenas - Orland Cachiato Lopez
* Senor - Paris Combo
* Simbarere - Antonio Carlos Jocafi
* Senorita - Justin Timberlake

I'M DOWN WITH THAT: Things I Love About Spain
* Flamenco - this was such a fun night! Group dancing, yelling out "ole!" at random moments, drinking sangria. If only every night was this much fun!
* Sangria - especially good when they serve it in litre glasses for you to guzzle down.
* Street performers on La Ramblas - this takes busking to a whole new level. There are outfits, props, music and a scary amount of body contortions!

WHAT'S WITH THAT: Things I Loathe About Spain
* Street hustlers - watch your bag at all times, or look out!

THINGS I'VE LEARNT:
* What "streetside entrepreneur" means - go on, use it with all your friends! So much classier than the bog-standard "ho". And you know why? Because in Spain, these ladies pack their own plastic outdoor chair for those quiet times on the street corners!
* Sangria stains your clothes - call it a memento of a fun time in Barcelona!

* Silence is Golden - Garbage (no doubt what the crew thought when I lost my voice!)
* Lilac Wine - Jeff Buckley
* Dance, Motherfucker, Dance - Violent Femmes (to the ultimate "cheesy moves" dance-off at "The Cave")
* T Shirt Sun Tan - Stereophonics (to all those who got mega-sunburnt while lying poolside)
* Fight for Your Right / Song for the Man - Beastie Boys (to the stupid Chateaux's Nazi regime of not letting us do ANYTHING!)
* The Laziest Girl in Town - Lisa Ekdahl
* Land of 1000 Dances - Wilson Pickett

* It's Good to Be In Love - Frou Frou (the city of luurrrvve - with Lovers Bridge & Lovers Point)
* Late At Night - Buffalo Tom (to the ORIGINAL Snack Bar crew from Night One: Ashley, Keith, Pablo, Boze & Kayce!)
* Land Of ... - St Germain

* London Calling - The Clash
* London Rain - Heather Nova (I swear, its like an NZ winter here!)
* The Good Times Are Killing Me - Modest Mouse (The NZ$ vs UK£ coversion is killing me ....)
* London - Third Eye Blind
* She's Leaving Home - The Beatles
* English Girls Approximately - Ryan Adams

* Get A Move On - Mr Scruff
* Like Eating Glass - Bloc Party
* City of Blinding Lights - U2 (the boys filmed the video to this across the street from my hostel!)
* Angel - Sarah McLachlan (while in Canada, there is no escaping this lady)
* Somebody Told Me - The Killers (thanks Scalpers - I am destined to not get tickets to these guys!)
* Moonshine - Savage
* Waiting for the Bus - Violent Femmes (my ode to useless Grayline buses, who on two separate occasions, couldn't manage to pick me up!)

Dare three should NOT have been that hard ... I was going to San Jose, so it was going to be really easy to say to someone "Excuse me, do you know the way to San Jose?" followed by "da-da-dah-dada-da-da-dah-da" ... except it sooooo wasn't!! I approached this old man, and got as far as "Do you know the way to San Jose?" and he looked at me, with his beady eyes, and said "I suppose you think you are funny don't you. Well, let me tell you, young lady, you aren't the first person to try that line". Okay, so I left feeling quite stink ... I think it was the "young lady" bit that did it ... So needless to say, Dare 3 was a miserable failure!

This dare was conceived when it became apparent that NZ is only known by its movies .... my taxi driver from the airport mentioned "Lord of the Rings", and I was served by a guy at a fast food chain who asked me if I'd seen "Whale Rider" ... subsequent LOTR references have followed.

So the challenge is ... how many film references can I expect? Personally, I'd like a few obscure movies to be name-checked - you know "oh, you're from NZ. That's where 'Heavenly Creatures' was filmed" ... or mention "Bad Taste" or "Goodbye Pork Pie". All I'm saying, is there is more to NZ than Whale Rider, LOTR and the Piano ... lets see ...

Everywhere you look, everywhere you go (there's a heart).
There's a heart. A hand to hold onto.

Well, actually - its only Dare One, partially complete. I took the cable car down to Fisherman's Wharf with Lisa, who is staying at the hostel with me. She mentioned how San Fran reminds her of her fav tv show, "Party of Five" ... I said "No, its "Full House" ... and she then sung the theme song chorus, and I joined in. Didn't get through the whole song, to be honest I was scared of the cable car driver. But does it count???

I'M DOWN WITH THAT ... Things I love about San Francisco* The architecture - they go on and on about the Victorians, but most of the older downtown buildings are really nice. Especially the old hotels.
* The local delicacy - Clam Chowder in a SourDough bowl. Not only is it yum, but also environmentally friendly, as you eat the bowl!!
* Civic Minded Locals - I salute the locals who get behind their neighbourhoods and support local business, keeping out McDs and Starbucks etc. To the guy behind the "Boycott Stinky Burger King" campaign, WELL DONE!
* Cable Cars - fun for oh, so many reasons. Fun because you get to watch tourists get clipped by other cable cars if they hang too far over the side. Fun because the cable car conductors are so fabulous: "New people. New money. Give it to me!" and my personal favourite "I only want 2 people on my back porch. Move" (NB: possibly only funny if you were there! :P)
* The locals - wonderfully friendly. But then, given about 70% of the locals are immigrants themselves, they are more than welcoming to outsiders!
* They just love their dogs - firstly, big ups to people here for actually walking their pocket pooches instead of carrying them in bags. And to the huge pet-care business - from doggie-daycares, to designer pet products like "Chewnal #5", "Dog Perignon" and "Jimmy Chews".
* So bad it's good - Part 1: Laughing Sal @ Musee Mechanique. Yes a 6ft mechanical robot is stupid ... but it laughs menachically at you .... so bad taste its funny!!
* So bad it's good - Part 2: The Wax Museum. Overall, pretty average but I'm not sure what is funnier - the 'bulge' they put into Ricky Martin's pants, or the fact when I went they were vacuuming the "very scary" "Chamber of Horrors - Enter at Your Peril." Ooooohhhhh ... scary
*It's clean - not in the same way NZ is, but they have people who pick up all the rubbish in the streets
* People here subscribe to the Church of iPod - and I am a card-carrying member!
* The guys are hot - yes, I realise they are all gay, but it doesn't make them any less hot!! My favourite are HOT COPS!
* The Chronicle - San Francisco's largest daily paper - thanks for keeping me informed (and up-to-date on my fav news item of the moment: the Wendy's finger in the chili!)
* Spotting squirrels in San Jose - or should that be chipmunks??

WHAT'S WITH THAT .... Things I Loathe About San Francisco
* Inappropriate use of cell phones - repeat after me "it is not OK to talk on cell phone in a restaurant/during a movie/or on a tour". Soooo not cool!! And there is such a thing as "volume control" - not everyone wants to hear your conversation!
* Over-use of the word 'girlfriend' - as in "kick him to the kerb girlfriend!!" or "you go girlfriend" ... eecch. Isn't this so 1990?? Also, see above note on volume control!!
* These streets were NOT made for walking - clue number one that a hill is too steep: the footpath requires steps! So many hills, all designed to kill me!!
* Velour tracksuits - they did not look good on J-Lo and they sure as hell do not look good on you and your fat arse!
* Super Size Me - no wonder America has an obesity problem - their portion sizes are MASSIVE. Even a small drink comes in a cup the size of my head, and as my friends will atest, I have a big head!
* Silent Pedestrian Crossings - when I push the button, I expect to hear it 'buzz' when its time to cross. But they don't - so I'm expected to pay attention. Oh, hang on - maybe that's the point! Still, shouldn't complain - locals are very kind to pedestrians, unlike at home where people go out of their way to hit you!!
*SF Giants Fans - not that I have anything against the fans as such, but getting stuck on the Caltrain with a carriage full of drunk yobos (yes, apparently they allow drinking on the train!!) is NOT my idea of a good time!!

THINGS I HAVE LEARNT ...
* How to speak American - pronounce "pass" like "arse" not "ass" otherwise people will never understand you. Likewise, "mocha" is pronounced "mo-car" NOT "mock-a".
* The UPS guys wear short shorts!!
* No one looks good on a tandem bike - and this goes double for a quad bike, as those among us who have been to Whitianga can atest!
* When you walk the Golden Gate Bridge you are guaranteed to get clipped by at least one tourist on a bike!
* Pocket-pack Kleenex is the best invention ever!!
* I don't wear enough make-up to be mistaken for an American.
* Wearing earplugs does not help tune out the annoying hissing sound that comes from the radiator in my hostel room.
* The guy in the room next door likes to leave his crap in the "communal" bathroom for me to trip over!
* I apparently don't look like the sort of person who will steal your camera, judging by the amount of photos people ask me to take for them! Hello!! I am from South Auckland, you think they'd be more worried!!
* It will take longer to get served at an "In N Out Burger" Joint than it will at Wendys/Burger King/McDs - even though they only make 3 types of burgers.
* All American video cameras come with superglue on the handle, so you can NEVER put it down ... or so me'thinks!
* How to flag down a cab, American-style - this is also how you spot the New Yorkers!

April 17 - April 23
Adios New Zealand and say hello to sunny (but mildly cold) San Francisco! And yes, I am wearing flowers in my hair ... Am here until 23 April and some of the things on the agenda: a city tour, a bay cruise, walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatrez.

What else is there to do on your final night in NZ, but go to a fancy dress party with a Teletubbie!! Um ... yes, that's right, a Teletubbie. I don't know what's more disturbing: watching a Teletubbie drink beer, or try to read a map book as you get lost on the way to your party destination!! The theme of the night was "Red Delight" and in addition to my mad friend Ricardo dressed as "Po", mad props must also go out to other great costumes, "Mr Incredible" and the guy dressed as a Buckingham Palace guardsman.

It was a great night and a wicked way to spend my last night in NZ (for a while at least) with some great friends. Thanks Lily, Ricardo, Melissa & Evette .... The only thing cooler than going with Po, would have been going with Tinky Winky because then I could have put my cell and keys in his bag!! :p

*sob sob* Today the fish move on to their new owner ... so it's farewell to Peach, Sarah P, Darling, and everyone's favourite, Clayton. May they live a long and happy life ....

With only days until I leave, should I be taking it as a bad sign that:
1) some filthy ba$tard stole my cellphone ... that I'd only had for a week *sob sob*
2) still haven't sold my car ... and the one offer I have received was really low.
Hmmm.... am hoping that number three happens within the next few days. Otherwise, I'll be up all night thinking about what that the third bad thing will involve: perhaps being detained at customs; Air Canada losing my luggage; getting mugged by the scary homeless people in San Fran (thanks for putting that thought in my head Bryan); or I'll feature in an episode of "Lost" when the plane crashes ....

I blame the empire that is MK&A ... or Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen for those not in the know. I blame them and all their media hype that keeps every ones "favourite" 80s family drama at the forefront of people's minds. Or should I perhaps blame my friend who thought the whole crazy dare up to begin with ....

The first stop on my trip is San Francisco ... home to cable cars, the Golden Gate Bridge and the 49ers. And in two weeks, it was also be the home to me, hanging off the side of a Cable Car singing the "Full House" theme song into my ipod voice recorder, asking some nice local to take a photo. Because apparently, that will be the first dare in Sarah's "Who Dares Wins" competition. (Please note: the winner here is definitely not ME, all I am guaranteed is embarrasment!!)

Not that anyone can even knows all the words to the stupid theme song anyway, but that's what the internet was invented for... everywhere you go, everywhere you look, there's somebody who needs you ... I can hardly wait.

But worst of all, the dares are snowballing ... and the stupider the better apparently. At this stage, I now also have to ask someone "Do you know the way to San Jose?" (accompanied by the obligatory ... "a dah dah dah-da dah dah dah dah-da-da" ... catchy, just like the song). No doubt more will follow ...

Nearly 6 weeks ... 12 countries ... on a bus with a bunch of drunk, horny Aussies/Kiwis/Springboks ... should be an experience to say the least! So if you want to track me down ... here's the itinery:

May 27: London to Paris - the white cliffs of Doverand a cross-Channel ferry to France
May 28-29: Paris - the usual suspects (Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Champs Elysees)
May 30-31: Paris to Beaujolais Wine Region, Lyon - vineyards
June 1: Lyon to Barcelona - through the Spanish border to Barcelona
June 2: Barcelona - Flamenco, tapas and Gaudi's Art Noveau Cathedral
June 3: Barcelona to Antibes- French Riveria - back through into France
June 4: French Riveria - mingling with the rich & famous at Cannes, gambling at Monte Carlo
June 5: Antibes to Florence - Leaning Tower of Pisa
June 6: Florence - Piazza della Signoria, the Duomo and Santa Croce
June 7: Florence to Rome - yes ... all roads do in fact lead to Rome (with the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Venezia, Pantheon and Piazza Navona thrown in for good measure)
June 8: Rome - getting holy with it at Vatican City and the Sistine Chapel
June 9: Rome to Corfu - Pompeii
June 10-12: Corfu - Sun-filled days on the beautiful Greek island
June 13: Corfu to Athens - through the Peloponnese and across to Athens
June 14: Athens - birthplace to the modern Olympics
June 15-16: Mykonos - more beautiful Greek islands ... life is tough
June 17: Mykonos to Athens - I think this is called "recovery time"
June 18-19: Athens to Italy - the Acropolis and Parthenon, then across the Adriatic Sea to Italy
June 20: Venice - the Gondola ... because it would just be rude not to
June 21: Venice - St Marks Square, the Doges' Palace and Bridge of Sighs
June 22: Venice to Vienna - waltzing into Vienna
June 23: Vienna - Palace of the Hapsburgs', the State Opera House
June 24: Vienna to Munich - enjoy that Bavarian hospitality with a nice beer
June 25: Munich - home to the Glockenspiel ... 'nuf said.
June 26: Hopfgarten - may possibly involve a near-death experience as I go white-water rafting
June 27: Hopfgarten to Lauterbrunnen - Lucerne and the Swiss Alps
June 28: Swiss Alps - the cog mountain railway of Eiger mountain
June 29: Lauterbrunnen to Rhine Valley - into Germany
June 30: Rhine Valley to Amsterdam - cheese, clogs and countryside
July 1: Amsterdam - no, there won't be any red light windows or special brownies thank you!
July 2: Amsterdam to London - return home like a tired wee pup!!

Now I am officially a "lady of leisure", sleeping late, watching really bad day-time television, and hovering just a little bit too long on those dreaded infomercials.

It's just a shame I have about a gagillion and one things to do before I leave ... yikes.

This from a farewell card that came from my bestest work bud, Clayton ...

"The journey you are about to undertake wil be the most exciting, liberating experience you will ever have - the next few years are all yours ... it really is all about you!! Live every moment to its fullest, grab every experience that you can, and come back with no regrets and a heart full of memories.

I will do my best to uphold the proud traditions of Clayton whilst you are gone. I'm not sure anyone else will be able to full your shoes, but i will be on the lookout!"

So on this last day, I'm not feeling teary, so much as nostalgic. The last 3 1/4 years at this place haven't always been easy, but what I will carry with me are the memories of all the wicked people I have met and the friendships that I hope will endure long after this trip. To all the conferences, boozy nights out, crazy in-jokes about eye-patches/office affairs/those tiny frankfurter sausages that come in tins of spaghetti .... I cherish them all!!

Five more weeks until I leave NZ, five delightful days until I leave work! It's all happening so quickly, I'll be leaving, on a jet plane, before I know it!

THE LOST DR SEUSS POEM .... " I LOVE MY JOB"

I love my job, I love the pay!
I love it more and more each day.
I love my boss, he is the best!
I love his boss and all the rest.

I love my office & it's location.
I hate to have to go on vacation.
I love my furniture, drab & grey,
and piles of paper that grow each day!

I think my job is really swell,
There's nothing else I love so well.
I love to work among my peers,
I love their leers, and jeers, and sneers.

I love my computer and its software;
I hug it often though it won't care.
I love each program and every file.
I'd love them more if they worked a while.

I'm happy to be here. I am. I am.
I'm the happiest slave of the firm, I am.
I love this work,
I love these chores.
I love the meetings with deadly bores.

I love my job - I'll say it again -
I even love those friendly men.
Those friendly men who've come today,
In clean white coats to take me away!!!

Only six weeks to go until D-Day (departure date) ...... but more importantly, only two more weeks of work. It's all about the mini-milestones at this point.