I've added about 12 more photos to the gallery if anyone's interested. I've placed a link conveniently on the right hand side of the page..

I'm at work. The word has taken on a whole new meaning since I've arrived in this country. Its all well and good to witness England's lack of work ethic - not packing grocery bags or kebabs - but to experience it first-hand is something completely different. My month-long temp assignment turned out not to be what I described the other day, rather than delivering stuff around the city, I'm in the post room of QBE London... Delivering things around the office. Every hour or so I go up to levels 3 & 4 and collect their outgoing mail from their trays and drop off any mail for them. It takes about 5 minutes.. Every so often I get a random task like taking a box of envelopes to a staff-member but essentially, for 55 minutes out of every hour I'm doing nothing. I'm in an office staffed with 6 people doing the work that two should. I've been reading 2 newspapers cover to cover every day, and there's still somebody to come back from sick leave tomorrow.

But why complain. If these people want to pay me to do nothing, its fine by me...

In other news, Hana quit her job today.. The new supervisor has been getting on her nerves. While the moron working next to her gets away with being a retard because... she's a moron, Hana kept getting shit for not working to her potential. So now she's going to focus on getting media work and to support herself in the mean-time she'll probably work at the pub.

Mum called me at 4 in the morning last night.. This goes to everybody: Don't call me between the hours of 9am and 5pm Australia time. I thought somebody had died or something. But no, she got an email from my agent... and decided it was necessary to inform me immediately.

This weekend, on top of the big match between StKilda and Collingwood, there's the even bigger, top of the table clash between Franky Lee and Spruce Moose. I know I'd be there if I could, but I know Frank can pull through in my absence, just like I'm sure he will tonight against those damn dirty Scousers.

Another week in London...

Was sick as a dog until Wednesday - I caught a cold Hana had and it was much worse than the one I had in India. Barely left bed on Monday and Tuesday, which set back the job hunting, but had a good day Wednesday with an interview at an agency in the morning then the rest of the day around London. Agent was particulary helpful and has already found me a job for the next month, starting Monday... I'm doing hand-deliveries for an insurance company, so I'll be able to put my years of strutting experience to work around London. I'm really looking forward to the job actually. Although its not the most stimulating, I think it will be a good way to see the city.

Ended up having a really good weekend as well. Caught a bus into the city on Friday night, and just wandered around a bit and ended up in Soho completely by accident. The atmosphere was amazing there, and for just a regular Friday night, there would have been more people on the street than in Melbourne on New Years. Then went to the Camden markets yesterday before having a night out with the Duck. He took us to a worrisome 80's club off Regent Street, but it turned out to be a good night. In typical fashion he made friends with the bloke he took a piss next to and he ended up shouting us tequila shots.. Then today we've had a nice day so the entire house went out for a picnic by the Thames where a rugby ball was the closest thing I could get to a footy.

As I mentioned below, Ive put a few photos in an online gallery.. Unfortunately, you can't view them that big, I might have a look at storing them somewhere better in the future, but this'll do for now. I've also gone through and rotated the sideways ones, put them in the proper order and added captions so it all makes a bit more sense now... Hope you all enjoy

I've got some India photos up on the internet for anyone who wants to see: http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=2127802477

They are but a few. Hopefully I can get the rest on at some point, but there aren't many better than these.

Well...
Its Friday night, and while the rest of London are celebrating the end of another working week, I - like a good bitch - am quietly waiting for the missus to come home from the pub. I guess I should expect some role-reversal now that Hana is officially my Sugar-Momma - 2 weeks and still no job. I can see myself now standing at the door at 1am in my dressing gown with my hands on my hips saying 'You said you'd be home an hour ago!'. But let me clarify - Hana is not out having fun. She's working at the pub (following directly from a day at the office). So she's doing a 16-hour day to support my sorry ass (thankyou dear...).

But its not all bad. I took advantage of my temporary freedom this evening to indulge myself at a 'restaurant' claiming to have 'probably the best kebabs' (emphasis added). Although not in the realm of Theo's in Surfers and the fabled place in Byron Bay, my lamb doner wasn't at all bad, however service was incomplete. I was given the basic ingredients of a lamb doner kebab - pita, lamb, lettuce, tomato, onion, garlic sauce - but it was all just piled onto a plate. I was left to fill the pita myself. This is a common theme in this country of lazy oafs where supermarket employees scan your groceries (while sitting in a padded chair) but leave you to pack them into bags yourself. What are they doing for their £5 an hour?!

But I digress....

The big news is that Hana and I have found a place to live! Its a lovely 5-bedroom townhouse in Hammersmith that isn't too expensive and has everything we've been looking for - including a backyard and bbq. The only down-side is we're living with 4 kiwis. So Dad, it seems that the only conversations I'll be having in the next 5 months will be about either Edmund Hillary or Richard Hadlee. There's also a token South African in the house but I think communication with him will be limited to grunts and nods until I brush up on my Afrikaans (damned if I'll encourage the mutilation of the English language by that horrible accent).

Saw a bit more of London yesterday. After an interview in the city, I spent the morning at the Tate Modern Art Gallery, which was cool. I saw a few Picassos and plenty of other weird shit but the highlight for me were the paintings by Ed Harris.. I swear. I saw him paint them in the movie Pollock...

But anyway, things are still chugging. Hopefully I get a job next week, otherwise you'll probably see me in a couple of weeks. Got a day at the footy tomorrow followed by a night out with Hana and Jess, then move into the new place on Sunday. Trying to arrange a drink with the duck man but he's a busy man and is proving elusive..

Thanks for the email Steve. Sorry to those who've tried to communicate on MSN this week - the internet cafe I've been using is pants. Let me know when my package arrives Mum and otherwise, loyal readers, check back soon...

Just a quick update...

I've been in London for a week now and its already feeling pretty comfortable. It took me a day to figure out the tube and get used to the weather, but its all going pretty well.

Hana and I are still living in the one-bedroom flat in Clapham, but its not as bad as it seems. Turns out, the girl signed the lease expecting her boyfriend to be coming over from Albania at the beginning of April, but his visa got delayed. Not being able to afford the rent on her own, she's renting out the bedroom until he arrives in early May. So we can stay in this place for the full month or as short as we like, so its good we have the flexibility. We're still looking for a room around Hammersmith/Fulham. Thats where the action is! Hopefully we'll be able to move into a place this weekend.

I don't have a job yet but I had an interview on Friday with an optical company that went really well, so I'm expecting their call in the next couple of days. The job's not ideal - pay's only £7 per hour and its in North London so it'd take me an hour to commute, but they employ a lot of travellers and it seems pretty casual so it'd probably be a fun place to work.

Haven't done too much touristy stuff yet. I spent the day out on Wednesday with Hana's friend Jess. We went to Westminster Abbey and saw Buckingham Palace and Big Ben and the likes, and yesterday Hana and I went to a book market at Southbank and shopping in Oxford Street. On Wednesday, after sightseeing, we met Hana at Fulham Broadway (right next-door to Stamford Bridge) and the atmosphere there was amazing (Chelsea were playing Munich in the Champions League). I was offered a ticket from a scalper for £100 and I was so tempted!

Like I said, nothing much really happening yet, but I'm really enjoying it so far, and once we move into a share house and start meeting some people and going out it'll be even better.

I've arrived in London! And it seems the sun has followed me from India (although I must admit I did see my first cloud in 3 weeks today). My flight went very smoothly after I endured Delhi airport (the least organised airport I've ever been to). I managed to sleep from take off until Austria. I awoke just in time for breakfast (although they'd run out of omelettes by the time they got to me and I was stuck with Indian!).

My day only got worse after I left the internet cafe in Delhi though (after a solid 6 hour stint there). Apart from generally being an awful airport, I think BA suspected me of terrorism, because I was unfairly targeted! At the Delhi airport they scan your checked luggage before you check in and then seal the zippers. They didn't seal one of my zippers and between the scan and check-in I opened the unsealed zipper (not knowing this was a big no-no!). I was caught and apparently red-flagged, because on top of the shite I went through having to rescan my pack, I was pulled up as I was walking down the passage to the plane and had my hand luggage searched. Apparently a bike chain is not allowed on aeroplanes these days, so consequently I had to check my hand luggage. Lucky I slept for the entire flight, cause I'd have been a very bored YT, with no book or glasses to watch the tv.

But I made it to Heathrow in one piece, figured out the tube and met up with Hana. Unfortunately we couldn't figure out accommodation today (so its a backpacker in Earl's Court), but we have somewhere lined up tomorrow. Some strange girl has offered us the bedroom of her 1 bedroom flat while relegating herself to the couch. Obviously a home-owner trying to make a bit of smack money on the side... We can get it fairly cheap and with a completely negotiable length of stay, so, from tomorrow, this will be our home until we sort out a more permanant place in a more desirable area with a more desirable flat-mate. Apart from that didn't do much else today. However, I do already have an English mobile number. Unfortunately, I have no idea what it is, so if anyone wants it, ask Seany - I'll only be checking my Aus sim for messages semi-regularly. By some bizarre twist of fate, it costs me the same to call Australia from it as it does to call a non-orange mobile. This doesn't mean I'll be using my new sim to call home, but I don't think I'll be making non-orange mobile calls until I win a bit of money at the track.

So thank Christ I made it back to civilisation in one piece. A big happy 21st to Carmel and Georgie Penman (the girl with the wandering mouth) and a massive congratulations to my good friend and neighbour Frank who scored today and made the locals very happy...

God save the Queen

This is the end (The Doors playing quietly in the background)...

Well, I'm being a bit dramatic, but its the end of my first leg at least. And to celebrate I ate Maccas for lunch! I had a Chicken Maharaja Mac, and it didn't kill me. It was essentially a Big Mac but instead of beef it had 2 'chicken' patties and instead of special sauce, there was some curry sauce that tasted like tandoorie.

Anyway, I'm here in Delhi with 13 hours to kill before my flight, and luckily before we left Delhi last time I found this internet cafe that charges only 15Rs an hour. I could sit here until I have to leave at 11pm and it would only cost me $5! And I probably will...

I've already had a massive day - I was up at 3.45am to get my jeep from Bundi to the closest railway station in time for my 6am train to Delhi. I arrived in Delhi around 1 and my flight to London leaves at 2am to get me there by 7am - right on time for work... I kid, I kid! But seriously, Hana intends on spending the entire day house hunting, so there's no rest for me in sight. She's got a new 9-5 office job so if we don't get anything this weekend we're pretty screwed...

Last time you heard from me, Suze and I were in Udaipur. Lovely town. Unfortunately we didn't make it to a screening of Octupussy either night we were there, however the day after my post I did have my palm read. Some of the things he said about my personality were surprisingly accurate, but he though my Dad was an architect and to add an Indian spin on it told me that I will have 5 girlfriends after I'm married, but my wife will never know... Score.

We left Udaipur that evening and caught the overnight 'sleeper' bus to Bundi. Management probably should consider a name change of said bus, as in spite of the fact that we were assigned bunks on the bus, the lack of suspension on a dirt road prevented any sleep and if you were lucky enough to nod off, at every toilet stop chai wallahs (tea vendors) would pace up and down the bus yelling "hot chai" at the top of their lungs. They must have paid off the driver because he did nothing to keep them off the bus...

We arrived in Bundi at 4.30am and made our way to the hotel recommended to us by our tour leader. Turns out the manager of the hotel used to be a tour leader at the same company and was good friends with our leader, so he gave us a good rate on the rooms and that first morning free. Aside from that, there's not that much to say about Bundi... There's a palace that hasn't been completely restored, a fort further up the hill that has an impressive sunset view and a completely uninspiring town. I used to time to get in a bit or R&R, but to tell the truth wasn't that disappointed to leave the place. I have since changed my tune, as anywhere is better than Delhi when you have 13 hours to kill... A funny side note (which everyone who wasn't there won't find funny...): the hotel manager JP became quite smitten with Suze and kept talking to her about marriage and trying to convince her to stay another week in Bundi. The smooth cat even dropped the ever-so-subtle hint that his mother was really cool and not only would she allow love-marriages (not arranged) but she would also approve of him marrying a western girl!

Anyway, my Indian adventure is now over. When Johnny asked me how its been, I summarised thusly: Each day has to be treated as seperate from the last. Some days you will absolutely love India and some days you will hate it. All in all I only wished I was somewhere else on 2 or 3 days out of my 21. It has been unforgettable and I hope to come back to see the mountains in the north and the beaches in the south.

And now its on to London. First point of business is to find somewhere to live, and second and more importantly, find a job. Probably won't be doing much of any interest in the next few months, but if there is something, it'll be up on here before too long. I'll get a UK sim soon after I arrive, and I'll send out the number as soon as I get it. Bad news about Riewoldt, but life goes on. St Kilda will still win the flag this year and look out for Franky Lee in the fantasy footy...