Blogs from East Sussex, England, United Kingdom, Europe
Not in Manilla!!
Published: April 28th 2012Europe » United Kingdom » England » East Sussex » EastbourneHello all Today I was up to London in Hampton Court - and not being mugged in the Philipines- I am sorry but my Yahoo account has been hacked - I have lost all emails and all contacts - so this blog is a good way to reach most of you. Thanks to everyone who might have thought it was true and showed concern by texting phoning or messaging me here...and given that Richard has been working in Manilla a couple of times - it was perfectly feasible that I might have been there!! Now it's aright mess to try and see if Yahoo can restore my account ....meanwhile I am changing all passwords etc ....maybe I shall use a Maori word - they are pretty unintelligible. Love bemused and confused me. xxx... read more
Doughnuts, fish and chips, candyfloss, maybe fumes from cars nearby. That’s probably the smell you think of when thinking about sea sides in Britain. But no, Brighton to me was a sweep of fresh air, it was the first time I'd ever been, a cold March. I heard a few seagulls, a gust of wind every few minutes. I was cold, but the warmth of the vibe made me forget about that. The pier was how I imagined, old fashioned but still has a young feeling to it, like a teenage dream.I took my shoes off and felt every pebble on my feet, every grain of damp sand, sliding between my toes. Then like ice cubes to your feet I felt the cold rush of British water. It wasnt just the beach I fell in love ... read more
Spring Broken
Published: March 10th 2012Europe » United Kingdom » England » East Sussex » Brighton and HoveI've been a busy bee! Katie has come to visit and we're having a great time. It was wonderful showing her around Oxford. She ate a lot of potatoes and seemed to really like it. We then went to London. We visited the infamous Platform 9 3/4. It was funny when I asked the train station lady where it was she replied "I think just around the corner. They keep moving it". Tell me what other platforms can be moved liked that!! Katie and I walked around Hyde park and went to Camden. This later part was bad for the health of my wallet but SO good for my soul. Near Hyde Park we saw all kinds of luxury cars and hotels. We even saw a mini-cooper covered in mohair. I don't get it either.... We ... read more
We're Off To India
Published: March 4th 2012Europe » United Kingdom » England » East Sussex » Brighton4pm, 1st March - 3rd March: Heathrow to Mumbai (or somewhere near) George:(Written in the present (continuous?) tense, in homage to Private Peaceful by Michael Morpugo and Antony Browne’s “The Shape Game”). We get in a taxi and Max wants to come; Dad claims he only wants to come so he can steal his hat. We get on a few trains that will take us to Heathrow; at Heathrow we board a plane with three aisles instead of two. The plane takes us to India, Mumbai. A taxi-man takes us to a hotel called Manoribel on the edge of town – on the journey there are plenty of multi-coloured lorries and hooting – the hotel is wonderful and it has a great playground. We go down to the sea, we splash about in the waves ... read more
After a few hours of train hopping, I made it to Brighton. The buildings were much nicer than Dover and the shops were a lot more interesting. I walked to the Royal Pavillion first. It was so tacky. Apparently a royla had had a fascination with Asia so he built a palace that was a mixmatch of a bunch of Asian styles. It's so odd sitting in the middle of a bunch of British buildings. Next was the Brighton Museum. Like the Pavillion, it was a total mixmatch exept instead of architecture it was exhibits. They had ancient Egypt, 20th century art, Brighton history, fashion, and performance costumes. Such an odd collection. Then I went to the Pier. It was pretty much a carnival; a bunch of rides and fair food crammed onto the wooden pier. ... read more
Hat of wisdom, Bag of destiny
Published: November 21st 2011Europe » United Kingdom » England » East Sussex » Brighton and HoveThe eleventh hour arrived only to discover an unexpected delay in departure... oh unless you are a Spanish pilot and this delay was planned on 11/11/2011 due to strike action. Thank you STA travel for so kindly informing me of this very well planned day off! An extra night of preparation has provided an opportunity to repack, repack and repack again. I can also add more music to my borrowers sized ipod, Hurray!!! Day one travelling took me all the way to Gatwick and back to Hove. First obstacle of my adventures presented itself and I survived with the assistance of Tel, Daddy, Tea and Micro Mary. Flight departing tomorrow... apparently. ... read more
Chelsea Physic Garden's and Brighton
Published: November 7th 2011Europe » United Kingdom » England » East Sussex » BrightonJust down the way from where I am staying is a beautiful tucked away Garden called Chelsea Physic Garden. It was established as the Apothecaries' Garden in 1673 and is the second oldest botanical garden in Britain. It is a lot smaller than Kew Garden that I went to before but is really beautiful nonetheless. In the middle of the garden there is a statue of Dr. Hans Sloane (the person that Sloane Square is named after). It has a really old rock garden that is really pretty with a little pond in the center. I was never aware before how much of our medicines are plant based and how a simple plant leaf could relieve some pain from various types of diseases. One plant that I particularly remember is the Belladonna which is a foliage ... read more
A New Philosophy
Published: October 16th 2011Europe » United Kingdom » England » East Sussex » BrightonCongratulations, you have the honor of being personally acquainted with one of those rare gems in the world who knows how to botch a vacation. When I set out on my little adventure, I had some high-flying ideal that I was going to spend four months soaking in the culture, learning everything that school never taught me, and growing as a person in the mean time. Ha! I like sunshine and beaches. I like chocolate and ice cream. I like having my own bathroom. I like spending money. I like relaxing. When I’m on vacation, I want to sit on the beach in the sunshine eating chocolate and ice cream until I go home to my own bathroom, tired after a long day of spending money and ready to relax. I do not want to fry ... read more
"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step"
Published: October 2nd 2011Europe » United Kingdom » England » East Sussex » Forest RowOne more sleep to go... I honestly can't believe how quickly the time has gone by in the last few weeks! Injections, work and shopping is finally all done. Ive said many goodbyes to lots of lovely people! All that is left to do now is pack my rucksack- easier said than done! Deciding which clothes to take will be a nightmare I think! I had my first ever Skype call to my cousin Sheila yesterday, which has made me feel better that I will be able to stay in touch with people quite easily. I am feeling extremely excited, but also a bit scared about what lies ahead! I want to say a massive thank you to all my amazing friends, family and work colleagues who have been so supportive of my decision to go ... read more
So - work is all done now. Last day was yesterday and had a great time. Everyone was really nice and Haydee decorated my desk with balloon’s and garlands and the special potty fishing game from Louisa (Danny the dog) was great. Loads of cards and good wishes made my last day very special. The bag is nearly packed and all I need to do now is buy a travel sink plug and put some pant in the top of the bag. I’m thinking 10 pairs will be enough. Should give me at least 20 days worth out of them if I rotate them properly and don’t suffer from the old “Delhi belly”!!! I have still to pack half of Leah’s medical stuff as well so if one bag goes missing then we will still ... read more























