Posted late> Apologies!

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Good afternoon!! How is everyone back in the fabulous Melbourne? Well just another update on our UK adventures! Firstly, have been thinking a lot of my beautiful mum today, on today her very special day! HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mum! Very disappointed, her card which was sent with 10days to get there, did not arrive for her birthday. My apologies Mum and Dad again for waking you up! I hope you have a fantastic time in Rutherglen, sounds like a divine getaway, one that is very well deserved! You’ll be happy you got the 2 boys to keep each other company in Pentridge! J

I posted in our previous blog that I had a day of temp work at last, well….. I hated it! I see myself as a hard worker and are more than happy to put in a bit of elbow grease but I was desperately missing the hospital on Thursday after my shocking day. I was called and told there would be 3 of us going and that we were to call up ‘existing clients’ to assess their business needs, etc. Oh no!! I had to call up small business and try and perform a research project and ask them a series of questions!! Nobody wanted to talk to me, and I do not blame them I wouldn’t want to talk to myself either! I was, and thankfully only for a day one of those people who I and many others hate! The others got 14+ people to reply and I only got between 6-8! I absolutely sucked, and I felt awful pestering these poor busy people. I had to call a preschool, and aged care facility (where an elderly lady answered! Cute), farmers, really absurd places. I also got threatened with a 5,000GBP fine!!! Something about the telephone preference scheme which I was not familiar with, I was nothing but polite and honest when I asked if I knew it. I then apologised when he proceeded to ask my name and address to fine me for being persistent!! Cranky poop! Anyhow, after having to call back all of the people who did not answer, maybe cos they were out working on the farm, etc 3 times, they dragged the day out as much as possible making us do filing. We finished by 3.30 so I promptly asked the other 2 people there who also hated the job if they wanted to go to the pub. So spent the next 3 hours there! On the upside was really good to meet some new people, the girl, Caitlin is from the Carribean and Rob was a Scotsman from Aberdeen. That night we also met Charles’ colleagues, they were lovely, very refreshing and friendly. Two of the girls were telling us that the enjoyed their trip to Australia so much that they cried when they left. LOL!

Last night we ventured to Bournemouth, primarily to check out the ‘Opera House’ (OH). This club is the home of slinky, therefore normally a trancy crowd but was hosting one of our favourites Hernan Cattaneo (Argentina) and also Danny Howells (the headliner). Well, Bournemouth were to start??? After thinking it would only be an 1-1.5hr trip, it took 2+hrs due to the fine mostly single laned windy roads. We arrived as the sun was setting unfortunately due to the long trip, it was a mission getting there the signs are not clear here. We parked and walked up to see where the OH was for later. To set the scene, imagine a western movie was a hay bail being blown past with the wind and with rows on either side of securely locked up buildings, excluding a few places with their doors swinging in the breeze!!! It was not old like a western but really eerie, it felt like a abandoned town. The wind was picking up the copious amounts of rubbish and flinging it in the air, 95%!o(MISSING)f the shops/bars/restaurants were shut but shut pretty much under lock down. We got the distinct impression immediately that this place was not quite right (NQR). I pondered whether or not to go and buy a clublock! After going into a local pub as the macca’s toilet was closed due to vandalism, we were astounded with the calibre of people in there. They were really tragic, the language was appauling and I couldn’t wait to leave. As we were sitting in the pub we watched outside to see a group of mostly female youths being body searched by the police! As we were walking out of the pub she was being arrested and was screaming something about a robbery! So, as you can imagine we weren’t feeling the most comfortable. Macdonald’s and the usually immaculate Sainsburys supermarket were also filthy, rubbish all over the floor! For a sat night it was only macdonald’s or a dodgy looking kebab joint. Heading back to the security of our car we drove to the beach and watched the waves, Charles very much enjoyed rubbing some sand between his fingers! On our return we spotted a very modern, funky looking isolated bar very close to the beach. It was great! The food looked divine, very disappointed we hadn’t found it earlier. But….. the very busy staff had no idea what a short black or a long black for that matter was!! There wasn’t any skinny milk either. Melbourne’s coffee rocks!

On entry into the OH it was distinctively like Melbourne’s old metro but with an industrial construction theme to it. There wasn’t many people there and I suspected Hernan would be around the bar. Funnily enough he wandered past! I’d met him in Melbourne so went and said howdy, he seemed very appreciative! He played an earlier set 11-12.30, it was great! We danced the whole time, it was fantastic to actually have the room to move. Chops would have preferred a larger crowd though. It then followed by plump dj’s who were very jungly and it sounds funny but choppy styled music. An amalgamation of the chemical brothers and the prodigy. It was good to hear something different and was fun but we were also grateful that they weren’t playing all night. Danny Howells then followed but we only caught 0.5hr as we had to venture back home. We’ve noted quite a number of things, that is that ultimately Melbourne absolutely rocks! We were in a ‘superclub,’ but they really had no appreciation for great DJ’s like Hernan. The crowd was not older and friendly like fabric but quite rowdy and rough. Good fun though, very glad we had the experience but considering we can go to London with the same amount of travel time, we will do that in the future!

Some priceless facts about the UK (unless you are coming here!):

• Unless you are in London: Throw the concept of a machiatto, affogato, long/short skinny black out the window! (as above)
• You pack your OWN groceries in the supermarket. We also note that supermarkets sell liquor amongst all of their other produce, each time I get asked for ID unlike Melbourne! How funny.
• As per previous blogs, there is a severe lack in speed signs, except in Bournemouth. On this note, management of speeding here concerns us. Everyone knows exactly where the speed cameras are and really do speed everywhere else, slowing down for where the cameras are. I doubt the fatalities are any less, if anything more but there just isn’t the same consensus as Melbourne over here. As far as police patrolling speeding there is a few, not many.
• In Taunton, the rubbish collectors are performed by man not like our electronic trucks. They also do not pickup plactic bottles, etc; in fact they pick them out and leave them. They seemingly take up too much space in the truck!!! If you wish to recycle them, you have to collect them and take them to the tip yourself! What a joke!
• Lastly, if you have suffered from a bad hair cut, come to the UK! Chops noted it, and since he mentioned it I’ve also noticed it, your hair and nails grows faster over here!!!! ?because it has been more humid??

Preparing very excitedly for the arrival of Em tomorrow (Monday) and the boys on Tuesday. Em and I are packing up for the day tues and driving to Stonehenge and Bath. We then all (excluding poor Charles!) depart for London and the beginning of our European adventure. Have put some finishing touches on our itinary and it’s all very well organised with maps, etc; will be fantastic to get to the likes of the Uffizi, Eiffel tower, Louvre, Notre Dame, etc. Shall also be fantastic to see Juzz and Andy in Amsterdam!

As for the rest of today we are heading to the pub for Sunday roast like last week I believe.

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