London - Take Two

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First of all a HUGE thanks to everyone who has been following my blog and keeping up to date with all my adventures! The last few weeks I've just been having downtime with the whanau in Chester and Sandbach and got to meet up with the rest of my Dads side that I hadn't seen in over 18 years as well as my Uncle and Auntie from Mums side so its been really cool just getting to know everyone again, your really re-building relationships when its been that long but it takes a second or a day max to get used to each other again, family bond is a funny thing, something you can't explain but its always there nonetheless. So yesterday I made my way back to London with all my gear in tow... its quite stressful really figuring out the tubes while your weighed down with everything you own! So while everyone else is in jackets and trousers (I have learnt not to say pants as this is underwear over here!) Im sweating like a mad man in a singlet and trakkies trying to carry my 20-something kg suitcase up and down steep flights of stairs in the railway station... I got on the wrong train, went up and down two flights of stairs that I didn't need to and broke the handle on my suitcase (the part you pull along, handy huh....) BUT I arrived at my destination in the end :) So now Im in Kilburn in London staying with friends until the 1st of August which is when I move into our new flat (well a terrace house, just like in Love Actually!) with Kristen and Nikki, my travel buddies and now soon to be roomies :) Were all so excited! Only catch now is the pressure is on to get a job. Its a tough one cause you have to make the decision to wait and get a job then have no where to live / find somewhere with randoms or get a place with your kiwi gals and then get the job after - which is what I opted for in the end. London is a HUGE place, its not like Auckland at all and I wouldn't feel safe hunting for flats alone, not to mention the cost of staying in hotels until you find somewhere - its extortionate. Its true what everyone says - you begin to appreciate things about your home country that you never really took notice of before, for example I didn't think that the reason we had SO much Asian food was because New Zealand is close to Asia (sounds blonde but you just assume that the whole world would have Asian food right??) London is definitely better on the food side but the rest of Europe barely had any Asian food available and I live off it! I also admire the sense of community that New Zealanders have - there is so much litter around in England especially at festivals and theme parks - I know there is litter in New Zealand as well but this is just above and beyond what I'm used to seeing. I know there are millions and millions more people here but still, its like when I travelled to the South Island I was just as respectful as I would be in Auckland if not more so cause its just a beautiful place - and its my country no matter where I am in it. But here its like people don't seem to appreciate the country as a whole, just the area they live in and its a bit of a shame to see really!
Anyway, tomorrow I'm meeting up with Kristen for dinner then were going to check out some bars! Saturday we'll just chill then were meeting up with our new friend from the Top Deck tour Laura who also lives in London (Laura and her brother were both on our European bus, Laura went to Howick College and her bro went to my old school Macleans College - small world huh!) Then Sunday is the Ben and Jerrys festival - the BEST ice cream ever! It's a music festival too so hopefully the weather holds up! Next week will really just be sourcing home insurance and internet / TV / job hunting etc etc so yeah thats the update! Hope all is well where ever your reading this! Peace!