Back Home and settled... new job...

Ok well

I thought I would write a new blog. Its been quite a while and my writing skills are going rusty so I will attempt something new.

Well 2 months ago I was employed as the producer's assistant for two producers who are the head of a tv company in north sydney. I am pretty much in routine now and I enjoy what I am doing.

This is me and my friend Simmy at her 21st in October.

I pretty much work and get home at 7pm, then have a few hours to spare.. until it is then late and Lloyd must sleep. But I try vary stuff, I started at the gym now so look out. Fitness first is my gym, am i ashamed? mmm no. they are good sellers (go matty!) and plus if I go back to UK I can use the gym there, hey we are all winners!

On the weekend I usually hang out with my special people, another word for friends. Club or bar or pub... or video and couch or coffee shop or wharf or.. well depends on weather and person.

Its summertime almost and its awesome, though right now we have verged back into winter. I am wearing jumpers and it pours with rain. Did the winter come to the wrong place... ahem.. England is... that way.

I still have plans in the back of my head to get back to UK for about april next year, to avoid the winter as well as I want to stay with this company for at least 6 months, they are good to me.

I feel rather boring at the moment, not as fun writing these as Lloyd's adventures used to be.. ah well.

We will see.. we will see.

Lloyd.

Lloyd's Adventures in London 2005 Chapter 19

Hello to everyone
I'm Lloyd, and this is my 19th Chapter of My Adventures.
Well where did i leave off.. Cant remember, but yeah I will start with saying, one of my goslings died (baby geese) So only two babies, and they are all grown up now, almost as big as their parents.
Will go over highlights... Well I have gone out clubbing a few times, and the summer has really come. 32 degrees and humid. The tube is hell. I have tried to avoid it. But was so good to experience summer, there is nothing as cool as walking through hyde park that has come alive with people everywhere. All having picnics and flying kites and playing with toy boats. And no Im not on the set of Mary Poppins II !
I finished up Discovery Channel two weeks ago now, it was sad to leave again, but not as sad because I knew I was only back for a few weeks, and to be honest, very glad to leave. The following days, I met up with people and said my goodbyes to friends. It was all very sad to be saying goodbye to the friends I had made and done so much with. I left London last Friday the 9th of June for Sydney. I decided to come back for a while to just chill out and look at work prospects. So I hope to see all my friends again soon, but now I am back in sydney, unaware to a lot of people, which has been good, cause I have been able to just chill out in quiet. The last few days before I left were quite stressful though. A friend back home worked for a freight company, and he arranged that I could send home a box through his company for free. And since it was gonna cost about 200 pounds, I decided on his company, just meant I had to take it to his work, which was apparently just south of Heathrow Airport. So Lloyd set out on his day to the company, carrying his 18 kg box, on the bus, the tube, another tube, then a bus to heathrow airport. I went to find a taxi but noone would take me cause it was just outside the metropolitan area so a 25 pound minimum cost. So I got the bus back and then another bus to a local town. The road I was meant to find was about a 20 minute walk away, which i did, in the hot sun. I had forgotten to take water with me, and I was quite thirsty but soldiered on. The road the place was meant to be on.. started at number 380. I walked and walked.. along next to farms and little houses and then big mansions. This border collie ran after me and tried to attack me, and then the police asked me where I was going, walking along the road with this big cardboard box. They let me go on. I got to number one.. and the place wasnt there. I ended up in a little village. I called up directory service, to find out, I had the road, but their was the same road in another town, on the other side of London. So I collapsed on a bench next to a church and a pet cemetry and was very frustrated. 5 hours into my trip I stood back up and walked along the road more and finally found a small train station, that took me back to London, so got the tube and two buses, and got back home. so 7 hours all together, and I still had the box, which i ended up leaving in London. What a great last day in London. The following morning, Kris helped me to the airport very kindly, and i discovered he had never been to an airport, bless him! Was sad to say goodbye to my last friend in London and get on the plane.
So now im back, and its very surreal to be in sydney again, in the horrible cold too. I have seen a few people and plan to see a few more in the next few days. I cant explain the sensations I feel, its like i woke up out of a dream and i never left for London. But I will be back and my adventures will continue, well they will continue here. I head off for new zealand in just over 2 weeks for 3 weeks, and that will be great.
So for now, I will sign off. May my adventures and yours continue. And your siblings adventures too. If you have them.
Lloyd

Lloyd's Adventures in London 2005 Chapter 18

left off last time.. being the eve before my 22nd birthday. I was so bored today at work that I worked out that it was actually 200 days since i left, when i sent my last group email. Now its.. 212.
Ok lets move away from maths.
Well my birthday was fine, I think when you get older you really dont bother about it really, I had a good day, we went to church at all souls, and then Hillsong London. Hillsong London... exactly the same as hillsong. Even the leaders and singers and everything were australian. Its quite patronising to be honest, the church was established over there in 1992, and they still have it all run by australians.
anyways yeah we went to lunch at Wagamamas, of course! Oscar came along too. Then Lou, Oz and me went for a coffee, then Dad Lou and I went to the movies and saw American Dreamz. Was alright. I got one present, that was off my mate Hadleigh in New Zealand, thanks Hads, your so hot. Everyone else, isnt hot. Not impressed.
So yeah Lou flew home the next day and there was this big stuff up with the tickets and Louise didnt exist on the plane, like she does exist, I didnt make her up, but somehow the travel agent never issued her with a ticket number. Anyways after some stress we managed to get her on the plane. But ironic, she got home and her bag was left at London Heathrow. But she got it back and she is all safe and well. Glad you are Lou.
Then Dad and I had 4 days of touring London. It was cool cause I saw so many things I either didnt know about or hadnt gone to. St Pauls, where you can go to the top and see things, higher. And the big parks, like Regents park. The days were quite warm, and its amazing to see London just strip. I dont mean that in a rude way, well, its just so bizarre to see women in bikins and i even saw a man take his business suit and lie in the sun in his briefs. It wasnt even that hot. Ah well, bless em.
Went to Maddam Tussauds too and we saw famous people made out of wax. I got my photo with John Howard, Australia's Prime Minister. He was next to Jamie Oliver. Dont ask me what the connection was. And there was this section there called Horror house LIVE. Where you go through a few people at a time through these passages with cages and ripped up sheets and live actors jump out around you and pretend to be crazy murderous mental patients. Its not that fun really, haha but it was worth it, I went in first and Dad behind me and I have never heard my own Dad shout out so many times in genuine fright "ah" "ahh". I chuckle even now.
I had a great time with Dad, and was good to see both him and Lou. Dad left early Saturday morning. The night earlier, I went out with mates for my birthday.
So was kind of weird to be back alone in London (violins, and maybe a double bass start playing). But my days have been so busy since Dad left. Saturday I was so tired but went to mate Jamie's birthday lunch. I planned to stay for a bit then go home to bed, but no, what happens?? I get convinced to come to the pub. Then convinced to go to go out. But it was such a RANDOM night.
We snuck into a packed out club, where the street outside was filled with people wanting to get in, we got in through this fire exit. And then even cooler, I found out Bjork was DJ-ing, i looked across and there she was just standing there playing with records and stuff. Hey Bjork.
Was a great night, met lots of random people.
Sunday was big long sleep in and then this week has been back at Discovery channel. Am waiting on some jobs so thought, why not get paid to work back there, they need help, so am doin them a favour, they are doing me a favour, we are all happy children. Though was cool to see everyone here again. I wont be here long though, hope just a few weeks.
OH and the baby geese are getting bigger. I am taking photos, I will put em on my website soon, when I remember, plus I also gotta remember to buy light globes while i think of it. Every night i regret it! I have to use these stupid chinese lanterns.
Well I hope I have also reminded everyone else who needs light bulbs, to buy some, and there I will leave it.
Till I ramble next time
Lloyd.

Lloyd's Adventures in London (And Rome) 2005 Chapter 17

Right, Im settled on my bed, laptop well.. on my lap, ready to type about the latest stuff.
Well Dad and Lou arrived here safely 2 weeks ago, and I met them bright and early at the airport. Like early, in the fact I had never seen the tube that quiet in a morning before. Was so surreal to see them, cause it was like I had seen them yesterday, and my whole life in London was the dream.
We had a few days in London and I showed em around and we fit a lot in that short space of time. Maybe I could be a tour guide and make some pounds. Lloyds Luscious tours. yeaaah sounds pretty swell to me. We even got the boat up to Greenwich and stood the the Prime Meridian. Lou was so excited. She did this little dance, in a triangle, with her arms in the shape of a pretzel.
Then we flew off to Rome. Man is Rome not what I expected. There was tonnes of buildings, literally, they weigh a lot, just so old. Everywhere you go, there is something so old. Its such a busy city. We had a little hotel a block away from the Colusseum, and it was something very interesting. We got told to look our for Gypsies and cars. Lou and I imagined Esmareldas out of Hunchback from Notre Dame dancing around, but didnt see any. The Colusseum was amazing, to be standing inside, and shutting your eyes imagining the crowds and noise and the busy happenings. I loved it. But I started to get the flu from then on, but tried to ignore it. We saw the spanish steps and all this other old stuff, before we caught a train down to Naples.
Ok, naples is disguisting. The square in front of the station was like a developing country, not sort of what you imagine Italy to be like. We stayed in our hotel room, once we found one. Booked a tour of Pompeii, that picked us up from the hotel, an hour late, which was a nice surprise cause we didnt expect to see Pompeii anymore, so its a good strategy, was nice of them. Lou and I got sick of the tour guide and hid behind an old wall and went off and explored Pompeii by ourselves. Now, Pompeii was fantastic, its sooo huge and amazing. The best bit of Italy for me. We didnt have time to see it all, but I just love the past and an entire city that has been uncovered, its GREAT concept for me.
I got a lot sicker after that and spent the final days in Rome in my hotel room, hearing people wash up dishes in the alley in italian. Though I also cant think of italian food and not feel ill now. I think I just had too much, all I had was pizza or panini or pasta. I didnt know what anything else was in the menus.. I craved fresh fruit and salad. but no, i had carbs.
So we got back to London on Wednesday and have spent the last few days enjoying London, and English. Our hotel is right next to the British Museum, and so very central. We went to Camden Town Markets today, was cool, i enjoy them, there is just so so many stalls and the vibe is very alive.
Sunday is tomorrow and its my birthday. I dont really have any plans apart from having Wagamamas for Lunch with a few mates and Dad and Lou, only have one present to open, from my good mate Hadleigh in New Zealand, thanks Hads! Lou goes home on Monday, so wont have a late one either. Dad and I will just do stuff for another week, before he heads off then and i go back to work. Fun stuff!
Oh and of course, the biggest news of all, my Geese Jake and Blake, have hatched their goslings. Fluffy yellow things, im so proud of them. Spring is very much here. The last two days we have had weather of 28 degrees and 24 degrees. Very Rad indeed.
I sign off here. Keep safe everyone on the road tonight.

Lloyd's Adventures in London 2005 Chapter 16

Well Its that time of year again. The 22nd of April. Where we think..
its almost may, what happened to christmas and Easter? And why do we
not have any more chocolate?

Its a great spring day outside, why am I not outside, well I will be
soon. Its 20 degrees!! I got a t shirt and cotton trousers on. You
dont know how good that is!! I walked through the park in bare feet
and there were people with picnics.. I had the rubbish bags, so the
two worked well together to make a good spring scene!
Dee (My flatmate) and I spent all yesterday afternoon lying on the
grass in the park with grapes and cheese and pita bread and hommous..
however u spell it, it was so rad.
Ok what have been the highlights in the last three weeks?
My canadian friend Cherisse came to London and she stayed with me and
helped show her London a bit, but she did quite well on her own too,
impressive! We had fun, and it was bad cause we always ended up at
McDonalds everynight cause it was cheap. But I guess I havent really
been there since I got here, so its all ok. She loves the parks just
as much as I do.
I went and saw Footloose with my buddy Kris, it was so cool, me and
Kris get along well and was glad he didnt get up and clap with the
other people and dance to the songs.. otherwise I would have been a
nigel.
I went clubbing last weekend, I had such a great time, but realised I
was a bit weird when I dance with the cleaner's broom for a while.
Guess it made a good dancing partner. Wait, should I really be
informing everyone I did that?
Easter long weekend was great, the city just keeps coming alive. Im
glad I came to London when I did, cause I saw it falling into winter
slumber... and then now I can see the opposite. Its fantastic. They go
crazy with easter eggs too, creme egg everything!!! They even had a
debate whether Cadbury could make a creme egg the size of a football.
But Cadbury sent out a statement saying, sorry, we cannot.
I had my last week of work last week. Was sad to leave my first proper
big boy job. They made pipecleaner people for me and made me take them
home. I was rather distraught due to my huge dislike and semi-fear of
pipecleaners. They saw the funny side, Such chaps they are!
So now.. Im packing on Sunday night, ready to meet my Dad and sister
Louise early tomorrow morning. Will be so good to see them, we have
the next few days in London, then off to Italy for a week, then
another few days in London. I will write out our journeys as the time
comes. But Im so pumped. I am yet to decide what job I will take after
Dad and Lou go home, whether I will go to Nottingham or stay in
London, but I still have time to decide.
Oh and they have these cool shaped bottles of coke here. In the shape
of soccer balls, for the World cup. Pretty dandy if you ask me!

Lloyd's Adventures in London 2005 Chapter 15

Life seems to just be more happening when spring hits!
You put your ipod on when you step out the door at 9 Brockwell Park
Row, and turn and walk into the park and you see trees full of
blossoms, you see black ravens hanging out on the green, and geeses
all in their pond. And daffodils, EVERYWHERE! I swear they have gone
overboard sometimes. But its amazing. I have learnt to really
appreciate 4 different seasons. They are all so different. Australia
isnt as lucky, they all just blur into each other over there.
Last weekend I had such an awesome weekend. At 9am on Saturday Dee my
flatmate jumped on me and said lets go to Herne Hill and have
breakfast! So hours later after she got ready, *sigh* we left and
walked across the huge park. Was so so cool, people flying kites, dogs
everywhere, people doing yoga, walking past old school seseame street
looking playgrounds in bright colours. We hit herne hill and it was so
quaint. Didnt feel like we were in London. We had breakfast in the sun
with a pot of english tea in a little cafe next to Trevor's
barbershop.

We walked back and got back home and realised our house was looking
very worn out. so we moved around the furniture and scrubbed
everything. It actually was spring cleaning. And we then went down to
brixton and walked through the markets and bartered to get some new
stuff for the house. Was pretty fun! We spent a lot of time in the
sport shop, almost bought an english footbal shirt, but i would have
been too much of a traitor, the world cup coming up and all!

Then we went to Tooting to a few pubs for the night. Had so much fun,
this woman sang for us and she wasnt superb.

Then this week was pretty awesome. My mate Kris, he works in a theatre
ticket selling company and so he gets free tickets to shows. He asked
me to come along to three different things this week! We had a lot of
fun, we saw The Producers on Monday, it was very lively and amusing.
..>..>Very broadway like. Then Wednesday we say a Billy Joel musical that
was very average because it was more a ballet, noone talked, just
danced and acted emotional. Then Friday night we went to a comedy in a
little theatre in leicester square, about Dudley Moore and Peter
someone.. it was very interesting. We went out clubbing afterwards,
which was fun too, hehe i like watching all the different sorts of
people. We did R and B dancing. Man everyone better watch out!!
Was a very broad mix. Thanks Kris for the great nights out!

Today, Saturday ,was just a fun day out to Herne Hill again with
flatmates. Kites were out. Dogs, Yoga, and this dead branch that the
council hasnt picked up.

the swimming pool will be open.. we found out.. in July till
September. Man, is that short or what!!

3 weeks till Dad and Louise come. Am I excited, you cant tell...

Im attempting to clean my room, its not working. cause all my clothes
just ended up in a pile that covers my door, and so when i got out my
door, it pushed all the clothes on the floor. Shame.

Oh and the geese that are my friends, they have a nest! So there will
be baby geeses soon. Pretty awesome!

Lloyd's Adventures in London 2005 Chapter 14

Well why not write another update. Im sitting watching the basketball
England V. NZ. The commonwealth games. Seems like you guys are putting
a good games on. Most events have british commentary, but i cant stop
laughing because this basketball game has aussie commentators. Man...
its so so weird to hear the accents. I cant stop laughing, not in a
bad way, just forget sometimes how strong they can be. I was watching
the lawn bowls earlier, and the camermen zoomed up on christmas
beetles on the lawn. The british commentators were horrified and were
freaking out, hoping they didnt bite or were poisonous. They talked
about the beetles for most of the game.. it was very amusing. And the
crowd were making aussie cheers, and the commentators were claiming it
was unfair to the british team. then they said "well we cant really
expect any better from the australians" ooooooo!!
Ok, my weekend.. St pats day on Friday, and i hung out with some mates
in a pub till about 8, but i got hungry and went and found noodles at
my house, and didnt go back out again. then Saturday i met up with
Kiwi Matt, and went to westminster abbey. was so cool! Tom was down
visiting some texan friends of his, and they were goin to the abbey
too, so we all went together. hehe then no surprise.. we all went to
Wagamamas. We then had to get the two texan girls back to the London
eye (big ferris wheel sort of thing.. that goes high above london).
They were going with their big group of texan people on it. But one of
the girls parents didnt want to go on it.. and gave me and tom their
tickets. Was so cool. We were on it, just as the sun was setting, so
we saw big ben and all that, slowly get dark and then lit up in gold.
I felt so touristy, was fun. I hardly ever do that sort of stuff, so
the day was pretty different. I also played up the whole aussie thing
for the americans. They loved it.
then just hung out with tom for the night, as the girls went to dinner
with their big group. Didnt do much else for the weekend.
Oh and I tried to attempt to get the bus again. I swear someone plans
it all for Lloyd's misery. I walk towards the road then.. zoom... red
bus goes past. ahhhhhh it makes me just wanna.. well i do, i shout at
the bus. tell it its dumb, and red. (no offense to red heads anywhere)
Well its 5 months today since i got here. I bought an orange to celebrate.
My mate Ardon's brother is in hospital cause he was bashed up randomly
in Kingston. bit of a shock really... has broken ribs and pretty
battered looking.. and feeling im sure.
Well 4 and a half weeks till Louise and Dad get here, im not counting
or anything.
I have a few different job options right now.. think i will retire
from discovery channel just before Dad and Louise get here.. then have
a few weeks off and start either.. production assistant job with post
produciton house, or on production shoot for our new film Control, up
manchester/nottingham way for 8 weeks. Yet to decide what to do.. Or
possibly officer manager at the production house i work at now.
so thats my update..
and i saw my first squirrel!! but he was bein a popular little fella,
with some mexican tourists. i let him to it. Will catch up with him
later.
Well the weather still looks pretty good by what i see on tv. we are
having the coldest march in decades.. not the news i want to hear.

till next time. Lloyd.

Lloyd's Adventures in London 2005 Chapter 13

Right well Im bored at work so am going to write an email, whether its
of worth or not.
Well I got back from Bath and.. didnt have a bath, i had a shower. My
shower is dumb though, most uk people seem to have those bath
showers.. where u stand in the bath. and mine has no pressure, and its
either boiling hot or freezing. And their is carpet in the bathroom.
Another weird english thing. How is that practical?? And the cat
enjoys going to the toilet on that damp carpet, so then our whole
upstairs smells of.. yeah cat stuff.
There, thats my rant.
When it looks like its getting warmer, the weather turns cold. I got a
haircut this week and my head is freezing now!! But yeah everyday
there are more and more flowers out. And the ducks are playing with
each other. Yet to see the squirrels back out and about though. A fox
with a limp says hey every now and then though. I stop and look at it,
they look at me, we have a moment, then it scurries off.
What else.. last weekend my mate Tom came down, the guy i visited in
Bath. We watched the rugby again, im learning well, and kinda getting
hooked now. So much better than league. So much better. England played
france in the tri-nations and england lost by so much, I was grinning
cause all the english always remind me of the world cup win in 2003.
Where did that team go hey??
there is this great supermarket called iceland,that i discovered on
the weekend, so cheap!! we bought 12 fish fingers, 12 hash browns and
2 chicken pies for 3 pounds!! we were proud.
I have had a few close calls recently on the bus, so i avoid that bus,
as i said last episode. On friday i had this woman harrass me, she was
drunk. Tom was there and he isnt the sort to ignore people like that,
I would usually just ignore em, so he told her off. And then on
Saturday, i got on the bus and walked past a guy, he put his hand in
my pocket but took it out when he saw tom looking at him, behind me.
But both bad things happened when I was with him, and he looked out
for me. Im all safe everyone, its ok.
Today is one of those days when I want to be in oz, so i can have some
warm weather. But eh, i chose to come and will wake up tomorrow with
some good weather, yah right.
Oh and noone watch british tv if u come over here .terrible. Dont know
what's worse.. the ads or the shows.
And the commonwealth games starts tomorrow!! Im coming in early so I
can watch the opening ceremony.. 9am in the morning. woo! But england
is missing their queen. Look after her.
I am gonna send a picture of myself, taken the other night when me and
Mel were running around London doing random stuff, we even found a
sweet shop, they had great sweets.

Well Im off now, till next time, eat well and take your vitamins.

Lloyd's Adventures in London 2005 Chapter 12

Everyone asks me, what has happened?? Has Lloyd gone through a
dryspell, his journalistic skills have just gone through a bad phase??
To answer the question, nah, just havent had the time of effort to
really right an update.
Right now I am in Bath. no not IN THE Bath, like about 5 different
people interepreted it to mean when i called them this weekend, but
the city. Its amazing. All the buildings are so old and there are the
roman bath houses.And all the buildings have to be built in the same
colour stone. Works well really. Am visiting my mate Tom and about to
go back to London again. Had a great weekend, chillin and enjoying
fresh air. Went to watch Tom play a union game yesterday and got
introduced to everyone as the Aussie League boy. So they all said,
dont worry, we will teach you the fine art of union. But the game was
cancelled so Tom, his mate and me went to a pub and had ale all
afternoon and watched a union match on telly. Was a lot of fun. Ale is
really good!
So yeah had a good weekend away from the business of london.
Back on the home front, just been working and getting more and more
involved with Dendy films, learning to work all the programs and how
things work in that industry of aquisitions. I love it, and sometimes
a bit surreal. Like the other day my boss wasnt in, but shared the
office with this angry producer and then this director and writer of a
new film that is in preproduction. They made Blade.. if u have heard
of that.
Well yeah just worked out its been about one and a half months since i
last sent an email out so thats probably bad. Im not dead.
What else..
Usually go out with mates most nights and chat and hang out. London
life is really based on social stuff at night, even all week, cause
these winter months can suck, so we gotta stay cheerful. But its
nearly spring and all the trees are starting to bud. Its even more
exciting that seeing it happen in australia. Cause I have learnt to
appreciate coldness and hotness. 5 degrees is a fantastic day here
now, i dont have to wear 5 layers, only 4!

I have officially agreed i love Wagamamas. Its a japanese restaurant i
go to loads. There was one in sydney too. But its like a staple diet
on weekends. Yaki Soba all the way! Japanese food is the best!
Brixton is also a great place, i like it and its become my home. Every
morning i go out of the house, go and sit next to the pond, usually
half frozen over, watch all the ducks walk on the pond. And then go
visit my 4 canadian geese i adopted, two of em i named Blake and Jake,
cause it rhymes with lake. Even though.. yeah its a pond. Wishful
thinking really. Then i walk along the streets of terrace houses for
15 minutes to the tube. I used to catch the bus but EVERY morning i
would walk out to the road the bus would go past. And when it happens
every morning and ur still waking up and a bit morning moody, this can
really make you mad. So I just avoid it and walk to save on many
mornings of kicking the bus stop pole.
Coming home is different though.. i get it every night and it stops
outside tescos metro and I go in and buy humous and pita bread and
salad and fruit and go eat it. Another useful fact for everyone
reading.
I really should think beforehand what I will write in these things.
Dad and Louise come in 7 weeks. So thats pretty exciting. We have
arranged that we will stay in London for a few days, go to Italy for a
week then come back to London for a bit longer, cause they have to
meet the geese. Oh and my friends. Will be great fun, and they are
here for my birthday, so that should be cool.
Plans for the next few weeks.. is to work hard and keep proving myself
so I can possibly get this extended visa. And to just keep having fun.
I made a new friend Mel, from brisbane, who I met through Jono, she is
working here as a nanny. My first australian friend in London, yeah i
know. But yeah she is cool and we plan to hang out more, she is
looking for a good church too cause she has been to a few and they
pretty much ignored her. Welcome to London!!
Sorry for the disjointed email. Once I click send I will realise you
can edit emails before sending, but yeah sometimes its interesting
this way!
Hope everyone is enjoying the disappearing days of summer, as you head
into winter.
Like i always say, email me, its fun. and Good for the mind.
Lloyd

Lloyd's Adventures in London 2005 Chapter 10 AND 11 (REDUX)

I learnt some polish today, but have already forgot it.
One of of my friends here Eliza, she taught me to say hello how are
you? but yep, its gone. I pretend im really naive about europe and act
like poland is part of russia all the time. She isnt impressed, but
the french woman here is more offended when i act like I wasnt aware
france had culture. Its fun playing an innocent aussie. But its ok,
they both know im just being stupid. I dont want to make us
australians look bad.
Its thursday afternoon and im about to leave to office, go buy a small
suitcase and pack some stuff and head off to Heathrow. Im going to

MY GEESE

Ireland for the weekend. Get Friday and Monday off too, so loooong
weekend for me. Im going to a wedding. Yeah i know its random! An
irish wedding. my mate's cousins wedding, he was going up there so i
am tagging along, so i can see ireland.
Ok what has happened since i last wrote lots of ramble..
Oh yeah, the trouble with flats again... well last time i said i went
to this great flat and they had me for dinner and everything, and so i
got all my references and was moving in last weekend. BUT the landlord
wasnt informed and made a big fuss about how she didnt want another
person. So there was all this miscommunication. And I was pretty
devastated, cause I all had wanted was to just find a place i could
call mine and not live out of a suitcase finally. I spent the weekend
pretty anxious, until they had another meeting with the landlord and
they all agreed, until something was sorted, i could stay there, so i
had somewhere to stay for once. So right now im half unpacked in a
single room on the 3rd floor of this victorian house in Brixton. I
will hear more news when i get back from Ireland on the weekend.
I have managed to arrange to work 3 days a week at Discovery Channel
and 2 days a week with Iain, at Dendy films. So that has worked out
nicely. So hopefully can work out along the track, a transition
..>..> between the two.
I really cant think of that much news this week, just mainly the drama
of the flat. Which has made me quite flat. ha ha ha. Nah im all good,
the people at the flat said i can stay there till i find another
place, if i cant stay there permanantly.
I really am tired. I might finish the rest off on Monday, that way I
can talk about Ireland.

Ha ha well its 2 weeks later and I have been so busy with stuff i
havent written more. Ireland was fantastic. I could go into detail but
it would be too boring and long to read. The highlights were the
wedding and dancing till 3am, the waltz, set dancing, irish dancing
and then i tought people australian bush dancing. They loved it.
I had a great irish guiness, really really nice soda bread, and they
are more obsessed with cups of tea than britain!
The countryside was beautiful. I stayed on a farm and there were
houses there so old and run down .And everything was so green! But i
didnt understand any of their accents really. The speeches at the
wedding, everyone was laughing, except me. I just smiled. They could
have been talking Polish, and i would have understood more!!
And all Steven's relatives have invited me back, even if i come by
myself. So thats a bonus. Kerry was great. Thats the area I was in.

So what have i done since then.. umm worked. I started with Dendy
yesterday. Its really cool. An aussie film director called me up this
morning, i thought i would have been a friend or something. But no.
And he wanted to arrange a meeting with my boss. He didnt even know I
was australian! But was cool, this job will give me a lot of contacts.
His film is playing at the Berlin film festival.

My flat seems like i can stay. The landlord hasnt said anything and so
i am just going to privately rent off the tenants. They are all great
people. Dee, Olly, Emma and Rachel. Im sure you will hear about them
in my emails.

Well I need to sleep, and its a bit of a random update but it should
do the job all the same

Lloyd's Adventures in London 2005 Chapter 8 AND 9

Yes, a good deal i know, another 2 for 1 issue.
I wont hide the fact, its cause I have been busy, not cause its a
special deal about getting 2 weeks worth of news in one email.
OK where did i leave off.. before christmas.
Ok well I had a great christmas, in Windlesham, which is a nice suburb
of outer west london, in surry. Fergie lived just down the road. I
stayed with my friend stevens family and had a great christmas dinner.
And they even had gotten me presents, was so cool. good thing i bought
toblerone with me, they liked that. We played balderdash after dinner,
and i explained the rules. And I was reading out all the definitions..
and stevens mum said "oh that ones mine". She hadnt gotten the rules
yet. So we did it again, and we all finally came around to the idea of
how to play. Ignore this bit if you got no idea what balderdash is. We
also played trivial persuit, but yeah it was the english version so i
had no idea with 75% of the questions.
Boxing day, we went down to the village where the pram race was taking
place, lots of people dressed up in ridiculous outfits, running to
each pub, having a drink then goin to the next. It was so cold as
well.

Stevens brother and his girlfriend came that day so we had another
christmas, and i got another present, the triology of taxi. A french
action film series. Seems cool.
We then played balderdash again, and noone shouted out whos was whos this time.
the next morning.... it snowed!!!! I looked outside and huge chunky
flakes of snow were falling, so i ran outside and caught some in my
mouth. I played up the whole aussie who had never seen snow thing a
bit, even though yeah i had seen it. It was a novelty for them anyways
to watch.
I got back to London and hung out with my scottish mate Jon who was
down, and then me, Jon and oscar hung out and went out that night, had
lots of fun. We watched this show called 3 non blondes, about 3 black
..>women doing random things in the streets to people. Chem, Karina and
Kylie, you would love it. As well as everyone else.
The next day, I met up with Jono, mate from my Chile team, who had
just landed in london, who is going to live up in Scotland for a year.
Was cool to see him, but bizarre cause it was odd seeing someone from
my life in australia, in london.
Ardon called me up and asked me if I wanted to go to Oxford the city
for new years and I said yes, cause it would be different. So me and
him and Oscar caught the train up on new years and turned up in the
old city of oxford. Was amazing, cause there were so many old
buildings. I was pulling around a suitcase on wheels and I fell over a
few times cause the suitcase kept getting caught in the old
cobblestones. The others found it amusing. I got angry at the bag.
We met up with ardons friend Eric and went to his pub he worked in,
and counted down to 2006. Happy New Year everyone!
It was then 2006. We said, hey everyone happy 2006. So we walked
around, in 2006. To another club. And danced to songs playing in 2006.
Had a late night and crashed at the hotel. Felt like grown ups booking
our own hotel.
Got back to london the next day and then just had a pretty laid back
few days, before I started work again.
I started looking for flats again, and i saw this good one in
stockwell so said id take it, and i was meant to move in last
wednesday, but the guy called me up and said he forgot he promised it
to someone else. That really annoyed me, but the same day I got an
email off Steven saying he was told about a flat in Brixton. So I went
to see it, and it was so good, they even asked me to stay for dinner.
I was there for 4 hours! We had so much fun. I decided to take it. So
now need to get the paperwork sorted.
and that takes me up to today, Friday the 6th of January. Tomorrow its
6 months since the London Bombings. So they are talking a bit about
..it. Speaking of the tube.. yesterday i got off at my station and
noticed i had my headphone plug swinging next to my legs.. no ipod
attached. I panicked and realised it was on the tube, but i was up the
other end of the station by then and the tube was about to leave, so i
dived onto the carriage just as the doors shut. Then I waited till the
next stop and jumped out, ran down to my carriage and right on the
seat was my ipod. Close call.
Alright then, thats my adventures. Will let you know if I actually
move into the flat and how it goes.
Enjoy summer for me!
Lloyd