A happy-go-lucky English rambler dude goes to New Zealand for a year. Here he interfaces with some of those he left behind and details his nefarious activities. Or summat.
Recently clicked on MP3s - 7th June 2005 The Lucksmiths - Warmer Corners
Jens Lekman - When i said i wanted to be your dog
The Trashcan Sinatras - Weightlifting
Teenage Fanclub - Man Made
Laura Veirs - Carbon Glacier
The Decemberists - Picaresque
The Eels - Blinking Lights
Wednesday, September 11, 2002
Despite doing my best to miss my plane home, i'm now sitting back in "good old" Leicester.
I spent far too long in an internet caff writing the last two posts in Vancouver, so i didn't leave myself much time to get over to the North shore, to do the Grouse Grind. But, i really wanted to do it, and finish my year off in style, so i went for it anyway. I managed to knock 4 mins off my last time, clocking in at 58mins this time, which was pretty respectable. However the ferry back into downtown Vancouver didn't set any records, and by the time i got back there were only 60ish mins till my plane left, giving me the perfect excuse to hail a cab and say, "Airport driver! And STEP ON IT!"
The airport was a 30 minute drive from downtown, so by the time i'd picked up my bags from the hostel, got to the airport, and got changed out of my sweaty rambling togs (No time for a shower before the 9HOUR flight! Yuk, stinky me!! :oS ) there was about 20 minutes till the flight when i checked in, which pissed off the airline staff no end. Neverthless i got the last seat, and was driven across the terminal at break neck speed, on a golf buggy, with a similarly late French couple. And you thought i'd learn from my Christchurch airport experiences? Pah!
For the past week i've been getting over jet lag (Well, using it as an excuse to stay in bed all day) and catching up with all my mates and family here. I was really nervous about seeing everyone again, and even got choked up just driving into Leicester on the National Express. But without exception, after 5 minutes of chatting to people it felt as though i hadn't been away at all. Weird.
Things i've noticed about the UK since my return include:
- Everyone has mobile phones, and seem to be using them all the time
- People drive really fast
- There are traffic lights everywhere, and they're usually on red
- Rugby isn't on tv all the time
- Curries taste GREAT! And the poppadoms are free - There are no mountains anywhere - Digital TV is mostly crap (But still better than NZ telly)
As this website was designed to keep my UK friends updated on my NZ activities, i suppose it's really come to the end of it's current life (Tho' fear not NZ - i shall return). But, as i've come to enjoy fiddling around with my website (Despite fiddling with websites for a living too), i think i'm going to set up a new one, to bore all my NZ / Aussie / Canadian mates, with my UK activities. So stand by for details of that in the near future.
In the meantime, i'd better get to bed at a reasonable hour for once (I can't really keep using the jetlag excuse now i've been back a week). Oh, and can i leave you with a piece of hair related advice - Never get your hair cut, whilst drunk, by a devious drunken friend and a devious-er sister. Or your head will end up looking like a lumpy bowling ball covered in velcro. Trust me.
1:21 am
