(this terrible saying is in honour of my dad - who I will see in a week!)
See you chumps later.
Bisous xx
Friday, 23 April 2010
Bali!
I'm off - like a bucket of prawns in the sun.
(this terrible saying is in honour of my dad - who I will see in a week!)
See you chumps later.
Bisous xx
(this terrible saying is in honour of my dad - who I will see in a week!)
See you chumps later.
Bisous xx
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
Angry Birds
I spent 5 hours this morning at the Nice prefecture - aka Hell with fluorescent lighting.
Still no change on my application to change my status (which I submitted at the beginning of February!) and now they have managed to lose my new Carte de Sejour.
My temporary one is due to expire while I'm in Bali, so I thought I should chase up my new one (which - again - since FEBRUARY - and this is after we actually applied back last November and then they gave me a new card with LAST YEARS dates on it and oh my god why I am I even surprised anymore by the ineptitude of these people)
And the lady couldn't find it. It's been made. And sent. But she didn't know where exactly. So I have to go to the local office in Cannes tomorrow and ask them if they have it and if they don't ... I have to go back to Nice. W.T.F?!? umm, a phone call couldn't be made?? No. That's far too logical.
How do you say in French - 'You are fucking useless and a Monkey could do this job better than you and would probably have better customer service skills'??
I need to learn this expression. Stat.
After that I raced up to the school that offered me the job that they had to get someone else for because I STILL can't work - as they wanted me to do a Drama Class to see if I can teach Drama as well as English. Well Duh. So I did the horse and pony show again, class was faboosh, the kids were so funny, they told me again that they think I'm great. So once again. We're waiting on le motherf-ing paperwork.
Sigh.
On a positive note:
My hours spent in bureaucratic hell allowed me to complete beaucoup de levels of Angry Birds on my iPhone and download a shmit-load of Free Apps. iPhones make hell bearable - actually that should be Apple's marketing slogan. You listening Steve Jobs?? I'll let you have that one!
and most importantly:
The same flight as I am due to take on Friday successfully left Nice Airport today. Fingers crossed, praying to all gods and willing to sacrifice a few goats if necessary to the Volcanic Ash monster but I MUST GET TO BALI.
If Karma was worth it's salt, the hours I've pulled at the prefecture would not only get me my flight, but I'd be bumped to bloody First Class.
Off to play Angry Birds. I find the carnage soothing ...
Still no change on my application to change my status (which I submitted at the beginning of February!) and now they have managed to lose my new Carte de Sejour.
My temporary one is due to expire while I'm in Bali, so I thought I should chase up my new one (which - again - since FEBRUARY - and this is after we actually applied back last November and then they gave me a new card with LAST YEARS dates on it and oh my god why I am I even surprised anymore by the ineptitude of these people)
And the lady couldn't find it. It's been made. And sent. But she didn't know where exactly. So I have to go to the local office in Cannes tomorrow and ask them if they have it and if they don't ... I have to go back to Nice. W.T.F?!? umm, a phone call couldn't be made?? No. That's far too logical.
How do you say in French - 'You are fucking useless and a Monkey could do this job better than you and would probably have better customer service skills'??
I need to learn this expression. Stat.
After that I raced up to the school that offered me the job that they had to get someone else for because I STILL can't work - as they wanted me to do a Drama Class to see if I can teach Drama as well as English. Well Duh. So I did the horse and pony show again, class was faboosh, the kids were so funny, they told me again that they think I'm great. So once again. We're waiting on le motherf-ing paperwork.
Sigh.
On a positive note:
My hours spent in bureaucratic hell allowed me to complete beaucoup de levels of Angry Birds on my iPhone and download a shmit-load of Free Apps. iPhones make hell bearable - actually that should be Apple's marketing slogan. You listening Steve Jobs?? I'll let you have that one!
and most importantly:
The same flight as I am due to take on Friday successfully left Nice Airport today. Fingers crossed, praying to all gods and willing to sacrifice a few goats if necessary to the Volcanic Ash monster but I MUST GET TO BALI.
If Karma was worth it's salt, the hours I've pulled at the prefecture would not only get me my flight, but I'd be bumped to bloody First Class.
Off to play Angry Birds. I find the carnage soothing ...
Zombie Zombie Zombie
Here's a book I'm NOT adding to my expansive Amazon Wishlist
I think she must drink the blood of virgins. That's the only possible answer.
FREAKY!!
I think she must drink the blood of virgins. That's the only possible answer.
FREAKY!!
Thursday, 15 April 2010
We are going to Turkey!
Oh yeah baby!
Kate's flights are booked. Our flights are booked - First two weeks of August including 3 days in Istanbul then off down the south-west coast to Bodrum, with possible stops in Kas, Kalkan, a day trip to Ephesus, a 3-day kayak trip around the coast, and lots more TBD!!
So excited. SO EXCITED. Anyone else want to come?!?
Open invite and it's going to go OFF!
Where I'll be in four months! whoo hoo!!
Kate's flights are booked. Our flights are booked - First two weeks of August including 3 days in Istanbul then off down the south-west coast to Bodrum, with possible stops in Kas, Kalkan, a day trip to Ephesus, a 3-day kayak trip around the coast, and lots more TBD!!
So excited. SO EXCITED. Anyone else want to come?!?
Open invite and it's going to go OFF!
Where I'll be in four months! whoo hoo!!
I haz a new toy
Sorry, don't actually know why I wrote 'haz' in the title - I kind of hate all that shiz.
haha.
I have a beautiful new iPhone. She is sleek, lovely, and saved my ass a number of times in Paris with the 'maps' app and I love her. She is the greatest.
Picture from wordboner
hehe *snigger* word boner. Gold.
haha.
Inspired by recent technical difficulties and my new acquisition:
I have a beautiful new iPhone. She is sleek, lovely, and saved my ass a number of times in Paris with the 'maps' app and I love her. She is the greatest.
Picture from wordboner
hehe *snigger* word boner. Gold.
The Champs Elysee is a busy street.
Well, he did it. The Paris Marathon.
Over 6 months of planning and training and running and training and running and oh my god so much running. I think he said he’d clocked up well over 500km during his preparation. That is hideous and amazing. But mostly hideous.
However, all jokes aside, I’m very very proud and seriously impressed.
I could never do it. He is amazing.
We arrived in Paris late on Friday night despite SNCF’s dastardly attempts to thwart us due to their never ending f-ing strikes and cancellations. On Saturday morning it was off to the Paris exhibition centre for the “Expo” and to collect his number and kit.
This expo was .... I don’t even have words. It was huge and full of wall-to-wall paraphernalia to do with running: clothes, shoes, socks – hit-tech socks at that, skins, food, drinks, vitamins, belts, bras, reading material, advertisements for other marathons (avoid, avoid avoid) it was insane. I commented to M that for me it was like being an atheist in church – weird and uncomfortable – I don’t belong here! I don’t believe in your god! In this case god = running. I was also waiting for somebody to out me Mean Girls style: "she doesn't even go here!!" hehe.
It was also a sneakers and jeans convention. Not sure who told them that just because you can run 42km it’s ok to wear sneakers and jeans in Paris, I’m sure über chic Frenchies were aghast!
After that we met up with our friend Jane who M did Kokoda with – she is living in Paris and we traded bureaucracy war stories and had a nice lunch and OUTSTANDING gelati from Grom – an Italian company that has only a few shops around the world. It was phenomenal. M headed back to the hotel to rest and I went and bought books (quelle surprise) then it was more pasta for dinner and to bed.
The morning of the race was an early start and we were at the start with plenty of time for M to eat his disgusting Energy bar things and get himself warmed up.
We had intended for me to meet/see him at quite a few points along the track but that didn’t quite go according to plan. Firstly, because it turns out it is faster to run around Paris than it is to catch the metro with several thousand other spectators and secondly, because it was almost impossible to see him, there were so so many people running and so many spectators. I missed him at the start, then at the second place, then saw him briefly by the Bastille and gave him his supply of energy gels/tablets and then saw him again at the end. Anyway, he was fine and was happy to see me at Bastille and then when it was all over.
And he has pulled up ok. He was shattered when it was finished but after some food and drinks was able to walk slowly back to the metro and back to the hotel. I still remember after I did the city to bay and at the end - I. Was. Not. Walking. One. More. Step. So I was in awe of how well he did.
The next day he was (understandably) pretty sore, so a quiet stroll around Le Bon Marché and then a gentle meander through some modern art at Centres Pompidou sufficed. There are an awful lot of steps in Paris though!
And now we’re home – despite our train being cancelled AGAIN and having to make a mad dash along the platform with hundreds of other passengers hoping for a free place to secure a seat (a stool) in the dining car. Ahh, SNCF, about as useful as tits on a bull.
I’m just waiting for M to inform me what the next challenge will be. Triathlons? Base camp at Everest? Who knows, but there will be something for him to look and work towards, that’s for sure.
After all, it’s a marathon and not a sprint. :)
At the start, ready to go.
Sneakers and jeans one day, garbage bag tops the next.
Runners are a fashionable lot aren't they?!?
This was actually incredibly moving, there were whole groups of runners carrying/pulling people with various disabilities and also blind runners holding on to an elastic bit of rope running side by side with a 'buddy'. Pretty amazing. All day, these guys got the biggest cheers from supporters.
View up to the start.
The elite runners. The winner did the race in 2 hours. Jesus.
M? Are you in there somewhere? You wouldn't think that spotting a tall ranga would be that hard!
Um, ok. There were a lot of tall, fit bearded men wearing orange t-shirts!
Beautiful Parisian monuments/gardens
=
Toilets
On my way to the Concorde metro station - quite a nice view!
At the Chateau de Vincinnes.
Bastille.
Here he is!!!
At the very end. 42km later. Very focused
Happy to be finished
The crazy crowds at the end - they gave the finishing runners brightly coloured ponchos, which just completed the fashion trifecta.
On our way back to where it all started.
Well done! Very proud. xx
Over 6 months of planning and training and running and training and running and oh my god so much running. I think he said he’d clocked up well over 500km during his preparation. That is hideous and amazing. But mostly hideous.
However, all jokes aside, I’m very very proud and seriously impressed.
I could never do it. He is amazing.
We arrived in Paris late on Friday night despite SNCF’s dastardly attempts to thwart us due to their never ending f-ing strikes and cancellations. On Saturday morning it was off to the Paris exhibition centre for the “Expo” and to collect his number and kit.
This expo was .... I don’t even have words. It was huge and full of wall-to-wall paraphernalia to do with running: clothes, shoes, socks – hit-tech socks at that, skins, food, drinks, vitamins, belts, bras, reading material, advertisements for other marathons (avoid, avoid avoid) it was insane. I commented to M that for me it was like being an atheist in church – weird and uncomfortable – I don’t belong here! I don’t believe in your god! In this case god = running. I was also waiting for somebody to out me Mean Girls style: "she doesn't even go here!!" hehe.
It was also a sneakers and jeans convention. Not sure who told them that just because you can run 42km it’s ok to wear sneakers and jeans in Paris, I’m sure über chic Frenchies were aghast!
After that we met up with our friend Jane who M did Kokoda with – she is living in Paris and we traded bureaucracy war stories and had a nice lunch and OUTSTANDING gelati from Grom – an Italian company that has only a few shops around the world. It was phenomenal. M headed back to the hotel to rest and I went and bought books (quelle surprise) then it was more pasta for dinner and to bed.
The morning of the race was an early start and we were at the start with plenty of time for M to eat his disgusting Energy bar things and get himself warmed up.
We had intended for me to meet/see him at quite a few points along the track but that didn’t quite go according to plan. Firstly, because it turns out it is faster to run around Paris than it is to catch the metro with several thousand other spectators and secondly, because it was almost impossible to see him, there were so so many people running and so many spectators. I missed him at the start, then at the second place, then saw him briefly by the Bastille and gave him his supply of energy gels/tablets and then saw him again at the end. Anyway, he was fine and was happy to see me at Bastille and then when it was all over.
And he has pulled up ok. He was shattered when it was finished but after some food and drinks was able to walk slowly back to the metro and back to the hotel. I still remember after I did the city to bay and at the end - I. Was. Not. Walking. One. More. Step. So I was in awe of how well he did.
The next day he was (understandably) pretty sore, so a quiet stroll around Le Bon Marché and then a gentle meander through some modern art at Centres Pompidou sufficed. There are an awful lot of steps in Paris though!
And now we’re home – despite our train being cancelled AGAIN and having to make a mad dash along the platform with hundreds of other passengers hoping for a free place to secure a seat (a stool) in the dining car. Ahh, SNCF, about as useful as tits on a bull.
I’m just waiting for M to inform me what the next challenge will be. Triathlons? Base camp at Everest? Who knows, but there will be something for him to look and work towards, that’s for sure.
After all, it’s a marathon and not a sprint. :)
At the start, ready to go. 
Sneakers and jeans one day, garbage bag tops the next.Runners are a fashionable lot aren't they?!?
This was actually incredibly moving, there were whole groups of runners carrying/pulling people with various disabilities and also blind runners holding on to an elastic bit of rope running side by side with a 'buddy'. Pretty amazing. All day, these guys got the biggest cheers from supporters. 
View up to the start. 
The elite runners. The winner did the race in 2 hours. Jesus. 
M? Are you in there somewhere? You wouldn't think that spotting a tall ranga would be that hard!
Um, ok. There were a lot of tall, fit bearded men wearing orange t-shirts!
Beautiful Parisian monuments/gardens=
Toilets
On my way to the Concorde metro station - quite a nice view!
At the Chateau de Vincinnes. 
Bastille. 
Here he is!!!At the very end. 42km later. Very focused
Happy to be finished
The crazy crowds at the end - they gave the finishing runners brightly coloured ponchos, which just completed the fashion trifecta.
On our way back to where it all started. 
Well done! Very proud. xx
Thursday, 8 April 2010
sur le pont d'Avignon
No time to blog properly.
Weird, I know, from someone who spends a lot of time going on about having too much spare time, but it has been a busy busy week and or so with Andrew and Greer here over Easter and then Claire and now it’s the eve of our trip to Paris for the big race.
Anyway – a few quick sound bites:
Time with Andrew and Greer = lovely. They were delightful guests, we had awesome weather and my tour guide shtick is flawless. So nice to see them. Greer is so minuscule I felt a bit like a behemoth tho. Awkward...
Claire’s visit = brilliant. She is legitimately one of my favourite people and we had a phenomenal long lunch on Easter Monday at a teeny tiny little village with kick arse views (see photos) spent an outstanding day in Avignon (no photos, because I am mentally deficient and left the camera battery in the charger) and have had “sur le pont d’Avignon, on y danse sur le rond” stuck in my head for days which is annoying. We shopped up a storm in Grasse and St Paul de Vence, solved the world’s problems and basically decided that for school to flourish, I need to be the Squealer to her Napoleon. hehe. Essentially we talked, non-stop, for 3.5 days. Only pausing to eat, eat eat, and drink drink drink. So great. So so great.
We leave for Paris tomorrow evening for M’s marathon. At least, we HOPE to leave tomorrow night. The trains have been on strike all week and we found out this arvo that our train has been cancelled. Typical. We are on top of it though and have back up plans ready to be deployed. Not to worry.
Anyway, I will have news and photos of the big event when we return on Tuesday and will do some proper blogging then.
Finally:
Girls (Ho-head and Chook in particular) – read this blog: Face Goop. It is hilariously funny and all about cosmetic. In the writers’ own words they “talk shit about beauty products and cackle a lot. Sometimes they lapse into French. Deal with it.” Gold.
Ladies who lunch (which we did - every day!)
L'Auberge du Vieux Chateau. Outstanding.
Back soon.
xx
Weird, I know, from someone who spends a lot of time going on about having too much spare time, but it has been a busy busy week and or so with Andrew and Greer here over Easter and then Claire and now it’s the eve of our trip to Paris for the big race.
Anyway – a few quick sound bites:
Time with Andrew and Greer = lovely. They were delightful guests, we had awesome weather and my tour guide shtick is flawless. So nice to see them. Greer is so minuscule I felt a bit like a behemoth tho. Awkward...
Claire’s visit = brilliant. She is legitimately one of my favourite people and we had a phenomenal long lunch on Easter Monday at a teeny tiny little village with kick arse views (see photos) spent an outstanding day in Avignon (no photos, because I am mentally deficient and left the camera battery in the charger) and have had “sur le pont d’Avignon, on y danse sur le rond” stuck in my head for days which is annoying. We shopped up a storm in Grasse and St Paul de Vence, solved the world’s problems and basically decided that for school to flourish, I need to be the Squealer to her Napoleon. hehe. Essentially we talked, non-stop, for 3.5 days. Only pausing to eat, eat eat, and drink drink drink. So great. So so great.
We leave for Paris tomorrow evening for M’s marathon. At least, we HOPE to leave tomorrow night. The trains have been on strike all week and we found out this arvo that our train has been cancelled. Typical. We are on top of it though and have back up plans ready to be deployed. Not to worry.
Anyway, I will have news and photos of the big event when we return on Tuesday and will do some proper blogging then.
Finally:
Girls (Ho-head and Chook in particular) – read this blog: Face Goop. It is hilariously funny and all about cosmetic. In the writers’ own words they “talk shit about beauty products and cackle a lot. Sometimes they lapse into French. Deal with it.” Gold.
Ladies who lunch (which we did - every day!)
L'Auberge du Vieux Chateau. Outstanding. 
Back soon.
xx
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Easter tidings
Happy Easter everyone! Hope it's Egg-scellent.
haha, yeah, I went there.
We have Andrew and Greer arriving today and then Claire Woods arriving on Sunday so it's a full house! The weather is awesome, there are chocolates everywhere. Fun times, fun times.
Will update soon.
Peace out x
For Holly, who is genuinely devasted that the f-ckers at Cadbury have changed the Creme Egg recipe. I'd say boycott, but that'd be redonkulous!
For Claire and M.
xx
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