Last week, as I lay in bed, it suddenly overwhelmed me. I finally felt homesick.
Well not homesick exactly. I'm not missing friends and family that much. No what I'm feeling sick over is that I'm not in London. That's the closest I can get to describing the feeling.
Living week by week in Perth is ok. Manageable. Thinking about being here for the next thirty years is horrible though. Living here week by week for thirty years isn't. Does that make sense to you? It doesn't to me. But that's how I feel. or felt, because as long as I think about it in terms of how it affects me month by month, I'm fine.
Elsha lasted a year and a half before she had to go back to Australia for a holiday, and she was going to go with or without me. Me, I can handle it for awhile longer.
But there is more to London than just friends and family. There are places I used to go to for R & R, shops I used to spend money in, pubs I used to drink at, restaurants I used to eat at.
I'm going to fight for a trip back to London, because I don't know when we'll get the opportunity again.
December 31, 2007
December 26, 2007
Festive Cheer
It's been a while (again) since I posted, but thats generally because of various Work issues that have me tied up [not literally] from spending time writing. That is, if I appear to be typing an essay out, my bosses will want to read it. Thus, I have taken a much needed rest from blogging, collected my thoughts and spent many a day reading other people's.
One thing I have noticed about myself is that the older I get, the more cynical I become. It's not hard for me generally because in my present circumstances I see things around me every day going on that leave me astonished and a little outraged.
For example, yet again, another Christmas has come and gone. What did I see? Plump shoppers scurrying around spending their money on comparitively useless presents in an attempt to curry favour with friends and relatives. I can say all that because I fit into that category too.
Caught up with the Christmas (dare I say Capital-mas) festivities, I spent many a penny on things I thought Elsha would like. I wasn't far wrong with them either.
Christmas is just an odd time, a festival that appears to have nothing going for it but buying things for other people and watching them unwrap it. If you don't do that, the only thing that you can do over Christmas (at least in the UK) is watch TV. There are loads of good telly stuff on, and one of the best things you can do is sit down with the Christmas Edition of the Radio Times and circle all the things you want to watch.
Alas, this is something that doesn't exist in Perth, West Australia. And the problem with this, is that its summer over here. The peak of summer, no less. So when your UK-bred brain tells you that you should be stuffing your mouth full of mince pies and chocs, and watching tv films, in reality its nearly 40 degrees centigrade and there's nothing on because everyone is out at the beach, or having a bbq.
On the other hand, I'm not about to give back any of my presents as I got quite a haul.
Here they are in no uncertain order:
1. Wallet
A new wallet is always handy every so often, as your old one gets worn down by the amount of shrapnel you carry around with you.
2. Battlestar Galactica: Seasons 1-3 + Mini-series
A particularly good pressie as now Elsha can join in with me and watch BG. Although we will have to go back to the beginning again.
3. NCIS: Season 3
Mmm, I like NCIS. In fact, I like all the Detective Shows. Except Quincy.
4 & 5. Long Way Around & Long Way Down
A few years back, Ewan Mcgregor and Charley Boorman (of Excalibur fame) decided to travel from London to New York. Via Alaska. And Russia. Yup, the long way around. Then, a few years later, they decided to travel fom the north of Scotland to the tip of Southern Africa. Via Europe.
Madness, but it makes for fun watching, those two.
6. $20 EB Voucher
Never a bad thing, this means I can buy something in the New Year sales. What, I wonder?
7. Dungeon Siege 2
Something I wanted.
8. Gothic 3
Something I didn't ask for but got anyway. Kudos.
9. Bottle of Red Wine
Just because sometimes its good to try something different.
One thing I have noticed about myself is that the older I get, the more cynical I become. It's not hard for me generally because in my present circumstances I see things around me every day going on that leave me astonished and a little outraged.
For example, yet again, another Christmas has come and gone. What did I see? Plump shoppers scurrying around spending their money on comparitively useless presents in an attempt to curry favour with friends and relatives. I can say all that because I fit into that category too.
Caught up with the Christmas (dare I say Capital-mas) festivities, I spent many a penny on things I thought Elsha would like. I wasn't far wrong with them either.
Christmas is just an odd time, a festival that appears to have nothing going for it but buying things for other people and watching them unwrap it. If you don't do that, the only thing that you can do over Christmas (at least in the UK) is watch TV. There are loads of good telly stuff on, and one of the best things you can do is sit down with the Christmas Edition of the Radio Times and circle all the things you want to watch.
Alas, this is something that doesn't exist in Perth, West Australia. And the problem with this, is that its summer over here. The peak of summer, no less. So when your UK-bred brain tells you that you should be stuffing your mouth full of mince pies and chocs, and watching tv films, in reality its nearly 40 degrees centigrade and there's nothing on because everyone is out at the beach, or having a bbq.
On the other hand, I'm not about to give back any of my presents as I got quite a haul.
Here they are in no uncertain order:
1. Wallet
A new wallet is always handy every so often, as your old one gets worn down by the amount of shrapnel you carry around with you.
2. Battlestar Galactica: Seasons 1-3 + Mini-series
A particularly good pressie as now Elsha can join in with me and watch BG. Although we will have to go back to the beginning again.
3. NCIS: Season 3
Mmm, I like NCIS. In fact, I like all the Detective Shows. Except Quincy.
4 & 5. Long Way Around & Long Way Down
A few years back, Ewan Mcgregor and Charley Boorman (of Excalibur fame) decided to travel from London to New York. Via Alaska. And Russia. Yup, the long way around. Then, a few years later, they decided to travel fom the north of Scotland to the tip of Southern Africa. Via Europe.
Madness, but it makes for fun watching, those two.
6. $20 EB Voucher
Never a bad thing, this means I can buy something in the New Year sales. What, I wonder?
7. Dungeon Siege 2
Something I wanted.
8. Gothic 3
Something I didn't ask for but got anyway. Kudos.
9. Bottle of Red Wine
Just because sometimes its good to try something different.
December 04, 2007
Haul
With yet another birthday, I have received a modest haul of presents.
Elsha decided that my whinging about having to play World of Warcraft with my measly poxy headphones would be better resolved with some "proper" headphones. With that in mind, she purchased me some travelling headphones.
They have the benefit of being able to be packed away and come with a variety of leads (one of which allows for an extension in lead) and also a variety of connectors, including one that plugs into the armrests on Aeroplanes.
Excellent. Trying them out battling with the guild in Gruul's Lair proves a Thumbs Up experience.
The Brother-In-Law (to be) and his wife bought me a computer game - Loki.
I've never heard of it but it sounds intriguing. A clone of Diablo 2, it's a hack and slash roleplaying game that features four different environments and heroes, with a similar plot to kill some dangerous evil.
The Stepmother-In-Law bought me a game I've been wanting to try out for awhile - Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords.
So all in all, a sack of good birthday pressies.
Elsha decided that my whinging about having to play World of Warcraft with my measly poxy headphones would be better resolved with some "proper" headphones. With that in mind, she purchased me some travelling headphones.
They have the benefit of being able to be packed away and come with a variety of leads (one of which allows for an extension in lead) and also a variety of connectors, including one that plugs into the armrests on Aeroplanes.
Excellent. Trying them out battling with the guild in Gruul's Lair proves a Thumbs Up experience.
The Brother-In-Law (to be) and his wife bought me a computer game - Loki.
I've never heard of it but it sounds intriguing. A clone of Diablo 2, it's a hack and slash roleplaying game that features four different environments and heroes, with a similar plot to kill some dangerous evil.
The Stepmother-In-Law bought me a game I've been wanting to try out for awhile - Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords.
So all in all, a sack of good birthday pressies.
December 03, 2007
Annoying Ad
As always, I have been reading other people's blogs and spending far too little in my own. With work also taking a life of its own and dominiting most of my time in the office (how dare it!), even though I have lots to think about, I have little time and energy to put pen to paper or finger to keyboard.
However, I thought I would talk about something that has been bothering me for a long time - an advert in Australia.
It's done so badly that I don't even know the name of the product or brand but I can recall every single nuance of the ad. It is, of course, the pad ad.
It starts off with a thin blonde woman and a man lounging on a bed. He is dressed and ready to go, she is still in her bra and knickers. She spends one scene desperately trying to pull on a pair of black jeans that are obviously a few sizes too small. Then, after this, she struggles into a jumper that again is too small for her. He makes a gesture to indicate exasperation and falls back onto the bed whilst she goes into the bathroom.
We are then treated to her high screeching voice:
"Hey Niiiiick! Can you get me a pad?"
Nick gets up, trots over to the chest of drawers and takes two out. Being a man he is, of course, completely unsure of which one she is referring to. He moves to the bathroom and says:
"Which one?"
She then immediately points to the left one:
"These. You see how they're shaped to fit. You wouldn't want me to be uncomfortable would you?"
With that, she retreats into the bathroom and he looks confused and perhaps a little astonished by the turn of events.
Now, I have no idea what the name of the product or brand is so technically the advert fails. I really don't care because I am too bothered by the ad to notice product-placing (and probably hindered because I am not a target market as I'm male).
Nick and the woman are obviously seeing each other because he knows where her pads are. But this is not the sort of thing you tell to just anyone, so obviously they are living together. But not seriously or long enough to know what pad she uses. The other point is that she meets him at the bathroom door, blocking his entrance. Co-habiting but not long or serious enough to let him just walk in.
And there's the confusion over why she has 2 sets of pads in her drawer, one of which she doesn't use because its not comfortable. Would you keep something like that?
I'm even more confused as to why she just didn't pick up the pad on the way to the bathroom which is right next to the chest of drawers - except of course its a way for the ad to demonstrate how stupid men are (I will be posting about this later, never fear).
My big gripe is that not only after this do I have no clue as to the name of the product or even the brand, no one else I've spoken to does either. And yet everyone in West Australia knows about this ad and everyone is equally and clearly stupified about it.
However, I thought I would talk about something that has been bothering me for a long time - an advert in Australia.
It's done so badly that I don't even know the name of the product or brand but I can recall every single nuance of the ad. It is, of course, the pad ad.
It starts off with a thin blonde woman and a man lounging on a bed. He is dressed and ready to go, she is still in her bra and knickers. She spends one scene desperately trying to pull on a pair of black jeans that are obviously a few sizes too small. Then, after this, she struggles into a jumper that again is too small for her. He makes a gesture to indicate exasperation and falls back onto the bed whilst she goes into the bathroom.
We are then treated to her high screeching voice:
"Hey Niiiiick! Can you get me a pad?"
Nick gets up, trots over to the chest of drawers and takes two out. Being a man he is, of course, completely unsure of which one she is referring to. He moves to the bathroom and says:
"Which one?"
She then immediately points to the left one:
"These. You see how they're shaped to fit. You wouldn't want me to be uncomfortable would you?"
With that, she retreats into the bathroom and he looks confused and perhaps a little astonished by the turn of events.
Now, I have no idea what the name of the product or brand is so technically the advert fails. I really don't care because I am too bothered by the ad to notice product-placing (and probably hindered because I am not a target market as I'm male).
Nick and the woman are obviously seeing each other because he knows where her pads are. But this is not the sort of thing you tell to just anyone, so obviously they are living together. But not seriously or long enough to know what pad she uses. The other point is that she meets him at the bathroom door, blocking his entrance. Co-habiting but not long or serious enough to let him just walk in.
And there's the confusion over why she has 2 sets of pads in her drawer, one of which she doesn't use because its not comfortable. Would you keep something like that?
I'm even more confused as to why she just didn't pick up the pad on the way to the bathroom which is right next to the chest of drawers - except of course its a way for the ad to demonstrate how stupid men are (I will be posting about this later, never fear).
My big gripe is that not only after this do I have no clue as to the name of the product or even the brand, no one else I've spoken to does either. And yet everyone in West Australia knows about this ad and everyone is equally and clearly stupified about it.
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