I'm a little tea pot short and stout

My first proper knitting project with a crochet flower on top. Check me! 

Sacrebleu in Paris

Saturday 27, 2011

Wake up before the crack of Dawn. It's still dark. Check the tfl website. Tube not running but if I catch the bus from bus stand N then the bus will get me to the station in 15 mins. 

Right.. So where is bus stand N??? Wander through the streets as the sun starts to rise. Where the heck is stand N? Seriously where is it? Check almost every bus stand possible, find a stand N but clearly it's wrong cos no stinking bus goes to the train station!!! Quick quick wheres a taxi?? 

Get to the station and the queues are ridiculous! I am getting real stressed out now. Train leaves really soon. Keep calm. So with all the rudeness I can possibly muster pushing and sneaking I get thru customs and onto the train with 3 mins to spare.

So by now I am gasping for a coffee so I head over to the buffet car and they only accept euros. I don't have any and so desperately want a coffee.



Finally arrive after a 2 hr &15 min train journey. Ah Paris , I am here :-)



After queuing for ages behind the stupid tourists who all seem to be faffing around at the ticket machine I buy my tickets (not without being hounded by scammers trying to sell me dud tickets) and make my way to my mates place in Mairie de Saint-Ouen (north of Paris) where I finally get my much sought after coffee!

I am staying with my friends Marie & Noel along with their parrot and 2 1/2 month old baby.



Marie and I go to Montmartre basilique du Sacre-coeur a big cathedral with loads of tourists around. We then meander round the streets if Montmartre which is heaving with cheap tourist tat stalls and people offering to draw characatures of you. When all of a sudden the heavens open and we try to run for cover but the first place we try is shut so we run to another place to be told it's full so we try to huddle under a tree but to be honest we are soaked by now so just walk in the rain to a local cafe. We are dripping wet so decide to drink wine and eat tapas whilst we dry off. How very Parisian. 

Montmartre basilique du Sacre-coeur
Eiffel Tower
Montmartre basilique du Sacre-coeur






After two quarts of red wine we tipsily make our way over to jardin des plantes where we walk around. Then the heavens open up again so we run to La Mosquee de Paris restaurant which is designed on some famous mosque in Morrocco where we drink sweet mint tea and eat equally sweet pastries.



In the evening I suggest we eat typically french food. I order frog legs. And yes it does taste like chicken and the meat (and yes there is meat albeit not a whole lot) is just like chicken. I know people say its just like chicken and it really is. Who who have thought those scrawny legs



After a long and exhausting day we go home and straight to bed. Thankfully I brought ear plugs considering there is a baby down the corridor!!! 
I just liked this photo
Plate full of frog legs- how touristy! 




 Sunday 28, 2011                     



After sleeping in I go off to buy myself sausicon and vin rouge at the local butcher and supermarche. I love how everyone seems to walk around carrying baguettes. If only they wore garlands of garlic around their necks, then it would be utterly perfect.



Marie and I go off to see a parade worshipping Ganesh. It is for some Hindu festival though I'm not sure what the significance is (yes I know it's something to do with Ganesh, smart arse) but then again Hindu's are always celebrating some god or another. It's quite fun watching people parade around and bang their drums. What can I say I have a soft sort for anything Indian. 












After we go and take an hour long boat cruise on the Seine taking in the different sights. It's just so beautiful watching couples holding hands, cuddling along the banks of the Seine. It really is a city to be in love in... Once you get past the constant smell of pee and dog shite.



One thing you notice here is how many people seem to jump the barrier at the metro stations or they follow real close behind the person in front of them to get through the barrier before it closes. On our way back to Marie's house we had the wrong ticket so she got through the barrier with another girl. I got stuck and had to squeeze through the gap. I still can't believe I managed to squeeze through - I honestly had images of me getting stuck in between!



In the evening we sit on the balcony drinking beer and wine whilst eating duck and potatoes rounding off a wonderful weekend! 

Discover Paris your way ! - I love how there is a condom machine next to the poster

Squeezing through the barriers. Can't believe I didn't get lodged inbetween

Marie and Timothe

Abertawe Swansea

June 3 - 5, 2011

My friend texts me and asks if I want to go to Wales. 'Uh, yeah, lets go'!!

Beautiful Rhossili Bay

Smile

One month on at the NHS: 'Jenny, I'm giving you your one month notice'

Me: 'What'!!

So I've just been a job for less than a month and now I've been 'fired'! This has got to be a record right?! 'Jenny, your one month notice is being served'!

stop the clock ...again

After viewing a number of flats ( too many to count) I decided to go it alone and find a place on my own. It's only small and uber expensive but I'm happy. I've been living here for nearly 2 weeks even though I've hardly been home. I've been so busy visiting friends and working that I've hardly even been home.

Things are going well though and I hope I can keep the momentum up. I know I can.

and stop the clock

36 days later and not one but two contracts offered. I am now a Project Manager for the NHS. These are interesting times.

Now time to find a flat, and start the clock...tick tock....

Saturday Night

.. and I'm sat watching 'So You Think You Can Dance' and 'Casualty". Welcome to my crazy world!

A day in the life of the unemployed

Sitting in Blackheath on a lovely sunny day, stuffing my gob with cupcake.

Waiting for what?

Awake to the most beautiful sunny day. Set myself up to do some job hunting, applying for any job that I am qualified and not so qualified for. And then wait. Wait for what?

Job hunting sucks

It's been exactly 3 weeks since I started on this job hunting journey and things are not progressing as quickly as I would have hoped.

I'm finding motivation to be incredibly difficult. Last week I didn't leave the house or my PJ's for 4 days straight. I wake up in the mornings and think to myself, 'what's the point'?

I've been frequenting many job forums and reading about other people's experiences and it is really tough to find a job out there.

It doesn't help when I read articles and watch programmes on unemployment. My mind starts to race and I think will I be in the same position as I am now in another months time, another years time?

Living the unemployed dream

So it has now been 4 full days since I came back to the UK after my jaunt around Asia. It is bloomin' freezing and I can't feel my face.
I'm currently staying at my friend RB's house along with her brother, cousin and mum. Her mum is a child minder so lots of screaming kids around.
My day is pretty bog standard. I wake up, shower, get coffee, go to the 'office' aka the computer room and apply for a few jobs (which takes no longer than 20 mins), eat and eat.
I've been visiting a few museums since they are free. Now in normal circumstances I can't stand going to museums but I've found them to be pretty good time fillers. I went to the V&A museum yesterday and I thought it was awesome! Today I walked in the pouring rain with RB's mum and a 3 year old to Horniman's Musuem, a little local museum that had a nice little collection and also an aquarium. It was also full of screaming kids and nearly drove me insane.

Actually I think I will go insane if I don't get a job and home soon!