08 June, 2011

Snow, salmon and a serious amount of sculpture



29 May, 2011

Carol and I are sitting at a gorgeous cafe in Bryggen - the world heritage site in Bergen. It's a group of wooden buildings that have been converted into cafes and boutique stores, including one full of doilies. It's really relaxing and we're drinking tea and reading our books in the sunshine. It's quite a touristy part of town and lots of people bring their dogs with them - all gorgeous and freakishly clean.

Yesterday we arrived in Oslo and spent the night at a hostel 4km out of the city. The breakfast was superb consisting of smoked salmon, spelt bread, cheese, meats, tomatoes, boiled eggs, all sorts of sauces including an anchovy variety and fruits and cereals. After breakfast we explored Oslo and met Carol's friend Nate who joined Carol, Stewie and I for the Bergen leg of the trip.

We boarded the train that afternoon and headed through the fjords on a 7 hour trip. The scenery was stunning and so diverse in its offering - from green, lush pastures and rolling hills to icy lakes and snow-covered mountains. The terrain got very rugged and we took plenty of snacks for the ride because Norway is so expensive. So far I've observed some things I had heard about Norway - their great design sense, their enthusiastic interest for the outdoors and their love of seafood. There's still  a lot to do before we head back on Oslo on route to London.

My photos of Norway

23 April, 2011

It's a full-time job looking for a job

Well hello there. It certainly has been a while since my last post. Sorry to all my die hard fans ;) This post is about my seven-week job hunt. Because it's hard to illustrate a post about job and flat hunting after the fact I've thrown in some other photos for fun.

The last few weeks have been extremely busy and a bit isolating. I moved from Henley to my mother's cousin's at Barking. It's in London so easier to tube into the city for interviews and meet with recruitment agencies. After being unsuccessful in getting a job I thought I was perfect for I started to broaden my search. In three weeks I probably went to seven or eight interviews. It was pretty taxing because along with the preparation, getting your head around a new company/organisation each time (and often making up why you are the right person for the job ... even if you don't really want it, you just need a job, any job!) is exhausting.


In between interviews I popped into the British Museum. I made it to two galleries including one on life and death which featured a display about the role marae play in Maori culture. I also checked out the Enlightenment gallery.


Sat outside and had lunch in the sun before heading off to the next place.


All the interviewing was definitely worth it and going for jobs at places like the Royal Horticultural Society was pretty cool (didn't get that one). My six weeks were up (I gave myself a deadline and if nothing marketing related came up by then it was temp time) and it was time to register with some temp agencies and get a job on reception or whatever I could find. I got offered an admin role working for the Football Association which was temporary for three months. That day the same recruitment agency said a temp to perm role might be coming up at an international PR agency in West Kensington. Obviously I would rather be doing that so I took a leap of faith and declined the FA one, in the hope that the PR agency would want me. God knows what I was thinking given I have no agency experience. I had three interviews on Friday last week - two with the PR agency and one with a careers charity that was set up with a different recruiter.


Julia (friend who I worked with at Te Papa who lives in London) on the Southbank after a couple of wines at Southbank Centre.

I spent five hours on the tube that day. That evening I was offered a job for a month at the PR agency with the idea that it would go permanent if I liked it and they liked me, and that I could handle the job. So far I've had three days there and I'm really enjoying it. I'm the European New Business Development Executive which sounds very important but half the job is being a PA to the director. The job focuses on identifying new opportunities for business and migrating business from other offices within the agency. Some of their clients include Coca-Cola, BP, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana. It's pretty exciting but also quite administrative. Lots of Powerpoint presentations! Oh and in between times I landed myself a flat with a group of Kiwis in Clapham Junction. It's fabulous for transport and only 20 minutes on the overground train to work. No more commuting on the tube for me. But that's another story.


That's my cousin Brendon with Betty Ann who I'm staying with


Liebken, Betty Ann's gorgeous dog - we're best mates


Right, back to the job stuff. On Tuesday I already had an interview set up for a New Media Officer role at Southbank Centre (dream job). I was so happy to have a job (££) and a flat after the manic two weeks I'd had, added to the feeling I would never be what they wanted, I didn't prepare as much as I should have for the interview. The day before it I had to do a task which was to submit an email campaign plan for the British Art Show. I got this in at a stretch and while I wasn't that happy with it I was relieved to have it sent so I could focus on preparing myself mentally for my first day at the PR agency.

On Tuesday I left the interview feeling like I clicked with the people but that I talked too much! Which is really weird because some feedback I've had is that I don't develop my answers enough. I think because I had a job which meant money coming in, I was more relaxed about the whole thing (the more interviews you go to the better). So, when I got the call the next day to say I got the job I was absolutely beside myself. It felt like a dream and that I'd imagined the whole thing. Obviously I accepted the position. The next thing was telling the PR agency that after the month of temp work I'd be leaving. Even though I'd only been there two days it was quite hard because they're great people and so busy that I know they really need someone there. Anyway as my fabulous ex-manager at Te Papa said 'this sort of thing happens all the time', so I bit the bullet and it was fine. I offered to see the month out and help with the recruitment process for the next person.


Arrived home after a hard day to find freshly-baked bread cooling in the kitchen. Betty Ann, you're amazing!

Nikki, Jo and Carol at Gabriel's Wharf

On 16 May I start my new job at Southbank Centre, so I'll report back about it in my next post.

Lucie = happy

In Betty Ann's garden in the 26 degree heat

Happy Easter and Happy Royal Wedding
x

30 March, 2011

BBC filming in the backyard

This particular shot was to illustrate the species of magnolia on the right. Taken from WikipediaMagnolia is an ancient genus. Having evolved before bees appeared, the flowers developed to encourage pollination by beetles. 


This morning I pulled my curtains to find a four-piece camera crew filming in the backyard. Richard Fortey (my cousin's husband) is a paleontologist at the Natural History Museum in London and has written numerous books. He specialises in all things trilobite related, but has also written a rather humorous book titled Dry Store Room No.1: The Secret Life of the Natural History Museum. I am part way through and it's a definite must for all that work in museums - can see cultural similarities even though we're hemispheres apart.

Anyway, after appearing in David Attenborough's latest series First Life the BBC have commissioned him to film a series to complement his latest book Survivors which I have been helping out with picture research for. Just one of the many exciting things happening in Henley!

29 March, 2011

Kensington Palace and Spitalfields Market

On Sunday Carol and I had planned to met up with a friend we hadn't seen for years at Spitalfields Market. I decided to make a day of it and meet my cousin Brendon as well. Brendon and I met at Notting Hill Gate station and ventured to Kensington Palace. Unfortunately it was closed for a massive redevelopment, but on such a beautiful day it was still worth the visit. We strolled around the grounds and laughed at men running in revealing lycra!


Kensington Palace and gardens

Then it was off to Liverpool Street station to meet Carol and Sarah before hitting Spitalfields Market. That seemed like a straightforward task given the Central line was going when I left that morning. But as I am learning lots of tube lines are down on weekends for maintenance. Without too much drama I made it with time to spare. Spitalfields Market is by far the best market I've been to, with such a range of stuff from £5 dresses to £50 bags. I sampled olives, got some aromatic jasmine tea and a good-quality cotton trench coat for spring for £20. It was my first time to East London as well and I liked what I saw. It's arty and has lovely boutiques dotted around - definitely where I'll look to live if I can afford it! After refueling we spent an hour shopping and then sat down for a wine and Greek food. It was so cool catching up with Sarah who lives in Devon. South-West England here I come!



Sarah, Carol and myself

A few hours later Carol and I enjoyed a curry down Brick Lane and wrangled a bottle of wine, two starters and two mains for £10 each. Bargain. Not everything in London is expensive! As usual it was a bit of a rush to get my train back to Henley, but I made it. That night Scotland played Brazil in football at Arsenal so there were lots of Scottish men in kilts on the train. It made for a loud and entertaining trip home.

28 March, 2011

Haggis, whiskey and other things Scottish

I spent a few days exploring Edinburgh and Glasgow with my fabulous and very hospitable Wellington flatmate Gavin. Much to some people's surprise the nine-hour bus trip was a delight after similar distances vis bus in South East Asia. I had two seats to myself which allowed me to stretch out and relax. It smelt like a bus should smell and the only annoying thing was the woman sitting behind me who ate her never-ending bag of chips with her mouth open.

Gavin's flat was located within walking distance of the city which was a treat and reminded me very much of Wellington. By day I was a geeky, snap-happy tourist (Edinburgh was dead and I felt like the only tourist which was kind of nice) and by night I was a beer-guzzling, haggis-eating local. Below is photo evidence of the highlights:

The old and the new. The narrow, cobblestoned streets in Edinburgh are lined with incredible buildings dating back hundreds and hundreds of years. The city has over 4,500 listed buildings and is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Blanket of crocuses in St. Andrew's Square park, Edinburgh

National Gallery of Scotland

Gavin and Jane at a loverly restaurant called Urban Angel - we decided this was a ridiculous name for a restaurant.

Edinburgh from half way up Arthur's Seat

Arthur's Seat

Some crazies busking (terribly). The sign said 'Pay us to stop singing'. 

National Museum of Scotland. Spent an afternoon here learning Scotland - it's a fabulous museum.

Some of Gavin's very smoky-tasting whiskey contributed to the excitement of the next photo. I moved onto Port soon after the second sip.


Gavin and I with Australian friend Kieran at The Liquid Room where friend Cori was DJing

It was in here somewhere that I tried deep-fried Haggis. I'll add here that usually I don't eat stuffing from roast chicken. I loved Haggis. We also got a deep-fried Snickers Bar, but I won't go into that.


Gavin putting on a brave face on the open-air bus tour in Glasgow. It was freezing.

At the Crabshack. Gavin's trying to look like a crab in this shot.  Was served the best seafood chowder ever. Listening to the Scottish people here we decided to use the works 'splendid' and 'super' more often.

Inside Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow

Some guerilla knitting inside the museum

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow


Clearly a student city ... 
We also went to the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow which had some great examples of David Shrigley. I bought all the postcards, but now can't bear to send them. Check out his work here.

The next installment will entail more 'splendid' delights of London with a taste of Oxford and Cambridge.

Life in Britain so far

Hello and sorry for my slackness. For the last month or so I've been based in Henley-on-Thames an hour from London. I'm staying with a second cousin and taking trips to other places when I can. The job hunt is well and truly on but I am managing to fit in sightseeing as well. Below is a very brief sneak peek of how I've been entertaining myself.

Henley is home to the Royal Regatta which is in June/July every year and the most famous in the world. It's a gorgeous town and for 8 quid I have a year pass to the local River and Rowing Museum!

My new home in Henley. Unfortunately it's temporary until I get a job/flat in London. Otherwise everyone could come and stay!

An old and very famous butcher in Henley - where we got the pheasant

Beautiful flint church in Ewelme where Thomas Chaucer is buried

Pheasant with chipolatas and bacon with potatoes, parsnips and Brussels srpouts


I had a week in London with cousin Brendon and did lots of touristy things. The week included galleries, shopping, eating and beer.

Argh - Harrods! I got a bagel here and it was actually pretty poor

Tate Britain. Went to the Susan Hiller exhibition which was absolutely fabulous.

Neale's Yard in Covent Garden. Got myself and rather cheap haircut. It did the trick, but not sure if I'll go back.

The National Gallery. Saw so many works that I studied at school and university. It brought a tear to my eye

Liberty's

Mac make up artists body painting someone for the release of their latest collection

My first pie in London was absolutely incredible

22 February, 2011

Nha Trang, Hoi An and Hue

Saturday 5 February

Buddha

On our first day in Nha Trang we walked to the huge Buddha that sits on the hill overlooking the city. Because of Tet the town was dead; most shops closed and crossing the roads was relatively simple.  During the climb up the hill we witnessed a young boy taking a leak in public on the stairs – interesting. The Buddha was a pretty cool dude and it was a peaceful place to spend some time. There were a group of children playing at the top because their mother had a stall selling coconuts and other refreshments. It was super hot, so we enjoyed a coconut but did not enjoy the children pointing toy guns in our faces. It was actually really frightening. It made it worse that we didn’t know what they were saying. We’d had enough so wandered back down through the monastery and back to our hotel. For some reason we thought it would be a good idea to try some Indian out for lunch … fail. It was the worst Indian (if you could call it that) that I’ve ever had. I needed a rest after all that garlic naan so Carol and I headed to the beach books in hand while Helen visited a spa for some treatments. We found a gorgeous bar down on the beach and chilled there for a while. Pleased we did knowing now what the next day held.


Monestry and grounds before the walk up to the Buddha (you can see him in the middle at the top)

Some crazy Tet fun (2011 is Year of the Cat)

Sunday 6 and Monday 7 February

A not-so-pleasant 24 hours

It all started with the idea of a bit of relaxing island hopping where we could work on our tan while drinking a couple of cheap cocktails. Instead of doing it alone and navigating local ferries, we thought, ‘why not take a tour?’ After shopping around there seemed to be only one option, so we booked through our hotel, which we were rather find of.

The day of the tour: first of all there’s always the initial drama picking everyone up from their hotels. At one stage the bus drove off leaving us and the tour guide standing on the side of the road! The bus came back, we jumped on and off we went, togs on, towels and books packed. Arriving at the ferry terminal and seeing the hundreds of people (mainly Vietnamese) and plenty of boats, we realised this wasn’t going to be a pleasant, scenic boat tour we’d anticipated. We were piled on like sardines and then the tour guide proceeded to explain the day’s itinerary in what I think was three languages – Vietnamese, Mandarin and English.

First attraction was the Nha Trang Aquarium, which we thought was happening later that day. We also thought the entrance fee was included in our tour price. We hadn’t heard of the aquarium and it wasn’t in the Lonely Planet (our Bible) or on Trip Advisor (our online Bible) so we thought we’d sit this one out. The Vietnamese and Chinese tourists were so excited it made me think how lucky we are in New Zealand to have so many beautiful and often untouched beaches and coastlines.

There was the typical 20-minute wait for the Vietnamese people getting food and messing around. Next stop and it was snorkelling time. We got dropped off on a fragile looking floating platform and were told where the snorkelling took place. To our right was a 20x20m area of water that looked rather shallow … this was where we were meant to snorkel! No boat trip out to a reef for us. After hearing we couldn’t even get onto the island and walk around we decided we needed to get off this tour as soon as possible. We had a combined diva moment and convinced a jet boat driver from a resort to call someone to take us home! It cost one million dong (NZ$65) and was well worth it!

It was tonight that we discovered A (for amazing) Mart – a 7/11 and so much more.  We stocked up on treats for our night bus to Hoi An and a few packet face masks and skin treatments for back at the hotel.
The night bus to Hoi An was not so A for amazing. It was 12 hours of loud, irritating discomfort. The driver took the beeping to a whole new level and the Vietnamese pop music blasted through the speakers until 2am, when it was finally turned off for the last four hours of the trip. To make matters worse the roads were the worst we’d come across – extremely uneven and full of potholes. It didn’t deter our driver because he seemed to speed up to go over them. If one needed to go to the toilet the bus stopped and you squatted on the side of the road in full view of the rest of the bus. I also found it rather curious when the guide slept on a mat on the floor beside me on the isle. I didn’t even know he was there and when I stepped on his mat I got a nasty glare. He didn’t speak a word of English, so it was hard to apologise. I left a small plastic bag off food containing half a bag of pistachio nuts, a couple of bites of a Snickers bar and two bananas, on the bench in front of my seat on the bus. Around 4am I woke from my almost sleep to the rustling of that very plastic bag. The local woman who’d been sitting on the inside steps on the bus for most of the journey had rummaged through it, eaten what she liked the look of and left the rest. We made eye contact, but there was no apology. I couldn’t sleep after that.

More panda-confectionary goodness from A (for amazing) - Mart

Enjoying the first pilsner of the trip at Louisiana Brew House in Nha Trang

2-4-1 mojitos followed by some serious card playing
The icing on the cake was the drop-off point after the gruelling 12-hour trip. Instead of getting dropped in the main part of town in the backpacking district we got left outside a hotel 20 minutes away. The hotel obviously pays the bus driver a commission in the hope we’d all succumb from exhaustion and stay there. We’d already booked our accommodation so we shared a cab into Hoi An.

Hoi An was a definite highlight. The ancient town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was a trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. The buildings are Vietnamese with various Japanese and Chinese influences. It’s situated on the Thu Bon River and because we were there over the Tet season it was beautifully lit up and decorated with lanterns. We meandered through the narrow streets and alleyways and then stopped for a beer and some people watching. This really is tourist town, and not just westerners. There were plenty of people visiting from Vietnam and other parts of Asia as well. With markets, galleries, tailors and shoemakers galore it was hard to know where to start.

Hoi An


Tuesday 8 February 

The next morning we hired bikes and cruised around Hoi An. We explored the area on the other side of the river, biking out to more remote residential areas. The houses were very sweet, much like we’d seen throughout rural Vietnam. There were a few close calls in heavy traffic when we got off the beaten track, but all in all definitely the best way to see the town.

You're looking at serious cyclists ... and a midget

In the afternoon Carol and Helen did a Vietnamese cooking course and I had the remainder of the day to myself – that meant shopping and spa treatments! I got an hour massage, a manicure and a pedicure for NZ$25. Excellent value. In a bit of a daze I walked back to the hotel to shower and then hit the shops. I knew Hanoi was going to be cold so got a hoodie made and also some walking sandals – how long could my $1 Khao San Road sandals really last? Learn from my mistake and give them far longer to make the items than they say they need. I had to go back twice because when I went the first time nothing was ready. Later we met someone who had to wait a week for a dress to be made.




View of Hoi An from over the bridge


Shop front in Hoi An

Residential Hoi An

Two miniature fans drying my beautifully-pedicured feet


Wednesday 9 February

Carol and I got up early and got our five-trip ticket for the heritage sites of Hoi An. It was the most well-organised self-guided tour we’ve come across. We visited the Japanese covered bridge, the Museum of History and Culture, Tan Ky House, the Tran family chapel and another that has slipped my mind. My favourite was Tan Ky House. It was absolutely fascinating hearing how they dealt with living and trading when every year the river would flood and they’d need to move every thing up by pulley. It was also beautifully crafted and the design still works in contemporary times.  For lunch we went to Miss Ly which is opposite the museum. An American man and his Vietnamese wife run it. Because tourism is really picking up in Vietnam he is spending more and more time in Hoi An, which he doesn’t mind at all. I had white rose (delicate shrimp and pork dumpling that is shaped like a rose) and chicken rice – both traditional dishes of Hoi An and delicious. Even though you can get food on the street for $1, it’s nice to go somewhere a bit special sometimes and splurge. And at $5 for a main it would be rude not to.
That might we got another sleeper bus, this time to Hue. It was just five hours and much more pleasant than the last. We sat at the back and had spectacular views of rice paddies and other rural scenes. It was dark when we arrived in Hue which never paints the best picture of a city.  



Monkey protecting the Japanese covered bridge

Japanese covered bridge 


Tan Ky House

Tran family chapel


White Rose


Chicken Rice

Thursday 10 February

We didn’t get the best first impression of Hue, so decided to just stay the one night. That meant one full day in Hue, so it was bikes again. The main attractions in Hue are the Citadel and the many tombs and temples that surround the city. We went to the furthest away tomb first – Khai Dinh Tomb. It was about 30 km from our hotel and the roads weren’t particularly well maintained or flat, so when we arrived we were already dreading the return trip. Arriving at this tomb you immediately know the grandiose.  It’s situated on a hill and is terraced by two levels of sculptures. It was built for Emporer Khai Linh who ruled the country 1916-1925. Because western culture had made a mark on Vietnam by the 20th Century and Khai Linh had made a visit to France during his reign the tomb incorporates some western architecture; concrete instead of wood, iron gates and electric lamps. The impressive thing about the tomb is the hundreds of mosaic bas-relief sculptures that surround it.


Looking up at the Khai Linh Tomb

From the top of the Khai Linh Tomb

The tomb itself

Beautiful mosaic bas-reliefs

Chillin' with my boys

Tu Duc Tomb (built 1864-67) was built for Emperor Tu Duc who had the longest reign of any monarch of the Nguyen dynasty, ruling from 1848-83. Work began on his tomb long before his death and he even lived on the grounds for a period of time. The setting is stunning; a small lake with an island, a winding river with bridges and a pine tree forest. There are about 20 structures on the 12 hectares of land, but none of them house his body – it’s in a secret location somewhere in Hue. I’m pleased I didn’t know that when I was there or I’d have been disappointed.







The lake on the grounds of the tomb


Not sure of the purpose of this, but it's pretty

Caz taking it all in


The last stop was the Citadel in the centre of Hue. It's made up of three areas separated by high walls and spreads over 500 hectares. We were there at sunset and the light was superb. There was no interpretation, so we wandered around not sure what each part was. Because of various wars much of it has been lost and the government are slowly working on tidying it up and restoring parts.   




Spot the elephant
Main entrance to the citadel

Fishies








We had drinks on our balcony that night to congratulate ourselves on our day of fitness! Before our 10pm flight to Hanoi we experimented with Indian again, this time with better success.  We landed at around midnight in Hanoi and had a taxi meeting us at the airport. He took us to our guesthouse, we unpacked and went straight to bed so we’d be ready to explore Hanoi early the next morning.