First Month in England

I have a MASSIVE backlog of posts to put up, so it looks like I am going to chuck them all up in one hit : )

Ok. In an attempt to stop repeating the same spiel to you all, I am going to try and summarise my first month in England : ) Here goes!

I am living in a flat above the school I am working at - South Hampstead High School<www.shhs.gdst.net>. I share with the two other gappies working here. It is great because South Hampstead is a day school, so there is a lot of time for exploring at night and on weekends. Plus it is a 20 minute walk from Camden Markets and a 10 minute tube ride from Oxford Street so London is on my door step.

At school I am based in the music department, helping out with classes, mainly years 7-9, but a bit of senior music too. I also have been in on the band and choir rehearsals which has been fun.

I have done much exploring so far. When we first arrived here, some of the staff took us on a whirl wind tour of the city to help us get our bearings. 

We had our first after-work pub experience at 'The North Star' on the Friday night which was cool. Met a few more faces.

My first weekend in the city involved a bit more wandering around, sussing out what I wanted to go back and see. I found Regents Park, the British Library, the British Museum and most importantly, Daunt Books <http://www.dauntbooks.co.uk/> (Did you know their daughters go to my school?) before meeting up with Tessa and Maddi on Oxford Street for a pub lunch. Then I hit the shops some more on Regent Street and Oxford Street before coming home.

Sunday I met up with Robbie and his Gappie friends at Liverpool St. station. We spent the day wandering some more. We walked down the Thames to Westminster and saw lots of the sights: Westminster abbey, Big Ben, London Bridge, The London Memorial, Victoria Station, Buckingham Palace; then after lunch went to St. James park to do some SQUIRREL HUNTING : )

After another week of school; meeting the girls, the staff, singing, playing I spent Friday afternoon exploring Hampstead Village. I stumbled across the most delightful lolly shop - 'Mr. Simms Olde Sweet Shop' <http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/directory/1227/122017.php>, just like something out of Hansel and Grettel! I also fell in love with shops like <http://www.oliverbonas.com/>

Saturday I walked through Regents park and fed the ducks. A swan took a massive chunk out of my finger though! Then I went to the Evolving English exhibition at the British library <http://www.bl.uk/>. It was so amazing. So much history and knowledge packed into such an intense space. Then I went to Evensong at Westminster. Simply perfection. The male choir really is something to be marvelled at. <http://www.westminster-abbey.org/> Oh and on my way there, while riding through Marylbone (on my Barclay's bicycle) I passed NIGELLA LAWSON! Cool or what : )

Sunday, Tessa and I went up to Hampstead Heath and had a look around.<http://www.hampsteadheath.net/> It is beautiful, even in the cold, drizzly, misty English weather. On the way home we passed where George Orwell worked and lived!!! COOL!

The next Wednesday I went along with some girls to the O2 Arena <http://www.theo2.co.uk/> for the England vs New Zealand netball match. It was such a good game, so close. Even better, NZ won : )

Friday afternoon I went to the first basketball fixture with the girls. It was a lot of fun, but a bit of a trek out to Hammersmith! After that I got Greek in Marylbone  and went to the Royal Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra concert. It was mesmerising. Rhapsody in Blue blew my mind! <http://www.ram.ac.uk/>

That weekend I wandered the streets of the city again, with Robbie before getting some exquisite Italian for dinner. Sunday was Australia day at The Church. Strippers, booze, music, bogans, costumes, short fat old british men, nudity, yelling, dancing...Definitely an experience to remember. I did it and that is enough. <http://thechurch.co.uk/>

On Wednesday Becks took us along to be in the studio audience for a BBC radio show - Act your age. Similar to 'Talkin' bout my generation'. Once they got past the technical difficulties, it was really funny.

Friday I stumbled upon a really cool exhibition at a local art gallery, which took up my afternoon. Saturday I spent exploring Camden Market which was awesome. So much going on. I fell in love with the thrift stores there too and met some cool cats at <http://www.dappaboutique.com/>. There were also record stores to die for like 'Sounds that Swing' <http://www.nohitrecords.net/>. Sunday I tackled parts of the British Museum and the National Portrait Gallery, and got through about a quarter of them.

And THAT my friends are the main events in my life over the past 4 weeks. I can't believe it has been that long already. 

For more details, feel free to skype me : ) I would love to chat!