Adjusting

I think I made some vague promise about photos in my last blog entry. I can't remember. I was intending to head out to Camden Town this weekend and get some photos of the markets, but a combination of inclement weather plus a long list of things to do thwarted that noble aim. I do have some photos, just not many. But hey, better than nothing.

I think I'm finally starting to get into the swing of things here. One of the ladies at work made a comment along the lines of "You don't control what you do London, it controls you." It's a fairly apt description really. This city is so huge, so varied, so busy that you can't possibly hope to organise your whole life, the way you do, in say, Brisbane. Best just to go with the flow. Hence my decision to remain at the hostel until I've settled in and gotten everything organised in terms of bank accounts etc. Speaking of which, I managed to get that sorted out on Friday, so I will have an account by Tuesday, and a card by next Friday. Score. I also managed to get myself a UK mobile simcard, so, for those few of you who feel the urge to ring my Australian number (as Rowdy did at 3:20am) don't bother, since the simcard is currently sitting inside my passport, gathering dust.

One of the things I have adapted to surprisingly well is the absence of a car. I mean, you drive pretty much everywhere in Australia, whereas here in London a lot of people don't even own one. I don't know how crash hot I will be when I finally get back behind the wheel of a car (with emphasis on the crash) but we shall see. Undoubtedly part of the reason I'm so comfortable without one is the fact that every day I walk to Earl's Court station, and every day I am considerably faster to the station than the cars crawling along on the road beside me. That's the rationale I use whenever I walk past an Aston, or a Ferrari, stuck in gridlock. "Well, he may be able to do 0-100 in 3 seconds, but I bet he can't remember the last time he was able to."

I don't want to get all philosophical, but I believe that this is all part of adapting to London life. Understanding, and accepting that it is a very different place to anywhere else you've ever been. You need to accept that you're a tiny little speck of meat in the gigantic melting pot that is London, and while you're here, you need to play the game. Certainly since I've started work, and gotten into a routine of sorts, I've come to think of myself as a resident, and not so much a tourist. I've started to feel like I really belong here.

I have a job I enjoy, money to my name, a place to stay - what else could I need?

Well, a great many things, but that's besides the point.

Moving right along....


The brown building looming up in the centre of shot is Harrods. Actually, looking at this photo now, I don't like it. I'll get another one at some point. Promise. But anyway, it's Harrods, there's only one and everything is insanely priced.

Actually, I'll get a night-time shot of it. The evening lighting is pretty cool.


My desk at work. It's certainly nicer than the rabbit warren set up they had at AAMI.

And that's it. Yes. Piss poor I know.

Anyways, have a good one.