And some pics of the current casa

Wet wet wet

Not here, don't worry. London is sunny now, was sunny yesterday and was actually sunny the past three weeks. Can't believe how wet it must have been in parts of the lowlands! The pics in the paper were shocking!

Went to Covent Garden yesterday to meet an old travel buddy (we met in the Alice in 2003) for lunch. I just stood in front of a shop and watched people for 20 minutes before meeting her. Amsterdam is surely not boring when it comes to the variety of people but London really is a different story. Amazing. Will go out soon with my camera and capture some of London's street life.

My body hurts everywhere from yesterday's yoga class which is kinda nice. The teacher said yoga is like cycling, and a four year gap in practicing yoga doesn't matter. I can assure you it isn't like cycling. Then again, I kinda lost the ability to cycle when I didn't ride my bike for a few years. So maybe it is just me. Aerobic's class in an hour, then head to town to get some bits and bobs for the house. Life is quiet and low paced and absolutely lovely.

A few pics (old apartment and view)

All done!

The billies and the ikea PS are assembled. The boxes are unpacked and the books are on the shelves, sorted by color as they were before (totally neurotic, I am fully aware of that). The bedroom looks like a bomb exploded but I am getting somewhere. It was one hell of a workout last nite but I managed by myself. Home is even homier now (the lillies on the coffee table help, too). I am meeting a handsome Australian journo for lunch (he's just a mate, mind you, but easy on the eyes is always pleasant). Live is good. And if BT could please fix my land line and broadband today, live will be even better.

Sporty spice

Not only did I go for a run yesterday (the first one since my bike-tramrail-accident), I also joined a gym. That itself doesn't make me sporty spice, but the intention is to keep running and to use the membership, so soon I'll be all toned from the yoga, pilates, aquarobic and other classes I intend to take. Now my old gym in the Dam is just your simple local small place. Nice and friendly. The Reebok gym I joined, is the size of three football pitches. Three floors of exercise. Sauna, steamroom, up to hair straighteners in the dressing room. The place is used by all the frustrated bankers nearby during the week, and will be used by yours truly in the weekends. Bankerfree is better I think. A new and improved version of Saskia should be available in a few months.

Pics

As my camera stuff is still in a box, I thought I'd just take the lazy option and post a few pics taken before I moved in. It's still the same flat and furniture only now it has a good amount of sasness over it.

In the news

Sydney magistrate before banning a man convicted of his seventh drink-driving charge from buying beer for 12 months: "Poor judgement on two counts there: drinking that much and drinking Melbourne bitter".

English newspapers publish so much non-news, it's fantastic. This one made me laugh for sure, can totally see an aussie judge make such a statement.

Chips

In the area around my office, there are loads of places to buy your lunch from. The obvious Boots, Starbucks and Pret but also a bagel place, sandwich/salad/jacked potato place, several resto's and god knows what. On Thursday and Friday Borough market is openened, a heaven for food lovers. So no complaints there. The one thing that annoys me is the chips stall closest to work. I love chips. But I try to stay clear from them, as they're not the healthiest lunch option. And this bloody chips shop just tests my will power every day when I go out to get lunch. The smell is just soooooo yummy. One of these days I'll give in, I'm sure. But so far I am strong!

Travel bug

Think I maxed out my credit cards (plural these days, work made me get a stupid amex for the phone contract) in the past week. Two weddings in the Dam in August, weekend in Cinque Terre with the girls in October, and Bangkok/Laos in December and January (flying home on a airbus 380, which I find as exciting as the trip itself). And had my bro not been travelling for six weeks, in Sept/Oct a trip to DC would have been added to that. Luckily some inward air traffic too, Marianna was the first to book a ticket and come over, and I am so dead excited about that!!!

Ah, and my boxes arrived today. And it became clear very quickly I have no storage space to speak of. Clothes are on the floor, booze is sitting on a shelf and the five boxes of books, cd's and other stuff won't get unpacked until Ikea has delivered my Billy's.

Shatwest

I always knew the Dutch bank system was ahead of most of the rest of the world, but Natwest are just totally backwards!!! One fuck-up after the other means I know have a debit card that was cancelled and all other stuff magically disappeared from this tiny little branch in a hospital they sent it to. Aaaargh. Thank god for my ABN Amro cards....

Busy bee

Dinner with Zoe in the docklands on Saturday. Drinks and dinner with a colleague on Sunday. Drinks and dinner with a friends' friend last nite and similar plans for tomorrow and Thursday. Tonight I am just staying in. Book, bath, and thinking of ways to murder a certain person (don't worry though, I won't execute!!).

In the office

When I had my interview with the partner in February, his PA collected me from the reception area with a large fruit basked in her hands. ' Is anyone ill?', I asked. But now, the UK firm gets daily fruit baskets for its staff so we stay happy and healthy. And as today was quiet, I feasted on a pear, banana and plum. There are also four gyms that offer corporate memberships for us, and there is support for our mental health too, by means of a coaching line or something.

The rest is good too. People are fun and friendly and have the cricket scores running in the background of whatever they are doing. The handsome director is leaving the UK for somewhere exotic and the funny-as-hell ginger guy is off to Australia soon. But plenty of nice people left. The partner walks around the floor and jokes, and seems as nice and human as the one at home.

Next step is to get myself on a project. So I show my nicest smile, talk to as many people as possible, and try to market myself well. Not tomorrow though. Tomorrow I am meeting a French colleague who needs some help, have my tax briefing by an Aussie woman with a Dutch name, and will meet a Dutch colleague who is in London for the weekend with his GF. After work drinks in Dutch tomorrow!

Miles and miles and miles

Fifteen minutes to the tube. Standing in the tube. Half a marathon in the tube stations when changing lines. Five minutes to the office. And all that twice a day. No big deal as such, were it not for the fact that I do this on heels. And I am a sneaker and flipflop girl, who partly converted to ballerina's when they became fashionable. Heels are fab when you drive your car to work, drive your car to the client, and drive your car back home. Or when you cycle to a bar, sit on a bar stool the whole night, and cycle home. Heels are awful when you do this marathon plus 40 minutes every day. Blisters everywhere, skin is not where it should be and my feet hurt like hell. Welcome to London.

Now I could do what many London women do, and wear sneakers, flipflops or flats to work and change into heels there. But that looks silly. And I decided to become all elegant now that I am here and looking silly is not part of the game plan. So I grind my teeth and go on with it. Poor stupid Dutch feet!!

Is that a crunch in your pocket?

From a London paper:
City boys are buying up huge quantities of Viagra to cure their poor bedroom performance - caused by the credit crunch stress. And lawyers, bankers and hedge-fund managers are ordering deliveries at the office to avoid awkward questions at home. The credit crunch and long hours have led to a surge in under 35s who need help.

The same paper explains how the credit crunch increase divorce rates. Women don't want to be married to poor bankers anymore, men decide to divorce whilst their salaries (and therefore the alimony) are at a low. Gotta love the City...

Comparisons

Hundred-and-something channels and still, I only watch the beeb. And I thought Dutch tv was crap... On the upsite, DVD's are cheap here and I found a dirtcheap book store on Charing Cross Road today.

Supermarkets are a blessing. When aussie friend Scott went back home he was looking foreward to supermarkets that made AH look like a 7/11. Rightly so. The Waitrose near me has fantastic flowers that are cheap too, a whole range of indian meals and loads of organic food. Love it.

When I came back from Oz, I really had to get used to dutch lunch again. Ham sandwich, cheese sandwich, glass of milk. Lunch here is hearty soup, sushi or salads from Itsu, Pret or E.A.T. Costs a fortune sometimes but damn tasty.

The Sunday newspapers....fantastic. In australia there was generally very little news in it. But here: weighs a kilo but so much good reading! Even the Metro is doable in the morning.

On my way to the tube, I pass at least six pedestrian crossings. And cars stop. Every time. Incredible.

The one thing I will not get used to: English bread. So anyone who will come and see me: a grof volkoren please!

Wimbledon

Wow. Quite something. From the friendly guards on the way to the grounds from the 'Guide to queueing at Wimbledon' to the atmosphere on Henman Hill. Loved every minute of it. Saw Venus practice, was gutted that I missed Nadal practice, and watched some boring veteran tennis. And then it was off to HH for the ladies final. Zoe joined me after her band was done playing. Glass of pimms, chatting to an older American couple next to us and loads of sunshine (and sunburn, I have to add...). Great match, great place to watch it. Got to see the village of Wimbledon too, as we went to Zoe's parents, who live there, afterwards for a barbie. What a fun filled day!!

Arrived

Well, I am truly in London now! Just my luck to get a cabbie from the airport to have no clue where I had to go (bloody massive apartment buildings there, let alone a Raddisson). Guy was as rude as the Amsterdam ones, no escaping them!!

My temp apartment has a great view over the City and Canary Wharf (which has the most amazing shopping center I must say). Italian dude was waiting for me and explained everything, and than I was by myself. First thing: explore the organic food kitty I was given. Leave it to the poms to inlcude 80 teabags for a two week stay....

Went to see an apartment (or 'property', as the English like to call it) in Canary Wharf yesterday. Fantastic place, two bedrooms, right by the water and it has a balcony. Area's a bit quiet though, so need to think about it. More apartment hunting today in Islington, Clerkenwell and Borough. Hope to have found something by the end of the day!

Not much other news. Seem to be settling in well. Met friend for lunch yesterday, had a call from Zoe who just moved back to London from the Dam and watched Nadal kick Murray's arse in a little park with a big screen and hundreds of suits in Can Wharf. Oh, and I bought elegant platforms. The Dutch girl slowly has to transform into a more elegant English woman. Not today tho, today's Birkenstocks and jeans day!