I survived!!!!

Well duh, as if anyone thought I wouldn't.  And it turns out that waking up at 7.30 isn't as hard as I thought it would be.... Not saying it was pleasant but I wasn't a complete zombie either which is all that really matters.

Is about a 25 minute walk from where I live to work and half of it is through The Meadows so its actually a pretty nice walk.

Today we were in training, again duh lol, and it will be like that for a while.  Today and tomorrow are mostly computer based working through modules about the history of the bank, health and safety, protocols etc. to get up to speed with stuff.  Then we will move on to more job based training.  Training is going to go for 4-6 weeks at this stage, but things could change depending on how we go (there are 3 of us, the other two chicks are pretty cool and I think we will get on well).

So yeah that is that :) 

New favourite bar

Yup I have a new favourite bar, can't member what it's called but then I never really remember names so nothing new there :) couple reasons why it's so awesome, one you can get put in the stocks :) yup I did and yup I still had my drink while in them :) hehe but the most important reason why it's new fav is cos they played Dire Straits - Money for Nothing, lol pretty sure I was the only person who knew the words and made a few ppl laugh at how into it I was but wow so much fun dancing to the song being played real loud on a dance floor :)

Ps start work on Monday for all those who are interested in knowing :)

No longer just a holiday...

... That's right, I am no longer just on holiday, the working part of my working holiday starts in a few weeks time.  I am a mix of happy and sad about this, I do love not working, it is something I think I really could get used to hehe, but then it is nice having workmates and I am looking forward to making friends with my to-be workmates.  And it would be nice to have money coming in again as well.

So the job, which I know everyone wants to know what it is, is working for a bank.  I can't really remember the details, cos I have a crap memory, was applying for heaps at the time and it was ages ago that I applied, but I am pretty sure its gonna be kinda like call centre work, pretty sure it was to do with helping customers with enquiries and issues mostly via the phone with I think it was internet or mobile banking stuff for one of the banks over here (duh).  Should be good, nice and warm and dry in the winter/colder days.  Its full time (40 hours a week, not so common over here so I'm lucky), Mon-Fri, contract is for 6 months minimum with possible renewal if they like me and I like them (I think thats the deal).  So yay I'll be over here for Christmas :) woot woot

Also since I will be working soon this blog probably won't be getting updated all that regular as it won't seem to me that I'm doing anything that interesting, so if you would like to be added to the email list please let me know.  The email list sends out an email to everyone on it when I post something so you don't have to keep coming to check to see if there is anything new :) I promise I won't spam you :)

Missie's lil boat adventure

This is the boat the Missie and I visited while at the Transport Museum.  Missie decided to try her hand at a few jobs to see what would suit her best should she ever get stuck on a boat...

Missy tried her hand at being the cook but decided it was too much hard work and too boring...

Then she tried deck scrubbing but again way too much hard work and she didn't want to get wet...

Missie figured that manning the sails would be fun, but she was wrong, way way too much hard work...

Being an apprentice was definitely not for Missie, cabins were too dark and there were four beds per tiny room...

Now this room is more suitable, being Capt. looks like something Missie might be able to handle...

Map reading was definitely fun...

Even found home so we were ready to set sail...

Missie even has the steering down :)

So after a fun afternoon of boat exploring we have learnt that Missie will be Capt. and I will be photographer for our trip home as we don't like the plane ride to get here and a boat must be better...

Glasgow via photos

The stairs I got to climb at The Lighthouse to get to the boring rooftop view

Some views from the bus tour around Glasgow, this is just a random building on the river that I liked.

A big crane for loading boats

Some random building that looked cool


hehe



Some photos from the transport museum, this was a sign in the old style replica pub there

 They also had a fake subway...

 So I went and relaxed.

 Missy helping drive the old school hearse, PS I want to go in one of these when I go :) 

 Some random old school car hehe

Glasgow University from the entrance 

Glasgow Cathedral

The gate to the Glasgow Necropolis

The gardens at the People's Palace

 A cool as seat outside at the People's Palace (and no that aint the Palace in the background that is just some cool as random building in Glasgow)

 The fountain outside the People's Palace

Mega Wicked Weekend

Gotta say this weekend was one of the best :) so thought would share with you all. 

On Friday night I went on a pub crawl in Leith (a suburb of Edinburgh) with a MeetUp group I'm part of. MeetUp is an app you can download and then join groups in your area with similar interests to you or things you wanna get into etc. This is how I found the kickboxing fitness group. The group I went out with on Friday night is a group for 20 and 30 year olds that wanna go out and do fun stuff, events include movie trips, walks, trips around Scotland, pub crawls etc. Met some really cool people on Friday and we went to some cool pubs. Very fun night. 

Saturday I went to kickboxing class in the morning then it was the social event to Portabello Beach (Edinburghs beach) for the afternoon. We went to the beach by bus then wandered down the promenade (both directions) then chilled on the beach, some played frisbee, I tested the water temperature. I didn't think it was too cold till I realised I had lost feeling in my feet and ankles lol. 

Then today I went on a road trip with Chris (a friend from the MeetUp group) to Keswick in The Lake District in England to go to the pencil museum. Yup there's one, it exists! Lol. The reason for the trip was to see the worlds biggest pencil, was a bit disappointed with it so there is no photo, but they did have some cool artwork made from pencils. We then wandered round the town and down to the lake, then back up to the gardens to play on the playground and look for the sensory garden - I have no idea what one of them is and still don't know as it seems to have disappeared or else it's just badly signed and we walked right past it more than once lol. Was a very good day, we even got rained on in good English summer weather fashion :)

Am glad I am a lady of leisure as I need a couple days off to rest now hehe. 

PS photos from Glasgow still coming, I just been a lil busy :) :) :)

Portabello Beach

 

Pencil Art

Lake at Keswick (don't know official name)

Another view (cos we walked around it for a bit)

Glasgow

So I made it to Glasgow, and just wanna say upfront that Edinburgh is way better :) so much prettier and def got a better vibe (to me atlst), so very glad I'm living there. 

Please note most my photos are on my camera so will do a photo post on Sunday or Monday some stage. 

Arrived in Glasgow around lunchtime yesterday and went for a wander and sightsee around the City Centre, George Square area and the Lighthouse. Lots of shops and old but not pretty buildings. The Lighthouse is a centre for architecture and design. Gotta admit thought it would be better than it was. It did have a roof terrace thing you could view the city from but the city wasn't all that spectacular from up high either. Went to The Butterfly and The Pig Tea Rooms for dinner, so amazing. For £12.95 I got a massive main, cake, toast and as much tea as I could drink. The food was so good too, am very tempted to go back there again tonight but know I should try somewhere new while I'm here. 

Today I went on the City Sightseeing Bus. It's a hop on hop off bus that takes you to the main areas and sights of the city. I got off at the transport museum, very cool place. Loved the way things were displayed and that you could play with some things :) they even had a boat (sailing ship) you could go on and explore, Missie tried her hand at most jobs and decided she liked being Capt most, not only cos you steered the ship but cos you got the best quarters. She wasn't a fan of scrubbing decks at all, and the sail raising was just too much effort as was cooking. She enjoyed the map reading to and was stoked when she found home on it :) 

Next stop I got off at was Glasgow Uni. Kinda made me wish I had studied at an old as uni but Vic Uni was awesome in its own way. It was graduation day today so there were lots of people in robes taking photos. Made me think I should really finish my diploma to say I have, yes Pravina that means you have to finish yours to :p

Then we went through the West End (the older more traditional part of Glasgow where shops have writing in Gaelic not English) on the way to Glasgow Cathedral. Not sure if I was just real tired by this stage or if I've just seen too many old churches now but this one didn't wow me at all. It was just a church. Too be honest prefer some of the NZ ones to this one. Then I wandered through the Glasgow Necropolis which is basically just a big cemetery where all the headstones were taller than me and some made me feel like an ant, they were massive. 

Then back on the bus, went through Merchant City on the way to Glasgow Green (a big park) and the Peoples Palace (museum) and the Winter Gardens. The Palace and the Gardens were ok, again not wowed by them but did find another purple bush/plant/flower/thing that I liked so it wasn't a waste :) and a cool seat, that was also worth it. 

Then I got back on the bus to get back into town and wandered around for a bit. Very tired now but off to find somewhere for dinner soon then will hopefully crash out tonight. Man it's hard work being a tourist lol

Here are a few photos I took yesterday :)

Cool graffiti art on way into train station

Cool graffiti art along riverside

Awesome toilet sign at The Lighthouse

Break time

Last nights dessert :)

A few lil things make a semi decent post

Or atlst I hope they will. 

I am still jobless but no longer homeless :) have officially moved into the flat with Jo and Ben, this means I'll be in Edinburgh for the next 6 months atlst, maybe longer depending on work when I find it. Gotta admit the job hunting is going slow based somewhat on my loving the not working life so much :) lol

I have joined a kickboxing fitness group, yup I'm still terribly balance challenged and have very weak punches but my kicks aren't to shabby :) is quite fun and am making some good friends through the class. The instructor is big on social events which is one of the reasons I decided to join the group. We are going to Portabello Beach on Saturday which should be fun. 

There was some other stuff I was gonna write but am wandering through The Meadows and my brain is too distracted to remember stuff so it has been forgotten :) hehe

If anyone wants my new addy please let me know :) 

Oh that's right the other thing is that I'm off to Glasgow for a couple nights tomorrow to check it out and see what's on there. Only an hour or so away by train so easy for day or weekend visits if I like it and wanna go back for a visit. The shopping is meant to be better so am looking forward to sussing it out and going back when I get a job if I like it. Lol had just left The Meadows when I remembered that :p