My hometown for the next 5 months..

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Am I Already Half Way Done!?

It’s official. I have booked my tattoo appointment, paid my deposit and everything is lined up for me to get inked next week. Can’t believe it is actually happening. Mom and Dad know already so it’s no big secret. Mom even helped me brainstorm of what it should say and look like. I am a bit nervous, as I am not sure what to expect but at the same time cannot wait!
I was just thinking the other day that my co-op is already half way done! Time is now flying by, I am settled at work, settled in my flat and it seems like smooth sailing from here on out. I was checking out my goals the other day and am happy to say that some progression has definitely been made. Although my manager has just up and left for another job without much warning so I am not quite sure where that leaves me. I never even really got to talk before he left. And it doesn’t look like they have even started looking for a replacement yet. So I feel that I am on my own for at least the next few weeks when it comes to pursuing my goals. Hopefully the new manager will be able to help me out. A bit frustrating to say the least..

Monday, July 12, 2010

Chalk This Up to Embarrassing Moment #1

Well I certainly didn’t think that I would find myself sitting in the emergency room on a Friday night alone, but there I was. It’s rather embarrassing why I was there in the first place. I would love to say it was something cool but it’s far from it. I basically well..ermm..ummm..got my ring stuck on my finger. I had put the ring on in the morning just fine and worn it all day with no problems. But upon returning home from a day of shopping, I tried to take it off but it simply wouldn’t budge. I tried butter and oil, icing it and elevating it but nothing was working and it was starting to turn a deep shade of purple. After 4 hours passing and it looking worse than before, it was time to head to the ER. Thankfully the wait wasn’t too long, and the nurse was able to cut it off (my ring that is) and now as a reminder I am left with one very bruised middle finger. God, how do I get myself into these situations!? The following day Quinn and I wandered around the Soho and Chinatown district. I did not get the memo that Soho quite so dirty. It is considered the gay district and there was XXX signs and posters and VERY graphic photos every way you turned. Me and Quinn definitely had a few laughs walking around there.
Work this week has been hectic, Wimbledon has begun and in turn the hotel is fully booked all this week. We have a couple of tennis players staying with us and I even served one yesterday in the restaurant. I forget his name, I am not a big tennis fan what can I say? But apparently he is very good (well obviously he is playing in Wimbledon after all) and some young up an coming Spanish player. Have been working overtime almost every shift but honestly I like it being busy, it certainly does make the shift pass by a little faster not to mention I swear I have shed a few pounds from all the running around I do day in and day out!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

"What did you do this weekend?"..."Just jetted off to Portugal"

This week at work has sure been busy! With school now out it seems that everyone is starting to take their summer holidays. I have been working many a days of overtime and do not stop running around in a shift. If this is a taste of what is to come for summer I am not going to have much time for anything else! I do really enjoy work being busy though, it makes the shift pass by much quicker and is certainly giving me lots of practice. I feel as though as each shift goes by I am gaining more and more confidence and starting to perfect aspects of my newly acquired skill set. And since work has been so hectic, Quinn and I’s weekend getaway couldn’t have happened at a better time. With the work week ending us two girls were able to jet off to Lisbon Portugal for our weekend to soak up some sunshine! We flew out after our shift and were there in hot Portugal within a couple hours. We had booked a hostel in advance that ended up being perfect. It was right in the heart of the city and we could walk around to everything. It was clean and bright and we were able to meet a bunch of cool people from all over. Most of the other travelers there were Australian mixed in with a couple Americans, but sadly no other fellow Canadians! During our first full day there Quinn and I took a bus tour of the city which gave us a great overview of our surroundings, the architecture was stunning and the people were so friendly. That evening the hostel was having a pub crawl that allowed us to see the Portuguese nightlife and dance until the wee hours of the morning. After sleeping in the following morning Quinn and I awoke determined to still go out and explore on our last day in Portugal. We decided to catch a train to a smaller town outside of Lisbon known for its breathtaking beaches. All I have to say is WOW, white sand, the bright blue ocean and hot hot sunshine. Could it get much better than that? We both had a relaxing day lying on the beach before hopping back into a cab to take us straight back to the airport. Upon landing in London, we were greeted by pouring rain and a cold wind  Oh home sweet home..

Friday, July 2, 2010

Street Hockey in Trafalger Square

HAPPY CANADA DAY! What a patriotic week it was! Apparently London loves Canadians, because it was a BIG celebration here. Trafalgar square was transformed into a sea of red and white. Complete with everything Canadian..street hockey matches, poutine, Canadian beer, Tim Hortons and Canadian artists performing. I felt as if I was back home. There was random out breaks of the national anthem being sung and lots of hugs form other Canadians wishing us a happy Canada day. This day was also the night that my parents were back in London for one final night before flying back home. So I left the celebrations early and met up with them at the hotel (My hotel!) to hang out and say goodbye. The hotel was great, and made my parents VIP guests and went above and beyond to make their stay wonderful. I was very impressed. And my family definitely appreciated the effort the hotel made which made everyone happy. I ended up staying and talking to my family until nearly 1 in the morning and then I said my final goodbyes. Mom was crying (of course!) and I told her I would see her in 10 more weeks and that it will fly by. It was the perfect end to a perfect day, for sure one of the best Canada days I have ever had. Who knew that it would have been half way across the world?
With my parents now gone Quinn and I head off to go explore the Camden market today. I think I have fallen in love with this place! It is a maze of alleyways and tunnels packed full of vendors selling everything from antiques to the latest fashion craze. You can find anything you possible could ever need there. And it is not just the shopping that’s great, it’s the people watching. I could happily sit on a bench anywhere in Camden and observe the diverse crowd of people that hang out in this part of town. Lots of tattoos, lots of piercings and some of the strangest outfits I have ever seen. Definitely will be back to this part of London for some retail therapy sooner rather than later