Low on money

probably not the best idea but i've taken to poker to try and fund the london life. Im not the best but ive found a few poker strategy guides. One of the better ones is ThePokerGuide at http://pokerguide.jrwebinfo.com/ and the full tilt tutorials. Dont know how it'll pan out but william hill has a few signup bonuses so cant lose too much. Keep you updated, wish me luck!

Alive & Kicking...finally

Sorry for the lack of updates but Ive been going through the hard slog of london work. There's been a breakthough however and the lights coming through in the form of a new job. I dont mean to be negative but if your a jobseeker moving to London dont set your expectations to high, infact dont have expectations at all. Ive seen so many Aussies and Kiwis coming through my house being greatly dissapointed with the job market, and their salaries if they eventually find something. Aussies especially find it hard coming from such high minimum wage to the ridiculous wage of 5.80 Pounds. Considering London prices its pretty rediculous. Even for professional job its not a lot brighter, 18 - 20k is fairly standard for first or second jobs out of uni. Its not all bad news though as long as you know what to expect before you come...and if your willing to do min wage theres plenty of hospitality and retail gigs availavle. The websites ive found most usefull have been http://www.monster.co.uk/ and http://www.guardianjobs.co.uk/ . Dont trust most recruiters, the market is flooded with dodgy startup recruiters looking to shove people into whatever jobs they can no matter where...more often than not theyl call you up for a waste of time interview and youll never hear back. In summary make sure all your cv and references are sorted before you get here, make sure you sort out your National Insurance Number as soon as you can once you land (need it to work) and be realistic about what sort of salary you can get...but with flights to europe from 20 quid dont fret too much.

Halloween

Granted no one does Halloween like the Yanks but London still has a bit more of a spooky vibe than down under so a flat trip to the supermarket was in order to get our pumpkin and candy supplies. Ive never been a big fancy dress guy but our sharehouse was all geared up so I donned some eye makeup and set about my pumpkin. Its remarkably liberating hacking chunks of orange goo out to make your creepy lanterns.


Viper, my pumpkin

  Later in the night we headed out to another infamous antipodean bar, the Redback (http://www.redbacktavern.com/) It wasnt as rugged as I had imagined, nothing as debaucherous as the church. It was a good night all in all. No advice really except to take the chances to make the best of your nights overseas, especially when your stuck in a city for a while.

Adios

Back to see Uncle Sam

Hooray! After months of a rather dull minimum wage existance the payoff has arrived in the form of a christmas trip to Boston!

Finding professional work has been far more difficult than I envisioned but luckily I have a job in a retail store to tide me over. However London isnt the frendliest place on 6 pounds an hour so this trip will be a welcom reprieve to the monotomy at the moment.

London is definately cooling down now with the temperature rarely above 15 degrees, unusual for me considering its only mid spring. So I figure if its going to be a cold christmas may as well make it a proper frozen one across the Atlantic. Daylight savings finished this weekend too so darkness will soon envelop my life. Happy days.

All is not grim however as we have lined up some tickets to some great shows in London we just wouldn't have the opportunity to see back home such as Bill Bailey (comedian) and Deftones (Band). One of the perks of being in a major centre is opportunities to see big sporting, comedic, and musical acts so make the most of it or you may find yourself regretting you hadn't.

Travel fitness

The title of this post is a misnomer and should more accurately be named 'How to not turn into a living jam donut". I've had mixed success with my fitness while away, but overall it's been on the downhill. Admittedly I was freakishly fit before I left NZ but fitness abroad has proved trickier than I envisioned. It takes a lot more motivation to think of some creative exercises to do in a pokey hostel dorm or flat than a fully kitted out gym with familiar faces.

In the first leg of my trip in London I was a good boy, doing massive (4hr+) walks around the city / country, although the novelty of a full english breakfast, jammy donughts, and english cider ensured whatever I lost was gained and then some. America was a mixed bag for fitness. Muay thai is my sport of choice and I managed to hit up a few gyms while over there, as well as frequenting a normal gym. American food isn't overly helpful either however but i'm going to put America in the genereally positive column. France was where it fell to pieces. French pastries are incredible, its not just a myth they are amazing and I unashamedly admit I had several most days...nom nom nom. After getting back to London I was a bit sick of moving around in general and got in a groove of drinking most nights which almost certainly stops exercise the next day. I did attempt one muay thai session with embarassing exaustion.

Currently I'm keeping the weight at bay by walking to and from work most days (about an hour) with sporadic exercise when I can muster the enthusiasm. It's going to be tricky with winter setting in however so i'm going to need to find something more permanent. Pick up a sport maybe....i'll keep you posted.

Tips for keeping fit:
-Walk, walk, and walk some more. Walking's the best way to see places for every reason. Free, fitness, and getting a real flavour for the city.
-Take a resistance band. They pack up into a tiny cigar roll in your bag and can be used for countless exercises.
-Learn bodyweight exercises before you leave home. If you already have a repotoirre it takes less motivation to get in to it.
-If your in to a sport dont be afraid of stopping by at local clubs. You'll often learn a thing or two and meet some friends with common interests. Might even see someone famous.
-Don't be stingy, your overseas! eat the food and enjoy it while you can it's all part of the experience.

Feeling the pinch

The infamous cost of living in London has been catching up with me recently so I thought i'd share some tips that have helped me to save some pennies in the capital.

The tube may be one of the most effective transport systems in the world, but it massively distorts your perception of London. What seems like an endless journey swapping lines, and waiting for trains, can often be within walking distance. This is especially true in central London where you can walk everyhere provided you have a good map (I suggest a London a-z) and time to spare. A good example is the covent garden stop. The tube map would suggest that it has an average distance between the stops on either side but in reality you can virtually see the next stations from the entrance, a measly 200m away. Worst case scenario there are allways lines of bustops on most main roads, and at only 1 pound per trip with an oyster card it's alot cheaper. The downside is that the buses tend to get caught in congestion and stop every ten metres at the next stop. 

Second tip, skip breakfast. This is especially true if you dont have a job and can afford to sleep in. I'd recommend not getting up until at least 11:00, time to have a shower and cook some lunch. Who really need breakfast anyway.

Third tip, Supermarket reduced sections. These alcoves hidden away in the chilled section are filled with troves of gastro delights ticking closer to their dreaded use-by date. My favourites are Morrisons and Tesco's who usually have a fully stocked section with the staple sausages, cheese, pizza, and stewing steak. Usually accompanied by an equally bizzare mixture of one time only reductions and broken packaging. Go for gold, their good for at least a week...honest.

Medical monkey

After my slightly emo post last time, today was all about action. Deciding quick, easy money would be the solution to my troubles I turned to the obvious...medical research participation. At first I was amazed how easy it was to sign up for seemingly harmless trials for huge wads of money so I signed up to the most common trial and headed off for my appointment. I'd heard flucamp mentioned in hostel circles before, an almost mystical place where they put you in isolation for 10 days and inject you with the flu (and a vaccine if your lucky not to get the placebo) for a whopping 2200 pounds!

Here's the fine print however. 1st you have to be within a ten percent range of people to have the right amount of antibodies for their needs. 2nd you have to be a medically perfect specimen with no problems of any kind (hayfever, asthma, voices in your head). 3rd its a mega pain in the ass, not many people can give up lots of random weekdays to get vaccinated, tested, reviewed, and infected, then spend 10 days in complete isolation in a hospital ward. However if this sounds like a bother your willing to go through 2200 pounds will go a long way for you. Check out http://www.flucamp.com/ or http://www.biotrax.co.uk/ .

Unfortunately I let them stick me with needles just to find out i'm not eligible because I had a flu jab two years ago...Damn