Mr X factor 1: Arrival in London: 29 April 2005 - First impressions
As Martin Tyler says 'Anticipation turns to action now!'
It certainly has. Arrived Heathrow 12nn thursday 2 wks ago (England time). Flights good - not much sleep but both Air Tahiti & Virgin had movie/game screens for each seat, so not too bad. My sister Nicola was there to meet me. Wow! How cool is that walking out to throngs of people hanging over the rails, all looking at you - felt like a bit of a superstar, thought of raising my bat like I'd scored a century, but...had no bat.
Nics was there - a pretty special moment. Caught 2 tubes to get to Kensal Rise (NW) - walked to Nics' flat through rows & rows of terraced housing -so crammed in & claustrophobic - its just so different! I expected speeding cars from 'The Bill' to come hooning round the corner at any second, with the film crew following. Slept for 4 hrs when I got in then we went out for a meal & catch up yarn.
Activating my bank account. That was Friday's first task. Caught bus into the city. When I arrived at Marble Arch double decker buses made sense all of a sudden! Why not triple!? So many people, streets so narrow, & filled with taxis, buses, & cars, going nowhere fast. So here I was on the Monopoly board streets! First of all the Greens: Oxford, Bond, and Regent, all very busy - & so different to what I imagined.
At the bank: On the third floor in the waiting room sit 8 quiet Kiwis/Aussies - never seen us as quiet (overwhelmed/shy/out of comfort zone!) as that. I wait half an hour then get my account sorted. While waiting I meet an electrician guy from Rotorua. We get chatting & afterwards get a feed & sit down opposite the giant screen at Piccadilly Circus to take it all in. I always loved the yellows, so this is where I have my first photo in London taken!
During my first week I hit the buses - need to feel I know the topography of London (how geographical!!) - how things fit together. Did a cool bus tour of the city's main sights (as our family did in '82!), + a boat cruise on the Thames. Then jet lag hit & I had a few bad nights lying awake on NZ time, over that now but I have no idea how the Super 12 players travel & play within a week!
London definitely overwhelms - nothing like it in NZ, scale-wise, history-wise. Felt very aware that every pace I took was a step over tonnes of history. Also, it seemed all frantic & concrete ridden, until I found Hyde Park one day - walked across it - stunned by the serenity it had even though the city was not far away. Saw first squirrel!
After my first week I went to Southampton for the weekend to catch up with some NZ friends who have been here a year. Was good to see a bit of countryside on the train, chill out & just chat with other Kiwi mates about first impressions of the UK & its differences. Went to the Southampton maritime museum - the Titanic was a main theme (left here for Ireland before maiden sailing in 1912), as well as the massive scale of the port back in its heyday. Interesting (for me - maybe not you!). Also visited Portsmouth (bought first patch for my Scout blanket! - 200 patches since 1985, international section opening soon!), which had a pretty cool waterfront development for tourists - the HMS Victory from the Battle of Trafalgar was there (or a pretty fine replica!) - massive & stunning - started going mad with the camera!
Finally, this week. Moved to my mate's place (Danny, from epic cricket trip to Oz to watch Black Caps kick butt in 2002) in Tooting. Cool flatmates made things welcoming & fun - roast dnr & first night! Bought a week long travel card for underground + bus network.U/G = faster. No sign of Mr X yet! Went to movies in Leicester Square - my new favourite square in London! Really nice & quaint, especially when compared to Trafalgar Square!
Visited Museum of London yesterday, 2 hrs covered about a third of it. Quite good being here for VE day- a few displays are all around the place. Today I'll head back to the museum. Have bumped into my first 'Kiwi I know who I didn't know was here'. Last night went to a Christianity explained course (Alpha) at Holy Trinity Brompton, met a girl from Vic uni days - a classic moment.
Have decided solo tourism gets a bit lonely after awhile - its good to have someone to bounce your ideas/reactions off. So have booked on a 5 day road trip tour next week. Here's where I'm going: Sherwood Forest, York, Hadrian's Wall, Edinburgh, lake District (Read Swallows & Amazons by Arthur Ransome - great books I grew up with, set here), Liverpool, North Wales, Stratford, Oxford - am sure I'll enjoy it,+ people have said its filled with other newbies to London, good for getting some connections & that once you start working you have little time for it.
So, I'm still totally excited about being here & looking at lots of stuff. Am feeling much more ready to get stuck into checking things out without being overawed b/c I don't know where I'm going! Am thinking I would like to live + work in London - quite funky, tonnes of stuff to do/see, & heaps of people to hang with once you get set up with flat & mates. But who knows, time will tell....
Hope this hasn't been boring, If you don't want to get my group emails let me know. I haven't gone away just to send emails every 2nd day, that's why I've waited a while to send this. The Mr X thing is about a board game called Scotland Yard - based around London! Hope you are well, go the Hurricanes! Love, Dave:)
As Martin Tyler says 'Anticipation turns to action now!'
It certainly has. Arrived Heathrow 12nn thursday 2 wks ago (England time). Flights good - not much sleep but both Air Tahiti & Virgin had movie/game screens for each seat, so not too bad. My sister Nicola was there to meet me. Wow! How cool is that walking out to throngs of people hanging over the rails, all looking at you - felt like a bit of a superstar, thought of raising my bat like I'd scored a century, but...had no bat.
Nics was there - a pretty special moment. Caught 2 tubes to get to Kensal Rise (NW) - walked to Nics' flat through rows & rows of terraced housing -so crammed in & claustrophobic - its just so different! I expected speeding cars from 'The Bill' to come hooning round the corner at any second, with the film crew following. Slept for 4 hrs when I got in then we went out for a meal & catch up yarn.
Activating my bank account. That was Friday's first task. Caught bus into the city. When I arrived at Marble Arch double decker buses made sense all of a sudden! Why not triple!? So many people, streets so narrow, & filled with taxis, buses, & cars, going nowhere fast. So here I was on the Monopoly board streets! First of all the Greens: Oxford, Bond, and Regent, all very busy - & so different to what I imagined.
At the bank: On the third floor in the waiting room sit 8 quiet Kiwis/Aussies - never seen us as quiet (overwhelmed/shy/out of comfort zone!) as that. I wait half an hour then get my account sorted. While waiting I meet an electrician guy from Rotorua. We get chatting & afterwards get a feed & sit down opposite the giant screen at Piccadilly Circus to take it all in. I always loved the yellows, so this is where I have my first photo in London taken!
During my first week I hit the buses - need to feel I know the topography of London (how geographical!!) - how things fit together. Did a cool bus tour of the city's main sights (as our family did in '82!), + a boat cruise on the Thames. Then jet lag hit & I had a few bad nights lying awake on NZ time, over that now but I have no idea how the Super 12 players travel & play within a week!
London definitely overwhelms - nothing like it in NZ, scale-wise, history-wise. Felt very aware that every pace I took was a step over tonnes of history. Also, it seemed all frantic & concrete ridden, until I found Hyde Park one day - walked across it - stunned by the serenity it had even though the city was not far away. Saw first squirrel!
After my first week I went to Southampton for the weekend to catch up with some NZ friends who have been here a year. Was good to see a bit of countryside on the train, chill out & just chat with other Kiwi mates about first impressions of the UK & its differences. Went to the Southampton maritime museum - the Titanic was a main theme (left here for Ireland before maiden sailing in 1912), as well as the massive scale of the port back in its heyday. Interesting (for me - maybe not you!). Also visited Portsmouth (bought first patch for my Scout blanket! - 200 patches since 1985, international section opening soon!), which had a pretty cool waterfront development for tourists - the HMS Victory from the Battle of Trafalgar was there (or a pretty fine replica!) - massive & stunning - started going mad with the camera!
Finally, this week. Moved to my mate's place (Danny, from epic cricket trip to Oz to watch Black Caps kick butt in 2002) in Tooting. Cool flatmates made things welcoming & fun - roast dnr & first night! Bought a week long travel card for underground + bus network.U/G = faster. No sign of Mr X yet! Went to movies in Leicester Square - my new favourite square in London! Really nice & quaint, especially when compared to Trafalgar Square!
Visited Museum of London yesterday, 2 hrs covered about a third of it. Quite good being here for VE day- a few displays are all around the place. Today I'll head back to the museum. Have bumped into my first 'Kiwi I know who I didn't know was here'. Last night went to a Christianity explained course (Alpha) at Holy Trinity Brompton, met a girl from Vic uni days - a classic moment.
Have decided solo tourism gets a bit lonely after awhile - its good to have someone to bounce your ideas/reactions off. So have booked on a 5 day road trip tour next week. Here's where I'm going: Sherwood Forest, York, Hadrian's Wall, Edinburgh, lake District (Read Swallows & Amazons by Arthur Ransome - great books I grew up with, set here), Liverpool, North Wales, Stratford, Oxford - am sure I'll enjoy it,+ people have said its filled with other newbies to London, good for getting some connections & that once you start working you have little time for it.
So, I'm still totally excited about being here & looking at lots of stuff. Am feeling much more ready to get stuck into checking things out without being overawed b/c I don't know where I'm going! Am thinking I would like to live + work in London - quite funky, tonnes of stuff to do/see, & heaps of people to hang with once you get set up with flat & mates. But who knows, time will tell....
Hope this hasn't been boring, If you don't want to get my group emails let me know. I haven't gone away just to send emails every 2nd day, that's why I've waited a while to send this. The Mr X thing is about a board game called Scotland Yard - based around London! Hope you are well, go the Hurricanes! Love, Dave:)
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10:46 AM
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