Well I am sitting in the airport again (should really check, because a lot of my posts end up being done in the airport. Anyways, I am on my way to South Africa for Scott's wedding! Its been a long and twisty journey, but I will get there in the end.
I have really enjoyed my time in Scotland, met some great people, worked really hard, learned some lessons and generally just taken the entire experience in.
This past weekend I was down in London again. I got to stay with Kris and Ali on Friday night and just say cheers to them. Then I was able to have lunch with Casey and leave a bag with her (I'm only allowed one bag back to South), then I met up with Vera and got to catch up with her a bit, then went out to dinner, which was actually Nick's (my ex-boss) wedding dinner. From there I stayed the night with Maurice and his girlfriend Julia, before heading back to Aberdeen on Sunday night.
A quick couple of highly busy days at work and I am now done.
Its been crazy quick, but SO worth it. I shall always remember my time here, and I really want to visit again!
On that note, all people back home, I am heading there for Christmas, so I look forward to seeing you all!
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Scotland explored
My sister came up this past weekend, and we rented a car. We decided to follow a similar route as I did with my cousin, as there is no way you could get tired of that scenery!
Its a lot warmer now than it was when my cousin was up, so all the snow that was there had melted and as a result there was some flooding. The scenery was just as breathtaking and it was awesome to spend some fun time like that with my sis... Think it has been many a year since we have been able to spend that long together!
The objective really wasn't to go and see something specifically, but more that we were exploring, and as such, if we saw something we wanted to stop for... we did... and how much fun was that!
The next morning we took a drive up the coast, and saw the angry face of the North Sea. We parked on a pier at one of the little towns, and it was actually scary coz the waves were crashing against the car and the wind was blowing it so much it felt like there were 5 big guys rocking it from side to side!
A good time was had indeed, and really the opportunity to spend time with my sister was just the best thing ever!
That afternoon I flew back with my sister to London, as I had to physically go into the Canadian embassy in London for visa purposes (I'm not going to get started on that story now). I stayed the night with Casey, and that was great coz we got to spend some time catching up. The next morning I jumped on a tube into London and found my way to the embassy and did my business. I then found my way to Buckingham palace and Trafalgar square for a quick "I was here" picture or two, and then i jumped on the tube out to Heathrow. N.B. I was able to find my way around London on the tube, I am quite proud of myself for that - coz I was a bit nervous to do that...
A lot done this past weekend, and another full one coming up (my last one in the UK).
Its a lot warmer now than it was when my cousin was up, so all the snow that was there had melted and as a result there was some flooding. The scenery was just as breathtaking and it was awesome to spend some fun time like that with my sis... Think it has been many a year since we have been able to spend that long together!
The objective really wasn't to go and see something specifically, but more that we were exploring, and as such, if we saw something we wanted to stop for... we did... and how much fun was that!
The next morning we took a drive up the coast, and saw the angry face of the North Sea. We parked on a pier at one of the little towns, and it was actually scary coz the waves were crashing against the car and the wind was blowing it so much it felt like there were 5 big guys rocking it from side to side!
A good time was had indeed, and really the opportunity to spend time with my sister was just the best thing ever!
That afternoon I flew back with my sister to London, as I had to physically go into the Canadian embassy in London for visa purposes (I'm not going to get started on that story now). I stayed the night with Casey, and that was great coz we got to spend some time catching up. The next morning I jumped on a tube into London and found my way to the embassy and did my business. I then found my way to Buckingham palace and Trafalgar square for a quick "I was here" picture or two, and then i jumped on the tube out to Heathrow. N.B. I was able to find my way around London on the tube, I am quite proud of myself for that - coz I was a bit nervous to do that...
A lot done this past weekend, and another full one coming up (my last one in the UK).
Here Nessie, Nessie, Nessie...
Well I haven't updated for a couple of weeks, but that doesn't mean I haven't been doing things!! A couple of weeks back my cousin came up to visit me in Aberdeen. She's across here on a working holiday visa, and is staying in Cambridge. Like far too many of my loved ones I had not seen her for years, so it was just fantastic that we could take this opportunity to meet up and spend time together.
She flew up on the Saturday morning and we rented a car, ready for a long day's driving! We drove across from Aberdeen to a place called Ballater, which is a town that supplies a lot of services and goods to Balmoral Castle (the royal vacation spot in Scotland). From there we really went into the middle of nowhere as we headed north towards Inverness. This took us through the deserted, mountainous area of central Scotland.
As we were driving we noticed that the frost on the ground seemed to be thicker and thicker... until we realised that it was actually SNOW! This was the first time my cousin had seen snow, so we HAD to stop and play with the snow a bit! There was one stretch where we stopped, which was rather spooky as it was so deserted and still, it really felt like the beginning of one of those scary movies...
We kept on through the mountains towards Inverness and arrived there after lunch and then found our way down to Loch Ness (ya gotta do it - don't ya). Nessie, unfortunately, was on sabatical, so we left there and drove into Inverness and looked around there for a bit, before heading back to Aberdeen.
That may sound a little mundane, but let me tell you that the Scottish scenery is really something else. Its so changeable and perfect, every corner brought a new picture that could have been on the front of a postcard.
The next morning we drove up the coast a bit from Aberdeen and stopped and a couple of small towns, and saw some amazing dunes and beach areas, as well as a really craggy shoreline which was our last stop before heading back to the airport to drop her off for her flight.
What a fantastic weekend - 350 miles of driving - 2 days of fun!! Pictures to follow soon!
She flew up on the Saturday morning and we rented a car, ready for a long day's driving! We drove across from Aberdeen to a place called Ballater, which is a town that supplies a lot of services and goods to Balmoral Castle (the royal vacation spot in Scotland). From there we really went into the middle of nowhere as we headed north towards Inverness. This took us through the deserted, mountainous area of central Scotland.
As we were driving we noticed that the frost on the ground seemed to be thicker and thicker... until we realised that it was actually SNOW! This was the first time my cousin had seen snow, so we HAD to stop and play with the snow a bit! There was one stretch where we stopped, which was rather spooky as it was so deserted and still, it really felt like the beginning of one of those scary movies...
We kept on through the mountains towards Inverness and arrived there after lunch and then found our way down to Loch Ness (ya gotta do it - don't ya). Nessie, unfortunately, was on sabatical, so we left there and drove into Inverness and looked around there for a bit, before heading back to Aberdeen.
That may sound a little mundane, but let me tell you that the Scottish scenery is really something else. Its so changeable and perfect, every corner brought a new picture that could have been on the front of a postcard.
The next morning we drove up the coast a bit from Aberdeen and stopped and a couple of small towns, and saw some amazing dunes and beach areas, as well as a really craggy shoreline which was our last stop before heading back to the airport to drop her off for her flight.
What a fantastic weekend - 350 miles of driving - 2 days of fun!! Pictures to follow soon!
Monday, November 13, 2006
Multiple posts warning
I had queued a whole bunch of posts to the blog, as I have been writing things down that I want to blog in a little book, and I managed to get around to actually typing them in and posting them today. Enjoy!
Glaswegian travels (click title for photos)
So I'm sittng on a train at the moment, on my way back to Aberdeen. I've just spent the weekend down in Glasgow with my friend Felicity and her husband Juan. Its really nice to be able to see her, because she and I actually met online a long time ago (4 years ago) and have met up down in Port Elizabeth (where she is orginally from).
I took the morning train down from Aberdeen on Saturday, getting into Glasgow around lunchtime. The train ride is quite beautiful, as it winds its way down the eastern coast of Scotland before heading inland to Glasgow. I tried to get some snaps on the trip down, but unfortunately it was raining, and my camera couldnt focus properly (just one more incentive to get a camera with manual focus capability).
Felicity met up with me at the train station, and then Juan picked us up and we went straight to their apartment, which is in a little village just by Glasgow called Barhead. They have a very nice little place, which they are in the process of emptying as they are heading back to South Africa in a couple of weeks.
We sat and watched a bit of the rugby which was on, and saw Argentina's defeat of England at Twickenham... Which is a story for another day!!
Saturday night was organised as Felicity's going away night with some of her work friends, so we went out to meet up with them. After meeting at a bar, we headed out to a greyhound racing meet. Very interesting, as its the first time I've been to one of those things. I had a good time, as I placed a couple of minimum bets, and it was good fun cheering on the dogs as they raced around the track! After the dog racing we went to a club, but weren't really feeling it there, so we just went home to get a relatively early night.
Sunday morning we woke up a bit late, and jumped into a car and drove across to Edinburgh. We went straight into Edinburgh castle, which was incredible!!! It is built on an extinct volcano (which I didn't know about) and is absolutely steeped in history. We only had a couple of hours really to get around it, but to really go through it properly you need a full day!! I got to go and see the Scottish Crown Jewels, and they are spectacular, it was amazing to see these intricately designed pieces which are so significant to the history of the country and have been around for hundreds of years.
Once out of the castle we took a walk down the Royal mile, which is a cobblestone street which leads from the castle down the the palace. As can be imagined there are a lot of touristy stores along the way, which we stopped in and looked at. I was thinking about getting a kilt, but then looking at the price to get all the right stuff i.e. the kilt and belt and spooren, woulc have set me back at least 150 quid... I just couldnt justify that right now, but I was thinking it might be a nice touch to wear that kit to Scott's wedding. I shall see if I can get some good deals back in Aberdeen.
Once we were done, we jumped back into the car and raced back to Glasgow, and I managed to just miss my train, but it wasnt a big issue as I managed to get onto the next train a bit later on. I had a great weekend, and would love to get back down to Edinburgh again while I am here, I just need to figure out if timing will allow...
Monday, November 06, 2006
LONDON BABY
This past weekend I caught a late flight from Aberdeen to London Luton. When I was booking the ticket I really did not have a clear concept of how FAR London Luton is from Wimbledon. May as well have landed in a different city!! I spent almost as long on the train from Luton as I did on the plane from Aberdeen!!!Anyways, it was definitely worth it, as around midnight I arrived at my destination, Maurice's appartment. He has a really nice little two bedroomed place in Wimbledon. Definitely one of the nicer apartments that I have seen while in the UK. It was so good to see him, as I don't think he and I have actually seen eachother since he left Zim 2+ years ago!! We stayed up talking, and partaking in a bottle of Black label until the early hours of the morning. I need not say the next day my head was not appreciating the abuse from the prior night!! Maurice and I just went for a cooked breakfast once we were feeling more human and then headed back to the apartment for a bit of a lazy day Saturday. After lunch Julia, Maurice's better half from Zimbabwe, got back and it was great to catch up with her too.
That night we had arranged to head out to a South African pub called Zulus which is just by Putney Bridge (sp) I believe...(I have no idea of where things are in the Greater London Area). We were meeting up with a whole bunch of Zim folks, including Derek & AJ, Sean and Casey. Derek caught onto the fact that we have moose in Canadia, and for the rest of the evening was asking about my pet moose... which really made me really miss Mike (my pet moose). Zulus is a really good pub/club, they were playing some really decent music, and also I was thrilled to be able to look around and just see friends... Something you sorely miss when you are in a strange place like Canadia. Maurice had told me about a drink called a "Snakebite", and Derek persuaded me to try one. I believe its a mix of raspberry liquer, cider and beer, and tastes pretty good, but certainly could hit you hard if you were not careful!! We were dancing and having a good time and ended up heading toward Maurice's place at about 1 or 2am, while making the obligatory stop at a BK for a burger on the way.
On Sunday morning I had to get going early as the cheapest flight I could get also meant I had a lunchtime flight out of Luton which is pretty far (see above!!!); it was over as quickly as it had started!! Maurice came with me on the tube to see me off at the train station in London as I had to transfer, and it was a good thing as I don't know if I would have actually been able to find my way if it were not for him. It was sad having to say goodbye, but I know I will be getting down to London again to meet up with him and the crew, so that was fine.
The strange thing while I was down in England is that they don't seem to be too keen to take Scottish currency, and some places just flat out refused to take it it all. Its meant to all be legal tender wherever you go in the United Kingdom, but the Scottish currency is so different from the English, so some of the tellers do not recognise it at all. I now know to try to withdraw cash down in England when I am there, rather than up in Scotland.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Remember, remember the 5th of November...
So, being the UK, they celebrate Guy Fawkes day, and in no small measures either. I got back into Aberdeen on the afternoon of the 5th and went down to the beach area where they were going to be having the fireworks display. I'm starting to enjoy photography, so along came my tripod with me and I set up to take some photos. Still not getting great pics, but c'est la vie. Enjoy! (click on title for link to all the photos)
Sunday, October 29, 2006
More randomness from the North Sea
I was talking to a friend the other day and he told me that it was time now; he needs to find a wife, settle down, have kids, and basically get on with the next stage of his life. I was pleased, becuase it is great when people solidify a plan for their lives. I would not be surprised if this past weekend he was been putting into place steps to meet that goal.
(If the above slideshow takes forever to load, please tell me and I will remove it from my blog.)
Now, in the past I've thought that I'm ready for a major shift into the next stage or possibly more aptly, MY next stage, as each person will have their own personal stages,metrics and doors they need to pass through.
The question I find myself posing is: Can we actively choose to follow the path to the next stage, to transition, or will this just come about more as a culmination of the development of a person on a number of different levels/fronts?
I'd like to, as an independant person, believe that I have to some extent control over my direction. I'm not sure how I would feel if my direction is majorly directed through the choices and results of the past, so like a large rolling boulder the best that one can do is nudge it from side to side, little by little?
Now you may be wondering why I am getting all philosophical on the crew, and its really because recently, and in the foreseeable future I have a number of big decisions to make, which requires a solidification of my plans, and also the cementation of my values into actionable steps and tangible boundaries.
As I said in an impromptu speech back in school, "Which road is the one to success? I can't say for certain, but what I can say is that I'll see you when you get there."(ad libbed a bit because I dont remember my exact words). Young. Arrogant. Optomistic... Perhaps even wise? Time will tell.
(If the above slideshow takes forever to load, please tell me and I will remove it from my blog.)
Now, in the past I've thought that I'm ready for a major shift into the next stage or possibly more aptly, MY next stage, as each person will have their own personal stages,metrics and doors they need to pass through.
The question I find myself posing is: Can we actively choose to follow the path to the next stage, to transition, or will this just come about more as a culmination of the development of a person on a number of different levels/fronts?
I'd like to, as an independant person, believe that I have to some extent control over my direction. I'm not sure how I would feel if my direction is majorly directed through the choices and results of the past, so like a large rolling boulder the best that one can do is nudge it from side to side, little by little?
Now you may be wondering why I am getting all philosophical on the crew, and its really because recently, and in the foreseeable future I have a number of big decisions to make, which requires a solidification of my plans, and also the cementation of my values into actionable steps and tangible boundaries.
As I said in an impromptu speech back in school, "Which road is the one to success? I can't say for certain, but what I can say is that I'll see you when you get there."(ad libbed a bit because I dont remember my exact words). Young. Arrogant. Optomistic... Perhaps even wise? Time will tell.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)