As they say in England "Hiya"...
Well this week has not had the hussle and bussle of Glastonbury - nevertheless, a week of rest and drinking - that I did and did (kinda) need.
This past week highlighted to me that English culture states that all social meeting involve alcohol. Thats fine. However the liver has copped a beating.
Thrsday 1st saw Tashi and her two Tchoukball friends Jan and Han and I spend a lovely evening having dinner at 'Jamies Italian' - a Jamie Oliver restaurant in Leeds. Unfortunately I didn't see Jamie, although the food was just splendid! Spent Friday in the the sunshine, drinking and eating with Kat Manklow (a friend who spent some time in Australia).
Tashi and I spent the weekend in Scarborough, 1.5hr train ride from Leeds.
Scarborough - "provides the perfect seaside holiday venue for people of all ages, with it's safe beaches and numerous other attractions"... to breakdown the definition, "all ages" - full of old people trying to keep their youthfulness, "safe beaches" a beach with no waves and brown sand, "numerous other attractions" amusements that rob you - teddy machines that are rigged! Every time I had a hold of the teddy, it would rise holding the teddy 20cm in the air, then BOOM - falls! Shattered described my emotion. Shattered because I've got the reputation of winning near every time in Australia.
Whilst in Scarborough, we drank and sang along to the band at the local pub, ate fish n chips, walked along the 'cleanest coastline in Britain' (which reminist the Brisbane River after the floods in January), we played 'Pirate mini golf', in which Tashi felt it necessary to say "arrgghhh" after sinking her ball each hole and trying to convince me that the person with the highest golf score is the winner. Poor lost soul. I did have an ace time in Scarborough, but its hard for an Aussie to love the English seaside, we are just too spoilt at home!
Tuesday saw the arrival of Kate Morris, a friend from uni who was travelling Europe for 6 weeks. We caught up and drank at various bars in Headingley. Wednesday was the big day! STATE OF ORIGIN! There had been a great build up of excitement for me, after being at Game 2 and managing to pack 2 blue wigs and t-shirts and banners in my 19kg backpack, just for this one game! 10am we set off for the pub, with 30 other Aussies. Thankfully majority of them Blues supporters.... moving along.
The afternoon saw Kate, Rhys (Tashi's Aussie housemate) and I heading off to have the dead skin eaten off our feet by fish - a highly ticklish and awkward experience, but I am sure I was 10grams lighter after leaving. We ventured onto Primark. A massive (and I mean MASSIVE) fashion outlet at Kmart/Target prices. It gave us great entertainment running around the store, finding the most hideous outfit for each other for 6 pounds. Rhys sure suited his pink summery dress, but was a bit worried about the potential for strap marks creating tan lines...
Wednesday evening, a white Leeds Met Uni van turned up outside, we smelt burning rubber almost immediately and surprisingly Tashi got out of the drivers side door. She'd been trying to drive with the handbrake on... Anyway, we headed into Headingley and met friends from Amsterslam 2010, Mark, Alan and Alice for dinner, 6 bottles of wine later, we were on our way into Call Lane, the nightlife of Leeds. The first bar we went to, Kate and I were chatting, stupidly we left Tashi in charge of choosing what to drink, we turned back to the bar and Tashi had a cheshire cat grin on her face, we looked down to see 18 shots! 18 SHOTS! What was she thinking?! There was 3 of us!!! 10 minutes later, they had been consumed... And the night went on.
Megan, an Irish lass moved in Thursday. I helped Jan and Han move house Friday.
The 31st Kirkstall Abbey festival was on Saturday. We met up with Megan's mates and ventured round with a glass of Pimms and Lemonade. A lovely day in the sun.
Australia vs Sweden in the Womens World Cup on Sunday, couldn't miss it! So got the local pub to change the TV channel and sat having breakfast in the pub in my Wallabies Jersey. Between Tashi's games on solitare on her iPod, she was inspired enough for us to jump in a taxi, go to a local sports shop and she bought some soccer boots, ball and a pump and we spent the arvo playing soccer in the park. I couldn't resist and bought a rugby ball, so i've almost got my Johnny Wilkinson impersonation down to a T!
Upcoming week:
- PGL reunion in Weymouth 12th - 14th
- AMSTERSLAM 2011! 250mile bike ride, York - Amsterdam, 15th - 20th July. A charity bike ride, please sponsor if you haven't already http://www.justgiving.com/Amsterslam2011
Hope you are well.
Muchos loveos
Maggot x
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