The Sphere Effect

We’ve just hit London again, and we’re utterly exhausted (heaven knows why, as we haven’t really done anything much).

Oh! Yes we have…. A couple of days ago we were in Slovenia, and we had a marvellous time hiking around the mountains all day long, and white water rafting down a river that I can’t spell or pronounce, so I’m not going to try.

It was pretty miserable weather over the last couple of days so we took it easy pretty much every day (actually went a bit stir crazy sitting inside - I’m sure if we were Irish we would have been out and about in it, but we’re not - we’re made of sugar and we melt if we go in the rain).

On the way back to Budapesssht yesterday, we learned that there had been riots there the night before. A bit apprehensive, we did a bit of digging and find that the people there have now actually got some proof that the Prime Minister (who is a left over communist from the old regime and did some terrible things) has actually rigged the elections to be in power. I would be furious too, and I’m quite sure that if I was Hungarian I would be up there protesting as well. They estimate that there will be approx 1.6 million protesting on Saturday - wouldn’t that be something to see!! We did get a couple of pics of the protests (but only from afar, so it’s ok mum!)

We also heard yesterday about the Coup in Thailand, which is a bit worrying as Kath will be there in about ten days, and I will be there in about four weeks. I guess both of us will soon be moving around in some of the more dangerous areas of the world, which has always concerned me, but is something we will have to get used to. Working in the Humanitarian Sector generally means working in the areas where we are told not to go!

So our Eastern Europe holiday is over . We made some lovely, lovely friends, some of which I hope we will keep for a long time (Leah Anne, I cried this morning after we left you!)

I leave tomorrow morning for Banda Aceh in Indonesia. This is where the holidays stop and the work starts. Please pray for me, as I am very, very nervous and a little apprehensive about what lies ahead. I’ll let you know how I go.

Just thought I’d let everyone know that I’m really enjoying my new job at Accenture. Even though I don’t always have work to do, it’s definately more the type of work I enjoy. At the moment I am working on an RFP for Accenture Ireland, and am looking forward to going to Dublin for a couple of days in a couple of weeks time.

I am also working on an RFP for Accenture Sweden, and I’m looking forward to going there in December, except I have a feeling it is going to be very, very cold and dark!!

Hoping to have a white christmas somewhere on the continent which will be exciting as I’ve never done that before.

I just had a birthday last week, but I’ve decided I don’t really like getting older, so from now on, I’m going to take a year off my age - making me 31 this year. Woo hoo!! You are only as old as the woman you feel.

After working with Dimension Data for the last six weeks, I have discovered that I’m not really cut out for support. I absolutely love, love, love the people I’ve been working with, but the actual job is not me at all. I always wanted to be in projects and implementation, and thought I’d give support a go, but it’s very not me.

I have been offered a contract with Accenture, one of the biggest (if not the biggest) IT consulting companies in the world. I’m not 100% sure what I will be doing, but it will be in operations and Projects, so I’m sure this will be more to my liking. It’s a 3 month rolling contract, and I think it will involve some international travel. I’ll let you know more when I know more. I start on Monday 25th July. Excitement plus!!!

These are the people I have been working with at Dimension Data. Bye guys, I’ll miss you

Above we have Matt, Martin, Ian, Me, Clive, Jason and Bryan. We are missing Niall, Perry and another Jason.

To anyone who is concerned after the horrific events of yesterday, I am okay. I am working outside of London and was on an overland rail service when the bombs exploded in central London.

To everyone who contacted me yesterday to see if I was okay, thank you so much. It is a really good feeling to know that people think and care about me, and it helped a lot in a day that was otherwise filled with a lot of anxiety and stress.

Bless you all.

Finally moved into a new house over the weekend! HOORAY!

It’s in Putney and it’s half way between East Putney Tube station, and the overland Railway. It now only takes me around 50 minutes to get to and from work, which is an enormous relief.

I have moved in with some pretty cool people as well. There are two friends, Amber and Leesa who are both about 29yo. They are mad, just like me, and I know we will get on just fine. There’s also Leesa’s brother and his girlfriend Georgie who is a real sweetheart. The other person is a guy called Sam, but I’ve barely spoken to him yet and I’m not sure what he’s like.

I think I’m going to have a great time, but I do miss everyone from the Hostel. We are all pretty determined that we are going to stay in touch, and I was back at the hostel last night for a few drinks. I’d only been gone for two days, and it was such a relief to see everyone again. I am a very sad girl

Here are a few of my friends from the Hostel - here we have Paul, Dan and Nick. This was on a particularly hot Sunday afternoon in the garden - drinking and playing frisbee and cricket. Was great fun - and very chilled and relaxing.
This is Georgia and Corky in the bar - relaxing after a hard day of doing … absolutely nothing! This is my new friend Shana - Yes TWINS!!

One of the key things that really overwhelmed me in Turkey was the size of the beach at Anzac Cove Granted they have recently put in a road - but this is the beach that our boys landed on on 25th April 1915 while hell rained down on them from above. It’s had to take such a thing in.
This is me in Laodicia - I have so many picture of Roman ruins, but I won’t bore you with all of them here !

Well it’s now my 7th day in my new job. Still a bit slow going since I’ve started, so thought I’d take the opportunity to update the old blog!

My new job is with Dimension Data in Fleet, Hampshire. For those of you who have absolutely no idea at all where that is, well… join the crowd! It’s not in London, put it that way! Since I am determined to stick it out in London, it’s currently taking me between 90 mins and 2 hours each way to get to work - horrible, horrible, HORRIBLE.

So I’m going to have to leave my little piece of Heaven (Globetrotters Inn in Hammersmith) and fine my way out again in the big bad world of London. Have decided I’m going to move to Putney so that I’m near the overland railway line and hopefully will reduce my commuting time to around an hour each way. Should get lots of valuable reading and study time in a day (or maybe sleeping, as have to get up so blimmin early in the morning).

Living in the hostel has been a fantastic experience. I really don’t want to leave. There’s definately something about living in a place that has absolutely everthing you could possible want right there (apart from your own room). Having lived there now for nearly 7 weeks, I have managed to gather a good group of friends around me. I can watch TV in any one of 4 TV rooms, or a DVD in the very large DVD surround sound cinema in very comfortable bean bags, dance and drink in the in-house bar, sunbake out in the large beautiful back yard, surf the net… etc etc. Everywhere I go there are people I have made friends with, so it’s really hard to actually go out anywhere. The best hostel I’ve ever been to, so if you’re looking for somewhere - try www.globetrotterinns.com .

Anyway, gonna go now. Will update when I find a good place to live in Putney. Then I expect to be told when each and every friend of mine is intending to come and visit me!!!!!!

hmmmmmmmm

Sorry everyone, I know it’s been forever since I put an update here.

I am in London finally - and I’ve been here for a week. Currently staying at a Hostel in Hammersmith (for those of you who actually know where Hammersmith is).

I’ve started the tedious and timeconsuming job of trying to find a job, and I have discovered a remarkable thing about London. Everyone in customer service in London is RUDE!! I have yet to come across a nice person, except for aussies in Hostels.

If you go into a store in London and ask to buy something, they look at you as if you are the rude one for interupting their train of thought for something as mundane as work. And just try to get a recruitment agent to return a phone call or an email. It is quite incredible.

Turkey was fantastic. I have to say that being at Gallipolli for the 90th ANZAC day Service could be one of the greatest highlights of my life. It was absolutely exhausting however, as we didn’t sleep for 36 hours, and had to walk about 16 miles. A good part of the night we had to spend standing up as they couldn’t fit 25000 people sleeping on the ground on the small place that was the commemorative site.

I heard that there were some bad reports in Australia of the day, and that there were riots and drunk people and lots of rubbish. I just want to say that I think that’s a load of bullocks!!! There were no riots, no alcohol and it was remarkably peaceful and family like. The turkish government provided no bins whatsoever, and most aussies and kiwis collected their rubbish up in green bags that we’d brought ourselves and left it there for collection. Then we watched the turkish gypsies come in and rip through the bags, throwing everything everywhere in the search for food. It was very sad.

The rest of Turkey was also pretty amazing. I had no idea just how much religious history is packed into this small country. I imagine it would be close behind Israel in it’s historical and religious significance across the centuries. There are so many untouched ruins, that it’s mindblowing.

We also did some fun things like having massive mudfights (unfortunately no pics as everyone was covered in mud and unable to take pics), sailing all day on the Aegean Sea, tubing down a freezing cold river, having a real turkish bath, and battling the maniacs in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.

But all that’s over now and I’m in London just trying to find work. It’s a bit difficult as I can’t find a place to live until I find a job. Very expensive living in a Hostel so I hope I find work soon.

Anyway, I’ll try to keep this up-do-date a little bit more often soon. Please write to me. I miss everyone so, and it’s a little lonely here by myself