What I'm finding strange

This will probably end up being another list, as things occur to me, but as a starter here are a couple of things that I'm finding strange (ie. freaking me out a bit!)

1. I won't be in the UK when the next Ryder Cup is played in two years. Does it even get coverage in NZ? Of course, in two years, I quite possibly won't care, but right now it feels odd.
2. I'm starting to see adverts for exhibitions and plays that won't be opening until after I leave...
3. Reading about a 'chic rooftop bar' that is being built outside the office, which I'm watching going up, but it won't open until after I've left. 
4. Watching the leaves change and drop off all the trees around my flat and realising that I won't be here in Spring to watch them re-appearing. 
5. Removing myself from the mailing lists for all the music gigs - no point getting frustrated looking upcoming gigs I won't be able to see...

From the Foo Fighters to Hot Chip

So I have now been to my final gig at Brixton Academy :-( . It was the first venue I went to in London (to see the Foo Fighters) and while it isn't the last gig I'll go to (still have one more coming up), it was lovely to go back one last time.

It has always been one of my fave venues - an old theatre, it has a sloping floor so it is usually ok to get an ok view, and I've seen so many different bands there:

• Foo Fighters
• Manic Street Preachers
• Beck
• Teenage Fanclub
• Ocean Colour Scene
• Hot Chip (more than once)
• New Order
• Echo & the Bunnymen
• Waterboys
• Embrace (more than once)
• Tim Finn/Bic Runga/Dave Dobbyn
• Ian Brown
• Franz Ferdinand
• The Thrills
• The Killers/The Futureheads/Bloc Party/The Kaiser Chiefs
• Doves
• Interpol
• Star Sailor
• The Raconteurs
• Arcade Fire
• Bloc Party
• James
• Portishead

Not a bad list :-). Also interesting to see the tickets change - from Brixton Academy, to the Carling Brixton Academy, and now to O2 Academy Brixton (although everyone still calls it Brixton Academy.

Good times :-)

Spending money

Another thing I've noticed recently is that because I am trying to save money so hard for going home, all I want to do is spend it! This month has been a write off anyhow, as I needed to buy an outfit for a wedding I'm going to, but I just seem to keep thinking of more and more things that I 'need'...

It reminds me of before I left NZ for the very first time writing (yes - it was writing back then!) to Lindsey and telling her about all of the CDs I'd been buying, and her replying and saying I would never get over to the UK if I spent all my dollars on music... :-)

Two weeks till payday and there is lots more I need yet!

DVDs of 2012

And here is the list of all my 'catch up DVDs' of the films I missed at the cinema, or have heard about via other means...

Troll Hunter - I really enjoyed this. A Norwegian film that plays on the 'found footage' approach that Blair Witch used. But what I liked about it was how it took the fairy tale stories of trolls, and applied them to the real world. If a Troll can smell a Christian man, can he smell a Muslim? You'll have to watch the film to find out!

Super 8 -After Melancholia I was sent 'We Need to Talk About Kevin' but I returned it without watching. I realised that I really didn't want to watch it. Then came Super 8 which I thought was great. Reminded me a bit of Stand By Me - it wasn't really an alien movie, more a rite of passage. Thought it was very very good. 

Melancholia - Well this one wasn't exactly a barrel of laughs! Not that I thought it would be mind... It was ok - but I don't think I'm much of a Lars von Trier fan. Bit too 'self reverential' for me. But was ok as a dvd rental...

X-Men First Class - Another one I put on my list after seeing Avengers Assemble and I loved it! Thought the introduction to the X-Men was done so well - Michael Fassbender fantastic as the young Magneto - very good intro!

Iron Man 2 - I put this on my Lovefilm list after seeing Avengers Assemble and I really enjoyed it. Particularly as it introduced some of the characters from Avengers. And Robert Downey Jr is fantastic - although he does essentially play the same character in Iron Man as he does in Sherlock Holmes!

Drive - I have had this dvd since I last updated this blog! Just haven't had time to watch it for various reasons. I had been waiting for ages for Drive - it had had such good reviews. But I was a bit under-whelmed to be honest. Maybe I shouldn't have watched it when I did as I probably wasn't in the mood for it, but I'd had it for such a long time it really was time to watch it and send it back. Just thought it was 'ok' really. And the lack of dialog, overuse of music, and lots of staring into the distance just annoyed me. And the violence was a bit un-necessary as well. So all a bit disappointing really.

The Lincoln Lawyer - another great Saturday night DVD - certainly not a film worth seeing at the cinema! Fairly standard lawyer-ish fare, with an all too brief cameo from the wonderful William H. Macy. But Matthew McConaughey is pretty good in it - nice and easy to watch. 

Oranges & Sunshine - a 'docu-drama' about the forced deportation of English children out to Australia (although children were also sent to other countries as well). Riveting tale - and one of those 'OMG - I don't believe it' type of films. Highly recommended.

The Adventures of Tintin - the Secret of the Unicorn - this had had mixed review (certainly the Good Dr didn't think much of it) and I have to admit I was pretty underwhelmed by it. Don't quite know why - think maybe I loved the characters too much as a child to enjoy thier transition to the big screen. They didn't look enough like they do in the books, and I didn't think the story was great. Not really my cup of tea...

In Time - I have to admit, I'm not sure I quite understood the ending of this one... if anyone else has seen it feel free to let me know! I did enjoy the premise though - time as currency, and there were some very clever aspects to it. Having to run everywhere if you're in a poor district as you don't have time to waste - I liked that! But I did lose it at the end. Oh - and it has the lovely Cillian Murphy in it :-).

Blitz - Sometimes you've just gotta watch a bit of Jason Statham... and this was better than the last JS movie I watched. Also had Paddy Considine in it as well who I quite like. Ridiculously silly story, but JS got to run around being JS a lot, Aiden Gillen tried to play bad, and PC just looked lovely :-). 

The Twilight Saga - Breaking Dawn - I love the 'Twiglet' movies :-). Still don't get why anyone would love Bella - she is such a moaning myrtle, and I'm also definitely in Team Jacob - again, why go for a pale, cold vampire... Looking forward to the final instalment tho!!

Trust - I don't know if 'enjoyed' is the right word for this, but it was a very thought provoking drama. Tells the story of a 14 year old who is 'groomed' via the internet and the fallout on her and her family. Directed by Ross from Cheers, I thought it was quite well done. I really like Clive Owen and I thought he was very good in the role as the father. Bits of it were a bit unlikely, but on the whole it felt quite lifelike. Gave me an inkling into how girls get sucked into being scammed by these men, and why they don't run a mile when they finally meet them.

Contagion - not quite a DVD watch, as this one I 'bought' via my tv provider. I'd wanted to see it when it first came out, and then Virgin had it available on demand early so I watched it. Really enjoyed it - done very cleverly, and also quite scarily as well. Does certainly make you think about where you put your hands on public transport! If you've seen it, you'll know what that comment relates to... :-)

Water for Elephants -  This was definitely a DVD only film, but it was fine. I think the book may have been much better than the film - especially if it goes into more detail about life in the circus's back when it was set.

Julia's Eyes - This was one of Dr K's top 10 films a year or so ago so I thought it was worth a look. It also had Guillermo del Toro attached - never a bad thing. Really enjoyed the first 3/4 of it - some great imagery and scenes playing on being blind, and I loved how you never see the face of the care worker, but the last quarter let it down a bit I thought. Great spooky first part to it though. 

Cowboys & Aliens - This was the Daniel Craig/Harrison Ford outing - Tracey and I had talked about going to see it when she was over on holiday last year. It wasn't quite what I was expecting - not terrible though. But I was expecting more of a comedy drama, but it seemed to be playing it straight. We didn't miss anything at the cinema - definitely fine to watch on a DVD or on a plane!

Animal Kingdom - An Australian film so probably known to any NZ readers I have. Not quite as good as I thought it would be, but still definitely worth watching. I did think the boy playing the teenager was very good - played the gormless 'I'm fine' teenage role brilliantly :-).

Skeletons - This was (I suspect) a little known British film when it was released. I think I heard David Morrissey talking about it on the Mayo/Kermode podcast. I really enjoyed this - didn't quite know what to expect, but it was good. Very quirky, offbeat, funny and sad at the same time.

Limitless - This was ok. Quite a clever idea, and I enjoyed it. Sort of film that would be good on an airplane. ie don't really need to pay much attention to it. Was definitely one that was fine to see on DVD...

Limbo in October...

So here I am almost halfway through October and I'm in a weird limbo state. Well not weird, but just definitely feel like I'm in suspended animation.

I know that I have shed loads of stuff to do/sort out, but I seem to have decided in an unconscious decision that I'll start all of that in November. Which is also when my whirl of goodbyes also starts, so I know I'm going to end up mega stressed by the time it gets to Jan 2nd!

But for now I'm enjoying my last month of a 'normal' life. I'm fairly unbusy this month, my flat is going to stay unchanged, so I'm relishing this end of my London life.

Leaving? Who's leaving...

What I'm enjoying

As a contrast to 'What I'm finding strange' here are things I'm enjoying :-)

1. Seeing photos of Wellington on Facebook - reminding me of how beautiful and stunning it is (on a good day!)
2. All the lovely comments I've had from my friends and family about me returning home.
3. Knowing I'm finishing work soon!

The final hurrah - in for the ride anyone?

And so all good things must come to an end... this blog is on its last legs, but its got three months left in it yet!

I'm sure my very few readers know that I'm returning to live in NZ in January 2013, and that seems a fitting time for this blog to come to its end. But before that, there is some blogging still to be done, as I want to record my final three months in the UK - so October 2nd seems like a good day to start.

My leaving my place of work (which shall remain nameless) now know that I am leaving, and today I told the accounts I'm working with. This started a small flurry of very nice emails, which made me feel both appreciated and sad. I know I'm doing the right thing, and I do think my time here is done - and it is certainly past done at work! But it is going to be a wrench, and emails singing my praises make it both easier and harder. However I do remember getting the same from TPK when I left all those moons ago, and I remember feeling the same, so I just have to keep to the path :-).

This won't just be emotional rants - I've got a lot lined up to do in the next 12 weeks, and I want to capture it all - the good, the bad, the tears!