Wow, it’s been ages since I posted anything. I’ve managed to turn 23 in that time. It’s not that nothing’s been happening, I just haven’t had any ‘postcard moments’ and I keep forgetting to take the camera with me. The weather is slowly getting better but they have a stoopid thing called ‘April showers’ which basically means that despite the fact that it’s spring, April is rainy and crap.

I’ve been occupying my time by working, trying to track down van parts, going out a bit and avoiding study. Exams are in about 3 weeks so I really cant put it off much longer.

I drove the van around the block a few weeks ago. It was an interesting experience and I only had a couple of near misses. Nah, it was ok, will just take a bit of getting used to… which will have to wait as the battery has since run dry. I also got a £40 fine for parking it with 2 wheels on the pavement. So with the battery dead, 3 of us were forced to push the van off the pavement. It was harder to turn the wheel than push the thing. Rachel and I gave it a quick clean too. The stove is now fit for cooking and the bacteria count in general has been lowered significantly. The front part is carpeted and I want to change it but it’s probably best to wait until the mechanical side is sorted out. For those that are interested the van needs a new brake cylinder, front indicator lamps and a windscreen wiper wheel box. The old brake cylinder was leaking brake fluid and it has become clear that rather than replace it the previous owner was happy to keep on pouring brake fluid in. I’ve found about 4 empty bottles of the stuff inside. Listen to me going on about cars… you wouldn't read about it. I’m learning a fair bit though, thanks in particular to one of our neighbours, Stefan, who has been nice enough to help me out. I’ve discovered that battery fluid is very corrosive and will ruin you clothes. I managed to screw up my favourite t-shirt whilst carrying the battery from van to house. Spewing. I even went to a scrap yard last week and had a rummage around. It was all quite exciting and manly. I managed to find a Sherpa at this particular yard but it is a later model and the wiper part I’m after is different. However, I’m hoping that it can still be used so I’m planning to go back this week and attempt to remove it from the van. It should be interesting, as it will involve ripping out virtually the entire dashboard. All this hassle for a little part. I managed to track down the brake parts, which was a small victory for me. At this stage I plan to head for the continent around mid August. Probably only hours before my visa is due to expire. It’s a bit scary, as I may have to do the first leg alone because I am now meeting Adam in Paris. So it’ll be a drive from London to Dover on the left side of the road, a ferry to Calais followed by a drive to Paris on the right side of the road. They say that guys think about sex most of the time. I can tell you that I’ve been constantly thinking about the logistics of driving on the right. Where I should be looking, how to turn, which lane to drive in, how to use mirrors, how to head-check etc. Ugh. Well this paragraph is getting kinda long so I’ll talk about something else.

Work is still stoopid although it’s getting to the point where I just laugh. Management are getting all excited because we have just switched to Lavazza coffee but I’m there thinking, dude, we have no vessels to serve the said coffee in, the staff don't know the difference between a cappuccino and a latte and most probably haven't heard the word macchiato. On the plus side I’m getting along well with a few people from work. Hopefully some lasting contacts will come out of it all. Everyone seems to be leaving though. I’ve been to two leaving parties (for 5 people all together) in the last few weeks and there’s another next week. Two of the guys that left were subjected to a rather embarrassing farewell prank which involved being stripped virtually naked and covered in tomato sauce and mustard. I just stood back and reluctantly took photos all the while pondering why most guys are reluctant to hug another guy in friendship but relish the opportunity to strip him and roll around on the floor covered in condiments.

I saw Kill Bill 2 last week, which was really good. Also saw Hidalgo, which was not so good. Hanging for Shrek 2 and HP3. More importantly I really have to start getting around to all the big London attractions. I’ve been to some previously but I keep putting off things like the British Museum, Camden Market and Tate Modern. 

Many may laugh but I’ve embarked on a bit of a health crusade. I wont go into the details of how I’m doing it as questions of sexuality may be raised but initial results are promising. Yesterday saw a bit of a setback as I ate a bit too much but I figure it was my birthday the day before and besides it was totally worth it. I went out with Christine and a bunch of her people on Friday night. We both had dinner at a nice little Italian restaurant near Fleet Street after we found that the sushi place we had planned to go to closed early. I think we stumbled across a real gem as it was packed while restaurants around were quite empty. The food was really good and they even gave everyone macaroons and a free shot of Amaretto as an after-dinner drink. We went to a couple of bit-too-trendy-for-me bars but had a good time all the same. Yesterday afternoon Christine, her friend Nat and I went to Borough Market which is near London Bridge. It is a food market and it was incredible. The place was filled not with Greek men trying to sell you cheap fish or old ladies sitting amongst a mountain of smallgoods but with a plethora of gourmet delights. It was one of the best gastronomic experiences I’ve ever had. We started with a freshly shucked oyster and a huge clam each. It was very cool. I had no idea clams could be so huge. The oysters were graded 1 to 5 and priced accordingly. Since we were only going to have one we decided to go for the highest grade… but all he was the lowest grade… but they were still awesome… which means I have to go back and try the grade 1 oysters. They were bigger than a clenched fist. Then it was on to an ostrich burger with fresh greens, whole grain mustard and cranberry sauce. Delicious once again. This was followed by real hot chocolate. ie chocolate that is hot as opposed to chocolate powder and a bit of milk. Man it was rich. It had gone cold by the time I finished it. I couldn’t help thinking that this quality chocolate was only a pound per cup while at work we charge £1.30 for some grey looking crap. The chocolate was accompanied by huge scallops, one of my favourite things, on a bed of stir-fried vegetables and crispy bacon. In amongst all the things we paid for there was much sampling of cheese, goat’s cheese, smoked cheese, smoked eel, olives etc. After all that we parted company and I did a bit of window-shopping around Oxford Street. The place is always crawling with people so I gave up fairly quickly. There are people from every corner of the world in London, stumbling around with map in hand.

I’m sure I have more to write but it’s 2:45am and I have to be at work at 9am. I’ll be procrastinating this week so I’ll probably have time for another update. Stay tuned for nighttime walks through forests commonly used as dead body dumping grounds, random trips to the beach in the middle of the night, disposable barbecues and plans to explore the Middle East.