Romeo and Juliet

The newest songs are ol school I say. There is this series on BBC 1 which was showing in canada as well, called Live from Abbey Road. Fantastic work.

So this is The Killers , playing Dire Straits' R&J [at the end] . Enjoy.



I am currently in a fish bowl. Half my hearing is fuzzy due to a clogged ear and the only thing that sounds good is the beatles due to their relatively uncomplicated songs vs say, something like coldplay. Hendrix would also do my head in. Next on the playlist : Carpenters.

Birmingham's Finest

Birmingham is interesting , musically. Ozzy and sharon osbourne came from here, same as the wonderstuff and many more which currently I can't remember. The BBC has tonnes of these documentaries.

SO... The first song to be broadcasted on BBC's Radio 1 in 1967 is The Move : Flowers in the Rain , a band from Birmingham.



And perhaps you guys can check this out :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/established1967/feature/40artists.shtml

Still young :)

Just larking around here in the UK. I am hoping to get some pictures soon when D and I take a trip around birmingham town. I've been there alone 3 times already, and it does make me think about the british empire and imperialism in general. The place is so grand. Monuments and fountains, cobblestones and all. But then, all the wealth came from the colonies under the crown.

So really.... Should I be impressed ? I say its social conditioning, because I spot japanese tourists front left and center. They, and even I , come from cultures that date back to when white men were 'savages'. Yet we dismiss our own great monuments and achievements to gawp at pieces of marble. Wealth built up from colonial conquest and pillaging. I know about their wars, their bombs and their presidents, political motivations, bad pop music and knock knock jokes. But all I know about china is that it has the great wall, pollution, random superstitions and india is filled with cows, harems, curry and gandhi.

Aside, aside. I am missing toronto. I find it slightly confusing, because I was and am both a tourist and a local last in canada and now here. Its new ground and I am to stay for an indefinite period. I like what I see, but will I stay ? I thought so when I was in Singapore and the same in Canada.

Why the tirade ? Well its possible I currently hate the english weather. Ok fine, I HATE the english weather. Singapore is far superior because its WARM. And the transport is superb. And the food is fabulous. And I can go for a midnight jog without getting mugged.

Now to lighten the mood : Falco !

Fat Cat

I am at home alone today with d's two cats. I must say I appreciate having a lie in. Plans have changed dramatically in terms of what I am doing. Currently speaking to a few firms here about getting some work, which is great. Its like getting into merrill lynch via india. Birmingham is sleepier than london and all the new brains are relocated to the city, so there is a shortage in birmy, and hence my niche. Its quite exciting to be wanted.

You can take the girl outta the big city ...

I had a minor discussion on what the essence of life is with d's stepsis Jane. She is going to be a psychologist and cements my theory that its the people who aren't entirely sane who have an interest in that industry :) I ought to know, I wanted to be one. Or some sort of therapist. heh heh. Anyway, I figure with cash or no, I'd still be looking for a job anyway while D finishes his contracts here.

So now I would be a management consultant, do corp finance .... who knows what they want to be at my age ? Or at 30 ?

Wolverhampton and Birmingham Central

Its black country, its the midlands, no its not glamorous. But the funny thing is, I feel like I am really living here. Sure I have a fair share of business anxiety and piddly other things. Trust me the last 6 weeks have been a nightmare and I am glad to be in one piece. PS have a bad cold and just went for an interview in a law firm. GAH. And a certain large company here wants to know if I am chinese or a variant of a chinese. Lol.

ahem.

Maybe for once being rich isn't on top of my list. Sitting in a desk rotting under a flourescent tube, working inches from passing out, the mad commute in public transport ... in the end those mean nothing. Its a means to an end, where I just want to be happy and contented with D in a flat by the canals, eating what I want to eat and buying within reason or even slight fancy.

There was a study done with lottery winners, and really, people don't change their spending patterns that much. They have their old jobs and shop in the same shops. They weren't much happier. The word du jour is this : Satisfaction.

Well, you know me. Old habits die hard, and I will look back at this and laugh when the money siren calls.

Getting set up

So now the departure date has been pushed to new years because of d's contracts, which is fine by me. I am near a firm called deloitte and they happen to have a rash of jobs in m&a work, because of a new branch being opened. Fantastic, no better time if you ask me. I am excited on the idea of earning in pounds. Hopefully I get a foot in the door. I'd say a leg over, but in the uk english is a whole new language and it means something naughty.

Yesterday I went to see d's dad. The english eat very simply, but it does taste pretty good. Baked potato with cheese and beans, which we had the day before :) or grilled chicken with potato salad. Ah it all tastes like picnic food, which i like. Bangers and mash - picnic , fish and chips - picnic, sandwiches - picnic, roast beef - picnic, curry - definitely picnic.

Tomorrow we are going to pick blackberries but there is a 50% chance we will stay in. And maybe we will have a picnic.

xx
g

Excess Baggage

Hi

The time has cometh ! I shall depart from toronto on the 6th at 6PM . Lovely, I have two days to do anything I want to. I will be missing TIFF [toronto int film fest] but no matter. Just going to have a nice flight there, and possibly by today repair my laptop which i happened to accidently smash. Angrily. I basically killed the hard drive.

D and I have not been doing so well because this long distance thing is bulls**t.

Syl messaged me the other day out of the blue, and it was a nice surprise. As usual, a flood of memories in its wake, starting with the $900 phone bill in april of 2005. No matter what, I will always be fond of him. How could I not ? Also, 3Am in the morning is always spooky. All the old songs circa 2005 come pouring out of the tv.

Now I am worrying about coming home. This is it folks, the gwen hath returned to yee fair shores of changi point. Well yes, since the flights from the uk do come in that direction. And with her shall followeth a fair man with chest hair.

:) I do worry though. I feel an imaginary pressure to pull a rabbit out of thin air when i come home.