My Mate Kate

On Tuesday, my mate Kate and I spent our last day together and decided what better place to do it than to head for Brighton. After shopping for clothes, we walked onto the beach and were just wondering How to Look Good Naked when we bumped into Gok Wan filming for his Channel 4 show, How to Look Good Naked. He was much too busy to advise us on this occasion so we thought we'd leave it for another day.The sun was shining on Brighton that day - and we saw lots of rainbows too! Brighton is a cosmopolitan city with something to offer everyone who visits. We even found out it was a popular destination for couples celebrating their 3rd wedding anniversary. We had a lovely day shopping in 'the lanes', eating and drinking and even enjoyed a leisurely stroll up the pier (not the burnt out one in the photo, the other one) in the rare British sunshine.

Feeling Full

As well as becoming a fully fledged motorcyclist last week, I had a week of 'last suppers' to say farewell to friends I won't be seeing until 2009 (unless they save up to visit me at some point - no pressure!) I used the opportunity to enjoy a variety of dishes I am unlikely to get the chance to eat in Cambodia: Japanese with Wayne and Robert, Indian with Lina, good old Fish 'n' Chips with Catherine, pizza with the girls on Friday night followed by a McDonald's on Saturday and a coffee and pudding with Kasia! My justification for eating so much over a short period of time is that in a matter of weeks I will be surviving on rice for breakfast, dinner and tea.

On Friday night I had my final girlie evening in the UK with Sarah, Carolyn and Mads and we decided to visit The Gallery in Chiswick. It was a slightly dodgy - but smokeless - little club. Madeline met an old work colleague there, Sarah found grounds for an insurance claim and as always Carolyn made many new friends in the smoking area outside!

On Sunday I was baptised at Putney Community Church - something which has been on my 'to-do' list for a while now - and was dunked in the baptism pool, a little similar to a sheep-dip but with colder water! Some church friends did the 'dunking' - anyone else may've been tempted to hold me under for longer!

And then were the farewell drinks. What a busy day! Thankfully the sun decided to shine this weekend so we all got to enjoy sitting outside in the pub garden - I always wondered what those tables outside were for. Goodbyes are always a little awkward as you try to predict how each will have changed or grown by the time you next meet - or how many children will have been born! It isn't really goodbye though - as Jo said - just a pause in face-to-face interaction!

The Motorcycle Diaries (part 1)

My motorbike! Lucie and Kenny

Me setting off! The cool rider!


This week I have mostly been learning how to ride a motorcycle and oh what fun it has been!

Andy and Kenny at Motag (two of the most patient men I have been fortunate enough to meet!) have successfully turned me into a motorcyclist. It's just like driving a car really - same controls but in slightly different places - and you need to keep your balance a bit more!

Motorcycling really is fun as it involves a lot more tea breaks than I ever had learning to drive a car and many many jokes at other people's expense - namely mine, but I did give as good as I got! £5 fines each time I forgot to turn off my indicators also helped quicken the learning process. This certainly was accelerated learning at its best!

Harborne Hall

In total, I have spent about 2 weeks over the last 3 months at the delightful VSO training centre in Harborne, Birmingham. It has been training of an exceptional quality although you do leave wondering whether you have just been brainwashed and joined some kind of cult of supposedly 'like-minded' people. It led me to question whether I was, in fact, about to leave for Cambodia or whether the whole thing is some intricately planned conspiracy to force the do-gooders of this world to give up their jobs, homes and families with the promise of 'paying no money'. But then, I do occasionally over analyse and have been known to demonstrate tendencies of paranoia at times.

Let me explain... for the duration of each training course, the participants: eat at Harborne Hall with other VSO volunteers, drink at Harbourne Hall with other VSO volunteers, sleep at Harborne Hall with other VSO volunteers (we do get our own rooms!), train at Harborne Hall with other VSO volunteers, socialise at Harborne Hall with other VSO volunteers, spend free time at Harborne Hall with other VSO volunteers and do just about everything else at Harborne Hall with other VSO volunteers! Intense is just one word I could use to describe it!

The next and final part of my training in preparation for departing for Cambodia (that is if my conspiracy theory is proved wrong!) is hopefully going to be the most fun. Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) for riding a Motorcycle! Bring it on.....

From landlord to lodger

Since handing over the keys to my flat on Tuesday and becoming what is officially termed 'A Landlord', I found myself homeless. So, my lovely European friends, Lina (Swedish) and Fed (Italian) have kindly taken me into their home in Streatham - or St. Reatham as I prefer to call it. Despite the obvious culture and language differences we all get on remarkably well and they have proved to be the perfect hosts. In return for doing the washing up for them and buying the odd bottle of wine, they have created a culinary masterpiece for me to devour each evening. I love it! And Streatham isn't that bad after all!

Last night it was my turn to return the favour of cooking a scrumptious dinner for three, so I chose an all-time British classic - Paella. It was delicious, if I do say so myself.

Disregarding comfort

So, I've left my comfortable job, sold my comfortable bed, packed up my other comfortable possessions and rented out my comfortable flat. What now...???

Basically, I spend the next 4 weeks preparing to leave the country and start a whole new (but temporary!) life in Cambodia as an Education Advisor! I keep experiencing moments of disbelief and almost surprise that I have let myself get this far involved! What am I doing? How did this happen? A few months ago, VSO Cambodia was just a speck of an idea in my pretty little head. And now... Oh my God... 4 weeks til departure...