IWOM – We Know No Limits.com

Since moving to London I’ve been doing all sorts of things and just realised, I haven’t told you all about many of them yet! It seems I’m always too busy ‘out doing’ rather than stopping to chat about it.

Like the time I recently tried ‘jellied eels‘ – a love it or hate it UK tradition! Being the seafood lover that I am, I liked them; much to everyone’s surprise and some people’s horror

Jellied Eels in Poole UK

Today I’m heading off to another new experience – Silverstone and the British 2010 Grand Prix. I’m not a race fan but am sure I’ll have a great time and enjoy the experience. For me, that’s usually the best part – the atmosphere and experiencing an event live.

Watch out for the photos and don’t forget to see if you can spot me on TV!

Today is a lucky day. I remember it every year but today it bears good tidings in more ways than one.

My parents - the happy couple (1963)

Today is my parents wedding anniversary – today this year (2010), it’s their 47th; so in a period where divorce is the norm, it may seem a charmed day to some, a surprising day to others but for me, it’s a lucky day.

How lucky they met, ended up together and here we all are – I have sisters, a brother, a son, nephews and a niece all because of a random lucky occurence 47 years ago.

Was it Luck? Some people believe we choose our destiny. I agree to an extent but still feel there are random opportunities that we may either take up or miss and that’s not always by choice, sometimes we’re already caught up in so many things we don’t notice the random.

My father believes your destiny is pre-determined and what’s meant to happen does. I agree that seems reasonable but still believe we have choices and random opportunities that sometimes cause us to do something in complete opposition to our usual behaviours and patterns.

Is it destiny that causes a non-gambler to buy that once in a lifetime lottery ticket and win or is it a random stroke of luck?

Was it destiny that caused my parents to meet up again some time after initially meeting and not particularly liking each other? Or was it luck that they did and then found they each weren’t so bad after all? Haha, were they really MEANT to be together or are they lucky they’ve put up with each other so long? (Love you Ma & Pa!)

Today I called to say happy anniversary – I was telling my father about the saga I’ve been living; searching for a place to live in London and the looming threat of homelessness this weekend! To my surprise he said he wasn’t worried as he always knows whatever happens I sort things out/take care of myself and will always be ok.

I’d been feeling pretty fed up with the whole situation,starting to get more than a little worried and realising I probably wasn’t radiating much positive energy however, after talking to my Dad and hearing his positive thoughts I felt heaps better and made a decision.

Today was the day I focussed all thoughts on finding a place to live – even to the point of taking a couple of hours of work; unheard of for me! I even decided which out of my three wishlist locations my place was going to be in.

Hallelujah – Lucky Day!

I found a place exactly where I wanted at the right price and available at the right time – I told you this was a lucky day. Maybe I was destined to be there and to find it on my parents anniversary. Maybe it was because I chose today or maybe, just maybe – this is a lucky day! You tell me……..

PS: CONGRATULATIONS you two xxx

I recently watched the movie Calendar Girls for I think, the 5th time. Yes it’s a favourite – apart from the wonderfully talented cast and acting, I love the message it sends. In fact there are several messages to be found but the one I love most is that “age is no limit.”

Calendar Girls

Those girls were just as successful and a whole lot braver in creating their nude calendar than the twenty-something year olds usually found in such publications.

When you’re wrinkle and sag-free, you’re assured that even the people who may be shocked to find you smiling back at them from an “artistic” picture, will likely admire your smooth and shapely form. Society declares youth as beautiful and the acceptable norm for all things sexy.

Stepping outside that “norm” is a brave and uncertain thing to do. How many of us would dare? Even in the movie the initial reactions of the by-standers is predictable; outrage from the women’s club members, a husband who declares the wife an embarassment…the list goes on.

The wild success of the calendar is largely due to the fact that these “calendar girls” are not the norm society expects therefore they’re depicted as brave and inspirational; rightly so. The characters surely fit my IWOM ideal anyway and every time I see the movie I’m inspired to continue doing whatever I choose and not what’s expected of me.

Hmmm, I wonder if my friends would like to be in a calendar………..

It’s been way too long since I’ve been here, I feel disappointed and annoyed at myself but more than that, totally peeved at the circumstance that steals my time!

I’m house-hunting again. It feels like a deja-vu experience of the worst kind. I’ve been in my current place around 3 1/2 months and actually really like it but can’t bear the flat-mate.

I thought after living in hostels for so long while travelling, it would be easy to share. I’ve learnt how to ignore things that are foibles, we all have them. I’ve learnt how to judge when bathrooms will be free and race in! I do things with the thought in mind that the next person may be following straight after me…..think; washing your dishes, not leaving clothes in washers or dryers or staying in the bathroom for hours.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t prepared for a person who can best be described as ‘creepy!’

That may sound cruel but when you’re a single female and move into a share situation with a supposedly mature male, you don’t expect him to immediately start acting as if you’re a couple. It’s actually quite hilarious and has provided moments of entertainment for my friends however, immediately after their laughter ends they’re telling me to get out….NOW!

Of course, I am an IWOM therefore I decided I must honour my agreement to the landlord and must also toughen up and assert my rights as an individual.  For heaven’s sake, I’m not married, don’t have a partner and so can’t see why some strange man I barely know should be sarcastic about my friends for taking up time he thought I’d be with him (why???) or demanding that I give him notice of my next visit to friends in France so that he can come! Oh la la………yes, very creepy when you consider these things happened during the first week I moved in!

So; I made a stand and made a statement about how I was renting a room and not ‘living with’ anyone and wouldn’t ever be! Since then there have been dirty dishes with food on them left for days, no taking a turn in cleaning the place and very loud TV til the early hours – I’m guessing it’s a form of revenge.

Needless to say, I stay out a lot – good for the social life and sightseeing, not so good for the budget

Sightseeing in London - standing under the "Avatar" tree of life...looking for my mojo

I have loads of notes for things I want to write but my mind won’t work when I walk in the door to the atmosphere here – you could say I lose my mojo every time I get home. Apart from that, it’s really not so funny when you’re living it however, I do see the bright side and know this will make a hilarious if somewhat unbelievable chapter in my best-seller someday!

So as I was before, I am once again, searching for a place to live. I’m totally over the idea of sharing but unless I want to travel a long way each day it’s looking like the best option……….how many of you have lived in share-houses/flats? How many of you have made great friends and how many of you have similar horror stories of freaky, creepy, lazy or otherwise just awful sharers?

I know I’m not the only one and I know there’s nice people out there too………..anyone know of some nice people looking for a friendly, tidy house-mate?

May 3, it’s my sister’s birthday and once again we’re apart.

A rare occasion - in India together

It’s my fault. I always seem to move too far away or take a holiday and haven’t spent many of her

birthdays with her. In fact, I don’t get to see that much of her but we’re still close and I often wish things were different. Today is one of those times.

When we were growing up we had our ‘moments’ of course. Sometimes we made up plays or dances, swam together, even buried treasure and made a map – until of course we started to fight over who’s treasure it was! We often fought, she was always too young and I was always being told to look after her or set a good example for her.

The bright side, she was always there. If there was no-one else, there she was. That may sound callous but in fact, it’s the truth…she’s always there. I have the best friends in the world but I also have my sister – two of them actually and yes, they’re always there but on this day; it’s only one of their birthdays and now that we’re all grown up, we don’t fight anymore.

We grew up together and for a while it was just us two. She’s almost opposite to me in many ways but also, so similar in many ways. I think of her always and know a two minute phone call will bring us together as easily as two hours together.

When I think of her, I smile…and that’s the way it should be.

Two naughty little girls again

Happy Birthday Jilly – I hope you have a wonderful day, I’ll be calling you.

XXX

Sometimes bad things happen to good people and a couple of weeks ago I was involved in a bad thing. The good news is it wasn’t all bad and lessons were learned. Yes, I’m still positive and surprisingly, so is the friend who was the victim of an all round bad week.

We’d decided to meet for a drink, something to eat and a catchup as my friend had fallen victim to the volcanic ash stopping flights into and out of the UK and Europe. Not only was she stuck at home on a week off but she’d missed a wedding and catchup with many old friends.

So, we found a spot, settled in for a drink and started to chat. My friend was quite philosophical about the missed holiday and looking on the bright side, noted that at least she was having a break and actually getting the things done that she didn’t usually have time for.

As we enjoyed our drinks and dinner, the place filled and we realised we were sitting under a big screen showing the football game between Spain and England…things could get messy! We finished eating just as the match ended and people started leaving – a good time for us to go too. That was when we found someone had taken my friend’s bag.

Oh my god – doesn’t describe the awful feeling of realising someone has basically grabbed your life in their hands and left you stranded. Needless to say 2-3 stressful hours of running around, trying to remember what was in the bag, what needed reporting and cancelling and deciding what should be done first, followed.

The sudden realisation that my friend’s licence with address was in the bag along with her keys sent us scurrying home – well, to her work place 1st where she had a spare set of keys, then home.

For me; it’s awful to think there are people out there who have no hesitation at taking a female’s bag and leaving her totally stranded – no money, no phone, no cards, no keys…nothing. For my friend; it was awful to think she’d been so stupid. She’d seen her bag on the floor with people sitting next to it and thought she should move it then silently reprimanded herself for being so suspicious. Now she felt like a fool.

Aside from the inconvenience and worry of having all your funds and security at risk, there was also a loss of personal and sentimental items that any woman will understand – yes, we all have so much stuff in our handbags that the loss goes way beyond the practical.

I’ve convinced my friend to stop beating herself up – we’ve all ignored those warning signs from time to time and sometimes we’re lucky, sometimes we’re not. She’s been great at looking on the bright side; how lucky we were that my bag was left so we could get home, she had spare keys and a spare phone – all positives, besides, we must accept the things we can’t change.

We’ve both learned a lesson – listen to your instincts. Don’t worry if you think you’re being suspicious or cynical, none of us want to be but on the other hand, we need to be realistic. Oh yeah, spare keys, credit card and a backup of your phone contacts isn’t a bad idea either!

Well, I’ve been back in the workforce for about a month – how time flies! Have I saved my fortune yet, ready to travel?

Um, no. Unfortunately not quite but then again, I have taken a quick trip to the north of France for a weekend (the novelty of being able to go to another country for the weekend may NEVER wear off!) and spent Easter in Brighton.

Yes, so far I’ve spent almost all that I’ve earned but as I’m an IWOM, I can explain; since I started work I’ve only worked 3 or 4 day weeks due to Easter and bank holidays and a bout of food poisoning (another story). I’ve managed to pay my rent and phone bill, buy some work-clothes and food, eat out with friends AND have my couple of weekends away…did I mention one weekend was in another country?! Told you I can’t get over that one.

What I’m trying to say is, upon reaching my four week anniversary of working for a living, I reckon I’ve done ok so far!

Haha, you could say I’m adjusting to my slightly less than totally foot-loose lifestyle reasonably well.

Back to the fun part – what did I do in France? I visited my famile Francais and attended their local Bal de Carnival. It’s an annual event that I attended last year and promised I’d return this year.

Dressed for the Bal

The Carnival is a time of celebration and remembering a local hero; Jean Bart but Bal (Ball in English) also links back to the time when fisherman leaving n long sea journeys farewelled their loved ones by having a huge celebration in the town – in case they didn’t return.

My explanation isn’t very good I know but it’s not bad when you consider my low level French skills.

Finishing off the evening

Where my friends live, in Brouckerque, the Bal  is loads of fun and lasts all night – a night of crazy costumes, delicious food, plenty of dancing and drinking and a great sense of community – the wine may have helped but I had some wonderful conversations in spite of my petit peu (little) French and mostly non-English speaking “new” friends!

Back to work for a few days and then it was Easter. You’ve gotta love short working weeks!

Easter kind of crept up on me so after assessing funds and the lack of planning or booking time I decided it would be cool to go to an English coastal spot. Where better than Brighton as a first experience of the UK coast? Even in Australia I’d heard of the Brighton Pier and then I found out about the historic Royal Pavilion so off I went – dragging some friends along too.

Brighton is full of interesting shops and characters – I loved the variety and funky feel of it.

We did the traditional thing as you must; and had fish and chips on the pier and wandered The Lanes which is a fabulous area filled with jewellery, clothing and antique shops, cafes and bars and has a great feel to it – very tempting. We had a couple of fun nights in and around there but “what happens in Brighton, stays in Brighton!”

Mermaids spotted in Brighton

We hadn’t booked accommodation (underestimating the popularity of Brighton even in winter) so were very lucky to find Kelvin’s, a lovely bed and breakfast that was beautifully clean, smelled lovely (a point worth mentioning after some we entered), served up a delicious brekky and gave us loads of inside info on what to do, where to eat or go for a drink. Well be back!

So now I’m back in London, back at work, saving my pounds and wondering where my next “weekender” should be.

Any suggestions?

Well here I am, a new location but somehow I’m back in what most people see as a normal life – and what I see as “the same old, same old.”

The good news is; I’ve moved into my new place – with only one flat mate. I guess that in itself is almost a move into “normality” after living with TEN others. That experience should make at least one great chapter for my best-seller!

My new room

The other news; I won’t say good but due to necessity it’s not bad, is – I’m working.

Yes, I’ve succumbed to the need to earn a dollar or in my case right now, to earn a pound. Of course I’d much rather still be roaming the world free as a bird to do whatever I choose whenever I choose but for now – let’s look at this as making the money to do it all again.

On the bright side; my never-ending positive outlook tells me that whilst I may feel I’m back in the day to day, living, working – all on a predictable rotation, I’m actually living in a different country where I know hardly anyone and starting out all over again so in reality – WooHoo…another adventure has just begun!

I’m back and better than ever.

I’ve added some skills to my list, survived what I’d call freezing temperatures and learned to love snow boots! For a girl who’s never owned a pair of Ugg boots and think the name is entirely fitting; Ugg-ly, I’ve grown more attached in 10 days to my Sorel’s (Canadian turbo-boosted uggs!) than a fish to water. They are actually too warm for London weather.

Walking on a frozen lake in snow boots - Sorel's rule!

Apart from having toasty toes I also went dog-sledding and had my first ever ski lesson in Montreal. Yes, I am now able to ski unassisted down a children’s slope – something I definitely hadn’t done before. I also drove a car across a frozen lake (the lake in the snowboot pic) – haven’t told the folks back home about that yet. It was a little scary but another thing I’d never done so I didn’t want to miss the chance. To be honest, I was glad to reach solid ground but hey, at least I can say I did it.

Dogs & sleds at Mont Gabriel

Skiing like a champ - on the children's slope

Another interesting thing I learned was that I can survive in temperatures of minus 18 degrees celsius. I was wearing three jackets, a hat, scarf, ski gloves and of course; my snowboots but I survived! Oh, and ten days is not enough to raise my French speaking skills to conversational level. I can however point to things and name them to indicate what I want in roughly the same way a three year old would so all in all, you could say Montreal brought out my inner child.

So now I’m back in the UK and there’s a lot to tell. The accommodation I organised before leaving Australia hasn’t turned out to be exactly what I thought. I’m currently living with TEN other people which is not ideal and doesn’t allow much space or time to do anything let alone write to you. I’ve spent the majority of my time house hunting and traipsing all over London checking out various areas to find a great spot to live…I found it so will be telling you more about that and living in the UK from now on.

Hello lovely readers – due to limited internet time I’ll be short and sweet but wanted to let you know the next great IWOM adventure has begun.

I’ve arrived in London where it is not as cold as I’d feared, in fact only as cold as I’d remembered so I’m surviving rather nicely. I’m flying to Montreal tomorrow and will have no access to internet for a couple of weeks but promise to update you all when I return – I’ll even include some lovely snow pics.

Until then – dream your own dreams and decide which one you’re going to make a reality in the first half of this year…I’m waiting to hear all about it.

Au revoir,

IWOM 001