My move from the OC to London.

So I was home in October for 7 days and most of my time consisted of documenting everything that I saved in boxes 2.5 years ago or have been saving in some form of a box since I outgrew items. This could possible have started 27 or 28 years ago. It's quite debatable. Let me tell you of the great dilemna of "what stay's? and what goes?"

What stayed? Strawberry Shortcake dolls, stuffed animals, school notes (not the ones from classes, the ones from boys, Valentine's, etc.)

London: Furniture of course, Kindergarten painting of a Leprechaun, WEDDING pics, Storm Trooper helmet, barbie corvette and Winnie the Pooh bookends! Oh and the grand daddy of them all The GREEN Machine! Bow-chica-mow-wow! I feel the jealousy across our 8,000 miles.

Ian unfortunately is not of the cultural background to truly understand the power of the Big Wheel. It could be that due to most homes, like ours, lack of a garage, basement or any storage for that matter Big Wheels could be seen as slightly excessive...such a strong word. Well certain items came with intent and others well I think my mom was just sick of storing my boxes and paid Bekins a few extra dollars to add Barbie and Star Wars. P.s. Don't forget the baby blanket that amounts to a few pieces of fabric held my 4 stitches of yarn.

I digress. My prize possessions came on 20 December. The perfect storm had occured. A huge project was due at work on the 20th....our bedrooms closets were being built requiring all items to shift into the other 2 rooms...our flight was on the 21st to LA....and my cousin and her husband would arrive from Chicago on the 26th. Good times. So again, my prize possessions came and guess who knocks on my door with his three lovely colleagues. Do you see this picture? Does he look like your typical moving crew? Actually this dude is famous and I just couldn't take their picture with my camera b/c it would have validated the ridiculousness in front of me. Of the 4 movers, two were on there way to greet the grim reaper and I'm most certain one of them walked with Gandhi, and the other 2 jokers walked like my niece. Hyperventilation set in when we were down to the piano and my grandparents china cabinet. I paid the truck driver (who looked like a mover) to get out of his truck violate his union and coordinate this shower of idiots because they had no ramp and would have to lower the goods down 5 feet to the ground. I love all of god's people, I like the Serenity prayer, I like rational thought, I like the phrase "give it to god" and I like whiskey in the wee hours of the morning when a work paper is due and a doo-dah parade is outside.

My piano is standing and needs a tuner. My china cabinet is proudly displaying its crystal.

And "yes" to all of the nosy people, it was cheaper to ship it then buy it all here!!!

Jeremy visits London!

Jeremy and Krista visited London prior to my trip home in October. We had a quick visit with them before Ian headed to New York and I packed up my belongings making London my latest and greatest home.

Jeremy, former Torrance intern and now friend, is the second of the COT intern mafia to come and visit. Kimahn was here earlier in the year, but time lapsed and she never made the pages.

Jeremy took his picture with the newly erected statue of Nelson Mandela, swore that UK escalators were faster here than in the US, and saw London's pumpkin size mushrooms at the Borough market.

Here's Kimahn so she doesn't feel sad. Kimahn took a crazy coach-tour around Europe over a 14 day period and stayed in each stop for only 12 hours. I'm too old for these travels. We met up at Cafe Belgo for the last taste of euro cuisine before she headed home to start at Deloitte in Sac-to.

Well I'm home!!

Ya-woo! I'm very excited. Job offers came in last week and so I hopped on a flight to CA and landed Sunday. I'm home until the following Sunday to coordinate the international move, but more importantly see my family and friends. I met Michaela for the first time last night and that was exciting. Hannah unfortunately was quite shy and her memory failed her from our past encounters so I must rebuild our bond with games of peek-a-boo, baby einstein, piano playing and noise making contests.

I haven't decided on the job just yet, but by the end of today a decision will be made and life will move ON.

Please call my parents or mom's mobile to reach me.
HOme 714 956 5414
Mobile 714 883 0658

Look forward to seeing people.
L

Buyer's Remorse???



You never really know what you're getting yourself into when you buy a house. You don't know what the area is like to live in, you don't know your neighbors, transport functionality, basic logistics and how day-to-day life will pan out.



One recent trip to our local proved informative.



2 pints of lager = $5

Admission into the lounge for live entertainment =$12

Bartender serving beer in bath robe plus towel on her head = Priceless



In my area I can buy a goat's head, ox tongue and a dried chicken. I have stepped over the Bob Marley look alike who was exhaling an odorifous amount of mary jane and appeared to just be chilling on the sidewalk. I have sung along to "How Great Thou Art" while shopping for veg on the high street only to realise that the hymm was getting louder from the people walking beside me. (a possible Fame episode could have broken out.) I have relied too long on grocery store signage and need to learn the different fruit and veg as most of the world knows the difference between a mango and papaya. I live near Netto, it sounds like Ghetto and is a lovely grocery store I'm sure, but like I said, it sounds like ghetto. I have given to those with there hands held out needing a little help.



Recently a woman approached the car as we were turning down the street. She looked quite upset and approached the car in hysterics asking for money to help feed her children. She stated she needed nappies and milk. Ian looked over to me and so I tried to get the fiver to her as quickly as possible. She took it and off she went. Quite proud of my good deed, Ian said, "what are you doing? she said she needed to feed her kids Nappies and Chips! Who buys there kids Chips? She's a crackhead! You just subsidised the poppy fields in Afghanistan. Nice work!"

Well Kuwait was interesting to say the least. I took a red eye from London and arrived first in Doha, Qatar and then to Kuwait City. Doha was amazingly hot and humid, heat that I have never experienced. My flight was full of travellers headed to exotic destinations and did not adequately prep me for the adventure. Pretty hungry I took advantage of the coffee shack and made a trip to the ATM and pulled out 100 Qatari $. 30 of these smackers got me the coffee and pastry I needed to hold me over until the Kuwaiti hunger strike. 30, I'm really hoping that wasn't $30, better yet, I'm really hoping that the coffee wasn't 30 Pooounds! Note to self, check Torrance credit union when I arrive in Kuwait. I soon headed north and landed in Kuwait City, this airport is not so international. The Arabian Knight get up is very daunting to say the least. Well I pulled another $100, but this time Kuwaiti dollars (KD) from the ATM. Who knew that Kuwait recently separated from the dollar? Who knew it surpassed the British Pound? Who knew it was a 1:4 ratio? Who knew that I only needed 2 KD for incidental tips for my 3 day stay? Live and learn. Well it was bloody hot. And despite being told that the hotel would happily serve me food behind closed doors, this didn't exactly happen. I joined my Muslim brothers and sisters and partook in the Ramadan fast. Begrudingly, yes, but a days feast awaited me at sundown.

Why was I there? I was recruited for an MBA Talent Recruit position. I would be travelling to the top universities to find talent that would come and work for Alghanim Industries, a huge conglomerate based in Kuwait whose span is far reaching. While the role sounded exciting and the people were great, who knew Kuwait just wouldn't appeal. The one benefit of working there would have been honing my marketing and sales skills....painting a picture of Kuwait to the most recent graduate of Harvard...who could resist the proposition? Driving around was very odd. There are parts Kuwait City that look like LA, new strip malls, the biggest SUVs, the worst food chains...Applebee's, Fuckruckers and Chi Chi's. I mean really folks, Chi Chi's? That's a Mexican food restaurant that I would every so often visit when I was at Uni at St. Norbert's in Wisconsin! Wisconsin food chains have no business every going international, let alone an ethnic restaurant with no Mexicans anywhere close to the midwest. I digress. But it did appear that every poor food chain had capitalised on the war and introduced itself during the rebuild. As for the rebuild, a lot of construction is happening and cranes fill the skyline. So I did receive my first job offer, but destination Kuwait is not in the cards for me. I'm not ready to give up the Euro lifestyle, live inside for four months every year, regard the GYM as a night out on the town, completely detox.

Also, the flight back was a little intense. Can we say, "fish out of water?" I first approached the customs desk where I was asked to show my Kuwaiti visa, "um, what if I packed it?" the gruff look was enough for me to start praying to Allah to please for the love of god and all that is sacred and holy may I find that Kuwaiti visa in my purse. The shout out to Allah, Buddha and MOses must have worked. Then as I'm waiting for the x-ray screeners some fool walked through with 2.5 gallon jug of water. Here I'm thinking, "Um sir, that's how a bunch of crazies in London grounded all flights, tried to blow up air fleet, and made me smuggle lipstick on board for the past year." I appreciate this man's pilgrimage, but not cool.

Then every which language being spoken and the little Arabic that I've learnt from Howard Stern just wasn't cutting it. We boarded the plane and not only was I a young, lovely American female there was about 109 years difference between me and the other 3 ladies onboard. Hmmm, this might cause some distraction to folks. Sing along folks, this next tune is from Sesame STreet.... "Which one of these is not like the other, which one of these is standing alone, can you guess which one is not like the other...can you guess which one?" So as the plane engine began to roar, behind me were two fools praying aloud. While I appreciate god fearing people, I really like to know what's being said, another fool is putting on his scented oils that began to kill my nostrils yet heighten my awareness to a few key things learnt from Barbara Walters on 20/20 post September 11th, and the mad tripper sitting beside me was looking at me and then back over his shoulder to his friends, back and forth, back and forth.....oh holy moses! The exit door on my right was looking pretty good and yes, I have read my Worst Case Scenario handbook and you better be damn sure that I know how to open that door. Serious angst, bad voodoo and a lot of smelly men later, I soon arrived back in London sans my Ambien and completely knackered.

I can't tell you exactly what it was, but Kuwait is not the place for me. I had a few people think I was Lebanese, Syrian and/or Palestinian. Who knew?

Enjoy the sounds of the Imam whose prayers are amplified around the neighborhood.

Have a rockin' Ramadan.

Salam Malakim,

Laura

I'm headed to Kuwait!

I'll check it out for everyone and will report back.

I'm thinking it will be hot, I'll have to wear way to many clothes and I'll be hungry until 5 p.m. Little do they know that I snuck a few rice cakes and peanut butter.

Hopefully, many photos to come.

Love, L

Putty, The High Five G-G-Guy

Does everyone remember Putty from Seinfeld? Every time he greeted or parted ways with someone, he was quick to extend the high five. Well since then and the end of my sporting days, I've been quite put off by the high five.

So this morning as the fog parted and sunlight busted through, I decided to go for a run. Living at the bottom of hill, I trudged up the street once again, I was thinking that I should be way more buff for enduring these hill runs which I equate to San Francisco or Edinburgh. As I reached the peak quite out of breath and sounding like Jason of Friday the 13th, I turned to find the Mommy and me stroller (pram) brigade headed my way. As I approached, I checked out the kids and the one closest to me I sized up as a cute, little 2.5 year old girl, big eyes, and ringlet brown curls. As I edged around them, the cutest little hand reached out from the stroller, fingers stretched offering the high five. I couldn't let her down, and I reciprocated....High 5 Ggg-guy. It was good stuff.

No pics for this one, just think of the lil hand.

L

Well summer has come and gone. Despite the heavy rains and flooded, I still enjoyed my time out and about. The summer kicked off with Her Majesty's stamp of approval for my extended work visa. A lot of good that's doing me right now. I'm feeling it, jobs are just around the corner. Please pray that the stars and moon align and I do well on my upcoming presentation. I pounded on the doors of the Big Four, and one of them is going to let me in.

Highlights included travelling to Athens, Chicago, Edinburgh for graduation, Ireland with mom, La Roche Barnard (Bretagne) for Ian's Dad's 75th and Edinburgh for the festival. Weekend festivities included Innocent's Village Fete (hung with MBA folks,) seeing Scissor Sisters, going to the Proms (the BBC summer symphony,) walking 7.5 miles to Columbia Market to buy some flowers (we got transport back and this is where i buy more flowers that vases-one of the City's best kept secrets,) mom and dad's visit-kicking Ian out of the flat (for their arrival,) Le Tour de France, and of course not having a job. I'll have to go back and see if I ever shared the experience of La Roche Bernard; it was an amazing little village that I highly recommend if you're on this side.

Remember $400 flights! Just think the money you save on the flight will help toward the Pound/Dollar conversion that is not quite working in my favor.

I'll have you know that I did celebrate Labor Day, I have to stay true to my American roots and there was no way I was about to work. I'm keeping it real, right? Well it sounded good, but I didn't have a job to go to anyway.

Signing off, come visit, don't be a snooze fest.

LO

Is it starting to sink in???

Ian and I bought a house! Ya-woo. I'm quite excited that I will soon stop living like a step above the Parade of Horribles in Paris. Oh yeah, so I guess that would mean that we are back together. I think Ian is the only one really concerned that love has been professed on the blog. I have no idea where I will land a job, but at least I'll have a home that can host all of my friends and family in sunny So Cal. Flights are cheap people, Brit Air for $400 or so from LA. I've got ya thinking now, don't I?

So we will be living in Nunhead, a stones throw from Peckham and East Dulwich. I'll include a few other pics, but my sisters are quite disappointed that the interior resembles a house in Irvine; it's been gutted and properly restored. Hassle free for me! It's kind of amusing considering if we opted for the true 1890's version, we'd have an outhouse. I'll take irvine any day, sans poltergeists and 1960's kitchens. This house is Clean!

And P.S. I'm not telling anyone about the house purchase. It's on the blog, there will be no favoured emails. Keep up.

Alright, I'm testing this out to see if the video stream will work. It's a new feature for the Blogger and I'm quite excited. Let me know if it bogs down your systems or if it's just like viewing other nonsense on YouTube.

Assuming you can check out the video you will soon learn that most of my videos run 2 minutes long. Originally, I had assumed that (key word assume) my camera maxed out at 2 minutes. Au contraire....definitely user error and due to a weak index finger.

Well I have learned over the past 2 years what endears me to certain countries over the another and often it comes down to music. While the memories may fade of fabulous meals, accents and daily excursions, I have found that often it is the music in the background that pieces my life together.

One of the greatest highlights of my China trip was stumbling (not in the drunken sense) into this bar to find a great Chinese band where the lead singer performed One Night in Beijing. Despite the fact we were really in Shanghai, my Shanghai sidekick, Cecile and I took in the scene. It was an obvious crowd pleaser and a little english went a long way. Blending modern and traditional song and voice, this song set the backdrop for my trip.

Let's see if it works.

Kisses, L

I didn't tell you that I'm an auntie again!

..........Michaela Grace......

..........5 June 2007..............

she was really small and born on my Grandpa's birthday which was kinda cool.

I'm feeling slightly guilty that I had prepped you for the arrival of the first niece, Hannah, that I have completely neglected her sister. Considering how partial I am to second babies and our mutual family placement/ranking, she'll be spoiled from abroad. I just bought a shirt for Michaela which reads, "No one puts baby in the corner!" Good stuff, if you're not up on your movie references that's your problem.

As for further family updates, my niece Hannah was in a cast most of June. A broken leg that apparently the family suspected due to the subtle limp, but was not detected in the docs office. Too bad she wasn't slightly older because she could have reenactment from my sister's, Mo's, childhood years. When Mo was about 3, she walked around with a walking stick/cane for like 6 weeks. I don't exactly remember the cause of such intense trauma. Mosquito bite, bruise from falling off a bike, I kicked her??? The cause escapes me, but the vision of the 3 year old sis walking with such caution and bracing herself upon the bark was priceless. I think that was the impetus for the method acting.

So this is the email I get from my sister......

Subject line: "Why are you following us?"

I open it up and here's this silly picture and the explanation that my sisters and mom were dining in King's Fish House and they looked over their shoulders to the wall beside them and there I was in that Sadie Hawkins country shirt and 5th grade look-alike photo haunting them.

Graduation!

Enquiring minds wanted to know Cap and Gown?? No, I didn't have to wear the cap.

Well I have been finished with school for quite sometime. Dissertation was submitted in December, I found out I passed in February and June was graduation. Behind in the photo is McEwan Hall where I donned my gold and black dress and was hit on the head with John Knox' pants (UK pants aka underwear, squirrel covers, BVDs.)

Graduation was quite memorable. My parents came out and spent time with me in London and Edinburgh. Friends from all over the world descended on the city to join in our celebration. The day brought a mixture of emotions: Elation that I actually did get to graduate; Pride for never giving up; Sadness for the friends that will scatter; Blessed that I was afforded such a lifetime opportunity; Hope for what will unfold. I only left in September 2005 and while time has passed quickly, so much has been discovered and Redondo Beach seems a lifetime ago.

I did want to thank everyone who has given me words of encouragement and phoned, written, emailed, chatted, skyped (yes Skype people!) and visited. There were many times that these conversations came just at the right time like little angels knowing that I needed to hear a friendly voice to say, "hey" "when are you coming home" or "we miss you". Thank you!

Now a new adventure awaits. For the time being, I will continue to be a stay at home mom with no kids. And now back to the job search.

Love Loyalty and Friendship,

Laura

When all you can do is laugh or drink.........

I'm unemployed. Everyone is up to speed on this fact, right? Each day consists of an early wake up call, turning on the computer and sifting through the countless job boards searching for the needle in the haystack which will one day be my next high paying, consulting job. Key words: high-paying, consultancy.

Last week, I stared at the wall and sat at my computer from 9-5. This week, I relocated to the dining table with a lovely view of the communal gardens. It's not as depressing as the magnolia (they don't sell Navajo paint here. go figure!) walls.

Thinking that this respite will be good for the soul, I plug away each day sending out countless CVs (aka resumes) to recruiters and employers. You would think I was doing this peacefully, however, 2 flats are being gutted. From 9-5, drills, hammering, swearing, hauling...it's absolutely doing my head in. I CAN'T THINK! It's making me sketchy, there may be voices surfacing in my head. And just when you think the crews are done for the day, calm sets in....BZZZZZZZZZZZ blasts through the floor penetrating my numbed brain. All I can think is this must be some freaking joke and I have to laugh.

Tomorrow I swear the lawnmowerman and weedwacker/leaf blower boy come; it might get ugly.

Stop the madness!

This is a 30 second re-enactment of the drill....

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see it lulls you to thinking it stops and

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Didn't God make some covenant with Noah that there would never be 40 days/40 nights of rain. WTF? No rainbows, just rain....since May 3 folks. Honestly!

Do you know where getting flooded ? I am happily safe in Muswell HILL, but the other towns...not so much. May 3rd commenced the Noah's Ark reeactment. "See the animals 2x2, see which is which and who is who?" (that's the song from my play at St. Pius V in first grade-The Rainbow Express-I was a butterfly)

The Model town is now under water, there will be no hikes of the Cotswolds anytime soon and I may be helping my friend fill sand bags in Windsor. I have free time!

Mom and Dad closing in on Warwick Castle.

My parents came to London a week prior to graduation. I enjoyed sleeping on the floor, Ian got the boot to the south side of the river and my parents fought over who snored and stole the blankets in my Dream House Barbie size of a bed. (yeah, so don't let this picture fool you.)

Good times were had by all. They were greeted with a week of thunderstorms, but thankfully we were all trained by the rain of Portland to not let the weather ever get you down. They quickly found the nearest bakery in town and I introduced them to my new life in the City.

They arrived the last day of my work at Corex and I greeted them beaming with joy as I made my exit. A new adventure awaits me! I hope???!

My father wanted to return to Warwick Castle as that was the only thing he apparently enjoyed when he visited the UK 45 years ago. He rarely mentions that he was travelling with my great grandmother and her entourage....could that have something to do with it? Just a thought. You all remember the last time that I hung out with my grandparents...the geriatric sing-along.

The original Fab Four.

So why have I been MIA?

Well, I took off to Greece when I got my visa. I had originally planned to meet up with Rach and RJ on their postponed honeymoon. From there, I was to dart to Chicago for my cousin, Cait's wedding. It was great to hang out with the Toner clan as most I have not seen since I've been away at school. Got a quick shopping trip in on Michagan Avenue..you know the necessities like Walgreens. How sad is that? Each time I get home, it is a must do. Toiletries just aren't the same in the UK, let me tell you folks! Bygones, I did a 11 minute walk about Old Navy just in time to scoop a few tanks...$6!! Ya-woo! Kids $6 just doesn't happen over here. Have you seen the exchange rates? Have you seen my bank account??

Anyways, wedding was great. Cousin Cait is happy. Toners are fab!

Oh, and I'm an aunt twice over! Ya-woo! Details to follow.

I don't know where my travel book is so I really can't remember what this was, but I liked it. The olive trees were great, however keep in mind that olives only taste nice once they've been prepared. Olives...straight from the tree???BAD!

The view looking up at the Acropolis. There is a ton of work happening at the Acropolis so a large portion was under rehab, I suppose it's a little old and perhaps in some serious need. Amazing 360 views from the hills and the only thing I could think about was that Sparta movie.

Rachel and I in Athens.

We met up in Plaka, the old village of Athens. As Rachel and RJ had been plaqued with rain their entire European vacation, they brought the clouds to Athens too. I needed a break from the sun and sand so it was a good thing.

Athens was great for sun and food. I wasn't too thrilled with the taxi drivers as many tried to rip you off. Athens definitely didn't have the feel as the other Euro cities I've visited. I really did go just to lay out and relax, but I did capture a few sights and was truly amazed at the Acropolis. I wished I had visited my first day in town so I could get a better appreciation for the city. Cleanliness is not a top priority and the Greeks are first to tell you that it's one of the poorest countries in the EU. I don't think they can claim that now that Bulgaria and Romania were welcomed.

Stop the Presses!!!! I got my visa!

Ya-woo. I found out just in time to book a really expensive trip to Greece and Chicago. Actually, I don't care. I'm just very excited to see friends and family.

Work visa....2 year stay in UK.

Currently, I'm in Athens. Photos coming later.

Headed to Chicago for Caitlin's wedding. Big Toner family bash.

Talk to you soon.
Laura