Words from the Aussie in UK

Hi Everyone!

The sad part is that I can't remember the last time I e-mailed everyone...I would like to say start of November but I can't be too sure of that. Oh gosh that's dreadful. I'm sorry guys. As crazy as it's going to sound, there are times where the Pax Lodge bubble consumes you and you're left with no concept of place or time. Wait, if I recall correctly I don't think I'd started in the office when I last wrote, so that rules out start of November...I think.

Okay, so the catch up. I remember telling you all about the Queen right?? I saw her in the flesh..yeah I do because I can remember thinking everyone is going to think I am crazy. Not that most of you didn't think that already. Right, November. Or end of October. We celebrated Halloween over the space of about four days which was pretty cool considering I've not really celebrated it before. It's that North American influence coming through...You know I love you guys!!! But yes, Halloween. Ruth from Ireland came back for that weekend which was really good and it was nice to see her again. Consequently we ended up with a corridor full of candy and I mean full, we still have some sitting there now...but did the whole bobbing for apples thing, what can only be described as pin the face on the Jack-o-lantern and lots of eating. The last night of Halloween found us all in the Guest kitchen carving "Bob" who in the end sat on the steps of Pax Lodge for many days and by the time he went to Pumpkin Heaven, had pretty much disintegrated into himself. Wasn't a pretty sight.

Start of November hmmm...Erin's family came which was kinda cool, in fact I recall taking a photo of her mum posting a letter in a red post box and getting somewhat excited. I smile fondly at this because I think I did something very similar three years ago with a post box in Buckingham Palace Road...so I could relate. The 4th found me start day 1 in the office and remember why cleaning rooms was so much more appealing than sitting in four walls. I mean at least back home on the 14th floor I had a brilliant view. Here its a small office with a white wall. I want my finance desk back!!! But in all seriousness, I made it through. It has more slow days than busy ones and considering the time of year it is I'm not at all surprised. It'll take a while to get into the swing of things. Still, I cannot help but question why I decided to stay an extra 11 months...and the adjustment from being a house assistant to not being one has been a lot more difficult than I'd anticipated. Right this very day I feel like I've fallen into the gap more than ever, but more about that later.

The 5th was Guy Faulks night. It was lame. Full stop, end of story. So much for seeing fireworks and so much for seeing bonfires. Dumbass. Okay, just a little bitter over that one. Remind me that from now on I make my own directions and make my own way somewhere. Put it this way, I was on a bus for far longer than I should have been and not my fault. Moving on. We assume that one of our cooks Jennifer has resigned. In true Pax Lodge form, lack of communication finds us assuming things because we don't get told. What else is new?

A little worry crept across my mind when Australia was put on terrorist alert. That's a bit scary really. And then when they listed the people they'd arrested and I saw the suburbs they came from, well most of them are near me! That's scary! But then come to think of it, its not at all surprising. It was around then that e-mails and letters in the post arrived about enquiries I'd made to study abroad. A few of you had quite a mixed response to that! But hey relax, it's a long way off. Even now I don't know if I want to study per say. Actually today I don't know about anything I want or feel or do...it's just not a great day in general.

The 10th & 11th saw my return to the Isle of Wight, this time with Erin Gow in tow. It was very lovely indeed! Actually saw a few things this time, Osbourne House (holiday home of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert) was very nice indeed and quite different to other Royal homes I've seen. By comparison it was rather homely and lived in as opposed to being like a museum. Day two saw us attempt to take a stroll to Bembridge to see the windmill but after walking for an hour and a half along the coast, we were only as far as St. Helen's and decided if we were going to make our coach home, we had to turn back. Actually at one point one of the coves reminded me of a scene in a Minette Walters Book I read a few years ago. Half expected to find a body washed up on the shore -very atmospheric!!

Some smaller sessions came in this month, namely Trefoil Special Ladies which means most of them are 50, 60, 70 + in age. Okay one was like close to 90...but a lovely bunch of ladies and made a nice change from rowdy teens. We at one point had a nice family dinner. One night it was no guests in house at all and it was very weird!! So Janet had us order in Pizza and it was just the family of staff!! It was great. Later that night about five of us did a lap of the house (all three floors) in our PJs!! Under normal circumstances, PJs are not to be worn outside of staff quarters. It was actually quite liberating!! It was also a movie night...so a big night for staff!! Seriously, such a small luxury most people take for granted. It was the first time in say four and a half months I felt like I didn't have to worry about what a guest might see or hear. It was brilliant!!

TV wise I started to watch Bleak House, yep, the Charles Dickens mini series. Its stars Gillian Anderson which in essense was why I started to watch it. Still have lingering effects from huge X-files obsession...but it's a great show and I'm enjoying it. Should be finishing in the next couple of weeks. I also got back into Lost. The UK have finally reached the point where I left in Oz!! It took long enough!!

I also found out that in February next year there will be THREE aussies here! Yay! Two House Assistants plus me! I can't believe it! Go the Southern Hemisphere!!

Days out included many little adventures: strolling in Hyde Park to see the Albert Memorial, visits to the Science Museum, Natural History Museum and a trip to Covent Garden which resulted in me now owning a puppet. He's very cute. He is a Fox called Cadbury who is from Durham who lived with his mother and four sisters in the same den and consequently became vegetarian and friends with squirrels. Was picked on at Fox High School because of his name and changed it to Hugo...yeah, I know, I get carried away. Still, I quite like him.

I had to go buy a pair of gloves! Gosh, to be wearing a jacket in November is so wrong not to mention gloves and a scarf! I don't even do that in July at home, not really! Not to this degree! The doctor down the road got to meet most of the staff of Pax Lodge in the space of a week, it seemed like everyone was dropping like flies. Not me, but pretty much everyone else! Janet went into hospital for her Op thus now I'm finding myself doing a somewhat HAC job. The house assistants are now referred to as being mine and I've had to train the new ones and all sorts. It's nice to be out of the office even if I was only doing my new job about two weeks!!

The 21st was an...interesting night. Yep, everyone just roll over in shock horror, I went and saw the latest Harry Potter movie in Leicester Square. I crumbled. No in all seriousness, it wasn't that bad. I keep to my strict claims to not be a Harry Potter fan on principal -but I am more open to giving the books a go. It was very weird. When you convert what I paid for the ticket I seriously questioned my state of mind...no, it was okay.

We had a woman come and stay who had applied for the Centre Manager Position as Doreen's term is up in December. Put it this way, we all hope someone else gets the posting...nothing personal against her, but yeah, most of us went 'Oh no...'. We've probably just too used to Doreen...that's going to be another weird experience, the staff change over in the next couple of months. Good grief.

Two new HAs arrived around the 25th, Erin from Canada (yes we had 3 Erin's) and Kristina from Germany. Both are really nice people and seem to have settled in okay. We needed a fresh set of blood in this place, the energy levels kind of become stagnant after a while.

Several days off at the end of the month found me visiting Camden on several occasions, Charles Dickens House in a seriously freaky weather storm, crepes on several occasions and Ice Skating at the Tower Of London which was really really cool! They've never done it there before, so it was in the moat and yeah, I ended up falling twice. The first time on my butt, the second forwards on my knees but slid and spun and ended up facing everyone as I spun, flung my arms in the air and went 'Ta-da!' to which I received laughter and applause! Wasn't great for the knees and I had two layers of clothing on plus jacket gloves and scarf. So totally wrong!!! We also celebrated Thanksgiving, ate pumpkin pie and made hand turkeys. I also went and saw the most incredible puppet show! Aww man it was brilliant! The way they made those puppets move was purely incredible!! Like I was so amazed it wasn't funny, I loved it so much, we even scored a tour back stage and the workshop where the puppets were made because I wanted to play paparazzi and take photos and yeah, the guy offered us a tour!

The end of November was kinda bad emotionally and has flowed over into December. The last of the summer HAs have left. Monique and Erin both left this place on the 1st of December. It was weird for me because had things stayed as planned, I would have left here on the 2nd, being somewhere between London and Edinbough. All ready I feel really lost and not sure of my place in the scheme of things. And as much as I never thought it could happen, I actually feel kinda lonely now. I know it's going to take time to adjust. And add to that I am half way out of moving out of my room...well you can understand the emotional turmoil I'm going through. My room holds a lot of memories for me...oh crap, the radio has just started playing a really sad song...Daniel Bellingfield or whatever his name is...I hate the radio. But yeah, lots is changing and Christmas is just around the corner and yeah...

Christmas came to London in mid November. Streets started to have official light turning on ceremonies. I would walk down Regent Street or Trafalgar Square, or along the Thames and feel almost like a magic was in the air. Like sitting there and watching Bridget Jones and seeing how Christmas is in that. Crazy as it sounds, I feel like a kid reliving Christmas all over again, there really is a magic. People rugged up against the cold. All I need is the snow to fall...

Okay now I'm just getting nostalgic if that is at all possible. I know this one got long, but as usual I can't help myself. This is only base detail too! Can you imagine what the length would be like if I went into great detail?!! Gosh! Hope you are all doing okay and survive the summer heatwave. As much as I'm not a summer person now, even just a little sunshine would be nice. Oh god, now Michael Buble has just come on with his 'Home' song...that's it I am turning the radio off!!!

For now I must be off. Take care everyone and if I don't get a chance to say so between now and then, please have a Very Merry Christmas, A Happy New Years (don't drink too much) and most of all stay safe.

Miss you guys in vastly varied ways and degrees!!

Rachael :-)