To be sure it was a fine weekend we had with Sinead visiting from Ireland and it was great to catch up with her again - I can't believe it's over a year ago that we said adios in Hanoi.

It was also nice to have a long weekend - more of those please!! Sinead arrived in the late afternoon on Friday so we picked her up at the train station and spirited her away to ours for a cup of tea and some dinner before we headed out to the 'Cave moon cafe' down on the beach front to check out some clairvoyants.
The cafe we went to has a huge cave at the back of it - perfect for parties - that was dug out a few hundred years ago by fishermen/smugglers. Apparently it's been used for all sorts since then - bomb shelters through the war, hiding stolen 'booty' and then these days as a bike space for the cafe workers. It's a little spooky walking around in there with just a candle though.

Sinead checked out the raki there and had her tarot cards done while I went and saw a guy who holds something personal of yours and then tells you about things going on in your life - I can't remember the term for it though. So I gave him my ring to hold (ha ha, sorry I know it's crass but it makes me laugh) and he told me a few things I knew I needed to do something about, a few things I wasn't aware of and a few things that didn't make any sense and still don't. But then that's the way it goes when you see these types of people isn't it? Mark came along with us as well of course and checked out the spiritual medium whom he said was quite good. All in all it was a good yet unusual evening.

On Saturday night we stayed in with some DVD's and a few beers - Sinead wasn't up for a big weekend so it was pretty low key the whole time she was over. During the day we'd had a wander about town stopped in a pub or two for a beer (coke for Sinead) and generally just whittled away the few daylight hours we have here at the moment.
Late on Saturday night (or rather early in the morning on Sunday) after we were all tucked away in bed and snoring there was a knock at the door by the wife of a friend of ours. Apparently she'd locked herself out of the house and couldn't raise her partner to let her in. So we had her around at ours, blearey eyed and foggy brained trying to figure out what to do with her as there was no room for her to stay on account of Sinead being there for the weekend. We eventually raised her partner and got him on the phone to make sure he was there to let her in and then called a cab to come and collect her. It was all a bit of a debacle with her being pissed and quite rude to us all whilst we were trying to sort out some way of getting her home safe and sound. But the cab turned up and we eventually were able to return to our beds. Ahhh, fun and games!


On Sunday it was more lazing about. Sinead cooked us a roast dinner which was completely unexpected and really nice of her to do. But aside from eating the roast we mainly sat around watching the box, talking and generally making pigs of ourselves munching away.
Then all of a sudden it was time to head to bed and get ready for the week of work. Sinead came into Brighton with me on Monday for a look around and lunch with me before she had to head off up to Gatwick and fly back to Ireland. And so the visit sadly had to come to an end. Still it was great while it lasted. Now I just have to sort myself out to head over there some time soon.

It's been a long time between blogs! I think the last time I bothered with an entry was way back when Mark's Mum, sister, brother and sister in-law were on there way down to visit us - or after that...? Anyway it seems like aeons ago although I'm hard pressed to remember what the hell I have been doing between now and then...

Hang about a bit... Oh yep, that's right, a few of my Aussie mates from home have been heading back home as their visas are up. Feels a little lonely these days without them around to meet up for lunch, or have an email chat with throughout the work day, but they were happy to be heading off back home to family, friends and new jobs... Guess it won't be long until I'm considering the same, then again, you never can be sure of these things now can you??!

Nelly was the first to go, which was a bit sad, my old highschool mate that I hadn't seen for something like 9 or 10 years until I arrived here. Bit strange that was... But good strange, nice to catch up with people from your past and find out that you still get along as well - if not better - as when you parted ways, for whatever reason.

Mark and I headed up to London for her going away do in Brick Lane. A big partially open air pub/bar in the CBD. Nice it was, and then onto some club not far away when we were all a little worse for wear and the Vibe bar were kicking us out... What was it...Cargo! under some train bridge arches. Quite nice too although the music was a little unexpected - bangra beats mixed with prodigy and the like. But it worked, even though my description of that makes you think it's impossible.

It was a really good evening, and then before we knew it, Nell was gone! Like a puff of smoke, with just a faint memory of her being here. Well not really that faint, but I was trying to be poetic then.

The week after that it was Lisa's turn - same thing again, old mate/flat mate of my little brother's that I hadn't seen in years and didn't even know she was here until I literally bumped into her as I was walking down the street. Bit of a surprise again, but still a good one.

She's been living and working just around the corner from where I work in Brighton so there was many a lunchtime drink and catch up. Mark and I headed up to Brighton to say our farewells, bon voyages and all that sort of thing. Was a good night although the Jack n' Jill's were a bit lame. But it was kinda the same scenario again - get pissed at the pub and head to a nearish club once you're getting kicked out of the first place. This time it was some place on the beach front called concord. No idea why, don't remember seeing any planes, but there you go, guess they have to call it something. Not bad and not great music but then it didn't really matter by that stage.

Since then we've been staying in a bit more, keeping a bit quite. Partially due to limited funds, but more due to limited energy. The onset of winter this year is a lot harder than last year to deal with - this time I know what to expect and I'm not really that excited about the prospect of cold and dark days/nights ahead. Maybe if it snows it'll lift my spirits. I do love that clear, clean look when you wake to everything being white and new in the mornings. Don't get me wrong though, I haven't turned completely English - there is more to life than weather!

My class has been going really well. I have got a copy of Photoshop on Mark's laptop and have been building on what I was taught in class. It's good to keep the brain going. And were learning another program - Hyper Studio - which is a really easy straight forward way of putting together sound, animation and pictures. Can't really explain it better than that, but the more I learn about it, the more I like it.

Work has let me know that they can't sponsor me, which is a shame. They looked into it, looked for loop holes, way up, down and around it, but there isn't one.
You know the more I learn about immigration rules - from my Australian married experience to what I am finding out now - the more annoyed and frustrated I get with it all.
As it stands work is unable to sponsor me as I am not important enough to the company, I can be replaced reasonably easily. (Maybe not with someone as truly excellent as I am, but there you go - Ha ha ha) However if I was a cleaner here, or for some other company, England would be happy to have me stay, I'd be in an integral or whatever it is they call it industry. Seems that the Poms prefer their immigrants to have their hands down toilets, or else they're just dirty bastards who can't clean up after themselves... not sure which. Frustration, frustration and yet more of the same....

So that's been the main things going on with me for the last however many week since I last had a blog. I'm sure there are more anecdotes and funny little stories, but I just can't think of them right now, plus lunch break is almost done and I need to have something to eat.

Here's something to stave off the boredom though -
Mmmm the Hoff.