The Sing a Long Season

I am pretty busy this week, since I will be flying out to go home in three sleeps.  So there is not really time for a blog.  Instead, here is a run down of some songs that are helping me get through the silly season, work and packing...

This is a version of a song that we often play once the pub has closed, we all get a bit nuts to it - click here to hear a not great but will do version of it...

Anything by The Wombats.  I love them, they have me singing along at the top of my lungs, if I am not on the tube.  My fav is Lets Dance to Joy Division,  click here and turn it up loud! but recently Tokyo (Vampires and Warewolves) has me thinking.  Mainly because he speaks about wearing a suitcase under each eye, which I am currently sporting myself.
Click here to see their lyrical genius

I recently have discovered She and Him.  I love Zooey Deschanel and she is one half of the duo, the She if you will.  Click here to hear some indie gorgeousness
And now joy of joys they have put out a Christmas album.  I love Christmas music, and this cute take on Baby its Cold Outside has me swooning.  Click here to be Christmased.

Because I am loving my chiropractor right now, and she happens to be a pretty cool chick, I love this quirky song that she has put out.... Click here for ginger loving.

Because I am off to a wedding where there will be lots of awwww romantic moments, this song comes to mind, click here to give yourself tingles.

Because I will be seeing my family soon this one comes to mind.  Click here to hear about my family.

And last but very not least, this song is playing in my head as its becoming time for me to go home to homestead....  I better be home soon so click here.

So that is a small insight to what I am getting down to right now.  I will be home sooner than I can blink and I am sure that there will be more singalongs with friends and family that will have me listening to some new music as well.

See you soon xoxo

Dear Man on the Tube

It was over a year ago now.  I had worked late at a recruitment party for The Sting as a colleague had been off with his sick wife.  I was feeling pretty good, I had gotten a few people jobs and the atmosphere in the club had been fun.  So I was a bit smiley and feeling a bit bold.

As I walked down the Victoria Line platform at Oxford circus – ready to be at the right end to get off at Victoria, I saw you.  I thought huh, he is pretty all right.  Then you proceeded to take off your jumper as it was hot in the Underground.  As you did so, your shirt came up and I caught an eyeful at what you had underneath and it was good.  As your head came out of the jumper, you caught my eye, but I kept walking. 

I stood next to the wall and proceeded with my Underground ritual, headphones in, and book out.  Out of the corner of my eye, I could see you watching me.

The tube arrived and I got into one carriage, and assumed from where you were standing that you had gotten into another.  As we pulled away from the platform, I looked up and there you were in my carriage staring at me.  I am not used to being stared at so didn’t really know what to do, so continued being a bit haughty.

The train stopped at Green Park, and you got off, and as you walked past the still stationary train, you looked in the window at me, and were rewarded with a half-smile.  You saw this and smiled back, and headed back towards the doors.  Then they closed.  You threw your hand up in despair and I waved at you as the train speed off.

This whole encounter lasted no more than 8 minutes.  But those 8 minutes cause me to think of you often at Oxford Circus late at night.  The thing is, I am not used to causing that reaction in people, so I didn’t know what to do.  I wish that I had the courage to get off the train, or to pull the emergency stop.  Something tells me that you would have liked that.  I do look for you every now and then, but am not sure that I would know you again.

I told my Mum this story and she said it was the saddest thing she had ever heard.  My best friend called it a James Blunt moment.  A colleague told me that you would have been perfect, not a shit like the rest of the men in my life at the time.  Another lamented the end of the London Lite where people who had encounters like ours wrote in to get in touch.  But I just smile and remember the day that a complete stranger made me feel beautiful, magnetic, and attractive.  Without saying one word.

I hope that life has been good to you, Man on the tube. I hope that you have a lovely lady in your life and that you make her feel these things on a daily basis.  And who knows, maybe one day, you and I will meet. 

Yours sincerely

Nicola

It was the worst of times, it was the best of times

Over the last week, I have seen examples of the best and worst that the human race has to offer.  It’s Christmas time officially now.  And normally I am excited beyond belief, am eagerly awaiting snow, and putting my Christmas tree up on the 1^st of December whilst playing Christmas music.  But with my time in England running out for this year, I am not really in a Christmasy mood.  And there have been some not nice things happen.

I am very much looking forward to stepping on a plane and heading back to NZ my motherland, to see my friends and family, who for the most part, I have not seen for two years.  I feel more homesick in the last week than I have in ages, I guess it’s because I am organising to spend time with my friends, who know me backwards and forwards, that the old familiar dull ache has resurfaced for them.  I am beyond excited to feel the sun on my skin, to have the warmth in my bones and to spend time at the beach.  And to add to the excitement there are a couple of weddings, Christmas and New Year’s added to it.

So for that reason, I am not putting up our flat Christmas tree this year, no one else really seems to care and I won’t be here to take it down either.  And I have run out of time to do my normal turkey day as well.  Which is a shame, but it’s a lot of work, and I will be having some even older traditions in NZ.  My friends and I each year, have what I like to call Christmas Crazy day.  This involves everyone getting together on the last day of work and getting ripsnorting drunk.  And letting your hair down.  I worked in a claims department for an insurance company, so in the week leading up to Christmas, all hell broke loose.  People wanted their cars fixed before they went on holiday, despite the fact that the accident happened 6 months ago and we had been trying to close the claim since then, it was our fault that the panelbeaters were busy.  Or they wanted their claims cashed then and there and when could the cheque be in their hands.  It’s Christmas Eve lady, it will be with you after Christmas.  It would drive a saint to drink, and we have already established that I am not one, so on Christmas Crazy day, I would gladly accept a glass of wine and settle in for a night of great chat with my friends.  Anyone looking in on us would think us slightly unhinged, there have been food fights, people falling off chairs, I vaguely remember a streak, but that could have been another occasion…  This year, it might be a bit more tame as this time there are kids present, but nonetheless I am looking forward to it.

It’s things like this that I am focussing on, when I hear about my good friend being mugged outside her front door, or my backpack being stolen from a busy bar.  I guess that thieves get desperate at Christmas, just like the rest of us, but the difference being that I have worked 6 days a week for the last two years to get what I have, and they just stole it from me in a matter of minutes.  The bag thank goodness did not have anything of great value in it, my sis was worried about my passport, but it had a set of worn that day work clothes, work notes that were valuable to no one but me, and £100 of purchased in the last half hour lingerie.  I had just used up the last of my discount at Bravissimo.  I am really annoyed that this happened to me.  But in contrast with my friend being knocked to the ground and having her handbag stolen, it pales.  The police have been great, they called me back today and told me that they are going to check the CCTV in the bar where we were, considering that I have heard of more stabbings recently, that is jolly good of them.  My friends at Bravissimo are also angels, with three of them offering to share their discounts with me so that I can replace what was stolen.  Which brought a few tears to my eyes.  I don’t want to seem like I don’t care, but I just don’t have the energy to waste worrying about it right now.  The energy is better spent on getting the items replaced, organising Christmas pressies and getting home in one piece.

Friday night saw me saying goodbye to a good friend.  Yep, another one heading home and another sad goodbye for me.  This goodbye was made a bit better by meeting Leo for the first time.  He is very cute wee man who was 12 days old.  And I got a cuddle.  Oh he was cute.  Made my ovaries ache and think of what could be one day.  He and my good friends, made the presence of an ex boyf who should have known better bearable.  The less said about that incident the better. 

 

So today, on my first Sunday off in a very long time, I woke up, watched some tele, spoke to the police and got a few emails off.  I am relaxed and getting through my chores.  I am feeling positive and putting it out there that life is good, and hoping that it comes back my way.  And will be walking to the cinema later.  So life is good people.  Bad stuff happens to good people, but just remember, karma will sort it out.  We might not see it, but that is kinda what faith is!