Carol of the Bells

(Sorry the video's blurry, I just found it on You Tube, but it's more so you get the tune).

One of my favourite Christmas Carols... we don't have it in Australia. It's originally Ukranian. Here's the lyrics...

Hark how the bells,
sweet silver bells,
all seem to say,
throw cares away
Christmas is here,
bringing good cheer,
to young and old,
meek and the bold,
Ding dong ding dong
that is their song
with joyful ring
all caroling
One seems to hear
words of good cheer
from everywhere
filling the air
Oh how they pound,
raising the sound,
o'er hill and dale,
telling their tale,
Gaily they ring
while people sing
songs of good cheer,
Christmas is here,
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas,
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas,
On on they send,
on without end,
their joyful tone
to every home
Ding dong ding... dong!

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

There are 12 months in a calander year and if I have to chose a favourite, it's December. I think... no, I know why I choose this month - it contains both my birthday and my favourite holiday of the year - Christmas.

Last year I had the absolute pleasure to spend Christmas in New York City and it's just like it is in the movies - Carolers, Santa's shaking that bell asking for money donations, and the city is lit up like... well, a thousand Christmas trees. I know it's a hard time to be away from your family, but if you ever get the chance, put Christmas in New York City on your 'things to do before I die' list.

This year, I am in London. No snow, but it is cold. I have to admit, although it's nice to be in another city at Christmas time, I don't think anything will come as close to New York City. They go all out there - the window displays, the lights, the Rocketts at Radio City Music Hall. Here, I feel the lights aren't that great and I don't even know where the 'tree' is. Sorry London. That being said, I have tried to take a few photos while being here... here's some of them...

Christmas Markets, which I don't think we have back home, but they're everywhere in England. These markets were just down the road from where I live. This stall sold a wicked Chocolate Brownie... the best I've ever had!

Selfridges (sort of like 'Myers' in Australia or 'Macys' in the USA) lit up for the festive season. Selfridge's is on Oxford Street, Londons main shopping street.

This photo was also taken on Oxford Street, but I am looking in the opposite direction (Selfridges is to my left and behind me).

The brass band outside 'Boots' on Oxford Street. 'Boots' is the place for all your pharmacy needs in England. This one is 2 or 3 levels.

Debenhams - one of the many department stores that you'll find on Oxford Street.

Jack Black and a Love Song

I skipped a movie premiere last night to do my first 'hotel wait'. The premiere was for 'It's a Boy Girl Thing' and I didn't really know the actors and I really needed Jack Black's autograph on a photo. I missed Jack at the Tenacious D in the Pick Of Destiny premiere in London about 7 weeks ago. He stopped signing at the peron to the left of me. I did get Kyle on it that day, so Jack was my mission. I had heard Elton John was going to be at the movie premiere (inside information - in truth, I can't remember where I heard it but it was weeks ago). Turns out he did show and apparently he signed a few autographs. I wasn't fussed, as I'd seen him at the James Bond premiere in November.

So, I went to the hotel and waited for Jack Black. I felt so ashamed of myself... waiting at a hotel like that. I don't mind premieres, the celebrities are meant to be there, but hotels and restaurants and stuff, that's their personal time. One of the 'dealers' (ebay) guys I met the other day, was nice and liked me because I'm australian, so he told me what hotel Jack was going to be at. Lucky, because I would've waited at another one, where he's stayed at the two previous times he was in London. Anyway, my friend gave me the number plate of the car and I waited. I waited til 7pm and figured, well, I must've missed him because he'll be on stage in a hour or so, plus my friend had the licence plate, so I guess that means he'd seen him.

So, I went off to do some Christmas shopping, then went to stage door for the play 'Love Song', where I got Kristen Johnston (3rd Rock From The Sun and ER), Cillian Murphy (Red Eye, 28 Days Later, Batman Begins) and Neve Campbell who I loved in Party of Five. She was quick and only did about 3 autographs. I said to her 'Don't you miss Toronto?' and she looked up at me and smiled. I said 'I used to live in Markham' and she was like 'Oohhh...'. (It's not so much that I lived Markham - a suburb of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) - but I have cousins there, and I always go to stay with them for 6 weeks at a time... poor them, but they're lovely for putting up with me!) I then asked Neve if I could take a photo of her and she obliged. She seemed to be in a bit of hurry, but she was very sweet.

I then went back to the hotel and got there about 9:40pm... and waited... and froze... and waited... and froze. The doorman asked who I was waiting for and I told him 'I'm ashamed to say, it's a celebrity... I've been collecting autographs for 4 years, and this is the first time I've done a hotel'. At 11:20pm his car pulled up and his bodyguard (typical big black American dude who was like 'stand back... stand right back...') got out of the car and then Jack's wife got out and the nanny (? I'm guessing) and Jack got out holding his baby boy. I was like Shit... I'm not approaching him if he's holding his child. He totally ignored me and I thought it was clever of him - using his child so he wouldn't have to sign - but I was the only person waiting. They started to head in the hotel and the bodyguard held me back (I had no intention of going into the hotel, but I guess he didn't know that). He was inside and the bodyguard waved me off and the wife and nanny were heading in and I was like 'Are you serious? Please, I've been waiting here for hours. Genuine Fan. I just want to put the photo in a frame' (All true). By this time the women were inside talking briefly and I was about to walk off and the nanny came out and was like 'Give it to me, I'll get it for you'. 'Oh.. really? Thankyou SO much!'. She took the photo and my pen and came back a minute later. I was like 'I'm so sorry, I've never done a hotel before. Thankyou so much. I'm really looking forward to the concert tonight... oh sorry, I mean tomorrow night' (I think the cold froze my concentration but made me seem like a genuine fan, plus the concert was sold out, but I had tried to get a ticket on ebay a few weeks ago, but wasn't paying £100 for a £25 ticket. I do however have the Tenacious D CD - it's very funny, but vulgar at times! Rock and comedy... it makes for an interesting listen!).

I didn't take any photos of Jack though. As soon as I saw the baby I was like, nope, I don't want the flash to go off in the childs eyes... considerate, I know! I got to bed about 12:30 this morning! So there you go. It paid off, but I'm not in a hurry to do that again. Hotel waits are VERY boring! On the plus side, it was a chance to see the usually arrogant and self-absorbed Mr Black being all sweet and tender with his baby boy, carrying him out of the car and into the hotel. That's a side you don't see much of him in the movies.

Above is a photo of 'the photo'. Kyle had signed it a few weeks earlier at the 'Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny' Premiere at the Vue Cinema, Leicester Square, London. That little scrawl in the top right hand corner is what I spent 3 and a half hours in the cold waiting for. Sad, but true. But like I said, it'll look nice in a frame!

So Here's My Gripe...

Why, oh why, must people stop when they get to the top of an escaltor, the bottom of a set of stairs, as soon as they've exited an elevator...

Why, people!?!

It's not just rush hour it happens, but it's worse then. Tourists, or people in tourist mode, walking along as slow as anything.... I've seen snails move faster people!!!

Please, please, can you just keep moving... or plant your nose on the direction board so your out of people's way. Know where your going, think ahead... it's called 'Forward Planning' people, it doesn't take much effort, but the people behind you sure appreciate it. A little common sense goes a long way.

Stupid people shouldn't breed.... EVER!

aaarrrrggghhh!!!!

Birthdays are a funny thing, I find.

Not haha funny, but unusual funny. They're both a joy and depressing. It's an annual reminder to go 'Look, you're one year older... what did you achieve this past year?'. I find, for the most part, the answer is always the same... nothing.

I have a birthday next week. Not a big one, but not a small one. Somewhere between 25 and 30. I'm certainly not getting any younger, but I'm in the same boat as everyone else... none of us are.

For someone my age there is much I should've achieved by now. A lot of my friends have settled. They're in committed relationships, some married, some have houses with the white picket fence, some have children, they have careers. I'm the flipside to the coin. I have none of that. That's not to say I don't want it. There's a definite yearning for it. And God knows my mother wants more grandchildren, she's not afraid to say that out loud.

I wonder if I've spent too much time travelling the world. Is that possible? I took my first trip in 2002-2003 and spent 11 months backpacking through the UK, Europe, Canada and North America. My second trip was quicker - 4 1/2 months in 2004. Just Canada and North America. By the time I was 23 I'd seen 21 countries. I am now on my third trip, though I know this'll be my last 'big' trip. I left home 53 weeks ago. I spent 6 months travelling through Canada and North America (I have family and friends there) and took in a new country this time around - 3 weeks in Mexico. Now 22 countries. I wonder if the travelling has been more of hindrance than a help. Though I find the cultural learnings I've gathered along the way cannot be taught to me in a classroom, nor can I read about it in a book.

I know there's a lot I should've done with my life by now and there's still a lot I should do. I don't know where my life's going, though I know where I'd like to be. It's not just this time of the year that I assess and re-evaluate my life and my achievments (or lack thereof) but I do tend to do it more around this time in December.

I don't believe in New Year's resolutions, let's be honest, does anyone ever stick it out longer than a month? Maybe this New Year's resolution should be to believe in New Year's resolutions. Maybe when I blow out the candles this year, maybe I should wish for something realistic. Maybe I should wish for something attainable, something I can look back on this time next year and feel a sense of accomplishment. Maybe I should wish to see my dreams come true. Maybe.

Birthdays are a funny thing.

'Click' Movie Premiere, London

I have to apologise for not writing more. I've had quite the social life in the past few weeks, which is why I'm so far behind with my blog! I wonder if I'll ever catch up. Even, my mum's wondered what's happened to me, I hardly go out when I'm in Australia. The girl at work says I've been 'Londonified'. (Yes, that's a made up word, but you get the gist). So here's the next post...

This premiere's going back about 8 weeks, but I hope you can all forgive me for the delay. On Wednesday 27 September, 2006 at the Empire, Leicester Square, was the movie premiere for 'Click' which stars Adam Sandler, Kate Becksinale and David Hasselhoff and all three turned up to the premiere. I went after work and I arrived after 4pm. There were no front row barrier spots, but thankfully my friend had and her mum saved me a front row spot (thanks 'L'). Mind you, they mentioned the crowd only started to build up about 3.30pm so I did't feel bad jumping the queue. Had it'd been busy at 1pm, I would've stood where I arrived. By 6pm it was pretty full as the tourists had gathered to do a bit of celeb spotting.

I was interviewed by a TV crew and they asked me who I was there to see - the wanted The Hoff to be the answer, so I played it up for them... 'Don't Hassle The Hoff' I said. They laughed. I'm sure they aired it, though I never knew what station it was for. The premiere was well worth the wait, especially as you don't know who's turning up, so it's all a guessing game.


The Hoff being cool saying 'Aussie, Aussie, Aussie... G'day, G'day, G'day'. Whoever 're-invented' this man, I would like to sit and have a few words with them! Sorry, the photo's blurry, he was moving too fast.

When 'The Hoff' turned up, he gave out photos that he'd pre-signed earlier. He had these little postcards that he was giving out and stuff - just flicking them into the crowd. He didn't sign for anyone and he thought he was the coolest guy there, you should've seen him posing for the paparazzi, giving them the thumbs up and stuff, he was an absoloute tosser! Good thing I wasn't waiting for him.



Frank Coraci, the director came over and signed my 'Click' mini poster (it was in a magazine, the size of a piece of A4 paper). I later had it signed by both Adam and Kate. All three of them were very nice. Adam Sandler had turned up first, but he took ages to reach me as I was near the paparazzi, so he had to work his way up. Adam spent a good hour, more even, signing for the fans and posing with them aswell.

When Adam got closer to me, I got my friend 'L' to take my photo with him and I took a photo of her with Adam. He was really nice and very sweet. Very gracious of all the fans, I think he was rather surprised by how many people were there, but he was great and stopped for everyone. If people didn't have anything, he shook their hands; he was a genuinely nice bloke. The photo my friend took on her camera is a bit blurry (but not really noticeable) andthe photo I took of her on my camera turned out good. That'd be right! I don't mind though, at least I got a photo with him. Just before I got my photo with him, I said to Adam 'Thanks for being so funny' and he was like 'Oh, hey, thanks dude'. He was calling everyone dude. He was a super nice bloke!


(The photo of Adam and my now cropped friend)

Kate turned up after Adam and she spent almost an hour signing and posing also. Kate and Adam were super lovely. I think I appreciate both Kate and Adam more than I did before meeting them, and I thought highly of them before. As for David, I think he's a bigger douche than before I'd met him, and I already didn't think much of him then. As Kate was approaching, I said to her 'I loved you in Serendipity' (it's one of my favourite films) and she looked up at me and was like 'Ohh.. thankyou!'. Her handler tried to pull her away for photos and interviews and she was like, 'I'll come in a minute, some of these people have been waiting since 11 o'clock'. How nice was that! I was there about 4 hours waiting for the celebs, and I got some photos of Kate on the way out again. Kate had said she'd pose with me, but as I moved after she went in, I lost my spot and missed out on the photo. Not too worry, I got some nice pictures of her as she was doing the autographs for the fans.



(Sorry, I have turned into my friend Hughe and have gone 'Paparazzi' for this and am 'represented' for the photo, hence the watermark for CitizenImage).

After it was all over I ended getting one of the poster boards off the barrier. I went to get another one - just in case I ripped this one when I take it off the cardboard (has happened twice to previous posters) - and I was showing it to my friend when I got back home and I was like 'Oh wow, it's signed'. Adam has signed it in pen and it's a big signature- not like the smaller quicker one on my 6x4 photo. It was a good premiere and I'm glad I met Adam and Kate as they were really nice and they were great with the fans!