To quickly kill some time

What do you do if you need the computer from your boyfriend, who isn’t home right now, and you don’t have an account on said laptop? You write a blog entry, containing a few updates and why you need that thing so desperately.
As I mentioned earlier, my family is here. My dad just took one 2 GB memory card with him, which was a mistake. So I have it now to get those pics off and burn it on DVD afterwards (use number 2). My computer doesn’t really like that SD card. While Windows only reads half of it, Mac doesn’t like it AT ALL. So that’s where use number 1 comes in. I need the Intel based Mac machine to get at least half of the pictures from that card. It is 12 minutes past 10. I am tired, because we went around London all day and I’m cold (have I mentioned that it is July?).
I took some awesome pictures of squirrels today, with said camera and I was keen on uploading a few. We fed them some chips in Greenwich Park and tried to ignore the fat pigeons. So that was fun! I don’t like my digital camera anymore, that’s why there won’t be much pics to post (camera phone pics anyone?). I’ll do my best to pimp the camera phone pics somehow. Since America I don’t like my own camera anymore. So I need a job quickly, to allow myself a new camera.
I’m pulling the pics from my mobile phone and I’ll post a taster of those squirrels.


It’s impossible to pimp those pics!

The unbearable lightness of being unemployed

As the weather is not inviting at all to do ... stuff, I might as well write another rant about my situation here. I got a few invitations for interviews in Austria waiting for me. And I am so grateful, one can’t imagine! It really seems a slightly bit easier to get work after a few years of experience in your pocket. It might sound presumptuous, but maybe the UK thing did help as well. But I won’t wait until the money really comes in to get a nice flat in Vienna. This task might be a bit harder though, with us still being abroad. Those estate agents with their commission are not making it easier! I hate you! I won’t pay three monthly rents just because of your smart dress. There were voices out there to change that, and there did actually happen something but nothing big, because they are all complaining. Oh, come on!
What else? I am waiting for a few pounds from the UK (tax refund), the council (Council Tax) and the water company (thanks again for non-metered water!).
My family (parents and sister) is coming on Friday. We will explore London and hopefully Brighton. I haven’t been to Greenwich yet. So please! Rain! GO AWAY!
On Saturday is The Big Dance 2008 on Trafalgar Square. If you are in London either come and see or come and dance! There are still around 400 places left. I would’ve liked to do more during this event, but the weather was oh so disgusting. I guess we’ll have to turn on the heating again. I much rather spend the day in bed, sleeping. Brrrr.
Ah and for the record! Our flight home is on the 30 July. I am planning to be in Vienna the week after (4 August), to do a few interviews and hopefully look at a few flats as well. I am afraid it is time for me to get a Wiener Linien annual travelcard. Ah the fun of a new beginning! No! Honestly! I like it.


Let’s have some tea for my cold toes.

Erykah Badu, 30/06/08, Brixton Academy, London

We had to wait for hours, but it was definitely worth it! At the beginning we were so far at the back, that I didn't believe that it is really her. I really got even more short-sited after those six months of work. Moved a little to the front behind a tall guy, where nobody dared to stand. That was better. But no pictures, at least not from me. But I found a set on flickr. They aren't that bad, but ISO 1600 shows if you look at the bigger versions. Ouch. But you did a good job man! Don't be afraid!


Originally uploaded by PaulJay

It’s gonna happen, man

Yes. Got the tickets, the voucher, tha monies. But still loads to do. I hope I won’t forget anything. But doing something like that for the first time ... When I went on a holiday for two weeks for the first time, I took to many clothes with me. Next time my suitcase was more like half empty then too full.
Good. Went to Regent's Park. I love it, I simply love it and I hope we’ll visit it more often in the summer.
So, now, the itinerary for the next few weeks:
18/05/08 LTN-VIE
22/05/08 VIE-JFK
02/06/08 JFK-VIE (arriving on 03/06/08)
05/06/08 VIE-LTN
And then on the 30 July we’ll fly home. And then there is the usual again. Job-hunting, solving the living situation and so on. But before that I’ll have a two months holiday! The family is visiting and I’ll have to make a nice plan where to go.
We watched Persepolis (Tickets in London are utterly expensive!) on the weekend and though it is an animation, I felt like being in Vienna (it is also set in Vienna, yes) again. Hmmmm, I’m really looking forward to it and everybody there and around it, near it ...


Votivkirche, May 2007 (analogue SLR)

Juggling rings

I still have to practice a lot, but it is a start. I bought them yesterday, shortly before we stumbled upon the International Beatboxing Convention. Find a video and pictures on my flickr account.



I picked up the rings, you can see in the video above, from Camden Lock Market and I was quite struck by the sight of Stables Market, especially the part pictured above. We've been there with D. and S. in late December, shopping for clothes. Now I think of all the people who suddenly lost their jobs and shops and else ... The mind is a strange thing, which is filled by the media unless you go there yourself and see with your own eyes what changed.

Grow up!

They are planning yet another strike! The London Underground that is. Come on guys! GROW UP! The people you hurt, are the people who rely on you and cannot get to work without getting up at 5 in the morning! I hope they call it off again. I have only four weeks to go. Please let them be without a strike! (And I want to get to the airport without any hassle as well!)



via Tube strike threatened. Again. | London Metblogs

BUT! Good news! I learned to juggle rings yesterday! Yessss! I will get me some tomorrow so I can practice in the garden a bit (If it is not raining all weekend, yes, then I REALLY COULD do that! What is it with this clouds, that they always come on Friday and go on Tuesday morning as soon as I am in the office? HA?!!?) In the meantime the Pound is rising against the Euro, which is good, as I earn Pounds right now. I wish it is highest by the end of July, when I move my money back : )

Grand Union Canal

Grand Union Canal
Originally uploaded by .·˙ƒain˙·.

It snowed today!!!!! Wow! I was woken up by the screaming kids and when I sat up I was astonished! I could even see it without my glasses on :) Check out the rest of the pictures on flickr.

Closer

The Atlantic was born today and I’ll tell you how...
The clouds above opened up and let it out.

I was standing on the surface of a perforated sphere
When the water filled every hole
And thousands upon thousands made an ocean
Making islands where no island should go
Oh no



Those people were overjoyed; they took to their boats
I thought it less like a lake and more like a moat
The rhythm of my footsteps crossing flatlands to your door have been silenced forever more
The distance is quite simply much too far for me to row
It seems farther than ever before
Oh no

I need you so much closer

I need you so much closer
So come on, come on

Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism

Long time no read

Ah! Where to start? I finished another one of those work intense weeks and there are still six remaining. It is really hard for me to get up in the morning. Amid some dream the alarm clock goes off and I think “Oh no, it’s that kind of day again!”. It feels like sliding from a sweet dream off to a nightmare. (Ok, maybe I exaggerate ...) All in all the week was not too bad and I am feeling pretty well today. I took a picture of someone else’s bogue (n. The expanse of skin that appears between the top of your socks and the bottom of your trousers when you sit down. from Douglas Adams & John Lloyd The Deeper Meaning of Liff), sorry, I just couldn’t resist!
Yesterday we watched the awesome, hillarious, important and strongly recommended Shaun of the Dead, in which all the usual suspects from British TV and/or film are seen (at least I’m claiming that). What else? Yeah, The Creation will be performed from scratch and I really, rilly (sic!) would like to attend, but it’s a Sunday and it seems that I wouldn’t be able to make my way home by public transport. Maybe I’ll ask at the choir, if somebody’s driving up there. Our flight home is booked (LTN-VIE 30/07/08).


My sweetheart/sis/Schwesterherz and me at the Donau not far from my parents’ house (da hometown, more or less). Photograph by nungee

I bought a medium format camera via ebay (I ebayed it? ;), but I asked them to send it to Austria. I trust the Austrian mail a tiny little bit more than the British. The weather is good, as long as I’m working, the coming weekend doesn’t look that grand, it won’t be as warm as today. In the meantime we’re desperately awaiting the vouchers for the American trip (at least I am). Yes, I think that pretty much covers all. Hmmmm, did we do some experimental cooking in the last few weeks? Nah, don’t think so. We made a nice Tiramisu again, with real sponge fingers (Biskotten) this time. Oh dear! I could take a bath in it! ;) We didn’t even use rum and it still tasted awesome! (Orders in the comments please.)

So long and thanks for all the fish! (Video)

As stated, Karla and I are working on the same things, just different formats. She’s Mac, I’m Windows.
“Entirely appropriate,” Karla, “because Windows is more male, and Mac is more female.”
I felt defensive. “How so?”
“Well, Windows is nonintuitive ... counterintuitive, sometimes. but it’s so MALE so just go buy a Windows PC system and wast a bunch of time learning bogus commands and reading a thousand dialog boxes every time you want to change a point size or whatever ... MEN are just used to sitting there, taking orders, executing needless commands, and feeling like they got such a good deal because they saved $200. WOMEN crave efficiency, elegance ... the Mac lets them move within their digital universe exactly as they’d like, without cluttering up their human memory banks. I think the reason why so many women used to feel like they didn’t “understand computers” was because PCs are so brain-dead ... the Macintosh is responsible for upping not only the earning potential of women but also the feeling of mastering technology, which they got told is impossible for them. I was always told that.”

From: Douglas Coupland Microserfs (1995)

For my German speaking readers ...

... some little note on my German blog.

Bureaucracy

E. and J. came for a few days over the last weekend. On Saturday we watched the oh so awesome hip hop theatre Into the Hoods. As I hurt my foot last week on Thursday, it was really difficult to watch, but I was on the edge of my seat for the whole of it. Nice movements. Aaaaah! We enjoyed London, though freezing like never before, it seemed. On Tuesday I had to get back to work. Still eight weeks to go. 32 days. I do not want to know how many hours that would be (no do not even THINK about writing it in the comments!). Yesterday I got myself a medium format camera on ebay. Looking forward to that. And I am still waiting for the vouchers for the trip at the end of May. Having an insured foot sucks! W. might be able to write an opera about that I guess. :/


Oh! There is a spar in the UK!

Too long Johnny

This entry is for E., who complained that I did not post anything recently.
Yesterday I finished Extremely loud & incredibly close. “I’m still wearing heavy boots.” I can really recommend that book to everyone, it is a must-read.


The Whitest Boy Alive at the Electric Ballroom, 07/02/08

This week I was very lazy concerning Thing-a-Day. I not good in doing something on the tube or during my lunch break. I either read (I finished the book within five days, which is good, when you keep in mind that I was at work on four days out of those five.), talk or feel too sick for doing anything (I hate the Metropolitan line! It is so shabby and wobbly, that I could vomit all over the train …). And because I am really not into drawing (more into painting, but I do not have the materials), I haven’t done anything worth mentioning. I will upload one picture, which I quite like. I made it on my way to work. Everyday the sun rises three minutes earlier and you can really feel the difference. It’s amazing!


The Whitest Boy Alive at the Electric Ballroom, 07/02/08

My hand was also hurting every now and then, which kept we away from my computer at home. On Wednesdays I have my choir rehearsal and on Thursdays I hopefully practise my juggling some more. Fridays are here to chill out and phone home. I forgot Tuesdays: I am coming home at about half past seven and do stuff one does when s/he comes home from work so late and I prepare for bed. So, I am sorry, but from Tue to Fri I am really not up to do something to be worth posting. But I make a picture every now and then.


On my way to work, 06:44 am. You can already anticipate the sun rising.

I flipped through the recent photographs and I will post a few in/with that entry.
At the beginning of March I will get an assessment from my manager, if I got it right, besides that my wage will go up a bit. I really hope, that I can get the tax back I am paying right now, because it is immensely high! As I only work for three months in the UK tax year of 2007/2008, it is just a matter of me insisting on getting it. I haven’t heard anything regarding Council/Housing Benefit yet, which pisses me off (like missing the Chiltern train in the morning). I don’t want to phone them and tell them to their †¿§‰?"*)+!=•¡ job.


On my way to the office. I can see where I go! 07:34 am

Right now I am also waiting for the tax rebate from Austria. It takes so long because I received jobseeker’s allowance for a while. That’s unfortunate, but I can hardly change it.
I started the first book of Harry Potter today. It’s so much thinner than the last one! Good, I think that’s it for now …

Too long Johnny

Camden Lock Market

I have been there three times. In November 2007, shortly before New Year’s Eve with S. and D. and last Thursday to see the magnificent Whitest Boy Alive. But yesterday evening it turned into ashes. I am glad that we’ve been there for quite a while in December, because as Mr Rotifer wrote, it might not be the same again after that. But I am really shocked, because we’ve recently been there, enjoyed a burger in one of the pubs located in the Camden Lock Market and awesome music.

BBC News

Update: It seems that another part was struck by the fire. It is located behind the Camden Lock Market, called Stables Market. We have seen that as well ...

Snowdrops

Beautiful snowdrops, blurry picture. Still no snow seen in the UK. But SNOWDROPS! YAYYYYYY!!!! I am knackered so that is it for the day. No idea if I will be able to upload something tomorrow or Friday, because Thursday is a concert and Friday either concert or Chinatown.

New pictures online

On Thursday I got my film back from the photo studio. Today I post-processed one half of the chosen ones. During my upload process (moving them to another folder on my computer) I found other pictures, ready to upload, but not up yet. So I uploaded the old/new ones and the brand new pictures as well.
Here you can find the new pictures. at the bottom you can see two pictures. One of the old/new pics and one of the newer ones.

It's a beautiful day

I took a walk during my lunch break today, which isn't always the case as I only have half an hour. As you can see it was an awesome day! A bit chilly, but if you walk fast enough it is ok. I had something else in mind but took my camera with me (after months of not doing so), in case something comes up. This picture is one lucky shot. I didn’t take a series of shots. I did a bit of post-processing to make it look like I really wanted. Now after one boring day at the office I guess I will take a closer look to a few other projects. Have a nice weekend and read you tomorrow.

London New Year's Eve

We've (D & D & S & me) been on Primrose Hill (green area above the green arrow) and saw the fireworks, which took place at London Eye, as well. AmAAAzing! I've never seen something like that as far as I can remember.

Job!!!

I got it, I got it, I got it!!! Sorry for the delay of the happy news. Yesterday I was just too tired to do anything productive after coming home. I will start on the 4^th December. Mondays are free, which is good. Today I got my debit card. Only thing that's missing right now is my computer. I will try to fix it on the weekend. Making a full backup and doing a reinstall of Tiger. Next thing will be the purchase of a FireWire hard drive. One that fits under the Mac Mini would be nice, but it will be more expensive. I am also flirting with the My Books from WD, but they need more space, which is already limited somehow on my desk. Well, after 37.5 hours of computer hours a week, I hopefully won't use the computer that much.
Two friends of mine are visiting around New Year's Eve and I am already thinking about stuff we could do. There is very much of course! But I have clearly no idea what's good to do in London on the 31^st December. I will have to do a thorough internet search, I guess.

Still no Mac

Yesterday I tried to boot Ubuntu with the Live CD, but that didn't work either. I just talked to Michael and he says that I should update to Leopard. I am really afraid of that, because my recent RAM Update could have been useless. But he also meant that his machine works with 1 GB RAM. You just don't use all the new special features, which I don't need really. But will all of my applications still work?
Yesterday I imagined myself coming out of the branch of the bank and waving the letter, which says "congratulations! you opened a bank account!". Just like all the people who bought an iPhone and got applause, when they left the Apple Store.
My kidneys decided to stop hurting me. They just were tired of it I guess. I wouldn't listen. Sorry guys. Next time don't even try!
Ah! AND I learned juggling yesterday. I am now able to juggle four times in one go. So I have three juggling balls and I am able to through all of them once and one of them twice and then often two of them land on the floor. But it's good. At the end of the year I want to juggle with clubs and rings (not at the same time!).

Things to remember

If you want to get money from the UK, do not wait until they get back to you again. You have to call them and tell them, that they have to do something, i.e. working on your case again. And I really have to be carefull in order to get the money I am entitled to. And to all those people outside, who have their phones defaulted to "do not send caller ID": I hate invisiblo calls! Particularly if they hang up, after I picked up. What the ... ?!?
What you also ought not to forget: London is BIG! No not big it is BIG, HUGE, B I G. I guess one must either work in the centre or live in the heart of the city for at least six months to be able to say you know one hundredth of London. I still didn't encounter every inch (and not even the interesting ones!) of Vienna, though I have been living there for three years in total.
Ttyl.

NIN

Today I got my NI (National Insurance) Number aka NIN, which is valid for lifetime! Wow! I even will get a card in six to eight weeks. The interview on Wednesday was wonderful, except for the distance. Everything was perfect! Money, tasks, the guys who interviewed me were nice, but the travelling is just not possible by public transport. My longing for a job grows every day, because I need money and I want to do something. I really enjoyed post-processing my pictures from today. Yesterday I reapplied at a company which I wrote months ago for the first time. They are not that far away, but it still would take 45 minutes. I am pissed off though, because so many employers do not even write you back. So you never know. They might call me in December, when I am close to sitting on the street or booking a plane back home. NOOOOOOO!!!!! That won't happen. I get a job. I get a job. I get a job sooooooon. Maybe I get the promised jobseeker's allowance in December? But I don't expect very much. Oh my! Council Tax! #~&@‹€∞§¶$%
I recently started to read The Da Vinci Code. It is thrilling and very interesting, because it contains many facts (I guess they are ...). I am trying my best to not imagine Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou looking like the main characters. Ngah, I am tired. I cannot continue right now.

New Pictures

I just added pictures to my London folder.



- > Direct link to the added pictures.

Good old days

I just started to play Command & Conquer again. It was one of my first "real" games on the computer. No, it WAS my first game on the computer. I was in elementary school if I remember right. There was Paint and Word. And Command & Conquer on the PC of friends of my parents. Now it runs on my Mac. He chokes on the graphics every now and then, but he's doing good!



I also did not that bad. I have no idea anymore what I have to do, but the mini tutorials tell you what you can/have to do. Suddenly, as I knew what I have to do and click, my phone rang and I got another interview on Wednesday. In the middle of nowhere. Gonna be a long journey! But I am really not complaning!!! I have one day left to figure out how I get there quickly. Oh my, I want to playyyyyy!

Pictures online

Yesterday I put the first bunch of pictures online in my Photographs section.

Internet

Our home is finally online and I am totally overwhelmed by all the stuff I have to do. In order to get things done I chose, as always, multi-tasking, in which I am not that good anymore. Thanks to one month without the internet at hand 24/7.
What else did happen? I tried the local choir. It was just like back in the days in Austria. We will be singing something from Benjamin Britten. One has to roll the 'r' in a special way, which I never did before. But it is fun and the people are very nice!
Nothing else is happening apart from a bit of a sickness but not too bad, just feeling not good. I should do some workout anytime soon to improve my immune system.
Ah! By the way! Diggnation is going to be in London on the 3^rd October at The Future of Web Apps Conference. And I will be there too when they record the show. Yesssss.
Well that's that ...

First Pictures

Yesterday (and today) we had beautiful weather. Though I only have mobile phone pictures, they are not that bad.

The Canal, not far from our house.

The house we'll be living in for a year.

I had to come all the way to the UK and turn almost 23 to find out what the sign on the left picture at the bottom means. Finally! I never could figure out what the industry meant with that sign.

	My tidy closet containing all I could take with me (concerning the clothes).

On Thursday we've been in Central London, meeting with colleagues of Dominik. The trip in the city is always long and one should always have a book at hand.
I have to go now. Sunny greetings from the UK! (A big SORRY for the crappy layout, I have not time to fix this right now.)

Finally

I am finally sitting at a computer, where no clock is ticking and I have enough time to do some proper update on my blog.
Arriving at Heathrow was easy, but getting my luggage was a big problem, somehow. They lost a container, in which my big suitcase was and so I had to fill in a form that my luggage is missing. Shortly after that they found the container. With 1.5 hours delay we finally arrived at the house.
Our new home is pretty nice, our room is bigger than expected and the location is good. The weather is very british, the last time I saw a blue sky was during the flight.
On Monday I did the job thing (going to Jobcentre Plus). I had to phone some centre, after about 40 minutes she had all the information and I got it in my mail the next day (!!!). My appointment with some guy is on Tuesday.
We do not yet have desks or chairs and I do not have my own display, but a keyboard and a mouse. Nothing special was happening because we mostly did some shopping to get the most important things, which we could easily transport home.
I do not feel at home yet and I am not yet sure ...
I need something to do here, e.g. work.

German Version

Shopping nowadays

You want to buy glasses and come back with a REALLY awesome notebook. I HAD to buy it, as I was so fustrated with the stuff (mostly clothings) you get at H&M (Clean Clothes) and such. I was obsessed by the Moleskine notebook since I first saw it. It is black and simple and nice and just IT (and not that cheap by the way but anyways). Then at one shop I saw the new Moleskine City Notebook – I just had to have it. And I bought it for London. There is the tube map, the city map, space for notes, space to order stuff you like (restaraunts, people, music, places, you name it). Even a transparent plastic sheet you can add to the city map so you don't have to write actually on the map but draw something in it. So I'm all excited about that, as you can tell, and I'm totally looking forward to actually going to London again.
Later on, as I was in the Merkur market there was that lady telling us: „Minus 10 Prrozent, heute für Frrändzz.” Just hilarous – you had to be there. So I'm soon going to meeting my classmates from the Graphische again. I hope there'll be all of them – at least almost. Have a nice weekend.