Jim's Travels: part 2

This is a series of emails sent to me by my friend Jim Coe who left New Zealand to travel a bit and then maybe join the British army. I have editted them to be more story-like and less email-ish.

ENGLAND

It's going to snow sometime this week.

Date:

Sat, 21 Feb 2004 03:02:18 +1300

That's what some crazy guy told this other guy. All I know is that it is bloody freezing today; I got my little woolly gloves on and everything.

It's almost two o'clock but I haven't really done anything. I woke up at eight, made some phone calls, and then felt an overwhelming urge to go back to bed, so I slept on the couch until about midday. Eventually, I came here, my cosy local internet place.

I had a look in the shopping area while I was on the way. Boy, was I surprised to see none other that New Zealand's fine Lindauer on the supermarket shelves. I mean, really. France is right across the Channel! Alcohol is one of the only things here that isn't remarkably expensive. Not that I have been indulging, yet.

I don't know what I intend to do for the rest of the day. Might just hang around the neighbourhood, might go to a pub or something. By Myself

Tomorrow, however, I am finally getting around to meeting Laura. It's the big Chelsea v. Arsenal football game tomorrow, just up the road at Stamford Bridge in Chelsea. It's sold out for weeks, of course, but I am going to head up to North London on the tube to Laura's place and we shall go to an Arsenal-affiliated pub to watch the game.

What fun.

As far as the Army goes, I don't know if I already said this but I have an interview on Thursday up in Cambridge. I don't know quite what it is going to involve, or what on earth I am going to wear. I am looking forward to it though.

Oh yeah, what did I do yesterday. Basically, I walked all around London again. I went up to Kensington, then across to Kensington Palace and Gardens and Hyde Park. I spent probably two hours just around that area it is so enormous. I went up to Speaker's corner where there was one guy speaking to nobody. That disappointment was compounded upon seeing the Marble Arch - let's just say it ain't exactly l'Arc de Triomphe. It's kinda like seeing the Beehive in person for the first time. Down to the Wellington Arch, which is much better and where there is now a huge, fancy monument to Australian soldiers killed fighting for or with Britain. As I went down through Green Park, I found a similar thing for the Canadians. I am yet to find one for New Zealand. Does anyone have any idea whether one even exists? [Editors note: we searched for a mention of NZ on the l'Arc de Triomphe and found nothing, bloody ingrates!]

Saw the Palace. Yawn. There are all these French school kids there, taking photos and being all excited. I'm like, haven't you ever been to Versailles? Buckingham Palace is the K-Mart to Versailles's Harrods. Perhaps they were just excited to get off school for the day.

The rest of they day consisted of much the same. Walked all the way down the King's Road again in the freezing cold. I bet you are all so sorry for me.

Tally-ho,

Take that, you buggers

Date:

Sun, 22 Feb 2004 06:51:24 +1300

Just a quick update tonight.

I watched the Chelsea-Arsenal game at 'The Gunners' pub in Highbury with Laura, about 4 minutes from Arsenal's stadium (not that they were playing there). It was a fantastic experience, the whole place was full of Arsenal supporters, and not only did Arsenal win 2-1, Man U drew 1-1 at home to LEEDS of all people so Arsenal are seven points clear.

Was supposed to watch the first Blues Super 12 game this morning but it turned out the pub wasn't open.

Anyway, yeah, sorry to those of you not concerned with such proletarian

activities as sport. But that's all I did today.