The Big OE - a kiwi's overseas experience

Low on money

2011-06-10T08:41:00.000+12:00

probably not the best idea but i've taken to poker to try and fund the london life. Im not the best but ive found a few poker strategy guides. One of the better ones is ThePokerGuide at http://pokerguide.jrwebinfo.com/ and the full tilt tutorials. Dont know how it'll pan out but william hill has a few signup bonuses so cant lose too much. Keep you updated, wish me luck!

Alive & Kicking...finally

2011-05-20T08:59:00.000+12:00

Sorry for the lack of updates but Ive been going through the hard slog of london work. There's been a breakthough however and the lights coming through in the form of a new job. I dont mean to be negative but if your a jobseeker moving to London dont set your expectations to high, infact dont have expectations at all. Ive seen so many Aussies and Kiwis coming through my house being greatly dissapointed with the job market, and their salaries if they eventually find something. Aussies especially find it hard coming from such high minimum wage to the ridiculous wage of 5.80 Pounds. Considering London prices its pretty rediculous. Even for professional job its not a lot brighter, 18 - 20k is fairly standard for first or second jobs out of uni. Its not all bad news though as long as you know what to expect before you come...and if your willing to do min wage theres plenty of hospitality and retail gigs availavle. The websites ive found most usefull have been http://www.monster.co.uk/ and http://www.guardianjobs.co.uk/ . Dont trust most recruiters, the market is flooded with dodgy startup recruiters looking to shove people into whatever jobs they can no matter where...more often than not theyl call you up for a waste of time interview and youll never hear back. In summary make sure all your cv and references are sorted before you get here, make sure you sort out your National Insurance Number as soon as you can once you land (need it to work) and be realistic about what sort of salary you can get...but with flights to europe from 20 quid dont fret too much.

Halloween

2010-10-31T22:29:00.000+13:00

Granted no one does Halloween like the Yanks but London still has a bit more of a spooky vibe than down under so a flat trip to the supermarket was in order to get our pumpkin and candy supplies. Ive never been a big fancy dress guy but our sharehouse was all geared up so I donned some eye makeup and set about my pumpkin. Its remarkably liberating hacking chunks of orange goo out to make your creepy lanterns.

Viper, my pumpkin

Later in the night we headed out to another infamous antipodean bar, the Redback (http://www.redbacktavern.com/) It wasnt as rugged as I had imagined, nothing as debaucherous as the church. It was a good night all in all. No advice really except to take the chances to make the best of your nights overseas, especially when your stuck in a city for a while.

Adios

Back to see Uncle Sam

2010-10-29T22:48:00.000+13:00

Hooray! After months of a rather dull minimum wage existance the payoff has arrived in the form of a christmas trip to Boston!

Finding professional work has been far more difficult than I envisioned but luckily I have a job in a retail store to tide me over. However London isnt the frendliest place on 6 pounds an hour so this trip will be a welcom reprieve to the monotomy at the moment.

London is definately cooling down now with the temperature rarely above 15 degrees, unusual for me considering its only mid spring. So I figure if its going to be a cold christmas may as well make it a proper frozen one across the Atlantic. Daylight savings finished this weekend too so darkness will soon envelop my life. Happy days.

All is not grim however as we have lined up some tickets to some great shows in London we just wouldn't have the opportunity to see back home such as Bill Bailey (comedian) and Deftones (Band). One of the perks of being in a major centre is opportunities to see big sporting, comedic, and musical acts so make the most of it or you may find yourself regretting you hadn't.

Travel fitness

2010-08-26T22:54:00.000+12:00

The title of this post is a misnomer and should more accurately be named 'How to not turn into a living jam donut". I've had mixed success with my fitness while away, but overall it's been on the downhill. Admittedly I was freakishly fit before I left NZ but fitness abroad has proved trickier than I envisioned. It takes a lot more motivation to think of some creative exercises to do in a pokey hostel dorm or flat than a fully kitted out gym with familiar faces.

In the first leg of my trip in London I was a good boy, doing massive (4hr+) walks around the city / country, although the novelty of a full english breakfast, jammy donughts, and english cider ensured whatever I lost was gained and then some. America was a mixed bag for fitness. Muay thai is my sport of choice and I managed to hit up a few gyms while over there, as well as frequenting a normal gym. American food isn't overly helpful either however but i'm going to put America in the genereally positive column. France was where it fell to pieces. French pastries are incredible, its not just a myth they are amazing and I unashamedly admit I had several most days...nom nom nom. After getting back to London I was a bit sick of moving around in general and got in a groove of drinking most nights which almost certainly stops exercise the next day. I did attempt one muay thai session with embarassing exaustion.

Currently I'm keeping the weight at bay by walking to and from work most days (about an hour) with sporadic exercise when I can muster the enthusiasm. It's going to be tricky with winter setting in however so i'm going to need to find something more permanent. Pick up a sport maybe....i'll keep you posted.

Tips for keeping fit:
-Walk, walk, and walk some more. Walking's the best way to see places for every reason. Free, fitness, and getting a real flavour for the city.
-Take a resistance band. They pack up into a tiny cigar roll in your bag and can be used for countless exercises.
-Learn bodyweight exercises before you leave home. If you already have a repotoirre it takes less motivation to get in to it.
-If your in to a sport dont be afraid of stopping by at local clubs. You'll often learn a thing or two and meet some friends with common interests. Might even see someone famous.
-Don't be stingy, your overseas! eat the food and enjoy it while you can it's all part of the experience.

Feeling the pinch

2010-08-18T01:55:00.000+12:00

The infamous cost of living in London has been catching up with me recently so I thought i'd share some tips that have helped me to save some pennies in the capital.

The tube may be one of the most effective transport systems in the world, but it massively distorts your perception of London. What seems like an endless journey swapping lines, and waiting for trains, can often be within walking distance. This is especially true in central London where you can walk everyhere provided you have a good map (I suggest a London a-z) and time to spare. A good example is the covent garden stop. The tube map would suggest that it has an average distance between the stops on either side but in reality you can virtually see the next stations from the entrance, a measly 200m away. Worst case scenario there are allways lines of bustops on most main roads, and at only 1 pound per trip with an oyster card it's alot cheaper. The downside is that the buses tend to get caught in congestion and stop every ten metres at the next stop.

Second tip, skip breakfast. This is especially true if you dont have a job and can afford to sleep in. I'd recommend not getting up until at least 11:00, time to have a shower and cook some lunch. Who really need breakfast anyway.

Third tip, Supermarket reduced sections. These alcoves hidden away in the chilled section are filled with troves of gastro delights ticking closer to their dreaded use-by date. My favourites are Morrisons and Tesco's who usually have a fully stocked section with the staple sausages, cheese, pizza, and stewing steak. Usually accompanied by an equally bizzare mixture of one time only reductions and broken packaging. Go for gold, their good for at least a week...honest.

Medical monkey

2010-08-12T03:45:00.001+12:00

After my slightly emo post last time, today was all about action. Deciding quick, easy money would be the solution to my troubles I turned to the obvious...medical research participation. At first I was amazed how easy it was to sign up for seemingly harmless trials for huge wads of money so I signed up to the most common trial and headed off for my appointment. I'd heard flucamp mentioned in hostel circles before, an almost mystical place where they put you in isolation for 10 days and inject you with the flu (and a vaccine if your lucky not to get the placebo) for a whopping 2200 pounds!

Here's the fine print however. 1st you have to be within a ten percent range of people to have the right amount of antibodies for their needs. 2nd you have to be a medically perfect specimen with no problems of any kind (hayfever, asthma, voices in your head). 3rd its a mega pain in the ass, not many people can give up lots of random weekdays to get vaccinated, tested, reviewed, and infected, then spend 10 days in complete isolation in a hospital ward. However if this sounds like a bother your willing to go through 2200 pounds will go a long way for you. Check out http://www.flucamp.com/ or http://www.biotrax.co.uk/ .

Unfortunately I let them stick me with needles just to find out i'm not eligible because I had a flu jab two years ago...Damn

Grey clouds

2010-08-11T11:42:00.000+12:00

Well it's finally happened, London is officially "home" with all the apathy that goes with it. It may be the crap pay, unhealthy food, or marginal exercise i'm getting but lately the sights and sounds of London don't seem so special anymore.

I've read about this before as the travelling "3 month blues" and I have to admit I never thought i'd be a sufferer, but I guess it gets to all of us. Travelling has all gotten a bit much and you pine for the comforts of home. The familiar faces and places, foods and colloquialisms. Thing is I know that if I was to go home id be ready to go mad in a week and come back here but your mind tricks you into only remembering the warm fuzzy parts. Its just a phase im sure but even still i've been thinking of some ways to conjure up more enthusiasm than my current impersonation of a wet tea towel.

Things on my list to do...
- Get some good kiwi tucker, a pie and custard square would do nicely
- Watch some stand up comedy
- Get out of central London, I haven't seen anything green for a few weeks

& If all else fails i'm going to get really drunk and sing our national anthen on shepheards bush green...god of nations at thy feet.......

lessons from Blightey

2010-07-31T00:18:00.000+12:00

What an adventure...Its been 3 months or so since I last summoned the effort to blog down my thoughts and alot has happened in the meantime.

To sum up: Boston --->NYC ---> Aix-en Provence ---> Back to London

So much has happened I would spend the next week posting just to describe it so instead I will start afresh with the here and now.

As I type i'm sitting in my brand new room in the flat I moved into yesterday in Shepheards Bush. The house is huge with 13 housemates!! and ofcourse they all turned out to be Aussies and Kiwi's. I'm feeling more like i'm part of some secret invasion the longer I stay here. Shepheards Bush is hardly the nicest area but its super convenient which is my big "thing" for a place in london.

Here's my tips on places to stay for antipodeans in London:

Stay within zone 1&2 or your tube bill will rack up faster than you think.
Head west if you want to be around familiar voices (Acton, Shepheards Bush, and Earls Court are basicalls provinces of Australiasia) although most places besides far south and east are nice enough.
Make sure you factor in a deposit in to your budget.
Within 5-10 minutes walk to a tube station and supermarket.

Thankfully Shepheards Bush has all of these with 3 tube stations closeby and walking distance to the largest mall in London...sweet as.

Rent will set you back between 70 - 110 pounds a week for an ok room in a flatshare, while you'll be looking at 100+ for most hostels or studio leases. I've found out the hard way that getting place can be brutal for your budget with a months rent as deposit and a months rent in advance my bank account is officially in the negative. To find our flat we used http://www.spareroom.co.uk/ although there are a heap of sites out there. http://www.gumtree.co.uk/ is another usefull one for pretty much anything.

On the plus side its been easy finding jobs in London and if your happy to settle for minimum wage retail/hospo jobs they are aplenty. So at the moment i'm just biding my time at an outdoor clothing store until I can either gather some pennies together for a trip, or find a "proper job". Unlike back home however almost all jobs appear to pay monthly, which when your a traveller is a massive pain. So be aware when you find a job your pay check could still be a wee way off. Some of the more popular jobsites are http://www.jobsite.co.uk/ http://www.monster.co.uk/ and gumtree.

West country pt 1 - The rolling hills of Devon

2010-05-01T03:30:00.000+12:00

Its been a little while since my last post as i've been far to busy doing important things like drinking and eating pasties to get a post up. Over the last week and a half i've been on a trip down to the southwest of England, through Devon and down on to Cornwall. I've done a bit in that time so i'll split it into two parts and put the other half up later in the week.

I had no real plan for this trip from the outset but I decided to go see someone I knew down in Cornwall, and thought I should make a trip of it. I bought a map of England and had a quick scan what was on the way through. Exeter was the largest city and roughly half-way between london and Penzance (westernmost cornish city) so it made sense to stop somewhere around there. Also Exeter is on the edge of Dartmoor national park, the largest protected open area in England, which sounded like a good area for hiking and stuff. Using http://www.couchsurfing.org/ I got in touch with someone nearby and they said they'd be sweet to host me for a couple of nights, then using http://www.megatrain.co.uk/ I booked a national rail train leaving from waterloo station and arriving in Exeter. Exeter itself is an average city but the couple I was staying with were in a little hamlet called North Tawton which is a beautiful town of about 1000 people 45 mins by bus north of Exeter. My Couchsurfing hosts picked me up from the bus stop and take me for a tour of the city, and into dartmoor to see a hilltop church built by some zealot hunderds of years ago...pretty eiree in the middle of empty rolling hills at dusk.

That night I had my first taste of proper english cider at it is incredible. We have some store cider back in NZ but it is rats piss compared to this stuff. Also due to its varying alcohol content it gets you drunk very quick.

The next day we went for a little look around some of the local villages of Dartmoor: Tavistock, Oakhamptom, and Lydford. Nothing much to mention but lovely places all the same. After that we took a walk deep in to dartmoor and found a waterfall that fed into a narrow but deep pool. It was such a sunny day I couldnt resist it and we took a jump off the rocks. I should have known that spring water coming off the moors would be anything but tropical, but it was still a mega shock. My limbs barely worked enough to get back to the rocks...very refreshing to say the least.

A few more nights on the cider and it was time to leave north Tawton, I'll definately come back here if only to visit my new couchsurfing friends. It is a beautiful place and if you love hiking and nature, it is unsurpassed for its rolling green fields and open countryside.

If you do want to take a walk through dartmoor i'd definately recommend going with someone who knows the area, or your looking at a long walk to even get to the moors. Its lots of empty country so someone who knows can show you all the tracks and trails that go through the most interesting parts, instead of flat fields. Couchsurfing is good for staying with locals closer to the park, otherwise get yourself a good survey map of the area before heading in.

mmmmm....cider

Drinking and navigating

2010-04-18T02:57:00.000+12:00

I should have learnt by now that quiet drinks never stays that way for long with a bunch of antipodean travellers. What started as a lone beer and dinner by myself soon escalated when I started chatting to a couple of South Africans, who introduced me to their group. Before I knew it I was 6 or 7 pints down partying in the walkabout, a haven for Kiwis, Aussies, and South Africans. All in all it turned in to a great night and I met a bunch of great people. When it all started to crumble was when someone told me that the bar was going to shut soon (wtf its only midnight?) and that the trains would be wrapping up too. With that I took off towards the train station in a blurry stupor and tried to decipher the spagetti bowl of train routes to navigate a ride home. By the time I realised what was going on there was only one train left before the station shut so I took a drunken bet and jumped aboard. After irritating a few people on the train I was informed that it wasnt going anywhere useful so I jumped out at the next stop because the name rang a bell.

Now I was really screwed, drunk and lost somewhere in London's Southwest. Through the cobwebs I rememberd seeing on a map that kingston (where I got off) was near the thames, and roughly south of where I was heading...and so the mission began. About ten minutes in I managed to find the Thames (a great navigational feature) and stumbled along it for about an hour. By that time I had started to wear off a few of the pints and I was becoming increasingly worried about my situation so I picked up the pace. Finally after about an hour and a half I reached a village called richmond, which I had previously walked to and could find my way home from. After the final blister inducing half hour I arrived home and slumped in to sweet lager fuelled dreams...

Also as a side note I never would have thought it would have been useful but I happened to be wearing a Protrek watch with a built in compass. Turns out it was a bit of a life-saver and with minimal directions I managed to get home even in my state. Could be worth looking in to if your likely to do something as stupid as me. http://www.casio-intl.com/wat/protrek/

This morning I woke up righfully hungover, but still intact despite a few blisters and aches...now for saturday night.

lessons learned

Plan for your own stupidity, if possible take someone less stupid along with you to slap you when needed.
Have at least one failproof way of getting home, do not rely on being able to find public transport, or that it will still be running.
write down your street adress so you dont have to try and explain your slurred direction to the cab driver, even better stencil them to your forehead.

Pubs, Punks, & Deer

2010-04-12T09:26:00.000+12:00

Its the end of my first weekend in England and I think i've managed to cram as much of london in as I can. Friday was a night out at the pub with some of my Aunties younger work mates (who i'm staying with). English pubs have a great vibe and because of the lack of public drinking laws everyone hangs out in the parks and by the river which is wicked. I'm sure if you had laws like that in NZ it would be carnage but everyone seems to respect it more here. I also expected alcohol to be way more expensive but its pretty normal really. A standard pint will set you back around 3.50 pounds and about 4 pounds for a standard spirit n mixer. Pimms and lemonade is a must try cocktail for the ladies. As for the english ales the taste like flat warm tui but you've got to try at least one.

Waking up nursing a bit of a hangover we headed down to Camden town to check out the markets. This little borough is known as a haven for every type of nutter and subculture you can imagine, and if you like anything alternative this place rocks. http://www.camdenlock.net/

The markets are located in an enormous old stable just down from the camden town underground stop. Its easily large enough to waste a whole day there if you want, with every kind of food stall imaginable to sate your hunger from looking in every wacko, retro, dogy, fake, futuristic, random store you can imagine. I love it. The store the took the cake though was cyberdog ( http://www.cyberdog.co.uk/ ) Its hard to describe properly but its like a three story club with dubstep techno cranking and girls dancing in cages and on platforms, except its a store that sells fluro punk and futuristic fetish type gear. Everything from Jetsons type jackets, glow in the dark shirts, to bondage gas masks and cyborg style arm covers...wtf.

Sunday I took to the old country side of London and walked up to Richmond park. This is a huge nature reserve just south west of the city and is home to lots of native british animals such a foxes, birds, and other critters. For nature lovers wanting to get out of the city this is the place. Im no good with measurements but it is miles and miles of open hills, meadows, brush, and lakes. Also as I found out to my suprise as I was wandering the park is home to a couple herds of Deer. Its shocking to say the least walking out of the bush infront of a huge Stag. I dont know how they stay out of trouble but they seem to be blase about everyone walking by. Despite being a popular place there were several times when I couldnt see a soul, even on a sunny spring Sunday, if your looking for a picnic spot or a walk with the girlfriend I highly recommend it.

London ho

2010-04-10T02:06:00.000+12:00

These first few days have been mad, wandering all around the city. It is so much larger than I remembered. I like to think I can find my way around without a map but I do end up walking for 6 hours with what could probably be done in ten minutes and a few trains, but thats the fun of it I think. You get to see any of the real parts of the city doing it that way.

One things I learnt yesterday was not to plan any sort of walking or timing based on the tube map. it is completely not to any sort of scale and what looks like a small gap between stops could be anything from 30 seconds to 15 minutes. One handy thing I then found was this geographically correct tube map http://kottke.org/03/01/geographically-accurate-tube-map .

Yesterday I took a trip in to town to meet with HSBC and finalise my accounts which was good. It turned out that because I set it up with ASB they automatically give you a 500 pound credit card and a debit card, both of which is amazing and would be impossible if you were trying to set it up straight from England. This will also get my British credit history going which will no doubt be good in the future.

Since it was a brilliant day I decided to make the most of it and take a walk around the city. After a few hours wandering around the city I was too far from my tube stop to go back so I decided to keep going and see where i ended up. Eventually I found my way to green park which I knew was by buckingham palace so I followed that through and checked out the palace with all the rest of the tourists. Buckingham is a pretty cheesy site really but you have to do it when your in London and it is hardly out of the way. If your training there get off at the green park station and follow the tourists through the park.

Then after some further wandering I came across winchester cathedral. I had only heard of the main abbey before but this was just as amazing inside. Ornate walls and sculptures filled the church, it definately had that quiet eiree feel that those old churches have. Further around the corner was the big trio of westminster abbey, big ben, and parliament house. Of these I have allways thought that parliament house was the most spectacular by far.

Luckily I spotted a group of people walking around and wandered over to see what was going on. They had just started a walking tour and were following around this big tall Yank learning about the political and cultural history of the immediate area. I quietly tagged along behind until I was sure no one had notice me joining the group (which i'm pretty sure your meant to pay for) and then moved up the front to hear better. It was absolutely fascinating learning about the little cultural nuances of the area and if you are into history or culture I definately recommend taking one. If your more of a pint and footy lad then not so much.

The adventure begins

2010-04-08T03:00:00.000+12:00

I have arrived! I can't think where to even begin with the trip over so i'll start from the start.

I woke up early on Monday to do some hast last minute packing and condensing until I thought I had what I needed. This is what I ended up with, the tent and backpack for check in, the sleeping bag and day pack for carry on.

Soon after we made our way to the airport and I had some teary goodbyes with friends and family before making my way through customs. As soon as I got to the baggage xray I realised i had too much carry on to manage. On the scanner went my bag, laptop (you have to take laptops out of bags which is a pain in the ass) my jacket, everything in my pockets, my watch, belt, and sleeping bag. On the other side of the scanner your left clutching your pants and passport while trying to manouver all your crap back where it is meant to be. Other than that customs was no problem and off to Brisbane I went.

Apart from having the thinnest toilet paper in existence Brisbane was a non event and we reboarded after an hour or so to start the 14 hr 40 min leg to Dubai. The good thing about rebaording was we got served a second dinner which went down a treat, after which I tried to catch some sleep. Sleep is the ultimate time killer on a plane but as I found out it is harder than you think on a noisy plane, especially when someone in the cabin snores louder than the plane turbines. After sleep, breakfast, and a few movies we landed in Dubai about 5.30am local time. Naturall we expected the airport to be dead at that time but when we got through customs (more baggage drama) we found the duty free area packed full of people.

It only got busier as the morning wore on so I decided to park up and have some food while I waited for my connection to London. I was so tired and dazed at that point that I couldnt work my head to decide what to eat so i'm ashamed to say I took the easy option and delved into the best mcdonalds i've had in my life. Not only did it almost look like the picture on the menu, after 2 hours or so in the air it was polystyrene encased heaven.

Eventually the boarding call came and I boarded the final leg of my trip through to London. By this time I was definately over flying and getting off at London brought a feeling of relief. Straight through customs and off to the pub I went. Within an hour of landing in london I had managed to find myself in a proper english pub, pint in hand watching some rowers on the Thames...aah i'm here.

I definately learnt a few things on the flights over so here are some thoughts:

Make sure you only have 2 things carry on max, that could be a bag and a jacket, 2 bags, or a bag and laptop. Any more and you'll be scrambling to get through customs and you dont need more stress.
Make sure your passport is allways handy not in the bottom of your bag
keep your boarding passes! I saw one poor chap who was confronted by a very angry Dubai customs official when he didnt have his.
Chicken Bigmacs are amazing, and if you dont have them in your own country like New Zealand I recommend trying one.
Extra stops really take it out of you, think about your stopovers carefully, sometimes a night in between can really break it up.
take a spare shirt and socks in your carry on, planes are enclosed sweaty places.
dont take your shoes off on the plane if you've been in them all day (sorry to the person sitting next to me).
Keep hydrated and take drinks whenever they offer it, its harder to drink enough with the little cups of water they give you so drink often instead.

Tightening purse strings

2010-03-30T21:23:00.001+13:00

With the day getting closer I find myself nervously checking my bank account and becoming more and more tight ass with my spending. I resent even having to spend money on essential things like shaving razors and petrol. Today I stayed out of the car and bought some budget shaving gel because it came with free razors, which may have been a bit paranoid.
The problem is no matter how many "spending guides" and budgets you look at theres no way to know how much you are going to need, which is a little scary. As well as that people love to tell you horror stories about 10 pound big mac's and 20 pound beers. But I like to think im pretty good with money and i've managed to save up a fair amount. Luckily for me the NZ dollar is at its strongest for a long time against the greenback, euro, and pound, which is amazing for me. I guess in the end there's nothing else to do but wait and do my best.
If you are entering the UK on a visa you also need to take a look at the specific requirements for how much money you need to get approval in to the country as well as the fee for the visa itself. For fellow kiwis check out the uk embassay site at http://ukinnewzealand.fco.gov.uk/en/visiting-uk/visas/ for full info on the different visa schemes. Other nationalities should contact their local embassay or a representative in the UK. For some general travel money advice take a look at these sites http://www.worldbackpackers.net/info/budgeting.html & http://www.worldbackpackers.net/info/money.html

An apple a day

2010-03-25T17:26:00.000+13:00

I'm guessing since im heading to a more developed country than my own, the chances of major disease are pretty limited. Luckily though I know a few people in the medical profession, so I headed down to see them to ask if there is anything I should be aware of. Immunisations were first on the list but the only one thats reccommended for europe is hepatitus A from badly prepared food, which i'm already immunised for. If your heading to a more exotic location make sure you go see a doc or nurse first to see what jabs you'll need. Theres plenty of nasties still out there and nothing will wreck your trip like a bout of malaria or yellow fever.

Next was advice for more common ailments for travellers, vomiting and diarrhea :s For these my doc prescribed me some imodium for below and an anti neasea drug for up top, as well as a broad spectrum antibiotic to clear up any sniffles. Make sure if you are bringing prescription drugs in to a country that you have a written letter from your doctor to certify this or customs could become very prickly.

After that its on to the easy stuff such as taking a few bandages, paracetamol, and throat lozengers, which you can usually get when you get to a country so dont worry too much.

The Final Countdown

2010-03-22T14:05:00.000+13:00

Hooray i'm now unemployed! It hasn't quite sunken in yet but today is the first Monday of my new life as a bum. I've spent it doing suitably lazy things like reading, walking around aimlessly, and eating. A sure sign of things to come. Its now two weeks left to go and I couldnt be more ready. Bring it on...

The waiting game...

2010-03-15T09:50:00.000+13:00

It's the last week of work!! Finally after months and months of waiting the end is in sight and with 3 weeks until I leave everything is slotting in to place.

My Girlfriend and I have been knuckling down to some serious planning of late and the site http://www.hostelbookers.com/ has been primo for rating and pricing up hostels. I'm hoping it's legit and all these places actually exist. A bit of paranoia is healthy when your travelling I think.

We've mainly been trying to sort out the US leg of our journey around early June and where we would like to go. Again the plane, train, bus dilhemma to get around US is a tricky one. But the fact that we will be very poor will mean its eather bus or nothing I think. Either way just basing ourselves in Boston with a quick trip to NYC will be amazing enough.

Next time you hear from me it will be getting really close...can't wait

Insurance

2010-03-03T11:07:00.000+13:00

In the words of Chris Rock: Everyone's gonna die, at least with insurance you'll die on a mattress. With that in mind there is no way i'm going without insurance in the US. I've seen sicko and countless other horror story movies about the health system so i'm going prepared. As I found out you need to start insurance from the date you leave NZ, which is a pain in the ass. So I went around getting quotes for travel insurance between the date I leave, and when I get back from the US, which is about 2 months. State and Tower got back to me immediately with similar quotes. State was about $70 more expensive however and had an excess of $100, compared to Towers $50. I also checked out 1-Cover (dogy references and online only), Mike Harvey, and Southern Cross (expensive). In the end it was an easy decision really with Tower offering me the best policy for the cheapest price at around $500, go them.

For fellow travellers I would reccommend checking out State or Tower as your first call, never hurts to get quotes from everyone though. Things to watch out for is to make sure you let them know if your travel includes USA, the excess, and whether you have to return to NZ to make a claim.

Ticking the boxes

2010-02-24T15:41:00.000+13:00

The warm buzzing excitement from handing in my resignation has subsided and now I am literally twitching in anticipation of stepping through those big departure gate doors. The fun of waiting has long since gone and normal life seems to be going through the motions, with everything slooooowly building towards the final day.

In saying that my early planning has proved to be the right move. I had no idea of the amount of bearaucratic and logistical shit you have to get sorted to move to another country but in the end it will definately be worth it...fingers crossed. My new NZ passport is on its way as we speak, our flights are booked, UK Bank account is sorted...ish, as well as some of my stuff sold, and relatives contacted. Not to mention purchasing boots, jacket, a big backpack, and all the other stuff that goes along with it. Hopefully all that leaves me to get is insurance, which is a pain but not so hard to sort at as its all on the NZ side.

Countdown: 2.5 weeks left of work...5.5 weeks left in NZ...

Considering we bought tickets 10 months in advance it seems like its finally coming to the end of the wait, Hooray!

Dramas

2010-02-17T09:33:00.000+13:00

After alot of F#@!ing around on websites and with travel agents i've finally got some tickets from London to Boston return to do a little side holiday. Originally when I was looking a month ago the tickets were $645 NZD return, but deciding I should wait a bit I ended up paying about $900. Sad Face...so learn from my lesson and if you see tickets that are too good to miss, dont miss them.

Apart from that lots of other really fun dramas have come up lately. First my sister got denied at customs going stateside for not having an e-passport. As I dont have this either thats another $150 spent mucking around getting a things signed, declared, and sent away. Also HSBC finally got back to me and they have approved my account, yay! Unfortunately I need to go to a UK branch in the next 3 days to verify my identity or something will happen to it...but they dont say what. This wouldn't be so much of a problem if they had someone I could contact to explain, but i've emailed everybody I can find at ASB, HSBC NZ, and HSBC UK to no avail. Mega customer service fail.

Couchsurfers cont...

2010-02-07T21:41:00.000+13:00

As I said in a previous post i've had a few couchsurfers crash over the last few weeks in an effort to gain contacts.

So far i've hosted a Canadian guy for the night and a young Scottish lad who stayed for most of a week. It was good in the most part except the young lad wasnt too independant. And we ended up kind of looking after him. But in the end its all part of the experience.

Some tips I have learnt so far...

1. Specify EXACTLY how long they can stay.
2. Check with all flatmates if its alright and even then, dont let them outstay their welcome. Its their house too.
3. Dont be afraid of speaking up if they are doing something that makes you feel awkward, its still your home and you are doing them a favour.
4. Be open minded and kind :)

keeping warm

2010-02-01T08:59:00.000+13:00

In further interest of keeping as warm as possible without adding too much weight to my bag, I decided I needed a quality warm jacket. Like the boots, i'm willing to dish out some cash for a Jacket that will last me and I can wear day in and day out.
Im imagining me in a few months with a worn and hole filled jacket, wrapping up dnug in a sleeping bag...aah I can't wait!!
Again my first stop was the army surplus store, but this time I knew there'd be something there for me. Nothing spells quality jacket like a battle proven czech trenchcoat or desert fatigues. Fortunately they had a drab woodland camo jacket that doesnt look to militiary and is toasty warm. The ability to button right up the neck is a bonus to keep out a chilly wind. $100 later and i've ticked another one off the list...score

Putting the boot in

2010-01-24T19:17:00.000+13:00

I'm not planning on spending a whole heap overseas but doing a bit of looking into European travel prices i'm going to be doing a heap of walking. To that end I thought I better suss myself out a good pair of shoes. The kind of pair you still have in 20 years all battered and stitched up again.

First stop was up to the Army surplus store on K'rd to see what they had to offer. I realise that I didn't need something so extreme but i've found heaps of useful stuff there before for a bargain. Noone thinks to look I guess. If you want to check them out you can take a look at http://www.kiwidisposals.co.nz/ . Everything looked a bit black and formal, and, well military. So I headed out to a mall instead to check out a sports store. They had a pretty good range but everything was really bright and sporty, I don't think I would have been able to pull them off in continental europe where they dress quite formal. White shoes are a major tourist "rob me" badge.

Last stop was to Kathmandu, a large outdoors chain. They had a cracker selection but a bit on the expensive side. Fortunately they had a post christmas 50% off sale on all shoes so I didn't feel bad about trying some on. Shoes and a Jacket were the two items i'm prepared to dish some cash out over so I set a $200 budget. Lucky for me there was an amazingly comfortabel pair for $180 marked down to $90! So I scooped them straight away (see pic).

They are really drab colours so they blend whether hiking or walking around the city. They also had some amazing tread and a very comfortable lining, all you need in a good shoe. Bottom line if your going to be doing a lot of walking overseas it's going to be worth investing in some decent footwear. It could be the differnce between being able to enjoy the surroundings and trudging along in blister induced pain, trying to find a sit down spot. Keep an eye out for sales in your local outdoor gear dealers for the highest quality gear.

Plane, Train, or Bus?

2010-01-20T19:30:00.002+13:00

I've been stewing over it for a while now, but one of the biggest questions I've been looking into is how the hell i'm going to get around while im over there. Barring hitchiking and manual transport (walking, cycling, viking boat) The three major options are Planes, Trains, and Buses. The first thing I quickly learnt is that asking anyone who travelled Europe more than 10 years ago is a complete waste of time. They will inevitabley tell you trains are easier, cheaper, and more fun, and although they may be right about the last, now days planes are the go for cheap fast transport. The combination of less beauracracy and low cost airlines you can catch a plane from the UK to virtually anywhere in Europe for less than $200 NZD (at the present time). The cheapest airline without a doubt is Ryanair, although alot of startup airlines are jumping aboard.
In saying this Land transport still has its perks. Your unlikely to meet the types of local people you meet on a long cross country train trip sitting in a cramped airline cabin. And the chance to get out and stretch your legs has obvious appeal. But when it comes down to it for me if I have to choose between a $200 train and a $30 bus it isn't much of a choice.

I'm still tentative but I think at this point I'll be doing any continent hopping stuff by Plane, with the rest made up of busing, hitching, and walking. A good pair of shoes will go a long way.

Bank love

2010-01-18T22:10:00.003+13:00

"Can I please pay to have my money taken and half given back to me" was what I felt like asking at the bank, but I had a feeling the suspiciously young looking blonde girl wasn't the type for dry sarcasm. So instead I opted for a different tact and enquired about opening a UK bank account from NZ.

I had heard from all accounts that once in the UK getting a bank account is all but impossible due to their completely logical fears of Kiwi and Ozzy backpackers laundering large amounts of cash...yeeeeaah. So to avoid having to provide proof of residency and blah blah blah I discovered that you can apply while you're still on this side of the big ditch.

ASB and National Bank were the only two that I looked into, but they both offererd to set up a bank account in the UK for a fee. ASB is connected with HSBC and National is similarly connected with TSB Loyds. Despite choosing ASB i'm sure National's would be exactly the same.

You pay about 60 dollars fee for the NZ side bank to fill in and send away all the forms and another 20 pounds for the same deal on the UK side. They photocopy your passport (so remember to bring it) and tell the other bank what a generally fantastic customer you've been.

The wait is supposed to be 4-6 weeks depending on how many cups of tea they have between applications so I will keep you updated as I get info on that.

Couchsurfin'

2010-01-17T22:13:00.000+13:00

I discovered this site through one of my mates but apparently quite a few people already know about it. http://www.couchsurfing.org/ is a community of people who are interested in travelling and hosting travellers in their city. It looks like a great way to meet people so i've signed up and I already have some people coming to stay this week. Hopefully I can meet some people who will be over in Europe when I am and maybe nab some couch space while i'm at it. Could be a great way to see the more remote parts of countries.

Welcome!

2010-01-16T11:28:00.000+13:00

Hi there,
my name is Justin and this blog is going to be my diary as I travel on my big OE over to Europe in a search for people, fun, and adventure. I'm a mad keen kiwi and I hope you can join me in my experience and hopefully pick up some tips and tricks along the way to hopefully plan your own OE.

Haere ra