Popping Round To Dinner At Heston's London Pad...

...or at least the next best thing! The 44B crew were lucky enough to be treated to dinner by Patrick's lovely parents at 'Dinner by Heston Blumenthal', a three star restaurant in Knightbridge, London that does not serve your usual gourmet fare.

For those unfamiliar with Heston Blumenthal, he is a Michelen-star chef who sees cooking as a science, as well as an art. Notable concoctions of his include bacon and egg ice cream, He likes to push the boundaries of flavours, producing taste combinations that are have either not been experienced before, or are not a part of modern society. 

That leads us nicely onto his Knightsbridge restaurant; where Heston may not be the chef actually cooking the food on your plate, but he has carefully designed the dishes and added his own unique twists. Not only is the food predominantly British, but it is British food from times past; the Meat Fruit (see the picture and explanation below!) was a popular addition to medieval feasts. I loved the little touch of the little anecdote banners that wrapped around the menus, such as the original form of ketchup (mustard, not tomato), and the origins of the quintessentially British afternoon tea (in the early 19th century, the Duchess of Bedford was feeling a little peckish before her late-evening meal). For such a quality restaurant in the beautiful grandiose settings of the Madarin Oriental, neither the service nor atmosphere were stifling in the least...after a brief explanation about the historical background of various dishes, the servers pretty much left us to muse over and enjoy the unusual cuisine in front of us. 

All in all, it really was a fantastic meal, book-ended very well with champagne and port respectively. A special mention has to go out to the 'ice cream cart', not only providing ice cream, but making it on the spot using dry ice! Amazing to watch the ice floating around the cart, even if we were too full to try any!!  Thank you so much, Colleen and Bob; I hope that you had fun on your short trip. Look forward to seeing you in the New Year!

Without further ado, here are some photos that I took on the night. Cleverly, I managed to avoid any pictures from the main course: between us, we had steaks, spiced pigeon and cod in cider. Enjoy feasting your eyes on these!

Meat Fruit: unanimously the most popular dish of the night. An incredibly rich, fruity pate that originates from medieval times. Apparently, back in the Middle Ages, disguising meat as fruit was quite common in upper-class feasts.

Buttered Crab Loaf: melted in my mouth...delicious.

The whole gang: (l-r) Colleen, Patrick, me, Rosh, Bob and Dan

Chocolate Bar: with passion fruit jam underneath and ginger ice cream on the side. Delicious!

I thought I was full, and then this scrumptious little apres-dinner desert came along...I found room.

World Travel Market 2012

Forget 'all around the world in eighty days'... at the World Travel Market, you get to see the world in one day. Held every November at the colossal ExCel (think that's the right number of capital letters) in London, the WTM is a chance for tour operators to set up stalls under their country's area, and schmooze with all sorts of people in the travel industry...as well as pick up heaps of freebies. Some were better than others...mine ranged from leaflets to Chinese silk scarves. Not bad for wandering around and chatting about travel all day- though sadly, I did end up leaving them somewhere...

Just a glimpse into the WTM madness...

Highlights of the day probably included the huge hug I got from a very sprightly 73 year old Iranian tour operator, and the free Serbian brandy that we sipped before the Nepal Embassy evening. The whole day was awesome though, in the literal sense of the word...to be honest, I was pretty overwhelmed by the number of people and stalls, but David- the Travel the Unknown director who invited me to the event- made the place a little more focused with his arranged interviews.

I loved meeting fellow travel writers like Isabelle Conway and Tracey Davies, although I may have been a little more exhausting to meet, asking them tons of questions about how they got into that profession whilst drinking brandy at the Serbian stand drinks reception, and enjoying the authentic cuisine at the Nepal embassy evening. Speaking of that embassy, what a beautiful building- made all the more magical by the fact it's hidden dow a wide tree-lined avenue off Notting Hill Gate. Heading there really topped off a fantastic day- I think what I said to my mum afterwards sums it up, as cheesy as it may sound.

'Today, I realised that I am pursuing the right direction...travel writing is exactly what I want to do with my life.'

How To Get A Paid Job In A Developing Country...

Whenever I told people that I was working in Fiji, most people assumed I was living the dream- living in a beach hut on paradise-white sands, swanning around in 30 degree heat. Yes, I did have the time of my life there- and yes, the beaches certainly helped- but that wasn't the main reason. Our nearest beach was actually around 45 minutes away- and, although it was gorgeous, was not the 'perfect beach' that everybody imagines when they think of Fiji. Suva had enough to do, with good Indian and Chinese restaurants and a (bloody freezing) cinema, but it was not a place that most people would choose for their holiday.

Now, why am I telling you all this, while also putting together a 'How-To' guide to getting a job in a country like Fiji? All I'm saying is, working in a developing country isn't easy- and you should not go there just because of the picture-perfect postcards you've seen. You should go there to throw yourself completely out of your depth, and into a fascinating new culture. You should go there to try new foods, new ideas, new ways of living. You should go there because you want to shake up your life, not put it on hold by taking one elongated vacation.

Does all that sound like something you want? Then read on, my friend. This guide is for those who want to work abroad, but feel that they do not have the right qualifications. There's a song from the musical Avenue Q called What Do You Do With A BA In English that struck home a little too much for me. Don't get me wrong, I loved my degree- but it didn't really give me a work direction, or any unique work skills that would make me stand out from every other traveller. I never thought in a million years that I'd be able to land a paid teaching job, with no qualifications and no experience. Honestly, I'd never even had a week's work experience in a school.

Princeton asks his audience in Avenue Q: 'What Do You Do With A BA In English?'

So, are you in the same boat? Do you want to work in a developing country, but fear your qualifications will not set you apart from the rest? Here are a few tips on how you can make it happen...

1. Book your flight out there: I know this may sound silly- it's pretty difficult to get a job in a developing country if you can't actually get there- but believe me, booking that flight will be the scariest part of the whole process. Once you've made up your mind, decided there are far more pros than cons (there almost always are), then just DO IT. Don't keep umming and ahhing- look around for cheap flights on Skyscanner (http://www.skyscanner.net) and just book it!

2. Seek out the nearest volunteering centres near you: Now, I was quite lucky, as opposite Patrick's work building in Suva there was a huge red sign that screamed 'FCOSS NATIONAL VOLUNTEER CENTRE'. That made the whole process a little easier for me- but I was always passing new volunteer places in Suva that I'm sure would love somebody to walk in and say 'Hey, can I be a volunteer?'. I think those were my exact words at the Fiji Council of Social Services actually. Anyway, volunteering is fantastic for two main reasons: your CV, and opportunities. Having a volunteering position on your CV shows that a) you would rather work for free than be a layabout, and b) that money is not a concern to you. Opportunities wise, you never know what you will do, or who you will meet...it sounds obvious, but talking to people is the best way of finding out about opportunities you may otherwise have missed, or even dismissed.

3. Be a hands-on volunteer: Don't be afraid to try things that you've never tried before. I was initially terrified when asked to give two workshops on creative writing: one on 'Effective Report Writing' (never written a report in my life) and one on 'Life Writing' (am nowhere near writing my autobiography). But, I embraced the challenge, and threw myself into it with gusto. There was a lingering fear that everybody would see me as the fraud that I was- after all, I just had an English degree, I wasn't a lecturer or anything. But that never happened. About 10-15 people signed up for each workshop, and gave good feedback at the end of it. One lady at the end of the 'Life Writing' course even e-mailed me with one of her chapters! From that moment on, I learned to never say 'I can't do that'...and I think it was that attitude that led to the success at the next step..

4. Apply for work experience at your chosen workplace: On a weekend break, I met an American lady called Miki- and, because I was a little worried about it, we got chatting about jobs.
'Why don't you apply at the International School Suva?' Miki said.
I quickly replied, 'But I'm not qualified!'\
'I don't think that matters,' she said. 'I think they really need people.'
A few weeks passed, and I didn't apply. How was I going to sell myself when I had never taught before?But Miki's words stuck with me...and I decided that I should just apply for work experience. That would give me an insight into teaching, look good on my CV, and- on a shallow note- curb my boredom. Before I knew it, the headmistress had emailed me back for an interview, and had told me in said interview that there 'might be a position at the end of it'! Not what I was expecting at all...nor was I expecting to be teaching one kid 2 hours a day right from the word 'go'! No teacher should have favourites, but this particular child did sneak his way into my heart...

5. Apply for other jobs in your field, as backup: So, although things were going well at my work experience at the International School (ISS), I was still unsure whether they were going to find a better, more qualified teacher to give the position to instead of me. So, with my new teaching work experience on my CV, I started applying for other teaching jobs- and got a response from the Fiji National University in Nadi, the airport town 4 hours way. Not ideal, but I thought it would be better to be 4 hours away by car from my boyfriend than 24 hours by plane. It turns out they also really needed people, and I got offered the job on the spot. Now, a word of warning: make sure you have a working visa sorted before you start work in a developing country. At FNU, they wanted me to start the next week, and sort the visa out later. The visa may take a while, but you want to make sure everything is completely kosher with your contract before you start. Don't let this put you off- most good companies, if they want to keep you on, will happily help you to sort out a working visa, and will understand that you cannot start until this has gone through. At ISS, they were used to getting working visas for ex-pats, so the whole process was relatively quick (as quick as Fiji time can be!), free (for me!) and painless.

6. Have the time of your life: Once you're at your job, continue with the attitude you had with volunteering: throw yourself into it, have a laugh with your new work colleagues, focus on the positives, learn from the negatives, and I'm sure you'll have nothing but a fantastic time.

I'm sure there are many other avenues then the one I took- but even if this inspires just one person to take that chance and book that flight, then I will be happy. You DO have unique qualities to offer an employer; you've just got to make the most of them.

Good luck!

REVIEW: CLOUD ATLAS- David Mitchell

Somehow, I keep falling into these epic novels...and it's always touch and go how I fare at the other end. This one may have taken me a while, but I don't feel as exhausted as with Midnight's Children or The Count of Monte Cristo. Basically, this is the novel that I wish I had written.

You know me, I hate to give the whole plot of the book away, and I'm seriously trying not to in this review. In a nutshell, the reader hears the story of six characters, all from different eras in the past, present, and future. One small, seemingly insignificant aspect links all these people, and miraculously they are drawn to each other across the ages. A 1970s journalist reads the letters from a 1930s composer to his lover; a post-apocalyptic tribe worships a Korean cloned robot. A historical and dystopian book at the same time, I can honestly say you will have never read a book like this one. I say 'book' rather than novel; the two stories from each character within Cloud Atlas contain such incredible characterisation and complexity that they each seem like a mini novel of their own.

Cloud Atlas' structure, as well as his language, convey Mitchell's message loud and clear. Everything that we do in life has repercussions; everything that came before us has influenced the way we are. Parallels can be found throughout history, and will continue to be found as we head into the future.

I'll end this review with my favourite quotation from the novel; this is one of those 'thinkers' that you'll read, then read again, before sitting back and quoting it to those around you and saying "Isn't this true?" (or is that just me??)

"In the beginning, there is ignorance. Ignorance breeds fear. Fear engenders hatred, and hatred engenders violence. Violence breeds further violence until the only law is whatever is willed by the most powerful."

The movie that's coming out in February 2012 looks like its got a stellar cast, but please read this book before you go. So many quotations will be inevitably lost in this movie; each and every of David Mitchell's words need to be dwelled over in order to appreciate the author's message to a world that accelerates through life, with its technological and energy advances, without stopping to think of how our world will be affected through the future ages. I honestly wish I had thought of this first!

Next book: The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window And Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson. Fact: I am a sucker for books with a long title! Maybe its because the true fans are the only ones who will remember it...

My Second Venture Into The Travel Writing World...

...the first being when I made the top 20 of the World Nomads Travel Writing Scholarship back in 2011. That still shocks and humbles me, to be honest. Anyway, I had a great chance to venture back into the travel writing world, when I was offered work experience at awesome adventure travel company Travel the Unknown, I was asked to write two pieces of copy, on Ethiopia and Myanmar. After a fair bit of researching, I discovered that these two countries were endlessly fascinating, with completely surprising highlights.

Did you know that Ethiopia is one of the oldest sites of existence, and was never colonised? Not to mention some of the most beautiful mountains in the whole of Africa...




Ethiopia's Simien Mountains.


Also, did you know that Burmese fishermen have a unique rowing style, whereby they stand on one leg at the boat stern, and wrap their other leg around the oar?

Impressive balance- I definitely could not do that!..

There's so many other little titbits I could tell you, but for now, let me direct you to my Ethiopia copy and my Myanmar copy. Even reading and writing about these places got me excited- just how amazing would it be to visit them?

Rediscovering London: A New Mini Series

Right, there’s something that I need to get off my chest. Everyone who knows me one of the reasons main why I love travelling so much: encountering and experiencing the new and unique really gets my creative juices flowing. Being out of my depth was a better cure for writer’s block than I could ever have imagined.  As much as I was excited about moving back to my home city, I was also scared. Scared of confronting a new career path head on, with no outside obstacles like work visas- just myself to get in the way of my dreams. Scared that I was no longer going to be experiencing anything that frightened me, shocked me, that brought on that need to write to try and communicate the craziness around me.

 But of course, I was just looking at it the wrong way. London may be my home city, but as I said in my last post, I’m lucky enough to have two pairs of fresh Canadian eyes on the place. When settling in a city, I think the perfect balance is to have the wisdom of a local, but the curiosity of a tourist. Following on from this though, I want to start a ‘mini-series’ of posts called ‘Rediscovering London’, writing every week about finding new eccentricities and excitements in a very familiar city.

This week, I’m going to focus on STREET LIFE (I hope you have the song in your head now; I sure do). These are two famous streets that I have visited before, but can only truly see the unique London appeal after having left London. We’re starting off in the East End, then moving to West London...

BRICK LANE

For those who have never read the book or film namesake, or just plain haven’t heard of it, Brick Lane is mostly an abundant line of curry houses, all of whom try to tempt you into their restaurant with irresistible deals. Admittedly, because of the thrashing rain, we did not take full advantage of Patrick’s haggling skills (you may remember he’s a bit of a master at this). However, we did manage to up our deal from a ‘free naan bread’ to ‘2 bottles of wine and a full meal for £12’ within the space of three restaurants. They may have been drowned by curry-house desperation and dense raindrops, the Canadians’ introduction to Brick Lane was enough to whet their appetite for more.

BOND STREET

Just by Patrick’s work, the lucky bugger. To be honest, the area around Oxford Street has never been my favourite part of London: I’ve always found it too crowded and generic. However, I found an unexpected charm about Wigmore Street, where the Pontefract pub is- a very different appeal to the East End. Somehow friendly, but refined- approachable, but a little exclusive. Definitely a welcome lunch or dinner escape from the madness of Oxford Street. We happened to have dinner at 2 Veneti: a very reasonable price, even if it’s a little out of OUR budget right now! If I had to describe it in three words, it would be: affordable business pleasure.

I can tell this project is going to be a lot of fun already; I look forward to sharing my newly discovered and appreciated London with you all.

A Little London Update...

I'm sorry that I've kept everybody hanging for a while; it's literally been one of the craziest months of my life. Yes, even crazier than India. I've hardly had time to think my thoughts, let alone write them down. After Fiji time, just getting used to London's unique blend of disdain, politeness and vigilance has been nostalgically challenging- who knew those two could ever form an oxymoron?

So, where do I begin? Our flat is a good place...literally. The housemates, good times. It's been fun having a few Canadians (Patrick and his UBC pal, Dan) around the place; neither are new to London, but London living is a whole new kettle of fish. Rosh (my Exeter uni mate and fellow housemate) is always awesome, of course...even with her cheesy jokes.

What do you call a fear of giants?
Feefifofia.
How do you lure a bear our of a cave?
Camembert.
What cheese do you use to hide a horse?
Mascarpone.

The flat itself, location etc...good times. The flat's functionality...bloody hell. Leak through two floors, blocked drainage, peeling walls... the list goes on. Lucky that my housemates make up for it all with their humour, chit-chat and wine-buying. Ignoring our flat fails, the overarching goal for September..JOBS. I'd emphasise that London is BLOOMIN' expensive, but that's probably like accentuating that an elephant DEFINITELY has a trunk. Anyway, moving on. By some sort of divine intervention, all of our housemates have managed to find job-related success during this mental month. I've gone back to my bar roots in Shepherd's Bush- a transition that has been far easier than expected. To be honest, fine-dining waitressing makes any other kind of hospitality seem like a dream...even if people keep thinking I'm Aussie. Gotta stop going up at the end of those sentences...

Of course, there's been plenty of celebrating going on, especially at our housewarming. More buzzing then any of us lonely souls (cue the violins) ever expected, the wine and whiskey flowed...perhaps a little too much. Again, moving on...

Sadly, I've been neglecting my Kindle of late; 'Cloud Atlas' has been sitting half-read for a while now. Stephen King would chastise me for making excuses about failing to read, and I completely agree; if you want to read, you will read no matter what is going on your life. Once I get past this current mayhem, reading will take priority in my life again. I'm loving the way life is going right now, but I'm definitely looking forward to some sort of normality, whatever that is...