The Adventure Continues...

Imp patient!

2010-01-06T08:59:00.005+01:00

So, while to all outside appearances, I am well, the golf ball sized tonsils, chesty cough and inability to maintain consciousness or thermoregulate belie the great makeup application that keeps me from scaring small children.I had a bit of a 'different' New Years Eve. I spent the 31st December at work, till about 14:00. Then went for a drink until 18:00, which meant that by the time I got home

Me and a Penguin...

2009-07-20T14:17:00.001+02:00

...are much maligned for doing our own thing, being our own person/penguin.She does, however, have more houses than I. Bitch!

Queens

2009-07-08T10:39:00.003+02:00

It's a truism known to all single women with cats. The longer you live alone, the weirder you get.Personally, this is one of my reasons for always finding someone to put up with me in the form of a flatmate. This keeps me from becoming the drama queen I could be (yet), you know, the one who knocks back a sleeping pill in Triple Sec each evening, before covering her eyes with a frilled eye-mask (

I promise...

2009-07-05T19:12:00.002+02:00

...that the next time it's a rainy weekend, I will sort out the CSS of these pages.However, I really don't feel you can berate me too much for spending good portions of my weekend a) lying in the sun alone with the Sunday Times*b) lying in the sun with a friendc) lying in the sun with TMAMEd) watching Wimbledon (!!!! OMFG, the final is nail biting!) and reading the Sunday Times*e) eating and

Just when I think I can't get much lower...

2009-06-25T21:42:00.002+02:00

...I find a new reality television series to waste my life on.Oh yes, folks. From the girl who watches A/BNTM and Come Dine with Me...we give you, "Date my Ex".It's awful.I'm hooked.My self-loathing is complete!

Sex, drugs and rock'n'roll in Shoreditch

2009-06-19T10:35:00.004+02:00

So, I'm moving...AGAIN!This time, from Tufnell Park into Shoreditch. Apparently, Shoreditch is not just the name of a bell in a childhood nursery rhyme (that has been going around and around and around in my head since I saw the flat) but is the place where all the cool, hip and groovy people live (certainly my new flatmate fits that bill).I don't think I have the energy to pretend. I'm slightly

The Universe

2009-06-09T11:40:00.001+02:00

...had a message for me this morning. It said,"There will always be people in your life, Naomi, who hold you back, who cost you too much, and who fail to see all you've done for them. But, of course, they're just there to teach you that you do have time, that you'll always be rich, and that your own high standards are all that matter."I say, "ba ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!" with

Futureme!

2008-12-01T22:37:00.000+01:00

Got the following e-mail last week. TRES WEIRD.The following is an e-mail from the past, composed on Thursday, November 23, 2006, and sent via FutureMe.org- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Dear FutureMe,Okay babe, we'd best not still be in Prague, we'd best not still be 90kgs (please tell me you finally got us down to 80 - at least!) and we'd best be fit, healthy and smiling

free, free, set me free

2008-11-21T10:55:00.000+01:00

They (yep, it's 'them' again) say that if you love someone (thing, substitute as needs be for hand-reared wild animals), set them free. If they don't return, it warm't meant to be.Or perhaps something less rhymeing than that, with a bit more literatural profundity. So perhaps that's the stance i need to take here. Perhaps we weren't meant to make it to the great 'rocking chairs on the front porch

Memento

2008-09-30T18:37:00.000+02:00

I just need to die knowing that something is different because I was here.Doesn't that just sum up everyone's feeling of life? Doesn't everyone feel this way? Whether we express ourselves through striving for excellence - to be the first person who does something and has something named after them - or having children who wouldn't be there had you not existed?Is that why so many of us are

AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!

2008-07-23T20:40:00.000+02:00

As was screamed by the man I adore, and myself, simultaneously.Not as part of any sexual ritual, I can assure you. Oh no. (er, welcome aboard, Mamma). Nope, this was sheer exuberance mixed with excitement mixed with terror. I'm due there in 24hrs. My man has been giving me a 56hr countdown (I kid you not) since yesterday when I finished work. It's absolutely THE most adorable thing. I thought I

Things I love about London...pt 2

2008-07-10T22:38:00.000+02:00

In order to leave the city last weekend, I'd booked a rental car from a very large agency. I'd paid for it with my debit card over the internet. Sorted.We turned up at the Russell Square outlet by midday. We wait behind approximately three other groups of people desiring their cars. None are happy. One group has booked a large family car (as they are a large family, with three children and two

I know it...

2008-07-01T23:22:00.000+02:00

...because I'm a scientist, like, and so I, y'know, observe. Which is why I'm slightly bemused (read: astonished and more than a touch horrified) that despite eating things along the lines of pictured EVERY night - since October (coincides with moving in with someone who cooks as well as - possibly better than - I) - and sometimes in the morning (photo of bacon sandwich to follow), I have lost

Heartbroken

2008-06-30T18:51:00.000+02:00

After a bit of a miserable weekend, where he and I miscommunicated throughout, leaving me feeling needy (and then crap for FEELING needy etc. - oh how we love the spirals), I went to exchange some books. And while I was in the library, my bike was nicked from the rack at which it was tied.Which means that's probably the shortest lived birthday present I've recieved since I was 10 as well. *sigh*I

No Wonderbra

2008-06-29T21:01:00.000+02:00

So, i responded to a national call out requesting that women who feel good about their decolletes turn up on saturday morning to queue for hours around leicester square, and then go upstairs, have their hair and makeup done, be professionally fitted and get a 'model card' of themselves in a wonderbra, all to the sound of good beats from a dj, with free drinks.In reality?I stood in a queue for

Cauky!

2008-06-24T22:43:00.000+02:00

So, those of you who know me are probably wondering why I’ve been so quiet, and assuming (fair enough) that it’s because I was living la vida loca in swingin’ London. Especially those of you who haven’t been to London in the last 10 years and are blissfully ignorant of the current price of la vida loca, which seems to range from a ‘collapsed septum’ to a ‘cirrhotic liver’. There’s no easy life

Things I love about London...pt 1

2008-06-22T21:23:00.000+02:00

Neighbours. Everybody needs good neighbours!I live in a semi-detached house, divided into at least six flats, on the corner of an intersection. The intersection has four such corners, each with a house, just like mine.Apparently, someone has dobbed in some 'odd' behaviour from 'one of the houses that face the intersection'.CID (plainclothes) got in touch. Just to make sure they weren't going to

Defence to the Raspberry

2008-06-02T18:25:00.000+02:00

IntroductionCircumstances often arise where a pithy response is required to parry a verbal thrust. On occasion, the neural cortex is insufficiently prepared for the ‘search, scan and send’ behaviour required to make a return joust. Behaviour drives us to make both an audio and visual ‘come back’ such that a ‘raspberry’ is blown. This is known as a “lame response”. In certain situations, the

First Foray, FINALLY!

2008-05-29T18:28:00.000+02:00

I LOVE cosmetics. I can’t get enough. I can’t USE enough. I certainly can’t buy enough on my public health salary.And I’ve been bandying around with some ideas, toying with the possibility of becoming a makeup artist etc. Not necessarily abandoning the epidemiology but perhaps attributing some time to one, some time to another…sharing my analytical and creative side – getting some

Hiding...

2008-05-15T17:51:00.000+02:00

...because of lots of things.Things are settling again: the girls have recorded an album (!!!) which thrills me more than words can read!I've joined a singing group. Sort of. I'm a little scared of them, as they do things like "the Native American Salute to the Spring" to warm up. I'm all for a little stretching out of the knots in your neck, but come on!!! Plus, they're all about a foot shorter

'ere be...

2008-04-12T20:53:00.000+02:00

not only does he do DRAGONS (thereby allowing me to, too) but he takes my sense of humour and hurdles with it. What more could I ask for?

'Ere there be...

2008-04-12T13:08:00.001+02:00

Not only odes he do DRAGONS, when necessary (and therefore, understands when someone else has to) but he takes my sense of humour and totally hurdles with it.Nice!

'Ere there be...

2008-04-12T13:08:00.000+02:00

Not only odes he do DRAGONS, when necessary (and therefore, understands when someone else has to) but he takes my sense of humour and totally hurdles with it.Nice!

Pudong...so long!

2008-03-20T12:43:00.000+01:00

The suspense of standing by a luggage carousel is far greater than that felt in any Alfred Hitchcock movie. Multiply this by the slight dislocation of “should I really be here?” when you know you’re only in the country for a matter of hours – and not likely to breathe any other than the stale airport air – and you’ve got my basic internal feeling in Shanghai. Shanghai Pudong airport may win the

And so I'm back, from anti-space...

2008-03-11T14:28:00.000+01:00

It feels as though it was a fleeting visit, but I remember at the time, feeling like I was doing nearly all the things I wanted to. I had a list. I ticked things off. Number one on that list was getting a tan. Yes – get all up in arms, those of you who’ve lost someone to melanoma, or had bits cut out of themselves to guard against. Then shut the hell up. I’m one too: I’ve had moles removed, and

Sharing the Happy

2008-02-13T14:45:00.000+01:00

In less than a week, I shall be touching down in the land of the long white cloud, where hopefully it will be blindingly warm (surely anywhere is in comparison to here), dazzlingly bright and extremely awesome. I'm going for a wedding, after which I'm taking off to visit Mamma & Pappa in the Western Isles.I'm too, too, too excited, which remains undiminished despite the fact that the first thing

Fuch me: I'm blind!

2008-02-04T17:28:00.000+01:00

WAY back when, in 1995, I was told by my (then) optician that there were some weird things in my eyes, and could I please get myself to an opthamologist poste haste.He informed me (months later), that I had Fuchs heterochromatin iritis. A phrase that means the same as Fuchs endothelial dystrophy. I've written about it before - if you've been paying attention!Essentially, my left eye is screwed.

Shock to the system

2008-01-29T15:13:00.000+01:00

First bit of ‘organised exercise’ in four years and I managed to swim for 1km in 50mins. Nice! (AND I can move my shoulders today…no harm done for the shock)Of course, I’m STILL considered untrustworthy by the mobile phone carriers, which means I remain three months away from my new phone……one day at a time, huh?

Meme or Me! Me!

2008-01-25T13:45:00.000+01:00

What’s the biggest difference between men and women?I think men are more capable of compartmentalising, such that they end up living in the ‘now’, whereas women seem more aware of the impact of the things they do on others, and consequently tend more towards living in the ‘if that, then when’ instead. I try to learn how to compartmentalise, but it just makes me feel ‘disconnected’ instead. I

Reclamation

2008-01-24T14:40:00.000+01:00

I know – two entries in two days. Could this be the turnaround? That pivotal moment of ‘come back’ that could make or break (see: Take That vs. Spice Girls)? Or is this the Swan Song (see: Tchaikovsky/Ballet). Can you tell that I’ve been reading one of those ‘list’ books (see: Christmas presents for him) over the shoulder?Your patience is overwhelming, love and kisses to all, please accept me

Sitcom moment #397

2008-01-23T12:56:00.000+01:00

(INTERIOR. LARGE OPEN PLAN OFFICE ACOUSTIC. CLOSE TO MIC TINNY VOICE SUGGESTS THAT THE SHE IS ON THE PHONE TO HIM. WHICH SHE IS. PAPERS ON DESK ARE SHUFFLED AND THE COMPUTER EMITS A LOW BUZZ)1. HIM: It’s 5:30!2. HER: Yeah, I know.3. HIM: But, you should be in my arms by now.(CUT TO CLOSE-UP. PAPERS HASTILY GATHERED AND SHOVED IN BAG. CUT TO SPEEDING TUBE. CUT TO DARK STREET WITH CLIP-CLOPPING

Rearrange this!

2007-12-24T12:00:00.000+01:00

NGSCTSIOOOAASLCTTMUNAINWBecause it could win me a trip to Antigua...which is where I need to go for my little bro's wedding in May ANYWAY...Christmas is upon us. I have two more bits to buy and wrap, I have groceries to stock up on (you know, in case civilisation collapses), and I've a tiny piece of code to find in a database to make sure I'm on top of these outbreak-y things. But wherever you

Shame to have done it all – at 26

2007-12-21T17:14:00.000+01:00

Okay, so I haven’t done it all, and I'm not 26. Otherwise, though, Eva and I have a LOT in common!But…what do you do next?I had a bit of a crisis when I realised: this is it (or it could be). I’ve done the PhD (you can STILL call me Dr Nomes, I STILL get a kick out of it), I’ve done the EPIET, I’ve done a whole lot of things that have earned me various bits of paper. I’ve investigated an emerging

Nomes-side News

2007-12-04T14:10:00.000+01:00

To start with, I’m flattered that you’re all still checking in every now and then. Thanks for the comments.You all know that I fancy myself as a bit of a chanteuse, right? And you’ll undoubtedly remember that in Prague, I was a member of a group called Intunition: an all-female-a capella-group, the other members of which were my social network (back in the era pre-facebook!), my confidantes, my

Mind the Gap

2007-11-17T18:36:00.000+01:00

I’m afraid I’m creatively involved elsewhere at the moment. I’m actually having to put some brain power into work – which is fun and demanding – consequently, I’ve had little inclination to update y’all on my progress.So saying, here’s a brief, in the order of which people here seem to speak of topicsHousing: soon to be moving from my ‘spare-bed-residing/housesitter-extraordinaire’ position to

Raindrops on Roses...

2007-10-07T14:36:00.000+02:00

...sternoclavicular articulation.My favourite things. Mmmmmmmmmmmm.

Blogging break

2007-09-20T10:59:00.000+02:00

Too much to do. Too much to finish off by tomorrow (when I hand computer back *sob*).BUT: this weekend Munich.And next week:2 restaurants to review,1 dinner to be had with big band of mates,1 leaving party to hostess,1 haircut to be had (I heart James - move over George!),lots of dancing to be done,n hangovers to dodge,3 boxes to pack (1 kitchen, 2 bedroom - then it's all. done. yay!),1 suitcase

A girly day is good for the soul!

2007-09-09T21:30:00.000+02:00

I'm not ENTIRELY convinced that the film Planet Terror (part of the Grindhouse double feature) can be considered 'girly' per se, but hell, it was the ultimate finale for a day which included (in no particular order):consuming chocolatedebating real estatecrying tearsreading cards (so damned bright, we're sleeping with shades on from now on)editing photoshunting down restaurants (dagnabbit, those

Vienna – further East than Prague. Yeah, right! pt III

2007-09-07T15:11:00.000+02:00

The Museum of Applied/Contemporary Art was my next stop (conveniently across the road). I looked through it. I got a guided tour by the bored guy in the Oriental carpets section (my upbringing finally paid off, I can pick a Persian rug from 40 paces!) and looked at the Klimts for a glimpse (ha ha) of the ‘masterpiece’. Even “the Lovers”. Impressive, but, I’m just not a fan. Checked out furniture,

Vienna – further East than Prague. Yeah, right! pt II

2007-09-06T11:48:00.000+02:00

Getting up so early had clearly addled my brain, and I thought I’d do the same thing the following day, to see the Vienna Boys Choir – those little squeakers. I was marginally disappointed, when I read: having rested (and I guess some of them, matured their way out of the choir) over the July/August summer months – they only start up again mid-Sept. Marginally gutted.The whole Michaelerplatz area

Vienna – further East than Prague. Yeah, right! pt I

2007-09-03T11:42:00.000+02:00

There’s a pall of illness that sits over Prague, a kind of Chernobyl patina – where people have bendy/bandy legs, their skin is pockmarked and bones are all too visible beneath said skin. Its malnutrition (it’s called a vegetable), mixed with hard living (beer is NOT a breakfast food) and bad choices (your skin does NOT look better after 20 sessions in a ‘solarium’).Every now and then, I get

Quiz time!

2007-08-30T11:53:00.000+02:00

Everyone can play this game, I'm fairly sure. Even the lurkers. (warning though: this has turned into a bit of a 'girlpower' post)Answer me this (either privately, you know my e-mail address or as a comment):What's the craziest thing you've ever done in a relationship? How old were you at the time? What was the outcome, and did it actually help solve the problem? Did you even know what the

Quick: get the book!

2007-08-28T13:20:00.000+02:00

Time was when we maintained a 'quote book'. I've no idea who has it now, but there were some pretty damning things written in it - which, when written out of context, were hilarious. That was the point.I have one to add from this last week. It was all to do with coefficients of correlation, or something equally as innocuous. Everyone has an opinion on these sorts of things."I prefer the 'r''s."

You know you travel too frequently...

2007-08-27T16:46:00.000+02:00

...when the thoughts that pop into your head when an Easyjet "you've 3 days before flying, did you know you can checkin online?" message arrives are,"What? But where am I going? When did I book this ticket? Who am I going with? Is this my flight to the UK already? I thought I still had to sort that out...."And not, "Oh. I should forward this to the person who's ticket I booked."P.S. I DID have a

Very little...

2007-08-21T23:11:00.000+02:00

...could be considered more annoying than internet dating site messages such as those that contain (i.e. all in one message) the following. 'at least you will have another good friend from abroad.' ARGH!!!! I don't want another long distance friend - at present I only seem to HAVE long distance friends (admittedly, some of those long distances are from my hotel room to theirs...).'how are you i

If your life were a movie, what would the soundrack be?

2007-08-16T13:28:00.000+02:00

So, Here's How It Works:1. Open your music player2. Put it on random/shuffle - whatever.3. Play.4. For each 'stage of life' put down the song title and artist.5. Change songs for each new 'stage of life'.6. Don't lie to try to be cool and skip songs. We know you've got dodgy stuff belonging to your parents on your 'puter.Opening Credits: Ready, Willing and Able - Doris Day (er, here we go then!)

Lacklustre

2007-08-16T12:35:00.000+02:00

It's a 'meh' day today for one reason or another, so I'm meming it.P.S. I did this one a while ago...but this time, I've commented.You Know You Were an Expat Kid in the Middle East When...1. You can't answer the question, "Where are you from?" (And when you do, you get into an elaborate conversation that gets everyone confused and/or makes you sound very spoiled.)This one couldn't be more true if

Tracebook

2007-08-14T11:49:00.000+02:00

So, my love affair with the social-networking-site-for-the-intellectuals continues unabated, despite the odd message-that-I-didn't-write turning up on people's profiles and walls (note to self: do not leave 'puter unattended).Today, I've been trawling through old school photos (oh god, the horror of the haircuts!) and having an extremely well-contained giggle (my ribs hurt). It turns out that

Coming, ready or not!

2007-08-13T16:33:00.000+02:00

Actually, having just typed that heading, I realise what a load of innuendo could be read into it. Alas, my dears, no sexploits on THIS blog...you'll have to head over to one of the ones on my blogroll for a more raunchy read (this is a family show!).What I'M referring to is London. Yes, I can finally announce it (having spent the last goodness knows how long alluding to it). I'm moving there. I

A different sort of interrogation

2007-08-08T23:39:00.000+02:00

1. You and Jesus go out to dinner - who pays?Given I would have spent the entire dinner ordering water and asking him to, ‘y’know, do yo thang’, I’m sure he’d have climbed out of the window. But I’d know the answer to the question “if you start with bubbly water, will you end up with champers?” – not to mention a bill for 5 glasses of water.2. You suddenly have to flee the country and adopt a new

Ya think?

2007-07-30T17:47:00.000+02:00

One really must check the “who links to my blog” more frequently (I try to avoid it to avoid looking quite so desperate). Turns out that I was nominated (in a very, backwards compliment, kind of way) by Daddy Papersurfer – an old git (my father finally has a blog? No no, just turns out there are multiple old gits out there! ). Anyway, this is apparently “blogs that make you think”. And the rules

Why do we do it? Because it's me me me!

2007-07-20T09:04:00.000+02:00

Hi, my name is Miss Mediocre.You Have Many Alpha TendenciesYou're not a total alpha female, but you certainly know how to - and like to - get your way.You're forceful without being intimidating. You're confident without being vain. A perfect mix.Are You an Alpha Female?You Are a Drama Princess (or Prince)You're not over the top dramatic, but you have your moments.You know how to steal the

At long, long last.

2007-07-17T10:04:00.000+02:00

I’m FINALLY one of the cool kids. Someone’s invited me to play along on the playground. I wasn’t the last picked because the team leader ‘had to’ as I was the last standing (who else HATED that whole ‘selection’ in ‘games’?). So thanks London Lass, for knocking on my door and asking if I could come out to play. Now, I have to reveal 7 things about myself. Everyone else seems to have done this

Marbles

2007-07-16T14:03:00.000+02:00

I grew up (11-17) in a very hot city. I’m reminded of that place now, as my current city of abode heats, stretches, swelters and buckles under the ever-growing sun of the northern hemisphere continental summer.But so much was different there.Here, we have an urban concrete, plaster and brick jungle, with cobblestones underfoot – ankle/leg breaking terrain if ever there was– interspersed

Where is everyone I love?

2007-07-09T13:53:00.000+02:00

The first time you cried all the way home from the moment you left the school gates, on the bus, up the hill, round two bends and down the tall stony steps, your mother was there to enfold you in her arms. She asked you what was wrong, but all you could do was lie to her panic-stricken face.(for me, it was about the poisonous berries that bitch had tempted me into touching, and the fact I knew we

Narcissism hits new highs

2007-07-04T09:40:00.000+02:00

Narcissistic as I am, when a friend told me that he thought my face might be symmetrical, or as near as damnit to it, I figured I'd put this theory to test. He wished for me to send him the photographic evidence by e-mail, but I claimed overprotective vanity (well, they're a bit 'passport' aren't they?). However, popping them up on the internet is NOTHING. Now, I've played with the images. I know

Slow day at the hospital?

2007-07-03T12:58:00.000+02:00

So, they reckon that some of the peeps involved (did I really just write peeps? I blame my overly long fingernails *note to self*, personally, they keep sliding all over the keys. But, I digress...) in that whole London-car-bomb-thing-which-didn't-thankfully-explode-due-to-the-exemplary-work-done-by-the-towies-in-London-town turned out to possibly be doctors.See, here's the way it goes: you go

gasp

2007-07-03T10:57:00.001+02:00

The Sudden Departure Random Brutal Love Master (RBLM) Sweet. Dear. Loving. At Gate 18. Final call. You are The Sudden Departure. You've been in a lot of serious relationships. More than a few have

You too....

2007-06-29T14:56:00.000+02:00

...could become a Springfield citizen if you so desired. I'm SOOOO thinking of dyeing my hair pink. But that wouldn't exactly fit someone applying for the position of Regional Epidemiologist for Europe, now, would it?No. Methought not either. Better not apply then, right?

OooootRAYgeous things seen of late

2007-06-21T14:51:00.000+02:00

The police here are a little odd. Quite often, of an evening, I stop in at the all-night-potraviny down the road (and up the hill) from where I live. This can be for a variety of reasons. Sometimes we have run out of tea. Other times I have a message urging me to pick up ice cream and milk on the way home (last night). Yet other times, I'm sufficiently organised to think about lunch and pick that

Welcome commentators

2007-06-20T15:01:00.000+02:00

For some reason, people have been 'liking' me a lot lately.Witness:"Here's a thought I had [after reading your blog]. You're solid, and I'm proud of you." Schoolfriend in Canada. (X for when you finally swing by again)"Not to be overly sensitive or anything but YOU'RE A TREASURE and I AM SO PROUD THAT I CAN BE A PART OF YOUR LIFE." Intunee in Prague (XXX girlfriend - good luck with the exam!)"We

Letters to keep in your bedside drawer - 2

2007-06-18T16:22:00.000+02:00

It’s been almost 5 years since we were last in touch. You told me you'd sold my engagement ring to buy a new one for the wife you married 7 months after I broke up with you. Class.That ring; it was beautiful and I loved it. Now, I think on it and something in my lower belly recoils in horror. I imagine it on my hand, and can still feel that trapped sensation again. Especially the suffocating

Have you ever wondered?

2007-06-17T23:32:00.000+02:00

What happens to fruit when they're sent overseas*? Well, they ripen. Sometimes, the grower/pickers/exporters/buyers don't really want them to ripen so quickly. Which is why, they keep them in an atmosphere that has a high quantity of CO2, something to do with ethylene blah blah blah science fakt jo.Right, so, science duly delivered (am good science communicator, no? Saying so in my interview next

Netherlands! Brussels! Drama! TMI!

2007-06-13T23:42:00.000+02:00

I am in Die Nederlands (Das? Den? De? Could research, but no...much easier to prevaricate on your time).There's all sorts of interesting stuff going on. People going for interviews for the same job (er, that'd be me and Lisa then) and one of us feeling slightly less confident (er, me) than the other deserves to (you know, on account of having had work in the last two years, etc.), other people

My heart's got sails on it...

2007-06-07T12:05:00.000+02:00

...and perhaps a spinnaker!Dean Barker, Helmsman, Emirates Team New Zealand, on winning the LVC Final: “I’m just rapped! I can’t say enough about the guys on the boat - the whole team. It’s been a really tough journey the Round Robins didn’t start well, and the team has bounced back and grown as we have come through. The Semi Final was great on reflection we will look back and say that racing

Sign this...

2007-06-05T16:30:00.000+02:00

...petition.Because the idea that this is worth £400,000 is laughable (see the 'TM' on the right hand side, the weird pink and yellow (which I last used together when I was using felt-tips on a daily basis), the odd shapes of everythign (significance is que?) and the scribbled 'london' and last-minute olympic rings). Pricks .To see some awesome alternatives, go here and/or here.And yes, this

A rose by any other....

2007-06-05T14:12:00.000+02:00

YOUR REAL NAME: (check your passport)Naomi Samantha Boxall (as in: Bewitched. Or, I like to pretend. Apparently, more as in: a cat my mother once had. Awesome. I shall name my daughter Alexia.)YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (first 4 letters of real name + izzle.)Naomizzleyeah - like anyone's gonna pronounce THAT properly!YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color + favorite animal)Silver CheetahIsn't that the car

Trams, interviews and ME!

2007-06-05T12:38:00.000+02:00

This could so easily happen here. Of course, he would have slits cut into his trouser pockets, mobile phone, wallet and keys removed FIRST, but yeah.Welcome to PragueI know some of you want an update on the interview. Well, I ballsed up a rather large proportion of it. The bit about, you know, the disease I was applying to work on. Yeah - good one Nomes. BUT, to my defense, instead of bluffing my

Managing stress

2007-06-01T14:11:00.000+02:00

So, here I am, awaiting The Call. I'm mildly stressed. Not even shoes can take my mind of this (although these did get a twice over). As in, considering taking up biting my nails. I phone interview REALLY poorly, which is odd, as I normally give good phone. I think I'm too busy trying to make sure that I don't sound like an 0900 number to focus on what they're saying."the difference between bias

Seven random things about me

2007-05-31T16:08:00.000+02:00

I don’t like gin. Nor tonic (so don't offer me an ice cold g'n't, for goodness sakes. I don't care if it's bloody Tanqueray/Sapphire: I DON'T LIKE THE F-ING STUFF). If I were a character in a 1930’s novel set in London, who mistakenly got herself knocked up by some cad (who subsequently broke her heart by abandoning her and returning to his wife as soon as she imparted the ‘good’ news), for

Writing

2007-05-29T12:27:00.000+02:00

Might be the only way through this.Of course, before we start, we prevaricate, and read through previously drafted chapters of novels.Depressing and hilarious in equal measure. But: will it sell*? Has my voice changed? Is angst and vulnerability the new black?*will it be written and completed, is possibly more worthwhile a question!

ETA: Panic stations.

2007-05-23T13:56:00.000+02:00

Here's my thing.Once you disappear out of the public domain of the airport, you're comfortably cosseted. It's just you, overpriced bottles of water, ground staff, air staff, cleaning ladies, toilets that are big enough to swing a medium sized cat in, and (if it's Vienna) free wi-fi. You can spend an hour browsing the magazine rack and NO ONE TELLS YOU OFF - or asks you to move out of the way. You

Gilded and poised

2007-05-22T10:16:00.000+02:00

When I was 15, a new boy joined our class. His name was Simon, and he was excruciatingly tall - maybe 6'2" already. As the youngest in my class, he was also likely to be older than me. As an expat brat, people starting midyear was not unusual, but what didn't always happen was the immediate and intense hatred he and I felt for one another. Reciprocated equally by both, we manifested our dislike

Vulnerability pt 1

2007-05-21T09:59:00.000+02:00

How many Vodka Redbulls does it take before Nomes’ bladder decides it’s sufficiently full to empty itself at the end of a tram line?*Did you ever believe there’d be a blog entry devoted to peeing in public?A few weeks ago, I went on a tram party. At 10pm, a pile of strangers waited by Namesti Miru tram stop (one stop down from my own). A tram pulls up heading for direction Jizdy

Inspiration

2007-05-17T09:38:00.000+02:00

There’s something incredibly reassuring about meeting a person who inspires you. It means that you can continue hoping that ‘they’ exist. That ‘they’re’ out there and ‘they’re’ waiting for you. It inspires you to believe that:It’s possible to fall asleep to the sound of someone else snoring – despite all evidence (throwing things at my brother in our youth to make sure he stayed awake till I’d

Happiness previously unexperienced

2007-05-16T12:11:00.000+02:00

There’s been a lot of e-mail traffic heading to Prague recently, all of it along the lines of “when will you blog the birthday?”. Especially for some, I think, “you were there, you don’t need me to recap, surely?”, but apparently, my ‘take’ of the events is necessary. I feel like one of those ‘social columnists’ for Hello!Not that I mind, though, not a whit.Monday 7th May to Monday 14th May was

Letters to keep in your bedside drawer - 1

2007-05-06T23:51:00.000+02:00

Did you realize we’ve known each other for over 10 years? It’s been 10 years since Liorah and I were dancing at Diablo’s. I was wearing a velvet leopard print double cuffed shirt with a short black skirt.After a while, one takes a certain pride in one’s fashion ‘experiments’.According to Liorah, who’s recollections are more likely to be accurate than those my ‘embellishes on-the-fly' memory makes

Salty Seadogs ahoj

2007-05-02T17:58:00.000+02:00

So, I'm not much of a sailor - I'd rather sunbathe on the fordeck and that means getting out of the way of the boom of the forsail - pain!! Not to mention, I don't even know if these words are appropriate or correctly in use.But since 2000, when I was in Auckland doing research for my PhD, I have been a bit of a fan of the America's Cup. It has to do with the large boats, the impossible camera

I'm melting, I'm melting...

2007-04-30T17:18:00.000+02:00

Last night, while on the phone to a good friend, I received one of THOSE sms's. No, not the 2am booty-call sms's - the ones that strike fear into your heart."Can we call you - it's important. It's not your father, he's fine."Great, so finally the taxman had arrived at my parents place - were going to prevent them from buying a house because of three late payments on a personal loan I had when I

Drag's great moment

2007-04-25T15:25:00.000+02:00

Once a year, around about now, the continent of Europe (plus, it seems) undergoes a sort of mass-psychosis. It’s not dissimilar to that leading up to the Idol finals, but this time, the stakes are much, much lower. And Ryan Seacrest is nowhere to be found. Yes folks, it’s Eurovision time. This year, the broadcast final coincides with my birthday. So, I’ve had a look at the contestants online.

Broken Bed = worrisome nights

2007-04-23T10:13:00.000+02:00

Some of you have noticed the new wardrobe. Big ups to Rick for designing the banner that brought on the redecoration. Over the past few weeks, my bed has been making ominous sounds. During my 15hr sit in (Prison Break, season 1, episodes 1-22) this weekend, those noises grew in impatience. FINALLY, I took a look under the bed (whilst still laying on it, you understand). I searched around in

Doing the lambeth walk

2007-04-22T02:04:00.001+02:00

My room is now officially THE most stocked in the house. It's also the smallest. And since it's in the roof space, you can imagine beams sticking up all over the place at awkward angles - just like swords in some macabre illusion.Picture, if you will, a room with a king-sized bed (broken - but that's a WHOLE 'nother entry), a wardrobe, a 6-stack chest of drawers, two bedside tables, a futon, a

I'm not yet...

2007-04-19T12:29:00.000+02:00

...so you've still time to get cards, presents etc. to me.I'm not quite sure what my mother was thinking when she sent this, though. Since when have I ever needed a stopper. Not strictly true, since when have I ever USED a stopper?My 30th draws ever nearer. I'm allowed to get excited about it now, because I've found a venue that only requires all of my savings to host the party in, rather than

Walking on broken glass

2007-04-16T12:09:00.000+02:00

Okay, so I haven't stepped and cut my foot, my jaw isn't slowly tightening due to tetanus...but lately, I've been walking around with my eyes shut. Hence the lack of posts. My eyes are slowly opening, my senses reawakening, and I'm going to go hug trees soon, I promise. I'm also going to attempt to generally decrease the ever increasing 'seediness quotient' that has crept into my life recently.

Cold

2007-04-13T14:33:00.000+02:00

No, not the weather: me. I have one. But it's okay, relax. It's just a common cold, not an exotic one. Nothing to write home about (and yet...).Living in the flat may hurt me more than I originally anticipated. I've tripped twice on the mat at the bottom of our stairs, and almost impaled myself on whatever I was carrying at the time. Not to mention the state of my liver if we continue to cook and

Where did it come from?

2007-04-03T14:51:00.000+02:00

When I moved to Prague - from Wellington - I had 14 boxes of 'stuff' and one overweight suitcase (to the tune of NZ$500ish). Since then I've purchased a bed, a television, some storage boxes and a shopmakers dummy.So explain to me, the laws of physics that resulted in it taking me 5 VW Polo loads to get all the REST of my stuff (that wasn't the bed, the chest of drawers and the television) from

Polly-filler

2007-03-30T14:14:00.001+02:00

I just looked at the photos of a wedding that I should've gone to. It happened in New Zealand. I was in London. *sigh* But the photos made me think that a veil and a white dress are enough to make even the most awe-inspiring woman look vulnerable. Or, is that the point?It's the weekend. The weather is, bizarrely, improving as the Friday afternoon dwindles. I'm still on someone else's computer,

A la-la-la-la-long long le long long long....

2007-03-29T09:32:00.000+02:00

I've just been sneakily hiding for the last wee while, since there are no longer SOS buttons in my shower cubicle (must be mandatory in hotels in Serbia...) to make me feel secure in my random morning thinking to the tune of 'Another Suitcase in Another Hall'.But this made me laugh this morning, read where I get all of my news-of-the-world-today; online: "People addicted to opioids, such as

Another one bites the dust

2007-03-21T12:58:00.000+01:00

The total tally for the time in Serbia:3 toothbrushes, one electric, one battery-powered, one manual (eventually)1 hairdryer (it said it was a travel dryer, clearly not up to MY exacting standards)1 Acer laptop (RIP)Everything on the laptop that was important (except a few lights photos from Belgrade) was backed up on a separate hard drive. Either that or it was here for my DLR's to enjoy.So, it

Busmans holiday

2007-03-09T11:16:00.000+01:00

Note to self: next time I go on a mission, despite the interesting reading material available to me, take some escapism!! Don't get me wrong, it's a great book, and I'm enjoying it, BUT the last thing I REALLY want to read at night before lights out is MORE epidemiology conducted in difficult circumstances.The pros are that it's not SOOO compelling that I stay up until 4am reading it each night.

International Womans Day, 2007!

2007-03-08T23:47:00.000+01:00

I MUST make sure I'm on a mission this time each year. It means I get flowers again.Catchphrase of the day: It's great, to menstruate.This time last year: I was in an ex-KGB flat in Baku, Azerbaijan; with Andreas. We couldn't get the water to work. And we'd just found out there were human deaths of a disease that could have been (and was) Avian Influenza. I posted on the blog at about this time

Notes on here

2007-03-07T21:57:00.000+01:00

It’s impossible to really appreciate the true art of wood panelling, until you’ve been in a meeting in a room with wood panelling ceilings, walls and floor boards, at a wooden table, sitting on wooden chairs. For a moment, I wondered whether I was supposed to start eating my way out like a termite, or perhaps swaying in the breeze like a displaced leaf.During the course of the last week and a

Better late than never: IN 2006

2007-03-02T21:31:00.000+01:00

[PEOPLE]Best in-country friend: KatBest friend forever: LiorahLost any friends: No, all present and correct at last roll call.[PLACES]Went out of the country: YesMoved: NoHow many times on an airplane: Are you serious? Okay hang on (destinations only: Prague, Berlin, Copenhagen, Baku, Prague, London, Prague, Frankfurt, Baku, Frankfurt, Madrid, Prague, London, Barcelona, London, Prague, Venice,

Airport Centipedes

2007-02-25T15:53:00.000+01:00

Leg 1: Taxi from Veyrier du Lac to Geneva airport Leg 2: Queue for days to check my red and black, newly fixed, backpack into the underbelly of the plane. Leg 3: Discover that the ONLY watch I’m going to be happy wearing costs 650E, and was (thankfully) ‘out of stock at the airport’. Leg 4: Wait, interminally (ha ha, airport joke) for my plane to arrive from somewhere. Leg 5: take off to

Prelude to a Fashion Week

2007-02-20T22:49:00.000+01:00

Now, you and I both know that to compare Italy to the Czech Republic is doing gross injustice to both parties. Nevertheless, I’m going to do it (oh yes, fearless travel writer that I am).It’s the greetings. In the CR, if you neglect to say anything during your exchange with someone in the service industry, it is perfectly normal. Nay, I would go as far as to say that if you can snarl at some

Dining – it’s an Italian thing

2007-02-19T22:35:00.000+01:00

My hotel is, well, let’s put it this way: if rooms could be rented by the halfhour, I wouldn’t be surprised. The word “Hotel” is inscribed in Helvetica Upper Case going down the side of the building. If only one of the red neon bars were flickering, it’d be straight out of a trailer trash movie.It’s my first night, and I’ve come to a local restaurant, a few blocks from the hotel. According to the

“I’m too sexy for Milan, too sexy for Milan, Veyrier and Novi Sad…” – then London…

2007-02-18T20:29:00.000+01:00

Okay, so it doesn’t rhyme quite as well, but I hope you’ve got your seatbelts done up. We’re off on another 4 week adventure.Months ago (October, according to the lovely internet), I figured I’d be single, morose and depressed come the 14th of February* (as opposed to any other day of the year). To put my mind from my misery, I decided I’d book myself a cheap weekend away in Milan (hell, it was

hack

2007-02-12T14:10:00.000+01:00

Am sick, phlegmy, coughying and uninspired (though excreted sputum consistency does bring to mind many MANY adjectives). I think you're probably as bored of me being ill in 2007 as I am. It seems each week I succumb to a new variegated (yes, multiple colours) strain of the Czech lurgy. Je mal aux tout.In other news: Pertussis outbreak is to be 'investigated' by yours truly (though likely

Drifting

2007-02-07T13:25:00.000+01:00

There I was, lying down, talking to a friend. My consciousness started to slip, and I was drifting in that special place between dream world and real world, where you are you, but anything could (and does) happen.I was with a work colleague (I think, because) we had packs and medical supplies with us. For some reason, we needed to contact someone who could do something (you know how these things

Deal

2007-02-05T16:52:00.000+01:00

I’ve been reading my cards each morning. I create a quick spread on my duvet, then write down the cards and leave the house. Then, I have something to dwell upon whilst on the bus. I don’t know what all the cards mean yet – or how they should be interpreted in what combinations. Todays: The FlowersLovely card. Anywhere this card falls, you’re being looked after. An improvement after a

The Adventure Continues...

Imp patient!

Me and a Penguin...

Queens

I promise...

Just when I think I can't get much lower...

Sex, drugs and rock'n'roll in Shoreditch

The Universe

Futureme!

free, free, set me free

Memento

AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!

Things I love about London...pt 2

I know it...

Heartbroken

No Wonderbra

Cauky!

Things I love about London...pt 1

Defence to the Raspberry

First Foray, FINALLY!

Hiding...

'ere be...

'Ere there be...

'Ere there be...

Pudong...so long!

And so I'm back, from anti-space...

Sharing the Happy

Fuch me: I'm blind!

Shock to the system

Meme or Me! Me!

Reclamation

Sitcom moment #397

Rearrange this!

Shame to have done it all – at 26

Nomes-side News

Mind the Gap

Raindrops on Roses...

Blogging break

A girly day is good for the soul!

Vienna – further East than Prague. Yeah, right! pt III

Vienna – further East than Prague. Yeah, right! pt II

Vienna – further East than Prague. Yeah, right! pt I

Quiz time!

Quick: get the book!

You know you travel too frequently...

Very little...

If your life were a movie, what would the soundrack be?

Lacklustre

Tracebook

Coming, ready or not!

A different sort of interrogation

Ya think?

Why do we do it? Because it's me me me!

At long, long last.

Marbles

Where is everyone I love?

Narcissism hits new highs

Slow day at the hospital?

*gasp*

You too....

OooootRAYgeous things seen of late

Welcome commentators

Letters to keep in your bedside drawer - 2

Have you ever wondered?

Netherlands! Brussels! Drama! TMI!

My heart's got sails on it...

Sign this...

A rose by any other....

Trams, interviews and ME!

Managing stress

Seven random things about me

Writing

ETA: Panic stations.

Gilded and poised

Vulnerability pt 1

Inspiration

Happiness previously unexperienced

Letters to keep in your bedside drawer - 1

Salty Seadogs ahoj

I'm melting, I'm melting...

gasp

hack