101 in 1001 goal update

Sounds slightly ridiculous, but I've found that I can't really achieve much without setting goals. From daily 'to do' lists that keeps all of the minutiae ticking along, to more momentous events that require all kinds of shoring up - if I don't have a reason to achieve it my mind simply moves on or switches to TV/couch potato mode.

This even goes for saving cash - give me a reason and an amount and I'll pull out all of the stops. Just generally mention saving for a rainy day, and it's like white noise..

Hate icy roads but love driving BMWs?

So, when I was told that I would be learning how to power slide at Goodwood Racetrack, my slightly crazy Kiwi brain translated that as learning to drift a car sideways. (nb: it isn't really, it's learning how to control your reaction and a lovely BMW on icy roads).

That's probably one of the problems about living in London for so long and beginning to see cars as a last ditch version of transport. With trains and the Underground the undisputed kings of London adventuring, car travel tends to comprise of getting from A to B in the quickest, warmest fashion rather than a default conveyance. I forget to wear a belt, hail cabs in impetuous pavement fashion and delight in the ability enjoy a chauffeur/cab driver driving me past London icons.

My New Years Resolutions

This blog has always been, and will forever more be a record of my personal adventures. It is a journal of the chaos, delight, opportunities and travails that we encounter all rolled in with an obsession for photography (as far as my skillz extend) and a dash of humour (well, I try anyway).

There seems to be a lot of the usual goal setting in the blogosphere that a new year usually entails, with a strong dash of 're-injecting the personality' for many bloggers who have been lured over to the shiny lights of corporate opportunities which makes me a little sad. What are blogs if not a record of your personal journey - whatever that may entail and without too many filters.

I guess over the years, this corner of the Internet has settled into a bit of a travel/food/laughter groove - reflecting my favourite passions in life - and this comes out in the goals that I usually set. This year is different. I don't normally set New Years resolutions - the idea of them sends a shiver down my ever failing spine, so I've decided to call them commandments. Moses style.

101 in 1001 goals v2.0 - Update

A fair few days have passed already since I began another crazy set of goal challenges. Since then I've unexpectedly been to the other side of the world, sung folksongs on the shores of Skye, discovered a new London nook or two, visited (Northern) Africa, read too many books, procrastinated about almost everything and make a load of promises to myself to achieve all of my goals this time.




This list seems to have started off with a hiss and a roar, managing to hammer out 15 completed goals and start around 10 more - but there is still much, much work to be getting on with before my self-imposed end date of the 02/12/2017.

8: Explore New Zealand's South Island.

16: Witness the mists of Skye.
23: Drink in a prohibition-style speakeasy.

32: Buy London urban honey.
 35: Make my own London Gin.

36: Spend a night at the Opera.
 38: Celebrate Holi. 

 45: Find Nessie. 

47: Sip Scotch in it's birthplace. 
50: Promenade at Downton Abbey (Highclere Castle)


66: Wear a different outfit everyday for a month without doubling up.

70: Post a 'thinking of you' parcel. 
73: Sing in public, sober.
77: Throw another fundraising afternoon tea.

80: Swim 50 Lengths.

The most surprising on all that list has to have been swimming 50 lengths. We were a bit worried about the political situation in Marrakesh when we visited (shortly after the incident in Tunisia) and opted to chill out in our hotel for one of the days instead. Cue us popping down to the spa for a couple of cheeky beauty treatments, and then a few laps of the pool to ward off those fidgets. Much to the amusement of the rest of the poolside inhabitants, a few laps turned into 10, then 25 then with a short rest, 50.

Of the goals in progress so far there are a few long term ones I'm pleased to have begun...

1: Cross the globe 3 times in a single year. - in progress

6: Visit Africa & South America to complete our continents clutch. - in progress

14: Visit 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. (Westminster Abbey, Maritime Greenwich /5) - in progress

15: Ride a Camel. - in progress

 49: Eat another 3 food items in their namesake home (Sandwich 1/3) - in progress

83: Walk 10,000 steps a day for 3 months. - in progress 

87: Leave 25 more Operation Beautiful notes. (1/25) - in progress

90: Keep blogging & writing creatively. - in progress

101: Complete my 101 in 1001 page/countdown. - in progress

There are a few that have sadly had to go by the wayside or be updated because they are unattainable due to the ebb and flow of life - but you gotta walk the journey! (To see the full 101 list click here)

But there is still much, much work to be done and many adventures to plan... 

Tally ho!!

Do you prefer short or long term goals?

Visiting Downton Abbey (aka Highclere Castle) - an ultimate England bucket list item

They say never meet your heroes as you'll only be disappointed when their humanity is revealed, but I say ignore that entirely. Sometimes you have to. Sometimes you have to get on that train, walk through those gates and simply revel in the crazy amazingness that is England. Case in point - Downton Abbey. Wait, I mean Highclere Castle...

(At this point you might want to make a cup of tea before the photo overload that was our visit...)

One winter evening a few years ago, our Sundays were transformed. We were channel hopping, hoping to find something vaguely decent to while away the last few hours of the weekend. We didn't realise quite how much of an effect that flicking over to the high class shenanigans of the aristocratics Crawley family and the dramatic lives of their servants would have on our winter evenings.

Urban Beekeeping at St Ermin's Hotel Westminster

Samuel Johnson hit the nail on the head when he declared 'if you are tired of London, you are tired of life'. There seems to be literally something for everyone in this adopted city of mine, and when people ask for my favourite aspect of London there is no question that it's the sheer variety of fascinating things you can do. (In it's own way, it can be rather exhausting - how do you learn to say no to something you think you'll regret missing?)

So with this in mind, Kara and I found ourselves one Saturday dressed in hooded beekeepers outfit in the corridors of a luxury Westminster hotel. My friends weren't even suprised. Much.

Welcome to the 'Adventures of a London Kiwi Gin Emporium'

For this confession, I'm pretty sure that I could be thrown out of the blogging world. Me & Gin, we're not really friends. I've never really been able to warm to the tart, spicy, flavour profile of most gins, and don't get along with tonic water. There, I said it. I've even spent several evenings (a rather wet afternoon at Kew and a quirky subterranean afternoon tea) at Gin tastings to make sure I really knew what I was talking about.

But, as a dedicate and as a former pub landlady, I've always maintained that it's simply a matter of finding a flavour that suits your palate - I'm of the sweet, rich, plummy-esque flavours usually found in mellow dessert wine, sweet dark rum and the occasional damson liqueur. But, I also love the piquancy of Angostura Bitters, a touch of Chilli and a puckered squeeze of lemons, so I figured out a way to beat the system. Making my own gin & putting my favourites in...

Without investing in a gin still, copper piping and a buff bloke to haul the grain about for me, it occurred with a bit of research that there were a couple of ways.

8 Things I will never do before I die

I adore having goals. They're perfect rainy day guides, helpful when wanting a direction in life and just plain amusing; but Holly's post on '8 things I will never do before I die' tickled my fancy. Call it an anti-bucket list.

1. Resist taking photos of foreign cats.
Yes, I have an addiction and I can't help it.

2. Enjoy wearing shoes
Much to the consternation of my British workmates, whatever instruments of torture I've strapped to my feet are discarded the milisecond it's possible. At the altar I kicked off my sensible heels whilst speaking my vows (only to panic as we were instructed to turn around and walk down the aisle as man and wife but I couldn't find them...)

Celebrating Holi (by pelting your friends with colour)

Sometimes times it feels as though you'd never need to leave the busy streets of London to experience the world. With a touch of Google search wizardry in short order you can discover Chinese Tea Ceremonies, French Gothic revival architecture of the Houses of Parliament, Malaysian Street Feasts, Japanese Gardens and antipodean bruncheries are (gloriously) popping up in almost every neighbourhood - to name but a few examples.

The sheer variety of population makes for a beautiful patchwork of festivities but over the years there has been one that has managed to elude me. Holi.

Our shoes were black, and overalls pristine white...

Celebrating the onset of Spring (the ancient festival clearly invented before the modern/pagan seasonal worship flower overload on instagram), Holi was originally a festival of fertility and harvest. Now it also marks some Hindu legends, which provide some of the ingredients for the celebrations (it's an ancient festival referred to as far back as the 7th century Sanskrit drama, Ratnaval.)

101 in 1001 goal list (v2.0)

It's been a whole week since I finished wrapped up my first 101 in 1001 goal list. It's confession time - the thought of not having a set of back-up ideas for rainy days was driving my litttle OCD mind to distraction. I've become so used to have a set of goals awaiting idle moments, that it was unthinkable to not rustle up another set.

Am I a sucker for punishment? Yes, it seems so...

As I said the other day, I can quite seriously credit sitting here at a computer for getting us out and about exploring the world a hundred times more than we ever did. Instead of just frumping at home on the couch in front of the TV wondering why we were so 'meh', we're continually finding more and more crazy, wonderful things to do and places to visit.

100 in 1001 (v2.0): 

07/03/2015 – 02/12/2017

TRAVEL:

1: 30 countries before 30 (18/30 ticked off the list with 4 planned so far).

2: Watch a Santorini sunset.

3: Toast sake in a Kyoto Yakitori bar.

4: Sleep in a Canadian forest lodge.

5: Swim with dolphins in the wild.

6: Visit Africa & South America to complete our continents clutch.

7: Go on a spontaneous Road Trip. Use a spin board to decide where to go for an afternoon.

8: Explore New Zealand's South Island & walk on a glacier.

9: Experience a Turkish bath.

10: Swim by moonlight.

11: Eat dumplings & goulash in Krakow.

12: Catch a fish for lunch.

13: Throw a dart in a map and travel wherever it lands.

14: Visit 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

15: Ride a Camel.

16: Sip Scotch in it's birthplace.

17: Play Train Roulette (picking a station and destination at random).

18: Go up in a Hot Air Balloon.

19: Send a Message in a bottle.

Climbing to see Big Ben - a room with a view

When people think of London and British landmarks, what top three come mind? People normally say Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and Tower Bridge.

Well a couple of years ago, Mr Kiwi, my brother-in-law, a very good friend and I played London tourists for the day. It was awesome. I think I'll have to split the day into 3 posts, or you may curse me for the sheer length of time it takes your computer to load!


It doesn't look THAT tall.. I think...

Firstly we climbed about 210 feet high (the total tower is 96.3m, roughly 16 storeys) tower, by way of of a 334 step spiral staircase. Not just any fly-on the wall, blase turn-of-the-century run-of-the-mill tower, but up the big daddy. Elizabeth Tower (previously St Stephens Tower & renamed in 2012 to celebrate 'er madge's Diamond Jubilee) is known to the World at large as Big Ben, and you get to see the fascinating mechanism and clock face that comprises the world famous icon, then the enormous bell himself.

With this looming, I've been in secret training for this, and it's had me on the stair machines in the gym for a while, building up to 10 minute sessions (you may think '10 minutes? That's nothing!' try it, I dare you. It's surprisingly hard!), and I am so glad I have been. As a bonus our guide said we were a rather fit group, and because of such we were up there in double quick time, meaning we spent more time listening to the beautiful bells up close. I've never been called 'fit'! The guides do this climb 3 times a day and 15 times a week - they definitely aren't gym Turkeys. 

We got to watch all of the mechnisms at work, see the famous pennies keeping the pendulum ticking regularily, check out the 32ft clock faces and best of all see Big Ben himself. It was such a fantastic thing to do, a moment that you never forget methinks.

I'm not going to bore you with all of the geeky fun facts, like the bell is a bit cracked, all 13.7 tonnes of it was winched up the Tower by 8 men, taking them a total of 32hours, and the E note Big Ben is famous for, is now E flat.. Go, I implore you. Or, check out Big Ben's official website for more info than you can shake a stick at. Big Ben also has Twitter. Awesome.

The tours are (as of writing) free, and can only be done by UK Residents, but it's so easy to do. Check-out their website and let me know what you think. Do it, it was amazing. I was only able to take a couple of very very sneaky pics, but we left grinning ear to ear.

Are you a UK resident & did you realise that this can be done? For free?

101 in 1001 Goal Update

The deadline is looming ever nearer. 101 goals that are meant to be completed within 1001 days. Will I do it? Can I manage to grow plants, see a sunset from a Greek Island, pat a big cat or create 15 recipes? I think that only time will tell.

Having been busy lately, it occurred to me that I seriously have some work to do. That said, the list is 62% complete, with 20 goals in progress (at least two of which will have to happen after the end of the time period.

43. Eat a Melton Mowbray Pie, in Melton Mowbray & two other regional delights in their homes. - in progress

25. Read 60 books on a top 100 book page (54/60 so far of the BBC’s 2003 list so far) - in progress

47. White cliffs of Dover 25/08/2014

 

54. Visit the Anne Frank House - in progress 

48. Chichester (Crooked spire) 02/08/2014  



60. Dance in the rain 21/08/2014

64. Cook a pinned Pinterest Recipe every week for 3 months. 03/09/2014


Have you ever set yourself long-term goals?

The Picture of Dorian Grey, Oscar Wilde.

The classic tale of narcissism, casual cruelty and karma.

 

 

"The sitter is merely the accident, the occasion. It is not he who is revealed by the painter; it is rather the painter who, on the coloured canvas, reveals himself. The reason I will not exhibit this picture is that I am afraid that I have shown in it the secret of my own soul."

Dorian Grey is a young, beautiful, rich socialite. His portrait is painted by good friend, and he wishes for the portrait to age instead of himself, with surprising results. (Or not so surprising to those with a touch more wisdom.)

 

Oscar Wilde's magnus opus is a delicately embroidered, deeply detailed, seductively prosed work of beauty.

 

“I don't want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.”  

 

 

There is no chance in the world that I would dare to attempt reviewing such a hallowed work. All I do know is that The Picture of Dorian Gray is something you have to read once in your life.

 

“Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul.”  

 

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Goal update: 101 in 1001

Everything seems to have to update and change every five seconds. Take for instance my favourite apps (not always for the good, Twitter here's looking at you), train timetables, the cat's favourite sleeping place (currently a plastic bag on the floor, next to the spare bed) and restaurant menus.

 

Foodie adventures of Okra and Plantain...

 

Fear not, I'm not going to start giving you Adventures of a London Kiwi: Rants of an corporate sellout 2.0; it will always be full of my blatherings, friends and random adventures that you that all seem to like. In keeping with the change of seasons and UK clocks going forward it just seemed like a good time to have a gander at the main reason for my corner of the internet, my 101 in 1001 goal list. 

 

 

I was starting to panic a little that I wasn't going to make my way through the list, but on checking, it seems to be going better than I thought.

 

#42. Have a mysteries of London day; Knights Templar Church, Freemason's Hall, Whittards Tea Shop (ie. why do the English drink so much tea?) 

 

 

This weekend I've also managed to tick the last 4 items off my "Try 15 new foodie items" list (goal #66) but there are still things I want to try, and a po'boy is on the top of that list.

 

38. Fried Plantain  

45. Goat’s Milk  

73. Pho 

98. Venison  

 

 

#46. Visit a working London Brewery 

 

  

I've also got a fair few goals in progress, such as #20. For a year fill a jar daily with joys, gratitudes, things that made me smile etc.

 

  



#05. Do 3 days of Volunteering (1/3) - in progress, I'm currently helping out with the Social Media for the NZ Business Woman's Network - come say hey kiwi ladies!

 

#44. Attend a Wimbledon Tennis game, Ascot Race or a Garden Party.

 

  

#64. Cook a pinned Pinterest Recipe every week for 3 months.

 

#77. Grow (and eat) edible flowers.

 

Maybe this whole crazy goal list thing is do-able. Huh.

 

Straw Poll: I'm coming to the realisation that my goal #27. Pat a Lion or big Cat, is a little crazy so do you think that my day as a London Zookeeper, feeding Giraffes, Ring Tailed Lemurs and playing with Penguins counts? 

 

 

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Twinings Tea Museum (ahem, Shop)

Tea is simply eponymous with Britain. Cut an Brit in half, and I have a suspicion that tea will even run through their veins (however that is only going by the volume my office mates consume). In a rather sweet way, it's also the reason that I realised the extent that I was adapting to life in England with ease.

 

Oh, and fun fact for the day: Approximately 165,000,000 cups of tea are drunk on average a day in England alone.

 

 

The Museum (ahem, Shop) is a tiny cabinet of curious. Sandwiched a stone's throw from the internationally famous Fleet Street, the narrow frontage sits between two much larger buildings on the Strand. The figures proudly characterise the history of this tempestuous food stuff.

 

 

Thomas Twining bought Tom's Coffee House on London's Strand in 1706, and it's believed that this is the longest running company in London that has occupied the same premises. At this time Coffee houses were a popular feature of London life.  Men - but never women - of all classes would gather there to drink, gossip and to do business.

 

 

Thomas ran quite a large risk by selling Tea to the masses as Coffee was the newest fad and Tea was heavily taxed and had to be imported from China. Luckily the King was convinced that reducing the tax would reduce smuggling, and Tea became increasingly fashionable during the early part of the 18th Century. 300 years later, his legacy lives on and tea is still sold here, all from the much expanded Twinings brand.

 

 

The Museum can be found at the back of the business and the shelves are full of period curios, displaying Twinings history and artefacts through the years.

 

  

Luckily to get there once you've made your way through the browsing tourists, there is a refreshing tea bar, where you can try a taste of a few of their newest flavours for free. Perfect on a rainy London afternoon - and it has potential health maintainence benefits in cardiovascular disease and cancer prevention.

 

 

 “Teaism is a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday existence. It inculcates purity and harmony, the mystery of mutual charity, the romanticism of the social order. It is essentially a worship of the Imperfect, as it is a tender attempt to accomplish something possible in this impossible thing we know as life.” ― Kakuzō Okakura, The Book of Tea

 

Don't be like me and put off going to the London home of this English icon for a year and a half 'because it's there and you'll get around to it later'. As Mrs Doyle in Father Ted famously says 'Ahh, go on...'

For further details on the Twining Museum/shop check out their website.

 

Tea? Coffee? Something stronger?

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Oranges and Lemons; Last lines

What started as a simple challenge to create a round-up of a few churches became a year long exploration of the East End that made my travelling heart happy. I've tried proper Pie Mash 'n Liquor, heard the Bow bells call to new Cockneys, learned a little of the lingo and discovered an incredibly unique museum.

(I guess) hearkening to our colonial past, the hallways of my New Zealand Primary school would to ring with the chanting of the London East End lines of Oranges & Lemons. Now, I can lay the history to rest, having discovered the roots.

Out with the old, in with the new 101 in 1001 goals.

I've umm-ed, I've ahhh-ed, and I've spent a few mornings with my chin resting in my hand, hopefully accompanied by an intelligent expression. Why? I set my 101 in 1001 goal list fully intending to complete Every. Single. One. Not to start and let it die with a damp fizz within a couple of weeks, or peak around the middle mark, or just fade away to obscurity - that's why I added it to the blog as a measure of public accountability.

Now THIS is a proper London Kiwi. Oh yes, found by a lovely friend, growing in a south London pub garden. Just thought I'd share.

 

 

I'm rocking along now, but with 420ish days to go, I've found a different problem. Those goals that I set nearly two years ago? Some of them are boring to me now, and some I've been scared off (Read: #20. Sky Dive - thank you John Bishop, your monologue about 'whether the guy you're strapped to whilst jumping out of a plane is having a good day' really, really solved that conundrum) so I'm having a mid-Winter clearout.

 #20. Keeping a jar of gratitude for a year.

 

Why should you care? I don't really want to bore you with the ins & outs, but as we're all doing the whole New Year, New Resolutions goal thingee it has me thinking, and I thought I'd share them. I genuinely find that reading other people's goals and ideas inspires me, so I hope it will inspire you!

 

I'm making myself feel better in that I'm setting interesting goals - things that aren't necessarily normal or easy to do. All of the goals are still things out of my comfort zone, or will take some work to complete, or push me somehow. To reflect this year I've also shift a little of the focus to travelling, and exploring - I'll have to trim a few exercise bits, but all the walking whilst exploring will make up for it. Right?

#22. Complete the Monopoly Pub Walk - this goal isn't going anywhere.

In the interested of honesty, these are what I'm changing - feel free to skim read it or join in!

20. Sky Dive (with instructor)

37. Complete a Hike
38. Publish Workout Playlists
40. Go indoor rock climbing
42. Lose 30kg
43. Maintain that weight once lost
64. Cook an entire Cookbook

65. For a day, cook a menu of hubby’s favourites

70. Have a themed meals week

86. Develop 3 rolls of film (../3)

97. Do a “what I ate Wednesday” post

 

20. For a year fill a jar daily with joys, gratitudes, things that made me smile etc.

42. Have a mysteries of London day; Knights Templar Church, Freemason's Hall, Whittards Tea Shop (perhaps solving the question of why do the English drink so much tea?)

43. Eat a Melton Mowbray Pie, in Melton Mowbray & two other regional delights in their homes.

44. Attend a Wimbledon Tennis game, Ascot Race or a Garden Party.

45. Play Pooh Sticks in 100 Acre Wood

46. Visit a working London Brewery

64. Cook a pinned Pinterest Recipe every week for 3 months

65. Try 5 'new to me' world meals (.../5)

70. Go to a blind tasting dinner

86. Get a 'proper' camera & learn how to use it on manual

97. Complete a month long blog challenge

 

I have so many things to do this year. Bring it on!!

 

 

 

Ps. I've also been looking through my 'Improve the 'How Foodie Are You' score becuase I want to improve it by 15 items. Well, it seems that they improved it a lot, so I retook it, and added in a couple of items that aren't available at all in the UK or I will never touch. Offal? Not a chance.

Are you currently goal setting? Share you link/list in the comments below - 101 in 1001s, 30 by 30s, stuff what to do in London....
Are you also Goal shifting? Bored of resolutions?

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Friday figments and photos

A week epitomised by highs and lows.  

 

Walking to work on Monday: I was sad, seeing these birdie footprints: made me glad

 

 

Taking down the tree for another year: I was sad, packing the precious ornaments from loved ones: made me glad.

 

 

 

Back to the instruments of facial torture: made me sad, but a Luxemburgish chocolate treat: made me glad.

 

 

Slapping through the rainy streets: made me sad, Watching a silent film version of The Phantom of the Opera, with unique live harp soundtrack and freshly popped popcorn at St Barts Pathology Museum: definitely made me glad.

 

 

 

  

A friend who is conflicted: made me sad, but catching up and laughing with them: made me glad. 

 

 

An accidental TimTam spotting. Not only that but 4 different varieties: made me glad.

 

  

A stressy day: made me sad, a touch of gluten free gourmet burger testing: made me glad. 

 

  

Sorry about the Big Bang Theory references. They make me glad. (SorryI'mnotsorry).

 

Have you got a touch of the January blues? Or an anti-January-blues weekend planned?

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