Don't Panic

Oh. I took photos of my photo in the Shortlist Magazine. Last week? two weeks ago? Three?
Hardcopy proof of my photo as photo of the week.

I sound conceited. I'm just excited*.







And then I notice that they misspelled my name again. And that just makes me smile in an absurd little way.

I guess the universe thinks my head is big enough as it is.


* (And nervous, a little (okay, a lot). My photo may not end up in the June 19th issue of Shortlist Magazine along with the winners of the competition. This may be as close as I get.)

On a day of mainly downs? This was definitely an up.

After a morning of doom and gloom I decided to check the website for the Canon Shortlist Competition (top 4 win a canon eos 450D!) which I entered a few weeks ago and my photo? is Photo of the Week!!!



It cheered me up immensely. I may have done a little dance in my office. But if anyone asks? I did NOT.

So please please PLEASE go to http://www.shortlist.com/canon/gallery.php and vote for my photo! 5 stars!
I mean, if you think it deserves it of course. Love you!

(It seems to be down twice. As Sarah Rose-Burke from Southwalk and as Sarah Rose from Southwark. The Sarah Rose-Burke one has more votes. Let's go with that one then!

The Tate Modern, it is a-changin'

They have taken apart the top of the Tate Modern Chimney!
Where there was once a large glass-&-metal square that lit up our bedroom window, there is now just a sad little frame. All left behind.



Craig hopes that they are replacing it with four powerful spotlights shooting up into the sky. Or perhaps an illuminated flame shape.
And while I find the giant-candle idea appealing, I hope for something more streamlined. Perhaps a large white balloon. Also illuminated. In my mind it looks something like a bubble-gun.

There is also a Street Art exhibition opening in the next week. As part of that they have turned the Tate Modern into a giant canvas:









My favourite parts?







Photos taken on the 18th May.

fingerscrossed fingerscrossed fingerscrossed

All of a sudden it seems to be summer here in London. A welcome visitor for the most part.
The sun is out, sky is blue and the temperature is creeping up into the mid twenties. The omnipresent voice in the underground warns us to carry bottled water as the heat has a solid damp presence on the Tube. An unwanted passenger that induces a cloying smell & rolling beads of sweat. My least favourite thing about London heat. Hate you antHropomorphised heat!

What hits me most with this calefaction (almost. but not quite. I know) is how familiar it is. The weather was like this when we arrived in London (not quite. It rained the first day. But soon after our arrival ...) and in only 27 days we will have been in London for one year. At 5:15am exactly.

I am trying to make the most of summer-esque weather. I like to think that London has turned the weather up early this year because it knows that I will be missing a great part of the London Summer. Most of July and all of August.

Craig & I are juggling forms and feelings. Visa plans are in the works but I cannot, will not crow about it until I can post photos of my complete passport.
I am still returning to the familial focus in early July and Craig will be following soon after for an appointment with the embassy. Perhaps. We hope. As long as all goes according to plan. Maybe. Touch wood.

One Year Ago Today ...

Craig & I pulled out out of my parents' driveway and I had my hand pressed against my face. The radio was playing (seriously) an R.E.M. song:


It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine.

(seriously!)


Craig just looked at me and changed the station.



As we were leaving Taupo I burst into tears (I was on edge most of the day) and at the same time it started raining.
We could see blue sky out the windows but the rain was super heavy. Craig looked over at me and joked "Maybe it's you" which made me laugh just-a-little. Shortly afterwards I stopped crying. And the rain? stopped. I seriously control the world. Didn't you know?



One year ago Craig and I drove from Wellington to Auckland on our way to Australia, Thailand, Singapore, & London.
Today we spoke to the people who employ us and all but begged them to help us stay here. We love our life in London. We love our flat. We miss New Zealand but it's not the best fit for us at the moment.
Our fingers are so so so crossed.

Remember that we went to Paris?

Our trip in Photos:



The light in this photo reminds me of plimsolls & tanned ankles.







Lunch. Baguettes & panini. Du coca.









Pont Neuf!





We stayed at the Hotel du Beaune. On the sixth floor of a narrow rickety building overlooking rooftops. The elevator was tiny. Wearing our backpacks (tiny! carry on size!) we were squashed inside. But it was clean and less than 10 minutes walking distance from the Louvre & the Seine.





The Eiffel Tower! and Maman by Louise Bouregeois hiding in the tree.







I lovelovelove that you can take photos in galleries as long as you don't use flash.













So. Many. Stairs. 284 of them. No pause.

There were no gaps and there were people behind me alllll of the way.
I almost made it. About 7 before the end I had to stop. Then at the top, my throat tasted like blood. I didn't think it was a good sign but I'm still alive so what do I know?

And the view was worth it.













Tomorrow, the Louvre!

(This post was brought to you by 500mL of Pinot Grigio Blush. Love. A couple of hours ago. Which is why I'm ending it now)

A Souvenir from Paris

The Louvre at Night.

Post Paris Malaise

Time: Sunday Night. About 9:45pm
Place: Dining Room, the Campanile Hotel, Roissypole, outside of Paris

Sarah: You know what would suck?
Craig: mm?
Sarah: Discovering you were allergic to something while you were in a foreign country.
Craig: mm.
Sarah: My lips are all tingly.

5 minutes later.

Sarah: Seriously! I don't know what this is! the only word I could make our was Fillet & now my lips are really really tingly. And you don't seem to care!
Craig: I didn't respond because I knew you'd just freak out. I knew the moment that you mentioned finding out you were allergic to something. Just don't eat anymore of it.
Sarah: oh. okay.

He really is the calm one.

We are back from Paris. Finally. We got to the airport at 6pm on Sunday to find out that our flight was Annulé. Cancelled. We had panicked & crossed our fingers so much about actually getting to Paris but forgot that we were flying back into terminal 5 as well.
So we stood & sat & complained in line for two hours. There were no flights left that day but if we didn't mind going to London City airport instead of Heathrow then they could get us on a flight at 7:30 the next morning.
Didn't mind? Didn't mind? we loved the idea. It's much easier to get to Southwark from Greenwich than Heathrow. And it meant no Terminal 5.

We collected our flight ticket & our hotel & meal vouchers and Craig stood outside to wait for the shuttle. It started snowing! the weather that had derailed the flights in London that morning had reached Paris. We crossed our fingers.
We were shuttled around to an anonymous, bland hotel in the area outside of Paris known as Roissypole. All airport hotels & highways. No personality, no real life.

The hotel staff were stretched to breaking. They all of a sudden had a hundred or so people show up for rooms & dinner & it was late and they were not prepared (nor could they have been!) so when we finally got dinner, it was an almost empty buffet. Hence the strange fish food which made my lips tingle.

We had to wake up at 4 the next morning in time for breakfast & shuttle & check in etcetera etcetera. I lay on the bed in agony with the worst exhaustion-enduced nausea I've ever had (super fun! turned out to be some kind of stomach bug! I'm still sick!) but after breakfast (blech) we stood, waiting for the shuttle, and realised that outside it was still snowing! proper snow! stuff that sticks on the ground & trees & cars and is a couple of inches thick. Unlike the London snow we've seen which hits the ground and melts. It was lovely. And the cold air made me feel a little better.

Our trip to Paris in general was lovely. The whole time that we were supposed to be there, I loved it. It was only once we were due to be gone that it was hellish.

We ate crepes & chocolat chaud, we walked and walked and walked and walked. We walked the Champs Elysée & took the stairs to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. We went to the top of the Eiffel tower & climbed the hill to Sacré Coeur. We went to the Louvre & the Orangerie & the Musée d'Orsay.
Our hotel was little & tall and had a lift that Craig & I could barely fit in. Seriously, my shoulders touched the sides & Craig's were a little squashed in! Amazing.

But right now I am sick and while I have yet another day off work (planned on one. Today makes three) I feel too sick to edit, organise & upload photos. Perhaps this weekend?
I want to show you all! Paris is magical.

Also, this has taken me a long long time to write. I can't exactly type properly at the moment. My hands feel all weak and weird.

M.I.A.

This weekend Craig and I are going to Paris!
Hopefully.
We're due to fly out of Terminal 5 at Heathrow tomorrow morning. As of this afternoon, our flight had not been cancelled. If we leave our house at 5:30 tomorrow morning in order to get to Terminal 5 in time for our flight and THEN find out that our flight is cancelled? I will be immeasurably mad.
I'm a little anxious.


Thanks google maps!

Our hotel is approximately where the green arrow is.
Walking distance to the Musée d'Orsay, the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Centre Pompidou, and I'm sure there's more.
I can't believe we only have two nights there.