GOODBYE HACKNEY WICK!

This is probably the saddest post I have ever had to write.  Why?  because I'm leaving my flat.  My flat of the last 5 years; the flat that I love; the place where I found a weird kind of family; somewhere I finally learnt to call home.
I remember the first time I came to the wick, it was hardly love at first site. I had got the train from my then home, in the suburban tranquillity of Ealing, to visit my friends Claire and Debs, who had decided to become very trendy by moving East, into a Warehouse.
What a shit hole! was my first thought, then followed by, why the hell would anyone want to live here? It felt like the arse end of nowhere, there was nothing about (apart from Dennis's Premiere shop and a greasy spoon cafe (with rough workmen) and with the Wick being mainly an industrial estate, it was hardly an oil painting. In fact it was just dam ugly and depressing. It grew on me a little, over the time I visited them there. They threw some good parties (why of course!) but I still wasn't sold on the idea of living in a warehouse in Hackney Wick. So how the hell did I end of living here, in place that I didn't even like? Well the answer is because, I was never meant to be living here! I had once again found myself living my nomadic existence again (A common occurrence with my job), sleeping on people's sofa's as I had nowhere to live in London, because I had been working in Manchester for 6 months. After moving from house to house for weeks, Debs and Claire said I could stay at their place for 2 weeks while they were on holiday. I never left, and 5 years later I find myself teary eyed, packing the few belongings I have into boxes. The truth is I don't want to leave. The Wick gets under your skin. It swallows you whole, this bazaar little community, where you know all your neighbours (a first for me in London); where there is always a party if you want one; and where everyone is slightly a bit crazy and odd. Maybe that's why I stayed. I finally found people like me.
If it possible to fall in love with four walls, I have fallen in love with the bricks and concrete (or more like plaster board in our case) of unit 24, Oslo House. I have lived with over 17 different people, in the last 5 years. Some have come and gone, others have become some of the most important people in my life.
I will miss lots of things. I will miss Alex telling me to take out the recycling; I will miss Oli telling me off for putting some thing wrong, in the dishwasher again!; I will miss turning the lights off after Angus has left them on; I will miss hearing my neighbour snoring at night (Yes! The walls are that thin)!;  I will miss roof top BBQ's; I will miss my roof top garden; I will miss cats in the shower and in the sink; I will miss bike parts in the shower and in the sink!; I will miss falling to sleep with the pounding sound of a house party; I will miss Jon knocking on our door every two seconds; I will miss having a bottle of wine and a chat with Laura; I will miss Oli's cooking (God! It's so good); I will miss suckey time with Hank (This is not as bad as it sounds!); I will miss Moomin Trolls little noises; I will miss a 100 mile strokes with Cassius (Again not as bad as it sounds!); I will waking up to that picture of Tim Roth above my bed, that some one thought was funny to put there because I was working with him (Who put that there actually?); I will miss Wii bowling nights with the boys; I will miss popping down to Dennis for a bottle of wine, a Purdeys and spicy chili crackers; I will miss going to work early in the morning and finding my neighbour passed out face down in the corridor because he's got drunk again!; and I will miss the cold winters (actually I'm joking about that one)! I will miss all these things and so many more.
So I sit and look around the flat. I have experienced the most fun, happiness, laughter, love and joy in this place. I have also experienced the most pain, hurt, sadness and disappointment here too. I look around again. There have been so many times when people told me to leave this place, that it wasn't good for me anymore, but I stayed all the same and have no regrets with that, not for one second. It was the right decision, but now I feel its time to move on. There are too many ghosts now. So I close a chapter on my life and open a new one. I love you Hackney Wick and always will. I'll be back from time to time, but for now I'll just have to take the memories.

THE PARTIES

It's what the Wick is known for and believe me, we had some good one's over the years! Here they are:

THE 80's ONE

My first party in the Wick. Most memorable for me for dumping my dad with my sister so I could go; I didn't go in fancy dress (So unlike me); and it was the first time I met Fraser, who is now a good friend of mine (We met getting drunk while eating Haribo's)!

THE NATIVITY ONE

I still didn't live in the Wick when this one happened. Most Memorable for me buying my whole outfit from Warrington market and calling myself the "Chav Angel"; for getting so drunk and putting on a giant Christmas cracker that my friend had made and falling over in it, thus looking like a turtle on its back!

THE MOUSTACHE ONE
My first party as a tenant in the Wick. Most memorable for it being the first time I had drank in over 3 months (I'd been really sick with a kidney infection); the band turning up looking like homeless people (I think they were?) with a dog; and for some bastard nicking my favourite hat.

THE ONE THAT WASN'T MEANT TO BE ONE!
I was sat in one night with my boyfriend of the time having a quite time, when my ex and all his mates turned up. Slightly strange at first, but turned into one big piss up. Memorable for me being really drunk and telling one of my ex's friends who I use to have a thing with that I really liked it when we use to lay in bed together and watched water colour challenge (no wonder I'm single)!

THE PANTO ONE

We only had this party because I wanted to dress like a slag Alice in Wonderland. Most memorable for drinking vodka out of a tea pot; Becky Brown getting so wasted she passed out; and my Italian neighbour turning up in a life vest?

KYLEE'S BIRTHDAY
Oli and Angus decided to cook dinner for 30 people for Angus's girlfriend's birthday. Most memorable for great food and Alex standing up and taking the most unusual order ever (I Can't really say anymore than that, but I have never seen so many people's jaws drop in my life)!

Check out this video of the night.
JAN's ONE
My ex's 30th. Most memorable for it being the most crowded party ever and I didn't even know most of the people; a fight; some guy letting off pepper spray, so we had to evacuate the whole party; the toilet flooding; and basically the whole place getting trashed!

THE 1940's ONE
My 30th. Most memorable for tennis on the roof top; costume changes; and for someone walking in on me, in my room with just my underwear on, with a guy, but isn't wasn't what it seemed!!!!

THE MESSY NEW YEAR ONE
We had all make grand plans for New Year again, which as usual no one put into play and we found ourselves on New Years eve with nothing to do and no where to go.  We decided that as we were all adults now, so we would have a sensible adult like dinner party.  As you can imagine, it being us, this did not occur and it turned out to me one of the messiest nights ever! Most memorable for sitting on a table and collapsing it; hanging the Christmas tree up side down in the corridor; and me being so wasted, I threw up and was rolling around on the bathroom floor as I thought there was an evil cat inside of me!!!

THE ONE ON THE ROOF
Josephine one of our neighbours, asked to use our oven due to the fact she was doing a dinner club for 50 people and didn't have enough space.  Due to our generosity she invited us to eat at the dinner party as well.  Even better there was a heat wave in London and she decided to do it on the roof terrace.  Its most memorable for the cats sitting under the DJ decks, the boy's playing half naked table tennis, and being shut down by the police at 2.00am for noise pollution!!!

THE JANE FONDA WORKOUT V'S DAVID CARRADINE KUNG-FU ONE
I wanted to wear a leotard, the boy's wanted to do Kung-Fu moves, so we decided on both.  Its most memorable for camel's hoof; Alex stripping on top of a table to Crystal Castles and then some girl saying "Its because of girls like you, girls get raped!" Well you can imagine how that went down.

THE LAUNDRETTE ONE
The wick always likes to do something different, and some bright spark came up with the idea to have one in the 24 hour laundrette, as it wasn't staffed.  I have never been to a party before where I'm sat in a washing machine with a vodka and lemonade.  I would of loved to have been a fly on the wall when they went into check on the laundrette the next day!!!!

MEMORABLE MOMENTS IN HACKNEY WICK

THE CASE OF THE £800 MONKEY

Me and my ex Jan had taken over the contract on unit 24.  I had arranged everything, the bill's, changing over with the landlord's.  I had only asked him to do one thing: To find a cleaner as with so many of us living there, it was a constant nightmare with cleaning.  I kept moaning at him, as the time went on, and still he hadn't arranged a cleaner.  Then one day at work I received an email from him, with a picture, saying, "I haven't found a cleaner yet, but I have found a monkey for sale in Bristol for £800. Can we get it?"

I was so angry, but then I kept looking at the picture of the monkey, and the stupidity of it all, and then I just couldn't stop laughing.  Even now when I'm having a bad day I sometimes still look at that picture of the bloody £800 monkey and it still makes me laugh.

UNDERAGE RAVE NIGHT

It's my first night out in the wick, as an actual resident. Some one suggests we go to the Lord Napier,  a squatters pub around the corner which holds rave nights, as they have heard there is something going on.  We turn up and are just about to go in, when some guy stops me at the door.

"Sorry love you can't come in.  Your too old.  It's under age rave night!"

What! What! Under age rave night.  What the hell is the world coming to.   Apparently the under age rave night use to be a common occurrence at the Napier, but then the police clamped down.  The other year though me and Rohan my housemate popped out to the shop to get a bottle of wine, only to find the streets crawling with drunken 16 year olds and police van's. We stood there with our arms folded looking on disgust, with the rest of the residents of the wick, as teenagers threw up everywhere, swore a lot, and threw stuff at the police van's as they were ejected from the rave.  I remember it all feeling very ironic as we stood there looking at them in disdain, as done of us in the Wick are model citizens ourselves.  That's why we live there.

MISSING CATS!
Everyone who knows us, knows how much we love our cats. We are a bit stupid with them.  We treat them like our children.  So if anything happened to them, we would be heart broken, and believe me over the years they have tested us, with going on their own little adventures IE: going missing! There was the time, I was at the opera and I got a million text messages saying that Moomin troll had gone missing (I'm not sure what I could do as I'm at the bloody opera)! I came home to find a load of missing posters around the building, but when I opened the door there was Moomin troll!  Then there was the time I was in the corridor when I saw 2 guys looking a bit lost.  "Are you missing a cat?" they said.
"No.  Ours can't get out" I replied confidently.
"There is one in our flat and it looks like a tiger" they said.
"Hank!"
I rushed down to their flat and there he was; just sat there looking at me, meowing.  It is still a mystery to this today on how he got into a locked first floor flat.  Oh! and then there was the time When Cassius jumped of the roof and me and Alex spent most of the day crying and Oli put up loads of laminated posters around the Wick (He eventually turned up near the bin's)! But nothing can beat the time when I got a text message in South America informing me that Moomin had got stuck on the roof and 6 firemen were now attempting to rescue her! What the hell!  It's a good job we love those cats so much!

 

HACKNEY WICK FLEA MARKET

Our friend Eric decided to organise a flea market in Hackney Wick and to show our support we decided to set up a store at the first ever one. It being us it was never going to go to plan.  I turned up pissed from partying the night before; Ssam my housemate decided to sell off some of her clothes (She had so many), but didn't really get the term flea market as she was trying to sell Chanel and Jill Sander at high prices (Which doesn't work in the Wick), So she hardly sold anything as she didn't get the concept of bargaining either; and Kylee decided to sell sangria which did very well, too well in fact as I think we drank most of the profits. Basically we were shit in the terms of business but no one cared, the sun was shining and the Wick was at its best.

FASHION, FASHION!
My old housemate Ssam was a fashion photographer.  She lived and breathed fashion.  She even said "Fashion!" a lot.  She also brought fashion to the flat, by doing quite a few shoots at ours.  I would often come home to find the place full of stylists and make up artists.  The best thing though was the models.  To be more precise the male models!  Though the first time there was one in the flat I had just walked in after a 2 day bender and looked like shit!  I quickly ran to the bathroom and piled on some make-up, though he turned out to be very dull (he was still good to look at; he just didn't need to open his mouth)! I even styled a shoot for her to, which Ssam had the poor model running around on the roof, nearly killing her, but the photos looked bloody good.

Check out this video for Glass Magazine which was made in our flat.

LILLI ES
I love flowers.  Maybe its because I have been brought up around them, with my mum being a florist, and Lillie's are my favourites.  It was my birthday and I came home to find that Oli and Angus had gone out and brought me the most amazing bunches of Lillie's. My boyfriend who had been completely out done, got in a bit of a mood and said they made him sneeze and that they had to go outside.  I ignored him.  They were so beautiful.

THE THINGS YOU FIND IN THE WICK

Oli my housemate loves collecting things, and especially from around the wick.  He will collect any old shit.  Usually these scary doll's which he knows I hate, but there was also a model ship and a huge dog mascot head I found one morning when I woke up.  I'm sure though his favourite find is the 80's porno mags he found near the bin's.  All I can say is they didn't have Brazilian's in those days!

Oh we know how to party in the wick.  Check out this video of a street party at the 2011 Hackney Wicked festival.

GOODBYE HACKNEY WICK

YANKO TSVETKOV

These are by a Bulgarian artist Yanko Tsvetkov and are all called mapping stereotypes.  There totally brilliant.  I don't need to say anymore.  Oh! My favourite? The first one: The world according to America.

DADDY G IN DA HOUSE!

My dad came to visit me for the first time at unit 24 of Oslo house, last year and even though he called it the commune, I know that my dad secretly loved it. I know this because he couldn't wait to arrange his next visit, and the other weekend this visit finally occurred. It couldn't have happened at a better time. I was feeling fragile and needed the distraction and the security of a parent. My father was so excited about the weekend he had texted me the weather forecast and had consulted me at what outfits he should bring for the trip. He was unsure as we were going to watch Warhorse at the theatre on our first night. We had tried to go and watch the show on his last visit but we had been too unorganised to buy tickets in advance and it was sold out.
My father complemented itself on what good seats he had got for us (which in truth they were) and nearly had a heart attack when he paid £30 for 4 gin and tonics at the theatre bar ( to be fair though, so did I!) but we both went home with smiles on our faces after watching a magical performce.
The next morning we awoke early as we both wanted to go and see the Da Vinci exhibition. We arrived at 9.30 am before the museum opened at 10am.
"Look Dad. The queue is not to big" I said as I proudly joined the back of the line.
"I'm afraid the queue is shut" said a guard to me. "It was shut at 7am due to the amount of people we had".
"What the hell! " I stand there in shock. "Come on Dad. We will never get into this exhibition unless your a complete weirdo and camp out from 5am in the morning, and I love Da Vinci but not that bloody much!"
We go and have a fry up instead. Well actually I don't as I don't like fry up's (I should of added that to my list of food phobias)! I just have a nice Danish pastry!
The good thing about having guests in London is you actually go and see things you have never seen before. When you live somewhere, you don't do the tourist things. My dads visit gave me the perfect excuse to do something touristy. I'd never been inside Westminster Abbey before and me being the history geek I am and the Abbey being one of the most important historical places in the country, it had always been on my to do list. We were then entertained with our own audio guide tour with the soothing voice of Jeremy Irons for the next couple of hours. I was not disappointed and had an amazing afternoon though as I was looking at the kings and Queens tombs I realised those people in the olden days were total midgets (maybe they are related to the Mexicans)?

My dad hasn't met many of my friends, so I decided it was time he did.
"Dad we are going for a curry with the girls tonight, you don't mind do you?"
"No Carly. You know I never mind the company of women."
No, you bloody don't and that's always been your problem in life, I thought! So off we went to Tooting and I did throw my Dad in at the deep end due to the fact that I introduced him firstly to my close knit, most feisty group of friends: Debs; Evans and Becky. We all met at uni and have known each other for 12 years now (God! I feel old!) but we are all as thick as thieves and when you get us together you can't bloody shut us up! My father did very well. He was social able; charming; entertaining and if I remember rightly didn't tell any bad Dad jokes. At the end of the night when we were going home on the tube he said to me:
"You have a good group of friends there, I can tell. You are very lucky."
Yeah, I thought to myself, I have. We love each other entirely even though we are so different. I know I'll know them even when we are old women. Actually Evans has had a hair brain scheme recently that we should all buy a villa together somewhere like Portugal, for when we retire ( I guess I'm stuck with them forever now!

I had announced the crazy decision that I was going to cook, Sunday roast for 8 people including my father, to impress him! Bare in mind I have never cooked a roast before in my life! I started to realise that I might have been a bit over ambitious, so I turned to my reliable source:
"Oli! Will you help me cook a roast?"
"Yes doll" he said with his usual resigned look.
Come the day of the roast, Oli is still in bed, and Jono pops in for his usual daily visit to inform me in his all so charming way that:
"Oli got twatted last night!"
Oh my God! I'm on my own I think! I take my Dad out to buy the groceries, which is fine though he tells me I've spent to much on the Beef at the butchers and I could of got it for half that price at Tesco's. I tell him, that it's bloody good beef. He tells me that it should be at that price! I get home. Oli still isn't up! I'm stressed now! My father asks what time everyone is coming for dinner? I tell him to read the Sunday papers! He asks me, should we start preparing the dinner right now? Oh my God! I don't know! I've never done this before. Arrrgghhhhh!!!!!! I tell him he's a guest and just to read the papers. I'm stressed now, though I don't say anything. Oli rises. Yeah! He looks super hungover and grumpy. No! I'm on my own! Then something amazing happens.
" Do you still want me to help with the roast?" says hungover Oli.
"Yes! Yes please" I say, like some happy puppy.
The next thing I know, he's taken control of everything and we revert to the roles that we do best in life: Oli is cooking; and I'm entertaining the guests and keeping the drinks flowing! We sit down to the most amazing roast ever, that I can't really take any credit for ( though I must say I did all the peeling!) but who the hell cares, everyone is happy, even Oli who has the hangover from hell. I do believe it might have been my favourite roast ever in Oslo house. Oh! And just so you know Daddy G said the beef was very good in the end. The perfect end, to a perfect weekend.

WII ADDICTION!

I cooked stew and dumplings the other night, for Oli and our friends Jono and Scott (Who feel like part of the furniture these days)! Oli and Jono, after clearing their plates rushed off to Soho to go and see a Chilly Gonzales gig and me and Scott were left there drinking red wine wondering what the hell we were going to do with our Friday night.
"Oh my God! Who's is the Wii" Scott said very excitedly as he spied a box in the corner.
"It's mine" I replied.
My brother had given me his console before he moved to Japan, because he couldn't carry it and wasn't sure if it worked. I brought it back to the flat in fit of excitement.
"Look everyone I got given a wii!" I cried.
The housemates reactions weren't as enthusiastic as mine. Angus looked at it as if I'd brought the devil into the flat; Alex was being too erratic again to notice and Oli did show a slight interest if I remember rightly, but I think that was more at the thought of fixing it, than playing on it (He loves stuff like that). Since then it has just been sat there gathering dust in the corner.
"It probably doesn't even work Scott and I only have one control" I moaned.
"Have you tried? It can work with one control, we just take it in turns" he replied excitedly.
So we tried and it did work, perfectly.

You don't even have to play a game to have fun, as me and Scott just spent the first hour just creating each others Wii character. There not the most flattering as I look like the love child of Steve wonder and Janet Street Porter and Scott looks like an inflated balloon. To fair though I think the one we did for Jono is the worst as he looks like something out of planet of the apes!
I did pre warn Scott about me on the Wii, though I still think he was a bit shocked. In fact after seeing me play tennis he said he'd never seen anything like it! The thing is I really get into it. I just can't sit there and press a button; if I'm bowling I'll do the run up like at a lane( everyone thinks I'm going to go through the TV); when I play tennis my arms swing everywhere (Don't get in my way, or you will get a black eye; and boxing, well boxing, I'm great at boxing. I've always had a lot feist in me, so I really go for it. Boom! Knock out! Boom! Another knock out! Love it!
Oli and Jono returned from Chilly Gonzales at 2am to find me and Scott still playing. It's even later when I decide to retire to bed, leaving the guys to play bowling and with Jono wanting to know why his character looks like Planet of the Apes!

The next morning I wake up and I can hardly move my arms. What a work out. If I do Wii everyday I will have guns! Linn walks down the stairs looking hungover from her previous nights clubbing, but then her eyes light up when she sees the Wii.
"Who's is the Wii?"
"Mine" I reply happily, "Me and Scott were playing on it last night and I'm going to buy another control and some more games."
"No need" said Linn "I have 3 controls and loads of games in my room!"
"Oh my God! Really?"
"Yes really!"
"Yeeeeeeaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!"
"Yeeeeeeaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!"
I text Scott straight away to tell him the good news and they we are going to have a Wii day and he's like,
"Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!"
And everything is just, you know,
"Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!"
Now this was the kind of enthusiasm I was expecting. So after this we all lived happily ever after in our Wii addiction heaven.
P.S I still can't move my arms with out them hurting. I better get some bloody muscles from this, to make the pain worth it!

ELECTRIC BLANKET WHORES

I've got two guys in my bed at the moment! Don't get excited, I can't even get one guy in bed these days. No! These guys are of the furry feline type. Yes our cats; Cassius and Hank. My sudden rise in popularity has nothing to with the fact that they love me dearly. No! It's because as the temperature has dropped below freezing, I have got out my winter best friend: The Electric Blanket, and they absolutely love it. They sleep with me ever night now (which means I get Hank screaming in my face at 7.00am, for food)! I don't mind though; being used by the cats. I love them and I haven't got much time left with them, so I have to make the most of it, before it's gone.
Also breaking news, while we are on the cat front! Moonin Troll has finally started to like women! She has always been a boys girl, but she won't leave me and my new housemate Linn alone and sits on ours laps. I was so excited about this, I sent Alex, who is still swanning around Mexico drinking too much Tequila probably, a picture of her sat on my lap. Her main response was:
"She looks fat!"
Alex has a thing about fat people, this also stems down to fat cats, especially if it's her cat! I can imagine her brain going into over drive sat on a Mexican beach somewhere, trying to think of ways to make the cat thin again. Oh God! Its going to be a nightmare if she comes back and finds a fat Moomin Troll. Maybe I should do something about it. Is there weight watches for cats? I'm going to go and google it now.

WHO AM I?

I had one of those drunken conversations with a friend recently.  You know the kind where you talk absolute crap about everything, and then at the end of the night you tell each other how much you love one other and how great they are. One of the topic's that came up was knowing ones self.  My friend argued that no one ever knows ones self.  I told them I agreed with them to a certain extent; it is true you can never know yourself entirely, but you have to be sure of some things within you, or you become a stranger to yourself and life can't function happily that way.  The next day I found myself pondering over the argument, and asking myself what do I know about me and this is what I came up with (Please don't except Einstein here)!:

* I have a gap between my front teeth which I use to hate, but now I don't think I would change it, because it's now part of me.

* I don't like opening mail!

* I'm loyal.

* I have food phobia's.  This includes Sandwiches, eggs, most finger buffets, those American style hot dogs, not putting milk on cereal the right way and people who are serving food that don't look clean!
(God I sound like a complete freak)!

* I hate chick flicks and would much prefer a beat them up or an action movie.

* When I want something I flutter my eye lashes, and then slope my body to the side. Apparently this is not in a sexy way, but more like, (so I have been told) a Steven Hawkings kind of way (I know my house mates are wrong)! Though it can't be that bad as it got me off a fine for not having an MOT and not have my tax disc displayed with the police recently (Get in)!

* I hate the cold, and when I say that I really mean it!

* I like to feel the sun on my face.

*I always like to believe the good in people before the bad.  This has often left me disappointed, in the end.

* I like my legs.  I hate my hip bones ( they stick out too much and I use to get teased at school by the other girls for them)!

* I don't like to take life to seriously, only when needed to.  I can laugh at myself.  I think this is up there for me as one of the best qualities a person can have.

* I usually love the men in my life, more than they love me.

* I'm scared of deep water, but I always try and swim in it as I feel its good to confront your fears.

*I think about things way too much!

* I'm allergic to cats, but I love them (We have three and they make me sneeze and my eyes itch, and through all that I still love them).

* I'm most happiest when I'm travelling.

* I drink too much, but not in an alcoholic kind of way.  I'm just a fun time girl.

* At the age of 32 I hardly own any furniture as it scares me, because it makes me feel tied down.

* I can be selfish.

*I don't like being tall, but I'm learning to except it (I'm 5'10).

*I can be the life and soul of a party, but deep down inside I'm a loner and I often seek solitude.

* Before I die I have two ambitions: I want to speak another language and write a book and get it published.

This is what I know about me, and I'm OK with these things, because that's who I am.  I still have the rest of my life to figure out the rest of me.

A REVIEW OF 2011: A GOOD YEAR

I know this is a bit late for a review, but people I have been in Mexico (I know hard life)!  Anyway it seems fitting that I should spend the end of last year and see in a new one, abroad; because in 2011, I spent more time out of the UK than in it.  I started the year feeling ready for a something different, an adventure and a change, but most importantly a change in me, and that is exactly what I got.  I know its sounds corny to say it, but I feel like a different person to the one that started a trip in Costa Rica, feeling low on self esteem in every way shape and form. This year I proved to myself that I can do things I never thought I could do and my self confidence has grown, in not just work, but with in me as a person.  The most important thing I learnt this year is to like myself (God I'm starting to sound like one of those self help books)!  Who knows what 2012 holds, but I do know already that my life is going to completely change this year.  For the better or the worst, it remains to be seen, but at the moment I am looking at it as a new start, its up to me what I make of it.

TRAVELS

Well it wouldn't be a proper year for me if I wasn't jetting off somewhere with my back pack.  I do believe that I am well and truly addicted these days, and I don't think it will ever stop.  When I'm 70 I will still be there with my back pack, in some far off land, staying in some shit hole, getting food poisoning, having ice cold showers, but still having the most amazing adventures.

This year saw me travel Central and South America for 5 months. I have travelled a lot of Asia in the past and I love it.  I never thought anywhere could beat Asia, but I do believe that Latin America may have just done that.  I love the place and the people, it has a magic that you can't describe. From the tropical jungles, to the snow capped peaks of the Andes, it was the most amazing adventure I think I have ever had on my travels. This trip was all about building, and pushing myself.  I met the most amazing people, saw the most beautiful landscapes and have memories that will stay with me until the day I die.

I finally got to go somewhere in Spain that wasn't swarming in a ton of British package holiday makers, and I didn't see an English pub in site (Yeah)!  I went to Madrid.  Even better I went on a girly trip with the lovely Miss Becky B, and we did what we do best which is chat, eat, drink and be completely clueless.  I also got to catch up with Martin again. Its the most chilled capital city I've ever been to and has great food, people and weather to go with it.  I loved it there and I will definitely be returning.

I finished the year in Mexico with Olex, but you guys know all about that already? Well if you read my bloody blog you do?  I only did a small part of the country, but I already have a plan to go back, buy a VW Beetle in Mexico city and drive all the way down and through to Guatemala.  Now that would be an adventure, especially as I have never driven on the other side of the road and know absolutely nothing about cars, or actually is it just insane?

WEDDINGS

First up my old school friend Miss Kerry Hogan, who married the lovely Martin and became Mrs Scott. It was a good excuse to go up north for the weekend and catch up with all my old friends from the manner.  A great day.

Next was my cousin Ryan, who married the beautiful Hannah, in a ceremony where there wasn't a dry eye in the house, well apart from mine (I don't cry a weddings; remember)? All the best for the future for the two new lovely couples.  2012 is going to be the year of weddings for me.  Three of my best friends are getting married: Arrrrgggggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WORK

Well I didn't work for over 5 months this year, as I had far better things to do like travelling, of course!  But I did have to come back to reality as I was totally broke and you do need to to this thing called work to survive (Life hey)!  The good thing about this year though was I got to mix travel with work.  My perfect combination.

I have been in this industry for 10 years nearly and the most exotic location I have ever got to go to, is some gorge in Leyton Buzzard that was doubling for Jerusalem!  This year I finally got to go abroad with work.  OK, it wasn't the most exotic location it being Benidorm, but it was hot and not Blackpool, and in fact I had the most amazing time.  I'm glad I was only on it for a bit though; I don't think my liver could of taken the whole 3 months of that job.

They say things happen for a reason, and after not getting on a job I thought I was going to get, I found myself flat broke and with no work insight, feeling low, but then I got a phone call.  The next thing I was in Morocco working with a team of 15 Moroccans who Eventually I got left in charge of, working with costumes I never worked with before, on a drama documentary called Mankind, the story of us.  For me this was a job that was character changing.  I have never had much belief in myself and put myself down a lot.  I came back from Morocco with a new found confidence in myself and my work.  I now actually believe that I can do things.

FAMILY

The end of the year marked a huge change for my family.  My brother finally got the amazing job offer that he had been working for, for so long.  Sadly it is in Tokyo, and so that means my brother Darren; his wife, Yuko; and my Nephew Leo are now living on the other side of the world.  You have to look on the good side though; its a great job from my brother, Leo who is half Japanese will grow up bilingual and I get to visit Tokyo again, as its one of my favourite places ever.

SONG OF THE YEAR
Lana Del Ray: Video Games
I can't listen to it too much though as it makes me cry.




ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Gonjasufi: A Sufi & A Killer
It was actually released in 2010, but I was only introduced to it in 2011 and I can't stop listening to it. Here is my favourite track from the album; Dobermins.




FILM OF THE YEAR
The Skin I Live in.  Totally amazing film.




TELEVISION PROGRAMME OF THE YEAR
The Killing!  I was totally obsessed with it.  I want to be Sarah Lund.  I want. No, I need that jumper.  Probably the best TV series ever, the Danish version that is!



HAPPY 2012.