"Please, sir, I want some more."

Hey Bev here again, at the end of last week both Jam and I were counting down to unemployment again. Jam finished her job at thte WI two Fridays ago and I had been given my marching orders for the 7th of December (not in a bad way, just my contract was coming to an end). However, at the start of the week just gone I was offered a fulltime, ongoing position at my work.....the Brits love kiwis over here! (and Jam although currently unemployed, has a job interview this coming Thursday - so our fingers and toes are crossed).

This weekend we went to Rochester for the Dickens Christmas festival. Rochester is about 45 minutes away by train, south east of London. We started out wandering the small town and sampling the carnival atmosphere before checking out the 1066AD built Rochester castle (older than your nana, and your nanas nana). Of course we had to wait in line as health and safety came first limiting the number of people who could go inside. It was awesome wandering around inside a structure that was almost 1000 years old.

Rochester Castle

Inside Rochester Castle

At the top of Rochester Castle

We also checked out the Cathedral next door that was really busy as it was holding Christmas services with the influx of vistors for the festival.

Looking down on to Rochester Cathedral from Rochester Castle

We wandered the streets enjoying the festive atmosphere of brass bands, bagpipes, massive crowds, freezing temperatures, hot drinks, christmas carnival rides, roasted chestnuts (yay,finally tried some - yum), Christmas lights, cool old costumes, old story characters, and fake snow....before being entertained by a Christmas parade....very well done.

Bev covered in fake snow

Jam covered in fake snow

In a shop full of shiny battle items

Characters from Dickens' Books

Wana Kiss?

Over here you see some of the most funniest things. Last week at work I saw the finest example of a limited/vertcal job description they have over here. We took the lift to the loading bay where in the lift was a guy wearing a hardhat and hi-visibility vest sitting on an office chair pushing the lift buttons for you. And there was a sign next to him that said, only the lift operator is permitted to operate this lift. There was nothing special about the lift. He just pushed the buttons, and thats all!

I love how there is so much entertainment over here, even though it's just the simple things. At Harrods in the pizza parlor, there was Italian music playing in the background, then out of no where one of the chefs just belted out a song to the music for the crowd...very cool. We also tipped the icecream parlor guy, and as we left he started singing too...must have been happy to get tipped! Another story, we came out of a shopping centre one day, as we went in, a guy past us and when he got outside he belted out a note like a tenor! Where did that come from?!?!

This multi-nation city never stops to amuse us. Our cousin told us he saw 2 guys working as sign holders (they hold signs on a pole advertising in the streets because it's illegal to have a sandwich board sign out on the footpath in central London) and one was Asian and the other Eastern European. The Asian guy had limited english and he was trying to teach the European guy how to speak english!

The price of some fast food is something that doesn't really convert here. Dominos pizzas sell for a pricey £8 on special, thats about $20NZD converted. I tell my workmates that we get them for the equivalent of £2 onspecial and £3 normal price and they almost fall off their chairs! How do our pizza places in NZ make any money?

Anyway thats about it for this week
Lots of Love Bev and Jam