12 DAYS IN SOUTHAMPTON

     Upon my return to London I shacked up on the couch back at my old flat, you guys still rock, as do the new additions to the flat... Sophie. Also, hit the streets again with IPG, made £350 in my first week back... yeah that's right, I still got it. But looking for some cheap rent and a chance to see

The Last Leg

So as promised this past week was ridiculous. I know I left Berlin as a bit of a cliffhanger but to be honest that was just to keep you reading. Berlin included some kewl sight seeing, Inglorious Basterds (sic movie by the way) and a pub crawl that left me drunk off 1 euro Jager shots and in

Amster - DAMN

So after surviving Okoberfest I was off to Bruges for a couple days where our little travel family from June re-united. We thought these couple days would be a bit of a rest period before Amsterdam… I was wrong. We found a bar with over 300 different types of beer

The Rematch: Scottie Baker vs Munich (Oktoberfest)

     Last time I wrote there was still the uncertainty of where I would be sleeping on the Friday night… I know everyone must have been worried but it’s okay, I managed to get a bed. So, as you know I won the first round of the rematch; partially due to my jet lag still wearing off, but regardless I won.

Round 2 (Wednesday): 

The "Bird"

     As of this day (some day in February) drinking at Dirty Dicks, an EpiphiTree hit me in the face (Homer Simpson). The bird is an amazing creature; it can represent the soul. If you let it go it will soar in the sky, you'll have a new view on life and the world. The feeling of weightlessness and infinite paths you can take and destinations you can reach is what will set you free. This is why I'll name my first bar... THE BIRD

I'm Coming Home

       So it’s been 5 ½ months since I left and hell yeah it went by fast.  Still not quite sure what exactly I’ve taken away from it yet, I think I may realize it more over the next couple months while I’m home.  Despite all the ups and downs and the negative bank accounts,

Running with the Bulls

        Now I realize it’s been a couple week since I did the run but it’s not something you easily forget.  So John, Anastasia and I take a nap to prepare us for the crazy 14 hours to come………. Now that we’re well rested we catch the last bus to Pamplona, which was a free-for-all mosh pit.  Upon arriving we were awe struck

San Sabastian

       So the entire backpack adventure was based around being here for the Running of the Bulls… but that’s a whole other story, hahaha I’ll keep you waiting, for now: San Sabastian.  It was a bit shit that once we got there everyone was scattered all over the town in different hostels.  Oh well, I stayed at Olga’s where I met John from Milwaukee and Anastasia from Stockholm. 

The Amazing Evasion

       As mentioned earlier: a pool table, internet and a vending machine full of 1 euro beer is what brought this together.  We thought it would be a fun challenge to see how many buttons we can get sold out, “I know you’re all probably shaking your head at me right now, but I know for a fact if any of you: Sherwin, Junes, Blackman, Zack, Matt, B, Johhny-Marc, Woodzy, Onya, Pam, Brandi, J, Mikie, Robbie, Judd, Houtby, Barks, Polgs, Tutty, Pisan… hell this list could go forever, you know who you are and you know if you were there

Madrid

My time in Madrid was a bit scattered.  First we met up with the 2 Kiwi girls, Linda and Andie, who we’ve randomly seen in the last couple cities.  Here we also added another Aussie: Mark.  Since we arrived so late that day we grabbed some dinner at a tiny nearby restaurant, “Finally some good value for your money, only the third meal that I haven’t been able to finish.”

Barcelona

Apparently known for the “Elephant Man”, an old dude who walks around naked every day and has a tattooed speedo on his ass and elephant ears on the front.  I didn’t see him but some of the girls did and apparently he lives up to the name.  People actually asked me why I didn’t bother trying to find him, “Hmm, let’s think about this kids.

Nice

So along the way we lost Phil, and Lauren stayed at a different hostel so it was Kate, Janey and I off to Villa Saint Exupery.  I was a bit disappointed at first when I realized there was no pool.  However, it was one of the best hostels I’ve stayed at thus far.  First night we went out to meet all the Busabout crew at a bar called Wayne’s. 

98% Idiots

     For those who have been following my “literature” this theory may sound a bit familiar as I made a brief mention of it in an earlier piece.  This is a small theory that came to realization while exploring the Vatican Museum. 

     While walking around it was impossible to avoid being blinded by flashes and hearing the huffs and puffs of frustrated disapproval from those

Cinque Terre

     All I can say about this place is that it’s magnificent.  It’s a place I’d never heard of but after reading about it and hearing other people rave about it I had to stop there.   The only problem is that 2 days was not nearly enough time.  Here I met a bunch more Aussie, “Surprise surprise, you guys really are everywhere, I’m starting to wonder who’s actually living in Australia” , Janey, Kate, Phil, Lauren, Pete & Michelle. 

     Where we stayed wasn’t even really a hostel; you went to reception and then they took small groups of us and put us all in different

Rome

  The first night our little Rome family checked out the fountain where if you throw one coin over your shoulder it means you're coming back and if you throw two coins it will give you luck.  I fumbled them and we're not sure it 1 or 2 went in, so like everything else with me... who knows.  Afterwards we walked through the city to the Palantine and

Venice

     First night in Venice they tell us we’re lucky cuz we’ve arrived for the toga party, “I know what this means”  Next day we find out that they do toga parties every other night for Topdeck, “About as predictable as their tours”  For our first day we went into Venice and wandered around aimlessly until we found all the kewl things you’re supposed to see, “Finally a place where a map is just as useless to everyone else as it is to me”  Venice is a great place to get lost in and

Munich

     Well before we got to Munich we made one small stop in a country called Liechtenstein, which I think is the 6^th smallest countries in the world.  We arrived in Munich around 5:30 and by 7 had started our pub crawl.  Not eating before a pub crawl is one thing, but before a German is just stupid.  The first hour “power hour” was all-you-can-drink, “This is getting fully taken advantage of, hell I’m traveling on a budget I’m gonna straight up abuse this opportunity.”  After more than my fair share

Lucerne

There wasn’t tons of stuff to do here but I figured I’d stop here for a couple days since Lauterbrunnen didn’t offer much a Swiss culture.  Again the scenery here was fantastic and seemed very small, maybe that’s just because of the mountains though.  For the two days we spent here we checked out Lucerne’s famous towers and bridges dating back to 1333 and the Lion Monument carved into the side of a mountain.  It was built in recognition of Swiss mercenaries that had died.  Briege, Becky and I also saw Angels & Demons.  Good film and even that was interesting; had an intermission and the seats lean back and get lower the further from the screen they are.  There’s not much to say about Lucerne except that it was nice to see and experience a bit of Swiss culture including rosti, fondue and some beer of course.  I was a nice quiet break before spending the weekend in Munich.

Lauterbrunnen

Seeing the scenery on the bus ride was enough to make me questioned why I never considered Switzerland as a stop.  Easily the most amazing landscape I’ve seen.  To see where the mountains meet the sky and see everything around it dwarfed by it’s magnitude is something

Paris

A bit hung over from the night before (should have seen that coming) I board the bus to Paris.  Happy to be leaving London I do have to say bye to the IPG crew for now.  Byron, tear... ok Party Boy you get a tear too.

So my first night in Paris was dominated by Canadians; Jeremy from Toronto, Joe from Vancouver, 2 girls from Calgary and another Joe from Atlanta.  All of us had arrived that evening so we bought a few bottles of wine, which is ridiculously cheap, and hung out at the Eiffle Tower. Pretty kewl.  

Day 2 we did a 3 hour walking tour that actually lasted 10 hours.  Reason being,

Number 2

     So the march down the hill has begun and I need to use the washroom. So I quicken my pace and almost begin my second roll down the hill. It's hopeless, I accept the fact that I'm not going to make it to a washroom and I veer off into a forest area leaving my stuff with a kewl Aussie dude named Angus. As I scramble through the trees to find cover

Cheese Rolling

Here's the breakdown, basically a bunch of people (drunk, crazy or both) take their spot on the starting line at the top of Cooper's Hill.  They release a wheel of cheese and the first person down the hill to catch it wins.  If you're wondering why it's not called 'Cheese Chasing' it's because everyone ends up rolling down the hill...

Trip Planning

  Week two at the job wasn't quite as good as the first, only made 210 pounds.  Still works out to be roughly the same as the pub, just a lot less hours, more relaxing and we all go out partying... feeling a bit more at home now.  Now a new stress has come up... finding someone to take my room so I can get my 300 pound deposit back; somehow it always finds its way back to money.  Good thing is that I haven't signed any contract so I can leave whenever I want, however, that 300 pounds can go a long way with the trip I've won.

June 1st I'll be in Paris to start a 6 week trek through 20 cities in 6 different countries.  The loops will take me through France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, back through southern France into Spain and back into France to finish in Paris.  And if I can do some awesome sales in the next couple weeks I'll even sneak in an 8 day cruise in Croatia or Greece.

What's even better is that I'll still have one loop left to use before the end of September which means a 2nd trip back out here for Oktoberfest.  Also stops in Belgium, Netherlands, Czech Republic, and 2 in Germany.  Afterwards if I really want I can return to this paintball job... even after a 4 month hiatus.  Still a long way away though, right now I have to get ready to get drunk and watch some much missed hockey...  Canada vs Russia rematch

Finally

So I've been in the UK for just over 3 months and I've finally got things sorted to a point where I'm happy.  The pub job that was making me utterly miserable and basically ruining this trip is now gone and I've just finished the first week at my new job.  The new job is something I would have never imagined myself doing; I'm a street peddler.  That's right, I stand on the street each day trying to sell paintball packages (at least it's a kewl thing I'm selling), sometimes I even get to hit the universities until we're escorted off the premises.

Basically my day consists of meeting in the morning with everyone and chilling out for an hour or so before heading off to different areas of the city.  Once in our spot I call out short catchy ads or anything I really feel like to get someone's attention.  I flirt with the girls and make fun of the guys, and it's really easy to make fun of most London guys, "Oh paintball hurts... It's too aggressive... I don't want to ruin my clothes" yes I've had people say that to me, nancies. Once I have someone even slightly interested the game is on, and I'm quickly learning how to become a sly sneaky selling SOB... I don't have much choice since this job is strictly commission based.  

It seemed like an odd choice for a job and something I wasn't sure I could do or if I'd be able to make any money doing.  But after a week I can't complain, I make my own hours, get to see the city and soon other parts of the UK (when I move to other areas they provide company housing for 7 pounds a week), work and party with kewl people; hell, we have drinks while working if we want to... As a bonus to all this, I seem to be pretty good at it.  I sold a package on my very first pitch and just made 580 pounds in my first week, compared 800 pounds in a month at the pub... I think I may have just found that hook that could keep me here.

Alexandria

This was easily the most stunning part of the trip.  Right on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, it was hard to go wrong.  Here we visited one of the oldest libraries in the world, unfortunately it was closed for a Christian Holiday, "Show up to a predominantly Muslim country on a Christian holiday, how ironic."  On that note, the city was packed and took forever to get anywhere.  This is how it breaks down:

Camel Ride

So finally my long anticipated camel ride has arrived.  Sherwin I don't care what you say going for a camel ride in Egypt is not the same as seeing one at the zoo, it's way kewler.  Anyway, we get off the bus and there's a whole herd of camels just chilling out and one person snaps a photo.  Instantly a guy jumps up and starts saying, (and there's a lot of this in the tourist areas) "Money, money, money" and following us asking everyone.  "Dude are you kidding you didn't do shit, all you did was say the same word 3 times fast, I have dogs that can do better tricks."  But no one gave him money which is good.  There were other people who we did give money to because they actually did something like take pictures for you or dress you up, stuff like that.

Back to the point.  Camels, a lot bigger than I thought, and when they growl they are mean looking Mofos (yes I've just brought that word back from Grade 8).  My second surprise was the big Canada flag they had hanging at the stable.  On that note the group I traveled with were from all over: Jamaica, Spain, Vietnam, Brazil, U.S. and China, and our guides had some quirky associations/jingles for some of us.

Spanish - Ola ola Coca Cola..........?

Canadian - No woman no cry Canada Dry, Canada Forever

Doesn't make much sense but sounds good, and it was still one up on the Americans 

Americans - Howdy howdy, Hi ho Silver Yeeeeeehaaaaaawwww

     Okay, still trying to get back to the point.  So the camel ride was relaxing, they took us out into the desert where we had a distant view of the pyramids and were able to just chill out and watch the sunset which was just astonishing.  Now on the way back things got a bit more interesting, for me at least.  Half way back my camel decided he had had enough and he was done work for the day.  So he started pulling at the other two camels we were tied to and running into the other groups of camels causing a big camel jam. It was kind of like being trapped in Madusa's hair except surrounded by angry camel heads instead of snakes.  I repeat, "Mean looking Mofos"  So after the camel jam and attempted run away, the guide has to come and separate us from the group and have to walk back alone with the guide.  Reminds me of getting in trouble in elementary school then having to walk with the teacher during recess, "Ugh, this is so humiliating."

Cairo

While in and around Cairo we did the majority or our tours and activities.  The first night we had a dinner boat cruise down the Nile which is somewhat of a surreal experience when you realize you're lying on a deck staring through the stars floating down the longest river and most famous river in the world.

Day 2 consisted of the typical tourist stuff that most would associate with Egypt.  We saw the Pyramids of Giza which were also something to just stare at in wonder.  The shear size of them is intimidating, something that pictures can only attempt to capture.  Just thinking that these structures have lasted for thousands of years and were built with such miniscule technology compared to what we have now is impressive and for us even embarrassing.  We also stopped at a papyrus shop and saw how it was made and were given some brief lectures of some of Egypt's most popular symbols and drawings/themes.  The biggest and only real disappointment really was the Sphinx.  It was much smaller than you'd expect and basically just very boring to see.  Then there was the Camel Ride....

Egypt

  After only 1.5 hrs of sleep over roughly 30 hrs I was in Cairo and exhausted.  On the up side, I'm done with my horrendous pub job and have 10 days off until I start my new job doing paintball promotions.  Egypt held a lot of firsts for me.  It was the first time I've stared a day in cold miserable weather and a few hours later land in hot sunny weather... loved it.  It's the first time I've been somewhere that doesn't speak english.  Obviously the people we were dealing with through the trip could speak perfectly good english, however once venturing into the city on our own it became far more interesting.  Not only is it a different language but a different alphabet, so it's impossible to even attempt to read or pronounce the language.  Finally, being stared and gawked at the entire time was an interesting experience.  At times you would get very dirty looks and was clear you were being talked about and probably made fun of.  But the majority of the time the expressions were of interest, surprise and even excitement, especially in Alexandria.

Terminology

Bits & Bobs - Things or Pieces

Shrapnel - Spare change

Pond -  Atlantic Ocean

Reckon - Think or Figure

Fit -  Hot or Sexy

Cue - Line

Quid - Buck/Money

Prawn - Shrimp

Fag - Cigarette

Puff - Fag

Crisps - Chips

Chips - Fries

Tube - Subway

Jacket Potato - Baked Potato

Lollie - Candy

Sweets - Dessert

Bollocks - Bullshit/Testicles 

Rubbish - Garbage

Slim Lime - Diet

Humps - Speedbumps

Bloak - Guy

Jack - Guy from Swansea

A Laugh - A Good Time

Dribble - Drool

Brilliant - Awesome

Skittles - Form of Bowling

Arcade - Mini Mall or Plaza

Redundant - Fired

Motorway - Highway

Bottle Up - Restock Fridges/Shelves

Cardydd

So I traveled to Cardiff  for 4 days to see my cousins and get a much needed break from London.  It was a good start to the month and ranks right up there with Edinburgh.  My first night there I didn't do much, just had some drinks and got to know my cousins.

Day 2:  My cousin Matthew took me around Cardiff Bay, Cardiff Castle and showed me the house my Grandpa grew up in and where the sweet shop my Nana used to own was, along with the pubs and other places they would hang out. That night would be our drunken adventure

Last Friday

Okay, so I'm sure those who have been following my stories or at least just read the last one are probably a bit curious how last Friday went.  So here it is, and this isn't an April Fool's joke.

So there's two bars down this alley in Soho, one is at the end which is a pub, "This place looks good, pretty busy and some good looking girls out front."  Waiting in line it turns the corner and suddenly we're at the entrance to G.A.Y.  "You gotta be kidding me."  So me and my buddy Lucas decide to stick around for a couple drinks with some friends from the hostel.

So we get inside and yeah, that was something different to see.  I had an idea of what to expect but was still very surprised as to how "open" it was.  You'd think it'd be like any other bar, an even number of guys and girls.  Not a chance, the percentage was more like 85 - 15, "Great, so now I'm surrounded by a bunch of guys making out and a small group  girls standing in a circle looking like a human version of stonehenge."  So needless to say I didn't really fit in.  But we have a couple pints and hang out when I get a text reading - Hello, Grandma here, I'd like my knickers back you heathen!!! - "What the hell does that mean and who sent this?"  Thinking this is a joke I'm about to text back asking who it is when I get another text reading - I like totally like cereal... Wanna eat some with me? ps. you're paying... - Now I don't quite know exactly what that means but I know I won't like it judging from where I am.  I look up at the TV which reads - Hot Canadian new to town... keens? (followed by my number) - My friends had put up this message on a text dating service the bar has, on my behalf.  Thanks guys.  Fair enough, if I was in their position I would have done the same.  Everyone got a good laugh and I got a bunch of dirty creepy messages that night.

Bring on April

So this past week was quite interesting.  I somehow survived the month of March on only 200 pounds (which in London seems to be amazing considering how expensive it is).  But it was good practice since my pay check was roughly 250 pounds short, which after rent is paid leaves me with  200 pounds to survive the month of April.  However, they have recognized the mistake, so as long as it doesn't get rolled over to next month's pay I'll be fine; it they do that then at least May will be one hell of a fun month and April will be interesting. I have my trip to Cairo on the 17th and a couple days ago I set up a a short 4 day trip to Cardiff to see some cousins and explore half of my roots.  So 2 trips in April will definitely make up for the boredom that was March.  There may also be a possibility of extending my time off following my Egypt trip and have a quick stint in Norway (possibly some national Vball championships).  So there's the itinerary for April, so far (as always it's subject to change).  Another good thing that came of this week was finding out that once I get back from Wales I'll be full time in the restaurant part of the Albert so finally I'll be making some tips.  To finish the week off, once I got paid I went to meet some friends from the Globetrotter (a hostel I stayed at) and it was our friend Tim's turn to choose the bar.  So for the first half of the night I found myself at a gay club in Soho.  But that's another story... stay tuned.

17c Fairholme Road

This would be my new address as of March.  Located in a nice quiet and safe area just 2 mins from West Kensington Station and a short 15 min tube ride to central London.  There's the subliminal advertisement for anyone who would like to move in at the beginning of June as I'll be leaving London and moving on at that time.

Anyway, there's 6 of us sharing 3 rooms.  2 of Junior's Mexican cousins (sorry Junes, that joke is more for Onya) share the first floor room, 2 Aussie girls that Jenna has probably partied with at school in Melbourne share the room across the hall and I share a room with a kewl Kiwi named Joe.  I've never shared a room with someone before but so far it's not too bad since everyone mainly hangs out in the living room, which has a balcony attached.  However, that's nothing compared to the rooftop patio Joe and I have off our room.  All in all it's a good place with some fun people, brings me back to the 45 Tupper boys. 

Cheers 

The Albert

This is one of the oldest and busiest pubs in London.  Just a few minutes walk from Trafalger Square and many of the most popular tourists sites.  This is also where I work, and that being said it really makes me miss working at the Lions.  If ever working at a bar or pub in London I'm sure somewhere in the fine print of your application it reads, "Work like a dog, get paid like a bitch"  It's not what I wanted to do (for reasons I understand even more so now) but it's the easiest type of work to get and

London - Round 2

This time was much a much better start, mainly because the city wasn't shut down under 4 inches of snow.  However, this time I realized how expensive the city really is, it's ridiculous.  The first hostel I stayed at basically stole from you legally.  Once you get there you're given all sorts of vouchers, one of them being free internet time on their computers.  You soon find out that half the sites

Edinburgh

This city was by far the best part of Scotland.  How often can you walk out your front door and be greeted by a castle.  It was definitely an awesome city, how can it not be with a with a castle in the middle of it.  That being said

Prestwick

For those who don't know (and I assume most), Prestwick is a town on the west coast of Scotland about a half hour from Glasgow.  If you don't know where Glasgow is, well believe it or not your geography is worse than mine... and that's pretty bad.  First thing I noticed

First Day in London

The first half of the day was boring, I wandered around the airport, had lunch and just killed time until my next flight (to Glasgow). I go to check-in and find out it's been cancelled along with dozens of other flights due to bad weather.  I look outside and it doesn't seem too bad, "Must be pretty bad in Glasgow".  Oh well, now to find a place to sleep,

Getting to London

Well to start, the airport wasn't all that bad, kind of a neat place actually.  The plane itself also wasn't bad, the process of the whole thing was pretty smooth and the plane was comfortable. Take off: That made me nervous as expected, did not expect, however, to look out the window and see