9 Months... and counting

Hi all,

I hope everyone is well. I miss everyone very much!
As I have just ticked over 9 months here in London I thought id do a bit of a review of my time here, how things are going, and what im up to at the moment.

How is work? Work is good. I am working at the same place. A media/tv company. They have a majority ownership in Austar so they are primarily in pay tv, but also have their own channels like Food Network etc. It has been an interesting experience as it is the first time I have worked in the media industry. People are different! Originally it was for 6-8 weeks but they have kept extending me which is nice. I am a HR Assistant so I support the team with anything and everything. Its a step down from what I was doing in Melbourne but originally I wanted to have a non stress job. Well even this job has stresses, but i like its stability and also the fact that its a temp job so its quite flexible. People I work with are great. 

Where have you travelled lately and what have you got planned in?
I've been to Edinburgh twice. I've been to Brighton, Windsor, Bath and Stonhenge. Ive been to Paris, Lauderbrunnen, Pisa, Florence, Rome, Brussels, and just returned from Venice, Tyrol, Munich, Prague, Rhine Valley and Amsterdam. Next I hope to go to Spain and Ireland, most likely ill get to Spain in October.


Where are you living?
I'm living in Marylebone in a share house with 5 other people. I found it through a friend I used to work with at ANZ. It is cheap, central and the housemates are lovely. There are 2 bathrooms and a big living room and kitchen. I live 2 mins from Marylebone tube and can walk to Oxford street, so I cant complain at all! It is a single room though so a single bed, which was hard to get used to. I live with 2 aussies, one british and 2 french. 

How is your love life?
I dont really have a lovelife, although I have met some lovely people :)

And Acting?
I am registered on a couple of casting websites. I got professional headshots done and I have been applying for jobs. I have done one show already, High Society which was fun and I loved being on the London stage. I havent had any luck with other auditions but ill keep trying. I hope to do a Christmas Show so ill keep you posted on that.

London in General
London in general has been amazing. I am so glad I got to have the experience and I don't regret coming. I have learned alot about myself already and met some lovely people. Just seeing the black cabs and red busses when arriving was a great thrill. The travel opportunities have been awesome. I have climbed the Eiffel tower, seen and been into the Coleusseum, and experienced Florence, which is so far my favourite European city. Ive been to Venice and had a ride on a Gondola, and also experienced Austria in all it's beauty, which was another highlight.
Ive seen snow settle, and experienced cold like I have never experienced before. I have experienced people of different nationalities and their differing ways of being. I've been to Wimbledon, seen many West End shows and witnessed one of the best singers in the world (kd Lang). Ive got used to saying pounds instead of dollars, and have probably forgotten how to drive a car. Some words come out differently which is a bit scary. I miss everyone very much and often dream of home, but I know I am doing the right think by being here and giving it a good go, challenging myself and pushing the limits.
The summer in general has been better than I expected. We had some overcast days there but there has been alot more sun than I expected, and I have developed a nice tan. Europe in the summer is very hot, as it was in Venice. I love Europe.

The retailers are now having their sales and getting ready r the winter season again. So thats means the cold isn't that far away.

Since I have been away I have a new Niece, friends have had new babies, and my sister has gotten engaged. I keep up with the Australian news but dont know much of the new Australia's Got Talent winner, and I am sure I have no idea about other stuff like that.

I long for family, friends, a car, money, beetroot, bbq's, sandwich bars, real (not pre prepared) food, performing. But I love travelling, seeing Europe, experiencing crazy different people, good public transport, meeting people from all over Europe, good working hours, the West End.

Not sure what else to fill you in on. Email me if you want to know more!

Marcus

Another quick update_June (7 months on)

Hi there,
It has been a while since I last sent an update so I thought I would now.
I am writing this after half a bottle of red wine, supplied by my lovely housemate Conor, who also cooked me dinner tonight. Thanks Conor :)

My news is that recently I auditioned for another musical, Assassins and got a call back but just missed out. I did get some good feedback though and a recommendation to another director so there are some positives to take away.
Work is in a but of a transition mode at the moment where my current post is soon to come to an end so I am looking around for something else. I am wondering what it is I would like to do next which is prooving a bit difficult.
Weather is great with the average of about 18 degrees. It has only rained about 3 times in the last month which is also a good thing.
I am really looking forward to my next trip which will take me through Italy, Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, and Netherlands. I cant wait to get on the road and air again. I am doing another Top Deck tour which will be good.
I am going to see kd lang tomorrow night which I am very excited about. I have also had the chance to see Chicago, Wizard of Oz and Love Never Dies which I also enjoyed.

Other highlights include catching up with Aussie friends Linda and Jodie which was amazing.

So I am still enjoying London but it has been a bit tough lately with the job and looking again, and just missing out on the show etc. But I am sure everything will work itself out soon enough.

I hope everyone is well. Let me know what your news is as I havent heard from alot of you for a while and always wonder what I am missing out on.

See you again,
Marcus

6 Months

Hi All,
I hope everyone is well.

(Before you read on, this is a very self absorbed Blog, so if your not interested, close this now.....its my blog and ill talk about me if I want to! :))

Today marked the day, 6 months ago where I left Melbourne and embarked on an adventure.

It has been 6 months but it feels like much longer. It is amazing how quickly you adapt when you have to.
I feel like I have done so much in this really short period of time. Thinking back to when I first arrived, up until now, I think my eyes have opened up to alot of things. All for the positive. Not that I was a hermit who experienced nothing before coming, but it has been great to see the world from different angles, and have to adapt and adjust to move forward..

Whilst on the bus to Stonehenge and Bath today I thought about some words that could illustrate my time here so far. Words including thoughts, emotions, etc. Here goes:
Travel, Musicals and Performing, Working, Family, Longing, Friends, new and old, Weather, Individualism, Change, Beauty, Amazement, Doubt, Confidence, Thought, Me time, Realisation, Perspective, Knowledge, Comfort Zone...or lack thereof.

Ive seen many places, but not enough. I have learned lots of things.
I have had times of elation, from the simplest things such as walking and just realising where I am and what I am doing.
It hasnt all been roses.
Ive missed home, ive gone through stages of wondering if things would just be easier if I went home and slotted back into my old life.
I miss everyone very much. Work initially was difficult to get, where I thought seriously about applying for a job at Supermarkets, HMV Music, etc.
Ive spent many a sunday hungover from the night before. (Which also means I had a blast the night before)

But overall I am very glad I finally arrived here in London 6 months ago today.
Ive seen lots (or 'Loads' as they say here) of shows. Ive walked my feet off. Walking everywhere allows me to see London and all it has to offer.

Ive gone on day trips to Windsor, Brighton, Stonehenge and Bath. Ive seen things that are thousands of years old.
Ive travelled to France, Switzerland, Italy, Scotland, Belgium.

Ive seen characters that are fascinating.

Ive just finished performing in my first London show which was a great feeling.

Ive experienced the coldest weather I have ever felt, and am now experiencing a marvellous London Spring. I was here for the London snow which is apparantly a rarity.

I bought my first laptop here and my first iPhone.

Ive been introduced to many stores that arent in Australia like Primark, John Lewis, Marks and Spencer, Debenhams, Tesco, Waitrose, Pret, Eat, Joy, and many more.

Ive enjoyed London's many parks, which are more beautiful than any other park I have seen.


So that has been the first 6 months. I am not sure what the next will hold, but I hope that it will be just as good if not better than the last.

Marcus

Quick Update

Hi All,
I havent posted here for a while so here I am.
Things are still going well. I'm still working and have been extended for 3 months which is a positive. I've done some day trips, well one, to Brighton which was great.
Weekends have consisted of taking it easy and enjoying London and what it has to offer. Walking around Covent Garden, or Regents Park, which is just beautiful.
My new show opens next week and it should be interesting. I have enjoyed meeting new people and having a chance to keep singing. I am thinking of auditioning for another one after this, Assassins, so we will see how I go.
Daylight savings has started and I am loving the extra light. London seems like a different place when there is more light, and the sun is more prominent. It is supposed to be 20 degrees this week so I am looking forward to that.
I received a package from home which was amazing, especially Mum's famous home made fruit cake :)
I am taking a month off drinking to save money, loose weight, and generally feel more awake. Everyone drinks here all the time, and with a job and hobbies it can become tiring. So I am enjoying getting more out of my days, and weekends.
Anyway, thats the main headlines.
Hope everyone is well and happy.
Marcus

What is London REALLY like?

We've all see the Photos, Postcards, T.V footage, Films etc based in and on London but what is it REALLY like to live here?.

Living in London is so many things. No matter what you are told before you come, there is so much more to it. I was given alot of advice before I left Australia which was very helpful, but I have also found that the London living experience is very much an individual one.

There is so much to see and do so you need to plot your own adventure.
Advice I was given before leaving the comforts of familiarity and routine included 'London is sooo expensive', 'London is freezing', 'London gets dark at 3pm', 'London is soooo expensive'

With this at the forefront of my mind, I sometimes wondered why I was going at all!

But now that I am here, I have found that there are so many things that I wasnt told, that I needed to see, experience, and work out for myself. Things like how exciting it is to hear 5 or 6 different accents/languages on a walk down the street, or in the Tube. Or how amazing the Tube is...average wait time for the next train is 2 minutes. They are that frequent! Or how bustling bars and restaurants can be even on Monday or Tuesday nights. Or actually how cheap food and alcohol and clothing can be.

Or how interesting it can be to take a walk anywhere really, and people watch. I think London offers some of the best people watching in the world. Such kooky and individual characters around every corner.

I also have a sense of freedom that I have never felt before. To move to a new country, offers a chance to start completely a fresh. (Although I'll always detest the smell of fish and tuna) I was told of this before I left Australia but didnt really get it. But I feel like anything is possible, and risks can be taken. What's the worst that can happen?...I come home. I love having another option for this time that I am away. If it doesnt work, or if I decide one day that I have had enough, I can come home, to my family, friends, work, weather, another fresh start.

So in case you havent picked up on it I am really enjoying my time here in London, and look back on my photos so far with amazement that I am actually living the dream....well nearly. I'll keep the rest of it to myself for now.

My next decision is where to go for Easter....Greece, Spain, or Ireland?

Catch

A Marcus Update

Hi All,
I hope you are all well and taking it easy.
I have had no internet for the past two weeks as our share house internet provider decided to close up shop without telling us. So we needed to go with another provider, who in turn needed to send us a new router, and then we needed to work out how to work the new router. A phone call later to the Sky call centre and we were back in business.
So since my last post, I have been to Windsor and Edinburgh. Windsor was a day trip with my good friends Kathryn and Malc, and the Edinburgh trip was with another friend Ben and some other mates from my Christmas trip through parts of Europe. I'll get to that in a minute.
Windsor was lovely. Old castles, and lovely sleepy streets. We also came across Eton, the school that William and Harry went to. There was a sign at the gate saying No Trespasser's, but we went in quickly for a look, and a photo. We then walked to Windsor's sister and less attractive city where we quickly got the train back home.
Edinburgh was a weekend trip. Ben and I got a plane up on Saturday morning as I had rehearsals on the Friday night, and we were greeted by Adam from the tour. We went to Edinburgh Castle first, then met the girls, Loz and Emma, also from the Christmas trip, on the Royal Mile. Emma suggested we go to Camera Obscura which houses a big camera that reflected by a mirror, is projected then onto a big table inside. So you can look through the camera on the roof, which is projected onto a table at people and places around Edinburgh. I hope that makes sense. It was a lot of fun anyway. Camera Obsura also has other eye baffling illusions which also were alot of fun, and you can see some of them in my face book pictures.
We then had lunch and had a good catch up chat. Once that was done we were a little bleary eyed so we went back to the hotel for a rest. We organised to meet again for dinner and also a tour of Mary King's Close. A set of underground streets, inhabited years ago. This is also where the plague took place in Edinburgh. Eerie but very interesting to say the least.
We then went drinking, as you do in Edinburgh and had some good drinks and good dancing.
The next morning we got in Adam's car and toured around some small towns on the Edinburgh coast.
I then caught up with another friend for coffee and we also looked around more of the Royal mile.
Then it was time to go home. We got on the plane and arrived in London safely later that evening.

Other news...well I am still rehearsing for High Society which opens on April 13. We rehearse in the same rehearsal room as an upcoming West End show, Betty Blue Eyes which is exciting, so we see all the props and sets etc accruing each week.
Work is going well. I enjoy the people I work with, and I even got a glimpse of Matt Lucas, who is one half of the team who do Little Britain. He is hopefully gonna be around a bit more so i might see him again sometime. I love seeing celebrities. I see Alex Lloyd, who is somewhat of a has been, nearly every morning having coffee as I walk to work. He has let himself go alot so will be interesting to see what he does next.

Today I walked around Covent Garden, which is fast becoming my favourite area of London, and Camden Markets. I love just wondering around this city seeing what I can see. There is always a different/alternative/ambitious character to see. :) Especially in Camden.

Anyway I think that is all from me at the moment.
Keep in touch and tell me you're news!

Marcus

2 Degrees

It looks like London is heading back to the snow temperatures that we had back in December. Again I need to cover up with gloves, beanies, and maybe even thermals.
People say that January and February are the worst when weather is concerned but for me January has been much better than December. Only now, on January 27 are we going back down to around 2 degrees. I am hoping February stays around 5-10 degrees as those temperatures are bearable.
I am missing the warmth of the sun, and beautiful sunny and bright mornings. But not long now until spring and summer, and I dont care what anyone says, I know it will be warm. Otherwise im going to Greece, or Spain!
I have noticed that people are quite rude here too. Maybe it is because of the weather, but alot of people dont have any self awareness or consideration for others. Whether at the shops, or walking down the street, people always seem to go their own way without caring about who else is around them. I guess thats what you get in a big city. It is kind of like every man for themselves, and I dont like it.

But the people you meet, who you work with or meet through friends are lovely. It is all about developing that network and being open to new friendships.
It is like you have all of these networks, routines, familiarities, and comforts at home, but when you move somewhere else, you have to start completely from scratch. But that is also part of the beauty of what I am doing, theres no preconcieved ideas, no boundaries, just a clean slate. Theres plenty of time to think and reminisce about your other life, and decide what is good about it and what isnt so good. I have never done so much thinking in my life. But I still have alot more to do.

First 3 months

I am not sure where to start though as it feels like ages since I said my farewells with tears and excitement and nervousness. Really tomorrow marks 3 months since the day I got on the plane. And what a jam packed three months it has been.
When I arrived in London I was picked up by my friend Ben who has been here for 4 years. He took me to my hotel in Paddington and then we walked around and also walked around Theatreland and saw the big thestres etc. I was in awe of everything I saw. My first impressions were, oh my god theres Piccadilly Circus, omg here is the west end, ong these people are Londoners just finishing work.....everything seemed exciting and new. I could hear people talking in different accents and languages which is one thing I was most looking forward to.
So the first week was just discovering my new city, and going on the hop on hop off bus etc. Just being a tourist. I moved into my friends house in Shepherds Bush and had a great time catching up with them. Then it was time to look for work.
It took about 3.5 weeks for me to get my temp job. And by this stage I had applied for about 100 roles online. I also completely re did my CV after feedback from agencies. It went from 4 pages to 1.5 pages. But it did the trick cos soon after that I had my temp job and I was also getting calls for other roles. On the work front I have been at the same job eversince and have been extended twice. It is a company who own cable t.v networks like the regional one, Austar in Australia. They also own channels like the Food Network, Fantasy, Reality, and Horror channels. So people are creative and nice.
So after securing the job I wanted to do some travel so I went to Brussells for the weekend on the Eurostar. I went on my own and loved it. Didnt have long there though. It was the first place I have been where english isnt the first language, so you would have laughed at my efforts to order coffee etc. In one cafe I thought i ordered a latte but I got hot milk, so a bit of a fail there. But I wanted to better myself so later that day went to another cafe and got a latte and ordered much better! I saw Mannekin pis and some other things, then came home.

I didnt travel again till christmas where I went on a 9 day tour. This began on Boxing day. Christmas day I did a walking tour of London with Charles Dickens as the subject. Christmas day was very weird. I Skyped family and they were all there in the one place except for me. I knew this was coming but it was a bit hard to take. But at the end of the day I could skype and I enjoyed that so its fine. I also had Christmas Dinner with some room mates. I am living in Marylebone which is really central, 3 tube stops to Oxford Circus, I can even walk there :)
Back to the christmas trip. I loved it so much. Travelling to such wonderful cities and seeing wonderful sights I have only ever seen on the tv or in magazines etc was electric. My favourite city was Florence. It is like a postcard. Unbelievably beautiful. My favourite thing to see would probably be a toss up between the Eiffel tower (which I climbed to the top of) and the Coleusseum which was breathtaking.
I met some nice friends on the trip. Next stop is Edinburgh.
So thats work, travels, accomodation covered.
Shows I have seen are Sweet Charity, which was the first show i saw on the West End and I loved it. Then Billy Elliot which was amazing, The Mousetrap, which is the longest running play in the world, and Blood Brothers. Last week I saw Les Mis. Les Mis was probably the best pieve of theatre I have ever seen. A real lesson in singing technique, and characterisation. A seamless display of top class talent.

I was also taken to audition for an amateur show, High Society by a friend, who I did grease with. I wasnt prepared in the slightest and hadnt sang properly since I arrived but I went in and I am doing ensemble. People are so lovely there, and I have made some good contacts already. Also heard of another company who are the premier amateur company in London so ill go for their shows next. Apparantly that company has agents who come and see people. The cast are also very talented so that is good also. We rehearse each Friday night which is good as there isnt a huge time commitment.
 
London in general is great. Sometimes I long for home, and this is usually when I am tired etc. But mostly I am enjoying my time here. Now that I have a routine and feel more settled it is easier. I am getting back into the gym and feeling good about myself. I have lost weight since I arrived and I think that is because you walk EVERYWHERE here, also the tube stairs provide for a good workout.
I would like to come home for a visit this christmas but it will depend on finances.


Missing you all!
Marcus