... Celebrating Christmas and getting ready to leave!

Happy Christmas all!

Yes, I know its rather late, but I have been rather busy doing the whole family thing and packing and sorting everything out for my big move to Sweden on Friday...yes, 2 days left!
Christmas in my household is always a really fun occasion, I have a pretyy big family and we all go round to my parents for a Christmas lunch and general day of family activities. So this year there was 9 of us for lunch (me, Mum, Dad, big sister, brother in law, 4 year old nephew, big brother, his wife and my little sister) which was very nice indeed! I really do enjoy a good roast with all the English trimmings...I think that is one thing I will miss in Sweden, so I guess I will just have to learn to cook my own properly. :)

Christmas day always seems better when there are kids involved in some way, so having my 4 year old nephew there really adds a sparkle to the day..present opening is much better when they just love everything, no matter what it is!

Here he is looking rather evil...he isn't really!

We don't really do lots of presents in my family, we instead by a gift for one person for a set cost (names pulled out of hat, which is much more complicated then it seems when couples aren't allowed to get each other...) and put the rest of the money we would have spent towards buying things for 3rd world countries...like pigs, a well, some trees...you get the idea. I really like this idea, feels much more like what I think Christmas should be. I also don't really need presents, I am the type of guy that buys things when I want them, so trying to come up with a Christmas list is hard!

Last night I went out for the birthday of one of my Uni mates (Happy Birthday Finky) and had a very merry night...

This was after we had been to Ali's for a few, then to the pub to watch the football (I am English, so REAL football...) and this was on the way to the Chinese take away. I do have to say thank you to the lady who owns the Chinese, as she let us in even though they had just closed.. so thank you lady!

I have also been trying to sort out all of my personal things for moving to Sweden on Friday...and think I have done quite well really. I have spoken to my phone company, bank, car insurance, phone insurance (I didnt even know I had it until I looked!) and a whole number of other people, and think I am now ready for Friday...other then I still haven't finalised what I am taking with me now, and what is being couriered. Things also keep adding themselves to the list to be taken, I now have a few bottles of spirits to come and keep me company for the first few nights while I await and build my IKEA furniture :)

But its getting very close now, and is finally starting to feel like I am leaving. But in a good way...I haven't got all sad yet, but I am sure that will come soon enough!

Things I have learnt this week :
Christmas is much more special when there is a child around
Planning a big move is harder then anticipated
I have lots of really good friends who I am going to miss very much

Oh, and I also met a Princess recently, that I have to say hello to :)

... ill

So this was my last week working in my current job...so what did I do? Spent most of it ill in bed! Now normally you would think that this is maybe a good thing...but I actually wanted to work this week! I flew down to Southampton on Monday, and felt a little poorly with flu like symptoms, but thought I would just sleep it of...but no. So I spent the next day in bed...and then Wednesday I got sent home as I was just getting worse, and there is not much worse then being ill in a hotel room all on your own.
So I missed my goodbye drinks in Southampton, I missed my London office Christmas party which would have been my last chance to say goodbye to lots of my work colleagues, and I missed my night out in Sheffield on Friday too, as I still was not good. So all in all a very very poor week!
On the plus side though, I have now finished...and can honestly say it is a nice feeling not knowing when I will next work a day in the UK. I will of course miss all my work mates, but I am really looking forward to a new challenge...and one that I think I will be very very good at.
So this week coming...its Christmas! I only have a little Christmas shopping to do, so that shouldn't take too long at all.
In my family we don't do big presents for everyone...we do a draw of names, and just buy 1 person something for around £30, and the rest of the money we would have spent we spend buying pigs and trees and water for third world countries. I actually really like doing this! I am the kinda guy who buys what I want when I see it...so I generally don't have a very big wish list at all at Christmas, so I really don't mind not getting things I wouldn't use anyway.
This year I am expecting some cookbooks and bits and bobs like that for my pressie...I need to be able to survive on more then my basic knowledge once I get to Sweden. (although I do make a VERY good lasagne with chillies!)
I have also decided I really need to start the tidying and sorting and packing process...mainly so I know what I want to take! I know there is not lots...my clothes, TV, PS3, Golf clubs..but I am now thinking of buying the basic things I will need there too...like toothpaste and spare hair gel..not because I don't think they will have it, I think I will just feel better knowing I have a supply in case I don't like what I do find.

Things I have learnt this week:
Being ill in a hotel is really really boring
Always make the most of the opportunities you do have with people...you never know when the next one may be
I really really don't want to have to sell my car as it has special memories attached to it too

... back in the UK...and cold!

Well first of all I will warn you...this blog will have nothing really to do with Sweden at all!
I have been back in the UK and working in Southampton for the last 2 weeks (hence not much blog action!) and its been REALLY cold! Well ok, not as cold as probably most parts of Sweden and several other places round the world...but I am English, and we aren't used to this! Plus we complain a lot...so its my turn :P
I think its been made worse because I have been working on a new store build...which is basically a construction site so there is no heating at all, and all day we are working in a cold building.
However, I have actually had a really fun couple of weeks! The team that I work with on the store builds are a really good bunch, and we generally have a very good time. I have eaten really badly though, and have put on weight even in just 2 weeks...plus it is Christmas soon so I will no doubt just be eating badly for a few weeks to come too!
So I have 1 more week of working in Southampton, and then that is me done in the UK! Wow...scary. 3 days of work to go...
Got lots of leaving do's this weekend too...Wednesday, Thursday friday and Sunday nights are all full of them...good job I have next week to sleep!

Things I have learnt this week:
Life goes very quickly
Whenever you decide to leave somewhere, you find a reason to not...

... picking an appartment, and then getting to know my job

Hej,

Well I have picked an apartment, and went for the one with a balcony :)
Now I just have to plan what furniture to buy in order to make it look like I want it...why is it so hard to get your imagination down on paper??

A bit of advice for anyone wanting to come to live in Helsingborg (or I guess Sweden anywhere...) have a good look around! I viewed lots of different places, all different sizes, shapes..some with furniture some without. But with this one it just felt different, I could see my self living there. So I had a good walk around the neighbourhood and checked to see what I thought of that too..and it was a combination of it all that got me. It isn't the biggest, it isn't the cheapest, but its the one that makes me want to live there.

Also this week I have been spending more time getting to know the guys in my new job, and trying to learn more about the job itself. And have had a really fun time! Been for a few beers with some people I think will become good friends, and had a really fun team night out...which is always important! Shows we work well together in and out of the office.

I actually got so into the job and the place that I was a bit sad to come home, even if it is only for a month! There are so many ideas I want to try and things I want to learn that I was kinda looking forward to just getting started with it. Oh well, gives me more time to think about it. I guess.

So at the moment I am in Southampton, helping build a new store...and its freezing! It actually feels colder then it did in Sweden when it was snowing! Crazy English weather!

So anyway...what I have learnt this week :
I am really looking forward to decorating (and I never thought I would say that!)
Southampton can be colder then Sweden
I often forget to blog..! lol