This will be my final blog from London and 'work' for that matter... Monday - watched Billy Elliot at the Victoria Theatre with Marko, Youngy, Paula and Liv. Marko wasn't too happy about the seats as we were on the top tier, in the middle, right at the front and the railing was slightly obscuring our view. He watched much of the first half of the show with his knees on a slight angle looking over the railing. I have to admit the seats were quite tight. At the interval everyone got up and did there bits and pieces then I realised Marko was struggling as he wore too much clothing and was sweating.  He couldn't wait to get up and walk about, so he did.  Finally everyone sat back down, however, Marko left his return to late and to get back to his seat 10 people would have to stand up and let the big fella squeeze through!  He looked at us with a 'What do I do?' and we looked at him with a 'mate, no chance your coming back'.  So he sees the pulpit seats to the right of the stage, he opens the door and walks in!  We all look at each other in wonder.  Marko then appears from behind the curtains and we all started laughing along with the people around us. Marko sat there like a big kid the remainder of the show!  I never really realised how lucky it is to be small until I started hanging out with Marko , points to note: aeroplanes, buses, watching the football and now theatre (just digressing here, but I guess this whole blogging thing is digressing). Just on confined spaces, London seems to be a city crammed in and its trying to fit in as much as possible in as little space they have.   Off the topic a bit... here at work, just had a random 'open meeting'and the manager assigned everyone else a job except me! SWEET! You'll have to sit around for this blog then... Just on working here in London, its nothing different to working in canberra.  Works Work and people are people.  I guess I've just got into a routine now and everything seems the same.  My work environment you ask... well I call it the 'sweat shop'.  Its an open area and as I said before 'trying to fit in as much as possible in as little space they have'.  I bump into the lady behind me when I spin around (reminds me of the email of the big guy and the little guy in the small office space, hahaha) Anyway so yeah I work in the latest 'technological sweat shop', people are great so that makes up for it bigtime.Where was I... Billy Elliot is a Great show!  Its hard to know how many hours of practise was needed to remember the routines but they were unbelievable!  The most amazing thing, Billy is 12 years of age and it was his and the other children in the shows first professional performance!  Incredible! Tuesday-bought a new mobile phone at lunch. Its a pretty sweet phone, however its locked to 'O2' sim cards so I won't be able to use it in Australia.  This is a story in itself... So for the past few months I've been looking into getting another phone (as my previous phone was swindled).  I looked at how I could benefit from the left over accessories I have from my previous phone so I found it in the K610im.  Same charger, same battery, even the same earphone pluggings!   SWEET! Anyway it finally came out (3 days before I leave) along with the Bond Film.  So I pop on down to the O2 shop and discuss with the lady how I go about in unlocking the phone she said the unlocking stores should be able to do it, but if you can't you can return the phone within 14 days.  I thought great!  I'll just play around with the phone for the next two days and return it on friday before I leave.  So last night went to dinner with Paula at 'Chop Chop' (Great chinese food by the way and cheap) then we were on our walk to her place (to put my photos onto CDs) and walked by a unlocking store, I asked the guy when my phone can be unlocked, he said probably by next week.  So now instead of taking my phone back I might aswell keep it.  PRETTY BORING STORY but honestly not sure what else to do right now! Chop chop... guys get there for the chinese food.  Ok perhaps i'm hyping it up too much as its your typical chinese and Paula and I miss the chinese back in oz but its the cheapest place around.  Another funny place to eat is: 'Upstair Downstair' Or 'Wong Kei'(prononced 'Wonky' to some). Its a place to go for cheap food, but don't expect the waiters to do you any favours.  The first time I went in there I see an asian dude leaning against the till he pretty much yells 'DOWNSTAIR'.  That set the scene.  'Cheap and Cheerful'.  This brought up a funny story with my uncle paul who USE to own  a chinese restaurant (hence used to own).  One late night there was a table sitting around chatting and the restaurant was obviously closing up, as tables were wiped down and chairs were placed on tables.  The table of guests were oblivous to the shutting up of the restaurant.  A friendly waitress asked my uncle how to inform them that they are closed. Uncle Paul approaches the table and in a half aussie half chinese accent says 'Escuss me, would you like the breakfast menu?' The table happily left. Oh forgot to mention in Germany, we played poker, texas hold em style on Fri night (I think I confused that with Thurs) I got off to a flyer and I was 'chip leader' but blew it all.  Another mention thats needed are Marko's big balls!  Enough said... A quick story to finish up, when Karlston was introducing me to a player I said 'hello, my name is Stephen', he replied in german english 'Zsamher, nice to meet you' I replied 'nice to meet you too, Zsamher', Karlston and Zsamhere cracked up laughing as his name was Stephen also but he was saying 'Same here'!I started this blog on Wednesday.... its now Friday.  weds night - went around to Adrians for dinner.  He and Rachel (his gf) cooked chicken schnitzel and vegies. Yummo.  It was good to finally meet Rachel aswell. Yesterday at lunch saw Robert Curtis (a guy I used to go to college with) at a cafe right near my work.  Hadn't seen him since then!  I saw in the mirror and heard his voice but I wasn't exactly sure.  Then I saw his work pass with his name on it and I thought 'BINGO' so I said g'day.  Spin out!  Last night had our GCS (employment agency) xmas party.  Huge!  At the 'Apt Bar', pretty swanky place.  Got the cigars out (again) and had an all round great night.  Only problem was the bar tab ran out (again) by 9:30pm!!!  Luckily every visit to the bar we stoked up and had a stash of corona's where we sat.  Crazy story, Jalyn (a girl I studied with at Uni) was there!  her boyfriend was contracting thru the same agency and she came along.  We caught up for ages.  Its weird that I'm just about to leave and I start seeing people I wish I randomly met up earlier.  Oh well London has been great nonetheless.  Today- had my farewell work lunch (your probably over my farewells, as am I) at Pizza hut (yeah all class) but I thought its a great hangover cure for most of us anyway.  I have farewell drinks tonight (I'll be on the 'soft' stuff) then I better get packing.  Something really annoying happened yesterday.  Marko said that his suitcase zipper had broken and asked if he could use mine.  I said no problems.  He asked how heavy it was and i said about 2kgs, because I thought it was quite lite when I first got it.  He thought great! So anyway he brought the suitcase (the zipper was OK) around the other night and I was going to swap suitcases, my suitcase was in the boiler room and behind a great heap of stuff. Anyway 'someone' was home and conducting an interview and would not allow me to get to the suitcase as there was too much stuff there and I could not get to it.  So I couldn't swap suitcases, sooo annoyed!  I told Marko I'd get it to him thurs morning.  I pack Marko's suitcase with all my stuff I want to leave in UK (about 40kg's).  So thursday morning arrives I take my empty suitcase (which wasn't behind much stuff at all) to him at 7am (before work).  He says 'mate, that thing weighs 10kgs!'I said 'mate just take it', he did and I shot off to work.  2hours later Marko calls me up and says 'mate, the suitcase is too heavy, I want to swap back'. So he's coming around tonight and we're swapping back.  Man what a waste of time and yours reading this... Anyway so this is my last blog in London.  What can I say? Well... I Love the football, weather is not as bad as its cracked up to be (I'll find out next winter), money is great, people are pretty cool and I'm definately coming back.