Blogging Abroad

Coming home this evening, the Tube had more than its fair share of passengers carrying single red roses and heart shaped balloons to celebrate Hallmark Day, sorry Valentine’s Day. But the following was my favourite
Initially I thought, what a last minute merchant, writing out his Valentine’s card on the Tube. But I was impressed that he spent so long writing it. Perhaps he was scribing a poem or a short story, but it was clearly more than “Love you lots”. He also spent a good few minutes reading what he had just penned to make sure it fitted the bill. Perhaps the lucky person was also going to receive the contents of the Office bag on his lap.

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Original post by Annie Mole and a wordpress plugin by Elliott

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by moscerina
Apparently, I am infamously late for everything I do. Most of my friends are well aware of this issue, and either verbally express their contempt for my consistent tardiness or try to trick me into being on time by anticipating my tardiness with faux meeting times.
When it comes to business, work or anything job related, I try my best to prioritize and be punctual. Alarms are set. Clocks are tens of minutes in advance, but it still is a battle. Unfortunately, I have integrated that stereotypical Roman trait into my lifestyle. "Everyone is late in Rome," so I lazily use the excuse that I have assimilated well into the culture.
Paulina won’t accept this "Roman way" as an excuse. She insists that I need to be on time. She bristles at how I have acquiesced to other idiosyncracies like taking an over-excessive amount of time to get any […]

Original post by Rhiannon Davies and powered by Img Fly

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Flying to or from San Francisco’s International Airport (SFO) just got a whole lot easier. According to the SF Convention & Visitors Bureau there are some new airlines flying from SFO, not to mention existing carriers offering new routes.
This is great news for travelers heading to or from San Francisco, especially when it comes to finding low-cost and budget airfares. In the travel industry competition is a very healthy thing for consumers.
Here’s a quick summary of the new routes and services from SFO:

Southwest Airlines resumes SFO service in the fall of 2007! This pioneering low-cost airline will start with 14 daily departures with a mix of short, medium and long-distance flights and a promise of cheap […]

Original post by Scott Mc and software by Elliott

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Sydney, the Harbour City - sunny, welcoming familiar - and why wouldn’t it be with all those famous icons. The Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, that soaring skyline. Breathtaking views, world-class shopping, cutting-edge dining, and vibrant nightlife - there’s no shortage of things to see and do in Sydney.
If you’re not sure how to spend your time in Sydney, read our Suggested Itineraries in Sydney. Highlights include:
Day 1: The Heart of the City. You can cover much of Sydney’s core, Circular Quay, in a day and you have several options for getting around. It’s eminently walkable, though you may want to let someone else do the work. One of the most popular modes is the Sydney hop-on/hop-off bus tour, which from the open top of a double-decker bus gives you a nice panorama. For a different perspective, try a Sydney cycling tour (those hills should give you a workout) […]

Original post by ChristineC and software by Elliott

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by tim anderson
Digging deeply into Copenhagen’s underground electronic music scene has its rewards. It also has its challenges, since though it’s out there, its extent is relatively limited - particularly the further below the surface you try to get.
Please forgive the grainy low-quality mobile phone pictures, though poor, they do capture the atmosphere of Lab rather well…
If you’re into electronic sounds, the various arrangements put on by Komponent are about as deep as you can get in Copenhagen - both in terms of music and venues. At least that is my belief after 6 years of exploring. 
Komponent’s usual venue of choice is Lab (site in Danish), a space that could not possibly be any less pretentious. It would take about three minutes to convert it into a motorcycle repair shop.
The term ‘underground’ or ‘underground scene’ is not terribly revealing in itself, given that the range of activity that can […]

Original post by Rhiannon Davies and a wordpress plugin by Elliott

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Snowy Tube
Many thanks to “traindriver” (Richard) - who sent the following picture taken from his train cab, which proves that some trains managed to run in last week’s snow:
It’s an Eastbound Central Line train running between Buckhurst Hill and Loughton.

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Original post by Annie Mole and software by Elliott Back

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Thanks to Marc Mentzer from Canada who sent me a link to a promotional video from Montreal launching the Metro in 1966

Marc said “The title, and the recurring words to the song, translate into English as “It’s beautiful in the metro.” Occasionally they show a brief image of a bus driver who adds the words ‘and on the bus.’ Actually, the metro is indeed beautiful – the stations were designed in a very dramatic modern style that is (or was) quite appealing.”
Here are the lyrics if anyone fancies a sing along.
Il fait beau dans l’métroTout le monde est gai tout le monde a le coeur au soleil
Il fait beau dans l’métroPlus ça va vite plus il fait beau dans nos oreilles
Il fait beau dans l’métroY’a du ciel bleu dans les yeux contents de tout le monde
Il fait beau dans l’métroCar aujourd’hui notre métro c’est le plus beau du monde
Il […]

Original post by Annie Mole and plugin by Elliott Back

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On March 18th, Sydney’s Harbour Bridge turns 75 years old. If you haven’t been to Sydney, you might wonder why this is interesting. Like the Tower Bridge in London, or San Francisco’s Golden Gate, the Harbour Bridge is the famous bridge of Sydney, probably the most famous bridge in Australia. Every New Year’s a message is posted on the bridge (this year’s message was 75th birthday themed), so if you’ve ever watched the New Year’s Eve celebrations from around the world on tv, no doubt you’ve seen it.
Spanning Sydney Harbour, the bridge is undeniably scenic to look at. I like the view from the Opera House or alternatively from the bridge’s base on the Kirribilli side. It’s also nice to look out at Sydney from. No trip to Sydney is complete until you cruise under, ride over or bike across the Harbour Bridge. You can also arrange to climb up […]

Original post by KellyG and software by Elliott

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According to Bob Crow “the golden opportunity” to resolve the latest pay dispute didn’t go too well. London Underground’s managers and union reps met to discuss the pay rise and although LU said talks were “constructive” no agreement was struck.
But there’s still hope, as the LU spokesperson said “London Underground again put forward what is a very fair, final three-year pay and conditions offer.
“It is a three-year deal with an above inflation pay rise in each year, plus a cash bonus for all staff if customer satisfaction targets are met or exceeded.
“We are hopeful that we can reach an agreement without the need for industrial action.”
RMT leader Bob Crow said “Our members have been waiting since last April for the pay rise that is due to them, and all we have sought for the last year is the opportunity to negotiate seriously.”
The result of the pay ballot is […]

Original post by Annie Mole and powered by Img Fly

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“Hi! My name is Susan,” began the email, “I’m Dan’s girlfriend. He and I have been dating for about six months. We are very happy!”
It is funny, but even though Dan is one of my best guy friends, he has a tendency to not keep me in the loop about who he is dating until, oh, a half year afterwards. Attribute it to not wanting to jinx his relationships or just being a typical guy. In any case, this was great news.
The email continued about how Susan was planning on throwing a surprise birthday party for Dan in Durham, NC, where Dan is finishing up his Ph.D. His family members would be coming from all over the country, and was it possible for me to come on down too? Not having seen Dan in over a year and wanting to meet his […]

Original post by Felix and a wordpress plugin by Elliott

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