Robyn on a roll

And countdown has commenced. It's exactly 1 week today where I will be on my way to Cape Town aka home. At this point I am shitting balls if you excuse my French but it's probably the best way to describe how I am feeling. After a successful and fantabulistikiss time in London for nearly 2 years, I'm on my way home. 

Snow snaps

I've probably said this before but I'm super excited for the future with 2 job interviews lined up and hopefully another one at the creative division of my old work (holding thumbs for that one), so we will definitely see. Family, friends, lifestyle, sea rescue and hockey (at this point being persuaded out of retirement by a few people) and a new job. What could be better?

So, random checklist of what I'm super chuffed with over my London experience:

• Independence - learned that I can do things for myself
• Lived in my own flat - with 2 other friends and didn't burn the house down. Only victims were my clothes
• Challenging job in the digital industry - check :)
• Make a British friend - well that wasn't a goal but definitely have a lifelong friendship with my friend from my work 
• Travel - check: Paris, Amsterdam, sailing around Greece & Turkey, Dublin, United Kingdom
• London baby, the entire nightlife and cultural experience
• Play hockey and quit on the same day - that was definitely a first
• Go out to sea and River Thames with the RNLI
• Movie premieres
• Walk through Leicester Sq & Piccadilly Circus at night - spectacular when you realise where you are
• See the Queen - Yes, twice in one week
• Create a family/community out of school and university friends where we all lived. Really amazing

These are just pointers that are quite important to me but really happy with and now have in my back pocket to move forward on my new adventure.

So, whatever that may be? Bring it on!

OT:

This trailer looks awesome: Dear John

And the song from the title is Cheryl Cole ft Will.I.Am - 3 Words - which is

I had the pleasure of having a sneak peak aka demo - and play around - on the Google phone, courtesy of a friend who happens to work for Google. Now I may not be the most technical person in the world but one thing is for sure; I love my gadgets. This at times - 90% of the time - causes pain to my bank account and well satisfaction with a new toy I've just purchased. Less then 4 months ago, I got gatvol over my Blackberry and the boring experience it provided me and trotted along to Vodafone and upgraded to my HTC Magic which uses the Google Android OS. 

I. do. not. leave. my. phone. alone - which probably irritates my friends to no end but I'm continually using the apps whether it be creating calendar appointments, Gtalk, Foursquare, Places Directory, Facebook, Twitroid, Maps, News24, Meebo IM to my new found fun for the time being, Google Goggles. I love it. Aside from the basic everyday usage of email, internet, messaging and phone calls, these apps keep me happy and well connected with my world; online and offline. 

So when I heard every Google employee received the rumoured 'Google phone' as a Christmas present, I had to get a look at this smartphone. Luckily, friends had organised dinner on Saturday night and the dude came along. I pre-warned him on FB chat an hour earlier that I wanted to have a looksie and play around to which he said cool after a few conversation pieces of 'it's sikkkkkkk' and oh wait... "it's absolutely a sikkkkk phone" etc.

"A sexy beast. Like the iPhone on beautifying steriods"

I remember having read an article online a few weeks ago about HTC's new handset products coming out next year and they are looking pretty awesome. Hence when I saw the leaked pics of the 'Google phone' online, I remembered that one looked very similar to the HTC Passion. Now according to the dude, Google went to HTC with designs of what they wanted (clearly the experience they wanted to give users), which is the end result and a beautiful, sleek and stylish result it is. It has a much larger screen and has done away with the 'buttons' other then the trackball, it's pretty flat, fits in the palm of your hand and I want to say has that chrome feeling - for the lack of a better word as I've forgotten the name of the texture. Like the pics; it has the Android design on the back with a much larger 'lens' for the camera feature.

Pic: Mashable.com 

What I love about the phone - in Robyn's language:

• Literally 99% touch screens aka getting rid of those blimmen buttons which on my Magic has lots of chocolate bits finding it's way in
• A larger display aka a bigger screen which makes for a much better viewing experience IMO.
• A 5MP camera with flash - finally! Do you know how kak my images come out when trying to take pictures in dark places - not cause I'm shady - and at night. After taking random snaps on Saturday night and having seen the quality; it's made of awesomeness. From what the dude said, it uploads the pictures straight away to your Picasa album which is pretty nifty
• There is quite a cool text recognizer tool which my old HTC Tytn had and I've forgotten the name. Basically, draw any letter, shape or symbol on the screen and it searches your phone for what the best possible match may be. Made of awesomeness no. 2
• With a larger screen means there is more space for shortcuts and widgets on your home screen. I have been rearranging my phone's layout and majority of the time I receive a message saying "not enough space on the home screen" rubbish especially when I added my calendar, accuweather, power tool bar, taskiller - you get the point.
• The menu section is completely made of awesomeness. Why you may ask? Well, when running through all your apps through your menu, it looks like a wheel moving forward and you can see the apps you've been through in the background as you keep going past. Wait. That doesn't make as much sense as I would have liked. Okay. Think about those movies where they run the text/short story in the beginning and the stuff you've read fades off at the top of your screen. You can still see it but as more comes along it disappears as you go through the rest of the story/text. Well, it's like that. I want to say the Star Wars movies and I'm hoping to the dude above that I've got the right movie. Anyway, it's absolutely awesome.
• It runs on Android 2.1 if I remember correctly.
• The overall user experience - well me trying to be one with the phone - is easy, enjoyable and all I really wanted to do was play around even more on it but I think the dude was quite worried I was going to try play around on a test product - which is awesome by the by - they are working on.
• I'm still learning about wireframes, IA etc but I really think Google and their genius employees have really thought about the experience, layout, design, yadda yadda yadda that they want the users to have. Really, it is a pretty sleek and superb phone providing a superb functional tool - well definitely for me - and one that is definitely going to succeed
   

There is probably a reason I would happily give my left arm to work for Google and the reasons are all over the world wide web. From the everyday products I use; Chrome, Gmail, Gtalk, Reader, Calendar, Maps, Alerts, Picasa, Wave, YouTube, Docs, iGoogle to the OS that runs my mobile phone, there really is no stopping the creativity, innovation and forward thinking that comes with Google. And to think that their 'mission statment' is: "to organise the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." 

Dudes, going back to the 'Google phone'... I would be slightly worried if I was Apple - there is only one iPhone?!. This phone is made of awesomeness even on my most basic level of understanding and passion around the industry. As I grow and learn about the technical aspect of web and mobile, I'm sure I'll be blown away at how the whole wheel really works. But right now, in my little mind if Google were to create a competing product to the iPod (totally going off topic here but hey), I would probably be the happiest girl in the world.

Google phone, Google muso, pump (for pumping my tunes - lame? I know) and most likely in the future; Google OS on my laptop. As an article in The Next Web said... Google is taking over my life. 

After nearly 2 years in London, I've decided to come back home to Cape Town. 

Recently, I went through some of my old blog posts from when I was leaving Cape Town in May 08 to basically where I am today and boy am I a little shocked and proud of my growth. I don't normally give myself a pat on the back for anything and that goes to years of representing Province and S.A. for hockey to 9 superb years at Sea Rescue to making it in London. It's hard work dammit but boy is it absolutely worth it.

Leaving Cape Town to come to London, I was a isolated, definitely not independent 24-year-old little kid. Naive to a point about how tough the world can be, how lonely it can be, demanding, amazing and ultimately mind-blowing brilliant. Now I haven't travelled the world but definitely am a lot more worldy or wiser; whichever one you want to say. Yeah?

Innit

After toughing it out for 4 months and honestly thinking it was not going to work, I got the break I needed... in Government. Can you Adam and Eve it? Government. Coming from 24.com, South Africa's biggest Online Publisher and definitely most innovative media company at the moment in the S.A environment - I ended up going into the public sector where walls are higher then JHB homes and the words 'policy' and 'rules' are the norm. Well... I was right about most but I was completely off about what I thought the experience I was going to have. We had a tight digital team of 2 (my boss and I) and that was going into a new Agency - one of UK's biggest and boy did we learn. Anyhoo, details aside, I honestly thought I would be lock and loading and maybe learning a few more things and that was another assumption I was completley wrong on.

Areas which I absolutely enjoyed and were defo highlights:

• Thrown into the deep end and having to get the website live for Dec 1st was the first major thing - check.
• Start developing new wireframes (with our supplier) for the interim site involving many project meetings, usability testing, designs, mock-ups etc - check. 
• Develop the social media side by using the appropriate tools for the Agency and to get their message out there, engage with stakeholders, key partners and public - check. Social Media introduced and now in growth stage of the PLC if I had to put it in those terms - check
• Get my hands stuck into mini project management with developing more functional sections on the website, new 'tools' and finally getting my hands on managing a process. Learned a LOT - check.
• Digital Marketing strategy - This is one of the areas I really want to go into and with our suppliers we developed a strategy for going forward. Since Dec 08, my boss and I had been quite reactive with the work, finding our feet and now the new faces in the Digital team have a strategy going forward.
• Learning, learning, learning. When Helena said that we should find a topic and discuss it every month (or something like that), I was honestly shitting bricks. I had no clue with regards to what to talk about, where do I find the information, what do I do? We never talked monthly. After finding my feet, we were discussing new trends, technology and tools we could use, DAILY and my passion for the industry was definitely developed by this continual learning process. Even though half the time I was probably mumbling to myself (constructive nonsense as I like to call it), a lot of our ideas were developed from us just talking.
• But I couldn't have done it without my old boss and friend; @HelenaB

Now I'm ready, grown, put on a bit of weight, done a fair amount of traveling, had an amazing experience both work and with friends but it's time to get my lifestyle, family and friends back and start growing in the industry even more around what makes me tick.

And for those that have ever read my blog posts; past and present, the title is most of the time - lyrics from fantabulistikiss songs. This one Phoenix - 1901, which I stumbled upon on the New York, I love You trailer ;)

That is all I can think of right now - as a massive Bones (Brennan) and Booth shipper - I'm just flailing over this picture and the promos for this weeks episode. I had to blurt this in my blog, cause I can.

See below. If you don't want to look. More David Boreanaz drooling for me. Ta

And for the promo on YouTube which is for the life of me refusing to embed properly...

Bones 5x10 promo 3

Fandom's collide in this trailer; Alias (Jen Garner & Bradley Cooper), Grey's Anatomy (McDreamy & McSteamy = FTW!), Jessica Alba (old school Dark Angel) and a spectacular cast of Julia Roberts, Jaimie Foxx, Jessica Biel, Ashton Kutcher etc

To have made this the ULTIMATE fandom collision would have been to cast Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz from Bones and that would have been the end of me. Flailing all the way.

Valentines Day trailer

Have a quick squiz on YouTube and watch Invictus, Brothers, The Green Zone and The Lovely Bones. They all look like fantastic movies

So Friday I'm off to Dublin for the weekend to watch the Springboks vs. Ireland from a pub - as the tickets are an arm and a leg - for officially, on Friday evening, an unemployed chicka.

Looking forward to the sightseeing, meeting the Irish and making them say 'thirty three and a third' and well the rugby of course. There are quite a few Saffas going from London and everyday we are finding out about new friends jumping on the Ryanair flight on Friday and heading off there. Aside from the rugby, been told to go and see a place called The Gin Palace which is a heritage site but absolutely beautiful. This is also probably the first time I'm going and have no plans to go to specific sites and popular venues. It's definitely going to be; whatever happens.

Speaking of which...

As I said above, I'm unemployed as of Monday as the maternity cover contract at the job I've been at for over a year and a bit is officially coming to an end. Sad to go but excited to move onto somewhere where there is innovation, creativity, growth, lots of learning and an overall challenge.

Is there anything on the horizon in Lundun town? No, is my answer unfortunately and with my lease up on Dec 14th, jobless and nothing on the horizon it is quite grim. But like I said this time a year ago, it's all about timing, opportunity and someone giving me the break I need; be it in London or back home in Cape Town.

So, I guess I'll catch up with Dublin images and how it was in my next blog post. I really enjoyed blogging more about my work side with only 2 posts to date so hopefully I'll think of something cool that I am passionate about to blog in the future.

Meanwhile, I've downloaded the Foursquare app onto my Android OS on my phone and pretty much loving the idea right now. Though, finding friends as PASSIONATE about web and mobile as me in this city is lacking so the idea doesn't have the full impact for me now.

A few months back my colleague who we delegated the events section on our website to, came to us - or maybe we (@HelenaB) and I looked at the page and thought it looked a bit messy and needed to be redesigned. The point I'm trying to get across is that, we got a bit gatvol (irritated) with the way it was looking.

So first on our to-do-list was for Hayley and myself to do quick research on what other event pages were looking like around on the net and write down what we liked and didn't like about them. A bit of tree killing later - which we recycled - I dragged Hayley off to the empty desks armed with a pad of paper and pens and the all important coffee. We looked at a few event layouts on a few different websites and once we got a few ideas in our head, we started sketching on the pad of paper.

After a few ideas were jotted and drawn really badly down on the paper, we came up with a pretty cool layout and most definitely a better user experience then what is was then. What was it? Well, imagine a table with the date, venue and name linked to their page and you have the events page. Now that said, our site is still an infant and only turning 1 on Dec 1st so there was a lot of development work around it at that stage and finding our feet as a digital communications team of 2 people and another 2 wonderful people who we have delegated sections to for their ownership and responsibility.

I couldn't find the previous version on the staging site for comparison of what it looked like then but this is what it looks like now.

Step 1: Robyn's pretty wonky drawing and wonkier ideas on Paintshop Pro (The notes were to our suppliers and for their people to come up with the most functional 'tool' for the user based on our random ideas)

The idea was to have the months as tabs so easy navigation around the different months and then once you have clicked on a month, it would open up to a page full of events. Obviously my artistic drawing doesn't convey my full meaning behind this but once you click on the event, the information (a short description with the essential information) would open up and then if you want to find out more, you can click through to the full event listing).

Step 2: Send off CR to our suppliers and after a few back and forths, ironing out the event page and testing, we have the final product.

I really wish we had the previous version...

You want to find further info on the Smaller Housing Association Conference? Click...

Event geocode (do I speak Greek?): Ooh... look at that map embedded (go to Google maps, put in postcode, take out certain coordinates - feeling like I'm back at Sea Rescue - and paste it in the dedicated area) in the event. Pretty cool. I thought it was another cool feature added to the idea and really adds a nice touch to the events, especially with having all the information you need at your fingertips.

If you were to click through to find out more about the event, a full standard 3-C layout will give you all the information you need and the event's website for further further details.

Like most of our web development, it's always a lot of fun, applying your skills, learning new technical aspects that sometimes, when I listen to our developers, I wonder if they superhumans and well having a lot of fun being creative and providing a better user experience in the end of the day. Though it may seem very small, the little things do make a difference to your experience on a website and in the end of the day, it makes your journey pleasant and worthwhile, instead of pulling your hair out and makes us happy that we've produced a useful tool. Well, definitely makes me happy.

Didn't Twitter start from sketching? Anyway, for an interesting read, head on over to 20fourlabs and read the article Innovate successful products: sketch!

Cause I'm outta my head and outta my self control. I have no clue where I have been for the past year that I've totally missed Ladyhawke as an artist. She absolutely rocks. I suggest finding her on Spotify or Myspace and listen to 'My Delirium' and 'Magic' which hooked me straight away.

Anyway, back on track. So Monday marks 4 weeks till I finish my current work contract where over the past year and a bit - as I've said before - I've gained unbelievable skills - which I am holding close to my heart - for my industry and definitely shaped where I would like to specialise, venture into and hopefully head into.

I've been actively looking for a job for over a month just before October started and while there are roles out here in London; they really do ask - especially in agencies - for PM's with years of experience. So how do I crack the this part of the industry you may ask? Well, with a little hard work - sending my CV out like mad and hoping that I get a break. I fully believe that everything happens for a reason so I'm quite excited to see where my next challenge and journey takes me. I am slightly worried with 4 weeks to go but think in 2 weeks time; if nothing pops up, I may head out on the freak out express train which may - but highly doubt it - spill onto my blog. As I said; doubt it.

Alpha crew

Been a great weekend as a friend from Sea Rescue in Cape Town is up in London for work, so we caught up and did some shopping - or more like debating which gloves would work the best on the waverider at NSRI (Sea Rescue) at my Ocean Leisure in Embankment. After my poor friend nearly spent all his hard earned rands in the store and encounter problems with his luggage weight as he most likely would have bought the entire store out, we left and walked all over Central London. It was actually quite cool; me showing him around being a local. It's weird whoa! X-Factor was superb but super cheesed off that Rachel was voted out. Sunday was also catching up with more school friends so a good weekend in all.

Engaging with events

I'm quite keen to blog about the latest development work we did my agencie's website which has just gone live. Not such a massive change but more of a user friendly change that definitely makes the user experience much better. Need to go into the old versions and see if I can grab a screenshot of the previous versions. Pretty cool that the section/s I'm particularily proud of started with sketching - that's  how Twitter started hey - so Robyn hold's thumbs that one day she'll think of something uber-cool.

Anyhoo, I'll see what I can dig out but also have to get on top of this social media policy for a government agency that I decided to give myself. Interesting.

On that note, cheers.

So I realised I never finished my Cape Town surprise story...

I left it hanging on the fact that my mom walked in the door and well the first thing she did was give my aunt a kiss hello and then... she walked in and turned to the right and looked at me. I feel like I've lost all momentum with the surprise story so let me recap. Mom's 55th birthday, family holiday, friend coming down with my goddaughter, Jewish new year and well, a surprise for my mom. It was 3/4 months in planning with everyone but my mom so you can only imagine.

Well anyway, when she walked through the door, she literally was speechless. Now my mom is NEVER speechless. She totally kicked down with shock and then walked away. I stood there, my friends hiding behind the tv cabinet ran out of their ridiculous hiding place to see if my mom was still alive and I just looked at my uncle who was busy taking pictures and filming the shock. Turns out my mom went to put the umbrella down and then my gran (who I flew down from Durban as a decoy) came out and gave her a hug and calmed her down. By this stage my mom had turned on the ugly cry and walked back into the living room and screamed, laughed - all while crying - kept quiet and then screamed and laughed again.

To tell you the truth, it's one of the best gifts you can give anybody you love and well worth it. I had to laugh though as the first thing my mom said to me was "Where are you going to stay?". Thanks Ma.

Lions Head hike

Anyhoo... the next 13 days was filled with much laughter, happiness, family and friends time, food and baby drool everywhere. I got to meet my 4 month old goddaughter - the cutest kid in the world - who is fantabulisticulous, go out to sea with my crew, spend time with my 4 best friends cooing over this poor kid, spoil my mom, brother and sister and really just enjoy my holiday. It was all about the surprise and boy did it go off well.

Green Point stadium for 2010

Girl lost in the City

My next big step/hurdle/challenge/adventure is my job hunt which is screaming at me in the face. I have 4.5 weeks left of my contract (maternity cover) left and I'm excited but shitting bricks at this point as there isn't a lot of feedback. I've registered again with recruiters and going through the whole process but dear god, I need someone to throw me a bone here. I'm slightly freaking out but everyone says something will come up. So, I'm holding thumbs, crossing legs, saying prayers - not that I'm religious anyway - thinking good things for the world, being nice to my sister and well just really hoping I find something.

Seli 1 aground off Table View

On that... cheerio

It's odd that I would speak about work on my blog considering I've considered it to be a more personal and chilled side to me but I'm going to give it a bash, much like the topic I'm chatting/debating out - technically to myself if no one responds - in my head.

I always remember when my Content Managers were sorting out the Wednesday newsletter; aside from being terribly stressed and wanting to kick Lirus the Virus (stand to be corrected) that there was always talk about subject lines. Spam Wilson (@SamWilson1) was always saying never use words like 'sex' in your subject line because it would go straight to the spam box and I'd always wondered what would happen if we had used those words, even though it's much more fun thinking about synonyms.

Even from the time when I was there - probably making coffee for the bunch but yeah - the topics to subject lines to overall design of the newsletter is really engaging and what it's all about. If you can get the users to open up that email; put a foot through the door, then your first job is done and now it's about keeping them there with good content and call-to-actions.

I read a really interesting article from iMedia Connection this morning while going through my feeds with a cuppa coffee about 7 fixes for terrible subject lines by Wendy Roth. It bought up a little debate/chat/do we have the resources and time?/I think we should do this argument that my old boss/work colleague/friend (@HelenaB) - who decided to move to Malawi - and I were having at the time.

Article highlights:

• Personalization in subject lines can cause problems in several ways

Make your call-to-action clear, and let readers know if an offer will expire soon
Funky punctuation and cryptic language is not clever -- it's annoying

We had been doing the newsletter for 8 months at the point when the topic was bought up; "do we change the subject lines"? It was a really cool idea considering our subject line is very simple and doesn't add much call-to-action as the people who have subscribed to our newsletter know what they are getting. We aren't in much competition with other companies nor do we have sales targets to hit other then to make ourselves happy that the newsletter is still in it's growth stage and is growing steadily every week without much promotion (aside from every page on the website) around it.

For us, it was a matter of time and putting a plan around it and thinking back, if we had the time it would have been a great test to do. Our sign up page allows us to collate all the information that the user wants to hear about and it gives us the opportunity to use our data appropriately. Our aim was to see what our click-through rate was like with different subject lines and I think we would have had success in trying something new, especially by engaging with our users and start targeting their preferences more precisely not only making their experience better but also by enhancing our digital experitse.

Big words, I know but email marketing is part of this so-called 'digital expertise' and getting it right only means good things in terms of exposure about your business and/or product (which you know anyway). Despite only having 6 weeks left at my current job (contract, she is ending), I'm quite looking forward to the future. Who knows, hopefully one day, you'll be reading and clicking through some of my work.

Side dish: I'm relatively new to actually blogging about what I'm passionate about and finding my feet with how I write and get ideas across. I tend to keep my professional interests on Twitter but this is something I am quite interested in and well, I just decided to word vomit on the page.

Geez, I've had a whirlwind last month and neglected to post anything; which is pretty poor of me but I had to keep my secret quiet or be caught blogging or tweeting about it.

Blink and you'll miss it

I've just returned from a surprise visit to Cape Town! Yep, I bought a ticket and flew down on the 16th September and surprised my mom for her 55th birthday, Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (Holliest day of the year for us). Anyway, I had planned this for about 3 months in advance. Everyone from my Aunt & Uncle to best friends to Sea Rescue family to 'my' dog - though it's not really my dog, it's my best friend but the dog only responds to me and well we've developed a special bond over the last 5 years and she's absolutely obsessed with me. Hence when I say my dog, it's well not mine but you get it.

I arrived in Cape Town on Thursday and was whisked to my aunt and uncle's house where the surprise was taking place. I somehow forgot that I had months before transfered cash to fly my Gran down from Durban as a present for my mom and family for her birthday. Needless to say, I freaked out when she opened the door and then got freaked cause I thought I had caused her to have a heart attack. She was shocked and crying and well, I got a little emo and very excited.

My friends started to arrive after work and we all got chatting and catching up and then laughing and well being our mad selves. One may find it weird looking in from the outside that my friends and I actually have full time careers other then laughing and acting like kids. Heck our professions range from Directors of a company to the medical profession to analyst to online industry to full-time mommy at age 25.

"She's here!" screamed my aunt from the corridor and I started to freak out and get emo again. At this point we hid the 2 kids and the gran in the room just in case they spoil the surprise. I sat randomly in the lounge and well my friends hid behind the tv cabinet.

"Knock knock" - and say it out loud, it's more fun.

My aunt opened the door

"Hi" - was the first I heard as my mom said hi to my aunt.

And then she walked in...

TBC... later when I'm at home and have pictures to put into my blog.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more exciting with pictures of ugly face crying, hugs and smiles

September is on its way, which means Fall TV premieres and seasons starting again in America. I for one, cannot wait for the new seasons and new tv show premieres.

Most anticipated return - or show I'm plutzing over to return. 17 days is tooooo far.

Without a doubt, the best show on television - IMO - is Bones and after last seasons interesting and cliffhanger of a finale, it's back with a bang on Sept 17th! The early chatter according to some lucky folks who got their hands on the season 5 premiere is that the episode explains the cliffhanger very quickly and gets us straight back into the show. There have been several tweets and blog posts. Damian Holbrook of TV Guide said of the premiere, "REALLY good. Funny, emotional, sets great stuff up for the season." on twitter and Mandi Bierly of Entertainment Weekly who recaps the show every week has said it's her most eagily awaited return.

Aside from the absolute HOTness that is Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz's chemistry playing Brennan and Booth, they really have created the most interesting tv relationships since Moonlighting and X-Files' dynamic duos. Eonline! and the fans have double dared series creator, Hart Hanson to get them together after 4 seasons of will they, won't they? and after last season's emotional last 2 episodes, it just can't go on forever.

What can we look forward to? Well Emily Deschanel has promised more kissing - from your mouth to god's ears - and even better is that her younger sister Zooey Deschanel will hopefully appear as her cousin on the show. Totally awesome and even more awesome is the return of the fabulous Mr Stephen Fry who will reprise his role as the original psychologist, Gordon Gordon.

Anyway, what can I say for South African's who still aren't getting this show? I feel for you all. It really is a fantastic series and if Mnet can swipe the rights away from SABC 3 who did nothing with it after the first season then you are in for a fantastic treat. In the meantime, buy the boxsets off amazon or take2.

True Blood + Alexander Skarsgard = HOT

I think the only reason I watch True Blood is for the delicious Eric. I spotted him when I watched Generation Kill and took an interest but WOW on True Blood, they have used his talents to a whole new level. This dude is amazing... and yeah, I'm slowly following along the storyline but not really :)

FALL TV premieres to look out for

Human Target

Flashforward

Glee

V

Past Life

And if you want a recap of what my favourite show is all about...

So, where was I last? Oh yes, sailing around the Med was my last 'proper' post and the last a tiny random update. What can I say for this one? Oh I don't know... there have been so many things happening since I got back from my holiday, it's slightly scary.

Catch-up meeting

Firstly, there is a bit of a homecoming revolution happening at the moment among my London friends who are packing up and heading back to South Africa. In the next few months up until February next year, 16 - 20 people will have left Lundun town for sunny South Africa. Why you ask? Well, mostly visas are up, travelling is done, the London experience is over for them but ultimately as a good friend of mine who has left already said; the party is over. And that is scarily true in his instance; with his work/holiday visa officially run out. Anyway, it's interesting times and even more interesting to experience London with no constraints like I have on an ancestral visa. I am lucky and grateful.


Wulffmorgenthaler

If I remember my posts around this time last year they were unbelievably different to what I'm writing now. I was at a different stage in my life; at a bit of a crossroads as to what I was going to do if I didn't get a job in my field. Do I stay? Do I go? Do I give it 2 more months? I was an emotional trainwreck, going to interview after interview - and this was in an entirely good and 'stable' job market - hoping that someone would just give me my damn break in this country. I know I irritated my family and friends with phone calls and texts - most likely with me bawling on the other end or sounding like a crazy woman - but to experience those 4 months of interview after interview, working in retail to keep myself in London as there is no family subsidising my stay at all from Cape Town to trying to having the London experience was kak hard but if it taught me anything; was that I don't give up easily or without a fight.

And now heading onto a year later I can say; what a fecking ride it has been. I have always blogged about how grateful I am to still be here, working, living and travelling around Europe and the UK when I do and I've always said that it just takes one person to believe in you and give them a job and I'm lucky to have had that one person give me the break I needed in London. Well that person leaves for Malawi on Monday and as much as it was a superb - but sad - farewell on Wednesday night, my boss (now ex-boss) is onto super awesome exciting things. It's really amazing how one person's actions can change the course of another's life and well, my situation is a wonderful case in point. Anyhoo...

Where to now buddy?

Well, my contract finishes on November 30th which means I have to start the job search. It's horribly daunting and pretty damn exciting at the same time to move onto something new and learn and gain more experience. I pretty much know where I want to go, what I want to achieve and the massive amounts of experience I've gained (2 of us running Digital Communications for a massive Agency) has definitely shaped industry interests and what could be exciting for me and how I can have maybe make a nice little difference. So, job search is now fully on the go and I will keep you posted or you will probably see a post of me screaming like a crazy woman on my blog.

What's around the corner?

Maybe Brussels for a weekend? Who knows really. It's the long weekend this weekend I think which is great or is that next weekend? I forgot.

What's this drumming sound?

It's what you are missing out if you are not listening to Florence + the Machine. Go. Now. Click on that link that will take you to music heaven.





Nothing to worry about

27 days and a few hours, I will be hanging with my .... out and rocking with my .... out (American Pie reference) cause it's the Bones Season 5 premiere baby. Of which i shall now embed 3 promos. Sikkkkk!