I did attempt going back into work for two days this week, but I wasn’t holding up so well with the aches and struggling to concentrate. My boss suggested (read ‘rearranged my Thursday morning meeting’) to go to the doctors. It turned out I still very much had the flu and was ordered back home to bed. Apparently going back to work before your properly better means a second week of high temperatures and needing to sleep after just a few minutes of any physical activity.

It’s been nearly two weeks since I started feeling off and I’m really quite ready to reenter the world of the living. Unfortunately my body is not in agreement with this and this morning I woke up still feeling like I done a few rounds in a boxing ring. I really need to learn how to improve my attitude towards being ill and resting (thanks to Phil* for the comment “I reckon the only way to get you on the mend is to place you in a medically induced coma for the weekend”)

All I can say is thank goodness for the Gilmore Girls. There is nothing better than hours and hours of Lorelai and Rory to keep me entertained whilst I doze in and out of consciousness. If I can get my brain to cooperate from now on I can hopefully resume writing too. As for my Saturday evening, I will be tuning into the excitement and sparkle of Strictly (not to mention the drama and gossip – it’s turning into the XFactor!) to take my mind of the fun I’m meant to be having with friends this evening.

*Phil has just started his very own blog so this is an opportune moment to suggest that you should now go and read his first post.

The college tutor system at Trevelyan is all about pastoral care, so as a tutor you are a mix of friend and mentor throughout their undergraduate study. I have fifteen students this year, but only eight first years… that’s enough names to remember for today!

I have kicked off Fresher’s week in style by going out on not only Friday night, but Saturday too. When I say ‘out’ on both occasions I have been on my way home by 10pm… and last night dinner and cocktails was followed by a cup of tea in the Gala Theatre café. Well I’m not 18 anymore!!!

Tonight is my first formal dinner.  I’m thinking Hogwarts at dinnertime on a smaller scale. I struggled with wearing a gown at my graduation, so eating in one is going to be interesting! Though there’s no sorting hat here… that would be a much more exciting way of discovering who my tutees are going to be!!!

The rest of this week will be spent involved in Fresher’s activities both in the day job and as a tutor. By the end of the week I imagine I will finally realise that somewhere along the way I turned into an adult without noticing.  Then next weekend my friends Andy and Mike come to stay, and that is sure to kick start a regression to eighteen year old behaviour. Followed by a nasty hangover next Sunday morning!

After that the rest of October will be spent recovering. And I promise my blogging will be about more exciting things than work and university life!

I would also like to thank my wonderful friends Liz (@LadyBowers) and Catherine for exploring the city with me on my trips. Also Hannah for being a complete star and showing us the hidden gems of her city.

New York

Welcome to my whistle stop tour of New York. Before we start I will warn you that a week away in New York will leave your feet aching from walking, and your face aching from smiling so much!

Getting around…

It’s worth investing in a 7-Day Unlimited Ride Metro Card for $27. Bear in mind that the subway isn’t like the tube and so if you need to change lines you may find yourself going back on yourself to be able to change. It’s worth doing a bit of extra walking and seeing the city too. As the week goes on you’ll hopefully find your bearings, walk more and use the subway less.

Sightseeing…

Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty (Battery Park): Ellis Island museum is great. I’ve never got off on Liberty Island because the views are spectacular from the ferry. Now that the statue has reopened the climb to the crown if you can get tickets it might be worth it.

Broadway Show (TKTs Times Square): It wouldn’t be a trip to New York without taking in a show. Get reduced tickets from the TKTs booth in Times Square, if there’s a show you want to see it’s worth the wait.

Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Centre): In my opinion, having done both, Top of the Rock is better than the Empire State Building. The view over Central Park is fantastic. And midweek mornings are virtually queue free.

MoMA (11 W 53 St): A chance to see some of the great works of modern art in real life. Definitely a good choice for a rainy day.

Guggenheim (5^th at 89^th St): For art I prefer the MoMA, but it is worth having a wander past, and even sticking your head inside to take in the impressive architecture. Don’t forget it’s closed on a Thursday (a fact I remember thanks to Sex and the City, Carrie and co do have their uses!)

Central Park: I fell in love with New York the day I first visited Central Park. Hire bikes if you want to see as much of the park as you can, an hour will get you round the south of the park, but you’ll need a couple of hours or more to see the north of it too. Alternatively it’s just as nice having an afternoon wander around the various sights.

Grand Central Station (87 E 42nd St): The first time I walked in it took my breath away. The second time it did it again. This is a truly magnificent building so don’t miss it.

New York Public Library (5^th Ave at 42nd St): For those of you who are librarians, this is an amazing library. For those of you who are SATC fans, this is where Carrie nearly married Big. For those of you who are neither, it is another stunning building in the city.

LOVE sculpture (6th Ave): At W 55 St. 6th Avenue you’ll find the LOVE sculpture by Robert Indiana, which is a photo taking moment. (I’ve included the address as some of us spent a week hunting for the damn thing!)

Sex and the City Tour: For the fans of the show this is an absolute must. You see a lot of the city whilst enjoying SATC trivia and get a free Magnolia Bakery Cupcake too!!!

Shopping…

Times Square: My favourites are Toys R Us (I still haven’t been on the ferris wheel though!), M&Ms World (because there is something fab about M&Ms in more colours than you can imagine), Hershey’s (the outside of it is fantastic). I also loved the HUGE Virgin Megastore, but sadly it shut earlier this year. I have fond memories of being asked out for coffee by a cute guy whilst browsing CDs… only in New York!

Department Stores: Top end you have Saks and Bloomingdales. Macy’s is great once you get your bearings, but it takes time. Century 21 is fantastic if you have a clue what you are looking for, but it can be completely chaotic and overwhelming.

Apple: There are Apple stores across Manhattan which are great for checking email and using the internet (but remember to log out of Facebook!). However if you only visit one make it the flagship store on Fifth Avenue. It is a sight to behold.

For the Girls: Tiffany & Co. is a must. Meander round the floors, drooling at the gorgeous jewelry. Whether you like classic and simple, or more diamonds than you can imagine, there will be something to make your jaw drop. Victoria Secret is the other stop. Though I enjoy perusing the lingerie my favourite things are the PINK sweat bottoms, I live in mine when I’m at home, they are so comfy!

For the Labels: Head over to Greenwich Village for the various designer stores (there is also 5^th Ave, but I prefer this end of town). Here I find my favourites of Mulberry, DVF and Louboutin. I also discovered Fresh, and the best lipbalm I have ever owned.

Afternoon Tea…

Magnolia Bakery: These are the best cupcakes in the world. The original shop is in Greenwich Village, but there a couple more now including on in the Empire State Building.

Alice’s Tea Cup: Missing a good old cup of English Tea? Well this is the place to come. There is a bigger selection of tea than you could imagine, as well as the most amazing scones. They do other wonderful food too. You may have to wait an hour or so for a table, but it is worth it. Trust me.

Max Brenner: Apparently this place does more than just chocolate, but it does chocolate best. Again you may have to wait for a table, but the trip to chocolate heaven is more than compensation for the queuing.

Saks Cafe SFA (8th Floor): Get a table next to the window in their café and overlook the roof stunning gardens of the Rockefeller Plaza buildings whilst enjoying traditional afternoon tea.

Food & Drink…

Any Diner: Another New York tradition that can’t be missed. At least one breakfast trip for pancakes, and dinner visit for burgers and a shake. There are a fair few to pick from, so no excuses for missing out.

American Favourites: Dunkin’ Donuts, Tasty D-Lite etc these are the places you’ll immediately recognise but haven’t made it over the pond

Starbucks: Because mid-afternoon you will need a sit down, drink and a toilet break (not necessarily in that order) and they are perfect for all three. The only time you won’t be able to find one is when you are absolutely desperate!!!

Europa Café: You’ll find these dotted around the city and they are great for a reasonably priced delicious lunch. The sandwiches are lovely, and fresh salad is made whilst you wait.

Take the situation on Friday morning. There were interviews, two candidates for a role within my team. When the team and candidates got together for our morning tea we found ourselves sat in a fairly big circle. After the introduction there was nothing to say. Uncomfortable silences are bad at the best of times, but with the memory still clear in my mind of what interview day is like, uncomfortable silences can be no less than horrific. As everyone else was quiet, and I am the communications officer, I felt a responsibility to say something. Anything.

“It’s a bit strange having morning tea without bananas”

Yes. That is what I said to break the silence. Of course I then had to go on to explain that this was because approximately half the staff in the library (including myself) seem to produce bananas at morning coffee time in the staff room.

Luckily for me this didn’t just result in blank stares. It actually resulted in a full blown conversation about bananas. Who was for and against bananas (there was a split in the group). The contraptions available to keep bananas fresh (I relayed information I’d had from a previous banana conversation about one of these contraptions) another colleague had found a banana bag from Lakeland had kept their bananas fresh for FOUR weeks! We even had a conversation about the randomness of the banana conversation. And from our newest member of the team the assertion that she’d never imagined in her life that she would be a part of a five minute conversation about bananas.

As that drew to a close it went silent again. So I turned the conversation to the fact that it is nice to have diverse topics of conversations in the staff room. It was part of the library dynamic. It gives us a good giggle when things are all getting a bit too serious.

Another colleague pipped up to support this example. “Yes, the other day I walked in on a rather interesting conversation about werewolves”.

Except as everyone turned to look at me it did not prove the point that WE have these strange conversations in the staff room. It did however prove that I start random conversations in the staff room. As I was responsible for the werewolf conversation too (it was with another colleague about Twilight, I will say no more apart from the New Moon trailer ruins book 2 completely anyway!)

As silence descended on the group once again someone then asked “So Helen, is there a conversation we can have about bananas AND werewolves?”

I soon realised it wasn’t as straight forward as that. There are many lovely people at work who I’ve soon got to know, but it’s not like being a student. There’s none of the enforced group socialising (unless you count tea breaks) and people already have their friends outside of work.

And much as I seem ‘outgoing’ moving to a new place has made me realise how shy I can be. True I am absolutely fine once I’m in full flow of conversation, but getting to that point is more difficult than I thought it would be. Making small talk terrifies me.
But I am confident that I will gradually make a friend or two who I can socialise with. I mainly miss having someone to chat with whether over a cuppa, a pint or dinner. If I can find a fellow Liverpool supporter to watch the match with by the beginning of next season I’ll be very happy indeed!

Saying all this I don’t regret moving here. My home and job are both great. I like the slower pace of life. I love Durham. And being so close to my sister and nieces is really lovely. Making a couple of good friends up here would just be the icing on the cake.

The first half (or so) of the book takes place around the area of Colliers Wood and Morden in South London. (Google Map). I had hoped to be there before sunrise on what would turn out to be a gloriously sunny day. However my wish didn’t come true. But as an eternal optimist I believe that every cloud has a silver lining. On this overcast day there were plenty of clouds and therefore an abundance of silver linings!

It did turn out that there was a benefit to the overcast weather, especially at this time of year when things are only just coming to life. My rose tinted glasses of the past (I used to live in the area) had edited out the not quite so beautiful aspects along the River Wandle. I furiously made notes and snapped away noticing all the small interesting details that I’d neglected to see in the past.

And there were some fascinating details. Not long after I arrived I spotted a bird gathering dead grass in its beak for nesting. It was quite happy to carry on its business and let me watch – until I got my camera out. Understandably we all have those moments we’d rather not be photographed!

There was also a stand off between a heron and a couple of canada geese. I say stand off, but what I mean is the heron stood on the bank absolutely still looking down on these two geese in the river who were getting increasingly agitated and making more and more noise when they couldn’t get a rise out of the heron. Eventually the geese gave up. One of them did insist on continuing to squawk loudly, whilst the other one swam up ahead (obviously trying to distance herself from the pain in the neck behind who wouldn’t shut up!)

I did make time to stop for tea and cake in my note making and photo taking frenzy. I headed to the National Trust café for a spot of tea and carrot cake. The cake was delicious and made up for missing Cake Friday at work (which had been a Red Nose Day special).

The end of the trip marked the end of the research phase of my book. Now it’s onto the writing of the novel. The first draft is the hardest. I have this amazing exciting story in my head and I have to do it justice in words. I really don’t want to let my imagination, and potential readers, down. Wish me luck!