On Tuesday (last week - Yes, I am getting slack. But we are getting the Internet in our flat in a week) We decided to take in yet more of the local sights and sounds. We started with Shakespeare’s Globe. Obviously, we have all heard of the famous playwright, but I for one, knew very little about him and the Globe. I was very surprised to find that the Globe was a reconstruction and only 8 years old. It is the third globe, the first being destroyed by a live canon on stage firing and igniting the building, the second was in London’s great fire due to the straw thatch roofs.

The current one was built about 300 years after the second when an American actor came to London and went to pay homage to Shakespeare but found that there was no building, no monument, only a plaque on the ground. So he decided to rebuild the Globe, it is a fully working theatre (they put on plays twice a week) and built completely by the old methods, from tools to using wooden dowels instead of nails. They even got special compensation from the City Council to install a thatch roof (which were made illegal after the great fire). All and all, a very impressive building, and a great place to go and see.

We tried to go see St Paul’s cathedral, but it was under-wraps. They are doing renovations, which are meant to last until 2008. So it was a real let down, we couldn’t see the inside either as there was to much scaffolding and plastic wrap.

Marble Arch was next. We didn't have a clue why it was famous, or a stop on all the tour bus routes, but we jumped on the tube and headed their anyway. We discovered that it used to be the main entrance to Buckingham palace, then moved to be the main entrance of Hyde Park, and now resides in the centre of a large round about. Wasn't all that exciting.

We have JOBS! It is good to know we will both have an income and slow down our spending of New Zealand dollars. I have 3-6 month contract at the Environmental Agency (Government Org.), I can't really say what I do (its top secret, so secret no one has told me what I'm meant to do. And I've already started!). Carmens jobs looks a tad more promising (i.e. interesting), she starts on Wednesday at a large Oil company. I will let her fill you in what she is doing, as I wasn't really paying much attention when she told me. :+) We are earning £10 an hour (+ travel, + food allowance), so its pretty good. To be honest we can't see what everyone complains about, living costs aren't outrageous over here. It is VERY expensive to visit or go on holiday, but once your earning, rent + bills + food is going to cost about £100 a week each. Which leaves about £200 a week for travel, entertainment, saving etc. PLUS when we leave the country we will receive 10% of everything we earned from National Insurance.