Croydon and Carshalton

Hi all!

Last night I met Lou's family - her Mum, Dad and her sister Alice. They're all really lovely and have made me feel very welcome :) It seems like only yesterday that Lou was staying at our place in Melbourne. Her and her friend Emily are the two that really inspired me to take this crazy gap year, as last year I met them in Asia and they spent the remainder of the year living in Perth for six months and travelling more of Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and some of America! So Lou came and stayed in May and then Em and Lou came to stay with us in November. How time flies - can't believe it!

Had a great night of sleep and then had some brekky. Then today we went to do some shopping as there were a couple of things we both needed. We headed to Centrale shopping centre in Croydon. Lou's parents both laughed when she said she was taking taking me to Croydon. Apparently it's a bit of a dodgy area?! Which I find funny because the one we have outside of Melbourne is too! However, unlike the one in Melbourne, this Croydon had lots of shopping! I got a few things I needed including some more ankle socks, a new singlet and most importantly a green long sleeve top ready and raring to go for St Paddy's Day on Tuesday in Dublin! I had my first Primark experience buying that top. Primark is a really cheap shop much like K-Mart at home. The girl on the register said "oh my god - are you from Australia?!" and freaked out when I said yes. I don't think they get many tourists out this way!! 

I treated myself and bought a couple of little extra things too. Although, not so much a treat as I will need them once I'm living here anyway! I got a 2015 diary to keep track of all my teaching appointments, a mug with tube stations on it and some long pyjama pants with double decker buses all over them. As I said, I will have good use for them all once I actually have a place to live! Until such time, they are living at Lou or Emily's!

We had lunch at a sushi bar inside a shop called House of Fraser. It was nice but the service was really slow!

This afternoon we came back home and have just gone to the shops quickly to drop off some things at the charity store (no one calls them opp shops here!) and buy Louise's mum a Mother's Day present for tomorrow. So happy Mother's Day Mum, March 15 is Mother's Day here! Weird how they're different in different countries. 

Tonight we are heading to Emily's to watch England play Scotland in the six nations rugby. Then we are going to meet Lou's friend Hannah in Sutton for a couple of drinks. 

Tomorrow morning I'm getting the bus to Heathrow and am off to Dublin for four nights to celebrate St Patrick's Day - so excited! Was meant to go with a friend but he turned out to not be a friend due to him ignoring my messages and everyone else we are mutual friends with. Haven't heard from him since December so cancelled his bed in the 8 bed dorm and am going it alone. All will be fine - I have four friends from various travels that will also be there so at least I'll know some people who are about. Will be awkward if Jake magically turns up on this flight though tomorrow or on the way back, I booked the same flights as he did!! Think I'll just pretend I don't know who he is if so haha. 

I'll do my best to post tomorrow and every night in Dublin but it will depend on other people in my dorm and what's going on. I promise to post as much as possible though. :)

Love to all

Claire

Xoxox