One month left...

Hello everyone,

I know it's boring to say it again, but: another week flew by!
A few days ago I realised that I only have about a month left in London. At the end of June, I'm gonna leave the UK after living here for 10 months. So it's time for ''YOLO!'' again! This means I will fully enjoy the city, and do all the things that you can only do in London.

The first thing is: my internship at Netberg. With only 5 weeks left, I will fully enjoy working with the Netberg guys, playing football with them, ignoring them while they talk about football, and eating chocolate biscuits with them.

Second thing is: going to things Kirsten invites me to. Friday night, we went to a Mindfulness meeting together. It wasn't so much meditation, but more discussing quotes by philosophers and other wise people. I didn't know what to expect when I went there, but it turned out to be a lovely evening. We were with a very small group of people, enjoying some nice food, and meanwhile having discussions about beauty(the theme for the night), but also about love and life. I actually regret not going to meet ups like this earlier, as it is a really nice way to to something else with your night. You never know who you will meet and what you will talk about.

This Saturday morning, my alarm went off at 7.30. Why? Because I wanted to get some first row day tickets for the musical ''Once'' at the Phoenix Theatre. After waiting in the queue at the box office, I got two tickets in the middle of the first row!
After that, I had some time to kill, and I made my way to the National Portrait Gallery. After walking around in the museum and having a cappuccino, I got on the tube again. On my way to meet Manvir for lunch in Shepherd's Bush. This is really one of the best things about living in London after studying in Swansea: I can still see my favourite Swansea-people from time to time!

Last night, it was finally time to go see Once. I had discovered the beautiful music about a year ago, and I wanted to see it since then. ''Emergency engineering work'' at Mile End station almost ruined that. Thankfully, bus 25 got me to Tottenham Court Road faster then normally, and I made it to the Phoenix theatre on time. Once was pretty amazing. The actors were not just actors and singers. They were also musicians: playing the cello, banjo, drums, guitar, violin, etc. The story wasn't that strong or moving, but the music: WOW. It is so special to see a small group of people work together like that to create
amazing musical moments. Another cool thing was that the audience could go on the stage during intermission, to enjoy a drink at the bar. In the end, Kirsten and I didn't have a drink because the drinks were even more expensive than what's normal in central London, but we did walk around the set of the play.

I really can't wait for all the other things I have planned for my last weeks in the UK. I intend to enjoy every second of it, before returning to the Netherlands.

Love,
Yolanda

Netberg's launch and rockaoke!

Hello everybody!

This week was an important one! 

First of all, we had the official Netberg launch on wednesday night! After working really hard on it for a few weeks, it was finally May 14th! It went really well and I learned a lot from it: bot preparing for it, and working during the event. If you want to know more about how it went, you can read the blogpost on the Netberg Blog about the event! (Which I wrote by the way!)

After the excitement and the stress of Wednesday night, it was time to blow off some steam in the weekend! Friday night, Lauren, Kirsten and I went to a bar in Kensington for some Rockaoke! You might be wondering what this is... It's Karaoke with a live band! And it's FUN. The list of songs we could choose from was filled with some rock classics: ''I will survive'', ''Nothing's gonna stop us now'', ''We are the champions'', etc. It's probably the most fun I've had on a night out in London so far. Everyone was cheering each other on and dancing and singing to these amazing songs! 

Lauren and I wanted to sing ''I will survive'' but unfortunately there wasn't enough time for everyone to sing, and we were among those people... But Kirsten did get chosen to sing! She sang ''It's nor unusual'' by Tom Jones. And she absolutely ROCKED it!

On Saturday, I was a bit homesick. All of the sudden I just really missed the people from back home, and living in Utrecht. London is an amazing city, but it's pretty intense to live in. It's not like living in a city in Holland, where you can just jump on your bike to go see a friend. So it's a good thing that I've got a friend living in my house! Lauren helped to cheer me up by baking our very own chocolate cake. Most of you have never seen my kitchen, but let me tell you: it's very small and we don't have a lot of quality cooking supplies... So it's quite a challenge to bake a cake. But we did it, and it tastes pretty good too :)

After going out last night, I woke up with just one though on my mind today: I want to go to Victoria Park and lie in the sun! Fortunately, the weather was amazing. So Lauren and I spent a few hours sunbathing in lovely Victoria Park! 

So, summer is finally here! Hopefully it will stay... It is England after all.

Love,

Yolanda

Abertawe

Hello everyone!

Time for another Sunday Story. Surrounded by all the laundry drying in my room, it is truly a perfect Sunday: staying in my jammies, having breakfast in bed and watching the Inbetweeners.

Last night I got home late from my final trip to Swansea. All I can say is this: it was pretty much the perfect way to say goodbye.
I arrived Thursday afternoon and started getting ready for AGM with Abi, Andi and Anna. While we were putting on our make up and doing each other's hair, we were catching up and telling all of our stories about what had happened in the last three months. After that, we made our way to 360, by the beach, where AGM was held. It was so nice to see everyone from Canoe Club, all dressed in their sunday best! After that, it was time for my last night in Sin City ever, and it was great! Weird music, cheap drinks, free toast with butter: it doesn't get any better than that.

Friday morning it was time for the perfect cure for a hangover: Uplands Diner. With half of the Canoe Club, we had some greasy food, and hared our stories from the night before. Then I went to campus to meet Rachel and Cristabel to go to Mumbles. It was Rachel's 21st birthday and we had some lovely food and ice cream in beautiful Mumbles. I spend the rest of my hangover-Friday on the couch, drinking and eating and catching up with friends. Perfect :)

On Saturday, Abi and I took the bus to Rhossili Bay. I had been there twice before, but yesterday that place managed to take my breath away again. After walking around, I bought this pebble in the shop there(see picture). It says cariad, which means ''love'' in Welsh. And how I love that country.

And then it was time go get back to Swansea, to get on the coach to London! It feels like I have said my final goodbye to Wales, and I did it in the perfect way: going to all of my favourite places and seeing my favourite people :) Wales, fi cariad i chi!

Love,
Yolanda

Back in London!

Hello everyone!

So this week I got back to London after an amazing 1,5 weeks in the Netherlands. Monday morning, I got on the bus, hoping for one thing: a safe journey home without a delay. Unfortunately, the Gods of the Eurotunnel didn't listen to my prayers: yet again, I had a delay. It wasn't as bad as the first one: I arrive in London 'only' three hours later that initially planned. This did mean that I had to travel home during the beginning of the tube strike... In the end, I got home at 10pm: totally exhausted, but also happy to be home(especially because lovely Lauren cooked food for me!).

On Tuesday morning it was time to get back to work! I really missed all the guys in the office, and it was really nice to be back in the office. In a little bit over a week, we have our official launch! It will be hard work, getting everything done, but I'm sure that we can do it!

And I am lucky: just like my friends and family in the Netherlands (who celebrate Freedom Day tomorrow) I also have monday off! Yet another long weekend: I just can't get enough.

This coming weekend I will go back to Swansea for the very last time... It's weird to know for sure that it will be the last time. When I had to leave before it was always: ''I'll be back! Don't worry, I'll see you guys another time!'' But this time it will actually be the last time that I am in Swansea and that I will see everyone. But I am sure this will be an amazing weekend, and the perfect way to say goodbye to Swansea!

Love,
Yolanda