Giffgaff

Giffgaff is the best mobile internet provider in the UK. It's not even a contest, every other provider sucks balls compared to giffgaff. With giffgaff you get unlimited internet access for 10 pounds per month on your mobile phone, which comes in extremely handy if your estate agent 'misunderstood' your inquiry about whether there will be internet available in your new apartment when you are just moving in.

The speed is excellent, but giffgaff does touch the content before sending it to you. They block adult content by default (oh no!) and the option on their website to enable it doesn't seem to work (as of writing this post). They also recompress images massively and insert javascript into each http request, adding keyboard shortcuts so you can download the uncompressed versions of images. This kind of practice is something I'm very unhappy with, but I do understand why it's necessary. Considering their low prices there's probably a lot of people abusing their network. Or O2's network rather, since that's what they're running on.

For more info check out the giffgaff.com website, and when you're ready to register, click here to give me a referral bonus which is equivalent to 15 days free internet. :)

Posted in Tech , UK

Downhill

Posted in Cycling , Photography , UK

Getting a job is easier than getting an apartment.

Getting a job is easier than getting an apartment.

Posted in Thoughts , UK

Exercise!

Posted in Photography , UK | Tagged

Hunting for apartments

I'm on the prowl for apartments. It's disappointing what crap you get for a large amount of money. If you think 1000GBP ($1600) is a lot of money for an studio or single bed apartment you'd be wrong. I've flipped through hundreds of ads of that price range, and most of it is disappointingly shit. Sometimes you can find an apartment for 300 pounds cheaper which either has already been taken or is a scam by some Nigerian rat. To get something consistently good, even as far out as zone 4-5, you have to pay at least 1500 pounds. And that's a low estimate.

Things do get a bit easier if you let agencies help you, but then you have to deal with agencies. Like the age-old regex quote: you have a problem, you decide to solve it with a regular expression, now you have two problems. Agencies are like that.

I will keep trying. I am committed to at least 6 months of London. Let's make it happen.

Posted in UK | Tagged ,

Private

Posted in Photography , UK

Bicycle safety

I've had a flat tire twice in the past two weeks. Both times it was after leaving my bicycle in an area that I didn't think was very safe, and both those times it was most likely just my own fault. I parked my bike at the station again today, and I felt extremely relieved after coming back that it was still there and in one piece. My two flat tires and countless warnings from friends about how unsafe London is for bicycles have made me wary about leaving my bicycle anywhere. But is that justified? I'm still hoping it isn't, but I'm not keen to find out.

Posted in Cycling , Daily Life , UK

A day in the life of London

We went out to London last Saturday for what turned out to be a wonderfully random day out. It reminded me a bit of some of the outings I had in Tokyo. London did its best to show itself a proper city, with all kinds of things happening everywhere. Here's a little photo report of a random Saturday in London.

We started our afternoon off with some crêpe-y goodness.

This was followed by a walk in the park where The People of London were leisurely relaxing on the grass.

There were some deck chairs in the park, but apparently sitting on a chair is something you have to pay for in this city. Sitting tax, indeed.

Passing by a map of the park I noticed these interesting IP addresses.

We sat down in the park and took a break. In a timespan of about 30 minutes the area next to us started to fill up with people. Lots of people. They suddenly started cheering and a cloud of smoke rose above them. At first we thought that they set the deck chairs on fire, but as it turns out it was the scene of the monthly protest to legalize pot. Apparently we just happened to choose a spot in the park right next to the biggest pot party in London.

A short wander away from the park brought us past these mysterious creatures:

After that we headed for the south bank and visited a good photography exhibition showing some of the best photos of 2010. I definitely appreciate photography more than abstract art.

Annoying Photomatix put a logo in my photo. This is the last time I used Photomatix.

We happened across a 'real food' festival on the way back to Waterloo station, which offered various kinds of foods, although mostly burgers, sausages and cheese.

Here's Waterloo station in the sunset:

A day out in London wouldn't be a proper day out if it didn't end with a tube ride home.

Arriving back at my place I found that the sky turned into a nice pink color.

... and that was London!

Posted in Photography , UK | Tagged

Good stuff

Today was a beautiful day with great weather, and London was a joy to be in. But since I didn't take any photos today here's some horribly gloomy ones of yesterday instead.

My gray home. The window on the right is my room.
Just a street. From hell.
Ealing Broadway is decent and has many fine restaurants.

Incidentally, today was my first day at my new job. Incidentally, I have a new job. It's such a difference from my previous job that I feel as if I've "switched sides". For the  better, that is. More about this later when I can be bothered to write something down.

 

Posted in Photography , UK

Photos

Had a nice run-in with a buddy yesterday who also spent some time in Japan in the past. Although we never met while we were in Japan, and our situations were not exactly the same, we did find a whole bunch of similarities. One of those similarities was how we used to take photos of every little thing. An urge which seems to have completely disappeared after moving to London. In compensation for that I hereby present you the only two photos I took of my 'new life' in London that I haven't shared yet.

Hanwell station. An oasis of peace in otherwise chaotic London.

And here's a picture of my 'desk':

Great works are constructed and consumed here

It's a long shot from the world of wonder I found myself in 5 years ago, but I'll do my best to log my experiences here. After all, what's the point of having a blog if you don't update it?

 

Posted in Daily Life , UK