06/03/03 - 2.40 PM Me and Alex met on Tuesday and roamed around until we found Buckingham Palace which I did not know was also just a 15 minute walk from my shanty. We had a great time getting lost. We did a full circle around Piccadilly Circus because we turned down the wrong street at Trafalgar Square. We went to a 'Walkabout' pub somewhere east of here and had a drink, caught up. I'm going to return the favour and visit him at his home of Chichester or 'Chi'. I have to see the country and explore the pastures. He says that the landscape can make you feel like Gandalf on an errand in Middle Earth. He's hilarious. That's him in the photograph acting the fool outside the Palace. Haven't been on the tube since Sunday due to the fact that I don't agree with it's eeriness. The way everyone walks so briskly through the tubular station passageways getting onto tubular machines that transport them to other stations with other tubular passages freaks me out. It feels like everyone is merely electricity or digital information moving through the wires, making things work and delivering messages. It's not good. My first shift was yesterday 10 til 3.30 and it was easy. Mostly serving office workers and the cast of Phantom of the Opera. They've been quite taken by the Captain's Cabin and it has become their local watering hole. After work I just roamed the streets of the West End which I thoroughly enjoy. Maps? guides? No way, not now. I feel like an explorer discovering new things all the time, theatres, shops, music venues and the like. I bought postcards. When I got home I went to sleep and got woken up at 1.30 to come out to a different Walkabout pub with Justin from Sydney, Ash from Melbourne and Larissa of Wembley. They all stay and work at the Captain's Cabin but they are all quitting soon, they've each been here a long time. We took advantage of the Walkabout's 2 for 1 drinks offer and didn't sleep til 6. Now I have a headache. I haven't seen a band since I have been here but that'll change as soon as I get to see my roster for next week.
		L to R: Ashley, Larissa and Justin

	11/03/03 - 6.30 PM Went to Camden on Saturday and bought some funky grey pants, no flaration or anything, just neat and funky. I also bought a cool blue jacket. They're both pictured along with the postcards I still haven't sent (tomorrow I will send them). I got a bootleg live Red Hots video to watch aswell, Live @ Rock In Rio 3. I bought it because I was about to see them play that night at the London Arena along with the Mars Volta. Anthony played in a full size black skirt or perhaps more of a kilt and he and John were rocking out. Flea and Chad didn't seem as into it as they were the last 4 times I've seen them but all in all it was a show of choice, premium quality. They played 'Warm Tape' with Johnny on keyboards which was a surprise, probably the last song I'd expect to hear live. Flea said 'Thankyou for the fish and chips' which is the second fish and chip reference I've heard live from him, at one of the Brisbane shows he said we should "check out the coast and eat fish and chips at Byron Bay". I did. John played 'Maybe' his fantastic Chantels doo-wop cover and he also did another more rock solo song which I did not recognize. Very happy they played Havana Affair, I was in a crazy mood so I took off my shirt and made it all the way to the front of the London Arena, a big place! Search and Destroy was the closer. I haven't seen that one played since the Perth Entertainment Centre and it rocked, though by that time I had a thirst that not many could humanly bare. So I was kind of not wanting them to leave but praying for some kind of... intermission. hehe. They did a huge jam after that as usual when Search and Destroy closes, Anthony left, then Chad and Flea and John just stayed there as long as they liked pumping out free flow tunes. After it was all over John approached the mic and said that it's been really fun the last couple of days and thank you very much. Usually he doesn't say anything at concerts because he is shy but I think he is gaining more confidence these days. He's the best. Worked all day yesterday, I'm always gaining more insight into the world's of our oddball regulars at work, it's fascinating. There's David, the guy that calls me 'Jesse James' and works next to the fountain on piccadilly circus selling UK merchandise to tourists. Then every night he comes to the Captain's Cabin to blow his credit on pokies. A shame but he's always smiling. He seems to talk to anyone. Except Danny the Canadian french horn player, they don't like each other. Danny plays in the orchestra in Phantom of the Opera and he teases me about being a rough looking character. He said he thought he thought he saw me at the post office on a wanted poster. And is always claiming "Yer I'm keeping a close eye on you, but I have to get back to work... this place just better be in ship-shape when I get back". He's only joking around though, you can have a good conversation with him. Today I went walking around town, I went to Oxford street via Soho. I was looking for a haircut and new shoes. I passed this cool looking place called 'Mr. Topper' with a frog on it and at 5 pounds a cut I thought that'll do me. So I went in and was told immediately to sit down by a funny young Spanish guy, he was hilarious! He was cutting my hair and asking me the most bizarre questions in a '20 question' sort of manner. "Are you from London? Do you think Australia would be a good place I could make a life? Where is your favourite place in Australia? Do you like sushi? What do you think of the Japanese eyes? They are thinner, no? Have you been to Ibiza?" hahaha. He gave me a good haircut too. I found good looking shoes for 25 pounds but they didn't look too comfortable, I might goto Camden to look at shoes before buying them. Camden Camden Camden. There is also a picture of me before the Chili's, drinking Beck's and one in our stinky shower room... the smell in there is palpable.

		This is my shot at capturing Piccadilly Circus, the famous commercial area just a 30 second walk from the Captain's Cabin.
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