23 April, 2005

30th Birthday Update..

Well after sending a bulk email last week to all my southampton buddies I had the amazing return of ... 4 replies .. Thanks Matt, Sherm & Abi.. I know that Sy, Lanners and Jimmy are coming down as well.



I also got an email off Jasper .. Hes in LA working on the set of ER as a runner.. he said he would pick me up from the Airport when we get to the States!! sweet .. cheers jas



Anyway I did say thet the party starts at about 12.. but i doubt we will be ready by then. So if you are coming come over after 3ish.. we should be set up by then!



looking forward to seeing you all!

Canon Ixus 40

On my way to New Zealand I have a three hour stopover in Singapore.. and while I am there I am going to get myself a digital camera for when I am away travelling NZ, Oz, Fiji and USA... I have done a little research and the best shop in Singapore seems to be this one..



Canonixus40_big
:::www.bargaincity.co.sg:::   They have got the Canon Ixus 40 for SG$ 659 (about £200) - They also include as part of the deal a 256 Mb Memeory card, a card reader, a spare battery and a Canon leather case.. This aint bad! However amazon.co.uk has one for sale at £199 (obviously without all the extras)



I dont know what to do..



I have heard that Changi Airport in Singapore has great sales in its Duty Free shopping areas in the months of May and June.. so I might just go through there instead.. does anyone have any suggestions??

20 April, 2005

My 30th Birthday Party & Leaving do…

Jez_30_birthday_partyMake a note in your diaries people!!



On Saturday 14th May I am having a party to celebrate my 30th Birthday.. I cant really have it on the 25th as I will be in New Zealand!



This is an opportunity for all my pals I have met over the years to come together in Southampton and get lashed...



What better opportunity than Jez's 30th !!



It will start about 12noon and carry on to the early hours.. Ive already booked a Bouncy Castle and I have been promised Blue Skys all day long.. We are gonna have a BBQ .. However I would ask you to bring ya own booze please!!!



Bring sleeping bags if ya wanna kip on the floor after.. but Zee is looking into local B+Bs to see how much they are.. if ya want your own space..



email or phone me or zena.. Click on the invite ...
or leave a comment below...



Looking forward to seeing you all again.. for the final time before I go travelling!!!

14 April, 2005

Lib Dems…

I aint gonna be going on about politics too much in this blog.. its boring..



But i do want to moan. I have NEVER voted for the f**king Labour party in my entire life and i never will. The Torys aint no better, but do know what this country needs in Defence matters. One party that has potential to be able to create something in this country is the...
:::Liberal Democrats:::



Lib_dems







As there manifesto shows they propose...





  • WE OPPOSE: Putting targets first



  • WE PROPOSE: Putting patients first



  • WE OPPOSE: Tuition fees & Top-up fees



  • WE PROPOSE: Scrapping student fees



  • WE OPPOSE: Compulsory I.D. Cards



  • WE PROPOSE: Spending the money on 10,000 more police



  • WE OPPOSE: Selling your home to pay for care



  • WE PROPOSE: Free personal care for the elderly



  • WE OPPOSE: Ignoring climate change



  • WE PROPOSE: Cleaner transport & cleaner energy



  • WE OPPOSE: £1.5 billion on the child trust fund



  • WE PROPOSE: £1.5 billion towards reducing class sizes



  • WE OPPOSE: Means-testing pensioners



  • WE PROPOSE: £100 extra per month starting with the over 75s



  • WE OPPOSE: Hidden tax increases



  • WE PROPOSE: Only one tax increase – on income above £100,000 per year



  • WE OPPOSE: Unfair Council Tax



  • WE PROPOSE: Local Income Tax, saving typical households £450 per year



  • WE OPPOSE: Bush & Blair On Iraq



  • WE PROPOSE: Never again


If you want to make a difference to the way this country is run VOTE LIB DEMS...



Charles_kennedy

Photos…

Last night i had this great idea.. I decided i was going to photograph every single one of my photos onto a digital camera so that I had a record on my computer.. and i could edit them into fancy pics so people could see them..



It seemed such a great idea.. 500 digi shots later and a trip to tescos to get new AA batteries.. i was absolutley shattered!! Does anybody know that to hold your hand steady for so long is a nightmare?  or when you have done them all you see a shadow in the photo of your camera taking the photo? or how tired my eyes were today? or how short a time 4 AA batteries last in an Olympus Digital Camera?



Well i do..



anyway I have started putting my photos online.. not all of them of course, but some. Check out my Online Photo album at Flickr.com



have a browse of me and friends and family.. while you are there set an account up for yourself and post your pictures up as well!!!

Zena and Chanel sweetie..

 
  Zena and Chanel sweetie.. 
  Originally uploaded by jezarnold.


I just want to mention my girlfriend Zena. She is one of the greatest things to ever happen to me.. and I am so glad that she will be going travelling with me... We will actaully be living together for the first time ever on the beach in Sydney, Australia for six months!!! its going to be amazing!!!



I thought I had better put a picture of you and the lovely Chanel Sweetie up on this blog though..



P.S. Notice the evil glare that Chanel is givin me.. ;-)

New Zealand Working Holiday Visa..

Last Friday saw me at 80 Hayswater, London... or more precisely New Zealand House. Unlike the Australian Working Holiday visa which you can do online, to apply for your NZ WHV you have to send them a form, which can take up to 6 weeks or apply in person.. I chose the latter.



New Zealand House is a HUGE embassy, (i guess its because of the amount of Brits who want to emigrate there) and on arrival I was escorted upstairs to the Visa Section.. At this point I was expecting a huge queue, but there was only 1 couple in front of me waiting for a temporary visa..



Eventually got to see the lovely lady there and she told me that it looks like you will be able to get it today!! Whooopee!! Great news.. just pay £50 and sign here...



So thats it all sorted.. tickets from STA Travel .. working holiday visa for Australia.. working holiday visa for New Zealand... season pass.. snowboard.. insurance ... oh shit i havent done my Insurance!! Does anyone know a really good insurance deal ?? everyting seems to expensive!!

06 April, 2005

NZ Season Pass

One other item has just been checked off my "Things to do before leaving Worcester" list. That is to sort out my NZ Ski  Season pass...  I could have chosen a pass that allowed me access to all the resorts on the Southern Island of NZ, or just a saver card so that I could have cheaper day tickets if  wished..  I got told that Kate, Mike & Roxy are getting the Queenstown Only pass, which is:

Queenstown Only Pass
Unlimited skiing and riding for the 2005 season at Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Ohau Snow Fields. In addition holders receive a $20 adult/$15 student/$10 child/senior discount off the cost of a day pass at Treble Cone and Porter Heights and receive a 50% discount off a day pass at Mt Hutt Ski area.

I am also gald I got it today, instead of waiting a couple of weeks as the prices shoot up
considerably...

anyway the three areas I have access to on this pass seem to be amazing.. according to the websites:



Coronet Peak
Coronet_peakQueentown’s  original resort ski area is just 25 minutes from town. With a reputation for some of the best and varied terrain in Australasia it is no wonder    that Coronet Peak has developed a truly international flavour.

Coronet Peak hosts high profile events such as The Queenstown Winter Festival and the 50K of      Coronet Peak.

Coronet Peak’s wide and rolling terrain provides maximum fun for all. Extensive snowmaking ensures that everyone can get the utmost enjoyment for the longest time possible.

An award-winning ski and snowboard school will set you up or hone your skills, allowing you to  maximise your enjoyment and time on the slopes.                              
                                        



Even when the sun goes down, the action never stops  – Night Skiing, exclusive to Coronet Peak,      allows skiers and riders to continue through the twilight hours into the magic of the night.



Opening At 11-Jun-2005, Sunny       Last fall : 15cm.  Upper Base : 0cm.



The Remarkables
RemarkablesAcross the valley lies The Remarkables, Queenstown's true alpine ski area. Here the emphasis is very definitely on joining in and having fun,  especially if you're a beginner, intermediate or looking for serious adrenaline.

The Remarkables enjoys three sunny sheltered bowls framed by towering peaks, and is known        for its friendly atmosphere and relaxed feel. It's a great place to learn to ski with easy  access to learner runs by an easy to use chairlift. And if you're ready to sample life on the edge, you'll find challenging terrain like you've never seen before and some of the longest   off-piste runs around. Kids are well catered for and kids 10 years and under get a free day lift pass. In fact after a day of fun at Skiwiland or in the creche they may never want to go home again.

When you need to restock your reserves and take a well-earned break, you'll find a satisfying          selection of fresh food and drinks at the self-service cafe plus you can browse for  mementoes in the Sno Shop. Or maybe you'd prefer to soak up the rays and watch the playful antics of New Zealand's cheeky native parrot, the Kea.



Whatever you chose, The Remarkables is the ideal place to make the most of winter's offerings. For small kids and big kids alike, check out the new tubing park for great fun in the snow!



Opening At 25-Jun-2005, Sunny  Last fall : 5cm.  Upper Base : 50cm.