Quick Shots
New Street Station Regeneration
For a while now, there’s been a lot of talk going around about the refacing and rebuilding of New Street, though I only found out recently after reading an article about one proposal in the Birmingham Mail at work. (Technically, I’m not supposed to read it…but stuff happens. Like, I get bored.) The proposal cited there involved two towers being built over the station and a link with the Mailbox, though I’ve yet to find the same proposal on the internet. However, the website renewstreet.co.uk (Renew Street – very clever.) has a lot of news relating to the scheme, images included.
In my opinion, (and the opinion of a majority of England, apparently) New Street Station is one the grubbiest (major) stations in England. But look at what they’re thinking of doing to it!
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The Mail article quoted 2008 as being the year that work is started. Who knows when it’ll finish…Will I still be in the city? In the country? Who knows…
Still, I’m sort of impressed by the proposals,because they’ll make New Street look better. However… All the new buildings in the city centre are starting to look the same. However, that isn’t my only interesting notes.
First: The Orion apartments on the way to Mailbox.
The workers seriously messed up the pavement along the way. John Rocha miscalculated somewhere, I think.
Second: the Masshouse development in the middle of Masshouse island.
Who wants an apartment in the middle of a roundabout?! Hello?! It’s gonna be interesting opening the window to generate some fresh air and discovering, “Woah! Big truck belching loadsa black smoke just passed…Ignore it and it’ll go away in 5 minutes, no worries…”
Then: the Cube.
So yeah, a new building to regenerate the canalside. Last time I went to the Mailbox though, the canals were incredible. Who needs a light-up Christmas box anywhere, never mind in the Mailbox? (Plus, the disco-light car park thing…a total waste of electricity, anyone?)
Fourthly: The Rotunda
Im still figuring out how they’ll map out the rooms…gonna be tricky seeing as most will have a curved wall…”Mom! I don’t think I can sleep in this bed anymore…I’m starting to walk at a slant…”
I dunno. At first, the new buildings – Bullring, uh…what else was there? Anyway – seemed awesome, but now I’m getting tired of the waste of material and sameness. And I’m also thinking, within ten years, these uber-cool designs will be stone age.
Food – Dinner
K, recently I’ve been eating pretty well, considering. No fruit til yesterday, but fruit juice served as a temporary alternative. Yesterday, me and Cat had pesto pasta (gorgeous…) and today I made rice and korma with potatoes as a cheap substitute for chicken chunks. It looked great, but I made too much…
And I’ve now got some Jaffa oranges, and they’re nice and sweet. Seedless, too, but that means they’ve been sprayed with some funky hormones along the way (the things you learn in biology that stick) so…not so great. But they’re my fruit portions!
Got some pistachios as well…Did you know nuts count as one of your Five?
The Last Couple Days
My parents came up on Saturday, and we went to some Spanish restaurant in the Mailbox (El something-or-other, I’m sure someone will enlighten me as to the actual name eventually) and I had…an interesting lamb steak that was really sweet. My dad kissed a shrimp…
It seems my family has a way of bringing respectable establishments down so as to make them look like any old road stop greasy spoon…
Then we went back to my house and took some family photos for our newsletter… *cough* … They aren’t normal. Me and my bro were singing “You Are My Sunshine” and it resulted in my mom kinda losing it… She was in hysterics. And it made me laugh too, so I couldn’t sing anymore… Thus:
Quite hilarious. Then they left, and I started to work out what I would wear for…
…Phan’s birthday was a blast, went as a trucker…which no one guessed. But hey. Towards the end of the evening, after coming into contact with a blonde wig (Like I needed one?!) I evolved into Trailer Trash. Well, I guess that was alright. I mean, Britney Spears would be one of my pears, right? She’s not so bad.
Then, Sunday I went to my old church (haven’t been in sooo long!) to experience my dad’s sermon. Good stuff, on the Spirit of Mission. I’ve heard similar before, but it’s amazing stuff. Maybe he’ll come back to BCEC one day and share it. Onwards to iD: The Final, which is written about in the previous post, so I won’t go into it.
Tuesday, got up late, raced into Sparkhill to go to Shoes United Shop, bought some shoes for work, raced back, had quick lunch, then onwards to first Millies shift ever, with Cat. ‘Twas awesome. Saw Andy Atkins, national director for Agape (my parents missionary org.) and a girl from secondary school. Cat saw someone who knew her name but it didn’t work both ways. Lol. That’s when we had pesto.
Wednesday, back to United Shoes to return slightly tight shoes, but no-go, back to Kings Heath to Lidl my cupboards, bank, home. Lunch (crumpets, an orange and juice) then work.
Today, it’s only 2am, so I’ll maybe inform you of anything that might happen later that’s slightly more interesting than what I’ve done so far. Blog.
Last Words
Wooh! Long post. I’ve been thinking lately about my trip out to the US in Christmas. Am gonna be sooo different to who I was when I went before iD happened… God-willing I won’t induce a few heart attacks.
Found an old picture from Melonie/Carmen’s birthday party thing at…that place. Golden Pond?
I introduce: Chopstick War!
hey housie!
cool new blog! new york is awesome. see u in a few days. hope the house is still there when i get back lol
thought debs said louise… thought.. spam?
uh huh. you’re weird.