First Days In London

Hello To All My Family and Friends,

As of right now I am sitting in a hotel room of a few guys that I met on the plane. They are here writing and recording a new album for their band Barefoot. I got pretty lucky to meet them seeing as they just got signed to Geffin and EMG a few weeks ago and they have already been sent abroad to work with the top European Producer. Anyway, I have yet to be here for 24 hours and I already have a cell phone. The number to the phone is 001-07891-670249. I think 001 is the country code, but I'm Not sure, call the operator to find out I guess. I can receive calls at any time for free and talk as long as I like, but making calls on it is pretty expensive. It's a prepaid thing so you guys know how that works. So place a call to your Londonite friend Blake anytime you feel like it, I promise, I won't mind at all! I think one of those 10-10-whatever numbers work really good for super cheap overseas calls. L.a. time is 9 hours earlier than London.

This place is so expensive I think I might die! :) The exchange rate is at 1.94 right now and that pretty much means that when you give them 100 US Dollars to exchange, they give you 50 Pounds. Crazy Business I tell you! I think I'm going to be on a diet of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for a while. That's ok though, I do like them...for now anyway. It does feel really great to be here though, it's finally real and I still can't believe it. I went and had dinner with the guys I met last night and got some alright food actually. I am already looking for an apartment and I think I might of found one, if you can believe it. That is the one thing that surprised me in terms of how much it costs to live here. I found that most places aren't much more than 55 pounds a week (which comes out to about 100 a week, 400 a month) if you live in a room with other people. Mostly australians live in areas like this so that should be interesting for sure.

I have a feeling of excitement over my whole body at this point which at times feels amazing, but other times its almost overwhelming. I have no clue about any part of this place, and let me tell you, that doesn't help when you are asking questions and the answers contain things you have to ask more questions about. Kinda Crazy!!! I already miss everything I left behind but I feel as though this will become a defining time in my life and I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world.

In terms of supporting myself while I am here, I am working for clients in Boulder that are keeping me on their payroll while I am over here. I don't know who was in charge of making that decision, but I really do dig whoever that was. I will be doing web design for them as well as a few other companies out of Boulder, but I am still looking for work, so keep me in mind if you hear of anyone in need of a graphic artist and web designer.
In terms of my artwork and creative outlets, I am going to constantly be shooting photos while i'm here. I'm trying to get involved in the local UK rock scene as well as anywhere else that is rocking! I am soon going to have a new website (other than BJNart.com) called BJNrock.com where all you guys can check out the progress I have made in that industry. We shall see, right now I don't know how things are going to work out but that is pretty exciting. I am also going to have an online journal within the week that will allow me to avoid all these mass emails where you can read about what I'm up to, as well as check out some shots of London and such that I take while I'm here.

ALRIGHT! So for now, this is Blake. :) Email me back, I will write you, I promise. Hope to hear from all of you soon. It will make my day I'm sure. Love you all!!! Cherio you Blimey Bastards! (i have no clue if I spelled any of that right!)


Love,

Blake J. Nolan