Last Sunday my husband and my dad were competing in the Cardiff Half Marathon so on the Saturday night we decided to go for an Italian to get them both stocked up on carbohydrates. We usually go to Cibos on Pontanna St but unfortunately the last time we went there we were a little disappointed. So we thought we’d try something new and go to La Lupa in Canton, Cardiff. 

The Venue

La Lupa doesn’t look like anything special on their rather poor website or from the outside and it is not in the most trendy part of Cardiff but it is definitely a hidden gem. It is very typically Italian with the checked table cloths and the rustic surroundings, a very warm and cosy feel to it.We went on a Saturday night and it was 95% full which was nice, there’s nothing worse than an empty restaurant.

The Food

The menu was different from your standard Italian menu with not a spag bol or a lasagna in site. However the food that they did have on offer was orginal with something for everyone. Using the excuse that the men needed feeding up we all had 3 courses (what we had a hard day supporting to do). All three courses were deliciaous, with good presentation and generous portions.

The Service

This is debatable. The service was a little on the slow side although consistently slow. The staff were by no means unattentive, I just felt that it was just their way of doing things. The slow service was more then made up for by the very friendly staff. Most of the staff were Italian which was nice and were happy to explain the menu and recommend their specials. There was a definite personal feeling and the kind of place that you know that they will remember you the next time you go.

The Price

The prices of the meals were average. Going on the surroundings you would not be expecting to pay a lot but when the food arrived you wouldn’t mind paying more. The starters were around £4 the mains around £9 (more for things such as steak)

The Verdict

I will definitely be going back to La Lupa, good food and nice staff are quite hard to come by these days.

Score = 7/10

My husband and I have recently set up a UNICEF Cardiff group. The group will work in aid of UNICEF raising money in and around Cardiff for children and young people all around the world but in particular Africa.

When we went on our honeymoon to Kenya last year we were blown away by the poverty and the suffering of the children in Africa and wanted to do our bit to help support these children.

We now have 7 group members who all have good individual qualities and we are very excited about our future plans. We have our first group meeting on Tuesday night.

We have a website dedicated to the group so check it out if you want to learn more or get involved.

I am happy to say that after 3 months of living in Cardiff I have now found full time employment. As mentioned in my previous post I did dabble with the idea of working for the private sector as I was having no luck reentering the NHS. However after the ordeal that I went through with the dreaded Venus Marketing I was somewhat put off. Don’t get me wrong I don’t want to tar the whole private sector with the same brush as I know there are many good and honest companies out there who treat their staff with the respect they deserve. My husband works for Gocompare.com and he loves it there and they have been nothing but great to him since he started in March. But in the end it was the good old public sector that I know and love that saved the day.

I have been offered a job at Bridgend Council as a Regional Project Assistant for a project that helps young people improve their skills to enable employment when leaving school. It looks like a really good project and I can’t wait to get started.

Although I have enjoyed my time off as a lady of leisure since moving to Cardiff I am now well and truly ready to rejoin to world of employment.

On Monday 24th May 2010 at 4.20pm I finally passed my driving test after 2 years of lessons and 2 failed tests. When the examiner said those magic words “I’m happy to tell you you’ve passed” I could have kissed him!

I have to say learning to drive has to be one of the most difficult challenges I have ever had to conquer. I put off learning to drive for years. Most people opt to learn as soon as they turn 17 but I was never that bothered as I lived in a town where everything and everyone were within walking distance, plus I’ve always enjoyed a drink and they don’t exactly go well together! Also I have never really had that great want to drive its just not something that ever really bothered me. But as I got older I realised how many doors a driving license would open in terms of job opportunities etc and lets be honest we can’t exactly rely on public transport to get us from A to B.

Driving Lessons

On my 25th birthday Adair bought me an additional present which was a 2 hour driving lesson with BSM which he had booked for me. Although this wasn’t my favourite ever birthday present I was grateful to him for giving me the kick up the bum that I needed. The first lesson was surprisingly successful and I learned a lot more than I expected. Although I was only driving around a quiet industrial estate at about 10mph it was huge progress for me as before the lesson I did not even know how to turn on the ignition. I opted to have one 1 hr lesson per week, at £24.50 a lesson I could not afford any more than that. Every week I felt more and more confident behind the wheel and I progressed at a good rate. I think the only thing holding me back was fear. Even now I have passed, driving scares me so I tend to get a bit jittery here and there.

My Instructor

My instructor was called Jan, she was very nice and was very good at putting me at ease and raising my confidence. She would ask me about my preferred learning styles in order for her to teach me in a way that would be effective for me. Over the 2 years I got to know Jan quite well as we had many chats as we drove around the streets of Wrexham. I would tell her all about our wedding plans and moan to her about work and things and she would tell me all about her family and moan about her husband and nightmare pupils. I suppose you could say that as well as learning to drive we both used the lessons as a way to vent about our day.

The day I passed my test it was actually a little emotional saying goodbye to Jan. It was also a little awkward, how do you say goodbye to someone who you have spent an hour a week with for 2 years? This was more time that I have spent with some of my friends. So I just said thank you and she said it was a pleasure teaching me and I said that if she was ever in Cardiff I would buy her a drink, I handed over my cheque, said goodbye and got out of the car which was a little weird.

The Test

One word can describe my driving test(s), “terrifying” and I am glad I will never have to go through it again, well that’s assuming I don’t lose my licence! I felt like I was driving around in a ticking time bomb which could go off at any moment if I did something wrong. All logical reasoning goes out of the window and the only thing you can think about it getting to the end without screwing up. All the way through I was doubting my self about things that otherwise would not phase me. Taking my test for the third time had to be the worst. You would think after 2 practice runs I would be more confident but it was the opposite. There was 3 times as much pressure and I was scared stiff about making the same mistakes that caused me to fail in the first 2 tests. But I did it, by the skin of my teeth, and that’s all that matters.

The Examiner

I have heard all sorts of horror stories about examiners, like that they try and trick you in to driving up one way streets, that they have to fail a certain amount of people a day and that they sit in silence and glare at you throughout. This is absolute nonsense, well at least it was for the ones that I experienced in Wrexham. My examiner for the last 2 tests was called Justin. He was really nice and asked questions about where I live and my interests etc which put me at ease a bit. He did not try and trick me at all and he gave me the benefit of the doubt in some situations taking into account difficult factors of the test. For anyone who is worried about scary examiners I will say from my experience they are not monsters.

I am pleased to tell you you’ve passed!

Ah those magic words, I can’t tell you how happy they made me. My test was 4 days after my birthday and it was one of the best birthday presents I’ve ever had. No more lessons, no more stressing about the test, no more L plates, no more bus journeys. So for anyone thinking about learning to drive, don’t let my blog put you off as its all worth it in the end. My only concern now is that I may have to be the designated driver!!

And now for the cheese

I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to my husband Adair who pushed me to start my lessons, who has put up with the tears and the strops when I came home from bad driving lessons and when I failed my first two tests. I felt like quiting many times but he encouraged me to keeping booking those lessons and tests.

The Occasion

Last weekend Adair’s parents came to stay for the weekend so on the Saturday night we thought we’d go into town for a meal. As we all agreed we love Italian food the plan was to go to Jamie Oliver’s Italian which Adair and I had been to before and really enjoyed it. Unfortunately as you are unable to book a table there is quite often a small queue outside. This would not normally bother us but it was windy and raining so not the best weather to be stood outside. I had heard that Carluccio’s was a good restaurant and as it was only down the road we thought we’d give it a try.

The Venue

On entering the restaurant I was a little disappointed as to how little it looked Italian, the decor was very minimal and open plan. They have obviously gone for a modern theme which is nice but not an Italian atmosphere if you ask me. The restaurant was full when we arrived so we were asked to wait at the bar which would have been fine except we were given a drinks list but then nobody came back to take our order. To be fair though we were seated within ten minutes so it wasn’t so bad.

The Menu

There was a lovely selection of different food for appetizers and starters however the choice of mains was a little disappointing. Adair and his dad opted for the rib eye steak which was a bit tough and they were not provided with steak knives, which agreeably you should not need for a good steak but in this case they were required. My dish was nice and I enjoyed it. Adair’s mum opted for the special which was crispy fried spinach balls and penne pasta. The menu made it sound lovely but when served it was exactly as the menu said, there was no sauce so it was very dry.

The Service

Our waiter was very pleasant, attentive and chatty which made the experience a whole lot better and we were happy to leave him a good tip.

The Price

The price is reasonable for what you get but I can think of plenty other restaurants in this price range which ai would rather go to instead.

Overall Rating 6/10

The Salon

Well I have eventually found a hairdressers in Cardiff which is within walking distance from my house and is reasonable in price. In the end I settled for Redds in Pontcanna, they don’t have a website but there contact details are on Google. Its a little salon on Pontcanna street. I was greeted by a very young man who took my coat and made me a cup of coffee. My hairdresser was Vicky, she was very friendly and didn’t bore me with all that hairdresser small talk and I could have lay there having my hair washed all day as she had magic hands!

The Cut

Although I only went in there for a trim I ended up having rather a lot cut off and a restyle, at first I was a little unsure but Vicky said that as I’d not had my hair cut for a while it needed a good inch off and next time wouldn’t need as much off, and she’s the professional so who am I to argue! I am usually quite a woos when it comes to haircuts and tend to vear away from layers as I have such fine hair but she assured me that she could give me layers that would make my hair look thicker, and she was right! I loved the cut and I will definitely go back. It was just the kick up the bum I needed.

The Price

It was £38 for a cut and blow-dry, this is a bit more than I paid back in Wrexham but I was expecting that as not only are we in the city but Pontcanna is quite an affluent area. The price was a lot less that the high end salons but just as good if you ask me so I’m happy.

While browsing the internet job sites lately I came across and this advert on Gumtree for Entry Level Event Marketing, as I am looking for a career change and I have an interest in marketing I thought that this would be a perfect role for me. The advert did not give an awful lot of detail nor did it even say who the job was with but I thought I had nothing to lose so I sent off my CV. Three days later I had phone call from HR at Venus Marketing asking me to attend and interview the next day, although this was short notice I agreed as I don’t exactly have much on at the moment. Before the interview I read a bit about Venus Marketing on their website, although the website was a bit rubbish and did not give a lot of information about Venus Marketing what it did say sounded positive. In the career section of the website is states and I quote “Our Graduate Training Program in Cardiff is a fast-track route to management for top-calibre graduates, graduates all over the country making it from entry-level to full management within 12 months” so as you can imagine I was positive about having been given an interview.

So I put on my lovely new suit and headed off to the interview. On entering the office I instantly had a bad feeling about it, there was a radio blaring in the background with a whole group of people waiting for an interview in the middle of the office which I thought was strange given that I had been given a specific time to turn up. I was then called to my interview which I think was with a lady from HR, she was very pleasant and the interview was very brief with only a couple of questions to answer, the rest of the interview was just her talking about how successful the company is and how much money they make, I was made to feel that if I was to work for them I would be very lucky indeed. I was told that if I was successful then I would receive a phone call that night. About an hour after my interview I received a phone call asking me to attend a 2nd phase interview the next day, the only information I was given was that it would be a full day where I would learn more about the company and I would be assessed for the role.

So I turned up at 9.15am as requested and before I knew it I was assigned to ‘my interviewer’ and told to impress her as it was up to her whether or not I got a 3rd and final interview. Rather unprofessionally we were introduced in a hallway and to my surprise she then asked me to collect my things as we were going to the train station to go to Bristol!! We left for the station with 6 other girls and one other interviewee. On the way to the station I felt like I was getting grilled having about 5 questions a minute being thrown at me about things from my social life to my work life which I thought was a little odd. When on the train the grilling continued and then I was given a very ‘brief’ run down of what Venus Marketing do and why they are so unique. When I asked her how long she had worked for Venus Marketing she said 6 months and she was already at the second stage of the programme (management being 4) which was promising.

I was under the impression that we were going to an event at a conference centre in Bristol or maybe to a major store to strike a deal for an event, but to my horror we were going no further than Bristol station!! It turned out that we weren’t going to an event or to meet a client, we were, or at least they were, selling makeup to the public on a platform! I was given a list of questions to answer and told to sit on a bench in the station in the freezing cold and answer them which took me all morning, why I could not have done this back at the office i don’t know.

 The longer I sat there the more things became clear. This was a big scam and all the girls selling makeup on the platform had fallen for it. So I decided to question my interviewer asking her why after 5 months she was still selling makeup on a platform to which she answered “because this is part of the first stages and I want to become a manager”, it seemed these girls had not been given any training at all and were being brainwashed into believing they would one day own their own events marketing business when in actual fact they were being conned into selling over priced crap make-up for an extremely low wage paying for their own expenses.

Once I realised that we were in fact scheduled to remain at the station until 5pm I through in the towel and told them that this just wasn’t for me and jumped on the first train back to Cardiff. Back in the warmth of the train I started to think about what I had witnessed over the last 2 days. I felt like I’d been mugged, hoodwinked and conned. Venus Marketing are nothing but a name to cover up a large scam set up to con vulnerable young graduates and the unemployed into thinking that they will become a manager in 12 months when in fact they will just be acting as their monkeys being paid peanuts. They make you think that there is only one person who will be successful in the 2^nd phase interview and use scare tactics to lure you into working for them when in fact I fully believe that we were all going to be offered the job that day but made to think that we were the lucky one! When I started to do the math in my head it became very obvious that it was impossible for all successful candidates to become managers, there were 6 girls out with me that day and at least another 4 teams elsewhere making at least 30 people in total, could they really all become managers of this small company? I don’t think so!

My advice to anyone who has been asked to attend an interview with Venus Marketing would be to turn the other way and keep walking and to any young graduates who already work for them flogging their makeup on platforms, quit you can do better!!

On Saturday night my family and I went to a Thai Restaurant in Cardiff called Thai Edge. I was really looking forward to it because the restaurant looked lovely from the outside and the website gives it great reviews. Overall we were all a bit disappointed. First of all we ordered our drinks on arrival and must have waited at least 20 minutes for them to arrive, this was made worse by the fact that they have served us with some spicy prawn crackers and chili sauce with nothing to wash it down with! We had a sharing platter for starter which was nice but was a whopping £6 per head which is rather overpriced for the amount you get. We then had our main course. My mum and I had the classic red and green Thai curry, which were extremely spicy but tasted sweet and sickly, we both enjoy spicy food but it seems the chef had gone a little over the top with the sugar and the chillies. Also our rice didn’t arrive at the same time as our meal so Adair had to go and ask at the bar. Adair had a stir fry with noodles and the noodles where very strange and slimy like nothing I had ever seen before. My dad and fish which was served in a fish shaped pan swimming (not literally) in what looked like stock, they did not give him anything to get it out with which meant it was a team effort of forks and spoons, although he said the fish was cooked well, it lack flavour and was served with some steamed vegetables which was a bit boring for £15. The bill came to a whopping £104 which we grudgingly paid. We won’t be going back there again I’m afraid.

I really enjoy Thai food and its also one of my favourite meals to cook, here’s my recipe for anyone who fancies having a go. I can garuntee that if you enjoy Thai food you’ll love this, you can make it as spicey as you like and add any extra vegetables you like and you won’t be presented with a huge bill at the end!

Sarah’s Lovely Thai Green Curry

What you need
1tbsp vegetable oil
2tbsp Thai green curry paste (its worth buying a decent one not shop brand)
1tbsp soft dark brown sugar
4 chicken breasts thinly sliced
handful of kaffir lime leaves/or zest of one lime
tin of coconut milk
splosh of Thai fish sauce/or light soy sauce
juice of 1 lime
handful of green (squeaky) beans (optional)
chopped green pepper (optional)
2 finely chopped green chillies (optional extra spice!)
fragrant rice to serve

How to make it
1. Heat vegetable oil in a pan and add curry paste.
2. Add brown sugar and reduce heat.
3. Add sliced chicken and lime leaves and chillies and stir until chicken is coated in the mixture.
4. Add coconut milk and a good splosh of fish sauce, add green beans and peppers and simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly.
5. Stir in lime juice. Stir for 5 minutes and serve with fragrant rice.

Serving suggestion: Replace the chicken with prawns, make the sauce as above and add cooked prawns for the last 5 minutes.

Serve some Thai bites with some sweet chilli sauce as a starter such as spring rolls, satay chicken skewers and Thia prawn crackers and enjoy with some Thai beer to cool the pallet!

I’ve worked in the public sector for nearly 5 years and have always imagined that I would stay there. There is a certain sense of security and assurance working in the public sector which you just don’t get in the private sector. The NHS offer a good pension, good sick pay, good annual leave entitlement and you are highly unlikely to be made redundant which is great comfort in the current climate. The down side is that the jobs are not very well paid and internal promotion just doesn’t happen.

In my last job I was stuck in the same role for too long and although I was given many opportunities within the role and gained a good portfolio of experience, my salary did not reflect my work and qualifications.

Since our relocation to Cardiff and becoming unemployed I have made the decision to join the private sector rat race. Although I am still keen to stay within the public sector if the right position comes up it is just too closed to the external market at the moment so the likelihood of me finding a decent job with decent pay is pretty low.

I started looking at sites such as Monster and Jobsite etc, and instead of the usual public sector application form they ask for a CV and covering letter. I have never needed a formal CV while working for the NHS so I had no clue how to write an effective one. I soon realised that after 5 years in the NHS I had lost touch with how things work in the “dog eat dog” world that is the private sector.

Last week I attended a Job Seekers Interview at the Job Centre and for once they actually recommended something useful and productive. They paid for me to attend a seminar designed to help job seeking through internet searching. The seminar was ran by a company called Omega Consultancy and it covered CV writing, refining your internet search using Boolean techniques and competence based interview techniques. Although the teacher was a bit full of himself and the average age in the room was about 45 it was pretty useful. After today I realised that it was doubtful that my CV would have even been found by prospective employers let alone be successful. However, one of the most useful pieces of information I learned today was that if you do not refresh your CV on sites such as Monster on a weekly basis then your CV will work its way to the bottom of the pile and will stay there, probably never to be seen again.

So lets hope in the not too distant future I may actually be in a job that I enjoy and that pays good money. Yeah right!!!

For the first time ever I have just gone to log into Facebook and to my horror I was faced with an error message saying ‘account temporarily unavailable’. So instead of doing something more productive with my time I turned to my blog for comfort.

Considering I’d never even heard of Facebook about 3 years ago its crazy how much I depend on it. Especially since I have become an iPhone owner the addiction is just uncontrollable. Its just such a fun and easy way to keep in touch with friends and lets face it be nosey. I have to admit more than half the people on my friends list I don’t even speak to on Facebook let alone in real life. Every now and then I think I’ll go through my friends list and delete those people that I never speak to because its silly having them on there but when i go to delete them i just can’t do it, I just love nosing into the lives of other people even if I hardly know them. I was speaking to my sister the other day and I was relieved to find that she looks through peoples photos of people that she doesn’t even know, glad its not just me!

Aside from the nosey part of Facebook, it really is the best way to keep in touch with people who don’t live nearby. My sister move to Salt Lake City in USA a couple of years ago and we mainly keep in touch over Facebook. She had a baby boy named Atticus in December and she regularly uploads photos of him so her friends and family don’t miss out on him growing up. Its so much easier than emailing people photos all the time. I love the way that people can comment on the photos too, if they were just in an email people could not communicate with eachother about the same photo like they can on Facebook.

As Adair and I have just moved to Cardiff we have left behind a lot of family and friends who we would see on a regular basis and Facebook is a great way of staying in the loop. Like my sister my friend Laura just had a little boy so its nice to see regular pictures of him and his big sister who is 3 in June.

Facebook also makes it much easier to arrange events, I’ve used the event application for loads of things such as our engagement party, hen part,y leaving party (gosh I like parties don’t I).

Gosh, I just checked again and its still down aaah! Can you imagine if it never came back on!!! It would be a social media meltdown!