Manchester Oxford Road Train station.

9.53am. Friday 10th December.

Day off. Sitting at a cute coffee bar called Java Bar which is opposite the station. People watching with a cappuccino and raspberry Danish. I can see people milling around. Some ladies Christmas shopping, students going home for the Christmas break and me just sitting and writing. Waiting for my train back to Nottingham which is due at 10.39am. I can see a place called Thief of Baghdad which I do not have a clue what it is and a Sainburys local. Such a beautiful and bustling city. The people here are nice unlike in London where the men think London is the centre of the universe. Unlike Birmingham where men try to be ‘ghetto’ and ‘gangster’ and speak like women and don’t have any time for people who do not live in the West of the Midlands. Or unlike my hometown of Nottingham which is a truly uh-ma-zing city but men here are not very ambitious from my experience and I have aspirations of which I will discuss later. I know of every nook and cranny of Nottingham so it’s nice to have a break away from time to time.

So, I had my works do in Manchester last night. We went to a beautiful Thai restaurant called Chaophraya. They there had the biggest and most delicious Thai prawns I have ever had in my whole life! We then went onto Deansgate locks.

Now I have to take a deep breath……………………………………………….

Deansgate Locks is where ALL of the handsome men of the whole world are hiding! I swear. Nottingham has actually no handsome, single men, at all! London has its fair share but nothing compared to last night! I now know where they are all hiding and seeing as I was rocking the red lips and leopard print I may have spoken to a few in a drunken stupor and probably made a fool out of myself but I just did that with my work colleagues and admired from afar. I even made it to 12.45am, record for me of late as I’m usually ready for bed at 10pm. Beautiful women were of no shortage but seeing as I’m a single woman I won’t delve too much into those. All I will say is that some of them did need to wear some more clothes. (Sign of me getting old)

So I’m sitting in Java Bar today and the song is playing ‘we’ll have to muddle through somehow so have yourself a merry Christmas’ and I think to myself ‘Are we happy where we are?’ My parents came to England from Africa circa 1975 in search of a better life and dad lived in London for a while but we all ended up in Nottingham because of other family members living here. I have, bar the 3 years I spent studying in Northampton, always lived in Nottingham. I have considered moves to London and Birmingham at certain stages of my life when job hunting or due to relationships but nothing ever panned out. Plus London always makes my skin so dry!

Some people are serial travellers and like gypsies who do not stay in one place very long and others are homebodies and their home is their life forever. Me. I like change but not too much. I like London but not for long periods of time. I am getting bored of Nottingham however. I need a change. Not just in terms of location but also in terms of life style.

But what do I want? I want people who are happy where they are to help me on this. I also need some serial traveller to share their experiences and finances with me! At the moment I have got a lot happening and it is all very exciting. Lots of new blogs posts to come, guest blogging for external websites and busy and ploughing ahead in my career!

 But I need your help. Do I ask for a transfer in work to a different place? Do I abandon everything and make a new start? I am single and apart from family nothing is keeping me here so I guess the question is ‘am I happy where I am?’

I’m not sure if this has stemmed from my lack of love life and actually seeing handsome men in Manchester when there are actually none in Nottingham. I just am confused and frustrated and not sure where to go and what path to take…..

Oh help me people in blog-o-sphere! x

 

Priya Mulji…x