Working for the man

My London experience is evolving. I’m now gainfully employed but can’t technically get paid as I don’t have a UK bank account yet as I don’t have a permanent address. I still don’t have a place to live and am a little over the process at the moment. Jules and Guy have kindly taken me in for another week and then I’m staying at Kempy’s for two weeks while Alison and he are in Egypt so I won’t have to resort to sleeping in the park just yet (that’s a joke mum!).

I started my job on Thursday and that’s going fine. It’s not too mentally taxing and mainly requires good organisation skills. The weirdest part is not being in a high-rise – we opened the windows today which was a bit weird!

Last weekend was a bit of a blur. Jules and I met up on Saturday morning to go to Borough market but we (she) were pretty quickly defeated by the weather and we went to the pub instead! Saturday night was out watching England play Israel and dinner at a Turkish place.

For those who were at Gian’s for the paella I had to take these for comparison! This was at Borough markets.

Sunday was looking at 3 places (still no luck) and a card and board game afternoon at Isaac’s place – which was good fun and very reminiscent of home.

I moved back to Jules and Guy’s on Monday night and am now back into the swing of working life and still looking for a place to live.

Last night we went to see Les Miserables and it was fantastic - although we were high enough to be ABOVE the chandeliers!

My next real adventure will be at Easter when I’m going to Cas in Sweden! Can plan trips to Sweden but can’t find a place to live!

Vagaries of the weather

So much has happened in the last few days! On Saturday, I packed up my bags and moved from Jules & Guy’s at Islington and am now staying with Alison at Farringdon. Moving your things on the tube isn’t a fun experience even with two helpers!

Saturday afternoon was spent in the pub at Covent Garden to watch the football with Alison and some of her friends - I’m not really sure who played but it was fun all the same. The photo below are the girls and I on the night.

I was up bright and early on Sunday to visit Kew Gardens with Jules and Guy. I had been before and absolutely loved it and was keen to see it again. However, after enjoying a week of beautiful weather it had cooled right off and we were all unequipped for the cold (Birkenstocks do not make for adequate foot wear in cold weather!) and after 5 minutes decided that it was too cold to spend the day walking around gardens. So it was off to Dim Sum in China Town which was lovely and warm.

Monday rolled around and it was the day of the job interview. When I got out of the Tube I got snowed on! Hard to believe when earlier this week I was wearing thongs and a t-shirt! The interview went well and I got the job – I start on Wednesday.

I’m still on the hunt for somewhere to live. I’d finally found a place on Saturday that I was happy with but unfortunately it went to someone else. I looked at two more last night but still no luck!

My first week in London

So I’ve made it through my first week in London. I’m still jobless and without my own place to live (a big thanks to those who are letting me doss!) which are completely foreign challenges for me.

The looking for a place is an interesting test, especially as I’ve never lived with anybody but family and they generally have been pretty tolerant of my OCD tendances (thank you Jess). I keep emailing and checking out places and here’s a synopsis of this weeks viewings:

The Clapham trek – 3 places in 90 mins – only made 2 of them and the 1^st one didn’t answer the door. Learned to stop and look at my A-Z and houses of six aren’t for me.

The Islington close but no cigar – such a great house, fantastic spot and a great room. However, I just couldn’t see it working with a live in landlord who works from home!

The Museum house – a lovely little flat, in a nice residential area but next to a massive private school and given my minimal tolerance for noise, particularly of basketballs, this wasn’t for me. Again, a live in landlord and a flat complete with family portraits from the 18^th century (2 of them were over 6 foot).

Today’s was an okay flat with a weird shower in the closet (I wish I could have taken a photo) but the area was a bit dodge and surrounded by council housing. Not sure I could have got past the blue plush carpet either.

And before anyone sends me an email, I’m aware my standards are probably too high but I’ll hold out as long as I can!

The job hunt is going okay. Despite sending off resumes to various agencies I’m not getting a lot of response. There’s some positive news though – the agency I spoke to earlier in the week had put me forward for a position and I have an interview on Monday. Not exactly the direction I was hoping for but it’s a contract role and they pay well so I’ll see how that goes.

I spent Wednesday hanging out with a friend from home and we went to the Portrait Gallery which was amazing. There are portraits from the 16^th century to present day and I only made it through 100 years! It provides the most amazing visual history of England. I will definitely be going back for the 400 years I didn’t get to see. Then onto a pub for lunch and a poke around Covent Garden markets which weren’t anything spectacular. We did happen to come across St Paul’s Church and it was a lovely place to visit. As it’s in the middle of the theatre district many playwrights and actors are buried there. There earliest market we could find was from the early 1700 with markers to current day.

Thursday was French class which was a bit of a debacle but it was lovely to catch up with Alison and meet some of her friend. \The lesson didn’t exactly go as planned and the classes might be a bit delayed trying to find a slightly more organised company! But the bus afterwards and practicing our numbers was fun.

There are plans to be out and about celebrating St Paddy’s day tomorrow so I’m sure there will be more stories to tell on Sunday. Jules, Guy and I are hoping to go to Kew Gardens on Sunday which I loved last time I was here and I’m sure the weather will be considerably nicer!

Learning London style

I’ve come to London hoping to expand my life experience and maybe even learn a lesson or two along the way and London came to the party tonight.

I’ve been emailing my little heart out looking for a place to live and with typical unrealistic ambition I booked to see 3 places tonight, all within half an hour of each other at Clapham. What I didn’t plan for was that they were at opposite ends of Clapham…and the life lesson goes like this:

If you think you’re going the wrong way you probably are. Do not quickly skim your A-Z and think it’ll be alright. It will not be alright, it’s a very long way the wrong way around Clapham Common. Lesson number one – study your A-Z!

Lesson number two – read ads on gumtree carefully. I am not now nor will I ever be willing to share a house with 6 people and only 2 bathrooms (please let this not come back to spite me in 4 weeks when I’m still unemployed and desperate!)

So I technically I made 2 of my 3 appointments. Admittedly I was 15 mins late to the 1^st one and apparently for “Brendan”, tardiness is not a desirably quality in a flatmate as the lights were but nobody was home – literality.

I missed my second appointment and instead trudged up the hill to appointment number three to the house of six.

I've had a lovely couple of days and London is putting the best possible weather for me. I was actually hot today!

I had my interview with the recruitment firm today and the consultant was very positive that I would get a job quickly and when taken with the necessary pinch of salt was reassuring.

I spoke to Alison today (she’s just back from Germany) and I’m starting a six week French class with Al and her friends on Thursday. I’m really looking forward to it and if it goes well I’m might look at taking it further.

Tomorrows plans are to visit a museum but to be honest I’m too tired to remember which one! And of course, there will be more flats to visit!

I know I’ve been slack on the phone calls already but I should have my UK mobile organised tomorrow so I’ll get in touch with people then.

Jules, Guy and I visited Harrods yesterday and here’s our photographic proof!

Early morning

The 25 hours getting to London almost seemed to pass in a surrealistic haze of aeroplane food, not using aeroplane bathrooms and dreaming that Pen had to rush me to hospital with burst eardrums after I was asleep when the descent started into Singapore. There were a few ‘turtle’ moments when I was worried the weight of my backpack would have on my back, turtle style, unable to get the momentum going to get back up!

But here I am safe and sound in Islington sleeping in Jules’ lounge room. I’ve been up courtesy of jet lag since 4.45 am (actually it may not be jet lag and I’m just carrying on the family traditions!) after crashing out from exhaustion, jet lag and two beers at 8.30 last night. Jules took me to a great Thai restaurant last night for dinner.

The reality of needing a job and a place to live are sinking in very quickly and I’ve just been on Gumtree looking for flats and I will admit being drawn to this one…“The house is very well kept, in terms of cleanliness and tidiness, so it would suit a VERY tidy and clean person who likes to live in spotless environment ;)”, my only concern is I’m beyond “VERY tidy”!

Here are the photo’s of Pen, Tone and I at the airport. The slightly crazed look in my face is due to weighing my carry-on 10 minutes before leaving and finding it’s twice the weight limit, panicking and repacking both bags! Of course, Singapore didn’t check any carry-on and I would have been fine to have left it as it was and wouldn’t have dumped my hairdryer and two pairs of shoes! Besides, how can you leave the country without a good panic?

Flying the coup

The reality of leaving Australia still hasn’t sunk in even though I’m only 25 hours to departure. It still seems very surreal that I have packed up my life in Brisbane and will be in London before I know it.

Having drinks with the kids tonight at Belgium was a lovely way to spend my last night here. Actually, I’ve had a ball at all my leaving do’s (we all know I love to stretch it out – why have one party when you can have a festival!).

Here are some of the photos from Lib’s last week in Brisbane.