It's hard to explain how much this past year of gallivanting around the globe has meant to me, and I'm positive this post won't capture what I truly feel about the whole experience, but I thought I would give it a try anyways.
To understand how much I have always wanted to travel, you have to know a little bit about my childhood; Sorry for the backstory and sentimentality about to follow.
I grew up with my Dad, stepmom, and step sister in a loving, hard working family. I never felt that I went without, I did extra curricular activities, and in the summer they would take us to Kelowna or somewhere similar for two weeks to enjoy the sun and a hotel pool. For the rest of the summer I visited my mom on Vancouver Island; swimming in the rivers and ocean, and generally enjoying my young life. It was a great upbringing and more than any girl could ask for. But what really put the travel bug in me, from the time I can remember, is that my step sister would go to far away destinations with her Dad and his family once or twice a year. I remember she often went to Hawaii for Christmas; looking at the pictures, and dreaming about the day I would one day get to do that as well. I wondered what a warm ocean felt like, and remember seeing pictures of geckos and being so fascinated by them. It was hard to see her go to so many places that I never got to, but my parents did a great job of making it seem normal for me, and as I said, it's not like I had a rough life. It was just something that really stuck with me, more than a lot of things did.
When I was 15 my family moved from Prince George to Edmonton, and I struggled to make new friends and fit in. I learned about the Rotary exchange program which places you in another country for a year to go to school and learn about their culture. I filled out all the paperwork and passionately wrote the necessary essay, but when the time came to get the parental signature my Dad wouldn't sign it. I understand his reasons but at the time, being a very hormonal and slightly displaced teenage girl, it was the worst thing that had ever happened to me. I really thought it was my chance to finally go somewhere no one in my family had, and I was devastated that I couldn't. Those of you that know me well know I have an absolutely terrible memory. These are some of the very few things I remember vividly from my childhood.
Over the years through out the rest of high school and college I still always thought of traveling. I'd see so many of my friends do it and they said it was so simple once they made the decision to go; but I always had a reason not to. I thought I would go after I graduated from BCIT, but I was offered a great job the day of my graduation, and I intrinsically am far to practical of a person to turn down an opportunity like that. And that was the story up until last year - Other good things always came along and stopped me from planning anything. But part of me knew that this was something I needed to do, and if I didn't I would always dream of the 'what if'.
It's really great to have someone in your life who pushes you to break free of the boundaries you set for yourself. We all have reasons for setting these in the first place; the way you were brought up perhaps, or to protect yourself. But without Justin I can say that it is highly likely I would not have done this trip. And I am so grateful for him. Sometimes you have an idea and a plan, and nothing comes of it - not unlike all the years I dreamed of traveling and it didn't work out. And other times things just start rolling and you can't even pinpoint why this time is different. That's what happened to me last year, and before I knew it I had quit my job and packed my life into a suitcase. Facing the results of this decision now that I am home are a bit daunting, but I will never regret it, and I am an improved person for it. I am more myself now. More of who I always knew I was.
Living in London and traveling was of course amazing. All the sites and touristic things are just as you imagine they will be when you watch travel programs on TV and look at pictures from your friend's vacations. But this past year was so much more than learning how people in the UK live, and getting stamps in a passport. It was about proving I could do all the things I dreamed of, and I could come back home a better version of myself for it. Removing myself from my normal routine and familiar surroundings has taught me what my strengths and weaknesses are, and what I need to do to be a better person.
I hope that I can apply what I have discovered through out the rest of my life. I hope I don't every let myself get consumed by the bubble we so often find ourselves suffocated by. I don't think I need to keep living abroad to remember these lessons, I just think I need to keep the broader perspective I have gained and apply it to wherever I am. I'm very happy to be home and close to those that I love, and I feel privileged to have so many people in my life who care about me as much as I do them.
I look forward to seeing you all before we head to Edmonton for our next year long adventure.
Gen
Showing posts with label London. Show all posts
Showing posts with label London. Show all posts
Friday, November 2, 2012
Friday, August 10, 2012
The Glamorous London Night Out
London requires a totally different procedure when getting ready for a night out than the average city.
Thursdays and Fridays are big pub nights here, but with most people working a fair distance from where they live or are heading to, and the Tube stopping at midnight, there is no time to go home to shower and change.
For the average receptionist I wouldn't imagine this poses a huge problem. She probably dresses nice for work, and doesn't sweat her face off during the day. But for people in the service industry like myself, (or any other dirty, hot, sweat busting job), it's not such an easy situation.
I've become pretty adept at getting ready for an evening out after work now that I've been here for almost a year. Granted, on my best day with hours of prep I wouldn't be able to compare to the drop dead gorgeous Eastern European women who casually stroll down the sidewalks in droves, but I've learned to work with what I've got.
Number one: You NEED aerosol deodorant. I still use my trusty Canadian pit stick (to use the classy term) every morning, but aerosol is a must for when the job is finished. It not only masks the smell of a ten hour shift, but it leaves you feeling oddly cool and refreshed.
Number two: Don't wear makeup to work. Now this might be difficult if you aren't used to seeing yourself au natural, but this prevents the after work re-do which usually just looks like you've caked on makeup over sweat... because you have. Besides, who really cares what customers think of you? It's the cool people you are trying to impress! Bring the makeup essentials to work, wash your face after your shift, and then apply a fresh look. Ideally you should just carry a second set of makeup with you so you're not constantly transferring things from your home makeup bag to your purse. But that would require a bigger income than I have.
Last is the clothes. Different shoes are an absolute must. God forbid you wear your coffee stained runners for an evening out. Bring a whole new outfit to change into and leave your old work clothes in a bag at the shop. You wouldn't want to be carrying a plastic Sainsburys bag with you when you meet up with your potential new friends. That would just look stupid.
If your clothes aren't dry, because no one in this country has a dryer, you better pray you work somewhere you can discreetly hang your favourite pair of jeans so they dry by the time your shift is over. I did this on Tuesday, and it was awesome.
If you follow all these tips you're almost guaranteed to look at least acceptable in London social situations. No one has to know that mere moments before you were scooping old food out of a drain, or were on your knees cleaning shelves for an hour. Hopefully people will look at you and think "she looks clean and lovely, she must be a receptionist and I want to be her friend!" or something similar. Actually, all I hope for is that I can disguise how much of a disaster I feel like. Lately I think I have been quite successful at doing just that.
Gen
Thursdays and Fridays are big pub nights here, but with most people working a fair distance from where they live or are heading to, and the Tube stopping at midnight, there is no time to go home to shower and change.
For the average receptionist I wouldn't imagine this poses a huge problem. She probably dresses nice for work, and doesn't sweat her face off during the day. But for people in the service industry like myself, (or any other dirty, hot, sweat busting job), it's not such an easy situation.
 |
| Dirty Work Shoes |
I've become pretty adept at getting ready for an evening out after work now that I've been here for almost a year. Granted, on my best day with hours of prep I wouldn't be able to compare to the drop dead gorgeous Eastern European women who casually stroll down the sidewalks in droves, but I've learned to work with what I've got.
Number one: You NEED aerosol deodorant. I still use my trusty Canadian pit stick (to use the classy term) every morning, but aerosol is a must for when the job is finished. It not only masks the smell of a ten hour shift, but it leaves you feeling oddly cool and refreshed.
Number two: Don't wear makeup to work. Now this might be difficult if you aren't used to seeing yourself au natural, but this prevents the after work re-do which usually just looks like you've caked on makeup over sweat... because you have. Besides, who really cares what customers think of you? It's the cool people you are trying to impress! Bring the makeup essentials to work, wash your face after your shift, and then apply a fresh look. Ideally you should just carry a second set of makeup with you so you're not constantly transferring things from your home makeup bag to your purse. But that would require a bigger income than I have.
If your clothes aren't dry, because no one in this country has a dryer, you better pray you work somewhere you can discreetly hang your favourite pair of jeans so they dry by the time your shift is over. I did this on Tuesday, and it was awesome.
If you follow all these tips you're almost guaranteed to look at least acceptable in London social situations. No one has to know that mere moments before you were scooping old food out of a drain, or were on your knees cleaning shelves for an hour. Hopefully people will look at you and think "she looks clean and lovely, she must be a receptionist and I want to be her friend!" or something similar. Actually, all I hope for is that I can disguise how much of a disaster I feel like. Lately I think I have been quite successful at doing just that.
Gen
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Mama I'm Coming Home
It's been an amazing 9 months so far, but we've decided to move back to Canada at the end of October. The decision hasn't been easy, and Justin and I have had our moments arguing about it quite seriously. But it is final now; we put in 1 month notice at our flat and will be homeless as of September 2nd.
We are quitting our jobs at the end of the month and going to travel until our bank account runs dry. Our plan is to take the little red Micra and drive around Italy. I have my doubts that the car will last, (I've been skeptical of it since our last car broke down in Wales) but Justin seems pretty confident about the plan. And worst case scenario we leave another car in a different European country and continue our journey by bus or train.
Going back to Vancouver will most likely be bittersweet; I don't think either of us are looking forward to starting from scratch again. But there is no point in getting all reflective or sentimental yet as we still have over 2 months before the big move. Should be a very interesting last few months here. I promise we'll take full advantage of it.
Gen
We are quitting our jobs at the end of the month and going to travel until our bank account runs dry. Our plan is to take the little red Micra and drive around Italy. I have my doubts that the car will last, (I've been skeptical of it since our last car broke down in Wales) but Justin seems pretty confident about the plan. And worst case scenario we leave another car in a different European country and continue our journey by bus or train.
Going back to Vancouver will most likely be bittersweet; I don't think either of us are looking forward to starting from scratch again. But there is no point in getting all reflective or sentimental yet as we still have over 2 months before the big move. Should be a very interesting last few months here. I promise we'll take full advantage of it.
Gen
Sunday, June 10, 2012
The cost
A co-worker from Citytv sent me a message asking about the average cost of things here, so I thought I'd do up a quick blog with some examples of basic costs in case others were curious too. One thing to keep in mind is that 20% tax is included in all of these prices, so what you see is what you get. Also, tipping is optional and not expected in most cases, and if you do tip 10% is fair.
Food And Drink:
The average cheapest pint of lager costs around £3.50 at a pub.
A cheap bottle of wine from a supermarket is £5 and out for dinner you can get a cheap one for £9.
There are cheap dine out deals here, things like curry and a pint for £5 or two can dine for £10, but while the food is edible if you're on a budget, it's pretty obvious it's reheated crap.
The average good priced meal out costs around £10 for the main course. Portions are small compared to North American standards.
The average good Sunday roast dinner costs £15.
You can buy bread, crackers, and similar food basics for under £1.00. I just bought a huge bag of fresh basil for .80 pence. Groceries in general are quite cheap.
You can buy amazing cheese in any supermarket and its about 1/4th of the price you would pay in Canada.
Many pubs and restaurants have happy hour where drinks are dirt cheap.
Beer is very inexpensive at grocery stores - We just bought 3 cases for £25.
Transportation:
Monthly transit ranges from £60-£180 if you're using it as your main source of transportation, depending on zones and how much you need it etc.
A bus trip is £2.30 or if you have an Oyster card (a reloadable card you can have money or monthly passes on) it is £1.30. There are no transfers.
Used cars about 10-15 years old range from £500 - £2000 to buy.
Gas currently is about £1.40/litre
You can find great deals on flights to pretty much anywhere, but the cheapest fly when the tube is closed and from a difficult to get to airport, which adds significantly to your cost.
Bills and Basics:
Mobile phone contracts are great here. Ours includes daily roaming international data and pretty much unlimited everything else for £50 per month.
Bills are expensive and many. Electricity is the biggest cost, council tax (which is like property tax and everyone pays according to their borough and house) is due monthly, TV license fee is a yearly fee, parking fee, water, etc.
TV, Internet, and landline costs us about £50 a month inclusive.
Rent is out of wack here, with most people living in shared accommodation and roughly paying £400 per person per month.
Minimum wage is about £6.10
Entertainment and Shopping:
Clothing is generally the same number you would pay in Dollars, but in Pounds. I only buy the cheapest things if any so that's all I can really speak to -Recently I bought a tank top for £4 and a summer dress for £8 from H&M.
There are markets everywhere with clothes, food, and trinkets at various prices.
Movie tickets are about £12 but you get a selected seat. Some movie theaters allow you to drink alcohol.
Most museums are free, asking for a donation if you can spare it.
Concerts vary but seem to generally be cheaper than tickets would be in Canada. We saw Foster the People and tickets were £12.50. We are going to a 3 days festival in August and it was about £230 each including camping and parking.
Food And Drink:The average cheapest pint of lager costs around £3.50 at a pub.
A cheap bottle of wine from a supermarket is £5 and out for dinner you can get a cheap one for £9.
There are cheap dine out deals here, things like curry and a pint for £5 or two can dine for £10, but while the food is edible if you're on a budget, it's pretty obvious it's reheated crap.
The average good priced meal out costs around £10 for the main course. Portions are small compared to North American standards.
The average good Sunday roast dinner costs £15.
 |
| Just one of many 'Curry and a Pint' deals |
You can buy amazing cheese in any supermarket and its about 1/4th of the price you would pay in Canada.
Many pubs and restaurants have happy hour where drinks are dirt cheap.
Beer is very inexpensive at grocery stores - We just bought 3 cases for £25.
Transportation:
Monthly transit ranges from £60-£180 if you're using it as your main source of transportation, depending on zones and how much you need it etc.
A bus trip is £2.30 or if you have an Oyster card (a reloadable card you can have money or monthly passes on) it is £1.30. There are no transfers.
Used cars about 10-15 years old range from £500 - £2000 to buy.
Gas currently is about £1.40/litre
You can find great deals on flights to pretty much anywhere, but the cheapest fly when the tube is closed and from a difficult to get to airport, which adds significantly to your cost.
Bills and Basics:
Mobile phone contracts are great here. Ours includes daily roaming international data and pretty much unlimited everything else for £50 per month.
Bills are expensive and many. Electricity is the biggest cost, council tax (which is like property tax and everyone pays according to their borough and house) is due monthly, TV license fee is a yearly fee, parking fee, water, etc.
TV, Internet, and landline costs us about £50 a month inclusive.
Rent is out of wack here, with most people living in shared accommodation and roughly paying £400 per person per month.
Minimum wage is about £6.10
Entertainment and Shopping:
Clothing is generally the same number you would pay in Dollars, but in Pounds. I only buy the cheapest things if any so that's all I can really speak to -Recently I bought a tank top for £4 and a summer dress for £8 from H&M.
There are markets everywhere with clothes, food, and trinkets at various prices.
Movie tickets are about £12 but you get a selected seat. Some movie theaters allow you to drink alcohol.
Most museums are free, asking for a donation if you can spare it.
Concerts vary but seem to generally be cheaper than tickets would be in Canada. We saw Foster the People and tickets were £12.50. We are going to a 3 days festival in August and it was about £230 each including camping and parking.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Three Months - Is The Probabtion Period Over?
I just realized that today it has been three months since we arrived here in London. Wow time flies.
Today is the first day off in what feels like forever that I have not had a ton of catch up to do. I'm sitting at a little restaurant in Wimbledon Village (basically the fancy part of Wimbledon) having a glass of wine and some lunch. I wanted to go explore Camden Market but it's pouring rain today for the first time in quite a while so this will suffice.
I'm sitting at a large share table with 5 moms and their babies. Mommie meet-ups like this seem to be really common here, or maybe just in the area I live and work in. It's funny to listen to them talk about yoga and poop, and then get distracted because one baby did something cute. To be perfectly honest I have to clean up after so many moms at work that I would rather be somewhere without children right now, but this place has good food and free wi-fi so beggars can't be choosers. Also, I have never seen as many breastfeeding women as I have in the past 3 months - just thought I'd throw that in because I can see 2 right now.
I should be researching the company that I have an interview with tomorrow (yay!) but I need a bit of a break from looking for work every second I have a day off. I got a call yesterday from Pilate Media (http://www.pilatmedia.com) asking me to come in for an interview and seeing as this is only my 4th interview since living here including the job I currently have I was pretty stoked. I'm not sure if this role is something I want - it's an 'Implementation Consultant' which I imagine is basically a liaison between broadcasters who use their system and the company. The advert said that extensive international travel was part of the job so it will be interesting to hear about what that means exactly. I had a brief conversation with Justin about being away for extended amounts of time last night just to see what would work for him and what wouldn't. We will cross that bridge if/when we get there.
And just FYI I did meet up with the lady who sent me the rejection letter but I haven't heard from her since then.
A quick story for you: The other day at work I commented on a guy wearing almost all green and asked him if he had green pants. When he told me that no in fact he didn't I said he needed to work on that. That same day on my break I saw a girl wearing green jeans and so when he came in the next day I said to him "I saw someone wearing green pants yesterday and thought of you." He laughed and said that he was very flattered. When I elaborated on the fact that they were jeans, he was like ' Oh! You mean trousers... I thought you were talking about underwear!" ... So for two days a customer thought I was making conversation about his ginch. Awesome. I should have known better because Kim (a friend here) told me a similar story - but her's involved a child who she was teaching, so she wins.
So we will be assessing our situation here in about a month an a half, which seems way too soon. I love being here and it is so awesome being close to amazing countries to visit, but we can't afford our place on the wages we are making. Hopefully something gives in the next 6 weeks.
I thought the hardest part about being so far away from home would be missing out on the good times and great moments in peoples lives - which does suck - but I've realized it is actually not being able to be there for your family and friends when something bad happens. I hope to baby jesus that nothing shitty happens to any of you. Ever.
Send us your good vibes and thoughts if you think of us.
Love you all.
Genny
Today is the first day off in what feels like forever that I have not had a ton of catch up to do. I'm sitting at a little restaurant in Wimbledon Village (basically the fancy part of Wimbledon) having a glass of wine and some lunch. I wanted to go explore Camden Market but it's pouring rain today for the first time in quite a while so this will suffice.
I'm sitting at a large share table with 5 moms and their babies. Mommie meet-ups like this seem to be really common here, or maybe just in the area I live and work in. It's funny to listen to them talk about yoga and poop, and then get distracted because one baby did something cute. To be perfectly honest I have to clean up after so many moms at work that I would rather be somewhere without children right now, but this place has good food and free wi-fi so beggars can't be choosers. Also, I have never seen as many breastfeeding women as I have in the past 3 months - just thought I'd throw that in because I can see 2 right now.
I should be researching the company that I have an interview with tomorrow (yay!) but I need a bit of a break from looking for work every second I have a day off. I got a call yesterday from Pilate Media (http://www.pilatmedia.com) asking me to come in for an interview and seeing as this is only my 4th interview since living here including the job I currently have I was pretty stoked. I'm not sure if this role is something I want - it's an 'Implementation Consultant' which I imagine is basically a liaison between broadcasters who use their system and the company. The advert said that extensive international travel was part of the job so it will be interesting to hear about what that means exactly. I had a brief conversation with Justin about being away for extended amounts of time last night just to see what would work for him and what wouldn't. We will cross that bridge if/when we get there.
And just FYI I did meet up with the lady who sent me the rejection letter but I haven't heard from her since then.
A quick story for you: The other day at work I commented on a guy wearing almost all green and asked him if he had green pants. When he told me that no in fact he didn't I said he needed to work on that. That same day on my break I saw a girl wearing green jeans and so when he came in the next day I said to him "I saw someone wearing green pants yesterday and thought of you." He laughed and said that he was very flattered. When I elaborated on the fact that they were jeans, he was like ' Oh! You mean trousers... I thought you were talking about underwear!" ... So for two days a customer thought I was making conversation about his ginch. Awesome. I should have known better because Kim (a friend here) told me a similar story - but her's involved a child who she was teaching, so she wins.
So we will be assessing our situation here in about a month an a half, which seems way too soon. I love being here and it is so awesome being close to amazing countries to visit, but we can't afford our place on the wages we are making. Hopefully something gives in the next 6 weeks.
I thought the hardest part about being so far away from home would be missing out on the good times and great moments in peoples lives - which does suck - but I've realized it is actually not being able to be there for your family and friends when something bad happens. I hope to baby jesus that nothing shitty happens to any of you. Ever.
Send us your good vibes and thoughts if you think of us.
Love you all.
Genny
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
One Small Step For Genny, One Giant Leap For Genny`s Frame Of Mind
Well first off - WE FINALLY HAVE INTERNET!!! Yipyip! So if you have Skype add us and if you don't have Skype get an account so we can chat all high tech style and for free.
That was a painful month of waiting.
I've had the past 2 days off. Seems like I'm getting Tuesdays and Wednesdays off now. It's great to have time off during the week but it's a real bummer to have to work on Sundays when Justin is off. Something will have to give in the next while with that... not having a day off together just isn't what we came here for. It's not the same exploring when you don't have someone to share it with.
I've had a couple breakdowns since we've been here, but to be fair one was at Vodafone so I think that's understandable. I'm really loving seeing new things every day and meeting new people, but I miss having a girlfriend to go out with. Justin has a guy here that he's gone out with a few times alone which is awesome. The other day a girl at my work suggested we exchange information and I had to act really cool because if I had shown her how excited I was she would have never called me. But she texted me that night and said if her friends go out she'll get a hold of me to see if I want to join. So I guess I'm a pretty good actress.... ;)
Yesterday I went to another agency and signed with them for reception work. They have a crazy strict dress code policy. And they told me that even if I am making minimum wage that they
wouldn't recommend I quit my job as they might only be able to get me work one day a week. So that was interesting. A lot to consider I guess.
Today I did something actually fun instead of looking for jobs in my time off and went to the Christmas Market near Southbank. It was really windy but a beautiful day. I love how you can drink freely outside while you stroll
along looking at the booths. I had a mulled wine and a half pint of strawberry beer. There was a ton of food and so many pretty sparkly things. It was really hard not to buy anything. I hate being a window shopper.
Speaking of shopping, I feel so bad that we are not going to be able to buy anyone anything for Christmas either. It seems pretty selfish that we are doing this and can't even get something for you to show you how much we miss you and love and care about you. Sorry :(
Coming home from the Christmas market I got an email from a TV paid internship I applied for asking if I was available for an interview next week. I can't tell you how good it feels to be noticed by someone. I feel like I've been in a pool waving my arms for help and it's too noisy for anyone to notice me. I think I have sent at least 30 applications in for broadcasting related jobs and had almost as many automated response 'no thanks' emails, not to mention all of the contacts I have been given and emailed or met with. It feels like you aren't even being given a proper chance because your application wasn't even looked at. I have tried to remind myself that I'm not here to advance my career, but I love working and I love learning, and it's hard to not want something when there is so much going on here.
The job is for a 12 month paid internship with DRG (www.drg.tv) where I would learn about distribution and acquisition. I applied because I have always been interested in how stations aquire thier programming. Every September at Citytv we are shown snippets of all the new TV shows that we have picked up for the year. I have always been keen to know who these people are that are making these decisions. A few years back I remember thinking WTF about the shows we picked up for the year, and the past couple years I have been pretty impressed with the choices, even if 'The Event' was a huge flop. Anyways, I'm not going to get my hopes up about this opportunity (because if I do I will have a breakdown if I don't get it) but I am pretty excited to have the chance to meet with someone face to face. I'll take it for what it's worth, and feel good that I was able to break through the impersonal internet world of job searching. The interview is on Tuesday at 10am. Now to figure out what to wear...
I have so many other small things to tell you but I am going to try and sum them up quickly:
The other day I was in the loo at M&S and I realized my purse was stuck closed. After trying for about ten minutes, and starting to panic sweat, an old woman pulled a knife out of her purse and I was able to cut it open.
I made cookies the other day and forgot that not only are all of the baking supplies different (no Robin Hood flour or Toll House chocolate chips!) but that I didn't have any mixing bowls, measuring cups, or measuring spoons. After a trial first batch in the oven that turned out pretty sketchy I was able to adjust and they came out pretty damn good!
We don`t have a microwave so we have become pretty good at using the oven for everything.
There is an alphabet puzzle at my work in a box of toys for kids to play with, and almost every day I have to watch small children spend so much time and effort putting it together knowing that the `y`piece is missing. They are always upset at the end. I think there is a life lesson there.
I think Justin and I are going to the Bryan Adams concert tomorrow night. Cole is in town and is going to get us free tickets(?) We'll keep you posted about that.
Well that`s about all I have in me at the moment. I`m going to finish my beer (I think I have had a drink every day since being here) and make dinner. Speaking of dinner, Jamie Oliver is great, isn't he?
Love you all and miss you more than you know.
Gen
That was a painful month of waiting.
I've had the past 2 days off. Seems like I'm getting Tuesdays and Wednesdays off now. It's great to have time off during the week but it's a real bummer to have to work on Sundays when Justin is off. Something will have to give in the next while with that... not having a day off together just isn't what we came here for. It's not the same exploring when you don't have someone to share it with.
I've had a couple breakdowns since we've been here, but to be fair one was at Vodafone so I think that's understandable. I'm really loving seeing new things every day and meeting new people, but I miss having a girlfriend to go out with. Justin has a guy here that he's gone out with a few times alone which is awesome. The other day a girl at my work suggested we exchange information and I had to act really cool because if I had shown her how excited I was she would have never called me. But she texted me that night and said if her friends go out she'll get a hold of me to see if I want to join. So I guess I'm a pretty good actress.... ;)
Yesterday I went to another agency and signed with them for reception work. They have a crazy strict dress code policy. And they told me that even if I am making minimum wage that they
wouldn't recommend I quit my job as they might only be able to get me work one day a week. So that was interesting. A lot to consider I guess.Today I did something actually fun instead of looking for jobs in my time off and went to the Christmas Market near Southbank. It was really windy but a beautiful day. I love how you can drink freely outside while you stroll
along looking at the booths. I had a mulled wine and a half pint of strawberry beer. There was a ton of food and so many pretty sparkly things. It was really hard not to buy anything. I hate being a window shopper.Speaking of shopping, I feel so bad that we are not going to be able to buy anyone anything for Christmas either. It seems pretty selfish that we are doing this and can't even get something for you to show you how much we miss you and love and care about you. Sorry :(
Coming home from the Christmas market I got an email from a TV paid internship I applied for asking if I was available for an interview next week. I can't tell you how good it feels to be noticed by someone. I feel like I've been in a pool waving my arms for help and it's too noisy for anyone to notice me. I think I have sent at least 30 applications in for broadcasting related jobs and had almost as many automated response 'no thanks' emails, not to mention all of the contacts I have been given and emailed or met with. It feels like you aren't even being given a proper chance because your application wasn't even looked at. I have tried to remind myself that I'm not here to advance my career, but I love working and I love learning, and it's hard to not want something when there is so much going on here.
The job is for a 12 month paid internship with DRG (www.drg.tv) where I would learn about distribution and acquisition. I applied because I have always been interested in how stations aquire thier programming. Every September at Citytv we are shown snippets of all the new TV shows that we have picked up for the year. I have always been keen to know who these people are that are making these decisions. A few years back I remember thinking WTF about the shows we picked up for the year, and the past couple years I have been pretty impressed with the choices, even if 'The Event' was a huge flop. Anyways, I'm not going to get my hopes up about this opportunity (because if I do I will have a breakdown if I don't get it) but I am pretty excited to have the chance to meet with someone face to face. I'll take it for what it's worth, and feel good that I was able to break through the impersonal internet world of job searching. The interview is on Tuesday at 10am. Now to figure out what to wear...
I have so many other small things to tell you but I am going to try and sum them up quickly:
The other day I was in the loo at M&S and I realized my purse was stuck closed. After trying for about ten minutes, and starting to panic sweat, an old woman pulled a knife out of her purse and I was able to cut it open.
I made cookies the other day and forgot that not only are all of the baking supplies different (no Robin Hood flour or Toll House chocolate chips!) but that I didn't have any mixing bowls, measuring cups, or measuring spoons. After a trial first batch in the oven that turned out pretty sketchy I was able to adjust and they came out pretty damn good!
We don`t have a microwave so we have become pretty good at using the oven for everything.
There is an alphabet puzzle at my work in a box of toys for kids to play with, and almost every day I have to watch small children spend so much time and effort putting it together knowing that the `y`piece is missing. They are always upset at the end. I think there is a life lesson there.
I think Justin and I are going to the Bryan Adams concert tomorrow night. Cole is in town and is going to get us free tickets(?) We'll keep you posted about that.
Well that`s about all I have in me at the moment. I`m going to finish my beer (I think I have had a drink every day since being here) and make dinner. Speaking of dinner, Jamie Oliver is great, isn't he?
Love you all and miss you more than you know.
Gen
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
In Between Day One and Day Two
It's 4:55am and we are jetlagged pretty bad. We have been up for about 2 hours already. Looks like an interesting start to day 2 here in London.
Before we left Vancouver we had booked a room in a flat for a week through the website wimdu.com. It's basically a rental site where people offer up rooms in their homes or income properties. We handed over about $450 Canadian dollars to a man named Marcos and crossed our fingers that he wasn't a scam artist.
When we arrived yesterday our first order of business was to meet up with Marcos and see if we in fact had a place to stay. Justin tried calling him on a payphone at the train from Gatwick, but we couldn't figure out how to use the payphone. He called from his Canada cell instead. After riding a train into the city and a tube to Liverpool station we wandered through a couple blocks of very busy streets and found Marcos waiting for us outside of 25 Widegate street.
Our temporary home is through a small red door above an Indian restaurant. When you first walk in the hall is overtaken by the restaurant and you can see right into the kitchen. We haven't discussed eating there yet, but I think we probably should.
Up 4 flights of very narrow stairs is our flat. It has 4 or 5 rooms (we haven't snooped enough to remember right now), a small shared kitchen, a toilet room with a sink (that we are not allowed to flush anything down, even TP), and a shower room with a sink. Our little room is pretty much as shown in the pictures we saw on the website, but the pictures seem to have exaggerated the size. We'll have to keep that in mind for finding out more permanent place. We have a small fridge, table, and wardrobe in the room, and the bed is pretty comfy. Our window looks onto a side street, and we just noticed a strange flashing light coming from a flat across from us. There seems to be a lively bar or house party close by as there was bouts of singing as we were sleeping.
We tried to get a bank account but we need to have proof of residence so we will have to wait until we find our home and get a bill sent there. The situation was the same for getting mobiles; we need an address before they will give us a contract. So we have pay as you go - Justin on his unlocked blackberry and me on a sweet flip phone Erika and Ryan gave me before we left Van. If you for some reason want our mobile numbers send us an email or facebook us.
Thats about all we had time to do yesterday. We had a quick shop at Tesco (cheese is really cheap and we got a can of beans for 26p), then both felt quite cranky and realized we really needed to sleep. Once the regular folk are awake we plan on making some calls to see flats, getting our national insurance number, and I have a job interview at 2pm. We're hoping to feel a bit more confident about finding a permanent home once we see a few.
That's all for now. We are going to try and sleep one more hour before rising for the day. It's a big one ahead.
Miss you all lots.
Gen
Before we left Vancouver we had booked a room in a flat for a week through the website wimdu.com. It's basically a rental site where people offer up rooms in their homes or income properties. We handed over about $450 Canadian dollars to a man named Marcos and crossed our fingers that he wasn't a scam artist.
When we arrived yesterday our first order of business was to meet up with Marcos and see if we in fact had a place to stay. Justin tried calling him on a payphone at the train from Gatwick, but we couldn't figure out how to use the payphone. He called from his Canada cell instead. After riding a train into the city and a tube to Liverpool station we wandered through a couple blocks of very busy streets and found Marcos waiting for us outside of 25 Widegate street.
Our temporary home is through a small red door above an Indian restaurant. When you first walk in the hall is overtaken by the restaurant and you can see right into the kitchen. We haven't discussed eating there yet, but I think we probably should.
Up 4 flights of very narrow stairs is our flat. It has 4 or 5 rooms (we haven't snooped enough to remember right now), a small shared kitchen, a toilet room with a sink (that we are not allowed to flush anything down, even TP), and a shower room with a sink. Our little room is pretty much as shown in the pictures we saw on the website, but the pictures seem to have exaggerated the size. We'll have to keep that in mind for finding out more permanent place. We have a small fridge, table, and wardrobe in the room, and the bed is pretty comfy. Our window looks onto a side street, and we just noticed a strange flashing light coming from a flat across from us. There seems to be a lively bar or house party close by as there was bouts of singing as we were sleeping.
We tried to get a bank account but we need to have proof of residence so we will have to wait until we find our home and get a bill sent there. The situation was the same for getting mobiles; we need an address before they will give us a contract. So we have pay as you go - Justin on his unlocked blackberry and me on a sweet flip phone Erika and Ryan gave me before we left Van. If you for some reason want our mobile numbers send us an email or facebook us.
Thats about all we had time to do yesterday. We had a quick shop at Tesco (cheese is really cheap and we got a can of beans for 26p), then both felt quite cranky and realized we really needed to sleep. Once the regular folk are awake we plan on making some calls to see flats, getting our national insurance number, and I have a job interview at 2pm. We're hoping to feel a bit more confident about finding a permanent home once we see a few.
That's all for now. We are going to try and sleep one more hour before rising for the day. It's a big one ahead.
Miss you all lots.
Gen
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