Currently sitting outside a library in Canary Wharf using the free wireless as they just closed. If they turn off the wireless I am screwed!
I'm quickly updating this blog as I've had email requests to let everyone know how i'm going, but as I need to shop for an iron tonight and some cutlery too, I thought this would be a better way of keeping everyone happy.
Work is getting quite interesting. With the Cabinet reshuffle we have a new Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice - the Right Hon. Jack Straw whose earlier claim to fame was his post at Foreign Affairs. He apparently did a meet and greet at the office today which would have been exciting, save for the fact I was out of the office in the depths of London watching an Employment Tribunal to do some research for the project I am on. On my tour of duty around the department it's a constant meet and greet and an explanation that I am not a New Zealander - apparently my accent is too clean-cut to be an Australian! Though, a couple of people have picked it up - they specifically ask if I am from Melbourne, which is a tad scary.
I'm not sure how fast news travels, but there has been a terrorist scare in central London - a car packed with bombs was parked in central London last night. Rest assured that I am safe, and that London is safe for the moment, although the Ministry of Justice screens in the lobby were advising of the heightened alert, and would we please allow our bags to be searched if asked.
Other news to hand is that I am definitely moving to Woolwich tomorrow, so as of tomorrow night I won't have email access until i set up my phone line and broadband. And what a pity i can't celebrate the fact that I finally can sleep in a proper bed! This will certainly be a watershed moment for my life in London so far.
Will also lose my TV until i get the TV license set up too - which is sad. For some reason i have been quite enjoying watching British advertisements - there is a great Voda ad (sorry Telstra people) that uses the song from an old Disney cartoon which is really cool - the song goes "drip drip drop little april shower"... i should google it to see where it comes from. But it brings back memories for sure.
On a final note, met a great person yesterday through my contacts in London. Kerry, the gentleman I met yesterday for a coffee worked at the Leo Burnett advertising agency for 40 plus years and gave me some advice on getting through the London work culture. His 2 pieces of advice were "you don't learn when you are talking" and that "if you're going to get anywhere in life you have to walk towards the fire" (or words to that effect, i can;t remember the exact quote. perhaps someone can enlighten me). I guess I am just rambling now...
Keep posted for the next instalment of the set up of Taffy and Frances' pad. (almost wrote bachelor pad, but it aint!)
Friday, 29 June 2007
Wednesday, 27 June 2007
the moral of the story
The whirlwind continues.
As my soon-to-be-flatmate put on her blog, we both think we're idiots for doing 2 of the top 4 most stressful things in life within a matter of weeks - i.e. starting a new job and moving house. Started work at the Ministry of Justice in the Strategy Development and Projects Directorate working on improving public access to justice services and Her Majesty's Courts Service. It's early days yet, and as I come to terms with being a British Civil Servant i'll let you know how i get along!
Big day in British politics today though, with the departure of Tony Blair and the arrival of Gordon Brown on the scene. With the announcement of his Cabinet we'll soon see his priorities and whether the Ministry of Justice gets a new boss and/or direction.
On the home front I put a deposit on my new flat in Woolwich today. I'll hopefully be moving out this weekend from the Isle of Dogs to even further out South-East London, and i'll spend most of the weekend sorting out cutlery, ironing boards, duvets and a bath mat. So with that in mind, once I sort out everything i'll be open for visitors!
I am excited though to finally get my own space. While the apartment is a trek from central London, we've got stunning views of the Thames and Canary Wharf as we were lucky enough to find this place as it just came on the market. I've come to an agreement with my flatmate that i won't get the master bedroom, but the great thing is that the place isn't a shoebox so there is plenty of space to move around - and to unroll your sleeping bags :)
I'm not going to go into how much of a pain renting a place is, only because i don't want to burn out my fingers complaining about it...
Went to see a West End show the other night - "Avenue Q". I laughed so hard i wet myself. With tears. If you ever want to see an adults-version of Muppets - this is it - complete with a busty-blonde muppet. The story is essentially about a young preppy guy with an arts degree who finds himself in a new city (New York), looking for work and an apartment and making new friends and trying to find out what he wants to do in life.
HMMMMMMMMMMMM.
That sure does ring a bell.
But what I most liked about the show was the moral of the story - to live for the moment, to not be worried about the small things as things will always change. And to always be open to the possibilities of life while searching for whatever it is you are searching for.
Which in my case, is a decent haircut.
As my soon-to-be-flatmate put on her blog, we both think we're idiots for doing 2 of the top 4 most stressful things in life within a matter of weeks - i.e. starting a new job and moving house. Started work at the Ministry of Justice in the Strategy Development and Projects Directorate working on improving public access to justice services and Her Majesty's Courts Service. It's early days yet, and as I come to terms with being a British Civil Servant i'll let you know how i get along!
Big day in British politics today though, with the departure of Tony Blair and the arrival of Gordon Brown on the scene. With the announcement of his Cabinet we'll soon see his priorities and whether the Ministry of Justice gets a new boss and/or direction.
On the home front I put a deposit on my new flat in Woolwich today. I'll hopefully be moving out this weekend from the Isle of Dogs to even further out South-East London, and i'll spend most of the weekend sorting out cutlery, ironing boards, duvets and a bath mat. So with that in mind, once I sort out everything i'll be open for visitors!
I am excited though to finally get my own space. While the apartment is a trek from central London, we've got stunning views of the Thames and Canary Wharf as we were lucky enough to find this place as it just came on the market. I've come to an agreement with my flatmate that i won't get the master bedroom, but the great thing is that the place isn't a shoebox so there is plenty of space to move around - and to unroll your sleeping bags :)
I'm not going to go into how much of a pain renting a place is, only because i don't want to burn out my fingers complaining about it...
Went to see a West End show the other night - "Avenue Q". I laughed so hard i wet myself. With tears. If you ever want to see an adults-version of Muppets - this is it - complete with a busty-blonde muppet. The story is essentially about a young preppy guy with an arts degree who finds himself in a new city (New York), looking for work and an apartment and making new friends and trying to find out what he wants to do in life.
HMMMMMMMMMMMM.
That sure does ring a bell.
But what I most liked about the show was the moral of the story - to live for the moment, to not be worried about the small things as things will always change. And to always be open to the possibilities of life while searching for whatever it is you are searching for.
Which in my case, is a decent haircut.
Thursday, 21 June 2007
the MoJ
Being Chinese is definitely in.
We scrimp, we save, we bargain, we look for "value for money" (which really means something is hideously expensive, but we still are going to buy it anyway). So in a place as expensive as London, living on savings worth less than a penny for your thoughts (i.e. Australian dollars), looking for a decent job has been a big priority.
For the past couple of weeks I've been a little bit worried that I would never find a job. In typing out countless cover letters I have now memorised key phrases from my CV - only to find myself repeating them in my sleep. My flatmate, whose room is a few metres away from the bit of floor that I have holed out for myself in the lounge room, must think I am going insane.
But i digress.
Got called in by a recruitment agency for a public sector job and submitted my cover letter and references and everything. Two days later (i.e. today) I went to the interview at 3.30, and was offered the job at 4.30 and accepted at 5pm. Only to get another call at 5.01pm for an interview at a different government department.
So I'm relieved and happy to finally be gainfully employed. In looking for flats I always get looked at suspiciously when I tell the real estate agents that I am looking for work. But now I will be working as a Project Officer with the Ministry of Justice - affectionately known as "the MoJ". They wanted me to start tomorrow, but I'll start on Monday (today being Thursday) as I wanted to take a couple of days off without having to write cover letters and search for jobs while sitting in a public library.
Time for an ASDA pre-cooked meal. And a bottle of wine (celebration ABC (Aust born Chinese) style - spend more money on the alcohol rather than the cheap pre-packaged meal).
We scrimp, we save, we bargain, we look for "value for money" (which really means something is hideously expensive, but we still are going to buy it anyway). So in a place as expensive as London, living on savings worth less than a penny for your thoughts (i.e. Australian dollars), looking for a decent job has been a big priority.
For the past couple of weeks I've been a little bit worried that I would never find a job. In typing out countless cover letters I have now memorised key phrases from my CV - only to find myself repeating them in my sleep. My flatmate, whose room is a few metres away from the bit of floor that I have holed out for myself in the lounge room, must think I am going insane.
But i digress.
Got called in by a recruitment agency for a public sector job and submitted my cover letter and references and everything. Two days later (i.e. today) I went to the interview at 3.30, and was offered the job at 4.30 and accepted at 5pm. Only to get another call at 5.01pm for an interview at a different government department.
So I'm relieved and happy to finally be gainfully employed. In looking for flats I always get looked at suspiciously when I tell the real estate agents that I am looking for work. But now I will be working as a Project Officer with the Ministry of Justice - affectionately known as "the MoJ". They wanted me to start tomorrow, but I'll start on Monday (today being Thursday) as I wanted to take a couple of days off without having to write cover letters and search for jobs while sitting in a public library.
Time for an ASDA pre-cooked meal. And a bottle of wine (celebration ABC (Aust born Chinese) style - spend more money on the alcohol rather than the cheap pre-packaged meal).
the hunt
So it's been a couple of weeks since arriving in London, and while the hard work of finding a decent job and decent house (within my price range, and within greater London!) continues, I feel more and more like a Londoner. I give my famous black looks at those who stand on the left hand side on the underground escalators, overtake slow tourists on the footpaths and don't feel that being told to "mind the gap" over and over and over again is hilarious. For those who laugh *will* fall through those enormous gaps between the train and the platform on the Central line one of these days.
But enough of bagging out tourists.
I have been preparing for interviews and I've been researching typical interview questions such as what are your weaknesses blah blah blah. I came across one with "if you were an animal what would you be", and have since decided that I really must restrain myself from saying the following:
"Under the Chinese zodiac, I am a Cock".
But let us put frivolity aside.
My first proper outing in the UK was spent up north in Leeds with its pretty green hills, opium (erm, poppy) fields and hoodlum youths. There has been major flooding in the UK, and my train line going north was affected. I was forced to change trains in Doncaster (funny that, well, not ha-ha funny, it's just that I grew up in Doncaster, Melbourne) and it was pandemonium. I heard someone scream "Leeds on platform 5" so off I ran, discovering that I had taken the slow, local train by accident rather than the express connection for which I had paid 20 pounds for. I was then treated to a wonderful show, and managed to buy the commemorative CD during my hour journey. Famous hits included "Darren, will you f-ing stop being such a m***** f*****", "she's a f-ing sl**** wh***", and my personal favourite, "Did you hear that troll Belinda is pregnant at 16". Subtitles were available, but only in spittle-coating-the-windows format.
I did however have a really nice weekend wandering around an old English town and having a proper English afternoon tea with smoked salmon sandwiches, scones and cream, a cup of tea and a raspberry tart. I momentarily lost my English sense of decorum and rolled up an unfinished brownie into a napkin to take back with me on the train.
The house hunt continues - I have an eye on a place in Woolwich which is quite far out. I guess it would be like living out in Caroline Springs in Melbourne, but with muggings as a complimentary extra. Found a great place in Acton which was decidedly outside my budget, so the hunt continues. Ah well.
But enough of bagging out tourists.
I have been preparing for interviews and I've been researching typical interview questions such as what are your weaknesses blah blah blah. I came across one with "if you were an animal what would you be", and have since decided that I really must restrain myself from saying the following:
"Under the Chinese zodiac, I am a Cock".
But let us put frivolity aside.
My first proper outing in the UK was spent up north in Leeds with its pretty green hills, opium (erm, poppy) fields and hoodlum youths. There has been major flooding in the UK, and my train line going north was affected. I was forced to change trains in Doncaster (funny that, well, not ha-ha funny, it's just that I grew up in Doncaster, Melbourne) and it was pandemonium. I heard someone scream "Leeds on platform 5" so off I ran, discovering that I had taken the slow, local train by accident rather than the express connection for which I had paid 20 pounds for. I was then treated to a wonderful show, and managed to buy the commemorative CD during my hour journey. Famous hits included "Darren, will you f-ing stop being such a m***** f*****", "she's a f-ing sl**** wh***", and my personal favourite, "Did you hear that troll Belinda is pregnant at 16". Subtitles were available, but only in spittle-coating-the-windows format.
I did however have a really nice weekend wandering around an old English town and having a proper English afternoon tea with smoked salmon sandwiches, scones and cream, a cup of tea and a raspberry tart. I momentarily lost my English sense of decorum and rolled up an unfinished brownie into a napkin to take back with me on the train.
The house hunt continues - I have an eye on a place in Woolwich which is quite far out. I guess it would be like living out in Caroline Springs in Melbourne, but with muggings as a complimentary extra. Found a great place in Acton which was decidedly outside my budget, so the hunt continues. Ah well.
the start of something... good?
I suppose the panic really started on the night before my departure when I couldn't close my overflowing suitcase, despite my dad and brother sitting on top of the suitcase, my sister ready to close the locks while I stood there, wringing my hands, all the while my mum continued to roll up even more clothes to fit inside my other backpack.
So despite the best efforts of me trying to pack lightly (coughs), it was by sheer luck that I managed to get away with not paying an excess baggage fine, only to find that sheer luck whisked away when I discovered that I had mistakenly packed my lucky scissors (circa Grade 5 at school) into my carry-on baggage. These small blunt scissors were let through at Melbourne airport by a kind security officer who heard all my school stories, and were almost let though at Sydney airport by another kind security officer, only for some fat ugly paunchy man without a heart to take them away without bothering to look into my pleading eyes.
My bad, I guess.
But here I am in London town. I've felt reasonably cut off from the world so far without access to the internet (which would explain my complete silence back home to Australia, so apologies), and with the sun rising at 4 bloody AM, i've been surviving on 4 hours of sleep a night. Dossing rules (i.e. rules for sleeping on someone else's floor) means that I go to bed when my flatmate goes to bed when she has finished watching TV, and I get up when the sun gets up due to the lack of curtains in the lounge where I am currently camping out.
Speaking of my camp. I am based in the East near Canary Wharf. For those in the know, Canary Wharf is apparently an up-and-coming business area which is busy during the working day, but dead during the night. But to my disappointment, I was further away from the hip Canary Wharf than I realised, and instead am staying in a place called "Isle of Dogs" which in truth sounds more depressing than it actually is.
Job hunting has been a bit painful, but I'm hoping that the agencies might be able to help me out and I'm only starting to go house-hunting today. I'm hoping that the sooner I find a space of my own that i'll feel more settled, and also, find a place with a shower which the place i'm staying at doesn't have. The "shower" that has been set up is actually a hose connected to the hot/cold taps and you have to kneel in the bath so that it can reach over your head.
I miss my shower at home.
So despite the best efforts of me trying to pack lightly (coughs), it was by sheer luck that I managed to get away with not paying an excess baggage fine, only to find that sheer luck whisked away when I discovered that I had mistakenly packed my lucky scissors (circa Grade 5 at school) into my carry-on baggage. These small blunt scissors were let through at Melbourne airport by a kind security officer who heard all my school stories, and were almost let though at Sydney airport by another kind security officer, only for some fat ugly paunchy man without a heart to take them away without bothering to look into my pleading eyes.
My bad, I guess.
But here I am in London town. I've felt reasonably cut off from the world so far without access to the internet (which would explain my complete silence back home to Australia, so apologies), and with the sun rising at 4 bloody AM, i've been surviving on 4 hours of sleep a night. Dossing rules (i.e. rules for sleeping on someone else's floor) means that I go to bed when my flatmate goes to bed when she has finished watching TV, and I get up when the sun gets up due to the lack of curtains in the lounge where I am currently camping out.
Speaking of my camp. I am based in the East near Canary Wharf. For those in the know, Canary Wharf is apparently an up-and-coming business area which is busy during the working day, but dead during the night. But to my disappointment, I was further away from the hip Canary Wharf than I realised, and instead am staying in a place called "Isle of Dogs" which in truth sounds more depressing than it actually is.
Job hunting has been a bit painful, but I'm hoping that the agencies might be able to help me out and I'm only starting to go house-hunting today. I'm hoping that the sooner I find a space of my own that i'll feel more settled, and also, find a place with a shower which the place i'm staying at doesn't have. The "shower" that has been set up is actually a hose connected to the hot/cold taps and you have to kneel in the bath so that it can reach over your head.
I miss my shower at home.
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