The Critter left yesterday to visit friends in Bristol and will not return until friday. Bristol is to the west of London, I hope I'm correct. By chance are you wondering... why I am being whiny? Well once The Critter comes back I will only have the weekend with him before he leaves for Dublin on Monday. He will have two days in Dublin and then he is on his way back to the States. I will have to wait a whole year before I see him again. Hell, I need to pray he wants to see my ass again. I can be a challenging friend to have, especially when you add in anxiety-creating situations, stress, sporadic influx of moola (£, $), snoring, attempts at physical violence, drunken honesty, ohhh let's not forget the biggie...PMS. Shite! Okay enough about me...let us look at his flaws for a bit (see he is not here to chew me out or delete my words. By the time he reads this yall will know what's up).
The Critter in a nutshell:
1. As a man he has a tendency to be a bit forgetful...his recent sin includes not having called me yet to let me know that he made it to Bristol safely. Such a douchebottle!
2. He likes being confined and treated roughly...remember the 10 hours in immigration!
3. A high pitched scream escapes when you happen to drive into a roundabout and forget to look right while a car comes barreling towards you. To tell the truth the scream scared me more than the car coming towards me. The Critter will never admit to screaming...he will say that he yelled "Jesus, look out!!!" I heard a scream before the words. LOL!
4. He is crabby mess first thing in the morning without coffee. It does amuse me to bother him since I wake up naturally energetic. What can I say...I have been blessed not to be cursed with the caffeination addiction.
5. Need I get into the bodily noises...on many occasions I have informed him that sharing is not caring!
So I will have to fill up my time while he is gone...what to do? what to do?
Oh yeah!
1. Go to bed early
2. Use the computer, since no one will be hogging it
3. Walk around the house in various stages of undress
4. Spend the night at a friend's house
My social calendar is a bit skimpy at the moment. It should plump up within the next couple of weeks.
Cheers!
Ok, so here's the story line. Roughly 1 year ago, an amazing woman from South Central Los Angeles decided after receiving her Master's degree to expand her horizons and venture off to London. So over the course of the next couple of years she will hope to bring two continents together through the eloquence of her words...ok that is complete and utter bullshit! Your not doing shit so just stay a minute for the hell of it!
Location: In a London borough not far away from 3 tube lines, England
About me: 1. Lover of all things Chocolate 2. Terrified of Texas flying Tree Roaches 3. New lover of roundabouts 4. The world is my oyster...w/out the fishy smell 5. God, does not like ugly...so rearrange yourself and your face
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Recap: I arrived in London on Aug. 4th and have been here roughly 25 days. Over the course of the last couple weeks I have felt like I have been pushed emotionally more than I ever wanted or expected. Many of you have commented on how much you wished you were here. I deep down I have the same wish. The biggest one of all is...to have come here under better circumstances. It is funny...I can actually hear some of you saying..."Nothing is ever easy with you." Please believe me when I say that I have no intention of replicating this type of move again. This is where I get all mushy and weepy...but many thanks to those of you that know me personally and have still stuck by me!!! Moving On...
And you couldn't have done it without me. Thanks Re-Re!
I can say that my time so far has been interesting and I have enthusiastically in opened myself up to my new surroundings. So of course I have gone the tourist route. I have added links to certain places...just in case you are like me and are not up on all your British history. Just click on the one's that are underlined and away you go!!!
1st London Weekend:
Big Ben, the London Eye, Parliament, St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, Bank of England (just the outside), the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace.
2nd London Weekend:
The Marble Arches,
The National Gallery
The paintings were absolutely freaking magnificent! I was able to relish in the up close view of great art. We saw the likes of Rebrandt, Manet, Monet, Goya, Vermeer, Seurat, etc. Sitting and looking at a screen during an art appreciation undergrad class is not the way art should be absorbed. Sitting in a room surrounded on all sides by creativity, drive, determination, color and light is the ultimate road towards understanding that we as humans can bring beauty to a canvas.
Trafalgar Square,
John Keat's House (the poet), Boring for me, interesting for The Critter, but not interesting enough for him to pay to admire the inner dwelling of the famous Keats,
Notting Hill Carnival,
Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park, Many of the individuals on their soap boxes were spouting off on various topics, but most were discussing Muslims,
Allah, 9/11 conspiracy, Christianity, and 
homosexuality. We cruised from one speaker to another and listened to diatribes, rhetoric, heartfelt honesty and pure stupidty. I tried encouraging The Critter to find his own soap box, however he wanted to find the person that hung signs up denouncing homosexuality as a 
biblical sin. That person would have gotten an earful.
Note from The Critter: I like fighting Bible verses with Bible verses. Only makes sense, non? If someone wants me to expand this, please let me know!
Hampstead Heath
The Critter and I had the most relaxing time laying on top of a hill and looking at the clouds. The Critter's feared for his body parts when he realized that some b
ratty child's kite might decide to land on his crotch. Don't ask, but it was hilarious! Note from The Critter: it was flying overhead, and it got as close as two feet above my outstreched legs. It wasn't an irrational fear! When I finally compromised my comfort to cross my legs, I knew I might have saved future generations -- the kite crash-dived just a few feet away. Fucking crybaby Jake. That child had the entire hill to fly his kite on, but he and his dad liked to do it as close to us kickin back and relaxing as possible.
And you couldn't have done it without me. Thanks Re-Re!
I can say that my time so far has been interesting and I have enthusiastically in opened myself up to my new surroundings. So of course I have gone the tourist route. I have added links to certain places...just in case you are like me and are not up on all your British history. Just click on the one's that are underlined and away you go!!!
1st London Weekend:
Big Ben, the London Eye, Parliament, St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, Bank of England (just the outside), the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace.
2nd London Weekend:
The Marble Arches,
The National Gallery
The paintings were absolutely freaking magnificent! I was able to relish in the up close view of great art. We saw the likes of Rebrandt, Manet, Monet, Goya, Vermeer, Seurat, etc. Sitting and looking at a screen during an art appreciation undergrad class is not the way art should be absorbed. Sitting in a room surrounded on all sides by creativity, drive, determination, color and light is the ultimate road towards understanding that we as humans can bring beauty to a canvas. Trafalgar Square,
John Keat's House (the poet), Boring for me, interesting for The Critter, but not interesting enough for him to pay to admire the inner dwelling of the famous Keats,
Notting Hill Carnival,
Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park, Many of the individuals on their soap boxes were spouting off on various topics, but most were discussing Muslims,
Allah, 9/11 conspiracy, Christianity, and 
homosexuality. We cruised from one speaker to another and listened to diatribes, rhetoric, heartfelt honesty and pure stupidty. I tried encouraging The Critter to find his own soap box, however he wanted to find the person that hung signs up denouncing homosexuality as a 
biblical sin. That person would have gotten an earful. Note from The Critter: I like fighting Bible verses with Bible verses. Only makes sense, non? If someone wants me to expand this, please let me know!
Hampstead Heath
The Critter and I had the most relaxing time laying on top of a hill and looking at the clouds. The Critter's feared for his body parts when he realized that some b
ratty child's kite might decide to land on his crotch. Don't ask, but it was hilarious! Note from The Critter: it was flying overhead, and it got as close as two feet above my outstreched legs. It wasn't an irrational fear! When I finally compromised my comfort to cross my legs, I knew I might have saved future generations -- the kite crash-dived just a few feet away. Fucking crybaby Jake. That child had the entire hill to fly his kite on, but he and his dad liked to do it as close to us kickin back and relaxing as possible.
posted by ReJoYcE at 10:36 pm
|
0 comments
|
0 comments
Sunday, August 27, 2006
So, The Critter, two co-workers and I are off to see London again, today. We are hoping to check out some museums and Trafalgar Square (I know there is a story behind this place, I just don't know what it is). So when we come back, we should have glorious pictures (I just reminded The Critter to bring it) and exciting tales. Have a Great Sunday!!!!!!
Cheers!
Cheers!
posted by ReJoYcE at 9:37 am |
0 comments
|
0 comments
Friday, August 25, 2006
Yesterday, I attended my first company training day on equality and diversity. What really stood out... it is against the law for British employers to use positive action, better known as affirmative action, in diverisfying their workforce. Employers can advertise information about a job to a specific group of individuals (women, different races), but they can not actively seek or hire specific individuals to fit a quota. Everyone in theory has equal footing to obtain a postion, regardless if a whole workforce is of one race, nationality and gender. I really want to say something sarcastic and delve deeper into the issue, but I will leave it alone for now.
Last night Kate (landlady), The Critter, Patrick (co-worker), Lynn (co-worker/friend) and I went out to a local nightclub that is sooooo up to date that they played Vanilla Ice (when is the last damn time ole Van Winkle put out a song), Kris Kros, Will Smith, Roy Oribison, and Queen. Oh yeah, I did hear one 50 cent song, but that is a big whoop! The Critter did shake his tail feather a bit last night, except the Vanilla Ice song made him race from the dance floor back to his seat. The sad part is that Kate and Patrick were MIA from the club. We were supposed to meet up with them but kept missing each other. They were looking outside the club for us, while we were looking inside.
My highlights from the night included:
1. The semi-strip show I received from a bloke and being the generous woman that I am; I promptly deposited £1 into the front of his pants. I did get my £1 back which was good, because he wasn't that great of a dancer. His ass was cute, had big broad shoulders, and for the rest of the night he kept asking me to dance. The initial reason I paid him any attention was due to a floor show (aka grinding, ass-grabbing) between him and some woman he just met that blocked my view from seeing the rest of the dance floor.
2. I met two black women in the club (total black women in the club=3) that we ended up sitting next to. One of them became jealous when my stripper dude started paying me attention. She told me "he likes you, not me and my hair is real." What the fuck? The heifer had the nerve to pout in the corner of the booth. Needless to say she ended up liking The Critter and proceeded to start a floor show of her own with him. She told him at one point that he looked just like her 9 yr old son. Double fricking Ugh!!!
3. Those of you that have known me for a while, know that I do unexpected shit. So embarassment does not fit into the equation. Lynn went out for the first time with me last night and physically hid under the table when she realized that I was bringing a guy that she thought was cute, back to the table. The guy turned out later to be a jerk and The Critter and I had to step in to protect our little flower from danger. I told the guy straight up that she was no longer interested and The Critter gave him a nudge to drive the point home. Regulators Mount Up!!!
British Words Learned
"cook tea"- Is a phrase used when someone says that they are making dinner or supper. If somone invites you over for tea, it may not just be tea and biscuits, it might be a full course meal. There are different times to have tea, dinner or supper and some folks use them interchangeably.
knackered- tired
bloke- a guy
blinding- really good "That bloke's ass was blinding"
partner- someone your in a relationship with or married to
Last night Kate (landlady), The Critter, Patrick (co-worker), Lynn (co-worker/friend) and I went out to a local nightclub that is sooooo up to date that they played Vanilla Ice (when is the last damn time ole Van Winkle put out a song), Kris Kros, Will Smith, Roy Oribison, and Queen. Oh yeah, I did hear one 50 cent song, but that is a big whoop! The Critter did shake his tail feather a bit last night, except the Vanilla Ice song made him race from the dance floor back to his seat. The sad part is that Kate and Patrick were MIA from the club. We were supposed to meet up with them but kept missing each other. They were looking outside the club for us, while we were looking inside.
My highlights from the night included:
1. The semi-strip show I received from a bloke and being the generous woman that I am; I promptly deposited £1 into the front of his pants. I did get my £1 back which was good, because he wasn't that great of a dancer. His ass was cute, had big broad shoulders, and for the rest of the night he kept asking me to dance. The initial reason I paid him any attention was due to a floor show (aka grinding, ass-grabbing) between him and some woman he just met that blocked my view from seeing the rest of the dance floor.
2. I met two black women in the club (total black women in the club=3) that we ended up sitting next to. One of them became jealous when my stripper dude started paying me attention. She told me "he likes you, not me and my hair is real." What the fuck? The heifer had the nerve to pout in the corner of the booth. Needless to say she ended up liking The Critter and proceeded to start a floor show of her own with him. She told him at one point that he looked just like her 9 yr old son. Double fricking Ugh!!!
3. Those of you that have known me for a while, know that I do unexpected shit. So embarassment does not fit into the equation. Lynn went out for the first time with me last night and physically hid under the table when she realized that I was bringing a guy that she thought was cute, back to the table. The guy turned out later to be a jerk and The Critter and I had to step in to protect our little flower from danger. I told the guy straight up that she was no longer interested and The Critter gave him a nudge to drive the point home. Regulators Mount Up!!!
British Words Learned
"cook tea"- Is a phrase used when someone says that they are making dinner or supper. If somone invites you over for tea, it may not just be tea and biscuits, it might be a full course meal. There are different times to have tea, dinner or supper and some folks use them interchangeably.
knackered- tired
bloke- a guy
blinding- really good "That bloke's ass was blinding"
partner- someone your in a relationship with or married to
posted by ReJoYcE at 6:03 pm |
0 comments
|
0 comments
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Well, I've got a humdinger of a driving story -- ok, stories. The story around the house for the past few days was about Re-Re going in for her driving assessment this morning. Unfortunately, it was not as simple as just going in and taking it. No no, not with this girl.
It all started on Wednesday morning, the morning of her 2 hour training in a town 45 minutes away -- the exact same location and people who gave her the assessment this morning. And Re-Re's employers had paid for a taxi to take her both to and from, both mornings.
Waiting for her after work on Wednesday, she came back completely frazzled and worried that she wouldn't pass the assessment. So, minutes after she returned and vented a bit, we were on the phone, calling a taxi to get us to a rental car place so that Re-Re could practice some more in an automatic (her transmission of choice). Unfortunately, she booked it with the same taxi company giving her the two other rides, a point I'll get back to.
We got the car ok and practiced a bit last night in the rain, and there were no big problems. Still a little worried with roundabouts, but nothing big. But not sufficiently satisfied, Re-Re
declared she'd wake up at all of 5am -- yes, that's 5 in the morning -- to practice some more. Being the supportive friend I am, I said I'd wake up with her to help her practice.
This morning was a little different though. We started driving, and Re-Re told me to grade her just like a driving instructor. I had to fail her ass when a) she starting driving in a lane for oncoming traffic, and b) when she entered a roundabout and I screamed, "Jesus, watch out!" right as another car was about to leave its hood ornament in our back seat. Luckily, Re-Re was paying enough attention to flee the scene....
That was it for the morning training; Re-Re had had enough -- we returned home to wait for the 7:15am taxi (so that Re-Re could make it to the other town by 8am exactly). At 7:20, she called and they said they'd sent the second pre-paid taxi the night before -- our ride to get the rental car, and actually we paid cash for that. Frustrated, I said I'd drive her ass to a place I've never been to and get her there in time. In the rain. Even with a few wrong turns, I got her there, what, 10 minutes late? Damn I'm good.
A few cigarettes (Re-Re wants me to say "fags" here, which I refuse) and two hours later, I returned to see that she'd actually PASSED the assessment. She was allowed 15 errors and committed a mere 9. Ok, she's no Jeff Gordon, but she did do damn well. She never believed me when I said she could do it. But the guy said she'd improved a lot -- I told her "you're welcome" with a cheeky-ass grin on my face.
I am the bomb!! Yup Yup!!! I am going to pop my collar one time. Hehehehe
British Words Learned:
1. Fag- Cigarette
2. Cheeky- making an audacious statment
3. Wingey- Whiny
Differences:
1. Instead of all the traffic lights that yall are accustomed to in the States, there are more Roundabouts here than lights. Roundabouts are used to allow the traffic to flow at a steady pace, opposed to sitting at a light waiting. Getting on and off roundabouts are the tricky part while keeping in mind to watch for the traffic coming from the right. So be warned Americans...
2. There is a traffic sign for migrating frogs. If your French you can stop by the road if some are crossing and have meal. LOL!
3. Titties in the newspaper. (The Critter has termed the arrival of the newspaper "The Sun" as: Every morning comes morning wood.) Read into that however you want. I know...he is a bit hard up.
It all started on Wednesday morning, the morning of her 2 hour training in a town 45 minutes away -- the exact same location and people who gave her the assessment this morning. And Re-Re's employers had paid for a taxi to take her both to and from, both mornings.
Waiting for her after work on Wednesday, she came back completely frazzled and worried that she wouldn't pass the assessment. So, minutes after she returned and vented a bit, we were on the phone, calling a taxi to get us to a rental car place so that Re-Re could practice some more in an automatic (her transmission of choice). Unfortunately, she booked it with the same taxi company giving her the two other rides, a point I'll get back to.
We got the car ok and practiced a bit last night in the rain, and there were no big problems. Still a little worried with roundabouts, but nothing big. But not sufficiently satisfied, Re-Re
declared she'd wake up at all of 5am -- yes, that's 5 in the morning -- to practice some more. Being the supportive friend I am, I said I'd wake up with her to help her practice. This morning was a little different though. We started driving, and Re-Re told me to grade her just like a driving instructor. I had to fail her ass when a) she starting driving in a lane for oncoming traffic, and b) when she entered a roundabout and I screamed, "Jesus, watch out!" right as another car was about to leave its hood ornament in our back seat. Luckily, Re-Re was paying enough attention to flee the scene....
That was it for the morning training; Re-Re had had enough -- we returned home to wait for the 7:15am taxi (so that Re-Re could make it to the other town by 8am exactly). At 7:20, she called and they said they'd sent the second pre-paid taxi the night before -- our ride to get the rental car, and actually we paid cash for that. Frustrated, I said I'd drive her ass to a place I've never been to and get her there in time. In the rain. Even with a few wrong turns, I got her there, what, 10 minutes late? Damn I'm good.
A few cigarettes (Re-Re wants me to say "fags" here, which I refuse) and two hours later, I returned to see that she'd actually PASSED the assessment. She was allowed 15 errors and committed a mere 9. Ok, she's no Jeff Gordon, but she did do damn well. She never believed me when I said she could do it. But the guy said she'd improved a lot -- I told her "you're welcome" with a cheeky-ass grin on my face.
I am the bomb!! Yup Yup!!! I am going to pop my collar one time. Hehehehe
British Words Learned:
1. Fag- Cigarette
2. Cheeky- making an audacious statment
3. Wingey- Whiny
Differences:
1. Instead of all the traffic lights that yall are accustomed to in the States, there are more Roundabouts here than lights. Roundabouts are used to allow the traffic to flow at a steady pace, opposed to sitting at a light waiting. Getting on and off roundabouts are the tricky part while keeping in mind to watch for the traffic coming from the right. So be warned Americans...
2. There is a traffic sign for migrating frogs. If your French you can stop by the road if some are crossing and have meal. LOL!
3. Titties in the newspaper. (The Critter has termed the arrival of the newspaper "The Sun" as: Every morning comes morning wood.) Read into that however you want. I know...he is a bit hard up.
posted by ReJoYcE at 11:46 am |
0 comments
|
0 comments
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
So sorry about not getting back to yall with my droll job details. I thought that I would be ready but I am mentally incapable at this time. So I am going to reveal wonderful nuances regarding the last couple of days.
The trip to Southend was less sweat than I imagined, by the time The Critter and I arrived the major bits had been put in their place (bed, couch, table). Mary is quite disappointed that her flat did not have as much room as she expected. The Critter and I had the joy of moving a large wooden dresser in a storage room down the hall. Her flat is cozy to say the least, to say more...cluttered.
Atrayn (aka "The Critter") here - The Southend Carnaval was pretty good, complete with plenty of area beauty queens and their courts and plenty of cold wind blowing through. Trucks rolled on through with themes of Spongebob Square Pants, Ariel (Under the Sea song), Alice in Wonderland, and Raggedy Ann. Bunches of coordinated dances and young girls freezing their asses off in leotards (nothing I could enjoy either; they were a bit too young.) Re-Re at least had some eye candy when the last few trucks rolled in with Rio-style Carnaval dancers in peacock dresses. I had no such pleasure.
Two personal lowlights (as opposed to 'higlights') were 1) the tank hanging a skull and bones flag beneath the British flag, with the words "Trigger Happy" emblazoned on the sides, and; 2) the American truck with American and Confederate flags hanging out the windows and the bumper sticker on the front with a small Stars-and-bars flag next to: "Keep it Flying." What the hell is that doing in Southend?! I wanted to jump those fools.
OK, I think Re-Re is about to talk about some sexual deviances, but I'll go ahead and give my two cents and say I don't think it happened. I think she just wants some more hits on this blog.
The Critter, I am sorry to say has his mind in the proverbial gutter.
Moving on to Monday morning and orientation day. Blah, Blah, Bullshit, Bullshit, What tha hell! It seems that there are too many chiefs and not enough indians when it comes to distributing information. The agency that help with my recruitment did not get there shit straight and the Council was just as twisted. So many of the things promised went out the window and a car leasing guy had the nerve to tell me that it would take 6 months for me to get a car. Dang near by the end of the day I felt like I had been buggered.
There was a light at the end of this tunnel...when a lovely woman from Human Resources stated that this was not quite the whole truth. I do get a company car until my car is ordered. It seems that I will be getting a new car to lease with the option to buy to the tune of a little more than a £100 a month. This is all dependent on me passing a driving assessment on Thursday morning. Tomorrow morning I will be off at the crack of dawn for a two hour driving lesson.
The trip to Southend was less sweat than I imagined, by the time The Critter and I arrived the major bits had been put in their place (bed, couch, table). Mary is quite disappointed that her flat did not have as much room as she expected. The Critter and I had the joy of moving a large wooden dresser in a storage room down the hall. Her flat is cozy to say the least, to say more...cluttered.
Atrayn (aka "The Critter") here - The Southend Carnaval was pretty good, complete with plenty of area beauty queens and their courts and plenty of cold wind blowing through. Trucks rolled on through with themes of Spongebob Square Pants, Ariel (Under the Sea song), Alice in Wonderland, and Raggedy Ann. Bunches of coordinated dances and young girls freezing their asses off in leotards (nothing I could enjoy either; they were a bit too young.) Re-Re at least had some eye candy when the last few trucks rolled in with Rio-style Carnaval dancers in peacock dresses. I had no such pleasure.
Two personal lowlights (as opposed to 'higlights') were 1) the tank hanging a skull and bones flag beneath the British flag, with the words "Trigger Happy" emblazoned on the sides, and; 2) the American truck with American and Confederate flags hanging out the windows and the bumper sticker on the front with a small Stars-and-bars flag next to: "Keep it Flying." What the hell is that doing in Southend?! I wanted to jump those fools.
OK, I think Re-Re is about to talk about some sexual deviances, but I'll go ahead and give my two cents and say I don't think it happened. I think she just wants some more hits on this blog.
The Critter, I am sorry to say has his mind in the proverbial gutter.
Moving on to Monday morning and orientation day. Blah, Blah, Bullshit, Bullshit, What tha hell! It seems that there are too many chiefs and not enough indians when it comes to distributing information. The agency that help with my recruitment did not get there shit straight and the Council was just as twisted. So many of the things promised went out the window and a car leasing guy had the nerve to tell me that it would take 6 months for me to get a car. Dang near by the end of the day I felt like I had been buggered.
There was a light at the end of this tunnel...when a lovely woman from Human Resources stated that this was not quite the whole truth. I do get a company car until my car is ordered. It seems that I will be getting a new car to lease with the option to buy to the tune of a little more than a £100 a month. This is all dependent on me passing a driving assessment on Thursday morning. Tomorrow morning I will be off at the crack of dawn for a two hour driving lesson.
posted by ReJoYcE at 8:16 pm |
0 comments
|
0 comments
Friday, August 18, 2006
TGIF for real! The Critter and I are off to help my co-worker Mary move her stuff into her new flat. So the new weekend adventure includes a sweat on The Critter's part and a slight amount of perspiration on mine. Cuz I AM A LADEEEE!!! The other plan is to check out the scene out in Southend-on-Sea. When I get paid (mental countdown of 5 days) I am planning on moving to Southend-on-Sea or up to Chelmsford. Southend fufills my craving for being near water and I hear they a have a pretty good line of clubs and some nightlife. Chelmsford has water as well, but I heard it was a dinky river. Chelmsford is supposedly a young person's area so either place will do fine for me.
There is supposed to be a carnival out in Southend on Saturday so we may actually have pictures.
I know all the social workers and the soon-to-be's want to know about how my job is going and I promise a full post will come before the weekend ends. I will have my orientation day and training days in the next week and over the next couple of weeks so I will have good information to pass along. I may have my car in the next two weeks. I have a driving assessment next Thursday to determine if I can drive in England.
Sorry so short, but I am bout to get off of work and pick up The Critter.
Cheers!!!
There is supposed to be a carnival out in Southend on Saturday so we may actually have pictures.
I know all the social workers and the soon-to-be's want to know about how my job is going and I promise a full post will come before the weekend ends. I will have my orientation day and training days in the next week and over the next couple of weeks so I will have good information to pass along. I may have my car in the next two weeks. I have a driving assessment next Thursday to determine if I can drive in England.
Sorry so short, but I am bout to get off of work and pick up The Critter.
Cheers!!!
posted by ReJoYcE at 4:13 pm |
2 comments
|
2 comments
Friday, August 11, 2006
Well The Critter and I are off to London to do some very cheap exploring. We will have pictures when we come back and good stories. In the meantime, 
I thought you guys would like to know a litte about my sign, Aries. It actually sums me up in a nutshell. I have been tripping for years that I am so much my sign. Freaky!!!
Aries Summary
Aries are easily bored and need lots of new things in their lives. Aries are good at getting things started. You like to complete projects quickly and get going on something else. You like to be number one or to be the only one working on a project. You have a courageous spirit. Others trust you. You are romantic. You prefer "the chase" more than "the long haul" of a relationship.
The Sun shined in Aries in the zodiac on your birthday. The symbol for Aries is the Ram. The ram is a determined fighter and a powerful adversary. Aries is a fire sign. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac. It is a masculine sign. It is ruled by the warrior planet Mars. The motto for Mars is "Crash through, or crash!". Aries, the Ram, governs leadership and initiative. Aries people are bold and self-confident. However, they may be too impulsive.
Your energy is very attractive and few can resist it. Ariens are always full of ideas and plans to conquer the world. For Ariens, life, of course, is one long party. Ariens are great organizers. You are full of originality, but you sometimes lack discipline. You may not like to put your effort into things for very long. You are intuitive and can use words well. You can inspire others, especially in projects that have fast results.
You are well-suited to become a firefighter, surgeon, mechanic, dentist (watch that drill!), professional athlete and, most of all, entrepreneur.
Your colors are red and white (Not true, I like blue & yellow). Your birthstone is the brilliant diamond. It symbolizes clear strength, purified under pressure. Flowers for Aries include the red poppy, geraniums, honeysuckle and hollyhocks.
Strengths/Challenges
Adventurous and energetic Self-centered
Courageous Quick-tempered
Enthusiastic and confident Impatient
Dynamic and funny Implusive and "daredevil"
Likes/Dislikes
Action Waiting around
Coming in first Admitting Failure
Challenges No Opposition
Spontaneity Other people's advice
I thought you guys would like to know a litte about my sign, Aries. It actually sums me up in a nutshell. I have been tripping for years that I am so much my sign. Freaky!!!Aries Summary
Aries are easily bored and need lots of new things in their lives. Aries are good at getting things started. You like to complete projects quickly and get going on something else. You like to be number one or to be the only one working on a project. You have a courageous spirit. Others trust you. You are romantic. You prefer "the chase" more than "the long haul" of a relationship.
The Sun shined in Aries in the zodiac on your birthday. The symbol for Aries is the Ram. The ram is a determined fighter and a powerful adversary. Aries is a fire sign. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac. It is a masculine sign. It is ruled by the warrior planet Mars. The motto for Mars is "Crash through, or crash!". Aries, the Ram, governs leadership and initiative. Aries people are bold and self-confident. However, they may be too impulsive.
Your energy is very attractive and few can resist it. Ariens are always full of ideas and plans to conquer the world. For Ariens, life, of course, is one long party. Ariens are great organizers. You are full of originality, but you sometimes lack discipline. You may not like to put your effort into things for very long. You are intuitive and can use words well. You can inspire others, especially in projects that have fast results.
You are well-suited to become a firefighter, surgeon, mechanic, dentist (watch that drill!), professional athlete and, most of all, entrepreneur.
Your colors are red and white (Not true, I like blue & yellow). Your birthstone is the brilliant diamond. It symbolizes clear strength, purified under pressure. Flowers for Aries include the red poppy, geraniums, honeysuckle and hollyhocks.
Strengths/Challenges
Adventurous and energetic Self-centered
Courageous Quick-tempered
Enthusiastic and confident Impatient
Dynamic and funny Implusive and "daredevil"
Likes/Dislikes
Action Waiting around
Coming in first Admitting Failure
Challenges No Opposition
Spontaneity Other people's advice
posted by ReJoYcE at 3:44 pm |
1 comments
|
1 comments
Yesterday after work The Critter and I traveled to Southend-on-Sea to visit with a co-worker that is originally from Tennesse. Mary is one of those straight shooters who holds little back and does not have the time to bullshit you. She came out to UK several weeks before I did and went through her own kind of hell trying to get acclimated to a new environment.
Southend-on-Sea is famous for having the loungest pleasure pier in the world with a length of 1.34 miles. The pier has suffered from several disasters with includes fire damage on at least two occasions with the last one happening in October. The Critter and I did not walk the pier but we did walk the Thames shoreline, while looking at shells and bullying a baby crab. We later had dinner close to the water and took the train back home.
On the way back we debated the best way to get back to the house...walk, bus, or taxi. We decided to walk (cheapest of the lot), which meant that we had to venture back into that creepy, horror movieish public path at night (roughly about 9-10pm). I talked The Critter into stopping at a pub on the way to have a quick drink so that I could settle my nerves before walking over the golfcourse and through the path.
Well it was hella hella dark and I could barely see in front of me. I quickly grabbed a hold of the back of The Critter's sweater as he became my guide through the whispering trees that seemed to reached out in attempts to separate me from him. The golf course turned out to be fine, until we came upon the path which looked like a dark hole amongst the treeline. The path only had about 3 ft of uneven walk space and was rocky. Along the way down the path I twisted each of my ankles and did something weird to my knee. On the last ankle-twisting I sceamed out in pain and would have nearly fell to the ground if my skinny friend had not reached out to grab me. During the near fall and in the midst of the pain, I had a knee-jerk reaction and almost bit The Critter on the arm! His sweater saved him from being permanently scarred. You know when you watch a camping scene and someone has broken a leg or an arm and they have to perform some horrendous medical procedure without a sedative, they always give the person something to put in their mouth to clamp down on to deal with the pain. Well, I was going to clamp down on The Critter's arm.
I was able to continue walking and made it through the path. Once we were back on the street I raised both arms in the air and thanked God I had made it through without rolling down the hill or being decapitated, horror movie style. I may be adventurous, but I am scary. I would now like to warn yall that in the future if I twist my ankle, have cramps, or give birth, there is a good possibility that you may be bit. Nothing personal, ok.
British Words Learned:
1. Fortnight- two weeks
2. Bog-off- fuck you
3. Fizzy drink- soda
4. bits- stuff ex. I needs to get my bits out of the way.
Differences:
1. The cigarette packages have different labels that takes up half the length of the pack with different variations of "Smoking Kills." You can also buy cigarettes in 10, 20 or 40 packs.
2. The temperature is not measured in Farhenheit, but in Celsius.
3. Food packaging is slender. We really do things big in the States!
posted by ReJoYcE at 3:26 pm |
0 comments
|
0 comments
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
My first double decker bus trip with The Critter. Do you see how sexy I am!!!
posted by ReJoYcE at 10:57 pm |
2 comments
|
2 comments
My landlady Kate has this kitten she has been taking care of, that is only 8 days old. The kitten still does not have a name other than "the baby." We (me, The Critter, Emme and Kate) have taken on shifts to ensure that the kitten has a fighting chance. Oh yeah, I am in the purple to the left and Emme, Kate's neice, is the hip to the right.
posted by ReJoYcE at 10:23 pm |
0 comments
|
0 comments
Sunday, August 06, 2006
I really can not believe how relaxed I have become over the last couple of days. The anxiety and stress has disappeared. It actually started lessening once I met The Critter at the train station. On Saturday I managed to do a little grocery shopping at a major supermarket in the UK called Tesco's (similar to Wal Mart and yes Wal Mart rears its ugly head in the UK as well). I actually first heard of Tesco's on a blog and I really tripped about being somewhere I had heard of and was finally in. Yes, I know that I am corny, but some of you know that the simple things in life really do bring me joy. Anyways I took a picture of my groceries while I was in line and The Critter took a picture of me standing in front of the building. I know corny, corny, corny.
On Sunday, The Critter and I ventured farther away from our base to go on a mission to find a veterinary clinic. Kate (my landlady) has been feeding feral cats and has managed to accumulate 7 breeding cats that need snipping. So The Critter's job is to take a couple to the vet sometime in the upcoming week. We were told that if we cut through a golf course that it would only take us 15-20 minutes to get to the vet. We thought "no problem it will be a nice walk." BULLSHIT!!!
First off, we had to take a public path that is 3/4 of a mile before the golf course. The damn path looks like a scene out of a fricking horror movie. Yall know the one I am talking about...long, narrow, trees and bushes on either side, rocky, had a steady incline and to top it off the sky was cloudy. The Critter even said that if this was a movie scene that I would have yelled at myself to get the frick out of there. Hell, at one point that fool left me alone for ten minutes to go scout another path. So after the creepy trek through the woods and across the golf course we finally arrived at a street.
(This part of the story may change, because The Critter would like to tell it, but he is not here now. So look out for his version later)
Only problem was that there was a fence separately us...ok I mean me from the street. One of the slates of the fence was missing and the agile Critter could squeeze (did I mention he is hella skinny now) either through the fence or climb over it. Here is the problem. I couldn't squeeze through and when is the last time one of yall seen me climb any damn thing or let alone lift my leg too high of the ground. LOL! It did not make sense to try to walk all the way around the fence, so I became gung-ho about climbing over. There was this nice tree close to the fence and The Critter started demonstrating several ways I could climb the fence by leveraging myself on the tree. I kept looking at him like he had lost his mind!
Skinny folks always have bright ideas that a plump person can do all the same shit as them. There was no way that any of his ways were going to get me over the fence safely. I kept envisioning my body ungracefully hitting the ground. The way I felt would be best is similar to being on a playground and using a bar to swing forward on. I really can't describe what I looked like well enough...maybe The Critter can do a better job. He felt that I was going to crack my skull open. So midway through my way I had to change my idea because I could not get enough momentuum to swing forward (LOL!!). I ended up on top of the fence screaming for The Critter to stop moving around and to stand in spot determined by me so that I could use his shoulders to brace myself as I put each foot on the ground. I am mad that I did not receive applause for my prowess from the passerbys, instead they laughed at me. The jacked up part was that The Critter looked like he was going to cry from laughing so hard at me. I did receive props for climbing the fence, however on the way back we walked around the fence. Oh yeah the trip to the vet took a roundtrip total of two hours not including us stopping at a local pub to celebrate me climbing a fence.
On Monday...First day at work
I went to work and did nothing but read about laws and policies/procedures while trying not to fall asleep.
ShoutOuts:
I loved thefact that Ms. Corinna went through hell and high water to get me on the phone and check on how I was doing. This is after I emailed her my number to an old email address and she had to call information to figure out how to call me. She had more of a conversation with The Critter than with me ( I was in the shower), but who cares, at least I got to hear her voice and learn that she has been running a muck in my absence.
***Ms. Corinna is one of my oldest friends (10 yrs this yr) that has turned into being a sister more than a friend. She is also one of the only people that I can talk to about all the stuff people in friendships rarely speak of for fear that it is too personal. I love her for that. I also loved how much she has grown as a person and become more open-minded over the years to different things. She is the BOMB!
British Words Learned:
1. Buggery- anal sex, getting it up the bum
2. Pence- same as cents
3. Pounds- same as dollars
Differences:
1. Obvious one... they drive on the other side of thestreet and their steering wheels are on the right-side of the car.
2. Instead of just having a penny, they also have 2 pence coin.
3. Gas is measured in liters not gallons and it cost 95p for one liter. Yall Americans need to stop complaining about gas prices!
4. You have to pay a tax in order to watch television in your home.
On Sunday, The Critter and I ventured farther away from our base to go on a mission to find a veterinary clinic. Kate (my landlady) has been feeding feral cats and has managed to accumulate 7 breeding cats that need snipping. So The Critter's job is to take a couple to the vet sometime in the upcoming week. We were told that if we cut through a golf course that it would only take us 15-20 minutes to get to the vet. We thought "no problem it will be a nice walk." BULLSHIT!!!
First off, we had to take a public path that is 3/4 of a mile before the golf course. The damn path looks like a scene out of a fricking horror movie. Yall know the one I am talking about...long, narrow, trees and bushes on either side, rocky, had a steady incline and to top it off the sky was cloudy. The Critter even said that if this was a movie scene that I would have yelled at myself to get the frick out of there. Hell, at one point that fool left me alone for ten minutes to go scout another path. So after the creepy trek through the woods and across the golf course we finally arrived at a street.
(This part of the story may change, because The Critter would like to tell it, but he is not here now. So look out for his version later)
Only problem was that there was a fence separately us...ok I mean me from the street. One of the slates of the fence was missing and the agile Critter could squeeze (did I mention he is hella skinny now) either through the fence or climb over it. Here is the problem. I couldn't squeeze through and when is the last time one of yall seen me climb any damn thing or let alone lift my leg too high of the ground. LOL! It did not make sense to try to walk all the way around the fence, so I became gung-ho about climbing over. There was this nice tree close to the fence and The Critter started demonstrating several ways I could climb the fence by leveraging myself on the tree. I kept looking at him like he had lost his mind!
Skinny folks always have bright ideas that a plump person can do all the same shit as them. There was no way that any of his ways were going to get me over the fence safely. I kept envisioning my body ungracefully hitting the ground. The way I felt would be best is similar to being on a playground and using a bar to swing forward on. I really can't describe what I looked like well enough...maybe The Critter can do a better job. He felt that I was going to crack my skull open. So midway through my way I had to change my idea because I could not get enough momentuum to swing forward (LOL!!). I ended up on top of the fence screaming for The Critter to stop moving around and to stand in spot determined by me so that I could use his shoulders to brace myself as I put each foot on the ground. I am mad that I did not receive applause for my prowess from the passerbys, instead they laughed at me. The jacked up part was that The Critter looked like he was going to cry from laughing so hard at me. I did receive props for climbing the fence, however on the way back we walked around the fence. Oh yeah the trip to the vet took a roundtrip total of two hours not including us stopping at a local pub to celebrate me climbing a fence.
On Monday...First day at work
I went to work and did nothing but read about laws and policies/procedures while trying not to fall asleep.
ShoutOuts:
I loved thefact that Ms. Corinna went through hell and high water to get me on the phone and check on how I was doing. This is after I emailed her my number to an old email address and she had to call information to figure out how to call me. She had more of a conversation with The Critter than with me ( I was in the shower), but who cares, at least I got to hear her voice and learn that she has been running a muck in my absence.
***Ms. Corinna is one of my oldest friends (10 yrs this yr) that has turned into being a sister more than a friend. She is also one of the only people that I can talk to about all the stuff people in friendships rarely speak of for fear that it is too personal. I love her for that. I also loved how much she has grown as a person and become more open-minded over the years to different things. She is the BOMB!
British Words Learned:
1. Buggery- anal sex, getting it up the bum
2. Pence- same as cents
3. Pounds- same as dollars
Differences:
1. Obvious one... they drive on the other side of thestreet and their steering wheels are on the right-side of the car.
2. Instead of just having a penny, they also have 2 pence coin.
3. Gas is measured in liters not gallons and it cost 95p for one liter. Yall Americans need to stop complaining about gas prices!
4. You have to pay a tax in order to watch television in your home.
posted by ReJoYcE at 2:23 pm |
0 comments
|
0 comments
Saturday, August 05, 2006
So to update the story The Critter was released by immigration contingent that he not work in the UK and that I support his narrow ass. So My Critter is Free!!!!!! However, The Critter had to wait for me at the airport until I had to moved into my flatshare and went to my job to fill out paperwork.
Becky and I went to the flatshare (same as renting out rooms in a house) to meet the owner. Who gave me this taken back look, because I was nowhere near what he was expecting after speaking with me several times on the phone. He promptly stated after introductions that I had to meet the flatmates to see if it would work out. (Read into that however you want, I know how I took it) Becky who had told me the day before that she would pay the deposit and the first month's rent, changed her mind and paid for the deposit and one week. It seems that a message was left on her phone about another place that would be cheaper. Becky felt that if things did not work out at the flatshare that I could take the deposit back and move into a different place. We left from there and she dropped me off at my new job. The job seems cool, but there will definitely be stories about that later. They gave me a start date of Monday, assured me that I could receive an emergency check sometime within the week, told me about helping me get a car for work, were extremely nice, and dropped me off at the train station.
I was about three stations away from where I started, on my way to finally get The Critter, when The Critter called and said that he found away to get to me!!!! So I quickly hopped off the train with a cheesy grin and jumped on the next train back. So as I arrived at the station and My Critter who I have not seen in almost a year was standing there skinny as hell with a baby mohawk. God I missed his ass! All the shit we went through just to see each other was pure bullshit. As a treat here is his version of what he went through to make it to London...
Introducing The Critter
Wow, I'm so privileged to not only be in Ms. Re-Re's presence but also to type a little something on the almighty blog. I gotta be loved!
So I was in Macedonia (long story) for two weeks, and I had already bought a plane ticket from Athens to London on the night of August 3rd. Trying to leave on Tuesday afternoon, I visited 3 ATMs just to find out they had frozen my bank account. I'd run all over town, packed up my recently washed but drenched clothes - which didn't dry until last night, made tons of phone calls as to which way to get out of town -- through buses, trains, etc. -- and in the end, since I didn't have a dollar on me, decided to hitchhike the 700 km (some 450 miles) to Athens. I mean I had a day and a half, so what's the problem, right?
After getting some drinks with my friends, I left to sleep in the park at 1am on what was technically Wednesday morning. I brought my bag and the 5 euros worth of food, enough to last 2 days, that my good friend Vlademir had bought for me. Feeling like shit, I started to make my way down the road to get to Greece. Within 5 hours, I'd gotten 4 different rides to make it all 200 km to Thessaloniki, the last big town before Athens, though it's still 500 km away.
This proved to be the hardest place to get a ride. People picked me up and dropped me off on dangerous overpasses and even forks in the highways, with cars pretty much passing me on either side going like 60 mph. The sun was beating down and my bag was tearing at the shoulders (well, it's actually my friend's bag, so I've gotta talk to him about it....) so I was praying the bag didn't fray apart when I was running to make it to cars that had stopped for me.
I waited 2 hours at the toll booth, asking semi-trucks, one after another after another, for a ride all the way to Athens, and the dicks didn't do it since I spoke English. Simple as that. Apparently there's a problem with some Albanians, and they thought I was dangerous since I had a small mohawk I'd gotten for a soccer tournament in Italy. Ridiculous.
I finally got a ride from a guy who asked me tons of questions about where I was from and if I was "clean": did I have any knifes or guns on me, etc. He ended up being nice and gave me 5€ to ate. "Please eat something. For me. Please." Damn, how bad did I look? After dropping me off, I sat on the side of the road and ate half a loaf of bread with a block of melting cheese (my meal of the day), where I got a piece of debris from a passing semi-truck in the eye.
I got another ride another 2 hours later, and that guy said the same thing about eating when he gave me 9€. Damn I was actually making money doing this! I need to do it more often. I used that money for a train from Larissa, the half-way mark for me, back to Athens. I'd arrived at the Larissa train station, after a 45 minute walk through town, about 12 hours and 8 different rides after I started that day. I had just enough money for the 12:30 train that night.
Five hours on the train, and I was too tired and way too uncomfortable to sleep. I got into Athens, tried to sleep at the train but was woken up, and started to make my way to the airport via the tram. I didn't and couldn't buy a ticket since I had no money and was saved, when the ticket checker wanted to give me a 400€ fine (more than twice the amount of money to my name) when I failed to show a ticket, by a nice French stranger who paid the original price for me.
I made it into the Athens airport at 7am, 23 hours after I started. I spent 15 hours bumming around and finally getting a whole 5 hours of sleep until my plane was ready. I was again so tired when I boarded that I hardly slept.
I got off the plane and was at immigration control by 1 am. They started asking me about how much money I had, where I was staying, etc. and judged that I wasn't fit to be in the country. I assured them that since my bank account was frozen (which it actually wasn't any longer), my friend was going to take care of me, and if I needed to, that I could borrow money from my mom. I made the mistake of mentioning that I'd worked in a factory in Australia, from repeating my travel history so much, so they thought I was a threat to the fucking British working industry. They kept me in a detention center for 8 hours (I managed only 1 hour of sleep on the frigid floor not far from the pregnant Nigerian girl who wasn't given a bed), where I'd made friends with every person in there who spoke decent English. Their stories were incredible and filled with hardship, and when I left I gave a guy my e-mail address so he could look me up if he gets to Texas, and he gave me £10. Why? So I could eat.
I left, got in a 2 hour conversation with a really intense Israeli guy who ended up buying me lunch, and spent the £10 (and borrowed 80 pence from other people) on a train. See, I spoke with Re-Re and she said, "Try to find a way to me." "Ok, I'll find a way." I did, and I got an earful when I called looking for her at the train station, she tried giving me a hard time since she was on her way to the damn airport. Then she complained about being tired. I bit my lip, we found a hotel after she was kicked out of the flat where were supposed to be staying, and I showered and ate my first real meal since Tuesday. I just hope the beer here is good.
I'm back...
After meeting up I called the flatshare owner to find out if The Critter could spend the night if I paid a little extra. Needless to say the flatshare owner immediately said "No" so I told him that I would not be staying in the flat and would make other arrangements. The Critter and I went to pick up my stuff and spent the night in a hotel. I got in contact with a woman who had a room for let (rent) and she was understanding about the situation. Kate actually used to work at my job and one of my soon to be co-workers was once her tenant. So The Critter and I moved in the next the day.
Things are looking up!!!! I finally can sleep and actually eat something after the last three days of bullshit.
Becky and I went to the flatshare (same as renting out rooms in a house) to meet the owner. Who gave me this taken back look, because I was nowhere near what he was expecting after speaking with me several times on the phone. He promptly stated after introductions that I had to meet the flatmates to see if it would work out. (Read into that however you want, I know how I took it) Becky who had told me the day before that she would pay the deposit and the first month's rent, changed her mind and paid for the deposit and one week. It seems that a message was left on her phone about another place that would be cheaper. Becky felt that if things did not work out at the flatshare that I could take the deposit back and move into a different place. We left from there and she dropped me off at my new job. The job seems cool, but there will definitely be stories about that later. They gave me a start date of Monday, assured me that I could receive an emergency check sometime within the week, told me about helping me get a car for work, were extremely nice, and dropped me off at the train station.
I was about three stations away from where I started, on my way to finally get The Critter, when The Critter called and said that he found away to get to me!!!! So I quickly hopped off the train with a cheesy grin and jumped on the next train back. So as I arrived at the station and My Critter who I have not seen in almost a year was standing there skinny as hell with a baby mohawk. God I missed his ass! All the shit we went through just to see each other was pure bullshit. As a treat here is his version of what he went through to make it to London...
Introducing The Critter
Wow, I'm so privileged to not only be in Ms. Re-Re's presence but also to type a little something on the almighty blog. I gotta be loved!
So I was in Macedonia (long story) for two weeks, and I had already bought a plane ticket from Athens to London on the night of August 3rd. Trying to leave on Tuesday afternoon, I visited 3 ATMs just to find out they had frozen my bank account. I'd run all over town, packed up my recently washed but drenched clothes - which didn't dry until last night, made tons of phone calls as to which way to get out of town -- through buses, trains, etc. -- and in the end, since I didn't have a dollar on me, decided to hitchhike the 700 km (some 450 miles) to Athens. I mean I had a day and a half, so what's the problem, right?
After getting some drinks with my friends, I left to sleep in the park at 1am on what was technically Wednesday morning. I brought my bag and the 5 euros worth of food, enough to last 2 days, that my good friend Vlademir had bought for me. Feeling like shit, I started to make my way down the road to get to Greece. Within 5 hours, I'd gotten 4 different rides to make it all 200 km to Thessaloniki, the last big town before Athens, though it's still 500 km away.
This proved to be the hardest place to get a ride. People picked me up and dropped me off on dangerous overpasses and even forks in the highways, with cars pretty much passing me on either side going like 60 mph. The sun was beating down and my bag was tearing at the shoulders (well, it's actually my friend's bag, so I've gotta talk to him about it....) so I was praying the bag didn't fray apart when I was running to make it to cars that had stopped for me.
I waited 2 hours at the toll booth, asking semi-trucks, one after another after another, for a ride all the way to Athens, and the dicks didn't do it since I spoke English. Simple as that. Apparently there's a problem with some Albanians, and they thought I was dangerous since I had a small mohawk I'd gotten for a soccer tournament in Italy. Ridiculous.
I finally got a ride from a guy who asked me tons of questions about where I was from and if I was "clean": did I have any knifes or guns on me, etc. He ended up being nice and gave me 5€ to ate. "Please eat something. For me. Please." Damn, how bad did I look? After dropping me off, I sat on the side of the road and ate half a loaf of bread with a block of melting cheese (my meal of the day), where I got a piece of debris from a passing semi-truck in the eye.
I got another ride another 2 hours later, and that guy said the same thing about eating when he gave me 9€. Damn I was actually making money doing this! I need to do it more often. I used that money for a train from Larissa, the half-way mark for me, back to Athens. I'd arrived at the Larissa train station, after a 45 minute walk through town, about 12 hours and 8 different rides after I started that day. I had just enough money for the 12:30 train that night.
Five hours on the train, and I was too tired and way too uncomfortable to sleep. I got into Athens, tried to sleep at the train but was woken up, and started to make my way to the airport via the tram. I didn't and couldn't buy a ticket since I had no money and was saved, when the ticket checker wanted to give me a 400€ fine (more than twice the amount of money to my name) when I failed to show a ticket, by a nice French stranger who paid the original price for me.
I made it into the Athens airport at 7am, 23 hours after I started. I spent 15 hours bumming around and finally getting a whole 5 hours of sleep until my plane was ready. I was again so tired when I boarded that I hardly slept.
I got off the plane and was at immigration control by 1 am. They started asking me about how much money I had, where I was staying, etc. and judged that I wasn't fit to be in the country. I assured them that since my bank account was frozen (which it actually wasn't any longer), my friend was going to take care of me, and if I needed to, that I could borrow money from my mom. I made the mistake of mentioning that I'd worked in a factory in Australia, from repeating my travel history so much, so they thought I was a threat to the fucking British working industry. They kept me in a detention center for 8 hours (I managed only 1 hour of sleep on the frigid floor not far from the pregnant Nigerian girl who wasn't given a bed), where I'd made friends with every person in there who spoke decent English. Their stories were incredible and filled with hardship, and when I left I gave a guy my e-mail address so he could look me up if he gets to Texas, and he gave me £10. Why? So I could eat.
I left, got in a 2 hour conversation with a really intense Israeli guy who ended up buying me lunch, and spent the £10 (and borrowed 80 pence from other people) on a train. See, I spoke with Re-Re and she said, "Try to find a way to me." "Ok, I'll find a way." I did, and I got an earful when I called looking for her at the train station, she tried giving me a hard time since she was on her way to the damn airport. Then she complained about being tired. I bit my lip, we found a hotel after she was kicked out of the flat where were supposed to be staying, and I showered and ate my first real meal since Tuesday. I just hope the beer here is good.
I'm back...
After meeting up I called the flatshare owner to find out if The Critter could spend the night if I paid a little extra. Needless to say the flatshare owner immediately said "No" so I told him that I would not be staying in the flat and would make other arrangements. The Critter and I went to pick up my stuff and spent the night in a hotel. I got in contact with a woman who had a room for let (rent) and she was understanding about the situation. Kate actually used to work at my job and one of my soon to be co-workers was once her tenant. So The Critter and I moved in the next the day.
Things are looking up!!!! I finally can sleep and actually eat something after the last three days of bullshit.
posted by ReJoYcE at 1:25 pm |
0 comments
|
0 comments
Friday, August 04, 2006
Ok the newest set of drama in my life...are you ready for this shit???!!! So I went to the airport to meet The Critter's flight but I did not see him. I thought in the back of my head that he pulled a MIA stunt like I did on my flight. So I waited, paged overhead and waited. While at the information desk for the second time I happended to overhear a handsome looking black man say The Critter's name. Come to find out he works for immigration and is holding The Critter for questioning regarding some statements he made about his financial status (broke) and his employment (he claimed that he planned to work without a work permit). So I waited at the airport for about 4 hours and the same lovely looking man came back out to tell me that they may keep him for a week and possibly deport him. Shite!! Frick!!! and Shite again!!! I made it back to Becky's house three hours later from the airport and received a message that immigration had called. Well, they have determined that the only way that The Critter can stay in the UK and not be deported is if I can provide proof of my job. So as I type they are calling my job. So I wait....
posted by ReJoYcE at 10:13 am |
0 comments
|
0 comments
Thursday, August 03, 2006
So I arrived an hour early for my flight, but I managed to have a quick breakdown right after I made it through check-in, before going through the security checkpoint. I called Ms. Tiff and received the extra added push that I needed to get me through the bothersome process of showing everyone my sexy new socks and unveiling my laptop.
My flight...10 hours, 3 movies (The Hills have Eyes, Inside Man & 16 Blocks) and 1 double shot of brandy later, I arrived at London Heathrow Airport. Meg's friend lives on the northside of London, so I decided to bring back my adventurous side. I took an express bus from Heathrow up to Luton Airport and then proceeded to take a regular transit bus into Harpenden. Once I arrived in Harpenden I found myself in a pickle. It seems that some folks around here either do not know how to give directions, do not know there own backyard or just wanted to see me run around with all my luggage looking stupid and hot (as in sweaty...eventhough I am a bit sexy when wet). Hehehehehe! So I called Meg's friend Becky for the third time. It seems that I made it to her house within two blocks. So I am popping my collar that I have mad skills getting where I need to go.
The bad news...I found out from Becky that things were not explained clearly and I can not stay here for a month. In fact I have to find somewhere to go by tomorrow evening, because she leaves town 5am Saturday morning. This so sucks. Becky and I are on a mission and she has found a flatshare for a £100 a week. Also, I have not heard anything back from The Critter. So I will call the airport in a bit and figure out which flight he is coming in on and then go and wait for him.
I know that I emailed and blogged about needing money and leaving it up in the air.
Ok this shit just got serious!!!! I NEED MONEY BADLY!!!!!!! So if you have something/anything to spare and there is a Washington Mutual near you please email me and I will give you my info.
Other than that I am mentally way better than I have been in weeks. I am in frickin London...let the craziness begin.
posted by ReJoYcE at 3:01 pm |
0 comments
|
0 comments
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Actually I see it leaving me behind as I stand at the check-in counter looking stuck on stupid! So to break it down...I missed my flight! Some have said that I subconsciously did it because I am unsure about my living arrangements and work itself. I really can not honestly say that my subconscious did not play a part, but I was trying to make that flight. I just tried to do to much in a short amount of time. So I have been promising my nieces that I would take them to Muir Woods which is known for its redwoods. I figured that on my last day instead of sitting in the house counting down the hours until my flight, I would head out to a peaceful environment and enjoy nature with my three sweeties and Action, their cat. Everything went pretty well, except for the ominous "no pets" sign. So the nieces got anxious, while the rebellious auntie refused to leave the cat in car. So Action, the cat, became the first pet in the history (a little exaggeration on my part) of Muir Woods to check out the redwood forest. On the way back home we ran into (unknown to me) typical San Fransico traffic. When we finally made it back to the house I was running late and still had about 30 minutes of errands to run. So I ran them. I arrived at the check-in counter with a little less than 30 minutes to spare before my flight took off.
So my flight has been rescheduled for tomorrow at the same time. At the counter Ms. Tiff asked me if it was worth it missing my flight to take the kids to Muir Woods. I replied "yes." That is until the clerk informed me that the penalty for missing the flight is $200, so I promptly changed my answer to "no." I did love the reception I received when I made it back home. I was hugged, kissed and treated (and I participated) to a cellphone ringtone dance contest by my nieces.
The stark reality is that I can not afford to lose/give away $200!!!!! I was already strapped for cash and now this trip seems in dire straits. What the Fuck!!!!!
Things I accomplished today...
1. Took the nieces out tree-hugging
2. Mailed out my text messaging device to a friend that will be able to use it while I am gone. So don't text me anymore or a chick in Seattle will respond rudely.
3. Received my tri-band cellphone and will try and figure out what the hell to do with it.
4. Managed to delete all emails in my inbox, which includes The Critter's flight information. Double Frickin Ughhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5. Oh and the big one I missed my flight.
What I have to do tomorrow...
Get to the airport hella early and catch a flight.
Oh if you are interested in donating to the "I don't want to be Broke and on the London Streets" fund. Let me know...
posted by ReJoYcE at 1:06 am |
0 comments
|
0 comments
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Today I spent my time running around town like a chicken with my head cut off. I feel drained and beside myself. I looked at my keys and realized that come tomorrow I will have nothing on them, except for a keychain. I still do not have the address to my future dwelling. I sent The Critter an email letting him know that I might have a spot for him to lay his head, however he has yet to respond.
I REALLY CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT I AM LEAVING TOMORROW!!!!!
Seriously, it really does not seem real. Ugh!!!!! My stomach is starting to hurt again. I think the anxiety is rearing its ugly head and making mush meat out of my intestines.
I want to thank so many of you for "well-wishing" me. It is much appreciated.
Things that I have accomplished...
1. I had a semi day of beauty, which entails getting a manicure and a pedicure.
2. Bought a couple items of clothing as well as skivvies (aka draws)
3. Talked to my high school Dean, who has decided to have a renaissance faire type of wedding. Don't ask...
4. Talked to couple more friends that I have not spoken to in a while.
Things to accomplish...
1. Still need to pack and get more boxes from UHAUL
2. Need to stop by the store and pick up hygiene stuff
3. Have to catch a plane....
Update: Meg just called with the address!
posted by ReJoYcE at 3:50 am |
0 comments
|
0 comments