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.
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
