Workin...

Well, I'm sitting here at work, enjoying the fact that I have nothing to do tonight, hardly any calls will come in, and the place is fully booked so nobody new can come in. I've got endless amounts of tea and a nice piece of carrot cake and some scones awaiting for when I choose, and maybe even a ham sandwich if I so desire. I'll admit, I don't want to only make £6.75 an hour, but I am in Oxford, and I haven't even begun to see the money that I'm making, so before I cry about how much money I'm not making and how much I'm not going to be able to travel, I need to actually give it a month.

As for travel, well... There's only so much you can do when you work every day for 10 days and sleep the rest of the time that you're not working. However, this week should prove eventful. I am going to do a tour of the Kilns, Lewis' home, visit his grave site, and raise a Guinness to the late Lewis on Thursday at the Eagle and Child. I hope to do a tour of Windsor Castle this week, maybe Friday or Wednesday, and I hope to do a tour of the Oxford Castle Unlocked, which is the old jail in town. The Sheldonian and Bodlian Libraries are also of interest, at least for some slow reading before work. I haven't tried really anything that Oxford has to offer, so while I'm here, I'm going to do as much as one can. That's why I'm here right?

My two November trips are coming up as well. I have a friend from home, well he's Joel's friend, but I shall call him a friend as well, who is traveling through Scotland, England and Ireland for a few weeks. On the 3-5, we'll be doing Edinburgh. Hopefully the castles, a day trip to Stirling, a scotch tasting hopefully, and just discovering what Edinburgh has to offer. I'm looking forward very much to that. Not paying for it, but I'll get over that. ;)

As for the next trip it will be on the 17th and 18th, and it's horseback riding in Wales. The Brecon Beacons Park, a national park, is what we will spend a day riding through, stopping along the way for many sites. On the way to the park there will be plenty of sightseeing stops, but it's a straight drive through the The Cotswolds, and is sure to be a welcome weekend away. Plus, they pick me up in Oxford, and drop me off in Oxford! Nice!

Welp, I'm gonna keep on working. I hadn't updated you all for awhile, so I figured I would. I think I said that pictures of my house are up on my flickr site, but if I didn't, then they are! I'll continue posting throughout the week, letting you know of how the week goes. Until then, Cheers!

A Good Day

Ah, what a day. Wake up at two in the afternoon after watching the Colt's win, and what's this? It's an absolutely gorgeous day outside! Of course, I slept through the morning, but that's ok! That's ok! I made up for it. Today's agenda:



-Covered Market for some dinner including an amazingly soft cheese, some apples and some cashews. Oh, and some chocolate.






-Christ Church Meadow to eat and enjoy the evening's crisp breeze, all whilst enjoying a dazzling sunset.







-The Eagle and Child Pub, popular watering hole of Jack Lewis and John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, for the second night in a row, and some great Guinness.



-After the Guinness, I had some time for a little Brothers Karamazov and a Titanic Stout at the Tuft Taver, which is connected to my hotel of employment, and across the street from the Hollywell Music Room, which is where I attended a rather intimate performance of Hugo Wolf's compositions of German poems. A fun event for only £5, I must say! And I haven't seen operatic performances enough in my life!

Afterwards, I came home and talked with one of my roommates about everything under the sun for a couple of hours. We will probably, if I'm not working, go to a place on the other side of Headington next Tuesday for a quiz night, which should be a great time! Yay for friends! ;)

So that's my night, and my first REAL day off. Yesterday was off, but I didn't really do anything. Tomorrow is a day of work, which shouldn't be difficult. The next thing to do now is start preparing my days off... Mmmmm.... Traveling...

Cheers!!!

...is where I live.

I'm just gonna throw these pictures up here for your enjoyment and to help convince myself that I made the right decision by coming to Oxford and not going somewhere else. As an avid fan of C.S. Lewis, like so many of my brothers, these maps should prove some good points.

This first one is a map. The red dot is where I live. The green dot is where C.S. Lewis lived. Hmmmm... 1.3 miles



This one is a map. The green dot is where I live. The red dot is where Mrs. Moore, Jack's friend that he would visit frequently as a young man (as noted in All My Years Before Me). 0.8 miles I actually walked past it twice today on my way to work and didn't even know it.



Dang. I've got my first two days off tomorrow. I'll definitely be walking around Headington, the home of C.S. Lewis.

Cheers!

Life Starts

Well then. God answers prayer, and I have a place to live for the remainder of my stay here in Oxford.

20 Palmer Road
Headington,
Oxford

Just east of the city, about 15 minutes to downtown by bus or bike, and I move in tomorrow. I will live with a 30 year-old full time nanny, Judith, a younger 20-something automotive engineer, Robin (sp? it's a guy), and a 23 year-old IT guy, Richard. So, that's my house for five months, and I'm happy. Now I have a place to store my clothes, yesssss... and I'll write the letters I've wanted to, blog regularly, and finally do some traveling. I'll post pictures of around my hotel soon, as well as my house when I have them. As for now, I'm going to check into my hostel for one more night, get something to eat, and head to a movie. Alright? Cheers!

Young

October 16

I had fish and chips for the first time today. Alongside a Guinness, the only thing that could have made it better would be a coat, or maybe a friend to eat it with. Right now I’m sitting in a pub on Magdelan Street in Oxford waiting until 8:00pm so I can go view a house. It seems kind of far away from work, but if I really think about it, it’s only a few minutes by bus, and it seems like it’s a quiet area. I would like to live a few minutes from work, if possible, but if the place is nice and the people are nice, then why not take it right? The Cotswolds are calling my name, I’ll say that much. I’ll probably buy a bike here in the next week or two, that way I can get outside the city on my days off this week. I wonder though, how am I going to get around when I travel somewhere? I know how I’ll get to places, but once I’m there, I’m going to have to hire a bike every time I go somewhere. That will get old real fast. But, a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do, yeah?

Oxford is young. The people are young, the staff’s at the pubs are young, the nature seems young. It just seems like a place for young people. That’s the feeling a college town will give you, I assume. I think it will be a fun place to live. It’s a lot bigger than it seems, more like Lafayette or Bloomington, really. Lots of shops, lots of pubs, lots of people. I like it. Plus, Joel’s weekly installments of The Office make life easy and fun! The pub is getting busier, and I really wish I had a coat because it definitely got cold when the sun went down. Usually it doesn’t get this cold, so I will have to remember to start wearing a coat! And maybe I can buy a scarf now! Ok, I will buy a scarf! Thanks, scarf selling guy!

October 17

I had a good day of work yesterday. The job will be quite easy once I am used to the routine. One bad thing, I work Friday, Sat, and Sun mornings this weekend, so again, no church. I can at least make Vespers on Saturday. As for that, I hope to be able to get all my Sunday mornings off. I'll have to work on that.

Still waiting on the call for one place, the only one I've looked at. Tonight is the last night in my hostel, so I really need to find a place, now! Anyway, that's what I'm doing now. I'll see you all later on.

Moving...

Finally moving to Oxford. London is a nice place, but I"m a country boy through and through. I'm looking forward to leaving work and being able to head to the country for the evening, or at least to a big park for a walk, away from traffic and cars and people and profit and yeah... London, and I guess I should say Europe, is a bit too liberal for me. Advertising is more risque, and the people are like in any big city; frowning. Nobody smiles here. I like to smile, and if people aren't returning it, then life is no fun. Where I'll be working in a hotel, I'm in control, so people have to look at me, and if they're not smiling, my job is to get them to. I like being paid to make people happy. That's the sign of a good job.

So now I've got some money in my pocket (the last of the cash that I brought with me), a job, and a new town to explore. I've explored London, and I only need to see Tower Bridge to complete what I wanted to see in London. I've had traditional pub food, except I haven't had fish and chips; I'll do that in Oxford. I've had the ales, I enjoyed a few English breakfasts, and I think I've done well experiencing London. As for the rest of England, I want Bristol, Cornwall, Manchester, York, Newcastle, Cambridge, and the Lake District before I leave. I'll do Wales within the next month hopefully, and Ireland this month or next also. I think the highlands of Scotland will have to wait until March, although Glasgow and Edinburgh can be done soon too. Christmas in the Swiss Alps at a place called The Mountain Hostel in Gimmelwald, Switzerland, suggested by Luke. Right now, that's all I've got. Although I found some pretty cool places to do adrenaline pumping stuff like land surfing and coasteering. But we'll see: I don't want to give mom a heart attack. ;) JOKING MOM!!

It's been a lovely day here, but now it's kind of clouding up. Honestly, England has gotten a bad break with all the assumptions that it's all rain and cold. I've had one day of rain here, and it was rather refreshing. I've been here over a week and a half, so I'm pretty happy. I realize that once it gets colder it will rain more and October is actually the rain season, but so far so good. When I was in Oxford last week I found an amazing place to find some panini's, and it had some sweet looking apple pie too. Although, for work of course, I need to sample a lot of pubs within the next week, that way I can suggest good places to people. Same with walking around Oxford. I need to get to know my way around! That is something I'm really looking forward to: Finding out where the good spots of Oxford are, in order for me to pass them on. So here's to fun nights out in Oxford!

I'll be taking pictures on my tour of the hotel so I can really know what rooms are what and what each one offers, so I'll share those with you all soon. As for my pictures of Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, St. Paul's, and the British Museum, refer to my Flickr page in the next couple days, and they will all be up.

I'm gonna quit writing so I don't get sick on this bus now. Cheers!

And Now to Follow Up That Last Post....

PICTURE TIME!!! I'll hopefully get to make them a little bigger soon.

My Flickr Photos

I just got this: thanks for the prayers.


"Dear Caleb

Thank you for coming to Bath Place this afternoon.

Having this evening completed the scheduled interviews I am pleased to confirm that I would like to offer you the position as discussed.
I am available on Tuesday afternoon the16th of October at 3pm to give you a preliminary training shift.
All being well I would then insert you into our rota for the rest of the week for full training.
I hope this is agreeable and would ask that you confirm this arrangement as soon as possible.

Many thanks, I look forward to hearing from you.

Yolanda"

If you want to check the place out, go to The Bath Place Website

That's my new job...

Cheers!

Wow

Wow. That is all I have to say right now. I’m going to let your minds wander and wonder at what I could be talking about. My hints are:
• I went to Oxford today
• I had my interview
• I am going back on Monday to work half a shift with the manager to see if I can actually do the job
• Pictures are available at
• Barring a terrible day on Monday I am moving to Oxford
• I can’t wait to work in Oxford
• Holy crap, I love Oxford
• If you want old England, go to Oxford
• I love Oxford
• Oxford, Oxford, Oxford
• If I get paid £6.75/hr like it says, which is what I will make, I don’t care. I’m working in Oxford
• £14/hr? What’s that? That’s not in Oxford, so sorry!
• Yeah…Oxford.
• I’m gonna take fencing.
Good luck with that everybody. I hope your minds someday have the same “blowing up” experience mine had today. Check out the pictures and you’ll know what I’m talking about. Wow.

Oh yeah… Cheers. Mates.

Sweet, Another One

Alright, I've got another interview tomorrow, this time with a hotel in Oxford called Bath Place (www.bathplace.co.uk) for a front desk position.
Upsides:
1. It is in Oxford, a couple blocks from where C.S. Lewis lived. Dang.
2. Days off are consecutive, the shift before the day off is 7-3 and the shift
the day after the days off is 3-11, so basically three days off in a row.
3. Oxford actually is only an hour away from London by bus, so...
Downsides:
1. Pay is £6.75/hr, and accommodation is NOT included. So I'd have to live on
£1070/month, which really isn't too bad, but I'm pretty confident I could pull
at least £10 in London.
2. The lady I talked to seemed nice, but kind of nervous and a little out there.
She didn't seem dodgy or anything, but it certainly wasn't Julie Andrews on
the other line.
3. London is growing on me.

So after my trip to Oxford, I'll know for sure. I'm actually going to look for a hostel in Oxford for tomorrow night, so that could be a lot of fun. I'll take plenty of pictures, so get ready!!!

I also opened a bank account today. Free and at a pretty big bank in London, HSBC, and that was a fun experience. I got there, put my name in to be helped (it was like putting my name in for a restaurant back home), and they told me it would be about 20 minutes. I say ok, and go to get some food. I eat, come back in 15 minutes, and they'd already called over me. The lady who first took my name saw me still sitting and starting going crazy with "I'm so sorry, you had just popped out and we called you directly, I'm so sorry, I'll try to find somebody, etc." I sat for a couple more minutes waiting and she returned with more "Sorry's" in her lovely British accent and led me to a room where a young black girl was to take my information and help me out. Apparently, the first lady had pulled her from cashier duty just to open my account. I'm sitting here stunned as I'm being offered coffee while I wait and being apologized to non-stop, receiving service like never before back home. I actually can't remember having been served like this before. Anyway, we get going and since I don't have a job yet I have to get a special override from the first lady in order to get "the proper" account, as she put it, which basically is a free checking account with free internet/telephone banking and a free ATM card. The black girl and I get to talking and she had been to New York and Miami before and had loved it. She said she really enjoyed the atmosphere "at the universities" and how the students were all about their own school, sports, Greek, clubs, everything. She would have been a cheerleader if she had gone to an American school. She found it amusing how the black guys in the clubs in Miami would just start hugging them and calling them "mama" and doing what those of us who have been in clubs witness every time. It's funny to me, but even funnier when I hear a Brit talking about it. She proceeded to do her American accent, which was hilarious (quite good actually!), and poke fun at my British accent. Then I left with a new bank account, and now all I need is a job to make some money to put into it. Woot Woot!

It's 5:55pm here, the sun is setting, and the sky is clouding. It rained early morning, sunned up during the day, clouded up in the afternoon, and is now staying overcast. BUNAC is having a pub meet tonight in Camden Town, and there's a song about Camden Town and I can't think of it. Dang it, that's gonna drive me nuts. Anyway, BUNACer's will go and people who work there go too. So I'll probably go because I haven't anything better to do.

As of right now, the best thing I can do is go take a shower, since I haven't yet today, and get geared up for the interview tomorrow, yay. Time to get "suited and booted" as they say here.

Cheers!

Still in the Saddle

I'm not "back" in the saddle, cause I never got off the horse in the first place. I'm still looking for a job, still applying, still wondering whether or not I really want to work in London (unless of course I get the AmEx job), and wondering where I want to go if I don't live in London. I applied today for a front desk job for a small hotel in Oxford, which would be great if accommodation was included, however I think it's just going to pay £6.50/hr, which is of course half of the AmEx job. I shouldn't have even interviewed for the other job because now I'm turned off at the thought of making only $13/hour as opposed to $28 an hour. HA! I'm in flippin' England regardless! I just need to go have a pint and enjoy myself here, right Mrs. Combs? Or should I just get some ice cream. By the way, is there a way I could justify paying $7 for some ice cream on a stick? I can justify paying that much for a pint and a half of cidre, but I don't know about ice cream. I'll just wait until tonight for the BUNAC pub meet. I don't have anything better to do, so I plan on heading to that. I don't want to sit in my hostel and watch Lord of the Rings then go to McDonald's again. So bitter's coming tonight!

As for other jobs, I'm just gonna have to open myself up to anything. I am going to see what work would be like in the Lake District, because I know life would be amazing. So, anybody have any towns they want me to live in? Or specific areas of England at all? Luke, you want me to move to Cornwall and surf all winter? It's crazy because there's so many jobs available. Oh, man, I'm ready to have a job.

Since I applied for that hotel job in Oxford, hopefully I'll get an interview requiring me to go to Oxford! I haven't left London yet, and I'm ready to go I've got at least the weekend to see them, especially since it's the Colt's bye week, so Sunday night is definitely free. Oxford would be nice, perhaps a day trip to Cambridge in the next couple of weeks. Paris is only two and a half hours by train, as well as Brussels. The world awaits. And so do I.

Pictures soon, the camera is being charged right now. Cheers.

First One Down, Hopefully a Few More To Go

Had my first interview this morning. I don't think it's possible for anything to have gone any better, aside from getting offered the job on the spot. Well, things went great during the first part where I met with two younger girls (woot woot!) for the preliminary stuff, then they had me meet one of the two VP's I'd be working for, if I get the job. He really wanted me to understand that this job wasn't going to be very stimulating at times and I'd probably get really bored once in a while. I said that I've stocked beer in grocery stores for the last two years, so I think I'm good with monotonous work. We had a good talk about interests, and of course, the World Cup this weekend, especially since England is in the semi's, as well as South Africa, which is where he's from. I felt kind of dumb because when he asked my interests, I mentioned music and that I liked to play the djmbe, which was an African drum. He then proceeded to ask where it's from and I said, "Southern Africa, I think." "Oh, really? I'm from South Africa. I've never heard of it." Dang it! Busted! So I fuddled my way around it and told him that he'd like it if he heard it, and tried to make a joke of not being able to play drums with my hands and feet at the same time, so a hand drum is best for me.

The conversation went well, and I think I gave a really good interview. I've had so many in the past 5 years that I feel like it's second nature to have somebody questioning me about my next 10 years and where I want to be and blah blah blah. So this interview was very laid back and casual; a change of pace that was greatly welcomed. If I get that job, I'll be extremely happy. Here's the surroundings: A five to seven minute walk north up Buckingham Palace Road takes you to, well, Buckingham Palace, past the Royal Mews. A seven to ten minute walk directly west down Victoria Street takes you to Westminster Abbey, and you can change your clock to match Big Ben every day during lunch! And a couple steps further and you can sit in on a Parliamentary decision at the Houses of Parliament. Or perhaps walk across Westminster Bridge over the Thames to the Florence Nightingale Museum. But you certainly wouldn't have enough time during lunch for that. Directly south on Wilton Road takes you to the Queen Mother Sports Centre, so I'll find out what that's about later. Past Buckhingham Palace is St. James's Park, so lunches with the ducks and ravens could be an every day occurence. A two-minute ride on the tube would take you to Harrod's where endless shoppers indulge in every type of store and atmostphere possible. If you happen to get an early day on Friday and want to hop on the Express Train to Gatwick airport for a weekend trip in Brussels or Belfast, well it's just across the street from the office. And this isn't just an ordinary office.

This thing is smack dab in the middle of the business world. You know the movies where a man goes to a job interview and the revolving doors are about 20 feet tall? Then he walks into a giant white/grey room where the only thing in the whole room is a desk off to the left with two receptionists? He has to get a building pass made, custom with his picture and name on it. He walks to the elevators with the lovely British narrator telling you that "The door is opening. The door is closing. Arriving at the second floor. The door is opening." Then he pushes through some 10 food glass doors where the handle goes all the way up and down the door. After he says he's there for an interview, he has a seat on the white leather couches that don't allow you to sit all the way back or you'll look like a 10-year old kid on the bus with his legs hanging off the seat, kicking the seat in front of him. Yeah, I'm not that short, so they were some big couches. Then he is introduced, is offered coffe, water, whatever, and he goes into a small conference room. Outside the conference room is apparently the lounge, full of three columns by about six rows of ottoman seats opposite of small round tables. Several possible co-workers discuss the previous days events and last night's football match between Chelsea and New Castle United, and perhaps the big rugby matches going on this weekend.

After the initial interview, he is walked through the narrow corridors to a room with several white cubicles, clearly viewable for the visitor's eye, and is handed over to the big man in the office, a middle-aged white man with a blue and white checked shirt and black slacks. His office isn't spectacular, but it's got some remnants leaving the impression of a sports fan, probably football more than anything else. A Dell monitor hangs on the wall with small clutters on the desk. The interviewee's cover letter is on the table with something highlighted, probably his mobile number. He is told to "take off his jacket, take off his tie, this is a relaxed office. We don't wear ties here, and on Friday's we were jeans. This is comfortable place. Sometimes we say, 'Heck, let's take the afternoon off and head to the pub,' really this place isn't very rigid. However, this job can be boring. I want you to know that. I want your eyes opened to the realities of this job, just for your own good."

After the interview, I am walked out and head off into the rain to write my thank you email, and search for other jobs. I was the first of four, or so they said, to be interviewed, and the others wouldn't be interviewed until later in the week, and possibly early next week. So I should know in a week's time, and you will know as well.

I really want this job. To have a team to assist, being a part of international affairs (Membership Rewards and Partnerships for American Express's "Outside USA" operations), and the surroundings of the office. I think it would be fun, somewhat challenging, a place to meet some new people, a great way to live in London, and it would provide stellar income for what I've been expecting. Oh, I want this job.

So! I have applied to two other office jobs, and Harrod's, which is the mall, to see if there are any openings in "Nordstrom Land" for me to fill. Here's hoping for at least another interview sometime soon, although none have been offered yet. I'm going to book another hostel for probably another week, so there goes more money, and while I'm not hurting for pounds yet, I definitely would like to start making some to replenish all that I'm spending. I'm going to buy an umbrella and some food now, and perhaps I'll have more information on the job hunt as the week progresses.

Cheers!

Oh Goody!!

Today was tourist day. A day which, on purpose, I looked like a tourist, got in people’s way, like a tourist, and ate American food, like a tourist. After my “free internet place,” which is the BUNAC office where I look for jobs and accommodation, closed, I went home to drop off the computer and pick up the camera for a little sightseeing. I must admit, London at night is absolutely amazing. I will post the pictures from my little excursion which started in Piccadilly Circus, went through St. James’ Park to the Horse Guard, back through to Buckingham Palace, then past the Guard Museum to Westminster Abbey and Parliament Road, and ended up back at Piccadilly Circus via Trafalgar Square. I have pictures and video from the Piccadilly beginning through Buckingham Palace. Then my battery ran out and I didn’t get to take pictures of Westminster Abbey – which I must say, has to be photographed at night, so I’ll do that later – or of Trafalgar Square. I’ll post those whenever I get my camera some battery squash (Britain’s word for juice).

The neat thing about all this is that it could be my new home. I have an interview tomorrow morning for a Team Assistant position at American Express. No, I don’t expect to begin a career in the credit card industry (don’t worry Mr. Ramsey!), but this would offer a good job with great pay and weekends off. Plus I’d have work, home, and church within 15 minutes walking distance from one another, and it would be in the heart of one of the biggest cities in the world. I know what you’re thinking. “Living there will be way too expensive, even if you get paid well.” Well, I’m here to say that I’m pretty confident that I can score a decent place for decent money. I don’t want to say how much I could be making, but I did a little budgeting, and if I can find a place that is within the average of London near work, I’d be sitting very pretty. This job looks quite interesting too, especially since I would be working for a team of about 10, basically doing secretary stuff, probably getting coffee and making appointments. But if that allows my weekends to be spend skiing in Switzerland, hiking the Cairngorms, listening to Irish bands in little towns outside of Cork, watching the sunset in Bordeaux over a nice bottle of wine, or enjoying a litre of weizen while trying to count to ten in German, I’m all over it.

I’d better go iron my suit for tomorrow, seeing that it has been in my suitcase folded since I got here. Please pray for this interview, and especially for finding a studio or flat once I actually get a job. While I am getting used to London, I’d really like a job that will let me get out during my weekends in order to experience the rest of Britain. I promise I’ll upload pictures later, as well as the video’s I’ve got too. So thanks for keeping up with interesting parts of my journey, although once I find a job, I’m sure the weeks will not only fly by, but get a little less interesting for you. So Cheers!


P.S. I know I'm forgetting to say something, but I'm sure I'll remember later, so don't worry! Buuuiiiyy!!

Another Movie Star

Well, then. I must say that passing time in London with friends is much better than not. Tonight was spent in an American sports pub, although still run by Brits, watching a bit of the Argentina-Scotland rugby match, and watching the Colts go 5-0 for the fourth season in a row, an AFC historical first. I paid way too much for the four chicken fingers that I got, but the Guinness, Carlsberg, and Strongbow helped me out. Go Colts!!

Hadley’s boyfriend, Chris, is a “capital” fellow. On the tube on the way home, I asked him if “capital” was ad adjective the British used anymore. Apparently not. He used the word capital to describe London, as in capitol. Anyway, I can’t describe the kind of guy he is. I said that I really liked him because of the way that he treated Hadley, but I’ll say that I really enjoy his company as a friend as well. He’s very open with conversation, and, even though I haven’t been to his home or really to anything that is his, he is a great host. I’ve been invited to spend “Thanksgiving,” or at least his family’s portrayal for Hadley’s honor,” with them. That should be an excellent experience, especially since it’s outside of London. I like London and the fact that I am learning my way around one of the biggest cities in the entire world. However, I am a country fellow at heart, and with that comes a longing for country scenes. If I am blessed enough to find a job and a place to live this week, perhaps I can spend a few pounds and go to Scotland, Ireland, or maybe just out of London to Oxford, Cambridge, Felixstowe or maybe even Brighton, possibly. It all depends on the directions the pounds, or soon-to-be-lack-thereof, point.

Another thing that I’ve already said once has happened again. Do you all remember how on my first night here I saw Jamie Foxx at a movie premiere? Well, that was at Piccadilly Circus, which is kind of the life of central London. Well, tonight I was to meet Hadley and Chris there to go to the Colt’s game and I ended up seeing a TV show being filmed called “He Kills Coppers.” It’s not that big of a show I guess, but a guest star on the show was an actor that I like very much, named Rafe Spall. His name doesn’t sound English but he is. I know him from Green Street Hooligans as “Swill,” and A Good Year as “Kenny.” Anyway, as soon as I got to Piccadilly Circus, I walked to the statue that Hadley told me to meet her at and low and behold, this guy and another actress are having their pictures taken. Of course I left my camera at the hostel because I don’t expect to see anything cool and it’s a great relief to not be wearing my backpack. So this guy, Rafe, is literally a hand’s reach away from me and all I can do is smile and laugh at the way other people are gawking at him the way I wish I could. So, besides the Colt’s winning of course, that was the highlight of my night.

Tomorrow I plan to call several employers and try to find a job. I actually have a number they can contact me at, so that is a boost to confidence. Wish me luck, and I’ll let you know how it goes. Right now, this French girl just took a chair next to me as a footrest and asked if I spoke French, and since I don’t, I said no, so I’m going to learn some French.

And as always, Cheers!

It's About Time

FINALLY!! So did anybody really expect me to make it to Liturgy and be able to relate anything to you? Good, I hope not. I couldn’t get to sleep till about 2 again, so waking up and actually being able to find the church wasn’t going to happen. Instead, I woke up around 11:30am, threw on some clothes and went to find the church, that way I won’t miss it next time. Well, I walked around trying to find breakfast beforehand, and decided to just have McDonald’s because it is much more affordable to pay £4 for that than £10 at a pub. McDonald’s also has free wi-fi so that was a bonus. Now I have really don’t need to pay for internet at all. I’m so ready to get my own place so I can just have internet through the phone line or something!!!

I took the tube to Knightsbridge, which is basically the Carmel of London. Harrod’s is there, which is a huge mall, basically like the Magnificent Mile of Chicago. Anyway, I started walking in what I thought was the right direction out of the station. Luckily I did, because I found the phone store that I had been looking for and it was actually open. So I went in and got a phone. Now that I’m back and looking at it, I realized that I actually paid £10 worth of a phone. This thing looks like the Motorola SLVR back home, but works like Dad’s first cell phone in 1996. After I get a job and start making some money, I’ll have to get a new one because this barely has a phonebook. The screen and pixilation is so old-school that when I put Hadley in my phone book, it comes out like HAdLEy. Pretty funny really. But you know what? I’m going to have this phone for a small time and it’s going to serve it’s purpose just fine. So I’m happy.

Anyway, after I bought the phone, I continued heading in the wrong direction. When I realized I had gotten to Hyde Park, which was the opposite direction from where I wanted to go, I turned around and eventually found the church. It’s a nice looking church, tucked away in a very ritzy part of Knightsbridge. Only the best for the Russians. I got there and it didn’t look like an Orthodox church so I had to ask somebody, and it was. There was a wedding getting ready to start, so I didn’t go in.

I don’t have anything to do for a little while now, so I’m going to charge my computer while I take a nap, then I’m heading to meet Hadley to watch the Colt’s. The Cubs didn’t win a playoff game, so that’s no fun. But at least they didn’t win the World Series when I wasn’t around. So good day everyone, and cheers…

More Rugby...

A correction from my last post. I am "knackered," not "knickered," seeing that knickers are underwear. I'm tired, not getting "underweared." Dang it!

Anyway...

So tonight’s big match is France/New Zealand. I start going for New Zealand for the following reasons: England doesn’t like France, and I’m in England. I want to move to New Zealand after next summer, if it’s possible. The French are pansies and I don’t want to go for the team that will surely lose. Well, I’m sitting in a little bar near my hostel nursing a Guinness (of course), smiling as New Zealand scores a tri (a touchdown for us who love American football) and I give a little congratulatory “alright!” Go figure: the guy who has been standing next to me for the last 15 minutes is French, and I didn’t even realize it. So, I’ve already pissed off the French, and that’s not a good start, seeing that I’m not even in France.

My next job here is to learn about rugby: what the rules are, who is good and who is bad, ad how this tournament is going to go. England beat Australia earlier today. New Zealand is ahead 16-13 with about 15:30 to go in the second half. I don’t’ know if the winner will play England, but I do know that for my own sake, I hope England wins. That way I’ll have a bunch of happy British around that won’t be mad when I ask them directions.

Before my Guinness, I was walking around Russell Square – where my hostel is – looking for something to eat. I walked by a guy selling giant “hot dogs” which turned out to be sausages for about £2.50. I’ve never had a better sausage, especially with the onions. After that, I found the bar to wash it down, and to wash down the second course (the Guinness), I decided to try what everybody seemed to be getting: Magner’s. Magner’s is an Irish cidre (yeah, that’s spelled correctly), and the bottle contained a lot more than I thought it did. When she said it cost £3.70, I was kind of appalled. Then I opened the bottle, and it didn’t seem to end. It’s neat because they give you this bottle, which is basically two pints, and a glass with ice in it. So after the French missed what we would consider a field goal, the French guy left, and I enjoyed my Magner’s to the end. Now it’s 9:36pm, and I’m going to watch the last nine minutes of the match with some Chinese guy with long hair yelling and pounding the table, who is obviously a fan of France. Tomorrow I hope to be able to tell you what a Russian Orthodox Liturgy in London is like, as well as what it’s like watching American football, although not the Colts since they don’t play until 10pm here. So, goodnight everyone, and Cheers!

British Stores are Closed on Saturdays

I wanted to buy a phone today, but I forgot that most British stores like that will close on the weekends. Yay.

Today’s internal clock seems to still be on American time. I couldn’t go to sleep for the life of me until around 2ish – which would be about 10:00pm back home –even though I had been walking and was exhausted. But that makes sense, seeing that if I had been walking all day back home, I’d have been just as knickered and would have crashed around 10:00 anyway. So, I eventually fell asleep whilst the party in my hostel continued (they had an Oktoberfest till 4am, apparently), and I woke up today around 1pm.

I went to get a shower, had to change my card for the luggage room because mine didn’t work, again, and found I had to dry my towel because there’s no safe place to hang it. So, 50p ($1) and ten minutes later, my towel was dry and I got a shower. I walked around Bloomsbury and Holborn a little, just trying to figure out which was north and south, so maybe next time I won’t get lost. I stopped in a Café Nero for some food, got a caffe mocha and an egg and sprout sandwich, and was on my way. Yeah, and as small as that food was, it cost me £3.50. So $7 for what should cost about $2. Yeah. So I continued on my walk around, trying to learn the way, and continued getting my legs sore. I found a small corner pub called the Cawthorne Arms where the rugby match between England and Australia was on. Australia ahead 10-6 (and no, I don’t know what that means), and I grabbed a £3.10 Guinness (still delicious though), and tried to map out some sights to see today. I decided on Westminster Abbey and London Tower, which are only a couple of stops down the tube, so about 10 minutes away. I could walk there in about 20, but what the hey, right? While I was there, a couple of older chaps sat down behind me and watched the game, criticizing both teams as they watched. A group of young lads and girls watched the game with their bitters, Bulmers’, and Guinness’s and some plates of food, and they reminded me of the group from Indy back home, except only a couple of them were married. But they were laughing and joking and watching the game with as much enthusiasm as we watch our beloved Colts.

I didn’t go to London Bridge or Westminster Abbey yet, although I might have enough time before Vespers. I’m going to try to get to Vespers around 5:30 at the Russian Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God and All Saints in Knightsbridge. I certainly hope it’s in English, but even if it’s not, it will be nice to have a piece of home here. Last night, for the first time so far, I wanted to be home, mainly because of Men’s Group and some JBC’s from Wendy’s. But today, sitting in that pub, I really think I’m going to enjoy myself here. Once I get my job and actually get settled in, this is going to be an amazing place. If my only worry is whether or not I should get Guinness or a bitter, I should be in good shape. And any decent paying job - £7ish/hr for 35hr/week, which is almost all of them in London – will assure me that is my only worry.

I’m looking forward to the days ahead, but trying to stay in the moment, here and now, and not thinking about the past. I want to be able to come home in May and say I had an amazing time, saw everything I wanted to see, experienced the best, drank good wine and good beer, had good food, and made good friends. Because if I come home wishing or thinking ‘what if,’ then what am I doing at all? So here’s to the next few months. Here’s to finding a job. Here’s to Vespers tonight and Liturgy tomorrow being in English. Here’s to England just winning the match and advancing in the Rugby World Cup (that should make for a few good parties later tonight). Here’s to my next password to get onto the wireless internet in my hostel being “turdle” – I guess the British can’t spell “turtle” Here’s to my next pint and to your new comments.

Cheers everyone!

English Coffee is Different

Instant coffee in England is different. It’s not a bad different, but it’s certainly not the instant coffee I remember having when I’d wake up at home as a kid trying to follow in Dad’s footsteps. The Guinness, however, is better. And that’s a good thing. I’m going to try to make it to Oxford this weekend, and since that’s closer to Dublin, I’m going to test Art’s theory that the Guinness gets better the closer to Dublin you get. I think I’ll actually do a real test by taking a bus or a car through the towns to the ferry, stopping and having a pint a few of the towns along the way, seeing if they’re any better.

There’s a couple who look like newlyweds sitting at the table across from me. What are they doing with they’re honeymoon? Spending it in London. Dang, what a way to live. The British, I’ll give it to them, know how to live. When they take a holiday, they don’t go to Cornwall, or the beach like American’s do. They go to Taiwan, Australia, or South America. If you go skiing in the Alps, that’s just like us going to Colorado, so they don’t really think that’s a big deal. WHAT??? That’s how I plan to spend my Christmas I think. If I can afford it, a small bed and breakfast in the mountains so on Christmas morning I can go skiing. Or perhaps to a couple of festivals in Germany. I’m not sure, but I know I’m going to sit around my flat the whole holiday.

As for last night, my first night out, Hadley met up with me in Holborn (just east of central London), and we walked throughout central London trying to find a pub to eat in. We stopped in Covent Garden to watch a guy doing some tricks with a little circus act, although he didn’t get any of them done. Then we walked around the square and down to Leicester Square (pronounced Lester), where they have a lot of movie theatres that do premier’s and stuff. Well, go figure “The Kingdom” with Jamie Foxx, Chris Carter, and Jennifer Garner was being premiered, so I saw Jamie Foxx get out of a car, wave at the crowd, then bolt in the door. That was pretty cool. From there we walked to Piccadilly Circus, Soho, and up to Oxford Circus, stopped at an Irish pub called O’Neil’s because it was the only place that wasn’t swamped. All the businessmen go out on Thursday nights because Friday is considered “no work” day. On Friday nights they go back home to their wives and families who live outside of London. Interesting lives, I’m sure. Anyway, O’Neil’s had good Guinness, Hadley had some half pints of Foster’s (the cheap beer around here). She had some sausages and colcannon (fancy Irish word for mashed potatoes), and I had some amazing Irish Stew with soda bread. Yeah, good hearty meal to start off my trip. We met her boyfriend, Chris, there who just got done playing some football with his mates (and yes, I’m writing in English talk here, so I mean soccer and friends). I really like this guy. He’s extremely nice, and very respectful to Hadley, so that was great to see one of my friends with such a good guy. So yesterday was a good day. Plenty of walking, learning the tube, about £50 later, and I’m ready for the next day.

Tonight I’m going to a roller derby disco, I think, to celebrate on of Hadley’s friends’ birthday. Now that I’ve realized that its 10:15 here and I was supposed to be at my orientation a couple of stops down the tube at 10:30, I’m debating on whether or not to go to Oxford. Yeah, I probably will, but we’ll see. So anyway, I’m going to walk around London some more, buy an Oyster card (tube pass), look at some mobile’s, then see where I go from there! So have a good day all, and I’ll be taking pictures today.

Laters!

Thoughts While In the Air, and Waiting in Miami…

(In the air over southwest America…)

The only thing I’m afraid of at this point is getting to England and not being able to find the proper voltage converter for my computer, leaving it useless until I order one from Apple.com, paying a fortune for it, rendering my computer useless until I get the darn thing. Other than that, Michael Buble is accompanying me on the flight, making me want to start singing. However, the guy with the “Get Your Energy Up” book, next to me, probably doesn’t like Buble. Which, of course is why he has his own music!

I wonder where all these people are going… Are they going to London? Are they just flying to Miami because Indiana is going to get cold soon? Are they moving somewhere like me? Are they searching for adventure, love, recognition, health, or themselves? What am I leaving for? I was asked that the other day and all I could think of was “because I can!.” Tim asked me if I had any goals or any expectations out of this journey; I can’t say that I don’t have any expectations, but I truly have no goals. It’s nice – seeing that I’m so goal-oriented – to not have goals dictating this trip. I’m not trying to pay off debt. I’m not trying to find a wife. I’m not trying to advance my career. I’m not going to learn difficult theories or solve problems. I’m going to England to live because I can. If I don’t go now, I’ll never have this chance again. I’ll never have the chance to live in another country, another world, in the capacity that I’m going to be now. I’m not studying abroad for three months. I’m going to relax, work, live, hike, boat, walk, drink, eat, worship, talk, and probably learn a little bit. I’ll be working and living for about six months, then afterwards, I’ll be traveling Western Europe. The expected geographical high points of this trip: Scottish Highlands, Irish moors, Western Sahara (if I can swing it), Mount Athos, and probably the Swiss or French Alps. The personal relationships won’t be forgotten: what I see won’t be forgotten: what I learn about the world outside of America won’t be forgotten. I am excited. I’ll be freaking out as soon as I get there, I’m sure. But right now, I’m excited.

And in the words of Caedmon’s Call:

“I’m about to shock my family and my hometown again. But this time I’m leaving… And once I’m gone, I cannot look back. I’ve got to trust this is right. ‘Cause maybe on my way to find you, or maybe I’m gonna make the mistake of my life.”

(Sitting in Miami…)

Well, I got here safe; decent flight over. I walked past the Sam Adam’s bar and thought to grab one, but you know what, I think I’d rather wait a day and enjoy a nice frothy Guinness before I drink any more American brews. I called Joel to check the voltage on my computer to see if the converter I bought would work. He said Apple’s use 60 watts, and this thing does up to 1600 watts, so I hope I don’t fry my computer. What is not fun is that I didn’t grab and American three-prong to two-prong adapter. Now I won’t be using my three-prong cord at all, unless I find one over there. ANYWAY! Enough about the computer, I’m sure you would rather not hear all that.

As we flew over Miami, I realized why they called the Florida Gator’s stadium ‘The Swamp.’ Instead of seeing cornfields and soybeans, I saw fields of water. It’s pretty crazy really, and an interesting sight seeing the rains fall on the Gulf of Mexico while the sun shines on the Atlantic Ocean. A rainbow let me know that the rains had already replenished the Atlantic and had spread across Miami to the Gulf. And I’ve always enjoyed flying over clouds. A Coke, a few songs and an easy landing brought me here, where I’m charging my computer, waiting the hour until 7:40 until we board. The flight leaves here at 8:05pm, which happens to be 8:05pm at home as well. Eight and a half hours from then, I’ll be in London. So give me 10ish hours and I’ll be in a different country starting a different life. I probably won’t write any on the plane, so these are the last words written in the good ol’ U.S. of A.

Cheers!

(On the plane over the Atlantic, 11:44pm Indy time…)

Ok, so I am going to write more, mainly because I can’t help but relay my last conversation. The last 3 hours, the first three of the flight, have been spent chatting with a man, we’ll call him Tom, from Manchester. In the overhead bin is a dirty backpack, impossibly holding more than a couple shirts and a pair of pants. He is coming home after a 6-month sabbatical from life he spent with his wife, two girls and son. This is a small holiday after he left his position as the CEO of a chemical operation that was just recently bought out. They spent the first five months traveling through Asia: China, India, Vietnam, Borneo, Singapore. From there they hit an east-coast drive through Australia, camping along the way, spending about five days in Sydney with some family after the ten-day drive. From there they hit Santiago, Chile (yeah, the other side of the world), and worked their way around Ecuador and Brazil. The whole while they were just camping and being a family. Tom’s family then went back home because school starts in September there. Tom stayed for another month traveling through Bolivia, hitting the national rainforests and meeting up with other amazing individuals. One such guy is a Norwegian fellow and his wife who decided to buy some horses in Uruguay and ride them around South America a couple of years ago. Since then they’ve started a restaurant in Santa Vista (?), simply living in Bolivia. WOW!!! Another fellow he met is a Swiss guy who started a Swiss cheese operation there. Who does that??

Do you want some inspiration for traveling? Sit on a plane talking with an amazing family man who has just returned from taking off 6 months of his life traveling the world. He and his wife used to sail the coast off of Scotland squeezing between the western islands, stopping as they pleased. They used to live in northern Holland for a couple of years. However, after helping build the successful branch there, he moved back to the outskirts of Manchester. A true family man, a great guy to talk to, and a great introduction of British inhabitants. Talking about everything from how much a quid is to how long Her Majesty has been in power; from college and University (he and his wife both went to Cambridge) to how many Welsh still speak Welsh. I’ve made my first British friend, and if it’s this easy every time, I’m going to have a heck of a time here.

…

Still in the air, but now directly over Cork, Ireland. Sadly, cloud cover won’t let me see the majestic rolling green hills to the north of us as we head across the Irish Sea. This is crazy. If the plane were to go down now, I’d end up somewhere off the coast of Ireland, about 20 miles from Waterford, Ireland. I’m nearly 35 minutes (just over 200 miles away) from London, and seeing Vienna, Athens, Madrid, Addis Abeba, Milan, and so many other cities in Europe and Africa showing on the map on the little screen in front of me, I’m getting pretty pumped. I haven’t gotten any sleep on this flight, so the day will be long, but hopefully coffee and adrenaline will see me through till at least 8:00 or 9:00 tonight. Then I can retire for the night and hopefully grab about 10 or 11 hours of sleep before job-hunting tomorrow. You at home are all asleep still, seeing that it’s 4:20am there, 9:20 here. We are at a ground speed of 606 mph, cruising, but dropping, at an altitude of 33000 ft. We are approaching the initial descent, so time to get my stuff ready. See you in London!

Well, I'm Here...

Well, I made it and it's great. Just being here is interesting, but I'm sure heading to the post office here in a sec to get some sterling will be even more interesting. So anyway, I've got a nice post come, but I'll have to upload it from my laptop, and that's expensive for right now. We'll just say I had a great plane trip over due to a nice man from Manchester. So, that's it for now; have fun at home everyone!!!

Caleb