Wednesday, October 10, 2007

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!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Hahah! That's so you Caleb. Get someone to open an account for you by getting them to make fun of your British accent. Hilarious!

And that job at Oxford sounds awesome. Another upside is that if you find somewhere near Oxford instead of London, your place might be significantly cheaper, so £1070/mo won't be so bad! And think of all the INCREDIBLE people you will meet checking in and out of Oxford!!

Mrs. C. said...

Take a shower already, you dope! Don't go all European yet, you have only been there a week!
London is easy to get in and out of, Oxford is close to Wales, and train lines.
London is the most expensive place to live. You could get a bed-sit in Oxford for cheap I bet. Look around for student accomodation offices, notice boards, check online.
Ah, um, I have an interesting story about me and a toga party, and cidre one New Year's in Scotland, but people who know me read this, so I'll save it for when you are home!!
you'd be great at a front desk job, just keep your ring handy......