Cough, cough
After working my first and last Saturday night shift, I am very happy I decided to quit working at the Monk. When the evening began I was a little sad to be leaving, but by 10pm it was five-people deep at the bar and it seemed as though everyone in the place was smoking. Trying to serve drunk, smoking people more alcohol was not very fun and nobody tips in England, so there isn't even a financial pay off for the torture. Thankfully the Monk closes at 11:30pm (as required by law) and I was home, exhausted and in bed, by 1:30am. I think I'm too old for this kind of job!
The theatre job begins October 18th. More info about it here.
Here is the job description I received from the manager:
Varied hours are worked each week on a rota system, usually between 9.00am and 8.30pm Monday to Saturday.
DUTIES:
Using “DATABOX”, the Windows based computerised Box Office and Marketing system, for Norwich Theatre Royal, its Studio Theatre and various outside venues, including the Norfolk & Norwich Festival, Norwich Playhouse, The Assembly House and The Forum.
Office administration including post room duties, manual and computerised filing, customer correspondence, photocopying and stationery stocks. Maintain up to date customer literature stocks and displays.
Be responsible for all transactions, ensuring accuracy and efficiency and for the reconciliation of takings.
Handling special booking and membership schemes sold through the Box Office. Most importantly “Friends of the Theatre”, and “The Corporate Club”.
Developing group sales and maintaining regular contact with organisations such as Social Clubs, Coach Operators, Schools etc.
Continuously updating the customer database and being responsible for a section of it. Collecting valuable marketing information and being aware of advertisements and promotions.
Acquire through training, skills on “DATABOX” for efficient use in the Box Office.
Up date those skills as new procedures are introduced and maintain knowledge of venues, price structures and performances and attend Box Office Briefings.
Promote Norwich Theatre Royal and its facilities as the public’s first contact ensuring the highest levels of Customer Service at all times.
All other duties as directed by the Box Office Management.
The ideal candidate will be bright, enthusiastic and well presented. A pleasant telephone manner and an understanding of good Customer Service are essential, along with previous experience in serving the public and handling cash.
Full training will be given as “Databox” is specialised software but experience with Microsoft Windows is expected.
A flexibility to work rotas is necessary, as is the ability to work well within a team, in a busy environment.
~K
Monday, September 27
Sunday, September 26
Abducted?
No, inducted. I've been inducted, as in Induction Week. It finished yesterday, so I guess I'm officially ready to get down to business. During the week at the University, we had four seminars that previewed the courses on offer and watched a few films. On Friday, we watched about 5 hours of avant garde 60's short films and a feature by Don Levy called "Herostratus". It was ponderous and excruciatingly long. A pivotal scene was the juxtapposition of a woman doing a strip-tease with the slaughter of a cow. I'm guessing this is supposed to mean that the woman (or sex) is just as much of a commodity as the butchered cow and just as vile to watch? The producer of the film (now in his late 70's) was there to introduce the film and answer some questions afterwards. He hadn't seen it in over 20 years. That's about how long I would need to wait before ever seeing it again. Even still, I'm glad I saw it and it's fun to see films that you might not otherwise see. Plus, these "artsy-fartsy" ones get your academic juices flowing.
It's going to be a good semester. Busy, but good. Apart from the film archiving course (which takes two full days every week), I am taking a course on early British television which is designed to complement the archiving. Presumably so we have a better understanding and appreciation for the material we will encounter in the archive. I'm also auditing a Horror genre class. The professor agreed to let me sit in on it without having to submit work. His only contigency being that I have to commit to coming to the class on a regular basis. That suits me just fine! Really get my money's worth. They've also given us the option of going to any of the undergrad film studies lectures and screenings if we want, as well as weekly postgrad research seminars. I'll definitely do a little of both, time allowing.
Classes start tomorrow at 9:30. Here's my Autumn semester schedule:
Monday
0930-1330 -> FM009 Early British Television (and Screening)
1800- ???? -> FTV Research Seminars (optional)
Tuesday
1000-1300 -> FM 019 FHR: The Horror Film (audited)
1400-1700 -> Screenings: Key Issues in Film Studies (undergrad - optional)
Wednesday
1000-1100 -> EASF1F03 Key Issues in Film Studies (undergrad - optional)
1300-1600 -> Screenings: Early British Television
Thursday
0930-1730 -> FM005 Film Archiving
Friday
0930-1730 -> FM005 Film Archiving
-RP-
No, inducted. I've been inducted, as in Induction Week. It finished yesterday, so I guess I'm officially ready to get down to business. During the week at the University, we had four seminars that previewed the courses on offer and watched a few films. On Friday, we watched about 5 hours of avant garde 60's short films and a feature by Don Levy called "Herostratus". It was ponderous and excruciatingly long. A pivotal scene was the juxtapposition of a woman doing a strip-tease with the slaughter of a cow. I'm guessing this is supposed to mean that the woman (or sex) is just as much of a commodity as the butchered cow and just as vile to watch? The producer of the film (now in his late 70's) was there to introduce the film and answer some questions afterwards. He hadn't seen it in over 20 years. That's about how long I would need to wait before ever seeing it again. Even still, I'm glad I saw it and it's fun to see films that you might not otherwise see. Plus, these "artsy-fartsy" ones get your academic juices flowing.
It's going to be a good semester. Busy, but good. Apart from the film archiving course (which takes two full days every week), I am taking a course on early British television which is designed to complement the archiving. Presumably so we have a better understanding and appreciation for the material we will encounter in the archive. I'm also auditing a Horror genre class. The professor agreed to let me sit in on it without having to submit work. His only contigency being that I have to commit to coming to the class on a regular basis. That suits me just fine! Really get my money's worth. They've also given us the option of going to any of the undergrad film studies lectures and screenings if we want, as well as weekly postgrad research seminars. I'll definitely do a little of both, time allowing.
Classes start tomorrow at 9:30. Here's my Autumn semester schedule:
Monday
0930-1330 -> FM009 Early British Television (and Screening)
1800- ???? -> FTV Research Seminars (optional)
Tuesday
1000-1300 -> FM 019 FHR: The Horror Film (audited)
1400-1700 -> Screenings: Key Issues in Film Studies (undergrad - optional)
Wednesday
1000-1100 -> EASF1F03 Key Issues in Film Studies (undergrad - optional)
1300-1600 -> Screenings: Early British Television
Thursday
0930-1730 -> FM005 Film Archiving
Friday
0930-1730 -> FM005 Film Archiving
-RP-
Saturday, September 25
What to do.
The interview yesterday went well. It was with two of the theatre managers. I've never been interviewed by two people at one time before and I wasn't sure who to look at. They asked me a whole bunch of questions about my work experience, what I wanted in a workplace, hypothetical situations and a few personal questions. We all got along great and were chatting easily throughout the whole thing. I learned that the theatre is funded by a trust and is non-profit, so all their proceeds go directly back into the theatre. There are education programs, acting classes and all sorts of shows. Working for a non-profit film/TV/theatre organization has always been at the top of my wish list so this news made me very happy. At the end of the question & answer part they gave me a worksheet to fill in and then left me for 15 minutes to finish it. There were some math questions, a couple of theatre business questions and three hypothetical logic questions. None of them were very difficult and I finished in about ten minutes. They came back, sat down and said they had discussed my application and would like to offer me the job. I was immediately ecstatic and relieved! I accepted the job and we all smiled at each other. Yay!
The happy feeling lasted during my walk home and then I remembered that I just started a new job that I would have to quit soon. The theatre job begins October 21 and will be around 30 hours per week to start. There are about 115 full-time employees at the theatre and when there are job openings they always offer them to the 30-hour-per-week people first. I feel there will be good opportunity to move up in the organization and possibly to other departments. And I LOVE being in the theatre environment. It feels like the film festival jobs I've had and loved. My problem is the Belgian Monk.
When I was hired (a whole week ago) at the Monk it was for a full-time position. They wanted someone who would stick around for awhile and wouldn't be looking for other work. As of today, I've had one week of training and have one more to go before I can work a shift on my own. There are no part-time spots open right now so it's either full-time or no-time. I originally thought that I would keep working at the Monk and not say anything to them about having a new job until a week before I needed to quit. But that doesn't feel right. I would feel so guilty every time I was there, knowing I was quitting and not telling them. This morning I knew I couldn't do it. I went in just before opening hours to talk to the manager. I told her exactly what happened and that my new job would be starting on Oct. 21 and after that I would not be able to work full-time. She was nice about it and was happy I told her. The person I am replacing doesn't leave for another 2 weeks and she has a stack of applications for full-time work on her desk so it is not a dire situation. We agreed that I would work tonight and then be done. That way she can pay me for a full week's work and then start training someone new next week. (By law only one person in training can be working at a time, so if I didn't leave she wouldn't be able to start someone new until October 3.) I felt guilty throughout the whole conversation and now, an hour later I still feel badly. Essentially I'm quitting before I even got started. I so wish that the theatre had called me a week earlier then I never would have taken the Monk job.
~K
The interview yesterday went well. It was with two of the theatre managers. I've never been interviewed by two people at one time before and I wasn't sure who to look at. They asked me a whole bunch of questions about my work experience, what I wanted in a workplace, hypothetical situations and a few personal questions. We all got along great and were chatting easily throughout the whole thing. I learned that the theatre is funded by a trust and is non-profit, so all their proceeds go directly back into the theatre. There are education programs, acting classes and all sorts of shows. Working for a non-profit film/TV/theatre organization has always been at the top of my wish list so this news made me very happy. At the end of the question & answer part they gave me a worksheet to fill in and then left me for 15 minutes to finish it. There were some math questions, a couple of theatre business questions and three hypothetical logic questions. None of them were very difficult and I finished in about ten minutes. They came back, sat down and said they had discussed my application and would like to offer me the job. I was immediately ecstatic and relieved! I accepted the job and we all smiled at each other. Yay!
The happy feeling lasted during my walk home and then I remembered that I just started a new job that I would have to quit soon. The theatre job begins October 21 and will be around 30 hours per week to start. There are about 115 full-time employees at the theatre and when there are job openings they always offer them to the 30-hour-per-week people first. I feel there will be good opportunity to move up in the organization and possibly to other departments. And I LOVE being in the theatre environment. It feels like the film festival jobs I've had and loved. My problem is the Belgian Monk.
When I was hired (a whole week ago) at the Monk it was for a full-time position. They wanted someone who would stick around for awhile and wouldn't be looking for other work. As of today, I've had one week of training and have one more to go before I can work a shift on my own. There are no part-time spots open right now so it's either full-time or no-time. I originally thought that I would keep working at the Monk and not say anything to them about having a new job until a week before I needed to quit. But that doesn't feel right. I would feel so guilty every time I was there, knowing I was quitting and not telling them. This morning I knew I couldn't do it. I went in just before opening hours to talk to the manager. I told her exactly what happened and that my new job would be starting on Oct. 21 and after that I would not be able to work full-time. She was nice about it and was happy I told her. The person I am replacing doesn't leave for another 2 weeks and she has a stack of applications for full-time work on her desk so it is not a dire situation. We agreed that I would work tonight and then be done. That way she can pay me for a full week's work and then start training someone new next week. (By law only one person in training can be working at a time, so if I didn't leave she wouldn't be able to start someone new until October 3.) I felt guilty throughout the whole conversation and now, an hour later I still feel badly. Essentially I'm quitting before I even got started. I so wish that the theatre had called me a week earlier then I never would have taken the Monk job.
~K
Thursday, September 23
Wednesday, September 22
Little Piece of Belgium
Monday afternoon I started my new job at the Belgian Monk, a restaurant/bar that only serves Belgian food and beer (hence the name). It is a five minute walk from our apartment, in the old part of the city. It has been more than 15 years since I waited tables and I'm a little rusty, but my coworkers are nice and the food is great. Rich has been dribbling little bits of beer knowledge into my brain so I can accurately advise customers on what they should order with their wild boar sausages and mash. I'll be working full-time, around 35-38 hours per week. I'm sure there will be interesting things to write about it soon. Here is an article about it.
I'm happy to be working, although the pay is barely enough for our living expenses - it is better than nothing! I plan on working there through the end of the year and then restarting my job search. I'm having a little trouble with the idea (and reality) of being a waitress. I realize that Norwich is a small town and the opportunities are severely limited, but I was holding out hope for something a little more...intellectual? professional? respectable? I don't know exactly what I has hoping for. I keep thinking, "I've got a master's degree. Shouldn't I be doing something real ?" But I don't think bad things about people who wait tables or wonder what's wrong with them that they don't have a career. Why do I think that of myself? There's a lesson in here somewhere.
~K
Monday afternoon I started my new job at the Belgian Monk, a restaurant/bar that only serves Belgian food and beer (hence the name). It is a five minute walk from our apartment, in the old part of the city. It has been more than 15 years since I waited tables and I'm a little rusty, but my coworkers are nice and the food is great. Rich has been dribbling little bits of beer knowledge into my brain so I can accurately advise customers on what they should order with their wild boar sausages and mash. I'll be working full-time, around 35-38 hours per week. I'm sure there will be interesting things to write about it soon. Here is an article about it.
I'm happy to be working, although the pay is barely enough for our living expenses - it is better than nothing! I plan on working there through the end of the year and then restarting my job search. I'm having a little trouble with the idea (and reality) of being a waitress. I realize that Norwich is a small town and the opportunities are severely limited, but I was holding out hope for something a little more...intellectual? professional? respectable? I don't know exactly what I has hoping for. I keep thinking, "I've got a master's degree. Shouldn't I be doing something real ?" But I don't think bad things about people who wait tables or wonder what's wrong with them that they don't have a career. Why do I think that of myself? There's a lesson in here somewhere.
~K
Saturday, September 18
School Boy
Got a secondhand bike today so I can ride to school on the days when it's not raining. It was £80, made by Flanders (a coincidence that was NOT lost on me... Flanders-> Belgium!). Also picked up a lock, gloves, and helmet, though I don't fancy wearing one because people look like fools with those things on. Kristen demanded it, so I did it to keep her happy!
Look out! Dork on two wheels!
Got a secondhand bike today so I can ride to school on the days when it's not raining. It was £80, made by Flanders (a coincidence that was NOT lost on me... Flanders-> Belgium!). Also picked up a lock, gloves, and helmet, though I don't fancy wearing one because people look like fools with those things on. Kristen demanded it, so I did it to keep her happy!
Look out! Dork on two wheels!
Friday, September 17
Shoe Leather.
I have now been searching for employment for seven entire days. Searching by trudging up and down and around every street, alleyway and hidden path within walking distance of our house, scanning business windows for help wanted signs. Norwich city centre is now blanketed with my CVs and application forms. I have had two nibbles from my job hunt and one meeting with a recruitment agency (who determined that I am over-qualified for most of their jobs but not really qualified in anything specific so I should take one of their temp. data-entry vacancies). It is nice to know that when I decide I absolutely cannot wait any longer to start working that there are plenty of temp jobs around. The two nibbles are from places that I wouldn't mind working: a restaurant/bar and a theatre. Both of which are within my realm of experience, but neither pay well. Can't be too choosy though! I have an interview tomorrow morning at the Belgian Monk Restaurant (how ironic is that!?) for a full-time front-of-house position which is what we would call duty manager, I think. Rich is going to have to be my beer tutor if I get this job because they are specifically looking for someone who is familiar with Belgian food and beer. The second nibble is from the Norwich Theatre Royal. Their vacancy is in the box office and is only 30 hours per week, so if I get this job I will also need to get a second job. But working in the theatre would be fun and familiar.
With all this job searching/walking over cobblestone streets - I need new shoes!
~K
I have now been searching for employment for seven entire days. Searching by trudging up and down and around every street, alleyway and hidden path within walking distance of our house, scanning business windows for help wanted signs. Norwich city centre is now blanketed with my CVs and application forms. I have had two nibbles from my job hunt and one meeting with a recruitment agency (who determined that I am over-qualified for most of their jobs but not really qualified in anything specific so I should take one of their temp. data-entry vacancies). It is nice to know that when I decide I absolutely cannot wait any longer to start working that there are plenty of temp jobs around. The two nibbles are from places that I wouldn't mind working: a restaurant/bar and a theatre. Both of which are within my realm of experience, but neither pay well. Can't be too choosy though! I have an interview tomorrow morning at the Belgian Monk Restaurant (how ironic is that!?) for a full-time front-of-house position which is what we would call duty manager, I think. Rich is going to have to be my beer tutor if I get this job because they are specifically looking for someone who is familiar with Belgian food and beer. The second nibble is from the Norwich Theatre Royal. Their vacancy is in the box office and is only 30 hours per week, so if I get this job I will also need to get a second job. But working in the theatre would be fun and familiar.
With all this job searching/walking over cobblestone streets - I need new shoes!
~K
Thursday, September 16
UEA Induction Days
I completed my school registration on today (getting my campus card, providing UK address, receiving lots of informational packets, etc.). Though I thought it would have been just a quick "pop-in", it turned out to be an all day affair because the "International Student Induction Programme" started already today and lasted until about 4pm. We all packed into one of the lecture halls and listened to several people speaking about different aspects of university life (Norwich, the library, security & safety, Dean of Students Office, medical registration, and things like that). I was surprised about how many "American accents" I heard that day. I kept thinking, "Did I get transplanted to the US all of a sudden?" Also met another guy who is in the Film Studies program (but not Archiving). He and his wife are from Utah. They just got here yesterday, so they have some trials ahead of them.
It will be interesting to see what the campus is like on Monday when ALL of the students have arrived. The induction programme for the MA Film Studies program starts at 3:30. Not sure when classes will actually get going though. Sometime next week I imagine. I'm starting to get pretty psyched about it.
-RP-
I completed my school registration on today (getting my campus card, providing UK address, receiving lots of informational packets, etc.). Though I thought it would have been just a quick "pop-in", it turned out to be an all day affair because the "International Student Induction Programme" started already today and lasted until about 4pm. We all packed into one of the lecture halls and listened to several people speaking about different aspects of university life (Norwich, the library, security & safety, Dean of Students Office, medical registration, and things like that). I was surprised about how many "American accents" I heard that day. I kept thinking, "Did I get transplanted to the US all of a sudden?" Also met another guy who is in the Film Studies program (but not Archiving). He and his wife are from Utah. They just got here yesterday, so they have some trials ahead of them.
It will be interesting to see what the campus is like on Monday when ALL of the students have arrived. The induction programme for the MA Film Studies program starts at 3:30. Not sure when classes will actually get going though. Sometime next week I imagine. I'm starting to get pretty psyched about it.
-RP-
Wednesday, September 15
Unemployment Blah
I have been hitting the bricks looking for work and am just about worn out. Granted, it's only been four and a half days of serious searching, but I'm getting depressed. I am either over qualified for everything or not qualified at all. Norwich is a small city with only about 100,000 people in the area and consequently the desirable jobs are few and far between. I have sent or emailed my CV to 8 Film/TV/Theater-related places and only heard back from 2. One had no openings and the other (a non-profit theater) has one vacancy, but the pay is so incredibly low that we couldn't survive on it. Unfortunately I have to be focused on the money instead of enjoyment - hello real world! - and that probably means working in a shop or restaurant. Pubs are not on my list because people smoke while they drink and I cannot handle a full day's work coughing my way through clouds of cigarette smoke. Tomorrow I have an appointment at a recruitment agency and my hopes are not high. After that meeting I will be going to a clothing store that is currently hiring and turning in my application. At least the clothes are great...
~K
I have been hitting the bricks looking for work and am just about worn out. Granted, it's only been four and a half days of serious searching, but I'm getting depressed. I am either over qualified for everything or not qualified at all. Norwich is a small city with only about 100,000 people in the area and consequently the desirable jobs are few and far between. I have sent or emailed my CV to 8 Film/TV/Theater-related places and only heard back from 2. One had no openings and the other (a non-profit theater) has one vacancy, but the pay is so incredibly low that we couldn't survive on it. Unfortunately I have to be focused on the money instead of enjoyment - hello real world! - and that probably means working in a shop or restaurant. Pubs are not on my list because people smoke while they drink and I cannot handle a full day's work coughing my way through clouds of cigarette smoke. Tomorrow I have an appointment at a recruitment agency and my hopes are not high. After that meeting I will be going to a clothing store that is currently hiring and turning in my application. At least the clothes are great...
~K
Tuesday, September 14
Further Settlement
I'm happy to report that we have settled in a little bit further:
1) Our first load of laundry is currently drying in our washer/dryer that was delivered yesterday. We have a gargantuan mound of dirty laundry to get through because nothing has been washed since we got here, since we didn't have a washer until now (due to the aformentioned problems). The funny thing is, because of the layout of this apartment, the washer has to be in our living room next to our television! There is no room for it in the kitchen (which is where the Brits normally keep the washer funnily enough). I had to drill a hole through the under-sink cabinet so the hoses could be connected to the hot & cold water outlets and the drain. It is a combo washer and condenser dryer. No vent needed as the water is vaporized, condensed and pumped out to the kitchen drain. Pretty nifty!
2) The deposit on our previous apartment (in Brussels) has been released. Now we can withdraw that reasonable sum and deposit it in our UK bank account. This is good because we end up paying about 4 euros every time we withdraw money from the ING account in Belgium. I'm not sure why, but having £ in a UK account just makes me feel more secure. It's not stuffed in our mattress, but it's at least on the same piece of land.
3) Our BMW has been completely checked over and doesn't have any serious problems. I took it to Mr. Clutch (a automotive service chain) and got the full Gold Plus check-up. Everything single thing was checked. They provided a list of what needed attention, none of it urgent and most of it things I already knew about. The only one that I'm going to take care of right away is replacing the cooling fan assembly. I'm going to do that today after I take the car in for MOT renewal (two years overdue since it was in Belgium for that period of time). After that, I'm supposed to bring the MOT and the certificate of insurance to the Post Office to pay for some other type of certificate (can't remember what it's called at the moment). Then we can officially drive the car here.
4) Kristen is making headway on the employment front. She will be meeting with an agent at Reed Recruitment Agency tomorrow about a few job openings. On top of that, she has some other applications in the pipeline which she hasn't heard back about yet.
5) We have some more furniture: a semi-heinous looking coffee table (the stand-in for that aweful lamp we had in Brussels), a shelf-unit for the closet (which is partially being used as my "cellar") and a wardrobe to cram some of our clothes. More is needed, but it's not as urgent and, frankly, we don't have much room left! Last night we had dinner with the plate on an actual table, instead of our my laps. We felt so civilized!
6) Our Solo debit cards from HSBC arrived today. They're not Mastercard/Visa debit cards, so we can only use them in places that have the "Solo" service and in ATMs to withdraw cash. This was our only option at the moment because we don't have credit in the UK. However, it is better than what we would have gotten from Lloyds. They said they could only give us a "cash account" and an ATM card because we have been here less than 3 years. HSBC gave us a current account (including a checkbook) and these Solo cards. The guy who opened the account said we would start like this and then possibly upgrade to other types of cards once they see how we maintain the account. It seems there is more than one way to interpret the new banking rules. Lloyds chose to be strict to the point of being anal, while HSBC took a more trusting approach. We chose the correct bank, I think.
7) We have a new iron and a vacuum cleaner. The carpet was looking pretty shabby until now. But we still need an ironing board, so there won't be much ironing going on at the moment.
Well, enough for now. I'm heading out to get that MOT done.
-RP-
I'm happy to report that we have settled in a little bit further:
1) Our first load of laundry is currently drying in our washer/dryer that was delivered yesterday. We have a gargantuan mound of dirty laundry to get through because nothing has been washed since we got here, since we didn't have a washer until now (due to the aformentioned problems). The funny thing is, because of the layout of this apartment, the washer has to be in our living room next to our television! There is no room for it in the kitchen (which is where the Brits normally keep the washer funnily enough). I had to drill a hole through the under-sink cabinet so the hoses could be connected to the hot & cold water outlets and the drain. It is a combo washer and condenser dryer. No vent needed as the water is vaporized, condensed and pumped out to the kitchen drain. Pretty nifty!
2) The deposit on our previous apartment (in Brussels) has been released. Now we can withdraw that reasonable sum and deposit it in our UK bank account. This is good because we end up paying about 4 euros every time we withdraw money from the ING account in Belgium. I'm not sure why, but having £ in a UK account just makes me feel more secure. It's not stuffed in our mattress, but it's at least on the same piece of land.
3) Our BMW has been completely checked over and doesn't have any serious problems. I took it to Mr. Clutch (a automotive service chain) and got the full Gold Plus check-up. Everything single thing was checked. They provided a list of what needed attention, none of it urgent and most of it things I already knew about. The only one that I'm going to take care of right away is replacing the cooling fan assembly. I'm going to do that today after I take the car in for MOT renewal (two years overdue since it was in Belgium for that period of time). After that, I'm supposed to bring the MOT and the certificate of insurance to the Post Office to pay for some other type of certificate (can't remember what it's called at the moment). Then we can officially drive the car here.
4) Kristen is making headway on the employment front. She will be meeting with an agent at Reed Recruitment Agency tomorrow about a few job openings. On top of that, she has some other applications in the pipeline which she hasn't heard back about yet.
5) We have some more furniture: a semi-heinous looking coffee table (the stand-in for that aweful lamp we had in Brussels), a shelf-unit for the closet (which is partially being used as my "cellar") and a wardrobe to cram some of our clothes. More is needed, but it's not as urgent and, frankly, we don't have much room left! Last night we had dinner with the plate on an actual table, instead of our my laps. We felt so civilized!
6) Our Solo debit cards from HSBC arrived today. They're not Mastercard/Visa debit cards, so we can only use them in places that have the "Solo" service and in ATMs to withdraw cash. This was our only option at the moment because we don't have credit in the UK. However, it is better than what we would have gotten from Lloyds. They said they could only give us a "cash account" and an ATM card because we have been here less than 3 years. HSBC gave us a current account (including a checkbook) and these Solo cards. The guy who opened the account said we would start like this and then possibly upgrade to other types of cards once they see how we maintain the account. It seems there is more than one way to interpret the new banking rules. Lloyds chose to be strict to the point of being anal, while HSBC took a more trusting approach. We chose the correct bank, I think.
7) We have a new iron and a vacuum cleaner. The carpet was looking pretty shabby until now. But we still need an ironing board, so there won't be much ironing going on at the moment.
Well, enough for now. I'm heading out to get that MOT done.
-RP-
Sunday, September 12
Summary
We've been here almost exactly two weeks now and we are somewhat settled in. To be honest, after our first two weeks in Belgium, we were a lot farther along than we are here. We've run up against lots of paradoxical stumbling blocks that have really hampered our progress. None of it was directly government red-tape like that which we found in Belgium, here it is more societal.
Our ferry arrived at around 6:50 pm on August 29th. Getting through immigration and customs was a piece of cake. Even though our BMW looked ridiculous with a rolled up mattress and two plastic-wrapped suitcases strapped to the roof (not to mention a completely stuffed back-seat and trunk), we were waved through with the scarcest of glances. Then it was time to drive on the left side of the road. We made it to Norwich in a little over an hour and found our B&B with minimal problems.
The next morning we got up at a reasonable hour and took advantage of the ""Breakfast" part of the "B&B". You just have to start off your time in England with a Full English Breakfast (fried eggs, sausage, bacon, grilled mushrooms, baked tomatoes, hash-browns, baked beans and toast). After that, it was time to strap the suitcases and mattress back on the roof of the car and check out of the hotel. We left it in the parking lot and walked to meet our new landlord at our new apartment.
Our landlord is a nice enough guy. Though he works at a realty agency, this is the first property he has owned to rent out and we are his first tenants (we'll break him in). We were a bit nervous about the apartment because the pictures we had seen weren't very detailed. However, we were mostly relieved, partially pleasantly surprised, and a teensy bit dismayed. Relieved because it was very clean and the neighborhood seemed OK. Pleasantly surprised because the kitchen and living room are a good size, the ceilings are relatively high and there is more storage than we thought (including a large nook under the stairs to the upstairs apartment where I can hide all of my imported beer). The twinge of dismay came when we saw how tiny the bedroom is. You can fit a queen-size mattress and maybe one dresser in there and still be able to get in and out of the room without killing yourself. Our parking space is at the back of the building, right outside our bedroom window, which is comforting.
The 30th was a bank holiday, so we couldn't get much done after we unpacked the car. John Lewis, the big department store where we intended to get a bed, was closed. So, we just wandered around the town a bit. We peeked in some furniture stores in the mall, but everything was out of our price range. Then we decided to go to a movie to kill time (The Bourne Supremacy... very entertaining). After that, we headed back to our disheveled apartment and Kristen made our "bed": our mattress pad (3 inch thick foam pad) and our comfiest sheets. Despite the fact that the entire apartment is carpeted (including the bathroom), this bed was not even remotely comfortable to me. It was a VERY firm "bed". On top of that, we only had our wool throw and a sheet to keep ourselves warm. At some point during the night, I grabbed one of Kristen's long jackets to cover myself. I did not have a good night's sleep, but Kristen somehow slept perfectly fine. That's usually my job!
The next day, we fueled up with some Starsucks coffee and set our priority to get a real bed. We didn't find a bed in our price range at John Lewis, but we did buy a TV (a 28" widescreen JVC) and a fridge (though the one we wanted was out of stock for the moment). The TV was scheduled for delivery later in the week and the fridge was on hold. Then we went to a futon store and purchased a futon couch for the living room and another futon mattress for our bedroom. It's a mattress on the floor, but it's queen-size and comfortable.
We tried to get a mobile phone, but no one would take us because we did not have an appropriate document to prove our address (like a bank statement or utility bill). This is what proved to be our biggest stumbling block: we didn't have a utility bill because we just moved in. So we tried to open a bank account, but they wouldn't take us either for the same reason. We tried to rent a washer/dryer, but they required a bank account for direct debit. We booked phone installation with the local monopoly, but they couldn't install it until the 16th. It became quickly apparent that we would have to have a lot more patience and just wait it out. Sooner or later, some form of suitable proof of address would make its way into our lives. The bad part about having to wait was that Kristen couldn't really apply for jobs until we had a phone number to provide.
Until last Wednesday, we went to the library every morning to get on the internet. I kept looking for mobile phone and internet providers. What I was discovering was that most of the broadband providers required that you have a telephone line from BT (the aforementioned monopoly). I tried with NTL, a telephone, broadband and digital TV provider, but the post code search told me that service was not available. However, a few days later, it became apparent that the post code we were given was incorrect. When I tried the correct one, NTL became a reality. Time to give them a call! We went immediately to a pay-phone we had used a few times already, but someone was using it. So, we wandered through the centre to find another one and, lo and behold, we came upon a NTL promotional booth offering an even better deal than what was on their web-site. Breakthrough! We swarmed the guy and got signed up for telephone, digital cable and broadband with installation much sooner than BT would have done. We were finally getting somewhere.
Yesterday, we received the initial bill from NTL, so we went straight to HSBC to open a bank account. After that, we went to arrange for our washer/dryer rental. It will be delivered on Tuesday, so we can get rid of the ever-increasing pile of laundry. We're holding off on mobile phones for now because we don't need them at the moment.
Our fridge was delivered this past Friday, putting an end to almost two weeks of eating take out and not having any cold drinks in the house. At Salvation Army we found a coffee table, shelf-unit and a dresser which will be delivered to us this Tuesday or Wednesday. Kristen has a few nibbles for job prospects. Registration for me at UEA is later this week. Little by little, it's all coming together. Before we know it, I'll be at school, Kristen will be working, and we'll have an eclectic, but cozy little apartment to come home to. Patience is a virtue.
-RP-
We've been here almost exactly two weeks now and we are somewhat settled in. To be honest, after our first two weeks in Belgium, we were a lot farther along than we are here. We've run up against lots of paradoxical stumbling blocks that have really hampered our progress. None of it was directly government red-tape like that which we found in Belgium, here it is more societal.
Our ferry arrived at around 6:50 pm on August 29th. Getting through immigration and customs was a piece of cake. Even though our BMW looked ridiculous with a rolled up mattress and two plastic-wrapped suitcases strapped to the roof (not to mention a completely stuffed back-seat and trunk), we were waved through with the scarcest of glances. Then it was time to drive on the left side of the road. We made it to Norwich in a little over an hour and found our B&B with minimal problems.
The next morning we got up at a reasonable hour and took advantage of the ""Breakfast" part of the "B&B". You just have to start off your time in England with a Full English Breakfast (fried eggs, sausage, bacon, grilled mushrooms, baked tomatoes, hash-browns, baked beans and toast). After that, it was time to strap the suitcases and mattress back on the roof of the car and check out of the hotel. We left it in the parking lot and walked to meet our new landlord at our new apartment.
Our landlord is a nice enough guy. Though he works at a realty agency, this is the first property he has owned to rent out and we are his first tenants (we'll break him in). We were a bit nervous about the apartment because the pictures we had seen weren't very detailed. However, we were mostly relieved, partially pleasantly surprised, and a teensy bit dismayed. Relieved because it was very clean and the neighborhood seemed OK. Pleasantly surprised because the kitchen and living room are a good size, the ceilings are relatively high and there is more storage than we thought (including a large nook under the stairs to the upstairs apartment where I can hide all of my imported beer). The twinge of dismay came when we saw how tiny the bedroom is. You can fit a queen-size mattress and maybe one dresser in there and still be able to get in and out of the room without killing yourself. Our parking space is at the back of the building, right outside our bedroom window, which is comforting.
The 30th was a bank holiday, so we couldn't get much done after we unpacked the car. John Lewis, the big department store where we intended to get a bed, was closed. So, we just wandered around the town a bit. We peeked in some furniture stores in the mall, but everything was out of our price range. Then we decided to go to a movie to kill time (The Bourne Supremacy... very entertaining). After that, we headed back to our disheveled apartment and Kristen made our "bed": our mattress pad (3 inch thick foam pad) and our comfiest sheets. Despite the fact that the entire apartment is carpeted (including the bathroom), this bed was not even remotely comfortable to me. It was a VERY firm "bed". On top of that, we only had our wool throw and a sheet to keep ourselves warm. At some point during the night, I grabbed one of Kristen's long jackets to cover myself. I did not have a good night's sleep, but Kristen somehow slept perfectly fine. That's usually my job!
The next day, we fueled up with some Starsucks coffee and set our priority to get a real bed. We didn't find a bed in our price range at John Lewis, but we did buy a TV (a 28" widescreen JVC) and a fridge (though the one we wanted was out of stock for the moment). The TV was scheduled for delivery later in the week and the fridge was on hold. Then we went to a futon store and purchased a futon couch for the living room and another futon mattress for our bedroom. It's a mattress on the floor, but it's queen-size and comfortable.
We tried to get a mobile phone, but no one would take us because we did not have an appropriate document to prove our address (like a bank statement or utility bill). This is what proved to be our biggest stumbling block: we didn't have a utility bill because we just moved in. So we tried to open a bank account, but they wouldn't take us either for the same reason. We tried to rent a washer/dryer, but they required a bank account for direct debit. We booked phone installation with the local monopoly, but they couldn't install it until the 16th. It became quickly apparent that we would have to have a lot more patience and just wait it out. Sooner or later, some form of suitable proof of address would make its way into our lives. The bad part about having to wait was that Kristen couldn't really apply for jobs until we had a phone number to provide.
Until last Wednesday, we went to the library every morning to get on the internet. I kept looking for mobile phone and internet providers. What I was discovering was that most of the broadband providers required that you have a telephone line from BT (the aforementioned monopoly). I tried with NTL, a telephone, broadband and digital TV provider, but the post code search told me that service was not available. However, a few days later, it became apparent that the post code we were given was incorrect. When I tried the correct one, NTL became a reality. Time to give them a call! We went immediately to a pay-phone we had used a few times already, but someone was using it. So, we wandered through the centre to find another one and, lo and behold, we came upon a NTL promotional booth offering an even better deal than what was on their web-site. Breakthrough! We swarmed the guy and got signed up for telephone, digital cable and broadband with installation much sooner than BT would have done. We were finally getting somewhere.
Yesterday, we received the initial bill from NTL, so we went straight to HSBC to open a bank account. After that, we went to arrange for our washer/dryer rental. It will be delivered on Tuesday, so we can get rid of the ever-increasing pile of laundry. We're holding off on mobile phones for now because we don't need them at the moment.
Our fridge was delivered this past Friday, putting an end to almost two weeks of eating take out and not having any cold drinks in the house. At Salvation Army we found a coffee table, shelf-unit and a dresser which will be delivered to us this Tuesday or Wednesday. Kristen has a few nibbles for job prospects. Registration for me at UEA is later this week. Little by little, it's all coming together. Before we know it, I'll be at school, Kristen will be working, and we'll have an eclectic, but cozy little apartment to come home to. Patience is a virtue.
-RP-
Wednesday, September 8
Going Live in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1!
As of about 30 minutes ago, we are back on the air. The NTL guy came at 8am this morning to hook up our phone, digital TV and broadband access. It's been a long wait and lots of trips to the library to use their slow internet portals. But now we can get back on track. Lots of things to tell you about since we left Belgium, but you'll have to be patient for now as we'll need a little bit of time to catch up.
Stay tuned... more news within the next day or so...
-RP-
As of about 30 minutes ago, we are back on the air. The NTL guy came at 8am this morning to hook up our phone, digital TV and broadband access. It's been a long wait and lots of trips to the library to use their slow internet portals. But now we can get back on track. Lots of things to tell you about since we left Belgium, but you'll have to be patient for now as we'll need a little bit of time to catch up.
Stay tuned... more news within the next day or so...
-RP-
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