Empty Cage

The reason for the lack of updates is a simple one. I have been doing absolutely nothing interesting. I know that sounds like a bit of a cop-out but it’s absolutely true. I’ll try to sum up some of the high points over the last few days to keep people at least semi-interested. I haven’t even been writing in my own journal though, so that should tell you something.

Currently I’m living with Mike Powers in Milton Keynes, a town outside of London, it is the most ‘North American’ feeling place I’ve been since I’ve gotten here, the roads even have a semi-logical order! I have been walking around the area a lot and cannot pretend that it really reminds me of home. While Mike was showing me around we did a treetop walk and ‘the best fish and chips in southern England’. Other than that it had been nothing but sleep and resumes/CVs and therefore really boring. I’m going to Charing Cross Road “the book district’ tomorrow so hopefully some jobs pop up by Friday. Mike Britishized my resume it’s amazing how little of what I’m done translates directly into Brit.

So, yes, I really have little to blog about right now, hahah. I’ve only talked to parents, Andrew, and Terri since I’ve gotten here despite my kickass cellphone plan, so if anyone wants me to call them it’s always nice to chat with people without crazy accents.

To my commenters:

To mom, laundry was not bad, in fact, it was decidedly dull. I had been expecting satan’s torment from the way people speak of it. As for the weather, yes, it is more spring than not, and I’ve heard about the snow there and I laugh at you all.

To Mike, thanks so much for stopping by to leave me a comment. I hope Jeff is having a good time on his voyages– though I can’t rub in anyone’s face how much nicer the weather is here because I’m sure he’ll one-up me.

To Harvey (Thomas that is), I am having a good time the museums here are about a hundred times better than any museum that I’ve seen in Canada so far, I’m determined to haunt at least one of them. My next destination will be Liverpool/Manchester I think, hopefully the first vacation from my job! The only intense British food I’ve eaten so far was when I was in Whitby I had some Yorkshire Steak and Ale Pie, it was very good, but I was a bit sick the next day, I’d have it again but be very wary. And Pineapple Fritters, which aren’t too bad, a bit too sweet for me though!

To Harvey (This time to Dana), I do understand laziness and the way it prevents typing as you can see by the distance between this entry and the last one. The library pretty much owned, and, as with everything here, I’ve only scratched the surface. The original Beatles lyrics I was tempted to simply bow to, it only seemed right. As for Across the Universe I actually worked on that at Andy Malcolms (cool, huh?) I would not say no to sexy Jude popping over to sing Strawberry Fields Forever with me. I know I’m your hero, after all I got all 150 Pokemon.

My last entry was so rushed it doesn’t make a word of sense, so sorry to everyone, I had very little booked internet time left when I started it. I’m now on the final leg of my journey from Whitby back to London, but I guess I need to start at getting to Whitby. I am able to write this because my train from Darlington to London offers free internet access.

Last time I wrote to you all I was in York, I was having a particularly miserable day, and plotting my starring role in ANGST! the musical. Feeling frustrated, I walked around the town and found myself sitting on the steps of York Minster and I just thought for awhile in the damp Yorkshire cold that sends deep into your bones and finally decided this trip is what I make it. And it was time to make it something incredible and memorable, I have money, I have a lot of money, I left Canada with a lot of money. I will be perfectly fine.

It was then I decided to go to Whitby.

It had been on my mind for awhile, but I finally made a resolute decision to go to Whitby. Why Whitby? Probably something to do with that goth-Dracula thing, and maybe wanting to see the sea, looking out and seeing the way home. Whitby was nice, the whole area smelt of fish and chips, and my hostel was the old abbey house at the top of the famous 199 steps where Mina sees Lucy with Dracula for the first time.

Everyone in Whiby was friendly, they all smiled and didn’t give me the infamous ‘North American Stare’ the one that usually involves a lot of disdain. They just smile in a polite manner which you fumble along. Internet access was a sweeping ten pound an hour, so I decided you guys could wait a few days to hear from me.

The trip from York to Whitby was absolutely astonishing. It was like going back in time, tufted green grass, punctuated by sheep, ancient walls and small farm houses. Picturesque, really.

P.S.

I never wrote on the British Museum. It was like heaven, my own personal Mecca. I could hardly contain some wave of emotion after seeing the real rosetta stone right there in front of me. I felt like I was going to have to die happy right there. It was the most amazing place I had ever been before in my life. And I only arrived there two hours to closing!

I know it’s really only been a few days and that I shouldn’t have ever expected this to be easy and all of that lovely stuff, but I cannot help but be depressed at the fact that, holycrap I have no stinking job. I’ve been sort of gradually e-mailing my resume (CV) around but finding an hourly rather than a salaried job is a lot harder than I had hoped. I just want to be working so I can get my stuff in order and move out of the hostel. Bah! While I intend to stay at ISH tonight (and hopefully tomorrow night) I’m going to book Sunday, Monday, and think about booking Tuesday at YHA York, from there I’m going to apply for some jobs obviously, in York. I’d rather not live in London if I can help it — everything costs a fortune! I was thinking of going to Manchester or Liverpool, but the hostels there were amazingly expensive or booked. I’ll visit there at some point, I’m going to have to break into my dollars reserve soon, which is a bit heartbreaking. Alternatively, I may stay in London and hold until I get my first interview. I don’t know — I’m feeling conflicted right now. Is it easier to voyage a bit, or to stay put, afterall, I do have a couple thousand kilos of luggage which I have to keep in mind. I’ll book another night at ISH I think, and then decide over the next few days.

I opened my bank account and activated my phone properly yesterday, so, calling to Canada costs me a tidy 5p a minute, making it 10 cents a minute. The cheapest distance plan I could find, and so I called Andrew, and home last night. It was so great to hear my three boys again! I miss them like crazy. Yesterday was similar to the day before, I went to BUNAC, I applied for a few jobs Kate and I wandered London, I went to the hostel and tried to sleep.

Actually, rather than sleep I watched ‘From Hell’ on Syd until my frenchroom mate came back to sleep. It was nice though, sitting there watching a movie and finishing off some of my plane treats. Finally, a relaxed evening even if I am stressing out about everything I still need to do. I think today I’m going to throw job hunting to the wind a bit and go to the British Museum, it’s open until 8 and has free admission, maybe I’ll get some good old fashioned fish and chips before I head in. I’ve eaten mostly sandwiches since I got here because they are cheap, but maybe splurging a bit on food will lift some of the OVERWHELMINGANGST. It’s not been that bad, I just want the security of knowing I’ll have an income soon.

So! This is what I’m going to do today, first, I’m going to apply for a few more jobs (new jobs on the board every day, it’s worth a try, even if I haven’t got a single reply yet), then, I’m going back to ISH and booking another day or two in case this York trip falls through. I can get my money back from them. From there, I’ll get me some fish and chips and hit the museum (I have to admit I’m really excited about this museum thing!) Then I will head back to the hostel and sleep, rise repeat for the next few days.

As a reply to my comments:

Amber, I am having a good time, see e-mails of love for details, however I hope my resume does not let me down, I would be very sad being the London panhandler! Maybe if I started a pie shop…

Melissa, I’m not sure if Staples misses me, how’s the new kid’s ESP rating? Or have they ESP slapped him yet? I think I had a three week grace period before I got ESP’d! And has Michelle taken down my dramatic closing ’10 Things I learned at Staples 304′ because I always assumed she would… The hostel is nothing fancy, but clean, which according to Kate makes a huge difference. Some of the chaps here are nice looking but they are mostly pretty average.

EMMADAWN!, I miss you lots, I still can’t believe it either if that helps anything… I cannot believe that I am writing this not at home, but in London, England. It’s really hard to fathom– alone, London, five-to-six months, ack! Once I have a flat I pretty much demand that you visit me, even if it costs all the money you’ve ever made I like to think my loving devotion is worth it. And as for the bloke, will do! P.S. I cannot actually comment on your facebook profile, know why? Because the word b-o-m-b is used on it, which is a screened word on the BUNAC internets. XD