It's hard to believe that this has been more than 10 months in the making, but I'm here in London, England...and still alive! It's been a great 6 days thus far, with some even greater days to come.
The flight over was great and quite uneventful. My father, in good Trevor Fernandez fashion, attempted to get me an upgraded seat with an upgrade voucher, to no avail. While my mother clung onto my hand tightly and kissed and hugged me goodbye 4 times over. It was sad passing through security and onto the gates of Terminal 1 at Pearson International, but it was exciting to think about the adventure to come! One of those 'transition' moments...
We have been staying with Alex and his family here in London. They have very graciously put all five of us up in their home since we arrived. I will hopefully be moving into my 1970s retro style flat by Monday of next week. It will be nice to have a place to call my own, even if it does have kitch carpet, lime green walls, and pink velvet headboards...groovy!
I'm slowly learning that everything here takes twice as long as it would in Canada. Case in point: we found a flat on the 6th (last Saturday) and almost a week later, we haven't moved in. Why? Because the 10 page application, reference check, bank check and guarantor documents have been holding it up. I guess working with a reputable letting agency has also added to the delays, whatever happened to the likes of 'Gabriel' who only wants the rent in small unmarked bills?
I started work today at the House of Parliament, with my MP from the North of the UK. She and her son (who runs her London office) seem very nice and very accommodating. I got a grand tour of the House of Parliament today, which resembles our own in its ornate and historical nature. She has given me a great deal of flexibility with my hours and days or work, along with the opportunity to do some traveling to her riding and other parts of Europe, so it should be interesting. I will also be her date for the 2007 Brit Awards on February 14th, so keep your eyes peeled for me on the red carpet!
Aside from the stresses of house hunting and starting a new job, I've done a little sight seeing of Central London - Downing Street, Oxford Circus, Trafalgar Square and many bars and pubs. A lot has been packed into the last 6 days and I've enjoyed (almost) every minute of it!
Hopefully I'll become a little bit more consistent with my blogs. And remember that if you'd like to experience London for yourself, you're more than welcome to come and join me during my 20 weeks stay :)
Just give me some notice...
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3 comments:
Let the postcard-ing commence!
I second that notion!
Glad to see that you have arrived safely and that you have enjoyed (almost) every moment. I look forward to seeing some pics of your kitschy pad. :D
Nice summary of the events Darran! Although I would say that everything takes at least 3 or 4 times longer in the UK...for example, we won't get the internet until February 2nd.
Whoo hoo for expensive internet cafes meanwhile!
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