An Insubstantial Blog

Since it is already Monday morning in Australia, I have already received my pub placement! I'm really excited because it ended up not being what I asked for but exactly what I wanted. We had eventually agreed on living on the outskirts of London. I'm not only in London, but I'm a 5 minute walk from the British Museum and close to St. Paul's.

On December 2nd, I will start work at the Cittie of Yorke pub. Many sites as well as the guy who helped place me call it one of the great pubs of London. There has been a pub on the same spot since 1430, though this one was rebuilt in the 1920s. The website I've linked to has lots of pictures. It has incredible architecture with high vaulted ceilings. It also has private booth cubicles which are probably older than the restoration and are very rare in England now.

The job offer is pretty good. I make minimum wage. From that is deducted 26 pounds a week for room and board. Board consists of all meals except for on Sunday. Room will be in double or triple rooms with other workers who are mainly Australian and New Zealand-ers (?). Each room has cable tv and internet access. Also has laundry on site. I think that's a pretty good deal in all. I'll be working 5.5 days a week which is quite a bit. I guess it adds up to 40 hours and I'll make about 180 pounds. Hopefully they'll be lenient with a couple long weekends and such or I can get someone to cover my shift as I want to make it up to Scotland at some point as well as take many short trips to Canterbury, Brighton, Bath and maybe even the rest of Europe.

I'll have Sundays off and half of Saturday off. Since I'll be in Camden, I won't lose time in a long commute into London for sightseeing either! It should also make my first two days of running around a little less hectic.

On December 2nd, I plan to get to the pub using local transport from Gatwick airport. I'll have to take a train and transfer to tube with all my baggage! I'll go straight to the pub. Meet the managers. Then head out and get a cell phone. Also, try to get an appointment for a SS number. Then, to keep myself awake AND get oriented, I want to take the newLondon tour.

For anyone into travel, New tours are really awesome. They operate out of many cities. I've been on the ones in Berlin and Amsterdam. Their basic tour leaves on the same spot everyday. You just show up. The tour is free!!! They work for tips. The tours are often run by graduate students or English and Spanish speaking people who really know the city. Each tour lasts 3-4 hours with a food and bathroom break in the middle. It really is great for the budget traveller as it gives you city orientation, a huge and interesting history lesson, some neat hidden features of the city and even the food break is usually at an affordable but yummy spot. They'll also try to sell you other tours that cost money and pub crawls. In Amsterdam, we went on the Red Light District tour for about 8 euro and were really glad we did as we saw a lot of the area we would've missed otherwise. Anyways, in London, they offer 2 different free tours and I plan on taking advantage of them!

The next day will be hectic. I have to go to a meeting for BUNAC, the company that issues my student/work visa. They will give us info on insurance, bank accounts and how to find a job. It'll be boring since I already have a job but maybe I'll meet some people. It's mandatory. After that, I have to go get a bank account which I am told is no easy feat in England. At least I'll be a few tube stops away from all of these places!

Ahh, Halloween my favorite holiday. It's kind of bumming me out now that I'm so old. Since I graduated, I really can't go trick or treating or I'll just be creepy. But I don't really want to start popping out kids now. I should steal other people's kids to take out with me. I did dress up and hang with school friends. There was drunkeness and costumes and fun yet jinxed as everything was broken up or stopped the second we entered. C'est la vie.

Tomorrow I must work 8 hours AND wake up early. This hasn't been done in about a month. Then, I will be making delicious jello shots. Well, here's a useful topic for my craft blog! Jello Shots!

This is how you make them PERFECT. I can make 2 things in this world and they are one of them.

Follow the directions on the side of the box. Pour in one thing of Jello mix to the hot water. Then add 2-3 packets of the knox gelatin. Yes, I know it's a lot but TRUST ME. As these shots are week substitute some of the cold water for more cold vodka. And when you pour them, do it fast as they will set...FAST. Don't pour them into Dixie paper cups. There's other plastic cups about the same size which work much better. And are reusable if you want to wash them all out. This way, when the shot sets, stick your finger around the edged. You'll be able to pick out the jello shot whole from the cup. Best jello shots ever...sooo gelatinous.

As it is officially November, I'm minorly freaking out about many things which are all coming together right now like umm...

in 1 day the election which could change america FOREVER
in 1 day I have to have an awkward lunch encounter/interview for grad school applications. yes, i worry too much. it will be fine, but still.
I have about 5 essays to write for these applications which I would like to turn in by December 15th.
Oh, and I'm packing up, leaving the country, and ending up at some pub in England. WHAT? I am so not ready.
Annnd, I still have to finish those 14 cross stitch designs