Sadness

We will be back tomorrow until Friday the 20th. We can be reached on (780) 298 0024, Mom's Cell, if you need to be in touch.

What the hell is a CBT anyway?

OK, so I actually hate it here right now. Like, not wanting to make eye contact with the locals hate it. Not because I think that avoidance is the best way of solving problems, but because if I look into a pair of British peepers I will either scream or cry from frustration. Most likely cry, really, because it's me, and it's embarrassing when I get all snotty and puffy and red.

Monday the 25th should have started out a happy day, as it was payday. And that's a pretty momentous thing when it only happens once a month (LAME!). So, I'm all excited about being reinforced for my toil--and then it doesn't happen. Human Resources somehow didn't find the time in the last 10 working days to send a stupid fax to the payroll company. And then they didn't bother to let me know. They knew for like a week that I wouldn't be paid on time. Nice, hey? So, I have to spend a collective 2 hours or so talking to various people--none of whom know what's going on--just to find out they they will issue a check on Tuesday afternoon and put it in the mail. To which I replied,

"Hell, no! Yes, I'll come down and pick it up. Yes, I'll wait. Yes, I know this isn't how you normally do things. Yes, I know this is slightly inconvenient for you. Yes, I will come to your awkwardly located office in the warehouse district behind the local B & Q (?!). Thank you so much for all your time and help. I really appreciate the extra effort. Have a nice day."

I wanted to vomit after faking nice for such an exorbitant amount of time. But, the way things work here, I figured if I didn't suck it up they would 'accidentally' stick the cheque in the local post, where it would likely either disappear or be sucked into the vacuum of postal space. With the ongoing threat of a strike, I was keen to avoid that outcome at all costs.

It wouldn't have mattered, though, because it seems that the bank tellers, 'personal accounts representatives' and bank mangers at HSBC were determined that I not have access to any money regardless. Getting the freaking account set up in the first place was a world class headache, and it's apparently accompanied by snotty, inefficient and incompetent service. Turns out they gave me the wrong type of account in the first place. And then on Tuesday when I deposited the cheque and they told me it would take until Friday to clear, they actually meant Monday at the earliest. Apparently my psychic powers were supposed to pick that up. And then they reminded me that if I wanted them to switch my crap account to one that actually works (ie one with cheques that allows me to have certain portions of money cleared without hold), they will have to take away my bank card and change all of my account numbers. Which could take a week. 'Cause that's a realistic option right now.

Wednesday was an OK day, especially when I found out that my Criminal Record Check still has not been approved. Yet another fax that needs to be sent. So, I'm not really allowed to do anything right now other than visit local agencies and shadow other workers. Which was cool for the first 4 weeks, but since I'm running out of locations and people keep canceling, it's no longer a particularly worthwhile exercise.

Thursday was alright. Nothing disastrous, at least. Well, except for the disturbing stories coming from Chris Benoit's death. Freaky. Apparently his dad lives in Ardrossan. And our shower stall being ripped apart in our bathroom because it's leaking into our newly acquired downstairs room. Right on.

Friday rocked when I had to work an hour unpaid overtime and missed my train to return from a neighboring town where we had been working. So, I got to sit on an unmanned outdoor platform for an hour with nothing to do. And then I found out about the CBT test, which has something to do with our scooters. I don't know what it is, but apparently we each need to have one. You would think that someone would have mentioned it when we were buying, insuring and taxing the things, but apparently not. So this week we will be in search of 'it'.

Saturday was the first really good day of the week. I checked my e-mails and had some, which was awesome, and I got to chat with Mom, which made me happy, and Mike got to start his new job in Worcester.

Today was made cheery and light by the grocery store manager who rudely paged us to the front of the store while we were paying, to inform us that we were to move our scooters IMMEDIATELY from their parking spots due to Health and Safety Concerns. Because apparently the spot we've been TOLD to park in--where all of the employees park and there is no signage--is unsuitable. Like, right that very second?! Again, must-have psychic powers. And also learn to not hate store managers who start sentences with, "If I was being pedantic..." I really do wonder if he'd feel justified speaking to us in that manner if we had British accents. I doubt it, and I think that's what discrimination must feel like. I cannot imagine what it's like to be here and of a different ethnicity and/or non-English speaking. It would be truly awful.

There have been good things this week. We got a tentative invite from my coworkers to go to the local beer festival later this month where there will be like 200 different types of cider to sample, all of which are brewed locally. And Saint Alan, our landlord, has managed to hook us up with a car for 500gbp--hello pink VW Polo. Which will be much nicer to ride in during floods and rain. I'm just having a hard time right now with what feel like endless hoops and choking bureaucracies. And people being rude and dismissive. And having to check, double-check and recheck things, only to discover that we've been given incorrect or just plain wrong information. And then being treated like crap for not knowing so.

Everything just feels hard right now. And there's some wicked self-doubt creeping in. Was this the right thing to do? Can we stick it out? Why the hell am I putting myself through this? I'm pretty sure it will pass, and that culture shock has come just a bit early. Mike made the observation that the forthcoming change in routine as a result of his new job and ungodly waking hours (5:45 people!) will bring about different ways of seeing and doing things. But, I'm tired of things going wrong. I'm particularly tired of feeling powerless when up against said things. And right now I'm tired of complaining, so I'm going to go before this posting devolves any further.

This week will be better, right?

I'm about as On The Run as possible....

Hello Blog Watchers,

So, our return from Dublin last weekend was good and bad. Good because I don't think my body could have survived there for another 24 hours--pub hopping is fantastic and we had a fabulous time, but there is such a thing as too much beer. Bad because, well, Dublin is actually FUN compared to Hereford and there are loads of things to see and do. And also bad because the trains were running like 9 million hours late and what should have been a return journey of 90 minutes ended up taking over 4 hours. Guh. Sunday train travel RAWKS.

As I mentioned before, Dad was in town for a few days. It was a good thing he traveled light because for the first 4 nights he had to change B&B's due to the neighboring Hay on Wye Festival. We went to Hay during his visit--it's a lovely little town just 20 miles or so from here. It's annually host to literary greats and political pundits; last year was Al Gore and prior to that were the Clintons, Bono, Sting, etc. In little Hay--off-season population 1,700! However, it does boast a used book store for every 17 residents, so as you can imagine, Mike and I were in heaven.

We also made our way to Stonehenge (where we managed to get a total of ZERO pics...), and the journey itself was an adventure. We got soooo lost on the highways that what should have been a 1 hour and 20 minute trip morphed into a gargantuan 4 hours. Needless to say, tempers were frayed and backs were sweaty upon our arrival, but it was well worth it. It's a very cool place. There were, of course, loads of tourists there including ourselves, but the walking paths were eerily quiet. The sense of history there is palpable--the grounds are surrounded by burial trenches and holes, which are called Aubrey Holes. Until the 1970s, people could purchase pickaxes in neighboring Salisbury, a city 10 miles or so away, and chip off pieces of the large stones that served as handy 'souvenirs.' This is no longer the case, of course. For like 20gbp, though, you can buy a tiny plastic replica Made In China. Hahahaha.

While Mike was working, Dad and I traveled to nearby Ledbury to go to Ice Bytes, the closest! Internet Cafe, where I did some printing and such. We then headed to the local Bulmer's cider museum--Bulmer's is the brewery that produces Strongbow, actually. We toured through the old Cider House and had the opportunity to go down into the old Cellars where the cider was produced until the mid-1970s.

The machines are now entirely automated, but even just 40 years ago making cider was a fairly arduous process. The barrels above are the original ones that Bulmer's used up to that time--you can see where one has been cut in half for people to stand inside and take pictures. Gives you a sense of size, as the ceilings were around 9 feet high. The rack of bottles that Dad is standing beside is just one of thousands that are in the Cellar--all empty now, of course.

So, Dad arrived on the Thursday evening and left on the Wednesday night, to catch his flight from Gatwick early Thursday morning. It's actually physically impossible to get from Hereford to Gatwick before 12pm the same day, and I started work on the Wednesday anyway, so he spent a day on the road while we toiled back home. Fun was had by all.

That Friday, I got news that my Social Work Registration had gone through, and we headed to Dublin to spend a fabulous weekend with Erika and Lester. Our plane was delayed by a half hour so we didn't get downtown until midnight or so on the Friday, by which time all of the pubs and such were of course shut. So, we slept off our travel weariness and awoke the next day ready for FUN. And it was awesome. Our first stop was brunch in a basement restaurant, which was really nice. After hitting the Temple Bar market for Lester and Erika to pick up produce, Erika and I went in search of good shopping while Mike and Lester headed to the Dublin Library. On our way back to Erika and Lester's apartment, we passed by her workplace and a giant hand. It was on the Department of Science and Technology grounds, and initially had a guy sitting in it. He got camera shy, though, which kind of ruined the shot but whatever. A perfect afternoon.

The evening consisted of visiting many, many pubs and seeing some of the sights. Firstly, we saw this statue like a million times that day because we managed a rather circuitous route. For the life of me I can't remember who it is, which is pretty ridiculous, and the shot is kinda crap due to the lighting, but he was a nice statue, and more importantly a landmark for myself in terms of navigation....Another navigation landmark is the Liffy, a big canal that bisects the north and south of the city. As you can see, the housing along it is quite dense, and to be frank, it kind of smells because there's a fair amount of garbage in it. But, it's a cool idea, no...?

We also saw a fair amount of very different architecture, Dublin being a mix of massive commercial development and preservation of historic buildings. This giant aluminum ball on top of a condo development was one of the uglier ones, though, I must say.








We then proceeded to pub-hop our way from the Temple Bar area back to Lester and Erika's apartment again. Some of the pubs in Dublin are truly spectacular; my favorite by far was the one housed in an old Cathedral fit with pipe organ and stained glass.






Of course, what's a pub if it's not surrounded by a bricked wall faced with headstones?! It makes sense that the builders would have to deal with the dead bodies (I don't know where those went) and other 'accessories' that accompany cathedrals, but it didn't really occur to me. Erika astutely noticed a wall of former headstones towards the back of the square. And in yet another example of ways that Dublin is torn between its past and future, these headstones were adjacent to yet another wall topped with spiked turnstiles of pain.

Oh, also, the cathedral pub boasts really, really expensive drinks. 2 Guinness and 2 Margaritas for a mere €30 (approx. $50). Ouch.










We then made our way over to a pub of Lester's recommendation; I think it was called The Ram's Head. Regardless, that's what I've taken to calling it. It had beautiful mosaic work throughout, and was really nice.







And, of course, as is predictable in major cities worldwide, there were police outside the pub. They were clearly very busy, as 3 of them were required to harass a old guy who was sitting on the sidewalk. No doubt the old guy was wasted and drinking in public; also consider that he needed crutches to walk/drag himself along the sidewalk. Meanwhile drunken Englishmen staggered about breaking bottles and being obnoxious. Awesome.


We started to head towards another couple of pubs in the Temple Bar area, but as Mike was wearing shorts and it was after 8pm (?) we couldn't actually get in anywhere. The pub security guys seemed almost embarrassed to have to do it, but admitted that short skirts are no problem. Next time, Mike will remember that... So, we ended up with some sidewalk tables for a bit just outside of the Temple Bar area, and that was nice. We met some people who wanted some guidance about Canadian travel, and we managed to sell Alberta adequately. And, also, answer their questions about Toronto.

We ended the might amongst Free Palestine protesters at the Hop House, one of Erika and Lester's local haunts. You may recall my initial references to it when I went to Dublin a few weeks ago. Lots of heated discussions and political conversations ensued, and it almost felt like being home. Almost.

The next morning, Mike and I dragged ourselves out of bed at 6:30am or some time equally ridiculous and began our trek home. The flight is only 35 minutes, actually, but the trains and taxis required to facilitate said flight are like 5 hours [without delays] so it was quite a hike. But worth every minute, really. Despite the fact that the airport coffee was crap, we prevailed and were back to the H around 3pm on Sunday.






Since I'm out of pics, just a quick update on other news. I am now a Registered Social Worker, as you know. Since I'm surrounded by English Efficiency, I will likely still be under the job title of Reviewing Officer for the next 4 weeks, but it will all be sorted eventually. As most people have said, this experience is meant to teach me patience, right? As an added advantage, I can now access the elusive Moving Allowance as well, which makes me happy in my heart. The job itself looks pretty good--there are huge differences between Canadian and English social welfare legislation, which is making for a super steep learning curve right now. Also, people in the office laugh at me for referring to biscuits as cookies and crisps as chips. But, it's all in good fun--all of the staff have been very welcoming and kind, and the vibe in the office is positive. I'm determined to turn off my political-dar and remain firmly outside of any office politics that might happen, and the environment seems conducive to that. As an observation, there are approximately 40 staff persons in the office, with the Psychiatrist being the only non-white person.

Mike is Data Entering for next week and the following, and then his ESL job starts. We're not able to go to Barcelona, as he has a training day on the 29th of June, which was supposed to be our second day in Spain. **sniff** But, this makes some decisions regarding Daniel's visit in September considerably easier, actually. Looks like it's going to be London for 2 days, Rome for 3 days and Barcelona or Madrid for 2 days. He still needs to choose between the 2. Also, Erika and Lester are going to avail themselves of our soon-to-be spare room (1st of July, people!) during the second week in July, so that will be good.

I hope everyone at home is happy and healthy and well. On Wednesday I was overcome with feelings of disconnection here, and was missing everyone terribly. We've been here for 7 weeks already, which feels unbelievable to me. My goal for the next couple of weeks is to get involved with a sport or similar activity, with the hope of connecting with some like-minded people. Most people should have received postcards by now; if you haven't please e-mail and I'll try again.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX!

The cooks, the sheep, my bike, and the weather

What's happening, blog watchers? We are just settling into a nice humid summer here in 'Old Blighty'. We are settling nicely into country life....kind of. Tonight we watched Star Trek Voyager (Blockbuster sends us DVDs through the mail), had some beer, and before that had a delightful dinner which consisted of roasted potatoes with caramelized onions, and Quorn 'chikin' nuggets. What's Quorn, you ask? Well, it is a brand of vegetarian products which simulate such things as chicken, bacon, sausages, and turkey (yes, we have eaten tofurkey and it is amazing). Very high quality and delicious. Now, the reason we are so happy about Quorn being good food is that English food is....................well...................uh..................how should I say this..................................AWFUL! I MEAN IT IS AWFUL! JUST ABOUT ANY KIND OF COOKED MEAL HERE IS DISGUSTING (except for fish and chips which are quite good)! WHO EATS STEWED TOMATOES AND BAKED BEANS FOR BREAKFAST?!?

Sorry. That was a little pent up. Long story short, things are good. One side effect of living on the farm is that the smaller wildlife likes our flat too. Moths like to visit (reason 239 why I miss Gunther) and Meredith is slowly overcoming her crippling fear of spiders. And, no matter what anyone tells you, sheep are hilarious...just look at them, it's gold.

My bike was acting up earlier this week. All of a sudden the signal lights and brake lights stopped working. I noticed this on the road at rush hour.....here's a reenactment of my brain at that exact moment: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Okay, okay. Hand signals. Left, right....What's stop? AAAAAAAAAAA" It was okay though. I took it in and they fixed it free of charge. A wire just came loose from the battery.

It looks like I'm going to be working at the data entry place for at least one more week. I think I can stay there right up until I start teaching. So, that's pretty cool. I'm getting excited about teaching again. Especially after this temp gig, it'll be nice to do something that is dynamic.

It is getting late and I really should go to sleep. I suppose in honour of the Sopranos finale, I should follow suit and just sign off in the middle of a sente........

Ahhhhh, Dublin....

Last weekend Meredith and I went to Dublin to see Lester and Erika. It was a really short trip as we arrived at Midnight on Friday and left at 9 am on Sunday. We did, however, pack about 3 weeks worth of partying into that day. What a fun city. It was so shocking to see such a difference between the Irish and the English. For our part, we both just had a rocking good time. Dublin is very cosmopolitan and very alive. I guess I kinda (and I'm not proud of this) had this impression that we'd be spending the weekend inside Angela's Ashes where people were singing "Every Sperm is Sacred" in the streets....okay, it wasn't quite that bad, but I was so blown away by the coolness of Dublin. Highly recommended.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG, I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO relieved and excited!
The General Social Care Council has accepted my further evidence; I am now a REGISTERED SOCIAL WORKER in the UK!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yay!
More about work later--Mike and I are heading to Dublin for the weekend.
What a wonderful day!
XOXOXOX to you all!

Our problem is that we have a Stonehenge in danger of being trampled by dwarves!!

Greetings. So, last weekend Walter, Meredith's dad, was here to visit. On Saturday we went out to Stonehenge, which was supremely cool. You can actually see it from the highway. It's funny seeing something so world famous in that it seems both bigger and smaller than you expect. Here are some pics...actually, it looks like none of the pictures came out in the camera....darn. I took some on my phone, but I still can't get them onto the computer...anyway, it was cool and we really did go there. What a disaster. hahaha.

On Sunday, we went to Hay-on-Wye. It's a small town just over the Welsh border west of Hereford. This town is known for its book festival and for having DOZENS of bookstores. If you like to read, what an amazing place.

So, I have been officially offered a job for the summer. I'm going to be working for an organization called International Quest. Basically, I'm going to be teaching a group of Italian kids who are here for kind of a summer camp. I'm only teaching though, so no archery lessons (!) The lady who interviewed me said that while there's nothing they do after summer, the other teachers would likely have some ideas about finding ESL work. As of right now, I'm still temping for the garden centre. Data data data entry entry entry. Thrilling work.

Meredith just started, yes you read this right, just started her job yesterday. YAY!! She's really liking it so far, but I'm sure she can tell you all about it later. After all, this post is all about moi.

^_^


So, we're off to Dublin tomorrow evening to see Erika and Lester. Meredith went there a couple of weeks ago, but it'll be my first time. It should be lots of fun. I must admit, it is much more enjoyable to be going somewhere and knowing that you have something waiting for you back home. In short, things are looking good. Time for dinner. Take it easy all of you, and I promise I'll try to be a better facebooker. C ya!!!