Theatreland

So I decided that since I was going to be by the laptop most of the day job hunting, writting job applications and well, being dull, I could at least go into Central London and do it on free wi-fi! Two issues. I'm not very confortable where I am sitting and I'm not getting a whole lot of job hunting done. Far too many distractions!

Needless to say I didn't get the job I was interviewed for last week. Oh gosh, was it really only a week ago? Wow. Anyways, its back to the drawing board and I figured out on estimate I'm finding 10 jobs a day that I could do, thus working out to be that I've applied for around 70 -80 jobs since I've been here. How can I not have heard back from any of them?! Seriously people!

At the moment I am in Covent Garden, close, ever so close to the Donmar Warehouse where Gillian Anderson will perform the role of Nora in A Dolls House starting in May. It was somewhere to aim for and hear I am. Soon I'll wander through Neals Yard. After that, I do not know.

Recently I have discovered the brilliance of YouTube (yes, slow I know) for watching old TV shows. I'm slowly making my way through the series Birds of a Feather which is a BBC show that's only had the first six episodes released on DVD and that's it. Anyways, I'm loving it! I'm finding episodes I've never seen and it reminds me why I love the show so much.

Its been a nice few days weather wise. The sun has been out and making itself known for hours at a time which makes a nice change. I've finally twigged the more time I spend in the sun, the better I feel. You'd think I would have remembered that from my last winter in London! Oh wells, a little slow off the mark at times I am. You know that.

Jetlag and Beyond

Here I am a month and a half into job hunting, a week and a half into living in London and a day and a half into battling the blues. On the upside, it’s sunny out. Which is a nice change. Hopefully it shall stick around. And I think the jetlag has finally gone.

It’s been a big week and a half, an emotional rollercoaster unlike anything I’ve felt in a long time. In saying that, no one panic. I’m fine and probably experiencing somewhat normal emotions under the circumstances –it’s just not something I’m too accustomed to dealing with! At times I hear Sally’s voice in my head ‘Just keep smiling’ and more often than not, it gets me through. However, that’s not working so I need someone else’s words of wisdom!!

Being home in London the city has been nice. It started coming back from Heathrow and sort of continued into the rest of the week as I ventured in to Leicester Square for a job interview, wandered Oxford Street and shopped in Camden Town and out at Brent Cross. It’s an odd feeling to describe, but it was like coming home and meeting familiar friends. Seeing the somewhat mix match of fashion, the crowds, the setting up of movie releases, watching people shuffle on buses and the Tube. Comforting and familiar. I have to admit it has been nice. And exciting.

Thursday night I went to the Ceremony of the Keys which happens each night at the Tower of London. It’s basically the locking up and has been happening for over 700 years now. The entire ceremony only takes 7.5 minutes to complete, but is so worth it. I think there is something special about standing in the darkened grounds of the Tower of London at the clock strikes ten, as the guards go about business as usual and as a lone trumpeter plays The Last Post as a gentle breeze flaps around the British Flag. Something historically magical.

Settling into home at Pax Lodge has been a challenge. Some things have changed, some have stayed the same. I’ve struggled somewhat this past weekend as move familiar faces descend on the building to celebrate the 18th birthday of Pax Lodge. It was lovely seeing Janet again, rather surprising to find Doreen wandering through the HA corridor late at night and humbling to meet again with various Friends of Pax Lodge whom I am sure are going to live forever, even if it’s just in the hearts and minds of those who’ve met them. Yet despite all that, I have been incredibly lonely these past few days.

Yes, I miss my Erin. Having a constant companion for nearly two years now and on and off before that has found me less able to deal with my own company. Not that it’s a bad thing mind! Being back in a building that holds many memories for me . . . watching the volunteers interact with each other . . . it reminds me of the friendships I made here and looking back between the two time periods, it is not hard to understand why I feel a little on the lonely side.

In saying that, the current staff and volunteers are lovely. I can honestly say that. They’ve been lovely and welcoming and chatty which I have appreciated a lot. Last night I even got to venture into the social room, Finland, which once was home to Priyanka and later, Shanna. So it was a little odd but such a nice set up! They even have a little fridge in there for the keeping of beverages!

A new week has started though. Its Sunday, the Holy Day. For me, just to stick to a routine of some description, means doing my laundry. Joy! Monday brings the promise of a call about a job (wait, wait, and waiting) and the next round of applying for more. It brings me a day closer to my next theatre show, closer to the summer and closer to seeing old friends too.

Writing this I realise I am still to talk about the remainder of my trip North to Minnesota! How slack am I?! You’d think with all the free time I have on my hands I’d be tap-tap-tapping away to share the adventure with you all! And so maybe I shall . . .

. . . Upon arrival in Minneapolis visibility was bad. What I loved most about my few days in the Minnesota Twin Cities, was getting to know Nancy’s (and Erin’s too I guess!) family. My favourite moments were meal times, it’s rare for me to have a meal with 10 people sitting around a table, but with a family of eight children, I should image it was normal for them! I loved it! Seriously. The project for those few days was to sort through lots of old photos and documents from passed members of the family. I touched documents and photos that were over 100 years old, it was simply amazing!

Also coupled with that was a trip across the border to River Falls, Wisconsin to visit Wendy from Canada. It was lovely to see her again and finally get to see her slice of heaven. And heaven it was! It was just wonderful! We went snow shoeing which was a very new experience for me and I learnt lots about the prairie work being done in her area. Next time I plan to stay longer and explore the area a little more.

Coming home from Minneapolis, we stopped in Wabasha (yes home of Grumpy Old Men!!) and visited the National Eagle Centre and I got to see a real life Bald Eagle and hold some of it’s feathers. I can tell you one thing, I’d not like to come under attack from one of those birds!

Old London Town

And here I am! Two and a half days later I think I might just be getting over the jet lag. Possibly. I'm not really sure, I'll let you all know when I wake up, lol. In all seriousness, it wasn't so bad. My flight from Chicago got into Heathrow 45 minutes early. The flight itself was good, three seats to myself and it was only 7 hours long! That's a push over! The hilarious part occurred when I left the airport, lugging about 120 pounds (approx 60 kg) of luggage between a suitcase, a backpacking backpack, a normal backpack, a laptop case, handbag and a pillow, plus two jackets. Needless to say I was very tired by the time I reached Pax Lodge. Exhausted even. Someone on the Tube made a crack about me having enough stuff to move house. He didn't have a thing to say when I told him that was pretty much what I had done!

For those of you who have been to Belsize Park Tube station, the stairs to get up to the lift area have never seemed so daunting. Seriously. I have about a billion people go past me (okay that's an over exaggeration) but no one helped. Not even the silly people who walked up the stairs behind me, they just huffed and puffed because I was slowing them down. Whatever!

In saying that, its rather odd to be back. Hampstead still looks, sounds and smells like it did. That's a rather strange thing to say, I know, but all I can tell you is that it simply does. I was recognised by the woman at the Crepe stand, she even remembered what I ordered all the time. I didn't realise I was such a memorable person.

The past two full days has pretty much seen me trying to settle in, doing food shopping, feeding myself, unpacking and making house in my room. In addition to that, it's been some pretty hard core job hunting. And thus far it seems to have paid off. I have my first interview next Wednesday which is rather exciting, and I was also contacted by a woman from a recruiting company who specialise in Government jobs. All works for me pretty much, I'll take anything thrown my way!

And Pax. What can I say? In a lot of ways, things have changed. But in others its still very much the same. An amusing moment occurred when I closed the door to get into the shower. While the inside of the building has been painted and things have been moved around and what not, despite all the changes, I can close the door of the shower area and find Caro's German lessons still on the back of the door. Its almost comforting in a weird kind of way. I'm also enjoying simply watching. I was asked by one of the RVs if I wanted to go up the Crepe stand with them (and I said yes of course!!) and found myself looking at them as an outsider, watching and wondering if that was how we looked a few years back. It too was kind of comforting.

Last night I went and had dinner with Sally, Andrew and a few of the St. Johns people. For the most part I spent most of the time catching up with Sally. Despite the jet lag, I actually enjoyed it and was glad I went. I considered not, but did. Only issue was I went to the wrong Pizza Express, oops!

I'm still to finish up writing about my last few days in the United States, I am sure I shall get around to it one day, like putting up photos. Its very jarring to suddenly be in another country again. I'm starting to understand why people look at me like a mad woman when I explain the saga of being an Australian who was in the US on her way to moving to the UK.

However, I have no regrets and am still optimistic about getting a job. Perhaps I should revisit that thought in about a week or two!

London Baby!

I have decided that I have a lot of things in common with Joey from Friends. Some, not all. Anyways, its his excitement for the Mother Country that is echoing around in my mind as I sit here at Chicago International Airport. I’m writing this offline as I have to pay for wi-fi and since I am leaving the country, that’s pointless. So here I am.

Its a rather strange sensation. I’m sitting in an American Airport listening to a group of British people talk. And it sorta scares me. In a good way, I’m sure, but I think suddenly I have realised just how huge this. Every once in a while I have these moments which remind me that I’m likely to be a tad crazier than most people. Clearly I am. I’m excited scared.

To make matters worse, the woman at Cincinnati when I checked in decided I needed to be on the earlier flight to give me more time in Chicago. Needless to say I had four minutes to say good-bye to the love of my life and future mother-in-law. Can you imagine how gut wrenching that was? In one way I guess it was better because it didn’t drag the wait out. However, I’d have liked a little more than four minutes! Needless to say it frazzled me some. But I am here, I made it.

In addition to that, I’m no longer an excess baggage virgin. Yep, I paid a lovely $50USD for having too much. In reality, it should have been $100USD but the man was nice and said in this hard economic time, everyone needs a break. I’m not a religious person, but bless that good man.

Alas, here I sit. That opening line was just for Erin. I’ve barely been able to write about my last week or two in the States and I’m off to the next country. I figure my first few days will be dedicated to getting over jet lag and getting my boxes to me safe and sound. Thus it should provide ample time to catch up on the blog and upload photos on Facebook. Or at least that’s the aim. If I somehow manage to get an interview, that’s so coming first!