York Grads Go Global

I am so proud of us crazy FESers. We represent internationally. Lia is in Ghana and I'm hoping to visit her for a few days this Autumn. And Jessica Park [pictured below in my flat in London] is in Johannesburg. Parker was here last weekend and we hung out on Sunday. We were very excited about buying sandwiches for 24p. Park told me all about how violent Joburg is. She was told that she WILL get mugged while she's there and if she's lucky, she won't get shot or car-jacked. Public transit exists only in certain areas at certain times. She won't be able to go out alone at any time of day. I think she's crazy. I feel so much safer in London now.



I went to Notting Hill Carnival a few weeks ago. It's similar to Toronto's Caribbana, but it feels much, much busier. It takes place in Notting Hill, an area made famous by that dumb movie of the same name starring Sandra Bullock and one of the three famous British actors. It was quite the party. The events took place along several blocks. As the streets are fairly narrow, so it felt packed. All of the local businesses had been boarded up like there was a hurricane evacuation. Local residents charged one pound for use of their toilets because for some reason, beer was plentiful yet public toilets were scarce. There was a parade, stages, djs, music, dancers, beer, booze and FOOD!



The crowd on the streets during the carnival.



Michelle enjoys a tasty treat.



Steve and I bought shooters from a random woman in the street. Delicious!



On an unrelated note, we found this chocolate bar with a strange marketing campaign. Since we're not girls, we bought two. I guess it works!



Alexis and I outside the Energie store. We both loved the scarf in the window and shared a photo opportunity [she may have loved it even more than I did]. I bought it the next day. This was the night I finally went to the Canada Pub in Covent Garden. It was slightly disappointing. It looked like a British pub with maple leaves carved in the woodwork. There was no Canadian beer. I miss my Alexander Keith's India Pale Ale. *single tear*



This is yet another short of Greenwich Park. It may be one of my favourite places in London. Bless.



An overexposed night view of Canary Wharf from my bedroom window. Ahh... so North American: new, clean and lacking that urine stench of most of the urban fabric.



Last weekend, I thought it would be a good idea to venture out to a retail park way out at Gallion's Reach in east London. When I got off the DLR, I walked down the above road. It looked just like that for fifteen minutes. I couldn't even believe I was still in London. I finally got to the mall and bought two pairs of Diesel trousers for cheap [this was before I realised my money situation was dodgy]. When I left the mall, I decided to take the bus to the DLR because I didn't want to be the only sign of life, walking down that road. I went to the bus loop, studied the signs very carefully, and learned it was only a 4 minute ride to the DLR. The bus came and seemed to overshoot the bus stop. I got on and enjoyed a lovely ride with a child who was SHRIEKING and other passengers, who thought it was cute. *I* thought it needed a slap. Twenty minutes of wailing later, I still hadn't seen the DLR. I got up and asked the driver if he was headed to the DLR or if I was on the wrong bus. He told me I was on the wrong bus, but I just had to cross the street. I stood at this bus stop SOMEWHERE in east London as the sun began to set waiting for a bus. I had no map. I was the only white guy for miles. I was wearing capris. I anxiously awaited the arrival of the bus! It came about 10 minutes later and I put my arm up to flag it down, as I would have for a taxi [you have to flag down buses in London]. The driver kind of waved back, which struck me as odd. When I got on the bus, he started yelling at me that I had signaled for the bus wrong, 'THIS, means nothing!', he said. 'Hold your arm straight out like this! Straight out!' I was so shocked, lost, scared, alone, in the dark and there were probably wolves around. So uncharateristically, I apologised and sat down rather than telling this cranky, overweight man what I thought of him and his damn arm. The ride back to the DLR was quick even though I had gone so far out of my way. I certainly learned my lesson: There is no reason to venture off the tube line.

This weekend, I'm going to Stockholm with Michelle and Dracine. We leave Saturday morning around 9 and return Monday night around 11.

Doug Stiles - Planning Support Officer

Sept 12, 2006 -> I finally reached my goal. I am living, planning and traveling in London.

I took the day off work last Thursday to get my National Insurance number. I was asked about my fancy 'Search Engine Optimisation Consultant' job with the Visa Bureau and then I immediately provided the guy with search engine optimisiation tips for his own website. When I left the office, my mobile rang. It was Quinton from my job agency. He told me that I had been offered a planning job - without an interview! He also said they wanted me to start on Monday. I proposed a Tuesday start date to give myself a long weekend... again. On Friday, I told Oonagh [from the Visa Bureau] that I had been offered a career-related job and had to quit. She was happy for me, but sad to see me go. She asked how long I could continue working - I said '6 o'clock'. I was worried they might be angry but Oonagh was really nice about it and even offered herself as a reference for the future. As it turns out, my flatmate Brennon might replace me at Visa Bureau.

I started my job as a Planning Support Officer with the local borough of Ealing. Ealing is AWESOME. I would like to live there if it wasn't way out in zone 3. But the council office is on a major high street. There are all the banks, three grocery stores, a large park, two Toni+Guys [because one is never enough, right Bloor Street?] and a TOP MAN! I haven't seen too much of it yet, but I plan to explore this week.

The job itself is fine. It's a little basic at the moment. I'm just preparing application files for the planners. The position will get slightly more involved, but I expect it won't be nearly as interesting as my work with the CRCA. However, it is still an introduction to the wonderful world of planning in the UK. I also get to wear nice clothes to work and no one asks, 'Why are you so dressed up?' Therefore, I'm happy. It's a 3-month contract which will expire about the time I go home for Christmas.

In other news...

Steve left London on Friday morning. On Thursday night it was a battle to get him to meet me for drinks at our beloved Ku Bar at Leicester Square. He was with his friends Dave [a Londoner] and Chelsea [visiting from Canada] in south London and they wanted to stay in and watch a movie [because doesn't everyone come to London to veg out in the suburban south end]? Anyway, he was fully prepared not to meet me and just leave the continent without a proper goodbye. Somehow, I managed to convince him to come out. Some people's kids.

Brennon's friend Erika and her boyfriend were staying here. Some of you met Erika at Bren's birthday party in Waterloo. On Saturday, they bought me a Palestinian scarf from Greenwich Market while I shopped in Soho. That night, Erika, Bren and I went to a fairly random bar in Lewisham. Lewisham is at the end of the DLR line in the south. We made the trek out of the city because Bren knows the bartender. This meant that we were buying ROUNDS of DOUBLE vodka drinks for a mere 4 pounds. Needless to say, we had a GREAT night! We even mingled with some of the locals.

I went back to Greenwich Park on Sunday... AGAIN. I went with a friend and we had a nice time chatting, drinking non-alcoholic beverages and lying about in the sun as it was a beautiful day - about 30 degrees. Afterwards, I went to Keiko's place in north London with my American girls [happy Derek?] and we had our weekly potluck dinner. Next week, our potluck is themed '4 pounds or less'. We each have to bring a dish / bottle for under 4 pounds. I found a bottle of wine in Somerfield's for 1.66!

This weekend, Jessica Park [from FES @ York] will be staying with me!! I'm pretty psyched.

I know I have some photos to post... I'll get to that.