Eleventh Hour Save

Good Afternoon My Dears,

This just in...Eleventh hour save appears to keep me in Scotland.   I have gotten a temp to perm job at Cheque Centre, a short term loans company, as an Accounts Payable Assistant.  This job is scheduled to go perm come February and starts on Monday.  That means that I had to change my ticket to come back.  And re-rent my apartment.  And reinstate my cable. And all the stuff I canceled.  I also have to get my kitchen stuff back, or at least some of it, so's I can feed my face.

The reason that the job isn't perm already, is a budget issue and the company is still working out their 2012 salary budget.  So from now till the New Year I am being paid by a temp agency. In January, I go on Cheque Centre's payroll.  Then, if I do not screw it up, I go perm in February.  Now, you may all be thinking, "Screw Up?  You ought to think more of yourself!!"  I do, my dears, I do.  But I also have my track record in Scotland to go by.  And we all know that it has not been of the best.  However,  I will do mine.

For those of you wondering when you will see me, I am either going to come back for good on February 1, if the job doesn't go well, or if it does, I will come for a 10 day holiday.  I am happy, my dears, the thought of leaving Scotland has been heartbreaking.  I get to keep leading my writer's group. Speaking of, the group has published an anthology called A Spoonful of Stories, in which I have a poem.  Edinburgh is a very literary town and it has certainly gotten my creative juices flowing.  I am also planning on doing more dancing.  All of the above, of course is predicated on moving out of Gilmerton and closer into town.

So, in sum, I am happy but very busy.  Also, I do not think my mama is very happy with me but I think I need to start thinking about myself.  And as my mama loves me, eventually, she will come round.

Right, that's all she wrote folks.

Next Up: Work begins and a Christmas coma.

Cheerio for now,

Tina

The Potentially Penultimate Post

Good Evening My Dears,

I am very sorry for the long silence.  There is no defense, I'm afraid.  The Scottish Experiment seems to be coming to a close and there doesn't seem to be any point in writing when I am in the process of distributing the remains of my Scottish existence to various people.  I have coming back to the US on Christmas day. I will arrive about 8:30 in the evening, probably pretty tired.

The weather in Scotland has been all that I imagined lately.  We have had a lot of rain, a bit of snow and two supposed hurricanes.  One of which is howlin' outside my window as I write.  I am not-so-secretly hoping that I will be stranded in Scotland come Christmas, at least for a week.  Also, I hope that the person I stay with in town will be willing to put me up for a bit longer.  Otherwise I may have to depend on the kindness of strangers.

When last I wrote, I had gone to Harrogate and Jasper had visited.  Since then, I have continued helping at Pulp Fiction (read sitting on my butt, browsing the internet.)  I have also started a very quiet revolution.  I managed to take over leadership of the writer's group and move it from a cafe where it was very difficult to hear people read, to the bookshop where it is not.  Incredibly, the group has voted to stay at the bookshop once I leave, and the person who was my biggest nay sayer turned into my biggest supporter.   Ah, THE POWER!!!

As I am still on the dole, I need to go tomorrow and get myself off of it.  No more money for me.  I have also started saying goodbye to all the friends that I have made here.  I am still so conflicted, because I do have a return for the 10th of February.  Also, a friend has made it very clear that she is rather desperate for me to return as she claims that she only makes a friend once every 100 years or so.  I do not believe it as she is a very engaging young lady and a writer of extraordinary talent, in spite of difficulties that would cause me to cower in my bed.  And then there's been the experience of working at Pulp Fiction.  It is a place that made the last two months in Scotland more positive than they otherwise would have been.  The proprietor and staff are amazing people, and mean more to me than I could ever adequately express.

Right Folks that's all she wrote.

Next Up: Homeward Bound

Cheerio for Now,

Tina

Haunting Heavenly Harrogate and a Jasper Jaunt

Good Afternoon My Dears,

When last I wrote,  I had donated my time to Pulp Fiction and had revved up my job search.  But the good news is  that I have gone on the dole successfully.  I am getting, wait for it, a whopping 67.50 GBP a week.  Go Me.

I am still applying for jobs and have been put forward once again for a billings analyst role.  In fact, the very same role that I interviewed for in June.  I even second rounded for it.  I am not sure what will have changed in the last few months for them to want me now but, we will see.  I also got a call for a part time bookkeeper, that intrigues me and I will have to follow that up tomorrow.

Last weekend, I went to Harrogate to visit Nicola and her very lovely family.  She broke her toe the day before I arrived so there was a lot of sitting around and chatting.  Much tea, wine, and sympathy was had by all.  We did go to Knaresborough, a beautiful town just up the road from Harrogate which is perched along the sides of a gorge.  And yes, a river does run through it.  Ian, Gwen, and I went to the Harrogate celebration of Guy Fawkes Day, which commemorates the attempted blowing up of the English Parliament.  There was a bon fire and fireworks and everything. I ended up looking like the creature from the blue lagoon, so covered in mud was I.  Thank goodness for English sense, they actually had a drier, so I was able to do washing, thank goodness.

This weekend, I had a visit from Jasper.  As he does not have a TV, all he really wanted to do was catch up on TV and play word feud all day.  That was alright, as I was too busy looking for jobs, in any case.  We did manage to wander through Edinburgh a bit but the only thing of interest we did was eat Fejuada, a brazilian sausage and black bean stew, which we bought from a police box on The Meadows, that a friend of mine owns.

Right, that's all she wrote folks.

Next Up:  No clue but I am sure it will be worth the wait.

Cheerio for now,

Tina

Bookstore Bliss

Good Evening My Dears,

The weather in Edinburgh has been a delight of late with blue skies and mild temperatures in abundance.  What this really means, of course, is that I have only had to use my umbrella once in the last 5 days.  That must surely be some sort of record for Edinburgh.

When last I wrote, I had lost my job with Standard Life and was revving up to look for another job.  While I am still doing that, I have expanded my search for work to places like London and Amsterdam.  After all, with the Greek passport Europe (workwise) is my oyster.  Of course, with the Greek passport comes grave concerns, as we Greeks aren't really that well regarded by the rest of Europe.  In the meantime, as there have been no interviews, or even calls for interesting jobs.  I have renewed my attempts to go on the dole.  To that end, I have an interview for Job Seeker's benefit on Tuesday.

In other news,  I have taken to skulking about  Pulp Fiction, a genre bookstore on Bread Street in Central Edinburgh, where the company is stellar and the WiFi free.  In exchange for allowing me to skulk, I have donated my time to this independent bookshop and can be found prancing about pricing books and keeping my boss kind of organized.  I also sing under my breath when alone in the store.  It works out well, as Steve was involved in musical theatre.

Right, that's all she wrote folks.

Next Up: Harrogate Revisited and a Jasper Jaunt.

Cheerio for Now,

Tina

Family Fun and a Job Jinx

Good Evening My Dears,

When last I wrote I had started the job at Standard Life and my Dad was coming to town.  The best part of his trip was that Alex surprised me with a visit.  She literally jumped out of the closet at the hotel.  They stayed with me for 6 days.  We spent Saturday wandering Edinburgh and having lunch with some very cool friends of Alex's, Colin and Caroline Hampden-White.  They are two super down to earth people with a very posh last name.  On Sunday we explored Glasgow, and wandered through the Charles Rennie Mackintosh exhibit at the Art Museum at Kelingrove. (And yes, that Lord Kelvin).  Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (Oct. 3-5th) we wandered through Edinburgh in the evenings after I got out of work.  It was very nice to have my dad agree that I live just a smidge too far out of town and that I should move into town.

Unfortunately, work is not going all that well and they have decided to terminate my contract.  I feel that this termination is unfair.  In the first place they brought up the fact that while my family was here I was leaving at 3:30 and that my cell phone was on the desk.  In my defense, I told them that I would be having the phone out so that my family could get in touch.  As well I am only supposed to work a 35 hour week so in order to leave at 3:30, I get to work at 8:00 am.  On Tuesday, they asked me to stay overtime to complete a task and I did.  On Friday, after my family left I asked how to fill out the timesheet and was told that we do not get overtime so I filled out the timesheet without the 2 hours I worked overtime.  On Monday last week, I asked if I could leave 2 hours early on a day that was light in terms of work, so as not to inconvenience the team, so that I could register for healthcare and was told that was fine.  I came into work on Tuesday this week, and my boss asked me to have a hat to talk about how I was getting on.  That is when she told me that they were terminating my contract and that they were giving me a week's notice.  They also said they felt I wasn't picking things up fast enough and that I was asking the same questions over and over again.  I wasn't, however.  You see, I did not have access to the systems that I needed to do my job and so I needed to ask for help.  In addition, I am being made a scapegoat for the fact that on the 3rd of october 2 feeds did not come into the team mailbox and while I reported it, I reported it to the wrong person.  Later, I found out that the problem is still going on.  So in short, I feel like I am being made an example of.  I can guarantee that the person who is responsible for sending the emails out has not been let go.

Anyhoo, I am rather demoralized at the moment and I am not sure that I want to continue struggling here in the UK.  That is a shame, as I really do like Scotland and am not really looking forward to coming back to the US.  I am not sure what is next, though I have been talking to agencies and applying for jobs.  I am planning on leaving Edinburgh to celebrate Guy Fawkes day in Harrogate but as that is an expensive proposition, I am postponing buying the ticket.  Also, Jasper is coming in mid November so I have to stay till then.

Right, folks, that is all she wrote.

Next Up: Job Searching and Heavenly Harogate again.

Cheerio for Now,

Tina

Job Joy and Lindy Love

Good Evening My Dears,

Apologies for the long silence, it seems to be approaching a habit rather quickly.  I will have to be more timely with my posts.  I have been working at Standard Life for just under a month and am enjoying the job immensely.  It is nice and repetitive  just the thing I need to get my mind over my job jinxes of the past few months.  I work great hours as well, I am out of work at 3:30 pm every day and I work a seven hour day.  That means that I can get stuff done.

For instance, today was a gorgeous day of about 73 degrees here in enchanting Edinburgh so I had a training session outside.  It was tiring but fun.  This past weekend was a great one though seriously tiring. I spent the weekend dancing, indoors and out, at the Edinburgh Lindy Exchange.  I also hosted Eszter, a Hungarian woman who lives in Belgium.  Her host gift was chocolate.  Does she know me, or what?  Given that I am female it really wasn't that much of a stretch, however.  I lost a very expensive shoe at the Exchange, check out remixvintageshoes.com and look for the 1930's pump called deco.  Once you see the price, you'll understand why part of the weekend was fraught. Thankfully, like Cinderella, I found it on Saturday night at the ball.   I also met lots of cool people, some of whom are now Facebook friends.

I am sorry this post is so short but I find that I am exhausted and must go chillax.  I promise not to stay away so long next time. Right, that's all she wrote, folks.

Next Up: Papa pops into town and we go a-wandering.

Cheerio for Now,

Tina

Keyboard Kaput and a Temping Tantrum

Good Evening My Dears,

Apologies once again for the long silence, I have been running around dealing with various issues in regard to starting my new temp assignment.  When last I wrote, I was firmly fringe frolicking and I mentioned that I was going to try to get tickets for an interactive show called "You once said Yes", a walking tour show in which the choices you make dictate where the show goes - literally and figuratively.  No joy for that show, they were sold out till the end of the festival.  I did get a second review published in the Indie Pedant but  with the festival over I think I am going to have to shift my focus to reviewing Edinburgh's Social Scene.

I have been doing quite a bit of socializing of late, though some of it was circumstance driven.  Sorry... What?  Before your confusion mounts, let me elaborate.  Last Saturday, 27 August, I received a letter from the temp agency informing me that I would be starting on Monday 28 August.  That meant that I had 2 days to get myself ready for work.  After spending the weekend running around getting the weekly shop and various other bits and bobs accomplished, I show up to work promptly at 9 am Monday morning, only to find that I was actually due to start the following Monday, that is, tomorrow, 5th September.  Never mind that the 28th was actually Sunday.  Needless to say I was not very happy with this state of affairs.  I left the office and gave the temp agency and earful of ire.  Except that this being Britain, I did it with considerable politeness.  So as I had a week of freedom left, I decided to make the most of it.  That evening the writer's group was chock full o' tense undercurrents having to do with editing an anthology the group is putting together.  So my friend Kerry and I decided we were both in need of fortification.  Off to Greyfriars pub we went, for a wee dram.  After imbibing our whiskies, we both decided that we were hungry, and off we went for a bite to eat.  At the restaurant we were so engrossed in eating and planning, that we walked out on the bill without paying.  We got to the middle of the block before I stopped in the middle of the pavement and went "Kerry, did we pay?"  We returned to the restaurant to find that all of the staff was waiting outside for us.  It was embarrassing but rather hilarious all at the same time.  The restaurant staff were super cool about it, even managing to make us feel not quite so asinine by telling us that we timed the exit so perfectly they thought we were with another table that left at the same time. Needless to say Kerry and I chuckled over that for the rest of the week.  Tuesday through Sunday followed a whirlwind of social engagements that were capped of by afternoon tea at The Balmoral Hotel with Giselle and Joanna, earlier today.

In other news, the back light, 5, T,G, and B keys are not working on my keyboard.  Apple has no retail store in Edinburgh, so next Saturday I am off to Glasgow to get it fixed.  In the meantime, because so much of what I do depends on those keys, I spent a small fortune on an external keyboard.  Before you type it in the comments, I did check the keyboard settings to see if I changed them by accident.  I didn't.

Right, that is all she wrote folks.

Next Up: The First Week and another Glasgow Gallivant.

Cheerio for now,

Tina






                              

More Mama Mayhem, The Fringe Frolics

Good Evening My Dears,

When last I wrote, my Mama was visiting and I had a job interview.  I took my Mom to Rosslyn Chapel and we wandered around Edinburgh as well.  We had some really bad food experiences while she was here.  In fact, I can't say that any of it was really good.  I also wasn't very good at picking Fringe Shows.  The Fringe is the eclectic answer to its more staid counterpart the Edinburgh International Festival of the Arts.  Whatever your heart's desire, in terms of the arts, can be found here.  I booked three with my Mom: a performance of French Baroque Music, a flamenco, and a candid cabaret.  In true Tina-style, I booked the Baroque performance because I met the soprano who was singing at the performance on the bus, and promised to go.  Now, I like Baroque music quite a lot, but not when it focuses on coffee and gallstones.  What does coffee have to do with gallstones, you ask?  I didn't see the connection either until it was explained that coffee was thought (rightly so, it appears) to cure gallstones.  Who knew?  It is certainly more than I ever wanted to.  The flamenco was good, but it wasn't dancing, it was guitar.  I must say, it was not very stimulating watching a young Scottish man play flamenco while ignoring the other people on the stage.  There was a little bit of dancing and that was excellent, there should have been more of it, but on the whole, the performance was quite boring.  The candid cabaret was so bad that my mom and I walked out during the first intermission.  All the acts, save one, were unprofessional.  We should have gotten a clue when the performance started nearly 45 minutes late.

I did not learn my lesson regarding the Fringe.  Stephen and Patrin (WIS wisdom), came up from London and we saw 7 shows in two days.  In great Fringe tradition, some of the shows were better than others.  One was so good that I actually went back a second time.  The good thing about the Fringe is that most of the performances are about an hour long - not long enough to rue purchasing a ticket.  We saw a Chekhov play, a play about Britain's 1987 hurricane, A play about an Edinburgh Tour Guide giving his last tour ever - I really liked that one, and a stand up comic called Jen Brister is British-ish - she was the one so good I went back.  That was yesterday, I ended up seeing her at a bar and having a conversation with her, without letting on that I knew who she was.  In the show she ended up using me as a straight man.  It was hilarious.  If any of you come to the UK, you must go see her.  You can check out her website www.jenbrister.co.uk.  Right, on with the Fringe Frolic.  We also saw Showstoppers, improvisational musical theatre that is a not so veiled allusion to High School Musical meets Glee.  I must say there didn't seem to be much improvisation going on but it was fun.  Next was The Dumb Waiter, which is a play by Harold Pinter, Nobel Prize winning British Dramatist, who wrote the Screenplay for The French Lieutenant's Woman.  Pinter plays do not seem to have much of a resolution but, if done well, are very good, indeed.  Last of the Fringe Frolic for The Three Musketeers, was The Three Englishmen, a quartet of musically inclined sketch comedians, who proved amusing but not as amusing as Jen Brister.

I sent Stephen and Patrin back down to London, and was contemplating my lonely jobless life, so in a flash of inspiration thought, let me go spend more money I don't have.  I went to see two shows with Giselle: The Pajama Men, rather incomprehensible sketch comedy, not really that funny, and I dragged her to Jen Brister.  She loved it.  I have just come back from listening to my all time favorite dancing band in the world, the Jive Aces.  They were wonderful as always, but it is so much more fun to dance than listen.  Alas, no one to dance with.  Tomorrow, I am off to try and see You Once Said Yes, at Stephen's insistence, but as it is sold out till Festival End - I am going to have to go to the venue and see if there are any tickets.  More on that if I actually see it.

In other news,  my interview with the Software company was a no, which is a shame as the job was really rather interesting.  More operations than accounting.  However, I have gotten a temp job with a Scottish Investment house in reconciliations that starts on the 5th of September till 31 December.  So I am in Scotland for 4 more months.

Right, that is all she wrote, folks.

Next Up: Work begins and I contemplate a bit of travel.

Cheerio for now,

Tina

Mama Mayhem

Good Afternoon My Dears:

When last I wrote, my employer and I had parted ways relatively amicably.  What that means, of course, is that they love me, I am a great girl, highly capable, very bright, super nice, a great addition to any firm.  Blah, blah, flippin' blah.  Just not for them.  As we parted so amicably, they are going to give me a a very positive reference, should anyone come callin'.  Since I am the one who controls that...not bloody likely, mate.  So now I find myself back to pinching my pennies.  I am not particularly happy with this current state of affairs but all is not lost.  I have an interview with a Software firm on Wednesday, so once again, fingers crossed please.  Are your fingers getting tired?  It seems that I have been asking for a lot of crossing of fingers since I left to come live the dream in Scotland.

In other news, I am a published writer.  What, you say?  This is news, you mutter?  Hello, the blog, you huff?  Well, yes, that is true.  But I mean writing for someone else.  I have begun writing for an online magazine called The Indie Pedant, which I mentioned in my last post.  I wrote a review of a play called 201 Objects that I saw last weekend, with some new friends.  True to WIS form, these friends are not Scottish.  Giselle is a friend I made through my writer's group and is from the Philippines though married to a Scot.  Johanna is from Germany by way of Polish ancestry, a friend I made through Giselle.  I am not going to post the review here.  If you want to read it you can find it at theindiepedant.com.  It seems I made page two.  I have promised further reviews of festival events: I am going to a cabaret - there should be lots of juicy things to write about for that, and a flamenco performance which I am not sure translates well into a review.  Must do more research.

My mama has come to Scotland.  She hasn't seen me in 5 months and the first thing she says is - what is on your face?  It is of course a commentary on who has picked out my foundation and concealer.  She claims it makes me look like a transvestite.  Yeah, as if.  Well, if she doesn't like it she can just take me to Harvey Nics to get other, more appropriate powder if she feels that strongly, because, goodness knows, I don't exactly have disposable income to be spending on frivolous girlieness like make up.  All of that now comes under luxury not necessity.  Someone once pointed out that I will never lack for a place to live or food to eat, whether I am working or not, but I will look like poo in the process. I blithely responded that they in contrast will live under a bridge and be the best looking troll out there as they will never skimp on make up.  Anyhoo, enou' bletherin', the plan with my mama, is to attend to fringe performances, wander through Edinburgh, visit Roslyn Chapel, and perhaps visit Glasgow.  My mama wants to see all the Templar sites of Scotland.  Somehow, she got it into her head that Scotland is this big repository of Templar lore.  Well, it isn't.  Thankfully, there are only three Templar sites in Scotland, of which Roslyn Chapel is one.  The others are the village of Temple in Midlothian, and Templars Park in Aberdeen.  Is it just me, or does the last one sound like an amusement park?  Actually, it is a campsite.  Thankfully, Templars Park and Temple Village are inaccessible without a car and too, too far out.  So one Templar site it is.  We are invited to Laura's for dinner tomorrow.  That will be interesting as they have not seen each other in 20 years.  My mama has woken up and we are off to town.

Right, that is all she wrote, folks.

Next up: More Mama Mayhem and WIS wisdom arrives.

Cheerio for now,

Tina

Unemployed Again...I just can't wait to be unemployed again...

Good Afternoon My Dears:

It seems that I am not quite as good at bookkeeping and admin work as I thought.  The job that I got a few weeks ago is not for me.  If I am to work in accountancy, I need to be part of an accounting team, with the ability to ask questions of someone higher placed that I am.  Unfortunately, the job that I took with the recruitment company was running their back office and accounts without anyone to ask questions of.  On the one hand, I felt that if I had had a month's training with the accountant tat I replaced, I would have seen all the pieces of the job and been able to carry on as he had set everything up quite nicely.  My boss did not agree and so their was an amicable parting of ways.  They have agreed to give me a good reference and in fact, they called me yesterday with a position for a bilingual customer services agent.  Unfortunately, there is not much call for people with Greek and French speaking skills in Customer Services.  I think that's because both of those nations are rather puffed up with their own self importance and probably feel they don't need language help.

On the other hand, perhaps accounting is not for me.  Yesterday, I rewrote my CV so that it sits rather low on the experience totem pole and sent it out to agencies to start looking for work that would have me as part of a finance/accounting team rather than the whole kit and caboodle.  I also went to a really cool bookstore to see if they were hiring, but alas it was not to be.  Today, I decided to switch gears and I have started looking for work in writing.  I applied to write for the Indie Pedant, a magazine that publishes online.  I also applied for a writing job that deals with Search Engine Optimization.  That is when you go through web site content to make sure that it has all the key words needed to place the website at the top of a list of search results.  I am hoping that my blog is writing sample enough.

I am not quite ready to give up yet but I will admit it is a close thing currently.  I may have to come home earlier than Christmas as I originally planned but I still have 3 more months on my lease so have to try and survive until then.

Right, that's all she wrote, folks.

Next Up: My mama comes, the fringe, and friends.

Cheerio for now,

Tina 

Heavenly Harrogate

Good Evening My Dears,

When last I wrote, I was learning the ins and outs of my new job.  The week passed quickly and while there were mistakes made, there was not anything that could not be reversed, thankfully.  We will see what the next few weeks bring.  A few weeks back, before I got the job, I applied for unemployment and was told at the Job Centre that I would be receiving a Job Seeker's Benefit.  Unfortunately, I received a letter from the Department of Work and Pensions, stating that I would not, in fact, be receiving the benefit.  The reason? "The law does not allow us to pay you." Really?  Nothing more?  Strange as, at the very least,  I would expect they'd tell me that I am not entitled as a non-Brit.  Ah well, it doesn't matter as I am employed.

I was in lovely Harrogate this weekend visiting my friend Nicola and her family.  She has a lovely two year old daughter, Gwen, who is really funny.   I left work at 5 pm and managed to catch a 6 pm train to York, where Nicola was kind enough to pick me up a couple of hours later.  The 40 minute journey from York to Harrogate was 20 minutes longer than was needed to catch up with a friend that I had not seen for 17 years or so, simply because she is from Washington International School (WIS).  WISers have the ability to get right back into the nitty gritty of their friendship even after long absences.  It is what makes us all such a great community.  Anyhoo,  enough WIS love.  I met her husband Ian and the evening passed with much talking as well as the consumption of tea and wine.  The wine did its work rather well and I slept like a baby, until I was woken at 5:30 am by a not-quite baby demanding to be read a book.  The tantrum that ensued was rather epic and very amusing once I was awake.  After a leisurely morning, we wandered over to the Leeds Market.  The market, as you might expect, is like most markets, except cheaper than the super market.  We got 8 peaches (about 3 lbs) for a pound, about $1.60.  Similarly 2 lbs. of cherries were 2 pounds.  In my new spirit of adventure, I am branching out in my cooking as well.  I am going to make Sambar and Idli, which are staples of South Indian cuisine. Sambar is a  tamarind based lentil stew and Idli are a mixture of lentil and rice flour cakes which are steamed and eaten with the stew.  To that end, I also bought tamarind paste and curry leaves.  After lunch, Gwen and Ian went to his parents' house, while Nicola and I wandered over to Harrogate's beautiful city center.  We decided to go to Betty's, a tea room that was founded in 1919.  Tea, Scones, and Art Nouveau, oh my.  There was lots of ironwork and beveled glass all over the place.  Plus, no one actually knows who Betty was.  All of this is leading to a story somewhere down the line, I can feel it.  Heaven, indeed.

Yesterday, we woke up and went to spend the day in York, as I left from there in the afternoon.  York is a gorgeous town as well, though in a different way from Harrogate.  Harrogate is like a Victorian grand dame who has not fallen on hard times.  Genteel and reminiscent of what the Gilded Age must have been in the US.  York is far older.  There has been a city in that spot since the Roman times.  York also has the most extensive intact walls in the UK.  We walked the walls of York, and I have to hand it to Gwen, she is a trooper.  I am sure that at two years old, I complained much more about walking than she did.  We also went through The Shambles, a medieval street where butchers plied their gory trade.  The buidings are mere feet apart (and by mere I mean 3 or 4 feet).  You could sit in your house and gossip with your cross the road neighbour without having to ever leave.   There are no butchers in the Shambles now, just lots of cute shops, and of course, lots of not-as-cute tourists.  We also happened to see Ed Alleyne-Johnson, an electrical violinist who is amazing.  Those of you who are familiar with New Model Army will have heard of him.  He is a very down to earth musician, despite being quite famous.  He eschews big record companies and does much of his performing on the street.  You can check him out on YouTube and buy his music on Itunes or Amazon.  I did.

Right, folks, that's all she wrote.

Next up: I throw myself into writing and prepare for more guests.

Cheerio for Now,

Tina

Working Wonder

Good Evening My Dears,


Once again, I apologise for the long radio silence, but it was my first full week of work and I was being trained.  Consequently, I was coming home rather exhausted.  The weather in Edinburgh has been gorgeous since last Saturday, which is the last time the Scottish were building the ark.  So of course, I have been waking up as soon as it gets light, which means about 4 am.  The gods of world religion are not up when I rise from my bed.


When last I wrote, I was busy playing host to Jasper, who visited from Amsterdam.  He left last Tuesday, and I started work the next day.  It really was a baptism by fire, as there were tasks that needed to get done so it was really hectic.  I left work last Wednesday, rather unsure as to whether I could do this job.  It got a little easier over the next few days, and this week's training was definitely better, but I am a little stressed about next week, when I will be on my own without the ability to ask questions.  All is not lost, however.  Gary, ( my predecessor) has kindly agreed to come in next Friday, both to see how I am getting on and to do some year end accounting as well.  I am sure that I will have a boatload of questions for him by that point.  The job itself is not that difficult, it is just a matter of figuring out where things go and how to code them.  I won't bore you non-Accounting people with the details.  If the accounting people I know want to talk shop, give a shout, it might be a good exercise.  


In addition to my work life being sorted for the moment, my social life seems to be picking up as well.  Currently, my standing engagements are: my writer's group, dancing, and the gym.  Within these groups I am meeting some super cool people that I am sure will become friends.  In particular, this week, I met two women through my writer's group.  Kerry is American and a practitioner of Rolfing, which Wikipedia defines as  a "holistic system of soft tissue manipulation and movement education that organized the whole body in gravity".  Claims include that clients stand straighter, gain height, and move better through the correction of soft tissue fixations or improper tonus.  However, I will have to gain a better perspective when I see Kerry, as we all know that accuracy of the Wikipedia site.  The other interesting person that I met this week is a young woman who is of Uzbek decent born and raised in Saudi Arabia, who is taking a sabbatical from a PhD in nursing.  Of men I do not speak as there are few to speak of, much less write about.  Although one of the waiters at the cafe where the writing group meets is quite nice looking.  To see if I could get to know him a bit better, I went back to the cafe on Wednesday evening with my friend Taci.  Alas, he was not there.  I was not born under a lucky star, more's the pity.


The South Edinburgh suburb where I live is called Gilmerton.  My neighbourhood is a bit shady.  We seem to have a bit of gang activity here in the hood.  I myself have not seen them, though the local chippy on the corner gets a bit dodgy on Friday evenings.  It is not really worrisome for this DC girl, having grown up in the baddest of all the hoods, DC proper.  However, I think even I may be surprised by this gang as they seem to be quite a force to be reckoned with.  You see, they have multiple streets named after them, which leads me to believe that this gang might be quite civically minded.  In fact, I live on a street named for them.  My street, my dears, is called Gilmerton Dykes Road.  There is also Gilmerton Dykes Street, Gilmerton Dykes Crescent, Gilmerton Dykes View, and Gilmerton Dykes Drive.  One has to wonder: are there any lipstick Lesbians in the Gilmerton Dykes or are they all butch? Also, do they have territorial disputes with the other Lesbian gang in the area, the Mordun Dykes?  I'm just sayin'.


Right, my dears, that's all she wrote.


Next Up: I have a wee wander over to Harrogate to check out English hospitality.


Cheerio for now,


Tina

Scottish Shennanigans

Good Evening My Dears,

The weather in Edinburgh has been a joy of late, as summer has shown herself at last.  For you non-UK people following this blog, summer here is about 20-25 degrees Celsius, about 68-77 degrees Fahrenheit.  All the Scottish people look like lobsters, as when the sun comes out they tend to forget about any sort of protection.  I must admit that I am a bit burned myself, though for this fair skinned Greek girl, that is a far cry from lobsterdom, I must say.  I am of the opinion that I look like a very light piece of toast. Happy 4th to the Americans who follow, hope you all are enjoying the three day weekend.

When last I wrote, I had gotten a job at a Construction recruitment company as their book keeper/back office manger.  There will be more about that in a subsequent post, as I do not start until Wednesday.

Last Tuesday, I was invited to my friend Tacy's citizenship celebration.  She is Brazilian, married to Tim, who is English.  The party was very warm and quite fun.  I was excited to meet some really cool people. Oh, and Jasper seemed to have a good time as well, but I was rather ignoring him because I was laughing so hard, at the women's descriptions of men in Brazil.  All's I can say is, Get me to Brazil, pronto.

In the meantime, I did go and un-unemploy myself, and am waiting for the unemployment windfall.  That was on my birthday.  It really wasn't great to have to go to the Job Center on my birthday but it did kill some time rather nicely.  We also discovered a store in Edinburgh called Cabaret,  which was chock a block with old costume jewelry and that greatest of all treasures (at least to me), a whole downstairs full of rare books.

On Friday, we went to dinner for my birthday with  some of the friends that I have made here in Edinburgh.  In attendance were Jasper and I, Sabrina, a recent transplant to Edinburgh from Munich, and my friend Penny, a connection that I made before I left the States.  She is the niece of a friend of my Mom's.  Poor Penny was with me the Wednesday before my birthday at a Swedish coffee shop called Peter's Yard, where I had my mini meltdown.  That, of course, merely means that I got a little teary after the agency phoned telling me that I was not going to be called back for a second interview with the British Investment house.  So Penny is one of the people I need to apologize to for being a bit dark.

Anyhoo,  we met at a lovely restaurant called Sambuca, which is owned by friends of Laura's.  She, unfortunately could not make it, as she was not able to find anyone to babysit.  It was an extraordinary restaurant, the food and service fantastic, and the price reasonable.  I actually received more tea for my birthday from Penny and Sabrina, as well as two tea pots, one black and one white.  I think I may have to take one to work with me.  Tacy and Tim joined us after dinner and we went to a pub called Dagma, at Penny's suggestion.  And no, the pub was not named for either Princess Dagmar of Denmark (there were two).  While there we were fortunate enough to see the Queen, who was attending an event across the road from the pub.  We waved at her as she drove by in a car that was designed to show her off.  Oh, and thanks to the Whiskey Experience, I have developed a taste for Whiskey.  I like whiskies from Speyside, which taste more like vanilla and less peaty than their lowland counterparts.   And for the record, the US can't make whiskey.  Sorry, guys.

Yesterday, Jasper, Sabrina, and I went to Linlithgow, the palace where Mary, Queen of Scots was born. It happened that there was a joust at Linlithgow.  So in addition to wandering the castle, we witnessed a Ren faire type joust but I gotta say, and I think Jasper agrees, that for sheer showmanship, the US does the best jousts.  I did become a member of Historic Scotland, so I can visit 39 historic venues in Scotland free of charge.  Which, I might point out is very Dutch of me.

This evening's highlight was Jasper trying Fried Pizza, which really wasn't worth it.

Right, my dears, that's it for me.

Next Up: Work begins and I officially begin a life in Scotland.

Cheerio for now,

Tina

Eighth Time's The Charm

Good Morning My Dears,

I know, I know, I am a day late on this post.  Apologies for that but I have a good excuse in the form of a guest.  My Amsterdam host has come to visit me for 10 days so I am playing host and tourist here in Edinburgh.

When last I wrote,  I had an interview with a British investment house and the possibility of a second interview.  I did not get a second interview with the company and again for that most annoying of reasons, over qualification.  Seriously? That began a decent into a really dark place, for which I must apologise to a couple of people, though not in this blog.  I was seriously considering buying my ticket back to the states and my confidence was rather beginning to lag.  Just when I thought all was lost, I got an interview with a construction recruitment company for a bookkeeper/back office manager position down in Leith, which is the port of Edinburgh.  Apparently, I had the job after I left last Friday.
It isn't a bad commute, the bus goes directly there from my house and, best of all, it is permanent.  So it seems I am going to be in Scotland for the foreseeable future.  So the eighth company I interviewed with was the one that saw my potential and decided to take a chance.  It is just as well that the job came up when it did, because I was going to go on the dole and get a jobseeker's benefit and council tax help from the British government which, as an EU citizen, I am entitled to.  I had started the procedure to get the benefit on the 21st, so the 29th was my day to sign in and tell the government what I was doing to find work in the form of a paper diary.  In short, as Jasper opined it was time for me to un-unemploy myself.

Yesterday was my birthday, and so we went out for indian food.  We also went to a professional cutlery shop, where I was bought  two decent knives as my birthday present.   I have promised a jaunt to the Scotch Whiskey Experience to Jasper for his birthday, as well as a trip to the garden center to look at the plants, so that is the plan for today.  And perhaps some new pots as the ones I bought at the Poundsavers have warped beyond recognition.  I am sorry this is so short, but if I don't go help with the kitchen tidy, I will be in trouble.

Next Up: A Birthday celebration and work begins.

Cheerio for now,

Tina

Edinburgh Endeavours

Good Evening My Dears,

The weather in Edinburgh has reverted to its natural state.  We are building the ark in Scotland and it is going to be considerably bigger than 40 cubits.  When last I wrote, I had an upcoming interview and the the US was coming to visit.  But first a brief rewind back to the interviews I had in the previous week.  After the insanity of that company which will not be named, I gave another polite call to the agency that got me the interview and told them that I did not want to proceed should that which must not be named come calling.  A good thing, too, as it turns out that the agency was having a tough time with that place.  It seems that I was not the only candidate to complain about their chilly reception and Inquisitionish Interview format.  The interview at the language school was also a bust, this time because I was "not a good fit".   Whatever that means.  As my new friend Sabrina said, "maybe they just didn't like your nose".  Since I can't really fix either of those things, I put them out of my head and I concentrated on the next interview I had, which was for a British investment house.  For this interview, I was one of 5 candidates interviewing across two roles.  That means that I have a 1 in 2.5 chance of getting either role.  One is a more junior role and the other is a slightly more senior role.  What I liked abut this interview is that the interviewer pulled out an organizational chart of the finance department and showed me how people moved across the department.   This company likes to promote from within, and as the two roles that I interviewed for are fairly junior roles, that means there is room for growth.  Unfortunately, I will not hear anything until at least tomorrow as they interviewed today.  There will be a second interview in the process as well.  This time with someone from HR.  Sounds like there will be more competency interviews in my future, if, that is, I get shortlisted.  Given my dislike of the competency interview, I went to the agency on Friday morning, before my interview, and had them do a practice competency interview with me.  That was an extremely useful exercise and I may ask them to run a second one.

On Friday evening, the US came a-callin' in the form of Gary and Zane Stuggins, family friends and WIS parents from Alex's class. To be more accurate Canada came callin' via the US, as that is where they are actually from.  I met them at their hotel and we wandered George Street in New Town, and went to dinner.  I convinced them to go for tapas at a place called Cafe Andaluz that I had been eyeing pretty much since I landed.  The food and wine were great and I would not hesitate to recommend to other Edinburgh visitors. Definitely better than the other British tapas restaurant that had the misfortune to be exported to the US.  I write, of course, of La Tasca, which is much more bland than its Scottish cousin.  For Andaluz, while a chain, makes more of an effort with its presentation than does La Tasca.  The atmosphere is lovely and the waitstaff friendly and accommodating.   I also got a birthday present from my Mama, which, of course was clothing, though surprisingly from Macy's and not my beloved TJ Maxx or Ross.  The aforementioned New Town is not really new as it is from the 18th century.  That never fails to amuse.  Old Town seems to have been built by Noah, right alongside the ark.

On Saturday, I went and invested in some me time with a mini facial (free), haircut and color (not free, alas).  Though, really, the mini facial wasn't free either, as the results of the facial were so dramatic that I bought the products used.  I tell you though, I will never ever go back to drugstore skincare again.  Sporting my new face and hair, I met my friend Sabrina for a night on the town and we hightailed it to Leith to go find Indian food.  Only to find that the whole of Leith Walk was closed.  Closed.  On Saturday.  At Six.  No Indian Food.  No Food of any kind.  At least until we walked the water of Leith to Commercial Street and Commercial Quay (pronounced Key), where we found an Italian place and had really, really good Pizza.

Contrary to my American upbringing, which of course disdains any sort of government help, (because, let's be honest, people, the US is not necessarily a fount of Social Programs), I went to the Jobcentre and registered for a jobseeker's benefit and a council tax benefit.  I did not, however feel comfortable getting a housing benefit, as I am not so desperate yet that I can not pay my rent.  I also went to the surgery up the road and tried to register for healthcare, but to take advantage of free healthcare you have to be working.   The next step is to investigate if there is, at least, emergency healthcare reciprocity on my Greek passport so a call to the Greek Consulate/Embassy is on tap for tomorrow.

Right, my dears, I am off to examine the perfect spiderweb that an enterprising arachnid has built on the outside of my living room window.  Ms. S.P. Ider is in her house so I am going to leave her alone for the moment.  If she was in my house, I don't care what the Chinese say, good luck or no, that there arachnid would be toast.

Next Up: A possible second interview, a visitor arrives, and a birthday.

Cheerio for now,

Tina

Insane Interview and a Glasgow Galavant

Good Evening My Dears,

The sun seems to want to shine in Edinburgh just when I am considering another post.  Thankfully, the time difference makes it possible to both blog and enjoy the outdoors.  When last I wrote, I had shortlisted for a second interview with Black Rock.  I had that second interview and was hopeful about my prospects, until I was told that "my interview was perfect but they interviewers felt that I would get bored very quickly."  Oh, and they thought I was overqualified for the position.  What?  Well, needless to say, I had a polite earful for the person at the agency that got me the interview.  First of all, I don't believe that it is possible to get bored with a job that is only supposed to last for three months.  Secondly,  in a market such as this one, where the jobs are few and far between, there is NO SUCH THING as overqualified.   In fact, I just moved to a new country where I am unfamiliar with the accounting systems used.  So I fully expect to be applying for jobs that some might consider not advanced enough, but let's face it people, I spent the last year and a half in retail management.  And if I were to be honest, I really was an assistant manager, if not an assistant assistant manager.  Overqualified?  Not bloody likely.

However, I had two interviews last week and one, perhaps two this week.  Interview number one last week was for a company called Business Stream, a division of Scottish Water that provides water to corporate customers.  I got to the interview 10 minutes early and was told to have a seat in the most unwelcoming reception area I have ever come across.  Needless to say, I sat my backside down on a padded stool-type object and waited for 25 minutes before anyone even came to talk to me.  I then sat for another 10 minutes as the interview room was prepared.  I walked into the room and was confronted by Macbeth's three witches...I mean, the interviewers.  It has been my luck that I have met my interviewers anonymously at a couple of my interviews in the ladies' loo.  So it proved again.  One of the witches (interviewers) was a woman who seemed perfectly nice when I ran into her in the loo and we exchanged polite hellos and nods.  Nice didn't last long, however.  I was subjected to a competency interview.  The questions run something like "Describe a situation in which you...what actions did you take...what was the result?".  Now to be fair, I knew what I was in for and prepared accordingly.  Based on a prep sheet I got from the agency, I began to write down situations to match the job spec that I got from the agency.  There were four essential qualities and one desirable quality listed so I wrote down two examples for each for each requirement.  I walk into the interview expecting that it would be about forty minutes.  It wasn't, the witches had a book of spells, I mean interview questionnaire, that was, no lie, 15 pages long.  For an Accounts Receivable Assistant position.  Can we say nightmare?  I tried my best with the questions and the hostile vibes from the three women and completed the interview, only to proceed to that most dreaded of accounting job horrors, the excel test.  Turns out, scarily enough, that was the easiest bit of the interview.  I hightailed it out of there and the second thing I did, (the first being change out of the stilettos) was call the agency and give Business Stream, the worst review ever.  I told the agent that just as they interview candidates, the candidates need to feel that the company is a good place to work.  That didn't come across for Business Stream.

In contrast, I had what I thought was a fabulous interview with a company called EAC, an English language school that needs temp help through August.  The girls were in their mid twenties and it felt much more easy.  Also, the location was right in the city center.  No word on either of those interviews, but am hopeful for the EAC interview at least.

Yesterday, I went to Glasgow with my friend Sabrina.  I have been infected with the anti-Glasgow bug since I moved, and yesterday I was proved right.  It isn't that there is anything wrong with Glasgow per se, but Edinburgh is a much more picturesque  and charming city.  One thing that Glasgow has that Edinburgh lacks is absolutely brilliant shopping.  Oh, and Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the architect who pioneered the Glasgow Style of the late-nineteenth and early twentieth century which is heavily Art Nouveau.  We went to the Willow Tea Rooms that he designed and had lunch.  It is a lovely airy building with lots of stark clean lines and beveled glass.  Then we wandered aimlessly through the shops of Glasgow and looked at The Buchanan Tearooms and the Daily Record Building, two other Mackintosh creations.  The Daily Record building was memorable because it was damn difficult to find, being tucked away in an alley that must have done duty as a drainage ditch in the 18th Century.  I did not go to the museums or the other Mackintosh sights as I wanted to save them for my sister since she like Mackintosh as well.

Right, that is all she wrote, folks.

Next Up: An interview or two and the US comes a-callin'.

Cheerio for now,

Tina

Bits and Bobs

Good Afternoon My Dears,

This promises to be a rather short post as, miracle of miracles, the sun is shining in Edinburgh today.  Consequently, I am going to explore Leith, which is Edinburgh's harbor.  However, when last I posted, I promised to talk about a few interesting happenings.  First, I went to a birthday party for Koby, my friend Laura's precocious 3 year old son.  It was not surprisingly, freezing.  This made the party a bit of a downer especially as it was a barbecue.  I am still breaking out the winter coat and not roasting hot when I wear it.  The party however was fun and turned into an engagement party as one of Laura's other friends from the US who was over for a visit, got engaged at Edinburgh Castle.  It was quite sweet and there were quite a few tears of joy.

The second round interview at Black Rock went well, but they seem to be taking their time about whether to make an offer or not.  However, I also have an interview on Thursday and this is for a permanent role so maybe if the temp one doesn't come through the perm one will.  And on it goes.  Jobs keep coming up and I get interviews but no offers as yet.

I did go to a dance lesson last week and had a very nice time.  I was a bit saddened  to find that Scottish men have very little rhythm, much like their American cousins.  However, I did dance with the teacher and that is always good as you can alway pick up a thing or twelve from them.  I am planning on going to a social dance on Wednesday to check out the Edinburgh swing dance scene.

Right, that's all she wrote folks.

Cheerio for now,

Tina

Persuasive Powers

Good Evening My Dears,

When last I wrote, things were starting to pall here in Auld Reekie.  I do not mean to suggest that Edinburgh is beginning to pall.  The love affair that I have with this city is still going strong.  I find something new and interesting on an almost daily basis.  However, as the jobs were not exactly falling out of the sky, I decided to focus on my social life.  In my last post I mentioned that I was going to see Pirates of the Caribbean 4 with a New in Edinburgh Meetup Group.  Well, I did.  The movie was entertaining, although it was most definitely not high art.  However, I met a woman from Germany who is even newer to Edinburgh than I, at this evening.   Aside from being strangers in a not so strange land, we are also neighbours.  She lives in Liberton which is a five minute bus ride from my own suburb of Gilmerton.  So today we met up and hightailed it to Ikea as she needed housewares and such.  You all know me and my propensity for housewares, me loves the housewares.  It also helps that I actually knew where I was going having been out to Straiton on a waste of time interview a couple weeks back.

On Saturday I went out drinking.  I know, shocked the hell out of me as well.  It was with the New in Edinburgh Meetup and I met a really cool Brazilian girl who is married to an English man.  I also met a woman who just finished her PhD in English lit.  Now I did not tell her that her degree might make it more difficult for her to find a job, but I speak from experience, having lost out on a job because I hold a graduate degree.  There were boys there are well, but they were consumed by the ManU vs. Barcelona game so there was no talking to them, was there?  Actually, I got rather caught up in it myself so that was alright.  And naturally, they don't like ManU here in Scotland, they have a thing against successful teams apparently.  Plus, they are English.

I also attended a creative writing group where (AEA (against editorial advice)) I read a prologue to a larger novel I am working on.  The comments were good and I have rewritten most of it as a result.  We'll see how it goes.

On the job front, things are looking better.  I have shortlisted to second interview for a company called Black Rock Investments and while it is a temporary job, it is still a job.  Fingers crossed, please.  There are a couple of other things in the pipeline as well, but they may not be live until mid-June.  It seems that I have persuaded someone that I am actually pretty good at what I do and that I am one cool chick, hooray for spin.  That is all I have for now, gentle readers.

Next Up: A Dance Lesson, A Birthday Party, and an interview.  Oh, My!

Cheerio for Now,

Tina

Job Jinx

Good Afternoon My Dears,

The life of leisure is starting to pale for this lady.  I have been back in Edinburgh for two weeks and though I have had a couple of interviews, nothing has panned out on the job front.  In fact,  I was told this morning by an agency that the position I interviewed for last Wednesday had in fact been filled that Tuesday.  BEFORE I even interviewed.  The agency that told me that said that one of their candidates actually got the job.  Apparently, the candidate who got the job had 10 years of accounting experience in a construction firm.  As the role was for Miller, the largest builder in the UK, I get that they were more qualified.   This agency is not the one that go me the interview, however.  I actually haven't heard from that one, AT ALL.   A wee bit unprofessional, in my opinion.

However, I am not really ready to throw in the towel yet.  There are a couple of other roles that have come up, both temp and perm.  The most interesting one in a business analyst role at a bank.  However, if the temp one comes up, I am just going to take it no matter what else is going on.  After all, I need to finance the writing career.  I am going to write The Great American Novel.

I did promise an account of my writing on my last post.  So here goes.  In contrast to my anti- joiner mentality, I have gone and joined the Edinburgh Creative Writing Club.  I have attended two meetings, and while I have not read anything yet, I am working on something to read, probably next week.  Also, my sister wants me to collaborate on a story having to do with our family's immigrant experiences and her own.  I am not really sure that I am truly qualified to write that kind of a story or that it has a market. My sister, wise soul that she is, pointed out that Frank McCourt did just that.  So perhaps that is the way to go.  A biographical novel would be a challenge for me.  I have not ventured into that type of writing before.  However, she has gotten a back up writer whose toes I may be treading on, especially as they may have already gotten a good start.  Well, Al?  The other piece of writing that I am currently working on ventures into the Juvenile Fiction realm and is a story set in Scotland with a young female protagonist.  There will be magic and mayhem but the wizards are Welsh.  We will see how it all plays out.  The characters are currently clamoring to be heard and they are giving me a headache.  You never know, I may be the next JK Rowling.

In other news, an ash cloud has curtailed most Scottish travel.  This does not affect me as I have no plans to go anywhere any time soon.  I am hoping that the ash cloud encourages people to go out and find things to do in Edinburgh.  I have joined  a New in Edinburgh group as well.  This evening I am going to go to a movie with 20 people I have never met before.  Should be an interesting experience, luckily there will be drinks beforehand.  That might make things extremely amusing at least.  Goodness knows I don't hold much expectation for a good show for the fourth installment of the Pirates franchise but it is something to do.

I am off to contend with the characters in my head with some fast writing.

Next Up: No Plans, so its sure to be a grand time.  Stay Tuned.

Cheerio for Now,

Tina

The Bright Side of Edinburgh

Good Afternoon My Dears,

I am sorry for the massively long silence but the time got away from me a bit.  When last I wrote I was celebrating two birthdays in Greece.  A friend's on May 1 and my sister's on the 10th.  The birthday events were lovely and a grand time was had by all.  At least, I hope so.  You see, I made the mistake that when I booked my ticket for Greece I booked the return for 6:50 am on the 11th of May.  My sister felt compelled to take me to the airport.  I did offer to take a taxi but she was not having it.  I am not sure if she has forgiven me yet.  I also met her boyfriend, who is quite nice.  I spent a lot of time with my aunt, uncle, and my cousin Brighitta who is a fantastic photographer in London who I see once every couple of years.  It was lovely getting to know her a little as an adult.  My sisters birthday also resulted in a summer job offer.  The jeweler where I bought Alex's birthday gift needed some website help, which I was happy to do as it passed the time a bit.  He wants someone to work in his shop for the busy season so that he can concentrate on making more pieces to sell.  Needless to say, it was a very attractive offer, but for reasons that will become apparent shortly, I have not given him an answer, nor have I closed the door.

Things in Edinburgh are picking up a bit.  I have settled quite nicely into the new flat and am exploring Edinburgh from the perspective of living in town.  I can't get used to separate hot and cold water taps.  It makes all washing up an annoyance, whether it is dishes, faces, or bodies.  It also makes taking a bath an exercise in burn prevention.  I have an electric shower that is not working, so it is imperative that I figure out how to take a bath with out sustaining third degree burns.  I  have decided that I love the Bruntsfield area of Edinburgh and that if I stay in Scotland, I would eventually like to move into that neighborhood.  If you have read Alexander McCall Smith's Isabel Dalhousie Mysteries, you will already be familiar, if not, read the series anyway it it quite well written and a joy to read.

I have found the Edinburgh Swing Dance Society and went to their thursday night free dance.  That was an interesting experience because it was not solely swing dancing. I also plan on attending their Sunday Afternoon Tea dance, at which I have been told there will be cake.  I will travel anywhere for cake. I have also found the Edinburgh Creative Writing Club that meets every Monday evening at 7 in the city center.   Apparently, one does not need to read if one does not want to, which is good as the only thing I am currently writing is this blog.  Also, they encourage writers to bring copies of their work.  A bit of a problem that, as I have no printer.  I am still going to go and see what is to be seen.  I also joined a New in Town group to try and meet new people.  I am also looking for a book group.  I have joined a reasonable gym and it has been good getting back into a workout routine.  As well, it lend a little bit more structure to my day.  Phew, I think I may have bitten off more than I can chew.

On the job front things are brightening up a bit as well.  I had an interview for a real estate firm called Braemore Lettings and I think it went quite well.  I really like the people I interviewed with and the job location can't be beat, it is right in the center of town on Dundas Street, which is also featured in Mr. McCall Smith's books.  I sincerely hope I get that job, but if it doesn't work out, I have an interview next wednesday with a company called Miller to do some basic accounting.  I also had to turn down a temp job with a place called Dobbies Garden Center, which is not too far from my house, because it was for a month, due to start on Monday, and if either of the two jobs above come through then I want to be available.

Lest you think that it is all coming up roses, let me assure you that is not the case.  There are things I miss about home, not the least of which is seeing my family and friends.  I really, really miss clothes dryers, maybe even more than I miss you all.  Do you know how frustrating it is to do laundry here? I live in a country where the average temperature in June is about 65 degrees.  In JUNE.  Happy freekin' Birthday to me.  It rains somewhere in Edinburgh at least once a day and the winds that blow off the North Sea make it feel like December in DC.  It is May, people.  In this climate, people do not own dryers, unless they live in a retirement community, like Laura's parents do in Dalkeith.  They either hang it outside for the 10 minutes it isn't raining, or they dry clothes inside on airers (clotheshorses).  This process takes 4 days, and that is after the washing is done which takes 3 hours.  Have you ever heard anything more absurd in your life?  Not I, McFly.  If anyone wants to get me a really super birthday present they can spring for an electric airer which costs 79 pounds and is available from a housewares store called Lakeland.

It is a wonder to me that dental professionals don't all flock to the UK for work.  People seriously don't take care of their teeth here.  This was brought home to me the other day when I had to go into three different stores to buy dental floss.  Of course the other side of that is that there are no jobs in the dental profession BECAUSE people don't take the best care of their teeth.  If I was a dentist, I would encourage everyone to eat candy and get cavities.  I would always have work then. That's all she wrote, folks.

Next Up...join me for the 3 R's: Reading, Riting, and 'Rithmatic.   I promise a rousing good read.

Cheerio for Now,

Tina

May Day - The Worker's Holiday

Good Morning My Dears,

April showers have brought May flowers to Greece.  We had been experiencing some rather nasty weather  in Crete of late but hopefully that has passed now.  May Day in Greece is actually an acknowledged, if not a celebrated holiday here.  There are apparently enough workers, even here, to justify the acknowledgment. Unlike in the US whose free market leanings tend to shy away from any notion of a working class, Greece does allow communist principles to peacefully coexist in the political firmament.  In the US in contrast, we have decided to change the name to Law Day.  It just does not have that nice a ring to it, does it?

 I am rather like the US, in that I would prefer to put blinders on to the fact that there is a working class as I am currently not a part of it.  And unfortunately, it is back to the drawing board for me when I get back home to Scotland on the 11th.  When Last I talked about the actual job search I had had an interview with a    software company to supervise their accounting setup.  Alas, that was not to result in a job.  It is just as well as it was not located in the best of areas and the commute would have been a little difficult.  I also applied for two jobs at the Scottish National Gallery in their accounting departments.  The first was for Manager of all their retail shops, including the accounting side.  The second was for a manager of the trading company that would link the accounting sides of the retail shops with the sales side of the Royal Scottish Academy which sells local art to the public.  I didn't even manage to get interviews for those as there are a lot of fully qualified accountants applying.

Since applying for accounting jobs does not seem to be working, I am going to change the resume to a more administrative focus and see if I can get something that is secretarial in nature.  After all, Scotland doesn't have to be a career starter, I am here to have fun as well.  So I think I am going to try for any job, including retail, just to have enough income to cover my expenses.  I am also thinking that if I can get a part time job then perhaps I can do a little bit of volunteering.  We will see how I get on.

Right now I am off to celebrate a friend's birthday.

Next Up...Another birthday Bash and then Homeward Bound.

Cheerio for Now,

Tina

Easter Greek Style

Hello My Dears,

Ah, Easter.  That time of year in Greece where all laziness is justified and any excuse given for a party.  Our own Easter, thankfully, was mostly family, which meant that it was a surprisingly casual affair.  That is not the case in the States, where Greek American families tend to outdo each other with food and fashion.  In Greece, the only thing they try to outdo each other with is gunshots.  I swear my dad's village sounded like the St. Valentine's Day Massacre was happening every half hour or so.  Needless to say, I did not much enjoy the over abundance of gunfire.  It sounded just like I imagine DC used to at its height as the murder capital of the world.

If you have seen "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" then you have some idea of what goes on during the Easter Celebration.  My family did not have lamb on the spit.  We bake ours in an outdoor oven.  It took forever to cook.  In addition to the aforementioned lamb, we also had goat with potatoes, and rabbit stew, AKA Stifado, on offer.  None of which this Greek girl enjoys.  I had to content my self with kalitsounia, a sort of Spinach pie that is actually made with wild mountain greens and cheese round easter time.  I also had plenty of mountain greens with lemon and olive oil so that was alright as well.  It wasn't as if I was starving.  I did get a little adventurous and tried the rabbit stew.  It turned out to be quite good.  The experience was slightly reminiscent of my haggis surprise six weeks ago in Edinburgh. I am not saying that I would search out Stifado as a more than once  year occurance but I may try to make it if the opportunity were to present itself. Anyone want to be a lab rat?

I also attended Church for Easter.  Surprised, are we?  Yes, it shocked the hell out of me as well.  Not an experience that I would care to repeat, but it was interesting to attend the funeral of Christ.  Yes, Virginia, there is a funeral.  The service on Good Friday concluded with the village bearing the casket of Christ through the village, and the priest blessing people's houses.  He didn't get as far as our house as it was a little far for him to walk with his arthritis.  I did not go to church for the midnight mass on Saturday.

Well, that is all for me, folks.

Next up...the Greek Adventure Continues and maybe some job updates.

Cheerio for Now,

Tina

A Disaster in the Making

Good Morning My Dears,

Remember when I said that I would write from sunny, warm Greece?  Well, it isn't.  To clarify, it is sunny, but not particularly warm.  I got here yesterday morning at o'dark thirty and it was rainy and cold.  I left Scotland for this, I thought?  It was rather a rude awakening, or rather more of a rude shock as there was no awakening.  I had not slept all night, you see.  Travel is mine enemy in that respect.

On the bright side of things,  I got my national insurance number in the UK in 2 days, not two weeks.  Thank Goodness for UK efficiency.  In this respect they were like swiss clockmakers.  I also moved into the flat, unpacked (took 30 minutes), and had my internet, cable and phone set up.  I will send my home number out to people in separate emails for those who want to call and chat.  (For those neanderthals that are not on Skype, that is.)

The bright side of things, however, has started to dim rather quickly.  The bulb is flickering dangerously.  You see, I made a really bad decision when I purchased my ticket to Greece.  I chose to stay until the 11th of May, the day after my sister's birthday.  When I booked the ticket, a job that I have since applied for at the Scottish National Gallery, was not yet open.  I applied as soon as it opened but the interview date is 6 May.  Consequently, I spent this morning trying to figure out a cheap way of getting myself back to Edinburgh early for the interview, if I get a call.  I haven't been able to find one, however and if I get a call for an interview, I will lose out on the job.  I am such an idiot.

Part and parcel of the aforementioned idiocy is that I had to spend a lot of money all at once to outfit my apartment.  While my apartment was furnished, it did not come with anything in the kitchen.  So off to Ikea I went.  I spent 130 pounds at Ikea and then went and spent 180 pounds at a catalog shop called Argos.  At Argos, I bought a toaster, a kettle, a TV, and a phone.  A TV, you ask?  Don't you have a Mac, you mutter?  The answer to both those questions is yes.  I can in fact watch TV on my Mac but if I access the TV channels online, I still have to pay that pesky TV licensing fee to the BBC.  So in for a penny, in for 180 pounds.  

Anyhoo, if I am not careful, I will be back in the US in 3 months or so.  I am however enjoying being in the bosom of my family for the easter holiday, and the rest can sort itself out when I get back to the UK.  I am off to sit in the sun.

Next up...Easter Greek Style

Cheerio for now,

Tina

Insurance and Interviews

Good Evening My Dears,

I am both very excited and very disappointed with the week's experiences.  When last I wrote, I was off to get a national insurance number so that I can get paid and get healthcare.  I approached the whole process with  a bit of trepidation as I had been told that I would not get an insurance number as they are difficult for immigrants to get.  I was told that people have been waiting years for them.  Sounds like the Green Card process in the States.  I got to my interview for the national insurance late, as I was in an interview with an agency; that called me a couple of hours before the Insurance interview and asked me to come in right away.  Anyhoo, the agency interview went well and there may be some cool jobs coming up soon.  Will keep you all posted.  The insurance interview was surprisingly painless as well.  I answered some questions and I will have my number in a couple of weeks.

I also had an interview today for a software company called evolution online and the jury is still out as to how it went.  I will let you all know as soon as I have other news.  I will say that I was rather disappointed by the experience.  I can't say much more as I don't want to jinx it, so fingers crossed.

In stellar news, I am moving into my flat tomorrow.  I am so excited to have a room of my own.  I will post pics to facebook at some point over the weekend.

Next up...I will be writing from Sunny warm Greece as I am off to see the family for Easter and my sister Alex's birthday.

Cheerio for now,

Tina

Amsterdam Antics

Hello My Dears,

Sorry for the long silence but you all know that I am not exactly a chatterbox and as I have had nothing major to report there was little point in writing.  After all, I am one of those authors who really hates it when people post stupid, not to mention disgusting details on their blogs or facebook.  Anyhoo, enough with the rant.

Since my last post, I have been chasing down agencies which have promised to present me to their clients as a candidate, but for an industry that hits the ground running their followup leaves a lot to be desired.  I have been told that companies really are keen on speaking with me but then nothing.  Nada. Zip. Zilch.

What's a girl to do?  I decided to keep a promise to myself that I made sometime last year and that was to see two new places each year.  To that end, I decided to keep a promise to a friend and go visit them in Amsterdam.  I left on Wednesday  April 6 in the evening and got back late SaturdayApril 9 lateish.

I really like Amsterdam.  It is quite the cool town and fairly easy to navigate.  Except that they suffer from a public transportation system that doesn't like money.  Or maybe it is ING they don't like.  We were trying to get me a bus pass and it took 3 tries before we could.  Then the 72 hour card that we bought expired after like 24.  The thing with Amsterdam buses is that you need to swipe the pass on entry AND Exit.   Ok class, repeat after me, the word for that is redundant.  First they tried to claim that I didn't swipe the card on the way out of one of the buses.  Not so.  Next they tried to claim that we took one of the other bus companies that serves Amsterdam.  We didn't.   So after a day of explaining the issue every time we got on a bus or tram we went to the office and and paid to have it sorted.

Amsterdam is not all that big and easier to navigate than Edinburgh.  Having said that, I found myself in the suprizing position of being uncomfortable with right sided driving after a month in the UK.  Weird.  Also, mine host was oblivious to oncoming traffic and so would cross the street whether we had the light or not.  Picture me trying to dodge buses, trams, and bicycles.  Not funny.

Now a word about bicycles.  That word is YIKES.  Bicycles in Amsterdam is like sheep in New Zealand.  There are 1 million people in Amsterdam and surroundings, there are 2 million bicycles.  It is insane.  Amsterdam is enough like Edinburgh in that the first sunny warm day everybody is in the park or wearing summer clothes. And riding bikes.  I nearly got run over once.

We took a canal cruise and went to visit another friend.  I am rather ashamed to say it but I got a teensy bit tipsy (read falling down drunk, literally). Vodka is not my friend.  I did discover a love of tulips, and you all know about my love of cheese.  Amsterdam has a daily farmer's market that has both.  It inspired me to come home to Edinburgh and look up our farmer's market.

We walked enough that I was in pain quite a lot of the time.  What, you exclaim?  How is this possible, you ask?  Yes, it shocked the hell out of me as well.  I rediscovered my hamstrings and the fact that I am not 12 anymore.  Why didn't one of you tell me that I am not a kid?  Rude awakening, that.  On my last night in Amsterdam, we went to dinner with a friend of my sister's to a very impressive italian restaurant and then for drinks.  NOT Vodka.  On Saturday we just sat and enjoyed the glorious weather in the park.

I got home late as my flight was delayed.  Go KLM!   I spent a very peaceful Sunday enjoying weather that was in the 70's in Scotland.  I actually broke out the summer clothes.

Next up: an interview with an agency for a job and the national insurance for a number so I can get healthcare, as well as possibly moving into my flat. (Fingers crossed please.)

Cheerio for now,

Tina

Delightful Dalkeith

Laura has taken the kids to Blackpool until the end of the week and Dale (her handy hubby) wants to paint the living room, AKA, my current bedroom.  To that end I have moved to Dalkeith till week's end.  It is a smallish town with a decent downtown area to wander through.  I am going to try and see if I can get myself to the city so I can wander there this afternoon.

I am renting the guest room in Laura's parents apartment building so I currently have a room of my own.  It is actually quite nice as they provide everything, including a kettle, coffee maker, and such.  I am not so sure that I like the quiet as much, as I have 24/7 entertainment in the form of Robyn and Koby.  (And Laura and Dale but the kids are WAY more fun than the grown ups.)  However, I will have to get used to the sound of silence as I am moving in the next couple of weeks.

Why the hold up, you ask?  In Scotland, landlords need to register with the council and as the owner of the flat actually had it on the market, she deregistered as  landlord.  Once she does that, A lease needs to be signed and then I can move in.

On the job front, there are a couple of solid leads with two agencies and I am waiting to hear about the job with the Scottish National Galleries.

Next up...more job jabbering.

Cheerio for now,

Tina

Flat Found

Hello from Edinburgh.  After an angst filled week of interviews with agencies and wandering around the city,  I have found a flat. Unfortunately I can't move in for a couple of weeks.  Also, it isn't actually in the city.  I will be living in Gilmerton which, while still in Edinburgh, is a 30 minute bus ride from the city center.

You see, when flats are advertised for rent in Edinburgh, they are not including the council tax bill.  That is a rather hefty charge.  Also, as I have no credit history in the UK, I would have had to pay 6 months rent up front.  Can we say, NIGHTMARE?  The flat I fell in love with was the first one I saw.  It was a one bedroom in the city center, a couple of blocks from St. Andrew's Square.  It had a "kitchen" that measures about 2 by 3 feet with a wee breakfast bar-ette for  little bit of work space.  For the privelage of living there I was going to pay 610 pounds per month.  The landlord gets the rent on a monthly basis BUT I have to pay all six months up front plus an additional 885 pounds for a security deposit and agency fee that took the total to 4545 pounds for the flat.  All at once.   NOT INCLUDING COUNCIL TAX (a further 150 pounds per month payable direct to the council not the landlord).  No Thanks.

The problem I had with that is, as cute as the flat is (view it at: http://www.rettie.co.uk/lettings/5113),  I wouldn't have been able to eat.  That is how much my savings would be decimated.  I would have had to come back to DC at the end of the lease, especially as I still don't have a job with any permanence.  Added to the above is the fact that in the UK you pay 146 pounds a year to the BBC to watch TV.  Even if you are watching TV on a laptop.  Then there is electricity which is 40 or so a month.  So my rent all told for the flat would be 800 or so a month.

So, I waited and found a two bedroom flat for about 200 pounds cheaper from a friend of a friend.  It is a grown up flat with one double room and one single room, a living room, decent size kitchen, bathroom with shower, and a shared back garden.  So I have room for guests.  Dorothy and Vlad, I got the two bedroom just for you.  Now you have to come visit.

 Have a look at the flat if you want (http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-29448707.html).

Next up...my sojourn in another friends house while the living room I sleep in is being painted and my mourning the fact that I can't go to Blackpool with Laura as I am waiting to hear about a job at the Scottish Gallery of Art as a retail manager/book keeper of all their shops, 4 in total.

Cheerio for now,

Tina

A Not Quite Serious Setback

It seems I jumped the gun when I said that I was working the Scotland v. Italy Rugby Game.  I am not.  I am not working.  AT ALL.  THey let me go after work yesterday. In the company's defense, they did not have the time to train me to use their accounting system and they are going to get temporary help from someone who previously worked there until the end of the season.  In my defense, UK accounting systems are COMPLICATED.  I did give them as a reference and we parted on good terms.  We might even end up friendly...who knows.  I did go to an interview for another agency after work and the tone of the people there was kind of negative as well. Onward and upward.  

The advantage to being unemployed is I can go explore the city.  It will be nice to just play tourist for a weekend before jumping back into the job hunt.  I am also going to look at a couple of flats today.  One is a two bedroom about 30 min outside the city centre and the other is right in town.  How am I going to get an apartment as I am unemployed, you ask?  That's the thing, they seem to only rent to the unemployed.  Ok, perhaps I overstate the case a wee bit (see there a Scottish word already!)  Let me explain.  Estate Agents in Edinburgh do not generally show properties after work or on the weekend and they are closed by five during the week, as well as completely on the weekend.  WHAT?  So I have to assume that I will easily get a flat as they must rent to the unemployed with weekday viewing hours.

Next up...More on the search for housing.

Cheerio for now.

Tina

Transport Trials and Food Follies

Sorry for the silence, everyone.  It has been a very tiring week.  I started my job at the Murrayfield Stadium and while it is not rocket science, it took a little time to figure out how the organization does its accounting. Having figured it out,  the days are passing quickly and trying to find another, more permanent job is foremost in my thoughts.  Not all the time obviously.  Most of the time I am still trying to figure out how to get where I am going.

The friends that I am staying with live in a small town about 45 minutes from Edinburgh.  The bus that goes into town from their house gets me to work in an hour and a half.  I am so sorry for all the complaints about my commute to Bread and Chocolate.  It was nothing in comparison.  Except that the buses here run on time EVEN ON WEEKENDS.  In fact, the schedule is the same every day.  It's lovely.  So I sit on the bus to go to work, then I do the same thing coming back, but here is where the trouble starts.  On the way to work, I travel with a young man named Mark, who has the distinction if being the first person that I have met in Scotland without my friend Laura.  He lives in the same estate and works in Murrayfield as well.  So I have someone to talk to in the mornings.  More about him in a later post.  On the way home I am alone and so I have to watch for the stop on my own.  It makes reading more difficult since I get paranoid after the first hour and I am constantly looking up to see where I am.  The buildings are all the color of mud and it is really dark on suburban roads.  The landmark that I use is the a Lidl (german food store) but the building is difficult to see so I always stress out.  It is loads of fun.  Ah well, it gives me a chance to play "Stupid American" again.  

In my last post I was rather disparaging about haggis.  However, I have since had to revise my opinion.  It really isn't so bad.  It is certainly better than black pudding.  The last time I had it, it was cooked traditionally, in a sheep's stomach.  I went to dinner  last night at friends' of Dale and Laura and haggis in phyllo with peppercorn sauce was the first course.  I have to say it was really quite good.  I guess what I objected to was traditional haggis.  The rest of the meal was wonderful we had steak pie that melted in your mouth and apple pie with ice cream for dessert.   Yum.

Stay tuned, gang.  Next up, I work the Scotland vs. Italy rugby game.  

Cheerio for now.

Tina 

Edinburgh Enchanting and A Job Nabbed...

Edinburgh, at last.  Up to now I had been rusticating in suburbia firmly ensconced in family life and "helping" Laura with her wee monsters (read: making a pest of myself).  I went into town with Laura and we split up at her work which is at the Scottish National Gallery.  She went off to work and I went to wander around before my interview.  Yup, you heard me, my interview.  On Sunday, I got a call from Robert Half International to register as a job candidate.  I decided, which true American ingenuity, to attack Edinburgh through familiarity rather than adventure.  So I grabbed my computer and started walking about to find the nearest Starbucks so that I could look for jobs and apartments.  I hit 3 Starbucks today.  One on Princes Street and two on George Street.  Wifi is wondrous and free wifi is glorious.  Truly I could have stayed at the Starbucks on Princes Street for donkey's years, but I was stressing about getting to my interview.  Off to the next Starbucks,  I went.

Except, I didn't.  As I was getting absolutely lost in the centre of town.  I decided to play my favorite game "I am a  Stupid American, can I get some help?"  I must have asked 20 different people how to get around when I got a phone call.  It was from a firm called Search and they were in a place called St. Colme Street. Though it was not far from where I was, I had (so far) spent the day walking on legs turned to jelly from terror.  What was I terrified of you ask?  Crossing the street.  Yes, I know nothing to be afraid of under normal circumstances, but did you know that Edinburgh has raised pavements? Sorry, sidewalks, dang it,  sidewalks.  It is happening already, I am going native.  Anyhoo, Search asked me to come in and register with them as well.  No worries, I just had to navigate over a square with no pedestrian crosswalks, raised pavements, and crazy drivers.

RRRRRRUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!

Whew, I made it.  I also managed to find the agency and switch shoes from chucks to stilettos.  I walk into what I though was a registration.  Turns out, it was a job offer.  Ok, so it is only until the end of March and pays 7.50 pounds/hour but that not the point of this experience.  I am here to make enough money to just have fun. And I will.  The job is doing accounting for Murrayfield Stadium until the end of the season in 2 weeks.   But it IS a RUGBY stadium.  Can we say hot men, ladies?  Bring on the boys.

Oh, the Robert Half interview went well despite having a temp job and the excel test went ok as well.

Next up: getting to Edinburgh and back on the bus.  Stay tuned, the adventure continues....

Cheerio for now.