Been a long time (again)...

Hey Y’all-

So yeah I’m pretty much the worst blogger ever… Thing is there really isn’t anything too exciting to report all the time, so I’m figure I’ll make you wait (to add suspense) then pack it all into one big entry (to make it seem like I’m doing a lot more than I really am). Actually I'm just lazy. But really, I don’t have enough money to be traveling and living the good life all the time, so I’m settling down a bit—working a crappy job, hittin’ the local pub/club scene on the weekends, trying to get some exercise once in a while and just chillin’ with my flatmates and friends the rest of the time. However, I did manage to get out a nice long entry for ya. I recommend reading it in small sessions over the next few weeks, to make my eratic posts seem less eratic...

First, my job: My bank account and I finally got sick being unemployed so I took a job through a temp agency. I don’t really know if they have these in the States, but they are actually pretty cool if you are only going to be somewhere for a couple weeks and want quick cash. Only thing is you really wouldn’t want to work for one for more than a couple weeks. They basically assign you to jobs on days that you request, and you go and work. There are all different types of agencies, but the one that I’m going through does mostly big event/ caterings through contracts that they have with local football stadiums, the parliament, and area castles. It’s really not too bad, but it’s pretty brainless—they really don’t encourage any kind of intelligent thought or problem solving, you are expected to show up and do only as you’re told. They fully expect you to slack off as much as possible—working hard only results in fewer hours, because most of the time there is only a limited amount of stuff to do. It took me a few days to figure this out, so I spent a lot of time standing around waiting to be told what to do after I finished a chore, or just being sent home early. Once I found out that I could just slack off all day it seemed pretty sweet…then I got bored. One good thing about this kind of work is I have been able to meet a lot of new people. Most are student or travelers, so it’s a pretty cool crew for the most part.
Even still, it is not a job I want to do for much longer, and luckily a company called Harvey Nichols called me last week for an interview. I went in yesterday, and it went well, so with any luck, I’ll have a real job before the New Year. It’s just restaurant work, but it is pretty posh and supposedly the busiest place in town. An added bonus is the restaurant is part of an equally posh designer clothing/ accessories/ house ware department store, so if I get a job there, I might be able to actually afford to buy some cool euroshit to bring home… So I’m keeping my fingers crossed, and hopefully it works out.

Last entry I mentioned the Faithless concert that I was going to… It was absolutely brilliant! I’ll tell you all about it once I get back from my run…It is 3:00 here and is already getting dark, it will be completely dark by 4:15. Definitely shortens the day, especially if you are a late riser.

Ok, I’m back. Yeah it’s totally dark already, I can’t believe it. It’s the one bad thing about living here, the weather is actually really nice, just cold, but it gets dark sooo friggin early. I can’t wait until spring. You just don’t feel like going out when it is dark and cold, so I end up spending most evenings indoors from 4:30 on.

So the concert: I thought it was going to be just a DJ on the decks and maybe a female back up singer, but he came out with a full band, and played everything live. Absolutely incredible. The crowd was huge, everyone was totally into it, and they played long and hard. Money definitely well spent. Here’s a picture, but you can’t really appreciate how big the crowd really was…


Next up was the Great Scottish Santa Run!! So yes, I actually dressed up as Santa and ran (actually walked, my flatmates aren’t the most athletic) around with a few thousand other santas for the better part of a half an hour. It was good fun; the best part was the looks we got on the walk home. Turns out it was for a pretty cool charity too; the organization that puts it on grants wishes to children with terminal illnesses. This year they are sending a half a dozen kids up to Lapland to visit the real santa…guess they get a real sleigh ride, etc. Here’s pictures...

This is my flatmate Steph...

This is Cazza (I can NOT get the friggin picture to rotate, so you'll just have to turn your head to look at it)...

...And Lisa showin'off her sweet jumping skills!

And here is the Sea of Santas...


Later that day we took a trip to Glasgow to see what our rival city was all about. We were actually on a mission to find a coat for one of my flatmates, which we did, but it was cool just to see the city. Glasgow is a lot more of a working class city than Edinburgh, and has a reputation of being rough, dangerous, and dirty, but it’s been cleaned up over the last decade or so and is now bustling, hip, and even posh in some parts. I guess there are still some sketchy parts and still has the highest stabbing rates in Scotland, but we found it to be really cool, and look forward to exploring it a bit more. I found waaayy too much stuff to buy, but luckily made it out with my wallet fully intact.

Well Christmas is just a few days now, and the city is starting to get crowded. There are people everywhere, and it’s only going to get worse. Not that I really mind, the atmosphere is really festive, and the city is really pretty. Our Christmas is going to be pretty mellow—I think we’re just going to make (and eat, of course!) a lot of food, exchange gifts (we’re doing a secret santa), and just chill out. My flatmate Becs found a tree for £5, and Lisa was able to get decorations super cheap from work, so we are totally hooked up and ready to rock on Christmas day.

Next up is New Year’s Eve. There are tons of people coming to our flat for new years…we haven’t dared to count, but there will be quite a few. There is the famous street party from 10-1am but all the locals say that it is worth skipping, so we are going to have a party at our flat, then head up to a hill close to our flat and watch the fireworks. Should be good times…

After the new year, we’re planning on going to Krakow, Poland (time off from work permitting). It’s kind of an unusual destination (I think), but one of my flatmates has been, and absolutely LOVED it. I’m pretty stoked. I’ve been reading a bit about it and it sounds like a cool country, with the added benefit that it is super cheap (we are hoping to do the whole 7 day trip for under $300, including transportation and accommodation). If I don’t write before then, I will definitely let you know how the trip goes, and post lots of pictures!!

Well that’s all the news from 23 E. London St… Later, Will

Parting Shot: My street. I took this when we were locked out one night, ahh (not so) good times...No, Mom I did no have to sleep on the street, we got in eventually. But yeah, anyway I thought it was cool, so here you go...