It's late, or early, depending on if you believe my internal clock or the one on the wall. I'm dead tired, but I'll update a ibt before going to bed next to my sweetie.
Flight in was ok, if boring. I wanted to sleep but couldn't really get comfy because of the rather voluminous person next to me who smelled of menthol. I wasn't supposed to be in that seat in the first place, but my flight was booked solid and people had to play musical chairs to accommodate families who were separated but wanted to fly together. Meh, was ok in general. We made good time and actually landed early, but then spent the next hour on the tarmac waiting for a gate. In the end, they just rolled a metal ladder to the plane and brought us to the terminal in shuttles. There was traffic to get to the friggin terminal. Baggage carts galore. Heathrow was bustling, not to say bursting.
Immigration control took all of 30 seconds. What a letdown.
For all the pain and suffering I had to go through to get my friggin visa, all I got was a bored official, a rubber stamp and a “have a good day”.
Katy's father and uncle were waiting for me and we drove off to Cambridge to have a look at the apartment. It's nice, big, airy and semi furnished. Ya. Nice. Basically, the rental agent got some wires crossed and the apartment comes with a bed and a sofa. Not good, seeing as I just bought a sofa bed and my bed is currently being shipped acrosss the atlantic. The landlady seems to be a nice woman and said she'd take care of it. She's supposed to call me tomorrow and it seems it shouldn't be a problem to sort it out. I have tons of details on the apartment. My water heater is on a timer. I have a gas meter and a water meter I need to read. I have a huuuuge garden that I need to take care of. People who know me will laugh themselves silly at that one. I might just hire a gardener.
After too much info in too short a time, it was time to call it quits and head off to Leicester. Stupid traffic and gridlock on the highway, we got home at 7pm. Me braindread. That's about it for now. Tomorrow, I'm going to start sorting through all the info then going to go shop for groceries and start organizing details out.
I had my first “what the fuck have I gotten myself into” moment while we were driving through Cambridge. It's beautiful, but completely foreign. I'll write more about it when I'm more lucid.
Welcome! Don't worry, it's more beautiful than foreign. I'm sure you'll adjust really quickly, especially since you already have a loved one over here to help you
P.S. weather has been bad lately, but hopefully we'll get another one of those sunny and warm days soon…
(http://livejournal.com/users/suzn)
Welcome to England! And to Cambridge of course.
(http://livejournal.com/users/pw201)
AWE. SOME.
(http://livejournal.com/users/pretentiousgit)
Best of luck in your new life over there :)
(http://livejournal.com/users/)
Welcome!
(http://livejournal.com/users/pseudomonas)
Cambridge isn't foreign as in “I can't read anything on the signs” foreign. More, “where are all the signs I know and liked” foreign.
One thing you need to know about me – though this move really isn't representative of at all – is that I'm a creature of habit and routine. I take great comfort in knowing what happens next and being comfortable in my surroundings. So this one is a big one for me :)
(http://livejournal.com/users/talisker)
Thank you.
(http://livejournal.com/users/talisker)
Thanks :)
(http://livejournal.com/users/talisker)
You'll just have to com eover and see for yourself :)
(http://livejournal.com/users/talisker)
The signs (or, ahem, lack thereof) are bad. The north-south thing is worse in Cambridge. I find, in terms of strangeness, that the grocery stores (Sainsbury's etc) are worst of all. I'm still kind of baffled as to what to buy.
And Cambridge is a good, friendly place, so everything will turn out fine.
(http://livejournal.com/users/suzn)
North-south?
As for the people, my landlady seems quite nice, and even left a bottle of wine as a welcoming gift – which I found touching, especially given my landlord experiences in Montreal :)
(http://livejournal.com/users/talisker)
hmmm…
you're much closer now.
…how nice. :)
(http://livejournal.com/users/raspberrysalmon)
North-south: I just meant Cambridge is somehow disjointed, and north is not always where it seems to be. People tend to get muddled around the bus station and Grafton Centre especially. But because the city centre is so tiny you can muddle your way around pretty easily.
You can tell my renting experiences are from Montreal, as I'm quite shocked by the idea of a welcoming gift from a landlord!
(http://livejournal.com/users/suzn)
I have the sense of direction of a drunken homing pigeon, so I can never tell you which way is north. Whereabouts in Montreal did you live?
(http://livejournal.com/users/talisker)
YES. I know. I know. I have one more year of school, which involves Paying Off OSAP, and then… DUN DUN DUHHHHH! TRAVEL.
(http://livejournal.com/users/pretentiousgit)
I'm here for 3 years and if all goes well, I'll have a sofa bed :)
(http://livejournal.com/users/talisker)
Yup, and Stansted airport is just next door too :D
(http://livejournal.com/users/talisker)
Heh. AWESOME. I am really looking forward to grad, to be honest. More reasons than just travel, but I'm really excited to be able to Do Stuff and not have to say Wait, I Can't, School Starts September 7th.
(http://livejournal.com/users/pretentiousgit)
J'ai essayé de t'appeler lundi pour te dire au revoir, et te remercier pour le futon, mais ton téléphone était déjà déconnecté (et comme tu ne m'as pas donné le numéro de tes parents, ni celui de ta soeur…).
Alors voilà, c'est pour toi le début de nouvelles aventures! C'est bien sûr un peu effrayant au début (mais tu parts tout de même dans d'excellentes conditions) mais au combien excitant également. Je te souhaite beaucoup de succés, et de bonheur, dans cette “nouvelle” vie :)
On se voit bientôt ;)
(http://livejournal.com/users/sbourge)
:) Je t'enverrai le numero par email.
(http://livejournal.com/users/talisker)
Heathrow immigration 'control' rarely bothers with more than a stamp and a 'have a nice day'. Sometimes you don't get the have a nice day.
Belated Welcome To England, and all that.
(http://livejournal.com/users/jenlittlebottom)
For the first two years I lived at McGill/in the student ghetto. The second two I had an apartment on Summerhill (at Guy metro). How bout you?
And just wait… I swear the areas I mentioned will throw you off. It's really strange.
(http://livejournal.com/users/suzn)
thanks :) as for immigration, I'm miffed. I went through all that trouble too to get the friggin visa.
(http://livejournal.com/users/talisker)
I've lived on Edouard-Montpetit, the McGill ghetto, Ms-Marc (guy metro) and snowdon metro.
(http://livejournal.com/users/talisker)
Salut cher ex-coloc…
Ca sonne aussi creux dans ton appart que dans celui de Montréal alors ? j'ai quand même un petit arrangé le salon et l'entrée pour que ce résonne moins vide hihi !! j'ai décallé la causeuse vue que le futon est partie comme mentionné plus haut dans ce fil :)) on voit le 'cheminée' maintenant et ca casse un peu la symétrie de la pièce…
Ce dimanche soir, il y a eu Valerie Lion a Tout Le Monde en Parle ici… tu sais c'est celle qui a écrit le livre Irréductibles Québécois !
Marc
(http://livejournal.com/users/)
Cool. As-tu eu des nouvelles pour les filles et l'apart?
(http://livejournal.com/users/talisker)