A Tale of Woe and Baileys Cheesecake

Right, well I will attempt to avoid moaning as it makes really rubbish reading. The last few days have been tough. And weird. And I feel very displaced.

On monday last week I checked my voicemail and listened to a very organised sounding person named Sam telling me that I had an interview at Southampton University for a job in the international office. At first I panicked, not because I didn't want the interview, but because the reality of going to Southampton hit me very squarely...probably between the eyes... but I don't remember because I think I remained concussed for a couple of hours.

When I felt steady enough on my feet to get up and get myself organised I spent £70 on the train fair (sheesh!! although they'll pay me back) and got a load of research together. I had to take a day and a half off work to get to Bath, to stay at Bens (thank you for the stew and the comfy bed! :o) ) I got up early the next morning and went for the train to Southampton at 8:30, gleefully awaiting a first sight of the place I'll be living in by September (and trying to avoid staring too much at a very very all over tattooed welsh man sitting near me - *shivver*).

In reality, pulling into Southampton by train is a bit of a downer, even though there is a strong history and historic importance surrounding the docks...they really are butt ugly! I did notice a very large branch of John Lewis which can be seen from the station... a classy place... but as yet I haven't seen the centre of town.

The University campus and the place where our flat is are really pretty... and the office where I would be working if I got the job had a brilliant atmosphere, despite the fact that I have my reservations about office work.

I was really early for the interview and sat outside what turned out to be the interview room. I saw the candidate before me come out and breathe a sigh of relief and disappear off to do the written test. Then the people who were interviewing me came out and announced in a jolly way that they were going for a "comfort break". (incidentally, you know that situation where you feel you sould stand up when you meet someone for the first time but they're standing too close to you to stand up and if you did stand up you'd be standing uncomfortably close to them... isn't that awkward!?!) I felt encouraged by how friendly they were, but worried about how superior they were at the same time.

My interview went really well I think, but I felt unsure about my overall impression of the job as the interviewers gave a really different impression of it from when I read the job description in my familiar surroundings at YorkSJ. I don't think I'm right for the job. I was certainly the youngest candidate and while playing the "I can learn quickly and am enthusiastic and have great interpersonal skills" card, they didn't give away any clues as to whether they wanted an experienced administrator or some young whipper-snapper they could mould from scratch.

I still haven't heard anything, and am therefore feeling weird, in limbo, hanging by a string, or something of equal unsteadiness. I am assuming I haven't got it because I was told I would get a call on Friday afternoon, and as yet haven't even got an email to tell me I was unsuccessful. Oh well... I'm knackered. Can't bear the thought of a new job just now anyway!

Back here in York, I can't wait to leave the house of doom. After all, it is the HOUSE OF DOOM. However, the landlady had a complaint from another of the housemates who came back to collect her stuff and found it scattered around the house. She knew a lot more about the laws and tennants rights than I had known where to check up on, and told the Landlady (who tried to lie her way out of it) that we had the right to claim our rent money back because the living arrangements were impossible. Apparently, above all "Tennants have the right to quiet living". In this rapidly deteriorating state of the house I didn't use the bathroom, the shower or the kitchen for the whole of last week and was feeling miserable at how horrible it felt to be in such a massive house on my own with only some rude and disrespectful painters for company! The Landlady has now had a cleaning lady come to clean out the bath, which had been used by the painters to wash their brushes, and she made a feeble attempt at making a make-shift living room by putting the sofa in one of the bedrooms that's been painted already.

I knew it would be unpleasant to live on my own in a house that is being worked on, but I wasn't prepared for the emotional fall-out. It's incredible how uncomfortable these people have made me feel... and they seem to think they can take the micky out of me... I suppose they're being friendly but I get the impression they think of me as an obstacle and want me to leave.

In a desperate attempt to cheer myself up I went to city screen and had a slice of Baileys Cheesecake... which did cheer me up and I am now feeling ok. Well done if you've managed to read to the end of this marathon post. *Wild Applause and Whooping*

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Bouncers...

... is a play written around 25 years ago, and is reworked every time it is performed to include whatever pop culture references are current at the time. It's a social commentary about british nightclub culture, told from the viewpoint of the bouncers who stand outside the door. It parodies every kind of clubber, from dizzy girls and boy racers to middle aged desperados...

It also has a serious message, but it never lingers long enough for the play to lose its pace and comic timing. Ultimately it's a bit of everything, with a high energy cast and an amazing performance.

Incidentally the cast of the production at York Theatre Royal includes Nick Figgis, who was in Byker Grove, Mr Jolly for Playdays, (the roundabout stop) and Mathew Kellys son. See if you can spot who's who...

I'm catching a train to Bath soon, to go for my job interview tomorrow in Southampton. Argh!

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Harry in less than 100 words

This made me laugh so thought I'd share...

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WHEN TWO INCREDIBLE AWESOME WORLDS COLLIDE...

Making today even better... *grin*

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Sunshine and Spontaneity

I feel surprisingly contented. I just had the nicest lunch time for ages, and feel really refreshed.

Today the weather is perfect. The sun is shining and its hot, but not humid and theres a breeze, so I ate my lunch (Brie, Grape and Watercress wrap...mmmm...) outside in the sun and persuaded some colleagues to join me. Hui Wen decided she wanted a Frappucino so we all decided to walk into town to accompany her to starbucks. Am now back in the office drinking pommegranate and peach and am generally in the holiday mood. I haven't felt that in a while and it's krept up on me by surprise. Lovely.

In other news, I stayed at my desk until 7pm yesterday filling in an application form to work in the International Office at Southampton Uni. With any luck I might get an interview, as long as they don't find my supporting statement too cloying! Another reason to feel jolly.

Makes a change from moaning about the rubbishness of where I'm living. I just don't care about it anymore really. Although I will share this... when painters have made a mess of your house ALWAYS wear flipflops in the bathroom.

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The Smoking Ban

We've had a smoking ban in all working environments and enclosed spaces in England now for almost 2 weeks, and I'm actully more pleased about it than I thought. Friends' smoking has never bothered me when we go out, (although I do get a bit maternal about a couple of my friends who are 'social smokers' and tell them off with glares...) but now the pubs are so much better without the clouds of smoke. You walk in and can see peoples faces clearly and your clothes stay smelling nice. The characteristic hazey pub atmosphere has been lost but the overall experience of going out is much more pleasant.

However, the way I see it, there is also a sense of ridicule hanging over the act of smoking now, which I find amusing probably because I'm a non-smoker. Workplaces now provide 'designated smoking areas', and at my workplace they look like childrens play pens, make-shift cubicles made out of concrete pots full of sand, and garden trellis! Proper smoking shelters are planned, but that just brings an image to mind of 13 year-old kids loitering in bus shelters, only they are academics and administrative staff.

I have lived right next to York Hospital for the past year and have to walk past every day if I want to go anywhere. When I leave for work at about 8:40am there are now whole line-ups of people leaning along the front wall of the hospital grounds having their cigarette break. For example, this morning the line-up included a three caretakers, a man and a woman in suits who I assume are consultants of some description, a man in motorbike leathers and a lady in a bright pink dressing gown who is obviously a patient.

Clearly, there is an irony about this situation, being a Hospital and all. I've seen people outside on the benches in pyjamas and dressing gowns who clearly should have quit smoking 30 years ago, with skin like old brown paper bags... STILL SMOKING... It's all topsy turvy and I find myself laughing at the weirdness of it all.

The world is full of bizarre truths and there is nothing more ironic than human nature. An Alice's quote for the day. Profound.

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The painters start TODAY... and guess how I found out?... the ELECTRICIAN told me... Thank you landlady... I swear if I EVER end up as a landlady I will NEVER treat my tennants this way... I'm on the edge of my seat to see what the next surprise will be... Cirque du Soleil perhaps?! oh no, no, too expensive... cuh!

I'm in an incredulous mood... can you tell!

Also, when I got home last evening the toilet was gone and a new one had appeared in the bathroom (there wasn't one there before)... so I went into the little toilet room and there was nothing there, apart from cigarette butts and some scrap wood and dust, and some horrific wallpaper which has been revealed. Weird.

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Teachnophobes of the 13th century

Next time I call out IT services I won't feel quite so bad. Tis a dilemma.

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"Saint Alice"...

...would be a rather exaggerated view of myself... but I do feel justified in feeling happy with myself after yesterday...

I finally got back to York yesterday, after the trains had been silly on Sunday, and as I didn't feel too excited about the prospect of battling with them until Monday, I ended up missing work yesterday and am claiming it as a day off. I'm back in the office now... this is my break time I'll have you know!

The reason I feel mildly saintly is that when I got back to York at about 5:45pm I went home, and because it was a nice evening, and it hadn't rained, I was able to weed and tidy, and sweep the front yard. The landlady asked me to do this, which I found a little strange... I'll admit I'm a tad house-proud... but I'm trying to relinquish all feelings of reponsibility for the place now. I finished working at 9pm, having got thoroughly green, or rather brown fingered.... my thumbs are still slightly muddy, which scrubbing hasn't seemed to cure...

Never the less I was pleased with my valiant effort... I think I could get into gardening, given the chance...

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Pukker Up

Today is National Kissing Day....which I think is a really stupid day to have... but... *MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMWWWAAAHHHHH*

... a big smackeroon for you all... especially british readers because apparently we're all lagging behind the rest of Europe...read the article linked above! Shocking...I'm quite taken aback...

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A Film Review...

...I went to the cinema all my own last night to see La Vie En Rose... I loved it and it gave me lots of good reasons to smile... its a film about the life of Edith Piaf, who was at one time the most highly paid perfomer in France at least...I don't know about the rest of europe or the world... My only criticism is that, like a lot of films about real lives, this film is sometimes difficult to follow in terms of details of Edith Piafs life, which leads me to think that it is relying on an audience already being fans of the singer and knowing her life story... It wasn't always clear to me exactly who each supporting character was, and there was no background given as to where they came from or how she met each person.The Real Edith Piaf

However, not knowing anything about her initially doesn't detract from the film itself. While her life was tragic in many ways, the film and the actress playing her, captured an amazing excitement about life, extremes and depth of emotion and a fiestiness which I admire so much. As a child she is neglected by her hopeless parents, (although her father is redeemed partially later on), and is left by her father to live in her grandmothers brothel, loved maternally by the prostitutes while witnessing what the women do for a livng is a deeply influential experience that could be said to affect her for the whole of her life. It's not a cheerful film but it still holds onto a humanity that made me laugh. When she's older the film conveys the reality of her character without making any apologies for it. She's is rightfully a symbol of hope, emerging from the turbulence of the first half of the 20th century, and more personally from her own numerous devastating heartbreaks. I recommend seeing this film because it lifted me up and also made me cry, and any film that takes you on that kind of journey is worth a go.

Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf

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My colourful life in York

The electricians were late today, which I thought was strange, so I waited around until 8:55 and then they rang the doorbell... which I also thought was strange...

Turns out that their van was broken into last night and along with some drills and other equipment, the keys to my house were stolen. Great...just great! They've gone off to get a new front door lock and keys, and I'll go back to collect my key at lunchtime...

I also have to tell everyone that need to come back at some point that their keys won't work in the lock and I'll be sending it to them. Do you think it's wise to send a key in the post?! I really don't know!! Someone advise me.

Anyway, work awaits... If only I had more to tell you, other than the day by day account of the electricians... what a lovely life it is! I'll try to get inspired for the next post...

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Update

So far the electricians have been pretty tidy... although the house now has lots of wires hanging down everywhere (which with a bit of imagination could be turned into a Doctor Who set, no probs) and bits of the ceiling plaster on everything including the sofa and kitchen worktop which gives the place a lovely dusty ambience. *imagines self in kate bush style video, wafting through ceiling plaster dust cloud, on way to put kettle on*

Actually though, the guys did tidy up after themselves... and so far I still have water and electricity when I need them. Marvelous.

In other news...

Viking Radio played Tracy Chapman this morning... all is not lost... phew! and also I get a free lunch today... the lovely ladies in the Disability Service have ordered too many sandwiches and have asked me to help them eat them... I don't know... I'm just such a kind soul, I would feel guilty if I didn't do my bit for the worthy cause.

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Boo hoo...

The electricians have started work in the house. They let themselves in this morning...I had to have a shower so had to walk right past them in a towel. Their names are Tony and Al. They need to work in my room at some point, which is something the landlady said wouldn't be necessary... she lied... again... either that or she hasn't got a clue what she's hired them to do! They seem nice enough... I just feel horrible with workmen around. They said they'll try to keep it tidy for me... hmmmmmm... how tidy is "tidy"?... considering they put a stepladder right in front of the front door so I couldn't get out without moving it. I also worked very very hard cleaning the house yesterday... Yes I am a mug!!! Oh well... bring it on!

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