Jason's Daily Notes

Wow, it's already the 26th of September?! The time is just flying by.

Last night, the internet router was delivered, but it was too late to call, so I spent an hour in the morning setting up the internet connection, having to call Virgin Media 3 times (and I despaired a bit when the online registration wouldn't go through). But finally, it worked! WE FINALLY HAVE INTERNET!

Then, our landlord gave me an address to go to for me to pick up the gas payment card. It was all the way beyond Brixton, towards Clapham a bit. So I went there, gave the card details and PIN, and the card was denied! I called the landlord to ask what was up, and apparently the card wouldn't be activated until 12pm! Since it was like 11:50 I just went for a little walk and returned around 12:20 to try again. But no luck! Fuck this. I chided Demi, telling him to call the gas company now and sort it out while I was at the store, but he didn't call back for a couple hours. I figured this out and just returned home.

In the afternoon, Demi returned with a crew of two guys to (1) clean [mop] the common spaces in the house and (2) fix my bed. Instead of replacing the base, he just hammered a piece of plywood onto the existing base. And it didn't fit perfectly, so there's still a small gap in the base. Unbelievable! But I don't care; I can live with it. He also installed a crappy little suction-based shower head holder. So that's being resolved. And as for the gas, apparently it wasn't activated until 4pm! And he couldn't even take care of it himself, so he asked me to return there. The audacity! But fuck, we needed gas, so I gladly made the trek over there to pick up the card and top it up with £20 (even though he told me not to add credit). And I returned, put it in the reader, and voila! It worked. We had gas again! (Although only £6 of credit.)

Since it was my last day of having a weekly travelcard, I asked Swag if he wanted to meet somewhere for dinner. He suggested a cheap place on Brick Lane. Mike and I went there (having to walk to Stockwell station for him to buy a new travelcard) and met Swag and Sandy. The food was ok, largely fish-based, but not really strongly flavored. We bought a couple sweets on our way out, and Sandy wanted us to try paan, which is a leaf filled with ground nuts, sweets, sugars, and chewing tobacco that is supposed to get you mildly high. It was hilarious, because we had to keep these large leaf things wedged in the corner of our mouths and slowly chew on them. We were laughing about the whole way as we went on the tube (randomly, I decided that we should go to King's Cross). As I mentioned, the paan "tasted like car wash" or "a grassy field without the grass." Not exactly the best. And I think the hallucinogenic properties was mostly a placebo effect. So Swag and Mike spit theirs out, while Sandy and I chewed and swallowed it all.

Sandy and I got beers at O'Neills on Euston road to wash down the taste in our mouths. Then, we went on a quest to find a photobooth for Swag and Mike to take pics for their visa application and railcard, respectively. We wandered all the way through St. Pancras and Kings Cross stations before finding a photobooth hidden in King's Cross. The guys were having fun messing with Swag or Mike while they were trying to take their picture. I suddenly felt very bored. We then just parted ways and went home. I meditated on the tube ride home, suddenly feeling very content and introspective. Maybe it was the relaxing effects of the paan? Either way, I didn't feel nervous for the first time in a while. It felt good. And I slept pretty well, because for the first night in a while we had heating :)

(However, I did knock over a mostly full glass of water on my desk, so I frantically tried to save all the papers and electronic chargers that got wet. I think I did well enough. Still - D'oh!)

Still no internet in the apartment, so I returned to LSE in the morning. I took the bus, and on my iPhone came "With a Little Help from My Friends" by the Beatles, which made me tear up a little bit with love for all my great friends. At LSE, I called Iain to confirm that I was going forward with the internship. As I was following up with other emails, I got a call from Demi (our landlord) asking if I would be home soon to let the plumber/electrician in. So I took the bus back around 2pm and let him in.

The handyman confirmed what I had suspected about the gas - the bill hadn't been paid! Next, the electrical socket for the oven, which wasn't working. He discovered that the neutral wiring had been burnt off, which meant there was no current. He re-terminated all the wirings, and the electricity was flowing again! That's one small victory for the flat. Next, the washing machine. There was no where to plug it in to! So, we just simply need an extension cord to reach it over to the wall plug. (Seriously, why are there so few electrical outlets in buildings here? I have nowhere to plug my laptop into in the dining room, which really sucks! Finally, he checked the toilet, which is continuously flushing. He said he could fix it tomorrow, since all that's needed is to replace one of the valves; he just needs the landlord to approve it (greeeeeaaat...).

I followed up with the landlord to tell him what to do, and he was again hesitant. I mean, c'mon, just call the fucking gas company and tell them to activate it now! (Apparently you have to pay by inserting a gas card into the meter.) And the plumbing issue should have been resolved asap. But no! UGH.

As a flat, we all agreed that we deserve some sort of refund on our rent.

Dinner was microwaved shepherd's pie for me, and then we tried to make guacamole to go with the remaining tortilla chips, but it became a massive fail as the avocado was still hard and wouldn't mash. It turned out to have an awful texture.

In the evening, Mike was dead set on cheering me up, so we went to the cinema and watched Untouchable, a remarkably feel-good film about a man helping another man who is paralyzed. It's such a simple concept, but the characters are brilliantly executed and you can't help but cheer up when you watch it. :)

Monday, the start of the work week, but it was already my second day going to LSE to use the internet. Our landlord promised that the internet would be installed tomorrow (Tuesday), but given his track record so far, I didn't expect much.

I followed up with Iain regarding the unpaid internship, calling him from the LSE library lobby, where we talked for almost 45 minutes. The site has a lot of problems and things to look after, which means that I would be very busy as an intern. It does seem to provide me with precisely the experience I need - working hands-on in a startup, managing social media, reaching out to blog partners to drive traffic to the site, touching a bit on SEO. I can do it. At least I'll get a good recommendation out of it and something to put on my CV. I told Iain that I'd get back to him tomorrow to confirm.

I told Swag about the internship, and he said "go for it!"; I told Mike about the internship, and he said "don't do it!"

Got a phone call from Fernanda, who was having a horrible day at work. She was ready to quit right then and there. I did my best to console her and keep her going. We made arrangements to meet for dinner.

Since I had internet, I called home, but mom wasn't there, so I just spoke with my uncle, who has apparently gotten into Mahjong, which seems good for him.

I came home then went to dinner with Fernanda. We met at Canada Water and walked over to the Angel pub, which unfortunately wasn't serving food on Mondays! :X So we had a beer, and hungry, we walked over to Bermondsey and had sushi at Poppy Hana. I almost died walking in front of a bus. We talked, but it turned somewhat awkward as you could feel the tension in the air.

While I was at dinner, our landlord came to the flat to fix my bed and Kayleen's bed. But he brought the wrong size base for my bed, which Mike was texting me. I told Fernanda about it and she was like, "go, go!" It was pretty awkward.

So I went home; Mike had made his room into a romantic candlelit cave, and we chatted. Apparently it's a cultural thing - in the Netherlands people are just naturally upfront and honest with their emotions, not keeping anything inside or trying to protect others' feelings. Just say what you feel and what you think. How awesome is that? Anyway, Mike encouraged me to get my feelings out, which was pretty awesome.

Still no internet in the flat. I went to LSE in the morning to send out more job applications and to download some shows to watch in the evening (primarily Game of Thrones and Californication). Mike apparently slept in until 3pm!

Anyway, one job application responded right away - Competition Hunter, which is a UK website that aggregates online competitions in which people can enter and win stuff. The founder was impressed by my qualifications and wanted to bring me on as an intern. But (as I would soon discover) it would be a one-month unpaid internship, and I would be working from home. So it's not ideal but it would give me exposure to a lot of areas that I want to learn about.

The weather has turned colder and damper. Summer is definitely over now :(

I returned home to learn that the gas boiler in the house was not working, and as a result, neither was the oven/stove, the hot water, or the heating in the house! WTF?!?!?!

We called the landlord, but he was hesitant to reply. The problems in the house are simply becoming too much. The toilet continues to leak, there is no shower fixture, neither Mike nor I have a working wardrobe rod, there are piles of wood just laying in the upstairs hallway, and my bed is still broken! Unbelievable.

So, unable to cook food (except for the microwave, which we weren't prepared for), Mike and I walked to Brixton and had some take away food from two fried chicken joints. Meh.

Today we spent the day buying things for the flat. The flatmates and I went to the nearby dollar store and then Tesco twice. We brought backpacks and filled up the kitchen with all the basic ingredients. In the afternoon, Mike and I made Nachos.

Then we went to the laundromat around the corner from our house to wash/dry some clothes and bed sheets. The laundromat didn’t give change, and it had no outlets for us to plug our laptops into. My laptop battery had died, so I could only use my iPhone, leaving me to send WhatsApp messages around. Mike was writing up a progress report for his internship.

In the evening, Mike and I met up with Swag at the Old Blue Last. He was there with Maria and some other friends, but they left just a few minutes before we arrived! Well, Swag returned and had one more drink with us. There was a Brit indie rock band playing, (Bear Cavalry; http://www.facebook.com/bearcavalryband) which I liked. Mike and I returned home with the bus, exhausted from 4 straight nights out (plus 4 days of nonstop moving before then).

Still no internet in the flat.

Woke up pretty early, because there was so much sunlight coming through my windows! Mike left for work. Around 9, an engineer from Sky arrived to install the satellite connection. Morgan was still sleeping on the fold out sofa. The Sky installation didn’t work, because they needed to get onto the roof to properly position the receiver dish (a second guy came around a couple hours later to confirm this).

Last weekend:
Saturday, 8 September
It was a warm and sunny day. Went to the park (London fields) to meet Maria and her friends for drinks and a picnic. It was crowded. Isabell was outgoing and friendly. Cotta and her Hungarian friend were there too.
Mike's brother, Roy, was visiting from the Netherlands. They went out to watch The Expendables 2, and really wanted me to join, but I chose not to. Instead, I went on a little adventure myself, taking the tube around to Euston and riding the bus back. Back in the flat, Roy and Mike had brought back Katie (Roy's friend who traveled with him in Australia) and her friend Christie. We stayed and had plenty of drinks, while the two boys tried to work their moves on the girls. I ended up playing some guitar, haha.

Sunday, 9 September
Went to see the London Paralympics marathon. There were not many people there at all (both viewers and marathon participants). Still, it was good to wear my flag one last time for the games. Mike and Roy were at football 7 a side at the Olympic park.
I went to Volleyball in Hyde Park again! There were more people (because the weather was really warm).
Met up with BJ (Maddie's boyfriend). Some friends joined me from the volleyball (Amanda, Craig, Marie, and Heidi from Finland). We searched for a cheap pub serving food, and ended up going to O'Neills by Chinatown. Then, parted ways, and BJ and I went to the south bank, where we met Mike and Roy to watch the fireworks. Fernanda was there but she didn't want to leave her spot to join us. The fireworks were very cool. BJ was very jet lagged.

Monday, 10 September
There was the victory parade for Team GB. No buses were running from Waterloo except for the 521.
I had a drinks meeting with Josephine from Sharehoods. It's a startup that I'm really interested in. I just want to work for some startup somewhere, so why not get experience here. We chatted at the George IV for some time, and I made plenty of suggestions regarding crowdsourcing and such. But I didn't get a job. Oh well.
I went to the boat party (organized by Kurt for the language exchange group). It was nice, although the boat was rocking. Swag was there with his friend Olga (who was in London last year but whom I never met). I ended up dancing with Fränzel and Lily.
Roy and Mike went to watch Ted.

Tuesday, 11 September
I slept in a little bit. Went out with Roy, as it was his last day in London (his flight was at 5pm). We walked across Tower Bridge, and we climbed the Monument. Then back across London Bridge, we eventually met Mike for lunch, at Borough Market. We finished our food at Southwark Cathedral, where a woman noticed my American accent and then asked if she could do an interview with me. She just wanted me to share my experiences of 9/11 since it was the anniversary. Oh man. Well, she wasn't actually a journalist, just a contributor to Audio Boo (you can find her recordings by searching "Delores").
Mike went back to work, and Roy grabbed his things from home and I showed him off (to keep his oyster card).
That evening, Amanda came over for dinner. I made an amazing batch of vegetarian chili (I credit the mix of bell peppers, celery, lentils, beans, cumin, frozen veggies, tomato paste, and chili powder - basically the whole recipe!) We discussed possibilities for staying in London with our visa (she's not being sponsored by her company) and started job searching together. By this point I had pretty much decided to stay in London.
We watched an episode of How I Met Your Mother. I decided to call Mike "Swarley."

Wednesday, 12 September
I decided that it's primarily important for me to find a job, even before finding a flat. I somehow woke up early, drank coffee, and spent the morning browsing through job postings. I chatted with Jonathan for a bit on Gchat.
It was already the mid-afternoon before I went out. I didn't have an itinerary, just decided to go to Old Street and try to find the elusive Google Campus. I think I found it. It doesn't seem particularly impressive from the outside.
Returned home. No one was there. So I went for a walk to Stave Hill, which I realized is my favorite place in London. Cold War Kids' "Royal Blue" was playing on my iPhone as I climbed up. Perfect.
Mike and I grabbed a beer at the China Hall. We played pool. He was clearly more skilled than I was, but somehow I won 2 out of 3 games. (By default - he pocketed the 8 ball in the last game).

Thursday, 13 September
An exhausting day of flat searching! I responded to ads in the morning, set off around noon to visit as many agencies as I could, starting around Bermondsey, and I signed up with each of them. At Tower Bridge, the agent said that he's holding a viewing of a flat by Bermondsey in an hour, so I joined him for that, and I invited Mike to come over too. The flat was very nice, exactly what we wanted. But it did not include bills in the price, which made it too much for us.
Back home, then I pulled myself over to Old Street for a quasi-agency that had no rooms for us but offered us to live in their basement (?!). Took the bus to Whitechapel, where I had a viewing for a dirty and small ex-council flat on the 5th floor with no lift. (Obviously, no deal.) At least the girl, Tina from Bulgaria, was nice and helpful.
I then walked toward Shadwell to view the next flat at 5:30. There was a group of people outside, at least 10. As I waited for my turn, more people kept arriving, bringing the total number of prospective tenants to over 25! And it was only 1 room available! I asked if they had any properties with 2 bedrooms available, and there was one in Shoreditch, and the guy drove me over there straight away! It felt weird to be in a car in London. All this time, I was chatting via WhatsApp with Ragnhild and Kristi and Mike. The Shoreditch flat had an amazing location, a respectable price, but a measly kitchen and a smelly staircase. No, sorry, I wanted something nicer. So I guess we'll have to search farther afield.
I was absolutely exhausted by the time I got on the Overground home. Swag had gotten a citation for biking on the pavement in the construction zone. Mike tried to scare him from behind the window. I made ghetto lasagna. Chieh was texting me via Viber. She was clearly interested in me and wanted me to come over asap.
I called home, since it had been so long. Only my uncle was there.

That's it for now. Whew, things are going by so fast! Let's hope this chaos settles down now.