The end of week 2, and what a week it has been....
Think the honeymoon period is over, it's time to talk about responsibilities and commitment.
So work is going ok, I could be more proactive, but it's still really early days, we haven't actually sat down and discussed structure of our approach on the crude team and to be honest most of my day is spent trying to find a flat to rent, which is literally a lottery...
It's not a matter of finding them, it's not a matter of the price, although they are ridiculously expensive, it's purely a matter of getting one.
Let's put this into perspective how tight the market actually is, a flat i offered on this week, i came home and my flatmate has also offered on the same place... so you can imagine how many other offers i am competing with on all of these apartments...
I'm struggling today to be positive about it, but i am somehow keeping it together, just keep telling myself that it's early days, and i have managed to open a bank account this week, also get a travel pass, also get a demi fare train ticket. So i am making progress... Also i have learnt alot about the situation when it comes to property here, so in time surely i will find the solution..
I do have a prospect of a 1 bedroom studio, coming in at 300 pounds a week, it's not as close to my office as i would like, and the bedroom is not seperate from the living room, but on the plus side it is fully furnished, brand new, comes with a cleaner, and also has a Jacuzzi and Swimming pool... hmmmm maybe this is the one to go for, at least for a few months so i can settle.
Other then that all is cool, it's Friday night and i've decided i won't be tasting the local bars tonight, i'm gonna chill out and read a book, i should probably be out socialising but i'm simply not in the mood tonight.
Reckon i'll try get my head around that eve game my brother keeps telling me about... i hope he's alright as he recently broke his shoulder or something and apparently has to go for an operation. I'll try call him over the weekend and check, worrying to think such a big guy had broke his shoulder! must be agonising....
In other news Diego (dog) came home for Julia and her daughter which is great news as he had been missing for 5 weeks! And to be honest i thought it was seeming very unlikely he would be seen again, not that i told her that, was scared to even mention him for cause of upset!
Anyhow, not particularly conversational tonight, feeling a little down, hence the title of this post, think it's just a matter of not getting my own way and exhaustion from the constant rejection on the property front, tried to call a few mates for a chat to get it off my chest and hopefully pickup a cheery story from home, but probably already rocking the big smoke!
Anyhow, i'll go have a smoke and cook some pasta, then immerse myself in a book about something distant
Y'all take care now.
xxxG
Friday 20 February 2009
Thursday 12 February 2009
Work, Flat Finding,and Football.
Then we move into Monday, my first day at my new job for Riverlake, within 2 hours of sitting on my desk i was sitting on a ridiculously large amount of Crude oil and was working hard to get offers in, which i did. It was really enjoyable to go straight into the deep end and start hammering away and I although the rest of the week so far has not fully gone according to plan, my new colleagues and job are really good and i'm totally enjoying myself and sure i did the right move.
Monday and Tuesday night this week I have stayed in at Edo's flat, and although he has gone to climb Killamanjaro so i have taken over his awesome room, I have also had the benefit and really enjoyed the company of his 2 flatmates Thomas and Emily, they are both Parisiens also, and it's cool to spend my evenings struggling to speak french with them, Thomas can also speak english, but Emily does not, and it's great to have non judgemental friends in which to embarass myself talking french with, it's like my own personal french training ground and i cannot express how welcoming they have been. They have both really gone out of their way to make me feel comfortable and at home, and i am lost as to how i can repay them, i could not of expected kinder people.
Wednesday was a bit of a disaster on the work front, but i'm still enjoying it, it's just the nature of my job that has massive highs and lows so last night me and 3 colleagues hit a few pubs to watch the england match, so was my first night out drunk in Geneva. We had a great time eating some kindof swiss pizza stuff, and drinking massive lagers in some home brewed pub, which was cool.... Didn't watch much of the footy as the company was too good, and ended up getting home at 2am!
Today was Thursday and work was not particularly active as everyone is winding down for IP week in London, so it gave me and the lovely admin girl Loetitia time to view a couple of flats, The 1st flat was really great, although it is unfurnished, i think that's the way i will go as i can personalize it a bit more, it also had a brand new kitchen and bathroom which is really nice. It's the 4th floor of a block covered in graffiti, and looks really old but obviously built to a high spec when it was made, and it had alot of character from the lift to the parque flooring. It's only around 10-15mins from my office, and is actually quite near where i am
The 2nd flat was in Parquis which i learnt is the red light district and was absolutely horrible despite being double the price! it was filthy and although it was furnished nothing was decent....
So i think tommorow i will get Loetitia to put an offer on the first flat for me, and see what happens, the best thing is that the company told me they will guarantee for me so as i don't have to wait for my work permit so fingers crossed i will get the place!!
Woops forgot to publish that.....
So now it is tommorow, and i may have failed to get the flat....
but gonna give it one last shot direct in the agents office on Monday, cos it was worth it. But for now it's the weekend! Watch Out Geneva!!!!
Reckon tommorow i go walking and shopping.... then sunday i'm gonna go do some snowboarding! awesome....
Starting to miss people, it being friday night and all.... i'm totally not missing London though, i think my days are done there for a while at least, it's not the place for me, it may sound cliche, but there really is a whole world out there.... and it's totally possible to see it... After that first step/decision... every single step get's a little bit easier.
Monday and Tuesday night this week I have stayed in at Edo's flat, and although he has gone to climb Killamanjaro so i have taken over his awesome room, I have also had the benefit and really enjoyed the company of his 2 flatmates Thomas and Emily, they are both Parisiens also, and it's cool to spend my evenings struggling to speak french with them, Thomas can also speak english, but Emily does not, and it's great to have non judgemental friends in which to embarass myself talking french with, it's like my own personal french training ground and i cannot express how welcoming they have been. They have both really gone out of their way to make me feel comfortable and at home, and i am lost as to how i can repay them, i could not of expected kinder people.
Wednesday was a bit of a disaster on the work front, but i'm still enjoying it, it's just the nature of my job that has massive highs and lows so last night me and 3 colleagues hit a few pubs to watch the england match, so was my first night out drunk in Geneva. We had a great time eating some kindof swiss pizza stuff, and drinking massive lagers in some home brewed pub, which was cool.... Didn't watch much of the footy as the company was too good, and ended up getting home at 2am!
Today was Thursday and work was not particularly active as everyone is winding down for IP week in London, so it gave me and the lovely admin girl Loetitia time to view a couple of flats, The 1st flat was really great, although it is unfurnished, i think that's the way i will go as i can personalize it a bit more, it also had a brand new kitchen and bathroom which is really nice. It's the 4th floor of a block covered in graffiti, and looks really old but obviously built to a high spec when it was made, and it had alot of character from the lift to the parque flooring. It's only around 10-15mins from my office, and is actually quite near where i am
The 2nd flat was in Parquis which i learnt is the red light district and was absolutely horrible despite being double the price! it was filthy and although it was furnished nothing was decent....
So i think tommorow i will get Loetitia to put an offer on the first flat for me, and see what happens, the best thing is that the company told me they will guarantee for me so as i don't have to wait for my work permit so fingers crossed i will get the place!!
Woops forgot to publish that.....
So now it is tommorow, and i may have failed to get the flat....
but gonna give it one last shot direct in the agents office on Monday, cos it was worth it. But for now it's the weekend! Watch Out Geneva!!!!
Reckon tommorow i go walking and shopping.... then sunday i'm gonna go do some snowboarding! awesome....
Starting to miss people, it being friday night and all.... i'm totally not missing London though, i think my days are done there for a while at least, it's not the place for me, it may sound cliche, but there really is a whole world out there.... and it's totally possible to see it... After that first step/decision... every single step get's a little bit easier.
Sunday 8 February 2009
The story so far / introduction
Good day, so i figured i should write a blog online about my thoughts and experience in moving to Geneva so that if anyone/or my friends back home want to know what i'm upto they can check in online here.
So after a party which went far too late, some heartbreak, and some awful organisation/packing on my part, i am finally in Geneva.
I arrived yesterday at around 3pm local time, and checked straight into the Hotel in Cornavin, which was nice, and had a British pub next door, which played some rock n roll, which was nice, so i sat in there and had a pint, and got chatting to some metal kids, about where i could buy a mobile phone as my blackberry died en route.
A girl was very helpful, and wrote me the directions via tram on how to get to a cash converters (yes they exist here too!) and buy a cheap second hand mobile, although i had to "allez!" as they were closing soon! So i rushed onto the wrong tram, and it took me somewhere close, but not really where i was meant to be, so i asked a young french guy (maybe 12-13 ans) about which way to go.
He was awfully kind, despite not speaking english, i managed to purvey my objective and me and him were soon running through the streets to get there, which i did in time, so i bought a phone, and walked home back along the tram lines, so as i could see some more of the city, which i must add is absolutely beautiful.
Then for the evening i went out for a cheese fondue, in a very local looking restaurant and since i have a bit of a sore throat, i had an early night.
Roll on day 2, i awake after some crazy nightmares, purely induced from all the thoughts/worries running through my mind, with a sweet yet drunken voice calling me at 6am (missing ya already) which i actually really liked, although i wasn't very conversational as i was so tired, so i went back to sleep, to get up at 10 for breakfast etc.
I then at mid day met Edo, my new colleague who is an very nice parisian guy, and his 2 flatmates, Emily and Thomas. He will let me stay at his place for a couple of weeks, so i can find my own place, which is very kind of him, and is a lovely large flat, complete with scalectrix, and a bar!
We then all went to watch that abysmal Arsenal v Tottenham game, at a pub called "The Pickwick" which couldn't look more like an English pub and everyone in there seemed to talk english for i think the first time since i've got here.
So far, everyone i have spoken to or asked has spoken French, and i must learn it i feel to really integrate within the city, although this is a really good thing and i'm excited to try and hone my sexiest french fluency asap.
It's now around 7.30pm Geneva time, and i'm sitting in Edo's watching French telly, thinking about going out to get some food, then i will prepare my stuff ready for a 1st day working at Riverlake, must get an early night, as said i still feel a little unwell.
I am excited, yet still fairly daunted about all of the aspects of my new life, and the first few weeks there will be alot of organisation to be done on my part, but i'm sure with the help of my friends here, and the company, i will be up and running and confident fairly soon.
My English mobile is still operational if you want to chat, otherwise i'll update you on my swiss one i should receive soon, or msn/yahoo/skype are all also good avenues of course.
For now, Bon Nuit and til my next post au revoir!
x Glenn
So after a party which went far too late, some heartbreak, and some awful organisation/packing on my part, i am finally in Geneva.
I arrived yesterday at around 3pm local time, and checked straight into the Hotel in Cornavin, which was nice, and had a British pub next door, which played some rock n roll, which was nice, so i sat in there and had a pint, and got chatting to some metal kids, about where i could buy a mobile phone as my blackberry died en route.
A girl was very helpful, and wrote me the directions via tram on how to get to a cash converters (yes they exist here too!) and buy a cheap second hand mobile, although i had to "allez!" as they were closing soon! So i rushed onto the wrong tram, and it took me somewhere close, but not really where i was meant to be, so i asked a young french guy (maybe 12-13 ans) about which way to go.
He was awfully kind, despite not speaking english, i managed to purvey my objective and me and him were soon running through the streets to get there, which i did in time, so i bought a phone, and walked home back along the tram lines, so as i could see some more of the city, which i must add is absolutely beautiful.
Then for the evening i went out for a cheese fondue, in a very local looking restaurant and since i have a bit of a sore throat, i had an early night.
Roll on day 2, i awake after some crazy nightmares, purely induced from all the thoughts/worries running through my mind, with a sweet yet drunken voice calling me at 6am (missing ya already) which i actually really liked, although i wasn't very conversational as i was so tired, so i went back to sleep, to get up at 10 for breakfast etc.
I then at mid day met Edo, my new colleague who is an very nice parisian guy, and his 2 flatmates, Emily and Thomas. He will let me stay at his place for a couple of weeks, so i can find my own place, which is very kind of him, and is a lovely large flat, complete with scalectrix, and a bar!
We then all went to watch that abysmal Arsenal v Tottenham game, at a pub called "The Pickwick" which couldn't look more like an English pub and everyone in there seemed to talk english for i think the first time since i've got here.
So far, everyone i have spoken to or asked has spoken French, and i must learn it i feel to really integrate within the city, although this is a really good thing and i'm excited to try and hone my sexiest french fluency asap.
It's now around 7.30pm Geneva time, and i'm sitting in Edo's watching French telly, thinking about going out to get some food, then i will prepare my stuff ready for a 1st day working at Riverlake, must get an early night, as said i still feel a little unwell.
I am excited, yet still fairly daunted about all of the aspects of my new life, and the first few weeks there will be alot of organisation to be done on my part, but i'm sure with the help of my friends here, and the company, i will be up and running and confident fairly soon.
My English mobile is still operational if you want to chat, otherwise i'll update you on my swiss one i should receive soon, or msn/yahoo/skype are all also good avenues of course.
For now, Bon Nuit and til my next post au revoir!
x Glenn
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