I found another free internt placen near the hostel, only te keyboard is metal and a bit dificult to use.
I'm taking the morning off to go for a walk up to Cabot's tower to look out over the city,,, should be a long but lovely walk. I've never walked so much in my life, my feet hurt so much when i woke up this morning - but they are quickly adjusting as they have no choice but to go forward.
I saw a really great place last night and the housemates really seemed keen on me living there, except it doesn't look like I could move in until later next week... but I'll call them tonight to see if we can work something out. I have a few appointments tonight as well, so there are lots of options.
I had a few complains, so I figued out how to change te settings so that anyone can post comments... should be working now, but im not 100% sure.
Well I'm off to walk around... most postings for housing don't go up until 2 or 3, and the best listngs are in te eevening paper. -also most aren't home to take calls during the day, so my house hunt has been limited between about 6pm when everone is home and untl it stars to get dark and I decide I want to get back to more familiar territory....
because of that i decided to spend the morning not worrying about calling, and leave that to te afternon.
- chris
p.s. sorry abot te spelling, this keyboard is trying my patience
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
here I am...
This is day two in Bristol after arriving yesterday and having a long long day.
Things are wonderful here so far... spent one night in the youth hostel and slept like a baby, after arriving in London at 7am, taking the bus to bristol at 10 am, arriving at noon, checking into the hostel and then walking around Bristol getting to know the city and searching for flatshares until around 9pm, at which point I bought a salad or two from the cafe at the hostel and crashed.
It was a long day, I've never walked so much in my life... but it was really great to walk around the city and check out a few flats. Nothing decided yet, but I saw two places and have quite a few leads to think about.
This morning I woke up and checked out the listings in last night's evening post and made a few appointments for today. One this morning I walked two and about halfway there I gave up because it was too far... I bought a mapbook (they call it an A to Z) which has really helped. Last night I got completely lost trying to find a place in "southville" a small little suburb south of the city and I depended on a really nice guy and his sister who helped me find my way via their' AtoZ at their house.... after that I figured it would be worth £4 to invest in my own.
I'm trying to decide if it will be best to live close to everything and pay a bit more for rent and groceries or live further away and buy a bike. Seems like I could get a cheap bike for around £20... and that I could save a lot of money by shopping in the markets and butchers rather than at Tesco which seems to be the british equivalent of Loblaws.
Also trying to decide what to do about phones... I am investigating mobile phones which are pretty cheap, it seems like the one I got from the past intern will not work very well for me... but I'm looking at some that are only about £25 for the phone plus a pay as you go plan which is fairly manageable. It seems like cell phones are cheaper than real phones, and that I could use my cell and buy international phone cards for calls home.
Bristol is a beautiful city, a mix of old and new as it has really rejuvenated over the past few years. I wish that I could post the pictures that I am taking... they'll come soon. So many beatiful buildings here, with an interesting mix of architecture because many old buildings were bombed in the war due to Bristol being an important port city, and newer buildings have been popping up between the surviving landmarks since the 1960s... Also the weather is beautiful, nice and sunny and hot today which makes househunting a lot easier, but has also upped my beverage costs. So far I have managed to only spend about £20, most of which was spent on water and phonecalls - pay phones are about one pence a second!!!
There are a few things i'll have to get used to, like looking the right way when crossing roads and also the different traffic patterns in Bristol, but those aren't so bad. Drivers use their horns a lot more here, so even though I'm crossing the right way hearing horns makes me a little more nervous that I'm doing something wrong... so far all the honking has been at other drivers and thankfully not at me.
Another cute thing I noticed was that a lot of bars have signs that say "under 25 allowed at managers discretion" meaning that they like to keep the clientele young... seems like those are th emore expensive and posh bars, so I'll probably be staying away from them despite my being under 25.
Lots and lots to do in Bristol, there were over 30 listings for live music in the Venue magazine I picked up last night (and that was just for TONIGHT - a Tuesday)... so I think things will be lively aorund here. There is an organic food festival this weekend which should be lots of fun, as well as films and concerts coming advertised everywhere I turn... it seems like once I get settled It will be easy to find fun things to do, and that if I make the right decisions having fun in Bristol won't be too costly.
I'm off to explore the Mountpellier area a little more. I have a meeting at 5 at the Museum to meet some staff and go out for drinks, but it might be cut short by a flat I am seeting at 6:30. It seems like evening is the best time to look at flats because people are home from work, but that makes things a bit tricky since I am always on foot and I want to get back to the hostel by dark... I pretty much know the good and bad parts in the city, but wouldn't want to get lost at night just the same.
Also - Bristol is very hilly... but built in a pretty nice way so that all the major routes are pretty flar and various neighborhoods and streets go up hill. That way once you get down the hill from your home, all the major shops and markets are on the flatter streets.
I think I'll also go check out "Christmas Steps" this afternoon, which is sort of a market/shop area built uphill, apparently there is a tower at the top with an awesome view of the city.
Before I head out though I am off to search for a bargain lunch in St. Nicholas market - its a mix of shops and food places that all seem very cheap.... While I was walking through last night i noticed a place which has £2.50 "salad box" lunches, so I might end up there for a bite before I continue my never-ending walking tour of Bristol.
Wish me luck!
- C
Things are wonderful here so far... spent one night in the youth hostel and slept like a baby, after arriving in London at 7am, taking the bus to bristol at 10 am, arriving at noon, checking into the hostel and then walking around Bristol getting to know the city and searching for flatshares until around 9pm, at which point I bought a salad or two from the cafe at the hostel and crashed.
It was a long day, I've never walked so much in my life... but it was really great to walk around the city and check out a few flats. Nothing decided yet, but I saw two places and have quite a few leads to think about.
This morning I woke up and checked out the listings in last night's evening post and made a few appointments for today. One this morning I walked two and about halfway there I gave up because it was too far... I bought a mapbook (they call it an A to Z) which has really helped. Last night I got completely lost trying to find a place in "southville" a small little suburb south of the city and I depended on a really nice guy and his sister who helped me find my way via their' AtoZ at their house.... after that I figured it would be worth £4 to invest in my own.
I'm trying to decide if it will be best to live close to everything and pay a bit more for rent and groceries or live further away and buy a bike. Seems like I could get a cheap bike for around £20... and that I could save a lot of money by shopping in the markets and butchers rather than at Tesco which seems to be the british equivalent of Loblaws.
Also trying to decide what to do about phones... I am investigating mobile phones which are pretty cheap, it seems like the one I got from the past intern will not work very well for me... but I'm looking at some that are only about £25 for the phone plus a pay as you go plan which is fairly manageable. It seems like cell phones are cheaper than real phones, and that I could use my cell and buy international phone cards for calls home.
Bristol is a beautiful city, a mix of old and new as it has really rejuvenated over the past few years. I wish that I could post the pictures that I am taking... they'll come soon. So many beatiful buildings here, with an interesting mix of architecture because many old buildings were bombed in the war due to Bristol being an important port city, and newer buildings have been popping up between the surviving landmarks since the 1960s... Also the weather is beautiful, nice and sunny and hot today which makes househunting a lot easier, but has also upped my beverage costs. So far I have managed to only spend about £20, most of which was spent on water and phonecalls - pay phones are about one pence a second!!!
There are a few things i'll have to get used to, like looking the right way when crossing roads and also the different traffic patterns in Bristol, but those aren't so bad. Drivers use their horns a lot more here, so even though I'm crossing the right way hearing horns makes me a little more nervous that I'm doing something wrong... so far all the honking has been at other drivers and thankfully not at me.
Another cute thing I noticed was that a lot of bars have signs that say "under 25 allowed at managers discretion" meaning that they like to keep the clientele young... seems like those are th emore expensive and posh bars, so I'll probably be staying away from them despite my being under 25.
Lots and lots to do in Bristol, there were over 30 listings for live music in the Venue magazine I picked up last night (and that was just for TONIGHT - a Tuesday)... so I think things will be lively aorund here. There is an organic food festival this weekend which should be lots of fun, as well as films and concerts coming advertised everywhere I turn... it seems like once I get settled It will be easy to find fun things to do, and that if I make the right decisions having fun in Bristol won't be too costly.
I'm off to explore the Mountpellier area a little more. I have a meeting at 5 at the Museum to meet some staff and go out for drinks, but it might be cut short by a flat I am seeting at 6:30. It seems like evening is the best time to look at flats because people are home from work, but that makes things a bit tricky since I am always on foot and I want to get back to the hostel by dark... I pretty much know the good and bad parts in the city, but wouldn't want to get lost at night just the same.
Also - Bristol is very hilly... but built in a pretty nice way so that all the major routes are pretty flar and various neighborhoods and streets go up hill. That way once you get down the hill from your home, all the major shops and markets are on the flatter streets.
I think I'll also go check out "Christmas Steps" this afternoon, which is sort of a market/shop area built uphill, apparently there is a tower at the top with an awesome view of the city.
Before I head out though I am off to search for a bargain lunch in St. Nicholas market - its a mix of shops and food places that all seem very cheap.... While I was walking through last night i noticed a place which has £2.50 "salad box" lunches, so I might end up there for a bite before I continue my never-ending walking tour of Bristol.
Wish me luck!
- C
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
excitement escalates!
Things are getting pretty hectic for me as I am into the last few days of prep for my departure.
i got a draft done for my fellowship, so I'm really happy to have my general ideas down on paper so that i have a solid basis to work from while i'm away. sorry about the capitals, the computer i am using is having a shift-key problem.
Just trying to fill up my time either with things that are really important or things that are totally trivial but are worth doing because i wont be able to do them for six months... spending my last day or two in kingston will be fun, but also a bit sad to think about leaving the place that i've been living in for four years. although there are some things i will not miss about k-town, i'm surprisingly nostalgic because its basically been the home base for everything i've done... i guess it's time to figure out what use i am outside of the queen's/kingston community.
anyway, my next update will likely be from bristol admist the fun of finding a place to live and starting work - I assure you it will be more exciting than these pre-depature rants that i've been posting quite sporadically.
so please check back soon!
- chris
i got a draft done for my fellowship, so I'm really happy to have my general ideas down on paper so that i have a solid basis to work from while i'm away. sorry about the capitals, the computer i am using is having a shift-key problem.
Just trying to fill up my time either with things that are really important or things that are totally trivial but are worth doing because i wont be able to do them for six months... spending my last day or two in kingston will be fun, but also a bit sad to think about leaving the place that i've been living in for four years. although there are some things i will not miss about k-town, i'm surprisingly nostalgic because its basically been the home base for everything i've done... i guess it's time to figure out what use i am outside of the queen's/kingston community.
anyway, my next update will likely be from bristol admist the fun of finding a place to live and starting work - I assure you it will be more exciting than these pre-depature rants that i've been posting quite sporadically.
so please check back soon!
- chris
Monday, August 15, 2005
blog it (for now)
So my attempts to create my own website using my limited knowledge of html did not work out so well... in the meantime, I've decide to just start a new blog for the purposes of documenting this trip.
Most of the confusion regarding my departure has been cleared up. My work start date is Officially September 1st... but as of yet my flight is not booked. I'm looking forward to receiving my itinerary as well as my visas and all that stuff asap - just so I'll know exactly what's going on and know that everything is accounted for. I think it will be good to start work on a Thursday so that I'll have two days to get acquainted and then the weekend to spend settling in and looking for a place... speaking of which, I've been hitting up the online Bristol accomodations every day, and things look pretty promising.
I'm back in Toronto for the week - just trying to get my writing done. I had a meeting with my fellowship advisor and we got things on track... the goal is to have a written draft done of the entire manuscript by the end of the week. I think it's doable... I've just gotta get some time to myself to focus and write up a storm.
will update soon
- Chris
Most of the confusion regarding my departure has been cleared up. My work start date is Officially September 1st... but as of yet my flight is not booked. I'm looking forward to receiving my itinerary as well as my visas and all that stuff asap - just so I'll know exactly what's going on and know that everything is accounted for. I think it will be good to start work on a Thursday so that I'll have two days to get acquainted and then the weekend to spend settling in and looking for a place... speaking of which, I've been hitting up the online Bristol accomodations every day, and things look pretty promising.
I'm back in Toronto for the week - just trying to get my writing done. I had a meeting with my fellowship advisor and we got things on track... the goal is to have a written draft done of the entire manuscript by the end of the week. I think it's doable... I've just gotta get some time to myself to focus and write up a storm.
will update soon
- Chris
Thursday, August 11, 2005
at the cottage...
I came up to the cottage yesterday to get some work done on the research manuscript and I had a slow start but now I've pretty much written the entire introduction. At least I have about 2000 words of introduction plus some random other things that popped into my head that I thought were important to write down. I didn't get as much as I wanted to finished, but at least I've got something to work with for my meeting this week.
Today I got an email from the Museum in Bristol which confirmed that there was indeed some confusion over my departure and start dates... Hopefully it will be resolved soon - I told them that I would be able to leave for either the 1st or the 12th, but that I would be better to know as soon as possible so I can better plan my last few weeks here. Ideally it would be good to leave sooner than later so that I could just get going, but if I was able to stay until the 12th that would give me some time to get more done and even get some extra shifts or make a little extra money before I head off to the U.K.
I posted a acommondation wanted posting on this Bristol listing service, saying who I am and what I'm looking for - obviously I expect to find something once I get there, but I figured I would post just to see if anyone looking for housemates replies. I already got one reply from someone who is trying to put together a house of four (rather than already living with friends and looking to add one more) I sounds like he has it rented already and is looking to fill rooms - there is one decent room at ₤300 a month all inclusive, but I'm going to hold out till I can actually see something in person and meet people face to face - that is unless I find something perfect and close and cheap. One of the bonuses is that in my ad I posted that I was looking for "affordable" accomodations, so it will be interesting to see in the replies I get what "affordable" means to people, and I might actually get a sense of how expensive it will be to rent over there... lots and lots of posts on the same site with people looking for sublets/flatmates, but i'll at least wait until I have a set departure date before I really figure anything out. I'm thinking it would probably be better to find a group of people or one person trying to find housemates so that I'm not moving in with a pre-existing house of people - also I've seen a bunch of ads that list different international people living together, so I might get a chance to live with some randoms from other parts of the world as well! could be fun!
Leaving the cottage tomorrow and heading back to Kingston for Museum and Research meetings - fun times to be had... hoping that I can get focused and just write write write while I'm there!
Today I got an email from the Museum in Bristol which confirmed that there was indeed some confusion over my departure and start dates... Hopefully it will be resolved soon - I told them that I would be able to leave for either the 1st or the 12th, but that I would be better to know as soon as possible so I can better plan my last few weeks here. Ideally it would be good to leave sooner than later so that I could just get going, but if I was able to stay until the 12th that would give me some time to get more done and even get some extra shifts or make a little extra money before I head off to the U.K.
I posted a acommondation wanted posting on this Bristol listing service, saying who I am and what I'm looking for - obviously I expect to find something once I get there, but I figured I would post just to see if anyone looking for housemates replies. I already got one reply from someone who is trying to put together a house of four (rather than already living with friends and looking to add one more) I sounds like he has it rented already and is looking to fill rooms - there is one decent room at ₤300 a month all inclusive, but I'm going to hold out till I can actually see something in person and meet people face to face - that is unless I find something perfect and close and cheap. One of the bonuses is that in my ad I posted that I was looking for "affordable" accomodations, so it will be interesting to see in the replies I get what "affordable" means to people, and I might actually get a sense of how expensive it will be to rent over there... lots and lots of posts on the same site with people looking for sublets/flatmates, but i'll at least wait until I have a set departure date before I really figure anything out. I'm thinking it would probably be better to find a group of people or one person trying to find housemates so that I'm not moving in with a pre-existing house of people - also I've seen a bunch of ads that list different international people living together, so I might get a chance to live with some randoms from other parts of the world as well! could be fun!
Leaving the cottage tomorrow and heading back to Kingston for Museum and Research meetings - fun times to be had... hoping that I can get focused and just write write write while I'm there!
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
First Entry
Things are going well with the prep for my departure (whenever that will be). The last email I got from the BECM (British Empire and Commonwealth Museum) said I would start work September 1st and the last email I got from the Canadian Museum Association had a tentative flight booking for September 12th. Go figure.
All my stuff is packed up in my parent's basement and it looks like I am pretty much making the move home until I leave for the U.K.. I spent the last few days entertaining my cousins from Connecticuit - going to Wonderland, the Zoo, Laserquest, Niagara Falls, etc, etc, and so I'm pretty tired. I'm heading to the cottage for a few days to get away and just focus on the fellowship thing... lots to write and lots of planning in my head - I just need to really start to get it down into the computer.
One of the things I'll also be working on is setting up a website for before I leave. Right now I'm having a not so terrible time trying to refresh my memory from Grade 10 Computers when I last learned html .
- C
All my stuff is packed up in my parent's basement and it looks like I am pretty much making the move home until I leave for the U.K.. I spent the last few days entertaining my cousins from Connecticuit - going to Wonderland, the Zoo, Laserquest, Niagara Falls, etc, etc, and so I'm pretty tired. I'm heading to the cottage for a few days to get away and just focus on the fellowship thing... lots to write and lots of planning in my head - I just need to really start to get it down into the computer.
One of the things I'll also be working on is setting up a website for before I leave. Right now I'm having a not so terrible time trying to refresh my memory from Grade 10 Computers when I last learned html .
- C
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