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-   -   I'm in London!!! (https://greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=44708)

SigmaChiCard 01-04-2004 09:47 PM

I'm in London!!!
 
Forgive me if I mention it in a few threads, but I'm in London for the next six months and everything is crazy. I'm doing BUNAC, and I suggest it...but it truly is very scary. I didn't realize quite the position I put myself in until I moved here. I gotta find a job & accomodation, but I've met enough people that we're all working together on that living situation, but wow is it pricey! My US dollars don't buy much quid at an exchange of 1.85 But I did find a computer with free internet, so while I'm at my hostel (ISH for those in the know) I'm in business, but hopefully that won't be for long. For those brits online, if you know how to get a job, write & we can exchange numbers....GC England...that'd be great, right? Anyway...I made it here safe & sound despite a 2 hour delay due to some security breach at the Baltimore Airport on the 29th of December. But it truly is scary, and I'm just getting acquainted with the city....wish me luck, but I've got to believe things will work themselves out in the end haven't I? Reply...It'll make me a bit less homesick in these late hours...the days are good....the nights I don't have my girlfriend or friends so it's a touch more difficult.

Cory

lifesaver 01-04-2004 10:05 PM

Dude, hang in there.

You'll find a job and place to stay and all that. This will be an awesome experience for you. Soon, you'll be an expert and will know the place like the back of your hand. You'll do fine and when it comes time for this experience to end, and for you to come back to the states, you will miss England. In the end, you'll wish you had more time there. If you get too homesick, go to a McDonalds or also find a good pub. Maybe some place around a college or something. Also, I am sure there are a buttload of Sig's over there, so maybe your HQ could put you in touch with some of your brothers over there. Its really important to have and make some friends while you're there. You might feel alone right now, but that will soon pass as you make friends. Just think how you felt when you started college and were away from home the first time. By the time you graduated, you were an expert at it all. Its the same thing. Hang in there and keep visiting us on GC.

_Opi_ 01-04-2004 10:14 PM

adding to the good points above, don't forget to enjoy yourself, even though you feel that you probably arent going to.

I've lived in many different countries and the first months, years, you will feel homesick. But when you look back at this experience and you will appreciate that you hang in there. In the meantime, enjoy the customs of the english people!

mu_agd 01-04-2004 10:22 PM

I'm so jealous! i went to school in London for a summer and had so much fun! really get to know and enjoy all that the city has to offer! there is so much to do there! one thing i would caution you about is to always be aware of the exchange rate. after being there for awhile i stopped thinking in terms of us dollars and i spent way more money than i had planned to. what part of london are you in? let me know if you want any suggestions of pubs to go to and stuff.

SigmaChiCard 01-04-2004 10:24 PM

I'm on Great Portland Street in West Minister, and just a few steps out the door from Regent's Park. I'm looking forward to stability, which hopefully I get on the track of tomorrow...damn it's late (2) and I gotta try to find work tomorrow...goodnight!

Cory

Peaches-n-Cream 01-05-2004 12:07 AM

Cory, enjoy yourself in London, baby! Good luck getting a job.

queequek 01-05-2004 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by SigmaChiCard
I'm on Great Portland Street in West Minister, and just a few steps out the door from Regent's Park. I'm looking forward to stability, which hopefully I get on the track of tomorrow...damn it's late (2) and I gotta try to find work tomorrow...goodnight!

Cory

Hey, we stayed there when we were in London! I had a bitter experience with the Great Portland Street Tube station, though. If you have time, go around the back of the tube station, where you can find the basement washroom, and there was my misery began (it was 7 in the morning, so tired because we just got back to London from Edinburgh, cranky as I could be, had to go to the bathroom to do #2, raining, and all you could find was a locked bathroom! :mad: )

And I hate that hostel, since it was so hard to get into our room. We had to pass several locked doors, down the hallway ... and there was not enough points for the internet connection on the second floor, you always had to fight with people who didn't speak english from all over the world!

Anyway, enjoy your stay, dude!

Sister Havana 01-05-2004 01:50 AM

What is BUNAC?

I am very jealous! I went to London this summer and loved it. I'd love to go back there...have a great time!

I also found that it was much easier for me once I stopped converting all the prices back into US dollars. I was driving myself crazy!

polarpi 01-05-2004 02:01 AM

I stayed in the ISH while studying overseas for a semester in Cambridge...we spent the entire weekend there, and it was the perfect location....getting off at the Baker St station isn't too bad either to walk back to the ISH, but I wouldn't do it at night by myself :)

Have a great time over there....when I returned home, all I wanted to do was return back to England. We're looking forward to hearing all about your adventures! :)

dekeguy 01-05-2004 03:59 AM

Check out the US Embassy on Grovernor Square/ North Audley Street. They very often have jobs available that require or prefer US citizenship for consideration. Might give you a slight edge in the job market. Also, try the temp agencies. Classic job source for students. Good luck.

Tom Earp 01-05-2004 06:58 PM

Hey Guy, wondered where you went!

Learn the undergound real quick and buy a long term pass, cheaper that way!

Check with navane as she lived in England for a year! She might be able to tell you who from the states is still there! God there is so much to see it is unbeleivable! Free too!

Good luck on getting employeed sure there are positions for a Smart (?) American. Not smart assed American!

Keep in touch and sure you can find some help from someone on GC!

Pub food is good and reasonable so dont forget that! Fish and Chips Joints, gag!:(

Sheapards Pie, filling but sucks, English Food Bland as Hell! Dont do Fried eggs that cover Pork and Beans, do try Scotch Eggs with a Pint of larger!:D

Sherlock Holmes On North Umberland was always my favorite Pub! Between The Thames and Trafalger Square!

Have a Fantastic Time!:) :D

ISUKappa 01-05-2004 11:23 PM

Oh Boy! BUNAC, ISH. . . Those bring back some memories! I did a work/study abroad program through Iowa State and BUNAC the summer between my soph and Jr years, it took a while to get acclimated, but I did love it. I finally found a job waitressing and while it paid the bills, the hours sucked! (I was often taking the 4 am night bus home alone) I hated to leave, but I also couldn't wait to go home and now I can't wait to go back! Definitely learn the Tube and the Bus system, week-long or month-long passes are a God-send. And definitely use the message boards (the old fashioned kind, with Notecards--at least that's what they had when I was working with BUNAC) to help you find roommates and work. I lived with 6 other people on a walk-up about 15 min from the Holloway Tube stop in North London. When you can, take a day and just explore everything! The Camden Markets, Leicester Square, and even do some touristy stuff--the London Tower, Madame Tussoud's, a walking tour. And get to Ireland, Scotland and the continent for a weekend if you can, too. Haggis tours and Paddywagon tours were great ways to see the sights on a fun tour. *sigh* We'll all be living vicariously through you!

If I remember correctly, there was a pub around the corner from BUNAC that served wicked snakebites (1/2 cider, 1/2 lager with black currant flavoring.) Kind of low-brow but good and a cheap way to get drunk! And American beer will always be the most expensive beer at a bar/pub.

For those interested I don't remember exactly what BUNAC stands for (British Universities North American C something or other) but the website is www.bunac.co.uk

SigmaChiCard 01-16-2004 09:37 AM

still job hunting...hope all abroad is well (it's wierd for me to think of abroad as being in the US..haha)

SigmaChiCard 01-23-2004 10:00 AM

Got a JOB!

London South Bank University

It's pretty interesting, the pay is good, the people are cool, and I can ride my bike to work...all around a good setting.

cheers~

cory

Kunja_Queen 01-23-2004 10:10 AM

This is my first post to Greekchat, been a lurker for a long time.
But I really hope you have fun in England. I was born there and spent the first 16 years of my life there before moving to the states. I am jealous that you get to be there right now while I am where I am.

Take care

Cat

decadence 01-23-2004 10:11 AM

Our offer's still open ;p
 
Quote:

Originally posted by SigmaChiCard: Got a JOB!

London South Bank University

It's pretty interesting, the pay is good, the people are cool, and I can ride my bike to work...all around a good setting.

cheers~

cory
Congrats Cory!
South Bank has a pretty good rep. and being close to the pulse of London means it should draw a pretty interesting bunch. Hope it goes well; I'm sure you'll have a great time. :D

xok85xo 01-23-2004 10:15 AM

it was certainly necessary to post that twice, wasn't it decadence.

justamom 01-23-2004 10:18 AM

CORY!!!! Sooooooooooo happy for you! Hope all is wonderful and exciting.
Will the USA lose one of it's fine young men???
Will he meet a pretty young lass and lose his heart?
We will stay tuned!:D

xok85xo 01-23-2004 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by decadence
I don't think so. I thought it was posted once and once only. I did edit it after posting, however, to quote Cory's message as my post appeared on a new page - just so that my post would make sense without the viewer having to return to the prev. page. At least that was my intention, apparently I erred in that endevour and duplicated the post. I don't know that my message of congratulation in this forum was especially "necessary", I was just trying to be nice! I may well have noticed my edit/reply mistake anyway, but thank you for your post bringing it to my attention.
pedantic - according to freud,one of the three characteristics of anal fixation.

that is all.

decadence 01-23-2004 10:44 AM

If you don't have anything nice to say...

NutBrnHair 01-23-2004 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by decadence
If you don't have anything nice to say...
sit by me?

decadence 01-23-2004 10:54 AM

Don't look at me, I only wandered in here to say congrats. I created a new post rather than edited one and deleted it. We all make mistakes.

P.S By the way NutBrnHair since you're here, thank you for the academic tips which you post, I hadn't posted in there as I didn't wanna dilute the thread or whatever but I do read them & try to incorporate them. Thank you.

NutBrnHair 01-23-2004 11:05 AM

Thanks, decadence.

Cory, sorry that I contributed to the off-topic discussion. I really am glad you are having a positive London experience. It's such a great place. I spent six weeks there one summer in grad school.

Sister Havana 01-23-2004 01:34 PM

Yay Cory! :D

That's great! What exactly do you do?

AOII_LB93 01-23-2004 03:25 PM

Congrats and hope that you are having a blast! I'm sure that you will discover all the fun stuff to do while you are there. As ridiculous as it sounds, remember to take pictures and save stuff so you will have a great memory book when you get home. There are some amazing things to do in London and the rest of the UK. Get out and travel when you get a moment!

navane 01-24-2004 12:59 AM

Hi Cory!


Congrats on your trip to London! My first trip to the UK was through BUNAC too!!! Though, I chose not to live and work in London. Instead, I decided to be unusual and live in Bath instead (it's about 1.5 hours west of London).


I've been to the UK three times, the second was only for a couple weeks to interview at a few universities and visit my boyfriend. The third time I lived in Bristol for a year and a half. I had the great pleasure of meeting kittyuk, UKAXO, and decadence at two GC gatherings!


I've just moved back to the US, but please feel free to PM me if you have any questions about BUNAC, traveling around the UK, or whatever. Seriously, PM me if you need any advice, especially if you think the questions might be too "dumb" to ask in public! :)


That's great that you got a job at London South Bank Uni! My biggest piece of advice is to remember to never call college "school". ;) That means "elementary school" in Britain. Always say "university" or "uni" for short. heh. :)


Say, what do you do at work?


At any rate, have a great time!!


.....Kelly :)

navane 01-24-2004 01:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sister Havana
What is BUNAC?


BUNAC stands for British Universities North America Club. It started out as an organisation for British students who wanted to work abroad in North America. It then melded in to offering reciprocal agreements for American students. This organisation is approved by the US and UK governments.


US students can obtain a British work visa ("blue card") which is good for up to 6 months or two times, whichever is first. One can pretty much do any job...I think professional sports and entertainment (like being an actress) are like prohibited areas.


I highly recommend BUNAC - my experience was great. The staff totally made me feel welcome and they really did everything they could to help us out with whatever. Heh...even the immigration officers seem to like BUNAC. When I came up to passport control in the airport, the officer asked me my purpose for visiting the UK. I replied, "I have a student work visa". She replied, "BUNAC, eh? Can I have your Blue Card please?" Kahthunk! went the sound of the visa stamp on my passport. :)


Check out the website at

http://www.bunac.org/

and

http://www.bunac.org/usa/workinbritain/

for more info!

PS - you can get works visas for other countries too!


.....Kelly :)

SigmaChiCard 05-10-2004 08:16 AM

I've been doing some great things. Greece last weekend, Spain next, then a big trip off to Europe from Pompeii to Budapest. I'm sick of it all though, really. Sick to my stomach. I don't want to be here anymore. It's not been worth what I may have/probably have lost - Tacia (my girlfriend).

I'm not here much longer & those things that should be the most fun are yet to happen, they're on the verge coming up, but I'm tired, I'm sick, I want to go home but I don't want to face what I'm going to have to face. What a predicament?

I've done great things though....saw Julia Stiles in Oleanna, Gillian Anderson in Sweetest Swing in Baseball, saw Phantom of the Opera, went to Prague, met great people, held great conversations, nbut it's all geting overcast by this last bit. She tired of the lonliness and let it go. Not gor anyone else, just not for waiting.

I've not mentioned it to my close friends, but here I feel a little annomity so it makes it a little easier, though many of you have come to be friends. I don't want advice, I'm sick of it. I just want to complain.

I'm tired of all this. I just wish all these adventures could get over, I could get home and sleep for the next 2 months.

Sorry to lay my crap on you guys, tomorrow may be better. it's hard to say - day to day

Tom Earp 05-10-2004 09:23 AM

Cory, it is said that Home is where the heart is. Guess you just prove that statement!

Fun when is new but then you think of home.

There are Great places to visit, but it is so good to get home!

Hang in Dude, Home is waiting for you!:)


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