The few and the many

On this 70^th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day, I felt it was appropriate to write about recent developments in my life and, more to the point, my recent travels.

First, I’m happy to report that the tough times are over and that Dan and I are still happily living in our flat in Notting Hill and that we are now both employed! I think it might be good to note for future Swappers or anyone planning to move to the UK that the norm is to be paid monthly, usually at the end of the month. You do learn to adjust to this even if, like me, you were used to being paid every two weeks; however, it’s good to keep in mind that when you start a new job, you may not get paid for a month or even longer depending on what time of the month you start your job. This is just another reason why having savings (more than you think you’ll need) is very useful and maybe even necessary! It did take a long time for Dan to find this job (about 3 months) but this isn’t uncommon. While there are obviously a lot of jobs in a big city like London, there is also a lot of competition! I found that it is important not to get discouraged and to keep trying and adapting your applications to suit what employers are asking for. It’s always good to ask for feedback when you get rejected and ask how you can improve. I think this was a good strategy for Dan and he succeeded in finding a job he really enjoys.

Second, my dad and his girlfriend came to London for a visit last week and then we all travelled to France. While we did take the time to enjoy some tasty French food and wine along the way, we spent the majority of our time in Normandy visiting WWI and WWII sites such as Vimy Ridge, Juno Beach, Ste Mere Eglise & the Airborne Museum and some military cemeteries. The majority of our visit was very solemn and I think we all developed a deeper-than-ever respect for the men and women who selflessly fought for the freedoms, rights and liberties we enjoy every day and who helped shape our world into what is it today. I am grateful than ever and am remembering them today, on this anniversary of VE Day.

In London, we visited the usual suspects like Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London but we also visited the lesser known Churchill War Rooms. This is one of my favourite museums in London. Essentially, the bunker was sealed at the end of WWII and only reopened as a museum in the 1980s. This means that everything is as it was on the day the war ended; think coffee cups, cigars, litter but also, more interestingly, maps where Allied and German positions were marked based on best guesses. Here are a few pictures from London and the war rooms:

In Normandy, we started our visit at Vimy Ridge (I encourage everyone to read about Vimy Ridge if you don’t know the full story, it is fascinating), a WWI site of great importance to Canadians as it is the first time that Canadians fought together as one and defeated the Germans in a very difficult battle. We were fortunate to see the stunning and enormous monument and then we went for a (free!) guided tour of the trenches, underground bunkers and tunnels/subway systems. Here are a few pictures from Vimy Ridge:

We also stopped by a lovely fishing town called Honfleur for lunch. It had a wonderful Normandy small-town vibe and could only have been improved by better weather. I would definitely recommend stopping here if you find yourself in Normandy.

We then travelled west and stationed ourselves in Caen from where, over the next couple of days, we visited Juno Beach, the Canadian beach on D-Day. We also visited Ste Mere Eglise (of Band of Brothers fame) which was the first French town liberated during the Battle of Normandy.

And we visited a Canadian WWI war cemetery, a German WWII war cemetery and a Commonwealth (mostly Britiish) WWII war cemetery. IT was emotional to see the amount of graves in each cemetery and to read the personal messages on some of them. Personally, I was touched by the grave of a 21 year old Canadian soldier from Ottawa.

I think visiting significant historical sites such as the ones above is something everyone should do at least once in their life. It puts things in perspective and makes us appreciate what we have, which we sometimes forget to do. In closing, I leave one of my favourite war-time quotes:

“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”

Winston Churchill

Highs and Lows

In order for this blog to be as realistic and truthful as possible, I realised that it's important for me to write about all the good times (as I have been doing) but also about the more challenging ones. The last month has been a bit of a nightmare and I thought I should post about it.

The flat I moved into in October was always meant to be a temporary flat since my boyfriend was moving to London to be with me in January and we were going to get our own place. To keep a long story short, my landlady decided that Dan and I had to be out of the flat by the end of January (when it was supposed to be the end of February). Flat hunting in London is extremely competitive and stressful enough as it is but with this short a timeframe it became even worse than we expected. We also kept getting rejected by landlords because they kept telling us that they would prefer to have a single tenant versus a couple (despite their ads stating that they were fine with having a couple rent a room) which was incredibly frustrating. As the weeks flew by, we became increasingly stressed and worried that we wouldn't find a flat in time. After lowering our standards and widening our search area, we finally found a place to live in Notting Hill. We have been living here for a few week now and we couldn't be happier. 

As a funny story, when I first moved to London in January 2014, I visited a flat in Notting Hill that was right above a fish mongers and smelled awful. There were also 7 other people living in the flat, which hadn't been expressed in the ad. Needless to say I didn't move there. But, believe it or not, when Dan and I were visiting flats a few weeks ago, we went into this building in Notting Hill right above a fish mongers and as I was starting to get flashbacks of January 2014, I realised that we were visiting the exact same flat I saw a year ago! Again, this isn't where we moved but I found it really funny that I have now seen this horrible flat twice!

I think the best advice I can give for anyone looking for a flat in London (which I will remind myself of if I need to search for a flat/room again) is:

1. Rent from an agency or make sure that you have an official contract with your landlord so that they can't just evict you without a reason - it protects both you and the landlord and is definitely the way to go (despite occasional agency fees).
2. Expand your search beyond what you know. I hadn't looked for flats in this area before because I didn't know the area but it's actually a wonderful, lively and quirky neighbourhood and I like it more than any of my previous ones.
3. Websites like Spareroom are great and definitely help with the search. There were a few ads on the site that I thought were a bit too good to be true and sure enough, Spareroom emailed me after I tried to respond to the ads to let me know that they had determined it was a scam. It helps to know that they are taking safety seriously.

Now that the stressor of finding a flat is gone, we can focus on enjoying our new neighbourhood. We have already found a few wonderful pubs and gastropubs in the area and even some that serve Sunday roasts - I'm definitely happy about that!

All that's left on our to-do list at the moment is for Dan to find a job. Almost exactly like flat hunting, job searching in London is extremely competitive. He had to leave his job in Portsmouth when he moved to London and, now that we're not homeless, he's looking for a job in London. It has been difficult for him and I remember being in the same position a year ago when I moved here. I think that the best strategy is to cast a wide net and apply to all kinds of jobs, any that you are qualified for basically and see what comes of it. I have always said that it's easiest to find a job when you already have one. It’s also good to manage your expectations; for example, one job that Dan applied for had 11,000 other applicants! We know what the competition is like so we’re putting as much effort as possible into each application and now we’re keeping our fingers crossed that he finds a job soon and that it will be a job he enjoys!

Now, as if flat hunting and looking for jobs wasn't enough, my grandmother passed away a week ago. I decided I wanted to go home for her funeral and I wanted to be with my family so I travelled back to Ottawa in very cold February (it was -45!). The flight was outrageously priced but it was worth going home and I am happy that I was able to do so. I had heard that there were discounts/refunds on flights when you are travelling for bereavement reasons but I did not get any support from Air Canada when I phoned them. This is something that had been brought up a lot on the Canadians in the UK Facebook page so I had built up an expectation but it looks like there’s no such thing. I suppose that, for this reason, it’s probably wise to keep some savings (even though it’s tempting to spend a lot in a city like London) for unforeseen events like this one. It’s hard enough to deal with the death of a relative but doing so when you’re living abroad can make it more difficult. I feel that if you are able to go home at a time like this, you probably should. In an effort to bring a little happiness to my Ottawa visit, I did go to Winterlude with my dad and had a tasty beavertail, I lost when playing Roll up the Rim at Tim Horton’s, I ate some delicious poutine (a must!) and I spent some time with my family, remembering my amazing grandparents. Here are a few pictures of my Ottawa visit:

My mom always says that bad things come in threes. I think with (1) horrible flat hunting, (2) a very daunting job search and (3) a funeral, we've covered all three! Now bring on the happy and fun times!  So now we will focus on exploring Notting Hill, getting to know our new flatmates (it's a very international house with two Italians, two Spaniards, a Canadian and a Brit!) and enjoying living together in London.

All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.

Walt Disney

A Bittersweet End to the Summer

And just like that, my first summer living in Europe has passed. I had a bit of a shock in July when I realized that I have been living in London for six months already! It got me thinking about what I have accomplished in those six months; I can proudly say that I:

• Found a permanent and well-paying job;
• Have a great boyfriend: Dan;
• Made some good friends;
• Visited new (Wales) and old (Paris, England) places;
• Got hooked on some aspects of British culture (Percy Pigs, BBC, the Tube);
• Missed some aspects of Canadian culture (Kraft Dinner, proper peanut butter, clothes dryers); and
• Somewhat embarrassingly started using British words in my everyday vocabulary (although I still have my Canadian accent!) such as: "hiya" (hello), "I'm not bothered" (I have no preference), "ring" (call), "ga-ridge" (garage) and "alright?" (how are you) just to name a few.

All that said, I haven't written all summer so here's a bit of what I've been up to:

• Geeked out a bit at the London Film & Comic Con where we saw some amazing costumes and met Hodor from Game of Thrones.

• Injured my hand in the most British way possible: a tea-related incident! (Boiling water spilled all over my hand)

• Went to a few great BBQs, despite the traditionally wet British weather.

• Celebrated Dan's parents' 50th wedding anniversary, semi-tortured a dog (Daisy) by making her wear hats and visited Haylings Island which is one of the beaches where the Allies practiced the D-Day landings.

• Had a wonderful visit from my friends Lauren & Nick who replenished my Canadian supplies.

• Met Casper the pub cat (this one is just too cute for me not to share).

As the rain drizzles outside ("drizzle" is me downplaying the water pouring out of the sky for my own sanity) and the temperature drops several degrees, it has become clear that summer is over in London. Not to worry though, it has been a great summer and the next few months will be very fun and exciting! What's next for me this year?

September

• A visit from my friend Jen and a trip to Oktoberfest in Munich

October

• A visit from my friend Breanne
• A move - my flat has officially been sold and I have to find a new place to live. While this is still a bit of a stressful process, it's nothing like when I first got here in January!

November

• Wallet recovery!
• London sightseeing (I have really been neglecting this)

December

• A Day trip to Bruges to see the Christmas markets
• A visit from my mom, my brother and his girlfriend then travelling around the Scottish highlands for Christmas.

I am still shivering and soaked from the rain as I write this so I feel that this is the perfect quote to end this blog post:

What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.
John Steinbeck

Does June Exist in Europe?

I've been meaning to write since the peanut butter tragedy to update everyone on that situation but it seems that June just came and went in a flash! First things first, my mom has replenished my peanut butter supply so I have been saved - thank you Mom!

Now, on to the fun stuff! June was a terrific month, My friend Jen visited in the earlier part of the month and it was really nice to see a friendly, Canadian face. We hit the London shopping scene, went to see a show (Wicked) which I really enjoyed and I was treated to a very nice meal at Scott's. Here are a few pictures from that meal - it wouldn't be right if I didn't post a few food pictures on here:

 

Jen and I also travelled to Dublin (yay cheap Ryanair flights!) for what we called "O'Chan & McNewtown's Irish Adventure". I had always wanted to visit Dublin/Ireland I was very excited for this trip. The big highlight in Dublin, for me, was the Trinity College Library Long Room. The Book of Kells is housed thre and amazing in its own right but for me, seeing the Long Room was a dream come true. I have always had a fascination with libraries (I blame Beauty and the Beast - my favourite movie - for this) and this library was at the top of my list. Seeing it in person was everything I hoped it would be and it was truly breathtaking. Here is a picture of the library:

Fun fact: I had always wondered how you get between the bookcases on the upper level given that there are only staircases at each end of the library. A friendly security guard let us through the velvet rope where, from from within the alcoves, you can see that there are "secret" doors built within the bookcases that allow for people to make their way around the upper level.

Another thing not to miss in Dublin is the Guinness Storehouse. While I have never been a Guinness drinker (I like my beer liquid), I learned how to properly poor my very own pint of Guinness in the Guinness Academy and it tasted amazing! I learned that the Guinness Stout in Ireland is actually a different brew than the one you drink abroad and it is MUCH better and easier to drink! The Guinness storehouse is worth the visit and there are also several very good restaurants in there; we had delicious Guinness Irish stew! Here are a few pictures from that adventure:

While Dublin was a good destination for a short trip, the day trip we took through the Irish countryside was a big highlight and I will definitely return to Ireland to visit more small towns and mountains. Irish people are also extremely funny, friendly and very welcoming. Here are a few pictures from the day trip through the Wicklow Mountains:

For the later part of June, my mom came for a visit bringin loads of Canadian supplies with her, including the peanut butter mentionned above. I was excited for my mom to visit, especially since this was her first visit to London and to Paris, where we went for the weekend using the extremely conveninent Eurostar. In London we visited The Wolseley for dinner and went to see my favourite musical: Les Misérables. Here is a picture of the amazing cheese soufflé at The Wolseley:

For our weekend in Paris, we visited all the of the major landmarks and got a lot of shopping done on the Champs Élysées. We also ate VERY well, here are a few pictures bound to get your mouth watering:

          

This week was the first time I spent Canada Day outside of Canada. I met up with some fellow Canadians and we had some pitchers of Pimms (my new favourite British discovery) and then made our way to Maiden Lane where we found hundreds of Canadians celebrating our nation's birthday. It was really nice to hear the familiar Canadian accent, drink proper Canadian beer (Sleeman's and Moosehead were available) and to sing our national anthem with pride. If I couldn't be in Ottawa to watch the fireworks display, this was truly the place to be for Canada Day!

Now that everyone has gone back to Canada, I think July will be spent dieting (June was very much a culinary indulgence month!) and budgeting for future trips! I can't wait to see what else this summer holds for me! As usual, a quote to cap things off:

And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.
F. Scott Fitzgerals (The Great Gatsby)

(Proper) Peanut Butter Withdrawls

This morning, at approximately 06:50, London time, I ran out of Kraft peanut butter. This is a sad, sad day in my life. Luckily, my mom is coming for a visit next week and will replenish my supply but I thought I would share this in the hopes that no other Canadians whose diets revolve around Kraft Smooth Peanut Butter as much as mine does, forget to bring enough peanut butter with them when moving abroad.

As always, a quote to cap things off:

Man cannot live by bread alone; he must have peanut butter.
James A. Garfield

London Calling

The time has finally come for me to start applying for my work visa.  I’m very excited because I see this as the last big step before actually leaving for the UK.  With the help of SWAP, I have gathered all the documents I need and filled out all the necessary forms.  The trickiest part was going back to find all the actual dates when I have travelled abroad in the past 10 years (it turns out that I’m not a great record-keeper). 

To get my UK work visa, I need to have £1,800 (which is roughly $2,800 depending on the exchange rate) in support funds.  After I submit my visa application, I will have to keep this amount in my bank account until the visa is in my hands.  I plan on saving more than this so I can live comfortably in the UK and travel as much as possible.  We’ll see how that goes.

As some of my family & friends know, I have been a superdork when it comes to planning for this.  I even created an excel spreadsheet that looks something like the one below, to encourage me to save money and it really worked!  I set up some checkpoints so I could see how close I was getting to my goal (London) based on my savings.  These amounts aren’t accurate but I just wanted to show what I thought was a good way to self-motivate to save money.

I also found an excel formula that counts down the days until I leave for London (it’s:  =DATEVALUE("5-January-2014")-TODAY()&" days until I leave for London" for those of you who are equally dorky).  It made it really fun to check and update my spreadsheet every week.

Somewhat off topic...those who know me well are aware that I'm a big fan of Chris Hadfield (Canadian astronaut who recently came back from the International Space Station) and as I get closer to leaving; my favourite quote of his only becomes more and more amazing.  It’s meant to be career advice (it was his answer to a kid who asked what he should do to become an astronaut) but I see it as a great perspective/outlook and fantastic advice for managing realistic expectations and achieving your goals at the same time, whether they are career goals or simply personal ones.  I leave you this time with the quote (in illustrated format):