Greetings, from across the pond!

I finally made it back to England and the smile that has been planted on my face since last week Tuesday is enough to tell me I did, in fact, make the right decision.

I landed midday on Tuesday and met up with my old flatmate (and Vancouverite) Annie in the customs line. We collected our baggage and boarded a coach bound for Brighton. Two hours later, and a little bit groggy, we found a spacious taxi that brought us to Allison’s flat in Hove (actually). After discovering that a week without heat had made the flat cold enough so we could see our breath we turned on the heaters and left for the pub in hopes that they would warm up by the time we returned… they sort of did. The trouble with Alli’s flat is that it’s an older building and the insulation isn’t fantastic. So despite the electric heaters’ best efforts, we had a chilly first night back in England.

The following morning, New Year’s Eve day, I helped get Annie off to catch another coach at 6am. Spent a couple hours online (and should’ve update my blog, but didn’t think of it) and went back to bed. Only to wake up some hours later to catch a train to London for the end of year festivities at my friend Jack’s place.

The night was full of cheerful people, wine, good music, champagne, interesting conversation, beer, and a flat full of some old but mostly new friends. Now, I realise I may never see some of the people I met that night ever again (and honestly hope I don’t see a couple of them), but it was an enjoyable way to ring in 2009 and I was glad for the invite from Jack.

New Year’s Day I made my way back to Brighton, slowly. Spent the rest of that day relaxing and catching up with Allison (who arrived earlier that morning from Ottawa). Friday I spent enjoying the sunshine in Hove and went for a little walk around. In the evening caught up with my dear friend Rupert over some pints and a few rounds of Deal or No Deal (the electronic pub game, not the television show) and ended the evening with some chicken wings and the film GONE BABY GONE chez Rupert. A very enjoyable night indeed.

Saturday and Sunday were very relaxed. Allison, Chris and I went for some drinks and chips on Saturday afternoon and while we had planned to go out later that evening with Rachel, plans fell through when both Allison and I fell asleep around 7:30. It seems it takes a few days for the jet lag to really kick in when you’re keeping busy enough. I slept through the night because when I woke up around 10 with a sore throat and stuffed up nose I opted to catch up on sleep and try to will the sickness away. No such luck. Sunday was spent mostly in bed trying to stay warm and while we ventured out around 3 to pick up some food and such from Tesco, both Alli and I were full of sniffles all day.

And now it’s Monday. The sun is shining, apparently it snowed this morning (and of course I missed it) and though it’s a bit chilly outside, I think I will go for a walk. Might even make it all the way to Brighton (which for those of you who don’t know the geography of Brighton and Hove, is only about fifteen/twenty minutes down the main road until you’re magically in Brighton).

No big plans for the rest of the week other than going to London on Thursday to take a look at a flat near Finsbury Park. I wasn’t planning on looking for a flat until I found a job, but this one is an excellent price for all that is included and if the couple who live there are as nice as they seem and the place is in a decent location it might be wise to get in while I can… I think everyone can agree that finding an affordable place to live (especially in a city like London) and good people to share it with is not an easy feat.

Happy 2009 everyone. I hope your year is starting off as happy as mine. (I will write a New Year type entry in the next day or two).

And it only took 128 posts to get me here

I am officially moving back to England on December 29 2008! My flight is booked and I've started mentally packing my bags (which of course, means simply that I have decided on one pair of shoes that is coming with me no matter what - see below). I even bought some of those vacuum seal bags that hold "10-12 sweaters" once all the air is sucked out - has anyone used them before?? I figure even if I can compress 3-4 sweaters or bulky items down to a smaller size I'm in good shape.

So that's the story, that's the news. I am officially on Christmas countdown and am trying to finish all of my shopping before the 20th. I think I will have no problem doing that - unless my brother and I don't end up giving my parents a joint gift, in which case I'll be shopping for my dad up to the eleventh hour. Any gift ideas for a dad who doesn't read books/has no hobbies? It's hard, isn't it!

We're going to cut down our Christmas tree next Sunday (weather permitting of course) and I will certainly post news of that adventure afterwards. I love December, I really, really do! Especially days like today - I'm still in my (new) pyjamas and am enjoying sitting inside where it's warm watching the snow fall silently outside. It's truly perfect and I'm happy to be getting my snow fix before moving to England - the land of (practically) no snow!

Kisses.

Good news travels in pairs.

Today was a very good day for two very big reasons and a very lovely third reason.

Reason 1)
My uncle had the lump on his neck removed today and contrary to what the doctors thought before, this WAS the primary cancer which means they think they've gotten it all out. The doctors will have to run a few more tests and determine if he needs more surgery or any other treatment, but so far so good. He is spending tonight in hospital but goes home tomorrow morning, a much happier and relieved man. And aren't we all relieved... P H E W! He's not in the clear just yet, but me-oh-my he's a hell of a lot closer than we thought he was just yesterday.

Reason 2)
When I got home from the hospital I had an email waiting for me that contained six lovely little words: Your entry clearance has been issued. The brutal waiting game and the incessant form filling out and such is all over... well, nearly over as I have to wait for the mail man to bring me back my passport and documents. But now I can start to plan the next stage of my life with a little more zeal. I think I will stick around Toronto for Christmas, but with my visa in hand I should be able to leave anytime after 3 December if a job offer comes rolling in before the holidays. Yipee!!! London, here I come.


And reason 3)
For the first time this season, Toronto is covered in a beautiful blanket of white snow. It is the perfect snow for walking, for building snowmen, or just for looking at from inside of a warm house with a mug of hot cider. I often forget just how much the first snowfall warms my heart. This is one of those very special moments that comes just once a year, and I am so happy to be home for it again.

Today, November 19 2008 (I realise it's into the wee hours of the 20th but I have yet to go to sleep) has been, officially, the best day of the year.

visa refused

No visa for me.
No England for me right now.

I don't want to go into too much detail - it was refused based on me not having the money in my account for three months prior to applying. The same damn rule I've been talking about for a couple months now. It's infuriating but I understand and appreciate rules for what they are.

That being said, I now have what I can only imagine will be an unbearable six weeks of not spending money, not working, not doing anything (oh wait, I WILL be working out every day now as a sort of punishment/motivational factor). And at the end of it all I get to pay the absurd application fee all over again and hope that they will say YES, PLEASE COME TO OUR COUNTRY AND CONTRIBUTE.

More later - I don't have the mental capacity to write anything else now.

work, work, work

Just about to head in to work for my third shift since returning home. It's been nice to see everyone in the shop and good to be doing something out of the house, but I must admit I am not happy to be back at work for the most part. My knees have been troubling me a lot since the start of February and standing for eight hours a day, walking up and down stairs, and bending/squatting down to reach books on lower shelves surely isn't helping them any. I am still trying to sort out what to do with myself for the next six or seven months, because ideally I would like to make my big move (aka THE BIG PLAN) in October. Of course, that is all dependent on how soon I get myself a job that pays at least double what I'm making now (which, trust me, isn't going to be too hard considering my wee salary at the moment) and on how motivated I am to stick to my guns.

This time, I think I am more than ready to get out of here and should be able to follow any path necessary to get there. Hopefully by the end of next week I'll have some new job prospects on the horizon. Wish me luck.

38 for the start of 2008

Stolen, nay borrowed, from Nicole... To sum up 2007 and bring in 2008.

1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
I went crab and lobster fishing in the English Channel - true, I didn't do any of the hard work, but I was on the boat before 8am in February... brrr (but I'd do it again in a heartbeat)

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't really make resolutions, but I do try to make changes every so often (as any of you who have read my blog before should know)... in 2007 I made a promise to be more honest about my feelings and to put myself first. It wasn't as easy as I had hoped it would be to do those things, but I am getting better every day.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My wonderful friend Anna gave birth to her gorgeous son Kofi in February. I was so sad to have missed both her pregnancy and her son's birth, but am so proud of her and absolutely adore my little "nephew".

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My granny's sister passed away while I was overseas. It all happened to fast and not being able to say goodbye and not being able to be there to send my love to her husband and children was really hard. But we grow stronger and love deeper with every change.

5. What countries did you visit?
England, Wales, Austria and the United States

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
More motivation to achieve the goals that I set for myself.

7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
15 January - submission day for fall term papers and my first big drink up at Falmer Bar
18 February - the big fishing day on the sea
3 September - submission day of final dissertations... what a relief that day was
6 September - my final day in the UK, spent in London with Jack, before returning to Canada the following afternoon

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting my Master's in Contemporary History

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not really a failure per se, but certainly something I am disappointed in myself for - I wish that I had stayed in England in September instead of coming back to Toronto.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Thankfully, no.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My second tattoo... it really does remind me every day to be myself and to not be afraid that I wear my heart on my sleeve.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My friend Rupert had a not-so-easy breakup in the fall, and though he calls his behaviour childish and immature I was and still am so proud of his honesty and his willingness to share so much of himself at such a difficult time.


13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
A friend of mine who will remain nameless.... For constantly disappointing me and for making me feel guilty in times when I was not at fault. For making me question my love, my loyalty and my heart... I am big on forgiveness, but I am not going to forget the hurt that this friend caused me anytime soon.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Food and drinks in the UK... too much booze!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
A lot of little things. Most of which revolved around nights out with the boys of Newmarket Road. Whether they know it or not the four of them made my year so fantastic. Every time I went to their house or went out with them I was happy, and being genuinely happy made me really, really, really excited every time.

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
"Heart of Gold" by Neil Young... it's always been one of my favourites, but I definitely listened to it a LOT this past year.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer?
Sadder, fatter and poorer.... OOPS!

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Spent more time on the beach in Brighton when it was sunny and warm.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Sitting on my butt in my room watching the sea from inside.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
At home with my family... just like old times.

21. Did you fall in love in 2007?
I thought that I might have, though I can't be sure just yet.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
The Office (US)

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Hate is far too strong of a word, but I will say that I lost a lot of respect for someone....

24. What was the best book you read?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Simian Mobile Disco

26. What did you want and get?
Wonderful new friends

27. What did you want and not get?
The funds and means to move back to England/remain in England.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Juno (go figure I saw it three times in theatres)

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
For my 25th birthday my fantastic friends (mostly new, and two old) filled the main floor of the Fish Bowl in Brighton - what a great night that was!

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Ending it with a fabulous job offer for a proper job.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
Longing to wear more exciting and sassy clothes, settling for whatever was comfortable and clean.

32. What kept you sane?
Reruns of Friends and Fraser... and late night gab sessions with Dina and Annie and Genti.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Steven Gerrard and Matt Damon

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
I'm not going there...

35. Who did you miss?
All of my new friends who are scattered across Europe, Britain, Asia and the Americas

36. Who was the best new person you met?
Jack. My music and club guru, who knows a little something about everything.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
True friends are hard to come by, and once you find that you have some never let them go.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
No, I don't think I can do this.... I can't think of a specific song, but it would go something like this: "What started out great, got better, and then sucked, and then it was Christmas, and now I have something to look forward to."

update - the BIG plan

i think i have finally sorted out how the international graduate scheme works and how i need to go about applying for entry clearance under it. for those of you completely uninterested in immigration rules and/or extending leave to stay as a student, disregard this post. ACTUALLY, just skip down to the bottom where i will outline my updated plan to return to the UK (assuming you're interested in that. after all, you did open this post).

so, the international graduate scheme goes a little something like this: if you have graduated from a recognised UK institution after may 2007 you are eligible to apply to become a participant in the IGS. once a participant you may work, permit free, in any type of employment you like (including self employment) in the UK for up to 12 months. the idea is to encourage people studying at UK universities to contribute some of their brain power and talent to the UK before leaving.

applying for the IGS:

if you are already in the UK AND have valid entry clearance as a student, you can apply to extend your stay as a participant under the IGS. this is probably the easiest way to go about getting into this programme, because you do not need to re-apply for entry clearance: obviously, you're already in the country.

if you have left the UK but still have valid entry clearance it is still fairly easy to apply to the IGS... as far as i am concerned. if i am not mistaken, you would just have to return to the UK within the period for which you already have entry clearance and state that you are back to complete the duration of that granted period. while in the UK you apply for the IGS as though you never left the UK and presto you can extend your stay.

if you have left the UK and no longer have valid entry clearance, which is where i stand after 31 january 2008, you need to go through a few more steps. basically if you're out of the country you need entry clearance to stay in the UK more than six months - duh. but, because the IGS denotes that its participants do not require a work permit, it gets confusing as to which entry clearance visa to apply for. the answer: PERMIT-FREE EMPLOYMENT (form VAF2). the UKVisas website has the IGS hidden in its FAQs and guidance on applying for employment based visas... you just have to poke around a bit. once you've completed this form, secured proof from the university that you have in fact completed a course, and have paid the massive 200 pound fee you should be set.

FINALLY, i made some sense out of a lot of confusion - and no thanks to the folks at the british embassy or high commission i might add.

------
AND NOW, THE updated BIG PLAN

as most of you know by now, i have only just started work... and it's part-time work that doesn't pay too much so i am not going to be able to move back to the UK before my visa expires. not to worry. i am still going over for my graduation at the end of january and, funds permitting, will stay about a month to catch up with friends and scout potential jobs.

upon my return i am hoping to go back to an old job (more information on that to come at a later date) to make some better money and get the hours i'll need to save the cash i'll need to afford the big move.

my goal at the moment is to be in england (either london or brighton area) by the end of september 2008. this goal seems very realistic to me, but at the moment rides very heavily on getting my old job back for five months or so... fingers crossed! all of this has me feeling really good at the moment and hopefully things will continue to work out.

i have my first special event at work tomorrow night: jamie oliver (aka the naked chef) is going to be signing copies of his latest cookbook for 300 adoring fans. i have no idea what my role will be throughout the course of the evening, but i am certain you will hear about it by the end of the week.

operation get me out of here: update

i stopped by one of my local pubs today to fill out an application and drop off my resume. working at a pub was a major part of my big plan, because tips in toronto are oh-so-generous if you have a friendly smile and always remember to say "i'm so sorry" when you spill something... anyway, after standing in that particular pub today, surrounded by the dullness of a friday afternoon at a pub in north toronto, i realised that is not the place for me. halfway through filling out an application for a job that may or may not even become available before january ("yea, people are coming and going all the time" according to the bartender), i told him i'd bring it back in another day once i had all the phone numbers for my references sorted.

truth: i will not be bringing it back in another day.

so, i'm back to the drawing board. well, not really. i'm still looking for a job. did i mention that i went to a staffing agency the other day and apparently made a good impression because i got a call from them that afternoon with a job for the following day. unfortunately i couldn't do it because of volunteering at the gym.

speaking of which... if i want a proper job i won't be able to volunteer anymore. if i can't volunteer anymore, i won't have a free membership to the gym. if i don't have a free membership anymore i will have to pay for one and that means signing some sort of lengthy contract which i am not too thrilled about doing. signing a lengthy contract could potentially mean me staying in toronto much, much longer than planned. and by 'much much' i mean a few extra months. BUT if i stay with things the way they are now, volunteering, working out for free, and no job, i won't have the money to get back to england - EVER!

i think the realistic goal for the big move is may/june. the vacation in january is still on and i'm hoping to make it last 3-4 weeks. that way i can make sure i spend enough time with all of the wonderful friends i have over there AND a little time with my family.

and of course, i am looking for a job that does not require me to work beyond 20 january... or one that will let me take a month off after working there only a couple months. sounds good to me.

wishful thinking or realistic goals? you decide.

*sigh*

---
in other news:
DAN IN REAL LIFE

certainly worth seeing. family togetherness, lots of love, some dancing, some bowling, and just a feel good sort of movie.

the big plan (aka operation get me out of here)

now that i have been home six weeks i have decided it's time to set out a plan for myself. this plan is one that has been in the works in my head since i stepped off the plane in toronto last month, but over the last week or so it's starting to get put to paper. so here goes: the big plan aka operation get me out of here.

step one: get a job/other source of income - without money the rest of the plan will not be possible.

step two: check results next month and make sure i have passed my MA and obtain a letter from the university proving that i have passed.

step three: re-apply for entry clearance, if the embassy tells me i can't use my current valid visa, to the UK and get myself into the country under the International Graduate Scheme

step four: have a happy holiday season and bid farewell, once again, to the wonderful people of toronto and get packed for at least 12 months in the UK


pretty simple, right? actually, i think it is. so long as i get my butt in gear and get a job RIGHT NOW i can probably save up enough money to allow me to live in the UK for at least a couple months without a job... in the meantime i am applying for jobs here and there and am open to any number of areas for work. if all goes well my ticket to london on 21 january might very well be THE BIG TICKET (meaning, the one that takes me over there to live), but if i can't get stuff together in time, or if i feel it would be wiser to stick it out in toronto a little longer then that ticket will be the one that brings me to my graduation.

either way, i'm bound for england 21 january and will post updates on how long that stay will last.

now, to make some soup.... it's cold in here.