Abe in London

[Abe Sargent]

Sorry that I've been away from the board of happy for a while. I turned into a lurker in the past two months, and probably will be for at least a while longer.

For those who followed my Operation: Big Ben dynasty, this may be a treat.

On Wednesday, Sept 19, one week from tomorrow, I will be leaving Michigan and the states for London. I will be getting a second Masters degree in Contemporary Critical Reasoning at Middlesex University. (code for philosophy)

I have a flat in Leyton for a couple of months and then I can try to find something else or stay there if I like it. Everything is ready to go, and now I'm going over the pond in eight days. Thought you folks would want ta know!

Goodbye US, hello UK.


-Abe

[st.cronin]

Originally Posted by Anxiety

Sorry that I've been away from the board of happy for a while. I turned into a lurker in the past two months, and probably will be for at least a while longer.

For those who followed my Operation: Big Ben dynasty, this may be a treat.

On Wednesday, Sept 19, one week from tomorrow, I will be leaving Michigan and the states for London. I will be getting a second Masters degree in Contemporary Critical Reasoning at Middlesex University. (code for philosophy)

I have a flat in Leyton for a couple of months and then I can try to find something else or stay there if I like it. Everything is ready to go, and now I'm going over the pond in eight days. Thought you folks would want ta know!

Goodbye US, hello UK.


-Abe

Congratulations and good luck! I miss playing werewolf with you.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

Congratulations and good luck! I miss playing werewolf with you.

Thanks! I miss WW and I have every intention of coming back after everything settles and I have time again.

[Buccaneer]

Wow. Will this open up job opportunities there? I wonder how you were able to quit your job and go back to school, overseas nonetheless.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Wow. Will this open up job opportunities there? I wonder how you were able to quit your job and go back to school, overseas nonetheless.

Financially able? Some money saved up, sold some stuff, some loans from Sallie Mae, a scholars award.

Had to fill out a bunch of forms. Done a metric ton (or tonne) of research.

Hardest part - finding a flat when you aren't in London. Easiest part, getting accepted into the program.

-Abe

[hoopsguy]

Congrats, Abe. Hope you have a great time over there and do well with your studies.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

Congratulations and good luck! I miss playing werewolf with you.

+1

[path12]

Have a great time, Abe! Looking forward to your WW return also.

[Abe Sargent]

Thanks guys. For those who know the area, it looks like I'll be about a seven minute walk from the Leyton Orient football grounds, so I can easily enjoy a little local football while I'm there.

-Abe

[SirFozzie]

Does this mean you'll be able to buy FM2008 when it comes out for all of us?

[stevew]

I was wondering what you thought about the Leftwich/Garrard thing, and noticed you had been absent. Good luck.

[3ric]

Great news!

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by stevew

I was wondering what you thought about the Leftwich/Garrard thing, and noticed you had been absent. Good luck.

Leftwich had abondoned the Jaguars lastyear when he opted the have a surgery despite, according to his claims as recently as a few weks ago, the fact he could still play. What if the team had needed him later, a la Drew Bledsoe? what if byron was able to come back inteh second half of the Titans game which was Garrard's meltdown game and bring us back, and then we make the playoffs. what if Garrard goes down and Byron is needed to take us the rest of the way in the playoffs? The team was doing very well at the time, and Byron quit. there was zero loyalty there.

They should have cut him sooner, and then drafted a certain Brady Quinn. Make Garrard the official hard core starter fo rhte year, no matter what al la Carson palmer and jon Kitna, and then takin it from there.

That's are my thoughts.

[oliegirl]

I think you should do a dynasty like Izulde is...that would be very interesting to read....

[rkmsuf]

Do the ants over there have an accent?

[Abe Sargent]

This is my final post before leaving in a little bit to get on that plane and fly over yonder.

Who knows when I'll get a chance to swing on by here and post again, but I Will be back!

-Abe

[riz]

London...Bad food, worse weather, Mary f***ing Poppins....London !

Welcome to the hood

I'm only around until Friday though, can't really stand London for extended periods

[cartman]

Helsinki? When did you move there, riz?

[Mustang]

Originally Posted by rkmsuf

Do the ants over there have an accent?

Just Adam...

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Mustang

Just Adam...

zing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[riz]

Originally Posted by cartman

Helsinki? When did you move there, riz?

Last summer already. I'm just back at the London office this week to work locally on-site for a change.

[cartman]

Originally Posted by riz

Last summer already. I'm just back at the London office this week to work locally on-site for a change.

Wow, so you've been through a complete winter and are willing to go back? I was there in Jan/Feb of 2004, and that was the coldest weather I had ever experienced. I found out first hand that -40C is the same as -40F.

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by cartman

Wow, so you've been through a complete winter and are willing to go back? I was there in Jan/Feb of 2004, and that was the coldest weather I had ever experienced. I found out first hand that -40C is the same as -40F.

Do bear in mind that Riz is Finnish so thats pretty much 'normal' for him ... he's probably the only person at SI who might consider English winters warm

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by riz

London...Bad food, worse weather, Mary f***ing Poppins....London !

Welcome to the hood

I'm only around until Friday though, can't really stand London for extended periods

Oi leave Miss Poppins alone

(although I agree with your view of London as a whole - can't handle large cities for any length of time)

[cartman]

Originally Posted by Marc Vaughan

Do bear in mind that Riz is Finnish so thats pretty much 'normal' for him ... he's probably the only person at SI who might consider English winters warm

Ah, makes much more sense.

[riz]

Originally Posted by Marc Vaughan

Oi leave Miss Poppins alone

(although I agree with your view of London as a whole - can't handle large cities for any length of time)

That was a legendary movie quote, you should have picked that up in no time

I like working in London but I don't think I'd like to actually live here. Hence living outside of London while I was living in the UK.

Originally Posted by Marc Vaughan

Do bear in mind that Riz is Finnish so thats pretty much 'normal' for him ... he's probably the only person at SI who might consider English winters warm

True dat. I love the "warm" English winters compared to the polar bear weather we occasionally get during winter in Finland

[Abe Sargent]

Posting this from a cyber cafe so I;ll be quick. London had its amazingly bad parts (a landlord who pulled a bait and swtich on me and virtually doubled the price on a flat I had rented when I arrived is absolutely one of the all time worst expereiences of my life) and it is very easy to feel alone with so many people around - it's odd. No one talks to each other at all. Not to say excuse me, not for anything. How do they meet people, then?

Also, Irn-bru rocks. just wanted to say that for the record. THe coke here tastes filmy, but Irn-Bru is really good, so I'll br driniking it as my ormal coke I suspect.

I'm at this flat now for just two weeks, ebcause of the whole double rpice cost, I gave my two weeks notice immediately. I'm also in Walthamstow, not Leyton, as part of the bait and switch - which isn't that bad. I think I like this place better than Leyton, so there is that.

I'm tryign to get a residecne hall room and sent out e-mails and whatnot to the acommodation office Friday afternoon. Hoping for good results there. That may be my way into a community. My housemates are all of the same nationality (Hungarian) and hang out solely with other Hungarians, only one of them will even talk to me int eh hallway or lounge.

Gotta go (again, cyber cafe, paying for the time and all that) Sree ya later!


-Abe

[Marc Vaughan]

No one talks to each other at all. Not to say excuse me, not for anything. How do they meet people, then?

Thats largely an 'english' thing - my theory is that because the country is fairly 'packed' people wise we give more privacy to people than in some countries ... hence people tend to be a little more 'stand-offish' when it comes to talking etc.

(its also why I find the friendliness in America somewhat 'fake' - in England if someone greets you warmly then chances are that you know and are friends with them, in America I find everyone is my 'best friend I haven't met' which tends to feel a tad odd because I'm used to the English standoffishness ... its what you are used to which feels 'right' imho)

PS - Please drink some Ribena for me, getting hold of it here is a nightmare

[Abe Sargent]

Whats Ribena? I'd be willing to, but frankly, some of the stuff here is gross. Jellied Eels? Sickening! That it is advertised on a street here in Walthemstow as traditional London faire? Yuck. I had no idea that Englad had such nasty habits.

Also, none of my flatmates has a toothbrush in the bathroom. I've seen them go to wash up, no toothbrush id hand. Are they bruihing inside their roos without a sink, or just not brushing at all. Ick.

Is black and gold the universal sign of a pub? Every pub in Walthemstow that I've seen has that color scheme.


Marc, I'd be more likely to believe you if I lived somewhere with a lot of natives. Walthemstow does nto appear to be a place where a lot of native londoners live. Nobody talks in English here. I'd say Arabic is the primary language of choice.

Imams talk to everybody, Arabic or Non-Arabic. They say excuse me, and hello. They are the only ones I've witnessed to do so. Maybe Londoners need a little more of an Imam in their life.

I was waiting in a queue at Middesex with maybe 12 other international students and we all ahd problems enrolling online. Other British students would come by and gleefully ask what the queue was for, looking disappointed when it appeared that it was not something they needed. One local British student even joined us, thinking that she could get a couple of non-related questions asked.

Does everybody in Britian just love waiting in line? That's crazy.

Preview - a few of these things I will also be noting in my weekly Magic article over at SCG. (www.starcitygames.com) on Thursdays look for yours truly.

-Abe

[Abe Sargent]

Guy next to me in teh Cyber Cafe is listening to Depeche Mode. Don;t think I've ever heard someone I didn;t know just listening to Depeche Mode. That's awesome.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by Anxiety

Also, none of my flatmates has a toothbrush in the bathroom. I've seen them go to wash up, no toothbrush id hand. Are they bruihing inside their roos without a sink, or just not brushing at all. Ick.

Ah yes, those wonderful British teeth.

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by Anxiety

Guy next to me in teh Cyber Cafe is listening to Depeche Mode. Don;t think I've ever heard someone I didn;t know just listening to Depeche Mode. That's awesome.

I think you'll end up hanging out with other ex-pats. That's the way things seem to go. Good luck, I'm sure everything will work out.

[StarBuck]

I'm reading your thread with such interest. Hopefully you will consider it your online travel journal.

I loved in London for a summer, went to drama school for that time. I stayed in Parson's Green in Chelsea and the school was in Kensington. I lived with a family and it was terrible. They were so unfriendly. They had daughters my own age and would have parties and let me know not to be home or to stay in my room.

I loved the food though,especially the dairy products, they have a completely different taste, very rich, and I loved the city itself. Compared to NYC it was clean, easy to get around and it's history was interesting. The people were 50/50. The men were friendly and the women I found very unfriendly. So, if I had been a guy, I would have experienced everyone to be unfriendly.

The British can't be as unfriendly as eastern Europeans though. Wow.

Friendliest people I ever met were the Irish. Very friendly, warm people.

[Abe Sargent]

London is totally better than NYC, I agree about that.

I had Ribena last night - that's very potent tasting stuff - very strong. Not for me, but I can see why people like it at least.

Irn-Bru is something you can have too much of as well. I'm trying out some new drinks and currently I;m fond of Mirinda. I can only find it in Walthemstow and it has foreign lettering, so I'm not sure how domestic it is, but as a tangerine-orange-ish cola, it suits.

I'm currently in the basement of the campus library. The campus is out in the countryside it seems, despite being in London. There's flat grass as far as the eye can see, and a treeline in the distance. Crazy.

Still no wireless at my flat or at the campus student union. At least I have this for now.

I am still considering going home, to be frank. There is still too much in the air, especially housing. If I get this residence hall at Wood Green, I'll stay, but if I don't, I really don;t want to be spending all of my time in London worrying about there I will be staying the next month, if that makes sense - going from lease to lease like a moth failing to decide on a flame. I'm in a much better mood than I was on Thursday when I arrived. At the beginning of that day, i was all, Yay London! Then I became very upset as the day was a disaster.

Now on a cool Monday morning, those emotions are gone, but also a lot of the glow of London from afar is gone as well. i see London for what it really is. Now I need to see if I can even stay.

No e-mail yet from the on campus Accommodation office returning my query about space at Wood Green.

-Abe

[Abe Sargent]

I looked down and saw that only 8 people were on at the moment and I wondered - where is everybody? Then I recalled that it's just 5 am on the east coast right now and earlier than that as you go west.

[Passacaglia]

Good luck, either way! At the very least, it'll have been a cool couple of weeks!

[Abe Sargent]

Just got some unfortunate news from the Accommodation office on campus. They are all full.

I did a search of all of the flat websites and sent out e-mails to the handfull that I can afford, I qualify for (female-only flats typically run less than normal flats in my searching experience, so when you look at the lowest prices, you see a lot of flats you don't even qualify for), and that are feasibly close to where I need to be, with the ability to waffle on that last one a bit.

If I cannot find accommodation, and quickly, it looks very dim for Abe.

[DaddyTorgo]

abe...i might be able to talk to a friend over there and see if she knows anyone, etc. etc.

let me send an email out for ya

[Abe Sargent]

Thanks buddy. Saw someone with an open flat here in walthemstow, so I sent out an e-mail to see if we can hook up. Got a couple of nos yesterday fromthe contacts I sent out. Still waiting on another three or four to get back to me, but they don;t always get back to you - many get dozens of people calling or e-mailing about flats, and they don;t even bother.

[Izulde]

Rough luck on the flat search, Abe.

I've noticed here in Granada that most of the advertisements for flats specifically request a female. Makes me glad that the program I went with obtained housing for us ahead of time, as I can't imagine the hassle it'd be to try and find a place to live without any Spanish, like a few people in other programs have been forced to.

Look on the bright side: At least you know the language.

[Yossarian]

Sucks to hear you're having problems getting settled.

I've been in London now for about 9 months. A few friends have found flats through gumtree.com - might be worth a shot?

[Abe Sargent]

Sure, happy to take a look at it. Thanks.

[Abe Sargent]

Had lunch today at this restaurant called Rice and Spice. I had my first curry there a few nights ago since it is one of the places that is open a bit later in teh evening - when a lot of places have a tendancy to close down around 5 or 5:30 (the outside booths begin closing at four in the afternoon)

I told the propriator it was my first curry, that I just got into London and wanted to try it, and that it was really tasty (it was pretty good actually).

I went back for another entre yesterday and today I went there for lunch. They know me ther already, and we talk about various things. They even gave me an extra piece of chiclken for lunch today.

I found the whole experience very...American, in this area of Walthamstow. The owner's nationality?

Don't know the country, but he's Arabic. One of the few around who still dresses in full Islamic clothes and who I've seen at a table, facing Mecca and prayign with beads in hand. Very devout Arab, and one fo the few friendly faces that I've met here in London.

Yesterday I had a long conversation with an Imam who was walking past my house. Today I saw an Imam at a local Islamic Book Store with a walker, and everybody was coming up to him and talking to him like he was a celebrity. Maybe he was.


Websites are bombing out, including the gumtree one suggested above. Barring an 11th hour reprieve, I may be back inteh states on Tuesday.


-Abe

[DaddyTorgo]

i suck. just sent the email right now

[Buccaneer]

Unfortunate. The second time you leaped before looking.

[Klinglerware]

I'm hoping the situation works out here.

Have you approached your program to see if you could defer your matriculation? If they will hold your place in the program, it might be a reasonable option to think about coming back in a year. Now that you have some experience with what you are up against, a year will give you the time to generate the necessary cash and to work through the logistics of resolving your housing situation.

[Abe Sargent]

I can reapply and they will accept me. I already have a Masters so I get automatic admittance for a Masters.

I made a bad call. I didn;t apply for university housing. I thought that I was right in deciding to make my time in London aout more than just the University. That I wanted to experience London and live in it,outside of a small university setting. That's why I wanted to live away from campus.

I still understand that desire. I made an agreement with a landlord over a month prior to my arrival. had I not found anything in the next week or two, I would have taken that option.

I failed to consider the possile shadniness of the landlord, so now, instead of getting half of London in a dorm room, I'm about to get no London.

I haven;t heard abck from some of my best prospects for rooms here. Tomorrow I have an orientation for my Masters and I will go. I also have a major Magic event in London pn Saturday, and perheps I will make some contacts there.

Way life goes I suspect.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Unfortunate. The second time you leaped before looking.

Second time?

[Super Ugly]

Hey, sorry to hear you're having a rough time. As someone who's just had an unfortunate experience with a landlady, I can sympathise. With luck, something will come through at the last second.

Don't let your experience with Londoners sour you, either. Reading this thread has reminded me why I don't like the place, but if you get a chance to see other parts of the country then you'll see why it's not all bad. Just don't eat the jellied eels, and try not to drink any more Irn-Bru.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by Anxiety

I can reapply and they will accept me. I already have a Masters so I get automatic admittance for a Masters.

I made a bad call. I didn;t apply for university housing. I thought that I was right in deciding to make my time in London aout more than just the University. That I wanted to experience London and live in it,outside of a small university setting. That's why I wanted to live away from campus.

I still understand that desire. I made an agreement with a landlord over a month prior to my arrival. had I not found anything in the next week or two, I would have taken that option.

I failed to consider the possile shadniness of the landlord, so now, instead of getting half of London in a dorm room, I'm about to get no London.

I haven;t heard abck from some of my best prospects for rooms here. Tomorrow I have an orientation for my Masters and I will go. I also have a major Magic event in London pn Saturday, and perheps I will make some contacts there.

Way life goes I suspect.

I think the part about getting half of London vs no London was pretty insightful. Also, past experiences found that making contacts at events do work out.