Rollin' with the punches (hyuck, hyuck)

I’m alive!

Heaps to catch up on.  Saturday I left the flat determined to get lost.  Immediately cheated by looking at a map.  Got to Trafalgar Square (which I’ve never seen properly as there was a festival on last time I was here) with no problems.  Took absurd tourist photos including this one:

Ended up on The Mall to Buckingham Palace in search of parks.  Completely missed the ginormous Green Park.  Landed on Birdcage Walk where I immediately got POOED on!!!  Happily it was just on my coat sleeve but it wigged me out and suddenly I was surrounded by tons of flying luck machines.  Got out of there quick, said hello to Ben and crossed the Westminster Bridge to meander along the Thames.

Determined to at least try and get lost, I kept darting over and into the streets away from the river but that put me on some less-than-attractive industrial blocks.  Then it started to rain and then it started to rain for real so I ended my adventure anti-climatically by taking the Underground home.

Sunday started The Great Flat Search.   I wish I could just imprint the Tube Map into my eyeballs.

This week at work has actually gotten sort of busy!  Offline rooms are poppin’ at the moment as is getting calls on potential flats every two minutes.  I started the write-up for picture schtuffs and so I’m feeling a bit better now that I have things to focus on.

Yesterday evening I attended practice with the London Rockin’ Rollers!!  I was sick with anticipation allll day.  Showed up and everyone was super nice!  I had to explain a bunch of times that I was not actually on the Gotham team but took 2 rec level sessions with them.

We did about 10 minutes of off-skate drills and then spent the rest of the two hours running drills.  I’ve been not practicing for going on 3 months now so my legs very quickly turned to jelly.  Everyone was super helpful and took time to explain things to me.  I fell A LOT (like, a lot a lot) but always made sure to get up super quickly without putting my hands on the track.  I made the mistake of volunteering to jam right at the end of session which was a terrible idea because I was so tired.  I fell probably about 10 times in 2 minutes which included some stunning wipeouts into chairs!  I hope the coaches were like, welp, at least she’s trying.

These girls seem super organized and the coaches structure practices really well.  It’s clear that if I end up skating with them at all I’ll be on the B team but that’s ok because there’s so much to learn!  They asked me to come back on Thursday which I think is hopeful. 

 Inadvertently landed up on the train with some of the girls from the All-Star team and they invited me out to a Fresh Meat drink-a-thon on Friday.  I was like, well, I’m not sure I’ll actually be skating with you and they were like, sure you are, come out!!  That should be tons o fun, I am sure.

Supposed to get an e-mail in the next day which I hope will detail their assessment.  GAH!  In heaps of pain today but relishing the burn.  :P

Haruko has come back from holiday!  We went out on Monday night and stayed until last call...that’s 11PM.  They ring an actual bell and tell everyone to make the last train home…that’s at midnight!  SO definitely a bit different than the City that actually doesn’t sleep.

I should probably get back to working but I might just go to lunch instead…

And so work begins

2nd day of work at the UK office complete!

Things are in fact very slow while I transition in.  Have mostly just been sitting with the bookings girls to get a feel for how things work here.  Learned scheduling on Xytech today (which, I never thought I'd say, is actually WORSE than Farmer's!) and had a nice, long chat with the Avid tech here.  Looks like I will be taking over scheduling of offline rooms, which makes sense as we plan for the start-up of picture finishing.

Received a rather atrocious staff ID card today.  Posting it for your amusement.  Dunno why my shoulders are all funny.  Defo have an Igor 'Master' *drag* 'Master!' thing going on.  And let's not even discuss the flat-top.

Went out for drinks last night with Jamie and Mark (our premier re-recording mixers) and things got a bit ridiculous.  I am still hungover, which actually made today rather grueling!  I think those boys were testing me.  Let's see how long the American can stay standing...

On Sunday I was super productive and wrote a bunch of roller derby teams.  Got an immediate response from the London Rockin' Rollers who seem to think that I might just do as a transfer considering the brief but apparently internationally recognized training from the Gotham Girls.  That'd be saahweeeeeeettttt if somehow I miraculously got to bypass the fresh meat stage!  Going to practice with them next Tuesday and have my skills assessed then.  AAAHH!  I may or may be taking every opportunity to skate around the flat.

And in case you thought, jesus!  I hope this girl got her traveler's insurance sorted...turns out I am eligible for the National Health Service!  I pay in though work just like everyone else.  Yip!!

Now some general notes:
-there are no less than 8 different teas in the flat.  I'm not exactly sure what 'Redbush' is but I'm pretty sure I won't be trying it.
-people at work are so laughably accommodating considerate that every time they get up, they ask if you want anything.
  eg: Grabbing a tea, would you like one?  Getting a sandwich, do you want me to pick something
  up for you?  Off to the loo, shall I bring you back a tissue roll?
-I really, really, really have to stop saying pants
-Staropramen Pilsener is gggoooooooddddddd
-Today someone in the office was telling me about a date they had last night and said "yeah, but she's so proper.  What about when I shag her senseless?  Do I say 'sorry, but do you mind terribly, would it be alright if I un-do that button?' "
-Being surrounded by British people is wreaking havoc on my natural habit of character osmosis.  Imitate ALL the people!!  Sometimes I may or may not have conversations with myself in the flat in a terrible English accent.
-Sometimes I have a very hard time understanding people on the phone or even, embarrassingly, in person.  And then it'll dawn on me.  Oh, you're Welsch!


That's it for now kiddos!

Thwarted by Apple

A few weeks ago, when Apple was unable to remove a tiny piece of plug stuck in my laptop's headphone jack and I went back to the office and forced it out, I did a little happy dance.  'Ha ha Apple!' I thought.  'I outmaneuvered you.'  It only makes sense that the universe could not abide this slight and sent the Apple spirit to crush me.

Today, after waking up far too late, I set out to unlock my phone.  After having trouble even with the jailbreak process I was finally one click away from saying ta-ta to AT&T when...nothing happened.  The program didn't work and I went on an internet researching spree only to discover that my phone is literally un-unlockable on its current baseband.  Determined not to be defeated, I found a site detailing a complicated process of restoring the phone to an older OS (which changes the BB) and then tricking it with new iPhone software files while retaining the old "new" baseband.  'Ha ha!' I thought again.

But no.  I should have realized straight from the start that I bought my phone recently enough that it was always only ever running on iOS 5 and couldn't be re-built on 4.  There is literally nothing I can do until UltraSn0w or someone comes out with a hack for stupid 04.11.08.  4 hours wasted AND I'll have to buy a phone this side!

Super pissed, I finally left the flat and treated myself to Indian food, which was dee-licious!  Now I'm drinking a beer, being grumpy and opting to unpack rather than go out.

I didn't write yesterday but the only thing to report is I had a nice welcome lunch with some of the staff.  The re-recording mixers, 4 of the ADR mixer / recordists, a girl from bookings, the IT manager and I trekked over to the pub (surprise!) and Jamie was v kind and properly toasted my arrival.

A bit anxious for Monday but I'm always anxious when I don't quite know what to expect!

Woooooosah.

My 1st Song

After a botched and anxiety-fueled check-in last night at JFK, the flight over turned out to be fantastic.  My seatmates were in fact just seats so I took the rare-afforded opportunity to spread out and snore my head off.  Sorry, fellow BA 182 passengers.

Wake up and read plane letters.  Start crying on the plane because Phillip has written me the most beautiful letter imaginable.  Carly has given me an NYC snowglobe, which is obviously perfect, and that almost sets me off some more.  I have absolutely the best friends in the world and am so thankful and appreciative of everyone's utter kindness.

Customs was a breeze and the immigration officer only asked me two questions.  Bit of a mishap with the luggage trolley but then off to meet my driver!  Cinematic-worthy hilarity ensues when driver can't find the car and I secretly try and call Kristen to find out what the tipping rules are.

Driver is lovely and talkative and sends me on my way with a list of things to see and do.  Show up at main Dean St address looking like hell but Kristen meets me and escorts me up to the penthouse, but not before we are forced to traipse through the bullpen that is GC Films!  See Andy J and OF COURSE we run into JQ, to whom I sheepishly wave before disappearing into the Penthouse.

After a quick wash, the adrenaline has worn off and I am dead on my feet.  This doesn't stop me from accompanying Kristen back to the Lexington office where I am re-introduced to everyone and awkwardly hold base at Kristen's desk trying to be social.  Finally Keith and Rebecca come and Keith releases me back to Dean to have a nap.  :)

Wake up disoriented at 6PM and more tired than when I started.  Make absurdly strong coffee and am determined to be productive.  Go to plug in computer and discover that over 3/4 of the outlets in the flat don't work.  Am slightly worried that this might be my fault due to the v loud pop I heard when I tried to plug in my surge protector.  Decide non-working computer power supply must be the result of crappy adapter and resolve to go to Apple store on Regent street to buy a new one.

Memorize zee Google maps and head out into the snow only to head the wrong way on Dean St (you lie Google maps, you lie!) and get disoriented.  Quickly right matters and get to Apple store feeling proud and happy I was not run over by double decker bus.  Buy a world traveler adapter kit and get back to the flat.

Discover the circuit breaker just inside the door and am pleased to find one of the switches down.  Lo and behold, the rest of the flat works again and of course, I just bought a superfluous adapter.

I'm a bit wired and crazy if you can't tell!  Too much coffee!  Also too surreal- but I'm here, in London, in SoHo, with a crash pad all my own for the next month!!

Tomorrow will be apply for a NI number and get a SIM card.  Maybe down the line these posts will also be less verbose.  You would probably like that.

Toodles!

P.S.  For your viewing enjoyment, I am posting pictures of the penthouse.  There is also a patio, but I didn't get a daytime shot, so that'll come tomorrow.  If you all write and say you're booking flights over here now, I'd understand.  :P