It's got to a point now where I'll get a train to any arbitrary station in central London and just walk randomly in any direction.
Today I decided to hop on the Piccadilly line and get off at Leister Square with a notion of a bit of shopping later on Regent Street, after my random walk.
I haven't much of a clue where I am now, not that it matters. Ok, I lie, I do have a reasonable idea where I am. I'm in a pub somewhere inbetween Covent Garden and China Town. (I'm not even sure if it's called China Town in London, but that's what I call it)
The pub I'm in is called The Roundhouse and I've found it has a very worthwhile Ale called "Old Peculiar" which I'm consuming along with an unimaginative but adaquate baked potato with cheese.
They have internet here, but via one of those proprietry ISP's who have decided to do their own thing - Bulldog. I can get to the Bulldog page, obviously stored on the router, but no further.
From the window of the pub, I can see I'm on the corner of Garrick and King street. The streets are busy, but not manic like the main shopping streets which is really why I'm here. I avoid all of the pubs on the main throughfares simply because they are usually overpriced and crowded.
I can spot an another interesting pub called the Lamb and Flag up a side street which I may wonder over for a final quick pint before the serious business of shopping.
I'm was reading L4yer cake on the journey in, almost finished now and it's interesting to note the locations I'm getting familiar with in the book and also a little disturbing. It really brings home that these types of things are going on under your nose - maybe at the table opposite, or in a room above your head and your never any the wiser, which is definately for the best.
Anyway, things are looking good today - very good.
On Sunday I got turned down by WHSmith - my potential £6 an hour job vanished. I was more pissed off than anything else but reality sunk in, I'm far too overqualified and they know as well as I do, as soon as something better comes along, I'm offski without a backward glance.
Something better has come along, but lets not be too rash, I'll know for sure after 5pm today.
It's a 2 to 3 week contract for £20 an hour, normal working hours, starting either Thursday or Monday week. The client will be phoning for a telephone interview and we'll take it from there. I'm the prime candidate for the position so far, so I can't muck this one up.
I have already researched the client via their website and will spend an hour this afternoon going through my skills. I'm really hoping I don't get any curve balls here.
This would see me through perfectly into the new year, as I stand to earn around £1500 in two weeks.
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20 minutes later, at The White Lion ...
This still freaks me out, writing like this - disjointed, on the move, edit it all later.
The Lamb & Flag was the size of a small pocket hanky and crowded, so I ducked and dived through a few alleyways and ended up at a pleasant and warm pub, The White Lion. I passed 3 pubs on the way and across the road is The Nags Head.
I think Londoners are rather fond of pubs, God Bless um.
I left my laptop installing some software while I walked and when I opened it up here in the pub, it had discovered no fewer than 10 wireless networks - most out of range now. I can see 5 from here, but can't connect to any - there's also someone with an apple within 30 to 50 metres of me, but not in this pub. I can see them as "airportthru", a computer to computer network.
London truly is a war drivers dream - actually, a "war walker" would be more to the point.
It would require a geek with the know-how to hack into the networks and either a coffee lover or a beer lover, because they are the most comfy ways of hooking in, especially when it's under 5degrees outside.
It also occurs to me that if I can see them ...
I'm on the corner of James and Floral Streets, where roads have been converted to pedestrian walkways. I'm bang in the middle of Covent Garden it would seem.
Time to finish up the pint, get some shopping in and head back to cool the head before the big telephonic interview, which reminds me of an Open Office spell check - Telephonically was marked as incorrect, with a suggestion of "Telephonic Ally" - I rather liked that, but I think I'll stick to Microsoft Word from now on ...
... posted without editing from Regent street Apple store - nice nice !
29 November 2005, 15:05
