For the past month I have been living in a flat in Cardiff of my very own. It is in an apartment block called Altolusso, right in the city centre. My neighbours are now a Tesco express, Cineworld, Nando's, several hotels and a bunch of bars down on Mill Lane. My brother is renting the apartment with me, he is pretty obsessive over things and made sure that we kitted the flat out brilliantly from the start, so the white leather sofa that came with the place is adorned with fluffy brown BHS cushions, there is a plant by the window and a creme coloured rocking chair kind of thing plus a 40 inch plasma tv. The flat is at the furthest end of the building and so we have a big floor to ceiling window which looks out toward Cardiff central train station and over the city to the valleys. The sunset you see every cloudless night is the kind of thing people drive for miles and hours to see. You do not know how incredibly lucky (and undeserving of this) I feel right now. Life has a funny way of coming right when you least expect it.
The job is going well, it is contract work, PPI complaints reviewing, so just temporary which could be renewed for another three months at the end of June, I get paid more for this than I have ever been paid in my life which is also a nice touch. Thinking of studying for a certificate in financial planning as well which will kind of legitimise my last three years of employment and ensure I can keep doing what I am doing for a little longer at least.
I am going on holiday at the beginning of July as well. First off I am going to Sheffield to meet my holiday companion, a friend from America who is staying in Manchester for a month. We will be seeing Marina & The Diamonds, then staying over for the night before being on an early train to Manchester airport, flying over to Paris for three nights, one of which we will be watching Jack White play, then going to Rome for another three nights before flying back to the UK and getting messy in Cardiff. An absolute stunning plan for a week. The next month cannot fly by fast enough.
This weekend my brother has gone back to Devon for a friend's birthday. Being somewhat new to Cardiff still but mainly due to my social ineptidude I have nothing to this weekend so am just lazing about on the sofa. The TV is on the blink, someone from Comet is coming round tomorrow to pick it up and give us a replacement, so there is not even that to watch. Chippy Lane is just a few footsteps from the flat so I will head there in a bit, pick up some chicken and chips, then a night in with the internet and some cans appears to be what is left on the cards.
Until the next rare installment x
Saturday 2 June 2012
Monday 2 April 2012
Unemployment, Employment and Housing.
After approximately five weeks it appears I am now all set up and ready to go in Cardiff. Well near enough. I now have a job lined up, starting next Tuesday, after the Easter holiday weekend. All that is left is to find somewhere to live. This morning I got up bright and early for 9am and phoned eleven of the city's finest estate agents and asked them to house both myself and my brother in a two bedroom city centre apartment. Only two obliged, we have a viewing set up tomorrow lunch time and my brother has a viewing set for Wednesday evening at 6pm. By then I will be back in Devon for Easter but if they are good enough I trust his judgement and can look another time myself. All of the others have put me down for alerts when something suitable comes up. Not a bad Monday morning's work if I may say so myself.
The past month has been pretty nail biting, after applying for several roles, initially I turned down one role in which I would be, in title, the manager of a mobile phone shop, but in practice the sole salesman in a mobile shop, then later on was offered two interviews for two more roles, both customer service, one for a nationally known gas and energy supplier, the other for an insurance company, went to both interview and assessment centres, aced the lot and was offered those, which I subsequently turned down. The job I finally took was one in PPI complaints admin, contract work initially for a period of three months with a view to being extended for a further three months, through an agency who then offer further work afterwards if you want it. Sounds pretty promising. This is a bit different to work I have done in the past and if successful could open up other things in the future, so generally seems like the right choice.
So it does seem in my first five weeks here I have accomplished quite a bit and I have certainly, in my eyes, earned a nice 6 day break in North Devon from Wednesday onwards. When I return, that is when the real stuff begins!
The sun is out again today, there are a few errands I need to run before I give myself a good blasting at the gym and can then retire home here and put my feet up in the garden for a few hours, make the most of this unemployment whilst it lasts.
The past month has been pretty nail biting, after applying for several roles, initially I turned down one role in which I would be, in title, the manager of a mobile phone shop, but in practice the sole salesman in a mobile shop, then later on was offered two interviews for two more roles, both customer service, one for a nationally known gas and energy supplier, the other for an insurance company, went to both interview and assessment centres, aced the lot and was offered those, which I subsequently turned down. The job I finally took was one in PPI complaints admin, contract work initially for a period of three months with a view to being extended for a further three months, through an agency who then offer further work afterwards if you want it. Sounds pretty promising. This is a bit different to work I have done in the past and if successful could open up other things in the future, so generally seems like the right choice.
So it does seem in my first five weeks here I have accomplished quite a bit and I have certainly, in my eyes, earned a nice 6 day break in North Devon from Wednesday onwards. When I return, that is when the real stuff begins!
The sun is out again today, there are a few errands I need to run before I give myself a good blasting at the gym and can then retire home here and put my feet up in the garden for a few hours, make the most of this unemployment whilst it lasts.
Thursday 16 February 2012
Intermittent scribbling.
Cannot believe how slack I am with blogging.
Currently I am unemployed, through personal choice. Manchester was nice and all but it very much seemed like my world was down south and I was just travelling up north to work between breaks back home. This past two weeks I've been sat on my arse, back in Devon at my parents, collecting my thoughts and just enjoying a nice holiday whilst being a helpful son.
Next week I shall begin the big task of searching for a job for my move up to Cardiff, and the following Monday the move happens. Exciting! New chapters and all of that. I will be staying on my brother's floor until I find a job and a place to live.
Until the next post x
Currently I am unemployed, through personal choice. Manchester was nice and all but it very much seemed like my world was down south and I was just travelling up north to work between breaks back home. This past two weeks I've been sat on my arse, back in Devon at my parents, collecting my thoughts and just enjoying a nice holiday whilst being a helpful son.
Next week I shall begin the big task of searching for a job for my move up to Cardiff, and the following Monday the move happens. Exciting! New chapters and all of that. I will be staying on my brother's floor until I find a job and a place to live.
Until the next post x
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