A cloud before the sun

I'm worried. Again, yes. What about this time, you ask?

In a little over a week, I turn 22. For the past four years, I would celebrate my birthday at home, after which I'd head off to Leuven for a party with 15 to 20 of my friends. This year, I have nothing planned and the more I think about it, the more I realise that I will probably spend my birthday alone this year. No family, no friends, just me.

For the first time in two weeks, I really feel alone.

Handywoman

Yesterday I went round to a friend's house and helped clean up their front yard, to be specific, I painted their front yard wall. It was awesome. There's something about doing manual labour which is so endlessly gratifying.
After a long day yesterday, I got up at an ungodly hour this morning to go into work. It was... interesting. I am sure I'll do good in this job, but I doubt I'm going to last the entire two months. I cannot motivate myself for a 12-hour workday 6 days a week, and certainly not for two months. So when I hit my goal of £2000, I'll probably quit and enjoy my holiday before school starts.
Speaking of school, before Monday, I will work on my dissertation. I want to at least have something done, as the deadline is swiftly approaching and I cannot afford to fail, as it would mean losing an entire year. So that's the plan for today/this weekend (got a trip to the forest with church people tomorrow, though I hope it rains a little less). For now, I am going to the bank, as I finally got a letter sent to me, which means I have proof of address and can apply for a bank account. Win!

Kyle

Last night, I had another couchsurfer over. He technically did not surf my couch, as he had to leave at 5am in the morning and we both deemed it ludicrous to get some sleep in for a tiny little while like that. Instead, we had malibu, candles and Disturbia (which was dead-scary, by the way). There were many hints of interesting conversations we only swiftly brushed over, ready to dive in there next time we meet. Whenever that will be. Til that day (if it ever comes), I will be reading yet another blog and acquire yet another bit of taste of those places in the world I am yet to visit, eagerly drinking in every detail and storing it in my mind for further reference.

London

Went to pick up my bike in London. Was bored most of the time (as some may have noticed), but it was alright, nevertheless. However, now I am faced with a dilemma: where do I put my bike. In the 'backyard', making it a complete hassle to get it in and out every time I leave the house? On the sidewalk, where people can steal or break it? In the alleyway, where it is safer, yet still not as safe as the backyard?

I really don't have a clue. On a brighter note, though: biking to town takes me 15 minutes. Biking to work should take me about 25, which is 20 minutes shorter than taking the bus. Food for thought.

Getting another couchsurfer in for the night tomorrow, after a day of training for my work. Should be interesting - he's got a bachelor's degree in writing!

Earning big bucks

I got offered the job and gladly accepted! Basically, we work on commission, earning £35 on every package we sale (telecom-package). This means, that if we sell two a day, we earn £400 a week. But there is more: if you sell 12 packages in a week (2 a day), you get a £100 bonus! (If you sell 6, you get a £50 bonus). As I am good with words and people, I am quite confident I will be able to sell this amount of packages, resulting in a total revenue of £4000 in two months!

The downside? We work from 8am til 5pm every day, Monday through Saturday (though we get shorter days on Tuesday and Saturday). But as it is only for two months, I am sure I will survive!

Little Leprechaun

People keep asking whether I'm from Ireland or from "over the water". Though a Scouser actually said I sounded a bit scouse today. Made my day. When I told him I was aiming at scouse, but missed it and ended up Irish, he told me the memorable words:

"Just be yourself, love. Don't try to talk to someone else, just talk with your own accent."

Oh, I do love the North.

Church, part two.

My walk to church leads me through Wavertree Athletics Park. It's a lovely park, with large grass playing fields on which dogs and children roam freely. Yes mom, you heard that right, dogs are actually allowed to run around without a leash here. Last week I met a lovely lady on this path, who was so kind as to show me the way to church and turned out to be the new resident of the former church leader's house. Or something like that. It felt like the so-many-eth confirmation of my belonging to this community and place and like I wrote in my blogpost last week, the church was lovely. Today was my second visit and it just warms my heart to be in that building amongst such friendly, open and mildly crazy people. I already felt part of the group and this was only my second visit! I must say, through most of the service, I had a big grin on my face because I felt so good and so uplifted by it. It was so refreshing to hear the teachers in the front voice those thoughts and feelings I have had inside of me for so long. I knew my move would mean a new start, both in daily life as in my spiritual life, but this I could not expect. The dust has been blown away from the tepid furnishing of my life. I have found myself again. Strange, but good.

Might have to work a little on my overwhelming-ness though. Starting to scare people. Whoops.

Butterfly bushes

One of the things I like most about living where I do is that there's butterfly bushes everywhere. On every corner I turn, I am greeted by those softly swaying purple flowers, sending their scent into the wind. They remind me of my childhood, my home, those long hot summer days in the house where I grew up. To me, they are a symbol, like so many I have seen, telling me with every step that this is where I belong.

Money matters

Today I'm worrying. Worrying about whether or not I'll get the job, worrying about still not having a bank account, worrying about my phone bill getting higher and higher, worrying about my tuition fees, worrying about just about everything. But mainly about money.

The university is not giving me much information, which is highly annoying. They have informed me that the tuition fees for parttime postgrad history students will be 2961 pounds, but I have no idea how much of that amount has to be paid when. I'm aiming at earning 1500 pounds with this job (probably less), deduct rent (£290) and living expenses (£100) and that leaves me with about 1000 pounds by the end of September. It's safe to say that I am worrying, big time. I can supposedly pay my tuition fees in three installments, leaving me with £987 to pay at registration, but I think the second installment might be very well due at the start of term, leaving me with a total sum of £1974, an amount I simply will not have. So yes, I am freaking out.

Hello money

Whilst in Sefton Park, I got a call from Oratory Commerce to ask whether I could come on a job interview the next morning. So I did! The boss more or less offered me the job and told me that he already had made up his mind and wanted me to come work for them, but I still have to go to a second interview/info session on Monday before I am sure to get the job. Though I doubt I won't get it, as Alex (the boss) said, I am "made for this business". This job is a two-month long job, during which I will learn the basics of Sales and in turn teach these to another person. It is the perfect Summer job, with reasonable hours (as far as I know) and a good pay (as far as I hope), and who knows, I might stay on after the Summer as a part-time worker!

Wildlife is scary

A dear friend of mine pointed out yesterday how ironic it was that I had to move to such a big city as Liverpool to discover wildlife. It might sound absurd, but that is exactly what happened. As I said in the previous blogpost, two days ago, Julia and I went to Sefton Park. Sefton Park is a humongously huge park (2,6 km² / 640 acres) and I had been there before, but as I soon found out, the part I had been in is on the completely opposite side. So, this was like a whole new park for me. We entered the park over a sloppy swamp-like field, tried to get into the beautiful Palm House but found the gate locked and thus decided to just take a walk. On this side of the park, there is lovely water-garden with stepstone-bridges, waterfalls and lots of flowers. After being amazed by the pitoresque value of it all and smiling at some kids staring at a dog, we continued our walk, when, at a certain point, I spotted a squirrel. Now, I didn't just spot it in a tree or on a nearby branch; no, I spotted it right in front of my feet. There was maybe a metre between me and him and he was fastly approaching. Overwhelmed by the sheer cuteness of the little guy, I suppressed the urge to pet him and noticed he was coming closer and closer to my bag which held some delicious Bramley Apple Pie. Unwilling to part with my precious pies, I decided to feed the animal a winegum. Yes, that is correct. A winegum. You would think the little bugger would just let it lie there, but no, it picked the sweet up in his cute little paws and ran off to a nearby branch. As I wanted to preserve this moment for prosperity ("I fed a squirrel! So cute!"), I whipped out my phone and tried to take a picture. Alas, the squirrel was intrigued and dropped the sweet. Slightly disappointed, we turned round to continue our walk, when I saw the squirrel running in my direction. Yes, running. It is surprising how fast those little paws can cross a distance. Shoo-ing did not work, running was useless, so in total despair, I let out a high-pitched cry and threw the vermin another sweet. Alas, I threw it too far and after a short glance over his shoulder, the animal charged again. Again I threw a sweet and ran off in the other direction, hoping for a quick escape. But what did I discover, sitting on the path and then, running towards me? Another squirrel! I was surrounded by squirrels and what was more, the road ended at the gates of the closed Palm House! The only way out was past the first squirrel, who had by then been joined by a group of pigeons interesting in a piece of the loot. Desperate to get away, I stormed of the hilly road, shouting and waving my arms, in the hopes of chasing all these horrible animals away. And what'd you know, it actually worked. Relieved as I was, I ran around the corner, only to find a rat crossing my path! The thing about rats is, they are actually really cute. They are not the horrible creatures described in horror tales, no, they're fuzzy little things with a long tail which actually look a little like mice. I pointed out the rat to my couchsurfer, only to see another one leisurely strolling along the river side and taking a plunge in the stream.

We had to sit down and eat some pie after that, giving me the chance to come to my senses again before we set out to home again, dodging the rain by seconds.

Julia

On Wednesday, I waited at the busstop for my couchsurfer from Germany, Julia (who strangely sported a very funny Australian accent). After some mix-up with busstops, we finally found each other and our three-day adventure began. As one of my friends had invited us to go see a film with him and some mates, we dropped off Julia's bags and headed straight to town, grabbing a MacDonalds before starting the evening adventure, which eventually led us to the Wirral - the "other side of Liverpool", being, the part of Liverpool on the other side of the Mersey -, where I had never been before. The film was brilliant (go watch Inception!) and the company was very pleasant. We caught a bus home afterwards (after taking the train back under the river) and after the realisation I had forgotten to get the spare matrass out of the storage room, Julia made her bed on the couch and the first day came to an end.

On the second day, we decided to take a lazy day and went to Sefton Park, where we met some interesting creatures (more on that later) and where I got a very pleasant phone call (also more on that later). We then made ourselves some pasta and left the house again, this time to spend a very pleasant evening at a friend's house with a very chaotic, noisy, crowded and down-right delicious Balderdash (google it). Julia left early, I joined her an hour or so later and as we had managed to get the matrass out of the storage before we left and Julia was now sleeping in my room, we had a short chat before wishing each other good night.

On the third day, we left for the City Centre early in the morning (that is, 11am), as I had a job interview and Julia was going to spend the day exploring the city on her own. After spending our day separately, we met up again in the evening and set out for a final night on the town, meeting up with some other couchsurfers for a drink at the Peacock. Which was lovely. This morning I waved her goodbye as she left for the busstop (I was still in my pyjamas, shame oh shame) and that was the end of my first hosting experience, altogether a very pleasant one!

A lot of adventure

A lot has happened since my last blogpost. As I only have twenty minutes right now to check all my emails and write this post, I'll write a few important bullets and then write a bit more about it all later. So, here we go.

- I got a couchsurfer over, her name is Julia and she's really nice.
- I fed a squirrel and was then was attacked by them.
- I got to know my housemates better and they're all brilliant (Brenda, Mark, Matt and Wendy).
- I've been teaching Mark French, sort of. He's really good at it.
- I went shopping becauseeeeeee....
- I GOT A JOB!

More later. Love,
your Scousegirl.

Studio

Tonight I went to a 'community', being, a small group within the church in which likeminded people gather and spent an evening a week with each other and God. I joined the Arts-community, though I am still shopping around looking for other communities I might be interested to join. Tonight however, I joined Studio.

The outset was basically your average Christian gathering, with prayer, a short bible study and talking about what has been said and how that could be applied in your life. I really enjoyed it and some things really hit home, certainly as tonight was yet another confirmation of some thoughts which have been running through my mind for a while now. Anyway, the evening was very pleasant and I felt so at home, so very much like I belonged. This church is really giving me the sense of home which I felt when I first entered Ichtus Leuven, and I hope it will give me the same wonderful result, support and circle of friends. The people I have met so far certainly are really nice and though they all have different personalities, there is something in each of them which I really like. Quirkiness, humor, weirdness or just plain friendliness, each one of these people has a certain quality which just draws me towards them. I have been invited along to some more events and will do my very best to attend these and meet even more of these wonderful people.

On a side note, on Wednesday I'll be getting a couchsurfer from Germany over for two days, I am very excited about it and will tell you all about it once she's here/gone. Also, I have been jobhunting slightly today and have more or less decided I'll either look for work in a bar or restaurant around here or get a job at Tesco's, as both are conveniently located and not a bad pay. But more on that once I succeed in nailing a job or applying a little more.

Also went shopping today, very pleasant, explored the neighbourhood a little and found a lot of charity shops, in which I was sure to buy two books for a pound, a real bargain!

Now, off to bed, busy day tomorrow.

A new church

Tonight, I attended the evening service of Frontline, a non-denominational church whose motto is "Love God. Love life. Love people." Fitting into all these criteria, I decided I would give it a go and see what this church is all about. After a nice walk through Wavertree Athletics Centre park (and a little detour I made due to not knowing exactly where to find the church), I arrived in a big hall which strangely had no chairs set out. It turned out to be a little experiment they did, probably partially to safe themselves the work, but also to bring a more relaxed atmosphere to the service. And it did! Unlike other churches, where you sit down on a chair and are more or less bound to that seat, sitting on the ground made it much easier to make contact with other people, as there were no real boundaries between yourself and the others. The service itself was youthful and though I didn't really know any of the songs that were played, I sang along with all of them, largely because, well, let's be honest, the melodies used in Christian songs are not exactly hard to pick up. The sermon was quick and fierce, and afterwards there was tea and coffee, with a biscuit and even some pizza! I sat down with a little group in the sofas that were in the coffee corner and it was just lovely! Afterwards we went to pub and I realised that there were some really crazy people in the group, which I love! I had a real laugh and was invited to this art-community-thingy tomorrow, which I will be sure to attend.

I am so happy to have found this church in which I felt instantly comfortable, with fun, open, friendly people and a service in which everyone and everything can be theirselves and do their thing. Being in that church tonight made this whole move feel so right. After the room, the housemates, the shops, the friends, it was the final "yes" that I needed, the ultimate confirmation that I have at last found my home. Because tonight, for the first time in many years, I felt at home in a church, and that by itself is something of a miracle.

Wonderful News!

My dear friend Patrick told me about Megatrains, an affiliate of Megabus, which provides cheap trains all over the country. And guess what? The service also runs between London and Liverpool, which means that those wanting to come visit me who do not have enough funds to spend €100 on a trip, can now book it for €80 or less! It might not make an enormous difference, but every penny saved...

www.megatrains.co.uk (once on the website, choose train instead of bus by way of transportation)

My room

The door, with my coats and towels drying.

Next to the door, my bed and two bedside tables.

My wardrobe and Fox and Hare poster.


At the end of the bed, a small table which normally holds my laptop, and besides the bed, some drawers and my jewelery box, next to the curvy mirror (I was actually going to bring one of those to England, but luckily I didn't!)






Some more drawers with my magnetic memoboard on top.




Two large windows (the second one looks the same).


Some postcards and pictures hanging between my windows.


My beautiful mirror for which I am yet to find a way to hang above my desk.


Said desk and chair with bookcase and Fox and Hare calendar.








My central heating, some postcards on the wall and my temporary storage for my shoes and bags - a friend is bringing me a big basket from home in August.









The large windows let the sun stream in most of the day, making the blue walls light up and creating a very pleasant and fresh atmosphere. It might not be quite visible on the pictures, but between the bed and the windows, there is a lot of extra space. The room can easily hold an extra double bed, which is perfect for all the visiting friends who I am expecting over the course of the next two years!

Big bro for the win

It was good. It was very good. A big shout-out to Garf, who sadly doesn't read blogs, but will hopefully know exactly how grateful I am for the past two days.

My farewell-rose from Preparee

Step 3: Completed.

Late yesterday night, I arrived at 31 Plattsville Road. Not too sure what exactly to expect, I prepared for the worst whilst we climbed up the stairs to the first floor. The landlady opened the door and...

The biggest room ever. Seriously, this is a joke. It can easily contain two double beds and still have a lot of space around it. Bright blue walls, dark-blue-and-white furniture, a springy mattrass (which is a bit weird to sleep on but which I'm sure I'll get used to), and sadly only three plugs. But I brought an extension cord, so I'll be fine. I will take some snapshots with my webcam as soon as I can, being now on a webcam conversation with my dad and unable to take pictures. But this is my smile right now:

Step 2: Completed.

My sort-of-ex-chauffeur came by this morning to pick up some stuff, now all that's left is trash and my three suitcases which I'll take on the train. My DVDs are in the good hands of Eva, who will be coming to visit me in September, if she has watched them all by the time. If not, I fear I might never see them again... My books too, I will have to miss for a while, but as I have wireless internet and Sky (digital TV with over 100 posts), I think I will be fine.

My train leaves in 4,5 hours, which means things are coming awefully close now. Am I ready? I don't know. Am I scared? A little. Am I excited? Big time, baby.

Step 1: Completed.

I just came back from Brussels, where I checked in my bike and two big bags of stuff. All went well, it even turned out to be 6 euros cheaper than the website said - and even though it's only 6 euros, that, my dears, is one celebratory mojito tonight. Or a meal. Or three Tesco pizzas. I still have to decide.
Hmm. Now I'm hungry. Time to munch on all those carrots I bought two days ago. Step two: One kilogram of carrots to be devoured.

The last day

Only one more (full) day and I'm off. I am absolutely, completely, totally stressing out. Big time. Mainly about my luggage. Only about my luggage, actually. That it'll be too heavy, that it'll be too big, exactly how I will get it from one train onto the next and into a car, how I will get my bike back to Liverpool, all these things are trailing on my mind and making me go completely mad. I am supposed to clean up my room to get my deposit back, too, but as this stress is way too much already, I have decided I cannot be bothered. The cleaning staff will re-do it anyway, so what's the point.

I cannot write today, not well, not coherent, or literary, or with a sweet lingering savor which resonances for a good few days in your ears. Too much stress, I am afraid.

New address

Got myself a new room, from the same landlady, as its more profitable with the council tax and such. New address:


31 Plattsville Road
Allerton
Liverpool L18 0HY
UNITED KINGDOM

"You can do it!"

There is nothing more hope-giving than hearing friend after friend tell me "Don't worry, you always manage to make it through". I always seem to land on my feet, no matter what life throws at me, which is something I often forget, but of which friends never hesitate to remind me.

Working girl

I got a message today saying I did not get my studentloan, which means I will be studying part-time and working at the same time. Get a full-time job this Summer, then hopefully on to some job at the University Campus which will allow me to have enough money to pay my rent and food and I'll be fine. It does mean however that my multiple trips to Belgium are not really in the cards right now, and I will probably only visit over Christmas. I suppose that just means you will all have to come over yourselves :-)

Yes, I do have a blog, actually...

As so many people have asked me whether I was going to be "keeping a blog" whilst in England, I've decided to do so anyway. After all, one might tire of the endless stream of status updates on facebook and want to hide me, but alas, how on earth will they then keep up with what I'm doing?

So, a blog.

Moving day was the 13th, however, some logistic problems have muddled with the plans and now I'm not really sure when the move will happen. Some time around it, I suppose. Eurostar-prices are going up every day, so I should actually book now, but alas, the commitment, the commitment... The conditions tell me I am restricted to two suitcases, one item of hand luggage, and three items I can send ahead, including my bike. This means I will have to stuff my whole existence into five meagre bags. And a trunk full of books. Slightly frightening, I must admit. What about my precious DVDs? It's probably quite telling that the only thing I really worry about is my collection of films and how to ship them to the other side, but hey, they're my babies, and you would hardly stuff your babies in a box and send them away without a blink of an eye.

The town is running empty. All around, people are packing, rooms are being cleaned and fridges are defrosted. By the time I'm back from Schotland, Leuven will be deserted. Time flies when you're trying to find a free day to clean. Sometimes, before I go to bed, I take a look around my room and can hardly surpress the urge to just grab a trashbag and throw everything away. Start anew. Leave all my bagage behind and just be free. But then I think, "What about my DVDs..."