This is gonna be a right whingeing entry. YEP CUZ THIS IS MY BLOG AND I WILL WHINGE ALL I LIKE!!!!!
Work has been a complete nightmare this week - too many people off sick, or off on paternity leave, or off on compassionate leave, or off because they have left the company. And WAAAYY too many calls - it was practically impossible to deal with, honestly! I took 107 calls on Weds (average day will be about 60-70), and I worked overtime today to help cover the late shift. Im a sooo exhausted!!! (ok getting to bed at 2am last night didn't help). But this neverending stress really wears me out. I can deal with a hectic day, but if it's days on end you get to the point where you just wanna give up. And it's unlikely to get better any time soon. 
Yeah so as announced previously I went to London yesterday to meet up with Elena and Kate. It was fun, tho it started out with stress too. I went to get my ticket on my lunch break (in the bloody pouring rain) to make sure I'd catch the 18:19 train & texted Kate to let her know I would be on time. I was gonna walk/run to the station after work but then was late leaving because of a bloody high severity ticket I had to deal with, so I called a cab... and the fucker didn't turn up! So I ran around trying to find one... and did eventually... and asked him what the time was, and he pointed at the clock tower & said "that one's about right" and it was fucking 17 past!!! So of course I missed the first fucking train (and I could've walked after all and saved £3.50). Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention that my useless piece of shit of a mobile's battery went flat even tho I'd charged it the night before!!!! (this was also the reason I didn't know the time. I'm one of the morons who never has a watch cuz she relies on her mobile, but had to have it switched off to save the battery) I used the last remaining bit of battery to text Kate that I would be about 20mins late.
Sooo by this time I was exhausted (cuz work had been hell), stressed (from racing to the station) and annoyed (cuz everything had gone wrong). But luckily things got better from then on. I actually managed to relax on the train, reading and listening to music (better than I would have managed at home, online, being bored. I actually considered catching random trains after work every day to relax... but I guess it would be cheaper to just... I dunno, go to a pub or sth). I also made it to London sooner than I thought. And turned out Kate had arranged 19.45 with Elena, so I made it before her (especially because Elena's always notoriously late anyway - and sure enough, she was this time too, but she's excused cuz she's not used to London tubes...).
We were joined by Derek, Kate's kiwi boyfriend (I never know what to talk to him about!!! he's, like, a nice bloke and stuff, but God, making conversation with him is awkward!!). It took us a while finding a restaurant, most were booked out, and we ended up at a swanky Turkish place. I had a very nice grilled salmon with vegetables.
Yeah so the whole thing was a rather pleasant experience. I did feel my usual "ok I've had enough, can I go home now?" at some point, but I think that's inevitable with me, and I managed for quite a long time. *lol* We had some interesting conversations. Aspa and Elena are both thinking of moving back to the UK (Elena and her bf are actually jobhunting). I'd love to have Aspa close again, she's great! Michiko, the 5th one out of our "2nd year houseshare" has married her boyfriend and lives in Singapore (she's originally from Japan, as the name suggests).
Yeah so that was London. I discovered again that going to London for dinner is really quite cool. It cost lots of money of course, and it means you get back very late, and is only really justified if meeting up with someone who's visiting, but heck, just the fact you can do it kinda rocks. Even if I don't like London. I also had a really weird moment (after being told about Michiko in Singapore) where I felt sorta self-conscious and inferior, admiring her for moving abroad and all that... and then thought "um hang on, I have done that too!" It's really odd how I... look up to people for doing things I've done as well, when I see myself as a failure. 
Hm anyway.
I really really really wanna move to NYC again now. Must still be because of that thread I read the other day. It's really nagging me now. I had a user from NY on the phone today (you know Amex HQ are in the WFC so we get a lot of calls from there) - he was nice and everything, but I hated him and had to really restrain myself to not shout at him "you bastard, how dare you live in NYC, it's so fucking unfair!!!" 
(it's the stress that's making me crack.) And one of my last calls today was a NYer again and he was really nice and chatty. I might make him my stalking victim (you see ever since I've started taking bank calls (US calls that is) I have been trying to find someone in NYC to suck up to so I can go visit them loads. He may be the one...). We shall see. BUT I have decided if I don't win the green card lottery (which is unlikely of course) I will look into getting a normal work visa more seriously after I finish my diploma. Jaja. 
Another decision I've made is that I really need a new mobile - after it pissed me off so bad yesterday. However, Daniel from work has offered to lend me his battery first (he had the same phone as me, but his has died completely) to see if that's gonna make a difference. Tobias suggested that too (buying a new battery, not borrowing Daniel's). I'll try that... but I want a new phone anyway. I also kinda want a portable video playing device. Like the Zen Vision (yeah yeah, iPod video blabla, whatever). I would like that. For train journeys to London for instance. Or plane journeys to Lux, Frankfurt, Stockholm and so on. But yeah I guess it's a complete luxury and I should just read a book instead. *lol*
I've run out of things to say now so this shall be the end of the entry. Long enough for you? Good.
" I actually considered catching random trains after work every day to relax "
awww
teehee
Posted by: Clarissa on Fri November 4, 2005 at 22:10
@ "you bastard, how dare you live in NYC, it's so fucking unfair!!!"
Good one. 
I love me my NYC, too. Though I'm not sure whether I'd like to live there. But regularly hang out there for sure. 
No I wouldn't wanna live there forever either. Just for a year or two, to explore it all, and experience it properly.
I would prefer to just visit it loads the way I do with Paris, but I can't cuz it's too far away & too expensive...
Ah, but you can get cheap flights to NY if you book early. I've seen some for 250+ Euros or so. That's okay, I think.
It seems like I have to go to the USA once a year. I've been there last year, this year, and I so so want next year. 
And I think I actually will visit my peeps in CT, so I'll hang out in my beloved NYC again, too. 
Maybe we can meet up, hoho.
Yeah the flight isn't so much of an issue, but staying there is, and I don't have family I can stay with. Well I do but I don't know them and I'm not gonna suck up to them to... hm actually maybe I should swallow my stupid pride and do just that. *seriously considers* (my family are in CT too... maybe yours and mine are neighbours! )
Hehe, yeah, suck up to them! Mine lives in Stratford.
http://www.townofstratford.com
I have no idea where mine lives, but Stratford doesn't ring a bell (well the one in Warwickshire does...) so I guess not there.
Ummm...
It didn't really feel like you were whingeing or complaining! If you have to work long days and then are rushing to see your friends in London, and the cab man doesn't come, then for sure you will be stressed!
I used to loooove going on the train and just listen to music and think. With all the lights and people, but by myself and not worrying about anyone. It's much much fun. When I was in London and taking the tube to the airport, it was so nice looking out and seeing all the green fields. Too bad it's so expensive for you.
I'm considering moving to New York myself! If my sister would move with me and it would be good for my career. Then you could come stay with us :).
Posted by: jimmy on Sat November 5, 2005 at 4:32 *sucks up to Jimmy* lol
Buy a PSP! It's the best available portable video playing device. The quality is just great.
Posted by: Tobias on Mon November 7, 2005 at 14:14 You're so predictable.
Too expensive. I don't wanna pay for the game console feature if I never use it.