Day 140: 20 weeks later...

Time flies. Today is exactly 20 weeks of London: 3360 hours, 201.600 minutes and 12.096.000 seconds. Now it really seems that I left Rome quite time ago. And I hardly realised it. Last time I wrote a post for this blog it was the end of January and now I've been thrown to the beginning of April. Lots of adventures, experiences, happy moments and even fearful instants.

February misadventure. Someone tried to mug me with a gun during one of my night walking around London. And he didn't except that I could react as I did, thanks to my Krav Maga skills learned in Italy. I sent him to the hospital: by now he should have learned that lesson.  All's well that ends well!

Second job. As I don't believe in God, I don't believe in coincidences, but sometimes opportunities are hidden where you least expect them. Thanks to English lessons through Meetup website, I got in touch with several people and I took the chance to start writing articles for a budding commercial website. Extra money is a good reason, brave new projects have always attracted me and last but not least in this way I won't lose my Italian writing skills. That's the way.

Rome break. At the end of February I went to Italy for a few days. It was great to see again my family and all my friends, but my impression was really negative. After more than three months away, Rome wasn't changed at all, in fact it was even worse. Same life, same shops, same people, same complaints: it was a distressing view. I was truly happy to leave again: that broad mood can drag everyone down and I was lucky to have the possibility to change. 

Cold spring. March went away very fast among long nights of work, great nights of fun and a really cold weather. It was sunny most of the days, but I didn't except this freezing cold in late March, so even during spring. Anyway, the weather is not a problem: after the first cocktail it's already gone! 

April is gonna be a tough month (and I even need to find a new room!)... 

Day 62: Two Months in London

Sorry. It passed a long time since the last time I wrote a post: I'm sorry, but I was not able to constantly update this blog till now. Time is money as businessmen say: it's not my case, but here in my new life in London the time is short and there are always plenty of things to do. However, from now on I will try to be more consistent: it is one of my good intentions for the coming months and for this new year! 

Changes. Since the last time I wrote (3 Dec. 2012), much changed. Just few days after that date, I found a room in the beautiful area of Wood Green, just 6 minutes from the tube station and within walking distance to all major shops, groceries stores and shopping centre.

Beautiful job. My Zara job goes on well and every day I love and I'm passionate about more and more. Organization and precision have always been two of my main skills and being able to practice them at work makes me excited: it's always nice to receive compliments for your work! Indeed, it's really appreciable the British habit of thanking those who work at the end of their shift, as the manager will always say "thank you for your time"... it's preferable not to think to the Italian comparison!

The new year began under a lucky star. I decided that, as I was in London, my new year would have to be absolutely original. So, putting aside my shyness, I went to a meetup with other 250 people in a traditional British pub in St. James's Park. Funny and amazing night: I drank good wine, I watched the fireworks on the Thames from a great spot, and above all, I talked to many people and take ​​contacts of some of them to meet them again in the future. A great experience.

My English is going better every day: movies, books and conversations with different people are helping me a lot to improve my vocabulary and my pronunciation. But it can never be enough! Indeed, one of the goals in the coming months is definitely to attend more meet-ups and meet as many people who speak English as possible, to attend an advanced class in writing and conversation and to get the IELTS Certificate with a good score. More effort and commitment in 2013.

Among many good intentions, the first one is to be more punctual. Too many times in the two past months here I've been late and for the British punctuality does really matter. I'm not talking about work, except for once when I made a mistake calculating the travel time from my new home to job place, but especially in interpersonal relationships. I have to learn to better manage my time within the next two months: this is my goal!

Two more. Finally, in addition to the previously stated goal of learning to iron shirts, there are two more good intentions related to each other: sleep less and make special every new day. Seven hours each night will be enough because sleeping more is a luxury. I'm in London, so I wish I could take the best of every day, every hour, every minute, making it special for me, thanking to still be here every time the sun rises.

Lots of ideas for the coming months. Once again, time is short, so now I need to get dressed and go out to attend the next meet-up, before it's too late.

Stay tuned! (I stole this beautiful expression to a dear friend of mine!)

Day 20: My First Pasta & My First Contract

Rain. Last week it rained only once: please stop saying that it always rains in London, it isn't true! It is cold and the temperature is almost below zero, but all days were sunny and it was a pleasure to get around. 

Finally a bit of pasta. I dreamed of a big plate of pasta from the first day I came in England and finally it arrived after almost three weeks. After being disgusted from having tasted a dish of it at the restaurant of the hostel (a strange carbonara with oregano!), finally a taste of home. In fact, the only things needed to breathe a bit of Italy were a nice house and a nice girl. And then, De Cecco pasta and basil sauce bottled in Salerno: what more could I desire from a meal in London!

Permanent job. That dish of pasta gave me the right energy to go to sign the contract with Zara. At the Recruitment Centre, there were only two other people who had part to the group interview with me. Some signatures, details of your bank account and I've done. A permanent contract with three-month trial, a dream for those who come from Italy. My dream. I will start next Wednesday: ti will be hard and tiring, but I'm ready.

Day 15: I've got a job..

Second job interview. Today, at 11.30 am I went to the store in 333 Oxford street (close to Bond Street Tube Station) for the second job interview, in the same store where I'll work if I'm hired. Great preparation and great anxiety. The song "Hall of Fame" and the Al Pacino's motivational speech of the film "Any Given Sunday" gave me the power I needed.

Italians everywhere. I arrived early at the store, trying to find out information about that place: almost all people I asked where Italians, included the recruiter for the interview. But, as usual, we had to speak English. The interview was quick: after brief introduction of myself and of my CV, she started asking questions and explaining me the position I'll take if I'm successful. It was pretty easy, except for a question: "what's your weakness?". But I tried to give a positive idea of it, and it worked.. Anyway, if I was successful I would receive a call directly from the Zara Recruitment Centre in 120 Regent Street.

And it happened. On the way back to the hostel, I avoided taking the tube and I preferred the bus to be always reachable. At 4.30 pm the call came. I'm hired as a stockroom assistant: I will work 16 hours a week with two shifts of 8 hours on Wednesday and Saturday from midnight to 8 am. And due I will be working at night, Zara will pay me double. It means: working for 16 hours and being paid for 32! Perfect! On Monday I will sign the contract! I can't wait!

Day 14: A Strange Idea of Family (Zara & Leon)

Job interviews day. I had two different job interviews scheduled for today. The first one at Zara in 120 Regent Street, at 11.30 am for a group one. The second one at Leon Restaurant, a healthy fast food chain pretty famous in London, at 3pm in a place close to London Brigde tube station. A strange day with a funny epilogue. 

Zara time. I got there earlier than 11.30 am: punctuality in London very very important. The recruiter was an young Italian gay guy that spoke a good English but sometimes he found difficulty in finding the right word for the speech. For me, it was really easy because my Italian friend Eleonora the day before explained me her job interview step-by-step, so I knew before others the right answers to all questions. Indeed, I fully studied the company website, so I was the one who answered all questions about that. Preparation is better than luck. The interview lasted almost a hour: in my opinion, I did a great job. In fact, around 5pm the recruiter phoned me back to offer me the position of Stockroom Assistant and giving me the opportunity for a face-to-face interview tomorrow at Zara in Oxford Street. Just one last step, I can't wait for tomorrow. 

Funny family idea. At 3 pm I went to the job interview in Leon. The welcome wasn't one of the best because in the recruitment centre there were other twenty people, packed in a small and too warm room. It was a really strange group interview because all candidates had to play games (like quibbles, brainstorming, Jenga) while being watched by recruiters to show their proper skills for the job. A funny way to look for employees. The best part was to discover how the restaurant ran. Leon is considerate a real family so employees have to call managers' restaurants DAD and MOM. Hi Dad, hi Mom! The managers' chief was the UNCLE and Leon's boss was the GRANDFATHER. I'd never thought there could be another different idea of family. For me, it was too much, so I left the job interview, I couldn't handle that. 

My second family. It's really amazing to find different ways of family around the world. I found one here in hostel. Some other wonderful Italian guys with whom share time, meals and days. Beers, chocolate pralines and cakes: we can't wish for better. I think I'll miss this hostel life and this way of family. 

Day 10: Room... Coffee... Job!

It's a lot of time I don't write here. I had plenty of things to do and time is very short. In these days, I visited at least ten different rooms, I applied for some jobs, I dropped plenty of my CVs in the streets and more other things. Very tiring days passed in a kind of fast motion: I usually run from a place to another one, so I have just a little spare time and I prefer to spend it with the friends I met in hostel and have a beer with them every evening.

I visited many kinds of rooms and I met many strange people. Two of them were truly dirty: the space outside the door was full of garbage and inside the situation was ever worst. Others were family house, so I would have my single room, but I had to share the house with a family with children: I felt uncomfortable since I got inside. Finally, in other cases, landlords wanted particular kind of tenant, like a vegetarian one or an early night sleeper. Mankind can be really surprising. Anyway, maybe I found a room that I really like and I even went out to have a beer with the current tenants. Next week I'll be able to say more on that. 

These days were almost sunny. Wednesday was a strong windy day and Thursday evening there was a heavy shower until the next morning. Anyway, it is very pleasant to be outside and walk: cold isn't yet so strong. 

I started drinking coffee even here. In London, there is a very famous chain called Caffe' Nero that serves one of the best espresso I've ever had abroad. It's a little expensive (1,45£, about 1,80€) but it's worth it. And this company has also a loyalty card: after nine paid coffees you get one for free! I tasted even some other espresso at Starbucks, Costa and Coffee Republic but Caffe' Nero is really the best one. 

Now I have to go... see you soon in the next post. :)

8 Days to London: CV Day & Friends

CVs and UK: mistake. Someone told me that my European standard CV wasn’t suitable for United Kingdom.  That was really a bad news. So, I had to write afresh a new curriculum. I goggled to collect as more information as I could about this new standard but I didn’t find anything really official. Finding common aspects among different models, I started it. But, it wasn't so easy as I thought it was.  At the top of the blank page I just wrote: “Curriculum Vitae”, than a guide that I downloaded showed me that I shouldn't  So, I just wrote my name. And after e-mail address and my Italian cell phone number. Now, the trouble started. 

Too much space to fill in. CVs for UK should have “Key Skills” and “Profile” sections. I really didn't know what to write in. Every guide I read proposed to use an original template: it was already hard to outline it that I was almost to give it up. But I resisted and I just decided to fill as better I could this blank page: after it I’ll take care of the rest. That part of the work was very funny: finding right sentences, associating words  and summarising information. In my opinion, I did a good work. Changes will be put tomorrow: I believe a new mind will fix any problems.

Friends night. I stood up from the chair and got dressed: it was time to go out and met all my Krav Maga friends. That was an amazing dinner and night: it always very pleasant to know people that before were just training partners.  I’ve always loved this kind of way to stay together. And as always it ended very late: travel talking usually last very long. Every word, suggest, idea I received enrich me. 

Now, I’m even more enthusiastic to start this trip. Of course, there will be difficulties but I kwon I can overcome them. 

9 Days to London: I've got a job... maybe!

Maybe today was my lucky day! I got up again late, but now I stop focusing on this problem and I tried to find a proper solution: maybe tomorrow I’ll have the first results. After spent night before watching movies online, I decided I wanted to watch some episodes of my favourite TV series, but it was difficult to find them available online. So, this morning I spent more than hour downloading TV series episodes from eMule: now I can choose among episodes of CSI New York and Miami, and Criminal Minds. I think the latter will be on my way tonight, after writing this post. I’m not afraid of going bed just after watching movie like this. Not yet.

Later in the morning I went to my bank to fix last issues about my account. After all operations done, I started chatting with the other bank workers of the room, obviously free of work. Everyone asked me to tell my story and then they gave me all suggests that people don’t like to travel usually give to fearless travellers. But one of them, suddenly, said something different. I finally found a person that had already been in London and that above all love travelling. “If you want to work there I have a solution for you” he said to me. And in few minutes he contacted two friends of him. 

No surprise: he was a pioneer. He spent over five years in London working and studying at the university about ten years ago. And now, he sent her 15-year-old daughter attending High School in London. He gave me two chances of work: night porter hotel or bar-waiter in a place in Oxford Street. Now I have to go there and check what’s the best suitable solution for me, for what I want to do and for where I live. I’ll  always be grateful to him and.. to destiny that allows me to have this meeting.

Wish me good luck, please! 

12 Days to London: 3 Reasons to Leave

The most tiring and stressful moment before departing is to gather all documents. A long work that includes the necessity to refer to bureaucracy. Long queues in various offices, like post office, registry office and other spaces always crowded of people.

I don't like to be in the queue: it's boring. And in Italy queues can take all day long. Fortunately, today wasn't my case. I've lost the pin-code of my prepaid credit card, so I needed to pay and subscribe a new card because shipping a new pin-code took over a week. Anyway, in a hour I did it. This was just the last stage of a long series of queues to prepare all papers.

Things in, things out. On the one hand I gathered all documents in my folder and on the other hand I got rid of some superfluous things, like unused electric cable, old cellphones and other broken computer stuff. I brought them to a communal recycling depot where they gather all same materials in a depository, trying to save and reuse as many parts as they can. It is a free service, but nobody in Italy seems to need it. People prefer to put all waste, whether recyclable or not, in the same bin. That's one of long list of unsolvable problems in this country. Unfortunately, there isn't hope something will happen in the next future: maybe Italy will never move to efficient systems to gather and recycle waste like in the rest of Europe.

Reasons to leave Italy are many and they concern especially job market, public transportation and mind-set.

a) Job: Italy has one of highest unemployment rate in Europe. Over 25% of young people doesn't have job (free stages or underpaid works are not included): a condition that is inconceivable in other European countries. This situation kill every wish of independence and bring people to drop the idea of living alone to remain at parents' house well over 30 years old.

b) Public Transport: at the end of 2012, Rome has still only two metro lines. That's the main difference with other European capitals. For example, Paris has fourteen lines, London thirteen and Berlin ten. A really great difference. Moving from a side to another of the city in Rome can take even half a day: no certainty about buses time transit, long waits even under the rain and stressful trips packed like sardines.

c) Mind-set: no respect for others, every-man-for-himself way of life, slyness against rules and institutions, non-existent meritocracy and favouritism logic, embarrassing politics class and bureaucracy. The list is still long but I prefer to stop. Do you really need other reasons?

I can't live in a country like this. There is no future. I deserve something better and I'll get it somewhere else.