Yesterday I went to an Italian restaurant. We wanted to have a real Italian dinner. We went to "La porchetta" in Holborn. It's a really nice and friendly place. The waitress and the manager were both Italians. It didn't take too long for us to become best friends! We had some italian red wine: 1 litre actually! It was really good. Also the "bruschetta" and pasta were really good. And finally the "tiramisu" and italian coffee. Good! I was missing all that.
After that we want to the Sway Bar that is not too far from the restaurant. Again a nice place. There were two dance floors with different music. We had some fun there for a couple of hours. When it was almost two o'clock we decided to quit. Valentina took a ride to Willesden Green and I started to wait for the N207. But it didn't took too long before I understood that it would have never come. I still didn't know why. Anyway I decided to get the first bus towards west in order to try to reach Acton with some other routes. In the bus I discovered that there a were a strike! The first after 30 years!!! Fuck! The bus drivers are complaining because for the Olympics they want them to work more but they don't want to pay them more. They are absolutely right! But the point is that people needs to get home in some way during the night and there aren't so much alternatives. So I got off the bus at Marble Arch. Still far from Acton but a little bit nearer. There I waited for the 390 and I reached Notting Hill Gate. And then I found myself stuck! Fuck! There where no more buses towards west!
Don't ask me how... actually here it's something that happens continuously... I met a Californian girl with his boyfriend: an half Finnish half Italian guy with some punk style hair. And after one minute another guy came and the minute later the four of us we were sharing a taxi to Ealing Broadway (that is beyond Acton). It was a really strange situation on the ride to Acton. Talking with this people... really crazy. I don't know how to explain the situation. It was like a movie.
Showing posts with label italians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label italians. Show all posts
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
A month later, still in London
It's been a month since I updated my blog. Really a lot of things happened and I didn't had the time to write it down all nor a little of it.
So let's start from the end.Yesterday I watched the Italy vs Ireland match. I went to Mattia's house with his colleagues. I took with me the champagne I won singing at Roadhouse, so now it's gone and I need to go there again to win another one! The evening was amazing: we had some real Italian typical food from Naples and Rome. Just to name one we had some original "taralli".
Sunday, the 17th, I went to Lovebox. It is a concert in Victoria park with a lot of artists and three or four different stages. I went there to see Mika. He was amazing as usual but he just played for half an hour. So bad! I saw also Grace Jones closing the event and some other more or less known artists. I stood up for ten hours and now after two days I don't feel really good yet.
Friday I went to Guanabara! When they told me the name I was thinking it was a joke. In Italy with my friend we usually do word games like this just to name a place that we don't remember the name or doesn't exists at all. But trust me, this is the real name of this place and it exists! It's a Brazilian club near convent garden. It's a really nice place and I went there with some cs friends. There where a Brazilian band performing at the beginning and after 11.30pm they started with the disco music. I enjoyed it and had some fun. After the disco we went to Mc Donalds just to get back some energy. It was 3am and really cold. When I managed to get back to Acton it was 5pm but there where so much light that it did look like a 9am in Italy.
I'm really starting to get busy and it' just two month that I'm here. It's good of course but it's a little stressing.
A couple of weeks ago I bought a bike and now it's more than a week that I'm going to work riding my bike. They call it commuting, but don't ask me the meaning of this word. I'm lucky because it's really just a few miles but it's all uphill. I always thought that London was plain but again I was wrong. Of course when I go back home it's all downhill so it gets really relaxing.
The job is going pretty much good. After the initial couple of boring weeks now it's getting more interesting and I'm starting to work on something I'm more used to. I'm also starting to better understand people, even if I still have some difficulties when they speak fast or have strange or unknown accents.
I was thinking about going back to Italy on September for an holiday to see my friends but I got intrigued by a colleague proposal to go to a really interesting place... I need the passport!
So let's start from the end.Yesterday I watched the Italy vs Ireland match. I went to Mattia's house with his colleagues. I took with me the champagne I won singing at Roadhouse, so now it's gone and I need to go there again to win another one! The evening was amazing: we had some real Italian typical food from Naples and Rome. Just to name one we had some original "taralli".
Sunday, the 17th, I went to Lovebox. It is a concert in Victoria park with a lot of artists and three or four different stages. I went there to see Mika. He was amazing as usual but he just played for half an hour. So bad! I saw also Grace Jones closing the event and some other more or less known artists. I stood up for ten hours and now after two days I don't feel really good yet.
Friday I went to Guanabara! When they told me the name I was thinking it was a joke. In Italy with my friend we usually do word games like this just to name a place that we don't remember the name or doesn't exists at all. But trust me, this is the real name of this place and it exists! It's a Brazilian club near convent garden. It's a really nice place and I went there with some cs friends. There where a Brazilian band performing at the beginning and after 11.30pm they started with the disco music. I enjoyed it and had some fun. After the disco we went to Mc Donalds just to get back some energy. It was 3am and really cold. When I managed to get back to Acton it was 5pm but there where so much light that it did look like a 9am in Italy.
I'm really starting to get busy and it' just two month that I'm here. It's good of course but it's a little stressing.
A couple of weeks ago I bought a bike and now it's more than a week that I'm going to work riding my bike. They call it commuting, but don't ask me the meaning of this word. I'm lucky because it's really just a few miles but it's all uphill. I always thought that London was plain but again I was wrong. Of course when I go back home it's all downhill so it gets really relaxing.
The job is going pretty much good. After the initial couple of boring weeks now it's getting more interesting and I'm starting to work on something I'm more used to. I'm also starting to better understand people, even if I still have some difficulties when they speak fast or have strange or unknown accents.
I was thinking about going back to Italy on September for an holiday to see my friends but I got intrigued by a colleague proposal to go to a really interesting place... I need the passport!
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
First new job day
Today I had my new job's first day.
I got out of the house 45 minutes before entry time. I thought that was enough to cover less than 4km (2.3mi). I was wrong: the traffic was so jammed that the bus was crawling between cars.
I managed to get just few minutes late. Not bad as a first day!
Someone was so kind to take me to my office and then my new manager introduced me to at least half of the stuff. I could be damn if I remember a name!
I watched a DVD about security. Really interesting... ok really boring! And after that I started to setup my new box with all the stuff I need to do my job. The most interesting part is that they gave me a brand new 24inch LED display. It's amazing to finally work with a screen that can hold all the windows you need at the same time! I never understood why companies in Italy keep on supplying 17inch screens to their developers: it's so stupid!
I had launch with my new Italian colleague: I was so hungry! I ate a lot so during the afternoon, considering also that the setup of all the stuff was taking a lifetime, I risked to fall asleep. Luckily the exit time came to rescue me! For me was really strange to get home at 6 o'clock. I was used to get back far later. And I was hungry again!
With so spare time in the evening I definitely need to find something like a gym. But let's wait for the first earnings to come in before spending more money: it's so weird and painful to pay pounds with euros! For example yesterday I bought some shirts for a total of 100£ that are 125€! To discover that now I will need to buy also the cuff links!
I got out of the house 45 minutes before entry time. I thought that was enough to cover less than 4km (2.3mi). I was wrong: the traffic was so jammed that the bus was crawling between cars.
I managed to get just few minutes late. Not bad as a first day!
Someone was so kind to take me to my office and then my new manager introduced me to at least half of the stuff. I could be damn if I remember a name!
I watched a DVD about security. Really interesting... ok really boring! And after that I started to setup my new box with all the stuff I need to do my job. The most interesting part is that they gave me a brand new 24inch LED display. It's amazing to finally work with a screen that can hold all the windows you need at the same time! I never understood why companies in Italy keep on supplying 17inch screens to their developers: it's so stupid!
I had launch with my new Italian colleague: I was so hungry! I ate a lot so during the afternoon, considering also that the setup of all the stuff was taking a lifetime, I risked to fall asleep. Luckily the exit time came to rescue me! For me was really strange to get home at 6 o'clock. I was used to get back far later. And I was hungry again!
With so spare time in the evening I definitely need to find something like a gym. But let's wait for the first earnings to come in before spending more money: it's so weird and painful to pay pounds with euros! For example yesterday I bought some shirts for a total of 100£ that are 125€! To discover that now I will need to buy also the cuff links!
Sunday, May 13, 2012
We are the italian mob
Yesterday I received my uk debit card! Now I feel more comfortable: I don't clearly understand way but uk people don't like money if it's not coming from an uk account... I really don't get it! But you know, they are strange people and you need to adapt to some of their weirdness. It's fair, I mean: it's their country here!
So I could finally had my mobile contract sim card with three. It was really ugly to have an iphone without a data connection because it really becomes helpful when you need to take a bus to go home and you don't know where the hell you are.
So after having my brand new sim I finally met Mattia. He is a guy from Italy. I never actually met him in person. We have a friend in common who gave me his number before moving to London. He helped me in the first days giving me some advices about how to find a room and a job.
So we went out with some of his colleagues and I had my first after work friday here in London! There were an English guy, another Swedish one, two French guys and then five italians! Actually there were more poeple but I didn't had a chance to speak with them so much to understand where they came from.
We went of course to a pub and tried to get drunk with the discounted drinks but after three of them I was still far from getting drunk. The place was really nice and big. They suggested there could some girls because near this place there is the Lorèal UK office. No luck as usual! There were of course some girls actually but not as many as the huge Lorèal building suggests to be inside it.
We staid there a couple of hours speaking about... you could say about life. Then we took a bus and we went to an italin pizzeria. The pizza wasn't bad, even if I'm not a big fun of the neapolitan one.
After that we went to a pub with a 5£ entry fee. Here in London seems to be common to pay to enter a pub on a friday night. The place was nice and not so crowded so we were also able to speak. I was tired so after an hour or so I decied to quit.
I really met a lot of new people in just one night, more than in the last three weeks I think. But I didn't know what expect me the day after...
So I could finally had my mobile contract sim card with three. It was really ugly to have an iphone without a data connection because it really becomes helpful when you need to take a bus to go home and you don't know where the hell you are.
So after having my brand new sim I finally met Mattia. He is a guy from Italy. I never actually met him in person. We have a friend in common who gave me his number before moving to London. He helped me in the first days giving me some advices about how to find a room and a job.
So we went out with some of his colleagues and I had my first after work friday here in London! There were an English guy, another Swedish one, two French guys and then five italians! Actually there were more poeple but I didn't had a chance to speak with them so much to understand where they came from.
We went of course to a pub and tried to get drunk with the discounted drinks but after three of them I was still far from getting drunk. The place was really nice and big. They suggested there could some girls because near this place there is the Lorèal UK office. No luck as usual! There were of course some girls actually but not as many as the huge Lorèal building suggests to be inside it.
We staid there a couple of hours speaking about... you could say about life. Then we took a bus and we went to an italin pizzeria. The pizza wasn't bad, even if I'm not a big fun of the neapolitan one.
After that we went to a pub with a 5£ entry fee. Here in London seems to be common to pay to enter a pub on a friday night. The place was nice and not so crowded so we were also able to speak. I was tired so after an hour or so I decied to quit.
I really met a lot of new people in just one night, more than in the last three weeks I think. But I didn't know what expect me the day after...
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Baby on board
You see a lot of funny strange things on the tube. For example someone like me sitting alone and laughing. I was looking at my name on the receipt and thinking: this guy has really strange way to write the "i". It's more like an "e". Than suddenly I understood: I spelled my name in Italian!!!! But only the vocals! Stupid boy! It was so funny and I was so tired so I laugh to cry.
Anyway the best for today was this woman sitting in front of me. She had a pin with the underground logo and a notice you usually find beside cars: "Baby on board". I staid a little bit astonished in the first place. Than I understood: she was pregnant! Oh she was so amazing :-)
My research for a room is hopefully coming to an end. I won't say anything until I have the house keys but I hope for best, always expecting the worst of course. Tonight I will sleep in this 12 beds shared room. I already met some interesting people but it won't be a pleasant and quiet night...
Anyway the best for today was this woman sitting in front of me. She had a pin with the underground logo and a notice you usually find beside cars: "Baby on board". I staid a little bit astonished in the first place. Than I understood: she was pregnant! Oh she was so amazing :-)
My research for a room is hopefully coming to an end. I won't say anything until I have the house keys but I hope for best, always expecting the worst of course. Tonight I will sleep in this 12 beds shared room. I already met some interesting people but it won't be a pleasant and quiet night...
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Finding a room in London
Yeah, finding a room in London is A PAIN!!!
First you need to find a website to look for the room. In the Internet era there's no better way and probably the only one.
So I subscribed to uk.easyroommate.com. I also paid to be a premier member and see people's phone number. Wasted money! I never had a reply from anyone on the website and really I spent quite a few hours writing messages email sms and whatever. No way.
So I went to gumtree.com as more than one person suggested to me. This is really the way go. You get the latest advertisements inserted directly from the people renting the rooms. Of course you need to read carefully and pay attention because lot of the ads are from agents. I have no idea what can happen to you with an agent but really, I don't want to pay someone to find a room I can find myself. Of course if you are busy and have a job, than it can be helpful.
Anyway I started calling them by phone. No answers! Argh! What the hell they want me to do? I felt kind of disappointed. Then after some try and fail I finally understood: you need to send them an sms! Probably they have really a lot of people calling them and they can't answer all. Probably they are working and can't answer. With text I started getting replies and now I'm starting to see (or viewing as they say) some rooms. Yesterday I went to see a room near Elephant and Castle. Ok not so near depending if you consider 20 minutes walk "near". The house outside and also the area itself wasn't something you call nice. Anyway the flat and the room inside where really nice and also the landlord was really a kind person.
Today I'm going to see some others rooms and then I will decide. Booking an hostel here during the weekends seems something like a mission impossible. If I won't find a room before Thursday, I will sleep in a 15 beds shared room in some touristic area near some crowded touristic place. I really hope to not need to do this!
First you need to find a website to look for the room. In the Internet era there's no better way and probably the only one.
So I subscribed to uk.easyroommate.com. I also paid to be a premier member and see people's phone number. Wasted money! I never had a reply from anyone on the website and really I spent quite a few hours writing messages email sms and whatever. No way.
So I went to gumtree.com as more than one person suggested to me. This is really the way go. You get the latest advertisements inserted directly from the people renting the rooms. Of course you need to read carefully and pay attention because lot of the ads are from agents. I have no idea what can happen to you with an agent but really, I don't want to pay someone to find a room I can find myself. Of course if you are busy and have a job, than it can be helpful.
Anyway I started calling them by phone. No answers! Argh! What the hell they want me to do? I felt kind of disappointed. Then after some try and fail I finally understood: you need to send them an sms! Probably they have really a lot of people calling them and they can't answer all. Probably they are working and can't answer. With text I started getting replies and now I'm starting to see (or viewing as they say) some rooms. Yesterday I went to see a room near Elephant and Castle. Ok not so near depending if you consider 20 minutes walk "near". The house outside and also the area itself wasn't something you call nice. Anyway the flat and the room inside where really nice and also the landlord was really a kind person.
Today I'm going to see some others rooms and then I will decide. Booking an hostel here during the weekends seems something like a mission impossible. If I won't find a room before Thursday, I will sleep in a 15 beds shared room in some touristic area near some crowded touristic place. I really hope to not need to do this!
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