Unpacked at last

Finally, after almost two months here, I have unpacked my suitcase (that is, without immediately repacking it in a more orderly fashion). As of today, and for the next month, I have my own room. I'm still in the house where my sister lives, but while one of the housemates is at home in South Africa, I've taken over her room.

After this month, however, it is highly likely that I will be moving out of London and closer to work, so as to avoid the cost of the train. So I have but a short while to take advantage of the virtues of living in the big city. All suggestions of things I should do while here are welcome.

A quick note about work: I got paid my first pay today, which is nice. Also, I've been seriously thrown in the deep end this week, which anyone who knows me knows is the best way to keep me quiet!!

Second day of work

Another exciting day of work. Well, maybe not, but with this heat it's good to be in an air conditioned office. On the train ticket front, it's not quite as bad as I thought after yesterday. I bought a weekly ticket today. It cost 69.60GBP, but that is for the train as well as travel in London zones 1 to 6 on tubes and buses. This means that anywhere in London I want to go on the weekend won't cost me anything extra. I had thought that on top of the 53GBP for the train, I'd have to pay 22GBP for a week of zone 1 and 2 travel on the tubes and buses, plus extra for weekend trips further out. (e.g. to visit my friends in South Wimbledon).

More on the work travel front: it took me two and a quarter hours to get home today. This is because a truck hit a bridge, which then needed to be inspected before trains could go over it again. It meant that the train I was going to catch and the one after it didn't come, so I waited about an hour for a train. I hope trucks don't run into train bridges too often. There is strike action planned on the railways on Friday, though it's not due to start until noon. This means I should be able to get to work, I just might not be able to get home!!

First day at the new job

I had my first day at Imagination Technologies today. I won't say too much about it, partly because I don't know much yet and partly because anything I do know I'm not allowed to tell anyone anyway.

I can say that the people seem friendly, I met Robert's friend, the office is like a rabbit's warren (I hope I can find my desk tomorrow morning) and getting the train from London in going to be very expensive (over fifty pounds, so about $125, for a weekly ticket, and that doesn't include the cost of the tube to get to the station from which the train goes).

Greetings from Paris

Seeing tonight is my last evening in Paris, this post has been a long time coming. Of course, there is so much to do here that posting to a blog is far from the top of the priorities list. I will post details and photos of the trip when I get back to London.

Now, I'm about to go back to my hotel to freshen up. Then I plan to head out again, have dinner, and then see if I can find any "it's the night before Bastille Day" celebrations.

Note: Photos from the first day can be found here. More will follow as I gradually get around to it.

Details of the job

For those who want to know more about the job, here are some details. It is an ASIC design engineer position with Imagination Technologies, a company I was told about by Robert. Thanks Robert! I'll be in the PowerVR team and will be based at Kings Langley, which is north west of London, just outside of the M25.

To start with, I'm going to keep living with my sister in south east London, even though the commute to work will be around an hour and a half each way. I figure it will be good to find out where other people live before I commit to somewhere.

I'm going to Paris!

Well, I've got myself a job, but I don't start until July 17th. I have a bit of spare time and so I'm going to Paris for 7 nights from this Friday to the following Friday. I've booked flights and accomodation in some hotel, so hopefully it all turns out well. I'm sure it will.

Any suggestions on what I should do while in Paris will be gratefully accepted.