Countdown to London

[Frances144]

Email me (or pm me) if you need help/advice.  Although I live in Shetland now, I did 10 years ago live in London for 15 years and from the south of England.

I also know some folk in London too who might be able to help, if that is any use.

Cheers
Frances

[dolphin]

QUOTE(Mrious_be @ Sep 25 2006, 02:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

T - 6 days
Plus, i really love the historic scenery in London, it's so amazing to just walk around there.

If you haven't been to the Tower of London...GO!  The Crown jewels are phenominal. How did they ever lift those heavy Gold goblets???

[Mrious_be]

T - 5 days

Today most i did is cleaning this place where i could.
Been emptying the kitchen, putting some stuff i have left in a bag for mum, can't really take everything.
Also went back for those papers from our health insurance, it's all worked out
Brought a few little espresso cups to charity since i never use them anyway (don't drink coffee at home anymore).
I also got stuck in traffic with public transportation hehehe... i guess that's the downside of all the working going around in Antwerp.

Dolphin:
We have seen the Tower of London when i was in London with Smiley
And yes, as sooooo many buildings in London it was a great visit.
At that point we got the London Pass for 3 days and we saw about 3 spots every day... what a good price that was.
I think our climb up on the stairs of Saint Paul's Cathedral was the most amazing thing though, what a view

Frances:
Really thanks Frances.
I will let you know when i need help, i'll let TS know how it is going anyway
Thanks.

Krissel:
Would be easier now yes... but i would still like Belgium to be a part of the EU
Hmmm... would it actually be easier if Belgium was bordered to the US?
Not sure if Canadians have it that easy to immigrate to the US... or Mexicans.
I guess it depends on the political contacts at that points.
Oh well... we aren't neighboring countries so let's not thinkg about it
But hey... maybe they find a place within the US to host 10.400.000 citizens

[krissel]

I guess I wasn't as clear as I meant to be. We presently have about 30 million people who are here due to overstaying their visas or just walking or swimming across the border.
That was what I meant by Belgium bordering the US, you could stroll on over.



Good luck and hope you get some sleep in the next few days.  

[Highmac]

Hi Marcel - sorry I haven't chimed in on this earlier. Been a long week since getting back from Spain, with far too much to do off line!!!

Your Visa card should work OK in UK - we use our Nationwide Visa card in Spain with no problems. Nationwide is a building society (mutual) rather than a bank.

Check out Virgin mobile - depends how much you use your phone. I use Pay As You Go. 15p a minute for the first five minutes each day, then 5p a minute. Takes me months to get through £20. You can also pay in advance at some ATMs. Virgin mobile tariff

Must go - have to get to work

[Gregg]

Marcel, when do you have to unplug the Mac? ...or are you using an iBook???

[Mrious_be]

T - 3 days

Woooooow.....
There's no way back now... this morning I went to the "districts house" (governement house in each district of town where they assist with local and official papers and stuff) and i signed out from the residence register.
Sooo... according to belgian law I am now without an addres and they could arrest me if they play it strictly
So now i'll just have to sign myself into the register in London as soon as possible.
Feels weird
Yesterday and today were all about cleaning... well most of the days that is.
And it will be like that the next days also.
This morning I did something that was about 4 years ago, since I started going to a drycleaner, ironing my shirts that is... 3 of them
Better get used to that since I'll have to do it in London also.

Edit:
Today was the last day i cooked here as for the next days I am invited to family or friends are coming over and we'll go out for dinner.
Feels weird, already packed my plates, cups and utensils (typo?)

Gregg:
If you mean unplugging the internet, that will be on sunday (for TS) and monday morning for Smiley, and that's also when I won't be able to be online anymore till I find a way to be online in London.
My internet service will be cancelled somewhere next month, I already requested it.
They will send a confirmation letter later, when they send it over here (to this addres) our post office will forward it to my mum's addres (a service they offer here and i will request to use for 6 months).
If you mean umplugging by means of electricity... that's not really needed as i will have electricity till i leave.
I already have forms from the electricity company to fill in (there's a meter in the basement and i have to note the numbers down, those numbers will mark the end of me using the electricity here... I'll do that together with landlord).
And yup, I'm on an iBook, ready to take with me to London (he's looking out for it).

Highmac:
My Visa will be ok yes, the only thing I'll have to take in account is that i won't really be using my Belgian account, I just keep it for a while and... well also cause it has the Visa on it.
But I better realise that every purchase I do with the Visa, i have to deposit money to the belgian account (or ask mum hehehe)... but I won't be using it much, just emergencies.
I should however give my bank my addres in London since the Visa has to have the correct addres (in case they do an ID check on the card).
This kinda means that, when I give a London addres for the Visa card... I think I'll have to switch iTunes Music Store also.
For now I can only use the Visa on the belgian iTunes Store cause it has a belgian address on it, so I think that will change when i change the address to a UK one.
Anyway... I have to set up a bank account in the UK as soon as possible anyway but I won't be having a Visa that soon.

You mention Virgin Mobile....
I guess they have alot off operators in the UK
That guy from the store (neutral store offering more than one provider) mentioned O2... just another option I guess.
For now, i keep the belgian one for emergencies, at least till I find a job so i can afford a UK one.
Then again... I was thinking that when Smiley calls me on this belgian number I still have to pay roaming costs... so it wouldn't be free for me... so maybe it's better after all to switch.
But I'll look into that once I'm in the UK.
All info is helpful.

Krissel:
Aaaah... I see
"Stroll on over"... that sounds simpel hehehe... which I could do it that easy.

[kimmer]

QUOTE

This morning I did something that was about 4 years ago, since I started going to a drycleaner, ironing my shirts that is... 3 of them

Oh, I love to iron. You'll find it grows on you.

Three days! Gonna miss you while you are offline.

[Mrious_be]

QUOTE(kimmer @ Sep 28 2006, 07:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh, I love to iron. You'll find it grows on you.

 

Well I sure hope the habit grows into me cause 1 hour for 3 shirts.... hmmm.... not so sure

I sure will find internet access as soon as possible, can't miss Smiley to long either

[Mrious_be]

T - 2 days

Twooooo days left... gosh... it's getting closer
Today i spend half a day (this morning) at my mums place waiting for a person who was going to stop by to check the telephone connection to connect ADSL onto it, and my mum had to work till 12.
The person was to come between 8am and 1pm and i stayed there till 12.50 pm then went home thinking he wouldnt come anymore.
He arrived at 1.10pm
Oh well, I wasn't needed for that anyway, I did hoped I could install the ADSL before going to London but that's not going to work anymore, pitty.
After that i got some lunch and went home to clean my kitchen and bathroom.
And now i'm just waiting for a friend so we can go out for dinner, last time I will see them (friend and wife) for a long time

[kimmer]

QUOTE(Mrious_be @ Sep 29 2006, 08:29 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And now i'm just waiting for a friend so we can go out for dinner, last time I will see them (friend and wife) for a long time

Ahhh ... but think of the wonderful new life that is waiting to unfold in London for you. You'll make new friends to blend with the old friends, you'll enjoy new experiences, and you'll have fun (hopefully) doing it all.

I do know the feeling of saying goodbye to friends. I cried when we saw our dear friends the night before we moved. Our friendship goes back over 30 years ... and we all cried a little. BUT - we keep in touch via email and the phone and that's a good thing.

So hang in there, MB. I do hope you had a good dinner.


kimmer

PS: Sorry about the ADSL thingy - I hate waiting on install/repair people.  

[Mrious_be]

T - 1 day

Amazing day... I wanted to say I'm happy that it's over but then I realise that it's only one day left tomorrow... it is getting to me
You have a good point Kimmer but I still feel really weird inside, last night I was saying to Smiley that I actually feel like I was there with her and had to say goodbey again, cause I know it's going to be harder to talk to her (in the beginning) when in London.
But in 6 months she'll be there also, so I just think about that
Thanks for the reply Kimmer, nice to read it

So today, around 8am my brother came and as I promised we went to a breakfast before the big move, a nice ommelet with veggies.
Around 9am we started moving everything that was left here, except for the thing I have to take with me or the things I need for cleaning this place.
Since we had to walk down and up 4 floors everytime (no elevater) it took a while but we did it, and we finished it around 2pm.
After that I started painting the ceiling, having a huge plastic sheet to cover the rest but I still managed to spill abit here and there.
So once finished doing the ceiling, I moved everything that was still here on the kitchen floor and cleaned the entire place up.
Then while drying... I went out for dinner
And now I'm here talking to Smiley

Tonight I'll be going to sleep at mums place and tomorrow we'll having a family gathering (BBQ) to say goodbye to all off them... weiiiiiiiird....

But that's for tomorrow

Goodnight

[Larry]

I'm resident in London UK so if you need any help or advice pm me.

QUOTE(Mrious_be @ Sep 10 2006, 04:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

T - 20 days

It's sunday, so i couldn't really do anything interesting that has to do with my moving to London.
So in stead i went to mum to hang some shelves against the wall
It's so exciting thinking i'll be living in another country in 21 days , exciting, but also getting abit nervous.
Although i'm trying to do alot in advance, i'm pretty sure that there will be things i haven't thought about or i could have arrange better.
Up untill now i have been focusing on moving my furniture and stuff i don't want to take to London (at first move) to my mum's basement at her appartement.
So at this point i'm sitting in a half empty studio, typing on my cute iBook.
Lots have to be moved over, i'm doing that little by little and sort out what i really need to take with me and what don't, and what i might take with me in a later stadia.

I'll be moving over on october 1st (or second).
Once there i will focus on finding a job, for this i gave myself 3 months but i'm pushing that date, and that goal is 2 months.
Next friday i'll be going to London for two days (one night at a hotel) to check out choices i'll have gathered upon then for flats/house shares.
This means that i'll be renting a room in a flat or house form someone, and i will have a shared bathroom and kitchen.
It's amazing what options you have with that in London, people are doing this cause they know the rent is pretty high in London.

I'll add more information from day to day now.

[Mrious_be]

QUOTE(Larry @ Sep 30 2006, 09:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm resident in London UK so if you need any help or advice pm me.

Hi Larry

Thanks for the offer, I gladly accept it in case I really need some help in London.
One thing I haven't really been able to check out is if London libraries really do offer free (wireless) internet?
I thought I read once they do but not to sure anymore about it.

Thanks again

[kimmer]

QUOTE

But in 6 months she'll be there also, so I just think about that

Wonderful!!!!!!!! This is a special dream for you both to hold onto, and I'm very happy for you two.

QUOTE

Tonight I'll be going to sleep at mums place and tomorrow we'll having a family gathering (BBQ) to say goodbye to all off them... weiiiiiiiird....

When my immediate family moved from Illinois to California, we had a 2 big family BBQ's. They were both joyous and sad, but they remain special memories for me. So I hope you enjoy your time with your family. Just think, eventually they will come visit you  and you will be able to show them the sights and sounds of London as only a "Londoner" can do.

I wish you the best, and look forward to you finding time/place to drop in and let us know how things are going.

kimmer