Plans

Are you the kind of person that plan your days ahead, what you are going to do in the weekend? Does it work for you? I am usually not that structured, but isn’t dreams some sort of plans or is it just wishful thinking? As we grow older, we get new dreams all the time before we make our old dreams come true. I remember one dream I had when I was young. I wanted to be a professional footballer. I was playing football for my local team hoping that a talent scout would come and see what a great footballer I was. Of course that never happened, and I probably wasn’t such a great footballer anyway. Over the years I’ve probably had lots of dreams and I still do. I wonder if any of my dreams came true.

This weekend I actually had a plan and was so excited about it. On Sunday I was going to a beautiful place called Edale with my friend Katy. Unfortunately her back was a mess today and couldn’t go. So I spent today with the people I love instead, not a bad substitute I have to say. I have another plan, but it is more long term. I want to go to Indonesia for a 2 week vacation in August/September to see Kei. In order to make that happen I have to do some serious planning. The biggest issue will be money (isn’t it always). I have just started a new job, so money will have to be saved rigorously during the next months. I have the best reason in the world to do it, so motivation won’t be a problem.

Even more long term I have dreams about more regularity with me and Kei. The how and when isn’t yet planned, but things are going really well at the moment. I bought a web cam on Friday so Kei could see me “live”. She bought a webcam as well today but we had some troubles with the internet connection so I could only see her 20 seconds at a time. I’d rather have 20 seconds than nothing at all. It was fun! Her smile is just amazing.

Tomorrow is a bank holiday both in the UK and Norway so I don’t have to go to work. I have no plans, but that means there’s no chance of failure. I am looking forward to this week as my training is almost over. I have one training day on Wednesday, but then I get to do some real work. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Mondays aren’t so bad…

I thought the weekend was great, and after a great weekend, you kind of look back instead of forward when Monday comes. It turns out, the weekend was just a little teaser of what was to come. Today was a really great day for so many reasons. I got up at 4am, texted Kei that I was awake in hope that she was awake too (We kind of talked into the night yesterday). Moments later she was there on Messenger. I was a bit concerned, because after last night I wondered if she felt better. Luckily she did.

As we were talking, she got a phone call from the florist saying that they had a delivery for her. Hehe, little did she know that last week I had ordered a big flower bouquet for her to be delivered today when she was back from her vacation (The flowers in the pic). She was so happy, and that just said it all. It wasn’t the flowers itself, but that it was from me. What a great start to a great day!

We talked from 4am to about 6.45 when I had to get to work. I kept texting her during the day, and the best was yet to come. You remember how I thought the workplace was a good place to be? It’s phenomenal now because they allow personal calls, even during work hours if it isn’t too busy. So a little after 4pm I called her up from my work phone. We talked, we laughed, we cried (happy tears) and we even sang to each other. I must have been looking like a real idiot since my workmates were still there around me, but it didn’t matter. We were so focused on each other that I didn’t pay attention to the time or that everyone left at some point. We talked for almost 2 hours…

The time flies when you are having fun. I was home at about 6.30pm. It’s been a long day, but it’s been quality all the way. It will probably be long days from now on since I plan to call Kei a lot more from now on. Can Tuesday top this? If it does, I’ll change my middle name to Tuesday :P.

Day one…

Yep, the pic is of the house I currently live in. Typical British I would say.

I got to bed at 9pm last night and got up at 5am, ready and excited about my first day at work. I ended up talking to my very good friend Rina, so I managed only to get a shower. Didn’t eat at all, but it was ok. I didn’t know when the bus came by so I stood out in the rain for about 20 minutes. I had an umbrella though, which I need to replace soon, because it’s barely keeping me dry at the moment (The weather was better during the day). The bus came and it cost me £2.50 to get to Wythenshawe bus station which is about 3 minutes away from work in walking distance. £5 per day is a bit expensive, so I bought a weekpass for £9. I can use it on any Arriva bus whenever I want for a whole week so I think it’s a good deal. The bus took about 20 minutes which is ok, but I would like something closer.

Speaking of closer, a Norwegian girl who also is new owns a house 2.2 km away from work. She lives there, but rents out the rooms. She has a couple of rooms available so during the week I will go check it out. If I like it, I might move next week. The rent there is the same as here, 80 GBP a week.

Let me tell you about the job! Well since this was my first day, I can’t really have a clear picture yet, but there are signs… and the signs are really good. Of course I compared this company to my last tech support job and the difference is huge. In my previous company they had absolutely no control, constant PC problems, and no follow-ups. This company has that and more. It feels like a real company. In both my previous jobs, it hasn’t been very inspiring, things didn’t work at all. That is the impression I got from the company.

What also impressed me was how happy everyone who worked there was. Not a sad face around. I thought it was weird. No one is that happy! So I checked around and it turns out that the majority of people there had worked there for 4, 6 or 8 years which is unheard of in a call center environment. There must be something wrong here, maybe they secretly drug the employees?

Just as I was determined to find out something bad about the place, I found it :P. Apparently Wythenshawe is a notorious crime area, the worst in Manchester according to people I spoke to. Don’t go there in the dark they warned me. Well, I guess there had to be something, yet the people there love to work there and since they have stayed so long, I guess nothing bad has ever happened to them.

And then, I’ve saved the best for last. It’s a free-for-all-party at work! Free lunch (which by the way is excellent, 3 warm dishes to choose from, lots of extras, take what you want… free soda. Oh, and the vending machines at work is free, so free tea, free hot chocolate, whatever you want. Crazy people!

Well that’s it for day 1. It can only get worse :P.

Oh, another negative thing about the job. I come home so late, so Kei had just gone offline when I came home. Time zones is an awful thing (sounds familiar). Also she gets my text messages, but I don’t get hers. Well I suppose that’s something :-).

My new place

Yeay, I have internet in my new place!

I arrived in Manchester today at 10.30 UK time, took a taxi from the airport to my new place. It’s a nice old English house. Doesn’t look like much from the outside, but inside is where the action is. I would take a pic from outside the house if it wasn’t raining so much, that’s right, raining. Now I was told by reliable sources that it “never” rains in Manchester. Pfff.

Anyway can’t let that get me down. Pretty excited about tomorrow, my new workday. Who will I meet, what will I do, Will I make it there in time? All will be revealed!

Kei called me from Thailand yesterday. I didn’t expect that at all. She never stops surprising me! Unfortunately the text messaging system doesn’t work, so we can’t send messages to each other with really sucks.

I felt a bit sad once I got here realizing I had no friends here, but then something happened. Katy, my Facebook friend sent me a text message to wish me welcome. She will call me today or tomorrow and we will figure out something to do.

So that’s my first day here. I’m extremely tired so I will go to sleep early tonight. My workday starts at 7.30 so I have to take the bus 6.30 or 7.00.

“You make me want to be a better man.”

Today I got another phone call from Manchester. This time from the umbrella company I chose. I do still not understand this 100%, but I guess I will in time. Also, Rolf, the house owner contacted me and I can rent a room in his house. 70 pounds a week for the small room and 80 pounds a week for the big room, ell expenses included. There lives a Brazilian in the house at the moment. Rolf will sell the house in a couple of months, so I have to find something else.

What he said about the company is amazing. They really take care of you there. The training is really excellent with great tools, and they sometimes send you to courses worldwide. He was sent to Russia, Iceland, Japan and Norway among others. He said that there is a lot to learn and it’s extremely challenging. How well I do is completely up to myself as they are very result based. That suits me fine, since it was the same deal in Ireland. He told me that maybe after a year you will get the hang of things, so it is really a challenge. I love it!

In the meantime I spend the days talking to Kei a lot. She will be leaving for Thailand at the time I will be leaving for England. I just hope our phones work in these countries. I have never met someone like her. It’s like in that movie “As Good As It Gets”. There is a scene there with Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt where he says: “You make me want to be a better man.” I feel a little like that, not that I am anything like the character Jack played. I am a good person, I know that, but I want to be even better.

PS! About the pic. I took it this morning as part of me and Kei’s project (Read previous blog). I look so tired here, haha.

A new beginning

Well today marks the start of a new beginning in my life. I choose to look at it like that, a new start, not that my last 30 years has been any bad, but there’s something exciting about a new start. That’s right, for those of you who don’t know, today is my 30^th birthday and I have to tell you that it has started wonderfully. I woke up with a big smile on my face. Everything is going really good right now, in fact it’s amazing. I have a new job that I will start in a week from now, I am moving to a new exciting country, I am done with the 20s (wohooo) and get this… I have a new girlfriend (It’s official as of today, hehe). It’s pretty new so I’ll tell you about it later…

Yep, I am a big believer in karma, and the good stuff is raining down on me right now. After all I have been through lately the universe owes me and so far it has not disappointed. In other great news, I have been invited to a BBQ in the south of Manchester on May 19^th. How cool is that? I simply started looking for friendly people in Manchester on Facebook and there it was. I’m really looking forward to that. I get to eat great food, drink beers, have fun and most importantly, meet new interesting people.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

The decision is…

Well it has been another exciting day, especially around 3pm when they called me from England. I was really happy that they offered me the job. That meant I had two options. Option 1: Stay here in Oslo, Norway or option 2: Move to Manchester, England.

It was a really hard decision to make. I put up lists and consulted friends and family, but in the end, the decision was mine. I chose Manchester, England. Some were disappointed by my decision, and some were delighted. I think I have made the right choice. The positive thing about the job in Norway was:

- Higher wages
- Safety/Security
- Pension points
- Don’t need to move
- Job is probably more varied and exciting
- Close to family and friends

The positive things about England was:

- Location (Only 1 hour from my favorite football team Liverpool)
- Possibilities (They have a nice office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia that is a possibility for me)
- Low taxes (22-25%)
- Low living cost
- Huge company (Shell has hundred thousands of employees worldwide, they’re not going bankrupt anytime soon)
- Climate (Much warmer than Oslo and also much less rain)

I think it was the climate thing that tipped it over and also because my team Liverpool won the semifinal of the Champions League yesterday. To be in Liverpool when the final is playing will be amazing. The final is in Athens, but they will probably show it outside on big screens with thousands of people.

So my new employer is Shell in Manchester, England. The new adventures of my life is starting soon. I will move there sometime within the next two weeks. I am so excited and happy right now! It’s a great decision on my part and I will love it!

England or Norway?

Yesterday after my exciting day I didn’t get to sleep until 5am this morning, and I woke up at 8am so I’m pretty tired. Today was also an exciting day. I had a phone interview at 2pm with the people from England. The interview went great and they will let me know tomorrow if I get the job or not. Personally I think it’s mine, and that puts me in quite a dilemma. Tomorrow is the deadline, and I have to make a decision. I really don’t know what I’ll do. I have changed my mind so many times since the phone call, and the day is still young.

And another thing, I have never had to turn down a job before, I have never been in that position. It’s great and scary at the same time. The choice I will make will be permanent and I have to live with it for quite some time. But I’d rather have the choice than none at all. Well, one thing doesn’t stop and that’s time, so no matter what a choice will be made tomorrow.

I have tried to put up a pros/cons list, but it doesn’t work for me, and I have seen at rent prices, living costs and so on. There are so many factors that ultimately will sway me in one way or the other. I just wish the path ahead was a little clearer, but I’ve been here before, at the crossroads. Anyway, back to my interesting dilemma of the day: Pint or Brown cheese

Happy birthday little sis!

Well today is my little sister Elin’s 20th birthday! I wish I could be there with her, but even though we are in the same country, we are still a couple of hours away by plane. So here’s to you sis! Hope you have a wonderful birthday!

Oh, another little thing happened today. I got offered a job here in Oslo! They called me this morning to let me know they are offering me a full position at their company. I think I was in shock, because I don’t remember all the details, haha. But I was clear enough to ask if I could have a couple of days to think about it because tomorrow I will have a phone interview with another job which is located in Manchester, England. If I get that job as well, I don’t know what I will do. I have to make a list of pros and cons I guess. Anyway, there’s no pressure on me for that phone interview now, because no matter what I have a great job!

I’m looking so much forward to this weekend, my birthday is May 7^th, but May 5^th I will go out and celebrate my 30^th birthday. It will be great! The funny thing is that my friend’s girlfriend is also 30 on May 7^th so it will be a double birthday party! Well if this post is overly positive, it’s because I am extremely happy right now. I’m flying over here. It’s funny, but if I hadn’t got a thought last year about going to China I would have never been so happy today. It’s a funny world, hehe.