Banking on breakfast

Cold status: recovering
Bank status: grrrrrrr

Well, nine days in and I almost have a bank account. After my seventh trip to the bank I am told that they should finally have the information they need to open my account. They currently have my passport information, a letter from the university stating my job contract length and salary, a letter from my bank in the United States, bank statements, a letter from the university giving my temporary/permanent address, and my application. You'd think all they would need was the money, but security laws passed in this country make opening a new account much more difficult than that.

I've made more progress on the apartment search, having made an offer and applied for a rental contract for a 1-bedroom place called Princess house on Princess street. This link may still work, but no promises. I looked at about a half dozen apartments, and decided that this was my best option. It is located right between the university and the city centre, so I should be able to get about anywhere on foot. With any luck, my application for tenancy will go through without a hitch (it would be the first time that's happened since moving here). Anyway, Amy can now rest easy. Unfortunately, i won't be able to move in until after I get back from California on the 18th.

I have been struggling a bit with breakfast. In the absence of having my own kitchen, I've been purchasing muffins and other breakfast foods, such as the 'breakfast sandwiches' seen here:


I am looking forward to being able to make my own breakfasts again once I have a place, as this is getting a little old. Not that they are bad, but a little variety would be nice. I also am struggling to find places that serve drip coffee, rather than Americanos (dilluted espresso). Again, coffee maker may be the first purchase I make.

Some good news related to food: local grocery stores in this country will deliver your food to you at a specified time for a small, but reasonable, fee. This is great for me, because it means I won't have to lug a bunch of groceries halfway across town to stock up my pantry (or larder).

The first week has gone as well as could be hoped, I suppose. I really wanted the bank stuff to be taken care of by this point, as I still have to get all my university payroll work done, but can't until the account is opened. That said, by the time I get back from California that should all be done, the computer ordered for me should have arrived, and with any luck my apartment will be waiting for me to move in. I've been able to get going on my work, mostly stuff carrying over from Colorado, thanks to my laptop. I've installed IGOR, a data analysis program that is favored by the Aerosol Mass Spectrometer community, and so far I really like it. That said, I haven't really tried to do anything with it. We'll see how it goes.

banking my time

So, after nearly four days in Manchester I've accomplished the following:

1. I have keys to an office.
2. I had fish and chips.
3. I caught a cold.

It has been a productive time. I am still without an apartment, though I expect that situation to change soon. I am still without a bank account, though I also expect that situation to change soon. It seems that in this country, having money does not entitle one to a bank account. More aggravating is that I'd actually be better off as an international student without a job. That's right. I would have an easier time getting a bank account if I wasn't making any money. Go figure.

Friday was a nice day in Manchester, as you can see in this nice picture I took of one of the older campus buildings.


Saturday I transported my things to a friend's flat that is also near the city center. This is my base of operations until I move in to another apartment, and it is quite a nice place. After settling in I visited two potential apartments, which were nice, but a bit small. I think that will be something I'll have to get used to. I am going to look at some more apartments before making my decision. Fortunately, there is a large selection to choose from, because of all the recent construction that has been happening in the area. The housing slump has come at a perfect time for me, and I've heard that vacancy rates are very high in most of these new (and old) blocks of flats.

Today, however, I haven't really done much besides make a few plots and generally 'potter' about and feel rather under the weather. Tomorrow should be a full day, with a group meeting, a meeting with the bank manager, an appointment to pick up my staff security card (essentially my gateway to everything else concerning the university) and then several apartment showings in the afternoon.