Monday Aug 20th: Induction to the UK

Moved our stuff out of the hotel and into the apartment!  Took the bus to Bradford Academy for "induction" with the recruiters who hired us to get outstanding paperwork sorted out and get oriented to living in the UK.

(Most) people don't file annual tax forms?  Contracted workers can go through "Umbrella companies" who do the complex accounting for you to make sure you get the maximum pay possible every payroll.  It's essentially claiming back tax every payroll.  Apparently non-UK nationals can claim things like flights, transportation, rent, and even subsistence. 

We're finding out that without a bank account you can't sign up for a monthly phone plan.  Without an address you can't sign up for a bank account.  Without a phone you can't contact the flat rental agencies.  Without Internet you are also screwed for finding directions to places, like all your scheduled flat viewings.

=/

Then my apartment mates (the three girls who signed up for apartments on Saturday in the same building even if none of their respective housemates had arrived) and I went to IKEA.  Unfortunately it's a fair way away and not easily accessible by bus so I'll have to wait for another group to take a trip there to return something I bought for a ridiculous price and get myself a desk.

At the IKEA, we had dinner and I had a side of peas with my vegetarian dish (no idea what it was called but it was the only other option to the Swedish Meatballs).  Risk-eh!  But it was not bad.  If you know me, I hate peas.  Or, I'd only eat the ones at camp because they were boiled and they made you eat them and they weren't so bad.  The ones at home (or the Green Giant ones) are pasty or grandma/dad would fry them in rice and they'd be all shrivelled and gross.  My yahoo ID that I created when I was like 12 was "monsterpeas".  And the British love peas, especially "mushy peas", whatever that is!?!  Hence this blog name.  So.  Please, no peas...