Sunday, Monday

Yesterday I slept in a bit and then unpacked some of my things and tried to become more organized. I went shopping at Tesco, a grocery store, nearby and picked up just a few things. It is kind of hard to get settled in here at the hostel when I am not sure how long I will be staying. And, I don't want to have to pack any more stuff than I already have for when I move. This will depend on when and where I get a job, so I will just have to be patient.

This morning, Monday, I had my interview in Acton Town. This is in the same office that Kate is working, so if I get the job, we will be working together. I got up pretty early to get there and arrived over an hour early, but there was quite a few shops and things around, so I stopped at a coffee shop, had some breakfast, and tried to prepare for the interview.

The interview went okay. There were certainly some questions I could have answered better, but I felt pretty comfortable with my interviewer and it seemed like I would fit in there rather nicely. The job would be working with the Children In Need team, doing home visits, and case management sort of work. It would certainly be challenging, but good experience to have.

I heard back from UK Pro in the afternoon saying that the manager would like to hire me (all communication is done through UK Pro); however, she first wanted to know if I was "qualified." [This means that she wanted to know if I have been licensed through the UK Social Work licensing body, which is the General Social Care Council (GSCC), and the people for whom I had to fill out the intensely long and detailed application. The only information I have heard from them (this was in July) is that they received my application and fee, and they gave me a reference/registration number; however, I have not heard anything back from them and am unsure of when I will. I tried contacting them before I left the US, but had no luck in finding out anything (they do not like to be contacted for checking on application status).] UK Pro was going to tell the manager that I have a registration number, see what she said, and then let me know. So, basically I will just have to wait and see what happens.

This afternoon, I went over to West Kensington to check out the flats (apartments) owned by BUNAC. They are similar to the hostel here in the center of the city, but are two people to a room, each floor with a bathroom, and each room with a mini kitchen. The price is the same as here, too, which isn't too bad, but the rooms available right now are pretty small and the cost doesn't change with the size. Also, with the flats the rent is due each month instead of each week like at the hostel. The lease is only a month, though, so it is pretty flexible. If I get the job in Acton Town, I will see about living there because it would be closer to work, at least for a month or so. Otherwise, I will probably stay here at the hostel in Central London until I find a job.

After checking out the flat, I headed to Ealing Broadway to meet up with Kate. We walked around her neighborhood a bit and did some window shopping. We had a nice long dinner at a local pub and then I caught the Tube back home.

Tomorrow morning I am going to get my BUNAC orientation out of the way and later try to get my bank account set up. Hopefully I will hear more from UK Pro about the job in Acton Town and/or other interview opportunities, if need be.