Bizonkulous

The thing that has been occupying my mind the most is housing.  It’s really not the first priority (that would be getting visas) but I’ve started spending ridiculous amounts of time combing through housing ads.  Here are some things British housing ads feature that Canadian ones generally do not:

• rents are generally listed weekly; the monthly rent may or may not be 4 times that figure
• it seems the vast majority of rentals are furnished, a major plus for us
• ridiculous overuse of the word “stunning”
• they have these things called bedsits, it means a room barely big enough for a twin bed, a sink, and a microwave.  If you insist on living in a posh neighbourhood you can get one for £150 a week.

Now I don’t know why I’ve become so obsessed with housing ads, since I’m looking for something available mid to late September, and there aren’t many of those up yet.  Nevertheless that is my current preoccupation.  I’m aware that I’m at a significant disadvantage, having no sense of where the “too good to be true” threshold lies, but trying to get over it.

As for housing on this side of the pond, it looks like things will be sorted out just fine.  Ideally I’d like to leave near the beginning of September and crash with a friend in London for a couple weeks while I find a place, but that leaves James on the hook all of September’s rent here.  Fortunately it turns out one of our friend is looking for a place in September and will need a roommate, so either he moves in with James for September and takes over the lease, giving him an extra month to find another roomie, or he moves in for September only and the lease expires and the landlady finds a new tenant herself, giving James some financial respite, and our friend another month to find his own apartment.  Win all around.

Finally, regarding visas:  there are two conditions for me getting one.  First, a letter from the university confirming that I have been accepted there, and my getting that letter has been contingent on THEM receiving my official certified transcripts; and second, us having enough money.  As for the first they’ve received the transcripts and are sending my visa letter, and as for the second James has acquired one since he has a better credit rating.  So we’re pretty well set now.

That’s two positive things out of three for this post, and on that note I’m going to try going to sleep again.