Hola my lovelys! How art thou on this miserable Sunday? With the wind howling, rain slashing at the windows, I'd much rather be in bed. With a cup of tea. And a smutty book. Alas, I am at my new job, sitting at a desk. With a cup of tea. And a smutty book. So 2 out of 3 ain't bad, I suppose.
How's the new job going you ask? Not terrible. And I know that doesn't sound very confidence inducing, but I am pretty happy at the moment. It's a strenuous account that I am currently working on (most of the country hates us), but I am really thankful for all the support given here. The people are fantastic as well. I've made so many good friends in this short time and I know that these are friends for life. And if they aren't, well, it was a helluva fun time while it lasted.
The job itself is on the phones for a utilities company that most of the country is having a FIT about because they are introducing charges for something they've never had to pay for before. But with the country growing, and a generation of entitled people, there was such a deficit, something had to change. And really, guys, it's 2015. Time to catch up to the rest of the world who have to pay.
But I think the customers are the most frustrating thing about this job. Like any customer service role, you get the WHOLE spectrum of people. Some are amazing, who literally invite you over for tea the next time you are near their house for helping you. And some...well...leave something to be desired. I work for a water company now and some of the things people have said to me are outstanding. The one that sticks out in my mind the most is that "people in Africa get better supply than us." Uh, Sir? I BEG to differ. I mean, you are more than welcome to go there and see for yourself first hand how "great" there water supply is in most places. Cop on dude. I know it's frustrating that there is an UNPLANNED outage in your area due to a BURST water main, but seriously? Use your effing brain. I know Ireland still has a lot of lead pipes, but really.
The actual job itself is fine. I work in what's called the Networks Department. My job is to handle any issues not pertaining to a bill. Discoloured water? Call me! No water? You've got my number! Blockage on the sewer line? Ring Ring Ring Hello? I can certainly raise a case wtih your local water department, John, in regards to your issue. See? Not the worst job. It's really difficult, though, when there is nothing you can do further for a customer as it is private side issue.
Overall, it's going ok. I think I can be very happy here for the rest of my time in Ireland, whether that is until March or May. Whichever comes first.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Friday, June 12, 2015
Let the adventure begin! PART 1
Hola, Chicas! And welcome to another exciting instalment of Roaming Roren! On this episode, we find our heroine on a perilous journey. One that takes her off to a foreign land, crossing oceans and timezones! Where has our fearless femme gone this time? Stay tuned to find out!
As some of you may know, I was recently on holiday in ORLANDO, FLORIDA! I'm talking sun, heat, and blue skies. Ahhhh, now that's the life! Not that we had much leisure time to sit back and enjoy, but that was perfectly ok by me. But let's start at the beginning.
One of my good friends works for a timeshare company and a few months ago asked if we would be interested in going with them for 2 weeks to Florida for a holiday to do "The Park Experience". Disney, Universal Studios, Sea World, the whole shebang! I think anyone in their right mind would have given the same answer of jumping up and down all the while squealing out the word YES repeatedly. It was only then that we were informed that the accommodation was taken care of for us. I think I nearly passed out from sheer joy. Oh, the money we would save! (Or so I thought at the time)
As time wore on, holiday days were booked and confirmed, flights arranged, and money pinched at every penny. Except when it came to actual Penney's. We needed some new summer clothes because I knew how hot Florida can get, so we packed up our life savings and hit the store full force. Shorts, t-shirts, tank tops, bathing suits, cover-ups, sandals, sunglasses... You name it for summer, we most likely bought it. So with our new summer wardrobe in hand, we grabbed our suitcases and headed off to meet the aircoach. At 1AM.
Have I ever told anyone that a Roren on little sleep is not exactly a pleasant Roren? I suppose that's putting it mildly. We had our choice of a 1AM bus or 3AM bus. We chose the 1AM bus even though our flight wasn't until about 8 in the morning as a precaution. If something happened on the way, we wanted to make sure that nothing would stop us from catching our flight. But that wait time was a bitch. We got off the bus and headed straight through security. It was 3:30-4AM when we reached the airport and figured, let's just get through and then we can relax and chill and eat and anything we wanted really.
The whole airport was practically a ghost town, so needless to say, security was a breeze. We made our way to the waiting area and quickly realized that nothing opened until 5. Except for a restaurant that I couldn't have told you the name of if I was sitting in their booth because that's how exhausted we were. We ordered a breakfast to try and perk ourselves up. I ate everything and promptly felt so sick. Not a nice way to start your holiday. But walking around the just opening shops seemed to help.
At last, we could go to find our gate. We moseyed on down to our numbered gate, unaware of the plight that would meet us to the next airport, and relaxed again. There's no stopping us now.
The uneventful flight to London Gatwick quickly became quite the opposite as we disembarked. The gruff Englishman told us to "follow the signs" for the connecting flights. And we would have except that we didn't see any damn signs, nor was there a single soul about to ask for help. So we trudged onwards, only to find ourselves back at the security line, where we would have to re-do the process. I was not impressed to say the least. Time was a ticking, and with less than an hour between our connections, it seemed that missing our flight to the sunshine state was becoming more and more likely.
After finally making our way through the security line, time was of the essence. And we did something my mother would have been so proud of. We Amazing Race'd our way through the terminal, to our gate. Yes, fellow adventurers, we became a team from the TV show my mother will never stop watching until they cancel, as we ran through the duty free area, yelling "Excuse me!", and continuously thinking "Jesus, people, MOVE". Of course our gate was one of the last ones in the terminal and at the very end of a super long corridor. Gatwick, you are a CANKER BLOSSOM.
The Roommate and I made it with minutes to spare. Hot, Sweaty, and spent, we took seats in the waiting area of the gate. I needed something to cool me down or else I was going to go all Johnny Storm on somebody because I was on FIRE. I looked around, and my prayers were answered. A drink and ice cream vending machine. I got one of each and sat to enjoy the cool items and hoped they would release me from this pre-mature hot flash.
The boarding began shortly after finishing my delightful delicacies. We took our seats, prepared our own entertainment items, and sat back for the long 9 hour flight to Orlando. We were officially on our way.
Stay tuned for our next episode: The resort and Disney!
As some of you may know, I was recently on holiday in ORLANDO, FLORIDA! I'm talking sun, heat, and blue skies. Ahhhh, now that's the life! Not that we had much leisure time to sit back and enjoy, but that was perfectly ok by me. But let's start at the beginning.
One of my good friends works for a timeshare company and a few months ago asked if we would be interested in going with them for 2 weeks to Florida for a holiday to do "The Park Experience". Disney, Universal Studios, Sea World, the whole shebang! I think anyone in their right mind would have given the same answer of jumping up and down all the while squealing out the word YES repeatedly. It was only then that we were informed that the accommodation was taken care of for us. I think I nearly passed out from sheer joy. Oh, the money we would save! (Or so I thought at the time)
As time wore on, holiday days were booked and confirmed, flights arranged, and money pinched at every penny. Except when it came to actual Penney's. We needed some new summer clothes because I knew how hot Florida can get, so we packed up our life savings and hit the store full force. Shorts, t-shirts, tank tops, bathing suits, cover-ups, sandals, sunglasses... You name it for summer, we most likely bought it. So with our new summer wardrobe in hand, we grabbed our suitcases and headed off to meet the aircoach. At 1AM.
Have I ever told anyone that a Roren on little sleep is not exactly a pleasant Roren? I suppose that's putting it mildly. We had our choice of a 1AM bus or 3AM bus. We chose the 1AM bus even though our flight wasn't until about 8 in the morning as a precaution. If something happened on the way, we wanted to make sure that nothing would stop us from catching our flight. But that wait time was a bitch. We got off the bus and headed straight through security. It was 3:30-4AM when we reached the airport and figured, let's just get through and then we can relax and chill and eat and anything we wanted really.
The whole airport was practically a ghost town, so needless to say, security was a breeze. We made our way to the waiting area and quickly realized that nothing opened until 5. Except for a restaurant that I couldn't have told you the name of if I was sitting in their booth because that's how exhausted we were. We ordered a breakfast to try and perk ourselves up. I ate everything and promptly felt so sick. Not a nice way to start your holiday. But walking around the just opening shops seemed to help.
At last, we could go to find our gate. We moseyed on down to our numbered gate, unaware of the plight that would meet us to the next airport, and relaxed again. There's no stopping us now.
The uneventful flight to London Gatwick quickly became quite the opposite as we disembarked. The gruff Englishman told us to "follow the signs" for the connecting flights. And we would have except that we didn't see any damn signs, nor was there a single soul about to ask for help. So we trudged onwards, only to find ourselves back at the security line, where we would have to re-do the process. I was not impressed to say the least. Time was a ticking, and with less than an hour between our connections, it seemed that missing our flight to the sunshine state was becoming more and more likely.
After finally making our way through the security line, time was of the essence. And we did something my mother would have been so proud of. We Amazing Race'd our way through the terminal, to our gate. Yes, fellow adventurers, we became a team from the TV show my mother will never stop watching until they cancel, as we ran through the duty free area, yelling "Excuse me!", and continuously thinking "Jesus, people, MOVE". Of course our gate was one of the last ones in the terminal and at the very end of a super long corridor. Gatwick, you are a CANKER BLOSSOM.
The Roommate and I made it with minutes to spare. Hot, Sweaty, and spent, we took seats in the waiting area of the gate. I needed something to cool me down or else I was going to go all Johnny Storm on somebody because I was on FIRE. I looked around, and my prayers were answered. A drink and ice cream vending machine. I got one of each and sat to enjoy the cool items and hoped they would release me from this pre-mature hot flash.
The boarding began shortly after finishing my delightful delicacies. We took our seats, prepared our own entertainment items, and sat back for the long 9 hour flight to Orlando. We were officially on our way.
Stay tuned for our next episode: The resort and Disney!
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Back in the habit
Hey everyone! Sorry I've been such a bad blogger lately...I could lie and say I've been super busy, but the truth is I've just been super lazy. Like, with a cap,e super....I've really just been feeling uninspired. I can't say that I haven't been enjoying myself, because these last couple of months have had amazing memories and sad goodbyes. But the time has come for me to get back in the habit and tell you what's been going on on my side of the world!
October was a blur of weddings, except for the Jazz Festival. Every year, Cork puts on a one weekend festival or Jazz artists from all over the world. The city turns into one big party for an entire weekend, and the Imperial hotel is no different. We had over 15 different acts playing in the hotel alone! The buzz was amazing, the people outstanding, and the atmosphere unbelievable. I worked reception for 2 out of 3 days, and on the day I wasn't wearing that sexy black dress, I was serving hot dogs to the hungry (and mostly drunk) patrons. What an absolute gas! Best weekend by far, even if my hearing might be a little impaired from it.
November saw weddings and the turn of the seasons into winter. While not much goes on in November, the city comes alive with the promise of Christmas just around the corner. The streets turn into crowded hallways with shoppers and guests from neighbouring cities, ready to get a head start on Christmas shopping. Vibrant lights are strung throughout the city, Christmas decorations in stores, and magnificent trees put up, in anticipation for the coming holiday.
December saw a month of laughter and tears. It was my mothers 50th birthday in December, and I flew home and surprised her. I had been planning this trip since August with my brother and a few friends. It could not have worked out any better. Not to mention my new friends Travis & Gillian, I met while travelling. There were tears on my arrival to see my mother, and it was AWESOME. December also saw my first Christmas and New Year's Eve in Ireland. For Christmas, I worked as normal, but the roommate and I went to our friends for Christmas dinner, where I cooked the oh-so-traditional Italian Chicken & Pasta. Wait, you mean that's not a common Christmas dish?! ;) New Year's Eve was far less eventful. An evening spent in with the roommate, drinking and binge watching something or other on the TV. Midnight came, a slight array of fireworks went off, and that's all folks. Welcome to 2015.
January saw a lull in customers at the Imperial. Not that I was complaining after the last 6 months of BUSY. Until they mentioned the room sale. Jesus Christ. An amazing offer that was a pain in the ass to deal with. 69 Euros, Bed & full Irish breakfast (rates fluctuated based on different days). Can't beat that! Oh, but there were still people who asked, "Is that the best you can do?" Oh, excuse me sir, but apart from providing you with a dirt cheap rate for bed & breakfast in a 4* city centre hotel, let me also include my first born child and this new lexus!
Now we hit February. the month of love. Valetine's day has come and gone, and the only flowers I received were from The Roommate. Lovely ombre-ish roses and a fuck ton of chocolate. Not to mention a tub a playdough. She truly understands the 4 year old living inside this adult body.
March is almost upon us, which hopefully means slightly warmer weather, bluer skies, and the promise of something new!
October was a blur of weddings, except for the Jazz Festival. Every year, Cork puts on a one weekend festival or Jazz artists from all over the world. The city turns into one big party for an entire weekend, and the Imperial hotel is no different. We had over 15 different acts playing in the hotel alone! The buzz was amazing, the people outstanding, and the atmosphere unbelievable. I worked reception for 2 out of 3 days, and on the day I wasn't wearing that sexy black dress, I was serving hot dogs to the hungry (and mostly drunk) patrons. What an absolute gas! Best weekend by far, even if my hearing might be a little impaired from it.
November saw weddings and the turn of the seasons into winter. While not much goes on in November, the city comes alive with the promise of Christmas just around the corner. The streets turn into crowded hallways with shoppers and guests from neighbouring cities, ready to get a head start on Christmas shopping. Vibrant lights are strung throughout the city, Christmas decorations in stores, and magnificent trees put up, in anticipation for the coming holiday.
December saw a month of laughter and tears. It was my mothers 50th birthday in December, and I flew home and surprised her. I had been planning this trip since August with my brother and a few friends. It could not have worked out any better. Not to mention my new friends Travis & Gillian, I met while travelling. There were tears on my arrival to see my mother, and it was AWESOME. December also saw my first Christmas and New Year's Eve in Ireland. For Christmas, I worked as normal, but the roommate and I went to our friends for Christmas dinner, where I cooked the oh-so-traditional Italian Chicken & Pasta. Wait, you mean that's not a common Christmas dish?! ;) New Year's Eve was far less eventful. An evening spent in with the roommate, drinking and binge watching something or other on the TV. Midnight came, a slight array of fireworks went off, and that's all folks. Welcome to 2015.
January saw a lull in customers at the Imperial. Not that I was complaining after the last 6 months of BUSY. Until they mentioned the room sale. Jesus Christ. An amazing offer that was a pain in the ass to deal with. 69 Euros, Bed & full Irish breakfast (rates fluctuated based on different days). Can't beat that! Oh, but there were still people who asked, "Is that the best you can do?" Oh, excuse me sir, but apart from providing you with a dirt cheap rate for bed & breakfast in a 4* city centre hotel, let me also include my first born child and this new lexus!
Now we hit February. the month of love. Valetine's day has come and gone, and the only flowers I received were from The Roommate. Lovely ombre-ish roses and a fuck ton of chocolate. Not to mention a tub a playdough. She truly understands the 4 year old living inside this adult body.
March is almost upon us, which hopefully means slightly warmer weather, bluer skies, and the promise of something new!
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