~ ANNE! ~

Today is my only day off this week (they actually want me to work 7 days a week, therefore getting 35 hours, but I just can't handle it) and I had big plans to get a lot of nagging things done... clean my room & the bathroom, laundry, shopping etc. Things didn't go quite according to plan, though, because I HAVE A SOCIAL LIFE NOW! Sweet! It's a wee bit convoluted, but I went to a BUNAC pub night last week. I was only there for brief periods due to Paulina wanting to go on a tour, but I did some intense networking and gave my mobile number to everyone I saw who seemed cool.

So one of the girls I was talking to there (a girl called Elizabeth from Saskatchewan) texted me yesterday and asked if I wanted to come out with her. She was very vague about what we were actually going to do, and also gave me about 20 minutes notice. But I figured it was Saturday night, so what the heck - may as well go. We met down by Princes Street and it turned out we were going to a sort of very small house party and then out to the pub. The party was at the flat of three girls from Prince Edward Island, all of whom were cool and very hospitable. (The other guests were an Aussie girl called Skye who looked like a female Jack Skellington - she was that tall and thin, and was really working the goth thing - and her South African boyfriend).

So we hung out at the flat for ages and then went out. Was a pretty chilled-out night, but I was happy just to talk to some new people. I exchanged mobile numbers with them as well, and got a call this morning inviting me to brunch. Met two MORE Canadians at lunch - two guys from Calgary - and had a really great time. All of them have been here since May and it's really useful to speak to someone who's been around the city for a while and knows their way around.

In other good news, I checked my bank balance and I'm back in the black, more or less. It's amazing what a few weeks of being careful not to spend money will do. It just accumulates! So I've paid November rent and have quite a bit left, plus I'm working another week for sure at the kitchen. I'm definitely in no position to go on any splurges, but I can afford to get proper waterproof shoes sometime this week and maybe do some Christmas preparation.

The job hunt will continue this week. Graham (who has taken off on a seven-day tour of the Highlands for the week) has given me the name of a friend of his who works for a recruitment agency, so I may give her a call. (He's been bugging me: "Have ye called me mate yet?") Otherwise, I'll stop by the Job Centre and BUNAC for sure. I tried this on Friday, but of COURSE the Job Centre didn't open till 10:30 on Fridays and of COURSE BUNAC was closed. And it was raining. But I'll try it again tomorrow and may have more luck.

I was talking to Jonathan, one of the waiters at the golf course, and it turns out I actually get paid more! (Well, more than Jonathan - but he's a terrible waiter, so I'm not sure that means much). All the tips are divided evenly, so I get around �10 per week in cash as well - not much, but it helps. When I think about it that way it makes more sense that I stayed so long. Jonathan, by the way, may not be around much longer. May the owner stomped by yesterday, jerked her head at Jonathan and said, "He's no' right! Well, he's no'!" It took me a while to work out what "right" meant in this context - she thinks he's a bit messed in the head and I'm starting to think she has a point. He gave me a ride home on Friday and backed into someone's BMW!

Anyway, things seem to be falling into place at the moment, at least a bit more than they were. I just hope I can find some work I like better, and soon.