I boarded the bus and was offered a refreshment by a very nice Scotsman driver.
"Water? Soda? Irn Bru?" he says.
"What's Irn Bru?"
"You've nae had Irn Bru?? You're havin an Irn Bru."
For those of you who thought Scotch was Scotland's nation drink, you're sadly mistaken. It's Irn Bru. The only way I can describe it is a mix between cream soda and Red Bull. But without the crazy energy stuff, just a ton of sugar, but the people here love it! Last night I served a "Vodka Irn Bru" for the first time.
After a semi-restful 8-hour bus ride to the great north of the UK the bus finally pulled into the station in Edinburgh at around 7:00 in the morning. I did my usual wander around and get lost thing as my phone was nearly dead and my GPS failed me once again. I finally found the road I was supposed to be on, but for the life of me couldn't understand where the heck my hostel was. The numbers just don't make sense and totally skipped no. 29 Palmerston Place! I found a local and deciphered that I should walk a little further and finally found the place half a street down on the opposite side. Crazy people. On arrival I was greeted by a friendly young chap named Jamie, and hauled my gear into the office as I couldn't check in until 2:00. I had a bit of continental breakfast, deciding against the traditional Scottish breakfast as I'm still not quite brave enough to try haggis or black pudding. Then I promptly fell asleep at a table on the terrace from sheer exhaustion.
2:00 finally rolls around and I'm permitted to check in. Now at this point I basically run to the shower as I've not had the pleasure of a clean person since the day before I left Porto. After my shower I promptly fell asleep again. Now at this point I'll be skipping bits and getting a little vague as the whole thing is a bit blurry, but I'll do my best to do justice. The next couple days are a mix of gathering information and exploring the amazing city. My first impression is "this city feels smaller than I expected!" And I was right. It's kind of a Victoria/Vancouver thing. Capital city, but not the biggest.
I think it was the third day that I met Marion. Marion is a student from Switzerland on the border of Austria who is in Edinburgh studying English as she's destined to be an elementary school teacher back home. Besides that, she's the nicest, most genuine person I've met on this trip. Over the next couple days we cooked dinner and she'd help me out with writing up a curriculum vitae (resume in Europe) and I'd help her out with her English studies.
Now about this time is when the tough times start. I've written up a basic CV and cover letter and handed it out to a few different places, and turned towards trying to find a place to live as I figured that was a bigger priority. I'm only booked into the hostel until Thursday, but I've been in contact with a friend of a friend from back home who said I could crash on his couch for a few days until the 26th of July. Excellent! A home base to work from for a few days! So that Thursday night the plan was to go at 9:30pm which was great, that gave me a chance to have a beer with Marion as she had just got back from a little trip to Oban with a classmate. So we're enjoying quiz night in the hostel bar and I realize it's getting about that time that I have to leave, so I grab my stuff and we run outside to hail a taxi. We manage to flag one down and head off. Two minutes into the journey I get a text from said friend.
"Hey man, I don't think it's gonna work, not fair to my friends to have you come without meeting you."
Wow. Understandable, I guess, but not great timing. I get another one.
"I don't mean to be inhospitable, wanna meet up for a beer tomorrow?"
I keep my cool in the situation and reply,
"Sure, let me know when."
I never heard from him again. This leaves me in a bit of a sticky situation. I tell the driver to head to the HI hostel at the top of Leith Walk as it's close by, and manage to book a couple nights there. Unfortunately it's about twice the price of the last hostel, but factor in the taxi and it would have worked out similar. There's a problem though, Thursday and Friday are okay, but there's no room on Saturday night. In fact, due to the Scottish golf open, every single hotel, hostel, B&B, and everything in between is booked solid for the weekend. For those next two nights I'm in a little panic. I tried everything, everywhere, and there was nothing.
Friday night rolls around, 7:00pm and I'm in the common area of the hostel I had checked out of earlier that day. I even asked the guy at reception if I could just hang out on the couch for the night, not even sleep, but he said no, but I had one last idea. And this is the first of a few significant events that lead me to believe there truly is a God above!
There exists a website called CouchSurfing.org, and for those of you who've not heard of it, the idea essentially consists of sleeping on random people's couches for free during your travels, and in return you offer your couch and hospitality when you're home. I've done this twice already in France, but usually it involves sending out quite a few requests quite a few days in advance. But I thought I'd just give this random idea a try, and found an "Edinburgh Emergency Couch Requests" group on the website. Now it didn't look too hopeful, for there was a ton of requests and literally NO responses. But what else am I gonna do? I'm literally on the street otherwise! So this is what I post:
"If anyone sees this in the next two hours my phone number is etc..."
Or something to that extent, then leave the hostel and head...who knows where. There is a Cathedral just up the road that I subconsciously start towards. Who knows, maybe there's someone there who has a spare room for the night? But no luck. The place is barren, it's getting late, and now it is starting to rain. Great, just what I need. So I slump down on the wall of the church, and within probably 10 minutes I get a text message from an unknown number.
"Hey man, still need a couch? -Greig" Unbelievable. It worked.
"Yes! Absolutely!" I replied.
"Cool, here's my address, you can stay as long as you bring some beer!"
So not only did I find a place to stay, but it was cheaper than a hostel, way more fun as Greig turned out to be an aspiring DJ, and I made a good friend. Didn't get much sleep though... Turns out West End Hostel was available again for the next night so back I went. I met up with Marion again that night who listened to my story and repeatedly shook her head and told me I was crazy.
As far as I can remember, the next few days are a blur of writing up resumes, dropping them off, emailing flatshares, checking websites, and essentially wandering the city looking through letting agency windows. I did actually manage to get two replies and viewings from flat ads, but the first place wanted 700 pounds up front. The second was hopeful, but after a few days of not hearing from them I took it as a no. In the employment world, there was a place called Tigerlily that was real fancy and gave me an interview on the spot! But again, no word. The only respite from this maddening period was the nightly dinner and English studies with Marion, who pretty much kept me sane, and her classmate Agota, who's been an invaluable friend for the past month. One day we stopped into the Museum of Childhood, where I didn't know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised!
It started to become apparent that I was not able to compete with the multitudes arriving for the festival, as any local who was slightly business-minded would be able to make up to 1000 pounds a week on a bedroom that would usually rent for about 250 pounds a month. Those were pretty much the odds I was dealing with. So recap, in total I sent out around 30 resumes, 30 flat requests, spent all my savings on hostels and had nothing to show for it, all within the span of about three weeks.
This is when I gave up. I'm now nearing the end of July, festival is only a couple days away, and the city is starting to really buzz. But it didn't matter, my chance had passed and there was nothing for it now. About this time Marion's parents came to visit as her studies had finished and she was to spend the last week 'relaxing' before returning to Switzerland with them, and they were nice enough to invite me along for a couple day trips. So I give you a little break from my drama to show you a bit of the surrounding areas.
The first is Stirling, famed for the William Wallace monument, and the church of the Holy Rude where the charming John Knox used to preach. For those of you who don't know of John Knox, he was the leader of the Scottish protestant movement and converted the country from Catholicism to the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. He's considered quite a popular chap here, but I do question his methods. Apparently anyone with red hair was part demon...that must have significantly reduced Scotland's population...
Stirling was neat, but it did have a sort of sad feel about it. The second day trip was unreal though. Agota came with us this time, and we headed to a little place called Linlithgow. Much smaller than Stirling but WAY cooler! Linlithgow Palace is where Mary Queen of Scots was born. Beautifully set on a little hill overlooking a loch, this is a place I could spend some time. And the shipping canal recently reopened for tourists that ran from Falkirk to Edinburgh was definitely magical.
So there you go, it wasn't all bad. But I have to take you back to the sob story now! It was during this little period that I realized that Edinburgh was no longer an option. Since West End hostel, I had stayed at four separate hostels trying to balance between availability and price. They were all filling up fast, and as of August 1st, every hostel with a standard price of around 15 pounds per night would jump to fifty. I decided to give up, enjoy the last few days, and move on. Where to, I have no idea, but I was fed up with this town. I booked the Castle Rock Hostel where Marion was staying until August 1st, and let everything go. Thus begins the second divine occurrence of Edinburgh.
I believe it was the last Sunday of July, just a few days before the 1st that I sent out a couple last resumes. That night when Marion was off doing something with her parents I met some Aussie fellas from my room. Real cool guys, and they asked if I wanted to go out for a beer with them. Why not, I said, have a last bit of fun! On the way down I realized that I didn't have any cash on me so I told the guys I had to go find an ATM machine. There was one just across the road so I headed over there. Now it gets interesting! There's a homeless guy sitting next to the ATM and as I walk up he asks if I have a couple pounds to spare. I have to add here that homelessness is an industry in this part of the world, and there's a lot of scamming involved, but this guy seemed genuinely out of it. He says he just needs to get into a hostel for the night because someone stole his sleeping bag, and it's starting to rain a bit as well. Rain in Scotland means cold, humid and bone-chilling.
"Sorry, I don't have any cash on me at the moment..." I feel pretty bad. Then it occurs to me,
"But I do have a sleeping bag!"
Some of you might remember mention of a Brazillian guy I met back in Toulouse. Well this Brazillian guy had given me a sleeping bag before he left as I had left mine in Normandy with my bike and he didn't need it anymore. I thought "why not pay it forward." So I literally sprinted back to the hostel which was just up the hill, grabbed my sleeping bag, and sprinted back down and gave it to the guy. I will never forget the look in his eyes of genuine gratitude as he said I was a godsend. I think he was a little shocked that I actually came back, but I could tell that I had just made his night. I shook his hand and went to find an ATM that wouldn't charge me an arm and a leg for a transaction, which the closest I could find was a bout a quarter mile up the street. Meanwhile the Aussie guys are back at the pub and I finally show up.
"Where the heck were you, mate?"
So I told them what I had been up to and I think they thought I was a bit crazy. But this is where it gets interesting. I'm sittin having a beer with these guys, and literally not 30 minutes later the phone rings. Someone had seen the resume I sent that morning and asked if I wanted to do a trial shift. Not an interview, an actual shift. Ten minutes later it rang again. A response from a resume I had sent the day before asking for an interview. Crazy eh! But it doesnt stop. The phone rings a third time, and it's a resume I had dropped off a few days before and they want a trial shift as well! Then I get a text from one of the houses a had gone to look at.
The house turned out to be a dead end, but there's another story there! I'm kinda on a high right now, and the next morning I look on the flatshare websites again just in case and see one listing that had been put up the same morning. It's a little ways out of town, but I think what the heck. 250 pounds all included is the best price I've seen yet! So I call the guy and he says "I've got some other people coming tonight, but come at 6:30 and see what you think.
So the time rolls around, I find the right bus and make my way out. My first impression of the neighborhood is 'what a dump!' This is obviously the ghetto of Edinburgh. But I stuck to my plan and found the house. The landlord sees me through the window and meets me at the door. I instantly like this guy, he's a 30-something year old Ghanaian social worker named Sylvester and he and his 8-year-old son have lived in the place for about ten years. The house isn't fancy, but I really like this guy. He says the previous tenant is still in the room at the moment, but is moving out on the 31st and Sylvester wants someone to move in on the 1st of August. This is lookin real good for me! So he shows me the room and the third heavenly sign stares me right in the face.
This is a very famous painting called the Divine Mercy. There was also a huge printing of it in the cathedral I've previously mentioned. If this is not a sign then I don't know what is!
So I talk with Sylvester for a while and he says,
"Tell you what, I've got a good feeling about you. If you want the place then I'll call the other viewers and tell them it's taken. I'll just need the first month and a 100 pound deposit."
That just happens to be almost exactly what I have, with still enough for a few groceries.
"Done." I give him the cash and he gives me the key. My living situation is secured for the next 6 months. I get back to the hostel that night and dinner with Marion is another session of her shaking her head at me and calling me crazy. So the next day comes along and the first of my trial shifts is scheduled for 7pm that night at a place called Dragonfly. I show up and the staff is super nice, and the atmosphere is super casual. In fact, they told me I was overdressed. Long story short, the trial was awesome. They kept me till midnight, longer than most trials, and basically told me they'd call me with my hours in the next couple days.
The next day I had a trial at a place called the West Room. More of a coffee shop, kinda stale atmosphere, but still nice. I decide to call and cancel the last interview as it is for a hotel reception position and I really don't want to be stuck with that!
The next couple days is just a blur of excitement as the festival has finally started! We made another friend, Rita, from Australia who is just way cool, and try to pack in as many shows as we can.
I'll try to speed things up a little here as I realize this is a lot to read! But long story short, I get the call from Dragonfly on Saturday afternoon saying that I officially start the next day. It was a good shift, but it was a sad day as Marion was leaving early the next morning. Her and Agota actually stayed in the town till I was finished just to say goodbye!
Since then, and I cannot believe it's been almost a month already, life has been a blur of work, going to see shows with Agota, meeting up with Simon from Porto as he arrived in town, and just exploring. There's really not much else to say other than showing you the madness of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, so I guess I'll leave you with that.
As this is a semi-final destination for the foreseeable future I'd like to say thanks to all of you who've supported me along the way, your comments, messages, skype sessions, and finger times have kept me going on a stressful but unbelievable journey that I would not have missed for the world. I miss you all, God bless, and I'll be in touch when the next phase of the adventure!
