Wandering around the [UK]: Edinburgh

Dear pipsqueaks,

Actually, I didn’t really get a chance to appreciate the hostel that we had settled in the night before because I was overly upset at some preparation details. But anyway, problem solved so it was all good. This super chillax hostel called Caledonian Backpackers had it all: a lounge area with ample power plugs for all electrical needs, multiple laptops and computers for people to share, many entertainments including a pool table, various board games, and last but not least, a beanie movie theatre! How cool is that?! I do regret not making time to go down and just enjoy whatever was playing, but we didn’t have all the time in the world here in Edinburgh, so we made the most of our trip out wandering. In terms of rate and security, according to my sister, it was definitely leaning more towards expensive in price per bed, but facility and security were up to par. You couldn’t simply just waltz in, and the reception- though looking as if they could care less- was very polite and friendly. For example, this one night about 1am, I had suddenly remembered I left my camera in the charging station in the lounge area, but everything was closed. So I headed to the reception and they organized someone to help me retrieve my camera. My ratings for this hostel:

Bed: 3* (not exactly the most comfortable bed, but for a hostel, doable)

Shower & Washroom: 3* (didn’t really expect the shower and the washroom to be in such close proximity, but it was okay clean and hosted hot showers)

Facilities: 5* (I could stay in all day with all the things they had for entertainment; extra stars for the charging station made available for everyone to safely lock up their electronics for charging while out or sleeping. Totally impressed)

Convenience: 4* (the location was central enough for us to walk out and find food within a short time, yet not too clustered among busy streets; public transit was about a 10minute walk, though we didn’t really need to use it as everything was close by)

(sure makes Edinburgh feel like a place for creative souls) 

Wandering around the [UK]: London to Edinburgh

Dear pipsqueaks,

Finally after a week and a half of work- yes, even if it were the Olympic Games- I was so ready for a looooong break away from being a super PA. Let's just say, I was everywhere and anywhere I was needed. So, in return, I want a vacation where I need not to worry about a thing. The deal: my sister does all the planning and decision-making for our Europe trip this time. For the most part, I didn't know where we were going or what we were doing until someone or something hinted our next destination...so in full trust, I caught the next Ivy's Private Tour out of London!

But, where to? It wasn't that much of a surprise when she had asked the train station customer service if we could make it on the next train to Manchester. Even so, I knew Europe was a pain for foreigners who would like to pre-purchase any transportation. Even with her visa card, she couldn't buy the tickets online, so the only other option was to purchase at the station. Problem? There's no discount buying in person! So what is the real message here? It's only on sale for Europeans. Thanks for the hospitality! Anyways, as I was saying, back at the ticketing machine, we bought our ride to Manchester and ran like the wind to catch the train in time.

   

(can you spot the Vancovuer 2010 presence?)

Good Service

Dear pipsqueak,

This has got to be the first time when I truly feel that there is really no hope in some people- specially this one particular "new" addition to my life. Whether this is an accepted addition or not, I'll leave that open for you to decide. So, what could have possibly happened for me to want to write about this? Well, the sheer "OMG Facepalm" factor did.

This morning was an exciting one as I knew there would be live worldfeed available for viewing of a particular tournament. When I clicked in, actually not a surprise, it was malfunctioning- tagged with a messaging stating the feed problem. Okay, fine. So I waited for some time to see whether the situation would improve. Nope. So the next thing to do was to inform the person responsible.

"Hey, there's something wrong with the worldfeed. Check it out."
"What are you talking about?"
"You know, the worldfeed on our channel?"
"No, I don't know."

(paused while I waited for her to say something productive..."