A Working Holiday

Day 1 - Flying Out

I was hoping to get cheap tickets and travel in February. But, alas, it wasn't to be.

So, I ended up travelling in February using one cheap ticket and one medium-priced ticket. Unfortunately, I hadn't quite finished that very important website project before my trip, so I would have to do some work. The shuttle train between Kraków Central and the airport is out of action and will be for the foreseeable future. Because of that and my stupidly heavy backpack with was at the very limits of what can be classed as hand baggage prompted me to get the taxi. I needn't have rushed there. The flight was nearly half an hour late before it set off. Giving me the opportunity to do some work (normally I would just idly stare into space rather than work). The flight was uneventful (as are most flights) and in a couple of hours later I was at Gatwick.

The train turned up at the platform at the same time as I did and half an hour later I was in Brighton. First stop was the BBC Shop to buy some Doctor Who merchandise for a friend. Then Tesco Express for a fix of sushi to tide me over until dinner time. Back at the house I had to listen to my one of my lodger's flimsy excuse as to why he is behind on his rent.

I got the bus to Eastbourne at 5:30pm (right in the middle of rush hour). Standing room only for half the trip. The evening's entertainment took liquid form. Cider to be precise, for the rest of my "holiday" I would be drinking every night.

Day 2 - Race Hate

The morning was spent working. On my laptop with it's relatively small screen and without the use of a mouse, it was more difficult than usual. I took my hosts to Wetherspoons for lunch. Fish and chips plus a pint of cider for £6. Not bad at all.

In the evening my friend Steve to had arranged for us to go round a friend's place for drinks, meeting at the off-licence on the way to save precious drinking time. After meeting our mutual friend Kevin, we started walking towards his house. We crossed the road and a car stop right in front of us. The two guys inside were obviously not the most intelligent people. They started shouting abuse and threatened us with physical violence (all from the safety of their car). Steve (thinking it was some of Kevin's friends) asked "Do we know you?". I was feeling rather fat and would be unable to runaway if there was any trouble, so just ignored them. The guys in the car drove off and a little way down the road stopped and shouted at us "Go back to your own country". Which was slightly baffling. Perhaps they thought we were Polish. To be fair we were looking Polish that evening. Especially Kev, who is quite thin in the face and has reddish hair.

Back at Kev's place we did had a very pleasant evening. The music channel on, a more than ample supply of beer and cider. After about midnight Kevin disappeared to make a phone call. Half an hour later, we assumed that he had just fallen unconscious somewhere, so we just upped and left.

Day 3 - Filming

On this day it was planned that I should go and visit the folks. I ended up doing something completely different though. Assistant my friend with a music video shoot. Apart from moving stuff around betwixt car and houses my job was to hit the play button on the CD player when the cameraman said "Speed". The whole session ended up taking most of the day in what used to be the very rundown town of Hastings. On the way their I got some good news from my neighbour, he informed me that (with some improvements) my little house could be worth £400,000. Time to sell up and move to Poland maybe?

After filming we parked up on the seafront and went to a pub carrying the expensive camera gear with us. The Carlisle is a notorious Hastings bikers' pub. Luckily we were only there to meet a friend before heading off to the local Wetherspoons to have our fill of cheap beer and food. The friend we were meeting was a photographer with a strong Glasgow accent. It seemed that I was the only one who could understand him and I ended up acting as an interpreter for his jokes.

Back in Eastbourne we dropped of the camera gear and went to a couple of pubs. Both of these had live bands, but generally the evening was uninspiring and virtually devoid of attractive females (excluding barmaids).

Day 4 - The Prodigal Son Returns

Woke up with a headache (not a hangover though). At lunch time I went to see my parents. My mum was happy to see me and I handed over the fudge I had bought her, which she ate instead of lunch. In the evening I went round another friend's place for dinner. Steak this time.

Day 5 - Work, Religion and Politics

I got the bad news that my client was presenting the website one day earlier than expected. So this meant more work, using mouse, using small screen and crappy internet. It was too hot as well. It wasn't turning out to be much of a holiday. Before the day was over the internet stopped working and so did I.

The weather was still nice so it was time for a walk down the seafront to take some photos for the video that we shot on Saturday. Before that I had my driving licence photos done. They didn't look too bad, I looked pretty miserable in them, but not too bad.

Fish and chips for dinner again. This time we had some guests. Unfortunately the guest who was buying the fish and chips arrived nearly two hours late. The wait was worth it though. Religion and politics are supposed to be taboo subjects around the dinner table. We weren't seated at the table though and most of the guests were Jehovah's Witness so it was a little difficult to avoid politics. More annoying than that was one of the guest's obsession with Nepal. Nepal this, Nepal that. Hopefully she will go to Nepal and we'll never have to hear from her again.

After a walk along the seafront to try to walk off the multi-thousand calorie dinner it was back to my friends flat to watch Die Hard 6. Luckily all the guests had gone and we were able to enjoy some senseless violence before boredom and tiredness got the better of me

Day 6 - Back in Brighton

Back to Brighton to do some more work, this time with a decent internet connection.
Full English breakfast for lunch. I the evening while packing for the trip home I finally found my hat that I really could have done with earlier in the week.

Day 7 - Back in the Krak

I woke at 4:30, got the coach to Gatwick at 5:30, the plane at 8am, a taxi at noon. Worked until midnight. Went to bed feeling like I need a proper holiday.


 

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