So I need to go all the way to Wales for Toast...?

10/10/2011 10AM

First Day @ TOAST…what!?!! Woke up at dawn to catch the direct train from Temple Meads to Swansea…in first class no less! Don’t get excited though, first class is roomy but I was the only one in my car for the whole ride. Thought that I might be on the wrong train, but it was alright though! Good time to nap and drool all over the table a bit. Pure class, yeah?

Now let’s see! Where have I been all your life? Home, as you may know, but alas, the dude at customs in the airport let me back in the country so all systems go! I’ve got to apply for my graduate visa next month to let me stay here for another 2 years. My plan? Get loads of fabulous experience at TOAST for the next 3-6 months, get someone amazing to hire me and get a fantastic work visa THEN!! Totally either get married to someone handsome devil and secure my residency here! …or just apply to become a British citizen. Phew…totally do-able, yeah? Pfft, yeah, totally.

It’s a terribly dreary day in Swansea. Cold, miserable, windy, but at least there’s some Lady Gaga playing on the radio! I can’t help but feel a bit useless right now though…I’ve been sat here for the past 20 minutes doing nothing so why not look busy and type away? Might as well type until my hand cramps up. Everything is super high tech over here! Uber fancy, yo! There’s a machine here that draws AND cuts out (WITH SEAM ALLOWANCE OMIGAW) patterns for you. A printer with a pencil instead of ink! Amazing. The atmosphere in this office is amazing. Pretty soon I’ll have my very own TOAST email and I even know the code to get into the office after I go to the loo! …TMI? Oh get over it :P

Right. I’m going to wash up my mug and snoop around until someone notices I’m not sat at this desk anymore. Nyahahaha~

12AM

So far I’ve cut out one pattern piece…haha. Apparently we were meant to be doing something called “handover”…? But we’re all waiting on the design team to be ready. Handover was meant to start at 9AM then was moved to 11AM..haha reminds me of uni so much. It’s nice to know that companies can be late within the office…shit happens – it’s the real world and it’s comforting to know that we can all be a little late with things and life goes on and you won’t always get told off! Although I do think someone will get told off a bit for this now…told off gently with slight disappointment in their voice….like when you get told by your mother, “I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed…” Um, worst sentence ever. Anyways, like I say – chill atmosphere. I can’t wait to be doing stuff though! It’s almost lunch time though….apparently there’s a sandwich lady that comes in in a minute…hmmm…

You know, I quite like Swansea. Wales in general! Their buses are so nice! There’s a cool host/hostess tickety person who comes over once you get on the bus and asks where you want to go and what kind of ticket you want! So cute! So drastically different to Bristol too. I kinda need to vaguely learn Welsh, methinks. Eventually…someday…I think that would be a fun activity to do in my ever-dwindling free time. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday I’m in Swansea from 10-4 (which excludes 4 ½ hour traveling time) and Wednesday, Friday and Saturday (and the occasional Sunday) I’ll be at the Hippodrome. I guess my free time is on the train basically…and evenings…or what’s left of them.

I need to find a charger for my iPhone…shits dying on me all the time L The same goes for my British phone too…poor crap thing is cracked and the touch screen has been on the fritz for almost a year (seeing as I got it around Christmas…dropped it drunkenly off a balcony a month later…whoops) Anyway, I don’t really know why I went off on such a tangent to be honest. Might invest in a tablet. HAVE NO MONEY. I need to be saving up for a bloody house. Yes, I am homeless…I’m graciously being let stay at a fish’s house. :D I feel bad though, I’ve been there for what…3 weeks? Bloody Nora, I need to get out of there soon before he breaks up with me L /other random tangent

I wonder…can I deck out my desk with cute and wonderful things?! OH! This is actually quite exciting. I’ve always wanted to plan out my own office space. All those year growing up and wondering when I would be able to buy those cute filing boxes and star-shaped post-it notes and multi-coloured magnets at Staples! Dreams really do come true! May go to Wilkinson’s on Wednesday to see what’s occurring over there! Bloody hell…when’s lunch!? I may or may not be dying of starvation. But you know me…I always moan about being hungry. Nothing new there.

11/10/2011 15:43

Well! I do like it here indeed! I cut out more patterns, I measured about 6 garments I got fully set up in the system, I have my own email address, phone and access to the company’s files. Zing! It’s really awesome seeing how everything works within the industry though :D The people are nice too. I need to be less shy and more outgoing though – I’m reverting to my old self where I’m timid and quiet. Can’t imagine that? Well try, cos I was super shy and awkward not too many years ago, yo. Peeps change though! There’s this one lady here who reminds me of a combined version of Brenda and Linda from university. Odd combo if you know both of them, but this lady is lovely! And I love how everyone within the technical team tries desperately to find something for me to do! Haha, it’s good to know that they haven’t forgotten about me. Yea…I can defo see myself doing something like this for the rest of my life. It would be nice to be left to just do my pattern cutting things, you know? I can’t wait to learn all the software they use so I can design myself an AWESOME…something! Love love love this office Kinda gutted though cos I have to go in 10 minutes or so…Gotta catch the bus back to the station and then do the 2 hour trek back to Bristol. *mega sigh* I think I might nap before I get ready to go to Pizza Express with my old housemates Stace and Slawa J It’s quite odd really…doing stuff during the day and then fitting things in such as catching up with friends in the evening. Is this what they call “the professional life” Oh deary me, how life has changed.