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Leisa asked me to give you all an update of my job and what has transpired since our arrival. The first night we had dinner in a pub down the street form our flat. We are within walking distance of the town center. Basingstoke is not the most quaint place but has all the amenities. I had fish, chips and garden peas for my first English meal. Leisa had an Indian dish.

My first day at work I took the train to Kingston-upon-Thames and walked to the office. I met my new supervisor who has lived in Canada and the US. We discussed my project and went to lunch. We went to a place called Joe Schmos and yes, it was American fare. That evening Leisa took the train to Kingston and we dinner with my boss and her husband at a very nice restaurant on the Thames. I had to drive my rental car back to Basingstoke with Leisa navigating from a Google map. I didn't hit anything and stayed on the correct side of the road. We took a wrong turn upon entering Basingstoke and drove around trying to find our little one way street in the dark and totally jet lagged. Basingstoke is famous for having over 40 roundabouts for a town its size. We found 39 of them that night.

Yesterday I went to Ely Lilly and met with my client and the team member. Yes, only one with two more to hire. The employment market is very different here in that most people give from 4 weeks to three months notice so you really have to plan ahead. It is also a very tight employment market in that candidates often end up with multiple job offers. My hiring coordinator said that over half the offers she has extended in the last three weeks resulted in declines. This will be an interesting ride. Lilly also celebrated the 4th of July by having a garden BBQ hitch was moved inside by lunch time due to rain.

We walk to the grocery store which is down hill in town, load up and walk back. Going to be in great shape in three months. Leisa has made herself at home here including getting a library card. I asked her how she did that and she said she just explained our situation and that they were very understanding. Sweet talker!

Tomorrow I make my first trip to the London finance district to meet our VP of Business Development. We are meeting over lunch so I hope we go somewhere good. :-) This weekend we will head off to London for some touring. Hopefully the rain will let up. It has rained a lot since we have been here and my umbrella has become an extension of my right arm.

We will get some pics done this weekend so you all can see how nice Basingstoke and our accommodations are.
Cheers,
Jay

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Photos

Litten Tree Pub
This is the first pub we visited in Basingstoke. The smoking ban that went into effect on 1 July is adversely affecting pub business

Westlands House
This is the apartment house where we are staying