Little bits of crazy from your's truly

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I arrived a week ago today and have already decided that I'm going o try to move out of my NHS accommodations. Not because I don't like only being able to take a bath or the beautiful paper thin, dark brown carpet, but because I'll have to be out within 3 months anyway so I might as well go ahead and do it now. I signed my contract with the housing people yesterday and they informed me that it was in fact NOT sorted that I remain there for the year like Sheila, my recruiter lady, told me it was. Argh!!!!!! I am going to look for a room in a place called Bush Hill Park. (The borough of Enfield is made up of many neighborhoods: Enfield Town, Winchmore Hill, Freezywater, Ponder's End, Hadley Wood, Southgate, Edmonton Green, Enfield Highway, New Southgate, Bush Hill Park, Enfield Lock, and Palmers Green.) Bush Hill Park is sort of central in the borough and hopefully I'll be able to find something that suits. Granted, I can't look anything up without being online, so here I sit at the library. It's driving me bananas not having the computer as my disposal pretty much 24/7.

Good things have been happening other than that though. I finally got a bank account opened today and it was relatively simple to get done, just took a great deal of phone calls. Too bad the deadline to receive pay for this month was yesterday, so I'll probably be going without a paycheck until the end of next month. I've got an appointment on Saturday to get a National Insurance Number, which will come in quite handy if I get sick. Without the number, I can't have the health system pay for me to go to the doctor--kind of a necessary number to have.

My roommates have been fantastic. Unfortunately, they'll both be moving out within about 3 weeks. Heather, the SLP, is returning to Chile where her husband runs an abalone farm (some type of mollusk). Lauren, the OT, will be moving somewhere since the agency she has worked through doing locum work lost the contract at her workplace. She can't switch agencies since there's a non-compete clause and she'd take a pay cut anyway. I figure that I may as well move now instead of settling in for 3 months and getting everything the way I want/like it and then just have to move again anyway. Also, if I can find a good location in Bush Hill Park, then I'm on the rail line and it'll be easier transport between Enfield Town and Edmonton Green and into London whenever I want to go. Since I'm working at least 7 places so far (!!!), it'll be good to be nearer to a rail lilne that will move me between the far reaches quickly. Bus service is reliable, but not as reliable AND quick as the rail service. I will get reimbursed for bus/train journeys between work sites. That should almost pay for my personal journeys to and from work as well since I'll have a travelcard or an Oyster card.

My job at EYSI (Early Years Social Inclusion--I finally figured out what the S meant) is interesting at this point. Basically, I'm helping out in what we in the US would just consider a preschool classroom, but it's capped at 8 kids that the school/coordinators hand pick. I can plan activities or not since there are 2 coordinators that run the group. I'm just there to help facilitate language development and help make the activities the coordinators plan as language-rich as possible. At least this is my impression at this stage of the game. Basically, I'll havea new group of kids each term (terms run 1 Sept to 17 Dec, 4 Jan to 24 March, and 11 April to 22 July) and will only offer them a block of therapy--6 sessions-- and then they are discharged from therapy whether they still need it or not. If they do need continued therapy, they go back on a waiting list to receive their next block of 6 sessions. Waiting lists range from 18-24 months to be seen!!! Isn't that crazy? I'm used to a 90-day timeline from referral to placement. The 18-24 month waiting period is only after the initial assessment for which they could wait about 12 months to receive. All that for only 6 sessions of therapy then they go back on the waiting list for another 6 sessions!!!

I still don't have any idea what I'll be doing at Sure Start. From all I can find out, the Sure Start office is located in Edmonton Green near the library, train station, and leisure centre (think YMCA). There hasn't been an SLP at the Sure Start in years so pretty much I think I'm coming in and setting everything up from scratch. Could be good since I can do things "my"way, but could be bad since I've never worked over here and I'm not so sure what they expect. Not sure that I'll have anyone to let me know how it's been done in the past like I've had for the EYSI job.

I've been able to spend this week with a girl named Kerri who is returning to the NY/PA area and she's shown me how to do most everything related to the EYSI job. She's also told me how the neighbourhood clinics work so that I have a pretty good working knowledge of that system as well since she said that parents were sure to ask be questions. I'm heading into London tomorrow night with her for her leaving do. We're going somewhere in Covent Garden and then meeting up with her husband's leaving do. Should be interesting! I'm excited to meet more people. I'm tired of sitting around in my room not doing much. No television as of yet--although Kerri is going to give me anything that they aren't taking back to the States and that includes a television--so I haven't even been able to watch Golden Girl reruns! I've met quite a few of the people who work in some of the clinics around town, but I don't think I'll see much of them once I'm working and doing my own thing.

Alright, it's time for me to get off of here and head back home. It's been rainy all day and it's finally cleared up so I'm not dreading walking back home quite as much. I'm quite sure it's not the last rainy day we'll have. Still haven't figured out how to upload pictures onto the library's computer, but as soon as I do, I'll post pictures as well. Talk to you soon!

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Comments

[Mya]

60 days
Well just as a little tidbit...IDEA has revised itself once again...now there is only 60 days from referral to placement. So their system (or your new system) really sounds crazy compared to ours now. I hope you're having a blast. Keep in touch, I love hearing your stories. Mya

[Wendi]

hello
Mary, Glad to hear things are good. I really hope you enjoy this opportunity and take advantage of a new learning environment. Love Ya

[Amy McCandlish]

I am glad to see that you are enjoying your jobs. Everything is so different than here, which makes such a great experience. My new job is starting to come together. It is still killing me to get up so early (being as I have to be to Westerville by 6:30 am) but I am starting to really like the researching that I am doing. My new quarter starts next week, and I think my classes are going to be good--criminal law, admin law, abnormal psych and an advanced computer course. At least I will stay busy. I can't wait to see the pictures that you have taken. Take care, and let me know when you have a phone number I can call you at. Talk to you soon!!!!!!

[Carolyn Kanoy]

I don't know how in the world you've figured out everything that you have!! What a world traveler!!!We miss you at JG.....just doesn't seem the same without you. Glad it stopped raining!