London and my Worker Accession Card
I went to London, at AIESEC UK office, because I needed to solve my legal status issue here, I needed the worker accession card. I managed to arrive in London directly from the airport, helped by a nice guy (probably Polish). He told me where to get of the train, otherwise is kind of hard, in England there are lots of houses... I didn't noticed that I was in London... I was looking on the window and saw only houses...
Anyway... I arrived at Kings Cross station with my 2 pieces of luggage and decided to take the famous London Tube to get at the AIESEC UK office. That was recommended by Jane, MCVP. It was a little bit hard to travel with the tube with my suitcases... but I had no choice, I didn't want to be robbed by taxi drivers just for one mile distance so I choose to take the underground. What I can tell you is that I will NEVER do that again, with luggage. It's very narrow and pretty hard to go like that, I had to enter using the disabilities ways, cause the normal entrance was to small for me and my bags. They have lots of stairs... I don't want to mention how many people I made discomfort... :)
I met Jane in the metro station near the AIESEC office and she took me there... They have the office at 4th floor, so I felt something like Jesus walking on Golgotha (at small proportions of course), I was so happy when that stairs ended, for 2 reasons: one I think is obvious... I was f***ing tired and the other was that I met Codru (Codruta Stefaniga) who is MCVP Projects 2007-2008 in AIESEC UK. I knew her from NTS 2003, our first AIESEC national conference. We met I don't know how many times at conferences, having also a kind of tradition... we used to make sharing in 3... talking about our experiences and A-Ha moments, our plans, etc... don't think at nasty things! :)
After completing the BR3 application form for WAC (14 pages) that Jane gave me we went at AIESEC City Elections. It was nice to see young energetic people wanted to do something more with their life and also to contribute at AIESEC growing in London! I remember the times when I was a candidate too, all the emotions during the presentations and satisfaction after being elected. Because I was a trainee, I had the right to vote... :)) I was for 6 hours in UK and I already voted! Waw... I felt so honored... :)
In the evening they took me at the trainee night, the trainees weekly meeting. I had a nice beer, meeting some familiar faces :) like Alma, Cornelia Raportaru... remembering some old experiences... Unfortunately the evening was ended soon, I hope I will have the opportunity to spend some time with these guys another time as well!
Codru took me at her place, where I was hosted for the night, her colleague from MC was outside London so she arranged a room for me! Next day I found out that she lives in the neighborhood where Jack the Ripper was operating in the past... nice huh? :) I couldn't see nothing special, just houses...
As planned, the second day was entirely for solving my WAC. After double checking the application form, I took the underground and a train to the Home Office in Croydon. I arrived one hour before my appointment was set, but it was just fine, cause I forgot to write down the code which I received for the appointment, so I need to find a ciber cafe, 'cause that code was on my email. I did that, so I returned happy to the Home Office. There... I saw a big row of black and Asian people... I was wondering what I was doing there with that people... probably they were wondering as well... I have to tell that I felt awful, like everybody in the row... it was like remembering modern slavery... people being numbered and being told when to advance... I felt like a material or something... I was "sorted and put in the right box"... but where is the human feeling? Outside was cold and windy and people were numbered and separated... and being told when to move forward... I didn't liked that... that was just... humiliation! Inside there were 2 filters, like in airport. After that I had to stay in another line, to wait my number for my application to be processed, another half of hour of staying in line, this time it was warm, not like outside. After that I was sent to the second floor where I had to wait for my application to be proceed. I had to wait 2 hours on the chair... at least there were chairs... (I still remember my number... "170A") ... I felt it was like an evolution from the row in the cold and wind outside to the row in the warn inside and finally waiting on chairs! Just to fill the time with something I had a chat with a nice Iranian girl, a young future doctor. We spoke about our history, current reality, etc... anything just to have a nice time waiting. I was so relieved when I had my pink card! "Now I could finally go to start my traineeship"!!! Yupee! :)
I returned to the AIESEC office and prepared to go to Coventry, in the same day. I didn't saw too much in London, that will be for my next visit, when I'll have time for that.
Anyway... I arrived at Kings Cross station with my 2 pieces of luggage and decided to take the famous London Tube to get at the AIESEC UK office. That was recommended by Jane, MCVP. It was a little bit hard to travel with the tube with my suitcases... but I had no choice, I didn't want to be robbed by taxi drivers just for one mile distance so I choose to take the underground. What I can tell you is that I will NEVER do that again, with luggage. It's very narrow and pretty hard to go like that, I had to enter using the disabilities ways, cause the normal entrance was to small for me and my bags. They have lots of stairs... I don't want to mention how many people I made discomfort... :)
I met Jane in the metro station near the AIESEC office and she took me there... They have the office at 4th floor, so I felt something like Jesus walking on Golgotha (at small proportions of course), I was so happy when that stairs ended, for 2 reasons: one I think is obvious... I was f***ing tired and the other was that I met Codru (Codruta Stefaniga) who is MCVP Projects 2007-2008 in AIESEC UK. I knew her from NTS 2003, our first AIESEC national conference. We met I don't know how many times at conferences, having also a kind of tradition... we used to make sharing in 3... talking about our experiences and A-Ha moments, our plans, etc... don't think at nasty things! :)
After completing the BR3 application form for WAC (14 pages) that Jane gave me we went at AIESEC City Elections. It was nice to see young energetic people wanted to do something more with their life and also to contribute at AIESEC growing in London! I remember the times when I was a candidate too, all the emotions during the presentations and satisfaction after being elected. Because I was a trainee, I had the right to vote... :)) I was for 6 hours in UK and I already voted! Waw... I felt so honored... :)
In the evening they took me at the trainee night, the trainees weekly meeting. I had a nice beer, meeting some familiar faces :) like Alma, Cornelia Raportaru... remembering some old experiences... Unfortunately the evening was ended soon, I hope I will have the opportunity to spend some time with these guys another time as well!
Codru took me at her place, where I was hosted for the night, her colleague from MC was outside London so she arranged a room for me! Next day I found out that she lives in the neighborhood where Jack the Ripper was operating in the past... nice huh? :) I couldn't see nothing special, just houses...
As planned, the second day was entirely for solving my WAC. After double checking the application form, I took the underground and a train to the Home Office in Croydon. I arrived one hour before my appointment was set, but it was just fine, cause I forgot to write down the code which I received for the appointment, so I need to find a ciber cafe, 'cause that code was on my email. I did that, so I returned happy to the Home Office. There... I saw a big row of black and Asian people... I was wondering what I was doing there with that people... probably they were wondering as well... I have to tell that I felt awful, like everybody in the row... it was like remembering modern slavery... people being numbered and being told when to advance... I felt like a material or something... I was "sorted and put in the right box"... but where is the human feeling? Outside was cold and windy and people were numbered and separated... and being told when to move forward... I didn't liked that... that was just... humiliation! Inside there were 2 filters, like in airport. After that I had to stay in another line, to wait my number for my application to be processed, another half of hour of staying in line, this time it was warm, not like outside. After that I was sent to the second floor where I had to wait for my application to be proceed. I had to wait 2 hours on the chair... at least there were chairs... (I still remember my number... "170A") ... I felt it was like an evolution from the row in the cold and wind outside to the row in the warn inside and finally waiting on chairs! Just to fill the time with something I had a chat with a nice Iranian girl, a young future doctor. We spoke about our history, current reality, etc... anything just to have a nice time waiting. I was so relieved when I had my pink card! "Now I could finally go to start my traineeship"!!! Yupee! :)
I returned to the AIESEC office and prepared to go to Coventry, in the same day. I didn't saw too much in London, that will be for my next visit, when I'll have time for that.
posted by Ovidiu Suciu at 11:11 pm
2 Comments:
Sounds familiar:). Well, when I arrived I had to carry my luggage from Liverpool station to a place where we had a drink+arab dishes.
Trust me, more than 3-4 stations on the tube...and also with the Northern Line (the most not-user friendly line)
When I was at Croydon, they had a problem with electricity in the whole building (run out of it) and had to wait 3 hours per total to get the WAC...but it was fun:)
Now I am happily integrating at www.tcs.com and travelling often on Peterborough - London route.
Thanks for the sharing, it's nice to read smb else's experiences concerning the same things.
What are you up to? How's life at work? What did you do for Easter?:D
Rox - former member of @Bu
Hi Rox!
Nice to hear again from you! :) "Hristos a inviat!"
For Easter I did almost nothing...
What about you? How is TCS?
I will post again from now on, so soon will apear details from work and the city.
Take care,
Ovi
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