Stressful Week 33 - 2014

Due to the increased training requests from the different offices around UK, I had therefore a tiring full week outing traveling around England [Chertsey - Birmingham (180km) - Warrington (150km) - Keighley (95km) - Chertsey (355km)]. 

10th August 2014 (Sunday) 

After having a tough time looking for rooms in the past weeks, I finally found this new dwellling place and with the kind help from the new house owner I managed to move 3 of my suitcases and 2 bag packs full of my stuffs to this newly rented room. It was a rainy summer and fortunately the downpours only started after I have finished moving and here goes another different life and environment for me to fit myself into. 

11th August 2014 (Monday)

Chertsey - Birmingham

Waking up at 5.20am preparing for the trip to Birmingham, I only get to read the text message sent by my colleague informing a 30 minutes delay after arriving at the front door of the office at 6.40am and realizing that the main entrance wasn’t open before 7.00am. Once again I was back in Ramada Encore for another full day’s monthly team meeting. This week was completely stressful that I even forgotten to book my hotel room for this first night, but fortunately there was still a room available at £72.00. 

I wasn’t quite satisfy with the service this time as it took me long for the check-in at the front desk and when I notice that the room was without the internet cable, I approaches the front desk in person but they did not send the cable to my room as promised. Nonetheless, the dinner was great having the Grill Seabream as I dare not order the Thai Rice with Curry anymore subsequent to my experience 3 months ago whereby the curry doesn't taste spicy at all. 

12th August 2014 (Tuesday) 

Birmingham New Street - Manchester Piccadilly - Glazebrook 

After completing a 3.5 hours training session in the Birmingham office, I arrived at the Birmingham New Street Rail Station around 2.00pm with the kind offer for a free-ride by the key account manager. Grabbing a fast lunch (Lamb & Mint Puff) in one of the fast food outlet, I continued my 2 hours journey to Warrington. 

This town which I am going to stay was so small and rural that it was even unknown to the ticketing counter. The train wasn’t even announcing the location at each station as they normally should thus I needed to ask around and rely on my GPS to determine which station and when I should alight. I even waited blindly for more than 30 minutes at the Manchester Piccadilly station due to the inaccurate platform information on the website. 

The Rhinewood Country House Hotel was warm and comfortable where you can really feel the simple and serene lifestyle of countryside. The dinner was superb and I get to taste the England famous Gammon Steak served with variety of delicious steam vegetables (I like the grill mushroom most!). My night continues with the checking and replying of emails until 10.00pm before I am able to take a shower as my inbox was being attacked ferociously by the incomings of queries, notifications and tasks. 

 

13th August 2014 (Wednesday) 

Glazebrook - Birchwood - Manchester Oxford Road - Leeds - Keighley 

Another 4 hours training and discussion session held in the Warrington office during the day, I finally get to enjoy my lunch having the Tortilla Wraps sitting alone on a bench outside the supermarket enjoying the cool breeze, and I departed from the office around 3.30pm to start my 2.5 hours journey to Keighley. 

The Travelodge Hotel was 10 minutes walking distance away from the rail station and after checking-in, I am even too tired to get myself a proper dinner before I took a shower and rush on my date with my dearest bed. Finally, this is the only night that I could fully relax in the same hotel for the next day and need not move around hastily. 

14th August 2014 (Thursday) 

From the Google map view, the office was just a few steps away from the hotel. However there was no proper entrance at the back of the road thus I have to take the extra 1.5km walk just to arrive at the front door. Squeezing 3 short training sessions into one day free-up my Friday for clearing some on hand tasks and to travel back to Chertsey slightly earlier than the original schedule. 

 

15th August 2014 (Friday) 

Keighley - Leeds - London Kings Cross - London St Pancras International - Vauxhall - Chertsey 

A 5 hours train ride costing at £107.00 is a long journey for me to get back to Chertsey. With a bag full of the week’s necessities, a laptop case and a handbag, I was almost drained from every drop of my energy both mentally and physically. 

16th August 2014 (Saturday) 

Chertsey - Weybridge - Woking 

Since I have now moved to a rather permanent place, I have thus decided to go to the nearby town to get myself some of the basic stuffs for a better comfort of living. As it was raining quite often recently, I would now need to get myself a pair of waterproof boots to suit the ever changing weather. I have actually survived my first few months only with a pair of sport shoe even though it looks somehow weird together with a full set of formal dressing in the office...lol. 

 

Few of the items already cost me around £200+ and with some additional RM400+ expenses plus the 1 month rental deposit in addition to the advance expenses for the whole week's trip at £500+, I would definitely need to go for a modest and not luxury lifestyle for now.