The Dudley Chronicles - Week 1

Several weeks had passed since I started here in my new job. At the risk of being redundant, I just want to record some extra info on my early days here in West Midlands. It was not all a bed of roses in my first week as far as I am concerned. Terrible homesickness set in right on the first day. Doubts about the job arose by the second day. And as expected I am left in zombie-like state while reading manuals and documents to kill time due to lack of computer and database access.

As a saving grace, everyone I meet here have been lovely and very friendly. Even people on the street and shops were amiable. I guess the adage that, the further away from the city you are the friendlier the people, hold true.

My travel, rather driving, this week has been excellent since I had to get a hire car. Though driving was a breeze, my pocket is not breezing so much what with this added expense mainly because the cheapo car (Volvo) that we bought is not up to scratch. Actually I got a shock when I got the hirecar expecting only about £150 to pay. But insurance and VAT inflated the price to £200! *groan* Just what I needed when I should be saving money.

I stayed in a B&B with a family in their relatively new 4-bedroom house in the Milking Bank area. Dennis, Dang and family even accompanied me there the first night I 'checked in'. Everything was very pleasant including my friendly landlady. Only minor irritation is the lack of a shower room in their lovely spacious bathroom. So everytime I had to sit in the bathtub while scrubbing and very carefully rinsing myself with a shower attached to a hose (I don't what they call that).