London 26/01/1990 Friday
I’m still working like a slave… Joe’s wife, Pat (she had been off sick), has been back to work since yesterday. She’s twice my age and has twice my energy! What a woman! She works from Monday to Monday, more than 12 hours a day, and she never stops… No wonder she ended up so ill! I like her, and she’s Irish.
Yesterday some crazy winds blew in London. Like, CRAZY WINDS!!!! 40 people died. I was out and had to hold on to some railings. 170km/h winds…
Look what Letitia has done! Yesterday evening she arrived in class saying Juerg was meeting us after class and she told him I wanted to see him! She’s such a piss taker! So after class Juerg and Mauricio, Letitia’s Brazilian friend, met up with us. She tried to get Juerg and me to go one way and Mauricio the other, but we ended up in a pub together…
We ended up in the Intrepid Fox, full of punks! So Juerg and I tried to talk, his English is worse than mine. He’s been here for 2 weeks, spending money he earned back home. He’s 21 years old. Later the four of us were talking together. Mauricio is good fun and goes back to Brazil next week. Mauricio started saying Letitia doesn’t like men and that she needs to be cured… And that I’m the one she likes. It was all said jokingly though and we were all having a laugh. Also she had a boyfriend, so she does like men. I love her, she’s captivating, fun and beautiful. I’m not really interested in her that way but there’s no way I’m not being friends with her because she likes me… I mean, I love my friend Lu, with all my heart, but it’s nothing sexual, just friendship. I also fell in love straight away with my namesake, but it’s a sisterly thing. We walked to the tube station together having a spliff, with weed, a miracle! It seems all they have in this country is hashish.
I was so stoned on the tube, I closed my eyes and thought I was in a plane, going to Brazil. At one point it did feel like the tube was going to take off. Weed does funny things to my mind.
Letitia said I can go and work with her on the vintage shop she works at, twice a week, £20 for 6 hours. Nice… Except I’d be spending money on the tube, so I’d be getting £16.40 a day, and it’s far away. I was tempted but I’m staying at the delicatessen for now. The work is heavy, busy, intense, but I like it, I get to keep fit for free. I want to stay there for now. Now I’m not looking I bet lots of jobs will turn up. And today Joe said I should be getting a pay rise soon.
Juerg wasn’t wasted today, I don’t understand why Letitia doesn’t go out with him. He’s nice, well educated, gorgeous!!!! I think I fancy him quite a lot.
Today Pat was teaching me how to use the till. Which is quite easy, but the shop started to get busy, I pressed the wrong button and completely lost it, my mind went blank. I could feel Pat was biting her tongue so she wouldn’t call me an idiot when I messed up for the 3rd time. Worst of all was the captive audience of customers. Everyone was laughing at me…
The other girl who started on the same day as me, an English 17 year old girl, won’t be lasting much longer I don’t think. She’s really slow and she’s on £2.5p/h. I’m the model of efficiency, I never stop, I’m always looking for something to do, and get £1.80. All because she speaks English well and has experience. Not to worry I’ll get there, and it’s great to have a job!