The Adventures of Gus and Janice: Changes pt. 2

. . . . So there we were in London, preparing for the fair. It officially went something like this:

Candidate check in 10-4 Thursday, lounges open

Pre-fair orientation meetings, some school presentations in the afternoon/early evening

Interview sign-up 8am Friday--this is the insane rush of candidates from table to table, making 10 second pitches to recruiters to land an interview

Interviews 10-5 Friday

School presentations 10-5 Friday

Social/mixer Friday evening

Interviews Saturday

School presentations Saturday

Interview mop up, fair check out Sunday

Last presentations Sunday

The candidate lounge is where all the teachers have table space, wifi, etc. to network with each other and work. You can look at school brochures, see posters on the walls with the latest job postings by school, write thank you notes or letters of interest, check the database for school information, etc. The recruiters have a similar lounge where they can check out candidates. Each candidate and each recruiter has a folder, so you can drop CVs or notes in school boxes or they can drop you notes or passes to the front of the line during signups to secure an interview.

So we got our fancy clothes on, checked into the fair, met a nice couple on the walk to the fair hotel, and checked our boxes. Low and behold, a line pass/interview request for Yangon (yes!) and from a school in Indonesia. We dropped notes and CVs into a few boxes, then headed to our first of three interviews--a boarding school in Switzerland, a school in Madrid, and our first and favorite, Hamburg!

We walked in at noon. By 12:45 we walked out with a verbal commitment (binding in the International School world) and a need to cancel our remaining two interviews. We did so, checked our folders and pulled them so schools knew we were off the market (in spite of another front of the line pass from somewhere in China), signed our paperwork in the office, and checked out of the fair. Then we headed back to the hotel to call people, nap, celebrate, and call people! This was followed by a celebratory steak dinner at El Gaucho South Kensington with Anna and Elizabeth.

The next day we did go ahead and return to the fair to attend Hamburg's school presentation. From there we visited the nearbyMuseum of Natural History (though Gus was deeply disappointed to learn that most of the dinosaur exhibits were closed), then wandered around Kensington, getting Lebanese food for dinner. Saturday was Covent Garden, then meeting up with Elizabeth and Artie and her new friend Jenna, who had just arrived in London permanently with her dog Fiona, along the South Bank. Elizabeth showed us a tunnel that is a hotspot for graffiti artists (The Vaults), and we enjoyed a beverage at the Understudy pub along the South Bank. Then we headed across the river to Embankment and Charing Cross, down to Covent Garden, and to an Indian place called Masala Zone for dinner.

The Vaults

Fiona and Artie

Embankment

Sunday we met up for Brunch with Anna, Elizabeth, and Artie once more, this time at The Orange off Pimlico Road. Anna stayed with us as we walked through the Pimlico neighborhood, then back across the river to the MI6 building, along the Albert Embankment and South Bank all the way to the Globe, and across the Millennium Bridge to St. Paul's. Here Anna took us to a local find--across from St. Paul's was a shopping center with a rooftop bar (can't remember the name, but it is due east of St. Paul's). We had a drink and enjoyed the evening view before walking down the Strand in the City of London and finally hopping on a bus to get to the Churchill Arms pub near Kensington Palace to meet Elizabeth for dinner. This cool place served great Thai food in spite of its London pub atmosphere. After dinner we walked down to a piano jazz bar, where we ended the evening celebrating our new job, our friendship, and good music. What a trip, and what a treat to get to spend so much time with our friends! We are truly grateful that they made so much time for us.

Orange Square

Millennium Bridge and St. Paul's

Shakespeare's Globe

Rooftop view

The Shard

Monday after one last breakfast at Pret a Manger, we headed to the airport and home.

Trip goal--job in a good school, ideally in Europe, with a dream goal of Hamburg. Adventures in Hamburg coming soon!