Upstairs Downstairs

Why is it that the secret servant staircases in old houses are all so steep? They need to be nice and gradual so that when you are lugging washing, mop and buckets, vaccuum cleaners etc up and down, you don't stack it or kill your little legs!

Welcome to my new work world. I am mad, really I am.

I've gone from some wonderful jobs in a great city, to come half way around the world to Stratford for some Shakespeare. Okay, that makes sense to me, but it's the working in a youth hostel that seems a little crazy at the moment . . . . but that would be because I've been up since 6am!

In all seriousness though (and i don't know if you can tell, but the whole first bit was a tongue in cheek), the work at the hostel is damn hard physically. And mentally boring, although I can take my MP3 on my cleaning rounds. I'm three days in, and have had moments when i think - is this really worth it? And then I think free acommodation, free food, good people, close to Stratford . . . . and hell, it's about time I got of my ample bottom and did something!!!!!

I did have to join the library today though - my brain will go mushy otherwise. Interestingly, my command of the english language has already gone down the toilet - there are so many people at the hostel who don't speak English that well (including some of the people who I work with), that you need a sort of short pigeon english! And then of course, there are the differences between Australian English and English English - more on that later!