Letter from Iona - 1
Hello all!
So, here it is....we've been here for almost a week and had lots of fun. Our first 3 days were absolutely gorgeous with sunshine and warm weather. The last few days have left a bit to be desired. It's funny though, even when it is raining outside, the area is still beautiful. We've had a few close encounters with some sheep as they snuck through the gate in the back yard and came bawling up to our window before taking off for the front yard where the gate was open and onto the road! Dan and I watched, sure that one would meet its doom with a passing car (yes there are cars on the island, but only for local residents and delivery trucks), but thankfully a collie came along and scared them back into the yard. The next day, the back gate was fixed and the front gate closed, so they are no longer our close neighbours, but we still see them from a distance and can certainly hear them well into the night. Speaking of night, it doesn't get dark here until 11:30 pm and morning dawns as early as 4:30 am!! Makes it a little difficult to sleep sometimes, but also makes it nice for walking home from work late at night.
There are no locks on anything here as it is a very close knit and friendly community of people. We've now met all of the staff and each one of them is interesting in their own way. As Dan told you earlier, Vicki and Danielle are from Canada. We've also met Jess from Queenstown, NZ; Sian from Glasgow; Agni from Lithuania; Donna from Yorkshire; Shauna from Iona; and a couple of girls from Mull who work in the kitchen but don't speak much. The restaurant and the Spar are owned by the same family with the three girls, Sheila, Dan, and Eilee working in the kitchen and the shop. Their brother also operates the boat to Staffa to see the Puffins and their Dad is known as the local rich guy celebrity on the island.
Katie is working in the kitchen mostly, but has been put onto the night shift to help with taking orders, serving food and drinks and clearing tables. She's also been helping with the food prep of making sandwiches in the mornings, peeling potatoes and carrots, and making salads. Dad, thanks for always making me set the table properly as the knowledge has come in handy here a lot!
Dan has become Bar Man Joe.....you can ask him for pretty much any kind of shot, mixed drink, lager, dark or light ale, coffee, tea, cappuccino, espesso, you name it, he can make it. No one's died yet, so he must be doing ok:) The first day, they had him peeling carrots and potatoes, but then saw his other talents for making drinks and ever since, he's been behind the bar.....or at least cleaning it.
Our house is a special kind of house. We've added a link here so that you can see it.
http://www.tobermory.co.uk/panorama/aerialimages/iona/memi.jpg
It's the fourth house from the left in the picture.
First of all, it has been scheduled for demolition for about three years now according to Sheila, but they just haven't gotten around to doing that yet. There is no central heating in the house, but they've given us large space heaters and after we stole one for our room, we were okay. We also have large duvets for each bed and linens that they've provided, which was nice. One morning we woke up to no electricty because the meter had run out, so Dan nicely got up at 5:30 am, took a £ (pound), stuck it into the meter and turned the crank. Now don't worry because it doesn't cost us a cent. As soon as you turn the crank, the £ comes flying back out at you and you can reuse it over and over.
The microwave works quite nicely as long as you bang it hard enough in just the right place which goes for the living room light as well. Our two housemates are having a war about cleaning right now and have nightly arguments with Donna yelling at Agni in highpitched Yorkshire english and Agni saying back in her Lithuanian accent..."I don't want to talk to you right now Donna..." We just lay down and laugh into our pillows.
All in all, it is truly an experience.....we're slightly sorry that we didn't get into the Spar shop housing where the rest of the girls are as they have wooden cabinets, skylights, seperate bathrooms, and personal tv's. In the end it doesn't really matter because we aren't home enough to worry about it. We've both been working for 4 days now and have already worked 35 hours each....money money money!
Anyway, we miss you all bunches and will keep you updated with our "Letters from the Isle of Iona" (Anybody who has heard Wingfield CD's will appreciate that)
Love to you all,
Dan & Katie
So, here it is....we've been here for almost a week and had lots of fun. Our first 3 days were absolutely gorgeous with sunshine and warm weather. The last few days have left a bit to be desired. It's funny though, even when it is raining outside, the area is still beautiful. We've had a few close encounters with some sheep as they snuck through the gate in the back yard and came bawling up to our window before taking off for the front yard where the gate was open and onto the road! Dan and I watched, sure that one would meet its doom with a passing car (yes there are cars on the island, but only for local residents and delivery trucks), but thankfully a collie came along and scared them back into the yard. The next day, the back gate was fixed and the front gate closed, so they are no longer our close neighbours, but we still see them from a distance and can certainly hear them well into the night. Speaking of night, it doesn't get dark here until 11:30 pm and morning dawns as early as 4:30 am!! Makes it a little difficult to sleep sometimes, but also makes it nice for walking home from work late at night.
There are no locks on anything here as it is a very close knit and friendly community of people. We've now met all of the staff and each one of them is interesting in their own way. As Dan told you earlier, Vicki and Danielle are from Canada. We've also met Jess from Queenstown, NZ; Sian from Glasgow; Agni from Lithuania; Donna from Yorkshire; Shauna from Iona; and a couple of girls from Mull who work in the kitchen but don't speak much. The restaurant and the Spar are owned by the same family with the three girls, Sheila, Dan, and Eilee working in the kitchen and the shop. Their brother also operates the boat to Staffa to see the Puffins and their Dad is known as the local rich guy celebrity on the island.
Katie is working in the kitchen mostly, but has been put onto the night shift to help with taking orders, serving food and drinks and clearing tables. She's also been helping with the food prep of making sandwiches in the mornings, peeling potatoes and carrots, and making salads. Dad, thanks for always making me set the table properly as the knowledge has come in handy here a lot!
Dan has become Bar Man Joe.....you can ask him for pretty much any kind of shot, mixed drink, lager, dark or light ale, coffee, tea, cappuccino, espesso, you name it, he can make it. No one's died yet, so he must be doing ok:) The first day, they had him peeling carrots and potatoes, but then saw his other talents for making drinks and ever since, he's been behind the bar.....or at least cleaning it.
Our house is a special kind of house. We've added a link here so that you can see it.
http://www.tobermory.co.uk/panorama/aerialimages/iona/memi.jpg
It's the fourth house from the left in the picture.
First of all, it has been scheduled for demolition for about three years now according to Sheila, but they just haven't gotten around to doing that yet. There is no central heating in the house, but they've given us large space heaters and after we stole one for our room, we were okay. We also have large duvets for each bed and linens that they've provided, which was nice. One morning we woke up to no electricty because the meter had run out, so Dan nicely got up at 5:30 am, took a £ (pound), stuck it into the meter and turned the crank. Now don't worry because it doesn't cost us a cent. As soon as you turn the crank, the £ comes flying back out at you and you can reuse it over and over.
The microwave works quite nicely as long as you bang it hard enough in just the right place which goes for the living room light as well. Our two housemates are having a war about cleaning right now and have nightly arguments with Donna yelling at Agni in highpitched Yorkshire english and Agni saying back in her Lithuanian accent..."I don't want to talk to you right now Donna..." We just lay down and laugh into our pillows.
All in all, it is truly an experience.....we're slightly sorry that we didn't get into the Spar shop housing where the rest of the girls are as they have wooden cabinets, skylights, seperate bathrooms, and personal tv's. In the end it doesn't really matter because we aren't home enough to worry about it. We've both been working for 4 days now and have already worked 35 hours each....money money money!
Anyway, we miss you all bunches and will keep you updated with our "Letters from the Isle of Iona" (Anybody who has heard Wingfield CD's will appreciate that)
Love to you all,
Dan & Katie
posted by Daniel Pergau | 6:51 a.m.
1 Comments:
Wow what a different world! Don't let them work you too hard now!
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