First Email 9.3.2008

We got a bit of a late start to our blogging - but can fill in the first few months with the emails Nicole sent to close friends and family... cheers!

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Hey Friends and Family!

So, I arrived in London last Thursday and was 'collected' from the airport and taken to my 'interim' accommodations. I'm placed in an area call "Canary Wharf," which is the new business/financial district in London. The location is not ideal in terms of culture, but the apartment is really nice, and has a gym! (Rare). I spent the first few days exploring around and met up with some of the other GEP'ers. We roamed the city trying to get acquainted with the tube, find the EY offices, and just gain an understanding of the general city areas (there are tons!). The main EY office is located very close to the Tower Bridge (most people think of it as the 'London Bridge') and is in a very nice building. We had wonderful weather on Saturday to welcome us to the city, however it quickly changed for Sunday. So far I'm enjoying exploring a new city and learning the cultural differences.

I started work on Monday (Labor Day in the US) with corporate 'induction' at the smaller EY office in Becket House. The major thing going on over here is the consolidation of many areas into the new EMEIA (Europe, MiddleEast, India, and Asia - I believe) area. This occurred in July '08 and many people are still getting used to the idea. It is an effort to bring in global business and unify the way things are done in the area. As you might imagine this consolidation is not an easy task with the multiple languages, cultures, and religions being brought together. Another major topic covered was EY's place in the London market. It seems like a very exciting time to be over here with all the changes going on - except for the struggling economy. (Although I'm watching the pound go down against the dollar daily and hoping it continues - my paycheck will appreciate that!)

For my second day of work, I woke up to a down pour and although we have rain in Seattle it's much different when you are walking .4 miles to your tube stop... and then another .4 to get to the office. You might think .4 miles is not all that far, but I was soaked up to my knees! I'm going to need to invest in some really good boots! I obtained my computer yesterday, and it was nice to be connected again - I also found out that in addition to Expedia, I will be on Live Nation Music and NewsCorp Fox, which should all be interesting.

Matt arrives on Sunday evening and I'm very excited for him to join me over here! We will be looking for a flat in the next week, so we will have more information to come very soon.

A few Londoners words that I have noticed are quoted above and others I didn't manage to fit into this email, but are used quite often are: 'lovely' ("Oh, lovely!" and "What a lovely lunch!"), 'loads' ("there are loads of places to see here" or "I've go loads of work to do"), 'weary' ("my legs area bit weary today").

Miss you all very much! Keep me updated on US activities!

Cheers,
Nicole