Cheese Rolling

Here's the breakdown, basically a bunch of people (drunk, crazy or both) take their spot on the starting line at the top of Cooper's Hill.  They release a wheel of cheese and the first person down the hill to catch it wins.  If you're wondering why it's not called 'Cheese Chasing' it's because everyone ends up rolling down the hill...

Trip Planning

  Week two at the job wasn't quite as good as the first, only made 210 pounds.  Still works out to be roughly the same as the pub, just a lot less hours, more relaxing and we all go out partying... feeling a bit more at home now.  Now a new stress has come up... finding someone to take my room so I can get my 300 pound deposit back; somehow it always finds its way back to money.  Good thing is that I haven't signed any contract so I can leave whenever I want, however, that 300 pounds can go a long way with the trip I've won.

June 1st I'll be in Paris to start a 6 week trek through 20 cities in 6 different countries.  The loops will take me through France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, back through southern France into Spain and back into France to finish in Paris.  And if I can do some awesome sales in the next couple weeks I'll even sneak in an 8 day cruise in Croatia or Greece.

What's even better is that I'll still have one loop left to use before the end of September which means a 2nd trip back out here for Oktoberfest.  Also stops in Belgium, Netherlands, Czech Republic, and 2 in Germany.  Afterwards if I really want I can return to this paintball job... even after a 4 month hiatus.  Still a long way away though, right now I have to get ready to get drunk and watch some much missed hockey...  Canada vs Russia rematch

Finally

So I've been in the UK for just over 3 months and I've finally got things sorted to a point where I'm happy.  The pub job that was making me utterly miserable and basically ruining this trip is now gone and I've just finished the first week at my new job.  The new job is something I would have never imagined myself doing; I'm a street peddler.  That's right, I stand on the street each day trying to sell paintball packages (at least it's a kewl thing I'm selling), sometimes I even get to hit the universities until we're escorted off the premises.

Basically my day consists of meeting in the morning with everyone and chilling out for an hour or so before heading off to different areas of the city.  Once in our spot I call out short catchy ads or anything I really feel like to get someone's attention.  I flirt with the girls and make fun of the guys, and it's really easy to make fun of most London guys, "Oh paintball hurts... It's too aggressive... I don't want to ruin my clothes" yes I've had people say that to me, nancies. Once I have someone even slightly interested the game is on, and I'm quickly learning how to become a sly sneaky selling SOB... I don't have much choice since this job is strictly commission based.  

It seemed like an odd choice for a job and something I wasn't sure I could do or if I'd be able to make any money doing.  But after a week I can't complain, I make my own hours, get to see the city and soon other parts of the UK (when I move to other areas they provide company housing for 7 pounds a week), work and party with kewl people; hell, we have drinks while working if we want to... As a bonus to all this, I seem to be pretty good at it.  I sold a package on my very first pitch and just made 580 pounds in my first week, compared 800 pounds in a month at the pub... I think I may have just found that hook that could keep me here.