Mission: Possible
Today we set out with the aim of printing out copies of our CVs to help with our jobhunting. We did some research yesterday by walking the streets of London looking for cheap Kinko-ish printing places. Most places were about 15-30p per page with the additional cost of a pound for use of the computer. For Aussie conversion multiply by about 2.5. We struck paydirt online. Coming from a University environment, we looked for University Libararies close by or close to where we were heading today (meeting Tam's friend Agnes at Leicester Square). Found the University of Westminster website and found their library website, which said we just had to purchase a copying card from a card machine for 1 pound which would allow us 18 copies, and then on that printing from a computer is 5p and photocopying is 6p. Bargain. So we mapped out our route (tube to Oxford Circus) to their Regent campus and and set forth after breakfast of baked beans on toast and instant cappuccino.
Obstacle 1:
Everything was going along to plan until we reached the library. It appears that their website (like most UNSW websites) is terribly not up to date. Their security, unlike UNSW, is quite heavy. You cannot enter and use their facilities or anything without a valid staff or student card. You need to swipe your card to get through the turnstiles after you enter the building. Plucky me played the "exchange student" card. Brought out my ISIC and UNSW student cards and asked the security guard if we could get in to use the photocopiers. He had no idea what was going on, took my UNSW card to examine, and called up the boss or someone and asked if us Australian students (Tam also said she was a student) could get access in. He asked us if it was just for today or if we would be coming back. We said it was just for today and they said OK. We were in.
Obstacles 2 and 3:
He told us to enter through the gate on the side and we made our way to the lifts to go to the basement for the computers and copiers (there were also computers and copiers upstairs on level 1 according to their website). We made it down to the basement and found the computers and copiers. No card machine anywhere. We searched the floor again and found a broken credit top-up machine on a table next to the copiers and a sign that said that you need to use your student card to print. Maybe they had some generic cards too. Up to the first floor. Same thing, computers and photcopiers, but no card machine. Dammit. There were also signs saying that most sections of the library were silent areas. You're not even allowed to whisper. On the verge of major disappointment and frustration we made to leave and find one of those 15p per page places back near where we are staying. Back to the ground floor we went, and then we spied the service counter. We went up and asked the lady at the counter if we could use the computers and copiers without a student card. We showed my UNSW student card and explained that we were students from Australia. She said we couldn't use the computers without logging in (which we didn't have a username or password for), but gave us a photocopying card to use. Which was quite handy, except that we didn't have our CVs or other things to copy from. We put some credit onto the card and made some copies of our academic transcripts and then puzzled over what we were to do. We built up the courage to ask a student on one of the computers if we could get her to print some stuff out for us if we gave her some money to put on her card. After a bit of questioning, she agreed and we were on our way. We managed to get her to help us print everything out that we needed. We thanked her profusely, returned the empty photocopy card and exited. Thanks you University of Westminster.
The moral of the story is: Tam and Des are resourceful and can overcome any adversity or problem (we'd probably be able to win The Amazing Race if we knew how to drive manual cars) and that (some - Tam made me put this in so as not to offend anyone) British people are gullible and easy to manipulate.
Obstacle 1:
Everything was going along to plan until we reached the library. It appears that their website (like most UNSW websites) is terribly not up to date. Their security, unlike UNSW, is quite heavy. You cannot enter and use their facilities or anything without a valid staff or student card. You need to swipe your card to get through the turnstiles after you enter the building. Plucky me played the "exchange student" card. Brought out my ISIC and UNSW student cards and asked the security guard if we could get in to use the photocopiers. He had no idea what was going on, took my UNSW card to examine, and called up the boss or someone and asked if us Australian students (Tam also said she was a student) could get access in. He asked us if it was just for today or if we would be coming back. We said it was just for today and they said OK. We were in.
Obstacles 2 and 3:
He told us to enter through the gate on the side and we made our way to the lifts to go to the basement for the computers and copiers (there were also computers and copiers upstairs on level 1 according to their website). We made it down to the basement and found the computers and copiers. No card machine anywhere. We searched the floor again and found a broken credit top-up machine on a table next to the copiers and a sign that said that you need to use your student card to print. Maybe they had some generic cards too. Up to the first floor. Same thing, computers and photcopiers, but no card machine. Dammit. There were also signs saying that most sections of the library were silent areas. You're not even allowed to whisper. On the verge of major disappointment and frustration we made to leave and find one of those 15p per page places back near where we are staying. Back to the ground floor we went, and then we spied the service counter. We went up and asked the lady at the counter if we could use the computers and copiers without a student card. We showed my UNSW student card and explained that we were students from Australia. She said we couldn't use the computers without logging in (which we didn't have a username or password for), but gave us a photocopying card to use. Which was quite handy, except that we didn't have our CVs or other things to copy from. We put some credit onto the card and made some copies of our academic transcripts and then puzzled over what we were to do. We built up the courage to ask a student on one of the computers if we could get her to print some stuff out for us if we gave her some money to put on her card. After a bit of questioning, she agreed and we were on our way. We managed to get her to help us print everything out that we needed. We thanked her profusely, returned the empty photocopy card and exited. Thanks you University of Westminster.
The moral of the story is: Tam and Des are resourceful and can overcome any adversity or problem (we'd probably be able to win The Amazing Race if we knew how to drive manual cars) and that (some - Tam made me put this in so as not to offend anyone) British people are gullible and easy to manipulate.
posted by tamanddes at
7:50 PM
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