Busy streets, traffic jams, red buses, the smell of food and the graffiti on the walls,

people were walking on the streets holding a cup of coffee, the Tube (London underground),

the “Hey how are you? And  the “Cheers mate”.

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  It was like pure adrenaline in my veins.

  I loved it.

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After few days of tourism around the city i realized that London wasn't a city that you could discover

in few weeks. London is a city that you have to live there to enjoy all the craziness itself,

and i also realized, actually, how bad my English was.

"Learn English it could be a good purpose to stay longer, i thought.

I wanted to learn it.

So, i decided to give to my self a week as a deadline on my hunt to find a job that could make me stay

in London longer, otherwise, would return back home.

I was fresh from Spain,i felt stronger and everything looked easy at my eyes.

I was determined.

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  It was even harder then Spain.

  It was like get back to the bottom again.

 

 

“Hi i'm looking for a job”.

“ Yes, we need few baristas, what kind of experience do you have?” or “When are you free for a trial shift?”

All of them, after see my face and my way to reply, were saying: 

“Come back when you have learnt english please!”

I couldn't understand any single words!

After i've been in few places, asking for a job, i started to understand and memorize

what they were saying so i basically studied those questions at home trying answering as more fluent

as i could to be prepared for the next hunting day.

 

The next day i pop'd in a cafè.

“Hi i'm looking for a job”.

The lady smiled to me.

“When are you free for a trial shift?”

“Today”, i said.

“Ok could you please come tomorrow morning at 7 am? The manager, also, will be here”

I didn't really understand everything, but what i said is: 

“My phone number is on the CV, can you please send me a message just as a reminder?”

“Sure, see you tomorrow”

Boom!!! that's was the technique!!

At least i could translate at home. LOL!

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The morning came and i went for the trial shift where the manager welcomed me.

“Hey good morning, you are Tony right?, so, do you do coffee?”

“Of course, i'm Italian” i said. (Bad bad bad)

Ok, i never made coffee in my life before, but c'mon how hard could be to make an espresso?

The manager came. “Can you make a flat white, a cappuccino and an espresso please?

...my face...

“Yeah sure”

What i gonna do? What i gonna do? what i gonna do?

"A flat what? What's that?! Agggggggg"

I made an espresso and something i didn't know what was and the manager  looked me and said:

“You never made a coffee before right?”

...My face...again.

“Nope, but i'm here already so... i can learn eheheh"

“Okay you seems a smart guy i will give you a chance. You will start your shift tomorrow morning

at 6 and you have three days to learn how to make coffee, otherwise...”

“Sure! Thank youuuu! See you tomorrow!”

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  I started to work as barista

  in a cafè in Oxford street,

  one of the busiest street in London.

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I actually learnt how to make a cappuccino in London. Italians don't hate me....

I woke up every morning at 4.30 to get the bus at 5.10 to reach Oxford street at 5.55, then running to the shop to start my shift at 6.

At that time of the morning even penguins were wearing a scarf and a hat for how cold was it.

The living working life in London started. 

From 6 in the morning to 2 in the afternoon i was a barista. 

 

"Excuse me, do you have a straw?”

...My face...

“Sorry i call the manager because don't know”

I'm writing exactly in the way i said to let you understand how bad my English was, 

plus add a strong Italian accent.

I couldn't answer to a customer because i didn't know what was a straw!

I called the manager: “Please, i need you, I don't know what this guy want!

He took a straw and showed me what was.

...My face again....

“Oh ok, no because the British accent is really strong sorry eh eh eh”

...His face...

That's was one of a long list of ridiculous things happened while i was working in the begin at that cafè, where i felt stupid every single time, where in a cold London i woke up every day at the sunrise, where i was sharing the apartment with other six people in Willesden Green.

It didn't matter because i did it, i made it.

I was there.

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After a while i changed role and the work place. From a morning  barista to a night  bartender.

It was a better way to earn a decent salary where i had fun and i could meet people from everywhere,

and, the key of that, was that i learnt a job that could make me travel and or work wherever

and whenever i would.

 

Life were great in London and i realized how much that city gave to me:

I learnt English, i met people from all around the world who later became amazing friends, 

i learnt how to work behind a bar and especially i understood where my strengths and weaknesses are

giving me the possibility to work on it and make it a better myself.

London taught me a lot but i needed again something fresh.

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  And there we go again.

  I applied for an

  Australian Working Holiday Visa.

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