November 28th, 2005

Sheffield Day 2 – Part 1

Day two was much like day one in Sheffield, with one nice surprise. I found out that we weren’t expected to go to the arena to work at all. Two complete days off in a foreign country! Sounds great to me!

My hotel room phone rang at 10 AM. The rest of the crew had arrived from Manchester. After a nap, they wanted to go exploring. I made plans to meet them back at the hotel in a few hours.

Grabbing my digital camera, I walked the perimeter of the town, along a canal filled with thin and old-looking gondolas. These boats were mostly for hire to tour Sheffield’s many canals. At one end of the canal was a lock which seemed like it might be interesting to see, but tour prices were very expensive, so I passed on the idea. Walking along the canal, I soon came to a bridge which led to town. I crossed over the canal and made my way toward an imposing looking church.

I wanted to go inside the church to look around, but the doors were locked. I sat and imagined this church as it must have been centuries ago, probably looking much the same as it did now. Walking along the path through the church grounds towards town, I noticed some writing on the slabs making up the sidewalk. I wasn’t on a sidewalk, I was walking on a graveyard! The headstones were laid out horizontally, and right next to one another, making a strange path. Most of the people buried under my feet had been there for a hundred or more years, so I don’t think I disturbed them too much, at least I hope not!

I made my way through a neighborhood, and received a few strange looks. I suppose not many tourists walk through this part of town. Someone was receiving a new dishwasher, and they were having trouble getting the device through the tiny door. Two men were grunting and swearing as they twisted and turned the box, without much luck. I didn’t stick around to see if they tried a window, or broke out a saw to make the dishwasher fit.

I walked back into the main part of town, shops and pubs lining the streets. Realizing it was lunchtime, I decided to stop into Nando’s restaurant. I’d heard the chicken was incredible, and was eager to try it. The layout of the restaurant was a little strange, you wait to be seated by a hostess, then once seated you go up to a counter and place your order. After a while someone brings your meal out, then you have to go to a different table to get silverware and napkins. I couldn’t understand why they didn’t take orders at the table like most places do. The chicken was small, more like a pigeon or something. It wasn’t nearly as good as it had been made out to be.

After the disappointing lunch, I returned to the hotel. I met up with a few other crew members, all eager to get to a proper English pub. I recommended we go to the Frog and Parrot. A few of the guys had UK phone numbers on their cell phones, and were looking to top their pre paid cellular service up. I asked how they managed to get a UK number, and they told me they had their phones “unlocked” from their primary service provider, allowing any SIM card to work.

My new phone was certainly locked, as I couldn’t get any service at all. I set out on a mission to unlock my phone. My first stop was the Car Phone Warehouse. When I asked if I could have my phone unlocked, the lady behind the desk made a face as if I had asked her for some heroin. “No, sir, we CERTAINLY don’t unlock phones here.”

I asked where I could get unlocked, and she pointed to an alley. “Fifty meters down that way. But I didn’t tell you that.”

I walked into this little alley, and found the store. A huge sign over the door said “PHONE UNLOCKING HERE”. I couldn’t understand what the big deal was. I walked in, showed my phone, and was told “twenty pounds to unlock, mate, and I am not sure it will work.” Thirty five dollars to possibly fry my phone seemed ridiculous, so I left. “Forget it, lets go to the Frog and Parrot!”

We had a few pints at the Frog and Parrot, heard all about a trip a few of the crew had made to Amsterdam, then returned to the hotel.

On the way back, I saw another store advertising “PHONE UNLOCKING – FIVE POUNDS!” I went in. Ten minutes and ten pounds later, my phone was unlocked, and I had a Virgin SIM card with my very own UK phone number. It was so easy, it was almost funny. I can purchase minutes at over 85,000 retailers all across the UK, and I can call the US simply by dialing 001. Twenty minutes cost 5 pounds, which is about $8.50. The Cingular international rate is $2.49 a minute, plus fees. Virgin is a MUCH better deal.

Ahh! It’s good to be a Virgin (mobile phone customer that is…)

Author: frenchy

Frenchy's Rant

Ride – Rant – Repeat

Sheffield Day 2 – Part 1

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