Manchester is over...

Taking advantage of the first anniversary of my coming out, I was planning to write an entry about Manchester's Gay Pride, which took place last weekend. I don't think I would have felt prouder afterwards, maybe uglier, but I was curious about it. I'll leave it for another year because I've got something more important to tell you: after the last two months' uncertainty and insecurity looking for a job in Manchester, I've decided that I am leaving at the end of September. I regret I haven't been able to settle down here, find a normal job and have a normal life (well, as normal as you can expect from someone like me). I felt like spending some time living in the centre of a big city like this one, enjoy the concerts, the cultural life, the variety of events and venues, the people, the airport and the train stations to visit fast and easily other places... Or even to go to a football game one day, why not? Yes, I know I am not passionate about football, but a Champions' League game in Manchester United's stadium must be an intense experience! I may try again after few months... Who knows? I don't want to feel defeated but I will have a break by the moment and I won't continue to live in Manchester.

Despite this decision, I am in good mood. I had an interview last week for a job I quite liked: it seemed to be easy, achievable according to my skills, right in the city centre, in a company I liked a lot, with a quite kind people... Both previous e-mail communication and interview were very friendly, very pleasant. I did some some previous tests I passed successfully (I was the only one who managed to finish on time and got the second best score) and I think that the interview was very good. I was confident answering all the questions and I could see how the members of the panel nodded continuously. They told me that they would give me an answer by this week's Wednesday (September 2nd). It looked the ideal situation: a permanent job that really suited me in a good company in Manchester city centre. Exactly what I have been looking for the last two months. However, I sent them an e-mail on Tuesday night to practically rule out my application. Well, I told them I would love to be offered the position but with one condition: I wouldn't be able to start before December 1st. Only a horrible list of other candidates for the post would make them choose me and they didn't do it, of course. Why did I do that? Because I have got already another job!

Yes, I was offered another job few days ago, which I have already accepted and I will start in late September for two months. The fact that I haven't waited to be offered exactly the ideal job I was seeking and I have preferred to accept a temporary one somewhere else may look shocking. Well, the thing is that it is to work as a buildings archaeologist although it will also involve some digging. Besides, it is a project with the Oxford-Brookes University, I will work with Javier, a Spanish friend with whom I also worked in Oxford Archaeology, they pay well and they provide the transport, the acommodation and the food. It will be a good opportunity to improve my cv and gain more experience. So I accepted the offer after thinking a bit about it and assuming that it would be difficult that the company in Manchester waited until December (they told me in the interview they needed someone asap). Oh, yes! And let me tell you that the project will take place in the Persian Gulf: I am leaving for the bright lights of Bahrain in three weeks!!