Pedal Boats in Hyde Park

Last Thursday I had to decide where to next with my trip and after watching the bank balance quickly decreasing I figured I would see how I go finding a job.
I went into the office of IEP, the organisation I signed up with to get my UK visa, to see what jobs were available and spotted a job that intrigued me last time I was in the office. It was asking for a lifeguard to work on the pedal boats in Hyde Park, London. On the way back to my mates joint where I am currently staying I stopped at the paddle boats and after a quick chat with the manager I had a job. I thought it would be fun to work in the centre of London, outside in the warm English sun.
As I had already planned my weekend camping trip I started work yesterday. It was a very slow day as the morning rain kept the customers away, therefore we spent most of the morning cleaning duck poo off the boats. When it did stop raining we spent a few hours drying all the boats before our first customer arrived mid afternoon.
Today my second day wasn't a lot more exciting. Again it rained and again we spent hours cleaning and drying the boats. Getting to work today was a mission as staff on the London Underground went on strike causing the cancellation of many trains. I found I was already becoming a frustrated London commuter on only my second day. After much negotiation I still managed to get to work on time at 9am only to find out the rest of the staff had all been delayed too. We did not open till after 10am. Then at midday we could hear large explosions, so the manager let us all run up the hill to catch the 41 gun salute to commemorate the birthday of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh.
The staff at the boats are from all over the world which is quite interesting. So far I have met a couple of Polish, a few Aussies, a few Kiwis, a French girl, a Canadian girl, a Bulgarian and an Englishman.
A lot of the job involves cleaning but I also get to drive a little motorised boat around the Serpentine Lake, which is the lake the pedal boats are in. There are always plenty of activity around the lake so it is good for people watching.
I am currently staying with my mate Ross from the Pines swimming pool in Wimbledon. Hopefully tomorrow and the weekend will be nicer weather and we get some more customers and hopefully the train drivers will stop their strike and make it easier for me to get to work.