home

I'm missing home a bit today. I'm pretty sure that this is for two reasons, the first being that I'm sick. I called in to work today and I've barely moved from bed all day. I think that everyone misses their mom when they're sick. I don't really know why, because even if I was at home she would just tell me to rest and drink a lot of liquids, which she did in an email yesterday. But I think it's a comfort thing, just knowing that she's nearby if I need her. I don't spend much time at my flat anyway, and when I'm here I rarely watch tv, but today I found out just how horrible daytime British tv really is. There was no "Price is Right" or "Saved by the Bell" reruns to watch, which everyone must admit that's what they watch when they're home sick.
The second reason I'm missing home is that this weekend is graduation at RMCAD. This is great news because that means that Ross is done with school and comes in ten days! But as I just hung up the phone with him I couldn't help but wish that I was there to celebrate with him this weekend. I'm sure it's a lot of the sickness and the fact that I've been at home all day, but I was jealous hearing about all of my friends in Denver hanging out tonight. Maybe it's the time of year, or the time of life, but I feel like people are starting to move on. It's exciting to see how people are beginning their lives, but it hit me tonight when Ross said that he was going to say goodbye to Tamara today, and that Becca is moving back to Seattle this weekend. Steiner is moving to New Zealand next week, Tamara and Matt just set their wedding date, Drew and Liz are pregnant. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed thinking how life moves on, and sometimes I'm excited to think about how different things will be when I come home.
Last night I had dinner with Trace. He was talking about his sort-of ex-girlfriend, sort of current girlfriend in Michigan, Kristin. He said that if it wasn't for Kristin he probably wouldn't miss home very much. It's true that I like living here. I have a very comfortable life, but there are people at home that I miss very much, that make sick days even that much harder.

"Good Afternoon Heat Architects"

I started at Heat Architects on Thursday. I was told that the office opens at 9:30, and being the overly-excited new girl I arrived about 20 minutes early. I killed some time in a nearby Borders, but was quite surprised when by 9:45 there was still no one there. I was beginning to think that I was one the recieving end of a bad practical joke when a girl (I later learned is named Liz) arrived to open the office. The others arrived around 10-10:15...it's a very different work ethic here, which is wonderful! The office is really laid-back and fun. There are two directors, Robert and Charles, who started the firm five years ago. Two girls from Australia, one guy from Sweden, one from France, and another Bunac girl. It's really cool actually, everyone is in their twenties, and negotiating a new country. I'm basically the admin girl and also stepping in as an architectural assistant when they have a big job. For now I'm just getting into the flow of it all there, keeping the office organized, answering the phone, managing the post. It's a really easy job, and they're so happy to have an admin girl at all that they're thankful for anything that I do. Thursday night was the office Christmas party. It was really fun, but it made for a 14 hour first day.
It's been a lazy weekend in London this weekend. Yesterday Gina (my roommate from Korea) and I went up to Willesden Green where Andy and Trace live. They live in a big house (called a bedsit) with about 20 people. One of their roommates, Guiseppe is moving out today and Andy and two of his Aussie roommates were taking him out to a pub for his last day, they asked us to tag along. We spent the afternoon watching football and playing foosball. Guiseppe and I were the champions of the foosball tournament, no thanks really to me, but my fortune for being on a team with the Italian.

Christmas Time

Holy Moly, I really need to blog more often....okay, here's the big update. I have a new job working at an architecture firm called Heat Architects. They're based in Islington which is in Northeast London. It's a small firm but it seems very cool and laid-back. I start work on Thursday, which also happens to be the night of their christmas party, so I guess I'll get to know everyone pretty quickly! This last weekend was pretty eventful....on Saturday night my roommate Morgan and I helped out our friend Ruthie at a christmas party that her cousins were throwing at their flat. Morgan and Ruthie are both from South Carolina and Ruthie's two cousins both came to London on Bunac visas in the early 90's and never left. They have a lot of American friends here, though, and all night everyone kept saying, "well I declare, it's been ages since I've been in a room full of Southerners!"
Sunday morning began with an early morning jog through the streets of London since Morgan and I found ourselves late and the tube shut down. We were on our way to the International Student's House to go catch the bus to Leeds Castle. It was a trip organized by Bunac, basically two big tour buses and lots of Bunac kids doing the tourist thing for the day. Leeds was really pretty, but I was kind of disappointed when I went inside. The castle was built starting in 840, so it's really super old, but it was sold out of Royal hands around 1600 and since then has been a private residence. Apparently the owners along the way didn't care that they were living in a ridiculously historical building and have renovated the entire interior. Now for an interior design nerd like me it was kind of cool to see rooms that were designed by people I learned about in my history of design classes, it just seemed strange for a castle to feel so new. It's located in a beautiful countryside with sheep and black swans roaming about. There's also a maze on part of the grounds that we were lost in for probably far too longer than we should have.
After Leeds we went to Rochester, a small town east of London. The high street of Rochester is on the path that historically ran from London to Dover, out to sea. But the real claim to fame for Rochester is that it is the town that Charles Dickens set many of his stories. Great Expectations is the best-known example of this, and our tour guide pointed out several pubs and inns that are mentioned in the book and are still operating today. Every year Rochester hosts a Christmas festival, which we were able to enjoy this weekend. The town is really cute. It looks exactly like you would expect an English countryside village to look like with tudor buildings. thatched roofs, and cobble-stone streets. The people who live in Rochester dress up for the Christmas Festival in Dickensian dress, and not just a few people, but the entire town! I seriously felt like we had stepped out of 2005 and into "A Christmas Carol." It was really great, there were street performers singing carols, vendors roasting chestnuts, and mulled wine, and then the night finished with a parade. As cheesy as it sounds, this town was so genuine in their celebration that it was addicting to be around it. we were talking on the way home that you always see towns like that in movies but I never thought that there would actually be a place like that.

Pictures are: Morgan and I at Leeds Castle; G.P, Stephanie, Kate, Me and Morgan on the back side of the castle; and Kate, Trace, Morgan and I with some Dickensian folks.

Progress

It's back to life as normal here in London. My parents left on Thursday morning and my brothers and sisters-in-law on Friday. It was so good to have them here, I got pretty used to having people around all the time, I was a little worried to say goodbye again. I think it really hit me this week that I am living in London and not just on vacation. I didn't realize that it would be strange to say goodbye to my family knowing they were going back to Boulder and I wasn't. But yesterday I was at work, running errands for Janet, and I realized that this is my life right now and after I got over the initial shock of them leaving I could realize that I really am happy here.
Thanksgiving in London was fun. We went to Fifteen for lunch, it was fun to be in a nice restaurant, a very distant change from beer and chips at a pub (which is actually a big night out considering I'm really cheap and usually eat vegetable soup that is only 30p at tesco or a cheese and tomato toastie). We did have pecan pie for dessert, it was amazing and made us feel like we were still appreciating the pilgrims in our own way.
Earlier in the week we celebrated my birthday at the Cambridge, a pub near Leicester Square. Trace, Andy and I happened upon the Cambridge one night and were taken in by its non-smoking upstairs with maroon velvet booths. 14 people in the velvety plush room with birthday cake was quite the scene...My mom bought pink fairy girl" napkins to go with the cake, and since Andy's birthday was just a couple days before we got to share the fairy girl title for the night.
I had two goals this weekend: to finish my creative writing class, and to buy a coat, and I'm proud to say that I have accomplished both of these. It's been a cold fall here in London and it didn't take much to appeal to my mom's soft side when she saw her youngest without a wool coat. But I'm sure that everyone can sleep better tonight knowing that not only am I not shivering when I wait for the bus anymore, but I can officially graduate college! It's been a big weekend already, and it's only Saturday.....

(Pictures are Emily and I in front of the Travel Bookstore from Notting Hill and Andy and I showing off our Fairy Girl napkins)

Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Tonight on the phone Ross asked me what foods I want him to eat for me, since I don't get to this year. I think it's easier for me to not celebrate this holiday since my family is here and none of us are really celebrating, at least not in the traditional way. We do have plans to go to Jamie Oliver's bistro "fifteen" for lunch, and maybe a walk through Hyde Park. According to the weather man winter is supposed to hit London tomorrow, this year is apparently going to be the coldest winter in ten years...you can just imagine my excitement.
We spent the day today in Oxford. About an hour's train ride outside London, Oxford is a great little town with all sorts of history. The buildings are beatiful, green grass, perfectly kept quads. We had lunch in the pub where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien spent their mornings discussing their writings. We visited the gargoyles that inspired the stone statues in the "Chronicles of Narnia," we saw the Great Hall from Harry Potter. Overall it was a great day, however cold! It's been a fun week, great to have my family around. The other night at dinner a comment was made about all the people who have experienced family travel on this trip. Joyce, Emily, Ulla and Sven, Andy, Trace, and Morgan...they all have a new (or first) outlook on our family. We thought about starting our own tour company, Sean came up with the slogan, "Come for the travel, stay for the strange entertainment." But then we got to thinking, we would really need a harsh regiment for making sure people can keep up with our pace. They need to be able to walk at a very brisk pace for hours, stay in any sort of budget accommodation, and be able to put down large amounts of wine at happy hour every night. If this sounds like you, then you might be the perfect candidate to be "an oldroyd extra" as emily put it.
Mom and Dad leave tomorrow, and then everyone else on Friday. It will be very strange to get back into the swing of things on my own here. I'm so used to having people around all the time, it will be an adjustment all over again. Hope everyone's Thanksgiving is wonderful tomorrow!

My family is here! The excitement started yesterday when I walked into the Starbucks down my street where I had planned to meet up with Emily. Hoping that her flight went safely and that she was able to make her way across town on the tube, I told her that I would meet her there after I got off work, and amazingly there she was! After we dropped her stuff off at my flat, and dug right into one of six huge bags of peanut butter m&ms (courtesy of the wonderful Ross) we headed off to find my parents. Coincidentally they also arrived in London yesterday and are staying at a small hotel on the West End. Emily and I ventured over there and they were waiting for us. Being the wonderful parents that they are, they were all ready for us with wine, both red and white...you can't say they don't come prepared! Later in the evening Sven and Ulla arrived, some friends of my family's from Sweden. This morning we went to Portobello Road Market and visited the Travel Book Shop from "Notting Hill". We stopped back at my flat so that they could see it, but since it's not ideally sized for entertaining we didn't stay long. After an hour or so at Harrod's we were ready to sit down and enjoy some afternoon tea and coffee. It was good to be inside and drinking something warm!
Back at the hotel Evan, Joni, Sean, Julie, and Joyce (Joni's mom) had arrived. The four kids are all sharing a double room, only there are three beds...one double and two singles, it's pretty humorous. We had a great happy hour with several different wines and cheese from around Europe that Ulla and Sven brought with them. Emily was thrown into the craziness of the Oldroyds, but she's holding up amazingly well for a newcomer. It feels really good to be with family and friends right now. Good to laugh with people I love. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Ulla and my mom's friendship-they met as camp counselors in 1965. I only hope that in 40 years from now I can celebrate my friendship with some of my friends now.
I know I've only been here for 4 weeks, but I feel like it's been forever. It's wonderful to sit and talk with people who know me, and who have known me for more than a month. While I love my friends here, it's good to have some history with those around me.

It's Wednesday afternoon and I'm laying on my bed looking out my window at the busy street. Yes, that's right, I am in my new flat. I actually have been here for almost a week, but life has been suddenly busy and I haven't had a chance to write in my blog. My new place is small, there's three girls sharing one little room, but it's cheap and you can't beat the location, so we're not complaining. Just across the street is the Bayswater tube station, and when giving directions to my flat I tell people to look between the chinese restaurant and the beachcomber night club and you'll see door 84, ring the buzzer for flat A and that's me! The description makes me laugh almost as much as the actual place does. I live with Morgan, a fellow Bunac girl and another girl who moves in tomorrow. In the other bedroom is Marcio and Lisa, a Brazilian couple-hilarious. Marcio is an out-of-work salsa dance instructor. He is very clean and blasts Brazilian music all day while scrubbing down the apartment. Lisa takes care of an old woman. That's all she told me when we asked her about her job. They're great people though, and I enjoy knowing them. In the morning I walk to work through Hyde Park, which I enjoy even more than the Brazilian music.

This weekend I went to the country. Two hours on the train and it felt like a different world. Trace, Stephanie, Kate, Alex, and I went out to Warwick Castle (built by William the Conqueror starting in 1060 something), it's big and really fun. We stayed the night in Stratford upon Avon at the cutest little bed and breakfast in the world. Sylvia was the name of the woman who owned it with her husband, we never did know his name but he knew all of ours. We loved Sylvia. She especially loved Trace. We had the best traditional English breakfast, and lots of it. On Sunday we visited all of Shakespeare's houses (he had five, basically a multi-billionaire of the time), and enjoyed Stratford. The clean air and friendly people were a welcome change, but at the end of the weekend I was glad to be heading home. It was good to realize that going back to London felt like going home.

My family and friends are coming in a couple days. I can't wait to see everyone and enjoy my life here with them. There are things to do though before they get here. Mainly finish my creative writing assignments before I get another email from my mother asking about them.

Today I was stopped on two entirely separate occasions for directions. And both times I knew exactly how to direct the person where they needed to go. Now possibly I just look like a nice person who won't bite their head off when stopped for directions, but I prefer to think it's that I look like a Londoner.

I move tomorrow. I'm dreading the thought of carrying my luggage through the tube once again.

Yesterday was Guy Fawkes Day here in the UK. Also known as GF or bonfire day, it's a day that the British let off fireworks, hold carnivals, and light big bonfires all over the country. Guy Fawkes was a man who, 400 years ago this year, tried to burn down the Houses of Parliament, including Big Ben. Fortunately, for the country and the history of wonderful architecture, he failed. Although somehow, just for his effort in trying to bring down his home country, his attempt is celebrated by bonfires. Victoria Park is known for having the best Bonfire Day celebration, so of course we ventured out to Zone 2 to check it out. When we got there, a big carnival was set up, along with a smaller version of The Houses of Parliament. The city actually built a recreation of their own parliament and then set fire to it, while everyone watched and cheered as it fell to the ground. It was the craziest thing! I was amazed thinking about a holiday like this in the states, if every county built a small White House and then cheered as it burned. Although then I remembered that I'm from Colorado, and even if we did have a bonfire day it would probably never happen cause we would always be on fire ban. The fireworks show was fantastic though, Imust say.

Another good thing came from Bonfire Day, I met Morgan, a fellow Bunac-er who just came to London 3 days ago. She is from S. Carolina and met some of my friends at a Bunac pub meet last week, we got to talking and since we are both looking for a place to live, we decided to look together. I was going to look at a room today, and she came along, which was great because we took the flat, which means, I have a place to live!! It's great when you're travelling by yourself, everyone you meet instantly becomes your best friend. It didn't matter that we just met last night, now we're living together....it's funny.

Anyway, the flat is in Bayswater, which is near Hyde Park. We live on the side near Kensington Gardens, and down the street from Kensington Palace, where Princess Diana lived. The flat is tiny. Seriously tiny. But, everything is this city is, so it's ok. The room has 3 single beds, and the third is a girl who is in London studying. We were laughing later that neither of us ever thought we would be sharing such a small room with other people again after we moved out of the dorms. The guy who owns the flat is from Brazil, and he talks a mile-a-minute, you really can't help but laugh. The best part about it is that it's really cheap-68 pounds a week, which is 30 less than I'm paying at the hostel, and we don't have to sign a lease. So, even if we're there for a couple months, it will still be saving us money.

After the apartment I went to meet friends at Leicester Square, where every tourist in London was gathered for the premiere of the 4th Harry Potter movie. It was exciting to see the actors, but there were so many people bumping into each other and it was pouring down rain, so it became pretty miserable and cold after a while. It's back to work tomorrow, and I'm tired from sitting out in the rain, so I'm going to go to bed early.

The Evening Standard is a free news publication that you can pick up in tube stations across London. Tonight Trace was looking through it and pointed out an article to me, "about the states" he said. The headline read, "Man Sues Hardware Store over Practical Joke". Basically the story said that a man had gone to the bathroom in a hardware store and someone had put glue on the toilet seat, glueing him to the seat. This was funny to us, first of all, because this is what makes the news in London about the US, but then we noticed where the hardware store was located: Lousville, CO. "Huh, Colorado," Trace said, "Do you know where Louisville is?" Maybe it's not front page news, but I felt proud nonetheless that my state was represented in the Evening Standard.
Several people have asked me what exactly a personal assistant does. My answer is, anything, everything. Today I helped hang wallpaper. Then I went to the grocery store to pick up lunch, fresh pasta sauce for dinner, and biscuits to go with pate that Janet can take when she goes to the country this weekend. It's a good thing that Malcolm tuned me into the whole biscuit/cookie/cracker debaucle before I came to London, because not only have I never eaten pate, but I could have spent hours in the grocery store trying to figure what biscuits you eat with pate before I realized that biscuits are what they call crackers here. After the grocery store I went to the dry cleaners and then I finished out the day making christmas signs that she can hang up in her bar. It's really difficult work, let me tell you.

I have the day off today. It's raining and gray outside, and I've wanted to just stay inside in my pajamas, which surprisingly I've managed quite nicely. I started a new job on Monday. It's a personal assistant position for a woman named Janet, she owns a bar called Janet's Bar. She's American but has been living in London for 17 years with her husband and 14 year old daughter. Her husband passed away last year and she told me that she's ready to move on, so she's redecorating her victorian mansion-house in Chelsea. I love this job because it provides me the opportunity to walk around this part of the city...Chelsea, South Kensington, Notting Hill, to name a few boroughs in the area. I'm basically a professional errand-runner, which is actually pretty fun. Yesterday I had to walk to a grocery store called Partridge's which carries a lot of American foods that most stores here don't carry. Janet's daughter Cordelia is having a birthday party this weekend and she wants a homemade cake, so I had to go buy Betty Crocker mix. Partridge's is about a 20 minute walk, down King's Road, a very high class shopping district. I was literally being paid to window shop. Amazing.
Last night I went to orientation and training for a catering job. Four hours spent learning the professional way to hang a coat, clear a plate, and pour the perfect glass of wine. This company advertises at Bunac for employees, so several of my hostel-mates have worked here, I was expecting a room full of Americans. Instead, the other trainees were mainly from England and South Africa. For the first time since I've been here I was the only American in the room, it was great! On the tube on the way back into the city I was talking to Tim, one of the guys from training, and from the southern tip of England. He asked where I was from in the states, I said Colorado, he looked a little confused, I said , "have you ever heard of Vail or Aspen?" This made sense to him and he said, "ahh, Assspennn." I kind of chuckled and then said, "have you seen dumb and dumber?" he was impressed that I knew what he was quoting, and we spent the rest of the train ride quoting the movie. It was by far my best tube conversation yet, it's reassuring that no matter where you are in the world there is someone who can quote bad Jim Carrey movies.

This morning I woke up late, about 11, and then I realized that I didn't reset my clock for daylight savings and it was actually 10. I wandered around the hostel for a little while in my pajamas, made some peppermint tea and toast, and sat down to write some emails when I got a text message from Andy saying that Hermione Granger was signing autographs at the Camden Town Market today. I quickly got dressed and ran out the door to meet them at the market. Much to our dismay Hermione was no where to be found, and instead about a million people were walking around the 2 block area, bumping into each other. Notice, however, the rack on the right of the picture above.
The trip to Camden Market wasn't a total bust though, Trace, Andy, and I popped into a pub for lunch and to escape the crowds for a little while. The underground line that we needed to take back home was closed today for repairs so we decided to walk to the next station. Through a lucky accident we found ourselves at Regent's Park. Walking through the middle of the park we were surrounded by soccer, rugby, cricket, lacrosse...just about every English sport played for recreation. It started to rain a little, but not hard enough to ruin the walk, or the experience. It felt very English to take a "Sunday afternoon stroll through the gardens." (The picture at left is Andy in the park). Andy headed home to take a nap after being up all night at his new bar job, and Trace and I went in search of free wireless, which we found at a small coffee shop/bar called Prague. Imagine a smaller version of Paris on the Platte, in a bit dodgier borough, and you've got Prague. Since I'm still unemployed and incredibly cheap I try to walk anywhere I can. I'm learning that this city is not all that big, if you're just willing to walk for 30 minutes or so. It was a really nice night and I didn't want to pay for the underground, so we walked to Prague. About an hour and a half later we arrived. Apparently it was a little farther than it looked on the map. We sat there drinking tea for a long time, he updating his blog and checking email, I searching for flats. I found a few, and I am going to check them out tomorrow. I'll let you know how they go. I also start a new job tomorrow. It's a pa job (personal assistant). it's only part time and pays only minimum wage, but I start a catering job on Tuesday. Hopefully between the two I'll be able to make enough to cover rent. Remind me again why I chose to move to the third most expensive city in the world? I should probably get to bed, it's now 1 in the morning and ross would tell me that it's way past my bedtime.

Today started with a cold and wet walk to Piccadilly Circus at 7 am. I went with Sophia and Bethany, two girls from the hostel, to stand in line for cheap front row tickets to "Guys and Dolls." Ewan McGregor is starring in the Broadway show, which opened recently and is basically the big thing in the London theater scene right now. Another hostel-mate Sarah dislocated her knee a couple weeks ago, so she couldn't join us to stand in line, but came tonight. Actually she got the last front row seat, while the rest of us stood in the back. It's pretty funny actually, we bought standing tickets and we literally leaned against the railing behind the last row. The show was amazing! There was so much energy, the singing and dancing. And Ewan was great (of course we're on a first-named basis)! We were all a little star-struck. Rumor on the street said that he speeds away on his motorbike after the show without greeting fans at the stage door like most of the actors. We didn't give up hope though, and stood outside the stage door like groupies. To our dismay, they were correct and after a short while we heard a motorbike start up and a streak of light drove down the street while cameras flashed behind. The night was wonderful though, it was fun to go to the theater and enjoy some London culture.

These pictures are me, Bethany, and Sophia in line in the morning.
Bethany with the poster of Ewan.

Last night I walked down Abbey Lane...that's right, the real Abbey Lane. I met up with some BUNAC guys that I met at orientation and some of their friends at a pub. It was really good to sit and laugh with people. It's funny being in a place where you know no one. Even the people you do know you don't know very well, but just a night at a pub with strangers becomes the highlight of your week. And even though you drink a beer and laugh together, you still go your seperate ways at the end of the night, unknowing what will come of the next day. I guess I'm learning this about living in a big city.
Today I met the same guys (Andy and Trace) at the Bunac office. Since we are all unemployed, (and awaiting return calls from potential employers) we had the afternoon free. I hadn't been to the British museum yet and wanted to go, they came along. I'm still amazed at the ability of beautiful architecture to take my breath away. I was wandering through the Ancient Greece and Rome section and turned a corner to find myself standing in awe of a smaller version of the Parthenon. Perhaps it was the lighting that was strategically placed by museum workers to highlight the marble, or the neirid statues with dresses that seem to be blowing in the wind. Whatever it was I couldn't help but stand there, staring, with my mouth wide open. The same sensation came over me the other day when I was walking up the steps to the Millenium Bridge, preparing to cross the Thames and saw St. Peter's Cathedral. Two years ago when I was in London the cathedral was under construction, cleaning the black pollution stains. While part of the building is still covered, the front has been restored and is gleaming white. Again, I lost my breath and couldn't will my legs to move. There are so many things to look at here, so much to experience. There are moments when I realize that this is my life right now. That I'm not just on vacation for a few days. Those moments happen often, when I'm riding the underground, or walking down the street and catch a glimpse of Hyde Park or the river.
Tonight we went out for fish and chips. Some girls in the hostel are having a "girl's dinner" and several people wanted to flee the sound of the squealing "sorority house." So, we ventured to a pub not far away and officially inducted ourselves into London with a big plate of greasy fried food, my stomach is very full.

Yesterday I was at the bank setting up an account and I had to give my home address abroad. When I said Boulder, CO the guy behind counter said, "oh just like Mork and Mindy" (you have to read that with a British accent or else you don't get the full effect!) The last few days have been busy, and good, and overwhelming all at the same time. There's so much to do, between finding a job, getting everything set up here for taxes and insurance, and findng a place to live. Yesterday when I finished at the bank I was pretty close to the Tate Modern so I decided to take the rest of the morning off and go enjoy some wonderful art. As I was walking around there was an art class there, sketching from the paintings and sculptures in the collections. Watching them made me strangely nostalgic for school and going out on sketch classes around town. And, then, I was completely jealous that these students get to go to the Tate Modern for their sketch classes, whereas we had to go to the denver art museum. When I came home and told one of my hostel-mates about the museum she suggested that we take a hostel sketch trip around town. There's several artists and wanne-be artists (in my case) in the hostel, which creates a fun atmosphere to be around.
I got a job offer last night! I don't really know if I'll take it or not. It's a pa position (personal assistant) for a woman who owns a bar in South Kensington. It's only part time and it only pays minimum wage, which in the third most expensive city in the world, just does not pay the bills. So, I'm going to keep looking and hopefully something else will come up. Thanks for the emails and notes from everyone, it's great to hear from everyone at home!

After three days there are things I already like about London:

1. It's very much a "walking city." Few people have cars, and as a result you will see people walking down the street carrying the strangest things.
2. Everyone is in a hurry. Don't cross the street without checking for rushing cars, but don't stand on the sidewalk for too long because another pedestrian may get fed up and crash into you.
3. Everyone seems to be from somewhere else. When you ask someone a question you never know what accent will come out.
4. I get to carry around a polka-dot umbrella at all times.
5. Everyone wears scarves. all the time. finally i'm in a place where it's normal to wear a scarf and no jacket..indoors.

Here are some fun pictures from the last few days. The picture on the left was from our jaunt in Hyde Park on Friday afternoon. The second is dinner last night. Some of the girls in the hostel, all piled around the little table in the kitchen. On our way back from Hampton Court Palace we stopped at the store and picked up some Indian food for our feast. Hampton Court Palace was great fun. There are beautiful gardens and a human maze through the bushes. It was fun to get out of the city for a while. Today has been very lazy, it's pretty slow around here on Sunday. I did begin the job search, and got set up for a cell phone...so things are coming along!

Today is my first full day in London. I have so much to tell already, but I'm going to Hampton Court Palace in a few minutes, so I'll keep it to the important stuff. I arrived safely yesterday, the flights were no problem, except that we had to circle around the heathrow airport because the rain was too heavy to land. I made my way through the underground and to my hostel successfully, and then a few other hostel-mates who were heading downtown and invited me to tag along. The hostel is not really a hostel and more like a dorm. There's a lot of people living here, and besides the three others who arrived yesterday I've yet to meet someone who's been living in the hostel for less than a month. It kind of reminds me of "the real world" actually....it's humurous. anyway, yesterday we walked through Hyde Park, the sun was shining and it was blue skies, then rode a double-decker bus to Piccadilly circus and stopped for a coffee break, walked to Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey and the London Tower. It was a full day, but fun to see the sites. It's nice knowing I'm going to be here for awhile, I don't feel rushed in seeing everything in one day! Trafalgar Square (and of course the National Gallery) is only a 15 minute walk from the hostel. It's not raining yet, but I think in London it's always just around the corner, time to go!

A Milestone

Last night my boyfriend agreed to dress up as Harry Potter for the movie opening in November. He has signed a written contract, complete with witnesses, to go to the theater, take pictures, and sign autographs. This is the end of years of denying his striking resemblance to everyone's favorite wizard.