On the Verge of Traveling and Fighting This @#$?% Flu

I’ve come down with the flu, and though I felt completely disgusting yesterday, I went to Greenwich with Kate. It probably didn’t do me any good health-wise, but it was worth seeing, especially as I’d put off going for so long. When I got home, it became much worse (and I’ll spare you the icky details).

The weather has been particularly wild these past few days. I’d gotten the impression that spring was on its way judging on the sunshine that persisted for a while previously, but I think winter just had one last statement to make before it becomes spring properly. About an hour ago, the sky was bright blue; and now, judging by the storm howling and beating against my window, you’d never guess it to have been true.

I stayed up nearly until dawn again, watching some insane post-midnight television programs with Agneta while I took care of some my travel bookings. Usually, we’d be watching some movies or old TV shows through the connection to my laptop, but as I needed my laptop, we just let the TV run its course. I’ve discovered some new films that way in the past; more often than not, they’ve been quite different from the films I’m used to seeing on TV back home. Anyway, this time it seemed to get stranger as time went on. Examples: I’m A Cyborg, But That’s Okay (a Korean film about a mental hospital patient who believes she’s a cyborg and fantasizes about killing everyone, but is cared for by another patient who believes he can shrink); Hello Friend (about a killer computer part); and some stop-motion children’s show with magic poo that transforms into a triangle that teleports people and animals into another dimension. Sometimes we just watched sports (OMG, sports!) to escape from the madness for just a little while. I think Adult Swim will seem quite tame after this.

Anyway, during all this weird TV-watching, I finished booking my flight back to LA (round trip was HALF the price of a single ticket!) and my flight and accommodations in Paris. I still have to book for Barcelona. I don’t think I could have possibly done any more comparing. I’m trying to stick to a very strict budget, as well as I can.

For now, I’ve got plenty to do, but my first priority is to get rid of this flu. I have a bath waiting for me now, and it’s been getting cold. I’ve already had some meds, but I need some tea, too. And possibly soup.

Ups & Downs

I’ve done it again… another ridiculous all-nighter, going to bed as the sun rises. The previous 12 hours or so have been another roller-coaster ride. I woke up some time after noon, took a bath to soothe away some of my anxiety, enjoyed having the ability to eat in the bedroom once again, and returned to my previous anxious state, with extra nerves to spare (almost to the point of being nauseous) before it all went away, replaced by a silly kind of bliss for a while until I was merely excited, in a calm sort of way.

Perhaps this needs some explanation.

Cristina is at large once again. Fearing she will fail to return our deposits as she did with Oscar, Janice, Giulia and I have peaceably requested that she accept our deposits as rent in lieu of this, our final month’s, payment. She angrily declined. Janice moved out yesterday morning into a single room on Queensway with a “big bed” and a “verrrry big wardrobe”. More texts and phone calls with Cristina… more stress, more ridiculous claims and insulting statements on her end… She announced a day before that she would be arriving at 8:30 PM. I talked with my dad on the phone. I told him about the situation, and he warned me not to hand over any more money to Cristina. Abby, Agneta, Giulia and myself chatted in the kitchen, anxiously watching the minutes pass. Cristina called Giulia some 15 or so minutes after the appointed time (another messy conversation ensued); her accountant would be in the lobby soon to collect payment. No go, there. Giulia and I wrote a letter for the accountant to pass on to her, but the rotund fellow would not take it; she would be coming the following evening anyway.

At 10 o’clock, Janice suggested to Agneta (via Skype) that we all meet her at the Black Lion pub. Ryan, Giulia, Agneta and myself went, and Janice brought her German boyfriend (I still can’t remember his name… we all still refer to him as “German guy”, though). We all had a great time – perhaps all the more because of our stressful encounter previously. It was just what the doctor ordered. The atmosphere couldn’t have been more perfect, right down to the ancient oil paintings and leather lounge chairs. It’s a shame the kitchen was closed already, though. The place is less than a minute away; we really should have visited it a lot more often during these past several months.

Next stop for Agneta and I: Subway. She, with her classic veggie sub, and I with my regular Italian B.M.T. No chocolate chip cookies, this time. By coincidence, we saw Janice and the German guy there, too, but we separated after that. At home, Agneta and I indulged in all manner of goodies (edamame beans, pretzels + Nutella, Allsorts, and our sandwiches) and watched Dirty Pretty Things.

We talked for hours after that… About her new job, Cristina, the past, the future, Disney World, etc. Both of us have some pretty grand goals, but things aren’t looking too peachy at present.

Cristina has promised to come meet today, at 8:30 again. This time, however, I’m pretty sure I will ask for my deposit back so I can leave London a few weeks earlier than previously planned. I’ve spent a lot of my money here for lack of a job (and it’s not as though I haven’t tried my damnedest to get one). I won’t find a job in the time I have remaining, so I may as well move forward and use what money I have left towards a little traveling before I head back to California. I will challenge myself to spend as little as possible while making the absolute most of it. Can I do it within $500? Paris and Barcelona are musts. I’ve begun a list already, which I intend to make quite thorough. I’ve also got a few places left seeing in London that have been put off.

That said, I should see if I can get by with just a few hours of sleep – I would really like to check out the Royal College of Surgeons of England today.

Oops, I can already hear the horses on Bayswater Road…

A Few Good Days

I’ve had a few really good days, even though the situation in general hasn’t been great.

On Friday, I went to the British Museum (I was in awe for most of the time, and I only covered a tip of the iceberg; I need to go back and see more) went to The Strand in search of an elusive tea at Twinings (still didn’t find it; I was looking for a summer blend that I became addicted to in Disney World and never saw again), ate a meat pie (a Cornish pasty, to be specific) in front of the supposed location of Sweeney Todd’s barber shop, explored the crypt at St. Bride’s Church, had a roast hog sandwich (with Venezuelan hot cocoa!) underneath the London Eye, and walked all the way home via the scenic route through St. James and by Buckingham Palace whilst listening to the Sweeney Todd soundtrack on my iPod two times in a row. I got loads of fabulous pictures.


On Saturday (Valentine’s Day), I went to Trafalgar Square to witness a Guinness world record attempt for the most couples kissing (there were quite a few people, but they didn’t exactly fill the Square), though my best photos came of the street performers and artists. I ended up chatting with an older American gentleman standing next to me for a very long time; he’s traveled the world on business, and he had some interesting stories to tell. I thought I’d have enough time to go home to switch shoes and drop off my camera, but, well, I didn’t. I went straightaway to the Highgate Cemetery after that, where I volunteered in the landscaping working party for the second time; it was a little less tiring this time, but it was still very satisfying. I’m planning on going to the next one on March 1st.

Monday was less eventful, but pleasant. I slept in (unintentionally), but in the evening, Agneta, Giulia and myself had a cozy time watching Pleasantville. I’d ordered the DVD on Amazon after the film became a topic of conversation some time before, and the craving to see it became ever stronger; besides, it’s a great film. I think they both really enjoyed it. To make the occasion all the cozier – sort of slumber-party style (we were in our jammies, after all) – I splurged and bought sweets and soda for everyone: Jaffa cakes, white chocolate, Turkish delight, pretzels with Nutella, coke (mainly for Agneta; it still tastes like cough syrup to me), and sparkling apple juice (not quite Martinelli’s, but very good). And with the lights dimmed, candles lit and fleece blankets spread, the evening was just made. We chatted late into the night after that. When Giulia went to bed, Agneta and I doodled by candlelight, and talked at length about the main questions we ask ourselves, and how our minds work.

Today… Tuesday, I went to Camden High Street for an appointment to get my National Insurance Number, at 9:30 AM. A little early for my taste, but it was over and done much quicker than I thought it would be, in just over 15 minutes. I told Giulia I’d join her with Sabrina in a trip to Ikea around noon, but I still had plenty of time. I’d never been in that area before, so I just wandered. At first, I was unimpressed. It was as dodgy as I’d heard it was, and there wasn’t much life going on. Eventually I came upon a channel with a path running by it; remembering that the same channel wound past Regent’s Park, I headed upstream. In probably less than ten minutes, my entire perspective of Camden had changed – mainly due to the Horse Tunnel Market. My first view was from the channel, and it was pretty interesting at that point. As I ventured ever further in, it went on to become by far the most impressively eccentric market I've ever seen! I actually wore out my cell phone battery taking snapshots. Long story short, I bought two plaid, woolen skirts on sale for £15, plus a really cool Austrian felt hat from a vintage store that played 80s and soul music; a very nice French girl with short, brown hair helped me with sizes. I also got a California license plate (used!) and some vintage-style postcards inside a tunnel that used to be for horses way-back-when (the horses' stalls remained). I’m planning on going back with Kate later this week.

It’s getting late and I want to watch some “Pete & Pete” and perhaps play a little “Caesar II” before going to sleep (I’ve been in such a nostalgic mood lately), so I’ll wrap this up: I got a ton of candles and another coffee press (the glass from the previous one went missing) at Ikea with Giulia and Sabrina (Claudio’s sister), and saw a Japanese-style version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Kate at the Southwark Playhouse by the London Bridge (it was also her first time in the area, so we strolled across the bridge, to the Tower, and back before the play started). I very much enjoyed the play – it was a clever blend of Shakespeare with traditional Japanese styles, customs and language; the actors were very charismatic, too. I might even see it again. After that, Kate and I went to a pub next to the theatre (it had some kind of nautical name, and there were loads of fancy knots in frames all over the place); she didn’t have anything (her taste for alcohol is limited to very few options), but I had a Scotch whisky (Bell’s) – which I seem to have developed a better taste for since Scotland, by the way – and we chatted about anime and conventions for most of the time until heading home.



Things that suck…

1) I still haven’t found a job. Not even a crappy one.

2) The internet in the flat is still non-existent (for three weeks now), so I still have to go to McDonald’s for a connection.

3) Cristina (the landlord’s stand-in… I’ve never met the real landlord) has been lying about there being a bi-monthly cleaning lady this whole time. And we still pay for it.

Snow!!!

‘Twas four in the morning, and all through the flat
Not a creature was stirring, ‘cept myself, as I sat.
Agneta was dozing, so deep in her sleep,
And I rose to the window, just for a peep.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But fresh-fallen snow, the first of the year!

Random Days at Dusk

Back home, in California, dusk doesn’t really end the day. And at half-past four, as it is now, it’s certainly not this dark. I’ve missed an entire Saturday to sleep; we stayed up playing computer games, and I talked to Kim on MSN all the while till somewhere around 7:30 in the morning, when the sky looked pretty much as it does now. Parks, museums, and some stores are getting ready to close; some busses are finishing their run, and anyway, it’s not very interesting to explore in the dark. Back home, I might now consider still going to the beach, or going to a concert (maybe a free one at the Jimmy Kimmel show, or to the Troubadour), or just driving to some place at random; Kim, Lacy, and one or two of Kim’s friends would be there, and we’d be stuffing our faces with Hawaiian bread and listening to loud music. Or, if I were with Megan, we’d probably be going out for onion soup at the French Market while planning the next day in Disneyland.

Maybe it’s because I don’t know enough about London quite yet that I could be so bored at this moment. Maybe it’s because the only novel thing that I’d like to do at this moment is to finally visit Regent Park (and it must be closed by now). But at this moment, the reddening sky is a most depressing sight.

A Farewell Dinner

Christmas is almost upon us, and I can hardly believe it. It’s been present in the lights and window displays on the high streets, and I’ve done my small part to get a few decorations up here in the flat, but being a very untraditional year, the actual date has thus far seemed always just out of reach. Two days?? Seriously?! And now it’s a matter of hours before it’s truly just three of us left in this flat.

We all had dinner together at the Thai Terrace in Kensington (Agneta’s suggestion) tonight. It was a really nice place – it felt like it was in a house, and the waitresses were all dressed traditionally. The food was delicious and plentiful – we all ordered set dinners which came in a number of courses, with the entrées arriving all at once in a colorful assortment covering the table like a Christmas dinner. It felt a little like Christmas, in general, come to that. The mood was so warm and light. There was even a big lit-up tree next to the table. We had a nice walk home, too; we took the private road behind Kensington Palace.

I’ll be sad to see Oscar & Chloe leave. I’ll visit them in Paris sometime, and they’ll be visiting London for Valentine’s Day weekend, but it won’t be the same. Agneta was saying that she probably won’t want to like whoever moves in after them… and I’ll probably have the same tendency.

Regarding our plans for Christmas… Ryan and I have discussed cooking at home. He’s offered to cook the bird (either turkey or chicken), and I’ve offered to do desserts. We’ll probably both do side dishes. The three of us will be exchanging gifts (shopping tomorrow), and maybe we’ll get some others to join us for the evening, too.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas (Despite Appearances)

Things have changed a bit since I last wrote here. I lost my job at Pho (the manager said it was because I was 5 minutes late, but I suspect it was because of a certain inconvenient friendship), Janice is back in Brazil (till Jan. 12), Oscar & Chloe will be back in Paris soon (permanently!), while Claudio & Giulia will be back in Italy for Christmas, and against all odds, it's actually "beginning to look a lot like Christmas."

Along with the general malaise that comes with feeling a bit under the weather, I've been noticing the differences between London and home a lot more than usual and it's made me feel a bit homesick. The details get to me. Things like familiar foods, TV specials, Christmas lights, and music. They reinforce the distance. I got a box mailed to me from home early this week, and it made me happier than I've been for a long while. (Not that I've been depressed or anything. It beat out a lot of good moments!) Along with a good dose of love, it contained primarily goodies from good ol' Trader Joe's: trail mixes, chocolates, vitamins, crunchy snacks, and the best lip balm in the world (the "music to your lips" one). I may still have had my feet planted firmly on British soil, but for that one moment I felt more at home than ever. By just looking at the lables, it was as though I was standing in the kitchen in Reseda, perusing the pantry for a snack. And the tastes were more heavenly than any treat at Marks & Spencer.

Before that box arrived, I'd found my one bit of home at Whole Foods. It's ridiculously expensive compared to any other grocery store (even it's US counterpart), but for the small bits of comfort it was worth it. It's the only place in London I've yet to find eggnog (though it doesn't taste much like the kind I drink at home... it's much too much like nutmeg-flavored whipping cream, and not at all thick). Bisquick doesn't seem to exist in the UK, so I got some pricey buttermilk pancake mix. Other goodies included Reed's ginger beer (I've tasted the British equivalent and came away pretty dissatisfied... it's waaay too sweet), pumpkin pie (just one lousy slice!) Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap (£4 for one bar!), and aloe vera body lotion (not nearly as nice as TJ's Midsummer Night's Cream).

Tonight, I've become a lot more optimistic about spending Christmas here. It's amazing what a little atmosphere can do. I lit a few candles, dimmed the lights, switched on the little gold Christmas tree I bought at Woolsworth's (I didn't know those still existed anywhere till coming here, but it won't be around for much longer), and played some holiday music on iTunes. I also made some chai lattes from scratch for both Agneta and I, and munched some almond bark (Trader Joe's!) and chocolate-covered Turkish Delight (Marks & Spencer). Agneta and I made a big paper star together and chatted about Christmas memories and other things. Ryan came in occasionally, and we watched some silly videos on YouTube, too. Something "clicked" and made this place feel a lot more homey; Christmas was in the air (please forgive my cheesiness). A couple weeks ago, I was hoping that either 1) by some Christmas miracle Kim would be able to visit for the holidays or 2) I could rent a cottage in the English countryside with a few other people, preferably where there's snow. The first option seemed possible for a while, but was eventually vetoed by my mom. The second left the picture when Agneta became aware of her dwindling finances and Janice left. Now, I just need to buy some garlands to hang over everything, and maybe get a little tree. Maybe we'll go see a traditional pantomime. Nothing is for certain, but at least the three of us remaining in this flat are optimistic.

Nah, needs garlic!

This probably sounds like a really silly thing to miss, but last night I dreamt I had DVR again and thought it was the most awesome thing to be able to rewind TV. I also dreamt about a whodunnit mystery in a monastery, but that's beside the point.

Also, here's a list of food-related things I wish I had in London:

• eggnog
• pumpkin pie
• sourdough bread (I always have to settle for "farmer's bread")
• clam chowder in a bread bowl
• avocado (they're here, but not quite the same; you definitely won't find it being sold off the backs of trucks!)
• buttermilk
• Trader Joe's misc.
  

Restaurants:

• PF Chang's
• Brent's Deli
• food court at The Getty
• Marie Calender's
  

I have found a few things that remind me of home. I found a number of foods that I'm used to getting at the Asian supermarkets in California - e.g., gummy fruit (no lychee, but they had my second-favorite: melon), Pocky (!!!), and the same brands of Tofu and soy paste. My "tea cabinet" has been filling up, too. The top shelf has acquired a reasonable variety since I moved in. I'd still love some "Paradise" iced tea, however. Also, I've tried to make some oven fries like my mom's, but they weren't quite there. I didn't even have garlic salt - I couldn't find it in stores anywhere, so I had to make do with garlic powder and salt (which, as Wikipedia will tell you, is not the same).

Oxford Street Christmas Lights

On Wednesday night, I went to Oxford St. to see the Christmas lights switched on but just barely missed the official pushing-of-the-button. I still took a lot of photos of the lights and the window displays. Later that evening, I went to the Queen Boadicea pub in Clarkenwell for a BUNAC pub meet. There were some people I hadn't seen in a couple weeks, so it was nice to do some catching up.

Settling In

It’s been about a week since I moved into Porchester Gate, but it feels like I’ve known my flatmates for far longer than that already. It’s quite a big group; there are several bedrooms to fill. We’ve already gone out for dinner, dancing, and clubbing; we’ve had late-night card games and YouTube movie fests into the wee hours; we’ve gone out shopping and out for coffee. It’s like one big international family, with roots in Lithuania, Brazil, France, Italy, and Australia.

Tonight, all but Claudio, Julia and Agneta went out to the Chinawhite club, near Piccadilly Circus. It cost £20 to get in, and we had to be on the guest list, but it was quite an experience. I rarely go to clubs, but in this case, I agreed to go because 1) I was curious, and 2) I enjoy hanging out with my flatmates. It was a really posh place, but it was intimate and cosy, too. It had an overall Eastern theme, with lots of statues, incense and candles. When we arrived, we were almost the only people there (it was around 9:30; Ryan also brought some friends, so our group came to about a dozen or so), but it didn’t take too long for the place to become packed. My favorite room was chock full of cushions and had sparkling stars on the ceiling behind lengths of colored fabric. It was there I tried my first taste of absinthe, mixed in a martini. It was amazingly flavorful… It tasted like a sweet, spicy glass of liquorice. I only recommend it if you really, really like liquorice, and I do.

I’m not much for r&b, or most pop music, but among friends, I make an exception. I also don’t do a lot of dancing, but I had a lot of fun at it. I had a genuinely good time, and it makes me all the more glad that I chose the flat I did.

Being very tired, I’m sorry that I can’t be much more descriptive. It’s going on 4 AM (which is becoming kind of a normal bedtime, unfortunately). We left the club a couple hours ago, and I made 4 grilled cheese sandwiches (burnt them, though… I’m still not used to electric burners), and that’s pretty much it. The rest of the day, I stayed in mostly, but went to the Brompton Cemetery to take pictures, only to find it closed 10 minutes after I got there. I’m still anxious to edit the few photos I took, however.

Halloween In London

Too busy/tired/lazy to write a complete, original blog for Halloween, I've put together bits of emails and phone photos from the day. Sorry, but it'll have to do.


Oct. 31, 5:50 P.M.
The Clink hostel, basement kitchen

There are so many cool events going on tonight... I wish I could go to all of them. :)

http://www.timeout.com/london/halloween/

But, since I'm going with Katie (and her boyfriend, and some other friend of hers, and possibly other BUNAC people...), it has to be after 8, which already limits my options. It looks like we're going to the "Halloween Ghost and Murder Walks" one.

I'm in the hostel kitchen right now, and I put together a quick late lunch/early dinner with some pasta and steak, but there are some Italians sitting near me who totally put my pathetic little meal to shame. They're having pasta, too, but with some kind of a veggies and cream sauce thing, and lots of bread (it's only toast, but I guess it wouldn't be a meal without some kind of bread). Earlier one of them took my pepper grinder without asking, and I complained (I explained that they could use it, but I wished they'd ask next time), but their English was very, very limited, and as a nice gesture, they shared some of their wine -- so now I'm having a sweet, fizzy Italian wine to go with my substandard pasta dish.

Also, I stopped by the St. Pancras church today on the way back to the hostel. I've been wanting to check it out ever since I noticed the big pink banner inviting entry to its crypt gallery, and I figured what better time than on Halloween, right? God, it's truly the creepiest church I've ever seen... it's got huge gothic women statues/pillars, massive grey stones, a really unkempt garden and heavy wrought iron gates. I followed the signs to the "London crypt" onto the grounds; nobody else was there, but the gates were open. I wandered around the building, but I couldn't find a single open door; I tried pulling, but they wouldn't budge. So much for that Halloween idea. There was a list of gallery exhibitions -- I may have just missed the last day of the previous one; the next one opens on Nov. 6, and it's to showcase the work of some costume designer. Not exactly what I'd have expected in a creepy place like that, but I'll go when it opens anyway.












Nov. 1, 4:36 P.M.
Porchester Gate Flat, Bayswater

Well, I ended up going on the "ghosts and murders" walk, which was fun, but unfortunately Katie was unable to make it, and everybody else I know was at the BUNAC event. After the walk, I went to where I thought the event was, but was completely wrong... There are a number of pubs called the "Walkabout" and by then it was already too late to go back and look up all the other locations, so that was pretty much the end of my night. So, yeah, that part sucked. After that, I went to a convenience store, bought a couple candy bars (my only consolation: I've never seen those particular ones in the US), and took the bus back. I met a nice Australian guy and some American girl on the bus back, and they were really nice to chat to... the American girl came from Pasadena, of all places, but now she's a student at Cambridge (she agreed with me that London is so tame in the Halloween department... It could use some excitement like the WeHo Halloween Carnival!). It was also weird that I seemed to be an information dispenser from the moment I got that bus stop... I directed some British girls (not from London, I guess) to the Embankment station, and I told the Aussie which buses he needed to get to Angel Station in Islington. Yay, people are assuming I know stuff about this city! It keeps happening a lot, actually.

So... today I've moved into my new flat. I'm emailing you from Tatiana's laptop (I'm taking her place, actually) in my bedroom. I did lots of shopping today, mainly for bedding things; I've yet to do some grocery shopping, too. I hit up every department store on Oxford St. (OMG, Selfridge's is AMAZING!!!); what I wouldn't do for a simple Bed, Bath & Beyond or Linens 'n Things... it took me forever to get a decent feather pillow for under £25.

One Rainy Sunday Afternoon

Today has been... relaxed. Not much exciting has gone on, but in a nice way.

My alarm woke me up at 9:30, but I stayed under the covers a little longer anyway. By 10, Abby brought me a cup of tea. While letting the tea cool, I fell back into sleep till 10:30 - when I got up suddenly, realizing that breakfast had already been in progress. Not bothering to change into regular clothes, I went downstairs in my jammies & joined everyone mid-breakfast. There was a full spread - sausages, veggie sausages, scrambled eggs, chocolate muffins, tea, juice, bacon, baked beans, and roasted mushrooms & tomatoes.

I hung around the kitchen a bit, watched some TV, and went upstairs for a shower. Unfortunately, by the time I came downstairs, Camille, Mark & their daughters had gone.

The rest of the day was divided between working on my CV & cover letter and playing with Poppy - watching films (she saw Singin' In The Rain for the first time - and, to my delight, loved it), pretending to be "spies on holiday", and "camping" in her pretend-den (a sheet tent in the living room).

We had pizza & salad for dinner, with leftover lemon tart (with crème fraîche) for dessert.

Fin. (For now.)

Orientation Day

I feel like I’ve already written about today, because I’ve done so much instant messaging this evening, but I’ll oblige whoever happens upon this page and tell about it again. (Warning: It’s none too exciting. Mostly things to do with walking.)

This morning began a little earlier – 7 AM – as Gill had to take Poppy to school after dropping me off at the station. By quarter-past 8 we were out the door, and shortly after, I was on the train once again, en route to London. I’d caught the slower train, but that was just as well, since I was very early to begin with; I passed the time watching an episode of Monk on my iPod (it was “Mr. Monk Buys A House”, since you’re so insistent to know).

I’d arrived at Farringdon Station just after 9, leaving me with more time than I knew what to do with. Orientation was at 10:30, and I had no idea how to pass the time in Islington (all I knew about the area really came from Dirk Gently). I started out by walking towards BUNAC – down Farringdon Road, toward Bowling Green Lane – and when I reached the Lane, I kept walking. I arrived at a fairly substantial intersection, turned right, headed down between a narrow path of shops and cafés, made another turn, and sat in a small park by a church to finish watching Monk. Then I walked all around again, making one different turn, bought a hot chicken & mushroom pastry and a sort of honey vanilla soy smoothie, walked some more, ate my food, etc. etc. I thought I’d killed some time, but I still had 40 minutes to go. A few minutes went by before I resigned from the idea and got in early. I signed in, filled out some papers upstairs, browsed the internet for affordable flat-shares and checked my email.

Then, the orientation began at 10:30… we watched a short film about a Scottish tour called “Haggis” whilst the remaining people filled out papers, then we looked at PowerPoint slides whilst Caroline (if I’m not mistaken) gave us the full lowdown for two and a half hours. (It wasn’t as excruciating as it sounds – she was a pretty nice speaker.)

(It’s amazing I’ve already filled a page’s worth of stuff for the most boring parts, isn’t it? Just pray I don’t get bored of this myself, and give up early.)

ANYWAY. So, with that, Caroline ended the lecture and released us into the wild. There were boards containing jobs, accommodations, travel deals, and so on; printed faxes to be read; and many, many lists to read. I copied down a few of them, gathered all the lists, and got a media-focused list of jobs, agencies and informational websites.

Starting that process, I chatted with some other BUNAC-ers; I got to know a couple Aussies a little bit, and eventually got to chatting with a Canadian – Nicole – for quite a while longer. In fact, the two of us didn’t do very much research in the time sitting there… we were there for about an hour after the orientation had ended, and all we’d really done was gather papers. She’d gotten her appointment for the bank, though, and eventually had to leave to make time. But, I didn’t have much to do for the time being except see to my phone problem, and I could do that nearby the bank anyway, so I tagged along. Since I’d taken the bus to a certain extent en route before, we followed the walking directions at first, and when we were relatively nearby, I led the rest of the way. We had a lot of fun comparing the differences between Canada and the US – or California, more specifically; all the stereotypes, pop culture, attitudes to sports, etc. And both of us really, really want to see the movie W in a London cinema when it comes out. Anyway… We reached the NatWest bank on-time, and unlike my experience yesterday, in which I was pointed in many possible directions before finally landing on the right place, I led the way once more, helping her skip all the nonsense I had to put up with. The rest of the process took much longer than expected, however; I sat outside an office and read a free paper cover-to-cover until she came out (she’d expected I might’ve just left by then).

After that… (Are you still reading this??) The both of us headed to a Carphone Warehouse on The Strand. I enjoyed the novelty of her experiencing it for the first time – The Strand is, of course, the idealized version of London usually best imagined, and especially with the sun shining through its center at that particular moment, with the dramatic clouds left over from an early morning rain – it was a sublime sight, like something from a Turner painting.

And so on, and so forth, etc. etc… Walking down the Strand, pointing out the hotel I stayed at with my parents last spring and that great little café next to it… So anyway, after much time and deliberation, I helped her chose a pay-as-you-go phone (unlike my phone, hers didn’t include a SIM card, so she needed a new phone altogether), and my own phone problem wasn’t in any way improved. (Meanwhile, back at the farm…) My dad was checking the code and advised me to check my email. So it was not without hope that I left that shop.

It was after 5 PM, and by then I figured it was a good time to head home. We parted ways at Charring Cross Station, with her taking the Northern Line back to the student hostel & I taking the Bakerloo Line to Blackfriar Station, where I could get a train back to St. Albans. (We’d already exchanged contact information.)

Back at St. Albans, Gill was unable to pick me up (she was getting ready to leave for a choir practice), but Kevin was en route via train from London right behind me, and caught up with me about fifteen or so minutes later (meanwhile, my dad texted the correct unlock code... yay!). One brisk, longish walk later, we were at the car and listening to BBC 4 go on about the credit crunch and billionaires not buying football clubs. Gill was just leaving as we were arriving; dinner was put in the oven an thirty minutes later we had a sort of pasta casserole with gorgonzola, bacon, and veggies, interrupted only once by my – now working! – phone, as my dad had called to confirm some details for the wire transfer from WaMu.

Gill came home relatively early, right after dinner. I spilled the details of the day and he let me know about the weekend’s plans, inviting me to join if I felt inclined to. I won’t be going into London for the weekend – there’s no need – and I can easily take care of the other things (e.g., cleaning up my CV, writing cover letters, etc.) in addition. We’ll be waking at no particular time with a fairly open schedule; depending on the weather, we may go hiking, shopping, or do something else. Sunday will begin with a Full English Breakfast and the remaining day will be fairly relaxed. I’m looking forward to it all.

We’ll be doing these things along with some of their friends (drat, I forgot some names already…) from a more northerly region of England; they arrived around 11pm, and I enjoyed some time with everyone all in the living room (note: I still haven’t worked out whether that’s what they call the room in the UK; Gill may have seemed a little confused once when I mentioned it), albeit occasionally a little awkwardly on my part. I didn’t always get all the references, but Gill usually filled me in on things, and brought me into conversations (thank you, Gill!). They’re a great group; tomorrow should be quite fun.

Oh god… it’s 2:55 AM. Whoops.

G’night!

Arrival

Laying on this guest bed now, typing and listening to my iPod, I can barely conceive of the fact that I was laying on my own bed at home doing the very same thing just over 48 hours ago. It’s equally inconceivable that during half that span, I was en route, in Chicago for a few hours, then on an Air India flight to Heathrow (a strange experience, by the way – I was one of the approximately 1% of passengers that wasn’t Indian; combine that with the Hindi writing & announcements, the Bollywood in-flight entertainment, the predominantly yellow/white/red décor, the Indian food, and the sari-wearing flight attendants, and I half-believed my destination was actually India; adding to the feeling, I watched The Darjeeling Limited). It’s like being in an entirely separate reality, spaced only by a few lapses of regular consciousness from resting my eyes but never fully sleeping. Altogether the distance I’ve crossed, the places I’ve been and the people I’ve now met – the combined experience of two days bleeding one moment into the next makes for a pretty surreal impression of time.

It’s amazing I’ve still got the energy to write this. Getting to London was only half the battle. After that, I had to navigate the London transport system with a combined 100 lbs of luggage (two check-ins, one backpack), up and down stairs repeatedly. Fortunately, some people took pity on me and assisted me each time. And so promptly! I must have been quite a sight.

Some time after 4 PM, I finally made it to St. Albans’ station, where Gill and her daughter Abby picked me up. The rest of the evening has been a nice one, of getting to know the whole family. The youngest daughter, Poppy (going on five), has taken to me so well – she likes to tell me about all kinds of things, and sometimes she gives me presents (little things – pennies, an orange feather, & a gold star – for various reasons). Abby (fourteen) is enamored by California, and she plans on going there with friends in a couple years’ time. She’d visited with her parents before (my dad flew them around the area), but there’s much I’d like to suggest she visit. The former Camarillo State Mental Hospital (now CSU Channel Islands) was one I mentioned; she’d like to tour the spooky parts, I’d imagine. Kevin is more reserved, but we have a few favorite TV shows in common – like Doctor Who, Torchwood, & Top Gear. Anyway, we’d all been talking in the kitchen (Gill made a delicious beef stew with horseradish crème fraîche sauce, and baked potato & steamed carrots on the side) and the living room for much longer than originally intended – till it was already after 11 P.M. I’ve been settling in very comfortably. I’ve already had a bath (felt sooo nice after traveling!) and a few cups of tea with milk (chocolate biscuits, too). I’ve got my third cup of tea to enjoy in bed.

Tomorrow’s plans are thus: 1) wake at 9 A.M., 2) be dropped off at St. Albans by Gill at 11:15 A.M., 3) go to Bowling Green Lane (BUNAC) to take care of my banking stuff, and 4) get a UK mobile phone (or, as Kevin suggests, get a UK SIM card with some minutes, so that I can use my existing phone). And imagine if I could have some free time after that! Maybe I could stop by a museum or something. Fancy that! Jeeze, I can still hardly believe I’m just outside London right now – in a cozy English country village, and tomorrow I’ll be navigating London again… “There’s no place like London…” (She cheesily hums.)

Right. So… tea, iPod, and some more Bryson. G’night.