Monday, February 2, 2009

Record Snow in London!

I got into Stansted around 10pm and took to train into the city. I called Ros and she met me at the West Finchly tube station(I keep calling it the metro, no no that’s Paris, silly!) around midnight. She was so sweet and showed me my little room and the bathroom and told me the basics. She had even put a hot water bottle in my bed so it was warm when I arrived. I went straight to bed, exhausted from my adventure that day. In the morning Ros made me toast and cereal and advised me to go into London to see the Chinese New Year festivities in Trafalgar square. So I did just that. Of course it is snowing here. I walked to Woodside Park in the snow and bought a day pass. I rode the metro into the city and first did a dry run to the AHA center (my school) so I know how to get there for class. Then I headed to the National Portrait Gallery to experience it at least once before I see it from the inside. It is much different than I made it out to be in my mind. The Chinese New Year celebration was intense. So many people in such a small area! I grabbed some lunch and some groceries and headed back home as it got dark and even colder. I found it hard to cross the streets here. I am so confused because they say look left or look right and I am so confused. The left on red is an odd concept that keeps tricking me too. I will probably be hit by a car here. Also getting in Ros’s car the first night threw me for a loop too. Wait you mean I get in the driver’s door? Oh but back to the National Portrait Gallery. Such a cool place! There were tons of people though and it was hard to really enjoy it. I loved the photography and contemporary portraits on the ground level. Ah! I just wish I knew more British culture and history to understand who some of these people are. On my way out I took one of every brochure in the rack so I can study them before I have start work. I was all trembly and nervous when I went in. I am so excited and secretly terrified!

On the way home I stopped to talk to a “chemist” as Ros called it, that is a pharmacist. He asked if I had a tickly throat. I laughed and he pulled out a box that said “for a tickly cough” on it. I wanted to buy it just to have it. Seriously who says tickly cough? There is some terminology here that I love! Just looking at the metro map, tube map that is, you can’t help but laugh at the names! Honestly can a grown man say he is going to be taking the Bakerloo line home? And I’m not sure if Piccadilly is something I could say with a straight face. Oh London, how silly you are! At the airport the loudspeaker recording woman told us to “hold tightly” as we waited for our train to come to a complete stop. Haha!

Well anyway I finally made it back to 12 Cissbury. I took a shower (have you ever heard of a motorized shower? Well they are real and loud and quite silly). While I was gone Ros did some of my laundry and hung it to dry on all the radiators around the house since they don’t have a dryer. Haha! Maggie called me about my oyster card and some other logics. Ros made vegetable soup and spaghetti for dinner around 8. As I finished my homemade sweetbread with black currents for dessert, Sarah and Anne (the two other PLU girls staying here) showed up! Yay! It was good to see a familiar face. We hugged. They looked rather disheveled from a long day of traveling. We gave our gifts to Ros and she loved them. I snuggled with the kitties, Lucy and Sam before heading up for bed with my hot water bottle.

This morning we woke up to 6 inches of snow and a shut down city. So no school for us today! Ros told us to go back to bed. The poor girls straight from the states were up at 4 am and it was like torture to tell them to go back to sleep! I slept easily til noon. Mmm. We watched the weather and I snuggled with Sam until lunch was ready. Apparently there hasn’t been this much snow in London for 18 years! We had scrambled eggs with bagels and baked beans. Ros gave me something warm to drink for my throat. Hey Bug you know Buttons that we get in our stockings every year? We had them! I am kind of sad we didn’t have class today. But glad that I get this day to just rest and get rid of my sickness. We bundled up and I showed Anne and Sara the way to the Woodside Park tube station and the grocery store. We walked around the park and I played with a cute dog (I would though… piiiickles!). We took off our wet clothes and I sat by the fire to read as Anne played piano. Now I am resting until the girls wake up from their nap. Dinner is in an hour. Ros cooks mostly vegetarian and asks us what we like. I love it since I’m kind of a picky meat eater anyway(hey and hot dogs and chicken nuggets don’t count!). Oh and something cool. My friends from Jterm and Cline, Hill and Dani know that Twlight and Edward have been my recent infatuation. (Whatever call me a 13 year old girl!) But the actor who plays Edward is a client of the acting agency that Sarah (Ros’s daughter) works for! So he is in her office all the time! Little known fact: he reads all his fan mail!

Anwyay tomorrow is a new day and I hope there is less snow and more school! I am so excited to start this London adventure!

PS I have wireless internet at school, work and home now so I can be a lot more connected. Please facebook me or email me if you want to set up a time we can skype or aim or talk on the phone! Just remember I am 8 hours ahead, so afternoon/ evening your time is best for my schedule!
PSS Postsecret is my new favorite thing! If you havent heard about it google it.

4 comments:

  1. Once again...soooo jealous! I love British/Aussie terms. You can kind of see where they get their sense of humors!
    I'm glad you are feeling better and I hope you get to go to school today...I think it's about 6 am your time now.

    ReplyDelete
  2. nickers!!!!!!!!
    wow sounds like a fairy tale! i hope you meet edward!! take pics if possible haha.....hope you start feeling better! good luck with school tomorrow(today..maybe..im not good w/time). cant wait to hear about it :)
    anyway miss you and praying for you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Has Ros asked you to put a "titfer on your bonce" yet? Tell her that she is "the bees knees" for taking care of you so well. I'm glad you have a few snow days to rest up and get better before school and your job start. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I must send Edward Cullen a letter then, since he will personally read it!! You are all settled in there it sounds like! Oh how I miss you and wish you were here.... so much to share with you!

    ReplyDelete