Groceries?? hahaha

Piccadilly Circus is famous! for what..well..I don't know..yet we have all heard of it in some way. Seeing it, I was in awe, yet confused at the same time. Piccadilly Circus is a collection of buildings that all look the same with the exception of one that is the host of the huge and famous neon sign; it's like that one in Times Square divided by 50. And here are some pictures of it :)

My mom is coming this weekend, and I can't wait! We will hopefully be doing some of the tourist-y things I have yet to do, because I've been too busy doing Londoner things. And lets touch on that, while we're here. I can't do it anymore! People here are ready to go out every second of every day, and its really taking a toll on me! (not to mention my wallet! lol) Someone told me this was the city that doesn't sleep. (It's scary how much they like to think this is NY) And it's ubelievable how everything is so different, yes we speak the same language, but I still have a hard time understanding it!
Some England knowledge for ya:

• Instead of asking "How are you?" people say, "You alright?" or "You feel okay?"

I hate this, it makes me feel like I look like death or I seem depressed, when really they just want to know whats going on..

• "Cheers!" I assuming this is another way of saying "thank you"..? I don't really know how to respond to this, so I just smile and nod. It usually comes at the end of a conversation which enables me to turn and walk away, very fast.

• The Words I love to hate (and pretty self-explainable): rubbish, bloody, mate, malarkey, crikey, arse (instead of ass..it so bothers me)

~
I'd just like to add that I miss everyone terribly! I really appreciate all the skype conversations I've had with family and friends and I hope this year goes by very quickly so I can go home and see some fabulous people. I miss you, and you know who you are.

If your bored..read thesee

Ohhh Philippines, I Still loove you :)

Look at Thiss!! Maybe my mom saw it, she's ova there..?!?
My 2nd favorite thing in the sky

The best part of this week have been the people I have met. I understand that this is London, and its all diverse and blah blah---But why is it, I have been here four days and out of all the people I've talked to, I have met like 3..three..III English people? I'm not complaining though, I love it :)

Yesterday, I had 2 of my 3 meals cooked for me. (Did I mention I love it?) and none of it was English! I had some traditional (Indian) chicken tikka, and my flatmate from Venezuela gave Maho and I a cooking lesson on arepadas. Thats right, rolll that R. I'm so glad people are realizing I'm not much of a cook. And I really love the look of surprise people give me when I tell them I have yet to buy a pot/pan set. Do they really not live off of McDonalds like I do? hmmm

In an attempt to brighten/decorate my room a bit I bought a pot of yellow roses..ahh how pretty they looked in the market; all sunny and open :) Anyone that knows me, knows that the green thumb wasn't one of those traits passed down to me. Unlike my sister, who has some electric-plant growing-light-and watering machine in her kitchen. As a result of my perectly tan thumb, my flowers today have gotten a shade darker, closed by a centimeter (if thats possible) and the leaves aren't even green anymore!! :( so much for my happy flowers.

Soo anyawys..It turns out London was calling my name afterall! ..Today we went by our "campus" which is a bunch of buildings spread out all over the city. Which is a nice change from a closed, very tree and squirell filled campus. Now it's just dirty streets, people, traffic and buses- and yes I like this :)
There are SO many eating places around the particular building where I'll have classes..I mean everything- Chinese take-away, Kebab, African, Jamaican, French..and some I don't even recognize! I can't wait to try everything! maybe I'll get fat here! hahaha..or maybe not.
Today we went to Nandos- a popular Portuguese restaurant- Had a veggie burger and chips (fries) with mango nectar- DEE-LISH

Here are some pictures of the "campus" aka "Buildings labeled LMU on the same street. "

I just might like it here..

Yesterday was my first day in London! It still hasn't hit me that I'm actually here! My housing is on the outskirts of Central London and I'm surrounded by lots of little shops and old apartments that line the streets.

I really didn't know what to think or do at first when my mom left. But unpacking sure wasn't one of them.

The hallway (My 5 other roomates will live within these doors) and my kitchen. The living area is opposite the kitchen, pretty standard. Sorry for the plainess and messiness of everything, most of my shipping isn't here yet :(

My room, from Right >Left: 1. My desk and the right side of the room, 2. bed and left side
3. Back of the room where my bathroom is and 4. the br.

The housing is made of about 6 different buildings, 4 floors, each a different color. We were told that not a lot of the students will be moving in until later this week, So yesterday I was the only person in mine :( It's alright though because I didn't spend too much time in it. I set out on a mission to meet some other people. Most of the ones I met lived a couple buildings down but were all extremly nice and you could see their unexpected look of curiosity as soon as I started speaking my "typical American accent" (what the guy from holland told me) Here, people can tell what area you are from just by your accent! In the states we can only tell if your from the South or the North haha..lets work on that! They get it down to the city! amazing..

So this is the sidewalk you'll be on right outside my housing gate. Its what I will walk on everyday to get to the tube station for school. Its lined with townhouses for a good two blocks (below). The opposite side are little markets and stands.

My Building is On the Left there. And the one next to it are pictures of the townhomes






..................................

That night, I wen't out with a girl named Adele, and her visiting friend Sammy. I'm so grateful they sort of took me under their wing, or else I probably would have stayed in. (It seems a lot of people here were told not to go out in our area alone..understandable haha) Anyways, we drove to Central London- Leicester Square and went to a bar/club called Yates. It was amazing! Really big place, the bar practically goes wall to wall, lots of sitting and loung-ey areas(unlike some clubs in the states where you either stand around or dance) I ordered a cosmo and a cranberry&lime w. archers (whatever that means!!, it was by suggestion)

Afterwards, we spent an hour (literally) to look for the car! obviously none of us were paying attention and it was a good thing one of their guy friends was with us, its probably not the best idea to be walking around london at 2 in the morning! Two good things came of this:

1. Got to learn the streets a bit

2. Saw a member of S Club 7 coming out of a cab!! (mostly pop band in UK but they had a t.v show in the states a while back..and yes I watched it..)The group I was with was just like..oh theres so and so..and I'm like...why are we not getting pictures/autographs! lol

It's Monday, lets talk about today

It's now 8pm and I have walked to the Tescos grocery store twice today. I could literally stay in there for hoursss just looking at all of their food..Some is the same but a lott is so different and I had to stop my self from putting everything I wanted to try in my basket (I did afterall have to carry it back..only thing I don't like about grocery shopping in a city..always wondered about that)

Across the street from the grocery are a lot of little markets and fresh vegetable stands which I also helped myself too. This place is like a scavenger hunt I find something new every step I take. Theres a lot of little takeaways (to-go) everything from Mexican to Indian to Jamaican. I can't wait to try all their food!
At the moment i'm drinking this mango,lime and apple drink and snacking on toast haha (English enough?) It's heaven.

Anyways, I'll leave you with some pictures of the cities from last night..A lot are a bit blurry because I was riding/walking. haha

I Lied! I'm posting..

For the first time in 3 days, I ventured off my little base, and what an adventure it was! We finally got our 40 miles per gallon rental car (below) A Vauxhall Astra, obviously not American- and Rodney nearly killed us 20 times driving today. -And can I just mention how crazy it is driving on the left side!-Their highways are kinda like L.A's; fast,crazy and crowded. Exactly why I won't be driving in the next 2 years here.

..On to why I went out in the first place, We went house hunting! what funn! It's unfortunate for the english though that most of their houses are so..err...different. (beauty is in the eye of the beholder after all) The majority are so old and even the new ones are meant to look like traditional english houses. You won't see any modern American style houses here (a la california?)
Having said that, I can appreciate a 1920's british styled house like this one we saw today:

My mom hates it though and thinks it's haunted. (I can see that too..can you?)Oh and another thing here, the english LOVE their gardens (I can't imagine why, when there is no good weather to spend any time in it) but this one had a hugee one-complete w. apple and pear trees. It was like a scene from The Secret Garden.




This one is my mom's favorite, which you can't actually see though because its covered by bushes and the garage. It's a bit newer than the first one and is very private. No one can see the front once you close that gate, and it goes all the way around the back to the garden.

I think this is what the more modern ones look like, which is nice too, but I figure if your going to live in England why not live in an Old English house and really get the feel of it!




So we only saw 3 today because the tours took quite a long time and I think we have 3 more tomorrow. I'll end this with some scenery of whats around me! (OH yeah..NOTHING)

Now that I see them, they actually all look the same. sorry about that guys! haha

Q & A

Because I have been doing a bunch of nothing (nothing writable anyways) I'll answer some questions I've been getting!

1. Where am I?

-No, I am not in London..yet. At the moment I am staying on an American air force base. My mom & Rodney will be staying in this area, so when I start school and want to visit, I will travel just 2 hours to see them. This SUNDAY I will be moving into a 6 person, 6 bathroom, kitchen & living area flat in South London.

2. How is the food there?
- Well, I would love to answer this question. But because I am on an American base I have yet to have any English food. I enjoy my subway, sbarros pizza, American grocery store and the American plug outlets though. Thanks for asking!

3. Do they have rice there?
- I had to put this here because its the funniest question I've heard by far.. I wish I knew.

4. What are the people like? And don't you think they're accents are sexy?
-The english people I have met so far have been incredibly nice and helpful. No I do not think they're accents are sexy unless they're coming out of someone that looks like The Rock, or RK :) (most of you won't get that one..)

So as you can probably tell, it's almost like I never left the U.S. I am surrounded by all things American. I feel like I'll get a complete culture shock when I move (in 3 days!) because It'll be all things English.

Therefore, this blog will be postponed until Sunday night. Then let the stories begin!

Made It Out Alive

Hello All!
Just writing this to let everyone know that I am here. As soon as we got to the London Heathrow Airport, a carrier took us straight to our hotel in Alconbury (2 hours outside of London)

I wish I had some cool pictures to show but we were on a highway the entire time and since we were on the outskirts of the city it was all farms and trees, cows and everything boring. UGH

I really hope London will be different. I have to stay here a week until I go. If it is anything like this place, I am SO coming home ASAP.

Top things I first noticed about England

1. English people like to list things about their country. (literally)
2. "There are 2 types of weather- wet and wetter"
3. It is F'ing Freezing!! (59 degrees F)If this is summer, HOW will I survive winter.
4. Apparently there are a lot of spiders because of the rain or some crap. (Can I get a plane ticket home now?)
5. Alconbury AFB is the smallest base ever.
6. Whatever you think England looks like (from movies or wherever) your probably exactly right.

I can't wait until this week is over and I can move into my flat in London. I'm hoping it will be 20 times better. I miss my family and friends. And more than anything I want to come home.

This is it :(

Well, today is the last day I spend in the U.S and I'm leaving in about..12 hours! I should put it out there that I definitely do NOT want to go. But I'm giving it a chance and frankly I would surprise myself if by this time next year, I will not already be back in the states praying to God I don't have to go back.
Okay, so it probably won't be that bad..I'm really trying to have an open mind about the whole situation though (really..I'm starting that tomorrow) I don't have to say how much I'll miss everyone here. So I promise to keep this updated as much as possible, and I hope this will make things that much easier so that you all feel just like your here with me!

And if you get bored, ready this article from NY mag..I'm not sure if it encourages me or reassures my thoughts about this city..
London, here I come.