Magical Backways

This morning, I woke up around ten to someone knocking on my door.  It was the maintenance guy here to fix up my sink door because it doesn't stay shut.  I said I was sleeping and he said he would come back later.

Planned my day before I left.  There used to be a computer lab in Marlyeborn that had free black and white printing, but when I got there it was no longer free.  The good news is that I have 15 BSP on my Westminster ID card by default for being a student.  So that's 15 quid for printing.  Which will easily die away because I have to print out a powerpoint every week for Linguistics.  Or maybe it'll last the entire semester.  We'll see how it goes.  I'll have some fun figuring that out in a bit.

At the Fresher's Fair in the Regent Campus, I was somehow wrangled into signing up for the LGBT society.  I told the leader I was straight, and she was all "That's cool.  How long have you known?  Did you come out to anybody?"  We laughed.  Then I signed up for the anime and gaming society.  Yep.

Hung about with Emanuele who's the Italian guy on my floor.  Finally learned his proper name.  Yes!  Anyway, we stuck around the LGBT chick for a while and then headed for class, which we have together.  He's a Linguistics major and I'm taking it because the other two classes I wanted were full.  This was my third choice.  That class was really boring.  AND it's three hours long.  I can bang head now, plz?

On the tube ride back, I got off at Waterloo instead of Lambeth North because I felt like making a cheeseburger, which I don't have.  Before I made it to the Sinasbury's, I got lost.  Really lost.  It was a lost so amazing I consulted every single map I came across.  Okay, it wasn't amazingly lost, but I was turned around enough to feel like I should be writing down my experience for creative writing.

Bought two packs of 4 for two pounds.  (Bingo!)  Also bought a carton of orange juice to combat my cold.  Bring it on, stuffy nose!  I'm waiting for ya!

As I was walking back to the dorm, I was walking down a back street paved in cobblestone.  It was twilight and all the small shops were on the brink of closing up.  There were a few restaurants and bars and they had quite a few customers.  Spotted a jewelry boutique I'll try to snag for my watch tomorrow.  Also found a second-hand bookstore but they didn't have a lot.  I went in.  Hey, why not?  It was open and there were other customers there.  I couldn't resist.  I'll have to find more bookstores soon.  But the journey down that street was so magical I had to write it down.  I did, both here, on Facebook, and both my personal journals (one is electronic and more about current thoughts in head, the other is paper and a document of my travels abroad.)

Will have to find a bookstore with the British version of Harry Potter.  I'm sure they'll be easy to find.  But which book should I buy?  The first, obviously, but maybe the seventh too?  Hmm . . . .

I was invited to go out to a big party tonight, but I'm going to stay in because of my cold and I would like to call a bunch of people.  I almost said tonight was Friday, but Friday I'll be at work all day.  Tonight is Thursday.  Wow, I just mixed up my days!  Anyway, I'll be on Skype all evening for my friends and I'll call my parents earlier than usual because I have to wake up early tomorrow. 

I feel a stuffy nose coming on.  Drat.

[EDIT]  Today is the day of fixed items.  My wash basin door no longer needs the rubbish bin in front of it to keep it closed.  In addition, there has been a flickering light across the ally I can see through my window.  That light has been bugging me since I got here, and now it's fixed too!  Oh, happy day!

Meandering around the Thames

For all intents and purposes, I really did get lost.

Today, I set out into the city with a few goals in mind.  One, I was going to hunt down a small shop or boutique where I can get my watch battery replaced.  Or at least be one step closer to doing so (i.e. learn the name or location of a shop).  Second, I was going to either locate where I can buy textbooks or, even better, buy textbooks.  Third, I was going to meet someone I only met once and attend a theater show in Shakespeare's Globe.  Maybe.  Fourthly:  get lost.  Why not?

I set out and I walk to the Globe I can't find the people I was supposed to meet.  I hang around for a while and enjoy the scenery of the river and think on where I'll get lunch and if I could burn away the scratchy feeling in my throat with a scalding thermos of tea.  Then it's almost two o'clock and I figure I'm not going to meet them anyway so I wander towards the Tate Museum of Contemporary Art, which is huge, by the way.  I buy what is probably the British version of a brat at a random food stand and eat that.  I eat that as I observe the Thames.

I saw a pigeon with a peg-leg as I was eating.  I thought those things only appeared in movies.  Apparently not.  Made my day.

I got bored of the Tate.  Sorry, contemporary and modern art is a bit too weird for my tastes.  I just don't understand it.  I probably would if someone explained to me the message the artist was trying to convey, but I can't like it on my own.

Afterwards, I had nothing else to do, so I set out to get lost.  And lost I did get.  I saw an M&S food store and a few other things that looked interesting, but nothing where I can walk in and ask if they can replace a watch battery.  Then I find myself at a tube station and I think about going to get some textbooks.  So I depart for the Cavendish campus because that's where a campus bookstore is located.

The bookstore really is just a bookstore.  There were a couple sweatshirts for sale, but nothing that says "Westminster Dad" or something equally as blatant like they do in the States.  They were only 22 pounds, and I'm debating about getting one, but I'm not sure about it at the moment.  Maybe in a few weeks?  Anyway, I could only find half the textbooks I needed, which is fine because I don't need them all right away.  Besides, I got the names and locations of a few other bookstores around London I can check out.  Exploring those should be fun.

I return home to some light rain and decide that I want to just sit and drink water because I was thirsty.  I finished reading the book I picked up from the common room earlier in the week:  Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen.  It's a good book.  Not the greatest in story, in fact I thought it was slightly anti-climactic, but still a good story.  I could also be saying that because it's about a circus during the Great Depression.  Interesting times.

I finished my book and then started to make dinner.  Encountered Hattie in the kitchen.  Vanessa came in for a little bit, and Alice came in as I was starting to clean up.  After catching up on the Internet, I went to meet Oscar and the others on the first floor.  Hung out with them for a few hours, left for a bit to call Mom, returned, and then retreated to my room after midnight.

Then Dan called me on Skype (yay!) and we talked for all of ten minutes before his mother was calling him.  But I'm sitting in bed now and I'm about to go to bed. 

And that was my day.

Got Lost Twice and Took a Wrong Turn

When I lived in Madison, I had someone in my life named Sarah.  Sarah knew what she was doing all the time, or at least she looked like she knew what she was doing.  So when I complained to her about a minor problem of mine, she would offer the solution she would employ.  She even did it abroad.  I told her about the odd wart on my foot, and she told me to get some salicylic acid to put on it and then put on duct tape.  She even said the acid wasn't really necessary if the wart was small enough, but it's nice to have just in case it comes up again.

About the time I was telling this to Oscar, I had an epiphany.  In Madison, I was surrounded by people who were already living on campus and knew the ropes of everything.  And even if someone was new like me, they knew someone who knew the ropes and was currently teaching them or had already taught them.  I think about Intervarsity when I say this because the groups of Intervarsity are led by one upperclassman leading a flock of freshman.  This upperclassman teaches the freshman upperclassman ways, and thus the freshman know better than other freshman. 

Since coming to the UK, I've been lost in a sea of unfamiliar brands and similar but different customs and nothing but observation to learn what to do.  But some things you can't learn by observing.  For instance, I don't know anyone else with a dying watch battery.  Therefore, I don't know where to go to fix my watch.  Oscar said a jeweler's, and I swear I found one somewhere -- I just can't remember where that somewhere was.  So I'm going to keep on looking until I do find one.  Or find another watch.  Whichever comes first.

I may act like a fresher over here in the UK, but there's something missing over here that I didn't have in the US:  A guide of some sort.

I don't have anybody who will say "Oh, there's this little shop on Tottenham you should try.  The name is blartyblart by yadda street."  Yes, everyone's in the same boat as me, but people can at least help me with unfamiliar brands or customs.  For instance, the bottle of laundry detergent I have is completely different than the bottles in the states.  It's smaller and more rounded and very compact.  I discovered this fact on my own a few days ago.  No one told me "Look for a small and curvy bottle."  There isn't anyone to say "Try this small jeweler's shop.  They're cheap and good quality too."  Hell, I don't even have anyone to say "The library is on such and such street.  Just stop at this tube station, it's right there." 

And the stress of that has been sending me into tears the past couple of nights.  But you know what?  I'm all better now.  I had my chat with Oscar, I had my pizza, and I had a late night excursion to Sainsbury's to get it.  Everything's hunky dory (except in terms of textbooks.  Oh, textbooks . . . . )

With that being said, I can now laugh at this story:

While on my way to my first class, I exited out the usual Oxford Circus tube station.  Except, I exited out the wrong door, and I found myself walking five blocks along Regent Street looking for that dratted University building!  Then I saw the sign pointing me towards Trafalgar Square, and I knew I was going the wrong way.  Oh well, turn around, storm back to Oxford Street, recognize the strange needle tower that marks the correct way to campus.  Then finally make it to said campus.  I walk in, I go through the barriers, walk up the stairs, and attempt to find room WS106 and find there's a door in the way.  A minute of "What do I do now?" later, I walk downstairs and ask a security guard (because that's what they're there for besides keeping the peace).  He tells me I'm in the wrong building.  Go out the doors, take a right, third right on the right, it's on your right.  Got it?  Okay.

I didn't get it.  I went the wrong way out the building and I came to a small park and I figured it wasn't the right way.  I even asked a random stranger on the street, but she didn't know where Wells Street was.  So I walked back to the Regent building and I asked a different security guard (I wasn't going to the same guy!).  He pointed directly to the street I should go down and told me the third right, building's on the left side of the street.  Got it, thanks a bunch. 

And that's how I managed to get lost TWICE on my way to my first class.  Now have your laugh.

Ups and Downs and Unfinished Laundry

This morning I went out with the intent to buy laundry detergent, milk, and something for a newly acquired wart on the bottom of my foot.  I managed to buy the wart remover and the laundry detergent, but the mini market didn't have the kind of milk I like.  I saw Oscar on my way to the mini market this morning.  He was late to class so he couldn't stop to talk for long.

My clothes were not even halfway through the drying cycle when I realized that I wouldn't have enough time to completely dry them, put them back to my room, and make it to class on the faraway Harrow campus.  So I stopped mid-cycle and they were damp but it wasn't too bad I guess.  Once in my room, I hung up my sweaters and flung the tee shirts on any free and flat surface I could find.  I hoped they would dry in time.

I balk at the price of laundry here, but mostly because you have to pay to dry your clothes.  This might just take some getting used to because drying is free in Madison. 

Anyway, I do manage to make it to class on time even with getting lost within Harrow finding the correct lecture theater.  As it turns out, I was an hour early.  Thus making my laundry rush and damp clothes around my room futile. 

The good news is, I met new people at class.  Chloe is from California and quite a few of her friends are in my hall.  She'll probably come visit me when she visits them.  She's studying graphic design and staying the entire year.  Devon is from Texas and she lives in Marlyeborn hall and majors in film.  Vicky is from South Hampton in the UK and she's a TV/Film Production major, second-year.  She has an apartment with her boyfriend.  Another thing about Vicky, she loves Americans.  She was in the class that got out before my class.  Chloe and I went up to double-check something with the professor there ("Does the next class really start at 4p?"  "Yes, it does.")  and Vicky must have heard our accents because she lingered behind and started talking to us right away.  Devon sort of drifted in while we were talking with the previous class's professor.  And that's how I met the group from Harrow.

We ate a small lunch before the next class and talked about boys and where we're from and all that.  Then we went to class where we sat through This Is What The Class Entails and then What Makes A Story before watching the movie Breaking Away from the 1970's.  It was a good movie, I liked it at least.  And then the four of us went to the Students' Union bar on the Harrow campus.  Vicky and I played some pool and I only had one drink.  Devon and I went home around 9p because we both had class in the morning.  Well, our own reasons, really.  She wasn't feeling very well and the Guiness didn't help.  As for me, I wanted to get home to check my laundry, check my wart, talk with Mom and Smoky, update the blog, maybe hang out with someone else or two. Return to my comfort zone, basically, and still get to bed at a reasonable hour because I have a class at 10a the next day.

I am not a party girl.  I should throw that out there.  I know I hail from UW-Madison: the capitol party town of the world, and I know I should be experienced in this kind of thing, but I'm not.  Getting piss drunk and puking all over the place does not sound fun at all.  However, I will make an effort to be more outgoing towards strangers. 

So I get home and I check my laundry and what do I find?  Damp clothes.

Something in me thought "Screw it, I'll pay the damn pound again."  So I gathered up the clothes, marched downstairs, threw them in the open dryer, and marched back up again.  I say 'marched' lightly here because it's not like you can throw a tantrum in a lift and get away with it.

At the moment I'm hating that my clothes weren't dry, that I don't have a cuddle buddy, that going out isn't exactly in my comfort zone, that I rushed to the tube for nothing, and, I hate to say it, that I'm not in Madison where people actually LIVE where I live and where I can sit in silence with someone else in the room.  Not so much on that last bit, but more along the lines of the first three.  Also, my watch battery is still dying.  It's so annoying.

I also have a wart on my foot that's slowly going away with the help of duct tape and not much else.  Which means that that 6 quid wart remover stuff was for nothing and I don't even know if they believe in returning stuff here.  I don't think I even got a receipt for it either -- I paid in cash.

Things will get better.  They have to, right?  I mean, today was mostly a good day.  It's just that the one bad thing that happened now has me in tears.  I have only been here a week and it does feel like a lot longer.  And the first few weeks are supposedly the roughest.  There are ups and there are downs, but I'm focused on the downs because that's my current focus as I blog.

Things'll get better.  I know they will.  It just takes some time to adjust to everything.

The Day Ends When I Tell It To End

Today I woke up late and bummed around until I decided to track down the local Asda.  I chose Asda because it's part of the Wal-Mart family and the other stores I've tried have all been grocery stores.  I don't need grocery stores, I needed a store that sold a multitude of plates and a few notebooks for school and maybe some Q-tips.  I found all of those things, plus a few extra things like Tupperware and feminine products and Uncle Ben's rice.  Took the bus back because my bags were heavy and I wasn't carrying heavy bags forty-five minutes back home.  Rode the top level again.  I might never get used to that.

Bummed around some more and got annoyed at the Internet because it was being slow and unhelpful.  Then I made a bowl of soup for dinner.  Manu came in as I was eating (which seems to be a pattern) and then my neighbor whom I've never met came to experiment with the kitchen I guess.  Her name is Mattie and she's from York and she said she's actually quite scared of Uni but she's getting used to just diving into it.  I think I'll knock on her door if I'm randomly going somewhere and need a buddy.

I almost blogged at this point.  Almost.  But I wasn't sure because it wasn't even eight and there might be something else that would come up.  And come up it did. 

Oscar texted me about a delicious dinner in the kitchen on his floor, so I went to see what was going on and it turns out there was a small group of people eating together.  I met Francy from Madison (yeah!!!  There must be much bonding here), Denise from Denmark, Lynn from Luxembourg, Joe from Birmingham, and Drew also from the UK.  They're a great group of people.  We ate dinner and drank two bottles of wine, a 2 liter bottle of Strongbow, and a small thing of vodka.  And then we thought we should have more.  Drew wasn't with us the entire time, but he was there for some of it.  He didn't eat any food, but he played some games with us.  Francy taught us some Madison games and we played Bullshit and Spoons with a deck of cards Oscar had lying around.  Oscar got pretty drunk and tried hitting on Joe, who's straight, but Oscar liked making him uncomfortable.  It's funny to watch.

Then people started going to bed and Oscar, Drew, and I hung out in Drew's room for a bit where we just sat and chatted.  And I just got back to my room and wrote in my journal before I remembered I didn't update my blog.  So here I am, officially announcing the end of my day at 3a the Monday classes start.  My first class is in 12 hours.  I'm not really scared of it.  It sounds remarkably similar to Comm Arts 350: Intro to Film.  I hope it's kind of different, just so I can get credit for it.

And now I'm off to bed.

A Day at the Natural HIstory Museum

Previously:  I had received my Student Oyster Card and I went to fill it with some money.  However, the machine in the tube station didn't accept my card.  Naturally, I thought my card was locked.  My cell phone couldn't call the international services for my bank for reasons unknown, so I called customer care through Gmail.  As it turned out, my card is not locked, the machine at the tube is just silly.

In other news: I went to the British Natural History Museum today with my friend Oscar.  It took us a while to get there because he was so slow in getting ready.  So when he was finally ready, he said that he'll take me out to brunch so make up for it.  I am proud to say that two hours after a bowl of cereal and a banana, I nearly finished a plate of eggs benedict.  Which means my appetite is returning to normal.  My mood has also vastly improved today, which marks today a good day.

Here are some pictures of the museum:

More photos can be seen on my Facebook.

After the museum, I made dinner in the kitchen and Manu, Alice, and Vanessa came in.  I thought I lost my sauce pan for a little while, but it turns out it was on the eighth floor.  Glad I found it.  I also returned the fork I accidentally stole last night.  Then I went to the receptionist and reported that the stove on the seventh floor doesn't heat up.  The man wrote it on a post-it note (he couldn't find the maintenance request forms) and said that it'll be taken care of in a bit. 

Monday, I will see if a package came for me.  My friends on Emerald Street in Madison (Sarah, Sarah, Sienko, and Cory) ordered something from the UK and will have it shipped to me.  Don't think there's any post on Sundays, which means I'll have to check on Monday.  Tomorrow will be laundry day for me.

I was IMing Sarah on Facebook when I said you can call phones with gmail.  She was in the midst of textually freaking out about how cool that was when I called her cell phone through gmail and then I actually heard her flip out.  It was pretty cool.  I'll have to set-up the call forwarding for Skype so if you call my Skype you can call my UK mobile.  Won't that be cool?  Sorry, strangers, this is a luxury only for friends.

Mom gave me the bad news that she won't be able to send the package she meant to send.  The total cost was around $217 to send internationally.  Just sending the stuffed animal I wanted alone would cost over $100.  So Mom told me to buy what I needed over there because it's cheaper.  So if anyone knows a store that's similar to Wal-Mart in the UK, please post a comment about the name of the store and its location within London.  If you know how to get there, all the better.

And that was my day so far.  Until next time!

Day of Recovery

Jet lag, to me at least, felt like I lost Myself and it took a few days for it to find me again.  If I concentrated long enough, I could almost touch it and I would feel fine for the briefest of moments.  But it was only fleeting, and only if I sat really still.  Then I would disappear again, and I would hope that I knew the way back to my Body.  Because I wasn't going to live in Britain without Myself to tag along.

This morning, when I woke up, I felt more whole than I have been for a few reasons.  The most obvious one is the fact that I had a dream this morning.  This means that my mind is getting back to normal.  I'm finding Myself.  As I was returning from the interview, I had one of those daydreams where you're suddenly really successful or famous for a reason that can only happen in your wildest dreams.  (But because you dream it, it'll never come true.  Have you ever realized that people never think they'll be successful or famous before they attain it?  But I digress).

I do feel more stable living on my own now than I've been before.  My mood is better when I'm alone.  I still tear up when I think of home, but I give myself the benefit of the doubt.  I am halfway across the world after all.  Alone?  Not entirely . . . not anymore.

~ ~ ~

I arrived half an hour earlier than I anticipated at my interview.  Marianne and Libby were flexible and they talked with Molly (the other intern) and I together instead of separately.  I feel like Molly's answers to their questions were more thought-out, but it's possible she felt the same about my answers.  We both start on Friday, and we both will be pulling two full days of the week.  Which means that I'll have nothing on Monday and Thursdays until my first class at three in the afternoon.  Class for me on Tuesdays start at ten in the morning, and I work from nine to five (I'll have to confirm the hours again because I'm not positive about this) Wednesday and Friday.  They want us to have full days because we can get more work done then.

But I have the job and I'm looking forward to it.  It's a really small company, only about fourteen people, but it's fairly successful I imagine.  And because it's so small, I won't just be an editorial intern, I'll also be working with marketing and sometimes in design.  So they asked about our background in art or if we're involved with crafts after they asked what we hoped to gain out of the internship.  I answered honestly, which is the best I could do because I'm sure they can see through some off-the-fly BS.  Anyone can tell I'm lying.  (I know this because Teagan knew I was the mafia while playing Mafia earlier in September.  Also, I'm quite obvious.)

A day or two ago, I emailed my IAP adviser and told her I wanted to talk with someone who's studied abroad.  As you know, I was feeling lonely and I wanted to know how someone got over it.  The girl who called me is named Lindzey and she studied in Ireland last spring.  We chatted for a good forty-give minutes about experiences abroad and life in general, abroad or otherwise.  She told me that things will get better, that I should join a Society or two to meet new people, and she recommended traveling with Americans because Europeans have done everything already.  I was feeling better before she called, but I'm still very glad she did because now I feel even better than I was.  She gave me her email and invited me to friend her on Facebook so I can contact her again if I ever need any help.

By the way, Mom and Dad, her parents went to visit her towards the end of her visit.  However, their visit was extended from the ash cloud from Iceland, but they still visited.  She was staying in an apartment with other Americans (presumably from Madison as well), and a couple of THEIR parents visited them too!  Are you speaking my language?  Mom, I know you're fluent in KT.

When I finished the phone call, I got a snack from the kitchen and Alice and Vanessa were talking there.  I ate my orange with them and then we went our separate ways.  Vanessa asked why I didn't like being alone and I told her that I've spend the last two years of my life with another person in the room.  We didn't have to talk, we just had to sit in each others' company.  So Vanessa came back to my room and we looked at prices for traveling and such.  I showed her a map of the US and told her a few stories about the pictures in my room.  She was fascinated by it.

So, I'm starting to wonder about Vanessa.  As in, how integrated into the Western culture is she?  She asked me what science fiction is, which I thought anyone could at least comprehend if they couldn't give an accurate definition (I couldn't --- her question caught me off guard).  And I asked if I could add her on Facebook, and she said that she didn't have one because she thought it was confusing.  But I'll give her the benefit of the doubt because I really don't know her background or life story.  I only know she's originally from Nigeria and moved to Leeds three years ago.  So she might not know as much about Westerners as I think she does.

I still consider her a friend.  She's willing to do things if I ask.

Another thing, she has a strong reaction to my keeping my door open through my wonderful duct tape engineering.  She thinks someone is going to come in and do something.  I asked her who is going to come in a do something.  I don't really make enemies, and they don't allow strangers to waltz right into the dorm building.  But for her, it's a comfort thing.  She feels safe when she's in her room.  It's her sanctuary.

I'm not the only one experiencing a completely different culture.

When I went to make dinner, I started to fry sausages in a sauce pan (I'm totally in college).  However, the oven doesn't heat up on the seventh floor.  Or it does, but it takes ages just to get the heat evenly distributed throughout the pan.  As I was cooking said sausages, Chris from across the hall came in and invited me to the eighth floor because the stove works up there.  It was really nice.

At once, there was a total of five to six people in that kitchen making their dinner.  Well, Amanda, Amanda, Chris, and I were making dinner.  The other guy, let's call him Boxing Guy because he's a boxer and gets his protein shake mix for free from his gym, was mixing his protein shakes.  Later on, Kevin from Paris came by and we sat around but he didn't really eat.  I like the eighth floor kitchen better than mine.  You can use all the utensils and no one really cares as long as you wash them and return them.  (Except I accidentally stole a fork.  I'll have to return it tomorrow or something.)  And the entire place was well stocked and not really empty like the seventh floor kitchen.  They were going out later tonight, but I don't want to go out until I'm fully Myself again.

After dinner, Oscar stopped by and we watched some anime.  Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, if you're interested.  He's heard of it, but he hasn't actually seen it.  Lucky for him I'm towards the beginning.  I'm afraid I did a poor job of explaining the events, but he didn't ask too many questions during the episode and a half we saw.  He asked a lot while we were waiting for it to buffer, though.  I don't mind.  This is his first time seeing it, after all.

Then I Skyped my parents which is the unofficial end of my day.  Sorry for the longevity of this post, but my life is pretty full at the moment.  And this is to keep you up to date on everything I've been doing.  To kudos to you for reading me thus far.  Give me your address and you'll get a cheap postcard in return.  Give me an address and a British Pound and you'll get a fancier postcard.  (Just kidding.  Just the address is fine if you want one).

Tomorrow:  British Natural History Museum with Oscar!!  (expect pictures)

A Walk Through London

I would not say today was a good day.  Well, maybe it was kind of good, but there was a lot of crying involved in the morning when I first woke up, and then after dinner when I was left to my own devices.  I'll eventually get used to a single-room, but maybe when my life takes a turn for the busy.  Until then, I'm just sitting here with a door open and hoping someone will come and visit for a small chat.

I sent an email to my study abroad adviser in the US asking if I could talk with someone going through what I am.  She's going to have a girl named Lindzey call me tomorrow after my interview at Blackdog.  Lindzey studied in Ireland just recently so her experience is still fresh.  Jessa, my adviser, also said that there was another girl who felt lonely at first but all she needed was time.  That's probably all that I need at the moment, but time is taking so very long.  Is it Monday yet?

Today, I once again caught Vanessa as she was just waking up.  That girl can sleep.  I came by around two in the afternoon and she still wasn't ready for the day and said that she had just woken up.  And she got to bed around midnight.  She did say later that she didn't sleep very well at first.  So I guess she's also having some trouble adjusting.

I told her about the Fresher Fayre happening on the Marlyebone campus.  She didn't want to take the Tube because she didn't have her Oyster card yet (me neither, but that's not stopping me).  So we walked.  I'm glad we did.  We walked through Westminster which is where the Parliament building is and the London Eye.  I got my picture with Big Ben himself.  See?

The fair was just breaking up by the time we got there, but I still signed up for the flash mob group (yay, flash mobs!) and the Jitsu club.  I'll hit up the fair again when it's in the Regent campus.

Vanessa asked why I didn't like my room.  I told her how I keep the door open all the time and how I usually eat in the kitchen when I go for food, and she seemed confused at that.  She said that your room should be your sanctuary, the place for you to go to at the end of the day.  And I agree, but that's not my case.  For the past two years, whenever I went back to my sanctuary, there was always someone else there.  We didn't have to talk or interact, we just had to be around each other.  I'm going to have to explain that to her next time.  I miss just being around people.  And that's why I feel lonely.

I'm sure it'll go away, but this trip feels longer than four months and it's barely been a week already!  I heard it's always a bit of a rough start, so I hope I make some close friends at class.  Or at least click with a few people at work.  Better yet: both!

Picked up Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen in the common room today.  I'll be taking books from there until I figure out where I can get a decent library here.

[EDIT]:  I rode the top level of a bus today!  Yay for me.  So it was a bad day because I'm on the verge of tears whenever I'm alone.  It's a good day because I saw Big Ben, the London Eye, a few theaters for big shows, and the top of a London bus.  Also, I sent a few postcards to people I'm not corresponding with on a daily basis.  It's a surprise who they're all going to.  (Should be read: I forgot who they all went to already.)

Yeah, second level!

Extreme Store Hunting

22 Sept --- Today, I wanted to explore.  So my friend Vanessa and I set out to explore the Lambeth area.  We walked down the street, discovered a nice but expensive-looking Italian restaurant, and then found a Tesco.  Which is a grocery store like Sainsburys and Morrisons, but not as cheap.  Even so, it's close and HUGE and quite nice, actually.

Then I had my Internship Orientation, which has me a little nervous for my internship.  My interview was pushed back until Friday so now I have the entirety of Thursday to myself.  So maybe I'll find a library and see if I can print out an updated version of my resume and see what else is going on around campus.

I returned from the orientation, IM'd Ali a bit, and then had the brilliant idea to Google Morrisons, which is apparently a really cheap grocery store.  So I did and found in the Lambeth area about a mile away, or a twenty minute walk from the dorm.  So I told Vanessa about it (because she kept complaining how Tesco wasn't as cheap as Morrisons earlier) and she wanted to go right away.  So we did. 

I find it really amusing that she's amazed by my ability to read maps.  Doesn't anyone else have this?  Really?  You plot out a route and then follow the street signs.  Landmarks too.  It's not that hard.

Anyway, we got there, we walked back, and then I started making dinner at nine.  Late dinner?  Yeah.  It also took forever to cook because the stove doesn't heat up very hot very fast so the water couldn't boil (I was making pasta).  So I decided to cook the pasta in the microwave and just heat the sauce in the saucepan because, you know, it's a saucepan -- it's what it does.  And that took forever.  Which is very unfortunate, but I ate some fruit while I waited.

Vanessa is originally from Nigeria and moved to Leeds sometime during her life.  She has a brother, but I don't know his age.  She also likes pop music, Hilary Duff and Katy Perry and Beyonce and some Lady Gaga and the like.  Have you ever heard a Nigerian accent with a British twang?  I always ask her to repeat herself.  She might be annoyed but I hope she understand that her accent is completely different than what I am used to.  I've never heard a Nigerian-British accent before!  O_O

And that was my day.

Lessons of the Day (1)

Started the day going grocery shopping at Sainsbury.  Things learned:

1).  The Tourist sites are on the Victoria Line of the Underground.
2).  Sainsbury's rocks

Spent early afternoon hanging out with new friend Oscar (met on first night here).  Things learned:

1).  British people are more private in their personal affairs.  Hence why the dorms are all single rooms and why the doors never stay closed.
2).  The British Natural History Museum is free!

Went to modify my schedule.  Dropped "The Art of Film" for "Introduction to Linguistics" and changed "Writing in London" to Tuesday instead of Friday.  So now I have free Fridays and Wednesdays.  What will I do, you ask?  Easy:  intern and travel.  Things learned:

1).  Location of the Study Abroad offices at Westminster.  Except it's a different name than what I said.

Went to Oxford to get to a catalogue store called Argos.   Bought postcards and a set of tea mugs.  Will pick up frying pan on Saturday.  Things to get:  plates and silverware.  I now have food and the tools to cook the food with.  But I have nothing to eat it on.  (Blessings on Alice because she's still letting me use her dishes as long as I wash them right after I use them.)

Ate dinner with Oscar, Vanessa, and Alice.  Vanessa and Alice are both on my floor.  Yay. 

Learned about Britich television today.  There are freeview channels which are in the common room, but only one can get through clearly.  Watched an interesting and intense program about a problem child in a school and the teacher that will probably change his life.  It was interesting to listen to at least.

Learned about four web comics from Oscar.  My computer time is suddenly very occupied.

This week is going really slow.  Is that just me?

Orientation Day

20 Sept -- Orientation this morning.  I spent a bit too long eating breakfast and I missed a bunch of people leaving as a group for the same destination.  So I took the Tube by myself without really knowing which stop for the Cavendish campus.  I went one too many on my guess, which was a pretty close guess.  I found a map of the streets on the way out of the Tube and followed that until the Cavendish Campus building.  I wasn't late even though I thought I would certainly be.

There's a London Treasure Hunt that would be interesting to participate in.  My group is supposed to have four members, but it was just me and a girl from Denmark named Sidsel.  She has the form for the Hunt.  I'm going to call her tomorrow and see if she's still interested in doing it.  I also want to ask her where she lived again because she said that there's a neat market on her street that I wouldn't mind going to. 

Ate lunch with a group mostly from New York also studying at Westminster with me.  We went to a small sandwich place.  Afterwards, Toby couldn't stop saying how her sandwhich was really good.  Mine was alright, but I think my appetite's been a little off since I came here.  I don't think I'm eating as much as I was in the States.  This will probably change as I adapt more and get used to the food.

Went shopping on Oxford Street where I bought a phone and discovered Primark.  Primark is amazing because it's really cheap AND really stylish.  In the States, if it's cheap, it's not very skylish. *coughcoughwalmartcough*  I bought a duvet for my bed even though I don't have a comforter to stuff it with.  That's alright because I think I'm good with sheets for now.  I have about four layers which should be enough until it starts to get colder.  But even then my bed is by the radiator.  I also bought pillows because I needed them.  First night in London with pillows, yay!  Then I got a set of tea towels because they had cows on them and reminded me of home.

Tomorrow, I have an appointment with my advisor on my classes.  I want to change one class, but only one class.  Will look to see what's offered in the English section tomorrow morning.  Will also explore the other end of Kennington Street in search for a supermarket where I can buy legit food and kitchenware.  Also need to look for a place that sells notebooks.

Arrival to London

19 Sept -- I was warned about the descent, but I didn't expect to feel that horrible.  But don't worry.  Once I got my luggage, I had a good poop and I felt all better.  Amazing what a good poop can do.

Everyone I talked to said the Underground was really easy, and they're right!  That's why I used it to get to my dorm.  It took a long while, about an hour, but I got there.  I took the wrong street finding my dorm, but I did manage to find it.  At check in, I met a bloke named Oscar who helped carry my luggage to my room.  And then culture shock overwhelmed me so I was incapacitated for about three hours.  It was a horrible three hours.  My wattage converter blew out, I haven't met or even seen anyone else on my floor, my door wouldn't stay open, and my computer was dying.  Called my parents through Gmail at that time and they said "Take a nap, you're jetlagged."

So I did.  I felt much better and went exploring.  That's when I met Toby and Alice, who also live on my floor.  Alice is from the UK and Toby is from upstate New York.  We talked for a while, Alice gave me a crumpet and some tea, and I heard about a get-together in the common room. 

There was a bunch of us who knocked on the doors of everyone in the dorm hall to say "Hey, we're having a party in the common area so you should join!"  It wasn't ragin' like some Madison house parties, but it was fun.  I met a lot of new people, and I hope something like that happens again sometime soon. 

Lesson:  Once you hit rock bottom, there's no other place to go but up.