OoPound CoinsoO: Mind the Gap and Step to the Right...!

We have nothing planned for today, so I went back to the store and while on the way I found a little cafe called "Julia," (=D) so I think I'll go over there this afternoon and try to get a coffee or something.

Shopping here is so funny! I shop at the TescoExpress--the closest store we have. They have al lthe same things we do, but they have different names. Like, Best Foods mayonaise is called Hellman's Mayo. And actually, the things here are pretty cheap! I can get two full bags of groceries for about 12 pounds.

But shopping/groceries/restaurants are limited around here, which is probably good, and I have yet to brave the underground. I did get my "Oyster card" which is basically a debit card you use for the Underground. Some people went to Picadilly Circle last night and went to the "pub" scene and said it was crazy busy. I was too tired.

So, the best food I've found so far have been these little Chicken Caesar salad wraps. They're so good! My ploughman lunch with apple chutney was...interesting. I really didn't like it; there was too much cheese. :P But the Chutney was pretty good. Haha.

Thse sky was blue and cloudy today. Later I'll take some pictures of my neighboorhood. Yes, and I got stuck in the elevator this morning! It's really old and slow, but I use it when I'm carrying things because we live on the top floor and the stairs are killer. Thankfully, I was able to pull the door open, but now it looks like I'll be climbing a LOT of stairs. Poopy.

I watched Friends this morning and I almost wanted to cry. I was like "Look! Real American people!" XD I don't like the British shoes too much, and they're obsessed with soap operas. They have a "Soap Update" every morning on their news shows. ?? Is that weird or what?

Today we went on a short tour of London; we didn’t stay very long in each place because we’ll be having longer field trips to those places later this week. This tour was just supposed to help us understand the lay of the land and to excite our inner historian…or lack there of for some.

St. Paul's Cathedral

My roomies and I found the coolest store yesterday—Primark! It rocks! It’s kind of like a Target or WalMart, just more classy. I got this very bohemian bag thing (for weekend trips and stuff) for 1 pound 50 pense! Awesome possum! They also have really cheap clothes—sweaters, jackets, pants and other things, too. I got a jacket for 4 pounds. XD It was a welcome sight to see cheap things after staring forlornly into the designer shops.

I’ve become pretty good at navigating the Tube tunnels and line transfers—oh, and of course, the Tube etiquette. “Mind the Gap” and “Step to the Right.” Sounds like a groovy new dance step~
It seems everyone in our little group now has an Orange phone, so I feel very connected and safer now.

Tomorrow is our first day of class, and then in the afternoon some of us are going to go exploring—and I’ll need to go shopping again. I’m living on salad at the moment and it’s not very filling. Haha. But, with all the walking, stair climbing and salad eating, I better loose weight!

As it turns out, the British accent is a lot harder to understand than I thought! I often have to ask twice or three times for someone to repeat something before I understand. I actually understand the French people better! But, I’ve managed to say things like “Excuse me,” “Hello,” and “Thank you!” in a somewhat authentic accent, and I seem to fit in fairly well with the ‘natives’ here—it must be my Parisian air~.

Well, that’s all for now. Oh, and I apologize for some of the bad pictures. It was crazy crowded at Buckingham Palace so I had to stand on my tippy-toes to take pictures over people’s heads! Our group was like, “It’s like a Disneyland parade, but REAL!”