British TV

While British TV mostly consists of: news (snore), reality shows that follow "worldwide stars" I've never heard of, western movies from the 50s, or reruns from the 1970's hit Columbo, I have seen a glimmer of hope in the entertainment here.

Below is my hands-down favorite clip from Britain's Got Talent:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gHvATmUsSg&feature=related

Maybe I should find a hot spot for Greeks in London. I would love to be friends with people like this.

Polish--not the stuff for furniture or nails

I was picking up some fish and chips last night for dinner (yes, I'm really blending in here), at a place near my house. Clearly ordering in my pure, American accent, the guy at the counter who was from somewhere in Europe asked if I was Polish.

Yes, he and his assistant both said something to the effect of "You're from Poland, aren't you?"

Uh...no.

I immediately was racking my brain. Are Polish women ugly? It may have been an innocent comment, but honestly. If you think I'm Polish even after hearing me speak, something's up.

Do I have a huge nose? Do Polish women have huge noses? Ugh. I knew it. I have a huge nose. Or maybe a broad face? Double chins? Oh man. I have a double chin and big nose.

Searching for "famous Polish women" to figure out what it is, I came across Marie Curie. Do I look like her? :(

Translation

Looking for a flat in London town can be quite a task. Thankfully, I've been able to create a translation guide for advertisements which has saved me some time in the search. If you ever need it, here are some key phrases you should keep in mind:

• Spacious = If you were a midget, you would have ample room to walk around.


• Very cheap!!! = If you’re really an idiot, maybe that phrase will convince you my overpriced flat is a steal.


• Recently renovated = Compared to how old the monarchy is in England, yes, renovations done in 1910 were very recent.


• Double bedroom = As opposed to a single bedroom, this one is the actual size of a double bed.


• A must see! = My favorite movie is “Snakes on a Plane”, thus providing clear evidence that my taste is impeccable, so you should trust my opinion and see my flat.


• Stone’s throw from public transport = If you threw a stone in a giant catapult, then yes, it’s a stone’s throw away.


• Garden view = There are a few weeds growing between the slabs of the concrete sidewalk out front.


• Stunning = You’ll really want to vomit when you see how nasty our carpeting is.


• Reception area = Typically this 2 foot-wide area is conveniently located between the front door and the kitchen. Some might also refer to this as a hallway.


• Neutral décor = To the colorblind, this place is a classy black and white.


• Modern = I bought the couch in the 1970s from Ikea!


• Tiled bathroom with a sink and shower, kitchen comes with a fridge, oven and four burners. Bedrooms each have a window. = There are really no highlights at all that differentiate my place, so I’ll waste space listing a few standard items.
• I live out of town, so a viewing this in person will be difficult = I’m actually a Nigerian just trying to scam you out of money.

*Note: Picture is from an actual posing for a "lovely open-plan studio flat" (picture is taken from the kitchen). Yikes. City living is different from the suburbs, that's for sure.

World Premiere..almost

I was walking around downtown after work today, and stumbled upon the world premiere of "The Night at the Museum 2" in Leicester Square. There were packs of people just standing around, so of course I joined them. After maybe 30 min I lost interest and came home. But boy, I almost saw Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Ricky Gervais, and many other stars coming out after the world premiere. What a great claim to fame I have!

Sidenote: Even though it can be very very cold, it's just turning dusk at 8:30 pm, which means lots of daylight to enjoy the city even after I get out of work :)

If my biggest passion became my job

I'd be a mattress salesperson:

1. Sleeping is my #1 favorite hobby.
2. I spent at least 1/3 of my day with my mattress.
3. I would give up almost anything for a great mattress.
4. If my house was burning down and I could save 3 things, my mattress would be one of them (hey, there's no restrictions on that game).

What would you be?

PS I know I talk about beds a lot. But, as I've mentioned, it is one of my favorite things, and my biggest passion so I think it deserves its own post.

These are a few of my favorite things...

Today was actually quite a great day, which got me thinking about all the great things in life. So, besides bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, here's a random list of a few of my other favorites:

1. Eating dinner on a park bench, during sunset, sitting across from Ben. Big Ben that is.
2. Getting lost, I mean walking around the city and discovering new, hidden streets that are crowded with fun shops and people.
3. Rolo McFlurries which have some of the best caramel sauce I've ever tasted.
4. Midol. 'Nuff said.
5. A down comforter atop a perfectly soft and supportive mattress paired with the ideal pillow and a 'sowft' blanket. (I miss you mattress, and pillow, and comforter--but we shall meet again.)
6. The view from my office window; I promise to post pictures.
7. My ipod which provides me with a soundtrack to almost everything I do. Makes my fantasy of my life being a movie just that much closer to reality.

That's it for now. I don't want to turn the blog into Oprah's gratitude journal...

Note: this is an old picture I took, but it's one of my favorites.

Other random notes from day 1

Sorry for the second post in one day, but a lot is happening. I'll try to not bore you for long.

Things I learned today:

1) I need to get myself a map. On my way to church, I missed the tube exit that's a tunnel that would spit me out LITERALLY across the street from church, but rather I took a leisurely walk that was far too long to admit. I didn't want to give myself away by stopping for directions, but by the time I was willing, I didn't want to look like a TOTAL fool in case I happen to be miles from my destination.

2) I hate tourists. Yes, after being here about 24 hours, I consider myself a local. As such, I felt way too cool to yank out my giant camera and take a picture next to Big Ben along the crowded street. No, I casually strolled by all those yanks. I will admit though, the site of Big Ben up close still makes me jump with glee inside.

3) The houses here are very chilly. I suppose there's not much insulation, but I'd feel like a nut to turn on my radiator when it's in the 70s outside (plus I don't know how).

4) Hulu.com only works in the US! Meaning, I can no longer watch my beloved 30 Rock and Office episodes--nbc.com doesn't work either!!! Seriously tragic that 'the man' knows where my internet connection is. If I could, I'd stick it to him but alas, I'm not clever enough to trick the man when it comes to complicated technology stuff.

5) I am already finding myself thinking in a British accent. I am pretty sure I'm only doing this out of curiosity; just wrapping my head around the accent I'll be hearing. Soon enough I'm sure this thinking will result in actual speaking, and I'll really look stupid.

Ok, seriously, that's all for today folks. I'll be here all year.

I'm here!!!

Hello everyone!


I arrived in London yesterday, and here are some observations on life so far:


1) Running to a plane is embarrassing. You just feel like everyone is staring at you thinking:

"Now, does she really need to run to catch a plane, or is she just being dramatic with her bags swinging everywhere."
"Hum, she looks like she's in a hurry. Oh, look, she's walking now. Wait, there she goes running again. Oh....nope...back to walking. Either she can't make up her mind or she's out of shape."

I landed in Atlanta at 9:50 at gate A2 with a scheduled departure at 10:10 at gate E5; you do the math. Needless to say I was a bit sweaty as the last one on the plane. Good thing it was all worth it and we didn't spend, say 45 minutes sitting at the gate with the doors closed ;)

2) It's been confirmed that all the movies on planes headed eastbound are terrible. This experience was the kicker. Why is it that westbound flights get "Quantum of Solace" and I get "Hotel for Dogs"???



3) I live with a 60 year old British man, Chris. All you single ladies in your 20s, you know you're jealous...

4) I had 'LA Pizza' for dinner last night. Yes, LA as in LA Dodgers. It wasn't too bad, considering it was really a kabob place with Indian workers.

5) It's a solid 20 minute walk to the nearest store/tube stop. Sadly enough, I think I got some blisters after my 2 hour self-guided tour of the neighborhood which in my head was sounding like this "and to your right is a small shop that sells, a small assortment of random stuff. And to your left is a small shop that sells...looks like a small assortment of random stuff."

6) I made it with only two suitcases! (And I ended up shipping two boxes if you must know. Don't judge. Two years is a long time and I swear I "need" all of that stuff.)

That's it for now.


Shannon