Boring day of eating, grocery shopping, journalling, and watching TV/movies (including the always popular Office Space.)

Friday Chris and I took care of some business (BUNAC and the bank) while exploring side streets of London. On the way home we went to the British Museum to warm-up cause it's horribly cold here! Most of the day we stayed inside and tried to stay warm, loads of tea and hot chocolate were consummed. I also did some more job searching, since I only have a part-time catering job and the volunteer work. Then we decided to go out, so we went out and got vodka and got ready. Good times were had by all.

Thanksgiving British Style!

First thing today I went out to Greenwich to have an interview for a weekend visitor assistant position on the Cutty Sark, a tea clipper ship from the 19th century. Then back to Bloomsbury to rest and warm-up. I have seemed to come down with a sore throat and cough so I got some stuff at the pharmacy down the street. Then off to Thanksgiving Dinner!

Chris, Jo, Sarah, Lindsey, Tricia, and I had a reservation at the Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese pub on Fleet St. in the City of London. It is a pub that was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 and rebuilt in 1667, so it's about the same age as Thanksgiving itself! We had a feast of traditional British food. I had roast loin of pork with apple and cranberry stuffing, roast potatoes, and swuh? (something very similar to yucca.) For dessert Lindsey and I orderd chocolate fudge cake with ice cream and sweet pudding and custard in the sticky toffee flavor. All of the food was delicious. Between the 6 of us we managed to run-up a £96 tab including service! It was so nice to go out to eat with a small group people and have a quality meal in such a unique setting. Afterwards Jo and I went to the College Arms to have a pint and shot a round of pool before coming home to see the end of one of my favorite movies, Love Actually.

I started work yesterday! I volunteered at the Foundling Museum from 10-1 learning the front of house stuff (admission and gifts) and then watching over one of the room upstairs. Then at night I worked the coat room at Old Billingsgate Market for a party of 1,500 people! Coats and bags everywhere! We had to rearrange everything during the event, which was a royal pain in the ass! The good news was I was getting paid, I was feed (beef stroganof and cheesecake,) and I got a free taxi ride home at 1:30 in the morning.

Success! After the 4th day of trying to get tickets to Guys & Dolls, we finally got them! We waited for nearly 3 hours this morning in literally freezing weather on cold concrete. I got the last ticket! Once we got home we warmed-up and unfroze ourselves for a few hours. Then I had to run around town to get stuff together to mail to my sister. After that Michael and Jo switched rooms so Jo is now my roommate. Then it was time for GUYS & DOLLS! I was in the front row less than 3 feet from the stage! Ewan McGreggor rocked my world. He's so good in his role. I swear he looked right at me a few times! So good, worth all £20 and the 4 days of trying and freezing to get tickets! After the show I went back out to South Kensington to be offered a positon at a bar, but I need to think about it since she wants me to work over New Year's Eve and I have a friend in town. Then we booked our guesthouse for Christmas in Budapest.

Today I spent most of the day doing job search stuff. I have a job with Esprit (my catering company) on Wednesday night. I have an interview on Thursday for a visitor assistant position on the Cutty Sark which is a historical ship in Greenwich. I also had an interview at a bar in South Kensington tonight for a combined office/bar work postion. It seemed to go pretty well, but I have to wait to see. Other than that, a pretty slow day.

So I had a fairly boring weekend. Friday we ended up staying in and watcing TV and music videos as always. I also finally joined Facebook and took care of some other internet stuff i.e. mass e-mail.

Saturday we were suppose to go to Nottingham and Sherwood Forest but they wanted £29.50! Oh hell no! We could get tickets cheaper (£7) if we book in advance! So we took off walking towards the greatest cheap store in the world, Primark! We walked all the way down Oxford Street, had ice cream as we walked through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, visited Petter Pan and Prince Al in the park, saw my old flat in Kensington, walked down High Street Kensington, refuelled at Ben's Cookies, and we were that far already we decided to walk the rest of the way to Hammersmith! It's around a 10 mile walk that we did in 3 hours including shopping, eating, and phone calls home in the park. They we spent over an hour in Primark, which is an awesome place. I got a sweater, 2 shirts, and a small purse for a total of £18! Then we took the bus home and vegged the rest of the night because we were so wiped from our little afternoon endevor. More £3 pizza for dinner and then movie night! We watched Slidding Doors and Pirates of the Caribbean.

Yesterday we got free tickets to a sneak peak preview of Mrs. Henderson Presents, I don't know if this movie is showing in the States, but it's really good. It stars Dame Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins, and Will Young. It's about the Windmill Theatre here in London during the late 1930s and early 1940s. I actually cooked lunch! I made very pancake-like crepes with chocolate and peanut butter, very good and very filling. Didn't do much today either except take care of business in prep for this upcoming week. We decided against doing BUNAC's Thanksgiving and planned our own for a nice meal at the Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese pub that was rebuilt in 1667. Another movie, Notting Hill, and then off to bed early.

Wednesday I went at the bank to try to get some of my money, but suprise it's still locked! I'm really starting to not like British banking. Then Jo and I deceided to go to Budapest for Christmas and Michael is coming with us. Yeah Hungary for Christmas! Then it was time for the world's longest nap ever before the BUNAC pub meet at The Centre Page between St. Paul's Cathedral and the Millenium Bridge. After it closed we headed to a cool bar called Apt near Bank in the City of London.

Thursday I had a half-day interview at Harrods in Knightsbridge for a Christmas position. The only reason they will not hire me is because I can't work on the 23rd and 24th of Christmas, although they are keeping my resume for the January sales season. After lunch a bunch of us headed to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square and saw most of the museum. It was loads of fun since I just breezed through there last time. Then we were tourists and played in Trafalgar Square until we were frozen solid! While we were thawing out we watch Garden State and eat. Then it was time for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Things are so much more civilized here than they are in the States! For those of you who haven't seen it yet, GO! Then we took the night bus home at 3 in the morning.

Today we all slept in after HP last night! Then we went to an Indian buffet for lunch not too far from here. Then I finally got my bank cards and signed-up for Thanksgiving dinner with BUNAC. I also bought my plane ticket for Christmas. I don't know what we're going to do tonight, but I'm going to Nottingham and Sherwood Forest tomorrow!

So I've stood in line for hours Monday and Tuesday mornings for tickets to see Ewan McGregor in Guys and Dolls here in the West End. But both mornings they sold out before I got to the head of the line :( We are going to try again even earlier next Monday.

Monday I filled out an application for my dream job at the British Museum and ran to turn it in on time! Then off to buy midnight tickets for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. They don't seem to do many of the midnight showings here in the UK, so finding tickets was harder than we expected.

Yesterday I had an introduction to the Foundling Museum here in London so I can volunteer there. I figure that I might not be able to work in a museum but at least I could volunteer and add experience that way, right? Anyways, I will be volunteering as a front-of-house assistant and gallery steward one morning a week. Once that was complted I signed-up for a day trip to Leeds Castle and the Dickens Christmas Festival in Rochester at BUNAC. After that Chris and I went to TRL here in London. We were lucky enought to be seated at one of the tables in the studio, more central than just the standing audience members. Will Young was the guest, which is one of Chris's favorite artists and I like him too. Loads of fun going to a British version of an American show.

Markets weekend!

Saturday we finally got up and headed to Portobello Market, which I never went to last time = shame. Great place!!! Then we got the rest of the supplies for catering. Then a night around the flat doing laundry, working on my map, and other misc. things.

Today we went back to Camden Market and had some amazing Mexican food, rare in England. I also got a used black puffy vest (i.e. North Face style.) We stopped by the 99p store on the way home.

I love the markets here in London. Each one has it's own feel and specialties. Can't wait to go back and discover new ones.

Friday, what a day! It started out with me dinking around the hostel, which I will probably call the flat/apartment for here on out, for a few hours. I was finishing up things that were unresolved and needed attention. Then I went to the bank to get my account information and finally get rid of my travelers cheques. Yeah for deposits! After that I headed to BUNAC to check my mail, messages, and packages. I also printed out a bunch of CVs (resumes) and other things that I desperately needed in print since this lovely computer doesn't have Word or Excel, boo:( Took the bus home and then it was time to go out for the night. We were going out because for Lucine's last night in London. We ended up at a cheap, small Chinese buffet in Chinatown in Soho. I have no idea what I was actually eating but I know I did some duck. After that we went to the College Arms pub across the street from the apartment. We all had a pint for £2 each, yeah for student discount, and played some British style pool (no solids and stripes: yellow and red instead.) After that we decided to go to Heaven which is a male gay bar near Trafalgar Square, since one of the guys in the hostel and another one we were with are gay. It was only £1 to get in and the drinks were cheap. Chris (UP Michigan,) Sarah (Wisconsin,) and myself stayed the latest until 2:30 or so AM! The music was great and we actually got to dance with space to move and not being grossed out by dirty men! Once we got home we were up talking in the kitchen until 4!

On Wednesday Joe, Lucien, and I took care of some business by stopping by the BUNAC office and the bank as well as some needed shopping for our catering job that we start next week. That night we saw Pride & Prejudice in Leicester Square. It was a great film and going to the cinema in Britain is quite the experience, yet another thing I never did last time I was here.

Yesterday I had an interview with a library/archive/record management placement agency that went really well. This would be bank if they could find some things for me! Then off on a train for another interview at an Apple retailer in southwest London. I don't think I'm going to take the position because it's a really long commute and long hours. We just hung out in the apartment last night because we're all poor, or at least pretending to be poor to survive.

Ok since I'm not moving here is my real address in London:

31 Store Street
London WC1E 7QE
United Kingdom

Please send me mail, I don't care if it's a Minnesota (or where ever) postcard!

Monday I went for a walk around London. I started at the Tower of London and Tower Bridge and went past or over the following: London Bridge, Globe Theatre, Tate Modern, Millennium Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral, and saw the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament. Most of the highlights of London in a few mile nearly 2 hour walk. Then I cooked curry for dinner, impressive even for me I know! After that I head to South Kensington to look at the Hoop & Toy pub where I could live and work part-time. It was really cool and cool people but I still have to think about it. I'm starting to think that living at BUNAC wouldn't be that bad.

Tuesday, aka the longest day ever! I woke up early and headed to Victoria for an interview at an office temp agency and did all of their tests. I think it went really well so hopefully I'll have some sort of position by next week. After that I headed into the City of London to meet my dad's friend's son, Josh, whom I had met once or twice before he moved here over a year ago. We had lunch at a cute London pub that was destroyed and rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1666. Of course it was raining and neither of us had umbrellas, smart Americans! But there was something fun about running around proper businessy London in the rain in suits! After that it was time for some shopping on Oxford St. for new black shoes and some tank tops. Then this evening I had training and orientation for Esprit a posh catering company in London. Luckly another girl from the hostel was there (Joe [Josephine] from LA.) It took 4 hours but it looks like I could have all the work I wanted up to and through the new year. So long day, but rather successful!

Harry Potter World Premiere! Sarah (Green Bay, WI) and I went to Covenet Garden for a world food market and then headed over the Leicester Square for the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

After waiting over 4 hours with some friends of mine from CSB/SJU here in London (Erin and Jerry,) the stars finally started arriving. We saw pretty much everyone including: Harry, Ron, Herminoie, Malfoy, Crabbe, Fleur, Cedric, and Victor from the movie. It was awesome even thought it was raining off and on all day! I got some pictures, but they are not that good. But, I did get to see everyone in person, so that was really cool.

Back to job and apartment searching tomorrow!

All my contact information is listed in my first post except for my British mobile phone number. To call me here all you have to dial is the following number (I've included all the prefixes etc.:) 011 44 79 2954 8993. If by some miracle or dumb luck you're in Britain, the number is 079 2954 8993. I really like hearing from you guys, cause I miss all of you loads already, so please keep in touch!

P.S. Paper mail is really fun to get too! It only costs 80c to send me a letter.

Guy Fawkes Day ruled! November 5th was the 400th anniversary of Guy Fawkes trying to blow-up the Parliament building in London. Ever since then there has been a national celebration/holiday in the UK. They traditionally burn an effigy of Guy in a bon fire and set off fireworks.

Seven of us from the BUNAC hostel when out to a park in East London to the best show according to Time Out (an events magazine in London.) When we got there, there were loads of people and a carnival too! They had built a replica of the Parliament building (Big Ben and all.) They retold the story and acted it out with a puppet of Guy before putting him on the Parliament building and setting the whole thing alight. I never want to see Big Ben burning again! When the whole works finally went up in flames and started collapsing they started the fireworks. They were awesome too. It was cool to see a British holiday and celebration like that, especially since we don't have anything like it in the States.

A silly holiday, but I liked it!

I'm here! I made it, all 4 pieces of luggage and all! I've been in London for about 6 hours and already have a new phone. Number to be posted later along with all other contact information. I'm living in the BUNAC hostel near the British Museum with about 20 other people. I still have to arrange interviews and stuff, but so far so good.