Boring Crap & More British Facts

The reason I've not been blogging this week is because it's been SUCH a boring week. Went from one dull temp job to another. This second job though is unbearable. I'm doing it until the end of the week. It's data formatting which is actually much much less interesting than it sounds (and I know it doesn't sound interesting in the first place).The only good part about the job is that it pays well and I get to listen to music in headphones all day long. I literally do the same thing over and over and over again all day long. The funny thing is there is no way in hell I can finish everything by Friday and when I mentioned that today they were like 'oh yes, we figured that it would take probably about two weeks but we wanted to start with these three days'. When I heard two weeks I started looking for the nearest window so that I could throw myself out of it and therefore be too injured to work. I think I'm just not going to say yes if the recruitment agency asks me to work there next week. I'll just explain that I can't continue unless they want to be responsible for me going berserk.

Anyways, here are some more Fun British Facts:

-Brits sign their text messages with either x or xo or xx. I like it and I've adopted it, as some of you may have noticed.

-British accents make cute children unbelievably adorable and obnoxious children seem like the spawn of Satan. It's shocking how much worse annoying children are when they have British accents! I've started just getting up and moving away from them when they sit down near me on the tube. I always look back after I've sat in my new seat and look right at the children then the parents to confirm what they have already started to guess: they are, in fact, the reason I've moved. I've done this three or four times so far. It sadly does not work during sardine can time or 'rush hour'. During those times I must endure the horrid 'children'(spawn) and exchange empathetic glances with the other people around me.

-Brits call crosswalks 'Zebra Crossings'. They don't have big overhead flashing signs like we do. In fact the crossings are quite inconspicuous. They're narrow and have a black and white striped pole with a light on top at either end and the asphalt is painted black and white as well. Sounds conspicuous, I know, but trust me, it's not.

- Fried chicken shacks are insanely popular here. They're normally called Chicken Cottage or Chicken Village or something along those lines (Chicken City) and I must say they're not too bad. I haven't tried a chicken Cottage but I've had Chicken Village and it was delicious. I will take all visitors there so I hope you like fried chicken!


-There are more Lebanese restaurants here than any other ethnic restaurant. And the vast majority of restaurants here are ethnic aside from the chains. Seriously, there is at least four Lebanese places for every one McD's or Burger King. It's unbelievable. Sometimes two or three in one block then two or three in the next block as well!! I asked the girls at my temp job what the hell was up with it and they said it's cause Londoners like 'Kabobs'. But not the kabobs like we have at home. What they described is like a giant piece of meat on a stick that twirls around and then pieces of meat are sliced off it as it turns. We have that at home but I can't remember what we call it. Anyone??? It's Greek I think. Not souvlaki but something else. Anyways, I haven't worked up my nerve to try a Lebanese restaurant yet, mainly cause there are so many I'm scared I will go to a bad one and get Salmonella and die.

-Here, 'public school' refers to what we call 'private schools' at home. Strange, no?

-The majority of schools are same sex. The few coed schools are apparently 'quite dodgy'

-Here they call eggplants 'aubergines'. I was out for dinner on Saturday and I was like 'What the hell is an aubergine?? Is that pork? Sausage??' Ya no, it's eggplant. There's another vegetable they call a weird name too but I've forgotten.

-My cousin is friends with Gary Oleman's son. ACK!

-This is less a fact and more an observation: there is a large amount of women in London who's chests are disproportionately large. I mean like a size 4 with D cups. It's weird. I would say about 1 in 5 women have giant gajungas for their size. It's so prevalent I've noticed it. My theory is that it has to do with all the whole cream and milk and the fresh cheese and yogurt. I plan to test this theory over the next two years on myself. I'll let you know how it turns out...

-Nottinghill is a predominantly black area. They 'whited it out' for the movie. Isn't that odd?? I thought it was full of rich white people but it's actually full of middle class/upper middle class black people.

That's all I can remember right now. I need to start writing them down when they come to me. Some pics below.



This is a theatre on Oxford street with an awesome sign. It's HUGE.



Went back to Haagen Daz on Monday. We're addicted! This is just one scoop of strawberry cheesecake topped with caramelized pecans. The caramelized hazelnuts are better but the ice cream was just as delicious as last time.



Can you see this?? I think if you double click on it you can see it bigger. This is Leicester Square at around 8 on a Monday night. Crazy crazy busy.

Another shot of the bustling square.



I am DYING to see The Lion King.




I don't know where this is or what it is. I think it's in Nottinghill actually. But I just thought it was a really nice British-looking building so I figured I'd share it with you all.